Life in Korea: : Creative Chaos?

2007 has barely started and yet I feel as if I'm way well into the mid-year. January usually comes most quietly and people do not even notice that it's coming to a close, yeilding to the more flamboyant month of February when folks then start to get frantic again about life.

In my case, January is nothing but that. It's a frenzied month for me. It came with a jolt and I found myself staring down with amazement on a calendar that is littered with schedules.

Before the end of December our school was hiring an additional faculty for the English department. I was tasked to sit in as a member of the screening panel. I had to be present at the interview and the micro-teaching demo of the applicants. A few weeks earlier, by request of our department head, I also accepted to conduct a faculty development seminar for my collegues which was also slated in January. Then a call from the Gyo-Yook-Bu came (Korean Ministry of Educ- Seoul District). I was again requested to do a presentation on Co-Teaching Class Model. To my mind, since school was going to be out by then, I wouldn't be busy and that I could take on these projects with no trouble at all.

Then a funny twist of events. My mother-in-law while busy refurbishing the property we recently acquired had a minor traffic accident. Minor and yet it necessitated her to be confined to a hospital bed for 3 weeks. Then things started getting crazy. Hubby had to supervise the refurbishment in between meetings at the office and I had to take care of the domestic duties that suck the life out of me. (sigh).

I found myself in an uncompromising situation. My demo-lectures were fast approaching and I hadn't organized a single lecture. On top of that I was suffering from severe influenza. I was in a horrible state, physically & psychologically.

I told hubby I needed total seclusion if I were to accomplish anything. He was very supportive and my in-laws as well. Even my son, who's only 5 1/2 seemed to understand why mommy had to go in a state of frenzy. So I left the family home in Anyang City where I temporary stay during my vacation, and head off to our house in Seoul.

Two days before my first presentation, I buried myself in work. I pulled an all-nighter to finish everything-- from collecting graphics to organizing lesson modules, worksheets, and PPT materials. Amidst sneezing and intermittent headaches I managed to finish everything at 5 in the morning.

Despite the flu and lack of sleep, I reported to school at 9 am for the evaluation of the micro-teaching demo of applicants. Then at 11: 30 a.m. I scurried to the Seoul Teacher Education Training Insitute for my own workshop-demo at 1 pm. Normally, I would have a vivid image of how it all went, but my mind was hazy at that particular time and all I could think of was getting through the next session. When I was done with my demo, the district supervisors pulled me to one corner and sang me praises. I told myself, 'The feedback is good. I did okay.' By the time I was doing a seminar at Ewha I was at the brink of mental exhaustion. Surprisingly, all my lectures went well. My adrenalin must have been at full gear. I couldn't have possibly pulled it off as I did without Divine help. God has once more worked a miracle in my life which helped me advance in my career.

Frankly, I'm the type who likes to work methodically. I finish every project, every task ahead of time. I am greatly perplexed when things don't go according to the time frame I have planned out. You can just imagine how emotionally disturbing it is for me to find myself totally unprepared.

Creative chaos maybe highly stimulating to some people and to me too, to some extent, but it just isn't my cup of tea. Nevertheless, this one episode has shown me that I could also work as efficiently in such a circumstance. But I still won't adapt it as a personal workstyle. I prefer to swim in familiar waters.

Now that the chaotic episode in my life is behind me, I am ready for a month-long rest. Hubby is giving me the break I deserve --- holiday in Europe.