Half Way Done!

I have been in South Korea now for a little over 6 months! I can’t believe how fast it has gone by. I’ve experienced so much since I’ve been here from miraculously surviving summer with no AC; traveling to Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong; my parents visiting me; my sister coming to live and teach in Korea; and all the people I have met along the way.

I just want to provide an update on things that have happened since I’ve been out here that I’ve haven’t mentioned in my previous posts.

My Apartment
I did mention that I moved apartments, but I haven’t posted any pictures of my new apartment. Here is a short video I made recently:

Weather
As I said before I survived the extremely hot and rainy summer. I really didn’t think I would with my small fan that I had pointed at me at all times but I did and looking back now it doesn’t seem so bad. Coming from Southern California I know a thing or two about heat but the summer here was different. Not only because of the rain that accompanied the heat but the lack of air conditioning everywhere. Back at home we really don’t spend that much time outside and when we are indoors the air is sure to be on. That was not the case here. Not only did I spend more time outside because of walking or taking public transportations but the AC was never turned on in expected places like restaurants and shops making the experience that much hotter and I was excited for the cold to come.

Sometime in late August or early September temperatures started to cool and the afternoon started to actually get chilly. Then in October the temperature drastically dropped 20 degrees and we were in the 70 degrees, which was difficult to adjust. And just like that, the leaves on the trees started to change and the cold started to come in. Now most leafs on the trees are gone and there is hardly any green to be seen outside.

Fall Leafs

I have to admit that my perception of cold has change and I now think that 50 degrees is warm! I did have a hard time adjusting and the first time I had to walk to school in 30 degree temperatures I was literally on the verge of tears because I was so cold, but now I am kind of enjoying it. I like the fact that it feels like fall/winter. I do wish I could do something about the way I dress. I am wearing multiple layers in an attempt to stay warm and I look so random sometimes since all fashion is out the door.

I also experience my first snow, which was beautiful. I wish it could snow everyday and all day but it only lasts a few hours at most. Everyone says that this is nothing and it’s going to get worse but I can’t even imagine that. Next week the temperature will range from the low 20’s to the mid to high 30’s.

School

Since we got our new principle there has been some changes. I first noticed that the quality of our lunch started to decrease and before I knew it I found my lunch to be inedible, which was unfortunate since I use to look forward to lunch and I would get to try a lot of different Korean food. Now for those who know me, know that I am not a picky eater, but what they were serving for lunch was just disgusting and I would get nauseated at the smell of lunch sometimes. As bad as the food got I still had to contemplate about opting out of the lunch program and bringing my own lunch. The decision was difficult mostly because I was lazy to make my lunch, but also because I didn’t know how to cook, and it was much cheaper buying the school lunch at $2.50 a day. One day I was not able to eat lunch anymore and ended up eating a bag of chips that's when I decided I would stop purchasing lunch at school.

Now I bring my lunch to school every day. I mostly make vegetarian Thai curry for lunch or leftovers from dinners that I host. I also started to buy burritos from Gringos Burritos. Surprisingly their burritos are delicious and they even have a chorizo burrito.

The other big change at our school was that they stopped buying us toilet paper! That’s right toilet paper! There were a few weeks without it but ultimately the English department bought some with their budget. During this time my co teacher gave me a box of Kleenex Tissue to use, which I have to say is just not the same.

So with that being said it is obvious the new principle and vice principal are trying to reduce the school's spending. I was worried that they wouldn’t turn the heater on during winter but luckily they didn’t go that far. They are however, turning the heater off daily from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm for energy conservation, and we also have to set the heater on 20 degrees celsius, which is 68 degrees ferinheight. My classroom does not hold the heat in very well and the heater has to be blasting in order to keep me warm, which means I am very bundled up most of the day when I'm at school.

Students

This is the first and only semester I will teach all the way through and I was having a hard time saying goodbye to my kids. The kids graduate in winter instead of spring in Korea, so that means all my kids will be moving on to the next grade this winter. Here are pictures of all my after school classes on their last day of school:


First Graders:

I can't believe how serious everyone looks since they are very active kids

Second Graders:

Oh boys... not sure what is going on in that corner

Third Graders:

I love this picture! There is so much going on and look at Sara on the right

Fourth Graders:

Winter Vacation

I was trying to have my winter vacation during Christmas but I was unable to get two consecutive weeks off during that time, so instead I will be on vacation at the end of January into the first week of February. We have purchased our tickets and have booked our hotels. Our destinations are Cambodia and Thailand, which will give us a nice break from Korea’s cold winter. I am going with the other foreign teachers at my school and my sister. I am most excited about everything being cheap and cheap massages! I can’t wait to eat some delicious food which will be a nice change from my diet in Korea.

Three Month Mark

I can’t believe a quarter of my journey in Korea has already been completed. I feel like there is so much more I want to do, but I also feel like I have done a lot of the things on my “list”. Updating my blog has become a bit a challenge since my day to day activity has become so normal that I feel I have nothing to report.  However, I will do my best to update my loyal followers now.

Since I got back from my summer vacation, I went white water rafting with a tour group called Discover Korea. About 10 people from Pyeongtaek came. This was the first time I used a tour group, and it was nice not needing to plan anything. We met in Seoul at 7:30 and then took a bus to Hantan River, which is on the north east side of Korea. It took about 2 hours to get there. I felt like we were so far away from everything and it was so green and beautiful. I had such a great day and it was so nice being outside.

A lot of changes have also occurred at school. The biggest change (for me) is Brooke, the other teacher at my school has completed her year in Korea and will be leaving on Saturday. I have gotten to know Brooke very well in the last few months and I will definitely miss her. I feel that my experience here would have not been the same without her and I am so fortunate to have met her.

The principle and vice principle will also be leaving. They are going to work at different schools. I hope this doesn’t affect anything for me. It's customary for teachers and I am assuming principles and vice principals to stay at a school for only 3 to 5 years and then they change.  On Tuesday we had a goodbye dinner at a very fancy Korean restaurant. One of the teachers completed the evening by playing his guitar and singing.

The teacher who will be replacing Brooke arrived on Thursday. She has been staying with me. She was supposed to live in Brooke’s apartment, but is highly allergic to cats so I volunteered to move to her apartment, which kind of works out since the apartment has a bigger bed that my parents will be able to use while they are here. It has been a pain moving and I am sad to lose my nice view of the city but it works out best for everyone.  

So yes my parents are coming! They will be here on Sunday, and I am so excited. The other big news is that my sister just started working in Korea and will be here for a year! This was so unexpected for me and I am so happy to have her here to share my Korean memories with. I am sure we have many adventures ahead of us. There is so much to look forward to in the next 9 months, and I am so happy I made the decision to work in Korea, but we’ll see if I still feel the same once the holidays roll around.

A Wrong Turn

So the other night, I was walking home from downtown Pyeongtaek. I turned on the wrong street, but I knew where I was, and where the street I wanted to take was at. I decided to keep walking and make a left on the next street to get back on the path I wanted to take home. Now I have to say that Korea is very safe. I love that I can walk on the streets at night, and I never feel scared. 


Anyways, I was on my way home and the street I decided to turn on did not feel quite right. First of all, there was a lady just standing outside a fortune teller's shop and the narrow street seemed a little too dark. Since I thought I knew where I was going, I decided to keep walking since it was a short distance away. So the more and more I walked into the dark tiny street the more odd it felt. There was no one walking on the street, and there were also no cars going through. As I kept walking, I noticed some bright pink neon lights up ahead, and then I notice some ladies standing outside. Theses ladies were wearing white skimpy outfits. 


If you haven't guess by now, I was the the red light district. I have heard of this areas before but didn't really know where it was. I actually still don't know where I was at or where it's at. The girls did turn to look at me but then looked away. I did see a van drive by and the girls where trying to hail it down but were unsuccessful. It seemed like it was a really slow day for them. I started to panic, and every street i tried to turn on was just covered with girls, windows, and pink lights. I was definitely not going the right way. I had no choice but to turn around. The lady I saw outside the the fortune teller's shop was still there when I finally made it out. I pretty sure she had something to do with the red light district. When I got back on the main street, I was so turned around. 

I couldn't help but laugh at what had happened. This by far has been the funniest thing that has happened to me in Korea. My only regret is that I didn't take video or pictures. If I get the opportunity again, I will definitely be capturing it on film. 

In case you were worried, I did make it back home. I eventually found the outdoor market and knew I just had to walk straight though and would get back home. 

Tongbuk Market

One of the first things I heard about in Pyeongteak was it's outdoor market, Tongbuk. I was told it was on the same street my apartment was. I just had to walk straight. Here is a video on my walk. I how you enjoy :)

This is what I got dinner at the market:

Fortune Tellers

So this whole time I have been going around town being a tad concerned for these backward swastika signs I always see by my house.

It turns out that they are fortune tellers if it is on a house and temples if it's on a temple. I am super excited about this discovery; unfortunately, I am not able to go without a Korean to translate. Brooke is certain her friend will come with us. I hope we go soon!

Spaghetti Night!

I was invited to go to spaghetti night at theArmy base, Camp Humphreys. I was really excited to go, but did not really know what to expect. This base is in Pyongtaek, but it took over 30 minuets to get there. The surrounding area of the base was deserted and quite scary looking. I can now understand if people say they hate Korea if they were only exposed to that kind of area.

Once we got inside, the base looked kind of bare. We went into the restaurant and paid $12 dollars for the meal, which was all you can eat. We were also able to pay with US dollars. There was a salad bar, pasta bar, a fresh fruit section, and free beer and wine. I thought this was a great deal. I was happy I brought my appetite. The salad was amazing! I have only been here two weeks but it seems like I haven't had a real salad in forever. The pasta was delicious as well. I got angel hair pasta with shrimp, olives, mushrooms, and garlic with a vegetarian red sauce. Afterwards, we played miniature gulf for free! It was a great evening!

Friday Night Dinner

On Friday, I went to another traditional Korean dinner. The dinner was organized by an English teacher who teaches at Pyeongtaek University. There were about 35 – 40 people from Pyeongtaek and surrounding cities. Most of them were teachers, some worked for the military, and a few Koreans. It was 15,000 won per person and they served so much food. 

The Departure

My final days in America were super busy. On Friday, I packed for 6 hours! I was not able to bring everything I wanted to bring, but was able to fit the essentials into 2 suitcases.

Here is everything I wanted to pack:

( I think there was actually more then this)

Saturday and Sunday were spent with friends and family at a graduation/going way get together. On Monday, I had breakfast with my family and said my final goodbyes.   

I got to the airport at 10:00 am. I learned the real weight limit was 50 lbs. for each suitcase, and it is cheaper to have 3 suitcases then to have one over way over the weight requirement. I purchased a box for $7 and separated my large suitcase. I paid an additional $110 for the 3^rd suitcase.

My flight was pretty uneventful. They did give us slippers for the trip, which was nice. I think I was able to sleep for 5 hours of my 13 hour flight. For lunch we were served bibimbap and for dinner I had some seafood pasta (not sure if that was a wise choice). I watched about 5 films. (I am Number 4, Fair Game, and How Do You Know, are the only ones I can remember) I also think I there was a celebrity or model on our flight. When I got off I saw her taking a picture with a flight attendant and when I got out of the airport the paparazzi was there! Here is the picture I got of her:

As advised Mr. Kim was there to pick me up.

Mr. Kim drove me to Pyeongtaek, the City I will call home for the next year. It took about an hour to get there. 

When I arrived at the apartment parking lot, the person I interviewed with was there to show me to my apartment. The first thing that came out of his mouth was “are you okay?”. I must have looked like hell after my long flight and lack of sleep! As we walked to my apartment I became wary of what my apartment would look like from looking at the hallways, but to my surprise my apartment was very nice! Very spacious and I even have a shower! Two bedroom, one bath, living room, and kitchen area.

I got directions and two letters written in Korean asking for help incase I got lost going to school or going back home.

That night I unpacked one of my suitcases, took a shower, and called it a night. 

The Beginning

I decided to start a blog so that my family and friends could follow me on this adventure. I also want it to help others who are looking to teach ESL in Korea. I hope I will be able to maintain it for the whole time I will be gone, as I have seen so many blogs that are never completed.

I have been working with a recruiter to find the perfect job for me in South Korea. I have finally been matched to a public elementary school in Pyeongtaek. The city is south of Seoul and is in the Gyeonggi Province.

I selected to go through the public school system because of the extra benefits opposed to the private schools. I went though GEPIK instead of EPIK because I would be able to start sooner, and I would not have to wait until August.  My contract is for one year.

The benefits include:

• Apartment
• Roundtrip airfare
• 20 days paid vacation

Normally there is only 1 foreign teacher at a school; however, this school has a strong English program and has 6 other foreign teachers. My work hours will be from 8:30 to 4:30 Monday through Friday. 22 hours a week will be spent teaching. I will have a native co-teacher in the classroom. My start date is May 30th, which is about a month away. My time now will be spent on figuring out how to pack for a whole year in two suitcases!