Honestly, now.

Alright, so I looked at my lesson plan for today.  The class was going over an essay with the title, “Men, Affection, and Culture.”  Alright, I just skimmed over the lesson and was good to go.  That is, until I was in front of the class.  I told the students to turn to page 173 to go over the vocabulary.  I opened my book and saw the vocab.

1. affection

2. brief

3. gay

4. hug

5. open

6. proclaim

7. react

8. scene

9. shame

10. tension

Anyone else see a problem?  Here’s a hint: the “gay” referred to here does not mean “happy.”   So, after swallowing my surprise, I wrote “gay” on the board and asked if anyone knew what that meant.  Nobody did.  So, with some help from my wonderful stick figure drawings, I explained.   The kids were all sitting there, jaws open.  Then, I hear a rather sullen voice from the back of the room.

“Not in Korea.”

Some of the other kids pointed out that, yes, there were a few gays in Korea.  Then the same boy says, “Please, talk of something else.  Give me nightnames.  Is terrible.”

Hmmmm…….well, that was interesting.  I had to teach the same lesson a second time.  That class knew what it meant.  Not only that, there was a student who was identified as gay.  I don’t know if they were just teasing or not, but the whole day left me with one thought.

Well…………huh.

That’s it.  That’s all I can say.   I think I’ll go home now.  The cabel guy is going to come tomorrow at noon.  Here’s hoping he shows up.

So I waited with high hopes for the cable guy. I was very much looking forward to the magical internet flowing to my homey home. So, of course, he didn’t show.

I knew this one was coming. Kerri was supposed to get internet yesterday and the cable guy never came. (We’ll see if she got internet today.) So, while it’s a small thing, it’s still a bit of a disappointment. I have a phone card! I don’t know how to use it! It just keeps on adding up. As soon are Kerri shows up to work, I’m going to have her show me how the &$@# card works.

I walked around some more and took some more pictures:

This is my school. Actually, this a shot I took on the way to work. Avalon is on the 8th floor. There’s a bakery downstairs and a Baskin Robbin’s and Dunkin Dounuts in the next building over. I was told that Bundang has aO lot of trees compared to the other cities here. Except for portions of the main streets, nearly all the streets are lines with tree. I can recognize the Ginkos, but that’s about it. If you look in the picture, you can see the blue sign for Avalon.

This is a picture of the coffee shop I go to almost every day. The owner is very kind and even speaks a little English. This shop is on the first level of my apartment building. They serve wonderful pecan tarts that are great for breakfast.

Another form of breakfast. Grean Tea Flakes!! Basic bran flakes with an extra something special. Actually, they taste just the same as regular cereal. I picked up this box because

A) I was curious

B) There was a bunch of free stuff taped to it. Names, handy dandy food containers.

They don’t even turn the milk green. It’s AMAZING!

Okay, it’s just cereal, but I think it’s pretty funny.

Cicadas are everywhere. They don’t sound like the ones from Kansas.

And the last picture was my lesson for yesterday.

Response:

2. I don’t care about fashion.  I like my clothes to be __________.

3. 1950s satellites were the __________ of later, more sophisticated satellites.

4. NASA does not profit from its spin-offs by collecting _____________.

The game.

Grab the nearest book (no cheating). Open to page 123.  Find the fifth sentance.  Copy down the next three sentances.  Post it and tag three people.  Please, leave a link for my amusement.

People tagged: Brandon, Mike and Becky.  Have fun!

So no luck with the phonecards. Chantel’s going to pick me up one in Iteawan (sp?) today, so I’ll have it tonight. Next project: The Post Office. (I know it’s around here somewhere!)
This is going to be short because I’m feeling pretty horrid and I have to work on lesson plans. *sigh* I knew this would happen, I just didn’t know when.

Oh yeah, before I forget. It’s easier to get mail at school. So, in light of this, here’s the school’s address.

Avalon School

Elegance II 8F

Gumi-dong 25-1

Seongnam-si, Bundang-gu

Kyeonggi-do, 463-808

Korea

Later……….

So I’m feeling better AND I’m supposed to get cable and internet hooked up in my apartment tomorrow.  Here’s hoping the guy shows up.  Please oh please.  I need my internet.  Karri (my new friend and travel buddy) was supposed to get internet today but the guy never showed.  Here’s hoping that next time I write that it’ll be from my apartment!

I must say, I do love my apartment. It’s nicer than almost any other apartment I’ve lived in. It’s my safe haven against the many, many people that I just don’t understand. Some teacher’s apartments are nicer, some not as nice. Either way, I consider myself lucky. I live about a five minute walk from the school. My bank is right around the corner and there’s a great coffee shop just downstairs. Hmmm………coffee. The owner is very kind and accomidating. I’m very glad that I’m near everything.

Tomorrow night I’m going out with the work crowd to a pub called Dublin’s. It’s run my a real, live Irishman. (Note: If I repeat myself some on here, forgive me. I’m just really, really tired.

Yeah, it’s messy already.

One of the things I really enjoy is the face that I don’t need a key.  I have a door code to my apartment.  One less thing to worry about.  It doesn’t matter if I remember my keys or not.  Also, if, no, WHEN I have visitors (hinthinthinthintHINTHINTHINT!) I can just give them the code and they can come and go as they please if I am in school.  Fantastic.

Well, I’m tired.  I think I’ll go home and go to bed. Tomorrow…trying to conquer the public phones!

Oh yeah, I started teaching.  All by myself.  It’s strange, just getting my own classes, but I think I like it so far.  I really like the “bad” kids.  They’re just too funny. 

Some teachers are on vacation, so we all have to take a full work load.  After this week, I’ll only have three classes a day, each for about an hour and fifteen minutes.  The classes are three hours long.  Half with me and half with a native teacher. 

Oh yeah, while I do have my home address, it’s easier to get mail at the school.  I’ll try to post that one tomorrow. 

So while I won’t have internet at home or a cell phone for at least a month, I do have a good connection here at school. So there you go. I am extremely thankful that I had a friend (qsw) for bullying me into getting this blog started before I left. I didn’t bring much music with me, mostly a few CD’s that others have burned for me, and I’m glad I have them. My apartment would be too quiet without them.

I promised myself that I wouldn’t be one of those people who are desperate for human contact. That went over like a lead brick. Here’s the story.

Twelve hours on the flight and I only spoke to two people. One was a stewardess and the other a steward. Granted, I tried to sleep most of the flight (I was unsuccessful) so this was my fault. Since the flight was delayed, the plane was only a fourth full. I wanted either an aisle seat or a window seat. I got both. J Another benefit, us poor kids in 3^rd class got all the benefits of 2^nd and 1^st , including more food. The stewardess kept unloading little packages of Oreos and pretzels on me, which I kept for later. I got off of the plane to find that they had lost everyone’s luggage. So after filing a claim, I finally got out and found my driver.

He was holding a sign with my name on it, which amused my greatly. My original plan was to let him know who I was and then go exchange a few dollars. (Yeah, I know airport exchange rates are crap, but I’m not comfortable being in a place and not being able to speak the language AND broke.) This didn’t work. He picked up my carryon and took off to the car. Great. I was too tired to explain so I just followed.

On the drive to Sungnam City, I was doing quite well. Then the driver offered me a piece of gum. Yeah, gum, I thought. I hadn’t got a change to brush my teeth in a while, so I was looking forward to replace the furry feeling on my teeth with mint. So I popped the gum in my mouth and chomped down.

That’s when it really bashed me in the head that I was on the other side of the world. The gum wasn’t mint flavored. It was ginger. Huh. Didn’t see that one coming. Well, then.

I was dumped off at my school where I started training. (I just observed for a little over an hour.) While I was pretty worn out, I was still functional so it wasn’t terrible. It was funny to watch Michelle (lead native teacher) and Greg (lead forgien teacher) discuss what I was doing in the next few hours.

Michelle: So we’ll have you observe a few classes tonight.

Me: What do you want me to do with my luggage?

Greg: You mean you haven’t been to your hotel yet? (Looks at Michelle)

Michelle: Well, we’ll have you observe a few of Mathew’s classes.

Greg: (with a sideways at me) She’s exhausted.

Michelle: One of Mathew’s classes.

Greg: (sympathetic smile towards me)

I had the feeling that Greg was really wanting to point out that I looked like hell, but didn’t want to insult me. Yes, I know I look bad. How could I not? But I observed Mathew’s class. The kids were pretty fun. Then Michelle ordered me dinner and sent me off to my hotel. I think I’ll like it here. It’ll have it’s moments, but overall it won’t be too bad.

I was told that I would be picked up from my hotel at noon to be moved into my apartment. Great. I woke up, drank the juice and coffee that was in my room, and waited. Sure enough, at noon Sang gil came and moved me into my apartment, explained a few things, and left. I put my things away and wandered around for an ATM. This part I’ve already mentioned. The next day, I found an ATM, got food, and was insanely proud of myself. (Baby steps, baby steps.) Then, early in the afternoon, someone knocked on the door. I didn’t realize how much I wanted to talk with someone until I heard that knock. I was terribly excited and not a little embarrassed to me sooo happy.

Chantel used to live in my apartment and work at Avalon. (She now works for a public school.) She showed me a few little quirks (like the doorbell only works when it wants to) and took me out for coffee. Then she offered to show me Carrefore (car-four) to get some shopping done. We met up with Rebecca (who works at a different Avalon school) and walked to Carrefore. Later, Chantel made us all dinner at Rebecca’s place. We’re planning on going to Seoul this Saturday and Incheon sometime before Christmas.

Oh, I discovered some interesting phrases in my phrase book.

“The ATM ate my card.”

“I think I’m going to throw up.”

“Please buy it for me.”

However, there is one that needs to be added.

“No, I am not a Russian prostitute.”

Nothing like getting solicited for sex at the checkout line. (While prostitution is technically illegal, it’s overlooked. And if the guy tries to skip out on the bill the woman can call the police and the police will make him pay.)

Oh yeah, I have my address. If anyone wants it, just send me an email. This week’s projects: Find a post office and purchase stamps. Wander around and get myself orientated so I don’t get lost. Get on a regular sleep schedule.

Something else that’s interesting here. Mandatory recycling program. If you don’t sort out everything, then it’s a hefty fine (about a thousand US dollars, or so I am told). There’s a place at the first floor of my apartment complex where you sort out cardboard, paper, plastic, glass, food waste, and plastic bags. There’s a separate section for savagables (things like clothing, furniture, etc.), which make dumpster diving a fun hobby for the expats.

Later……so I started teaching today. Really, teaching. All by myself. Yeah. I’m tired, so that’s all for today except for…..

Fog in San Fran.

So Chantel came by today.  She used to live in the apartment that I live in now.  Yeah for human contact!

So earlier this weekend…….I got moved into my apartment.  They found my luggage!  I was so happy I did a little jig in the street (much to the amusement of the people helping me move).  Then I was dumped off at my apartment and left.  At this point, I have only US dollars.  So I search for an ATM with the magic VISA logo.  To no avail.  *sigh*  I still had a little food left over from my trip on the airplane, so I ate that and went to bed. 

Today, off to find an ATM.  And I did!  So very, very happy.  Very happy.  I went off and got food.  Then off to get food.  *sigh*  Happiness. 

So I’m settled into my apartment, I have a person to help me out (thank you thank you thank you Chantel), and I am remarkable alright.  Although I still am plagued with the occasional what-the-hell-did-I-get-myself-into, I’m doing quite well.  And now I’m off the the Korean equivilent of K-Mart for a drying rack.

I’ll post more tomorrow.

I’m here.  I’m alive.  I’m tired.  My luggage is lost.  I don’t know where I’m living.  I am okay.  Oh yeah, I started work today.  But not a full day. 

 I’m am oddly okay with the world. 

Yeah……I’ll be lucky if this makes any sense whatsoever.  I have to wake up in just a few hours.  But the term “wake up” would imply that I would be asleep.  I’m tensing my shoulders and clenching my jaw.  I just want to be in Denver so I can get on my flight and pass out.  Qkslvrwolf told me that he didn’t expect this coloring to be in my attitude.  It’s not that I’m not excited, or nervous, or anything else.  I’m just too tired and numb to feel it.  I’m doing pretty good just not falling on my face.
Here’s a few fun pics:

This would be Steve surprising me.

This is the sister that’s driving my very tired self to the airport.  (Her birthday present is that I’m leaving.)

Little did I know that both his arms were broken.

M. being annoyed that I’m taking his picture…..again.

And now the last one………

The last cookie and glass of milk at my parents’ that i’ll have for a while.

Bed now.