Cheongju: my new home (for now)

blogging to keep friends and family close..."awww"

this is my 3rd attempt to start an entry on this blog. it reminds me of college and i hated writing papers. and i hate reading. but then i thought of how different this is: i can grade myself. and i’m totally getting an A+, with a cool sticker beside it – the bevelled and embossed kind,  the ones i give my students…but not all of them.

5W1H. did you ever learn it that way? who what when where why and how. that’s how it was presented in the Chungdahm ESL book during my 4th lesson of the day while teaching my “sprout” class – man they are cute, fit in my backpack, too.
5W1H:
who: carlos nicolas gonzalez
what: teaching
when: march 1 2010 – february 28 2011 [back in NYC for thanksgiving]
where: duh
why: my future lies in education
how: i made a choice and walked, talked, ran and then flew with it. hesitated some, but nothing worth 5W1H-ing about.

i started in seoul. and before i go on, you all have to read the “seoul” comments my family sent back and forth – talk about nerds:

“…and new found friends and that your “Seoul searching” will be an easier one. But remember what your “Seoul purpose” of going over there is and that’s to work…Good luck with your tests keep Seouldering on through your training…she’s going into “Seoulitary confinement” for sure…I’m running low on the corny jokes, you may have to go Seoulo from here on out…”

i definitely would have participated, but it would have made me even more of a nerd…so i studied my Chungdahm Institute 2009 Winter Term Training “Bible”. they really scare you in preparation for training and what is expected of you throughout the week. however, i can only speak for myself: i enjoyed it. it presented a challenge and i had a fresh “seoul” to take it on. we always have to remember what we’ve accomplished and how far we have succeeded in life – big and small. i thought of the small (always start out small): riding my bike without training wheels on my sidewalk alongside beechnut street, then upgrading to the newly placed gravel at the park across from 7-days food store (they had the original sour belts and a street fighter II arcade, holler). i think i was ready to drive my dad’s buick after that day.

i knew i could do anything. and so many people were already teaching and placed in their cities – it was my turn. i had to behave though. i had to think of that transition from bike to car and what came in between. growth. maturity. cooler hair etc. (my hair is so awesome, thanks mom and dad). but seriously. i really did have to think of what my cornball dad said when he mentioned my “seoul” purpose of teaching in korea. to work. and i’m an adult now. an adult that blends in with the 14-year old koreans across the hall from my classroom. but, an adult nonetheless.

now i’m in cheongju. i start my 3rd week of teaching today and i’m already realizing how fast time flies. i’m pretty sure i’m having fun with these students. i’m pretty sure i could do this for the rest of my life.

Nick

oh yea, those kids in the picture at the header of this blog are not my students. those are chinese kids from shanghai. i just needed an asian theme for the blog – my pics are coming soon…