This week I have been tested to my limits.
Although Korean culture dictates you should never miss a day off school this
doesn’t mean you don’t run into illness from time to time.
I have had a few times that my bed was a
hundred times more appealing than the classroom but I’ve persevered (mainly because the school nurse lets you sleep in a
bed in-between your classes) but today I faced a new hurdle.
Frozen shoulder!
I’ve
had this occur a few times over the years and it may be one of the least pleasant
experiences of my life. If you haven’t
had shoulder/neck pain you are a lucky individual as I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. My neck and back
tighten to the point that any movement feels like a thousand tiny ninjas are
attacking, not to be too dramatic or anything.
This normally isn’t too much of a problem since in the past I’ve worked in an office where I can sit very still and have a spinney
chair (although this did make me seem like some kind of Bond villain). Normally
if I’m completely incapacitated I
can stay home but in Korea
that’s not an option so today I
had to teach 4 lessons without any use of my upper body.
There was a lot of pen dropping; funny
looks and luckily a slight amount of sympathy from my 3rd graders
(no such luck with my 2nd grade class who thought it was hilarious
to throw things at me) ...the classiest moment of my life came when I had to
take a bin to the library to be sick from the pain. That’s true lady–like tendencies for you!
One lovely student told me that it was like
a robot was teaching them! I love my students, always looking on the bright
side.
It was a challenge to teach (…and turn and write) but its 50% of the way through
the day and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel with just 2 more
classes to go.
The nurse has given me some pain killers
which dulled the pain so I’m hoping to add a few
degrees of movement into my next class but my poor student have to put up with
C3P0 teacher for the day.
Screw you pain….lets do this!
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