Keep 'Em Up

3-15-2010
Day 8 of 365: Since I've been in Korea, I feel like I've learned at least one new thing each day. For instance, on Day 5 I learned that officially, there is no 'r' sound in the Korean language, so all the jokes are actually true. I don't know if that makes them less funny or more funny. On Day 7 I learned that Koreans in general have a beef with the Japanese, which is why I've seen zero Toyotas, zero Nissans, and only one Honda on the road to date. This brings me to today's lesson. Today I learned that shoe stores and major department stores don't carry shoes larger than men's size 10. It's pointless to wear my boots to school because they make everyone remove their shoes at the entrance. Instead, everyone has 'indoor' shoes that they wear at school, which is what I was trying to buy when I learned the lesson of the day. As a result, I'm a size 12 stuck with size 9 house shoes at school for the time being. So my 'giant' feet, coupled with the fact that the guys here all want me to play Center in basketball (I'm barely 6'0 tall), officially makes me the Shaquille O'Neal of Ansan. I'm not saying I'm the tallest person in the city, but I'm definitely in the top 5. What sports are Koreans good at again? Oh yeah, Ping Pong and Starcraft.

Another thing I've noticed is that hardly anyone walks around with an iPod or headphones of any kind; not even Bluetooth headsets. How strange is that? Maybe they're technology is so advanced that they have evolved to the point where they don't need headphones or earbuds. Maybe they've got Nano-buds implanted in their ear canals and actual cell phones are now just for style or symbol of status. It could happen. We are, after all, 14 hours in the future.

As for the daily routine, I have to say that it has gotten better, but I think it's about to get worse. I've only been here a little over a week, but it feels like a month. My responsibilities as a teacher are ramping up quickly, and I may have made a mistake by agreeing to teach extra classes starting next month. Extra classes equals extra money, which is great, but I haven't even fully wrapped my head around the concept of being a teacher yet, and I'm about to get thrown into the deep end of the pool. In addition, I will begin taking Korean language classes in the evening starting next week, which will eat up much of my time. On the positive side, all the kids in school love me. They're always excited in class, and I hear them whispering my name in the halls as I walk by. The other day, I was walking home from school when a couple of kiddos (with mouths full and Mcdonald's chicken sandwiches in hand) ran up to me out in the street just to say 'hello'. Others just flash the 'Hook 'Em Horns' at me to get my attention. They call me Jacob Teacher, and learning to 'Hook 'Em' was lesson #1 in Jacob Teacher's class. If the school wanted it's kids to learn wussy English, they would have hired somebody from Canada or Illinois. 'Texas Fight' and 'The Eyes of Texas' are in future lesson plans.