Back to school.

Went back to school yesterday after a very long vacation. We have turf now.



In other news, I now have a seat in the teachers' office, rather than at the kids table being sequestered in the 3rd floor Language Lab. While some people love the quiet time of their own office, I really dislike being so isolated from everyone else, because adding physical separation to other forms of cultural distance makes it harder than usual for an anthropomorphic foreign teacher to fit in. My favorite schools have always been the ones where I've sat with everyone else, and I hope this continues the trend. Sitting with everyone else will build report rapport with colleagues and will make them a little more comfortable around the white guy (and I around them). My vice-principal made this desk change because he thinks this will help everyone learn English. Seeing as most of the English teachers speak to me in Korean, I think we have a long way to go, but it's a very nice gesture. It'll also make it a little easier to stay on top of school events. I really hated walking out of the lab to find that all the teachers gone, all the lights off, and all the doors locked.

Yesterday I was invited to the opening ceremony, I received a teachers' notebook and I got a brand new, supersmart co-teacher. Today I was given a school caldendar. I really hope all these positive developments lead to my first-ever appearance in a Korean yearbook.