A week ago today I was invited by the principal to attend an elite open English class. (Open English classes are when the schools host Korean teachers and native-English teachers to attend their class and learn different teaching methods/styles). Last weeks class was elite because the school, Boejung Elementary runs a government operated English program; this means they get extra money for their classes and spend it on things like props (for plays) and video cameras (to simulate news interviews and make short videos).
The 15 minute drive to the school was a special treat (according to my co-teacher who had never ridden in our principal's car). I agreed that it was very nice of her to drive us but the 17 point parking job I could have done without with. ;) After the drive, the parking fiasco, reclaiming the principal's purse from the front seat and zig-zagging across the parking lot to find the correct flight of stairs to ascend, we were only 5 minutes late (despite having left a half hour early).
(We are just getting started mind you!)
Because this was a special occasion the school "hired" foreign teachers from neighboring schools to fill in for the class presentations -since their school only normally had 2 foreign teachers but they had to show 6 English classes. Watching the classes where the teachers were "fill-in's" was awkward to say the least. The
waygook (foreign) teachers had no idea what material was being taught and the students seemed largely disinterested in the class. Really it was like watching a train wreck. This is when my co-teacher mentioned that the school had requested I fill in, but she said no. Of course I thanked her profusely for allowing me to escape the torture.
Once the classes were over, we all gathered together in the auditorium to listen to the school organizers' presentation. However this is Korea, so instead of going straight to the speech, we had to endure ice-breakers first. Ice-breakers usually entail some sort of odd physical contact. So we massaged/poked/karate chopped each others backs then repeated the task with our other neighbor. Next, we gathered in a huge circle. The task was to shake the persons right hand, then left, then take both hands and spin in a circle around. Once that bit was out of the way, next was the foreign doll show!
For anyone who has worked in Korea, you know what I mean; Koreans love showing off their foreigners. On billboards, in commercials and at any presentation there is a showcase. Every presentation I have been to at least one foreigner is asked to go up on stage. I knew this time would be the same. Except this time, it was very different, for it wasn't another foreigner that was asked to go on stage, it was me! Though there were other foreigners in my row, I was chosen as the token foreigner of my group of seating. (Blast the blond hair and blue eyes!)
The other foreign dolls chosen were all guys, and all well over the age of 27. That left me... As I ascended the stage the feminine Korean MC, decked out in black pants a pink shirt and white suit jacket, serenaded me "Pretty woman walking down the street." :/ My face turned beet red. After our introductions, we were asked to perform a series of "tricks". I will share two of them.
The first was to inflate a balloon (the kind you would use for clown animals). My first attempts were to no avail for the balloon had a hole in it. Since the MC was sweet on me, I was given another chance and a new balloon. The purpose of blowing it up (besides looking odd) was just to see whose flew the farthest. Mine got second!
Our next trick was to sing karaoke... (just kidding, I would have died)... no it was to D-A-N-C-E. Not normal dancing but conservative Korean dancing to off-beat Korean pop music; since we were not performing to their standards they played us Ricky Martin's "
La Vida Loca". We akwardly danced to the delight of the audience. While the first 10 seconds passed, the next 10 were uneasy and the ten after that saw us swing dancing with each other to keep from quitting. The whole scene was far more comical then I can describe but I think you get the picture.
