A couple of things in list form

• School lunch today was great. The usual kimchi, rice, and soup (fish broth, tofu, scallions, egg and something), then spicy green leafy something, and sweet and sour chicken. The lunch ladies I think have taken a liking to me, since I try everything. They came out and cut up the chicken so I didn't make a mess with my chopsticks and the big pieces. I feel like a little kid at meals learning to eat again, but it's fun.
  
• Still waiting on my travel reimbursment... need that to pay bills at home.
  
• Got my regular pay haven't seen my extra classes pay yet... going to ask about that soon.
  
• Attempting to go to Costco again tonight.
• I've now learned that Koreans don't belive in switchbacks when the make hiking trails. The go straight up the mountian. I'm not sure I'm in good enough shape to do 3km at about a 60 degree grade uphill. I did however get some interesting pictures.
• It's suddenly cold here. It went from frying hot to cold enough to want a jacket in one day. But I feel better now that it's cold.
  

Admin Note

I unlocked commenting so you can comment with out an open id.

I just have to read and moderate them before they post.

In other words... if you have something to say about a post go ahead and say it. I'd love to hear from everyone.

Teaching the Teachers, and Misc. Stuff

I have to admit the thing that scares me the most is teaching my colleagues. Usually because I respect them so much that it's like I have to do an even better job than normally. If there is anyone who can see through a BS lesson it's another teacher. So today I taught my first lesson to the staff here. I was nervous and I think over prepared a little. It went well though. I gave them some game ideas and went over some more advanced vocabulary for the clinic lessons. There really is nothing funnier than watching a group of adults all do the hokey pokey. Seriously... I was laughing, they were laughing, but everyone knew right, left, hand, arm, elbow, foot, hip, by the time we were done. I guess that's part of my teaching here. I just had to get over myself and have fun.
It was fun to watch them get over the whole propriety thing and just have fun and learn. It makes me feel like I might just make it.

After the lesson we were sitting and I was talking to my 5th grade co teacher. He translated for the VP a few questions then he translated a huge compliment for me about how everyone really likes me as a teacher that I'm an asset to the school since I really prepare for lessons and I am a huge improvement over the previous teacher. They also said I must be great because my after school classes are growing. Students are telling other students to sign up and teachers are telling parents the same thing. It's good to hear that. I also had him translate that the number 3 at the school is a great teacher. I can tell because her class is fun to work with and you can see that her students love her. There are several teachers like that here. I just know that when you can tell even without understanding half of what is said in a class that they are having fun and they love to be there. It's a good teacher.
I'm hopeful that I got paid today... I didn't get a pay stub or anything. I figure I'll ask Miss. K about that tomorrow. She had a meeting this afternoon so I was on my own. Now it's almost time to go home and I'm hiding in my office listening to my ipod writing. Most of my work for next week is done, just a few things left to prep.

Things are looking up even after my butt kicking from Atlanta I received via Skype earlier this week. It was well deserved. It's all good now. I still miss home, but I really am starting to look forward to things here. Pusan in a couple of weeks, and Seoul in November, I'm thinking either Thailand or Vietnam for the February break.

Look into my ipod

Since I mentioned last post that I'd been keeping myself sane on a steady diet of music from home. I figured now was as good a time as any to mention who had been weighing heavily on the play list.

• Lindsey Hinkle: mainly a mix of really old and some new. Things like Right Here, Right Now and Already Gone, with occasionaly Blackberry Winter and Thinker than Water have been staples of my rides to town and waking up.
• Jennifer Daniels: Day to Live and Welcome to Your Life, Both have been heavily played. Welcome to your life sometimes in my head as I hike up the stairs to my office in the morning doing the bowing and smiling game with other teachers and students.
  
• Adrianne: seems to be getting an awfully lot of play on my ipod... no songs in particular... just her name keeps popping up.
  
• Diane Durrett: Soul Sing has been getting a bit of play plus an odd assortment of others. Doesn't help that Beth called me from D-town on Sunday morning and I got to hear part of her set there. Talk about adding to the home sickness. It's bitter sweet.
  
• Edie Carey also has been getting some play just as music I can listen to and think back to different memories of interesting moments in Atlanta.
• Marc Brousard also gets some play... Home most notably.
• Zac Brown Band: Toes and Chicken Fried.... mainly as I'm dreaming of some exotic beach at my winter holiday.
• Sugarland gets some play but...not as much as when I was home.
• Emily Kate Boyd: completely depends on my mood if I play her or skip. Mainly cause I've had too many emotions swirling around to take it right now. When things are stable I love her stuff.

So that's a quick glance at what has been sustaining my music fixes here. and no I have to run to school.

Things that make me cringe

Last night I wandered down to a chicken place in my neighborhood to find some dinner before grabbing a taxi to go bowling... while I was sitting there what would come on the radio blaring through the store but... Public Affair by Jessica Simpson. Really? Of all the pop music in America? That? Eww. That's not the only recent moment of ewww...
The night before we headed over to Old Skool to dance only to have Christmas music blaring... I know it's after Thanksgiving here but it's a little early, right? Oh and the choice of Christmas tunes... Mirah Carey... all I want for Christmas. Let me let you ponder that for a minute... September 19th and Christmas tunes.


yeah.


So I've gotten used to hearing poppy music every where (except my apartment where I have a steady diet of Atlanta Singer Songwritters playing). When it's in Korean I can appreciate the whole it's got a beat and sounds like fun. But the choices of Americans that get picked up are just wrong some days.

I admit that a couple of weeks ago on the bus I did get a big grin about Kelly Clarkston's "Because of you" only cause it brought back a nice memory of a couple of guys I know having fun with it.
A few people asked me how I was going to survive with out live music... um.. still not sure. But my bus rides are accopanied by my ipod on shuffle, and I've found out there is an open mic night at a local bar on Wednesdays so I may have to go down and check it out soon. I did manage to see one decent Korean band my first weekend here at Club That... so I know every once in awhile I will get to see some live music but it's not going to be the same.

Oh and as a side note... I didn't make it to bowling, something got the better of me and I ended up at home a sleep by 9pm praying what ever got me would be over soon. Somedays being adventurous foodwise isn't the best choice.

Gratitude

Yesterday I had a birthday. I haven't exactly figured out how old I am... I just know that I'm older than I was. But the interesting side effect of this was I got Happy Birthday messages from all over the world. I had them from family, friends, colleagues, folks from the EPIK program. Most people who know me say I'm pretty laid back, not much phases me. Some how last night after getting home from a nice dinner with an old friend who happens to also be here... it hit me. I am damn lucky to have the life I do. I really never thought about how I impact the people around me much, I've always just tried to live my life and not hurt others.
So now that I'm so far away from my home. I'm really realizing how lucky I am to have the friends I do. I know that some of them will still be there for me when I get back after this adventure. I am incredibly grateful for the out pouring of love and friendship that accompanied my departure from Atlanta. I miss those people everyday. When I hear that someone is going to see a musician play, or that they ran into others at a restaurant. I have a little twinge that I wish I'd been there. Then I look around at where I am and what I'm doing and go... yeah that would be good too, but look where I am.
I know that if people had really started to question me I might not have been able to do this. But they knew somehow on some level that this is what I needed to do. I needed to pick up and go. I needed and still do need to stretch myself and see what I can really do. I know you don't get the strength to do these things alone. It comes from others and from inside.

I'm really thankful for those people in my life who tell me they are proud of me, or that I've inspired them, or who just show up to support me in little ways. Those are the people that make me realize that I am really lucky to have the life I do.
Someone asked me once would I rather write my suicide note or an obituary. I said instantaneously I'm writing my obituary every day... and it's going to be a good one. I may not have lots of fancy degrees, or big prizes with titles, but I do have something much more valuable to me. I have friends and family who I hope can say they are proud of how I've lived my life and I took every chance I was given to really live this life.

I'm taking those chances and opportunities every day. Do they cost me? Yeah... they do. I've got friendships that I'm missing. Chances for love that I've had to pass up. Possible advancement in my career which has been put on hold. But then I sit here and think about where I was standing on Monday and think that if I'd let those costs and worries keep me at home... the cost would have been greater. Not many people get the chance to live overseas for a year, hike up mountains on a late summer day, and stand in a courtyard and just be in awe of the world around them. I likened my response when I got to the top of the stairs and turned and saw the courtyard with it's huge stone Buddha and carvings to my response when I saw the Grand Canyon in person for the first time. It was just awe and wonder... and knowing here is where I am supposed to be right now. Take it all in and savor it. Those moments don't come often, but when they do... you just have to hold on tight.

I'm lucky and thankful these days... and I know it. It's a great place to be.

Photo Synth

I'm not sure if anyone is willing to download the program but this web site lets you make 3D panoramas of your pictures.
I've been using it a little here and think it's pretty cool.
but here is the link to my pictures on it http://photosynth.net/userprofilepage.aspx?user=sunlfrog

Oh what happens to ones vocabulary

I've been getting used to using the most simple words to communicate with my co workers and people in my neighborhood. They are all trying to understand English and I really don't speak much Korean. So... it's simple phrases said slowly most of the time for me.
But the side affect is when I'm out with some other expats and I was trying to explain I'm not on the subway line, but I'm right near one of the bus depots... it came out as something along the lines of you know... where the buses sleep at nights. Yeah... it was bad... but it was also funny. Every one I was with teaches ESL and has had at least one of those sorts of brain farts.

But yeah my apartment is near Beomul-dong where the buses sleep at night.

Feeling Like Home

I've been in Korea for almost three weeks now. I realized yesterday as I was walking around my neighborhood that it's beginning to feel like home. I did my errands and tried (unsuccessfully) to reload my bus card at the bank... I really need to learn Korean.. then I might be able to figure out how to do it that way. I also managed to go to the bigger grocery at the DongA department store. I got in some provisions for the long weekend since stores are supposedly going to be closed today and maybe some tomorrow for the holiday. I then walked home noticing that the Lotte near my usual bus stop was open so I made a note to run back down there after I got my groceries home so I could recharge my card there.
When I walked back down I said hi and had a couple of conversations with students who were enjoying their holiday break. Got to the bus stop handed the nice old guy in the wheelchair who works there my card and a 10000won bill (about $10) so I'd have enough on my card to get around for the next few weeks. Each ride on the bus is about 950won. Subways are a little more but I don't live on a line so I don't ride them much. He smiled and thanked me as he handed me back my card with a new little protective sleeve on it. I thanked him and bowed in Korean and headed down the street to the corner with my fruit guy, bakery, and the little convenience store, to run the rest of my errands. I looked at the fruit and decided I didn't need any right now, but still said hello and gave a little bow since he had greeted me as I walked up. Then I stopped by the cellphone store and wished Judy and Ken a Happy Cheusock. Next was the bakery to buy some fresh bread. As I was doing this I realized I really could make this home for the next year or so. Things were feeling more and more comfortable. I can get around and take care of business. I manage to start to be able to figure out what is what and what Korean food I like. I got my water and oj and then carried all of my stuff up the hill to my place.
I also found some stuff at the DongA to try and MacGuiver my shower head so I wasn't always having to hold the shower head if I wanted to get wet. $3 in parts later I had made a suction cup hook and zip tie rig that took care of my shower woes. I can now stand under the water without having to hold the shower head.
I was supposed to go out to Jody's birthday party last night but after getting lost in the rain I decided that a taxi home was a better idea with the cold I was beginning to feel coming on. So it was a quiet night in after my adventures in the rain. I was right though... I've got one of my classic beginning of the school year colds. I'm taking care to drink lots and take my 12hour sudafed. Hopefully I'll be feeling better by tomorrow when I've planned to go hiking.
Oh and there are no pictures of the adventures in the Herbal Medicine Market thanks to my cf reader dying on me. I figure I'll find another soon and then there will be lots of pictures up. I'm also going to try to do a separate post about my two wild nights this weekend... those I do have pictures from since I only carry my little camera out on those trips.

End of Week 2 of Teaching

So teaching ESL in Korea has it's perks... 90% of the time I'm co-teaching and my job is to be a push button dispenser of English. *push* head, shoulders, knees, and toes. *push* I have a headache, I have a stomach ache. Then I teach 4 extra sections a week 2 with 3-6 graders and 2 with 1-2nd graders. I have to plan, teach and everything the extra classes which are interesting with varied levels of English and just over all willingness to speak.
My 4th graders who dominate my Monday mornings are cool, except for one class where I almost killed some boys who were picking on a little fat boy who can barely speak in Korean or read Korean but yet is willing to try in English class to repeat after me. Yeah I didn't know when I asked him to speak in front of the class that he had such issues but I helped him and he did a pretty good job following after me.
I eat lunch every day in the school cafeteria and it's not bad. I'm doing better with chopsticks and there are somethings I really like and others that I'm like.. yeah can I politely skip that?
The 6th grade girls on my hall, come and visit me and talk most days between classes. Or they yell in through the window and I go talk to them. They are really good at saying most things in English but they have a habit of getting giggly at times. One was trying to talk me out of some candy one of the teachers gave me the other day. She didn't quite do it but she tried hard.. I've got pictures of the kids and all to post to flickr, just been busy with teaching, exploring and getting lost. :)
I'm getting really good at getting lost and not letting it bother me. I've been lost in my area, lost downtown, lost in the school, and yesterday lost in Manchon while trying to meet up with Jody. But I tried and like bimbap, mandu and a couple of other things now... so cheap Korean food here I come. I also have discovered I like the sheets of dried seaweed which you wrap around rice and things.
I'm headed out tonight I think with a group of EPIK teachers which means drinks and trouble causing will be had by all. Thank god I have my little pieces of paper which can get me downtown by taxi and back home. I'll probably take the bus down and taxi it back. It's amazing what one can do when it's either that or no fun or who knows what.
Ok time to finish up some work before I'm done for the week.

Walk to School

Just so I can find it

This is just for my reference... Anyone who knows me well knows the focus isn't on the naked Americans for me... it's on the background... LUSH!!!! I knew they had a store here in Korea. Now I have a couple of landmarks to look for when I go up there. It's in Hongede which is a big expat area of Seoul. Ok back to my normal thoughts about Korea.

Wallpaper snafus

So I've been dealing with things getting fixed all over my place the last few days from the 10pm or later visits from my landlord to the they are coming on Saturday at some time to fix my wallpaper where there is mold. They just showed up and it's almost 4pm. I've stayed around all day since I didn't know when they were coming. Now I'd just made plans to meet Jody at 5pm and I probably wouldn't be able to thanks to having to stay here with the wallpaper stuff going on.
oh I am not thrilled.

week 1 adventures in teaching

After the first week of teaching and being “settled” into where I’m going to spend the next year. I’m pretty well drained. Emotionally this week has been a roller coaster. I have to go way out of my comfort zone and ask people for help, and am dependant on them for just basic things that I would have never thought to ask for help with in the US. I’ve had to ask for help with everything from getting directions for a taxi driver to setting up my cell phone, keeping the internet turned on in my apartment, getting the results from my HIV and drug screen and a multitude of other things.
The cell phone for an example was a trial of errors. I first went to a little store a couple of blocks away where I’d heard from the previous native teacher that they spoke good English. He was right about that. Actually the husband and wife had lived in Atlanta previously. So we bonded pretty quick. They sold me one phone and gave me a piece of paper explaining in Korean to the people by the big department store in the area to set up a prepaid account for me. I was then met with the big x made with their arms no prepaid, no phone for foreigners. Ouch! By this point I’d walked a good 4 miles between the stores and my home and I had to pee really bad and there aren’t any really easy places to find a bathroom in Korea so far. That was the moment I ran smack into my principal. Who is really nice and is trying very hard to speak to me in English. I felt bad that I kind of talked fast and then ran off but… the idea of asking her where a bathroom was… not appealing at all to my independent streak that I’d been trying to have here. So I walked very briskly in the 88 degree and 94% humidity back home. I finally got home and crashed figuring I’d deal with the cell phone on Friday.
I asked Miss K. about it and she called the guy who had figured out a solution and I was to go by afterschool and he’d take care of everything. He did. I walked down there from school hoping it would only take a little while since I also needed to go home change and get my bag together to go meet Allison (my recruiter) for dinner. Things were taking a while with the paperwork so I left for about 10 minutes to run home change, get things together, go to the bathroom, and then ran back down the hill. I got back and things were set up and they had a Chinese plum waiting for me. That’s a major sign of respect and friendship here so I’m going to have to buy them some fruit this week and stop by. The guy Ken programmed my phone with Judy’s phone number so if anything happened I had someone who spoke English in the area who would help me. I think I must have some good Karma or something for all the help they gave me. I’m glad they are only a few block away and I’ll probably see them regularly. Oh and they way they set up my phone is that it’s prepaid but in his name. Yeah, he’s guaranteeing my phone, just because he knows how it is to be in a different country and not able to get things done.
They then wrote out for me the directions for the cabbie in hagul so I could get to the main station where I was to meet Allison. No one else showed so I was glad I at least did and we had a nice dinner downtown. Then she had to catch the KTX back to Seoul where she was meeting some people who were coming in to start teaching next week.
I managed to take a hair raising cab ride home. I’ll write about the cabbies another time, but lets just say I was a little nervous that this one was watching tv and not the roads on the way home.

Facepalm! I too have a stupid american inside.

I just spent the last 5 minutes looking at a document trying to figure out how a page was over 20 inches long... then it hit me... the guides on the side were in centimeters... not inches. DOH!

Yes the rest of the world uses metric so their program works in metric not English.

I'm sure there will be more of these but I just had to laugh at myself.

Conversation Foibles.

I keep feeling like I might be screwing up... but yet I know I'm not. Monday night I was sitting at home, having just gotten home from a walk. *bang, bang* on my door so I went and answered it. A large Korean man was standing there and started talking to me in rapid fire Korean... I'm like... um... I don't speak Korean. Then it was do you speak English... no answer... more Korean then he shut my door on me and walked off. I came back in shook my head and chalked it up to part of the experience.
Tuesday night I was on Skype with Beth and the same thing started. This time I had the fore thought to hand him paper and a pen and tell him if he wrote it down I could get it translated at school. He came in and we had a friendly game of charades about the mold and the wallpaper. The end result, I think I'm getting purple wallpaper on Saturday morning.

Yesterday while I was sitting at the computer in the language lab also known as my office a little woman came by trying to see the lab. I bowed and greeted her. (that's about the limit of my Korean so far.) She took notes in Korean then today came back with a Linguistics professor who translated that they are parents of students and they wanted to see the lab. I answered some questions, thankfully in English. Miss K. my co-teacher was teaching in the other room and I think could see and was amused at my panic. I think it's all good I made sure I bowed really low to both parents as they were leaving. I also got out a thank you in Korean.

Today I'm going to try again to get a cellphone. There is one place I found that speaks English so I'm headed back there today. I'm also going to make sure to get them to draw me a map of where the other store I'm going to have to go to to get it turned on is. I'm getting pretty good at wandering my neighborhood and finding things. If I get my cellphone on I'm treating myself to Baskin Robins. Which is a good 20 minute walk from my apartment near a KFC and across from the Donga A department store. As I've said before it's a steep learning curve but I'm enjoying it.

Typical Day... so far

I'm sitting here reading lesson plans trying to come up with games and thinking about how similar schools and children are all over the world. Students here are excited, and animated. They do their work and try to understand the teacher speaking in rapid fire English. Back home the kids were excited and ran down the halls just like they do here. Main difference the kids here are in sock feet or slippers.
So far a typical day for me involves coming in getting my slippers from the cabinet and putting my shoes up. Then I go by and say good morning to the principal and vice principal. I run up the stairs to the 4th floor and unlock my classroom, open the windows, turn on the fans and crank up the computer. (Not much different than in APS.) Most days I have first period off so I chill and go over lesson plans for the teachers so that the English in them is proper. Then I co-teach at least 3 classes with one of the other teachers. Today I'm teaching 3 classes of 6th graders... I met the students the other day with Miss K. my co teacher.
After 4th period we go down to lunch where I get laughed at about my ability to use chopsticks and I try to get a decent idea about what I'm eating. Yesterday was sweet and sour pork and the ever present kimchi and rice which I'm growing to love. Then there was these little dried green things with a sauce and peanuts. Well I thought they were pretty good just a little salty. They were anchovies I learned later... good for calcium. I will probably eat them again. There is a sports competition this afternoon so I'm going to watch it and take pictures. Yesterday we ran errands and go my bank account opened and turned in my paperwork for my Alien Registration Card or (ARC) which I can't really do anything with out it.
I'm going to have to talk about finding a way to keep my internet at home on without it. Otherwise I'll be MIA for a little while and just able to check emails at school. I may try to go find a cell phone after school today.

First Day of Teaching

I'm sure it will get easier. I'm learning to talk very slowly and clearly. The kids are good for the most part, just a bit chatty. Well actually really chatty. A few of the sixth graders today surprised me with how well they spoke English. Some things are the same no matter where in the world you are. Faculty meetings are one of those things. I seriously was trying not to laugh as I was getting part of one translated for me today. They have a lot of work and they need to do it well for the students. They also need to be mindful of the accreditation process this year. It means money for the school. It was also a special meeting because there were four new teachers including me. I'm the only English one but it meant we got fruit and rice cakes. The rice cakes weren't like the Styrofoam at home... these were gooey balls filled with sweet paste. They were pretty good actually. The principal said it was a special meeting so not to get used to it.
I'm feeling pretty lucky with my school, lunch was good and I've got friendly administrators. I also have a great co teacher looking out for me. Tomorrow we're going to go work on getting my ARC so I can get a cell phone and a few other things taken care of.