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
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