"And I tell you, if you have the desire for knowledge and the power to give it physcial expression, go out and explore... Some will tell you that you are mad, and nearly all will say, 'What is the use?' For we are a nation of shopkeepers, and no shopkeeper will look at research which does not promise him a financial return within a year. And so you will sledge nearly alone, but those with whom you sledge will not be shopkeepers: that is worth a great deal. If you march your Winter Journeys you will have your reward, so long as all you want is a penguin's egg."

-Apsley Cherry-Garrard, from
The Worst Journey in the World



Wednesday 13 October 2010


Haven't actually taken that many pictures this week... as it happens school is going really quite well so most of my attention is going onto keeping it steady I think.




Aside from today where I kicked three children out of the classroom. The 5th grade class got bigger again today and I cannot keep up with them; they are all at different levels and only bombard the lesson on a Wednesday so that means Monday and Tuesday are useless for them, and useless for me other students when they all come in because I have to teach something they all know.

AHHHHHH honeslty it's proper confusin. So anyway today one kid was cheating in a game so I kicked him out for a few minutes (harsh I know but there were so many of them doing it that I had to make a proper example of him.. worked perfectly :)) and then two kids weren't getting involved at all, and then I saw them pulling middle fingers at each other!!

I kicked em straight out; the one kid was GUTTED about it but the other was WAY too relaxed and said 'Oh ok, GOODBYE', smiled and waved.


As I wasn't too happy with his reaction I went down and saw my Mentor teacher at
the end of the day (she teaches as a 'proper teacher' to Grade 3) and she said that I did good to see her as she will tell thier teacher (the 'proper' Grade 5 teacher). This was quite a big move on my part as the kids are SO scared of thier 'proper' teachers and there may be tears involved.




However, usually the biggest threat is that the teacher will phone their parents and that scares them into line.




Although when I told my mentor teacher she said 'Ah yes, I know these students. They are orphans also and they do not want to learn, even in other classes'. So unfortunately there are no parents to be phoned.
I'm beginning to think that there are actually quite a few orphans in school now. Who knows; they may just place the word 'school' over orphanage whenever I walk in and its is actually an orphanage.
So just thought I'd show ya me room... inclusive of the complimentary pink sandals for the bathroom. The bin next to the toilet is for your tissue paper... AFTER IT HAS BEEN USED!! The water systems are wierd in South Korea, generally speaking you never flush paper down the hole.
Also I went down the Harbour yesterday morning and saw a hammer-head shark!! Thought I'd let you see it aswell :D.

1 comment:

  1. Nice room there Preds! Bit weird about the shitty paper in a bin tho.

    ReplyDelete