Well, the sun is out, and it is no longer raining, but it is very very hot. Plus I forgot about the smell of rotting kim'chi. It only lasts for about one month, when the weather is very hot, but when you walk through that particular miasma it is pretty bad.
Monday was a good day, but right now I'm bummed because Sae-min is leaving Reading Town. I really liked sitting next to her, and although I understand that it is probably for the best (neither she nor Cindy were happy with the situation) I'm still a bit down.
On the bright side, I"m almost finished with the intensive course syllabus (only the word list needs to be done) and the student presentations went much better than I had originally hoped. I'll be doing some group coaching next month, to help all the teachers coach their students. That makes me feel good that I"ll be doing something like that.
I hope that Sae-min finds something good soon, and that we find a Korean teacher that fits in well.
And so it goes.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
A fairly non-boring day
I woke up and joy of joys, it wasn't raining. Yeah. However I was still tired, because at 1:30 in the morning someone outside the building was having quite the fight. I know this because even though my window was closed (because I really am not fond of hosting mosquitoes) I heard them. For one hour.
I finally did drag my butt out of bed, and got dressed. At 9:30 Steve the New Yorker came by, brought me a tourist/subway map of Seoul, and we set off in search of the swimming pool- rumored to be near Home-plus. (Home-plus is a big supermarket, department store like E-mart and Walmart). Cindy our head teacher had made a handy dandy map, but we didn't bring it. We set off, and the day was cool and pleasant. We saw lots of little shops and little restaurants, and had a pleasant walk. When we arrived at the junction we were supposed to turn left at, we actually turned right. This turned out to be quite fortunate, as the street had furniture, and shops, and other very cool stuff to look at.
When we realized that Home plus was not in the general vicinity, we crossed the street, and turned back. on the way we saw a sign for a tomb of some sort. Being in a generally adventurous spirit, we decided to detour. Up a narrow street and to the left, we found the tomb itself. The gate to the area had peeling green paint, and there was a large gap that we walked through, and walked up the grassy knoll to the tomb itself (which didn't have a gate or gap to climb through, just a fence) The tomb was quite small, with primitive statues keeping watch over the grassy mounds. Apparently the tombs were for some minor princes. Two children with bright green & blue butterfly nets ran around swinging them at non-existent insects, until their grandfather called them back and all three went to wherever they went to.
We went back to the junction and stopped at 7-11 to rest a bit, and I found a yogurt flavored soda, that tasted much better than it sounds. Two security guards were taking photos of a black car, and we wondered if it was a bullet hole - Steve the New Yorker was sure it was, until he got up and took a closer look. It was just a scratch. -- We then went on, and took a detour on another side street, found more cool shops (although quite a few were closed) and then found our ultimate destination, the swimming pool next to Home-plus. Steve the New Yorker was a bit disappointed that it was an indoor pool, but it doesn't bother me. (I'm thinking indoor pools are quite nice in bad weather, and with all the rain we had, bad weather was on my mind) We had an ice-cream at Baskin Robbins- the best ice-cream in the world if you want my opinion- and then took a bus back home.
Despite the sunshine - I felt tired and a bit head achy so I went on home and took a nap, then we went out for Korean bar-b-que, at a place near home. We couldn't quite figure out the menu, but the man made sure we got regular beef and pork, and not the stomach or intestines. So we were quite happy.
And so it goes.
I finally did drag my butt out of bed, and got dressed. At 9:30 Steve the New Yorker came by, brought me a tourist/subway map of Seoul, and we set off in search of the swimming pool- rumored to be near Home-plus. (Home-plus is a big supermarket, department store like E-mart and Walmart). Cindy our head teacher had made a handy dandy map, but we didn't bring it. We set off, and the day was cool and pleasant. We saw lots of little shops and little restaurants, and had a pleasant walk. When we arrived at the junction we were supposed to turn left at, we actually turned right. This turned out to be quite fortunate, as the street had furniture, and shops, and other very cool stuff to look at.
When we realized that Home plus was not in the general vicinity, we crossed the street, and turned back. on the way we saw a sign for a tomb of some sort. Being in a generally adventurous spirit, we decided to detour. Up a narrow street and to the left, we found the tomb itself. The gate to the area had peeling green paint, and there was a large gap that we walked through, and walked up the grassy knoll to the tomb itself (which didn't have a gate or gap to climb through, just a fence) The tomb was quite small, with primitive statues keeping watch over the grassy mounds. Apparently the tombs were for some minor princes. Two children with bright green & blue butterfly nets ran around swinging them at non-existent insects, until their grandfather called them back and all three went to wherever they went to.
We went back to the junction and stopped at 7-11 to rest a bit, and I found a yogurt flavored soda, that tasted much better than it sounds. Two security guards were taking photos of a black car, and we wondered if it was a bullet hole - Steve the New Yorker was sure it was, until he got up and took a closer look. It was just a scratch. -- We then went on, and took a detour on another side street, found more cool shops (although quite a few were closed) and then found our ultimate destination, the swimming pool next to Home-plus. Steve the New Yorker was a bit disappointed that it was an indoor pool, but it doesn't bother me. (I'm thinking indoor pools are quite nice in bad weather, and with all the rain we had, bad weather was on my mind) We had an ice-cream at Baskin Robbins- the best ice-cream in the world if you want my opinion- and then took a bus back home.
Despite the sunshine - I felt tired and a bit head achy so I went on home and took a nap, then we went out for Korean bar-b-que, at a place near home. We couldn't quite figure out the menu, but the man made sure we got regular beef and pork, and not the stomach or intestines. So we were quite happy.
And so it goes.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
A little bit of a boring day
I woke up this morning, and you guessed it; rain. And more rain. I had a hard time getting out of bed, but eventually washed my face, brushed my teeth and got dressed.
I don't have to go into work on Saturdays, but it was raining and we have an intensive class coming up, and I want everything written well beforehand. So I went in. While I was working I looked outside, and there - miracle of miracles, the sun peeked out and it stopped raining. Yeah. I kept working, being such a good teacher, and when I finally packed it in, it was, you guessed it; raining again. Bah.
I went home, took a nap, and by 6pm it had stopped somewhat. I went to a Korean fast food place, and got some bulgogi rice (beef in sweet soy sauce with rice) and decided to brave things and go for a walk. I really didn't have anywhere to go, and I mostly just wandered around, but I did find some cool stores. I found the bicycle I'm pretty sure I'm going to get. It is made for long distance riding. Just my kind of bike. And I found a flower shop that had a very good selection of houseplants. They were very healthy, so maybe next weekend I can mosey back down there and pick up a fern or two.
I thought about going to the DVD room, because it is kind of cool to just go and get a DVD, sit down and have it played on a big screen, then leave. No bothering with returns. But I thought I'd leave it till next week, as I couldn't think of movie I really wanted to see tonight.
And so it goes.
I don't have to go into work on Saturdays, but it was raining and we have an intensive class coming up, and I want everything written well beforehand. So I went in. While I was working I looked outside, and there - miracle of miracles, the sun peeked out and it stopped raining. Yeah. I kept working, being such a good teacher, and when I finally packed it in, it was, you guessed it; raining again. Bah.
I went home, took a nap, and by 6pm it had stopped somewhat. I went to a Korean fast food place, and got some bulgogi rice (beef in sweet soy sauce with rice) and decided to brave things and go for a walk. I really didn't have anywhere to go, and I mostly just wandered around, but I did find some cool stores. I found the bicycle I'm pretty sure I'm going to get. It is made for long distance riding. Just my kind of bike. And I found a flower shop that had a very good selection of houseplants. They were very healthy, so maybe next weekend I can mosey back down there and pick up a fern or two.
I thought about going to the DVD room, because it is kind of cool to just go and get a DVD, sit down and have it played on a big screen, then leave. No bothering with returns. But I thought I'd leave it till next week, as I couldn't think of movie I really wanted to see tonight.
And so it goes.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Making out
My co-worker, Steve the New Yorker, is basically a decent guy. He is young, but he is working hard at becoming a good teacher, does extra stuff for his class, and will try to get his co-worker (that would be me) pain relievers when she has cramps. So all in all, he isn't a jerk. But he really really really wants a Korean girlfriend. Actually I think he just wants a girlfriend.
So we are leaving work: Sae-min, Fiona, Steve the New Yorker, and me. It is Thursday so we are talking about the weekend, and Steve is mentioning some of the bars he wants to go to. Apparently if you wear a NY hat, many women will come up to you. I don't know, as I'm not that interested in getting women in bars to come up to me. But he is, so I'll take his word for it. While we were walking, Sae-min noticed that he was carrying the book "Making out in Korea" She started to ask him why he had the book. I think he actually blushed. He started protesting that the book was actually quite helpful for just getting around. He stammered a bit, and kept justifying the book. "No no really, you can catch a taxi, and find out where a bus is going, what to order in restaurants, really it isn't what you think" "My Korean friend gave me the book, no really" He then proceeded to explain that the term "Making out" means "getting by" which is technically true, but not what either he or the authors of the book had in mind. Plus he wasn't actually fooling any of us. I would kind of feel sorry for him if I could contain my laughter long enough. I do hope his friend from Deagu works out. He isn't a bad sort. Oh and by the way he asked me to mention that as far as the Korean government is concerned he is very healthy.
The sempiternal rain is really getting me down. It didn't rain this morning, so I was able to get my walk in. The mini-hibiscus on the bushes fared much better than the big hibiscus. They were almost decimated, with only a few blooms standing bravely in sentinel around their fallen comrades. The lilies and the floppy yellow flowers are gone. But perhaps there are new flowers waiting in the wings. The grass bridge across the stream is almost complete, with a few trickles getting through. The cranes and dragonflies abandoned the morning, but the walk was still quite pleasant.
Work was good, although my students are getting nervous about their presentations at the end of the month. I'm only worried about one class, and I think most will be just fine. We really aren't there to be stern judges. It is amazing how normally talkative and boisterous kids can suddenly become so quiet and shy when they have to get up in front of people. I'm glad our school does this though, because being able to speak in front of people is a very valuable skill in any language.
There is tension in paradise though. The head teacher, Cindy, and Sae-min are having some problems. I don't speak enough Korean to know the details, but sometimes the air is positively thick. I feel bad because I genuinely like both of them. I'm sure some way or another they will work it out, but I wish I could ease the stress a bit.
I have to go in for a couple of hours tomorrow, and finish up writing the materials for the intensive class. I have some really good ideas, and I'm glad Cindy gave me the task. It makes me feel good that she is trusting me with something that important so early. I can't believe I haven't been here for a whole month yet. I really like the school, and I feel like I've been there a long time, but in a good way.
And so it goes.
So we are leaving work: Sae-min, Fiona, Steve the New Yorker, and me. It is Thursday so we are talking about the weekend, and Steve is mentioning some of the bars he wants to go to. Apparently if you wear a NY hat, many women will come up to you. I don't know, as I'm not that interested in getting women in bars to come up to me. But he is, so I'll take his word for it. While we were walking, Sae-min noticed that he was carrying the book "Making out in Korea" She started to ask him why he had the book. I think he actually blushed. He started protesting that the book was actually quite helpful for just getting around. He stammered a bit, and kept justifying the book. "No no really, you can catch a taxi, and find out where a bus is going, what to order in restaurants, really it isn't what you think" "My Korean friend gave me the book, no really" He then proceeded to explain that the term "Making out" means "getting by" which is technically true, but not what either he or the authors of the book had in mind. Plus he wasn't actually fooling any of us. I would kind of feel sorry for him if I could contain my laughter long enough. I do hope his friend from Deagu works out. He isn't a bad sort. Oh and by the way he asked me to mention that as far as the Korean government is concerned he is very healthy.
The sempiternal rain is really getting me down. It didn't rain this morning, so I was able to get my walk in. The mini-hibiscus on the bushes fared much better than the big hibiscus. They were almost decimated, with only a few blooms standing bravely in sentinel around their fallen comrades. The lilies and the floppy yellow flowers are gone. But perhaps there are new flowers waiting in the wings. The grass bridge across the stream is almost complete, with a few trickles getting through. The cranes and dragonflies abandoned the morning, but the walk was still quite pleasant.
Work was good, although my students are getting nervous about their presentations at the end of the month. I'm only worried about one class, and I think most will be just fine. We really aren't there to be stern judges. It is amazing how normally talkative and boisterous kids can suddenly become so quiet and shy when they have to get up in front of people. I'm glad our school does this though, because being able to speak in front of people is a very valuable skill in any language.
There is tension in paradise though. The head teacher, Cindy, and Sae-min are having some problems. I don't speak enough Korean to know the details, but sometimes the air is positively thick. I feel bad because I genuinely like both of them. I'm sure some way or another they will work it out, but I wish I could ease the stress a bit.
I have to go in for a couple of hours tomorrow, and finish up writing the materials for the intensive class. I have some really good ideas, and I'm glad Cindy gave me the task. It makes me feel good that she is trusting me with something that important so early. I can't believe I haven't been here for a whole month yet. I really like the school, and I feel like I've been there a long time, but in a good way.
And so it goes.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
It must be raining down in Georgia
For the last two mornings I couldn't get out of bed early enough to take my usual walk. I mostly puttered around the apartment. I've decided that my apartment is way way way to quiet.
It is raining again, as you could guess by the title of this post. I wish it would dry out just a bit, so I can explore more of my new world. I'm planning on getting lost this weekend.
Work is going very well. I finished writing materials for the moms class and the story time, and now they asked me to help start a debate club/class. At first we were going to start it in September, but we may have to postpone it until next year. January would be great, and would give me enough time to get a really good program going. I'm so excited!!
Doing some research for the class, I found a toastmaster's in Seoul, but not one in Incheon. I might join the one in Seoul, and see about starting one here in my neighborhood. It is just an idea. First I have to find out if the club is an English one, or if everything is in Korean. I'm hoping it is in English. However if I can find a good class for Korean lessons, maybe a Korean toastmaster's is just what I'll need (much much later). I'm doing the research and I hope to be in some kind of class by September.
And so it goes.
It is raining again, as you could guess by the title of this post. I wish it would dry out just a bit, so I can explore more of my new world. I'm planning on getting lost this weekend.
Work is going very well. I finished writing materials for the moms class and the story time, and now they asked me to help start a debate club/class. At first we were going to start it in September, but we may have to postpone it until next year. January would be great, and would give me enough time to get a really good program going. I'm so excited!!
Doing some research for the class, I found a toastmaster's in Seoul, but not one in Incheon. I might join the one in Seoul, and see about starting one here in my neighborhood. It is just an idea. First I have to find out if the club is an English one, or if everything is in Korean. I'm hoping it is in English. However if I can find a good class for Korean lessons, maybe a Korean toastmaster's is just what I'll need (much much later). I'm doing the research and I hope to be in some kind of class by September.
And so it goes.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Buzz Buzz Buzz
Sunday it rained again. I said, "rain rain go away" and the rain said "ha"
Kristen came by and I wanted to show her around my neighborhood, but we only stopped at a fast food place and had bulgoi rice (a sweet beef dish that was a welcome respite from all the spices I've been eating) The rain put an end to all my grandiose plans. So we just went to my apartment and drank coffee and talked. After she left, the mosquitoes came by - they weren't nearly as welcome as a friend. I didn't sleep that well.
This morning the sun came out and I felt a bit better. I took my usual walk along the river, although it is actually a slow moving stream. The grass almost made a bridge across the middle, and two cranes were bobbing and bowing to us pedestrians. One took off, and found grace in the moments of flight. The dragonflies continued their maneuvers, and the flopsy yellow flowers were bowed down from the rain. The lilies and hibiscus held up well however.
At work I finished the main draft for the moms class, and let my co-workers look at it for suggestions. Steve the New Yorker had quite a few good ones, and I hope by tomorrow I'll be done with it and can work on the story time. My students are starting to speak more in class, a mixed blessing, as they don't always want to stay on the class script. The serious scholars even smiled today.
Today is the start of the hottest days of summer, despite the cool breeze that came through the window. My school celebrated with SamGeTang, a chicken and rice soup that has a lot of interesting herbs in it. The chestnuts and ginkgo really were quite tasty and my only regret was that it was way too much food.
And so it goes.
Kristen came by and I wanted to show her around my neighborhood, but we only stopped at a fast food place and had bulgoi rice (a sweet beef dish that was a welcome respite from all the spices I've been eating) The rain put an end to all my grandiose plans. So we just went to my apartment and drank coffee and talked. After she left, the mosquitoes came by - they weren't nearly as welcome as a friend. I didn't sleep that well.
This morning the sun came out and I felt a bit better. I took my usual walk along the river, although it is actually a slow moving stream. The grass almost made a bridge across the middle, and two cranes were bobbing and bowing to us pedestrians. One took off, and found grace in the moments of flight. The dragonflies continued their maneuvers, and the flopsy yellow flowers were bowed down from the rain. The lilies and hibiscus held up well however.
At work I finished the main draft for the moms class, and let my co-workers look at it for suggestions. Steve the New Yorker had quite a few good ones, and I hope by tomorrow I'll be done with it and can work on the story time. My students are starting to speak more in class, a mixed blessing, as they don't always want to stay on the class script. The serious scholars even smiled today.
Today is the start of the hottest days of summer, despite the cool breeze that came through the window. My school celebrated with SamGeTang, a chicken and rice soup that has a lot of interesting herbs in it. The chestnuts and ginkgo really were quite tasty and my only regret was that it was way too much food.
And so it goes.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Rainy days
Friday night the school went out to eat shabu shabu. But. The shabu shabu place was closed for the night. Surprising here in Korea, where everyone and everything seems to get started late at night. We decided on Takbuki, a chicken in spicy sauce that is cooked at the table. The place is near the school, and near my house, and very very very tasty. I shall have to return.
Today I woke up and it was raining. It was that steady soaking rain, and even the neon palm trees from the night club across the way seemed beaten down by it. I spent the day puttering around the apartment and reading a book. It is science fiction, but written in the early 80's and is somewhat dated for that. Still it kept me occupied because I didn't really want to go anywhere in the rain. I had coffee but no hot chocolate. Rainy days seem better with hot chocolate.
At 3:00 my friend from work, Sae-min came by for cookies and coffee and we talked about travels. She had been to India and Tibet, and did a trek in Nepal. I really enjoyed her stories, and telling mine. It wasn't a very exciting day to tell, but it was a very nice one anyway.
After a while the rain stopped and the sun came out. Sae min left, I came here to blog and will take a walk around. I really don't want to see my apartment for a few hours.
And so it goes.
Today I woke up and it was raining. It was that steady soaking rain, and even the neon palm trees from the night club across the way seemed beaten down by it. I spent the day puttering around the apartment and reading a book. It is science fiction, but written in the early 80's and is somewhat dated for that. Still it kept me occupied because I didn't really want to go anywhere in the rain. I had coffee but no hot chocolate. Rainy days seem better with hot chocolate.
At 3:00 my friend from work, Sae-min came by for cookies and coffee and we talked about travels. She had been to India and Tibet, and did a trek in Nepal. I really enjoyed her stories, and telling mine. It wasn't a very exciting day to tell, but it was a very nice one anyway.
After a while the rain stopped and the sun came out. Sae min left, I came here to blog and will take a walk around. I really don't want to see my apartment for a few hours.
And so it goes.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Hey ya'll
Today I went to immigration. The woman remembered me from last time, and that made me feel pretty good. We got everything sign, sealed & soon to be delivered. In a very reasonable amount of time no less. I can't wait until I get my card. I can then get a phone, and a bank account. That will make me feel much much better.
Classes went well, and I've got some ideas for the two demonstrations for parents in August. I hope they go well. I'm sure they will. I really like creating new material, so the preparation is fun for me. We are going to do a Moms' class, and a story time. I've already got the stories picked out, so now it is just getting the supplements written and made pretty.
Not much else is going on today, but tomorrow is Friday, always a good day.
And so it goes.
Classes went well, and I've got some ideas for the two demonstrations for parents in August. I hope they go well. I'm sure they will. I really like creating new material, so the preparation is fun for me. We are going to do a Moms' class, and a story time. I've already got the stories picked out, so now it is just getting the supplements written and made pretty.
Not much else is going on today, but tomorrow is Friday, always a good day.
And so it goes.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Can't think of a cool title tonight
I am tired.
I had my lesson with my boss yesterday, and I must say it went better than I expected. He can read, but I think he didn't want to try in front of all the other teachers. He did a good job in class, and I think he is going to be a a good student. I used Side by Side, a book I don't really love, but one that is good for a beginner like Mr. Lee. I'm not sure the head teacher likes that I give Mr. Lee lessons, but I see it as a win all around. Plus, the man has been very generous so far. He took us out on Friday to an excellent place, and every evening we have some kind of "snack" that is enough for a meal. One hour a week isn't much on my part.
I think my co-worker Steve the New Yorker can relax a bit now. (actually I don't think he can relax, but that is beside the point) At the hospital for our health check, he found out he had high blood pressure. Surprising in a young guy. Then they called the school because he had high blood sugar. He went on and on about how it was impossible, then when he went in to get the test re-done he said that they only gave him some vitamins and told him to keep an eye on it. We will be seeing him for the rest of the year. I'm sure he will find something new to worry about within that time.
The real reason I'm tired is I worked a bit late, I'm trying to help the head teacher think of some ideas to make the school grow. It just opened so we don't have a lot of students yet. So I am typing up some proposals, and I hope that it helps. I really like my students so far. One is only six years old, but I keep forgetting that. She is very very serious. Then she decides we have worked too hard and starts playing and I'm reminded that she is quite young. One of my students doesn't always get everything. After I explain the instructions, he looks at me like a startled turtle. His homework is awesome though. I think he just needs a bit more time to absorb things than we allow for in class. I have two classes that are the same level, one right after the other. The two classes couldn't be more different. One I have a hard time keeping the volume down, and they like to shout out the answers. The other class is much much more quiet. They look like serious and studious doctors weighing in on some really bad lab mistake. I have to laugh at them, but not in class. One of my classes usually has two students, but today we had a one-on-one class. I really got to talk to him, and I realized he was a very kind hearted and thoughtful kid. We don't always have time for discussion outside the topic at hand, but tonight we did. One of my other students had a very bad day, and I felt so bad for him. He failed the test, and usually he is one of the quicker students. Not today. I told him I would let him re-take the test on Friday. He re-bounded fairly quickly though. I have to say, we make up in quality what we lack in quantity. At least for now.
After work Sae-min and I checked out the two martial arts studios near the school. We are thinking about taking a class together. The more time I spend with her, the more I like spending time with her. The first studio is for JuJitsu. I quite liked the young man who is teaching there. He is a bit young to be a martial arts master, but he had a good sense of humor and I thought the studio looked nice. It was very very clean. Always a good sign. The other studio was for Hapkido. The teacher looked a bit like an elf. He had the long face and pointed ears that elves in serious fantasy usually have. The class had more students, but most of them were in high school. Plus we would always be 10 minutes late, and I'm not sure I want that. Sae-min and I agreed that we liked the first class a bit better, but we both wanted to think on it and discuss it some more. I won't be able to start until mid August anyway so we have time.
After checking out the studios I got photos taken, and tomorrow I go to immigration again. I hope we have everything we need this time. We have to meet early, and I hope it isn't crowded and we can get through everything quickly.
And so it goes.
I had my lesson with my boss yesterday, and I must say it went better than I expected. He can read, but I think he didn't want to try in front of all the other teachers. He did a good job in class, and I think he is going to be a a good student. I used Side by Side, a book I don't really love, but one that is good for a beginner like Mr. Lee. I'm not sure the head teacher likes that I give Mr. Lee lessons, but I see it as a win all around. Plus, the man has been very generous so far. He took us out on Friday to an excellent place, and every evening we have some kind of "snack" that is enough for a meal. One hour a week isn't much on my part.
I think my co-worker Steve the New Yorker can relax a bit now. (actually I don't think he can relax, but that is beside the point) At the hospital for our health check, he found out he had high blood pressure. Surprising in a young guy. Then they called the school because he had high blood sugar. He went on and on about how it was impossible, then when he went in to get the test re-done he said that they only gave him some vitamins and told him to keep an eye on it. We will be seeing him for the rest of the year. I'm sure he will find something new to worry about within that time.
The real reason I'm tired is I worked a bit late, I'm trying to help the head teacher think of some ideas to make the school grow. It just opened so we don't have a lot of students yet. So I am typing up some proposals, and I hope that it helps. I really like my students so far. One is only six years old, but I keep forgetting that. She is very very serious. Then she decides we have worked too hard and starts playing and I'm reminded that she is quite young. One of my students doesn't always get everything. After I explain the instructions, he looks at me like a startled turtle. His homework is awesome though. I think he just needs a bit more time to absorb things than we allow for in class. I have two classes that are the same level, one right after the other. The two classes couldn't be more different. One I have a hard time keeping the volume down, and they like to shout out the answers. The other class is much much more quiet. They look like serious and studious doctors weighing in on some really bad lab mistake. I have to laugh at them, but not in class. One of my classes usually has two students, but today we had a one-on-one class. I really got to talk to him, and I realized he was a very kind hearted and thoughtful kid. We don't always have time for discussion outside the topic at hand, but tonight we did. One of my other students had a very bad day, and I felt so bad for him. He failed the test, and usually he is one of the quicker students. Not today. I told him I would let him re-take the test on Friday. He re-bounded fairly quickly though. I have to say, we make up in quality what we lack in quantity. At least for now.
After work Sae-min and I checked out the two martial arts studios near the school. We are thinking about taking a class together. The more time I spend with her, the more I like spending time with her. The first studio is for JuJitsu. I quite liked the young man who is teaching there. He is a bit young to be a martial arts master, but he had a good sense of humor and I thought the studio looked nice. It was very very clean. Always a good sign. The other studio was for Hapkido. The teacher looked a bit like an elf. He had the long face and pointed ears that elves in serious fantasy usually have. The class had more students, but most of them were in high school. Plus we would always be 10 minutes late, and I'm not sure I want that. Sae-min and I agreed that we liked the first class a bit better, but we both wanted to think on it and discuss it some more. I won't be able to start until mid August anyway so we have time.
After checking out the studios I got photos taken, and tomorrow I go to immigration again. I hope we have everything we need this time. We have to meet early, and I hope it isn't crowded and we can get through everything quickly.
And so it goes.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
So far Still good
I go to the hospital tomorrow to pick up my health report. When I get back, I will meet my Korean co-teacher and We are going to check out a JuJitsu place. We are thinking of taking a class together. I hope so, because she can translate for me. The Hapkido place in my apartment building is defunct or re-modeling. Every time I go downstairs to check it out it is closed.
I learned today that ironing a long skirt on my new ironing board is problematic at best. I kept re-wrinkling the thing. I will learn to be well pressed eventually. The iron itself is great however. I've also learned how to turn on my stove, and where to get the best milk in the neighborhood. Meanwhile, I've found a great little restaurant around the corner that has some of my favorite kimbap, and a spicy pork with rice dish that I'm still not sure of the name, but I'll figure it out eventually.
Classes went well, but I learned that there is some kind of computer glitch that doesn't let me check my students e-homework. So they get a pass with that until Saturday or Monday. I think they were happy. The school is growing. Every time I go into class I have a new student. At first it was a bit shocking, but I've learned to roll with it. The school has only been open for a week, and everyone is still new so we will all figure everything out eventually.
Oh and good news for me, I'm on a blog list! I'm not sure how to link back to it yet, but the list is The Korean Blog List. I am happy.
And so it goes.
I learned today that ironing a long skirt on my new ironing board is problematic at best. I kept re-wrinkling the thing. I will learn to be well pressed eventually. The iron itself is great however. I've also learned how to turn on my stove, and where to get the best milk in the neighborhood. Meanwhile, I've found a great little restaurant around the corner that has some of my favorite kimbap, and a spicy pork with rice dish that I'm still not sure of the name, but I'll figure it out eventually.
Classes went well, but I learned that there is some kind of computer glitch that doesn't let me check my students e-homework. So they get a pass with that until Saturday or Monday. I think they were happy. The school is growing. Every time I go into class I have a new student. At first it was a bit shocking, but I've learned to roll with it. The school has only been open for a week, and everyone is still new so we will all figure everything out eventually.
Oh and good news for me, I'm on a blog list! I'm not sure how to link back to it yet, but the list is The Korean Blog List. I am happy.
And so it goes.
Monday, July 14, 2008
All that Jazz
On my morning walk, new flowers bloomed, but still I decided to go off the beaten path a bit. Not really; I don't think any path here is unbeaten. But beside the point. The point is I took a walk beyond my neighborhood and found two posters that almost broke my heart. The first one was for the Incheon Jazz festival. I couldn't figure out where or when, so I'm not sure I'll be able to go. I'm not even sure where exactly the poster is, or even if I can rememberwhere it is, if I can drag a Korean with me to translate. The other poster was for the Incheon Dance Festival. The same situation applies. Sigh. Perhaps next year. On the plus side, I really love living in a city that has a Dance Festival and a Jazz Festival. I wonder what other festivals are out there. To top it off I saw a poster for the Incheon philharmonic. Incheon even has a philharmonic. Wow. I think I did choose correctly.
When I got to work, I tried to get my boss, Mr. Lee to read something for the lesson. The man can't read. So I made up some worksheets with the alphabet, vowels, consonants, and blends for homework. He told the head teacher he didn't want to study anymore. I am going to have to revise my lesson plan again. Regular classes in the school went great, and only 3 students didn't do their homework. I was pretty happy. The snack today was dokbuki. It is a rice-cake smothered in spicy sauce, but it was too spicy even for me. I left work pretty hungry. Fortunately there are tons of street vendors that have a ton of different foods. I choose some fried vegetables (It wasn't that virtuous though, they were breaded beyond recognition, but still pretty tasty)
And so it goes.
When I got to work, I tried to get my boss, Mr. Lee to read something for the lesson. The man can't read. So I made up some worksheets with the alphabet, vowels, consonants, and blends for homework. He told the head teacher he didn't want to study anymore. I am going to have to revise my lesson plan again. Regular classes in the school went great, and only 3 students didn't do their homework. I was pretty happy. The snack today was dokbuki. It is a rice-cake smothered in spicy sauce, but it was too spicy even for me. I left work pretty hungry. Fortunately there are tons of street vendors that have a ton of different foods. I choose some fried vegetables (It wasn't that virtuous though, they were breaded beyond recognition, but still pretty tasty)
And so it goes.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
By the way and a day in Seoul
By the way, Saturday afternoon is probably not the best time to get some quiet blogging done. It is when all the middle and high school students are in the PC room, playing very loud games. I'm not sure what the game was, but it invloved lots of explosions. When I left to go home it was raining. I got wet. As soon as I got home, I took a warm shower and felt much better. I did a load of wash, hung it up, and tried to watch some game show on TV. I figured out how to turn it on, but I only get one channel, and it is in Korean. I gave up after about 10 minutes, then laid down, but only for a minute. I woke up again at 1am. I didn't want to mess up my sleep clock too much, so I drank some milk, read a bit and went back to sleep.
When I woke up I felt pretty good. My clothes were semi-dry but they were clean. I took a walk again by the riverside. The rain always softens things. The hibiscus are in bloom now; red, pink, white, and purple flowers bigger than my hand. The flopsy yellow flowers survived, and a few more yellow flowers decided to open up. It was a nice walk. I think that on Monday I'll start doing some of the exercise stations along the walkway.
After my walk, I got dressed and found the bus to Seoul station. There I met up with Kristin, my neighbor from KC. She had been homesick, but now is ok. We went to Kyobo bookstore, and I found a book for Mr. Lee (the school's owner)-- we then went to the stationary section. Korea has to be the cute paper/card/sticker capital of the universe. I found a great accordion folder- you know the kind that are always brown and ugly back in the States- with tons of bright blue flowers, and another one with geisha girls serving tea. Kristin found stickers that were pictures of vintage fabric swatches. There was so much it was almost overwhelming. I also found some room stickers that I think I'll have to use for my apartment. They are like the stickers you get at the stationary store only much much much larger. (think big enough to put on a wall) I decided my entrance way needs a garden, and the stickers of poppies and hibiscus are perfect.
We went for coffee after shopping. Although we didn't do that much, it was still really nice to visit and watch all the people go by. One guy had neon lime green tennis shoes. I decided that I loved those shoes. All kinds of people passed by our sidewalk table. The young, the old, the fashionable, the crazy, the worried, the lovers. Sometimes I think if you sit long enough in an outdoor cafe, the whole world will pass by on the sidewalk.
And so it goes.
When I woke up I felt pretty good. My clothes were semi-dry but they were clean. I took a walk again by the riverside. The rain always softens things. The hibiscus are in bloom now; red, pink, white, and purple flowers bigger than my hand. The flopsy yellow flowers survived, and a few more yellow flowers decided to open up. It was a nice walk. I think that on Monday I'll start doing some of the exercise stations along the walkway.
After my walk, I got dressed and found the bus to Seoul station. There I met up with Kristin, my neighbor from KC. She had been homesick, but now is ok. We went to Kyobo bookstore, and I found a book for Mr. Lee (the school's owner)-- we then went to the stationary section. Korea has to be the cute paper/card/sticker capital of the universe. I found a great accordion folder- you know the kind that are always brown and ugly back in the States- with tons of bright blue flowers, and another one with geisha girls serving tea. Kristin found stickers that were pictures of vintage fabric swatches. There was so much it was almost overwhelming. I also found some room stickers that I think I'll have to use for my apartment. They are like the stickers you get at the stationary store only much much much larger. (think big enough to put on a wall) I decided my entrance way needs a garden, and the stickers of poppies and hibiscus are perfect.
We went for coffee after shopping. Although we didn't do that much, it was still really nice to visit and watch all the people go by. One guy had neon lime green tennis shoes. I decided that I loved those shoes. All kinds of people passed by our sidewalk table. The young, the old, the fashionable, the crazy, the worried, the lovers. Sometimes I think if you sit long enough in an outdoor cafe, the whole world will pass by on the sidewalk.
And so it goes.
Friday, July 11, 2008
TGIF revisited
Actually it is Saturday afternoon right now. I am free until Monday. Yeah!
Friday was a pretty good day. I woke up early again, but not as early as Thursday. I took a walk on the riverside, and the rather attractive man I saw yesterday greeted me today. On the walk I noticed the church of "light and salt" and I have to admit to being rather amused at the contrast. I also noticed the police box at the end of the river walk. It has a picture of a cute chipmunk in the police uniform with bodybuilder muscles and some kind of assault rifle. I was rather amused again at the even larger contrast.
On the way home I went to the hospital to donate my bodily fluids and they recognised me right away. I'm glad, because it dawned on me on the way that if they didn't know who I was, I had no way to explain it. I left, bodily fluids lighter, with a spring in my step. Right at the entrance to the apartment I ran into my co-worker, Steve the New Yorker, and we set off to e-mart to do a bit of shopping. It was still closed, so we got some pizza bread (very delicious and still warm from the oven) and waited. In many of the stores the associates bow to the customers that come in at opening, but they didn't bow to us. I got my cleaning supplies and an ironing board, but I couldn't find one that stood up. This one is only about 5 inches off the floor when undone. I think that is just the way they are made here. Everything is so space saving. My co-worker bought a cactus, and let me name her Gertrude.
I went into work a bit early to write some quizzes for my classes, and while I was there the owner of the school asked if I could teach him English. I said yes, of course. So now when I go to Seoul on Sunday I will have to find a very easy book. The man is actually quite nice, from what little I've observed, but he doesn't speak any English at all. The day went by smoothly enough except for the fact that 1/2 my students didn't do their homework. Urg. I told them that next time they would have to face the head teacher. I am so mean.
After work the school's owner took us all out to dinner. The place was supposed to be about 40 minutes away, but even at 8:40pm the traffic was still pretty intense. The ride was fun, and I really enjoyed my Korean co-teachers, but the conversation kept drifting to food, and eating. We were a bit hungry. When we finally arrived it was so worth it. The place was really nice, and we got a room to our selves. It was shasimi, and it was wonderful. Steve, the New Yorker, ate the sea slug, but I passed. After the third course I no longer felt hungry. As much as I love Korean/Japanese food, I was still grateful to see the watermelon because it meant that the meal was over. We continued to sit and drink and play drinking games so we didn't get back to Incheon until 1am, and then continued to drink beer.
Needless to say, I didn't wake up early on Saturday morning. I was still able to get out of bed, get dressed and get back to the school for training on time, so I shouldn't complain. I finally met Sunny, and I liked her as much in person as I did over the phone. The school bought lunch, but I couldn't eat very much. I actually still feel full from the night before. Training was pretty standard, but I managed to learn a few things. I like their website, and the fact that teachers are able to find the e-homework scores for our students very easily.
After training, Steve the New Yorker came by and helped me figure out my washing machine, and my TV, and helped me move some of the furniture around. The apartment is going to be so cool once I replace the unfortunate pink.
Sunday I go to Seoul and meet Kristen, who is homesick.
And so it goes.
Friday was a pretty good day. I woke up early again, but not as early as Thursday. I took a walk on the riverside, and the rather attractive man I saw yesterday greeted me today. On the walk I noticed the church of "light and salt" and I have to admit to being rather amused at the contrast. I also noticed the police box at the end of the river walk. It has a picture of a cute chipmunk in the police uniform with bodybuilder muscles and some kind of assault rifle. I was rather amused again at the even larger contrast.
On the way home I went to the hospital to donate my bodily fluids and they recognised me right away. I'm glad, because it dawned on me on the way that if they didn't know who I was, I had no way to explain it. I left, bodily fluids lighter, with a spring in my step. Right at the entrance to the apartment I ran into my co-worker, Steve the New Yorker, and we set off to e-mart to do a bit of shopping. It was still closed, so we got some pizza bread (very delicious and still warm from the oven) and waited. In many of the stores the associates bow to the customers that come in at opening, but they didn't bow to us. I got my cleaning supplies and an ironing board, but I couldn't find one that stood up. This one is only about 5 inches off the floor when undone. I think that is just the way they are made here. Everything is so space saving. My co-worker bought a cactus, and let me name her Gertrude.
I went into work a bit early to write some quizzes for my classes, and while I was there the owner of the school asked if I could teach him English. I said yes, of course. So now when I go to Seoul on Sunday I will have to find a very easy book. The man is actually quite nice, from what little I've observed, but he doesn't speak any English at all. The day went by smoothly enough except for the fact that 1/2 my students didn't do their homework. Urg. I told them that next time they would have to face the head teacher. I am so mean.
After work the school's owner took us all out to dinner. The place was supposed to be about 40 minutes away, but even at 8:40pm the traffic was still pretty intense. The ride was fun, and I really enjoyed my Korean co-teachers, but the conversation kept drifting to food, and eating. We were a bit hungry. When we finally arrived it was so worth it. The place was really nice, and we got a room to our selves. It was shasimi, and it was wonderful. Steve, the New Yorker, ate the sea slug, but I passed. After the third course I no longer felt hungry. As much as I love Korean/Japanese food, I was still grateful to see the watermelon because it meant that the meal was over. We continued to sit and drink and play drinking games so we didn't get back to Incheon until 1am, and then continued to drink beer.
Needless to say, I didn't wake up early on Saturday morning. I was still able to get out of bed, get dressed and get back to the school for training on time, so I shouldn't complain. I finally met Sunny, and I liked her as much in person as I did over the phone. The school bought lunch, but I couldn't eat very much. I actually still feel full from the night before. Training was pretty standard, but I managed to learn a few things. I like their website, and the fact that teachers are able to find the e-homework scores for our students very easily.
After training, Steve the New Yorker came by and helped me figure out my washing machine, and my TV, and helped me move some of the furniture around. The apartment is going to be so cool once I replace the unfortunate pink.
Sunday I go to Seoul and meet Kristen, who is homesick.
And so it goes.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
An interesting day
I guess "interesting day" goes without saying when you live in Korea. But today was special. I woke up again at 5:30 - a truly ungodly hour. I really need to get a shade for my window. I decided to take a walk, and found a lovely area by a stream that was almost but not quite big enough to be a river. I enjoyed my walk in the early morning, there were yellow floppsy flowers all along the bank, and some of my favorite purple trumpet flowers too. I did feel a bit like a drudge though, because in Korea, you dress up even if you are just exercising. All the older women who were walking for exercise in the area wore cute little exercise outfits, a sun shade visor and white gloves. I just wore a t-shirt and pj bottoms. The walk still felt good. I went home, took a shower and then read a book to wait for 11am because I still don't know how to turn on the tv. I had to go to school early, because today we went to the immigration office to get our Alien Registration cards. We thought we had everything; photos, application, visa, transcripts. But. We didn't have our health check. The manager thought that we didn't need it for the ARC and we could do it later.
No.
So we went to the hospital from the immigration office, signed up for the health check, and proceed to go. First we had lunch though. It was the standard Korean fast food, bimbim bap, which is a mix of vegtables, hot sause and rice. It tastes much better than it sounds. At the hospital they drew blood, checked my teeth and eyes, and height and weight, and asked if I had any diseases, and took an X-ray. They also wanted a urine sample, and unfortunately I had just gone to the bathroom, so I couldn't give them one. (they were very nice, and tomorrow morning I have to go in and give them the bodily fluids I withheld today) We also had to get blood pressure and pulse readings. My co-teacher had a bit of high blood pressure, so the nurse kept making him re-take the test. (by the way, they said mine was excellent, but I can't remember what it was) Finally they realized it was just for immigration, and that they didn't have to start treatment, so the let us go. I think that the whole ordeal made the guy even more nervous than he ordinarily is.
Needless to say, we were late getting into the office. Fortunately, we didn't have classes for another hour, so I had time to prepare. Today is a fairly easy day; most of my students are pretty good and are the highest level in our school so far. I quite like them.
The day went fast, but I was very tired. I'm also pretty grateful because the boss re-payed the health check fee the same day, and when he found out I liked dumplings he changed the snack order for me. Kinda cool if you want my opinion.
I will go back to the hospital tomorrow (it is very close to my apartment so it shouldn't be a problem, plus I've been waking up early for a while now.) We go back next week, and then the next day we will go back to immigration.
And so it goes.
No.
So we went to the hospital from the immigration office, signed up for the health check, and proceed to go. First we had lunch though. It was the standard Korean fast food, bimbim bap, which is a mix of vegtables, hot sause and rice. It tastes much better than it sounds. At the hospital they drew blood, checked my teeth and eyes, and height and weight, and asked if I had any diseases, and took an X-ray. They also wanted a urine sample, and unfortunately I had just gone to the bathroom, so I couldn't give them one. (they were very nice, and tomorrow morning I have to go in and give them the bodily fluids I withheld today) We also had to get blood pressure and pulse readings. My co-teacher had a bit of high blood pressure, so the nurse kept making him re-take the test. (by the way, they said mine was excellent, but I can't remember what it was) Finally they realized it was just for immigration, and that they didn't have to start treatment, so the let us go. I think that the whole ordeal made the guy even more nervous than he ordinarily is.
Needless to say, we were late getting into the office. Fortunately, we didn't have classes for another hour, so I had time to prepare. Today is a fairly easy day; most of my students are pretty good and are the highest level in our school so far. I quite like them.
The day went fast, but I was very tired. I'm also pretty grateful because the boss re-payed the health check fee the same day, and when he found out I liked dumplings he changed the snack order for me. Kinda cool if you want my opinion.
I will go back to the hospital tomorrow (it is very close to my apartment so it shouldn't be a problem, plus I've been waking up early for a while now.) We go back next week, and then the next day we will go back to immigration.
And so it goes.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
What it is like
Left Aunt MG's at 5:45 am. It is a beautiful time of the morning, but I would have rather been in bed and missed it. The country side was foggy and we saw one deer by the side of a corn field. The corn is really getting high, miles and miles of green. At the airport I hug everyone, and go to the gate. This time everything goes smoothly, and I get through security with no problems. Then I arrive in Chicago, rush rush rush, but it is ok, because the people at the gate are good, and I go through security fast. I'm surprised how good it goes. I don't sleep on the plane, so I arrive a bit groggy. The movie sucked, but for some reason I couldn't get comfortable so I just dozed on and off. I'm glad the school booked me on Korean Air. The service was excellent and it made the 14 hour flight bearable.
I arrived a bit early, but there was no one to meet me. I had a bit of a panic attack. Actually I got a latte, and waited half an hour. Then I got nervous. I went to information, and they called my school for me. Well. They couldn't pick me up. So I got a taxi. 50,000 won latter (about $55.00) I arrived at the e-mart. I had forgotten about the kamikaze taxi drivers. He was actually pretty nice and called to make sure someone was there to pick me up. My new boss, was there. I felt a bit put out, and I had thought I would be working with Sunny directly. Then we went to my apartment. They had left me a towel, toothpaste and toilet paper. I revised my negative impression. Plus the apartment although small, is way cute. Too bad they put pink on the bedding, but that can be changed with my first paycheck. They also didn't have a TV or phone. This was Sunday night. I took a quick walk around the neighborhood, and it looks like a good one. There is an e-mart (a big grocery/home goods/electronic store like Walmart only nicer) a dozen places to do computer stuff (they call them PC bangs here) and about all the kinds of food you could want. They even have traditional Thai massage. I will have to ask and see if it is real massage or special massage for business men. I buy some canned coffee and a bottle of orange juice for the morning and go home. I don't unpack.
My apartment window doesn't have a shade. At 6:30 I was up and couldn't get back to sleep. I got some coffee, and unpacked everything, and put it away. I started a list of all the things I'm going to need to be happy, and took another walk around the neighbor hood. This one was a bit longer, and I found more things, mostly shops and restaurants.
I had to go in early Monday. Usually I'm supposed to start at 1, but Monday, I started at 11. The boss bought us lunch, and I had my first kim'chi of the trip. I wasn't bad.
I like my co-workers. Sae-min is experienced, and she is quite friendly. This is Fiona's first teaching job, and she is very nervous. I hope I can help her, I like her. The other foreign teacher is from NY, a fact he mentions quite often, despite the fact his accent is strong enough to leave no doubt.
The first day was a bit hectic, mostly because I didn't know where anything was. Neither did the other teachers. The school opened on Monday, so everyone was a bit stressed, but I eventually found everything I needed, or at least was assured they would arrive soon. It is kind of exciting to open up a school.
Tuesday I found out I have to work until 10, but actually it is a bit easier. On Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays I have 6 classes in a row. Each 50 minutes long. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I only have 5 classes and I have a break in the middle of the schedule. Actually 5 classes is a lot, and 6 is even more, but I'm glad to be busy. I like the curriculum, and I understand most of the rules. They make you turn in a detailed lesson plan, but you only copy from the lesson plan provided, so it is more like paperwork. But I know that many other teachers are lazy, and this way they know you are at least familiar with what you are going to teach.
My students are great. The classes are still very small, sometimes I only have two students in a class and in three classes I only have one student. I know that as the months go by, the school will fill up, but it is kinda nice right now. I know I've only had a few classes with them so far, but they seem bright and willing to work. A few of them are really eager and fun to work with.
Today (Wednesday, my boss brought me a TV, but I don't have a way to turn it on. He has also brought a snack for us every evening. He brings Kimbab, a Korean take on the California roll, and I'm afraid soon I'll be tired of them, but the thought is nice. I will have to ask the manager to help me with my washing machine, because I still haven't figured out how it works. However, I am adapting quite well. At least I think I am.
Tomorrow we go to immigration to get my ARC (Alien Registration Card) Once I have that, I can get a phone line, and see a doctor or dentist. I'll have to wait until payday anyway, but it will be nice to have.
And that is what it is like so far.
I arrived a bit early, but there was no one to meet me. I had a bit of a panic attack. Actually I got a latte, and waited half an hour. Then I got nervous. I went to information, and they called my school for me. Well. They couldn't pick me up. So I got a taxi. 50,000 won latter (about $55.00) I arrived at the e-mart. I had forgotten about the kamikaze taxi drivers. He was actually pretty nice and called to make sure someone was there to pick me up. My new boss, was there. I felt a bit put out, and I had thought I would be working with Sunny directly. Then we went to my apartment. They had left me a towel, toothpaste and toilet paper. I revised my negative impression. Plus the apartment although small, is way cute. Too bad they put pink on the bedding, but that can be changed with my first paycheck. They also didn't have a TV or phone. This was Sunday night. I took a quick walk around the neighborhood, and it looks like a good one. There is an e-mart (a big grocery/home goods/electronic store like Walmart only nicer) a dozen places to do computer stuff (they call them PC bangs here) and about all the kinds of food you could want. They even have traditional Thai massage. I will have to ask and see if it is real massage or special massage for business men. I buy some canned coffee and a bottle of orange juice for the morning and go home. I don't unpack.
My apartment window doesn't have a shade. At 6:30 I was up and couldn't get back to sleep. I got some coffee, and unpacked everything, and put it away. I started a list of all the things I'm going to need to be happy, and took another walk around the neighbor hood. This one was a bit longer, and I found more things, mostly shops and restaurants.
I had to go in early Monday. Usually I'm supposed to start at 1, but Monday, I started at 11. The boss bought us lunch, and I had my first kim'chi of the trip. I wasn't bad.
I like my co-workers. Sae-min is experienced, and she is quite friendly. This is Fiona's first teaching job, and she is very nervous. I hope I can help her, I like her. The other foreign teacher is from NY, a fact he mentions quite often, despite the fact his accent is strong enough to leave no doubt.
The first day was a bit hectic, mostly because I didn't know where anything was. Neither did the other teachers. The school opened on Monday, so everyone was a bit stressed, but I eventually found everything I needed, or at least was assured they would arrive soon. It is kind of exciting to open up a school.
Tuesday I found out I have to work until 10, but actually it is a bit easier. On Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays I have 6 classes in a row. Each 50 minutes long. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I only have 5 classes and I have a break in the middle of the schedule. Actually 5 classes is a lot, and 6 is even more, but I'm glad to be busy. I like the curriculum, and I understand most of the rules. They make you turn in a detailed lesson plan, but you only copy from the lesson plan provided, so it is more like paperwork. But I know that many other teachers are lazy, and this way they know you are at least familiar with what you are going to teach.
My students are great. The classes are still very small, sometimes I only have two students in a class and in three classes I only have one student. I know that as the months go by, the school will fill up, but it is kinda nice right now. I know I've only had a few classes with them so far, but they seem bright and willing to work. A few of them are really eager and fun to work with.
Today (Wednesday, my boss brought me a TV, but I don't have a way to turn it on. He has also brought a snack for us every evening. He brings Kimbab, a Korean take on the California roll, and I'm afraid soon I'll be tired of them, but the thought is nice. I will have to ask the manager to help me with my washing machine, because I still haven't figured out how it works. However, I am adapting quite well. At least I think I am.
Tomorrow we go to immigration to get my ARC (Alien Registration Card) Once I have that, I can get a phone line, and see a doctor or dentist. I'll have to wait until payday anyway, but it will be nice to have.
And that is what it is like so far.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Arrival
I arrived Sunday night. It is Monday now. I can't think straight. I promise a good post tomorrow, or maybe Wednesday.
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