life in songgang-dong

Stuart and I live in a small community called Songgang-dong.  Although we are technically a part of Daejeon, and work under their department of education, I would argue that we are actually a suburb and an entity in ourselves.  By bus, it takes over 30 minutes to get into what I call Daejeon, which I consider to be south of the river.

Songgan-dong is the "A".  Daejeon proper is the concentrated area in the center of the image.

Songgang-dong is small but sufficient.  It exists in its own right and contains nearly everything that a waygook (foreigner) like me might need.  The community’s area is about a square mile or two.  Within this, there are a huge number of tall apartment buildings housing thousands upon thousands of people.  There is a “downtown” area, near where I live, that contains a plethora of Korean restaurants, some bars, many PC-bangs (computer gaming rooms), and the essentials (banks, post office, grocery stores, etc).  Everything is very, shall we say, settled and locally owned.  In terms of entertainment in the Dong, there is nothing unless you like the out of doors, in which case there is a lot.

The river in winter.

We are right next to one of Daejeon’s three rivers.  This means there are ample opportunities for biking and running along the river.  Heading East and South, you can run / bike around Techno Valley (a much more modern area near to Songgang that houses all the modern amenities, foreign restaurants, and major shopping centers), and if you are really energetic, it is possible to head down into Daejeon proper.  If you run North, you can follow the river as it turns and eventually, after running around Sintanjin (another large suburb that is kind of industrial and smoggy), end up at Dacheon Dam and the large lake there.

View of Songgang-dong, Techno Valley, and Sintanjin from the mountain.

To the West of Songgang-dong is a mountain range that provides some nice hiking and views.  I am not sure how far the range extends, but I have seen signs for trails that are at least 5kms long.  I’ve only been into the mountains a few times, having spent most of my time on the river, but hope that more opportunities to climb will present themselves.

My room

My apartment is small.  I suppose this was to be expected in Korea, where millions of people live on top of each other in buildings that reach towards the sky.  All this being said, I have arguably one of the largest apartments around.  If I had to venture a guess, I’d say my room (because I get corrected when I say I have an apartment, because it is actually just one room) is about 12 feet by 20 feet, including the bathroom and the kitchen area.  I haven’t measured anything, to be honest, so I am not sure on the exact dimensions.  But, I do have a double bed, a couch, a dining room table with two chairs, and a long coffee table.  In comparison to my friends, I am the luckiest.  They have single beds, no tables, and no couches; there just is not enough space.

View into the kitchen

 Now, as many of you know, I like a good kitchen.  For me, it is a social space as well as a practical space.  Again, I shouldn’t complain too much, seeing as I am far luckier than Stuart who can barely turn around in his little kitchen / entryway, but my kitchen is far from ideal.  I have a stovetop comprised of two burners (lucky, most people have one), an itty-bitty counter space (both people have none), and a sink.  I was able to arrange my tables such that I have made a kitchen island of sorts, such that I am surrounded by table / counter space.  This makes dinner preparations far easier.  Also, I just bought an oven, which thrills me no end and allows me to roast vegetables, bake breads, and a plethora of other things that are waiting to be tried and tasted.

All this being said, I do like my apartment and am finding ways to make it into my little home, or as Stuart calls it: my nest.  I have hung paper cranes from the ceiling and have bought bamboo and paper lanterns that will be hung with lights to create alternate lighting options (harsh florescent lights aren’t the best for reading in bed).

Songgang Elementary Sports Day

Now, my school: Songgang Elementary School.  It is a school of over 1200 students from Kindergarten to Grade 6.  I teach grades 3, 4, 5, and 6^, totaling 21 classes per week.  I also teach one afterschool class, which is the love of my life, called ETC (English Talent Class).  Basically, I get to hang out with 12 of the brightest and most lovely 5^th and 6^th grade students in the school.  We play games and do activities that I design and basically just have a really great time.  They often stay 20 minutes after class just to keep talking or playing.

I teach my other 21 classes with my 3 co-teachers.  I have one co-teacher for 3^rd and 4^th grade, one for 5^th grade, and one for 6^th grade.  Together, we plan lessons for our students and then implement the lesson together in class.  They see the students more often than I do, having 2-3 classes with them per week, while I am only around for one.  Again, not to complain but, I find that my weekly appearance is not enough to really establish relationships or bonds of trust with the students.  They see me as that foreigner, who is interesting, that comes in once a week and makes them repeat words.  I am used in classes mostly as the mouthpiece for how things are meant to sound in English.  I have to do a lot of “listen and repeat” activities from the textbook and teach a lot of vocabulary.  This is all well and good, and does need to be done, but I find that all the things I love about being a teacher are slipping away.  Aside from my ETC class once a week, there is no creativity, spontaneity, or relationships in my classes.  (I don’t even have a classroom to call my own, as I bounce around the school teaching)  I actually wouldn’t even say “my” classes, since I have little agency in planning them and even less choice in what the students will learn.  We are very textbook-driven here. 

Actually, my job would be ideal for so many foreign teachers.  But for me, coming here as an experienced teacher, I yearn for work, for agency, for creativity, and for ownership.  I feel like an object.  For example, when students earn a certain number of stamps in their textbook they get to take a picture with me.  I was never asked if this would be okay, but rather told that this would be the case after the Polaroid camera was purchased by the school for this purpose.  (Two students just came in for pictures, so it is fresh on my mind.)  I think it is a lovely prize for the students (and the one girl just leapt with joy through the hallway after taking the picture) but I would have appreciated being asked first, you know?

Needless to say I miss Durban Girls High School, I miss Kerryn Kimber (the other drama teacher), and I miss my lovely girls (and the fact that they spoke English!).

I know that this blog has been slightly depressing: living far away, small apartment, and difficult time at school.  I am not utterly miserable here.  My delightful friends and the amazing things to do and see in Korea make up for that.  I am a person who invests a lot of myself into my work, and being unable to do that, I get antsy, I get sad, and I start to feel a bit unnecessary.  And that’s not fun.

My work is a chore at the moment, although I am negotiating the delicate and hierarchical waters to try to weasel my way into more agency and creativity in the classroom.  8:30am- 4:30pm are the hours I survive in order to enjoy the rest of what Korea has to offer.  And I really do love all of that.  Those blogs will be forthcoming, as I hope to detail some of the more exciting adventures that Stuart and I have had in Korea so far.

You may be wondering, “But Robin, you said you wanted to be in Korea for a few years, does how you are feeling now change all that?”  My answer, it complicates things, yes, but does not change them.  It just means that I am looking for alternatives for next year.  Namely, I hope to find my way into the University system.  Opportunities exist for teaching English to University students and I think that my experience and interests would be far better suited in this environment.