Ending the year off on a high, cold and reflective note

It’s been quite a short but intense last few weeks of the year. The second semester went pretty quickly with exams taking place, end-of-year admin, preparing for the English winter camp and students ‘enjoying’ the last few weeks of school. Also, Christmas has come and gone, and the New Year is approaching. And while all this has been happening, all I want to do is curl up in bed and hide from the cold. My first proper winter in the Northern Hemisphere has brought me to my knees. If ever I thought I knew winter, I did not! I’ve now experienced snow and ja no, it’s not for me. It looks pretty but unlike in the movies, it’s an icy, mushy mess that makes you feel like you’re about to slip into a pulp every few steps! It’s not a good time. But still, I rise. With every step and every cold day, I rise. And regardless of what the weather is up to, sightseeing and good times continue.

Massive snow day in Daejeon.

Festive exploring!

Over the last few weeks, Mbali and I enjoyed some travelling yet again. This time we went back to Busan, a major coastal metropolis in South Korea, to enjoy its annual fireworks show. We decided to take the long journey from our respective cities and check it out. I don’t know who we thought we were though… two South Africans going to sit on a beach in the middle of a Korean winter to watch fireworks. It was incredibly cold! But the show was amazing and the afterparty at a bar was even better. We let our hair down for a bit, staying out till 5:00 like we were 19 again!

How different the weather is in Busan... cold but with sunshine!

Christmas has come and gone but it has also been a wonderful time. We visited a European Christmas market in early December in Seoul, which got us in the right mood for the festive season. One of the things the East Asian countries I have lived in do really well is Christmas lights and decorations. Everywhere you go; malls, restaurants, shops, schools, the hospital; and train stations have Christmas decorations and lights. We visited the Myeongdong Christmas market and checked out their light show too; it was absolutely stunning. 

European Christmas market in Seoul!

Myeongdong Christmas lights show... what a display! Eskom could never! :)

Over the Christmas weekend, we decided to visit Seoul again, see the lantern festival and have a lovely dinner with one of Mbali’s old friends. In true Mbali and Meryl style, we boarded the late train from Seoul and had to catch the subway in order to get to Pyeongtaek. As it was the last train, it did not go all the way and suddenly stopped its service in some random city around midnight, forcing us to find our way home from there. This is not the first time this has happened so unsurprisingly, no one gets stressed as there are always shady love motels to overnight in or taxis to take us home. I opted for the love motel but Mbali said we were too close to home not to stay in the random city (still don’t know the name).

We then spent Christmas day in Pyeongtaek, where Mbali and I made a delicious brunch, with mimosas and all. While it was a very different Christmas to back home, it felt special and perfect for us. Korea’s Christmas traditions are vastly different. Although there are many Christians in the country, Christmas is more of a couple’s holiday. Students told me that couples go on dates, have nice dinners and maybe go watch a movie. We also noticed everyone walking around with cake boxes. Buying a Christmas cake is a major tradition that everyone seems to enjoy so we followed suit. Although Christmas morning and brunch were lovely, I had a bad tummy ache most of the day and thus headed back to Daejeon to rest before school the next day. That definitely took getting used to! No Boxing Day holiday. I swear that school day was just a blur to me. 

Christmas brunch for two :)

Christmas cake made at school... what a lovely surprise!

Closing off my first school year in Korea

I’ve only been in Korea for nine months but it’s already felt like another lifetime. For the past few weeks, I tried my best to be as present as I could with my students and enjoy every moment and class with them. Since they were my first group of students in Korea, I wanted to be intentional about our time together and the impact I could leave on them. It’s been an interesting ride with many ups and downs. Teenagers are incredibly fickle; one day in a good mood and very affectionate; another day, not speaking to you or even looking in your direction. I learned to roll with it though, understanding that those moods and emotions are just part of the teenage package. 

I made the most out of the last few weeks of classes, especially with my 9th graders who will be heading to high school next year. I chose activities that I knew they would enjoy and would get them talking. We played games that got them using English vocabulary and out of their seats. I am incredibly thankful for the teachers who have created some of these games and PPTs. I truly love the sharing culture of materials among foreign English teachers. Many of the games created some of the funniest moments and highlights of this whole year. Hot Seat, for instance, is a word game where one student sits in the hot seat and has to guess the word on the screen, which the team describes. We did Christmas and winter vocabulary. The hints that students came up with for snow were ‘white rain’; ‘long shoes’ for boots; and ‘white beard grandfather’ for Santa Claus. I absolutely loved the creativity in giving hints for the words!

There were really some tough moments while teaching. A quiet, moody class that stares at you blankly when you ask a question is no joke. Imagine having 30 teenagers just stare at you, not hiding their annoyance at having to be there and with you. In those moments, I really questioned why I was there! But then I’d go to my next class and they would shout and greet me with such affection, immediately letting me forget the previous moody 45 minutes. Another interesting thing that happened in the second semester was that my unengaging classes became engaging while other great classes changed and were not-so-great. I don’t know if it was because of the changing times/periods in the week but there was a complete shift with some classes. In one class, there were a group of very naughty, uninterested boys, who just gave me nothing throughout the year. Yet, in the last few weeks, they engaged with me so much, speaking as much English as they could and answering all questions, as well as asking me questions. For sure, the World Cup also added to this as I was able to discuss matches and the score with them; also picking on them when Korea lost to Ghana. It also opened the door to them teasing me when the African countries lost, which was fun!

Roasting my students by making my laptop wallpaper of Ghana beating Korea during the World Cup LOL :) 

In the last 2-3 weeks I started feeling very emotional about this group of students moving on to high school next year. Some of them were truly a blessing in class, always supportive and engaging; answering me and trying their best while others were sleeping or too shy to speak up. This past week I thanked a few of them for showing up for me and always trying their best; it did not go unnoticed. Many of them also thanked me for my lessons, saying how much they enjoyed the class and learning English. One quiet student wrote me a letter thanking me for my teaching and my hard work. That was incredibly sweet and considerate of her, realising how much effort goes into making learning fun for them. My intention has always been to make my classes enjoyable so that no one must feel bad or embarrassed at the end of class. I know what’s it like to learn a foreign language and if you’re put on the spot and you’re not ready for it, it can truly dampen your confidence so I am always aware of how students might feel because of my actions or words.

Making my heart smile... :) 

In the end, this year has been exceptionally wonderful. I have learned so much from my co-teachers; I am thankful for their patience and guidance for a teacher who has never taught at the school level before. I am thankful for my students, who gave me so much joy through laughter, sweet moments and love. I am thankful that I got to spend this year with my friend Mbali; having someone you’ve known for so long in a foreign country truly made adjusting to this new life so much easier. I am thankful that God blessed me with a good school, colleagues, home and city that I truly love. I know for sure that I am exactly where I am meant to be right now. And for this reason, I have decided to stay another year. I just know that my purpose is to serve in this capacity and point in my life.

Thank you all for reading my blog posts this year. My intention is to share the journey in the most honest and vulnerable way I can. May you also find joy in whatever you do and wherever you find yourself in the world.

Here’s to a fantastic 2023!

Blessed 2023 to all of you!

Meryl Joy Burgess