Day 8- Wipeout of the Century!

I woke up today feeling like doo-doo from the beer and chicken I had consumed last night.  Now add that to the late night skype sessions and dreary weather.  This glorious day was the day I would have  to head to the hospital for tests that all foreign teachers have to do (lack of motivation to the max this morning).  I woke up and texted my co-worker (who was coming with me to the hospital) to ask her if we could leave later than the 9am time we had discussed the night before and she graciously accepted my offer and we met up at 11.  Now when the sun is out (which is has been for the 7 days I have been here) waking up is not a challenge, the sun shines through my SMALL SMALL windows to greet me in the morning.  However, today was a completely different story...it was STILL raining from last night and had yet to stop or slow down...Yes rainy season is upon me.  So when I went out today everything was full of puddles and unfortunately for me, the wind was blowing the rain sideways so although I had my umbrella...I was getting SOAKED!

There is only ONE thing worse than walking around in wet cold clothes, having to take them off and then put them back on (which is what happened when I got to the Hospital).  Having the medical staff tell me to do certain tasks while speaking very limited English made for a very interesting visit, however everyone was so nice (makes me want to learn Korean more and more every day).  One thing is for sure though, it amazes me how efficient the Korean medical staff is.  I got my blood taken, did some x-rays, had my blood pressure taken, an eye test, a hearing test, peed in a cup, got my teeth looked at and filled out forms in less than an hour...talk about SPEEDY. 

The rain damped the mood of the morning but it all got worse once my co-teacher and her friend left and I headed home to get ready for my next little trip.  As I was heading home to change my wet clothes, I got onto the bus and walked toward the back looking for an empty seat...I found a seat alright, ON THE FLOOR.  Now let me just tell you, my wipe out was not graceful and beautiful like it happens in movies where the attractive man comes and helps the girl up as she laughs it off.  Since the floor was wet, I fell and then SLID down the isle of the bus in the muddy water that was on the floor all the way to the back of the bus and DID anyone help me? NOPE, not that I needed help...however a little concern would have been appreciated.  Instead, I got a multitude of stares with completely blank facial expressions, at that moment I got up and did the walk of shame back to the front of the bus.  As soon as I sat down I started laughing really hard at the entire situation and thought that this was one of many embarrassing moments that I am sure will happen.  Now when I got up to get off at my stop, I looked at my legs to see them covered in brown dried up water...I probably wouldn't have noticed if all the Korean older women were staring at my legs.  Thank you Agimas for letting me know :) What an attractive girl I am!! :P hahaa

So after the wet bus wipe out that concerned everyone on the bus, I went home and talked with a friend of mine from University WHO just got to Korea! I AM SOOOO EXCITED TO HAVE ANOTHER CANADIAN!!! WOOHOOOO!! We skyped and discussed some of our plans for tomorrow (our first Korean reunion).  After the super exciting skype session, I headed to Seoul to meet up with some people from church to go bowling! Little did we know that the bowling alley had be closed down a while ago so instead we went for dinner and a movie!  I had a large smoothie (apparently it was the largest thing people in Korea had ever seen but in North America I am pretty sure it could have been a medium).  People stared at me  as I drank the smoothie while the others ate a meal, cheap and fulfilling...mmm.  We watched Spiderman which was UHMAZING!!! I LOVED LOVED LOVED IT! I recommend it for sure! I am not sure if I enjoyed it so much because it was my first Korean movie experience or if it is because it was actually that good.  Either way, I enjoyed the movie experience and had an amazing time with this really great group of people.  Today was both productive and fun, FINALLY! :P 

Day 7- It's FRIDAY (not to be confused with Rebecca Black's song)

Oh Fridays, how I love you! :) So today was Friday and it could not have come sooner! I get off work at 6:25pm on Fridays (super awesome) even though today I didn't since it was testing day, the point is that there are many joyous  Friday extravaganza's to come.  I was very much ready for the weekend to take place where I would be able to process all I have learned this week and also get some "me time".
Today was awesome for a variety of reasons:

1) We had Big Assessment Testing which happens at the end of every month and I just happened to come at the right time.  It is where all the elementary classes have tests, making my job very easy.  I hand out the test, sit in the room and answer any questions the students might have.  I do have to grade 3 classes tests but most of the time I just refer to a book which tells me the answers.  It is time consuming, however it is a glorious experience to just sit back and relax for a few hours while the students give me cut-eye thinking I wrote their test...Jokes on them :P. 

2) I was able to go out with one of my co-foreign teachers for dinner and beers tonight! SOOO much fun.  Tonight was one of the only times in Korea so far, that I felt I was able to completely let my guard down and just talk.  We swapped some stories over the most scrumptious chicken and beer that I have ever tasted (I am not even exaggerating for blogging purposes).  I ate it off the bone, it was a tub of baked chicken that you can dip in 2 sauces of your choice and just go to town, and let me tell you...it was a great time.  I am finally ok with eating bones and funky looking chicken parts, mmm tastes like more :).  During our conversations, there were some moments that I was laughing so hard I was crying as my colleague and friend told me her life stories and what is to come for my Korean experience.

3) The Kindergarteners were very well behaved today and we had a lot of fun together! Today I taught some core reading, math and journaling but I also got to teach my FAVOURITE class Arts and Crafts.  We got to make cell phones today (out of foam paper) and let me just say that EVERYONE was asking for my number, I felt so honoured :P  I had some really nice pictures drawn for me by some of the kids and as they handed it to me they said "I love you".  I am so glad I pushed to teach the Kindergarten age group, it is so much better and encouraging to work with people who constantly tell you that they love you as well as "Erika Teacher, you are beautiful" and "Good work Erika Teacher" after I teach their classes. 

One of the little girls drew this for me and said: Don't forget us

This is supposed to be a Dragon (fail)

4) The kids completely take on sayings that you do and may not notice, making you feel super popular and chic :P (not really but sorta...).  So today after one of my kids read their sentence from the book we were reading together I said "wow way to go, you are a super star" and for the rest of the day my homeroom class was walking around the halls telling everyone they were a "super star and should go".  They butchered a large chunk of the saying but they are so cute that that I don't even mind them misquoting me :)  Ha I love my life. 

Ok this one I was trying....

Rainy season has begun, constant drizzle is before us and I thought that I would be completely into it since in my mind rain means less humidity.  However,  in Korea the humidity REMAINS as it rains for a whole straight month meaning horrid hair days are upon me.  I went to school today with luscious brown locks and left today looking like a hot mess...here is the proof of that (insert picture and sarcastic remarks here).  I have a feeling I will not enjoy the rainy season but hey, everything is what you make it and the grass and flowers most definitely need to be watered so I have decided to have a singing in the rain party where a group of us will all go out on one rainy night and sing and dance in the streets.  I think it sounds like an excellent plan although I have no takers yet...maybe one night in the near future I will be able to recruit.

This is the true look...the horrid horrid truth of what the rainy season does to my hair.

I am excited for the weekend to finally be here! I have some plans for the weekend that I am super excited about:
1) Go to get my health check and pay a mandatory 80,000 won for a test  I need to teach English and get my immigration card (not super excited about this BUT it does mean one step closer to having my bank account set up.  Money!!!).
2) Going to a baseball game with a group of international people from my church (super fun times).
3) Having a sleepover over with a super awesome new friend of mine.
4) Going into the city for church and hangout times.

So all that being said, my life doesn't get much better than this :p.  I am honestly so excited for this weekend and it is truly amazing how one day I can feel insecure about teaching but the next day there is nothing but positive things to say.  I am excited when I think about all the fun activities that are headed my way and although I have a lot to know, remember and understand, I have learned that if I take it one day at a time, everyday will have something to celebrate. 

Day 6- One of those Days

So today was a great day, walked into the school at exactly 10am with my fellow colleagues and a iced latte in hand that one of the other foreign teachers so kindly purchased for me :).  Today was the first day that I felt completely comfortable with my fellow foreign teachers.  I was very excited because I felt like I was finally starting to make friends and not just be the needy cling-on new teacher with all the questions.  So today teaching the Kindergarteners was a complete joy, I love the little kids...sometimes they do get moody, however they are always excited as soon as I show some energy (which luckily for me, isn't too difficult).  

Today I felt I had great success with one of the kids who never participates, he read and spoke in my class and ACTUALLY drew a picture which I was very excited about.  Apparently he is one of the kids who gets in trouble all the time for sitting in class and refusing to do anything but with some coaxing and encouragement I was able to get him to participate.  After eating lunch (which was super good today, I ate PORK!!! It was fantastic and I finally had some vegetables! Oh how I have missed them) all of the teachers and their homeroom classes went to the room that we use as a "gym" and I found out the homeroom teachers are supposed to put together a song with their classes and they all compete to see whose is the best.  Sadly I had only sang one song with my kids, "Do your ears hang low"...it wasn't a complete fail but it was also not the greatest.  I think they had fun though, which is the important part right? :P (I have to keep remembering to have that mentality since I am finding that the attitude I see a lot here is to be the BEST at everything).  Do you think I should let them in on the secret that no one is perfect and being the best at EVERYTHING is impossible? ...After much thought, I think I will leave that job to someone else who is NOT teaching their children :P.

So after the Kindergarten kids left, I was to teach 5 classes and all of them went well except for one.  Today was the first class that I had to work through a workbook with them and I can honestly say some of the things that were being asked in this book I had never even heard of.  I was teaching the kids all of these things that  I thought was right, only to realize after class that I was completely wrong...the word I was reading was not what it actually meant.  I felt pretty guilty about it and am praying no parents looked at the book and knew what the words were because one thing I have learned today: Korean parents are SERIOUS about their children's education, even in Kindergarten.

 Today I got a complaint that I might not know how to teach certain aspects of their curriculum from a parent whose child is in my homeroom Kindergarten class.  What I taught was correct but my student did not understand it and I took it pretty personal when I was corrected and asked if other teachers should sit in on my class.  As I reflect on that interaction now, I think it would be a great experience to have others sit in on my class and help me to be the best teacher I can.  It is only my 1st week and there are many things I don't know, I need to be humble, especially when working in a BRAND NEW country, let alone a teaching position I have never had before.  I need to take it one day at a time, today is not the only time I will mess up and make a complete fool out of myself and I need to be aware of that. 

Not only did I have a complaint but I found out that instead of getting paid July 10th as I thought, I would have to wait till AUGUST 10th!! AHHH how will I survive? Luckily my director is pretty awesome and said she would help me out if I needed it.  Note to anyone reading this and thinking of coming to Korea, bring more than 500$, you will need it.  Everything is so fast paced her and there is so much you will want to do for your first few months here but DO NOT GIVE IN...you will have to wait a long while till you get paid. 

Most of the negative information I discovered was at the end of my day which did put a damper on my walk home, but after talking about it with another foreign teacher, she told me it was normal and things will happen all the time that we do not expect.  Who knew Korean parents were so intense? Oh yah...I DID! ahha

I am so ready for the weekend, I need time to take it all in and start planning out my new teaching life! They keep telling me not to take my papers home and to rest but I think I will need to take some things home and look them over before I teach, it's all about trial and error right?  I was thrown in as soon as I got here and it will take time for me to figure out my teaching strategy and how I will do certain classes the way that benefits all the children involved. 

I just keep needing to remind myself that everyone has one of these days...tomorrow is a new day with new mistakes, new lessons and a new outlook.  Yay to a new sun rise! 

Day 5- Day by Day

Just in case people didn't know, I am a multi tasker...I am writing this blog as I cook my first dumplings.  The instructions are in Korean but I am sure it is nothing that boiling water and oil can't fix :).  So today was a good day, one of my busiest days teaching with no breaks in the morning (Kindergarteners all morning...KILLER) however because they are cute it works out.   In my afternoon classes though I had a 1 hour and 45 minute break which was incredibly boring but I learned how to use a Korean copy machine...I shouldn't say I learned since I watched someone and was able to do it with them by my side, alone however I think I would fail at it.  The kids were good today but I did make a kid cry, all I said was "that is wrong, here let's fix it".   I am not sure if he understood me or not but it was so amazing at how these Korean teachers deal with the kids.  I have never seen such beautiful tiny Korean ladies shout as loud as they do when some of these kids act up.  It just happened that the kid I made cry has a tendency to be a "baby" and therefore needs to be reminded constantly that he is "big brother" in the classroom.  There are many negatives with being a new teacher; the kids don't know you and therefore feel uncomfortable, you are not sure what the curriculum is and basically have to ask everyone about anything you might not understand (which is pretty much all day long).  However, one of the positives is that BECAUSE the kids don't know you, they are usually quieter and better behaved (well the elementary kids).  I am unsure if it is my whiteness or size that intimidates them but most of them look at me and then sit quietly as I discuss my class rules which consist of:

1) One person talks at a time

2) Raise your hand when you have a question

3) No speaking Korean in Class

4) HAVE FUN!

 It is amazing that it is only Wednesday and I am starting to feel more and more comfortable here.  I now know how to walk home from school alone!!! GREAT SUCCESS!!!  I also am building some friendships with the teachers at my school.  I still cannot get over how attractive all these Korean women are, they show up to school in the best looking clothes I have ever seen while I wear some jean shorts and t-shirt.  Just for the record, there are lots of things people say that are not allowed and every school is different so I am learning not to take just anyone's word for truth.  I was told showing your toes in school was inappropriate and painting your nails was not professional...both of those were falsehoods.  When we walk out of the elevator and into the school we take off our shoes and put on a pair of slippers they give us to teach in.  I now know why many people here drag their feet when they walk, the slippers are bamboo and I hear that to keep them on requires sliding your feet instead of full big steps (SOOO interesting right??? Just go with it :P).  I got my own pair of slippers today, they look like everyone else's in the building since we all wear the same one and since I have big feet I didn't think I would find a pair but since life wants to encourage me, I found one. 

I am now eating my dumplings and my oh my are they scrumptious! I have no idea what's inside of them some meat but it tastes pretty good to me! So on the topic of food, today lunch at the school was very interesting.  There was the rice, fried egg, fish soup (which I ate and it wasn't too bad), KIMCHI and jelly squares that are ground up acorns gone jello.  Now it sounds very nasty but it was pretty good, mixed in with the rice it tasted super good. 

Today I had another AMAZING devotional, I feel like God is trying to encourage me as I am far away from my entire life.  This is what it read: "Rise with me awhile.  You have journeyed up a steep, rugged path in recent days.  The way ahead is shrouded in uncertainty.  Look neither behind you nor before you.  Instead, focus your attention on Me, your constant Companion.  Trust that  I will equip fully for whatever awaits you on your journey.  I designed time to be a protection for you.  You couldn't bear to see all your life at once.  Though I am unlimited by time, it is in the present moment that I meet you.  Refresh yourself in My company, breathing deep draughts of My Presence.  I am with you, watching over you wherever you go".  Such a beautiful and comforting bit of writing and I can honestly say that reading these things puts my mindset in perspective every morning.  I find it so easy to get caught up in what I lost coming here and not enough on my present journey, all the things I am seeing and learning.  Blogging is a way for me to get my feelings and Korean journey out into the world but it is also very beneficial to assist me in all that I am experiencing.  I noticed today that when I was focusing on the day I was living and not on the future or the past, I enjoyed my day more than I had in a long time.  I don't remember feeling this free before, I see a great year ahead of me where I will experience and live through so many different areas but one thing is for sure: I will live each day here the best I can and focus on the experiences that are happening at that moment.  Korea is really teaching me to let everything go because I know nothing and must rely on others and the little knowledge I do .  Stressing, Worrying and Dwelling in the past does nothing for the life I am living at this exact moment in time, funny I had to wait till I was away from everyone who means anything to me in order to figure that out.

Day 4- A Full Nights Rest

I slept through the ENTIRE night!! woohoooo!!! I am feeling rejuvenated and ready for the day, however it does help that we have a field trip :P So I woke up this morning and opened a devotional book to come across this "Stay calmly conscious of Me today, no matter what.  Remember that I go before  you as well as with you into the day.  Nothing takes me by surprise.  I will not allow circumstances to overwhelm you, so long as you look to Me.  I will help you cope with whatever the moment presents.  Collaborating with Me brings blessings that far outweigh all your troubles.  Awareness of My Presence contains joy that can endure all eventualities".  Once I read that, I felt a complete peace over me because that was exactly how I was feeling upon waking up..."oh gosh what will today look like?" After thinking about what was written in my devotional book, I wondered if there is going to be some crazy event that happens today that will require me to stay calm...that made me feel anxious all over again (for a minute or so). Ahha we shall see what is in store! Well I must get ready for school but I will finish the blog when I return home :). 

Ok so I got home and today was a pretty awesome day, the weather ruled (there was a cool breeze) and I feel like I still have a lot of energy unlike yesterday.  I think it has to do with the facts that:

1) We got a new cook at the school and the food was DELCIOUS for lunch

So today for lunch there was this super yummy rice, some pork or beef stuff that tasted super amazing, some soup, fried onions and of course KIMCHI (which I LOVE).  Oh how I love ILS, I had some good talks with my coworkers today and we all got to sit in the teachers area and eat lunch together, it was nice :).  I work with some really great people and I am super excited to get to know them better, there are 3 foreign teachers at my school (including myself) and each of us have Korean co-teachers who help us with our homeroom classes, although we are never really in the same rooms together.  Anyways I went on a rant about something else when it was supposed to be about lunch...basically it was scrumptious and I wish I put more on my plate.

2)  We had a field trip today and so I didn't have to teach for 3 time periods :)

We got to go on a field trip today to the FIRE STATION, which only lasted 13 minutes because it hasn't rained in Korea in a while and there are lots of dry areas so there was only one fireman there when we arrived.  I can tell you that it was a pretty hectic 13 minutes, having the kids run around and climb on the fire truck (they are way more behaved then I am making them sound).  I got to take pictures of them at the fire station today and man are they ever adorable!!!! SUPER CUTEEEE! Is it sad that it is only my second day and I am already developing favourites? I know most teachers always say they don't have favourites but I am realizing that's a complete lie...ahaha. Back to the fire station...anyways so because we went to the fire station we got back to the school and got to speak to our kids about the experience and then in the afternoon didn't have to teach again until 2:30, it was a beautiful thing! :P

3) My kids on Tuesday RULE and are super smart

So today I had the same kindergartens in the morning but in the afternoon I had different classes then I had before and the kids are small geniuses...not really but they are super smart.  Most of my classes today have 2-4 students so it was a nice change of pace and because I am a new teacher, they tend to listen to me and not act too crazy...I wonder how long that will last? I taught 4 classes in the afternoon and each one of them was a joy to be around.

4) I went to my favourite little cafe (the only one I know so far)

This morning before school, I was able to go to the cafe I was writing about in the blog yesterday, it's called Lavain and is so pretty inside! The interesting thing about Korea is when you get something...it is never really what it seems to be.  For example, this morning I went into the cafe to get a little croissant...it was filled with something that resembled nacho cheese, now generally I think I would like that combination but since I wasn't expecting it, it freaked me right out.  Oh the joys of being in a place where labels mean nothing to you! :)

The nacho filled croissant 

So after school, A co-worker and I also got to go to emart and get my very first set of groceries, however since I don't get my first pay check in time...I limited my purchasing.  I am feeling more comfortable here as the days continue and even though I have a lot to learn, I am very excited to see what is in store for me.  I can do anything through him who gives me strength and let me tell you, he IS doing a great job :P   

Day 3-Teaching Begins

So I woke up today at 7am unable to sleep (I don't start work till 10am so that is a pretty early internal alarm clock going on).  I woke up and started feeling anxious about how my day would go today, I live about a 20 minute walk from the school so I had time to think about what the day would look like however before I left for school I took some time to read a motivational and inspiring book called The BIBLE :P which helped me feel calm and just take it one step at a time. One of my coworkers told me she would come by to pick me up so we could walk to school together, man am I ever happy for the support system I have going on! I anxiously awaited her arrival and thought I would check on facebook to see what the rest of the world was doing and while I waited for my day to begin and facebook creeped some people I found my nerves slowly calming down (again it's the whole familiarity thing...it makes all the difference).  I know students get anxious the first day of school but they honestly have nothing on me...like I can tell you I was feeling next level nervous (sweat glands were working)...anyways like I said, people are super nice around here! Love ittt! 

So before I got to work, my coworker and I entered the cutest bakery and cafe underneath where my school is...it is ADORABLE! I will need to take a picture one of these days and post it on the blog because honestly it was super cute.  We entered it and grabbed some coffee (well my co-worker did) upon entering my school.  So unlike various schools in North America, many of the schools in Korea are floors in apartment buildings, mine happens to be on the 8th floor and is called ILS. It is a very cute building with so many classrooms, the use of the space is amazing.  So I got there and felt a little bit anxious as paper after paper were handed to me to look over and familiarize myself before the day began.  

My schedule is set up that I have a homeroom kindergarten class where I teach English (reading, writing, verbal communication and all that jazz) but I also teach math, show and tell and arts and crafts to all the kindergarten classes until 3 (I was anxious about teaching Asian children math but this math is the best kind: "which cup is shorter?" or "draw a triangle and colour the square in blue" I totally got this :P.  I then teach 5 elementary classes until 7:10ish...it was a good first day overall! I had and still have many questions as to what to do but the kids were a lot of fun.  The funny thing about children is they have no filter so I was told some pretty interesting things today that made me feel a variety of ways haha however the way they looked at me and said "Erika Teacher, look at my work, I done it" made me melt!

It is amazing to me how intelligent these kids are, some are 5 years old and super bright, speaking and reading books in a completely different language.  I was impressed most of the day and added some fun new ideas to teaching the kids that made my classrooms a little loud.  I was able to stand aside and not teach a few of my classes so I could sit in on some of my coworkers classes to learn their style and how certain things were done.  The different styles that are out there are so beneficial when trying to develop my own teaching style.  I did realize today how my spelling is not the greatest thanks to a new age where everything has auto correct on it so when editing some of the kids speeches I MAY have made a mistake...fail. It is my first day so I feel I am allowed a little leeway.

My director was super encouraging and told me I was a good teacher and she saw how involved the kids were when I was teaching...however I feel she was just trying to be encouraging since the first day was pretty exhausting.  The teacher whose place I took made the lesson plans for the next little while so I am feeling pretty happy about that...it is going to be A LOT of work! I can feel it in my bones.  As much as I am excited to become a better teacher, I am afraid of all the work that is it come but since my theme is NEW I am mentally hoping to prepare myself for anything!

One thing I was surprised with, was how most schools have their own cook, so every lunch time the kids split up and go into classrooms where there are co-teachers who serve them food and we as staff get some too.  It is adorable watching these kids eat with their little chopstick thingies and trying to teach me how to do it.  The food was pretty good, they served this intense looking fish and I took some to be polite but could not finish it and so I had to bring it back into the kitchen and unfortunately I was caught by the cook and my director who asked my feelings on eating fish...so much for being smooth and sneaky...epic fail on my part.

I got out of class at about 7:20pm and walked the 20 minutes home, some of my coworkers were headed out to eat by one of the places by my house however I am starting to feel the jetlag now and feel the need to rest (that and I am on limited funds till I get my first pay check JULY 10th!!!).  Being here I realize how much pressure I put on myself and I am hoping to change that and take each day at a time expecting nothing but having a blank mind to learn all I can and experience Korea.

I noticed that even though it is only my 3rd day I have the constant attitude that I need to know how everything works, in reality...I do not even come close to knowing anything and need to remind myself to be still and take it a day at a time.  Tomorrow I was stressing about some of the classes I would have to teach but lucky for me we are going to the FIRE STATION for a field trip! I started at the perfect time, getting half days already and it is only my 2nd day in! :)  

I am looking forward to what is next in store for me although part of me wants to be anxious and insecure I SHALL not give in! Yay for a new adventure and journey, like most things in life practice makes perfect.

Day 2- I will survive :)

So I am officially coming to an end of my 2nd full day in Korea and it is amazing at how easy things are to get the hang of.  To finish off where I left off in the last post, I moved into my NEW APARTMENT which is honestly super tiny yet a lovely little home, it’s really all you need for one person.  I walked into the bathroom and noticed a tiny shower head in the corner of the washroom and wondered how well that would turn out, I took a shower and found out that everything in there gets soaked (toilet, towel, toilet paper) so I am going to need to figure out how the heck I plan on taking a shower where no water gets on certain areas of the bathroom...hmm Challenge accepted! :P

I moved in and found the place to be decorated pretty nicely from the last teacher that lived here, along with little things here and there that she had left behind. After unpacking my things I found myself to feel a lot more at home and as if I belonged.  It really is amazing how seeing familiar belongings makes an individuals comfort level sky rocket.  Basically I love my little apartment, the bed is pretty hard but hey, I can work with that!  

One of the interesting aspects of my living here is the amount that electronics play a role in day-day activities, my door is literally a key code where I have to put in a password to get inside the building as well as my own personal living space...so many numbers to remember ahhhh! However with the amount I am going out and in I should be able to remember it in about a day! I will post some pictures afterwards. 

Lunch with the Foreign teachers here went lovely, they are super outgoing and kind, I notice that most foreign teachers here are really friendly due to the amount of people that come in and out of lovely Korea, they are on perma-nice mode (although I am sure there are some not so pleasant ones but I have yet to meet them).  The girls took me to an Italian restaurant which was actually delicious, I had no idea what to expect but the food was great AND they paid (so thoughtful and encouraging).  One super cool thing they do here is drizzle their pizza with honey...hmm I wonder if that would be good on the pizza at home, someone try it and let me know! :)

Anyways so after the dinner and debriefing about school and the kids I made a journey by myself to Seoul to meet a girl from church. I live in a city called Dongbaek and there is no subway system here so my journey to Seoul involves a 45 minute bus ride to start off.  The bus ride is air conditioned and much needed alone time so I actually look forward to the bus rides...until I came home later that night where it was so packed that I had to stand on a bus holding on for my life as the bus is going super fast down the highway like a crazy wild llama who is blind (meaning that its almost impossible not to touch someone awkwardly from all the crazy turns).  These busses do have seatbelts however, the people standing up have no hope...I was afraid for my life at least 15 minutes of the ride but after watching people sleep while standing I decided to accept the fact I was new and would need to own the experience.  I imagined myself to be surfing in Hawaii and it made all the difference to my 45 minute journey back home.  

Another interesting fact here is that babies and children do not sit in car seats, their parents hold onto them...which makes sense...sorta.  On my journey the bus drivers also text while driving which explains the crazy jerking motions, I may throw up on one of these trips so I have decided to bring a little bag with me! Haha  anyways, I finally arrived to my destination safely and met up with a bunch of amazing people and went out for dinner and ice cream which was super scrumptious! They have Earl Grey icecream here, who knew? It is really tasty!!!

Moving on, today I woke up and went to Church in Seoul so I did the same journey I did last night and it went well, I met up with a friend from Canada who is also here and went exploring.  It is crazy at how good it feels to see a familiar face!!! We went out to eat (a common act here) and then went to church together which was fun!  One of the coolest things happened today while walking to Church I heard someone yelling my name but I thought to myself, "there is no way the person is yelling for me, I KNOW no one other than the people I am with now who would be in Korea" so I kept walking and kept hearing my name and turned around to find a girl I knew in Toronto who was originally from Korea and she was headed to church too! It's amazing to me at how small a world we all live in and even though we are far away we are all really connected (profound, I know). 

After church we went out AGAIN to eat (don't worry folks, I only got a drink).  However, the set up of the food courts is pretty awesome.  You walk into the food court and there is a display of all the food they have with numbers beside them, you pick which food you want and then tell the cashier the number.  She then punches in your food and gives you a ticket.  All around the displays are the "restaurants" which have electronic displays that ding your number and you go to pick up your food when you see the number flash along the screen...it is pretty "new-age".  I am telling you, Korea is very high-tech!!!!

All in all today was a good day spent with people from church and I again went home alone which was super exciting because I was able to read some of the Korean signs AND I am picking up a few sayings already which is encouraging.  I cannot wait to be able to communicate with all these amazing people, everyone here is generally really nice and I have made the decision to enjoy myself!  Mind over Matter!!!

I start teaching tomorrow which is the new thing to worry about but the theme is NEW and therefore I am going to take it step by step and I know that I will eventually know what I am doing.  Well on that note it is time to skype with my family so I shall be off!

Wish me luck at my first day of school!!!

Day 1- Roller Coaster of Emotions

June 23, 2012

Well...where do I start?  The travelling was a pain in the butt, I met some really amazing people on the airplane and had some good conversation and much needed sleep however being in an airplane for about 13 hours can only be so fun.  I have realized that I do not like planes...haha it’s a good thing though because that just means that I will stay my entire contract before I come home because the thought of doing it again sucks! :P

So I arrived at the airport and felt ok, following the crowd who got off my plane and noticing the few non-Koreans I saw, I stuck with a few people who looked familiar.  I met a really nice girl and we explored the airport together, trying to find out where to buy our bus tickets, sadly she was going 4 hours North of where I was so we quickly parted ways upon needing to catch our busses.

Ok so the few things that came to mind as I was travelling was

1) how attractive and well put together the Korean flight attendants were, HOLY cow it was literally like a movie seeing them walk toward the plane with their beautiful outfits and perfect hair...they clean up GOOD :P

2) The bus “stations” are literally just a stick in the ground on the side of the craziest and busiest streets of life

3) The bus driver may have wanted to kill all the passengers, I have never driven in such a hectic life threatening form of city transportation.  On my 1.5 hour bus drive two peoples laptops broke from falling onto the ground with the sudden stops and hectic jerking going on by the bus driver.

4) The fact that there is flat land but it is inbetween the largest amount of clusters of buildings.  There looks to be about 500 sky scrapers shoved together in the smallest of areas.

5) Koreans are the most kind and helpful people EVER! I have only been here 12 hours and already have been assisted many times by groups of lovely people willing and wanting to assist me.  This is great practise for my humility as I need to ask so many questions all the time...sometimes I feel inadequate and it’s only been one night.

Those are just a few things I have noticed thus far.  I have yet to go outside today as I am waiting for my director to pick me up from my motel room since the teacher who had my apartment is moving out this morning and therefore I needed to stay here. Last night once I was picked up from a bus station, I was brought here and given a cell phone by my director and a schedule and outline of my classes...Oh my gosh I am anxious about it since I have about 4 different classes.  I just keep having to remind myself it’s part of the experience and I have a year to figure it all out :P  My director seems awesome, she’s super nice and keeps saying that she thinks the kids will love me and I will make her school a fun place.  On another note, I am heading to my new apartment today at noon, finally a safe place to call my own!!! I feel that will help to take away some of my feelings of not belonging.  At this exact moment, I am sitting in my motel room the morning after my arrival in Seoul and listening to “Pretty Girl Rock” hoping to prep myself for the day.  As I am here alone, I am feeling sooo many emotions that it is hard to describe, I miss my family already, feeling incredibly alone but at the same time looking forward to my experience and exploring today...all in all, I am trying to figure out  what is going on in my brain but I can’t yet.  I didn’t seem to understand the fact that I would be leaving my family for an ENTIRE year, this morning I woke up and cried my face off, I don’t remember ever feeling so overwhelmed  with emotions.  I am aware that this is literally the first day I will be in Korea and yet I had to start off crying my little heart out to get rid of some of that built up tension.  After I cried and texted a friend in Korea who I have yet to meet (from church), I put on some of my music and danced around the motel room a little before getting ready (you know the whole positive attitude thing).  Today my director has set me up with another English teacher who will take me out to lunch and debrief me about living in Korea and all the excitement that entails.  I have lots of questions so I am excited about getting to know her and learning about her experience here.  After that my friend from church is planning on coming over to help me explore and give me a little company! Today should be a good day and help put me at ease! I am planning on attending church tomorrow however it will be a mission and a half so I am hoping for the best!!! :P  Travelling here stresses me out, so many busses!!! Ahhh haha I will get the hang of it eventually!!

I start teaching Monday and literally have no idea what I am  doing which is a little frightening but I know that with patience I can do it! :)

That is quite an update for only being here one night and waking up to write this but its much needed for me to do, it has honestly made me more comfortable :)

That’s all for now! Love and miss you all A LOT and it’s only been day one! eeek