Phases

Well I am fast approaching 5 months of my time in Korea. It seems like just yesterday I was arriving.


the Early days seem so distant nowadays. The morning was my own. I ate Gim Chee and rice bowls and I would watch a lot of baseball since Minnesota was on the television. I would go to work earlier because I was bored and thought it would make for a good time. Especially because I liked to talk to Christina and learn about Korea. I made calls at the office until I got a phone.


The weather was so hot a sheet was too much and I would sweat walking up the stairs The rain was unbelievably hot. I am now bundled in2 sweatshirts and my thumb feels half frozen.

I was full of energy and ale to try everything at least once. I hiked the Mountain alone and ran it like I used to do in the olden days when I was a kid.

Going to work early was a norm for me. I wasn't expecting so many harsh demand and definitely not outlandish.

I went through a lets get reconnected with old childhood activities. Watching friends and Fresh Prince. These only lasted a week. MASH as well.

I am now involved in a long phase....Watching Law and Order if it ever comes on again. Its a great show...probably my favorite.

Food I went through a Fried Pork Dongas Stage, I went through a lets try anything phase and now I am stuck in 2 of them.
1). The evil arch M Mcdonalds.
2). Fried Chicken
I am pretty sure I am going to die due to problems with the heart.


I enjoy shopping too much even though I seldom do it.

Right now I am also focusing on just doing what I need to do.

I will continue this blog at later time....

Phases I and Phases II later....
I like to write so that's another phase.

Palmer Report

Well its officially the end of the month. Life in Gumi continues to run as normal. Or as close to normal as possible. Its Halloween back home but in the grand scheme of things Halloween doesn't mean anything to people in Korea. In my opinion it also means nothing to me.





I couldnt post the pictures last time so here are some pictures. These are the "Jack o lanterns I carved for class, my darling and a few of the students. more later about those.






So teaching continues to roll. I work 6 days a week 40 +/- hours a week and teach 29 classes. I email kids who never write me back. I make 4 tests which are unfortunately difficult. The kids always cheat and there really is no stopping them. Truth be known-the kids are for money I think. There are 150 kids I see. I see kids come and go faster than anything. Its hard to have a clear cut path or method of teaching when kids are "dropping like flies on honey" Somehow I get through it. Its not great when D is lurking around either. Eavesdropping on my classes doesnt help me out.


I have prepared supplimentary material for the kids to understand and participate and rarely does this help. My kids are from kindergarten to nearly high school. I have a favorite class and always love teaching them. Unfortunately I no longer can have them 3 times a week.

I have no realized the problems existing at work need to change soon or its going to get worse. My friend is quitting at the end of the month...this will cause some indefinite change. I can't wait to see. I hope it isn't bad. End all be all...Work is work no matter where it is and what I am doing ...The good the bad and the Ugly.


I am looking forward to the coming of the weekend...my one day off and I am not going to do much of anything other than relax and reflect on the happenings of the week.

Halloween party, Pizza Hut, Mcdonalds everyday(pretty much) and working around the clock highlight this month.

November is going to be more promising I am sure.



Other aspects of my life. Seeing my baby's face Smile turns a awful day into bliss.

I have to get ready for work but I will write more later to anyone who cares to read.

Halloween Special

Welcome to the 5th Floor of the Yale Hagwan. Its apparently a second mini Yale Academy. All this week Christina, Myself and the secretary a.k.a Librarian decorated my house. I was really angry because Mr. Jeong didnt even ask me if I wanted to have a party. This is a work party simply for the kids. To make it worse my boss didnt even show up.
This just meant a lot of extra work for Christina and I on Saturday after work. I was tired and truthfully dont want to be around kids unless I absolutely have to. 6 days of work and 8 hours a day is plenty. I like my privacy.

Maybe its a Korean custom but I am not the neatest person in the world. I live for the time being and sometimes clean when I get around to it. I dont have the work ethic of Koreans and personally its going to kill me if I dont slow down.

My attitude about work is going to get easier. As my friends (who never read this) would say: That's Nick Palmer and he does things his way. The theory of getting eaten alive by the "real World" doesnt exist. There is no real world.

Here are some pictures of the crazy twirps. oh how am I going to explain twirps. ?? oh well.
how about dippy dutzes?