90-Days Probation

When I worked in banking, a wise man once advised me to keep interactions with newcomers to a minimum and never associate with them in a friendly manner until the 90-day probationary period has elapsed. While teaching in Korea I find this practice a bit unreasonable, considering the one-year expiration date on our contracts and visas. Instead, I gave the two new teachers an abbreviated 30-day trial period. It was hit or miss for a while… but now I am proud to introduce the two newest members of Team Oedae!

 

Heather was the first to arrive, to fill the void left by Sean Teacher (Sean has upgraded from Illsan to teaching on Jeju island – a visit will be on the agenda as soon as the weather improves). Heather is from Massachusetts, where she previously worked with Kate. Despite the insider information, she still made the journey here and I am excited that she did! Since I was still living in Illsan when she arrived, I offered to show her around. It turns out we share an obsession for shoes, art and liberal politics! She is a mere 4’10” but makes up for her height with cute shoes and a sparkling, outgoing personality. If you are interested in her take on Korea, check out her blog, Heather in Korea.

 

Elizabeth, from Texas (again, I’m trying not to hold that against her), was the next to arrive. Coincidentally, Heather and Elizabeth went to the same university in Florida but never new each other. Since college, Elizabeth moved around a bit and settled in Dallas near her family. The Texan in her is evident in her love for Jesus and GW Bush. She doesn’t let a little karaoke until 5am keep her from church the following Sunday morning, so I can respect that. Elizabeth has had a challenging start here in Korea. A few weeks after arriving, she was taken to the hospital for kidney stones. With a little painkillers and rest she was back in the classroom, but just this week she came down with the Korean Flu. It is inevitable that you will get sick within the first few months here due to germy little kids, but an especially nasty bug bit her. Now, because it is a cool thing to do, Elizabeth also has a blog called Krunk in Korea. 

Check it out and let me know if you have any idea what Krunk means because I’m still a little fuzzy (both blogs are accessible via the sidebar to the right).

 

Kate and Sean are missed, but Kate will be returning after a visit with her family over Christmas and Sean is a short plane ride away!