Mini update

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It has been a while...

Reading other people's travel blogs has made me realize 3 things:

1. There are soooo many places I want to visit
2. I need a better camera (I cant invest a ton of money but please make suggestions, I would like to upgrade from my little tourist-type camera to something a little more professional)
3. I want to learn more about photography

I have been teaching for just over a week now. It is taking a while to get the kids under control. I have 22 students in my class (5,6,7 years old, Korean age). I have eleven 7-year olds, which is a rather large group for teaching English. I implemented several reward systems, all having to do with stickers and prizes. Many of the children have accepted that I am their teacher and are behaving better. However there are a few that are more difficult but I enjoy the challenge.

I teach from 10-3 but my hours are 9-5. I have been going in at 7:30 every day to prepare (make worksheets, set up lessons and materials, etc.). The day flies by because there is so much going on, never a moment to sit or be tired. I leave around 5:30-6 so by the time I get home I am pretty beat. I never though I would enjoy working with children as much as I do. It all started with an amazing Autistic boy I worked with back in L.A. I truly enjoy teaching and the kids I have now are amazing and have so much potential. I am glad to be making a difference and grateful for many things, including my patience.

That's it for the school update.

I haven't done much exploring, mainly because the other foreign teachers and I are exhausted by the end of the work day (I guess that’s how we know we’re doing it right). Last Friday 4 of us went to Itaewon, which is a major foreigner area because it is close to an Army base. I didn’t like it, in fact none of us did. It reminded me of all the things about L.A. that were sleezy and slimy. Prostitutes (there are areas there called “hooker hill” and “homo hill”), bars geared towards foreigners, and lots of show-offs. At least now I can say I went and be done with it. Surprisingly enough there were a lot of Russian clubs…go figure. I miss Russian food so much but I highly doubt the food there will be anywhere close to authentic.

Bundang is interesting. It is a rich area, there is no mistake about that. I went shopping with the girls last weekend and it was difficult for us to find clothing we could afford. One subway stop away from me is an area with lots of foreign upscale restaurants (mainly French). Bars are everywhere! It’s a bit overwhelming. Not just in Bundang but all over.

This weekend I plan on going to Seoul Grand Park. It’s a massive park with a zoo (complete with a “raccoon dog”) and the modern art museum. Those of you that know me know that I am very passionate about modern art, so I can’t wait to go there. Oh, and the museum is free, which is great because I don’t get paid until the end of the month and money is tight right now. After this weekend I will have more pictures and stories to tell.

My apartment is coming along. I have procured a couch, coffee table, and a cool storage chest. I moved my bed upstairs, but am still getting adjusted to the ceiling only being about 4 feet high.

Oh, I have been getting better and better at reading Hangul. The only problem is I don’t really understand anything I read. The other day I went to a restaurant with some other foreign teachers and was very proud of my reading ability, so I ordered the first thing I read. Well…a soup came out that looked very tasty. I put my spoon in, mixed the soup up, and realized that I had ordered intestine soup. Not my favorite. I ate the broth and vegetables and tried a piece of the intestine just to say I’ve tried it. So there you go… I have tried intestine soup.

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Comments

[Jim Blanchard]

Camara
At the very top of the travel blog web site, there is an area for cameras. I use a Panasonic Lumix camera and find it to be a good quality unit. Check it out in the camera section. Good luck.... We are enjoying reading your posts. Jim & Ann in Washington State