Pictures!

The internet connection at the coffee shop I go to isn't fabulous, so I haven't been successful in uploading pictures to the blog. But you can check out the pictures I've uploaded so far here, at my Flickr site.

Day 2

8-27-08

"Are you beesy?"

The Korean teachers got over their shyness very quickly. They keep coming by my desk and asking if I'm busy. Minjung gave me a few things to work on today, but I just say "no" thinking they just have a quick question, and then I'm whisked away to walk down to the river, review a teacher's lesson plan, or get a crash course on Korean food. I'm glad that they want to help me out, but I feel like death today. I'm getting over the jet lag, but I have a nasty sore throat and cold and my body aches all over. Minjung suggested I start wearing a cardigan and then I won't be cold. This in spite of the fact it's 80 degrees and muggy outside. I know she's trying to be helpful, but wearing a cardigan is not going to fix this. I'm taking Advil and sucking down tea (they have lots of it here in our office) and just trying to get through the rest of the day.

A few stories from today:

When Song-yi took me on an "off the record" walk to the river, (we're technically not supposed to leave the school without filling out a form) she said I was very thin, and aren't most Americans fat? I told her that I was average and that thin Americans do, in fact, exist.

Another lady (I don't know many names yet) was showing me today's lunch menu and teaching me what the words meant. She made me repeat all the words and was astonished at how accurate my pronunciation was. She said, "I think you are brilliant." I tried to tell her that I'm just really good at mimicking sounds, like a parrot. It doesn't mean I know what the words mean. Many Koreans have trouble with English pronunciation because there aren't as many consonants in Korean, so they are very impressed that I can "speak" their language.

Actually, in my first two days here, I have been told that I am not only thin and brilliant, but beautiful, open-minded and adventurous also. Minjung couldn't believe that I had both kimchi and soju at my going away party back home. Also many staff members at my school were worried I wouldn't like Korean food. Food wise, I don't think Koreans venture out much. The majority of restaurants are either Korean or Japanese. Well, aside from a smattering of American places; so far I've seen Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, TGI Fridays, Dunkin' Donuts, and, of course, McDonald's. I've read that because of the rise of American or Western fast food places here, the obesity rates are climbing as well. Imagine that.

I went off on a bit of a tangent there, but I meant to say that if you need a self-esteem boost, come teach in Korea. Except that they keep telling me I have a very small face…

Today I also started observing some of the teachers I will be working with. The students’ reaction when I come into the classroom is both adorable and kind of embarrassing. As soon as I stepped into the room in the first class I observed, I was met with a nearly unanimous “Wowww!” from the female students. (Classes are separated by gender in the high school) I thought that there were a lot of Westerners living in Seoul, but I’ve only seen one person so far who looks like me; a blonde guy on the subway. They must all be hanging out in Itaewon. the foreigner district. I am the only non-Korean teacher at the school and the first native English-speaking teacher the school has ever had, so I have a kind of celebrity status.

It’s kind of fun, but is also means I haven’t been able to get any work done. Everyone is very eager to meet me, practice their English with me, and offer to help me adjust to life here. Hopefully the excitement will wear off soon, or I’m going to be bringing schoolwork home every weekend.

I'm here!

I don't even know where to begin for this post. The past 2 days have been a blur of excitement, exhaustion, and confusion. I am severely jet-lagged and can't really think straight, and there is so much to take in. Right now I'm at my school in the teachers' office (the students stay in one classroom all day and the teachers go room-to-room) "resting" as they told me to do. There isn't much for me to do this week. I am observing teachers, meeting everyone and just getting oriented. Next week I have training with the other (native) English teachers, so I don't actually begin teaching until the week of September 8th. I will post more about my school later; the jet lag is making it difficult to form coherent sentences right now. I will say that I am teaching sophomores, or "1st graders," as they are called since it's their 1st year of high school.

Observations so far:
Koreans are incredibly friendly people. The ones I've met so far are very hospitable and want to help you in any way they can. One of my co-teachers even lent me his cell phone last night so I would have an alarm to wake me up in time for school. I did think that more people would be fluent in English, but many are either too shy to speak it or their English level is very low. I've been completely dependent on Min-jung, one of my co-teachers, for everything. She took me to my apartment last night and got me all set up. (sort of, I still don't have a phone or internet, which I've realized I'm completely dependent upon at home) She also showed me around the school and introduced me to a lot of staff members who were, for the most part, too shy to say anything in English. They are very embarrassed about mispronouncing things.

The students, on the other hand, are not shy at all. I haven't been in a classroom yet, but they keep popping by my desk in the teachers' office to say hello and introduce themselves. They're so cute.

Since their English is limited, sometimes things come out funny. Last night at dinner, Min-jung pointed to the barley rice we were eating, and said that it makes people "fart wind." Then this morning I got picked up by Joong, the chief of the researching department at the school. (Not sure what that is yet) He said, "Can you drink wine?" I wasn't sure what he was asking, so I jokingly said, "Now?" (It was 7:45 am) It turns out he was asking if I like to drink wine, because the teachers often go out for drinks after school. I don't know if it's a welcoming gesture or if they just drink a lot here, but several teachers mentioned wanting to go out and get drinks with me. Hopefully they don't mean tonight because all I want to do is go back to my apartment and sleep tonight.

Speaking of my apartment...I knew it was going to be very small, so I was prepared for that. What I wasn't prepared for is the shower, or lack thereof. What my "shower" consists of is a sprayer attached to the wall above the sink and a drain on the floor. I asked Min-jung how you're supposed to shower and she said you just get water all over the floor. At least I have a normal toilet.

Like I said before I'm completely dependent on Min-jung for everything right now and I feel really helpless. That's really hard to get used to as someone who is usually self-sufficient, but I'm just trying to go with the flow. After school today she's going to show me the bus route to my apartment, so I'm sure I'll get the hang of things soon. In the meantime I'm like a little kid who needs a babysitter.

안녕히 계세요!

*Annyonghi kyesayo = Goodbye (to person staying)

The latest question people have been asking me about Korea is how long the flight is. Well, I didn't actually know until this morning at 4 am, two days before my departure date, when I finally received my e-ticket/flight itinerary from SMOE. (Just a little unnerving) Other than the minor detail of a plane ticket, I've been pretty much set to go. I have two giant suitcases in my room packed with clothes, shoes and toiletries. Everything else I hope to buy there or have my parents send. (Love you, Mom!)

I'm not really nervous anymore; I kind of just want to be there already. Yesterday I went to North to drop off some materials for other teachers and I ran into our three AP's. (That's Assistant Principals for my non-educator readers) They were like, aren't you supposed to be in Asia or something?

Almost. On Saturday morning I fly to Chicago, where I have a 3 1/2 hour layover, and then I have an almost 14 hour flight to the Incheon Airport in South Korea. From there, I am being picked up by a representative from SMOE who will take me to a training center for a weeklong orientation in Seoul. After that, I have no idea. I don't actually know where in Seoul I'll be living or teaching, or if they will honor my age request (junior high), etc.

Scary, but exciting at the same time. And if there is anything I've learned after two years of teaching high school, it's to be flexible and deal with whatever is thrown at me. (Literally, sometimes, as I've had both a water bottle and a paper airplane thrown at me) I've also dealt with nearly every travel disaster imaginable, (lost/stolen passports, sleeping at airports and train stations in Europe, etc..) so I think I'll be okay.

Either way, you can read all about it in my next post, which will actually be from Korea!

Annyonghi kyesayo until then :)

I just got back from an 8 day trip to New York and Washington DC to say goodbye to some friends out there and see the sights. More than anything, it made me realize that I am ready for my year (or more?) abroad.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was visiting Korea town in New York and trying Korean food for the first time. I've spent the last 6 months researching all things Korean, and the food was something I was a little nervous about. The traditional Korean dish, kimchi, is fermented cabbage usually, which sounded less than appetizing. I am happy to report that kimchi is delicious; as was everything else I tried. All the side dishes they brought us were soaked in something spicy and delicious, and the entree I ordered (the name escapes me) was a rice concoction with chicken, vegetables, and an amazing hot sauce that you added to your liking. It was fantastic and I can’t wait to try more.

The trip also made me realize that I will have no trouble meeting people to hang out and travel with when I’m there. I already have a few connections in Korea and made two more on this trip. One of my friends in New York is an actress who spent the last year on the Asian tour of 42nd Street. She is actually the one who talked me into Seoul in the first place, because she said it was a lot like New York. She has a friend who is a U.S. soldier stationed in Seoul, and he told her I could call him as soon as I get there and he would show me around. I’ve been told it’s handy to have military friends there because they have American products on the base that aren’t accessible to the general population. Anne (the actress) said if I was ever craving American snacks or something, he could hook me up. So that’s comforting to know. I've read that Korea doesn't have good cheese or chocolate, which are two staples of my diet, and I'm sure there are other random things I will crave once I'm there.

I was also telling Anne that I was worried about staying in touch with friends and family while I was abroad, (especially if I decide to stay another year) and she reminded me that I hadn't seen her for a year and a half, and here we were at a restaurant in New York picking back up where we left off. I realized that she was absolutely right. I have friends all over the country, and even if I don't see them for a while, it doesn't mean they are lost forever. I don't know why I worry so much about that.

In Washington DC, I stayed with my friend Caroline who works for an international non-profit called Freedom House. She is a former Peace Corps volunteer who has always been interested in international affairs, and she has been telling me I should go abroad for the past three years. We hung out with one of her co-workers who is planning to teach in Thailand this year, and she and I agreed to visit each other. Thailand was one of the countries I was considering teaching in, and it's definitely on my list of places to visit in Asia, so I'm thrilled to have a contact there.

Similarly, today on Facebook, I talked to a guy from high school who has lived in Osaka, Japan for the past six years. Not only did he give me lots of great advice about what to pack, he said to come visit him in Osaka, and he’d take me to all the best clubs in Tokyo. It just amazes me that there is no shortage of connections in this world if you seek them out. I already have a handful of people to show me around Seoul and to visit in nearby countries. At one point, I was afraid I’d made the wrong decision by leaving my job, family, and friends behind, but the last eight days have shown me that so far, this is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The next year will be full of new experiences and people, and I can’t wait.

12 days!