Okay so I finally made it into Seoul this weekend - or a tiny section of it anyway. To do that I had to catch a bus to a nearby city called Bucheon, then take the subway into Seoul. Id already made a couple of trips into Bucheon, mainly because there's an enormous shopping centre there where I've got most of my basic items - plus i can buy cereal there, which is a bonus. I hadn't taken the subway in Korea before, so when I got to the station I spent a fair amount of time wandering around trying to figure out how to buy a ticket, which train to take etc. Eventually an American English teacher (there's a few of us around) took pity on me and showed me the ropes. He had some time to kill, so he came with me into Yongsun, which is where they have a huge (there aren't enough superlatives for the shopping centres in Korea) electronics market. The term 'market' is quite misleading, because it's set out all shiny and bright, like a David Jones or something but even brighter, and has about 6 floors of just computers, tv's, phones, cameras etc - electrical stuff. I even found a section on digital pianos, which was pretty exciting. It turns out I can pick one up for about $600, so I might do that next weekend, give myself something to work on while I'm here.
After Yongsun we went to a part of Seoul called Itawae (not sure of the spelling), which is where all the foreigners hang out because there's a whole lot of western shops and bars. The bonus for me was an english bookshop, which was insanely expensive unfortunately. It was really strange seeing so many westerners after being the only one around for a while. Itawae has a pretty bad name among Koreans as being dangerous, I guess 'cause a lot of the westerners - including army guys from the nearby base - hang out and get drunk and agro there. From the few English teachers I've met, going out and getting excessively drunk every weekend seems to be the norm here. I guess if I'd come here 5-10 years ago I'd be doing the same, but these days I'm more interested in the food, and seeing stuff - which I haven't done much of yet, but I'm determined to do something cultural next weekend, even if it's just to visit the military museum or something. I've got in contact with a few hiking groups, but I can't do much until I get my Alien Registration Card, so that I can get a Korean bank account. Hopefully that will happen this week, and I can say that I am officially an alien :-) By then it might have stopped raining too - it has been non-stop. It's still pretty humid, but nowhere near as hot as Darwin. I'm looking forward to fall, which is supposed to be cool but beautiful clear skies. Everything is very gray and dirty at the moment, which is making me pretty lazy.
The good news is that I did manage to find my way home from Seoul by myself, so I think I'm okay to get around now. Just have to keep getting out there!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Classes
So I guess I should say something about my job! It's not too scary, at least most of the time. I have a co-teacher called Judy who is with me most of the time. I say most of the time because she seems to enjoy torturing me by coming later and later for each lesson - probably her way of making me stand on my own two feet, when I'm actually pretty happy letting her do all the work ;-) I have six different grade five classes, and five different grade six classes, which I teach twice each every week. Each class gets the same lesson, so we do the same lesson six times for the grade fives, and five times for the grade sixes, if that makes sense. It generally turns out that the first lesson is a shocker, but we (by that I mean I) improve with each one. It can get pretty repetitive, hopefully it doesn't do my head in after a couple of months.
On Monday and Thursday afternoons I have the grade one's and two's, which definitely wakes me up. Seriously, these guys are pint-sized energizer bunnies, that barely speak a word of English, which doesn't stop them from yelling whatever words they do know as loudly as they can at me. But there's nothing like a rousing tune of A - a - apple to break the monotony :-) They are completely cute, although I suspect there may be a few little monsters amongst them as well. It turns out that the younger the student the better; I like my grade one's better than my grade two's, and my grade fives better than my grade sixes, who are way too cool for school.
I don't think teaching is for me in the long term, but it's a good experience. I'm not huddling under the desk with my hands over my head at least, so that's definitely progress, right?
On Monday and Thursday afternoons I have the grade one's and two's, which definitely wakes me up. Seriously, these guys are pint-sized energizer bunnies, that barely speak a word of English, which doesn't stop them from yelling whatever words they do know as loudly as they can at me. But there's nothing like a rousing tune of A - a - apple to break the monotony :-) They are completely cute, although I suspect there may be a few little monsters amongst them as well. It turns out that the younger the student the better; I like my grade one's better than my grade two's, and my grade fives better than my grade sixes, who are way too cool for school.
I don't think teaching is for me in the long term, but it's a good experience. I'm not huddling under the desk with my hands over my head at least, so that's definitely progress, right?
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
School teachers and me
So this was taken last night when I went out for dinner with the grade six teachers. The woman I am sitting next to is my very wonderful co-teacher, Judy. We went to a duck restaurant, which was incredibly yummy, and I seem to be finally mastering their chopsticks - or at least I thought so until my co-teacher gave me a bib ;-) Actually even harder than the chopsticks is getting used to sitting cross-legged on the floor - and getting up again afterwards! Tall people aren't designed to be flexible I swear.
In addition I am trying to learn all the many little points of etiquette that come with Korean dining, such as making sure that everybody else's glass is filled before filling my own, and (I think) only drinking when everybody raises their glass together, which they do a lot. I can't quite remember what they say when they raise their glasses, but it means 'To everything!', which I liked.
I think I managed to horrify a good portion of the people in my neighborhood on Friday night by going into the restaurant at the bottom of my building and eating by myself. The restaurant owner kept saying "no no, you won't like the food, you shouldn't eat here", but I was hungry and sick of eating my own cooking so I persevered. Maybe people don't eat in restaurants by themselves here? Everybody turned and stared when I was eating, and had a good giggle about my limited ability with the chopsticks, but I persevered and had a great meal that only cost me about $4.00, so I think they'll just have to get used to me there :-) My own cooking by the way is TERRIBLE. I can't work out what is what when I go shopping, so I thought I'd experiment, which hasn't worked out too well. Twice now I have had to throw out what I made and resort to vegimite on toast, which is becoming a dietary staple of mine. I'm firmly sticking to salad for a while I think.
In addition I am trying to learn all the many little points of etiquette that come with Korean dining, such as making sure that everybody else's glass is filled before filling my own, and (I think) only drinking when everybody raises their glass together, which they do a lot. I can't quite remember what they say when they raise their glasses, but it means 'To everything!', which I liked.
I think I managed to horrify a good portion of the people in my neighborhood on Friday night by going into the restaurant at the bottom of my building and eating by myself. The restaurant owner kept saying "no no, you won't like the food, you shouldn't eat here", but I was hungry and sick of eating my own cooking so I persevered. Maybe people don't eat in restaurants by themselves here? Everybody turned and stared when I was eating, and had a good giggle about my limited ability with the chopsticks, but I persevered and had a great meal that only cost me about $4.00, so I think they'll just have to get used to me there :-) My own cooking by the way is TERRIBLE. I can't work out what is what when I go shopping, so I thought I'd experiment, which hasn't worked out too well. Twice now I have had to throw out what I made and resort to vegimite on toast, which is becoming a dietary staple of mine. I'm firmly sticking to salad for a while I think.
View from flat
Ok so this is the view from my window; it's mostly vineyards, which is handy because there's a little market stall set up right across the road that sells fresh grapes and occasionally wine. I haven't tried the wine yet - I must confess that I am a little suspicious of Korean wine, as what I've tried so far tends to be very sweet. It looks pretty picturesque, so it's a little strange that if I was to stand on the other side of the road to take the picture all you would see is high rises! It's very nice to have some green right outside my window though.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
About the food
I really have to start taking photos of what I'm eating, a) because it's so amazing, and b) hopefully somebody can tell me what it is. On Monday night I went to a Duck restuarant, where you bbq your own pieces of duck over the coals. It came with numerous side dishes, most of which were yummy but I didn't get to eat as much as I would have liked because duck grease and steel chopsticks don't go well together for beginners. Last night I went to another restaurant, and here I really couldn't tell you what I was eating. I sat on the floor at a really long table which the waitress proceeded to fill up with small dishes - I counted 32 before I gave up. Again most of it was pretty nice, but I have to say that there were more than a few times where I put something in my mouth and instantly regretted it - and I'm pretty open about trying anything!. Eating has definitely become an extreme adventure here. Tonight is my first night at home by myself, and I am looking forward to vegimite (big thanks to my library friends!) and toast.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Continuing;
I've spent two days at school so far, and tomorrow will be the first time i have to take the classes by myself. Not quite sure what i'll be doing yet... hopefully inspiration will strike when i'm standing there in front of them all. I have to say, Korean kids are incredibly cute. Any ideas i had about them being quiet and shy however have been completely dispelled. They are really well behaved though - i think they have to be because the class rules are so strict. And when they're naughty they have to clean the school; it is really strange to see all these kids scrubbing and sweeping everywhere at lunchtime.
So I'm in Korea...
Yay I'm finally here! Actually I've been here for two days now, but this is the first time i've been able to sneak onto the internet here at work. I won't have internet at home until i can get my alien registration card (about two weeks), so these posts may be somewhat brief and occasionally interrupted for a while.
First thing, I've got to say I love my apartment. It's at least twice the size of what I was expecting, and everything is pretty new and nice. It also looks straight out onto rice paddies and hills; I'm told that I live in a rural area of Korea, but it's not quite what we'd consider rural. Yes there's rice paddies and vineyards across the road, but I live on the tenth floor of a high rise block of flats that looks tiny compared to the ones surrounding it, which must be at least 20 floors. There's a restaurant and a little market on the ground floor, which pretty much has all the basics. For some reason everything is sold in bulk, so instead of buying one tube of toothpaste I got ten, not to mention the biggest bag of toilet paper I've ever seen. I'm a little scared to order takeaway from the restaurant because apparently it arrives uncooked, and you have to cook it yourself, which kind of defeats the purpose of takeaway in my mind!
First thing, I've got to say I love my apartment. It's at least twice the size of what I was expecting, and everything is pretty new and nice. It also looks straight out onto rice paddies and hills; I'm told that I live in a rural area of Korea, but it's not quite what we'd consider rural. Yes there's rice paddies and vineyards across the road, but I live on the tenth floor of a high rise block of flats that looks tiny compared to the ones surrounding it, which must be at least 20 floors. There's a restaurant and a little market on the ground floor, which pretty much has all the basics. For some reason everything is sold in bulk, so instead of buying one tube of toothpaste I got ten, not to mention the biggest bag of toilet paper I've ever seen. I'm a little scared to order takeaway from the restaurant because apparently it arrives uncooked, and you have to cook it yourself, which kind of defeats the purpose of takeaway in my mind!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)