A few weeks in...

---

Right...so here I am! A few weeks in and starting to find my feet in Korea....

This week I'm observing and getting a feel for the classes I'll be teaching - I'm teaching boys and girls, and let me tell you I get the feeling the boys will be a handful. The problem is the kids over here are bored shitless in their English classes - so they need to be awoken - I almost feel like bringing a bloody firework into my first class and letting it off. They are so excited about having a 'real' English teacher teach them...I'm hoping they will at least partly behave for me. Although we are warned to be strict aka not crack jokes, not be there 'friend' for a few weeks - that's right, I've got to try my hardest not to smile/chat/get 'friendly' with them. Hmm I've never really played Bad Cop before. Wish me luck.

This week - I'm making my FIRST power point presentation - and it's an introduction about myself/New Zealand. It's pretty simple but good. Heaps of photos of friends/what I do in New Zealand/ New Zealand in general/Haka/favourite foods - insert cliched shot of pavlova/jandels etc!

Quite crazy really...I'm hoping I have enough material as each class is 45 minutes long...and I'll be teaching about four classes a day/so want to have enough stuff, and HEAPS of games!

We have a textbook etc which makes it easier, and we just work off that and develop our own lessons. It's so sweet because we get SO much freedom, And I can basically do whatever I want to teach for lessons. The boys like three things - Food, Money and Girls... so I met some expat's last night who said some of their classes involve playing a selecion of western songs and getting the kids to fill in the lyrics (and yes, I've included Shapeshifter YEAAAAAAAAAAAAA in my first presentation for NEW ZEALAND music) it was to tempting, plus I love that freaking song.

MY WEEKEND - MY GOD. They have this alcohol here called Soju, hell it's basically their national drink - above milk and water! it's terrible potent, but a staple at most dinners for young people at least! and it really gets the blood pumping.A night on Soju but end with you being anywhere....anywhere at ALL!

It's a weird and wonder place South Korea - for instance... the hierachy is just crazy. Men are welcome to drink, scream, yell and spit to their hearts content. BUt you will NEVER see a korean woman raise her voice to another woman.

Image is still VERY important here, and they believe Education is the way of the future. The kids not only go to school form 8.30 in the morning to 4.30 in the afternoon, but they are then expected to go to night school - called 'Hagwons' yes the Harry Potterness hasn't escaped me yet or 'academies' to privately learn English. English is also seen as a gateway to the world. Not to mention, school SIX days a week! They are taught ABOVE everything that Education is key. But don't let that fool you, as Korean people are so diligent when it comes to their education! And it does take them far...I just worry about those who don't fit into that framework - or find styding a chore.


Furthermore, it is truly fascinating what is valued. Like Physical health is seen as absolute essentail (and on this note, I am living in the MOST beautiful town! All around me there are mountains, and I go running/walking ('yogging'😉 along the river that runs through our town most days. AND it gets better...there are literarily GYMS! moreso pieces of equipment EVERYWHERE! along the way. I'm talking machines to work your legs and arms just casually along the river. It's a bit ridiculous really...but oh so awesome. But on the other side, mental health is still a taboo topic for many.

As a foreigner it is just amazing how you are treated. People literarily bow their heads as I walk past. And it just shows how amazed some (particular the older folk are) by European people. There is something about the western world that these children seem to envy to a crazy degree! You say hello to them as you walk past - and you will hear giggling and laughing to their heart's content!

Oh, so back to the weekend....as I mentioned before. We ended up drinking Soju on Friday and Saturday night. There are many cool bars here...and I mean cool. And it's tradition here that when you go to a bar, you must order food (they call this Anju - and many Koreans wont drink without it) and boy did they bring out the most INSANE amount of stuff - I'm talking squid tentacles/peanuts and ICE-CREAM. And its' crazy because they keep bringing the food out..and you keep on drinking!

We ended up at the every popular Karaoke Bar (known as a Noreabong here in Korea!) ...There are hundreds, if not thousands of these in Korea. They are also jam packed with Koreans and waygooks (aka foreign teachers) and you have the pick of 100s of songs to chose from)

And we sung with a bunch of Korean men unitl 5 in the AM. Now, let me tell you, Soju is absolutely bizarre, and a completely mindbending to be honest...like it goes down a treat, you feel fine and suddenly YOU'RE RAPPING Forgot about Dre with a guy named Chris, and another called Puk...

It is custom here to eat out most nights...AND it's so cheap. Last night we went to a dumpling restaurant baby! AND MY GOD...dumplings of all shapes and sizes. Absolutely delicious, and I swear I ate a hundred. And the bill only came to NZ$5...and the other few nights the bill has come to $3.50 and this is for a MEAN feed.

The food is AMAZING! But that's assuming you like Kimchi. haha it's spicy fermented cabbage (far nicer than it sounds), often served with rice and noodles, and some kind of meat (NO, no dog yet!) and vegetables. The food here is very healthy, but you have to be careful. Not that I'm one to hold back.Like the street vendors sell these amazing buns...STUFFED full of melting hot cheese, than there is the infamous waffle vans that give you a waffle with your choice of ice-cream in it! and of course Baskin Robbins (have you heard of this?!?!) which makes the most mouth watering BUT fattening ice-cream, as well as copious deep friend snacks and tempura vegetables.

Oh that's right - and on Saturday morning we went to this market, and this old guy pulled me and my friend Pete over...and next you know we are drinking rice wine, called 'Mokoli' (FELT so sick as it was only 10am...but it is a great insult NOT to drink and accept drink from a older person) and WAIT FOR IT - Korean Hotdogs aka Rice and 'something else' dipped in the deep frier, than flung on a stick with some super hot mustard. Delicious!

---