First days of school...

First days of school, and last week recap . . .

Last weeks recap: we will put up pictures on picasa and you’ll read through it, sorry L

Ok, on to this week, starting of the new semester! Their school year starts at the beginning of March and ends in the middle of December. December through February is a time where they plan for the next year, and they also have intensive learning camps. So Monday was a big day for all the schools.

Tova and I were really stressed about the starting of the new year. We had a lesson planned and we were ready to teach. When I got to school on Monday I was told that I didn’t have to actually teach until next week! Tova doesn’t really have to teach until next week as well. The pressure was off (a little) but then we attended the beginning of the year ceremony. This was crazy!

I enter the gym, and there are hundreds of teenage boys were standing in the middle of the gym facing the stage. They then were directed to say some pledges all at the same time, stand at attention, at ease etc . . . It was very different since you would never see anything like this back in the states.

There were seats situated on the sides of the standing students. When I sat down I realized that I couldn’t see the stage or anything that was going on. This is really tough since the whole ceremony was in Korean and the only thing that really would have made it enjoyable is seeing what was happening, so I sat there and applauded when everyone else applauded.

Then they introduced all the teachers. The teachers would walk on stage and their names would be said. The interesting thing is that the students would cheer louder for the teachers that they liked better. They were also jumping up and down trying to see their favorite teachers which made the floor shake. It again dumbfounded me since this was a blatant show of who they liked and disliked. Now, I was warned that I was going to have to go on stage in front of everyone. I wasn’t too worried since I thought I would be with other teachers. Then one of the Korean teachers told me that I would go up last. I was sitting there trying to hear my name, but when there are hundreds of young men yelling and screaming!

Then I looked ahead, and one of the administrators is waving frantically towards my direction, motioning me to go to the stage (I cant even see the stage). When I get to a point where I actually see the stage I realize that they are going to introduce me all by my lonesome in front of everyone! This normally wouldn’t scare me, but when it is SO important to do things culturally proper and you have conditioned yourself to watch other people so you don’t make any mistakes, and you have to do something culturally proper without any kind of hints, it was terrifying! When I started to walk on stage all the boys were trying to get a glimpse of me, I felt like a rock-star. Some of my boys from English camp were saying “Daniel, Daniel” again, kind of cool. Then something inexplicable happened . . . They called my name from the podium and the place went CRAZY! Seriously, they all love me without even knowing me. Again kind of cool!

Tova had the same experience as I did, just change Daniel to Tova, and change the he’s to she’s and there you go! :-p

We will update more when we get more time. We have beginning of the year “meetings” to attend, so we are pretty busy. (and sorry for no pictures)