So apparently, my uncanny ability to break computers travels across oceans and becomes transcontinental with ease. I came in to school this morning, sat down at my desk, and turned my computer on only to be met with a nice black screen asking me to insert the setup hardware. It would not work. So Mr. Lee, the physics teacher/computer engineer/temporary housing came over and messed with it. Put in the windows cd, tried a few different things, and finally ended up opening the case. My superpower has expanded. Along with technology glitching or just ceasing to function, I also make cords randomly come loose. Not unplugged, just not connected enough for the computer to realize there is a harddrive in it. Yeah. So he plugged it in firmly, and the problem was solved. I was just glad that 1) I hadn't broken their computer on my second day, and 2) I didn't lose all the work I did yesterday and Monday. Whew - dodged that bullet. I really don't understand why stuff like this always happens. The computer worked fine yesterday and then today, surprise! :/ Not cool universe, not cool at all.
Anyway, on a more positive note, I got to move into my new apartment last night. First all of the English teachers took me out for dinner in town which was nice, definitely helps build comraderie. Then we all went to Mr. Lee's house, got my stuff, and took it over to the apartment where they helped me bring it in and then hung around for about 15 minutes (though it felt like forever) to make sure I had everything I needed. They're all parents so they have sort of adopted me for the year I think and so keep telling me how worried they are about me and "my life" haha. I got asked 3 times this morning how everything was last night, how did I sleep, did I eat breakfast, and what did I eat. And once if I was scared last night (Mr Ha asked that one haha) So after they left, Mr. Pa stayed and showed me around town a little and helped me buy some food so I would have something to eat this morning. Actually, he bought my food for me at his insistence. It's a little odd, but I definitely feel the love. haha. So after he made sure I had food and made sure I knew how to get to school this morning he took me back home and said goodnight.
I took a shower, unpacked as much as I could, and went to bed. Overall it's a really nice place. They gave me a big bed (I think it's a full) with blankets, a pillow, a brand new microwave and pots and pans and dishes and silverware (ironically though no chopsticks - good thing I appropriated some from orientation :] haha) and a nice gas range for cooking (that they made sure I knew how to turn on - they made me do it in front of them to make sure I knew.) The refrigerator they gave me is a mini fridge that's old, but, it keeps my stuff cold. And, Mrs. Seong said she's going to have them switch it out. Maybe they'll do that today when they bring my washing machine. I definitely need to clean tonight but it's not terribly disgusting. It just needs a once over. Except for the bathroom. Which I cannot wait to scrub the life out of (literally. I think there may be something growing in one of the corners...) Really glad now for those shower shoes they gave me... Also, I have 2 windows (and everything has screens) and also a huge sliding door that goes out to my balcony :] where I can hang my clothes to dry. And there's already a clothesline hung so I don't even need the one I brought. I do need to buy some things - fan, toaster, small trash can, coffee pot, etc but it's all minor. Oeja said she was going to try to get me a vaccuum too so that would be nice but they did give me a broom and it's all laminate flooring so I can jsut sweep to clean. Oh and I have a window unit a/c in my bedroom that works reallllly well and I can close my door to cool just that room since I can't open the window (because of the window unit). Anyway, it's very nice. The walls are paper thin and my neighbors must be deaf for the volume at which they watch their TV. And everytime they or my neighbors across the alley go in or out I think someone is in my house, but other than that, which I will get used to quickly I'm sure, it's good. Oh, and it's second story with the steepest stairs I've ever seen. It's definitely one of those where it's not a question IF I will fall but rather how often and how badly injured I will be after. Mrs. Keong (and the rest agreed) that I should not attempt the stairs if I've been drinking haha. I have been instructed to sleep at the bottom if I "am drunken" as to avoid killing myself. Yeah, they're that steep. And really narrow. The stairwell is probably only 3 feet wide and maybe 10 feet deep but it goes up about 10 feet so you can imagine how steep that is. I'll have to take a picture once I get my camera. I did take pictures of the apartment with my laptop but as I currently do not have internet, which hopefully I'll get by the end of next week (I have to wait to get my ARC...) I can't post them. But I am going to try to make it to the PC bang (internet cafe) today after work and I will do it then if I can find the place haha.
Anyway, I am well and am very happy to finally be unpacked and settling in my own space. I have my first weeks lesson done - an introduction to me and the kids and now I'm just killing time and getting ideas for future lessons. Oh, and figuring out my topics for the year. Oeja wants a list of the 16 topics I will cover (1 per week till the end of the school year in December). I have 4 or 5 but it's hard to decide the all the topics right now... Oh well. I'm sure it's not something I'll be held to premanently as if it were written in stone, I hope. Anyway, off to do some work. I attached my introduction powerpoint in case anyone wants to check it out. It's nothing too crazy, just to introduce myself to kids and give them a little bit of info on the strange new teacher. :]
Okay well, apparently I can't attach ppt to blogger but if you want to see if you can email me and I'll send it to you. :]
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Here Goes...Everything
Today was my first day of school. It was about a 20 minute walk this morning and since I left early to make sure I had enough time, I had extra time so I found a bit of shade on an overpass, climbed up and relaxed for 20 minutes. Then I went in and we had our teachers' meeting at 9:10 (I work from 9-5 at the high school Monday - Wednesday and 8:30-4:30 at the middle school Thursday and Friday) I introduced myself in front of all the teachers, in English of course so I'm not sure how much they got but I tried to speak slow and use hand motions and easy words, but its hard to do that and not feel like you're belittling adults. Anyway, after that Oeja (my co teacher, or so I thought) took me over to the middle school to meet the principal, vice principal, and my co teachers over there. I got to see my classroom too which is awesome. I think at the high school I move from room to room (not real clear on that yet, I need to ask Oeja tomorrow) but at the middle school I have not just a room but a whole wing. Behind the classroom is my office. I don't even sit in with the rest of the teachers in middle school. Although it's kinda nice sitting with them in the high school.
Then after I saw the classroom I got to meet my co teachers, Mr. Pa and Mrs. Keong (not to be confused with Mr. Ha and Mrs. Seong from high school - I am not joking). Mrs. Keong is super nice, a little shy, but I think we'll get on beautifully, and Mr. Pa seemed really nice but I didn't really get to talk to him because he had a class. So Mrs. Keong and I sat down and talked about lesson plans and the like for about 45 minutes. Then I headed back to the high school and started working on my lesson plans. I decided I'm either going to do the same topic for each class (all the way from middle to high) and just adjust to each level, OR, find out the topics each class is learning in their other English classes and tie my lessons into those. Not sure which was I wanna do it yet but I know I'm starting everybody with introductions. And I found out that I have to have real lesson plans because I have to submit a copy to Oeja (Mrs. Seong) at the start of every week. No biggie. I'll definitely have plenty of time in school to plan so I won't need to take it home with me. I only teach 22 hours a week but am required to be at school 40 so I have 18 hours every week at school to get everything done. Which will be no problem once I get in the swing of things.
After a while Oeja came to get me to go look at apartments. I said yes at the first one because they said it was the biggest and I trust her. Although I still probably should have at least looked at the others. But you live and you learn. And it is a very nice place. Only drawbacks are the bathroom is tiiiny - like, I don't know how I'm going to take a shower without the door open which obviously isn't an option. I'll figure something out though, and that's a very common thing around here so I never really had any other option on that front haha. And the other is the heating and water heater run on oil which I have to get delivered when I run out. But, not much I can do about that either since all of Yeongdeok is oil. Which I know 1) because Oeja said so haha and 2) (and more importantly) my new Scottish male friend who lives in town and has been here since February (and is cute) told me so :]
So we got back, and lunch time came around, which I was nervous but the food was really good and only a tiny bit spicy but really just enough to have flavor. We had chicken in some kind of red sauce, coleslaw something that was actually good and tasted nothing like coleslaw :], something resembling tofu but which tasted like eggs, rice (of course), and some soup that was really good. Then a little later Oeja came over to talk to me about my Alien Registration Card (to further be referred to as ARC) and decided my pictures that were such a hassle in the States wouldn't work because you couldn't see my ears. Weird reason. But I went and had to have my picture taken at a photo place just down the way. So I walked in, sat down, (he was expecting me - Oeja called ahead - she loves me :] ) he took the picture, then I sat and waited while he photoshopped it (yes, photoshopped it, for free, while I waited - take that Glamour Shots, I can just come to Korea and have it done for FREE!!) Anyway, haha, then he printed them out, cut them up, refused my money, and away I went back to school.
About 3, Oeja asks me if its okay if we go to Pohang to do my ARC today to which I say of course! The sooner the better. We hopped in the car and cruised to Pohang. Saw a Nicole, a friend from orientation in the immigration office. Do the ARC - which took forever because they couldn't find my address - look, I have the same problems in Korea as I did back home haha. Finally finished up about 5 and Oeja starts checking the time. Well, she lives in Pohang so if she were to take me back to Yeongdeok she wouldn't get home til 7, maybe, or I could just take the bus back by myself. Which I didn't mind and told her, so I took the bus by myself (she bought my ticket though - she felt so bad!) and it was fine. She also called Mr. Lee to have him pick me up at the bus station to make sure I got off at the right stop and so I wouldn't have to walk and then she called tonight to make sure everything was okay. haha She really does worry too much. Not even here a week and I already have all the mamas' attention. Which is funny because I'm usually the mama. Nice to not be though. Except when it gets too much and annoying and I miss my babies and getting to be the mama. But the too much doesn't happen very often and I just try not to think about the second... :[
So, my first day went very well and things are falling into place nicely (finally). And on top of all that I met someone in Yeongdeok on facebook (which has saved my life since I've been here) and he's super nice and has answered all my questions. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be in my apartment - only downside to that is no more free internet and someone else cooking my meals. But I'll take my own space over that and just frequent the starbucks internet cafe :] it only costs 1000 won an hour (about 92 cents) until I can get my internet. I'm excited to be in my own space though. I"ll take pictures with my laptop once I'm in and done cleaning and then with my camera once I get it. Yay for progress! :]
I hope everyone is well back home. I miss you all and wish you could experience this with me. Every day is an adventure! ♥
PS - Sorry the posts are always so long, I just get carried away. :]
And, photo for the day is.... drumroll please...
Then after I saw the classroom I got to meet my co teachers, Mr. Pa and Mrs. Keong (not to be confused with Mr. Ha and Mrs. Seong from high school - I am not joking). Mrs. Keong is super nice, a little shy, but I think we'll get on beautifully, and Mr. Pa seemed really nice but I didn't really get to talk to him because he had a class. So Mrs. Keong and I sat down and talked about lesson plans and the like for about 45 minutes. Then I headed back to the high school and started working on my lesson plans. I decided I'm either going to do the same topic for each class (all the way from middle to high) and just adjust to each level, OR, find out the topics each class is learning in their other English classes and tie my lessons into those. Not sure which was I wanna do it yet but I know I'm starting everybody with introductions. And I found out that I have to have real lesson plans because I have to submit a copy to Oeja (Mrs. Seong) at the start of every week. No biggie. I'll definitely have plenty of time in school to plan so I won't need to take it home with me. I only teach 22 hours a week but am required to be at school 40 so I have 18 hours every week at school to get everything done. Which will be no problem once I get in the swing of things.
After a while Oeja came to get me to go look at apartments. I said yes at the first one because they said it was the biggest and I trust her. Although I still probably should have at least looked at the others. But you live and you learn. And it is a very nice place. Only drawbacks are the bathroom is tiiiny - like, I don't know how I'm going to take a shower without the door open which obviously isn't an option. I'll figure something out though, and that's a very common thing around here so I never really had any other option on that front haha. And the other is the heating and water heater run on oil which I have to get delivered when I run out. But, not much I can do about that either since all of Yeongdeok is oil. Which I know 1) because Oeja said so haha and 2) (and more importantly) my new Scottish male friend who lives in town and has been here since February (and is cute) told me so :]
So we got back, and lunch time came around, which I was nervous but the food was really good and only a tiny bit spicy but really just enough to have flavor. We had chicken in some kind of red sauce, coleslaw something that was actually good and tasted nothing like coleslaw :], something resembling tofu but which tasted like eggs, rice (of course), and some soup that was really good. Then a little later Oeja came over to talk to me about my Alien Registration Card (to further be referred to as ARC) and decided my pictures that were such a hassle in the States wouldn't work because you couldn't see my ears. Weird reason. But I went and had to have my picture taken at a photo place just down the way. So I walked in, sat down, (he was expecting me - Oeja called ahead - she loves me :] ) he took the picture, then I sat and waited while he photoshopped it (yes, photoshopped it, for free, while I waited - take that Glamour Shots, I can just come to Korea and have it done for FREE!!) Anyway, haha, then he printed them out, cut them up, refused my money, and away I went back to school.
About 3, Oeja asks me if its okay if we go to Pohang to do my ARC today to which I say of course! The sooner the better. We hopped in the car and cruised to Pohang. Saw a Nicole, a friend from orientation in the immigration office. Do the ARC - which took forever because they couldn't find my address - look, I have the same problems in Korea as I did back home haha. Finally finished up about 5 and Oeja starts checking the time. Well, she lives in Pohang so if she were to take me back to Yeongdeok she wouldn't get home til 7, maybe, or I could just take the bus back by myself. Which I didn't mind and told her, so I took the bus by myself (she bought my ticket though - she felt so bad!) and it was fine. She also called Mr. Lee to have him pick me up at the bus station to make sure I got off at the right stop and so I wouldn't have to walk and then she called tonight to make sure everything was okay. haha She really does worry too much. Not even here a week and I already have all the mamas' attention. Which is funny because I'm usually the mama. Nice to not be though. Except when it gets too much and annoying and I miss my babies and getting to be the mama. But the too much doesn't happen very often and I just try not to think about the second... :[
So, my first day went very well and things are falling into place nicely (finally). And on top of all that I met someone in Yeongdeok on facebook (which has saved my life since I've been here) and he's super nice and has answered all my questions. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be in my apartment - only downside to that is no more free internet and someone else cooking my meals. But I'll take my own space over that and just frequent the starbucks internet cafe :] it only costs 1000 won an hour (about 92 cents) until I can get my internet. I'm excited to be in my own space though. I"ll take pictures with my laptop once I'm in and done cleaning and then with my camera once I get it. Yay for progress! :]
I hope everyone is well back home. I miss you all and wish you could experience this with me. Every day is an adventure! ♥
PS - Sorry the posts are always so long, I just get carried away. :]
And, photo for the day is.... drumroll please...
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| First Day Outfit :] |
Sunday, August 28, 2011
A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words
So I guess I'm saying an awful lot. :]
There are now about 150 photos on my facebook which I have appropriate from friends that actually didn't lose their camera. Hopefully I'll have mine by the end of the week now that I have the address for the school and they don't mind. Yay! :]
There are now about 150 photos on my facebook which I have appropriate from friends that actually didn't lose their camera. Hopefully I'll have mine by the end of the week now that I have the address for the school and they don't mind. Yay! :]
 |
| One of my favorites. :] |
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Off to Neverneverland.
So today Ha Ryeon (the physics teacher's daughter) took me around Yeongdeok a little. She asked me what I wanted to do and I said I wanted to buy a wallet so she decided we couldn't do that in Yeongdeok and asked me if I wanted to go to Pohang. So we did. Next thing I know we're buying tickets at the bus station and I was on the way to Pohang on the first public transportation I've ever ridden. When we got there we go off and walked over to the other side of the street to wait for a taxi, that's right, a taxi ride and a bus ride all in one day! So then we took taxi to downtown Pohang and walked around. I bought a cute wallet with a change pocket, the reason I needed a different wallet and some nail polish. We had KFC for lunch :] and then Baskin Robbins with her friend that wanted to meet me. :] If the shops in Yeongdeok are open tomorrow I'm going to buy a purse hopefully. After I walk to the school to find out how long it takes so I won't be late Monday morning, I'm going to explore the city and hopefully not get too lost.
After Ha Ryeon (oh, her English name is Anna but I like to use the Korean names) and I came home, we had dinner, her mom made chicken :D and some kind of rice and ginseng root soup. It had a texture similar to oatmeal that hasn't cooked quite long enough but the flavor was good. It was bland until I added salt, oh yes, this family has salt, :D and pieces of chicken. Then it was better. Unfortunately, Koreans don't drink a lot of water with their meals and I do, even for an American, and this family doesn't drink anything with their meals so that's hard and will definitely change once I get my own place but it's kind of nice not to have to worry about food and grocery shopping and stuff like that right now. I'll be able to focus on that next week when I'm doing my planning and stuff and trying to figure out all my school stuff. Okay, well maybe it would have been nice to be able to do it on the weekend and then focus just on school once I'm there. Course with 8 hours and no classes it's not like I won't have the time.
So tomorrow the parents are going to take Ha Ryeon back to Daegu and I told them I was going to stay here so I can take a shower after they leave tomorrow and not have to worry about it being wierd. And then I can go exploring :] with my cute new wallet. :]
Hope everything is well at home. Miss you all and wish you could see everything I'm seeing. Soon though.
♥Rose
After Ha Ryeon (oh, her English name is Anna but I like to use the Korean names) and I came home, we had dinner, her mom made chicken :D and some kind of rice and ginseng root soup. It had a texture similar to oatmeal that hasn't cooked quite long enough but the flavor was good. It was bland until I added salt, oh yes, this family has salt, :D and pieces of chicken. Then it was better. Unfortunately, Koreans don't drink a lot of water with their meals and I do, even for an American, and this family doesn't drink anything with their meals so that's hard and will definitely change once I get my own place but it's kind of nice not to have to worry about food and grocery shopping and stuff like that right now. I'll be able to focus on that next week when I'm doing my planning and stuff and trying to figure out all my school stuff. Okay, well maybe it would have been nice to be able to do it on the weekend and then focus just on school once I'm there. Course with 8 hours and no classes it's not like I won't have the time.
So tomorrow the parents are going to take Ha Ryeon back to Daegu and I told them I was going to stay here so I can take a shower after they leave tomorrow and not have to worry about it being wierd. And then I can go exploring :] with my cute new wallet. :]
Hope everything is well at home. Miss you all and wish you could see everything I'm seeing. Soon though.
♥Rose
| New Wallet! |
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| I'm excited :] |
Friday, August 26, 2011
Ummm, yeah.
So I made it Yeongdeok. It's very nice. The people are amazing. But... things are still a little stressful.
Oh, and the population is 13,000. As a reference, Titusville had 40,000....
So let me just start from the beginning. We rode the buses to Gumi (long "u" - not gummy) today, stopped for lunch, had more bibimbap (I was starting to think it was all Koreans ate!!) then milled around for an hour to kill time and then got back on the bus to drive to a different parking lot. That's where our co-teachers picked us up. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I found out on the bus that I'm the only person that got placed in this tiny little town. So anyway, we get off, grab our luggage, I put on my vest and changed shoes so I'd be all nice and professional, and not 5 minutes later a man walks up with a sign with my name on it. So I raise my hand, he helps me grab my luggage and we make a mad dash for his van. We were out before most people were in. So we're in the car and it's a 2 and a half hour ride. We covered everything from our names, Rose and Ha Yeong-Je, respectively of course :], to his family, my family, our ages, the school, "our students" (his words not mine). Then we are about 5-10 minutes away and he decides we're going to stop at a rest stop. Okay, I figure he's probably gotta pee, he's been driving for the last 5 hours. So he asks me if I have to go, I say no, he says okay, then tells me I should get out and look around. I oblige, next thing I know we're in the little shop and he's buying me a bottle of water then we walk out onto this deck thing. I forgot to mention two things, one, and most importantly, I spotted the ocean about 2 minutes before and almost lost it, and 2, among topics of conversation (fyi he spoke english impressively well, meaning he could get out sentences with limited mistakes and we could have something resembling a conversation) we discussed my appearance (I "have a nice face" to which I couldn't help but beam haha, his appearance, his children and home which I have been invited to, and my living arrangements for the time being, which I'll get to in a minute...) So we're standing on the deck, the East Sea wind is blowing in my face and I am in my happy place. Just like that. Knowing that no matter what happens, it's okay because I can see the ocean. So we get back in the van, and drive, and I realize I can't actually see the ocean from the town. There is one line of mountains (we're in the valley) between me and the ocean, but a 10 minute drive, 20 minutes bicycle ride south takes care of that problem
So we pull up to the school, I get out, the girls - oh yeah it's an all girls middle and high school right next to each other. And each school has ~200 students each. Yeah :] Which means class size 26 :D So anyway, one girl sees me and that's it. They rush to the windows and start yelling hello!! and waving and the works. I totally feel like a celebrity, and a little silly, but it distracts me from the dinosaur of anxiety amassing on my chest and crushing my lungs. So we get inside, the principals office is RIGHT there, I meet him, blah blah blah, a lot of Korean, some broken english, some attempted translating my wonderful best new friend Yeong-Je Seonsangnim (Teacher :]) and a lot of confusion paired with some delicious and much appreciated coffee and me forgetting all the Korean I had planned out in my head with the silly exception of Annyeonghasseyo (Hello). Boo. So anyway, that finishes, I leave a little confused, we walk into the teachers' room (because yeah, apparently I'm meeting all of them right now too. Grrreeaaattt....) and I am then met with "Hi, I'm the English teacher :]" (yeah, I'm confused too - oh I forgot to add she's Korean) so I think okay... I have two coteachers for one school.... Greaatttt.... Oh well, more help. Well, apparently not because she takes my wrist (come to find out she is either really touchy in general or she just really likes to touch me, like the principal.... yeah) and introduces me to everyone while the man I've just spent the last 2 and a half hours getting to know and getting comfortable around and laughing and bonding with falls away into the background. I'm a little in panic mode, most especially since now I have like 5 new names thrown at me, all in Korean of course, and people trying out all the English they know, which wasn't much but was very appreciated. So then we sit down, the Korean english teacher, apparently my co-teacher, and I, and begin. She gives me the form for my Alien Registration Card and instructions in english for the form, and starts right in telling me what I have to have and whatnot. Her english is pretty good for right now. Then we go over some other details like I teach everyday from 9-5 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at the high school and Thursday and Friday at the middle school next door. But I'll have a different coteacher over there. I think. But not a different principal? I don't know. I'm still pretty confused. So, then I try to ask what I'm supposed to make my lessons on/about/anything and she gets very confused, I get confused, I struggle to find a way to clarify, she struggles to understand, lots of frustration, explaining, reexplaining, etc, finally she understands and proceeds to tell me that I have no curriculum. NONE. And that there is no schedule and it's all conversational english that they're focusing on so whatever I come up with is what they want... So while reeling from that and the lack of solid information about anything, except that the school is going to deposit 300,000 KRW into my bank account as soon as I give them my bank information for supplies and materials and whatever I need (also, I think it may be a monthly allowance, I'm really not sure at all.) I try to find out how many lessons I will be required to create. I find out 3 for middle, and 2 for high but then something else about providing 2 for the other Korean English teachers to use in their class... I don't know. I'm soooo confused. It must be the theme for the day. So then it's time to apparently go out to dinner with the principal (yeah...), and Mr Li (the physics teacher, you'll find out why he's important in a minute) and his daughter. So my friend Yeong-Je and I go back out to his van where all my stuff is, all the girls holler and yell and wave goodbye, yeah, celebrity status :], I Korean heart them back, they go crazy and we get into the van. Yeong-Je asks me how it was, what I thought of the school, etc (opinions and first impressions are verry important) and we head to Mr Li's house. Yeah. Because as I was informed in the van, the power in my house isn't on yet so I'm going to stay with him (and his family as I soon learned) in their house. Very nice of them but I wish I had my own place. But kind of not. Ugh. So anyway, his son comes out and they help me get everything into the elevator and then up to the 7th floor and into the apartment (not house) and into my room, which is the daughters room, (who I'm apparently supposed to be attached to except I found out tonight she's going back to school in Daegu Sunday, a trip which I apparently decided to accompany them on....I'm going to try to get out. Maybe say I have too much work to do before Monday... I don't know. Oh yeah, because I'm supposed to email my whatever lady an introduction/greeting words for her to use to introduce me on Monday at our teachers' meeting... oh gooooood :/ ) So anyway, we get the stuff in, I get introduced to them, except I don't remember their names :/ and then head back out. Yeong-Je leaves and wishes me luck and the such and I feel naked left with these people I don't know. But the son, who I'm going to guess is maybe 23ish, speaks English very well, and the daughter who is apparently studying English in Daegu is 20. Oh the boy studies in Busan. He's suuper nice though and really great about helping with language, I wish he was staying. :[ Anyway, we get in the car and drive 5 minutes (but then I think everything here might be 5 minutes away from anywhere else, which is good since I'll be walking to school. Need to find out how long that's gonna take...
Anywho, dinner with the principal. Riiigght. We go in, I guess it's Korean barbeque. Not really sure, kind of looks like most of the other places we've been too though. Buuuut, we got food other than bibimbap!! YAYAYAYAY! This was serious cause for celebration. And on top of that the boy asked me what I wanted and I got to pick fried beef, which they bring raw and you fry in a super hot pan at the table, very awesome. Only downside? Well except for the principal continuously insisting I eat more, which was meant well, was sitting on the floor and my left leg going numb after 10 minutes. So good meal, lots of good food, even better coffee (which I learned to order as "mixed coffee" - and perfectly mixed if I do say so myself but extreeememly hot) and overall not too much awkward tension which was nice. So by this time I'm relaxed a little again and we head back to Mr Li's house and I change clothes, met the mom, suppper sweet woman, very enthusiastic and excited to meet me and curious :] and then just hung out with the family and talked, with the kids working as translators occasionally, and ate really good dried mango from the Philippines and mango/squash/orange juice that they drink here, and then the dad came home with a watermelon (which someone told me were like $12 or $13 here (crazy!!) But the mom is so cute. She told me I could call her Mother haha. too cute. So at least I found people to take care of me if I do need it later down the line. Which leads me to the silver lining of this no personal space, housing confusion balloon (I'm not sure there is a silver lining to the rest of the confusion balloons but at least I got one...) - I kind of like knowing someone is concerned for my general well being in the town I'm in. It's nice. Oh and, forgot to mention, I now have plans for the weekend. haha. Instead of going around town with just the daughter tomorrow, apparently it's going to be a family affair haha, and considering the size of the town, possibly a town affair :]. Anyway, I am scheduled to receive a proper tour around Yeongdeok, in a car and everything :] by a local too! So can't beat that for exploring huh? Bitches in other cities, with no confusion. HA. :'[ I also have that thing on Sunday but that's just supposed to be because they think I have friends in Daegu, because I told them I do, because I do, from orientation, but I don't need to see them Sunday and its just the parents taking the daughter back to school and then coming back, but I really do need to do my prep stuff for my week of prep. haha. Oh yeah, and I don't have classes the first week so I get a chance to get settled in and classes start September 5. Which is nice. Especially considering the amount of actual knowledge I have on the situation right now. Oh, and then the kids invited me out tonight with them but I decided to stay in like a homebody because I'm tired and I know it wouldn't be relaxing, it would be putting on a show which is normally fine, everyone point and stare and all the rest but tonight I'm just too tired.
Also, for being out in the country (which I most certainly am) there is so much noise. The whole city and all the people are packed with probably 20 sq miles. It's a little ridiculous actually. But hopefully I'll be a little more on the outskirts and less in dowtown. If there is a downtown of 20 miles haha. So lastly, before I go, (insane that is) apparently there are 7 other native english speakers running around this town so. 7 in 13,000. I should find them by Tuesday haha. So, off to fill out what I can of the ARC (Alien Registration Card) application and then off to bed so I can get up early to skype with my wonderful mother early so I don't go crazy. Oh, and email that lady that stuff... This is silly. I would really rather just go to sleep but I can't.
Oh, and the population is 13,000. As a reference, Titusville had 40,000....
So let me just start from the beginning. We rode the buses to Gumi (long "u" - not gummy) today, stopped for lunch, had more bibimbap (I was starting to think it was all Koreans ate!!) then milled around for an hour to kill time and then got back on the bus to drive to a different parking lot. That's where our co-teachers picked us up. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I found out on the bus that I'm the only person that got placed in this tiny little town. So anyway, we get off, grab our luggage, I put on my vest and changed shoes so I'd be all nice and professional, and not 5 minutes later a man walks up with a sign with my name on it. So I raise my hand, he helps me grab my luggage and we make a mad dash for his van. We were out before most people were in. So we're in the car and it's a 2 and a half hour ride. We covered everything from our names, Rose and Ha Yeong-Je, respectively of course :], to his family, my family, our ages, the school, "our students" (his words not mine). Then we are about 5-10 minutes away and he decides we're going to stop at a rest stop. Okay, I figure he's probably gotta pee, he's been driving for the last 5 hours. So he asks me if I have to go, I say no, he says okay, then tells me I should get out and look around. I oblige, next thing I know we're in the little shop and he's buying me a bottle of water then we walk out onto this deck thing. I forgot to mention two things, one, and most importantly, I spotted the ocean about 2 minutes before and almost lost it, and 2, among topics of conversation (fyi he spoke english impressively well, meaning he could get out sentences with limited mistakes and we could have something resembling a conversation) we discussed my appearance (I "have a nice face" to which I couldn't help but beam haha, his appearance, his children and home which I have been invited to, and my living arrangements for the time being, which I'll get to in a minute...) So we're standing on the deck, the East Sea wind is blowing in my face and I am in my happy place. Just like that. Knowing that no matter what happens, it's okay because I can see the ocean. So we get back in the van, and drive, and I realize I can't actually see the ocean from the town. There is one line of mountains (we're in the valley) between me and the ocean, but a 10 minute drive, 20 minutes bicycle ride south takes care of that problem
So we pull up to the school, I get out, the girls - oh yeah it's an all girls middle and high school right next to each other. And each school has ~200 students each. Yeah :] Which means class size 26 :D So anyway, one girl sees me and that's it. They rush to the windows and start yelling hello!! and waving and the works. I totally feel like a celebrity, and a little silly, but it distracts me from the dinosaur of anxiety amassing on my chest and crushing my lungs. So we get inside, the principals office is RIGHT there, I meet him, blah blah blah, a lot of Korean, some broken english, some attempted translating my wonderful best new friend Yeong-Je Seonsangnim (Teacher :]) and a lot of confusion paired with some delicious and much appreciated coffee and me forgetting all the Korean I had planned out in my head with the silly exception of Annyeonghasseyo (Hello). Boo. So anyway, that finishes, I leave a little confused, we walk into the teachers' room (because yeah, apparently I'm meeting all of them right now too. Grrreeaaattt....) and I am then met with "Hi, I'm the English teacher :]" (yeah, I'm confused too - oh I forgot to add she's Korean) so I think okay... I have two coteachers for one school.... Greaatttt.... Oh well, more help. Well, apparently not because she takes my wrist (come to find out she is either really touchy in general or she just really likes to touch me, like the principal.... yeah) and introduces me to everyone while the man I've just spent the last 2 and a half hours getting to know and getting comfortable around and laughing and bonding with falls away into the background. I'm a little in panic mode, most especially since now I have like 5 new names thrown at me, all in Korean of course, and people trying out all the English they know, which wasn't much but was very appreciated. So then we sit down, the Korean english teacher, apparently my co-teacher, and I, and begin. She gives me the form for my Alien Registration Card and instructions in english for the form, and starts right in telling me what I have to have and whatnot. Her english is pretty good for right now. Then we go over some other details like I teach everyday from 9-5 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at the high school and Thursday and Friday at the middle school next door. But I'll have a different coteacher over there. I think. But not a different principal? I don't know. I'm still pretty confused. So, then I try to ask what I'm supposed to make my lessons on/about/anything and she gets very confused, I get confused, I struggle to find a way to clarify, she struggles to understand, lots of frustration, explaining, reexplaining, etc, finally she understands and proceeds to tell me that I have no curriculum. NONE. And that there is no schedule and it's all conversational english that they're focusing on so whatever I come up with is what they want... So while reeling from that and the lack of solid information about anything, except that the school is going to deposit 300,000 KRW into my bank account as soon as I give them my bank information for supplies and materials and whatever I need (also, I think it may be a monthly allowance, I'm really not sure at all.) I try to find out how many lessons I will be required to create. I find out 3 for middle, and 2 for high but then something else about providing 2 for the other Korean English teachers to use in their class... I don't know. I'm soooo confused. It must be the theme for the day. So then it's time to apparently go out to dinner with the principal (yeah...), and Mr Li (the physics teacher, you'll find out why he's important in a minute) and his daughter. So my friend Yeong-Je and I go back out to his van where all my stuff is, all the girls holler and yell and wave goodbye, yeah, celebrity status :], I Korean heart them back, they go crazy and we get into the van. Yeong-Je asks me how it was, what I thought of the school, etc (opinions and first impressions are verry important) and we head to Mr Li's house. Yeah. Because as I was informed in the van, the power in my house isn't on yet so I'm going to stay with him (and his family as I soon learned) in their house. Very nice of them but I wish I had my own place. But kind of not. Ugh. So anyway, his son comes out and they help me get everything into the elevator and then up to the 7th floor and into the apartment (not house) and into my room, which is the daughters room, (who I'm apparently supposed to be attached to except I found out tonight she's going back to school in Daegu Sunday, a trip which I apparently decided to accompany them on....I'm going to try to get out. Maybe say I have too much work to do before Monday... I don't know. Oh yeah, because I'm supposed to email my whatever lady an introduction/greeting words for her to use to introduce me on Monday at our teachers' meeting... oh gooooood :/ ) So anyway, we get the stuff in, I get introduced to them, except I don't remember their names :/ and then head back out. Yeong-Je leaves and wishes me luck and the such and I feel naked left with these people I don't know. But the son, who I'm going to guess is maybe 23ish, speaks English very well, and the daughter who is apparently studying English in Daegu is 20. Oh the boy studies in Busan. He's suuper nice though and really great about helping with language, I wish he was staying. :[ Anyway, we get in the car and drive 5 minutes (but then I think everything here might be 5 minutes away from anywhere else, which is good since I'll be walking to school. Need to find out how long that's gonna take...
Anywho, dinner with the principal. Riiigght. We go in, I guess it's Korean barbeque. Not really sure, kind of looks like most of the other places we've been too though. Buuuut, we got food other than bibimbap!! YAYAYAYAY! This was serious cause for celebration. And on top of that the boy asked me what I wanted and I got to pick fried beef, which they bring raw and you fry in a super hot pan at the table, very awesome. Only downside? Well except for the principal continuously insisting I eat more, which was meant well, was sitting on the floor and my left leg going numb after 10 minutes. So good meal, lots of good food, even better coffee (which I learned to order as "mixed coffee" - and perfectly mixed if I do say so myself but extreeememly hot) and overall not too much awkward tension which was nice. So by this time I'm relaxed a little again and we head back to Mr Li's house and I change clothes, met the mom, suppper sweet woman, very enthusiastic and excited to meet me and curious :] and then just hung out with the family and talked, with the kids working as translators occasionally, and ate really good dried mango from the Philippines and mango/squash/orange juice that they drink here, and then the dad came home with a watermelon (which someone told me were like $12 or $13 here (crazy!!) But the mom is so cute. She told me I could call her Mother haha. too cute. So at least I found people to take care of me if I do need it later down the line. Which leads me to the silver lining of this no personal space, housing confusion balloon (I'm not sure there is a silver lining to the rest of the confusion balloons but at least I got one...) - I kind of like knowing someone is concerned for my general well being in the town I'm in. It's nice. Oh and, forgot to mention, I now have plans for the weekend. haha. Instead of going around town with just the daughter tomorrow, apparently it's going to be a family affair haha, and considering the size of the town, possibly a town affair :]. Anyway, I am scheduled to receive a proper tour around Yeongdeok, in a car and everything :] by a local too! So can't beat that for exploring huh? Bitches in other cities, with no confusion. HA. :'[ I also have that thing on Sunday but that's just supposed to be because they think I have friends in Daegu, because I told them I do, because I do, from orientation, but I don't need to see them Sunday and its just the parents taking the daughter back to school and then coming back, but I really do need to do my prep stuff for my week of prep. haha. Oh yeah, and I don't have classes the first week so I get a chance to get settled in and classes start September 5. Which is nice. Especially considering the amount of actual knowledge I have on the situation right now. Oh, and then the kids invited me out tonight with them but I decided to stay in like a homebody because I'm tired and I know it wouldn't be relaxing, it would be putting on a show which is normally fine, everyone point and stare and all the rest but tonight I'm just too tired.
Also, for being out in the country (which I most certainly am) there is so much noise. The whole city and all the people are packed with probably 20 sq miles. It's a little ridiculous actually. But hopefully I'll be a little more on the outskirts and less in dowtown. If there is a downtown of 20 miles haha. So lastly, before I go, (insane that is) apparently there are 7 other native english speakers running around this town so. 7 in 13,000. I should find them by Tuesday haha. So, off to fill out what I can of the ARC (Alien Registration Card) application and then off to bed so I can get up early to skype with my wonderful mother early so I don't go crazy. Oh, and email that lady that stuff... This is silly. I would really rather just go to sleep but I can't.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Hello World Pt. 2
So I left off on the fieldtrip. Monday morning I woke up feeling okay, not great but not like death. We ate breakfast and then boarded the buses to head out. We left about 9am and headed to the Traditional Culture Center about 30 minutes away or so. There we got to see and do traditional Korean dance, then we went into the craft room and made traditional Korean paper fans , then finished off with some really awesome Korean drumming called Samulnori http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-q9tvKrZcQ go to 3:00 to hear what it really sounds like. It's really awesome. After that we went to a restaurant called Han-byuk-roo and had bibimbop, a traditional Korean dish, and some other small dishes, for lunch. Bibimbop is... not my favorite dish but it's also not the worst thing I've ever eaten and it's very filling. But not really my thing. Then we got to take a walking tour through a historic area called Hyang-gyo and then spend some time in historic Hanok Village. After that we got on the buses and rode for an hour and a half up a mountain to the Keumsan Temple. It was beautiful. We walked down a path covered by great big old trees and then crossed a bridge over a beautiful stream splashing down over rocks and then climbed the mountain the rest of the way to the top where the temples sat. Inside the temples were lots of huge, like 10-15 feet tall, gold covered Buddha and their smaller female counterparts. It was really beautiful and it was really cool to get to see and experience a part of the asian, particularly Korean, culture but while I was standing at the temple looking at everything all I could hear was Satan whispering "Don't you wanna try it? Don't you just wanna bow before the statue?" At which point I got nauseous and promptly exited the temple stage left and set into a very thorough prayer for protection and guidance and the wisdom to know where to go and how far is too far into the culture. Then I went up the rest of the way to the veerrryy top of the mountain, saw the rest of the sights to see, appreciated the beauty and the difference and what it all lent to the culture and went back down. Then my stomach started cramping so bad I just sat down til we went back down the mountain. Back down by the buses we went over to the water and the rocks and got to splash around or sit on the rocks or whatever. Some of the boys found a rock that worked as a water slide and since they didn't mind getting wet they jumped in and did the "look at me I'm so cool" boy thing haha. So we sat around and did that for a while, then got back on the buses and headed back to the dorms. Felt worse and worse all day, really awful when we got back so I crashed in my room. Missed dinner, when I woke up I was super dizzy and my throat was dramatically worse so I went down and saw the nurse and she gave me a pill for my dizziness and 3 sets of 2 for my throat, 1 for that night, and 2 for the next day to be taken after eating. So I ate some crackers left over from the flight and took the pills and crashed again. Tuesday I woke still feeling really awful, full day of classes, early to bed, classes all day Wednesday and then working on my lesson plan then bed.
Which brings me to today, Thursday. :] Today we watched and presented our lesson plans all day and then gave feedback on everything. THEN FINALLLLLLLY, we had our meetings with our POEs (basically our managers) to sign our final contract and find out where we're going and what we're teaching and everything. Soooo, drumroll pleaseeeee..... I am going to be living in a very small... village, for lack of a better word, called Yeongdeok, pronounced more like Yengdek than Youngduck but really somewhere in between the two haha. Anyway, it's a tiny fishing village on the east coast. And I'm teaching middle and high school but it's in the same school so hopefully in the same building. So maybe not that many kids? I don't know. The hardest part is going to be teaching to that level... But, God put me where he wants me so Yeongdeok it is :]
Tomorrow morning we get on the bus at 8 am for a 3-4 hour bus ride and then our co-teachers pick us up and from there another 2-3 hour car ride to my province where I will start getting everything set up and hopefully I will have a nice co-teacher who is willing to help me do stuff like get food and cleaning supplies for my apartment, my Alien Registration car next week, and then my phone and internet ASAP. Which means that I will not have internet in my apartment for at least a week, probably more like 2, hopefully not anymore than that. I might die. But I will have it at work and they have places over here called PC bangs, which are basically internet cafes where I can pay a super cheap amount and use the wifi til I get mine set up in my apartment. But I will continue to keep everyone as updated as possible and will take as many pictures with my laptop as I can until I get my camera. Anyway, off to pack and get ready for tomorrow. Til next time.
Rose
PS. Pictures!! :]
The fan we made on our fieldtrip!
My first professional outfit!! :] For our lesson demonstrations in front of our POEs today
A map of my location in reference to Daegu - a big city over here. It's about the middle of the country north to south. And on the east coast obviously :]
Which brings me to today, Thursday. :] Today we watched and presented our lesson plans all day and then gave feedback on everything. THEN FINALLLLLLLY, we had our meetings with our POEs (basically our managers) to sign our final contract and find out where we're going and what we're teaching and everything. Soooo, drumroll pleaseeeee..... I am going to be living in a very small... village, for lack of a better word, called Yeongdeok, pronounced more like Yengdek than Youngduck but really somewhere in between the two haha. Anyway, it's a tiny fishing village on the east coast. And I'm teaching middle and high school but it's in the same school so hopefully in the same building. So maybe not that many kids? I don't know. The hardest part is going to be teaching to that level... But, God put me where he wants me so Yeongdeok it is :]
Tomorrow morning we get on the bus at 8 am for a 3-4 hour bus ride and then our co-teachers pick us up and from there another 2-3 hour car ride to my province where I will start getting everything set up and hopefully I will have a nice co-teacher who is willing to help me do stuff like get food and cleaning supplies for my apartment, my Alien Registration car next week, and then my phone and internet ASAP. Which means that I will not have internet in my apartment for at least a week, probably more like 2, hopefully not anymore than that. I might die. But I will have it at work and they have places over here called PC bangs, which are basically internet cafes where I can pay a super cheap amount and use the wifi til I get mine set up in my apartment. But I will continue to keep everyone as updated as possible and will take as many pictures with my laptop as I can until I get my camera. Anyway, off to pack and get ready for tomorrow. Til next time.
Rose
PS. Pictures!! :]
The fan we made on our fieldtrip!
My first professional outfit!! :] For our lesson demonstrations in front of our POEs today A map of my location in reference to Daegu - a big city over here. It's about the middle of the country north to south. And on the east coast obviously :]
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