April 8th! Do a good deed...

http://www.onedaywithoutshoes.com/

Sunday

Today I met up with Charis at the City Hall metro station and we went to the palace nearby that also had a museum inside. It was fun and we saw the work of Noosan Pak or something like that. We were going to go to the contemporary museum after to check out the Andy Warhol exhibit, but the line was insane, so we got back on the metro and went to Seoul Station metro station. There we thought we would find a ton of stuff because we always hear that name, but really it was just the train station and a department store. So we ate around there and then headed to the Express Bus Terminal metro station. There we shopped underground...lots of stuff down there and pretty cheap. I bought a bag/purse and a couple headbands, a scarf, and a sweatshirt for 35,000. Then we decided it was time to head home (we have report cards to do this weekend).

An entertaining game: whose purse is that? This is a fun game because a lot of men wear purses. And not like...man purses, like a woman's purse.

Something cool: on the way to switch lines to line 7, we saw a cool glass restaurant on the side of the highway/river. I will try to go in the future...

more on korean culture

When they get an answer right, they circle it.

When they get an answer wrong, they put a check mark or a slash

This creates some confusion...

I'm getting a cell phone! It'll be here on Tuesday. I went to the Seoul Global Center. Their website does a good job of describing how to get there, so I had no problem finding it. What I didn't know was that the only phone company offered there is LG, which I think is the biggest, and the only bank there is KEB. I had read somewhere that they can link your Korean bank account to a foreign one and you can transfer money back and forth for free, but this is not true. First of all, you need a bank account with KEB and second, it costs 8,ooo per transaction. So I got the information for my bank, Woori, from the girl there so I can call and talk to someone in English.

As for the phone, I bought the standard plan and it's for a year. If I decide to terminate early, I'll have to pay 7,500 for every month early I cancel. So if I complete 10 months, I'll have to pay 15,000. On this plan I pay 11/12,000 and 18 won per talking minute and 20 per text message. If most of the people I know end up having LG too, there's a cheaper plan that has like 200 free minutes a month for calls to LG users. Receiving is free.

The funniest thing I saw though was coming out of the metro. You have to walk a decent ways underground, an while I was doing this I saw a bunch of policemen crowded around a tiny square area, almost as if they were having a meeting. But it turned out that they were trying to detain a man in a motorized wheelchair! When I came out of the SGC, I saw them trying to stop him above ground! I don't know how it could have possibly been so difficult...I mean, the man can't walk...

I also saw some musicians, but that was about all that happened to me during the day.

Last night we ate dinner across from my apartment at a chicken place. They have one huge round plate in the center of the table and everyone takes from that communal dish. It was very good. Then we went to a karaoke place (nori bung it sounds like to me, but I don't really know how to spell it). Here the karaoke is in a private room and you just sing there with the TVs. First you pay for how long you want, then they take you to your room (you take off your shoes and they put them in cubbies for you before you step up to the place where all the rooms are). We had fun, stayed for about an hour.

Then I came back and worked on some report cards. These things are absolutely obnoxious. It's a terrible interface and only works with Internet Explorer, the worst browser known to man. It's super finicky and right now it won't even pull up the website for me. We have to enter in all the test scores for every student, all their homework information, and evaluate them using these drop boxes and then put in comments. It takes a lifetime. Terrible system. Oh well, hopefully I'll get used to it. But I really wish it was available in another browser. I hate IE.

Today, Saturday, I'm going with a co-worker, Peter, to have lunch and go to Korean class. Hope it's a good one...

It's snowing again. I have to take another three days of medicine...the weekend was uneventful as I was in bed for most of it. I got my ARC today though, which is exciting, so I'm going tomorrow to the Seoul Global Center to get a phone.

So it turns out I need to wait until after I get a bank account (which I'm going to do tomorrow with Sora and Mindy) before I go get a phone. I think it'll be easier that way.

Also forgot to mention that the reason I went back today for more medicine was that I thought I had gone on Friday originally...this makes a difference because they give you your medicine per dose, meaning each dose is in its own little paperish like sack. I got 12 but thought I had only gotten 9 or that I had gotten all 12 but lost the other 3. So I went back because I thought today, Monday, was supposed to be my last day of treatment instead of yesterday. I ended up having to go back up to the clinic where she checked me out and said I'd need another 3 days worth of medicine, they shot me one in the buttocks again and sent me on my way. Now that I look, it's sort of bruised, but whatever.

It started snowing like crazy during class, but petered off by the time we'd gotten out so we walked back in a nice wet slush. Gosh...isn't winter supposed to be over already?

Now it's a bright, sunny day, and apparently I have brochitis. I went back to the woman I saw about my throat and she told me that. Then they gave me a shot of something and pills to take for the next 4 days. So I feel sort of loopy. And I'm exhausted. And today is a long day. Go team!

it's snowing on my gmail page. guess why. yup, it's snowing in Seoul. wtf, i thought winter was over

Seoul Immigration Office

On Tuesday morning, I went to the Seoul Immigration Office. Before this you must have your health examination (as I talked about before), the application forms (usually given to you by your employer), 2 passport photos, your passport obviously, and 10,000 or 50,000 won (10 for Americans because we initially get a multiple entry visa. I know if you're Canadian and want multiple entry you need to pay 50,000. If you just want single entry, I think it's only 10).

I left at 7:55 am, stopped in the metro to buy a waffle (yum) and got on the purple line. The office is at the Omokgyo station (exit 7) in the west of the city. It took me 55 minutes on the metro and then you have to walk a few blocks. The metro shoots you out onto a street that you just walk straight on for a few blocks before it curves to the right. Pictures to follow, but they have a couple of signs on the street that let you know you're on the right track. Also, when you see the SK gas station (red and orange logo), you're close. You'll have to cross the street. The curve turns into a dead end and you cross the street and the Immigration office is practically right there.

I got a number first (the room to the right with everyone waiting), then went downstairs to take my photos (6,000 won!) and buy my stamps (I bought one, 10,000 won). I didn't know the booth was about to take my picture so I had to pay another 6,000 to redo it. I heard hana (one) and was like uh-oh. Apparently they only count to two...

I should have then gone to the 2nd floor on the right to sign up/buy delivery. They will mail everything to you for 4,000. I didn't though, and waited downstairs. I was called up and she took my papers and then I had to go to the 2nd floor and pay for delivery. I went straight to her and handed her the confirmation and I was done!

On the way back to the metro I stopped at a bakery. The bakeries here are strange and don't sell too much bread. They have pastries and strange things....

Found out this is what I saw in Insadong the other week:

eondaegi (번데기), stewed silkworm pupa, or you can try sucking the insides out of boiled sea shells.

also, the cherry blossom festivals are soon! yay!

Saturday

Last night I went out with Sheena, a friend I met in Chile, and we had dinner and then met up with Charis and her friends. I met Charis when we were both waiting for the plane in Seoul. So we went to Gecko's in Itaewon, a place where there are a ton of foreigners. After that we went to another bar in Hangae that was underground and decorated like a cave. There we sat on pillows on the floor and they brought us a hookah. After that some of the group went to a rock club and the rest of us stayed for a bit before walking to the next bar, a hidden place that Jason knew about.

We hung out there for a bit and then finally Charis and I left with Jason in a cab...he dropped us off at Dragon Hill Spa by the Yongsan metro station. The metro wasn't open and neither one of us wanted to take a cab home, so we decided to go here. You go inside, pay 12,000 won, and they give you a locker key. The first locker is where you put your shoes. Then you keep going and the women go up one elevator and the men another. This takes you to the dressing rooms. Once inside, we then went to find our locker, took off all of our clothes, and went downstairs to shower. After you shower you are then allowed to go into the hot pools, sauna, etc. They offer a full body scrub which I wanted to try, but didn't have enough money for (20,000). We sat in a couple of the hot pools for a few minutes with the jets on. After that we put our scrubs on (they give you shorts and a shirt) and sat in a massage chair to try to catch some z's. Basically it was too hot, so we explored the rest of the place and then headed out to the now-open metro. I got home around 8 and then slept, woke up around 1 and then showered, etc. I feel fine actually and had a great time! Very cool to see the spa. EVERYONE is naked. That is, until you get to the Main Hall, where everyone has to wear their scrubs.

Odd things

When they raise their hands in class, it's always a fist.

If you write someone's name in red, it means they're dead.

You hail pets here the way we beckon people at home (palm up). To motion to a person or taxi, you do it with your palm down...sort of awkward.

Health Exam

I'm currently battling various diseases it seems...I was feeling pretty sick Monday and Tuesday, and yesterday I went to the Seoul Medical Center to get my health exam so I can apply for my ARC. It was super fast. First they weighed me, took my blood pressure, checked my hearing and eyesight, and...measured my chest. Don't know why. Then I had a chest x-ray, then they took blood and urine samples. I was out of there in a jiffy. Had to bring 2 passport photos, 65,000 won, and my passport. There were 2 old guys that spoke English-very friendly and probably very bored.

Last night I noticed some white stuff (exudate as Dad said in his email...) on one of my tonsils so I took some pretty awesome macro photos and sent it to Dr. Dad. So tomorrow morning I'm going to go to the clinic near my school to get a throat culture done to make sure I don't have strep. Exhilarating, I know.

This week has gone by pretty slow because I've been feeling so bad. Also, I'm so ready to stop having to turn in my lesson preps! It takes me the full two hours to do them the way Sora wants them, so I have no time to come up with fun things to do with the kids. So that sucks. Today I did have a little extra time and printed up some items so the young ones could move them around on the board to make sentences (i.e. "The green building is taller than the blue house.").

For lunch today I went to Pizza School where pizzas are 5,000 won. I think I might have accidentally conveyed to them that I am British...hmm...more on this later, I think.pictures of the aforementioned snow. this was the day after

also...

oh, I can't believe I didn't already say this, but 7-11 is here! like all over. yay Dallas!

First full week

Well today's Tuesday and I haven't been feeling well since yesterday morning, but here's a mini update: classes are long, students are mostly bored or don't want to be there, my shower will get replaced tomorrow as it still has yet to stop dripping, and tomorrow morning I will go to the hospital for my health exam! This time I will bring my passport...

it's snowing!

E-mart

Today I went back to E-mart to try to exchange the water heater I bought for one that would turn off automatically when the water was boiling. I went there with a note Sora wrote for me, no receipt, with the box torn at the top. I brought it back in, showed the note to the girl who then explained to me that I needed to get a number and wait to exchange. I couldn't find the number machine, so I showed it to another man standing nearby and he showed it to a pregnant woman and basically they said I couldn't exchange it because the box was torn on top. So I pretended not to understand (played the wei-guk/gringo card) and opened the box to show the heater. Then they got another guy to come over and he asked me what I wanted to do and I said exchange it. So he talked to the woman and he nodded and I knew he would let me exchange it...so then the woman gave me cash and I went upstairs and bought another one! Success!

Saturday with Andy

My flower tea



Today I met Andy and he took me downtown to a store that was filled with musical instruments, a palace, and Insa-dong, a street in the traditional neighborhood filled with vendors (among these serving bugs and something that I would describe as ocean snails).

After seeing the palace museum, we went to a tea shop...very nice. Then we went to dinner at a nearby place. The food was really good and I had ton gass (toon gahssuh), chicken-fried pork basically.

Then we walked back to the metro by the river, a spot he tells me is for couples, and there were tons of couples there and some families sprinkled in. Very pretty.

On the metro ride home, I was tearing apart a napkin so Andy could write in Korean that my shower won't turn off all the way (I've duct-taped it for the time being) and a woman nearby handed me a pouch of kleenex basically and said something, so I asked Andy what she said and she said I should go to church! I laughed for a while about this, but a map to the church was on the back of them and Andy said they sometimes give out candy or other small things. She should have asked me first if I was a Christian so as not to waste them, but I don't think it would have mattered.

Second Teaching Day

Forgot to say that this morning a maintenance man came for my hot water. He messed around for a bit before saying "small pressure long time, big pressure short time" which I take to mean that if I want hot water, I need to not turn on the shower all the way. Nice.

He also fixed my bed.

He left, and I left right after him to get to work and I missed the train by literal seconds. So annoying. So I had to wait 10 minutes for the next train and ended up a few minutes late getting to work.

Today was much better because my classes were shorter. I had the Basic 5 class again, and they were much better. I isolated Tom in the front row so there were no incidents. My second class was Reading 3.2 (or was it 2.2?!) and there were 14 students! Pretty insane. It went well though, or well enough for the first day. People participated. We read a story, obviously. This one was about animals cleaning themselves basically. And then we did grammar. My last class was Reading 2.2 (or 3.2...) and there were only 6 students. Honest, a boy, was looking at his cell phone, so I took it away. In that class we read about a Rooster that is cooking a strawberry shortcake...and then we did grammar.

After that I took some stuff for the house that I found in storage at YES (a pan, a laundry bag, chopsticks, hangers, etc) and came home, picked up some water that had been delivered, and went with Nhi and her friend Allison to eat barbecue. It was really yummy. You have a table and a circular grate in the middle with hot coals underneath and they give you a platter of raw meat and you put it on the grate yourself. It comes with about a billion side dishes, but I thought the corn was the best.

Then we walked about a block to a place with hookah. It was nice and chill...there were cats running around here. You have to take your shoes off at the door and the guy puts them in a bag and brings them over by your area. You sit on the floor around a tiny red table and they bring you whatever you order and a complementary bowl of what I think was something similar to fried pretzels...really yummy and had a good crunch to them.

Now it's off to bed. Tomorrow I'm meeting Andy again and he's going to take me downtown from what I understand...so we'll see...

First teaching day

Today was my first day to teach. I prepped for 2 hours and then taught my first class, Basic 5. There are 7 students, 8-9 years old. Tom, Raphael, Milro, Karen, David, and two names I can't remember. Basically, Tom is a little punk. I was warned by Nhi too, but today he hit Raphael when we were on break. He must have like zero boundaries and consequences at home because he doesn't seem to give a damn. That class was from 14 30 - 15 50 (it's my every day class) and we read pages 2-5 in "Kick the Ball" by Lord knows who...

At 16 00 I started my second class of three. This one lasts till 18 50 with a 10 minute break at 17 30. This was Grade 4, reading "Treasures 3.2". Five students: Eric, Paul, Daniel, Diana, and Amy. Paul is pretty much ADD so that's really hard for this long of a class and that small of a classroom. I got in trouble for this: there was a drawing activity about halfway through the lesson that took like an hour. Too long apparently, which I get, but there wasn't enough material really. I guess I'm going to have to get really creative to take up all that time...

From 19 00 to 22 00 is my last class. Middle school student = the worst students. They are impossible to motivate. Almost. It really was like pulling teeth because NOBODY would talk. They wouldn't answer my questions even. It was like "Sally ate lunch" and me: "What did Sally do?" and no one would answer. Very hard. We read a story and then did grammar at the end. I hope after a few weeks they start talking more.

I'm tired, the maintenance guy is coming tomorrow morning at 11 and then I gotta go to school to prep. I have to turn in my lesson plans for the first month (grr) and I need to figure out some things about quizzes (they have quizzes every class and I also need to look at their homework because we go over it every class too)

Sigh.

Also...

To help Chile, my friends are saying the best ones to donate to are Red Cross, World Vision, and UNICEF. you can do this by texting "chile" to 90999 (RC) or 20222 (WV).

buta q soy tonta

More things I forgot:

MY FRIGGIN PASSPORT! It was one of the THREE things I needed to take to the clinic with me. I got all the way there, was about to walk in the front door and realized. Turned back around, and came back home. So, I'll try again tomorrow I guess...I don't have time to go back today because I have to be at work at 12 30. ugh. annoying.

All cell phones come with a metro map....something I was told yesterday that made a lot of since since the first time I rode the metro pretty much everyone was looking at a map on their phones. The phones are insanely awesome here.

There was something else, but right now I don't remember, surprise, surprise. So I'll put it up later. Hopefully...

Training Day #2

Today I had to prepare 3 practice lessons, each 20 minutes long. First I had lunch, bibimbop, which was ok, not great. Then I prepared the lessons and taught each one to Sora who then gave me feedback. Then I got my books and went home early....tonight I will have to prepare my lesson plans to hand in to her tomorrow. Tomorrow morning before work I'm going to go get a health exam, the first step towards getting my ARC. I have to bring 64,000 won, 2 passport photos, and my passport. I've been told someone at this clinic (near the Samseong exit on the green line, line #2) speaks English. So we'll see...

On my way home I got a waffle in the metro (1,000 won, about 1 dollar) and they put honey and butter on it. It was pretty much amazingly delicious.

Off to make my lesson plans! Hurrah!

Forgot

Here are pictures of E-mart. And yes, there's a McDonald's on the bottom floor.

ALSO, I forgot earlier that for 2 avocados it costs around 7 dollars!!!

Forgot to mention that shortly after arriving and getting my class schedule and books, Sora ordered lunch for me and Nhi. It came in a large black stone bowl with a wooden panel underneath and you had to stir it all up. Inside was rice, cabbage, egg, and some other vegetables...I'll ask the name today. It also came with a little bowl of soup (basically broth with something resembling a dumpling inside though whatever the dumpling-like thing was, it was all dough) and a tupperware of five compartments containing the side dishes (mushroom, egg, shrimp with green beans, something that looked like liver that I didn't touch, and kimchi). When we were done we had to put everything inside a blue garbage sack and tie it up and put it outside the door...pretty neat system...

And they don't drink the tap water for some reason. They all say it's safe, but they all buy bottled water. I'm drinking the tap water and I've been fine so far...

Training Day #1

Today I start training. I train today and tomorrow. Normally you have 4 days, but I guess I'm just special. My contract starts on Thursday so they have to have me teaching by then and not just training....will update more tonight since right now I have a long list of questions for them and I don't even know how long the training is supposed to last!

Found this in my door, what I can only assume would be a food delivery service from a nearby restaurant...

Ok well I got to the school and got my class schedule that starts Thursday (I have 5 classes, 1 MTWRF, 2 MWF, 2 TR) and I have to be at school every day at 12 30 and will get out on MWF at 20:30 and at 22:00 on TR. Today I observed Nhi's class from 16:00 to 17:30 and then Jeff's class from 17:30-19:00. After that I talked with Sora until 22:00. Nhi's class gave me a headache from all the noise...10 youngsters. But it was fun, high energy. I am about to get most of her students (the new term starts Thursday...each one lasts 3 months and then they go up a level). Jeff's class was much more low-key, with only 5 students. And they were doing reading. So not much going on there. When I spoke with Sora, my manager, she went through the basics of the school and teaching English then I got to ask her questions....so now I know more things and she is going to send her brother to my apartment tomorrow to help me with my hot water, or lack thereof, situation. Also, of the aforementioned water heater, it is supposed to automatically turn off, so Sora will go with me to E-mart to exchange it.

Then I went and met Ray at the next metro station to buy some plates, bowls, and wine glasses from him. I found him on craigslist and I'm glad I did...much cheaper than E-mart.

Now I'm eating a baguette with some sort of mystery meat and mustard. Bedtime soon. I'm beat.

Korean

Thought I should mention for those who don't know, that Korean has an alphabet that make up their characters, so it's not like Chinese that have over 10,000. Basically, if I memorized the alphabet, I could sound out words, just like in English (but easier, since their sounds are always the same and never change like in Spanish, unlike English where an "a" can be pronounced in various ways) but won't know what I'm saying.

here's a link to the alphabet: http://thinkzone.wlonk.com/Language/Korean.htm, and this is much more in depth: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangul

Apartment

view from my apartment:

I don't live in a touristy or foreigner part of town, which I love, because I'm interested in their culture, but it also means hardly anyone speaks

English. I will ask my manager at the school today if she can call about my shower knob that seems to be faulty. And ask Nhi about the recycling/trash...I t

hink I have to separate the recycling too....

I bought a water heater today. I had to go back a second time because I had left it on the bottom floor when I was getting groceries. I used it and I'm pretty sure it doesn't automatically shut off. It was boiling the water and sort of overflowing and it didn't stop. So

I took it off. I hope I

don't burn myself and/or the apartment down with this thing...

here's downstairs where you walk in:

What I absolutely love about my apartment is that to get in, there is no key, only a key code.

The thing on the bottom is a camera to the right side of my door. When someone rings the doorbell, I see their face on the screen inside that's on the wall.