March 4, Awesometown

Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay, but I have many things to tell you all since my last post.  This past Tuesday, all of the kindergarten classes had graduation because the Korean school year runs from March to February. Only two classes (red and green) moved on to primary school -- the rest stay at SLP. It was very much a hectic ceremony for the teachers because each class performed a song, got dressed up (there were fish, Aladdins and Jasmines, and other indiscernible characters), put back into their uniform, and finally each graduate in the two classes gave a memorized speech; all the while the teachers are dealing with no holds barred pandemonium in the back room as we managed (tried to manage?) what might as well have been a room filled with greased up piglets.  But it only lasted a couple hours, which was good because apparently the previous year it went on ad nauseum with every student giving a speech and each class doing a skit that none of them remembered. And then my boss took all the teachers out to dinner, at which we seemingly bought the entire menu (so good).

The next day we didn't have class until the afternoon with our older students, so we got to sleep in. The following day was Korea's independence day (from Japan) so we had the day off. That was Thursday. You all still with me? Okay, good. On Independence Day I went downtown (shin-nae in Korean) to meet a bunch of other foreign teachers for a scavenger hunt in which we had to take pictures of, among other things: a team member eating silk worm larvae (beondaegi), a suggestive sounding store name (Teeney Weenie), a Korean with a ridiculous outfit (so easy), and a team member holding a Korean baby (which everyone completed).

On Saturday I went to the first Steelers game of the season -- which is the local soccer/football club -- and then got my first Korean barbecue with a slew of other Westerners who were at the game. Unfortunately, we lost to the visiting team 1-0 but I've been told that last year we made semi-finals. The team is called the Steelers because there is a huge steel mill in Pohang thats directly across the water from Buk-gu beach (Pohang is located around a bay) and at night the mill has all sorts of multicolored lights that give fireworks enthusiasts and nighttime beach goers something to look at.  Which reminds me, you can buy fireworks everywhere! If anyone tells you Pohang is not a fun place, they are telling you something opposite of the truth.

In other news I searched far and wide for a pool table with pockets, walking for hours using various individuals' well intended but completely inaccurate directions.  The odd thing is that I can't take out the trash without stumbling over 2 or 3 different pool halls, I even live across the street from one! But upon closer inspection almost none have a table with pockets in it because everyone is playing carom pool, in which the object is to strike strike two other balls with your cue ball. Right when I was about to give up I saw a sticker of a full rack of numbered spheres only a few hundred yards (as the crow flies) from my apartment.  The guy who runs the joint is all smiles and likes giving me a free soda every time I go.  Such a chill homey.

I've started teaching and although the kids are great and the other teachers are quite helpful, The scheduling and all of the different books I use at different times is rather confusing.  But I certainly haven't given up and I'm sure I'll get the hang of it soon enough.  Its off to bed with me now though, but I'll post again as soon as I can. Thanks for reading and email me if you have any questions! jpoconnor1@loyola.edu

Anyung,
Jack