I have made tremendous progress (and probably regressed just as much!) in the month since I’ve written on here. First, I just want to say that I’ve discovered red bean ice cream and, as crazily disgusting as that might sound since it DOES consist, in fact, of big red beans mixed in with ice cream… it is probably THE most delicious dessert I have ever had. Truly. I LOVE IT. Move over Hagen Daaz!... Here comes, well, something that sounds like Myongdeong Sun Choeon. Actually, I just made that up. That sounds more like the name of the nearest subway station. I really DON’T know what it’s called. Which brings me to say that one of my aforementioned regressed progress is that I have completed lesson 1 of my self-teach Korean book…about a month ago. And then I started teaching, and my life disappeared on me. Fear not, it is slowly reappearing, and my friend’s boyfriend is setting me up with a Korean language exchange partner which I am meeting this week. Should be fun! She is a University student who wants to practice her English (and I am, well, a dinosaur that wants to learn Korean ;)
That being said, let me go back to my last entry, in which I mentioned that I was going to the Insadong district of Seoul for a medical check-up. Now THAT was interesting! We left early in the morning (I went with 3 other new teachers: Blaise, Eileen, and Jasmine). We had a bit of a hard time finding our way around but eventually reconnoitred and ended up at the right Medical Center. And what a Medical Center it turned out to be! After registering and paying the 86 000 Won fee, which the school paid for us, we were asked to change into pink robes and plastic sandals. (This turned out to be pretty funny since Blaise wears something like a size 11 and the largest Korean men’s size is probably about a size 7, so just picture him walking around… ;) We were then sent to various stations where we were X-rayed, weighed, measured, probed, and pricked. We also had to go through electrograms and take a vision test (which I took with my lenses on but…what the hey! – I guess my vision was good enough as it was!). As unpleasant as this may sound, it turned out to be, well, I won’t say pleasurable, cause that would just be weird…but okay experience. The Medical Center turned out to look just like a hotel lobby and we got to sit on ornate couches while waiting for our next station. There was modern art on the wall and ostentatious chandeliers hanging from the ceilings…all things to fire up conversation and we had a pretty good time laughing while waiting around. The final part of my examination was the actual consultation with the doctor. I went in with the nurse, as he was a man. He smiled at me, didn’t bother turning off his computer screen – on which he was reading a tabloid article of Julia Roberts – and came over to question me on my physical habits. He asked me a few questions –Did I smoke? No. Did I do the drugs? No. He listened to my heart beat, ran his hand quickly down my spine and…that was it! We were done! (The school has since received the doctor’s diagnostic of my condition. I am listed as NORMAL in approximately 20 conditions I can’t decipher. I wonder what would have happened should one of them have said ABNORMAL…or even PARANORMAL? The first would have been scary…well, the second one too, I guess)
We then went for a long walk through the Insadong district, which is known as Seoul’s most fascinating shopping street (trust me, not a small feat!). It is like a grander Sparks Street in that it is traffic-free on weekends and features art galleries displaying the work of top artists, potters and designers. There is also a multitude of restaurants and teashops as well as tons of small kiosks selling souvenir knick-knacks, embroidery, antiques, calligraphy brushes, incense sticks, and Buddhist items.
After having refreshing plum and jujube tea, off to home we went to nap before going to a baseball game with some other teachers from the school.
Now. I don’t really know how to describe a Seoul baseball game. I will put a video up, I think, to convey the actual effect of sitting in the bleachers. It was quite an exciting game, as Seoul’s two home teams were playing each other, and the stadium was quite full. It was also a Christmas in Summer type of deal and many activities were happening in between the innings. But, and here is where I have no words, the crowd is so UNBELIEVINGLY into it. Trust me. You’ve never seen anything like it. It is such a cheerful place. Everyone comes in with these plastic clubs and - I can’t stop giggling as I write this – will pound them for 3 HOURS while led by a choreographer and a team of CHEERLEADERS. Seriously. I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP! Watch the video. I will put it up on Facebook. A bunch of girls behind us were also dressed up as kittens wearing baseball jerseys, mini-skirts and heels which I thought was a LITTLE much compared to my bland shorts and t-shirt but, well…anyways…
And then, after that weekend…I STARTED WORKING. My life has been a blur ever since. I think my last totally conscious moment was the morning of September fourth, before I went in to teach my first class. I’ve been caught in a whirlwind since then. My schedule is absolutely crazy and requires much planning and correcting outside of school hours. My evenings and weekends are spent trying to get my head out of the water. I’m just trying to get ahead of things… Whenever I feel as though I am getting the hang of things, another item I have to do is added to my already long list of tasks. I’ve survived my first weekend workshop and, in two weeks, will have to go through open-classes and PTA meetings BUT I HAVE just received my first monthly evaluation and am quite happy with the results. Hopefully, I’ll survive this routine long enough to get a second one…
As much as my schedule is hectic, I want to say that I was extremely lucky with the classes I was assigned. I have the best groups of kids and I just love my last class on Friday evenings. I teach a fourth grade class that contains some of the sweetest kids I’ve ever gotten to work with. They have really magnetic personalities and their group dynamic is unbelievable. So being in class is actually fun and rewarding but it’s the being well-prepared and staying on top of the correction that is extremely time consuming. I’m working on it.
And trying to get enough sleep. Thursday night, I was in bed at 8:30 and woke up past 9:30 the next morning. Me! I’m usually a night-owl but this schedule is DRAINING me! It was about the same the Friday before that. I fare a little better on Saturdays but…please let it get better! I wasn’t expecting my time in Korea to be ALL spent on grading Writing Topics! Ok, maybe I am exaggerating a little bit (or maybe I’m just saying that because my bosses might one day read this! ;P Hee! Hee! )
I am trying to get out there and do things, though. Next week, I am participating in the Hi Seoul’s 10k race. I don’t think I’m half as prepared as I should be as I don’t have much time to go running but I’m already excited about it! And today, I visited Dongdaemun Market with a friend. It turned out to be this HUGE outdoor market surrounded by a big department store and a variety of other shops. It was neat but the CROWD of people makes you feel like an ant in a football field. You risk being crushed at any minute by a wall of people walking towards you! We did get to see a fashion show, though…
As we went though an alleyway, we happened upon what looked like a troupe of professional actors putting on body paint and fancy, out-of-this-world costumes. They looked very fancy-schmancy and we couldn’t wait to see what the play would be like. Then we turned the corner and realized they were putting on a fashion show, as a huge catwalk had been erected in the middle of the large plaza. The music was blaring, a speech was said (of which I only understood that this show was put on by university students – and THAT was written on the large billboard besides the speaker) and the show started. SOOOOOOOOO funny! I think they had put so much time and effort on creating the costumes that they actually, no joke, forgot to plan catwalk routines! They would just walk down, in an I’m half-heartingly strutting my stuff kind of way, pose in a weakly I’m hot shit but my muscles are weak stance at the end of the runway, then turn and RUSH back to hide behind the curtains. We had a good laugh!
When I got back home, I snapped on the light to my apartment and went on high alert mode. I looked straight ahead…snapped my head to the right…snapped my head to the left…tiptoed to my bedroom, repeated the stratagem… tiptoed across the whole apartment…peeked under my bed…peered behind the washroom door…gazed behind the fridge and into the sink…and tried to calm my heartbeat to a respectable rhythm. It pains me to say this but…I’VE GOT ROACHES. I caught two two weeks ago and captured another one this week. I haven’t seen any other but….EEEEEWWWWWW!!!
They are so CREEPY! I can’t sleep without the light on anymore and I’m typing this with my legs around my neck. No way are my feet touching the floor when I can’t see them! And NO, I’m not high-maintenance… Bugger off. I JUST DON’T LIKE COCKROACHES! La cucaracha my BUTTOCKS!
Speaking of creepy crawlers, my 2nd grade Listening class is listening to a CD story intitled How to Eat Fried Worms, in which the protagonist REALLY DOES eat fried worms. The CD comes with a book, which of course comes with a complete set of pictures of real kids eating real dangling worms. The kids love it but I, sometimes, litterally want to puke. No joke.
___ As an aside note, I just went to the washroom and thought I had another Roach encounter…but it turned out to be a hair clip on the floor. I’m just gonna take a moment to get my cardiac rhythm back to normal_________
Ok…What else. Oh. I’ve visited Seoul Tower, which is a 300 and some meters high tower sitting on top of a small mountain. You can walk around an observatory at the top and get an incredible view of the city. I had never realized just HOW big Seoul is until that moment. I also met some Frenchmen from Paris that night which made my weekend as I was able to speak a little bit of French and it was like a taste of home! (Although I did have to put on this phony Parisian accent so they would understand me… God I miss Canadian French.) And if someone says La Pepe La Pew to me one more time, I think I will have to seriously hurt them.
There. I’ve said it. Sue me.
On a lighter note (no, I am NOT bipolar) – I’ve bought a Korean Traditional Flute. I was actually wanting to buy a guitar but I was walking down Insadong Street and this monk was selling them. He turned out to be extremely personnable and he showed me how to play it right there on the street. He also said he would be giving classes in November and gave me the information to sign-up. So I’ve learnt to play the ukelele in Hawai, I took classical guitar lessons in Spain…and now I’ll learn to play a wooden transverse flute in Korea. I don’t know why I can’t just read a book…Well, at least my guitar-playing skills will still be acceptable in social circles!
What else, what else? I’ve spent my morning today finishing reading Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. A great read, if anyone is looking for a good book. Then I spent a few hours researching orphanages on the internet as I’ve heard they need volunteers here in Seoul. I thought I could maybe spare some time on the weekends but it turns out that…are you ready for it? - Volunteering would be illegal for me here in Korea under my current visa. HUH??? I would need permission from the immigration office AND would have to pay 60 000 Won. This, ladies and gentlemen, will require further serious pondering.
MAN! I just realized my feet were touching the ground. I really am gonna have to deal with this roaches situation. Haaaaaaauuuuuuummmmmmmmmpppppphhhhhh. To make myself feel tougher, I’ve asked other teachers to come mountain climbing with me on Sunday. There are a few mountains on the outskirts of Seoul that are accessible by subway. We chose a 10k hike one that should offer some amazing views. See! It’s NOT that I’m a girly-girl. I JUST DON’T LIKE ROACHES.
The end.
That being said, let me go back to my last entry, in which I mentioned that I was going to the Insadong district of Seoul for a medical check-up. Now THAT was interesting! We left early in the morning (I went with 3 other new teachers: Blaise, Eileen, and Jasmine). We had a bit of a hard time finding our way around but eventually reconnoitred and ended up at the right Medical Center. And what a Medical Center it turned out to be! After registering and paying the 86 000 Won fee, which the school paid for us, we were asked to change into pink robes and plastic sandals. (This turned out to be pretty funny since Blaise wears something like a size 11 and the largest Korean men’s size is probably about a size 7, so just picture him walking around… ;) We were then sent to various stations where we were X-rayed, weighed, measured, probed, and pricked. We also had to go through electrograms and take a vision test (which I took with my lenses on but…what the hey! – I guess my vision was good enough as it was!). As unpleasant as this may sound, it turned out to be, well, I won’t say pleasurable, cause that would just be weird…but okay experience. The Medical Center turned out to look just like a hotel lobby and we got to sit on ornate couches while waiting for our next station. There was modern art on the wall and ostentatious chandeliers hanging from the ceilings…all things to fire up conversation and we had a pretty good time laughing while waiting around. The final part of my examination was the actual consultation with the doctor. I went in with the nurse, as he was a man. He smiled at me, didn’t bother turning off his computer screen – on which he was reading a tabloid article of Julia Roberts – and came over to question me on my physical habits. He asked me a few questions –Did I smoke? No. Did I do the drugs? No. He listened to my heart beat, ran his hand quickly down my spine and…that was it! We were done! (The school has since received the doctor’s diagnostic of my condition. I am listed as NORMAL in approximately 20 conditions I can’t decipher. I wonder what would have happened should one of them have said ABNORMAL…or even PARANORMAL? The first would have been scary…well, the second one too, I guess)
We then went for a long walk through the Insadong district, which is known as Seoul’s most fascinating shopping street (trust me, not a small feat!). It is like a grander Sparks Street in that it is traffic-free on weekends and features art galleries displaying the work of top artists, potters and designers. There is also a multitude of restaurants and teashops as well as tons of small kiosks selling souvenir knick-knacks, embroidery, antiques, calligraphy brushes, incense sticks, and Buddhist items.
After having refreshing plum and jujube tea, off to home we went to nap before going to a baseball game with some other teachers from the school.
Now. I don’t really know how to describe a Seoul baseball game. I will put a video up, I think, to convey the actual effect of sitting in the bleachers. It was quite an exciting game, as Seoul’s two home teams were playing each other, and the stadium was quite full. It was also a Christmas in Summer type of deal and many activities were happening in between the innings. But, and here is where I have no words, the crowd is so UNBELIEVINGLY into it. Trust me. You’ve never seen anything like it. It is such a cheerful place. Everyone comes in with these plastic clubs and - I can’t stop giggling as I write this – will pound them for 3 HOURS while led by a choreographer and a team of CHEERLEADERS. Seriously. I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP! Watch the video. I will put it up on Facebook. A bunch of girls behind us were also dressed up as kittens wearing baseball jerseys, mini-skirts and heels which I thought was a LITTLE much compared to my bland shorts and t-shirt but, well…anyways…
And then, after that weekend…I STARTED WORKING. My life has been a blur ever since. I think my last totally conscious moment was the morning of September fourth, before I went in to teach my first class. I’ve been caught in a whirlwind since then. My schedule is absolutely crazy and requires much planning and correcting outside of school hours. My evenings and weekends are spent trying to get my head out of the water. I’m just trying to get ahead of things… Whenever I feel as though I am getting the hang of things, another item I have to do is added to my already long list of tasks. I’ve survived my first weekend workshop and, in two weeks, will have to go through open-classes and PTA meetings BUT I HAVE just received my first monthly evaluation and am quite happy with the results. Hopefully, I’ll survive this routine long enough to get a second one…
As much as my schedule is hectic, I want to say that I was extremely lucky with the classes I was assigned. I have the best groups of kids and I just love my last class on Friday evenings. I teach a fourth grade class that contains some of the sweetest kids I’ve ever gotten to work with. They have really magnetic personalities and their group dynamic is unbelievable. So being in class is actually fun and rewarding but it’s the being well-prepared and staying on top of the correction that is extremely time consuming. I’m working on it.
And trying to get enough sleep. Thursday night, I was in bed at 8:30 and woke up past 9:30 the next morning. Me! I’m usually a night-owl but this schedule is DRAINING me! It was about the same the Friday before that. I fare a little better on Saturdays but…please let it get better! I wasn’t expecting my time in Korea to be ALL spent on grading Writing Topics! Ok, maybe I am exaggerating a little bit (or maybe I’m just saying that because my bosses might one day read this! ;P Hee! Hee! )
I am trying to get out there and do things, though. Next week, I am participating in the Hi Seoul’s 10k race. I don’t think I’m half as prepared as I should be as I don’t have much time to go running but I’m already excited about it! And today, I visited Dongdaemun Market with a friend. It turned out to be this HUGE outdoor market surrounded by a big department store and a variety of other shops. It was neat but the CROWD of people makes you feel like an ant in a football field. You risk being crushed at any minute by a wall of people walking towards you! We did get to see a fashion show, though…
As we went though an alleyway, we happened upon what looked like a troupe of professional actors putting on body paint and fancy, out-of-this-world costumes. They looked very fancy-schmancy and we couldn’t wait to see what the play would be like. Then we turned the corner and realized they were putting on a fashion show, as a huge catwalk had been erected in the middle of the large plaza. The music was blaring, a speech was said (of which I only understood that this show was put on by university students – and THAT was written on the large billboard besides the speaker) and the show started. SOOOOOOOOO funny! I think they had put so much time and effort on creating the costumes that they actually, no joke, forgot to plan catwalk routines! They would just walk down, in an I’m half-heartingly strutting my stuff kind of way, pose in a weakly I’m hot shit but my muscles are weak stance at the end of the runway, then turn and RUSH back to hide behind the curtains. We had a good laugh!
When I got back home, I snapped on the light to my apartment and went on high alert mode. I looked straight ahead…snapped my head to the right…snapped my head to the left…tiptoed to my bedroom, repeated the stratagem… tiptoed across the whole apartment…peeked under my bed…peered behind the washroom door…gazed behind the fridge and into the sink…and tried to calm my heartbeat to a respectable rhythm. It pains me to say this but…I’VE GOT ROACHES. I caught two two weeks ago and captured another one this week. I haven’t seen any other but….EEEEEWWWWWW!!!
They are so CREEPY! I can’t sleep without the light on anymore and I’m typing this with my legs around my neck. No way are my feet touching the floor when I can’t see them! And NO, I’m not high-maintenance… Bugger off. I JUST DON’T LIKE COCKROACHES! La cucaracha my BUTTOCKS!
Speaking of creepy crawlers, my 2nd grade Listening class is listening to a CD story intitled How to Eat Fried Worms, in which the protagonist REALLY DOES eat fried worms. The CD comes with a book, which of course comes with a complete set of pictures of real kids eating real dangling worms. The kids love it but I, sometimes, litterally want to puke. No joke.
___ As an aside note, I just went to the washroom and thought I had another Roach encounter…but it turned out to be a hair clip on the floor. I’m just gonna take a moment to get my cardiac rhythm back to normal_________
Ok…What else. Oh. I’ve visited Seoul Tower, which is a 300 and some meters high tower sitting on top of a small mountain. You can walk around an observatory at the top and get an incredible view of the city. I had never realized just HOW big Seoul is until that moment. I also met some Frenchmen from Paris that night which made my weekend as I was able to speak a little bit of French and it was like a taste of home! (Although I did have to put on this phony Parisian accent so they would understand me… God I miss Canadian French.) And if someone says La Pepe La Pew to me one more time, I think I will have to seriously hurt them.
There. I’ve said it. Sue me.
On a lighter note (no, I am NOT bipolar) – I’ve bought a Korean Traditional Flute. I was actually wanting to buy a guitar but I was walking down Insadong Street and this monk was selling them. He turned out to be extremely personnable and he showed me how to play it right there on the street. He also said he would be giving classes in November and gave me the information to sign-up. So I’ve learnt to play the ukelele in Hawai, I took classical guitar lessons in Spain…and now I’ll learn to play a wooden transverse flute in Korea. I don’t know why I can’t just read a book…Well, at least my guitar-playing skills will still be acceptable in social circles!
What else, what else? I’ve spent my morning today finishing reading Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. A great read, if anyone is looking for a good book. Then I spent a few hours researching orphanages on the internet as I’ve heard they need volunteers here in Seoul. I thought I could maybe spare some time on the weekends but it turns out that…are you ready for it? - Volunteering would be illegal for me here in Korea under my current visa. HUH??? I would need permission from the immigration office AND would have to pay 60 000 Won. This, ladies and gentlemen, will require further serious pondering.
MAN! I just realized my feet were touching the ground. I really am gonna have to deal with this roaches situation. Haaaaaaauuuuuuummmmmmmmmpppppphhhhhh. To make myself feel tougher, I’ve asked other teachers to come mountain climbing with me on Sunday. There are a few mountains on the outskirts of Seoul that are accessible by subway. We chose a 10k hike one that should offer some amazing views. See! It’s NOT that I’m a girly-girl. I JUST DON’T LIKE ROACHES.
The end.
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