"Last" Day of School: Class Photos With Most of My First-Grade Students

To say that today is the "last" day of school is not accurate for two reasons: 

1. There are no classes held today. Students are just to come in in the morning to attend an official end-of-the-year ceremony. And clean the school grounds. 
2. Though today marks the end of the semester, students will continue to come to school to continue learning throughout the summer, everyday (Monday through Saturday, though with a bit more truncated study times from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.). 

With these considerations in mind, today is the "last" day of school because it is the last day for me. It is the last time I will officially come in as a teacher at Yeongdo Girls High School. It's proving a bit difficult for me to feel the finality of the situation seeing as how students and other teachers alike are overwhelmingly continuing on with the educational grind. Despite the emotional disconnect, intellectually, I knew that the end of my contract was approaching, and thankfully managed to take photos with all 12 of my classes. Here they are, with the unfortunate exception of one class photo that didn't quite turn out. 

CLASS PHOTOS

Photos courtesy of co-teachers: Hye Gyeong, Mr. Seo, and Ju Mi Yeon

Thursday 1-1/2 A Class

Friday 1-1/2 L Class

Monday 1-3/4 I Class

Monday 1-5/6 L Class 

Thursday 1-3/4 L Class

Thursday 1-7/8 L Class

Tuesday 1-5/6 A Class

Wednesday 1-3/4 A Class

Wednesday 1-5/6 I Class

Wednesday 1-7/8 I Class 

I will miss my students, and more so when it finally hits me. While I am saddened that my time as a teacher in South Korea has come to an end, I feel an excitement, too, at the thought that a handful of  recently-graduated young Americans are currently gearing up to take my place and continue the mission of Fulbright as they start their own journeys as ETAs and U.S. cultural ambassadors.

Future ETAs, be excited for the next steps you will take! Whether you feel prepared or not, you are about to impact hundreds of young lives - make it for the better!

Fighting!

Spring 2015 Busan YDAC | Video of Yeongdo Girls High School's Journey

As a Fulbright ETA, one of my favorite events in the semester is YDAC (or Youth Diplomacy & Activism Conference). Overall, this is my fourth time coaching a team of students for YDAC and my third time coordinating for the Gyeongsangnamdo region.

You can read about previous YDACs Yeongdo Girls High School has attended here and here. The experience of preparing students for this English writing and speaking conference has always proven rewarding, though certainly not without its challenges. I will be making a separate post with photos and more detail, but, for now, here's a video I snapped throughout our last few days of prep work to document my students' journey through YDAC! 

App: Snapmovie/ Song: "Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Trap

Renewing ETA Profile (AKA Reflections on My Year(s) Teaching in Korea)

THE RENEWING ETA PROFILE HANDBOOK
Just this afternoon, our Program Coordinator sent out a giant email containing application forms for leadership positions next year within Fulbright Korea. Yes, we've just returned from our winter vacations, but it's that time of the grant year again! Included among the many attachments was the Renewing ETA Profile Handbook, containing the knowledge, experiences, and insights of, well, ETAs who are in their second or third year here. The aim of the handbook is to help first year ETAs decide whether to likewise renew or not.

Because I tarried in submitting my survey, my responses were not included in the handbook. However, I did save what I typed up, (thinking I would later post them up here), and want to share them with you here now with some modifications.

SURVEY: LOGISTICS STUFF

Current School Name and Location: Yeongdo Girls High School, Yeongdo-gu, Busan
Current School Demographics: All-Girls
Did you change school demographics after your first (or second) year(s)? No
Did you change placement locations? No
Do you currently live in a homestay or apartment? Homestay

SURVEY: SHORT RESPONSES PORTION

What factors were relevant to your decision to renew? 

I chose to renew based on a wonderful first-year experience. The families, friends, and communities I formed during my first few months of arriving in Busan went to extraordinary lengths, above and beyond their job descriptions, to make my stay here smooth, comfortable, and delightful!

Because being a "Fulbrighter in South Korea" was only supposed to be a one-year commitment for me before diving right into grad school, I did touch base with former professors and counselors to hear what they had to say. The response was a resounding: Yes! Go be young, and live your life now! Grad school won't be going anywhere! (or something to that effect). This, along with the fact that my family back in the U.S. were doing well further encouraged me to invest another year in growing in a different setting.

How has your current year been different from your first (or previous years) as an ETA? How has it been similar? 

I enjoyed every aspect of my first year enough to request renewal at the same city, and same school! The advantages of staying were numerous, including: being able to witness the evolution of my students from first graders to second- and, now, third-graders(!); forming deeper bonds with the students, co-teachers, and administrators at my school; strengthening ties with a slew of foreigners I met at a couple of English services in Busan; and becoming better acquainted with the beauty of the island I live in, and with the rhythm of life in Busan - a place I would find more and more reasons to love.

The only change I made was in choosing a different homestay with which to live. My first homestay family was a great blessing! However, I saw how hard my host mom worked around the home and, with her continued insistence in doing everything for me even as she was recovering from a back surgery, I chose to leave, not wishing to pose a greater burden on her and her family. I also considered the fact that, for the whole year, my two younger host sisters had slept on the living room floor just so I could have a private room in their household. My stay with this family showed me firsthand how one can be "burdened" by the kindness and generosity of others.

My second homestay is made up of educators (host mom is a middle school English teacher and host dad is a statistics professor) and so feels less like "family" and more like colleagues. However, the advantage of this living situation is that my host mom (having also lived in the U.S. for 11 years) can speak English well, giving us the opportunity to have long, drawn out meals where we talk about anything and everything under the sun.

Has your second/third year met your expectations? Please elaborate.

My greatest expectation was to form better and deeper relationships with folks I live, work, worship, and hang out with. This goal has been (more or less) realized. I am satisfied with the friendships I have formed and been able to maintain, but have been a bit disappointed because some of the original friendships that had made this particular placement so ideal for me at the beginning have dissolved into thin air.

I can relate to another Returning ETA, who wrote:

"While I don't regret my decision to renew because it has forced me to grow in many ways, if I knew how much would change (even when I was staying in the exact situation!) I probably wouldn't have renewed."  - Stacey

Other goals I had were to earn a black belt in Taekwondo (thwarted by the onset of chronic cough in winter); to continue working with North Korean Defectors at the Busan Hana Center (check); to step up my YDAC game (check); and to apply for fellowships and graduate schools (the last application having been sent while hospitalized during my recent trip back to the Philippines for winter vacation). No big deal...


What advice do you have for first-year ETAs deciding whether to renew?

In deciding to renew, it's important to remember that you are not the only variable in the equation. I speak from personal experience when I say that family back home who may be doing "well" now financially or health-wise, may not be in a matter of months. If you are privileged with the responsibilities of being the eldest child in a [single-parent] household like I am, you will do well to consider the state of affairs back home before extending your teaching contract.

Also keep in mind that your decision to stay [at the same homestay/school/city for whatever ideal situation] does not necessarily mean things will remain as they are. That is the nature of seasons, of relationships, and of the Korean education system.

If you stay, decide to be present. As teachers, we are in the business of investing in young lives with the hopes they will become future world changers. Knowing this, if you do decide to renew, be fully present and do as Mrs. Shim has always told us: "Love your students!"

Believe it or not, a huge part of loving your students (or anyone, really) well is in taking care of yourself. Stay healthy, maintain your joy despite what your circumstance may look like; maximize the hours you are not teaching (legend has it that the former ETA at my school wrote a novel during her "down time" and later published after her grant year); and remember that, despite how it may feel sometimes, you are now living in "the real world."

Oh, and if you decide NOT to renew, I definitely agree with another ETA's advice who said to:

"...make sure...you have something good waiting for you back home, in Korea, or elsewhere." - David

You can contact me by email if you have unanswered questions or other concerns: mcagaitan[at]gmail.com

Fun Peniel Church Spring Retreat at Songjeong Beach Near Haeundae!

ARRIVING AT SONGJEONG BEACH

Peniel Church had a spring retreat In the midst of Lunar New Year holiday, and took foreigners to a beach-front pension at Songjeong Beach. Russel and I traveled from Yeongdo-gu to Haeundae-gu to join the rest for the overnight retreat. 

The commute was long but, amazingly, the weather cooperated. We got lost on the way to the pension and ended up trekking up and down the beach before finally finding the Tom N Toms coffee shop landmark. When we arrived, the skies were blue, people dotted the beach, and seagulls danced, flying above heads and hands that reached out to feed them. I was heading straight for the pension house when Russel veered right towards the beach. 

Russel: We're already here, so we might as well enjoy this!

I considered the high heeled boots I was wearing and the backpack I was carrying before taking a few ginger steps to follow his form weaving among crowds. I could just shake off the sand from my shoes later. And...this would only take a few minutes.

Russel picked up a few pieces of snacks from the sand that children had thrown haphazardly in the air. 

It was so cold, especially with the strong winds, but Russel (with his thin jacket) still decided to frolic on the beach first before meeting everyone

Footsteps. So many people trampled over these grounds. This evidence will just be washed away soon...

The seagulls were so numerous. Some of them looked like they were going to dive right for my face!

The pension turned out to be on the end where I'm standing from. However, Russel and I walked all the way (15 minutes away) over to that other "end" of the beach you see here before noticing that the number of hotels/motels/pensions were diminishing. We doubled back (another 15-minute walk), and were pretty hungry and tired by the time we met up with folks

Even though Songjeong Beach had a lot of people today, it is still nothing compared to the size at Haeundae Beach. Therefore, Songjeong has a much more pleasant and relaxed atmosphere than its neighbor 15 minutes away

ARRIVING AT THE PENSION

The pension was on the 5th and 6th floor of this building. Russel took the steps and I, once again, reluctantly followed - neither of us realizing there was a very convenient elevator located right at the entrance. The set of stairs was narrow and winding, so I became not a little nauseated just making my way up!

At long last, we finally arrived. The group of folks from Peniel were in various positions of repose. Some simply sitting against a stack of pillows and blankets, others sitting next to each other quietly tinkering with their phones (later, I would find out that they were actually playing Scrabble); still others were snacking and a few were beginning to prepare our dinner.

Ate Blessy took charge of our meals during the retreat. Thank you, Ate!

The Scrabble competitors. Behind them, a beautiful sun was slowly setting, casting a warm, orange glow all over this room

Aaand dinner was served, and just in time, too, as more guests arrived!

After dinner, we took a walk as a group. The people most vocal about taking a walk were the ones who, apparently, were not even planning on joining the walk. Haha. I mostly walked and talked with Monica, asking her questions like, "If you could establish any business, what would it be and why?" as lights from business establishments twinkled on the other side of the street 

PLAYING AN HOURS-LONG GAME OF "MAFIA"

After our refreshing walk, we played a long, super fun, and extremely hilarious game of "Mafia"! I didn't know how to play this game until my friends at Peniel explained it to me during our last retreat. It turns out this game is super exciting! 

But not so much if you get the cards for the lowly "townspeople," which were basically the only cards I managed to draw. That's pretty incredible, especially considering the fact that we played over 15 games, lasting from about 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. That's more or less 6 hours of Mafia! 

Nanay caught in a lie! And then another lie!

I love this series of photos. I took them while watching Ate Blessy prepare the next day's meals and making coffee for folks. This laughing fest occurred while the group was playing a card game called "BS." We called it a more appropriate name, of course, and the object is to get rid of all of your cards while going in consecutive order. Due to the nature of the game, you will most likely have to lie about the card you're putting down in order to get rid of your cards. This game was Russel's version, which, I think, involves more crazy lying, and which he defends as being more interesting and fun. 

No words...

The laughter lasted an extraordinarily long time! I didn't know what happened, but I was compelled to laugh along with them

At 9 p.m., I grew hungry and ate another serving of sopas. At 2:30 a.m., hours after Nanay had gone to bed and was attempting to sleep right next to our huge, noisy group, we had another midnight snack of sopas before finally retiring for the night. 

The men (all 3 of them) had a smaller, separate room, while the women (about 8-9?) stayed in the big room and laid out blankets to sleep on. Thankfully, the floors were heated!

I went to bed satisfied at having maxed out my laughter quota of the week. It was good. I'm a fan of retreats without "programs" or itineraries. This community-building was all organic, and it felt right. 

HOW TO GET TO SONGJEONG BEACH: 
Take Line Number 2 and get off at Haeundae Station (Exit 7).
Take bus no. 100, 100-1, 139, 142 and get off at Songjeong Beach!

My Second First Day as a High School English Teacher at Yeongdo!

Yeongdo Girls' High School's first ever woman principal with her ETAs from 2011 and 2013.
Missing Andrea Tang (2012) from this picture!

THE RHYTHM OF RUSHING AND SLOWING DOWN

For the new school year, my walk started from the house of my new homestay family. The path was windy - familiar in that I had traversed it by bus countless of times before, and unfamiliar because I was much lower on the ground and slower on foot, allowing me to see and notice and consider things I had not before.

I was approaching my school from the opposite direction. If I had not been rushing, I might have had opportunity to entertain such things as have from time to time fought to accompany me along the rode: Nervousness, Anxiety, Fear. 

Sometimes it's the rushing through life that saves me from so much mental apprehension. Of course, with these negative feelings come the positives: Excitement, Hope, and a Fire that grows within me with each step that leads me closer to my destination. 

Today has been a special first day being back:

1. I found out I have a new Fulbright co-teacher -  an English teacher with whom I worked last year as a classroom co-teacher. She is beautiful, sweet, and soft-spoken but has been away for a semester. I am glad to be working with her again and am excited for the new dynamic ahead of us!
2. A former ETA (2011) came to visit! Hogan Medlin, Yeongdo Girls' High School's first ever native English teacher came to say hi to the principal (who is very fond of him), the teachers he worked with (who were talking about his visit 6 months before it happened), and his students (who are now in the 3rd grade). We had communicated via email during my first year as an ETA and he had been quite generous with tips on how to ease my experience at YGHS. What a real pleasure to have met you, Hogan! You set the bar high and I couldn't be more grateful for the challenge!

English teachers and principal with Mr. Hogan Medlin, future major world-changer!

Fulbright ETA Final Dinner: The Rather Anticlimactic End to Our Grant Year

After making a short visit to the War Memorial of Korea, we arrived at Hotel President, where the Fulbright Final Dinner was going to be held. 

Emerging from the underground subway to this view was quite a pleasant surprise! Buildings loomed protectively around a modest expanse of green grass. 

There were tents pitched everywhere and a lot of yellow decor. We realized after taking a few more steps that we were passing by a Sewol memorial. 

One of my companions murmured under her breath: "Well, this changes the mood a bit..."

Remembering the Sewol tragedy
These two men were here from the time I entered the hotel to the time I left the dinner

We were on our way to cross the street when a group of ETAs sitting under one of the tents called out to us

Judy ran out and hugs were exchanged everywhere. Of course mine was a bit delayed since I had to capture these photos first

Judy's smile is one of the best I know! I legitimately miss this young woman

The two of us crossed the street so I could make a withdrawal from a Busan Bank, which, contrary to my previous belief, also exists in Seoul (and in other parts of Korea!).

Dinner was held near the top of the hotel with an amazing view of the city.

Once I finally sat down at my table, I had a hard time processing that this was it. Our Fulbright ETA family was gathering to celebrate one year lived in Korea. I tried to take as much of it in as possible, knowing that I had to leave at the 8:00 p.m. mark in order to travel back to Busan.

There were many preliminary activities, with dinner beginning at 7:00 p.m. They had prepared an amazing array of dishes for us and I was happy satiating my hunger. However, it was a bit disappointing to have so little time to actually socialize throughout the dinner as we were told to sit down and enjoy other presentations, musical performances, and final addresses.

One speech that I did not mind sitting through was Ray's. He is a dynamic speaker whose genuineness comes through in the anecdotes he told this evening. I consider myself blessed for having shared the city of Busan with him this year.

PHOTOS WITH SOME OF MY FAVORITE ETAS

Like I said, we didn't have much time during the actual dinner to mingle (and I had even less time with my 8:00 Cinderella story), but I was able to take several photos with a very small handful of my favorite ETAs from this year.

RAY

His blog Project Be Better will live on past his Fulbright Korea grant year. Follow his post-Fulbright adventures there!

RYAN & RAY

...because Ryan kept trying to photo bomb when taking a normal photo together is obviously the better course of action!

WITH RYAN

Thanks for the hilariously random Facebook messages. Even without them, you would have stood out in my memory as someone who remembered what the sign for California is.

GABRIELLE

I know we were assigned at opposite ends of the country, but I wish I had spent more time with you. You uplift me and many others with your joyful spirit!

JUDY

I have mad respect for you for your ability to maintain a rigorous flossing schedule. Despite the short amount of time we had this year, I hope you go back to the states knowing that you are truly one of my favorite people! I hope you continue to bless this world with your beautiful smile!

TARA

My roommate at Jungwon University! Tara, you are familiar to me no matter how long we have been apart. I consider myself blessed for having had such a sweet young woman to share my first month in Korea with!

TARA & BRETT

I insisted on taking this photo with the two of you because I am anticipating that my prediction/prophecy will come true and I will have evidence that I told you so! Brett, thank you for being a gentlemen and treating Tara's heart with the utmost care. I wish both of you the best now and in the future!

...and just like that, 8:00 o'clock struck and I had to leave. It was rather anticlimactic, but I have found that this is the stuff most of life is made of. You just have to make as graceful an exit as you can muster (which here, for me, was not that graceful at all - it being in the short interval between musical performances).  

I was the first one to leave and missed many of the other performances, including Mrs. Shim's farewell speech. I left so quickly and so quietly (?) that some of the ETAs weren't even sure I had attended the dinner! 

Waiting for the elevator

The air was cool outside, and the lights reminded me that I was just in a world within a world

Life continues on. I did my best to keep stride as I shuffled quickly back down the underground subway station

Passed by the Sewol memorial again on my way to the subway just across the hotel

Here are the men again

A little girl frolicking in the grass. The world must look huge from her perspective!

By 8:45 p.m., I was sitting on a KTX train bound south for Busan. I arrived back in my beloved city just before midnight, and crawled snuggly into bed at a little bit past 1:00.

Like most events in my life, it takes me a bit of time to process what has just happened. I closed my eyes at the end of the day not having fully processed the goodbyes that I had said, or the goodbyes that never even took place.

MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU

What anticlimactic events have you experienced in your life?
Fellow ETAs, did your goodbyes go as you had expected? What would you have changed after the fact? Share in the comment box below.