I got a package!!!!

Here is a picture of my co-teacher, she's an angel from God. She speaks perfect English, with no accent and helps me with everything. Here she is depicted sitting in the Immigration Office with me for 2.5 hours while I wait to apply for an immigration card.
Here is crab that I saw in a tank on the street outside of a restaurant. The crabs are humungous here. That thing could eat you.

I got my first (and hopefully not last) package this week. My mother was kind enough to send me a gi-normous box of such American delicacies as sunchips, cinnabun bars, better cheddars and candy corn. I was extremely excited. I also got some new shoes since I am literally walking the bottoms off of my shoes here.

Very excited about some Halloween decorations also. They don't celebrate Halloween here, so I'm teaching to my classes the week before. I've also decided to give 5 extra credit points to any student who dresses up in a costume for my class. I know that they wont want to do it, but it's an automatic A. Korean kids will do anything for good grades. The seniors stay at school until midnight every night to study for the Korean SAT's. The school serves them dinner and everything. It makes me very sad.

Since I have started this post, Brendan has sliced off his fingernail and cut his finger while slicing garlic. I think I need to watch him more closely while he's cooking. 

I think my ankle is getting better. The doctor says that I am walking on it too much, stading on it too much and not elevating it enough. He wants  me to come back every week to check it. That doesn't bother me because to visit him only costs $2.50 and he's an orthopedic specialist. You can't buy a sandwich for $2.50. You can't buy a sock. Tell me that national health care isn't awesome. They only pay %6 of their income in taxes also. How is this possible?

I think that the plan for this weekend is to try and get hair cuts here. We're going to print out pictures of the hair cuts that we want and then bring them to a salon. I'll let you know if this strategy works. Maybe with pictures???

I hope everyone that reads this is doing well. Everyone else...who cares? Just kidding. See ya!

By popular demand, my mother’s, here is Brendan’s 1st post:

I work at Hwibong Elementary teaching 5^th & 6^th graders. I live in Hoegi (pronounced Hweggy). Why the difference in spelling? No clue.

 

   It’s fun walking through the halls because everyone wants to say hi. I now know what the cool kids felt like in school. Plus, I can’t understand their insults.

  After 3 weeks, I decided today to make an effort and learn student’s names by learning/assigning English names. It’s hard to come up with names on the spot, but in my last class, with 10 or so students needing names, I decided to just use Simpsons characters (of course). I didn’t have the gall to name anyone Milhouse, but we’ll see if that changes tomorrow. I did name a dumb kid Ralph.

 

Random Notes:

·      Kimchi might be the greatest food in the world. I eat it at least once a day, and always have 2-3 servings.

·      T-shirt I saw last week:

FEED UP

          To Go Swim

·      Korean Honey Bunches of Oats is good, but not as good as the original

·      I was told that unlike what I heard, Koreans don’t think men with facial hair are dirty or homeless, just that they aren’t attractive. I think Kelly is secretly Asian.

·      What should taste good is gross; what looks disgusting is awesome.

o      Pizza! But with bacon, pork, pineapple, BBQ sauce, cheese flavored sour cream, and mashed sweet potatoes=nauseating

o      Most pasta, at least red sauces, have a nasty hint of sweetness

o      The sweetness applies to most food-not good

• On the flip side, if you can get over the texture and consistency there is some awesome food to be eaten
• Hot tofu the consistency of flan dipped in seasoned soy sauce-AMAZING!
• Basically gray, non-sweet Jello mixed with onions, peppers, etc.-still working on this one
• Whatever is in the soups I eat for lunch daily. I never ask what I am eating anymore until I at least try it. The salty, translucent blue anchovies the size of needles mixed with a few peanuts was especially interesting
• The driving abilities here are as expected…

So, my co-teachers forced me to go to the school nurse today who, in turn, forced me to go to the doctor.

I got some x-rays.  

Apparently at some point in the past, I fractured my ankle, but didn't have it treated, so it never healed. Now my ankle is permanently weak. They said that if I continue to sprain my ankle, over time I will have to get surgery to correct the old fracture. 

On Friday I tore one of 3 main ligaments in my foot because of the weakness.

Right now my foot/ankle is in a brace and i'm taking a bunch of medicine. 

I guess the old fracture is pretty bad , even I could see it on the xray.There is quite a large chunk of bone just floating around my foot. I don't really know when I did it but I do know that American doctors have x-rayed my ankle before and never mention this break. I'm guessing that the break happened in college, my senior year, but who can be sure?

In other news I was told by one of the Korean teachers that the best way to heal my foot would be "to lose weight."

Another teacher told me that I have a nose like Barbara Streisand, but that's OK because "She is velly Surrcessfur." (Sound it out)

Foot Update

The swelling has gone down. The pain is the same. Kept it elevated and took a bunch of Extra strength tylenol. I can't stay locked in this apartment all weekend so I am going to the movies or aquarium or something in this giant mall. Maybe I will get one of those mall scooters...

Also wearing some very fashionable basketball shoes with jeans to keep it from bending out again. I have no idea how it happened.  was walking back from TGIFriday's (Yes they have those here.) Lamenting that it was OVER $100 for the 3 people to eat their incredibly crappy food when i stepped on an incline or in a hole or something and then I was on the ground surrounded by hundreds of Koreans walking by. 

Guess who sprained and possibly broke their foot?

No, not Brendan.

This time it was me.

All I know is, now I have a lump on the side of my foot that is the same size as my ankle bone.

Korean streets are treacherous.

I have to walk everywhere.

I am basically screwed.

*Pictures to come!

My School

My desk!

Listen to Mr. Mang, one of the English teachers, tell me about sports while we watch the gym classes from my office window.

Here I made a secret video of one of my classes, you can only see a few of the girls (of about 40) but you get the idea.

Around Seoul

Brendan's Grocery Store, the seafood section. Squid anyone?

How about some fish?

Street market in Gangnam near my house. I think it's boiled silkworm larvae. From what I hear the taste isn't as bad as the smell.

Also available at this fine establishment were tentacles, dried squid, and other delicacies.

Sushi for dinner! We found a pretty good Dim-sum place near Brendan's apartment that was $1.00 a plate. Yummy.

Tuna. Mmmmmm.

Last night it was pouring rain here. I was on my way back from walking with my friend to the subway (she didn't know where it was) and I saw a bunch of girls huddled in the doorway of a ministop (7-11). Koreans HATE getting their hair wet. It must take forever to get it perfectly straight which is the preferred style and (I can sympathize) rain destroys all that hard work. With various hand motions I offered to walk one of them to a cab under my umbrella and a lady came with me. She was very nice and knew some minimal English and I ended up taking her to a bus because none of the cabs would stop. She ended up giving me her card. She owns a hair shop and I think I might be getting a free haircut!!! I am in dire need of some highlights and a cut. I hope she does white-girl hair!

I think I'm losing weight. What do you think?

Also, do I look tired to you? 

I'm working on one of my lesson plans for next week. I have to make it entertaining enough that I don't want to kill myself after doing it 13 times. 

I had a student yesterday tell me that she likes my small face and tall height. Compliment? I guess it's bad to have a big face here...

My students are all in love with the male teacher from England who works at the boys school. They are constantly asking me to give him messages from them when I see him at lunch. 

I think the funniest thing about my students is the names that they choose to be their "English names." In my classes i have: Melon, Bop and Boom, Louis and Vitton, Romeo and Juliet (remember I teach at an all-girls school), Marylin Monroe, many Sunnys, Mac, Bob, Chanel, Lady GaGa, Beyonce, Prada, all the characters from Gossip Girl, and Triangle. There are so many more great names but I can't remember them all. I have over 600 students. 

I'm going to make a video soon showing parts of the city.  Get excited!

Observations

Sorry for the gap in updates. Adjusting to life in a new country takes a lot of energy and time.

Things I've noticed about Koreans:

1. They can sleep anywhere.
Sitting at their desk, sitting on the subway even standing on the subway. At any place and time, day or night (preferably day) people young and old are sleeping. I knew this country was overworked but yeesh.

2. Staring is not considered rude.

Ever get the feeling that someone was staring at you? Well if you are in Korea, then they are. People will just openly stare at/size you up. It's odd. Try being the only blonde in a subway full of Koreans.  I'm constantly checking to see if I spilled something on myself or if there is something in my teeth the way people are looking at me. 

3. Speaking of something in my teeth, The Food.

This is probably the most disconcerting part of this country. Let's just list some of the highlights of my meals here is Korea. Candied sardines with mixed nuts, Beef and octopus stew. Tofu of all shapes, textures and colors. Fish head stew. Sushi with yellow mustard on it. Sushi with graham crackers and maple syrup. Fermented cabbage. Seaweed soup. Dried seaweed. Steamed seaweed. Pretty much and kind of see weed. Barbequed squid. Pig colon. Various unidentified vegetables. I'm sure I'm missing some things.

4. Walking.

Seeing as I have to walk everywhere, I've started to notice some trends. Like, they don't seem to have the "no driving on the sidewalk rule." These people will drive motorcycles cars vans....anywhere they can put them. Walk at your own peril. If you are in their way, they will either honk at you until you move or just run over you.

5. Spitting. 

People are hocking up the contents of their throats constantly. Nough said.

6. Korean bathrooms.

I can't even get into this right now.

7. Old women. 

Old ladies in Korea are not ladies at all but fighting machines not to be trifled with. If you're in their way, they will push you. If you do something they don't like, they will yell at you. If they want that last seat on the subway, they will do anything to get it. God help you if you try to fight the ajummas at their own game.

Alrighty, that's it for now.

We have decided to stay in our existing apartments although they are far apart. My school was very gracious in trying to find an apartment for both of us, but it didn't really work out. 

See ya!

Victory is mine!

I love my school. They're trying to find a new apartment for us halfway between our schools. Now we just have to get Brendan's school to agree!

Feeling better today. Better planning is needed on my part. Co teacher is asking about switching apartments. Probably going to be a VERY costly process. Have been discouraged by other teachers from trying to move. Unmarried couples not supposed to live together in this country. Not sure that it is worth it.

Long day

Took subway 45 minutes to work and walked the rest of the way. $1.00

Worked 4 hours.

Took the subway for 45 minutes to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. $1.00

Picked up my health check.

Argued with Coordinator about housing.

Ate lunch with co-teacher. (free, courtesy co-teacher)

Took subway 45 minutes to the immigration office. $1.00

Waited in line for 2 hours.

Turned Alien registration card application. $60.00

Took 1 hour taxi ride to Brendan's apartment. $25.00

Brendan wasn't there.

Waited for 20 minutes.

Left a note.

Took 1 hour subway ride to my station.$2.00

Walked home.

Got an email from Brendan saying that he was 1 block from his apartment at an internet cafe waiting for
me to get online.

Cried.

In my room...

I am going to get my ARC card tomorrow and to get a cell phone. Sorry I haven't been able to speak with you but I have been staying at Brendan's house half of the time and he doesn't have internet yet.

I guess they had to submit my work schedule to the SMOE office for approval and the school got a call from the office saying that I needed overtime for any after school classes. There fore i'm getting 4 or 5 hours of overtime per week. Also, i'm actually not teaching at a public school. I'm teaching at a private girls highschool. Don't really know how this works. I'm the first native english speaking teacher that they have had here in 10 years so I am supposed to make up the curriculum, I am teaching 13 classes with the 10th grade, the same class 13 times. I have 5 conversation "workshops" with the english teachers where we just sit around and talk for an hour. Every Monday afternoon I spenda period consulting with the English newspaper on campus and editing their stories. 3 periods a week I conduct practice interviews with the 12th graders in english, and lastly i have 4 hours of after school classes where i can pretty much do whatever I want. (One teacher at another school plays football with the kids every day and calls passes in English.) The after school classes are overtime pay. It sounds like alot, but it's only 26 hours of teaching time over 5 days. I come into work at 9:40 am and leave at 5:40 pm Tuesday-Thursday and at 4:50 pm Monday and Friday. That's less than 40 hours and i'm getting overtime for 4 of those hours. I have 3 co-teachers, all of whom are very nice and speak practically perfect english. One of them is helping me with alot of stuff.

My school is 4 subway stops from my apartment. But i have to change llines 2 or 3 times so it takes over a half hour to get there from my apartment. It took me an hour this morning from Brendan's front door to my office at the school. It's taken us both over an hour to get from my apartment to his apartment.

I am currently writing you from the laptop that my school has given me. Unfortunately all of the programs are written in Korean...awesome. At least I figured out how to convert the keyboard from Korea to English.

I've been kind of overwhelmed recently trying to figure out the subway and my school, traveling back and forth to Brendan's apartment, buying groceries and supplies, etc. I am planning to take pictures of the both apartments so that everyone can see what they look like. His has a REALLY nice shower the the rainfall head and a massaging head also. But, it is decorated like girl lived there before him. All pink and purple.
My nieghboorhood is like a cross between Bourbon Street, times square and tokyo. Its very bright, with tall buildings and advertisements everywhere. It's apparentyl where young people go to hang out. My street is a little quieter then the main road though. Brendan's place has a bit more a nieghboorhoody feel, like Brooklyn or something. There are at least 3 or 4 other English teachers living in my building so thats nice. Brendan has 1 living in his but he doesnt like her.

Thats about it for now!