Attention: BOW

It’s been too long. I have neglected my duties as a blog writer. I have no excuses apart from I’m working a lot harder these days and I’m doing a lot of extra hours. Anyway, I promised a blog about bowing.

Koreans, and other Asian cultures, like to bow. It is a tradition that goes back way before I was born and you and your mates and their mates. I’m not a historian, neither am I that interested in dates, so I won’t give you a specific date, I will just let you know that it started a long time ago.

The point of my message to you is that I, too, like to bow. I have moulded it into my new persona. I do it to my friends, my co-workers, even to the kids for a laugh. I obviously do it to shop workers, restaurant waiters, general service providers and doo-gooders. One time that I did it and I thought to myself “That was bloody stupid”, was when I was lifting weights in the gym. One of the trainers was doing his routine stroll around the gym, whilst correcting peoples grabs, pulls, strains, stretches, pushes, lifts etc etc etc. As he passed me I quickly remembered my newly acquired persona and bowed. Mid-bow I realised I was in mid lift of about 40Kg of weights with the aid of my back muscles. I quickly amended my all round multi-technique and resumed normality, in the relaxed position. I felt like a bit of a fool. Since then I have noticed many people doing the same. The politeness of the bow is so essential and expected and custom that no matter what situation you are in, you bow. I’ve seen people carrying countless bags of shopping and still mastering a bow to a fellow heavy bagged up bower. Despite this, people happily do it and they do it with passion and grace. I once saw a couple having a bowing competition on the pavement. It was so funny. They were competing to see who could get their forehead closest to their feet. He won. I want bowing to become common place in my life. When I eventually return to the non-bowing lands of the UK, I will be introducing some sporting bow techniques to my friends and family. So if you’re listening folks, get working on those back muscles, because I will be expecting a bow from you every time I see you, or give you something, or even think about you.

Thank you. (I’m bowing now, as I type – seriously)

(THE PICTURE - I am not bowing, but this is the kind of angle one would expect to see, and execute)

Coming Soon.

Coming soon to a web page near you, a blog update. Apologies for the late arrival of this release. I would shoulder the blame but my companion Giovanna is shite at writing blogs, frequently, and I seem to have caught her 'slow finger' disease. I will not promise that the latest addition to my blog will arrive soon, but I will tease you and say it will happen soon, and that it will be about the over zealous-ness of Koreans and their polite stooping (Stooping is more commonly known as Bowing, which is the act of lowering the torso and head as a social gesture in direction to another person or symbol.
Meanwhile, this is a picture of me wasting some time with my camera and it's new assitant Captain Tripodia.

23rd September, I got my Visa

6 weeks after returning to Korea. Many troubles, stresses, worries, concerns, frowns, disbeliefs, frantic calls, frantic emails, what if's, but what if's, lots of that's not fair's and why does it take so long's and I have finally be given my second year visa. It's such a relief and such a change in emotions that yesterday I had a short period of mild depression. I have spent most minutes of the day worrying about all of this. Now I have nothing to worry about. It's strange how the brain likes to be troubled sometimes, or it at leats gets used to the idea of stress and then chokes when it doesn't have any.

I'm happy, thank you to all those who participated in the process - NO THANKS to the UK Metropolitan system and their friends at the NCI..... Sort your system out, ummm, umm, NOW

Alice

Please focus on the girl looking at you..... Her name is Alice.

I thought it was about time that I wrote a piece about one of my babies. I have taught a number of kids in the past 13 months, but my current BLUE class kids are the ones that have segmented a bigger percentage of my heart. Alice is today's case study. Before I proceed, I will however, not be referring to her as a case study. She's one of my babies.

The term 'babies' is obviously a play on words. I didn't impregnate a Korean women, or many for that matter, all those years ago. I like to use 'babies' a number of times throughout the day. It can be implicated to ridicule an infant. If they're behaving below their accumulated years then I will ask them "Are you a baby?". This results in an uproar of laughter from the endearing classmates, therefore striking a message to, from now on, act your age. On the flip-side I use 'Baby' and 'babies' in order to deliver my affection to them. At lunchtime, a number of the kids, decide that they will take a long time to eat their food and in the process of this, they play with it, or in Alice's case, secretly deposit it onto the floor. Cunning. So, as an incentive to a quickly eaten meal I reward them with 'baby time'. I think I have mentioned this before. It simply means I cradle them like a newly born and swing gentle from side to side, for about 30 seconds, then we both get bored and move onto the next adventure.

Anyway, I'm drifting away from Alice. I have taught Alice from day one. When I first graced the wooden floors of Kids Herald back in August 2008, Alice was one of the 5 VERY small babies that was looking up at me I was escorted into RED class. I was petrified and I'm sure she was as well. Alice is properly one of more substantial cute kids of the entire school, past and present and optimistically, the future. To explain. There are an abundance of cute kids throughout. But their cuteness waivers as they grow or as they are molded into perm-babies by their mothers. (Perms - some kids get given perms by their mother's - disgusting behavior, but deeply amusing when they walk into school styling their new wave)

Alice has maintained her cuteness since day one. It's the kind of cuteness that gets her out of so many situations. Arguments flare up on a daily basis and Alice, with a slice of pure genius, tilts the head to one side, frowns (whilst holding the infamous cute rounded eyes), and squeaks out a little "Teacher". Every teacher in the school knows what she's doing, but none of us have the ability to conquer it. Her biggest sin is depositing food onto the floor at lunchtime (as mentioned above). Most kids swallow all their culinary delights. Alice is the solitary exception. Every day, once the masses have digested and departed the class, there is a scattering of un-chewed foods splattered around her vacated seat. Christine Teacher and I both know it's her and have even seen her doing it. But! Why shout at her? If she doesn't want to eat a bit of spicy, boiled and fermented cabbage, then so be it. She's young, she'll learn.

Another thing I love about Alice is that I also teach her sister Wendy. Wendy is two years older than Alice. Their sisterly love is very strong and warming. I regularly use ask them how their sibling is doing. With Alice being the younger, she's is frequently mentioning Wendy's name. One day I asked Alice to write "I Love Wendy". Just a time filler before next class. She wrote "I love Wenby". Alice has always struggled with the d-b, b-d concept. I pounced on this error like a newly born would do to it's food source (nipple). Immediately, and from then on, I would always ask "How's WenBBBBy?"..... It sends her potty. As predicted Wendy isn't too keen on the purposeful error either.

Alice is currently doing very well and is progressing exceptionally. I have at least 5 months left of teaching with Alice. Then she will promote to her third and final year of kindergarten. Hopefully I will be lucky enough to teach her in her final year. We'll see........

Here are some snaps......


This is Alice in my first few weeks..........


Frowning and cute round eyes. I told you......


Taking a nap.


Taking a fall on sports day......


And finally, a more grown up Alice. Taken last week.

Stuff

Quick update. I have been able to work since the expiratory of my visa. On going to the immigration office, on the 4^th September (my last legal day of work), we took all the required documents minus the elusive criminal check. They gave me around 14 days to hand in the final piece, then I would be granted my visa renewal. They also kindly let me work in this limbo period. However, if the elusive document doesn’t arrive on or before the 22^nd of September, then I will have to reapply for a new visa number. A process that takes around two weeks and entails leaving the country. I won’t be able to work at all during this period. So two weeks of lost payment.

Anyway, I’m remaining positive and eagerly awaiting that pivotal email or phone call from my father, divulging the news that he has the gold dust in his hands.

Since I have been back in teaching mode life has been great. I’m finally settling into my humble abode. I have even started drawing up plans for moderations here and there. But I’m patient enough to wait until the dust has settled over the visa malarkey. a slight change from my first year, besides the new home, is a new gym. Another teacher in the neighbourhood works out at a gym around the corner from the one I have been sweating at for the pat 8 months, I thought I’d try out the new set of weights and cardio machines. The freshness of the new gym has given me a timely boost to my new keep fit regime. You may recall a few months ago I declared that I wasn’t drinking as much. Well I have taken it to levels of, some might say stupidity – others might say intelligence, either way, I get a warm feeling inside after just a glass of red or a big bottle of beer. My tolerance is somewhat less. So this along with my new enthusiasm for working out, I have maintain my slimmer waist line. Confirmation in this was witnessed today as I, for the first time in my life, bought a pair of trousers with a 32” waist. I almost kissed the, may I add male shop assistant, as he bagged up my 32’s…….

I had a request to divulge my morning routine yesterday. Here it is.

Bearing in mind that I start teaching at 9:30. I set my alarm for around 8:15. I then put a 5 minute snooze on, but about 20 seconds later, I get the anticipated “miss the snooze alarm” paranoia and jump up from my cosy pillow. I turn on my laptop and check for GOOD NEWS about my criminal record check. I then gulp down a glass of vitamin C tablet laced water and start cutting up a huge pear. Koreans have massive pears. Very juicy and always refreshing. I then iron a shirt of some sort. I have a selection of maybe 8. I tend to rotate about 4 of them, as the other 4 post some kind of frustration during the day. I’m thinking of just throwing them out to be honest with you. I’ll let you know. Then I pack my bag, plug in my headphones, debate with myself and my i-pod on what I will listen to and then set about my 20 minute walk to work. “No Shower?” you ask. I have a shower the night before. I’ve discovered that, significant to the summer months only, that having a shower before bed considerably and effectively reduces my body temperature enough for me to fall asleep without the aid of air conditioning.

That’s the gist of my routine.

This weekend sees the second instalment of a Cheosuk holiday for me, in Korea. Monday off and Tuesday morning off. No major plans. Might head to the beach for some quiet time. Might not. Decisions will be made based on weather, and instinct. I thought it would be nice to throw a few pictures up here of life at school. I won’t label them or divulge any details. Just enjoy the smiles and faces. Apologies for any typos or grammar errors, I can not be bother to red over thiss. I just wan’’t to pist it and got to bid and sloep.

My New House - INSIDE!!!

The pictures tell the story. One kitchen, one bedroom, one bathroom, one living room and then little bits here and there that connect all the above.















I'm in the process of buying a rug for the living room, enlarging some of my self-taken photographs of Korea, then framing them, then drilling them to the wall and finally decorating open and bland spaces with a collection of cheap and nasty bargains and those delicate and spontaneous finds that you discover in the quietest of moments.

Therefore, another, updated collection of pictures to follow.

I'm still waiting for a piece of paper.

Spurs start badly and so do I..............

The picture will be the happiest thing you see or hear in the next few paragraphs, so savour it now........ Red and Blue class during Speech Contest 2008.

Not sure where to begin. How about this? Right now I feel stressed, frustrated, run-down, lethargic, confused, betrayed and redundant. Why? Quite simply I haven’t got a working visa in Korea from the 4^th September. Why? Quite simply, I need a police check from the UK. Why? Because the new law in Korea asks so. So! Why is that such a problem? just get one! Easier said than done. In my beloved home country, the UK, it takes anything up to forty days to receive it, not including postage times they say. Why? I have no idea. In Korea you can order you police check and have it signed off and presented to you within 24 hours. Why? Because that’s how things can work. In fact you can have your entire workforce checked off within 24 hours. Our country, the United Kingdom, is obsessed with application forms. We love paperwork. We love small print. We seem to love filing systems. We’ve even created job roles specific to filing.

Isn’t it time we started relying on computers more? We are 8 years into the 21^st century now and we’re still applying for things through paper applications. A process that has so many negative and destructive aspects. “Lost in post”, “Postage back an forth ads on a week to the process”, “mislaying legal documents”, “if any errors then whole process has to start again, i.e. fill out application form again, this time use BLACK CAPITALS – Why?? Why?? Why??” I pray for the day that our country sits down and relaxes a little. Stop being so damn anal and break away from the paper past.

One aspect of this particular process that I’m currently three days into was false information given on the application form. It clearly says, in slightly bolder and blacker text, that you should enclose x2 copies of identification. I did so, then on receiving the copies they then say that it’s new policy to have original copies and not ‘copies’. But they haven’t updated this on their TRUSTY application form. Finally, just to reiterate the pathetic-ness of our anal and vintage system in the UK, when my father went into the police station to hand in the forms etc the policeman kindly sympathised with my fathers matching concerns and the policeman actually said “I could look up your criminal record here and now and print it here and now”……… do I need to say anymore??????!!!!! Really???

OK, so maybe you’re thinking why didn’t I start this process two months ago. Then there wouldn’t be this rush to get it tied up now, before the 4^th September. Well, I did my duties. I asked my boss if I needed a police check in order to renew my contract and get a second year visa. He said no and the rest will soon be history. Hopefully. I won’t go into any further details on conversations with my boss, as I’m not into kiss and tell, but lets just say that I now face 2/3 weeks of unemployment and non-payment, due to OTHER peoples misuse of accessible information. So I’m now set for budget eating, budget entertaining, no fun and frolics and finally a whole lot of time to get even more frustrated at the turn of events.

Welcome to my second year!!!!!!!!!!

More to follow………….

ARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!!