I finished my last summer camp. I circulated a survey to the students to vote on the camp theme they would most like to have. Majority chose the game show theme. I developed camp around 5 popular American game shows including Deal or No Deal, Double Dare, The Price is Right, Family Feud and the Match Game. I didn't have too much time to set up for camp but the first two days were successful. I underestimated how long it would take to play Deal or No Deal because it was dependent on how quickly each team would take a deal. The 4th and 6th graders still did pretty well and tried to be into it, even though the 4th graders didn't understand how to play exactly. The 6th graders did really well and I felt my hard work wasn't in vain. What really irritates me is that I feel completely on my own in camps. If the students don't understand how to participate I spend half the time trying to get them to understand and my co-teacher is no help and often leaves the room. When he does try to help, he interrupts me to ask how to play instead of trying to learn and understand all the games ahead of time to translate to the students. Then I have to spend extra time just trying to get him to understand! The 5th graders completely surprised me and were so rude. They ignored me, didn't want to participate and just talked over me with their friends. Their level is also so low that they didn't understand anything I was saying and my co-teacher was rarely around to help them or manage their behavior. The 4th graders were even at a higher level than the 5th graders. I asked my co-teacher to help me out a little by coming up with level appropriate questions to use for the Double Dare trivia so I was glad he did try to help. I was impressed by how much the 4th graders knew. All the questions were too easy for them (or at least 2-3 of them). By the middle of the week I was already exhausted and had no time to prepare all the materials that went in to setting up The Price is Right. I didn't have my game plan worked out and had to cut out a lot of time from playing with the 4th graders because I was still setting up when they arrived. I didn't even eat lunch. By the time the 5th graders came, my patience was spent and with their attitudes I couldn't take it. I ended up walking out of the class and my co-teacher finally realized how hard it was for me. He went in and continued playing the game I started while I ate my lunch. The last couple days just involved asking trivia questions and very little preparation apart from finding questions and putting it in a Powerpoint presentation. I guess these were more boring for the students but easier and better for me. I hope at least some students liked it and appreciated it but I may never know.
Deal or No Deal
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| Me pretending to be Howie Mandel talking to the bank. |
Double Dare
The Price is Right
Family Feud
The Match Game
Immediately after camp, I got on a night bus to Gwangju. I felt like this would be a great opportunity to see Gwangju, which I have heard a lot about in regards to art, and catch up with Domonique who I hadn't seen since our TEFL class in NY in 2013. We had been chatting ever since we got to Korea about meeting up but it never would happen. The highlight and main point of my trip was to see the famous Boseong Tea Fields. When I arrived it was late at night so I took a taxi to my hostel, Pedro's House. It was a little confusing when I arrived and there was a sign saying to go to Pedro's II restaurant down the street to check in. I was staring at the sign and washed out map and circling the house courtyard for about 15 minutes before I figured out where to go. The host was very welcoming and it was a very cozy, cute house. When I got up in the morning to shower, I thought everything was self explanatory until I turned the water on. It was ice cold and I ended up taking a cold shower! After I was dressed and relaxing in the living room, I saw that there was a water heater dial I should've turned on before taking a shower in order to get hot water. I recognized it from vlogs about living in South Korea because I don't have the same thing in my studio; my hot water is always on. I tried to see what I would do first for the day. I was hoping to go to the tea fields early since it was about an hour away but I still wanted to hang out with Dominique at the same time. She said she wouldn't be available until the afternoon so I had to kill time. I went the art museum and folk museum. By the time I finished it was time to meet up with Dominique so I headed back to the bus station. I waited almost an extra hour for her and was tempted to leave and just go on my own; I even bought a ticket and said to myself if she doesn't come by this time I have to leave without her. Luckily she showed up just in time and I'm really glad she did. It was so nice to catch up with her about life in Korea and life in general. At the Boseong bus station we ran into a Russian guy who was going to the tea fields too. We all took a taxi there and the adventure began. It was a gorgeous day and the fields were amazing. It was definitely worth the trip. There was a gift shop at the bottom selling green tea everything from soap to cookies. I had two delicious green tea churros...maybe more thanks to the sugar than the green tea flavor. I was anticipating spending the night with Dominique since she offered a couple days before but at the last minute she said no because she didn't have a mat. I had no choice but to go back home that same night. By the time we got back I had little time before the next bus so we rushed to TGIF to have a quick dinner. We ran from the restaurant to catch the bus and in all the excitement I forgot I left my stuff in a locker at the bus terminal. Other than clothes and toiletries, I left my umbrella, and when we got back to Incheon after midnight it was pouring rain. I had to walk back home from the bus terminal in the pouring rain but I am grateful that I live so close to the terminal. 
Now on to Southeast Asia!!!!!
