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Published: August 11th 2007
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Things Have Settled Down...
...and the rhythm of daily life is setting in. I've moved into Seoul, gone back to the US and come back again Now life is more about discovering my neighborhood which is called Nonhyeongdong in the district of Gangnam, getting settled at work, and getting into a more regular routine.
Compared to my life in Pyeongchon, my current neighborhood is like a video game that takes a long time to shut down. There's life and people and things to do within a short walk from my home. On the corner down the street, there must be five restaurants all spilling onto the street. I would estimate over 50 restaurants are within a 10 minute walk of my apartment. The open-air market is around the corner from my house and there is so much to do and see, that I could spend hours just wandering around.
Mostly what I did in June was settling into my new home. I actually have room for furniture in my studio apartment so I ventured to all corners of Seoul buying things such as a dresser, floor lamp, a beautiful Korean lacquer floor vanity with inlaid with mother-of-pearl
I love to read Korean t-shirts
T-shirts in English often say nothing comprehensible. and kitchen appliances. I wound up sticking this stuff in taxis and riding home with them as I closed my eyes and try to stay calm in Seoul traffic. I bought it all used at incredibly low prices from foreigners leaving Korea who advertise online. Other stuff I've found on the street. Are you saying, "Eeeewwww, disgusting!" right now? Well, Koreans put perfectly good furniture on the street on a regular basis. I saw my neighbor coming home and he asked me to help him carry home a chair he found on the street. We went back and got two more matching ones... one more for him and one for me. We put them on the back of a moped and rolled them home. (see pic) It's beginning to feel like home.
I've been settling into work and finally learning the routine. Usually, I'm on vacation this time of year, but there's no such thing as a 10-week vacation for teachers in here that I know of. I had 10 days off in July, which will tell you about in another blog. Still, things have been at a hectic pace... phonics testing, grades, parent conferences, field trips, birthdays, and
My neighbor helped me move the chair on a moped
I sure we looked odd, but we both got living room chairs. don't forget Silly Hat Day for which I borrowed a hat from my father's silly hat collection. (Thanks, Dad) I like my class and I can't say how much I appreciate it after working in that awful
hagwon environment in Pyeongchon. I think I'll post pics of my school on another blog entry.
There was an opportunity through work to volunteer at a school for mentally handicapped children, so I took it. Everything in my life has been about me lately. I miss being involved in volunteer opportunities. So, I took a Saturday morning to sing songs and play games with a class of 6th grade kids. What was amazing to me is that as low functioning as they were, they still spoke better English than I spoke Korean. English language education is big here.
Now the daily life begins as I sign up for Korean language classes so that I can learn to at least read the signs around me and ask for help when I need it. Just signing up for classes can be an adventure of language miscommunications and bureaucracy that goes like this...
"You must take level test to take class."
"I can
Internet webcam calling
This is a picture of me in Korea taking a picture of my folks in the States during a call home. Aren't they sweet? tell you what my level is.... I don't speak any Korean... not one word... Nothing"
"You must take level test."
"I don't speak ANY Korean"
"You must take level test."
So I make an appointment for a level test, come back a week later and talk to the same person.
"Do you speak any Korean?"
"No"
"None?"
"I can count a little, but I can't say excuse me and I can't read."
"No Korean?"
"No."
"You are on level one. Come back next week to register."
...and so on.
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