Tutoring for a Speech Contest

I got a text one day from my friend, the former math teacher at my school to meet for coffee. He has a student at his new school that is preparing for a speech contest and hoped that I could help in the preparations. I wasn't sure what he was expecting me to do, but I agreed to meet.

The student was a first-grade middle school girl who was involved in the 4-H Club, which the math teacher was leading at their school. They were a little short on the details, but I understood this to be a speaking contest for 4-H Club members across South Korea, and the speech was to be about the student's experiences with the club. Of course, the speech was in English, and video recorded from their home because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The math teacher ordered and paid for our drinks while I chatted with the student. She was a very impressive student with exceptional English skills. I'm sure she does well in all of her classes because she is very dedicated, organized, and driven. She's also a really nice person and it was easy to communicate with her. She explained that she had been studying English since she was in kindergarten and she wants to be an interpreter when she grows up. In the evenings, she attends a language academy for further English study, and her teacher there happens to be another Canadian. Needless to say, this student was quite advance and spoke English with skill and not a hint of the Newfoundland accent of her academy teacher.

Immediately, it was clear that the student wanted to record me reading her speech so she could listen to my pronunciation and then practice herself. Instead, I thought I should first review her speech and correct any obvious errors. She had the speech typed out and it was seriously long. It needed to be under five minutes, and I'm sure it was well over that mark.

I corrected a few sentences that were clearly weird Frankenstein constructions made from Korean being forced through an online translation tool. But really, the speech was very well written. I don't think any of my students, even from higher grades, could write so well. She spoke about the fun activities the 4-H Club does at her school and the many new things about nature that she has learned this year. The student and her club members take care of potted plants at the entrance of their school as well as a vegetable garden. Guest speakers discussed insects with their club and they learned about natural Korean foods and how to make tofu.

After making and explaining my corrections and giving lots of praise for her work (I was really impressed), she recorded me reading the speech with her cell phone. Even in my native language and using natural speed, the speech was too long. The math teacher recommended some cuts to ensure that it was below the 5-minute maximum. 

Minor editing aside, I think my main contribution was to encourage her to speak with excitement and to use various gestures. I had coached speech contests in Japan once before and the kids that did well were animated and excited. Most of the kids strain and struggle to remember their lines, so anyone who can speak more naturally and looks like they are having fun will do well. When I saw the video later, it was clear this Korean student took my advice to heart.

Our tutoring session ended with a series of "thank yous" and "good luck". The math teacher drove the student away, but not before he asked a former student who happened to be in the cafe to take our picture. I guess when you've been teaching for a long time, you run into your former students everywhere.

My visa does not permit me to tutor students for payment outside of school, so any help that I provide is strictly as a volunteer and more for the social outing.

A few weeks later, I was invited to dinner with the math teacher. Again, short on details, when I arrived, I saw the student was to have dinner with us as well. In fact, it was a celebration dinner because her video entry to the speech contest had won her 1st prize amongst middle schoolers in South Korea (4-H Club members) and 2nd place in the combined middle school / high school competition. She truly is exceptional to achieve such a high honour in a national contest.

I watched her video and it was amazing. She spoke clearly and enthusiastically. She used gestures, facial expressions, and expressed emotion really well. All in all, it was an outstanding effort.

We went to an authentic Japanese restaurant near her school. They served Japanese-style ramen, Okonomiyaki, fried pork cutlet, and potato croquette. I hadn't realized how much I missed this food until I ate the real deal. Most of the Japanese restaurants near my home serve sushi and aren't really Japanese.

It was a nice dinner that the math teacher paid for, but it was a little rushed because of the COVID-19 restrictions. After 6pm, people can eat only in groups of 2, so we three needed to finish by 6pm. Afterwards, we went to a small cafe and the student bought me a coffee to thank me for helping her with her speech. I'm sure she would've won even if I hadn't helped, but it was a sweet gesture.

There are a handful of students I've met here in Korea that are truly remarkable. Remember, they are middle school level and can speak English near-fluently, have an interest in learning as much as they can about western culture, and have big dreams for the future. Sometimes, I feel sorry that their lives revolve around so much schoolwork, but somehow, they find a way to excel and be really inspiring kids.

A Doctor's Visit

When packing for my new life in South Korea, I brought as many skin creams and ointments that I could fit into my suitcase. I have medicated creams prescribed by my doctor in Toronto and I didn't know if they'd be available in Korea. Any extras that I had, my mom sent in the mail last year. After a year and a half, I finally ran out of my prescription. I needed to visit the doctor in Korea for a refill. On the off chance that I couldn't get my medication or an alternative, I'd be in for an uncomfortable few months until I could return to Canada.

My Korean co-teacher had located a skin clinic across town and we arranged to meet on Thursday morning during summer vacation. I waited at the designated bus stop, but when she arrived, she said there was a new skin clinic in our neighbourhood, only a ten-minute walk, and we would try there first.

We arrived at the skin clinic as it was opening. Dr. Lam's Skin Clinic, read the sign in a very modern clinic on the third floor of a standard office building. We entered my name and information onto the sign-in sheet, and the nurse punched it into the computer. My name was added to the waiting list on the tv screen about her desk. After only 10 minutes, we were called into the doctor's office. My Korean co-teacher did all of the talking.

My Korean co-teacher spoke with the doctor for all of 2 minutes. He looked over my empty skin cream containers and wrote a prescription. One cream was not available in Korea, he said, but prescribed an alternative. We bowed to the doctor and left his office. At the front desk, I paid about $5 for the consultation with the doctor, which was remarkably cheap even though he didn't look at me, let alone examine my skin.

We went to the pharmacy in the same building to fill the prescription. They looked at the doctor's form, shoved it back at my Korean co-teacher and said, "We don't have that." We tried to get more information on where we could find the medications, but they were unhelpful. There were several other pharmacies in the area, and we set out to find one that would help us.

We found ourselves at a new and small pharmacy occupied by a very young female pharmacist who was assisted by an older lady, who we would later learn was the pharmacist's mother who sometimes helps out at the shop.

This pharmacist was incredibly helpful. She spent considerable time researching and searching on her computer for my medication. She told us that the prescription that the doctor had provided for one cream wasn't comparable to what I had from Canada, and probably wouldn't help me. She recommended another cream. We would have to go back to the doctor and ask that he change the prescription.

I was worried that the doctor wouldn't be receptive to having his prescription questioned by a pharmacist, especially such a young pharmacist. I was expecting him to be offended and angry. My co-teacher asked that I wait in the lobby while she spoke privately with the doctor. After a few minutes, she came out with a new form for the new prescription.

I asked her what she said to the doctor to convince him to change the prescription. She told the doctor that his original prescription hadn't worked for me before, so I'd like to try what the pharmacist had recommended. Not exactly the truth, but this is how things are done in Korea. I admire my co-teacher for her gumption and ingenuity.

We returned to the helpful pharmacist with the new prescription. I learned that nowhere in Busan was my prescription available, but it could be ordered from a nearby city and expressed delivered by the next day. 

The whole adventure including the repeat visits to the doctor and multiple pharmacists took about 2 hours. The skin creams were quite expensive, totalling about $140 dollars, but with the employer-based health insurance,  I paid only $20.

I returned to the pharmacist the next day and was greeted warmly by her and her mother and collected my skin creams. 

It's always an ordeal visiting the doctor in Korea, but this time it was successful with the invaluable help of my Korean co-teacher. Without a doubt, I couldn't've communicated with the doctor and pharmacist on my own.

Pfizer Vaccine #1

After months of worry and waiting, I finally received my first COVID-19 vaccine, the Pfizer version.

For some time now, the elder population of South Korea along with medical personnel and other key professionals have been eligible for the vaccine. This phase in late July and early August was the time for teachers to receive the vaccine, and I was at the tail-end of the phase. Appointments for my age group started a few days after I received the shot, so basically, I got the vaccine a few days earlier as a teacher than I would've in my age bracket.

The appointments were made online and foreigners across the country had trouble setting their appointments due to technical problems and other factors. Luckily, my Korean co-teacher made the appointment for me, so I didn't even have to worry about it. She went above and beyond. Since it was a first-come, first-serve system, she stayed up until 2am to make the online appointment. She made our appointments for Saturday, August 7th during summer vacation.

The vaccination site was at a small clinic only a 10-minute walk from our school. My co-teacher asked me to meet her at the grocery store at 9:30am and we'd go together to the clinic. As I waited outside the grocery store at 9:30am I got a text message, "Let's meet at 9:40am."  

At 9:42am I saw my co-teacher approaching. On the short walk to the clinic, she explained that I wouldn't be able to take a shower for a few days after the vaccine because it could cause a skin rash. I guess this happened to her friend or she heard it on the news or something. I simply responded "uh-huh." She also explained that I wouldn't be permitted to use my topical skin cream for a while because it "interferes" with the vaccine. Again, I responded, "uh-huh, sure." She said she'd verify with the doctor. 

We arrived at the clinic, removed our shoes and placed them in the shoe cupboard and put on a pair of incredibly small guest slippers. We filled in some forms that my co-teacher helped me with, took our temperature and had a seat. Quickly, I was called back to the desk. Something about being a foreigner. Changes were made to my form, then we sat again and waited. 

After only a few minutes, we're called into a consultation room with a doctor. My co-teacher and the doctor proceeded to have a conversation that included showing the doctor a bottle of my skin cream. I didn't understand much but knew that I was asked about any allergies that I might have. 

Next, we moved into another room. There are already four people in the room who had received their shot and were waiting the required 20 minutes before they could leave. Without much to do, my co-teacher and I were called in turn to sit behind a curtain where a nurse administered the vaccine. I barely felt the needle go in. A small bandage was put on my shoulder. Easy-peezy. My co-teacher immediately looked sick and pale.

During our wait, my neighbour came into the room and got her vaccine immediately after us. It was a strange coincidence that she was there. She works and lives in my building and helped me sort out a water leak once. She and my co-teacher spoke for a while in Korean.

When it was time to leave, I asked my co-teacher to explain what she learned from the doctor about "showering" and "using skin creams that interfere with the vaccine". The doctor had told her that showering was "fine" and using skin cream was "unrelated" to the vaccine. Good thing we checked with the doctor or else my co-worker's wackadoo opinions would have prevailed. 

My co-teacher and I had plans for after the injection but she said she felt like vomiting, so we postponed our plans.

I checked on my co-teacher the next day. She was feeling better but had some arm soreness. I was basically fine. I felt tired and had a slight headache at first, but I recovered quickly.

Our appointment for the second shot was automatically set upon making the first appointment. We were to report to the same clinic at the same time exactly 3 weeks from the first appointment. Well, that was the plan anyway. We just received word that because of a short supply of vaccines, our second appointments have been pushed back by another two weeks. Instead of August 28th, our second injection will be on September 11th unless there are further delays. I just want to get it over with and have the peace of mind of being fully vaccinated.

Gwangalli Beach

I'm on holiday from work. Two weeks free to do as I like in pandemic-hit South Korea. I had planned to visit Jeju Island off the southern coast of Korea for two weeks of hiking, sightseeing, and exploring. I even purchased my airline tickets and reserved the first few nights in a hotel before I decided to cancel the trip given the 4th wave of COVID-19.

Also, I was assured that my trip to Jeju wouldn't interfere with getting my first vaccine shot, however, my school set my vaccine appointment for the middle of my vacation. It was best that I cancelled the trip.

So, I'm at home for two weeks looking for something to do to make use of this vacation. Two weeks are nice. Last summer, because of the delayed start to the school year, I only had a series of long weekends in August as a vacation. Back then I went to Jeju for four days. This summer, the epicentre of the current outbreak is Seoul and the surrounding area, so it would also be wise to avoid the capital during this vacation.

I decided to take an evening trip to Gwangalli Beach to enjoy the night view of the famous bridge and the light show at 8pm. I had visited the beach once last year during the day but had always wanted to return at night to see how they light up the bridge. Even though we're in a heatwave now, the temperature was really comfortable after sunset.

It's about 1.5 hours by public transit to Gwangalli Beach and I arrived 6 pm. I knew exactly where I was going for dinner, Subway. I had a footlong roasted chicken sub on hearty Italian bread and it was amazing. It was so amazing that I dropped a bunch of it on my shirt. I had to walk around with 10 little stains on my shirt. Thankfully it got dark soon.

I strolled around the beach after my meal. There were plenty of people at the beach out and about. Some people brought blankets to sit on, and others used the provided beach chairs. But no one was in the water. Well, some kids went in but they were soon ushered out by the security staff. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, there are specific rules for the beach. Swimming is only allowed from 9am - 6pm until the end of August. Everyone on the beach must wear a mask regardless of vaccination status. Groups of 8 are permitted but only groups of 2 may eat together on the beach. 

The star of the show was the bi-level Gwangandaegyo Bridge which is 7.4KM over the ocean. Each level has traffic flowing in a one-way direction. The bridge is adorned with LED lights which come on every evening and change their pattern depending on the season. I think in pre-COVID times there are also fireworks but that is temporarily cancelled. Luckily, one of the ships cruising under the bridge let off a small fireworks display for its passengers, and it provided a fascinating view from the shore.

My vacation continues with an August heatwave. The high-temperature today was 34°C but felt like 43°C with the humidity. It's a steam bath. Let's see what other adventures await.

COVID-19 Test

Friday, July 16th was scheduled to be the last day of the term. There was to be an online ceremony to kick off the summer holidays for students and teachers. I and many teachers had arranged to attend school in the morning and then go home around lunchtime. There were no regular classes that day, so I was simply going to prepare for my English camps that were to start the next week.

Notify the 3rd grade teacher.
This afternoon, it was confirmed that the student's cohabitation was confirmed with Corona19. (Additional tests are being carried out for accurate test results.
Therefore, the teacher who received this message, please inform the Nice Work Situation Department about 'working from home' tomorrow.
Our students are most likely to have their test tomorrow morning, and the test results will be available tomorrow afternoon or the morning of the day after tomorrow.  Additional actions may be taken depending on the test results.  Additional information and measures will be notified via SMS text message.  Please follow the personal quarantine rules and stay at home.
*If you are unable to work remotely (Teams and telecommuting Sangsin) while working from home tomorrow, please let us know by texting

Something very unusual happened on the evening of Thursday, July 15th. I received texts from the school that was sent to select faculty and was, of course, written in Korean. I put the text through Google Translate and it explained that a parent of a student at our school had tested positive for COVID-19. Students in that grade were instructed to get a COVID-19 test the next morning, and those teachers who received the text should also arrange a COVID-19 test by the morning at 11:30am. Obviously, teachers were not to go to school in the morning.

There were further instructions for the COVID-19 test that were a little troubling for me. The test center was about 20 minutes away, but I wasn't actually sure where. The instructions said to travel by your own car, but I do not have a car. I supposed taking the bus or subway was discouraged to prevent the possible infection of others. It was late at night and I wasn't sure what I was going to do in the morning. I was fairly certain that I shouldn't go to school the next day, but not positive about that. Google Translate isn't perfect.

We will send you a correction message.  Notify the 3rd grade teacher.  The test result of the student living with our school was 'positive'.  Therefore, our student went to have an examination today.  Preemptively, all faculty and staff have decided to undergo a COVID-19 test.

1. Among the teachers who are working from home, please visit the S- Public Health Center ward office by 11:30 at the latest after the homeroom break and get tested for COVID-19.

2. Among those who work from home, non-homeroom teachers, please visit the ward office of the S- Public Health Center from 9:00 and receive a Corona 19 test.

When visiting the public health center, please use your own car, wear a health mask, and tell us the name of the school that you came to have an examination at X.

To make matters worse, my Korean co-teacher who would normally translate and explain everything for me was unavailable for a few days. She just had minor surgery and was recovering in the hospital.

The next morning, I sent a text to another Korean-English teacher at the school and asked her to call me when she had some free time. I hoped that she would be able to explain things to me. She responded that she would call, but never did.

Later on, to my surprise, my co-teacher called from the hospital. It was kind that she was concerned about me, but the call was pretty bizarre. It seemed like she was a little panicked and her tone was accusatory. "What are you planning to do?", she said. I explained that I was waiting for a call from the other Korean-English teacher to explain things. Perhaps I would have to take a taxi to the testing center since public transit was not permitted. I was just going to sit tight until I received further instructions.

Suddenly the text came in, "Be ready and waiting outside of the school at 10:10am. Teacher X will drive you to the testing center and you'll get tested together." I would have liked to avoid the COVID-19 test altogether, but that was impossible. The test was imminent.

I met the English teacher outside of the school, and another teacher was sitting in the passenger seat. I recognized the teacher from school, but never spoke to her. I learned in the car that she could speak basic English. Before we departed, the teacher asked me to move from the back driver's side seat to the back passenger side seat because "she was heavy". I think that was her polite way of saying that I would throw off the balance of the car because I was too big. What a nice way to start my day.

I could tell that tensions were high and everyone was stressed because the two Korean teachers were in a very animated conversation and it felt like they were arguing at first. The teacher who was driving apologized and said she has a high temper. 

I learned from the teachers that it was a grade 3 student whose parent tested positive for COVID-19. All of the students in that grade were being tested. Initially, it was only teachers who taught third grade who were to be tested (me included) but that was changed to all teachers in the school.

We drove to the testing centre and found a long line of people from our school and the community waiting for their chance to be tested. Actually, the line moved quickly and we were in and out within 25 minutes or so. 

First, we needed to complete a form with our personal information. The Korean teacher helped me with that. Then it was our turn for the test. I sat in a chair in an outdoor area next to a nurse who was fully covered in personal protective equipment and a white jumpsuit. She had a long prod which she suddenly shoved up my nose, much too far for comfort. My eyes watered. Then she stuck what I hope was a different prod into the back of my throat. I gagged but before I knew it, the test was complete. For several minutes after, it felt like my brain was dripping out of my nostril. On the way back to the car, the Korean teacher asked if her nose was bleeding. It wasn't.

The only good thing about this whole situation was that after the test we could just go home and start our weekend and summer vacation. We would have to wait at least 6 hours for the results and possibly until the next morning. I was confident that I would test negative but I wondered about the students and other teachers. If someone tested positive, it would likely cause my English camps to be cancelled or switched online at the last minute. The camps were to start on Monday, so that was certainly up in the air.

The teacher who drove said that since I taught the third-grade students I should remain in my apartment for one week, regardless of my test results, for safety. In no way was this official policy or even suggested by the school. It was just a controlling person being controlling. She's the teacher who won't let me call on students when they raise their hands in class. She has to be the one to choose the student. Anyway, I didn't follow her personal medical directive to imprison myself at home.

That evening another text was sent to the school community, including parents, that explained that all teachers and students tested negative. This was very welcomed news. Hurried plans of doing an online English camp were set aside. With the negative test, everything seemed to go back to normal. I was free to leave my apartment. 

This is a notice to students and parents of X Middle School.
We inform you that the test result of our student is ‘negative’.
We would like to inform you that the test results of the faculty and staff who preemptively tested this morning are also 'negative'.
As the COVID-19 situation is still at a serious stage, we ask that students and parents strictly observe (instruct) the use of multi-use facilities during vacation and personal quarantine rules.
In addition, the self-diagnosis before going to school will be temporarily suspended from 7/19 to 8/12 and will be conducted again on 8/13 (Fri) one week before school starts.
However, even during the period during which self-diagnosis is not being performed, if a student or a person living with the student is confirmed (positive) or received a notice of self-quarantine, please be sure to notify the homeroom teacher by phone.
In the future, the school will do its best for a safe and healthy school life.
I hope you have a healthy and enjoyable vacation.

One unbelievable thing happened in this episode. The school principal was given my (and everyone's) test results and communicated them to the school community before I received my test results. I was expecting a notification from the test center with the results of my test. The message finally came from the testing center, but not until the next day, multiple hours after the principal's announcement. Certainly back in Canada confidentiality would be respected and no one other than the patient would receive the test results. Here, the school principal and employer has a lot more power. Their responsibility for the well-being of the students and management of the school supersedes any privacy rights of the teachers.

Next up in this COVID-19 saga, I receive a vaccination. Stay tuned.