Day 64

Day 64 Feb 19, 2009 Thursday

bad news: currently the won is weakening..Its plunged 15% this year..Maybe I picked the wrong year to come!that means my money is worth less in USD. I think the whole world is feeling the effects of the bad economy.

I got another phone bill today. It was from KT. Its really weird how they can just get all my information. I didn't sign up for their service, but I got a bill sent to the school. It was for 27,000 won (about $25 usd). When I dial that 1-800 number on the calling card I am being charged for long distance since its an 800 in the USA. I need to find a Korean calling card or sign up with a service that allows international calling. I think I might try one I found online. Its a prepaid card where you can use a Korean access number and its only about 9 cents a minute.

I also got my electric bill. Its only 11,000 which is about $10 usd. I'll probably go pay both bills at the bank on Monday before school if I cant figure out how to use internet banking.

It snowed tonight...just a tiny bit.....first time I've ever seen 4 snows in one winter. We are lucky in SC to get one snow a year if we get that. There isn't any accumulation but still..it snowed. I'm not a big fan of snow. Just doesn't excite me.Its actually snowing at this moment at 3am on Friday while I am writing this.

a cab driver beeped the horn at me and waved today. what's up with that? maybe he recognized me.haha.

We had a meeting with the person in charge of foreigners. If they even speak one word of Korean we can send them to daily bridge. Now is the time to be really strict..send them all to daily bridge! They want to give me a going away party next Friday. I asked the guy in charge when my visa would be cancelled and he didn't really give me an answer. He wanted to know when my start date at the new school would be. I don't know yet. They are under the impression that I don't have to cancel my visa. Just keep the one I have until I get a new one. I hate the communication problems!! When I told them that I was interviewing at Andrew's school the other foreign teacher said that sounded "sketchy".

I sent 8 kids to detention today. All of them didn't go. I think some of them decided they just didn't want to go. I gave all the names to the detention staff and the Korean teacher. I sent one girl for not doing her homework. She constantly doesn't do her homework and I've been nice and didn't send her but today I did. Plus she said some Korean also. I sent one guy because he threw something at another student. All the rest were in detention because they spoke Korean.

I think I'll be strict till the end of the semester-6 more class days. If they act up I'll send them to daily bridge. Too bad that one of the biggest troublemakers cant be sent to detention! I can still get the Korean teacher to call his parents.

I'm shocked at how some of these kids don't have time to be kids. They are in school all day long. A lot of the students go from one academy to the next. One of my students wrote in his essay about how he wishes he had some free time. He's one of those who go from one academy to the next. He hates the English school because its long and boring.

Today in my 2nd class everyone wanted to go to the bathroom. I don't know what to do. One person asks then all of a sudden everyone has to go. I hate that! But what if I don't let them go. They will tell their parents then I will get asked by a foreign teacher "why didn't you let him go to the bathroom?"

I have to give student comments for all my classes. I have a hard time of knowing what to say. Today I filled out comments for 3 of my classes. The classes I've filled out so far are my good classes. I gave them good comments. except this one guy who is always late and likes to sleep. I gave him a bad comment. I'm going to give bad comments to all my troublemakers.

My interview was moved. Now its at 2pm on Saturday.

I think I'll go see the body exhibit after the interview. Maybe I'll stop in Itaewon for lunch after my interview since its only about 30 mins away from the interview site. I might go to mcdonalds.

I think Saturday I'll try to ride all of the subway lines. I know I will start out on #1 then transfer to #3 for my interview. Then I'll transfer to #6 to go eat lunch. Then transfer to #4 to go to the body exhibit. I better put some more money on my Subway card! I think Im down to 4,000 won.

On Sunday I think I might try out the English Young Adult service at Yiodo. or maybe one of the regular services. I haven't made up my mind yet. I wish I could do both but I don't want to be stuck there all day long with nothing to do since the services are 7 hours apart. the 11am service and the 6:20 service.