Sunday, June 24, 2007
Pictures
Again, the link for my pictures is http://picasaweb.google.com/cracker14c. I have added pictures to the albums that are already there so check them out!
Another week!
We are always so busy here, with long days at work and tired nights. I am finally settled into my apartment, with working internet and everything! I finished my first summer school class which was really demanding and have started my second which won't be as bad. Now I will have a little more time to enjoy things! Daily schedules are falling into place at school and it is getting easier to remember everything that has to be done. I love my kids, although there will always be some that are a challenge! Just like in America, there are the kids who don't listen and the class clowns and others who like to act out. The school as a system of giving out stickers for good behavior and other things, and when they reach a certain number the kids get a prize (or a present as they call it). If my kids are being crazy or talkative I just have to give one or two of the good ones a sticker and everyone else follows suit. The kids are so loving, bringing notes or pictures they drew at home. Even kids I don't have in my class come up and hug me and say "Christi Teacher!!!" It makes you feel good, and the kids really seem to like coming to school.
At LCI (Language Club International), which is the name of my school, the afternoon classes, who are older kids, have monthly tests on everything they learned that month. This week was so hectic because we have to put the tests together and make copies for every student. There is so much that goes into these tests, and each one is at least 10 pages long, so by the end of the week I was exhausted. It was pretty confusing this first time, but hopefully making the tests will get easier now that I know what to do for each class.
I am continuing to learn new things about the culture every day. I just learned that it is not appropriate for you to pour your own drink at the table. The youngest person in the group must pour everyone's water, or whatever you are drinking. We are urged to be strict in the classroom, because at home and at the elementary schools where the younger children will start soon, corporal punishment is used for bad behavior. Seems so backward for a culture that is so loving in public, holding hands and always giving hugs. Also, you must bow ALL the time. Haha, I'm not sure when exactly, but pretty much any time you talk to someone or go into a store you bow, just as a sign of respect.
As most of you know, there are a lot of American military bases in Seoul, so when we go out at night there are usually a lot of them, as well as other teachers. We have met other teachers and it is interesting to hear stories about the different schools. No two are alike, and I think we are working at a very good one. Also, there are Korean laws that require foreign military people to be out of the bars and out of sight by 1:00 AM. This came after a lot of the military guys continuously started problems and fights in the Korean bars. It's interesting though, and the American government enforces the laws.
I have posted more pictures so take a look if you have time! Hope everyone is well and I will write more soon!
At LCI (Language Club International), which is the name of my school, the afternoon classes, who are older kids, have monthly tests on everything they learned that month. This week was so hectic because we have to put the tests together and make copies for every student. There is so much that goes into these tests, and each one is at least 10 pages long, so by the end of the week I was exhausted. It was pretty confusing this first time, but hopefully making the tests will get easier now that I know what to do for each class.
I am continuing to learn new things about the culture every day. I just learned that it is not appropriate for you to pour your own drink at the table. The youngest person in the group must pour everyone's water, or whatever you are drinking. We are urged to be strict in the classroom, because at home and at the elementary schools where the younger children will start soon, corporal punishment is used for bad behavior. Seems so backward for a culture that is so loving in public, holding hands and always giving hugs. Also, you must bow ALL the time. Haha, I'm not sure when exactly, but pretty much any time you talk to someone or go into a store you bow, just as a sign of respect.
As most of you know, there are a lot of American military bases in Seoul, so when we go out at night there are usually a lot of them, as well as other teachers. We have met other teachers and it is interesting to hear stories about the different schools. No two are alike, and I think we are working at a very good one. Also, there are Korean laws that require foreign military people to be out of the bars and out of sight by 1:00 AM. This came after a lot of the military guys continuously started problems and fights in the Korean bars. It's interesting though, and the American government enforces the laws.
I have posted more pictures so take a look if you have time! Hope everyone is well and I will write more soon!
Saturday, June 16, 2007
A few more things...
Just a few more things about Korea that i forgot in my last posting. As i've written before, the culture here is so different. Like the US, women here are so focused on beauty, only they have different ideas of what exactly beauty is. Here, the lighter your skin is, the more beautiful you are considered. Because of this, women go to extremes, such as heavy makeup and powder to make themselves lighter, and even bleaching their skin. Women walk around with umbrellas a lot to prevent themselves from getting sun. Also, brand names are popular here, but they sell replicas everywhere. When I was at my motel, i was staying in a pretty rich area near a big mall, with stores like Gucci, Prada and Chanel, which are unbelievably expensive. On the streets, however, in a lot of areas of the city, they sell copies of these designers for pretty cheap, so EVERYONE is walking around with fake brand name bags and clothes.
Also, it is custom to take your shoes off when you enter a room or apartment. I wrote about my kids having slippers for school and having to change out of their outdoor shoes while inside. Even when I go into my apartment I take my shoes off just so I get used to the idea. I walked into a restaurant and completely forgot...even though there were tons of shoes by the door. Kind of a disrespectful mistake to make, but they completely understand that foreigners have to learn and adjust.
Also, there is a wierd way to hand things out, such as money and food. You always have to give money, and most things with your right hand, and put your left hand on the inside of your forearm. I guess it's a sign of respect also, but kinda strange!
Since this is a city, there is obviously more pollution in the air than some places. Koreans take it to the extreme and you see people all the time walking around with medical masks covering their nose and mouth to avoid breathink in the air. It looked silly at first but I got used to seeing it.
The apartment I live in, which is actually a flat (just one room for everything), came with only a gas burner to cook with. That's what all of the kitchens i've seen have had in them. No oven or microwave so it's been hard to cook things. It's so cheap to go out to eat, and the food is extremely healthy, so that's what we usually do, but it was frustrating trying to cook simple things like frozen corndogs in a frying pan! I finally bought a microwave today so i'm pretty excited!
There are also washing machines in the apartments but no dryers, which not many people at all have in Korea. We wash our clothes and then have to hang them in the kitchen to dry. There is a big rack that raises and lowers to hang your clothes on to dry. It's not the same as fresh clothes out of the dryer, but was the same in Spain and Chile, so i've gotten used to stiff clothes that have to be thoroughly ironed!
A little on the weather, we have been very lucky since we've been here. It has only rained once in two and a half weeks, which is unusual, and almost every other day has been in the 80's. However, the official rainy season starts at the beginning of July and lasts until the end of August, and supposedly it is complete downpour for the entire time. That should be interesting and something I will have to get used to! It's a good thing I moved so close to the school!
That's all I can think of for now but i'll write more later!
Also, it is custom to take your shoes off when you enter a room or apartment. I wrote about my kids having slippers for school and having to change out of their outdoor shoes while inside. Even when I go into my apartment I take my shoes off just so I get used to the idea. I walked into a restaurant and completely forgot...even though there were tons of shoes by the door. Kind of a disrespectful mistake to make, but they completely understand that foreigners have to learn and adjust.
Also, there is a wierd way to hand things out, such as money and food. You always have to give money, and most things with your right hand, and put your left hand on the inside of your forearm. I guess it's a sign of respect also, but kinda strange!
Since this is a city, there is obviously more pollution in the air than some places. Koreans take it to the extreme and you see people all the time walking around with medical masks covering their nose and mouth to avoid breathink in the air. It looked silly at first but I got used to seeing it.
The apartment I live in, which is actually a flat (just one room for everything), came with only a gas burner to cook with. That's what all of the kitchens i've seen have had in them. No oven or microwave so it's been hard to cook things. It's so cheap to go out to eat, and the food is extremely healthy, so that's what we usually do, but it was frustrating trying to cook simple things like frozen corndogs in a frying pan! I finally bought a microwave today so i'm pretty excited!
There are also washing machines in the apartments but no dryers, which not many people at all have in Korea. We wash our clothes and then have to hang them in the kitchen to dry. There is a big rack that raises and lowers to hang your clothes on to dry. It's not the same as fresh clothes out of the dryer, but was the same in Spain and Chile, so i've gotten used to stiff clothes that have to be thoroughly ironed!
A little on the weather, we have been very lucky since we've been here. It has only rained once in two and a half weeks, which is unusual, and almost every other day has been in the 80's. However, the official rainy season starts at the beginning of July and lasts until the end of August, and supposedly it is complete downpour for the entire time. That should be interesting and something I will have to get used to! It's a good thing I moved so close to the school!
That's all I can think of for now but i'll write more later!
Address
I was waiting to move into my new apartment to post my address, but found out on Friday that all letters and packages should be sent to my school. Here is the address, it looks confusing but copy it exactly like it is and it will get to me. It'd be great to hear from home!
Christi Russell
46-4 Shinil Plaza, 2F Jongja-Dong
Sung Nam-Si, Bundag-Gu
Kyong-Ki-Do
South Korea
Christi Russell
46-4 Shinil Plaza, 2F Jongja-Dong
Sung Nam-Si, Bundag-Gu
Kyong-Ki-Do
South Korea
Getting Settled
Sorry it's been so long since i've written, things have been crazy busy and on top of that my power cord for my laptop broke and Apple's aren't very common here so the school ordered a new one for me. It won't be delivered until Monday or Tuesday but luckily Mary is here and has let me borrow her laptop to use for the weekend. So much has happened since I last wrote. I moved into an apartment that was about a 10 minute walk from school, but not in the same building as any of the other teachers. I ended up moving again on Friday to another apartment, taking over for another teacher that is moving in with her fiance. I can see the school from my apartment and there are three other teachers in my building. It was also recently refurbished, with a new air conditioner, new fridge and floors. It is tiny, which will be an adjustment, but so nice! The entire apartment is probably smaller than a dorm room, with a kitchen that you can barely stand in! Since the teach who left is stayin in Korea, she took absolutely everything with her. Luckily I will be able to move some things from my old apartment here on monday, like shelves and a vanity.
My first week of teaching went surprisingly well. I lucked out and got one of the best groups of kids, which makes teaching a lot easier! It still amazes me how smart these kids are and they are so sweet! Days are very long, I work from 9:30 until 6:30 with only a break for lunch. By the time you've eaten dinner it is 8:00 and you are exhausted! I am still getting used to the busy schedule. On Thursday we took the kids on a field trip to a traffic park. They have field trips once a month, and this month we took them to a traffic park. The kids had fun. They learned about traffic safety and got to drive miniature go-carts/cars. A good break from the normal school day! I am finishing up my first summer school class which has been a lot of work, so hopefully my next class won't be as bad. If you didn't know, I am finishing my second masters with all online classes from my university in the US while I am here. We'll see if I can handle all the work!
This is the first real weekend I have had to hang out and relax, minus the move and setting up my apartment. Yesterday after work I went out with most of the teachers from my school. They are all around my age and we all get along really well! We went to dinner at a Korean Barbeque restaurant, where you sit on the floor and cook the meat in a sort of grill on the table in front of you. It was so good! After dinner about 8 of us went out. We went to a couple of bars in Bundang, which is the city I live in. It takes about 30 minutes to get to Seoul, the capital, so we stay close by one night a weekend and go to Seoul the other. The bars and clubs stay open later here and we didn't get home until 5:00 in the morning! I was definitely tired today and will have to limit how often I do that! It's fun meeting people. Koreans love to try and speak english, and there are also a lot of military people from the US, as well as other teachers from the US and Canada.
Koreans don't seem friendly from afar, but if you approach them they are more than willing to help with anything you need. Just an example, I got lost the first day I moved into my apartment stopped a highschool couple on the street for help. They didn't know very much english but the guy is taking english lessons so he called his english teacher who drove to meet us, and she helped me find my apartment. Definitely went out of their way to be helpful.
Unfortunately I left my camera at school on Friday but I have taken tons of photos and will post them as soon as I can. So far I have loved everything about being here, and hope the rest of the year goes just as well. Miss and love you all!
My first week of teaching went surprisingly well. I lucked out and got one of the best groups of kids, which makes teaching a lot easier! It still amazes me how smart these kids are and they are so sweet! Days are very long, I work from 9:30 until 6:30 with only a break for lunch. By the time you've eaten dinner it is 8:00 and you are exhausted! I am still getting used to the busy schedule. On Thursday we took the kids on a field trip to a traffic park. They have field trips once a month, and this month we took them to a traffic park. The kids had fun. They learned about traffic safety and got to drive miniature go-carts/cars. A good break from the normal school day! I am finishing up my first summer school class which has been a lot of work, so hopefully my next class won't be as bad. If you didn't know, I am finishing my second masters with all online classes from my university in the US while I am here. We'll see if I can handle all the work!
This is the first real weekend I have had to hang out and relax, minus the move and setting up my apartment. Yesterday after work I went out with most of the teachers from my school. They are all around my age and we all get along really well! We went to dinner at a Korean Barbeque restaurant, where you sit on the floor and cook the meat in a sort of grill on the table in front of you. It was so good! After dinner about 8 of us went out. We went to a couple of bars in Bundang, which is the city I live in. It takes about 30 minutes to get to Seoul, the capital, so we stay close by one night a weekend and go to Seoul the other. The bars and clubs stay open later here and we didn't get home until 5:00 in the morning! I was definitely tired today and will have to limit how often I do that! It's fun meeting people. Koreans love to try and speak english, and there are also a lot of military people from the US, as well as other teachers from the US and Canada.
Koreans don't seem friendly from afar, but if you approach them they are more than willing to help with anything you need. Just an example, I got lost the first day I moved into my apartment stopped a highschool couple on the street for help. They didn't know very much english but the guy is taking english lessons so he called his english teacher who drove to meet us, and she helped me find my apartment. Definitely went out of their way to be helpful.
Unfortunately I left my camera at school on Friday but I have taken tons of photos and will post them as soon as I can. So far I have loved everything about being here, and hope the rest of the year goes just as well. Miss and love you all!
Friday, June 8, 2007
More about Korea
So I have been here for a week now and am starting to get adjusted. I am sad to say it is my last night in the Love Motel! I am moving into my apartment tomorrow morning and am so excited to finally stop living out of my suitcases. They told me at school that they were coming to pick me up tomorrow morning at 11:00 to take me there, and when I got home from school today they had moved all of my suitcases and bags from here...such service! I couldn't believe it! Although the motel was nice and in a very good area I thought it was a little strange. There are two walls covered in mirrors, his and hers matching silk robes and pink condoms next to the bed. I found out today at school that Love Motels are common and get there name because people rent them by the hour...enough said! Gross! There are also rooms that people rent for the night or more long term, which is where I am staying thank goodness! I'm glad I didn't find out about the purpose of the Love Motel until my last day!
I have been observing a lot since i've been here trying to take everything in. Koreans love Hyundai cars. About 90% of the cars on the road are Hyundais! They do drive on the same side of the road as us, but there seem to be almost not traffic laws! I haven't seen a police car since I've been here, unless I just don't know what they look like. There are cameras everywhere on the roads that check your speed and take pictures if you are speeding. I guess that keeps people in check! Also, you can do U-turns wherever you want to...even in the middle of the expressway! You can also park anywhere you want. Pull over anywhere on the side of the road in town, up on the curb or on sidewalks. There are cars everywhere. It would definitely take a while to get used to driving here!
Today was my first day teaching completely by myself and it went well. The kids weren't quite as good as they have been for Mary, but i'm sure it will just take a little while for them to get used to having a new teacher. They bring lunch trays to school everyday, and the school serves them lunch. Today I noticed that they all bring toothbrushes to brush after lunch! Another example of the strictness here. The food here is wonderful, but most of it is very spicey and is definitely bad for the breath! It is necessary to brush often! I brought my things home from school today to hopefully get ahead on planning. We have to fill out in depth homework sheets every day for all of our classes and it can be time consuming! I'll let you all know how my first real weekend is here with no jet lag! Miss you all!
I have been observing a lot since i've been here trying to take everything in. Koreans love Hyundai cars. About 90% of the cars on the road are Hyundais! They do drive on the same side of the road as us, but there seem to be almost not traffic laws! I haven't seen a police car since I've been here, unless I just don't know what they look like. There are cameras everywhere on the roads that check your speed and take pictures if you are speeding. I guess that keeps people in check! Also, you can do U-turns wherever you want to...even in the middle of the expressway! You can also park anywhere you want. Pull over anywhere on the side of the road in town, up on the curb or on sidewalks. There are cars everywhere. It would definitely take a while to get used to driving here!
Today was my first day teaching completely by myself and it went well. The kids weren't quite as good as they have been for Mary, but i'm sure it will just take a little while for them to get used to having a new teacher. They bring lunch trays to school everyday, and the school serves them lunch. Today I noticed that they all bring toothbrushes to brush after lunch! Another example of the strictness here. The food here is wonderful, but most of it is very spicey and is definitely bad for the breath! It is necessary to brush often! I brought my things home from school today to hopefully get ahead on planning. We have to fill out in depth homework sheets every day for all of our classes and it can be time consuming! I'll let you all know how my first real weekend is here with no jet lag! Miss you all!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Holiday
So yesterday we had the day off for a Korean holiday and it was much needed! Although I spent most of the day doing work for my grad school class, I did get out and walk around a lot, observing Koreans and everything around me. Man purses (murses as we call them) are carried by all guys. Not just messenger bags, but actualy purses! A lot of them also carry their girlfriend's purse as well...wish guys would do that for us in the US!!! Also, friends that are girls walk around holding hands, or arm in arm. Friends that are guys do so as well. However, it is looked down upon for members of the opposite sex to do so, even if they are dating. Kind of wierd! South Korea is also the land of replica purses, shoes, clothes, and just about everything. Almost every Korean carries a fake Louis Vutton bag. Also, I went to the convenience store to get some snacks and there were several brands of shrimp chips...don't think i'll be trying those!!!
Today is my first day of teaching by myself, with help from my co-teacher. It's gone well so far and I haven't needed any help! Luckily my teacher was such a good trainer, I learned a lot and feel ready to take over. Sad to say this is the last night in the Love Motel. My apartment will be ready tomorrow and I am extremely excited!
A lot of people have asked what the korean students can do at this age that Americans cannot. Their curriculum just moves a lot faster and they have so much homework and pressure from their parents to do well. My kindergarteners can add and subtract in their head and call out the answers. They can also read short books in both Korean and English...pretty impressive! In math they are learning about American money, and adding the amounts. It's a pretty advanced concept for Kindergarten!
Time to get back to work...keep sending coments, I love getting them!
Today is my first day of teaching by myself, with help from my co-teacher. It's gone well so far and I haven't needed any help! Luckily my teacher was such a good trainer, I learned a lot and feel ready to take over. Sad to say this is the last night in the Love Motel. My apartment will be ready tomorrow and I am extremely excited!
A lot of people have asked what the korean students can do at this age that Americans cannot. Their curriculum just moves a lot faster and they have so much homework and pressure from their parents to do well. My kindergarteners can add and subtract in their head and call out the answers. They can also read short books in both Korean and English...pretty impressive! In math they are learning about American money, and adding the amounts. It's a pretty advanced concept for Kindergarten!
Time to get back to work...keep sending coments, I love getting them!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Getting adjusted
My second day at the school went a lot smoother! The first two days were my days to observer the teacher I will be replacing. Her name is also Mary, and she has been at the school for over a year. I have talked to other new teachers at the school and I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful teacher to train me. The school day is so different than anything in the United States and Mary has done so much to help prepare me. She made a huge binder full of descriptions of each student, as well as a detailed plan of how her days run. There is a different schedule almost every day and there is so much paperwork you have to fill out. I have several different groups of students who all have several different textbooks and workbooks so things are bound to get confusing!
Tomorrow we don't have school because it is one of Korea's Memorial Days (supposedly they have several). Good for me though, just a litle more time to get things done and catch up on sleep! On Thursday I will teach the class with Mary's help, and on Friday I will be on my own! I'm nervous but I think I have been trained well and things will only get easier. I know it will take a lot of patience and practice, but i'll get there!
I'm still in the Love Motel, and will be here until at least Saturday when Mary, the teacher I am replacing, moves out of her apartment...that I will then live in. We went out to lunch today and I had my second experience with Korean food. She made a suggestion and it was wonderful! It was a stone bowl filled with rice and veggies that is still cooking when it comes to the table. You mix it all up and the hot rice cooks the veggies. It also burns slightly to the bottom of the stone bowl (there's a name for that but I can't remember), and it was really good! I am quite a sight trying to use chopsticks. I could never use them in the US, and here they are metal and way more slippery! Everyone says it takes practice so for now i'll just deal with dropping my food all the time or only getting one grain of rice successfully to my mouth. Maybe this will be a good diet! haha
I took pictures of my class today and will post them soon. I am in the last week of my online class from back home so things are going to be hectic for a few days. I think this day off came at just the right time.
Another interesting fact I learned today at lunch is that it is disrespectful to leave a spoon in your bowl or on your dish because that is traditionally what Koreans do at memorial services to honor loved ones. Not sure what leaving a spoon in a bowl has to do with this but I'll try to find out! Also, Mary told me that students will often be gone for a day or two and tell you they had to go to the mountains (or wherever) to pray. They really mean they had to visit the gravesite of a loved one etc.
I can't believe how hard these kids work! I teach 6-9 year olds, and they are in school until almost 6:00 every day. They have so much homework, and also almost all of them leave from school to go to piano or violin lessons. Such a strict, structured lifestyle, but their parents want them to be the best. In Korea, you are a year older than you actually are because they count the day you are born as your first birthday. So here I am 26...kinda getting old!!!
I'll write more soon! Love and miss you all!
Tomorrow we don't have school because it is one of Korea's Memorial Days (supposedly they have several). Good for me though, just a litle more time to get things done and catch up on sleep! On Thursday I will teach the class with Mary's help, and on Friday I will be on my own! I'm nervous but I think I have been trained well and things will only get easier. I know it will take a lot of patience and practice, but i'll get there!
I'm still in the Love Motel, and will be here until at least Saturday when Mary, the teacher I am replacing, moves out of her apartment...that I will then live in. We went out to lunch today and I had my second experience with Korean food. She made a suggestion and it was wonderful! It was a stone bowl filled with rice and veggies that is still cooking when it comes to the table. You mix it all up and the hot rice cooks the veggies. It also burns slightly to the bottom of the stone bowl (there's a name for that but I can't remember), and it was really good! I am quite a sight trying to use chopsticks. I could never use them in the US, and here they are metal and way more slippery! Everyone says it takes practice so for now i'll just deal with dropping my food all the time or only getting one grain of rice successfully to my mouth. Maybe this will be a good diet! haha
I took pictures of my class today and will post them soon. I am in the last week of my online class from back home so things are going to be hectic for a few days. I think this day off came at just the right time.
Another interesting fact I learned today at lunch is that it is disrespectful to leave a spoon in your bowl or on your dish because that is traditionally what Koreans do at memorial services to honor loved ones. Not sure what leaving a spoon in a bowl has to do with this but I'll try to find out! Also, Mary told me that students will often be gone for a day or two and tell you they had to go to the mountains (or wherever) to pray. They really mean they had to visit the gravesite of a loved one etc.
I can't believe how hard these kids work! I teach 6-9 year olds, and they are in school until almost 6:00 every day. They have so much homework, and also almost all of them leave from school to go to piano or violin lessons. Such a strict, structured lifestyle, but their parents want them to be the best. In Korea, you are a year older than you actually are because they count the day you are born as your first birthday. So here I am 26...kinda getting old!!!
I'll write more soon! Love and miss you all!
Monday, June 4, 2007
First Days Here!
Wow, it is so overwhelming! It gets a little frustrating not being able to communicate with most people, but i'm getting along ok. I've learned a few basic words so that's all i'm using for now! My first day here Mary and some of the teachers came and met me at my hotel and we went to lunch. We went to a Korean restaurant and I had no idea what to order...the menu was all in Korean! They gave me some suggestions and I ended up with a bowl of rice with beef (i hope) and seaweed (they put that in almost all dishes...and I pick it out of them!) It was pretty good. We walked around the plaza my hotel is in for awhile and then I came back to my hotel to sleep off the jet lag. It's been pretty bad with the 11 hour time difference but I am starting to adjust.
Yesterday was my first day at the school and I spent the day observing the teacher I will replace. Luckily she has some of the most well behaved classes so that will help me a lot! Some of the other new teachers have some pretty wild students so i'm thankful! I learned some interesting customs on my first day. You cannot write a student's, or anyone's name, using a red pen because it signifies death and means you want him or her dead...kinda weird! Also, the students have outdoor shoes and indoor shoes, kind of like slippers. The first thing they do when they get to class is change into their indoor shoes because it is disrespectful not to. Even when they sit on the mats for group time they have to take their indoor shoes off. It's one of their customs. When you hand out papers, or money, or anything in this country you have to do so with two hands as a sign of respect. (You also have to receive everything with two hands). It is rude not to do so. Some interesting things! The other countries I have been to have had their own customs but these are the most different by far!
To the students, my name is Christi Teacher. That's how they address all teachers. Kinda funny! School is going to be very hectic and confusing until I get the hang of things. I work from 9:00 until 6:30 every day, and there are three different classes on Monday/Wednesday/Friday, and another group of three classes on Tuesday/Thursday, so I will have a lot of names and schedules to learn! The biggest class only has 10 students though so the small groups will help out a lot. I have kids ranging in age from 6-8 and they are so smart! A lot more advanced than students that age in the United States, especially because this is their second language! The school serves the teachers lunch, we have an hour break for that, but we can go out or home if we choose to. A lot of teachers also use this time to plan or prepare.
I need to finish getting ready for my second day but I will continue to write and let you know what I am learning! Miss you all and wish me luck!!!
Yesterday was my first day at the school and I spent the day observing the teacher I will replace. Luckily she has some of the most well behaved classes so that will help me a lot! Some of the other new teachers have some pretty wild students so i'm thankful! I learned some interesting customs on my first day. You cannot write a student's, or anyone's name, using a red pen because it signifies death and means you want him or her dead...kinda weird! Also, the students have outdoor shoes and indoor shoes, kind of like slippers. The first thing they do when they get to class is change into their indoor shoes because it is disrespectful not to. Even when they sit on the mats for group time they have to take their indoor shoes off. It's one of their customs. When you hand out papers, or money, or anything in this country you have to do so with two hands as a sign of respect. (You also have to receive everything with two hands). It is rude not to do so. Some interesting things! The other countries I have been to have had their own customs but these are the most different by far!
To the students, my name is Christi Teacher. That's how they address all teachers. Kinda funny! School is going to be very hectic and confusing until I get the hang of things. I work from 9:00 until 6:30 every day, and there are three different classes on Monday/Wednesday/Friday, and another group of three classes on Tuesday/Thursday, so I will have a lot of names and schedules to learn! The biggest class only has 10 students though so the small groups will help out a lot. I have kids ranging in age from 6-8 and they are so smart! A lot more advanced than students that age in the United States, especially because this is their second language! The school serves the teachers lunch, we have an hour break for that, but we can go out or home if we choose to. A lot of teachers also use this time to plan or prepare.
I need to finish getting ready for my second day but I will continue to write and let you know what I am learning! Miss you all and wish me luck!!!
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Finally here!
After going through so much trying to get my VISA, and 24 hours of travel time, I am finally in South Korea! My flight landed at about 9:30 last night and someone from the agency was at the airport to meet me. I was so tired but we had about an hour and a half drive from the airport to LCI, the school I am teaching at. It is in Bundang, a suburb of Seoul, but looks completely like a city! I got a quick tour of the school and then the owners brought me to my hotel. I am staying in a hotel near the school for a week until the teacher I am replacing leaves, and I will take over her apartment. I didn't get to the hotel until midnight, but the streets were bustling with college kids. They are filled with bright neon signs, and remind me of Vegas, minus the casinos. The owners of the school were so nice. They helped me carry my bags up and then took me down to the street to get dinner.
The signs seem funny to me. Koreans have their own alphabet with what look like symbols to me, but they use the same numbers as us, so everything looked half Korean, half American. The hotel is nice, just small and simple. I do have a TV and computer with internet in the room so that will help out a lot! Since South Korea is 11 hours ahead of the US, it makes communicating with people hard. We are on completely different schedules! I slept last night but am still pretty tired and am sure jet lag will hit me more than ever in the next couple of days. My friend Mary and other teachers from the school are coming to meet me at the hotel at noon so we can go to lunch and see more of the city. I'm excited to talk to her and find out more about her first week in Seoul and what I can expect! I still have no idea how to use the money, and don't know any of the language so my first few days should be interesting!
Miss everyone and I will write more as soon as I can!
The signs seem funny to me. Koreans have their own alphabet with what look like symbols to me, but they use the same numbers as us, so everything looked half Korean, half American. The hotel is nice, just small and simple. I do have a TV and computer with internet in the room so that will help out a lot! Since South Korea is 11 hours ahead of the US, it makes communicating with people hard. We are on completely different schedules! I slept last night but am still pretty tired and am sure jet lag will hit me more than ever in the next couple of days. My friend Mary and other teachers from the school are coming to meet me at the hotel at noon so we can go to lunch and see more of the city. I'm excited to talk to her and find out more about her first week in Seoul and what I can expect! I still have no idea how to use the money, and don't know any of the language so my first few days should be interesting!
Miss everyone and I will write more as soon as I can!
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