The first 2 weeks

Thanks to the laptop that my school provides for me I will be able to post while I am at work.

The trip out here was something else. I would have missed my flight if it wasn’t for this Delta ticket agent allowing me to cut in front of the entire line. Flying to San Fran was so turbulent but I was able to take some interesting shots of the Rockies while we were flying over them! I flew Singapore Airline to South Korea and all I can say is WOW. The service is impeccable. They give you warm towels etc etc.

It takes 2 .5 hours from the airport to get to Anseong, the city that I teach in. Two Korean English Teachers met me at the school and showed me to my apartment. It is a very cozy studio perfect for one person. There is no oven or gas stove top. I have a two burner plug in electrical stove. Luckily I have a microwave! My Mom and I had to clean the entire apartment pretty much from top to bottom because it was pretty dirty, but thanks to elbow grease its spic and span! My apartment is a 5 minute walk from my job!

This language barrier is unlike anything I have seen in my life. Buying a phone card took about 10 minutes. So I was excited about being able to call my Dad but the card didn’t work. Luckily it was 10,00 Won, which is about $7 so it didn’t break the bank!

Electricity was a problem that thankfully is resolved now. I bought converters in the US that didn’t work. So I foolishly brought one here. Plugged in my alarm clock, set the time, and 5 minutes later I heard a *pop*, the converter blew my alarm clock out and it started smoking. I am just glad that it was my alarm clock rather than my laptop. I have a good converter now, its about 5 pounds but does the job very well!!!!

I started working on April 6th, the entire week was dedicated to introductions. Since most of the students are shy about speaking out loud I had them write 3 questions as group on a piece of paper for me. They all ask “Do you have a boyfriend?”, lol. Then you get random questions like “Why did you come to Korea?” “How tall are you?” etc. They say I look like “Beyonce” and “TYra Banks” .Then I asked the students to tell me about Korean School life and I tell them about what it is like in America, and they are shocked. These kids study ALL DAY. So once I learned that I decided to make my class as fun for them as possible. I only give them homework if I have to tell them to “Be Quiet” more than twice in a class period. It’s pretty easy though 7 sentences in English about what ever topic I choose. Haha!

I was so tired the first week, that jet lag is pretty serious. The second Sunday was spent sleeping for the most part and I feel like my normal self again. And because I am not tired I have been able to think of lesson plans. I actually have lesson plans made up until the last week of June! So I have to create a few cross word puzzles, word searches, work sheets etc for the students. I LOVE my job! They give me all the creative license in the world J As long as I am prepared they are happy. I try to tell the students about America as much as I can.



Well, here is a list of the most interesting things so far, I have got to go teach now!



Interesting things so far:

1) The students get beat pretty badly by their Korean teachers.
2) So far about 2 students have had to kneel down with their hands in the air in the teacher’s office.
3) They go to school from 8am-10pm and if their parents have enough money they got to a private academy until 1 am
4) The students and teachers wear slippers to school.
5) All students in the public school wear a uniform!
6) The students clean the school for 20 minutes each day. The ENTIRE school at that from mopping to sweeping to cleaning window, they do it all.
7) Most kids learn English through movies. I hear the words guns and police all too often.
8) The only time the kids listen to me 100% is when I talk about America


I am going to meet some expatriates tonight so I am looking forward to it!!! No language barrier. Yes!!!!!!!