Monday, October 27, 2008

Land of Morning Calm

Two facts- There is a high school across the street from my building. Korea is called "Land of the morning calm." For the most part, morning calm is a good description. Korea is a late night kind of country, at least here in Incheon. You can't get a cup of coffee at 8 a.m., but you can get one at 2 a.m. The bars and clubs don't slow down until 3 a.m. and if you stay up till or wake up at 5 a.m you can see the bleary eyed customers stumbling out into the cold light of day. If you wait till 6 a.m. all is quiet. But.

If you happen, like I did, to walk to the PC room at 8 a.m. "land of the morning calm" will not be the phrase that immediately leaps to mind. A mini horde of rampaging high school students almost late for school caromed around the corner and dashed in the gate just in time. I noticed a single rose tenaciously blooming by the fence.

Work is a lot more fun right now. Everyone is starting to relax a bit and joke around. We are sharing ideas and helping each other more. Even my students are getting more active (in a good way). Although it is the end of the month, and I have to get tests and evaluations done. Still, I'm looking forward to going.

In Taek kong mu sul class we learned one of the routines. I felt so bad for my teacher, who valiantly and patiently tried to explain the difference between left and right. I tried unsuccessfully to explain that I didn't know it in English, and besides I only have left feet.
And so it goes.

1 comment:

Chris Lee said...

Christine, I don't know your email address related to this blog, so I sent email to your hotmail:-)