The Last Day?

Once again Hyeeun School starts its winter holidays, which means I won’t be going there for quite some time. However, this winter break is little different from the previous breaks before because I might never return here again. The reason why I say this is because students are mendatory to attend school on Saturdays once in two weeks, but now the law changed that they don’t have to do that anymore. Today, we made pancakes. The weather was too cold for tracking, so we stayed inside to cook. The day was just like another day. We all enjoyed cooking, and ate it together at the end. Time went on, and just like that the clock hit 12. It was time for me to go as always. There was nothing special, no crying or an extreme feeling of sadness. I said goodbye to everyone before I left. The students smiled at me as if they had no idea I were leaving, maybe they didn’t think it was the last. I realized whatever change you encounter in your life, your life goes on. However, you will keep memories. A moment lasts seconds but the memory goes on. I will remember the moments I had in Hyeeun School.

Cooking Class

Today was the last day for combined education. What this meant was that the students from Yungduck High school were no longer going to visit Hyeeun School. Therefore, today was a special day. Instead of hiking, we did cooking. When I went there, the ingredients were already ready. There were various ingredients, such as cucumber, ham, tuna, oranges, tomatoes, egg, bread, and strawberry jam. The ingredients didn’t seem to match, and I had no idea what we were going to make. It turned out that we were making French Crepe, and I still had no idea what that was. However, there wasn’t much process in making one. All you had to do was put whatever ingredients you want on top of the bread. This was easy for Hyeeun school students to process. Everyone enjoyed the food. Every pair, a Hyeeun school student and the partner, was assigned to process one ingredient. Everyone worked collaboratively, and the ingredients were prepared in a short amount of time. My partner and I were in charge of cutting tomatoes. I held the tomatoes, and my partner cut them using a knife. It was just enough to increase collaboration just by working together. Today was a great day because it increased collaboration, the food was better than I thought it would turn out, and everyone enjoyed it.

What The Rain Has Taught Me

Today, the day was rainy. In the middle of October, a rainy day is not a frequent view. Due to the rain, the entire faculties and students had to stay indoors. I was assigned to my room. The class was watching a movie. I had nothing better to do, but get a chair and join them. So, I did. The movie was titled the ‘Up’. It was an animation movie. I wasn’t really paying attention to the movie. Instead, I observed the students. Few of them were paying attention. Some were at sleep. Others were goofing around. This was the the typical scene you would expect from a high school class. Once again I realized that they were know different from ordinary students. They are just students. It was wrong of me to expect them to behave differently. I might not have realized this on while were hiking. The rainy day taught me something unanticipated.

Realization

I learned two things today: Yuldong Park is eco-friendly and my partner has an eccentric fetish on killing bugs. Every two weeks I would visit Hyeeun School to basically hike mountains or walk around parks. Also, I’ve recently learned that every once a month, the students from Yungduck High school would come to visit. Today was that day. When the students from Yungduck Highschool visit Hyeeun School, we would always go to Yuldong Park. Now, Yuldong Park was the ideal place that you wanted walk on if you had to. There are trees all around and a lake is in the middle; therefore, makes you feel like you are walking in the middle of the forest. However, you wouldn’t be want to be there if you hate bugs. Now, here comes the real story. My partner hates bugs. I’ve been walking with him for few months now, but I’ve just found out. When we arrived, there were bugs everywhere. To my partner, they were all enemies to kill. Constantly he would kill the bugs. He even tired to kill three gigantic spiders the size of my hand. I tried to stop him, but I couldn’t. I really had a hard time making my partner focused and walk. I realized at that moment that I really didn’t know my partner. It was almost like I didn’t even try. From one point, I was talking to partner less and less. If there is no conversation, there is no connection. I realized I had to talk to more often.

Back At Hyeeun School: The Happiest People

It has been ages since I hadn’t visited Hyeeun school. Finally, after a long break, I went to visit the place. The place was busy as usual, and not a single thing changed. It was as if time had stopped since the last time I visited Hyeeun school. As usual, I went to my assigned room, met my partner, and got on the bus to go hiking. I just blended it in, and everything just flowed. My partner treated me as usual showing no sign of extra delight in seeing me. Just like this, my days at Hyeeun school began.

We went to the same mountain that we have always hiked. I memorized the route by hear, so did the other 200 people from the school. I felt irritated that I had to hike this mountain. There is one thing we can’t get used to: pain and tiredness of walking. Also, I had all sorts of things mangling in my mind: AP quizzes, homework, World Geography essay. I was drowning from my own thoughts. I wondered,’ How come the students never complain?”. I’ve got my answer from their faces. They did not complain because they had nothing to complain about. They were enjoying this moment. They had no worries. They did not see the pain inside it, but the joy. All these years we’ve been convinced that we are better than them, but are we happier? Didn’t being the ‘superior’ being make us only see the pain inside things? Living in this society, I might not be able to always see the joy in things because the world doesn’t not work that way. However, at least I’ll be able to know the happiest people on this earth.

Vacation

Another vacation for Hyeun school students have approached. It is time to say goodbye for a while. However, it is a goodbye promising to meet again. Today was the last time for hiking before the holidays. The students seemed very excited that holiday was just few days away. It has been a while that we went to hiking due to the rain, and the weather was steaming hot. It seemed much harder and I was more tired than ever. I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. Our class had to stop in the middle and go back down. I was kind of disappointed that I couldn’t reach the top for the last time with my class, but I knew that I would get a chance later. I wasn’t as much disappointed as the last time because it is the second time that Hyeeun School had its holiday. I am just worried that the laws in Korea changed that now Korean schools don’t go school on Saturdays. However, I know there will be an alternative. If there is not, we’ll have to make one.

Hanji Craft

hanji( Korean traditional paper) crafts

Today at Hyeun School, the students prepared something ex-ordinary and special. It was the hanji crafts. Hanji is a traditional Korean paper, and the students were assigned to make accessories using this paper. The process was rather complicated, but meaningful. First the students made the glue that they were going to use. They had to mix some powders into water, and mix for sometime. It is important to mix adequate amount of water and powder. After this process, the students chose the shapes of the accessories they wanted to make, and glued Hanji on top of it. I assisted my partner to make his rectangular box, but he was already an expert at it. I really thought this activity was meaningful in that it taught the students about traditions, and also did it by a fun and effective way.

Picnic at Yuldong Park

The rain showed no indication of stopping. By the time it did stop on early Saturday morning, the ground was still wet. I went to Hyeeun school, knowing for sure that the hiking would had been cancelled. However, there were buses outside that were waiting to take the students to their destination. I got on the bus having no clue of where the destination was. I thought that I was headed to a place that I went before, but the destination was new. We went to Yuldong Park. I found that really surprising because next weak I have to go to Yuldong Park for a field trip. At the parking lot, we met students from Yongduck high school. Then, I realized that we were having combined activity for once again. Yuldong Park had tracks around this enormous lake. I couldn’t see the end of the track. Once we started walking, I knew that it was going to be a hard time.

A Special Teacher's Day

After two hours of reading and exercising, we went back to the class room. May 15th is teacher’s day. Therefore, the students prepared for Teacher’s day this class. The class prepared to make cards to give the teachers on Teacher’s day. First, the class made carnations with colored paper. It was hard to make. I had to help students to cut and glue parts. However, the students all seemed very excited. Eventually everyone succeeded in making their own carnations. Now, they had to write the letter. They wrote simple words, but it was really from their heart. Everyone chose their teacher that they wanted to thank. The students really like the teachers, and they have an unexplainable relationships. Teachers are not just people who teach, but also cares about you, listens to you, plays with you, and corrects you if you do things wrong. To these students, teachers are valued very much.

Indoors Activities

Now I recognize that summer has come. It raining day after day. Now, that leads to one question. Will it rain on Saturday? May 7th, it was a day that I had to go to Hyeeun school. The day before was raining, so I went to sleep on Friday wandering whether it is going to rain tomorrow. Indeed, the rain poured the next day. The tracking was canceled once again no doubt. I headed to my assigned class. To my surprise, they were no one at the classroom. Therefore I wandered around. Finally, I’ve found in the library. I once again realized this was a pretty big school. It had everything it needed.
All the students were so confused on reading that they did not even notice that I came in. I was kind of disconcerted, but I sat down to read a book. After the reading, the class head to the gym. Until then I didn’t know that the school had a gym. At there students ran on the running machine for one hour. I was also there to help, but no one gave up. All of them kept working. These students had amazing concentration. They worked without no complains.

Rainy day

April 30th was the last day of April. I recall that it was raining. Since the day before, rain was pouring. It was one gloomy day, and it was also the day that I went to Hyeeun school. I felt terrible having to go hiking in a weather like this. As gloomy the day was, I was also depressed. However, I learnt that the hiking was canceled due to the weather. I went to my assigned class. They were watching a movie, so I sit down to join them. After the first hour, I started to feel bored. The movie wasn’t that interesting, and all the students were sleeping. I thought that hiking might had been better. The teacher eventually stopped the movie. After the movie, the teacher gave the students a lesson. It wasn’t much, just a preparation for upcoming events. May is full of events, such as Children’s Day, Parents’ Day, and Teacher’s Day. The students wrote these dates on their calendar. After this short lesson, the entire class participated in cleaning the room. The desks and chairs were removed to the back of the classroom, and floor was swept with a brush. Even though I didn’t go hiking, I felt just as tired. However, it was impressive to see the class function as one. Everyone had their jobs, and they performed it perfectly.

Our Duty

Since it was a combined activity, the destination was set to rather a lenient place. We didn’t to to the mountain, but we went to the park. Before we went, every students were given a plastic nag to put rubbish in on the way to the park. I mentioned that my new partner was very enthusiastic in participating. Well, he was the only one who picked up rubbish for the whole time. I, being his partner, had to stand next o him for the whole time. I described the park as a lenient place, but that’s just when compared to the mountain. The park was indeed enormous, and there was rubbish wherever we went. The worst thing was that the weather was steaming hot. However, my partner kept on picking up rubbish as if this was his duty. No one forced him to do it, and certainly others weren’t doing it. He made me pick up rubbish, and I couldn’t complain about it because he never stopped. He made me realize that we you don’t do it, no one else will. We are not forced to do anything, but once we decide to do it then it becomes our duty. My new partner taught me a valuable lesson.

New Circumstances

Today at Hyeeun school was something out of the usual. When I entered, the impression I got was that It was very crowded. Later I found out that today was combined education for Hyeeun school students and students from Yongduck high school. 4 students from Yungduck high school were assigned to the same room that I was assigned to. They were all girls. No wonder, Yonduck high school turned out to be girls high school. At their presence, my partner abandoned me to me assigned with one of them. My former partner is a boy by the way. I was assigned to a new partner. I was heart broken. However, I had to move on. My new partner was Y.S Kim. He was the most active one in the class. He likes to participate in everything he can. At this time, I didn’t know that this would trouble me for the whole day.

Continued........

I mentioned my new partner. Also, I mentioned that he was friendly. Well, surely he was friendly, but too friendly. When we first rode the bus, I was all warmed-up and ready. I talked to my partner a lot, and he talked to me a lot. However, as soon as the tracking started, my partner bowed to everyone he saw. There were literally hundreds of people in that mountain. Often times, he would descend the mountain to go to the teachers, and I chase him down and climb up again. He sometimes refused to go. By the time we reached the top, I had no energy left. However, he still did. I almost swore that day. I knew that my legs would hurt for the next few days. When we descended the mountain, I didn’t say a single word. I was that tired. I heard that the next time we also climb this mountain. I fear. However, I’ll have to adapt to my new partner. I know ,sooner or later, I’ll get used to this.

Back to the mountain.

Two weeks ago, the tracking program resumed. The last time we went to a park, and it was pretty difficult. I hadn’t been tracking for months ever since the tracking programmed ceased in December, so tracking in the park was difficult. However, this time I found out that the park was just a warm-up to prepare for the mountain that I was about to climb. I cherish the fearful memorizes NamHanSan mountain that made my body ache for days. The mountain taught me that if you hard enough you will eventually achieve your goal, however, it also taught me how painful tracking can be. Also, this was my first time climbing this mountain with a new partner. Anything could happen. The real first time, I had troubles because my partner B.S Nam was both taciturn and stubborn. This is not the best combination you want to deal with. I feared this change. However, life is full of surprises and changes. To be honest, this is unlikely the biggest change I will face. We got to adapt to changes. Right now, the only thing I could do was to face it.

What teachers make

We are in the middle of March, but the weather tells otherwise. Snow in the middle of March? The weather is crazy. When the tracking program ended on last year’s December, I was glad that I didn’t have to walk on freezing days. The students were cold, the volunteers were cold, and the teachers were cold. When I heard that the tracking program will resume in March, I was happier than ever. Just imagine yourself waling through a path surrounded by spring flowers, inhaling the fresh air. However, now is colder that ever. Everyone is trying their best to hold it together.

My point here is that I sincerely respect the volunteers and teachers. I believe that the students are great that they are working in a weather like this, but it would be impossible without those teachers and volunteers. Of course teachers are paid, and volunteers get points, but this is impossible to do when your heart doesn’t want to do it. The teachers have to spend majority of their days with the students. To be honest, it is hard for me to be with them for 2 hours. I can’t imagine how hard it can be for teachers. Despite, teachers never frown in front of the students. They always smile. Teachers are friends, life mentors, and even parents to these students. They don’t simply teach math, but they teach what life can be and what hope you can find it out of it. They show it by action that if you have your heart, you follow your heard, and if you work hard, you will always be rewarded.

The tracking resumes

The tracking program resumed. The track is meaningful, but everything has its costs. I will just say that the tracking is rather tiring. I am in a new class, so I was assigned to a new partner. She was even older than the other students. She was born in 1966. This was her last year in Hyeeun school, and she was really excited to graduate. I talked a lot to her during the tracking at Hee Mang Park. Hee Mang Park has a high slope, so she had to constantly rest. I was getting tired too. Therefore, on the way back, my partner changed. He was two years older than me. He was vey active. He constantly listed the names of food that he likes. The way back was more exciting. He ran and pulled my arms. I had to follow him. I was amazed at how friendly he can get to a person he just met. When we got back, we played at the playground. To be honest, I enjoyed it. He never seemed tired, but surely I was by the end of the day.

Reunion!

Saturday, March 20, 2011, after 2 months of long wait, I finally visited Hyeeun School. I remember mentioning that going back to Hyeeun School is half excited and half reluctant. Well, this feeling prolonged until I reached Hyeeun School. When I reached Hyeeun School, I was assigned to a different class. I used to be assigned to a middle school class before the vacation. However, now I was assigned to a high school class which makes sense because if I went to Korean school, I just turned in to a high school student. Same applied to the Hyeeun School students. Meaning I would be still able to see the friends in middle school in high school. However things didn’t go as planned. I was assigned to a senior class which had students older than me. I felt stunned as if a lighting was stunned on me. Meeting new people is a hard thing, and the assignment was permanent for the entire year. It would had been easier if I worked with the students I know, but meeting new people and helping them is the point of public service at Hyeeun School. I fixed my mind, and decided to try my best.

Reunion?

March 2nd, 2011. Finally, the day I’ve been waiting for has came. March 2nd was the date of Hyeeun school’s opening ceremony. Remember that December 24, 2010 was the date of start of winter vacation. The last time I visited Hyeeun School was during traditional Korean instrument program during January, so it has been 2 months since I’ve been there. To be honest, I am not 100% excited to go back to Hyeeun School, because going there means more work. I rested on Saturday mornings during the 2 months of vacation, and now I have work on Saturday mornings. It is not the best thing you want to do. However, I am excited. I’ll get to see everyone again. Being at Hyeeun school teaches me valuable lessons. It helps me to view alternatively. I have to wait until March 19th which is when I will go to Hyeeun school. I am looking forward to go and learn.

Character Analysis 3

J.W Kim

Jungwook is the most talkative one in middle school. In fact it’s safe to say that he ought to the most talkative in the entire Hyeeun School. He is also very kind, and likes to help others. He has a great leadership. He encourages his classmates to engage in activities. It’s wasn’t hard getting to know Jungwook because he was the one who first came talking to me. He is energetic, and always positive. I have a lot to learn from him. For example, he participated enthusiastically in learning traditional Korean Instruments while other students were reluctant to learn. Also he was so energetic in hiking while others were so tired even to talk. These features make him extraordinary and necessary. I learnt that he likes idol singers, and likes to ply online games. This is similar to any other teenagers of his age.

Character Analysis 2

B.S Nam

Age: 15

If Gyengteck is my current tracking partner, Bongsick was my previous tracking partner. As I had mentioned earlier in my blog, Bonsick is a fast walker. He is also a fond of short answers. I also have to mention that he is tall, big, and strong. He is about 178cm. All theses factors combined troubled during the time of tracking. However, Bongsick was kind in the inside. He answered all my questions. Even though it was only short answers.He can be stubborn when you try to stop him, but he knows how to respect others. Getting to know him was really hard. At first, he didn’t answer any of my questions. However, I kept on trying, and this got him talking. Now, I know that he loves vanilla ice creams, going to school, and soccer.

Character Analysis

G.T Jeong

Age: 15

Student at Hyeeun School

He and I had been partners during mountain tracking. We went to about 3 hiking together. He is my new partner after Bongsick. Every two weeks I would meet him. At first I didn’t know anything about him, but I got to know him better gradually. Getting to know someone takes efforts, and I had to ask him many questions. Fortunately, he was more talkative then Bongsick. This saved some time, and I got to know him better.

As time went, I realized that he likes to sing, and he is quite good at it. He didn’t know the lyrics, but he hymned the entire song. He would hymn all the way up to the mountain, and it kept me energized.

I never seen his face frown. He is always happy. He always answers my questions. He likes to play badminton.He enjoys hiking which I don’t understand why.

Types of disability

Types of disabilities include physical and mental impairments that can damage a person's ability to execute the person’s daily activities.

a) Mobility and Physical Impairments

Disability in mobility is born with or acquired as a person gains age. It can be also caused by a disease. People who have a broken bone are also considered to have this disability.

b) Head Injuries - Brain Disability

A disability in the brain due to a brain injury. The seriousness of the brain injury can range from mild, moderate and severe.
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI): Acquired brain injury (ABI) is brain damage that happens after birth. It is caused by infection, disease, lack of oxygen and a damage the head. People with ABI have increased fatigue, slow process of information. They experience alteration in their behavior and personality, and thinking and learning.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): caused by violent hit to the head causing the brain to collide with the inside of the skull. An object penetrating the skull also can be a cause. Mild traumatic brain injury cause temporary dysfunction of brain cells. More serious traumatic brain injury can result in bruising, torn tissues, and bleeding can result in long-term complications or death

c) Cognitive or Learning Disabilities

Cognitive disabilities are impairments of people who are suffering from dyslexia and various other learning difficulties including speech disorders.
Dyslexia: brain is not able to recognize and process symbols. Children with DRD have trouble rhyming and separating the sounds in spoken words thus making them incapable to read and spell. With some help a, a kid who has dyslexia can learn to read and spell.

Did you know?

http://hyeeun.sc.kr


Hyeeun School was established in 1982, and exists today to provide education to the the disabled students. Currently there are 224 students who attend Hyeeun School. They suffer from brain lesion, development disability, physical disability, hearing impairment, and visual impairment.

It’s building contains a library, science lab, music practice room, computer lab, auditorium, health room, machine room, public address booth, and a craft room where you can build various things. It has better facilities than most of the public schools.

Not only it has many facilities, it also has various activities that actively involve all students. They have physical education, handy-craft class, computer class, video-photography class, badminton class, dance calls, and a choir class.

My opinion

What do you feel when you see a mentally disabled person? Compassion ? Repulsion? Or even aversion? But why feel this way? Just because they are different? Just because they don’t act or think as the way you think what is logical? These were my feelings when I first arrived at Hyeeun School. These thoughts heaved my steps when I entered the immense glass door of what I thought was to a different world.

Being different doesn’t mean it’s necessarily wrong. However, this society starts categorizing these different people as mentally disabled ones, and we start to see them just as mentally disabled people, nothing more nothing less. The society insists that these people are less capable than us and they need our help. However what is our understanding of helping? Donation? Volunteer at public service? We often regard helping as an act of supporting someone by offering one's services or by financial or material. However, here is what most people don’t realize, helping involves your heart. If our eyes are only capable to perceive them as the less capable ones, no matter how much time we spend time with them, our minds suppress to ever perceive them as friends. Once our minds repudiate to perceive them as friends, the helping becomes compassion. Do it because you want to do it.What they need is not compassion, but eyes that can see them as friends, ears that are willing to listen to them, and mouths that will be companions to talk with.

Traditional Instruments

Hyeeun school is proceeding a new program designated to teach Korean classical music to the students of Hyeeun school just for a weak. I was able to participate in this activity as a volunteer. I thought it was a good opportunity to learn Korean classical music myself.

The first day, everyone gathered in the auditorium. Students each grabbed their own instruments. I was again appointed a partner to assist. The instructors were on the stage, and played a rhythm for the students to follow after. The rhythm was not hard at all, but the students seemed like they had no interest. Only few were participating, and others were either sleeping or running around. The first day was literally a disaster. I had a hard time keeping my partner awake, and instructors seemed like they were having a dilemma because they had never experienced this kind of class before.

However, the time was the cure. As days went by, the students got used to the lessons. The instructors also tried to approach to the students first. They kindly instructed each student so that everyone at least tried. Students no longer went asleep, and ran around during the lesson. No students were perfect, but the sound they made seemed beautiful. I was amazed that all the students played. I never imagined this would happen after experiencing the first day. However, this is what made them sound so beautiful. The fact that everyone work together with effort was the main point of this lesson, and I think all the students deserve an A.

Hyeeun Art Festival

12/18

I left home early in the morning, but then I’ve lost track of the time. By the time I’ve reached Hyeeun School, the clock struck 11. Other Hyeeun School students were performing other performances. The Hyueen Art Festival included all students of Hyeeun School to participate in either a musical or a dance performance.

At noon, it was our turn to perform. The Bambell players and KIS student ascended to the stage. The stage was big enough to hold 20 people, and it had proper lights and audio system. The stage was real, and the light shone upon my face blurred my vision. This amplified my anxiousness. I wondered how the Bambell players might had felt at the time. I hoped that they don’t come overwhelmed by fear.

However, the performance went well. The Bambell players were calm, confident, and they even seemed like they enjoyed performing. Joy from the performers brought along the joy of the audience. The Bambell players worked with efforts, and that effort brought virtuous effect to the audience. The audience responded to the performance with cheer and applaud, and the Bambell players deserved it.

D-1.........The Final Rehearsal

12/17

I’ve mentioned about the Bambell players of Hayeeun School and students of KIS practicing on a joint musical performance on a piece called “Moon River”. It turned out that we were going to perform in the Hyeeun School Art festival in front of, at least, 100 people. In front of 100 people was the manageable part, what really disturbed me was that the performance was tomorrow!

It was Friday, and all the players met for a final rehearsal. We checked our pitch and harmony for the last time. We headed to the performance stage in their own auditorium to check our positions on the stage. The rehearsal went for almost 2 hours, but it seemed like none of the players were sure about the performance. I definitely knew that I was not quite ready for the performance.

The musical performance’s focus is on the Bambell players from Hyeeun School. The KIS students are just to assist the Bambell players to create a harmony, but the audience is there to see the Hyeeun School students . This is exactly why we have to practice even harder. I hope that we don’t mess up.