1st Teaching Day in Korea

Hi everyone,

This blog post comes late in the evening on Monday. I had a great weekend in Seoul; I stayed at my friend Adam's place in Gwangmyeong (southwest Seoul) on Saturday night. I have figured out the Korean subway system pretty well; it's relatively easy to get from Suwon to mostly anywhere in Seoul. We went to the Dongdaemun market on Sat. afternoon and explored, lots of food and plants; street vendors sold sausages, tempura vegetables and corn on the cob. Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera so no pictures to post but soon I promise I will. After the market, Adam and I went to an UN World Heritage site in downtown Seoul, a temple built in the 16th century. Very cool display, hopefully I'll go back with my camera the next time. We went to the Hyundai department store for dinner, I had some spicy dumplings, similar to cha shu bau. Afterward we enjoyed the downtown Seoul nightlife.

On Sunday, Adam and I went to go check out a pickup ultimate frisbee league. It was very cool, the field was near the Han River in Seoul and there was a nice mix of ex-pats and Koreans playing. After a few hours of frisbee, we went to Costco, where we stocked up on some American products. I bought some Skippy, Einstein Bagels, Bisquick, Prego, etc... I had a nice warm feeling as I walked through the colossal warehouse. I had a hour long subway ride back to Suwon.

Today I had my first day of teaching. I had three 6th grade classes today, all were pretty good, It was a pretty short work day, tomorrow is a long day, I have 7 classes so a pretty full day. I finally got furniture so I have a bed, microwave,etc... and I will post more later in the week.

Take care,

Jonathan

First Day At School

Hey everyone,

I realized in my latest post I was a little brief on my living situation, etc.... I am living in a single room apartment with a bathroom in Suwon, conveniently located right across the street from Suwon Station, where I can catch a bus, the subway, or a train. Attached to Suwon Station is the AK plaza. AK is a large Korean department store and there are numerous places to eat inside. So far, I've enjoyed a Western-style breakfast at both Dunkin' Donuts and another coffee shop. There is also a McDonald's, Burger King and the Korean version, Lotteria, but seeing as how I don't eat that at home I have seen no reason thus far to partake in any of that here. There is also a Smoothie King and a Baskin Robbins in the food court. I forgot how much I enjoyed Jamocha Almond Fudge! I've also found some strange flavors of ice cream and yogurt such as Apple Mint. For the most part, I've tried to immerse myself in Korean cuisine, which has meant lots of kimchi (which is beginning to taste like the Kaplan pickles) and a variety of other foods. I've really enjoyed bibimbap, which is rice-based and comes with different kinds of vegetables, a fried egg, and the option of beef, squid, or vegetarian. I've also had seafood ramyon (ramen noodles), which was also very good, but made me sweat.

On Monday, my co-teacher took me to the hospital for my health exam. I don't get the results until next Monday, but everything should be fine. Afterwards we went out for lunch to a traditional Korean restaurant where I met another American who is teaching English, but not near me. He is from Chicago and is teaching in Yong'in.

Today (Wednesday) I got to go to my school, Maesong Elementary, and meet my fellow colleagues. I was pleasantly surprised at the warmth they showed me, although I was pretty lost during the morning announcements. The room I will be teaching in is a fairly decent size room with a TV larger than the one in our basement at home. I have my own desk and computer and was busy making lesson plans for the better part of today. The principal took all of us teachers out to lunch today to an amazing Korean restaurant about 20 minutes from school. I was amazed at the vast amount of dishes being brought to the table. When I got back to Suwon my co-teacher took me to the LotteMart (equivalent to Wal-Mart) to pick up some things for the apartment. I can now safely say that I own a frying pan, a pot, a saucepan, some silverware and chopsticks, bowls, plates, glasses, and even some food and drink in the fridge.

All in all, Suwon is beginning to feel a little like home. I will begin my actual teaching on Monday and I am planning a trip to Seoul over the weekend. That's all from here.

Arrival in Korea

Hi all,

I arrived in Korea yesterday (Friday, Aug. 21) afternoon a little before 4pm local time. The flight was 13 1/2 hours long and I had the unfortunate discomfort of sitting in a middle seat. Luckily, the person sitting in front of me chose not to recline their seat until the last 2 hours of the flight so I was able to enjoy what little leg room I had. I was able to sleep for a few hours during the flight but crashed as soon as I returned from dinner last night.

Orientation in Chicago on Thursday was nice. We enjoyed a nice Korean-style dinner at the hotel featuring two kinds of kimchi, traditional and served with cucumbers, bulgogi (grilled beef with garlic, green onions and sesame oil), sushi and a seaweed soup. They also served a sweet tea with ginger and cinammon. Apres dinner most us took in a few drinks in the hotel bar and some of us ventured down to the pool to swim and take in a nice soak in the hot tub and drain out in the sauna. Later in the evening a few friends from Wisconsin who live in the northern suburbs of Chicago came to visit and say goodbye, which was very nice. Thanks again Robyn and Lauren!

Upon arrival at the Seoul-Incheon airport, I was met by my co-teacher, who thankfully had a car and we embarked on our drive to Suwon, where I will be living for the year. Unfortunately, my official apartment wasn't ready to be lived in until Monday so I am living in a temporary apartment for the weekend. So far Korea has been very good, the scenery is great and the food has been delicious. I will post more when I get settled in my new apartment.