Ever Sat on a Heated Toilet Seat?

Well, I have. Can’t believe that I have neglected to mention this until now. The toilet seats here in most public places and some apartments have this crazy electronic cover that will wash your bum, dry your bum, heat your bum, etc. all while talking to you. There are like 20 buttons to press and pretty much anything you need to take care of is right there at your fingertips. They really make sure and cover all of the important angles here.

Friday afternoon was dragging by like usual, so Hye-sun came and got me and we headed up to the sixth grade teachers lounge. All of the teachers were just hanging out waiting for the clock to strike 4:40 P.M. Someone ordered pizza and so everyone was just relaxing waiting for the food to get there. Out of nowhere one of the teachers that has never spoken any English to me decides to strike up a full out conversation with me. Her English is not great, but it was understandable for the most part. We had an awesome conversation with a little help from Hye-sun translating, and some of the other teachers joined in as well. I really felt like part of the group instead of the awkward clueless foreigner that I usually am in the teacher’s lounge. When I came into the lounge this morning, they were all saying hello to me, asking me about my weekend, etc. I was shocked, but more than that really kind of excited to be able to communicate with these people with who, for the last month the most interaction I had had was a smile, nod of the head, accepting a cup of tea or coffee, or the usual “annong haseyo” (hello).

This weekend I went to Hongdae, an area of Seoul adored by young people and known for its nightlife, restaurants, and shopping. We were bar/club hopping and dancing the night away. It reminded me of the crazy week I spent in Acapulco sophomore year. So much fun with new friends.

club in Hongdae

I have really wanted to visit one of the many famous markets in Seoul and yesterday I finally did. I went with a couple friends to Namdaemun Market, one of the largest, and I believe oldest markets in Seoul. It was such an amazing experience. The people, sights, sounds, smells, were all incredible. There were so many street vendors displaying all kinds of things; slimy sea foods, cheap clothing, fake designer bags, Korean trinkets, dried fruits, roasted bugs, jewelry, Halloween costumes, drag clothes, such a huge variety of items for sale.

Namdaemun Market

street 'meat'

ginseng roots

I had to try some of the street food and it was delicious! It was some kind of shrimp rolled in dough with veggies and other unidentifiable things mixed in.

I'm convinced any food on a stick has to be good

We also visited an area of Seoul known for great shopping, Myeong-dong. There so many shops there ranging from designer to American brands, to little boutiques. We went into the Gap and I couldn’t believe the prices; almost double what they are in the States. I guess that’s the price you must pay for American clothing brands in Asia.

Very exciting news: I am going to Thailand for Christmas and New Years! Can. not. wait! There is a really fun group of girls traveling together and I sort of jumped on board with plans last minute. So happy it all worked out. Going to be sitting on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and escaping the cold of Korea in only about eight weeks!

Obviously the world-wide swine flu scare has gotten out of control and to be honest, is actually a little scary. We all heard (in my case read about) Obama’s speech to the U.S. Saturday. There have been several cases of swine flu popping up in public schools around the Bundang area the past couple of weeks. My co-teacher and co-workers have been talking about it constantly. They are always telling me to take care of myself and not to get sick. Also, they have been pointing out that I don’t wear enough layers of clothing. I have been wearing long sleeved shirts to work everyday. It’s been around 60 degrees or higher here during the day. I wear a jacket each day and most days a scarf too. I don’t know what else they expect. It has been driving me a little crazy. Anyways, today the cases known at our school doubled and the administration decided to close the school half way through the day and for the rest of the week. Awesome for students, not so awesome for teachers. I still have to be at school every day this week basically doing nothing for eight hours. Kind of upset about this, but I understand that they want to take this flu business seriously. Oh yah, and to top it all off they handed me a very fashionable white medical mask to wear at school this afternoon. Maybe it will help me stand out a little less here. Doubtful.

Namaste

1 Down, 11 More to Go

So I hit the one-month mark tomorrow. Time flies. I really can’t believe that I have already been here that long. One month by itself is nothing, but if I think of it in terms of the possible 12 months that I will spend here in Korea it is actually a significant little chunk of time.

When I look at the larger picture it hardly feels like I have accomplished anything significant thus far, but when I sit back and reflect on all that has been done in a month’s time I am pleased. Accomplishments of month one include:

· Learning to live alone. (Loving it by the way.)

· Meeting lots of new people and some good friends.

· Successfully figuring out the subway system.

· Staying with a Korean family and celebrating a Korean holiday.

· Getting to know my co-teacher, colleagues, and my school.

· Enjoying Seoul’s nightlife.

· Obtaining an alien registration card, bank account, cell phone, and gym membership.

· Mastering the use of chopsticks.

· Climbing two mountains. (Think more like large hills.)

· Making peace with the fact that life as I knew it at home does not exist here in Korea, but that I can substitute many things and some are even better than ones I left behind.

Teaching has been improving. I began a small unit on East Africa with my sixth graders this week. I think that at one point in each class this week I actually had all eyes on me, and they were all listening to what I was saying, or at least doing an excellent job of making me believe they were listening. It was a really wonderful feeling. The other grade levels are coming along too. The fourth graders have been behaving especially well and are so dang cute!

Hye-sun and I have a great understanding of one another and what I want to do here while teaching. She is very supportive of me choosing new topics and veering away from the watered-down English lessons found in the textbook. My other co-teacher, Lisa, however, does not feel that way. She wants me to stick to the book. I am going to have to slowly convince her to let me be more creative and fun with my lessons because the lessons in the book do not cut it. To put it bluntly, they are ridiculous- all this singing and chanting things that don’t even make sense. It is just frustrating because there has to be a better way to teach English as a foreign language than to have 10 and 11 year olds repeat immature songs and chants. I actually went to a workshop last Friday where the speakers talked about combining English with the content areas to make it more meaningful to the students. I totally agree and am hoping to be able to put this concept into practice. It will definitely make my job a little more difficult (which I welcome!) and I think the students will be more challenged as well.

The other day I finally bought myself a new big girl bedspread. It was really cute and a little overpriced, so of course I purchased it.

Big girl bedspread

I went hiking with my co-teacher and some other people from school including my male vice principal, who is slightly intimidating, this past weekend. The climb was really steep and rocky and I of course was exhausted from another 5AMer the night before. When we reached the top of the mountain one of the male teachers pulled out a flask and in true Korean fashion they started ripping shots. He turned to me with a gesture and asked “alcohol?” and I was like ‘are you kidding me??’

The Cabala says, “women understand the world more than men, therefore they weep more often.” If this is true, then Korean women must understand the world more than anyone. I am always getting into the elevator at my apartment building with some Korean woman weeping. Sometimes they are alone and sometimes they are with a man. This has happened to me several times now. I also see women in public here weeping all the time. I’m not sure if it’s because they are ultra-sensitive or just don’t mind the public display of sadness. At home women always seem to try and save face and let the tears flow when they are behind closed doors. You would think it would be the same here in Korea judging by Korean culture and their public demeanor, but no. All I know is that whenever I see a woman so upset, I always want to give her a hug.

All of the teachers from school got together tonight for a big dinner. We drove almost an hour outside of Bundang up to Namhansanseong Mountain and ate at a traditional Korean restaurant. The drive up was beautiful with the autumn colors of the leaves changing. All of the buildings in this part of town were constructed in the old Korean style, which is not something I see in Bundang because it is a relatively new city, so I was admiring the sloping rooftops tiled in assorted shades of reds and blues. Just stepping out of the car and smelling the crisp clean air was so refreshing. The food was delicious and I had some good conversation with one of my co-workers and my vice principal that each speak a little English. Overall it was a really enjoyable evening.

Korean co-workers at dinner

I must add that I found my Halloween costume and I am getting really excited about dressing up this year. For some reason I get more excited dressing up in a foreign country (Kenya two years ago, Korea this year) rather than dressing up at home. I think it’s because finding a costume is more of a challenge and forces me to be more creative. I am going to be Mother Nature. I found the idea online and am eager to see how I can pull it all together.

Namaste

Looks Like I Won't Be Shedding Any Pounds Here...

Just wanted to report that I ate fried hot dogs wrapped in scrambled egg for lunch today.

Namaste

What's Next? Fingerprint Scanners at School?

It seems like I am always burning the crap out of my mouth in this country. I have been consuming an unbelievable amount of tea and coffee lately. Every morning first thing I am offered tea or coffee in my office, then after the second class of the day, again after lunch, and finally I end up pouring myself another cup mid-afternoon. It really amazes me how quickly Koreans can finish a cup of scalding hot coffee or tea. I am always waiting for mine to cool and have barely taken a sip by the time everyone else around me has already downed his or hers. I find myself not waiting for anything else to cool now like soup or hot foods. I have a feeling I may be coming home with quite a few less taste buds than I left with. Is that even possible? Can you lose your taste buds? Something to Google at work tomorrow.

I decided to go and visit a third grade class with Hye-sun today during my afternoon. She taught them a quick English lesson and then I introduced myself to the class and talked for a little while. The students were so darn cute. They reminded me so much of my little ones back home in Indiana and made me really miss the kids at Hayes. Their behavior/English skills/questions for me were all so good that I was extremely impressed. One student even asked me “What did Theodore Roosevelt do for your country?” Kind of obsessed with those kids.

Korean light switches always seem to be placed in the most inconvenient spots. They are always outside of the room or the door and even though I should be getting used to it by now I’m not. I am always walking into my bathroom, shutting the door, and reaching for the switch, and then realizing it is in the outside hallway.

The other day when Hye-son took me to the bank to set up my account we left during working hours so that we could take care of it before the bank closed. Afterwards she asked if I wanted to go for a walk and told me that she tries to do that often when she leaves the school during work. Then on Monday she told me she was going to go to the library and read during the afternoon because she did not have to teach and asked if I wanted to join. She came and got me and we snuck up to the library and had tea and talked with the librarian. The librarian also fed us some weird pouches of gel stuff that is supposed to be good for your health. My flavor was called Purple Grape. The librarian is so sweet and energetic. I really have no idea what she is saying because she speaks no English, but I can tell by her body language, her style, and her expressions that she is awesome. Why are elementary school librarians always so fun and adorably quirky?

It always surprises me when Korean people speak English here in public. Sometimes I will be walking down the street and a little kid, hand in hand with mom, will say “hello” in his or her small cute voice and I can’t help but smile a huge toothy grin. The other day at the store the girl at the check out asked “do you want a bag?” and it really surprised me and caught me off guard. We then had a short conversation and again I just had to smile. I don’t really know why hearing English spoken makes me so happy. Maybe it is just comforting. It really kind of amazes me at how hearing a full out Korean conversation happening around me is such a totally normal thing now. It really doesn’t even faze me anymore. I used to feel like I had to make eye contact and look at who was talking out of politeness. I also felt that I had to try and follow the conversation and stay interested in what was being said even though I had no idea what was going on. Now I feel like I can just tune out a bit.

The students' temperatures are checked each and every morning by some of the teachers to see if they might be carrying the dreaded swine flu. If a temperature is high, the child is sent home. They are severely paranoid about that here. It's crazy.

The sixth grade students are taking national exams this week and Hye-son told me that the male vice principal has to spend the night in the school and guard the tests so that the information won’t get leaked. Is this public elementary school or some top-secret government enterprise?

Namaste

I am (finally) an Alien!

My first week teaching in Korea is complete. Overall I have a decent feeling about teaching these kids. Throughout the rest of my week I had some classes that were even worse than the ones I was writing about the other day. I also had some classes that were really well behaved, eager to participate, and had lots of good questions. I think I was asked my age in each class. In Korean society, one based on hierarchy and respect, people are always trying to assess someone’s level of importance (based on age, job, etc.) so that they can figure out how to speak to you. A few other favorites included my weight, marital status, if I eat kimchi (a Korean staple food), whether or not I can understand Korean, and why I came to Korea.

One important detail that I failed to mention in my last post was the absurdity of the class sizes here, which accounts for some of the atrocious behavior in class. There are at least 35 students in each classroom. The most I counted was 46. 46 kids?! Are you kidding me? I thought handling 30 students last year was tough and I had a full time instructional aide. These teachers have to deal with all those bodies in a tiny classroom by themselves with no one to help them. No wonder classroom management is non-existent.

In one of my fourth grade classes the other day a little boy introduced himself to me and told me that he just moved to Korea this week from the U.S. He is Korean American and grew up in Texas speaking both Korean and English at home. He has never lived in Korea before and we bonded over the dramatic changes in lifestyle and culture here versus back home. Also foods we miss. Kind of funny how the person that I can relate most to in my school building is a 10 year old child.

I have never met a people that are more aware and obsessed with their feet and foot etiquette, if you will, than Koreans. These people are never bare foot; even at home they wear slippers, which I found out during my home stay over Chuseok weekend. They also wear different shoes indoors and out. I had to go and buy a pair of strictly indoor slip-ons the other day for school. The shoes are kept in little cubbies and changed immediately outside the school building. Socks or nylons are always worn by both women and men with their slip-ons indoors. There is also a community slip-on type shoe that is worn in the bathroom. People do not walk on the bathroom floors barefoot. Traditional Korean style restaurants require you to remove your shoes before setting your (socked) foot inside. Korean women wear high heels everywhere. I really have no idea how they do it. The grocery store, exercising, running errands, you name it; they’ve got a pair of heels for the occasion. After careful observation I have decided that Korean people have the most interesting foot etiquette that I have ever experienced.

I had a terribly embarrassing melt down the other night and was seriously having a panic attack. It had been a long day at school and I got home and threw in a load of laundry. The washing machine started making funny sounds and then beeped at me and stopped. I was thinking “oh no, not again.” This time the door decided to remain shut and wouldn’t even let me get my clothes out of the sitting water. I was so upset and was hoping that my clothes would not be ruined by the time I got a repairman in to fix it. To make matters worse, a little while later my computer shut down and did something I had never seen it do in the three years since I’ve had it. It turned off and would not start up again. I could not hear any sounds or anything so I was really getting nervous. After about a hundred tries to get it to turn back on I had convinced myself that it was broken. You have to understand that up until this point my computer has been my lifeline here in Korea. Without it I could not contact my family or really anyone for that matter because Facebook has also been a miracle worker. (Thank you Mark Zuckerberg!) Of course I was in hysterics, making myself believe that I would be completely doomed without technology, lost forever in this foreign country, etc., etc. I was being a huge drama queen and crying like a pathetic baby. Finally something popped into my head and I remembered that I had brought my computer manual with me and so I was able to fix the problem after many unnecessary tears and much wasted time wallowing in self-pity.

It has been tough here at times and I do miss home, but someone told me “you’ll be yourself soon enough” and I truly do believe that. It will take some time, but I know that eventually this strange country and mysterious city will feel like home and I will feel like myself at home in it.

On a positive note my washing machine was fixed the next day, I received my alien registration card, got my bank account opened up, bought a cell phone, and I get my first paycheck next week. Life is good. For the moment.

Namaste

"Sonsaengnim" Means Teacher

I woke up this morning with a mixture of excitement and anxiety ready to begin my teaching career here in Bundang. Of course I was up way too early and ready before I needed to be, so I left for school and decided to take my sweet time getting there. I felt so funny once I got close to the school buildings (there is a middle school right next to my elementary school) because I was walking on the sidewalk and crossing the street with a sea of Korean students surrounding me.

I was supposed to meet Hye-son promptly at 8:30 A.M. and she strolled in at 8:48 A.M. This seems to be typical of Koreans and her especially. Acting all flustered and like we were in a huge hurry she led me downstairs. I met the principal for the first time. She is this little old lady sitting in this huge classy office. I had prepared a bit of Korean to speak to her with Hyun-jin’s help this weekend, and she was very impressed.

Hye-son will be observing my sixth grade classes throughout the week and another English teacher, Lisa, will be observing my fourth and fifth grade classes throughout the week. I taught four classes today, three sixth grade classes and one fourth grade class. I must speak honestly and say that I was slightly appalled with the Korean students’ behavior today. Hye-son warned me about the sixth grade. They were extremely noisy and talked nonstop the entire class period. On top of that they talked over each other, laughed at other students, played with pencils, erasers, anything they could get their hands on. One student was even playing with a tiny pet mouse that crawled out of a little tin home on her desk. It did not even seem to faze them that I was a guest teacher in their building. Very rude. I was thinking that the fourth grade might be a little better, but no dice. They were very distracted, bouncing balls, playing with clay, talking, etc. the whole time as well. It made me feel a little better that they did not act any differently towards their Korean teachers, so I know it is not just me, but I was still kind of in shock at the disrespect. Either the two Korean teachers that I was with today have no classroom management skills (which seems evident) or these Korean children are some of the most poorly behaved schoolchildren I have worked with thus far.

I cannot really comment on their level on English yet, but most were able to speak to me and write some English so I was pleased to see that. Some students even told me that they had been born, lived, or traveled to English speaking countries before.

Tomorrow is a new day with a new set of classes to teach, so I will be observing their behavior and I will report back. Could it be that I just happened to teach the three worst sixth grade classes and the one worst fourth grade class all in the same day?? I’m thinking I might not be that lucky…

You know the old joke seen on T.V. and in movies about the “mystery meat” served in American school cafeterias? Well, that will pretty much be my lunch everyday. I eat the school cafeteria food with some other teachers in the cafeteria. I have decided the best way to approach lunch is to embrace a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. I don’t really want to know if that sauce covered meat is dog.

There was a teacher’s meeting after school today where all the teachers and principals discussed important happenings, assessments, etc. At the beginning of the meeting I was asked to come up to the front of the room and introduce myself. They all “ooooed” and “ahhhhed” as I made my way up there. Once again I dazzled them with what very little Korean I know. They all clapped for me. Now, if you have ever attended a teacher’s meeting in the States, or any business meeting for that matter, you fully understand what a boring hour or more you are in for. Try attending one solely in Korean.

Namaste

Chuseok Holiday

Chuseok is the Korean Thanksgiving holiday (click on “Chuseok” to learn more) celebrated once each year. It is one of the biggest holidays observed in South Korea. I was fortunate enough to spend Chuseok this year with my vice principal, Mrs. Kim (Audrey), and her family, the Yeo family.

I of course decided to pull another 5 A.M.er Thursday night at a housewarming party with some friends, so I was grumpy and exhausted when I rolled out of bed at 8:30 A.M. Friday morning. Mrs. Kim and her husband and daughter arrived to pick me up an hour later. Mrs. Kim’s daughter, Hyun-jin, introduced herself and I learned that she just got back to Korea this August from studying in Ohio for one year. Her English was excellent and we had no trouble understanding each other.

The first stop of the weekend was Mr. Yeo’s mother’s house to spend time with his family. I was invited in and welcomed very warmly. The family made Korean rice cakes out of ground rice and stuffed with goodies such as beans, chestnuts, and sweet potatoes. I ran some errands and helped while Hyun-jin prepared a spaghetti meal for the family for lunch. Everyone continued to make rice cakes throughout the afternoon and different foods were served while we worked.

kneading the dough for the rice cakes

shaping the rice cakes

rice cakes ready to be boiled

Later that evening we decided to go see a movie. The Korean movie theatre was really similar to ours at home, but everyone has an assigned seat so that each seat can be used. Very efficient. I think that the U.S. could take a hint from Korea on this one. We watched Surrogates and I hardly even noticed the Korean subtitles flashing across the bottom of the screen after a while.

Saturday morning we woke up and headed back to Mr. Yeo’s mother’s house for another gathering. The women were all working hard in the kitchen to prepare foods for the ritual that was about to take place. Hyun-jin explained to me that they set the table a specific way with foods for their ancestors to come and eat. Her father’s father passed away a few years ago, and he was the ancestor that they were showing this great respect to. His photograph was set on the back of the table. Once the table was set precisely everyone stood in lines and faced the table. A candle was lit and there were some knocking done on the table. Then everyone bowed down to their knees and places their forehead to the ground. This was repeated a few more times and then the whole ritual was over.

the offering table

When I first heard that they were going to bow to a photograph of their dead grandfather I thought it sounded a little strange, but as I watched this ritual take place it almost brought tears to my eyes. Everything stopped for those minutes and there was such a sense of spirit and respect in that room it was almost overwhelming. The fact that this culture values their ancestors and those that came before them so much is really amazing. I believe that all cultures of people have their own way of valuing their ancestors, but this specific instance of thankfulness and respect was incredibly moving.

Mr. Yeo’s family gathering reminded me so much of my own family gatherings; relaxed and enjoyable. The cousins were all running around teasing each other and skipping off to play video games. The women were all in the kitchen chatting and cooking. The men were all preparing food and watching T.V.

Mr. Yeo’s mother showed us some of the things that she had knitted by hand. She gave me a scarf to take home with me as a gift. It is really beautiful and I was touched that she had wanted to give me a gift.

Mr. Yeo's mother and I with the scarf she gave me

We said goodbye to the family and moved on to the next stop; Mrs. Kim’s parents’ house. (Side note: When I say house, what I really mean is apartment. No one in or around Seoul lives in a house. There is no space. 1/3 of Korea’s population lives in Seoul or it’s suburbs. The Korean countryside is extremely rural with virtually no public transportation or stores, therefore, a large number of people live in this huge urban city.) Her parents were very welcoming and her older brother and his wife and daughter were there as well. Hyun-jin’s cousin was in second grade and as adorable as can be. She made me a bracelet, sang and danced, and we all played cards. When she opened her mouth to smile her two front teeth were missing. That, and her spunky personality and cute laugh reminded me so much of my little cousin, Olivia.

We ate a delicious Korean lunch and visited for a while. Mrs. Kim’s father offered me a bottle of Korean alcohol to take home along with a hand written note translating to something like “Thank you for coming. Best of luck in Korea. Thank you for being here with our family.” I was also given a bag full of rice cakes and other yummy foods to take home with me. Once again, I was extremely touched and grateful.

Korean alcohol

note from Mrs. Kim's father

Mrs. Kim, Mr. Yeo, Hyun-jin, and I drove to visit the Donggureung tombs outside of the city. It was a historic site where numerous kings and queens of the Joseon dynasty were buried. The burial mounds were really high up on top of hills so it was hard to get a good photograph because you are obviously not allowed to climb on top. Walking around the outdoors and breathing in fresh air while learning about Korean history made for a really enjoyable evening.

temple at the tombs

one of the tombs

Sunday morning was Mrs. Kim’s birthday. Mr. Yeo got up and made breakfast for us. He made sandwiches and we had fruit. The sandwiches were very creative- unlike any I have had before. Eggs, bacon, mustard, mayonnaise, pears, and bananas squished between two pieces of bread. Delicious.

In the afternoon Hyun-jin and I went to a neighborhood near her university, Ewha University for Women. There were all kinds of cute little shops, restaurants, bars, etc. We met her friend for lunch and then explored the area. We also took a walk through her campus. It was gorgeous: right in the mountains with lots of trees and beautiful buildings. Hyun-jin is studying Korean music and plays traditional Korean instruments.

Later that evening we met Hyun-jin’s parents at the Seoul Tower. We stood in line, climbed some stairs, and made our way onto a cable lift to take us to the top of the mountain. Once we got up there we saw some different attractions in addition to an awesome view of the city. There was an old temple style building, street vendors with food, and shops. We approached the actual tower and rode an elevator to the observation deck. The 360-degree view of the city was wonderful. I glanced down over all the skyscrapers, bridges, apartment buildings, trees, the Han River, and realized just how expansive this city really is. The view put Chicago’s Sears Tower or Hancock observatories to shame.

Seoul Tower

sunset view of Seoul from the observation deck

For Mrs. Kim’s birthday dinner we ate at a Korean restaurant inside the top of the tower. While we were eating the sun was setting and soon we were able to see a night sky view of the city all around us.

Overall the weekend was amazing. I was so grateful to be invited to spend the Chuseok holiday with a Korean family. I was made to feel right at home. Even though I didn’t understand a large part of the conversations going on around me, I was comfortable. I still felt like I had to be on my best behavior and it was a little exhausting at times trying to remember some of the polite things to say and do, but Hyun-jin was very kind and patient with me. She was my lifeline and interpreter this weekend. I saw a new side of Korean culture and am eager to learn more about these friendly, curious, and respectful people.

I learned I was holding my chopsticks the wrong way and practiced using them correctly all weekend long. I learned that Korean women do not take their husband’s surname. I learned about and tried many new Korean foods including rice cakes, fruits, seaweed, various vegetables, fish, and even cow knee-cap/joint soup. I learned quite a few more Korean phrases. I learned that Korean families are not so different from American families. I learned that there are many cute (and cheap!) clothing and accessory shops here in Seoul and that I might be in trouble once I get paid. I learned how to make a rice cake from scratch. I learned that Koreans don’t say “you’re welcome”, they just bow their head or smile. I learned that even a wandering soul, a foreigner like me, can be made to feel welcomed and appreciated in a country far from home.

Here is the link to my Facebook album for those of you that would like to see some more photos: Chusoek Weekend in SoKo

Namaste

I am (almost) an Alien!

Hye-sun and I drove to Seoul the other day to apply for my alien registration card. The traffic was insane, the line ridiculously long, and I am without a passport for 10 days until I receive my card in the mail. Then I guess I will be official?

I finally found out my job duties yesterday. I will be teaching grades 4, 5, and 6 English. I begin teaching next week on Tuesday after the Chuseok holiday. I will teach a total of 22 forty-minute classes a week. This means that I will need to prepare three lesson plans a week. I will teach one to each grade level and repeat for the different classes in each grade. I need to be at work each day from 8:40 A.M. until 4:40 P.M. Not quite sure how I am going to fill my time when I am not teaching because I don’t think it will take me 20 hours a week to come up with three lesson plans. I guess I’ll be Facebook stalking and learnin’ me some Korean!

I ate lunch with the teachers yesterday at school and they complemented me on how well I was able to use my chopsticks. I have been practicing at home.

First my straightener, then my external hard drive won't work, and now my washing machine is busted. Mind you, I did a load of laundry last week and had no problems. I just put in a load of laundry today and the machine started beeping at me and saying "LE" on the screen. I had to take out my soapy clothes and rinse them out by hand in my sink. I thought this was Korea, not Africa. Now my machine is full of sitting water and there is water all over the floor of my apartment. Anyone know the # of a Korean repair man?

Not pleased with this piece of machinery at the moment...

Happy October!

Namaste