Just shy of sIx mONTHs!

I truly enjoy looking back at life. I remember times when I seriously considered being an architect, a fighter pilot, a marine, a Navy Seal, a race car driver, a model, a teacher, a mechanic, and so many more. You see I grew up in America. You may wonder why I would point that out. If I still lived in America I would think the same, but I don't. I am current living the life as a High school teacher in South Korea. The culture around me presses their students just short of death compared to the States. The overwhelming norm in South Korea is the students having the responsibility of providing for and housing their parents later in life. I know that is also practiced in America, but less common these days. Also in this culture that pressure is reflected in the incredible pressure of going to school until 9:00p.m. or later. In a country smaller than, or about the size of Kentucky, there are over 21 million people. Competition for any and every job here is steep. If you don't get a job as a doctor, lawyer, CEO, or something else high, your whole family works themselve to the bone to make the living that I would expect to be able to make alone back in the states. It is now summer and instead of my students going home at 9p.m, they go home at either 3:30 or 6p.m. Well, that's what I thought, then I found out some of them still go to hawgwans (private academies specializing in certain studies). My high school students will get one week of break before the next semester begins. After talking with a teacher yesterday I was happy to discover the great fluctuation in class attendence is due to some students simply staying home. The school holds three weeks of summer school for all students to attend, but they are not really held accountable for it, and yet I still have entire classes of near 40 students show up.
The culture is so incredibly different here. Parts of the culture seem advanced, and other ways are soooo.... different, almost upside down and backwards from the states. I personally don't think it is right to work students 70+ hours a week in school. The obvious lack of social skill development in the students' lives along with a grave unhappiness is obvious.
So why are you staying Kris?
I'm staying because I get to be a source of encouragement, inspiration, care, kindness, listening, and a smile for each and every student I teach. I strive to pour myself into their lives and education with the best of me. This is an exhausting, and wonderfully educational experience. This opportunity is making me a stronger Christian, friend, brother, Son, Cousine, future husband, and overall person. Thanks be to God. Even though the opportunity is great, I do need a rest. I officially get 4 full weeks of vacation a year. I decided to split mine up with one in the summer, and three in the winter. So from the looks of it, I will be heading back to visit my friends and family around next February of 2012.