TIK. This Is Korea.
I love Korea & I love my job for its randomness. I don’t know why I am still so surprised when these daily occurences of disorder and confusion happen. I should be ready for the randomness that is everyday life because really… who in the hell knows anything in this country? Somehow things get done, somehow schools are still running, and somehow the government has control.
Here’s a few of the better moments that prove my point, that no one knows what’s going on…
1. Grade 1 Boys Class (i.e. 6th grade in the states): End of class bell rings & class immediately falls into mayhem. 38 boys are out of their seats in an instant. Papers, pens, shoes all flying in different directions among the laughs and yells. My teacher look at me, grabs her laptop, and says RUN. TIK.
2. Winter Camp: I walked around with 15 students following me all over a university campus asking every director and person semi in-charge of the camp where our class was being held. No one knew. TIK.
3. Yesterday I got an out of the blue text message saying my phone will be turned off in 4 days if I didn’t send in my Alien Card and Bank Information. Apparently, my current cell is getting dumped, it works great by the way, and they are sending me some random old phone of their choosing. No choice, no heads up, and 4 days. TIK.
4. Come into school & I’m the only teacher here. I’m guessing school is closed? TIK.
5. If you buckle up in a taxi, the driver might get insulted. TIK.
6. Went out to dinner with Rhys’s high & mighty principal, VP, and head teachers. About 15 Soju shots later (courtesy them) and next thing I know I am being whisked across a norebang room, slow dancing with Rhys’s principal, while his piss ass drunk VP serenades the room with a slow karaoke ballad. TIK.
7. I am told to plan 4 lessons, and 4 lessons only for Winter Camp. We get there and are told we are teaching an open class and parents will be watching. Then we are told to teach a lesson we were told NOT to plan for. Everyone had nothing to teach. TIK.
8. School ends in December and starts again in March. One week before the start of the school, NO teachers knew what grade they were teaching, what classes, or how many classes. We came to school March 1st and even had a new Vice Principal and Principal that no one knew about. TIK.
9. Some Koreans think if you sleep with a fan on, you will die from ‘Fan Death.’ All the air is sucked from your lungs. TIK.
10. EVERYONE, EVERYONE constantly runs red lights, drives on the sidewalks in major shopping areas, and it is quite debateable whether or not speed limits are actually enforced. TIK.
Never question anything, just nod, smile, and make a note about it for next time… because, afterall This is Korea .
This music video speaks volumes about LIFE in KOREA. It’s hilarious… but maybe one of those ‘you should have been there’ kind of things, in order to understand it’s true comic value!
-Nicky-
2 Nomads. 1 Narrative. 
When I start to think I can’t control my class anymore, I just think to myself, “well at least I don’t have Nicky’s kids!”