My first day of teaching!

Yeah! I survived my first day of teaching:)

It was a complete rush of emotions from 3:30 until midnight. I went thought just about every emotion you could think of in one day. Happy, excited, anxious, nervous, confused, joyful, and my favorite of the day would be the feeling of accomplishment and achievement. Maybe those two are not the same type of emotions, but you know what I mean, right?

From the moment my first student walked into my classroom at 3:50, I felt a rush of panic and a feeling of "oh my gosh, there is a student who is here to learn English from ME." I was just a student in a class a little over three months ago! How did this happen? I had to take a breath and calm down. After the twelve students came into my class, I pulled myself together and went through the syllabus, attendance, a welcome letter, and I introduced myself. I probably sounded pretty stupid, but I couldn't think of anything else to say. "Hi guys, I'm Miss. Mendick but you can call me teacher ( teacher is what they call their Korean teacher at their school). I told them I am from the United States and one of my passions is traveling. One kid loved the fact that I was from New York. He couldn't get over it!

My 4-7 pm class was full of 5th and 6th graders. They were pretty quiet at first, but by the time the last hour came around and it was time for projects, they were talkative and were engaged into the project. My 7-10pm class was full of 8th and 9th graders. They were quiet the entire time until the project too. It was like dead silent. No one wanted to talk even if I called on them. There were also only two girls in this class who were shy, so I am going to have to get them to participate more. Two boys in this class were making jokes the entire time in Korean and I had to finally say, hey what is so funny? I like a good laugh, tell me the joke! (in a funny tone) They knew they were not paying attention and got the hint that I was picking on them because of that.

All in all the first day went well, but I am looking forward to meeting more kids and to gain more experience. I want to be the perfect teacher right now and understand that is not going to happen. I have to take one day at a time and improve each day. I am also trying to set goals for myself for each day too. Whether it be to make the class more fun, talkative, or even spice up the lesson. I need to do this because at 9 pm these kids want to go home and go to sleep. If I can find a way so that they want to be in the class and participate my goal will be accomplished and my job will be that much more fun. I had a fantastic first day:) Time for round two: the second day! I will meet all new kids and try my best to put my personality out there more. This is my goal for day two.
Love,
Kristen

Night out on the Town

Hello:)

I am trying to write in this blog a lot before I start working because I know I have more time now then I will in the next coming weeks.

Since the last blog I have explored much more of the town I live in and have bought more things for my apartment. I bought a really soft comforter and pillow:) I also bought some more food and water as well. I will have to make my way to either costco or another place to get a water filter. The water is safe here, but it definitely tastes better when it has been filtered.

Yesterday I went into my school and opened a bank account with the other 8 new instructors. Our faculty manager, Helene Kang, helped us open one so that when we get paid it goes into Woori Bank. Helene is extremely nice and is willing to help anyone with anything. She then took us down to the third floor to get our books for classes. She has been changing the schedule around a lot, therefore I do not have the same schedule as I put in the last blog. I am teaching every day, but have a half day on Wednesday and Friday. Wednesday I work from like 6:30-10 and Friday I get off of work at 7. I am only teaching reading and writing classes which I am ecstatic about. For some reason during training the reading and writing portion was much easier than the listening and speaking section.

Anyways, Helene told us yesterday that after a term has finished (15 weeks) they have a dinner for the instructors leaving. It worked out for the eight of us new instructors who happened to be coming in! We were able to come to dinner and really meet everyone who worked at Mokdong. At 10:00pm we all went down the street from the school to a Korean BBQ restaurant. I sat myself down with some instructors I didn't know and found out most of the table I was sitting with was leaving to head back to the states. I am a little sad because they all were hilarious and fun to be around. Everyone was having a blast and did toasts to the people leaving and toasts to the new instructors coming in.

Although there were a bunch of instructors leaving, the people staying are great as well. I can't wait to get to know them better and to just hang out. There were probably around 35-40 instructors drinking and eating delicious Korean BBQ. The streets around us were lit up like it was Time Square. Lots of brights lights blinking and people everywhere. The young people are out super late, so it is not odd for people to want to keep going to different places around town at 2 am. I took a cab back with Brandon and Racheal to Hongdae and there was not a shortage of people partying when we returned. I have to remind you I live in a college town. On a Friday night the streets are packed with people standing in lines to go to clubs and music blasting. I absolutely love it!

I haven't had such a great night in a long time, nor have I laughed as much as I did last night either. The instructors at my school are a hoot and just fun to be around. They talked about some of the funny things their kids say in class and more general things about Korea. This one instructor I talked to for a good amount of time is leaving in a few days to go back to Seattle. His year is up and he is totally ready to go back to the US. I asked him if he loved his time in Korea or if he felt so-so about it. He told me he absolutely would not have given it up for anything. He made connections with the kids and other instructors he will remember and have for a lifetime.

This makes me even more excited for my year here. It seems strange to me that this time next year I will be meeting new people who are in my position now and I will be leaving. I wonder what I will tell them about my experience.

Okay, I should probably look at my lessons and prepare my things for Monday. My first lesson for the lower level is about flags. The first lesson for my higher level class is about heart disease. Can you believe 10 year olds are reading difficult passages about heart disease?

The Korean kids study their butt off for EVERYTHING here. Thinking back to when I was ten, what was I doing? Maybe buying beanie babies and worrying about what outfit my American Girl dolls were wearing? The cultures are incredibly different and I am out to learn as much as I can about this one.

Have a great weekend:)

Kristen

Hongdae

Annnyong Hasaeyo! Chal Chinnaesoyo? I think I am improving my Korean! The first part is hello in a more informal way and the second is how are you. I am trying my hardest to pick up a little Korean. It is easier said then done. Trying to speak Korean is actually harder than reading the symbols. I find that when I am walking around the streets it is almost too much to take in.

I have learned where the good "convenience" stores are for little things, but the good Korean places for food are still somewhat of a mystery to me. Usually I have to point to a picture of the food and hope for the best. I have been extremely lucky so far because everything is delicious. If you didn't know, the big staple here is the "Kimchi." It is cabbage and mixed with spices and seasonings. I have had it a bunch of times already and do like it. I am not as convinced that it is the most delicious of the Korean foods I have had. It is a great side dish to something such as rice, vegetables, beef, and noodles. I do however want Grandma Loie to know I will not become addicted to the Kimchi! It is good- but not THAT good.

Getting situated into my apartment or "officetel" has been somewhat of a challenge and rather eventful. Racheal (friend from training) and I were supposed to move in at 12:00 pm on Wednesday to our building. My school did not send the landlord our key money right on time, so we had to move in later and hang around for four hours with our luggage. Thinking about it now is actually pretty hilarious. We just explored and ate lunch during our waiting time.

My apartment is great! Today I went to Costco to find bedding and towels. I signed up for a membership because the chances I will end up there again is pretty good. I wanted to get more things at Costco today, however the subway and what I can carry limits me. I bought the essentials for now and will use a website called "The Arrival Store" to buy more items like a water filter and other things I will need down the road.

I also went to a type of dollar store called "Daiso" to buy some glassware, pans, dishes, and bath items. Alright so I might as well put this in my blog because I think most of you will get a real kick out of it. One thing I am not crazy about in my apartment is my bathroom situation. I have a western toilet, sink, shelves, and a shower hose. Yeah- the shower hose without a curtain or door is not my favorite. I took a shower this morning and just started laughing because I have never not had a separate part for a shower. Therefore everything in the bathroom gets wet including the sink and toilet. I had to put my towel on the other side of the door so that it wouldn't get wet. Just to let you know, I am not writing this in an angry or annoyed tone. I am writing it is a comical way because the scene this morning of me figuring everything out was way too goooood :)

The area around my place is perfect. I have already found the subway I will be using to go to work. I was thinking of what the town I live in reminds me of. I can't quite place it, but it slightly resembles a place in Pittsburgh where my brother used to live. It was called Shadyside. A couple of the streets here in Hongdae remind me of this one street in Shadyside known as Walnut Street. It is where all the shopping and some cafes are. If you ever come to visit me (please do!) do not quote me on the similarity. It was the closest I could think of.

I also find it fun that there are so many cafes everywhere you look in South Korea. When I was at the hotel in Gangnum, there was a cafe every two stores. It is the same here in Hongdae. Every cafe is packed and full of people meeting, studying, eating, or just listening to music. I have passed some small cute cafes I would like to try because they are unique and something different. Don't get me wrong I love Starbucks, but the little cafes owned by local people are where you feel like you can relax and take in the scene.

I have just finished "furnishing" my new place with all of my pictures, cards, and items I have brought from home. On the right side of my computer I have two cards my parents gave me right before I got on the plane. When I read them as the flight took off to Seoul, I suddenly realized how much I will be missing them. Those cards represent one half of my heart. Half of my heart for the people, friends, and family for whom I love and already miss. The other half is for my want to seek adventure and to find and explore new horizons. Hopefully I will have some pictures up of my new place here in Hongdae within the next couple of days.

Here is a quote that relates to this post and one from a great Dave Matthews Song-

"Sometimes the best way to found out who you are, is to get to that place where you don't have to be anything else."

Always,

Kristen

Heart and Seoul

I have no idea why I just called my post "heart and seoul!" It sounded cool though:) Alright...so I am continuing my final week without having to do much, but there actually is a lot to do. Yesterday and today I went out to find a place to live! They showed us a bunch of places around my school area and two other areas which are where the top universities are in Seoul. The two places with the schools and nightlife are about a 15 to 20 minute subway ride away from my school. I did not find much by my school because there was a limited amount of apartments left.

Today I found a place near a university called Hongik University. It is a really cute town where there are tons of restaurants and shops. I also feel extremely safe in this area. I am not rooming with anyone because the apartments are super small, but I am in the same building as a girl from my training group and Mokdong school. Her boyfriend is also in South Korea with an apartment down the road. It is a little on the expensive side...but I would rather pay more to know that I will have a good place to live for the next year.

Yesterday I went to go see my school and had some orientation classes. The school is extremely pretty inside. There are three different floors at the school with about 40 instructors. My schedule for teaching looks good as well. I will be working Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 4:00 pm - 10:00pm. Yeah for no school Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday! I am super excited that I will be living near two people who will be coming back at the same time on the subway with me. We can also prepare our classes together and hang out around town:)

I am definitely ready to start teaching and to get out of this hotel! Cannot wait to set up my place! I already have a bed and new mattress, a washer, a desk and chair, tv and stand, and a closet for storage space. There are supposed to be 3 Costco around Seoul. I am thinking I would like to go there for certain items I may need. There are also these discount stores for like dishes, pots, pans, etc.

Oh and I forgot to mention that I went to a baseball game the other night! I went with my friend from Semester At Sea who is also teaching with Chungdahm Learning. He lives about an hour south of Seoul, but came up with his friends to an "LG Twins" game on Sunday night. A few of his friends are Irish, British, and South African, so they have never been to a baseball game. Trying to explain the "three strikes your out rule" was incredibly funny! Dan (friend from SAS) has been in South Korea since November. He has been giving me good advice on things to do and some cultural advice. Both of these things are very helpful.

Well I am absolutely exhausted from a day of just walking around everywhere looking at places. If there is one thing you do a lot in South Korea, it is walk. I am getting a good exercise from it though!

Hope everyone is well and enjoying the last week or so of August!

Love,

Kristen

Passed Training:)

Hi Friends!

I made it through and passed training week! It was probably the most challenging thing I have ever done, but completely worth the effort and hard work. I did about six mock teaching exercises yesterday for two trainers. In my opinion, I improved everyday and really tried to stay confident without getting too nervous.

Now I am back at the hotel until probably Wednesday. On Monday afternoon I am going to the school I will be working at which is the Mokdong branch. I will meet my Faculty Manager who will show me around the school and tell me which sections I will be teaching. Most likely it will be 4 sections of either reading or listening. I will probably be doing both. I will also have up to 90 kids a week! Each class could have 15 students! I am definitely giving them English names because I know for a fact I won't be able to get their names down if they use their Korean names.

This weekend I am just relaxing and enjoying my time here in Gangnam gu-Seoul. Gangnam is about a 40 minutes away from Mokdong using the subway. On Monday someone will also show me some places to live near my school. I hope there are some which are furnished, but that is not always possible. I'm not sure which kind of apartment I want to live in either, but will be seeing some on Monday.

I still can't believe I am here and will actually be living here for the next year! I absolutely love it here and CAN'T WAIT to start teaching:)

Have a great weekend! Love and Miss you All!

Kristen

Third Day of Training....check!

Hey Hey! I am terribly sorry for not writing in my blog! I have been EXTREMELY busy with meeting some new people, figuring out what is what around where my hotel is and my school, and studying for training. Training is nothing like I expected it to be. I say this in a good way and a slightly shaky way because I thought it would be less intensive (no idea why I thought this).

As much as training is difficult, it is giving me the essentials for what I need to become an excellent teacher and what I can expect for my next year. Although I have not made it all the way through training, I am receiving good feedback and constructive criticism of how I can improve. Tomorrow I have to mock- teach four lessons on both reading and writing and speaking and listening. It doesn't sound hard, but its something you can't write off before you experience it.

Seoul is a blast. I absolutely love getting on the subway and figuring out where I have to go. I think my secret love for the subway comes from traveling to NYC (one of my favorite places) and being on Semester At Sea. It is a new and exciting place that I want to capture in my mind and save it for the rest of my life. The busy crowds and people walking every which way is so much fun for me and I am enjoying every minute.

My Korean is unfortunately not getting much better because I have only picked up a few essential words to get by such as thank you, hello, goodbye, your welcome, I like... things like this. There are many things fellow trainees are telling me to do while I am here in South Korea for a year. Some trainees have been through the process before because of another part of the school they worked for, but also trainees who have been exploring for a month or so before training started. I hope to get to these places in my next year! Different shopping marts, the foreigners place of Seoul, and some crazy fun amusement park!

Well I hope to update this again before the end of the week because I want to give you more exciting news and fun things I have been doing:) Now I need to go study some of my mock teaching materials and settle down at a Starbucks near by!

Talk with you soon,

Kristen

Made it to South Korea

Hello All- I made it here safely and I start training tomorrow:) Sorry this is so short, but I do not have much internet at the hotel! Hope everyone is well and I will be posting soon.
Having a great time!!!

Love,
Kristen

2 days till go time!

Hi All- I am hoping that my blog gets passed on to as many people who want to read about my adventures. I do not know everyone's e-mail, so forward or send this to whoever.

This blog will be like my last blog for Semester At Sea:)

I cannot believe I am leaving in two days to go live someone completely foreign to me for a year. Every time I imagine myself in South Korea, it gives me the chills because of how exciting and exhilarating it will be. I will of course be updating this all the time, but also want to send tons of postcards and letters to you all too! Who doesn't like mail?

Here is a little of the basics of my first few weeks in South Korea:

I fly from Rochester to Chicago and then Chicago to Seoul on 8/13-8/14.

When I arrive I will be transported to a hotel and training will start on the following Monday!

I train for about a week and a half in the heart of Seoul and learn about what is expected of me. I am also presented with the curriculum to teach the kids! During the training time, my employers (Chungdahm Learning) will take me around where my school is located to find an apartment. (Mok-Dong, Seoul, South Korea- Southwestern part of Seoul) Once I find a place to live, then I can get the internet for the apartment, get a cell phone and bank set up so that the company can deposit my paychecks!

There are many other things I have to do too, but I don't want to bore you all with my training schedule. I will have many other awesome stories to share when I get there.

Thank you for all my family and friends who have supported my decision to pack up and take a job in South Korea. It has meant a lot to me that I have family and friends who love me and are just as excited as I am to start my adventure.

Updates to come!!!

Love to you all,

Kristen