1 week to-do list!

I BOUGHT MY PLANE TICKET!!!!

I think. The nameless Korean man on the phone said I did. $790. Sheesh. All because my parents wanted me to fly out of Portland instead of Seattle.

But no worries, I'm out of here in one week! There are four main things I want to accomplish in that time.

1. Get my suitcase under 40 lbs.
Yes, I know the rule is 50, but you musn't forget that I am very small, and 50 lbs is more than half of my weight. In Mexico my suitcase was only 45 lbs, and I was running alongside the conveyor belt trying to pull my suitcase off until someone decided to help the poor tiny white girl. I do not want that experience again, especially with my permanently damaged wrist.

So yeah. One suitcase, 40 lbs. I'm not really bringing anything anyway.

2. Learn Korean
This may come as a surprise to you, but I do not actually know Korean. Pretty much all I can do is say hello and type my name in Korean (Xpfjs). I apologize for deceiving you all.

However, I recently learned from watching Korean dramas that 'YAH' is HEY. So I know what to say if a creeper follows me home, or when someone emotionally turns and walks away from me.

3. Get taller
One of the reasons I went through AT in the first place was because of the career fair at my university. A man was there recruiting for Hess schools in Taiwan, and as I was asking him questions he eyed me up and down and condescendingly asked if I would be able to control a classroom full of students. I informed him that I taught teenagers in Mexico and did just fine (although 'fine' may have been a bit of an exaggeration).

I decided that man was a jerk and said goodbye. I headed to the next stall where there was a girl with a simple poster board that said "Adventure Teaching in Korea." She was nice, and kind of short too. I talked to her, and she told me I would be amazing. So I applied. :)

I have a lot of worries spinning through my head right now, but one that is probably unique to me is that people (aka, my boss and other teachers) will judge me on my lack of altitude. As always. I am terrified that I am going to show up and they will wonder why this teenage student has come to teach for them.

I don't think height really has anything to do with how well a teacher can control a classroom. I mean, the intimidation factor only gets you so far. If I have trouble controlling these kids, it will be because I'm a bad teacher, not because I'm short. :D

Still, it would be nice to reach 5' within the next week.

4. Remember how to teach children
Hahahah....so Mexico was over a year ago, and I have been out of school for what feels like forever. At this point I am entirely convinced that I have forgotten everything I ever knew about English and how to teach it. I don't even know where my textbooks are, although supposedly I do not need any.

For this, I don't really know if there's anything I can do. I just hope that when I'm in front of the class with a textbook in hand, it will all come flooding back.

I hope they listen to me. :/


At any rate, I leave September 7th. Wish me luck!