Finally Foreign

Okay! Just a quick update and I promise more later. Summary: Three Notable Koreans.

The cutest engineer came to install my internet. I’d say he was about mid-late thirties (go ahead and add about ten years onto that seeing as Koreans seem to age very gracefully). He knocks on my door and this guy is like the wind flying around my apartment. Between cutting wires, tapping on his phone like a fiend, and a million intermittent “okay okay, wait“‘s and “ahhh ha“‘s he was making me a bit dizzy. I pretended I understood him more than I actually did and that made him very happy. “Ok. now test. test.” So… now I have internet. Phew. And I have had the pleasure of meeting another fantastically nerdy engineer. I kind of have a thing about engineers since I studied architecture in school. Like peanut butter and jelly. Or oil and water.

Notable Korean number two. So after being privileged access to the internet, I decided that I would celebrate and go downtown and get myself some new threads seeing as I am not trying to look like a middle school teacher on the weekends. I was feeling very confident and hopped right on a bus. After getting on the bus I got a little nervous because I keep going in the wrong direction… but nope, I was right. Mini victory! I ended up going down these stairs that I first thought were to a secret subway system that nobody told me about, but then later found out it was to an underground mall.. pretty sweet! I stumbled into a small store… “anyohaseyo?” hello? I look to my right and down and there’s a lady laying on a red couch who immediately gets up and gives me the grand tour of her 10x15 shop. After I bought a shirt and leggings, she gestured to her mini fridge and then to her couch. She had me sit on the couch and cut up a gam? which is a korean fruit kind of the texture of an apple but tastes more like a peach/pear. The other teachers in my school always make me eat these too. Then she made me coffee, sat across from me, and pretty much just smiled at me. She told me she didn’t speak any English, but then she asked me where I was from, where in Jinju I was living, and then if I went to university. I told her I was a middle school teacher. Then this little Korean baby comes in and she has her say “Hello Teacher!” We watched the baby pick up things like clips, perfume, and a knife(this was stopped). Then the baby got her right pinky painted green, “manicure”. She told me I was beautiful, I told her that she was beautiful. It was a good laugh. Then I said thank you and goodbye because there wasn’t much left to be said and I caught a bus ride home where I observed the third notable Korean…

A fidgety balding old man ferociously picking his nose on the bus. Ah well! Tonight I’ll be eating pizza and drinking with new friends. Hopefully some darts are played and that I am in good condition to get on a bus to Busan tomorrow morning at 9!

Today was great. I am so glad I decided to take on this adventure. I’m learning so much, so fast and it’s not anything I would have ever known. This is only the third day and I’m so excited for what’s to come. Culture shock… well… it’s not really a shock. I don’t speak Korean, so this is the biggest barrier, but I feel very comfortable around Korean people. I think what I like most is that they seem to have a great sense of humor and appreciation for laughter, as well as a really helpful nature, especially if they see an effort put forth from the other side (me struggling to speak Korean and acting desperate).

I had four classes today. My kids were wonderful. So funny! With all four classes I basically introduced myself and then opened the floor to questions. The students’ reactions to my answers were great. In all four classes I was asked “Do you have a boyfriend?” When I answered yes the whole class went “OooooOOOOooooo”. It was also followed up by, “Where is your boyfriend?”… these kids will do well at an American bar. They also reacted very well when I told them my favorite American Singer was Lady Gaga.. another “OoooOOOoo” The fourth class actually burst into applause after I introduced myself. There was also a couple of boys that would say “Me too, me too” whenever I was asked what my favorite things were (i.e. color, fruit, food, animal) I was told I was pretty, beautiful, sexshi(I ignored this comment), cutie, and a good teacher… what a great job. They were also concerned whether I liked Korea, Korean food, and KPop…. I don’t know any Kpop so I will have to start listening so I can be hip and with it.

At lunch one of the other teachers attempted to give me a chopstick demonstration, which I failed. I hold chopsticks in a certain way which sorta works for me, but I guess it isn’t the right way… I’ll get it. My co-teacher drew me a map of my neighborhood with key locations nearby like where to buy what, bus station, train station, hospital… I am very grateful that she is being extra helpful. At lunch she took me to open a bank account and got me a bus card which I put 50,000 won on so I don’t have to pay the bus driver every time I get on, just scan my card. I rode the bus to and from work which was really stressful, but I get it now. I successfully got off the right stops both times. Tomorrow it will be a piece of cake.

Tomorrow I will be going with my Vice Principal to get my alien registration card so I can get internet and a cell phone, and then he’s dropping me off at my second school where I will meet my other co-teacher. I’ve attached some photos of my apartment:

Entrance (to the right is the door to my bathroom)

Looking back at my entrance

A view from my window

Another view from my window

The street below

Day 2!

Today I went to my school and met my co-teacher. My vice-principal picked me up in Changwon and drove me to my middle school after a formal introduction with the Education Officer. He doesn’t really speak English, but he tried to teach me a few things on the car ride to Jinju. When we got to the school I was met by the principal and an English teacher outside. My Vice-Principal said something I figured to be “I’ve got our foreigner! What a sucker!” and they all laughed pretty hard about it.

Right, so I’m distracted right now because Morrissey is playing at this Caffé Bene across the street from my apartment. It’s where I’m posted up until I can get internet in my apartment. 

Anyways, after lunch in the cafeteria (pretty good), he brought me to a big room where all the teachers have their desks when they aren’t teaching classes. I have a desk here too. The Vice Principal’s desk is towards the back in the middle. Apparently this guy is quite the comedian because all day he kept saying things and the whole room would burst out laughing. All the teachers were very sweet, but most didn’t speak English. I definitely need to try really hard to learn as much Korean as I can.

I spent most of the day reading a book on teaching English from my recruiter because my co-teacher had classes. We settled my contract and it turns out I will be teaching at her school Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and another school Thursday and Friday. This means more money, so I’m okay with it. Towards the end of the day I guess the students figured out there was a white girl in the building, so they all started poking their heads in to see me. The girls were very giggly about it, and the boys all wanted to say hello to me. Haha. It was cute. I can’t wait to meet them.

After school my co-teacher brought me to my apartment. The commute is about 45 minutes, however, I think it will be worth it. My school is out in the countryside and my apartment is in the city right next to a big university. It’s great. Everything is new and clean. I live on the 10th floor and on the first floor of my building is a convenience store, office supply store, rice ball place, a bar, and an arcade. I’m pretty sure there is another bar and another food place on the second floor but I’m not sure yet. There are young college students everywhere. It’s very safe and the vibe is great.

I don’t have any internet in my apartment right now, hopefully I will be getting that soon. Luckily this cafe is really nice and right across the street. Tomorrow I will attempt to take the bus to work! Wish me luck.

Well. I’m sitting on my hotel bed right now in Changwon, South Korea. It’s a really small hotel on the 5th floor of a rando building. The man at the front desk is really awesome though. He printed a map out for me so that I could find a voltage convertor. He even drew a north arrow on it! When I got back from my convertor adventure (yes, it was an adventure) I asked him how to say “Thank You” in Korean. He gave me a mini-lesson.

Okay, now backtracking a bit. My recruiter picked me up at the Busan airport this morning. All I have to say about the journey was that it was long, exhausting, and I can’t sleep on airplanes. We had about a 45 minute drive from Busan to Changwon. I was thinking it was going to be awkward and it wasn’t at all. He’s a really cool guy from England. He came to South Korea 10 years ago as an ESL teacher and hasn’t left. Anyways, he strongly discouraged me from going to sleep and instead I should get out and explore Changwon a bit while I had the opportunity. So, I compromised. I slept for a few hours, hyperventilated for a couple of minutes realizing I was on my own for a whole year on the other side of the world, went back to sleep for another hour, and decided to go out and at least get my convertor so that I could use my laptop.

It was so nice out! Apparently back home there was a huge snow storm and now everyone is in the dark. Here, it was clear skies and warm. The city of Changwon, at least the little bit that I saw, is very pedestrian friendly and just packed full of little stores and restaurants. I had to go to a giant store called E-mart to find my convertor. This was not going to happen on my own. I had to ask for help. Unfortunately “convertor” isn’t an English word that most Koreans would know. I asked an employee standing by the door if he knew any English… “A little”  Hahah… so that was fun trying to explain to him what I needed. Fortunately, at least so far, it seems like the average Korean really wants to be helpful. A woman walking into the store overheard, interjected, figured out what I wanted, translated to the nice gentleman, and then he pointed me in the right direction. I, of course, didn’t really go where he pointed me, so he came running after me to point me in the right direction a second time. So nice! Then on the second floor I had to repeat this whole exercise again. No one on the second floor really spoke english but I wrote 110V -> 220V on a piece of paper and that was enough. The woman who helped me find the convertor in the end was very excited when she presented me with a universal convertor.

After the convertor ordeal I was feeling a little brave, although the sun was starting to set, and I decided to go check out a lake in the area my recruiter wanted me to see. I had this handy map from the front desk hotel guy, so I figured I may as well not be a wimp. I ended up finding it pretty easily. It was cool for a second. I decided at this point I should probably just go back to the hotel room. I diverged off the main streets and started haphazardly taking random rights and lefts. I kind of felt like it was going to get me lost, but I had a strong grasp on direction and everything was so much more interesting that wasn’t on the main track. I ended up in a French shop (I felt it would be a big fail to even think about going into a 7-Eleven, McDonald’s, or any American chain), I should have really just gone to a Korean place… but I was done for the day trying to communicate. I ended up buying a raisin water(which tastes like popcorn water). The girl at the counter was speaking to me in Korean… I just handed her Korean won… hah. When I left she said something I recognized to be good-bye, and I said good-bye to her as well.. “seyo”. This is when I decided that I at least needed to master “Thank you” tonight.

Then… I knew I was in the general vicinity.. but I got lost. I was definitely within a block from my hotel. I didn’t really want to mess around… I had my hotel key in my purse and luckily that was enough. I went into a Northface store where both employees didn’t know any English, but I looked like a sad puppy and handed them my hotel key. They recognized it, and one of the employees walked outside with me, pointed at my hotel key, then pointed at the sign for my hotel a block away. Sweet.

So now I’m back in my hotel room and I think I will call it a day! There are two other foreigners staying at the hotel room who are going to be ESL teachers as well. One of them I tried to get to go out to lunch with me, but that didn’t happen. I haven’t seen the other one. Tomorrow I’ll be meeting my co-teacher, principal, and kids! Then I’ll move into my apartment. Right now I’m going to attempt to learn a few more Korean phrases and get some rest. Here are some photos I took at the airport and around Changwon:

“”I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone.”……”I should think so — in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!”” - The Hobbit

I can’t believe it, but it’s happening. A few months ago I decided that it was time for something completely different, and in two days I will be off to Jinju, South Korea as a Guest English Teacher (GET) for a year. I’ll be teaching middle school.

I fly out Saturday morning at 10:30a.m. and I’ll be crossing time zones like a champ until I end up in Busan, South Korea at 6:40a.m., October 31st for a grand total of 31ish hours. For Halloween this year I will be a fish out of water. Ta-da.

My recruiter is meeting me at the airport. We’ll travel to Changwon (where their agency’s office is) and apparently he’s setting me up in a hotel room. I’ll probably have a small freak out sesh and then pass out until the next day.

The next morning at 10:00a.m. we’ll be meeting with my co-teacher to go over my documents to make this whole thing official. Working as a GET with the EPIK program (English Program in Korea) means that you co-teach your classes with a Korean teacher. This is good news. I’m supposed to dress formally to make a good first impression. I’m wicked good at first impressions so this will be good. Good. And then I’ll go to my school and meet my principal. Then I’ll either get a medical exam or I’ll move into my apartment. The great thing about this program is you are set up with an apartment and it’s payed for. Sweet deal.

Until Halloween…