Made My First Million

I'm rich!

Ok, not exactly, but technically I do now have over a million... won. Which equals absolutely nothing close to a million USD.

Luckily, it will be convenient having a bank in my building. Maybe next pay day I'll have direct deposit? Maybe? Yeah, counting this much money was definitely  pain in the behind, you'd think there'd be a larger bill than 50,000... and you'd think I'd at least gotten a couple of them. Oh well. Considering last month flew by, it makes me feel good to know what I'm actually doing here.

I'm also starting a list of things I want to leave with (physically or emotionally... or whatever) thanks to Naomi who had a great list herself.

I can't wait to start saving! I know what I want, and I plan on getting it.

Plu... "teacher, how do you spell plu?"

"Is that English?"

"Yes teacher, plu."

"What does it mean? I really don't think it's a word."

"Plu is English! Sick."

"Ohh, flu... f-f-f-flu."

"No, plu."

Haha, this was about a 5 minute conversation today between me and two of my students in one of my afternoon classes. I'm assuming "p" and "f" get mixed up often, especially when I heard one of my students call a phone a pone. Oh well, I can't say much... they know more in English than I do in Korean.

Speaking of flu... all our kindergarteners were sent home today because around three or four students at my school have or have had swine flu. I spent half my day doing a whole lot of nothing, and took a little bit longer lunch and enjoyed the peacefulness of Starbucks for a while.

I'm anxious to see how many parents send their kids to Gerstung tomorrow. It seems most parents freak out about the flu already, let alone knowing some kids actually had it. It might be another easy day...although it goes by a lot quicker when I'm teaching.

Well, fingers crossed I don't get it... that would blow...

“Money is not the most important thing in the world. Love is. Fortunately, I love money.”

Coffee and the Comfort of Cats

One of the most difficult things about leaving behind everything to come to Korea for a year was having to find a temporary home for my cats. They are my children, and I even travelled from Georgia to Minnesota to make sure they would have a good home and be well taken care of. I miss them, and there are days I wish I would come home and have them run up to me like they did back home. Instead, I come home to an empty apartment.

Cat Cafe: Gio Cat

Yesterday, I was invited to a cat cafe. I couldn't help but wonder exactly what that meant. Was the decor all cats? Was it just an interesting name? Was the food... well, cat?

To my surprise, it was a neat little place that serves coffee and lets you pet and play with cats. There were about 20 cats walking around, sleeping in large cat stands, or laying in customer's laps. Aside from the cat smell (which naturally would be lingering with that many cats), it was quiet, clean and a really interesting place.

Before entering you are required to take off your shoes and change into slippers, use hand sanitizer and then store coats and bags in a locker. They give a list of "rules" and a chart with each of the cats names and traits. You are required to order one thing from the menu, so naturally I got a White Chocolate Mocha. Mmmmm.

Then, you can either sit and enjoy your coffee and wait to see if any of the cats want to use your lap as a sleeping bag, or you can be procactive and sit right in the middle of things. I wanted to see if any cats would come to me... so I went to where the action was at.

Well, supposedly, my new laundry technique (the smell test-- if it still smells relatively good it doesn't need to be washed yet) isn't working as well as I thought because majority of the time I looked like this.

Yes, this is me sad faced with no cats in my lap. Everyone else had at least one cat come up to them and crawl in his or her lap to sleep and be petted, but not me. I think secretly they knew they could never replace Chaisey and Tommy... but boy did this make me miss them even more! Stupid cats. Eventually I was handed a pity cat... he didn't really want to be in my lap but then found he liked my necklace a bit so he stayed.

These two cats were a couple of my favorite. I love love love this first one and the smaller grey one was just too darn cute.

Research...

I did some research and found out that the owner originally wanted to run a cat adoption business. He wanted people to be able to come experience the cats before choosing to adopt them in order to understand what they would require and learn how to take care of them. His goal was to lower the amount of cat abandonments due to people not knowing enough about cats.

Pretty cool, huh?

Anyway...

If you're in Seoul and miss your pet, you should check it out. The cats seem to be happy and healthy and the atmosphere in the care give off a nice chill vibe.

And at the end of the day (or if they get sick of people) the cats just walk throught he giant cat mouth into the cat hotel.

“In order to keep a true perspective of one's importance, everyone should have a dog that will worship him and a cat that will ignore him.”

Jibberish.

Well, as my mother pointed out in my last post, the demise of my writing and speaking skills has already begun. Either that or I was terribly tired when I wrote yesterday's post.

Although, what do you expect when you're teaching kids how to speak English all day? I mean it's already hard enough for me to explain simple things like the word "before," let alone speak complete sentences without seeing all my words float in one ear and right out the other. They like to ask what common knowledge (to English speakers) words are, and I have such a hard time explaining! I'm trying my best though.

I'm basically the teacher all the students dislike right now because they thought they'd be able to get away with doing nothing in my classes, and I'm proving them wrong. One of my students even supposedly flicked me off today while I was writing something on the board. She's lucky I was already so mad at her and the class I decided just to not say anything else since the bell was about to ring. (Obviously, this was one of my older students).  I think I'm just in a bad mood and hopefully it'll go away soon, the students did not help though.

E-mart

Oh, how I love E-mart. I finally got a webcam! I also got a really cute scarf that I thought was cheaper than it really was. No wonder my bill was pretty high. I can't really complain though... I've been here a month and have hardly spent any money, so I figured I could get a few things today. Snickers were a must have. I've been having such bad cravings for Chocolate!

Things I've Seen Lately:

1. An older lady spit a ferocious lugee. Man, people do not care about spitting here. They just do it, even if someone is standing right next to them. It was insane.

2. A drunken fight outside the bar by my apartment. I'm assuming it's a bar because there's pictures of beer mugs on the window... and I'm assuming the men were drunk because they were kicking and slapping one another. They start shoving right as I walked by and two other men ran up and separated them.

3. Other foreigners in my area! They are here, and supposedly they like Starbucks. I get so excited everytime I see another foreigner... it's like "Where's Waldo?"

4. The dog with pink ears again. I can't help but feel bad for the poor thing... although, maybe it's a she and she really likes her pink ears. Who knows...

5. High heels and slow walkers. There's no way I could wear high heels and walk up and down the subway stairs every day. It'd seriously be like committing suicide. Almost all the women here wear them though, and boy do some of them practically waddle down the sidewalk. I refuse to be uncomfortable all day just to look good. Plus, there are some really cute flats. I fear mine only have about another month left with how much I walk here....

Well, that's about all. I feel like work has taken over my life this week, so maybe after the weekend I'll have more interesting stories to tell. Aquarium tomorrow? Probably. I feel like my camera needs to be put to use.

"A thing of beauty is a joy for ever. It's loveliness increases. It will never pass into nothingness but still will keep a bower quiet for us, and a sleep full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing." --the super random quote from the little notebook I bought today.

Thanksgiving in Korea is just like any other day.

What can I say about my 2009 Thanksgiving? I ate Kimbap for dinner, along with some other little snack thing I have yet to figure out... and drank a Coke. I guess it wasn't that different from last year considering I was in Vegas and decided the crab legs at the buffet were more appealing than the turkey. I worked, which is something new, but oh well, Thanksgiving isn't in my top 5 favorite holidays anyway.

Maybe I'll make it a new tradition to be somewhere different for Thanksgiving every year... Las Vegas last year, South Korea this year.. next year I plan on visiting mom in England during November. Then maybe it'll make it to the top five, only because I'll know I'm going somewhere. Although, if I get my happy little house in Florida I so badly want, I won't mind if everyone wants to come to my place. (Print this out and show it to me in like 7 years...)



Is it really holiday time though? I'm seriously stuck in summer mode. I have a feeling Christmas is going to fly by, especially with no one around to really do the whole gift thing with. I am experiencing the cold of winter time, and I'm getting used to it! I even thought it felt good outside tonight, and it had to be in the 50s at most. I'm sure by the time I fully adapt to the weather, it'll change. I can see the sweat dripping now when I walk to work. Yikes.

Phone! And gifts from Santa...

I found out I will actually be able to get a phone before I get my ARC, thank goodness! I won't have to worry about getting horribly lost and having no way to get in touch with anyone anymore. My director said he has a line I can use until I can get my own, and then just switch it to my name. Thank goodness....

Also, I found out I'm getting a totally cool gift from Santa! I'm super excited! My poor old iPod that I bought about 5 years ago, well he's going to retire. Yay for new one. =) I love my music.

Ah, Korea. You never fail to amaze me.

I couldn't help buy stare at one of my 7-year-old student's jacket yesterday. He ended up accidently leaving it after school, so I took the opportunity to take a picture.

Is it me... or does the symbol resemble what my oblivious grandmother would call "a pretty plant?" (Yeah, she should live in Korea... obviously they think it's pretty too...)

Hilarious. It was like a jumpsuit right out of a rap video. I realize since this country has pretty much no tolerance for drugs it would make sense they have no idea what that looks like, but imagine if they did?

Oh whatever. I don't smoke, but seriously, if I wouldn't be thrown into a torture jail (haha or wherever...) for doing it here, I probably would.

The kid who wore this actually told me today that he doesn't listen to me because he doesn't like me. It took everything I had not to tell him he's the biggest pain in the ass himself and that I really don't like him either.

Another one of my students told me I give him a headache because I'm so loud. Imagine that, me loud... I told him I get a headache trying to talk over all of his classmates. Then I talked in my normal voice to prove my point, and guess what? Yeah... no one heard me.

Really, I think I'd love this job if I didn't have to discipline all day. I mean, I know kids don't really want to be in school... but at least back home they know they have to at least fall asleep or scribble on their books while pretending to listen. Here, it's like, what random object can I play with next or who can I talk to while the teacher's talking, or can I go to the bathroom/get a drink/see so and so, blah blah blah.

Ok, just a quick rant. It's really not too bad, but there's some days I just feel like it's a bigger pain than it's worth.

Oh yeah, and supposedly the parents who can look in on our classes, can also hear us. Joy.

I think that's just my lack of turkey, gravy and stuffing talking. Don't be alarmed anyone who's thinking of coming here. There are some really good things about being here. I'm forming a list for another day... ;)

"I think people need to be educated to the fact that marijuana is not a drug. Marijuana is an herb and a flower...." -Willie Nelson

Korean TV isn't always lame.

Man... I hate to admit it, but I'm a little too overly excited that Twilight is playing on my TV in English. I also don't want to admit that I'm thinking about going to see New Moon this weekend if I can find a theater that is playing it in English or with English subtitles. Yes... I'll go alone. I'm lame. Whatever. It doesn't take much to make me giddy these days.  Plus, I really like the Twilight soundtrack.

I wish I could read the whole series again. I really want an e-reader and iTouch. Moreso the iTouch, but an e-reader would be awesome because then I wouldn't have to lug books around. I may treat myself. I've been a cheapass anyway since I've been here, so why not?

Short post, but I'm tired. School is super busy this month. Is it really Thanksgiving week? Wow.. this has been the fastest year ever....

"'Twilight again, he murmured.' Another ending. No matter how perfect the day is, it always has to end." --Stephenie Meyer

Amanda Teacher... Imagine That.

You know you're a kindergarten teacher when....

you get cool random presents! It's a cute little (and by little I mean big) handkerchief (why does this word look so funny? Google say it's correct...) In case you can't read the note, it says "I love you Amanda." with a heart and a smiley face.

I'm not going to say much, because it was really nice of her to give me this... but mom must have been watching the classroom camera from online the past two weeks. Presents do work, however, in winning me over. I won't lie.

What to do with crying kids?

I like kids... and I feel really bad when they cry, but I never know what to do! I hugged one of the little girls one time while she was crying, and she wiped her snot all over my sleeve. It seriously grossed me out. So, now I stick to patting backs and getting tissues. But what the heck do you say when a kid cries because they've been goofing off with another kid and get elbowed in the eye? Especially the ones who can't even speak English. I probably look terrified when they come to me crying and speaking Korean. Yikes.

Electronics...

I want an Itouch and E-reader, but don't know where to get them. Anyone know? Anyone...?

Imagine all the people...

living for today. Yes, John Lennon was playing when I left the subway station today, and it made me really happy. It made me even happier that a Korean guy was standing there singing along with it... the English lyrics. I wonder if he really speaks English or just memorized the lyrics. I guess I'll never know.

I do want to bring country music to my older students one day. They were singing some pop song in class today. Well, it sounded like pop. I love my music and it amazes me how it can totally change my mood.

Speaking of the subway...

it's my place to think. I always think of things I want to write then forget them. Today, I basically thought about where I wanted to stop and buy some cookies. I tried some seaweed thing at lunch today and seriously had to spit it back out into a napkin. There's no way that thing was making it down my throat without every other thing I've eaten today coming back up with it. Awful. Ugh. It grosses me out even thinking about it.

On that note... I'm eating another cookie.

"You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one." -John Lennon

Yeoksam, Appujeong and back to Sinjeong.

Supposedly, people here can order food at any hour of the night, as I found out around 2:30 this morning when I heard knocking on my door followed by a strange ringing (which I'm guessing was my doorbell). I opened the door to a man with a helmet handing me a bag of food. I had no idea what was going on since I had just fallen asleep and didn't expect someone to come knocking on my door, so it took a good minute to realize this was not for me. The communication wasn't happening so after a good 3 minutes we both realized it was a mistake and he took the food and tried to find the correct apartment. I know he tried to find the right apartment, because for the next few minutes I could hear him speaking Korean in the hall. Interesting. I'd like to know where he came from in case I ever get hungry at 2 a.m., not that I'd really be able to order anyway.

Tomatillo

I finally got some mexican food. It was quite nice, even though I had to wait longer than everyone else because they gave my food to some other lady on accident. I got a quesadilla, and it somewhat resembled cinnamon bread with icing (it was sour cream). I didn't go for the lime margarita like I planned, but I was on a budget due to not bringing my passport to exchange money on Friday. I'm not sure why I've waited so long. It's been somewhat nice being here a month and only spending $250 though. Hehe, I can imagine the bank account in a year already...

Oh! I ran into Evan (a guy I worked with at Best Buy) and his wife at Tomatillos. It was pretty random. Small world, huh? Hopefully we’ll all be able to go grab dinner one night.

Monkey Beach

No, we didn't go to Thailand for the night, but we did venture to a bar that is supposedly based off the beach there. It has been a while since I've been to a bar or a club on a Saturday night, so it was slightly shocking at first. One of the girls asked me if I was scared. I wasn't, I was examining the stripper pole cage thing and the poles in the middle of the tables. I was also looking at this one girl dancing alone with glowstick bunny ears and a lady who could have quite possibly been a Russian prostitute, although that's an entirely different blog altogether. See picture below for the bunny eared girl, she was actually quite funny, but as Natasha went to snap the picture she ended up looking quite normal. The bar was interesting nonetheless.

I did decide to drink here, seeing as how a place like that usually makes me want to right away. Despite all the nasty germs, we all decided to go in on a bucket.

Cranberry juice and vodka.

Mom told me to take  a picture, so I thought I'd make her proud. I dragged Brigid in to make it look like I wasn't drinking the bucket alone. Heh. Notice the girl in the background? Well, it totally doesn't look like it on the blog post, but in my camera photo you can totally tell she's looking at the camera and smiling. Everyone's always willing to take a picture, and I guess the smiles come out when alcohol is around.

Here's Miss Bunny:

Her and her man were having a good old time. I don't think she even noticed when he went off to the bathroom... she actually looks slightly shy in this picture. I should have recorded her dancing...

Can someone please tell me why the subway doesn't run all night?

I thought I was going to miss my ride home last night. Supposedly, the last train comes between 11:45 and midnight... and it was like 11:53 when I got to my last transfer. Luckily, I made it. I actually ran and got a stomach cramp. First time I've run in... ever, maybe?  Yeah. I have no idea how I would have told a cab driver to get me home. Next goal: get my address written down in Korean.

I was given a handy subway map though, which I'm super thankful for! It makes taking the subway soo much easier. Look!

                       

Dinner:

I  made spaghetti. I really wasn't thinking at E-mart the other day and bought noodles but no sauce. So, I went to the little market on the corner and made an attempt to find some. Luckily, I did! It was actually somewhat decent for mising all the good ingredients like cheese and meat.

                                       

Now, I could totally go for a big bowl of chocolate ice cream. Even though I just finished a box of these, my new favorite litle treat:

Delicious!

Well, I think next weekend I might venture to the aquarium. I figure it's nice and warm and it's relatively cheap to get in. Works for me!

"Work like you don't need the money, love like your heart has never been broken and dance like no one is watching."

Pizza flavored potato chips.

are amazing.

So is the fact that my students think I look beautiful when I have my hair pulled back, even if it's only because I woke up 20 minutes before I had to leave for work.

Interesting randomness in the past two days:

- My students telling me I had hills on my chest and asking me if I was pregnant up there. Then, I had to endure countless pokes. I guess kids here aren't used to boobs.... and I guess maybe I should avoid tight fitting shirts unless I want to have permanent finger indentations in that area.

-Fire drills in the schools here (well, actually I really only know about my school) involves real smoke. It's quite interesting...

- Two of my boy students kissed today. The entire class watched as they got closer and closer and then finally kissed. The class then smiled and continued doing their work. I like how that type of thing really doesn't matter here. If only that were everywhere...

- The cost of Pantene Pro-V is crazy... as well as good body lotion... and a darn loofah. I couldn't find hairspray. Big towels are also expensive. I eventually found one for 7,800 won and was happy. I guess that's actually really not that expensive, but I somehow spent close to $40 USD at E-mart.


I'm trying not to choose favorites.

I've officially picked the Korean kid I'm taking as my own when I leave (ok, obviously I'm joking, for parents and whoever else may read this). But seriously, he's one of my favorites. I'm trying hard not to pick favorites, but it's so hard when some of the students make teaching so diffcult.

Could you blame me for choosing him though? Of course he's adorable as can be (although if that was what it was based off of would be difficult, because most of them are super cute), but he's also such a sweetie.

For example, during our "activity day" yesterday, a firewoman came to speak to the students. Of course she was speaking Korean, so I just sat there and tried to make out what she was saying from the slide show she brought. All the students and Korean teachers started laughing at something she said. My student did that thing where you look at someone to laugh with them and realized I had no idea what she said. He started explaining to me what was so funny and has done that for me at least three more times the past two days when something funny was said in Korean. Here's this 7-year-old translating Korean to English for his teacher who can only speak one of the languages.

I also have a favorite little girl who sat in my lap for about an hour while we watched a movie that afternoon. The movie was awful, but whatever, it was nice having a break.


Research.

I'm researching getting an e-book reader. If I can find a good one it may be a Christmas present for myself. Write and read... two goals while I'm here and two things I love. Also, getting pictures. I took two on my way home from work today but they were somewhat blurry because it started to rain so I kept walking.

Oh well. Almost bed time for me. I think I'm geting my cold back. Dangit.

"Never give up on something that you can't go a day without thinking about." - Unknown

I'm trying to be a "yes" person, but today I just had to say "no thank you."

I've been pretty open about eating different food while I've been here and have tried pretty much everything when I've gone out to dinner with my coworkers. I even tried something yesterday my supervisor offered me after she warned me it was extremely spicy. I didn't think it was too bad, but one of the girls I work with asked if I was alright because my face was red.

Today did me in. I've been eating lunch at the school because it's free and a lot easier than trying to find somewhere nearby with workers who would understand me. I've also been avoiding the Mcdonalds across the street because I figure that would be much too easy and I don't want to become addicted. (I did however see a scooter thing this morning that was yellow and said McDelivery... I really wanted to take a picture but I needed to get to work. I was excited nonetheless).

Anyway, I went to the kitchen and filled my tray with a bunch of random foods (since I never really know what they are). I went back to my classroom, opened my book (yes, I read during lunchtime) and got my chopsticks ready to take a bite of some brown something on my tray that looked somewhat similiar to something I had eaten the other day. Since I'm now a chopstick professional, I picked some of it up and was bringing it up to my mouth when I noticed some eyes starting back at me. Ew. It was some little fish or something, but I was so grossed out I really couldn't finish eating. I thought I was going to puke. Then, I got the bright idea I should take a picture to show you, but I didn't want to offend anyone else nearby who might have been eating the nasty little creatures.

Needless to say I came home and scarfed a sandwich and some chips. I'm now eating some chocolate chip cookies and couldn't be happier. I might just have to go ahead and give in to Mcdonalds from now on. My appetite has been all messed up anyway since I've been here, I'm not sure if I'll be able to eat random food anymore without carfully examining it. I have found I really like chips. I've never been a big chip person, but I ate pizza chips the other day and bought some barbeque type ones today and love them. Yum.

I'm not evern going to talk about the kids today. If I come home with grey hair, you'll know why. I really think I could like this job if some of the little devils wouldn't act so rude and spoiled. It'll get better.... it'll get better... it'll get better....

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” – James Michener

This quote made me think of how everytime a student sneezes here I really badly want to say "bless you." I said it once and got a crazy look, so I'm thinking the saying doesn't apply here. I feel really bad when I don't say it though. Not that I'm religious in the least bit... but considering it was only a few years ago that I learned I was suppsed to say "bless you" and not "bleshu," I feel like it's mandatory. Oh well. I guess we don't really serve food with eyes at our schools back home either, some things I'll just have to get used to.

"And I find chopsticks frankly distressing. Am I alone in thinking it odd that a people ingenious enough to invent paper, gunpowder, kites and any number of other useful objects, and who have a noble history extending back 3,000 years haven't yet worked out that a pair of knitting needles is no way to capture food?" -- Bill Bryson

Don't forget your floss.

Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought, "I look decent today," then smile and notice you have some big green piece of something in between your two front teeth? Well, that happed to me today and that's the type of day I pretty much had.

Thought the kids would be good, and they were... until the last 10 minutes of class or until the next class. Thought I'd be warm enough with two long sleeve shirts and a medium jacket, and I was... until I left work and froze my butt off. Thought maybe I was rid of my cold, and I was.... until my nose started running again and I started sneezing again. Thought maybe I'd wake up and not feel like I'm missing something important, and I did.... but it's back.

Oh well. I guess we need those types of days every now and then. Basically I'm writing this post to let people thinking about coming here know it's not always going to be easy. Most of the time it's pretty cool though, but there will be days where you have something green stuck in your teeth and nobody tells you.

I am quite surprised none of the munchkins told me about the green thing in my teeth. They are normally so... honest.

Drunkard.

I did, however, witness the first scary man I've seen yet coming home on the subway today. At first I was convinced he was crazy, but the more I thought about it I decided he was probably drunk. Anyway, it was like a movie scene.

I walk close to the door of the subway as it pulls up and see a man heading my way talking. I figure he's (let's just call him Bob, for the sake of the story) talking to the man in front of me, since I obviously have no idea what he's saying. The man in front of me looks at Bob like he's crazy as we all board the subway, and then Bob starts saying what sounds to me like a hex or something. The subway is jam packed, but people start moving away from him and trying to stand as far away as possible. I decided since I'm short and only have two stops to go, standing behing a random slightly taller man near the door was my best bet. Anyway, Bob starts just talking...to no one in particular and then he starts singing while leaning against one of the railings on the seats.

The subway gets to Mok dong, and everyone gets off the subway who is standing except me and Bob. So, luckily, he could tell I had no idea what the hell he was saying so he kept singing and kind of just looked at me. I stood close to the door looking at signs I obviously couldn't read.

Anyway, I was happy that Bob stayed on the subway at my stop. He was pretty creepy... and I'm sticking with drunk. Crazy people don't normally hex then sing, I don't think... I'm pretty sure a crazy hexer would go find someone else who understood him to bother. I could be wrong.

That's my story.

I'm tired. Not much else really going on. It's a busy week at school. Almost Thanksgiving! Not that that really has anything to do with being busy seeing as how Koreans don't celebrate Thanksgiving. Haha.

Eh, I don't have the motivation to look for a quote tonight, just wanted to tell you all about Bob. =) Next time I'll do two to make up for it.

Boys will be boys...

Supposedly, one fun thing about learning English for elementary school boys is that they get to learn all sorts of dirty words and human body parts in a different language. So, instead of paying attention to my delightfully exciting class about using commas to put more than one adjective in a sentence (haha), they decided to look in their vocabulary books and on the translation cell phone thing one of them has and ask me if I knew all sorts of fun words (breasts, genitals, naked, etc. etc. etc.).

Normally this class has three boys and one girl, but luckily the girl was missing today, so I got to be sole witness to the giggling, no holds barred, ridiculousness of some of the words they were asking me about. Honestly, I felt like these boys just saw a porn magazine for the first time with how badly they begged me not to say anything to anyone about the things they were asking.

I tried to be teacher Amanda... but really, some of the things they were asking really were funny. Especially when one of the boys said "sexy" and the other two flipped out like it was the worst word ever. The boy got embarrassed and decided to actually pay attention after that. As tough as I was trying to be by telling them to put their stuff up and pay attention, I think I slightly egged them on by laughing when they asked me if I knew what one of the words was (I'd tell you, but I can't remember right now... there were so many).

U.S.A... South Korea... it doesn't matter where we are, boys will be boys at that age. I hope I have a son one day... otherwise my daughter is never leaving the house when she gets to elementary school with all the pervy boys around. Haha, ok I'm kidding... but seriously...


Anyway...

My Japan trip is cancelled for next weekend. Supposedly the flights are all booked. I'm not too upset... although I'd really like to have my health check be over and be able to get a cell phone. Guess I'll just have to wait.

I have a killer headache, so I'm gonna call it a night.

"Boys will be boys. And even that wouldn't matter if only we could prevent girls from being girls.”     

-Anne Frank

I guess I should explain myself...

I know that I have close to 52 weeks before I get back to the States... probably even more since I plan on visiting England for a few weeks after leaving here. I know that I want to spend New Years Eve of 2010 with people I care about and hopefully start 2011 off with a good job in a decent state. I know that a part of me didn't want to come here in the first place, that I wished I would find a journalism job in Florida and that things would just work out for once.

I also know now that I am extremely happy to be here, and even if I continue to count down how many days I have left, that won't stop me from enjoying my time and taking advantage of every opportunity to see everything I possibly can while I'm here. I want to be here and spend a year living a life completely different than I'm used to.

I've realized I'm the type of person who would rather be happy doing what I want than living the "perfect" life. My perfect life will be living near the beach with my animals and hopefully someone special one day... and you can laugh if you want, but I guarantee I'll be able to make it happen. My time in Korea is just one stepping stone leading me there.

I really do miss a lot of things from back home... and it's only been two(ish) weeks. It's crazy. Just thinking about my cats made me really sad the other day! But, I've got this. A year will go by pretty fast... maybe...

Second weekend... or third...or something.

I'm pretty sure this has been my third weekend here in Korea, and I basically spent it in my apartment reading and writing. Luckily for me, those are two things I love to do. I ventured out briefly yesterday to get a few things, but I've been a homebody the rest of the weekend. It was nice though, especially since my cold made me lose some sleep last week.

Next weekend I get to go to Japan! Hopefully I'll learn the details of that little exursion tomorrow. It'll be neat to go, but I heard Japan's expensive, and I've kind of gotten used to how cheap everything is here. (Can't you all already see how lovely my savings account will look when I get home?)

I can't believe Thanksgiving is only a couple weeks away! What the heck? It's already been a year since I was in Vegas, that's crazy. No idea what I'm doing yet... if anything.

Oh well. This blog is kind of lame since this weekend consisted of doing pretty much nothing. I need to start taking pictures...

“Once in awhile you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.” -Robert Hunter

Listening to: Scarlet Begonias, Grateful Dead

Rainy Day

Kindness of Strangers

Some lady let me stand under her umbrella this morning while I waited for the bus, since for some unknown reason I didn't feel the need to purchase an umbrella in a country that supposedly has a monsoon season. The lady huddled close to me so to make sure I wouldn't get wet, and I felt really bad that she didn't understand that I was thanking her. I guess she probably knew what I meant in some way... I mean, I figured out that she wanted to share her umbrella with me. But, I've been in a slightly mushy mood lately (I'm unsure why... really, maybe the book I'm reading? I don't know) so I was kind of touched that this random lady was so nice.

After work I decided it was time to invest in an umbrella. So, I went to the Family Mart that's downstairs in my building and bought one. I also bought some kimbap, which is one of my new favorite things to eat because it's easy to recognize--a long round package-- and it's like a surprise every time because I can't read the wrapper to determine what's in it. Yesterday was tuna, pineapple and cucumber.... today was crab, and I didn't really look at anything else because I ate it so fast. Good, nonetheless.

Itaewan

I finally got to visit Itaewan, and like everyone said, there were tons of foreigners. It was slightly more shocking to me to see so many because I've gotten used to not seeing any. I'm usually excited when I do see one because it's like "Where's Waldo?" and it was a bit overwhelming seeing all different kinds of people in the restaurant/bar thing we ate at. I liked it though.

I also liked the large expensive burger I got... and beer (which I actually didn't ask for but he brought anyway, I had no idea what Cass was when everyone else ordered one. Now I do)

Anyway, it was a good time and the girls are really nice. I feel somewhat bad because I had a killer headache before I met up with them, but it started to die down once I got some food so that was good. I even had some lady talk to me while I waited for the bathroom, in English, heh. It's the small things.

I'll definitely be going back for another burger eventually.

Skype...

is wonderful. Free computer to computer calls and chat. I also got a subscription to call landlines and cell phones now so that will be pretty cool. Not sure how the quality will be, but the computer to computer is definitely clear so hopefully it won't be too bad. I'll be testing it out this weekend.

Speaking of the weekend

This month is busy at my school. Open classes, 3-month tests, evaluation cards and me getting used to teaching is a lot to handle. So, this weekend will be dedicated to getting a lot of school stuff done. Especially since I think I get to take my fun little trip to Japan next weekend. Can't wait.....

Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day. ~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Happy Pepero Day

Today is Pepero Day.

What is a Pepero you ask? I've provided images of the gifts I received today (perks of being a teacher). Well, these are the ones I didn't eat yet, anyway.

I realize that from afar, the long heart covered Pepero looks slightly like a really long tampon... but inside the famliar looking wrapper, it's actually a cookie dipped in chocolate like the green box shows.

It took me a while to figure out what the kids were calling the day. It also took me a while to figure out why all the students were eating these cookies, but eventually I put two and two together.

It's like a Valentine's day or Sweetest day, and it's on 11/11 because the four ones look like Pepero sticks. Amusing, huh? I guess Hallmark isn't the only company banking off these type of days.

Little Devils

Before my day even barely began at the school today, two of my students found an eraser that I was holding, and instead of being good and asking for it, they tried to grab it out of my hand. In the process one of them broke my necklace. I was quite upset... it was only the 2nd time I'd worn it and I didn't even get past the morning. All the student could say was, "Oh easy fix."

Those same two students also discovered my belly button ring a little later by poking me in the stomach. Haha.. how do you explain a belly button ring to 6 year olds learning English? I decided to change the subject.

Finally, a different class of mine (that I actually really like) asked me where my wedding ring was, and when I told them I wasn't married they insisted on asking me about the ring. Kids. Oh yeah, this was after one of the girls in my class told me, "teacher your hair is ugly" and imitated that I had pieces sticking out.

Nonetheless, at the end of the day I can't say I really had a bad day.

Gym Membership or Subway Station Stairs...

I really want to join a gym here. That was one of my goals before I even came, yet I don't feel like searching around for one. The girl I replaced showed me hers before she left, but it looked super packed, and I'm more of an empty gym kinda girl.  

However, the stairs to the subway kill me every day. It's not so bad going there in the morning, but on the way home... climbing the, wait... let me count... 4 flights of stairs? is torture. Ok, it's not that  bad, but it is a decent workout every day and it makes me not feel as bad about being a slacker about finding a gym right away. Plus, I walk to and home from the subway which takes a good 5-10 minutes. I'm good.

 My cold is almost gone. Thank goodness that didn't long.

Itaewon tomorrow for dinner. It will be my first time in Itaewon, and I'm excited to go eat some Western food. If I have time I'll post about it, otherwise I'm sure I'll have lots to write over the weekend.

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard

1, 2, 3, F, 5, 6.....

Check this out: Supposedly, most places in Korea do not label the fourth floor with a 4 because the pronunciation for 4 is “sa” which is the same as the Chinese character for death. Similiar to the 13th floor in the States. This helps to explain why I always hit the wrong floor button in the elevator in my hotel... I was so confused.

Look, I captured evidence in my apartment.

"And a big yellow taxi took my girl away" has a new meaning.

I have yet to ride in a car or bus here and not fear for my life. Really, if I knew what the Korean lady on the bus intercom was saying, I might close my eyes until I reached my destination.

Drivers here are insane. Really, though, I guess the drivers here are amazing because traffic is so crazy and I have yet to see a wreck. Red lights are optional if no one is coming from the cross street... and the lines in the road are just guides that really don't have to be followed.

I'm almost positive that it would be illegal in the states for people to stand on the bus, especially when the bus drivers swerve in and out of traffic and slam on their breaks at the last minute at the bus stops. I just know I'm gonna fall on the bus one of these days, and I'm gonna be super mad because I know the laws here are different and no one is really going to care. Someone will probably laugh and in Korean tell me to hold on to the little dangly handle things harder.

I'll do my best.

Anyway... this is really two posts in one since I didn't feel like it yesterday.

Life happens.

If you would have asked me a year ago what my plans were for the future, I would have shrugged and said I had no idea. Then, after thinking about it for a minute, I would have thrown in that I'd like to be writing for a magazine and living near the beach. Never, EVER, would I have said, "I think I'll go to South Korea and teach kindergarten and elementary students." It really just wouldn't have happened. Why? A. I never thought I'd have the necessary funds available to travel and live overseas... B. I thought Korea was kind of scary.... C. I wasn't really too fond of  very many little kids.

Now... I absolutely adore the kids in my class and the fact that I'm saving for my future by living here. It's amazing how much can change in a year... isn't it? Although, I really wish I could just freeze time back home and come back to exactly how things were when I left, but I know... life must go on.


Kids are kids no matter where they live.

Like I said, I've really started to love being around kids and teaching them. However, I can't lie, a couple times today I did kind of wish that I had someone with a bamboo stick to just whack a few of them (I read somewhere that some Korean schools do that...I'm not too sure if this is true, but mine definitely does not... and really, I'd be horrified if it did).Overall, however, they are great and teaching them is amazing. Plus, I felt like crap today, so I have a feeling my evil bambbo stick wishes won't be lingering ones.

I think some of the students can see past the whole "oh she's the teacher we need to listen" facade and realize that it's really difficult for me to punish them. OR.. they are just having a hard time adjusting to their new teacher, which it what some say... but I highly doubt that. I'm like a glass window when it comes to being tough.

Oh well.

Kids are brutally honest and I think it's funny.

In America, we have this thing called privacy. We learn that certain questions or saying certain things crosses that line of privacy. Here, there's little privacy and any questions from students are fair game. Luckily, they haven't really crossed that line with me... at all. I guess maybe for some people asking age would be personal, but I don't mind. Age is a big deal here and asking someone's age is a question often heard.

I actually find the kid's antics funny. So... here are some of the things I've heard or seen during my time teaching, which has been approximately two official days by myself. This is just a random list of things I can think of that were somewhat amusing.

1. The kids like to know about personal relationships. I've been asked if I have a boyfriend a lot. I've also been asked if I kiss the so-called boyfriend. Since I'm pretty sure the kids don't care about long-distance relationship confusion, I just say yes (especially because I know for a fact if I said no, the next question would be "why teacher?"). Plus, they think it's amusing that I would have a boyfriend living in America. I guess even they can see the difficulties in that one. My favorite part about this question is that the younger kids give a cute little grin everytime they ask.

2. They show no mercy when it comes to talking about weight. My co-worker, who had on well-fit clothing and didn't look fat at all, was asked if she was pregnant. Of course they would say it in the morning so that all day whoever they say it to feels self-conscious.

3. They also show no mercy when it comes to anything dealing with looks. The students in one of my story classes decided to place the tallest student in the class next to me and continuously tell me how little I was, which I didn't mind... but then they decided to have a two minute conversation about the big zit that popped up on my forehead that morning. Not only was that a fun conversation, but one of the words we were learning was explode and you can only imagine where that went.

4. Certain aged students pick their nose...and eat it... right in front of you.

5. One of the topics in one of my writing classes was "How to make ______ happy." They had to pick someone and list ways to make him or her happy. One of my students chose his/her parents and then listed "washing their feet for them" as one way to make them happy. It took all I had not to burst out laughing.

6. One of my students brought a toy gun to school and thought it was fun to play shoot things. I'm pretty sure that's not permitable in U.S. schools without some sort of repercussion. This, I did not find so funny.

7. They think it's crazy that I don't speak Korean, and most think I do. Heh. I can't even say the Korean "hello" without sounding like I'm trying way too hard.... and I have kids asking me what (insert some Korean word here) is.

I'm sure I'll have plenty more before I leave, but those are just a few for now. I've also started a new project. It's call "See how long it takes before Amanda's English and writing skills are completely messed up." From 10:00-5:25 every day I have to forget everything I've learned and speak as though I'm in elementary school again. It's pretty tough actually... but I'm hoping my project is a complete failure, and I leave Korea with my education in tact. We shall see.


Off to bed. The cold is still lingering.

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today. ~Stacia Tauscher

My Korean/English dictionary says I went shyop'ing today.

Today, I experienced my first Korean market thanks to Angie, a girl I met also living in Seoul.

However, before sharing my market experience, I would like to give myself a pat on the back for making it there with hardly any trouble. I took the subway which meant at one point I had to make a transfer to a different subway line, and I did it all by myself. I'm such a big girl. Needless to say, the subway is super easy here. I applaud whoever suggested adding English to the maps.

Anyway... Namdemum Market.

My main reaction upon walking off the subway (Hoehyeon station, exit 5) onto the streets of the market was holy crap the people. They were everywhere! As shocked as I was, I suppose I shouldn't expect anything less in a city of over 10 million people.

Anyway, the street vendors were selling all sorts of things: clothes, shoes, scarves, hats, gloves, toys, trinkets, jewelry...and a ton of other stuff. It was a little overwhelming, and I wasn't exactly sure where to start looking.

I did bring my camera, but.... no pictures. Oops. It was just too crowded, and it probably would have just been a lot of people's faces  anyway since I'm so short. I'll go back on a weekday sometime and try to get some good pictures of the area.

One of the highlights of the day was my enormous mango ice cream cone. So good!  I should have at least taken a picture of it, so huge and delicious!

Angie also took me to Myeongdong where the Forever21, Gap and other similiar stores can be found. There's so many places to shop there. Prices are a bit more expensive, but it was fun just looking. We also spotted a pair of hilarious male boxer/briefs--leopard print with an image of a cute little kitten holding a rose. Yeah, I would totally laugh in the face of any guy wearing those.

Oh! The dollar stores here are totally cool. Actually, they are basically the same as back home except everything costs 1,000 won instead of 1 dollar. I'm going to the one near my apartment tomorrow after work to stock up on some household items and make this place a little more homey.

My tissue pile is growing.

Yes, I officially have a cold. Runny nose and sneezing have both taken over my body... or my face, whichever you prefer. Luckily, I remembered to bring cold medicine which is convenient because I really don't feel like trying to find what Hangul letters mean cold medicine.

So, that, along with my first day of teaching tomorrow means that it is past my bedtime. I have something cool I learned today that I'd like to share, but I want to try and get a picture tomorrow. So... stay tuned. ;) Heh.

"I don't cry over spilt milk, but a fallen scoop of ice cream is enough to ruin my whole day."

"Laundry day" literally meant "laundry day" today.

I used to love doing laundry. Well, I loved it in the sense that if I could pick any chore to do, laundry would be the one I chose. Easy-- throw clothes in the wash machine for like 20 minutes (or until you don't hear rumbling in the laundry room)... switch them to the dryer and wait until the buzzer goes off. Then fold a bunch of nice warm clothes, towels, whatever. End chore.

Today, however, I decided that while I'm in Korea I'm going to dislike doing laundry. Not only did it take a good chunk of my morning trying to figure out what the Korean labelled settings on the wash machine were (thank goodness for the internet), but I also had to do about 4 loads because the machine is so tiny! Plus, the absence of a dryer makes for this wonderful sight sitting in the middle of my kitchen/living room area:

 Obviously, I'm not a master at hanging clothes, nor do I care to be... so this will have to do. My desk chairs also have multiple articles of clothing hanging on them. I guess investing in an iron might be a good idea.

I'm not sure if the normal setting always goes for an hour and a half, but it definitely took that long for each load today. So.. four loads, plus an hour and a half each... well... yeah. Until I figure out what the rest of the settings are... that's how long it's going to take I suppose.

On another note:

I have a runny nose today. I really hope I'm not getting a cold. I think my body is all messed up (even though I have been drinking my Orange Juice!). But, hopefully by resting this weekend I'll feel better. I'm dying to go exploring, but I also really, really don't want to get sick. I found my camera book I brought though, so I think I may do some Korean language and camera studying.

I was going to post pictures of my tissues all over my desk to emphasize the point, but I figured I would spare everyone.


Korean Dinner with coworkers:

I really wish I had pictures to accompany this topic and show what it was like, but I didn't think about it at the time. It was really cool going to eat with my director, supervisor, and three other girls that I teach with. Obviously, to them it was just going to eat and nothing unusual, but for me it was a new experience.

 We had to take off our shoes at the entrance (which is very common here) and proceeded to a small room where there were only two tables. I'm assuming it was a private room for parties or groups. The table was on the floor (as it was in the rest of the restaurant as well), and we sat on little square mats. There were two burners on the table and so three people would share one burner.

The waitress came and placed a large bowl on the burner then poured some sort of broth into it. Then, she brought a tray of vegetables and a tray of meat. Rachel, my supervisor, began putting the vegetables and meat into the bowl as it began to boil. She then told us to go ahead and eat, so with our chopsticks we just all picked out different items from the bowl to eat. We were also given a plate of kimchi and some other dish that reminded me of coleslaw with honey mustard sauce. At the end of the meal, we were brought a bowl of rice which we put into another big bowl with broth and waited for that to cook. Everything was really good.

I also tried Korean beer! My director and some of my other Korean coworkers drank soju, but I stuck with the beer. One tiny glass was enough for me, but the director offered me more, so as not to be rude I accepted. Luckily, we finished dinner before I finished my second glass. It was actually pretty good though.

Again, I was proud of my chopstick skills even if I really didn't have a choice but to use them last night.

Well, this site is being slow and annoying so I'm going to stop writing. Nonetheless, I enjoyed my dinner with everyone and am loving trying all the different food. So good!

This quote is going to be my new motto by the way:

“I believe you should live each day as if it is your last, which is why I don't have any clean laundry, because, come on, who wants to wash clothes on the last day of their life?”

Life's Intermission

"Life passes most people by while they're making grand plans for it."

So far, one thing I know I love about being in Korea is the freedom it allows to break away from routine and from doing everything in part to maintain life's grand plan. Every day so far, I've woken up with absolutely no idea what the future holds or what the day will bring. I walk to the subway and see new shops and people, and every day I learn something that I didn't know the day before.

It's an eye opening experience to understand what it's like to be stared at because you're different or misunderstood because no one knows what you're saying. I can understand why some people would be scared or intimidated to put themselves into a situation like this. There's a comfort in being around similar people and being able to easily walk up and order food or read a bus map. For me, the experience is surreal, and I am forever grateful for allowing myself to leave everyone I care about and everything I know to immerse myself in Korean culture.

Why Korea?

I get this question a lot, and I have yet to give a really great answer. Honestly, my decision to come here was based on the amount of money I'd be able to save due to the amazing benefits the schools here provide. It was the only place I did research on and the only place where I was really told to look into. Mom didn't have a heart attack when I told her what I wanted to do, and everyone else seemed really supportive, so my decision was made.

Now that I'm here, I'm really glad this is where I ended up. The people are very kind and friendly (even with the language barrier), and even though it's dark when I come home at night, I have no problems walking home alone. The culture here is built around respect, especially for elders, but there are many times it can be seen in everyday situations. A recent example was at lunch when Rosalind was receiving change back it was handed back with two hands. I'm honestly not sure I would have noticed this small gesture if it wasn't pointed out to me, but this type of thing is very common here.

Of course, I still have a plan.

I, as many know, am a planner. I planned what I wanted to do after graduation, and I made goals for how I wanted to live my life. None of them included a trip to South Korea for a year.

I eventually still want a house in Florida near the beach where I can live with my animals and

have a small garden and a cozy spot near a large window to read and write... and a nice big bath tub and modern kitchen. I still want to write for a magazine and be able to come home to someone special and cook and watch movies together... and eventually have kids who I can teach to be open minded and unselfish. I have now put these goals of mine on hold for a year (obviously, some of those goals were on hold anyway for a while, like the kids thing).

For now, I believe this experience can help me accomplish those goals in a different way. I'm hoping my time here will allow me to become a better writer, see things differently and gain an appreciation for things I may take for granted back home, increase my knowledge of the world and other cultures, try new food and activities and see things I may never have been able to before, and develop a strong sense of independence until I can convince everyone to come visit or share in my experience.

I've set goals for my year in Korea. Of course, these may change, but for the most part these are the things I'd really like to do while I'm here:

1. Learn some of the language. At first, I convinced myself I'd just go the entire year without really trying to learn any, but I've found that I really want to be able to talk to the people here. I believe I could learn so much more if I could communicate more easily, so I'm planning on devoting some of my time to learning the language. I may not become fluent or spend too much time on small things, but I'd like to at least be able to do more than a small bow to get my point across.

2. Be healthy. It's amazing how many gyms there are here and parks and trails, etc. I want to start exercising regularly, and although it'll be tough to eat healthy (as I'd like to try all the different foods) once I learn what everything is, I'll probably start trying to order better things for myself.

3. Help my students learn as much as they can. I really want to be a positive role model for my students and get them to learn as much as they can. So far, I really love all the students at my school, and it'd make me really happy to be able to say I was one of the people who helped make them so darn smart. Being a good teacher is actually really important to me while I'm here. Just as it's important for me to be here, it's also important to the kids that they have a good English teacher.

4. Save money. This is one of my biggest goals while I'm here. My house in Florida won't be handed to me and neither will any of the other things I'll need when I get back home, so I'd like to see my bank account grow while I'm here. However, I plan on earning my money by doing the best possible job I can at my work.

5. Learn as much as I can. I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to learn and experience something new. I want to do, see and try anything and everything I possibly can. I want to make the best of my year here.

Now that I've written it, I should probably start doing it. I'd like to mention that as I'm sitting here writing, I'm eating Praline Pecans I brought from home and drinking a Coke Zero. Haha, I guess some habits never change no matter where in the world you are.

Well, this blog was probably one of my less exciting ones, but once I get started I can't be stopped. Next time, maybe I'll share some of my questions I'm dying to be able to ask or observations I've made recently. For now, it's bed time.

Goodbye to my "fork" days... Hello to my "attempt at using two thin sticks to eat" days

My first lunch out with a couple of the girls I work with (one I'll be working with and one I'm replacing) was actually quite delicious, and I was saved from staring at the food and sneakily finger picking by a fork that was kindly provided to me. This was a couple days ago, and since then, I have been attempting to learn how in the world food can make it to the mouth by using two sticks. Chopsticks. I failed to realize that my ability to eat while in Korea would slightly rely on the use of them, and that in order to use them I would need serious practice or help from a professional.

Tonight, however, I ate a complete meal using chopsicks. It's actually not as difficult as all the charts and videos (yes, I was that desperate) made it look. I've been sitting here for a few minutes playing with some chopsticks just to test that I can still do it. I can, and it's actually becoming slightly sad how excited I am.


On another note...

Korean food makes me excited. (Yes, I realize the wording is slightly inappropriate, but really, it sounds somewhat dirty any way I put it) I tried a Korean soup type thing the other day at lunch with the girls, which was really good and somewhat spicy (as much of the food here is), and we also got Kimbap and some fish something. Tonight, Namoi took me to some little Korean place around the corner from out work, and I tried Mandu for the first time. It's a meat filled dumpling type thing, quite good. I've also tried Kimchi, which is one of the best known foods here. It actually, despite some of the descriptions of it, wasn't bad... I'm actually anxious to try it again.

I've also had a lot of Western food so far, like Burger King, pizza and today I had a chicken salad and a strawberry/banana smoothie. Oh! And I bought a Coke Zero at 711 yesterday. I love Coke Zero, even in Korea.


Anyway...

I start teaching tomorrow, so I'm going to call it an early night. For some reason today wore me out. I'll post more soon. I feel like the things I've seen so far or question or just want to tell someone are endless! I guess it'll probably be that way for a year. Anyway, more soon... and pictures too.

"Not all those who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien

New Teacher Amanda

I'm not entirely sure why, but I can't seem to understand the money system here. On my way home from work a bit ago, I bought a Coke and some little cookie/cracker things (which are delightfully delicious by the way) and my total was 1300 won. Naturally, I think to myself, "Wow that's a lot for two little things" and go to hand the man two bills with 5 on them and three bills with 1 on them. Which, in my mind adds up to 13. Wrong. Totally wrong. He gives me a polite smile then laughs and says "no no no." Then I realize that the korean bills are 1000, 5000, 10000. Really, my total was semi-equivalent to USD $1.30. Got it. Well, eventually I'll get it.

I do have to say I quite enjoy the man working at the little market on the corner behind my apartment. He asked me what I was looking for in broken English and smiled and laughed when I said I don't know. Then, when I asked if he had soda (Georgia, oh how you've corrupted me) he took me to baking soda. The word "drink" worked much better. He's very nice, and I plan on buying fruit from him tomorrow.

So, I know I haven't posted about my school yet... and there is definitely a lot to say about it. Today, I had my first experience teaching alone, I spent four classes teaching P.E. Yikes. The first class had about 14 students, and I was definitely not prepared. Twister is a lifesaver. Luckily, I made it through the day and will not have to teach P.E. on a regular basis (or ever again depending on who saw my wonderful P.E. abilities today).

So, more about my school. Here's some of the pictures I was sent of the school before arriving:

First Day (10/29): Gerstungkinder.

After being two hours late my first day (bus drivers don't generally speak English.. neither do bus signs), I was nervous and super excited to finally be there. On break, some of the kids ran out to see me and seemed excited to meet their "new teacher Amanda." One student looked at me from around the corner and said, "Ooh she so little," then ran off to bring some more kids to see me. A few days later one of the students asked me how old I was, 12 or 13... haha. I'm not sure they realize I'm actually an adult.

I met Rosalind, the teacher I'll be replacing (and seriously, I can't even begin to tell you how much she's helped me out in the past few days), and sat in on her classes for the day. My homeroom class, Brown (all the classes are named after Ivy League schools), is a class of four 7-year-olds. They are super intelligent and can all speak English very well. The school doesn't allow the students to speak Korean, so it's incredible the level of English some of the students have. My classes range from 5-year-olds to around 12-year-olds, all with varying levels.


I'll be teaching phonics, story, language, reading, and diction and writing classes. Along with some similiar classes for elementary level students. I'm actually really excited to start teaching, I can only imagine the feeling of being with the students when they actually get it, whether it's an idea, concept, or new word.



Since I'm on a list kick, here are some of the things I've learned so far during my time at school... whether about the school, kids, or Korea:


1. Most Korean children have never seen freckles. One of my students asked me what the black things on my face were, and I couldn't help but giggle.

2. Supposedly, smiling for photographs is uncommon. On Halloween, if someone tried to take a picture most of the kids went from smiling and having a good time to a straight face. Image is very important here, and the wrinkles a smile gives around the mouth is "unflattering." Women also tend to cover their mouths when laughing for the same reason.

3. Kids here LOVE stickers. Honestly, if you want a student to be good, bribe them with stickers.

4. My school has cameras in the classrooms so that parents can log onto the internet at home and watch their students anytime they want. When I heard this, I thought it was the strangest thing, but I guess my school is in a wealthy neighborhood, so this is one advantage my school has over others.... supposedly.

5. Swine flu is scaring the crap out of people here. One of the student's mothers has him or her out of school for a month for fear that he/she will get it. Also, face masks are very popular, and I'm not positive, but I'm guessing it's due to swine flu. If wrong, my second guess would be it's because of the crazy pollution in the air here.

I'm sure I'll have plenty more stories to share, especially since today was only my third day at the school. So far, so good. I'm thinking about cool video ideas to try and include in my blog. Maybe a video of my walk to subway and class? We shall see...




"To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted." -Bill Bryson