Trying My Patience

The last week or so, the boys have been trying my patience. I knew this time would come; I guess I just didn't suspect so soon. Many of the decisions the higher ups are making about their freedoms are being pinned on me and my immediate house staff, when we really have no control over it, and the boys are rebelling. Not to mention the general boneheaded decisions that middle schoolers make. For instance, we had 6 kids try to escape in the middle of the night over the fence, and they were swiftly caught. They were trying to go to the closed gas station for microwave noodles.

One of my kids discovered the n-word in a rap song and doesn't seem to realize the implications of the word, so that's been fun. Another kid tried to pass the argument with me that "all boys our age watch porn. You know we need to be able to." That was hard not to laugh through. He legitimately thought that would change the IT department's mind about their policies on porn.

It's been a long week, but I'm off tomorrow and the next day, and I can't wait. Last off days, we hiked up the famous Sunrise Peak, which was beautiful. My birthday was Wednesday, and the love shown to me from friends far and near was really revitalizing as far as the bad week I was having and the homesickness. It felt really good. My roommates from college sent me a book about bourbon which was awesome, and I received cards from several family members including both sets of grandparents and my dear Aunt Sue. Thanks so much, everyone! You made the week much better!

Wednesday night I went out with two friends to a local pub that had a decent beer or two on tap, and we turned in early since I had to work the next morning. It was a great birthday overall. Tuesday, we're planning on going transparent kayaking if the weather holds up, and I can't wait. I'm looking forward to Skyping with my sister and my parents, and I had wonderful Skype sessions earlier this week with several friends. Fingers crossed that grandma and grandpa Bedell can get it up and running soon!

I've been surprisingly discovering a ton of music since I got here. Some of the albums I'm growing to love:
Former Lives - Benjamin Gibbard
This Is All Yours - alt-J
They Want My Soul - Spoon
In The Lonely Hour - Sam Smith
Caustic Love - Paolo Nuttini
Wish I Was Here (Soundtrack) - Various Artists
Story Of My Life - Shakey Graves

All worth your time. I am starting to crave American foods and drinks. I'm compiling a large list of must-haves for December. My friend Mandaline is in Saint Louis this weekend, and I'm jealous of the Ted Drewes and other things she's having. December is soon! I had Quizno's today, which felt really dirty and like cheating for some reason. But it was delicious, and I regret nothing.

Another highlight of the week was hearing from my good pal Michael Meyer, who I hope to be conversing more with soon. Such a gem! Besides that, life's going overall well, and I hope to hear from anyone and everyone soon. Have a good one!

Chuseok and Other Updates

Yesterday marked the end of my first break here at KIS. I had airport duty last night, which was hectic to say the least. I love most everything about the school here, but sometimes there is a huge lack of organization, which can be a little frustrating. It seems that often the administrators, teachers, and dorm staff are all on different wavelengths about certain things. That’s my only current complaint though!

Last week Friday began Chuseok break. Chuseok is the equivalent of the Korean Thanksgiving. Friday night, we had a potluck then all went out as a staff. It was a lot of fun! Saturday morning, I woke up and left for a small island off the east coast of Jeju called U-do. We drove to the east side then took a ferry, which was kind of fun. Once we got to U-do, there were a bunch of other people from Jeju schools, and it was nice to meet some people outside of KIS. We played beach volleyball, swam, then camped overnight, staying up late around a fire on the beach.

The next day, we stayed until 4pm or so swimming and playing volleyball, then made the trek back to KIS. On the way home, we stopped at a restaurant where we had a very spicy stir-fry chicken dish, which was then covered in cheese. It also had sweet potato dumplings in it. It was incredible, but the spicy was intense.

Monday, we bummed around all day then went to the casino at night. I lost, but it was fun. It’s illegal for Koreans to gamble, but tourists can, which is kind of weird. It was basically a dozen or so Chinese folks and us Americans. I wore my suit and a black bow tie just to class it up Casino Royale style. Tuesday was relaxing. A friend and I ventured to some waterfalls close to the beach. The island is really really beautiful, and I love the little nooks and crannies that you can find like that. Still trying to process that I can visit things like that whenever I want.

Wednesday, the kids came back. In a way, it was nice to see them again, but a little sad to leave the peace and quiet behind! Now, it’s straight through to the end of October before my next break. Then, before I know it, I’ll be venturing home for the Boesch wedding and Christmas festivities. Time travels at light speed these days. I bought a car today! So that's another fun development. Looking forward to taking it out around the island.

I also figured out how to write my address on an envelope! So that’s a fun development. If you feel like sending anything to me (first of all, you rock), send me a message, and I’ll send you the photo of how it should look.

Shout out to my incredible cousin, Charlotte Samuels! Girl can swim. She just completed the “triple crown of open water swimming” at age 15, the youngest person to ever do so, and also did all three swims in the shortest span of time at 74 days. If you ever need motivation, there’s your girl. She swam over twenty hours in the English Channel. I can’t think of anything I’ve ever done for 20 hours straight, let alone something that exhausts you. You’re a champ, Char!

That’s really all to report for now. Will write again if anything fun comes up. Thanks for reading!

-Ryan

One Month In

"Travel can be one of the most rewarding forms of introspection."
- Lawrence Durrell

I left home a month ago today. So much has happened in this month! I'm getting to know my students better, and we've already had our ups and downs. It's no fun to discipline the kids, but they know the rules and rather intentionally break them sometimes. That's the least fun part of the job. The bright side is that I know I'm doing the job well and I'm having fun! I'm happy, and life at the school and on the island has been great.

I've kept in good touch with most folks at home, Skyping and Facebook messaging and such! Hearing from home is always nice, so do hit me up if you feel so inclined.

The most recent development here is that I was offered another job which I ultimately decided to turn down, but it really presented me with a decision that I feel ended up being a major life decision. I was offered the opportunity to leave my current position and become the school's Assistant Athletic Director/Head Lifeguard. It wouldn't have involved a pay raise or anything this year, but I was flattered that the athletic director came to me first with the offer. The decision it presented is this: is sports my future, or is the education side more my future?

The kicker is that the director originally wanted to know the next day if I wanted the job. While the dilemma between sports and education was on my mind anyway, I knew that if sports was my future, AD would look better than Dorm Assistant. I thought about it overnight, getting very little sleep, then met with some of my bosses and coworkers the next day to get their opinions, and in the end, I decided to turn it down.

I think I've come to a decision that education is where I see my career heading from here. I had been thinking about it even before I came to Jeju, but being here has only reaffirmed this desire in me. Who knows when going back to school will be for me, but a master's in higher education sounds like it could be something I have interest in. My good friend Alex Boesch is off tackling that degree in Vermont now, so I suppose I will have to pick his brain in the future. My good friend and mentor Dr. Beazley could probably also provide some guidance! I have to keep telling myself that I don't have to make any decisions right now. The job offer really put all of this to the forefront of my mind, and now that I've made an immediate decision, I need to remind myself that I can put it to the back burner for a bit.

I bought a small dirt bike this week for transportation, a Hyosung RX125. So I officially have wheels to explore the island, and I have been doing so! Went to the beach yesterday on my day off, and today into the city. Additionally, I bought a classical guitar. These small things have made it start to feel more like home here. You take transportation for granted until you don't have it and you're stranded on campus all day! Feels good to finally be able to come and go as I please. Been on a few hikes, and hoping to throw in a few more soon as well. No complaints currently!

Still loving the people and the place, and a month in, I think that's a good sign. Still missing you all at home and am excited to see everyone in December. My first break from school starts Friday, and a camping trip is in my future. Can't wait. Have a good week, family and friends!

-Ryan

Rest in peace, Chris Zandstra. 6/16/91 - 9/2/07