Chuseok shopping!

So today I was too lazy to do my workout this morning, so I "slept in" until 6:30. I have been "teaching" in my sleep every night -- I know I keep getting up repeatedly every night and teaching to my different classes. I remember actually talking to my "class" and feeling embarrassed that I was in my PJ's. Then I half-way realize that I am sleep-teaching again, and plop back down in my bed. Hopefully this will stop soon -- as I think it's making me not as rested in the morning. ^^

Today must have been national "fertilize your gardens/fields with manure" day because I got wiffs of manure several times throughout the day. It wasn't extremely strong, it just reminded me of being home in the late Fall.

I'm realizing that I pretty much hate Mondays, for several reasons. 1: It's Monday -- never fun thinking of the prospect of a whole new week ahead and how fast the past weekend went. 2: My Monday classes have the worst attitude. 3: The Monday classes are the first time I teach the lesson to first graders -- so there are still kinks to be worked out, and it depresses me to see how much lower their abilities are.

Today one of my co-teachers showed up 25 minutes late because he was disciplining kids. They don't send kids to the principal like in America, rather the teachers have to be in charge of disciplining. Another teacher was really disruptive in class today -- she was yelling at a student while I was explaining things. Having the co-teachers in the classroom has been beneficial overall, but I am learning that is also a disadvantage. There is one male co-teacher who completely takes away the positive "safe" atmosphere I am trying to create in my students by creating panic instead of encouraging them to do my work. I would really rather just teach by myself, without him. Today, one of my co-teachers pretty much told me how I should run my classroom -- that I needed to give minus points to some kids who were extremely late. Well, over half the class was late to my class, but I should only give minus points to the ones who were really late? I don't appreciate being told how my class should run. Especially since I already have my classroom management figured out -- I'm not keeping track of individual points for every minute good/bad thing they do in class. Instead, there is a class to class points competition. The class must work together as a team to keep all 5 points each day -- if they are bad, I take away a point. At the end of the semester, the class with the most points gets a prize. This is to take away the work of keeping track of individual points for every single one of my 600 students. There are individual points for each of them, but this is mainly just going to be grades on homework, and maybe an extra bonus/negative point here and there if they volunteer an answer or are extremely disruptive in class. Anyway, I'm starting to wish the co-teachers weren't in my class with me. However, Mrs. Song, my Fulbright co-teacher, is excellent in class -- if only they could all be like her! ^^

This afternoon I finished teaching at 1, but hung around school until 4pm, finishing grading, posting up their secrets, and then working on my next lesson plan -- which will be drawing! Yay! I really hope the boys enjoy this one, which I can't see why they won't. We're learning vocab to describe a picture, and then they will be in groups and one person will be the artist. The other group members get to see a picture, and then describe it to the artist in English and the group with the picture that looks most like the real one wins!! I hope it works out ok. Anyway, I'm glad I stuck around, because someone brought in grapes and little rice cakes filled with something (honey and seasame seeds, maybe?). Anyway, the rice cakes were delicious! I am going to miss them when I go back to the US.

I got home around 5, and then at 5:30 decided to head to E-Mart to do my Chuseok shopping. Chuseok is this weekend, and it is equivalent to Korean Thanksgiving -- it is a harvest holiday. I forgot to get panty hose and a snack for the teacher's workshop, but I did finally get my Chuseok gifts -- and they cost me $45 :-( but that's ok. I know gift-giving is important here. I spent $23 on a big box (aka, the smallest they were selling, but still big) of traditional Korean candies, $14 on an oatmeal body wash/lotion set for my co-teacher, and then $8 on a pack of mini OJ bottles to take to a teacher's house for a small get-together on Thursday. (Yay, the group of "young" teachers invited me to hang out w/ them for dinner!!)

Tonight was dinner and the normal relaxing, reading, chatting, etc. Now off to bed for another day ahead of me tomorrow!

Interesting news articles:

"China's Outsourcing Appeal Dimming
Fuel Prices Squeeze Profit Margins for U.S. Manufacturers

With fuel prices at record highs, the cost of sending a standard 40-foot container of goods has gone from $3,000 in 2000 to about $8,000 today, squeezing profit."

"Calif. Aims to Concentrate Growth to Cut Use of CarsHigh-Density Development May Get Dibs on Funds

By Ashley Surdin Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, September 7, 2008; Page A02

LOS ANGELES -- California is poised to pass the first law in the nation linking greenhouse gas emissions to urban planning, a departure from the growth approach that spawned the state's car culture and urban sprawl.

The measure, known as SB375, aims to give existing and new high-density centers where people live, work and shop top priority in receiving local, state and federal transportation funds. The idea is that such developments check sprawl and ease commutes, in turn cutting the car pollution wafting through the Golden State.

Authored by Sen. Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), the bill reflects California's push to slash its greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020. Sponsors say the measure is part of a much-needed growth policy for a state whose population is expected to swell to 50 million from the current 38 million in two decades."