Yesterday (Tuesday) was a really good day. It was the first official day of school in South Korea, and I didn't have any classes, but my Mentor Teacher, Jenny, asked me to come in anyways. I came for a meet and greet with the other teachers and various assistants I hadn't met yet. So after that I hung around on the internet at in the teacher's lounge until lunch time, and then had my first staff lunch.
Food was delicious, then left school to go to my local library. I spent a few hours there watching Black (a Hindi film that I would recommend to ANYONE!) and then a BBC version of Persuasion, the only Jane Austen story I don't know anything about, which also was quite good. Two minutes after I got home, I got a call from Jenny saying she was downstairs waiting for me because the staff was going to have their first hwi-shik, which is an obligatory staff dinner type thing. It's a good thing I hadn't started dinner yet, because I was planning to eat cereal for every meal the next few meals because my milk expires in 2 days.
Hwi-shik was everything I'd ever hoped it would be and more. Lots of delicious food, good conversation getting to know more of my school staff members. The only thing I probably should have participated in that I didn't is everybody going around the table pouring soju for each other. Just worrying about how I should pour for each person, in which order should I approach people to pour for them... I just kinda zoned the whole practice out even though I saw it going on all around me. I guess I'll have to do it eventually.
Afterwards, we went to Karaoke with the whole group, about 16 of us. We were told at orientation that our principal will most likely be a very serious person, and the vice principal will usually be more of a party animal and outgoing person especially at hwi-shiks. At our school it seems to be the other way around. From the first day, Jenny told me that they call our principal Gandhi because he's a very kind and loving person. He even looks a bit like him. He's always been really friendly to me, talking to me in Korean all the time, asking me about myself. The vice principal has been mostly quiet and shy around me. The principal loves Celine Dion, and requested that I sing his favorite song, Believe, at Karaoke so I had to oblige.
When we left, I took a taxi back to my area with two people who live nearby, both of which are the closest to me in age. I realized that the one girl, Hana actually lives in Clasium with me! That's means now I have someone from my school that I can talk to and spend time with. She has a cute little puppy, and she brought him over last night after we got home, and we just chatted and looked at pics. She's the archery coach at my school, and I heard from some other teachers that we have the top archery team in the area. Maybe she can teach me some time!
Anyways... A great day =D
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Weekend
I've been finding ways to survive without internet in my apartment. Mostly, I've been going to school or to my local library which is really close by. Other times I am stuck watching whatever's on tv... Luckily there's usually some American tv show or movie on to pass some time.
Sunday was much better. I took the bus down to Gangneung, and met up with EunYoung, a girl who was my temporary Korean co-teacher because mine had not shown up (later I found out I don't even have one ><). She's really an amazing girl, so nice, so eager to help out, and speaks good English too. So we walked around downtown for a bit, then met up with my other friend Young who's a TaLK scholar in Pyeongchang, much more rural than me. We went to the Full Moon Festival, which is special in Korea because the first full moon after the Lunar New Year is quite important. We did all the stuff the festival had to offer, then moved on to Jjimjilbang (sauna).
We stayed there overnight, then came back to EunYoung's in the morning for breakfast. We finally got to meet her two shy little sisters, aged 11 and 13. They were absolutely adorable. I started talking to the younger one, and she's sooo smart. She didn't use much English but she could understand quite a bit. She also showed me her English homework. If I get a 5th grader who knows half as much as her, I'd be so happy. At one point, EunYoung asked her if she knew anything about Judaism saying that I was a Jew. She said right away she feels sorry for them. I was in shock when she said that because EunYoung barely knew anything. Her little sister went on to list off books and movies about WWII and the Holocaust that she read such as Anne Frank's Diary and The Pianist, and EunYoung said she knew all them but didn't know they were about Jewish people. I was so impressed, I wanted to take her back to Sokcho with me.
On the bus back to Sokcho, I met another English teacher, an Australian guy who'd been teaching here for 8 years now. He lives about 20km north of me. He gave me his card, and said to contact him if I need it. He also gave me some useful tips on getting some stuff I need, and offered some other possible contacts. Said that there are English teachers swarming all over the place here.
Sunday was much better. I took the bus down to Gangneung, and met up with EunYoung, a girl who was my temporary Korean co-teacher because mine had not shown up (later I found out I don't even have one ><). She's really an amazing girl, so nice, so eager to help out, and speaks good English too. So we walked around downtown for a bit, then met up with my other friend Young who's a TaLK scholar in Pyeongchang, much more rural than me. We went to the Full Moon Festival, which is special in Korea because the first full moon after the Lunar New Year is quite important. We did all the stuff the festival had to offer, then moved on to Jjimjilbang (sauna).
We stayed there overnight, then came back to EunYoung's in the morning for breakfast. We finally got to meet her two shy little sisters, aged 11 and 13. They were absolutely adorable. I started talking to the younger one, and she's sooo smart. She didn't use much English but she could understand quite a bit. She also showed me her English homework. If I get a 5th grader who knows half as much as her, I'd be so happy. At one point, EunYoung asked her if she knew anything about Judaism saying that I was a Jew. She said right away she feels sorry for them. I was in shock when she said that because EunYoung barely knew anything. Her little sister went on to list off books and movies about WWII and the Holocaust that she read such as Anne Frank's Diary and The Pianist, and EunYoung said she knew all them but didn't know they were about Jewish people. I was so impressed, I wanted to take her back to Sokcho with me.
On the bus back to Sokcho, I met another English teacher, an Australian guy who'd been teaching here for 8 years now. He lives about 20km north of me. He gave me his card, and said to contact him if I need it. He also gave me some useful tips on getting some stuff I need, and offered some other possible contacts. Said that there are English teachers swarming all over the place here.
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