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Published: March 8th 2009
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packing!
how was I to fit all of that in my suitcase? after multiple attempts I got it down to 2 suitcases, much less than most girls I've met! I can not believe it has been 2 weeks since I have come to South Korea! First, I must thank everyone who helped me get here, both money and support has been key in me being able to try this whole new life out. Second, I am sorry to those I have not spoken to since being here, it has been complete chaos trying to get everything together. I will give a little update on what I have been up to the last while.
Starting back at the plane ride from Toronto --> Vancouver --> Seoul.. ok that was over 12 hours of flying. Around hour 3 I started to lose my cool and by hour 9 I was ready to jump out of the plane. Thankfully both of the planes that I travelled on had tv's in the headrests, so I was able to watch a few movies and tv. I slept a total of 1 hour on the plane and looked like I had been hit by a truck by the time we landed. I met a really nice girl from Ontario who was also coming to teach in South Korea and we exchanged info. Maybe I will
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At the airport in Vancouver be able to meet up with her and see some of the countryside sometime. Once we arrived my driver came to get me and he took me and 4 other teachers from the US to our respective areas in Seoul. I was the 2nd person out of the van and once I got to my apartment and saw how small it was I couldn't help but laugh. I had no idea where this guy was taking me to.. it is all back alley's and tiny little streets off of the main streets where the apartments are. Thankfully him and his codriver carried my bags upstairs, otherwise I would have been struggling. I'm on the 3rd floor but there are tons of stairs just to get to the street where my apartment is.
I unpacked everything that night and finally went to bed around 11pm. The next day the codriver from the night before, named Jason, came to pick me up to take me to training. We took the subway which was a real eye opener for me, there are so many exits and transfer spots I thought I'd never figure it out. Training was boring, everyone was really really
tired althought I got to see a few of the people I had shared the van with the night before. I was the only one working at my campus - Mapo Campus so unfortunately I was still unsure of who I would be working with. Jason came to pick me up at the end of the session and took me to show me where the school was. I met the director, Jacob and a Korean/American named Yugin who I have since become friends with. She works as admin for the school and is from California. She's really laidback and likes coffee and Bob Marley - what more could I ask for?
Thankfully my neigbour, Justin was helpful to me and the next night he and I went to Sincheon which is where I live but further down the street, about a 20-30 min walk there are tons of stores that I could buy things to start getting my apartment to a liveable state. I was also able to get some groceries to tide me over as well. The last few days of the week I followed around the teachers and observed them.. pretty basic stuff. Unfortunately it was the
Arriving in Korea
The Poly bus that picked the teachers up end of the semester so I didn't really get to see anyone planning lessons, mainly just reviewing the years work. I did however get to watch the Kindergarten graduation which was very very cute. Each child had to go onstange and say a speech, the parents went wild. Very entertaining stuff!
On Friday I was able to meet Pamela and stay at her apartment for the weekend. She is in Mok-dong which is about 30 mins from my house to her house. We ate a lot, drank a lot and I met a few of her friends. On Saturday we went to Apu-jeung which is a richer area of Seoul, actually it was a place that I considered living myself but this contract seemed too good to pass up. Her friends, who are a couple, invited us there and we went for galbi which is Korean bbq where you grill the meat at your table (yummier than the ones in Toronto!) and I was introduced to Soju. I won't even get into that. After we were satisfied with galbi we all found a noraebong (kareoke room) and sang until a certain someone started throwing bottles and we had to
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My first pathetic dinner in my apartment. Note the chopsticks; I didn't have any utensils! scram outta there. I don't know why there isn't noraebong in Toronto, it would make so much money. That will definitely be my vice while i'm here. I'm sure pictures will follow in the near future..
So that brings me to Monday - my FIRST day of teaching. It was horrible. I couldn't figure out what the hell I was doing. Poly Schools are very structured, you have 40 mins to teach a subject and you better get it all done because the parents pay a pretty penny to have their kiddies to go the school. Well I could barely read my teaching schedule, and none of the new books had come in so I was seeing lessons for the first time as I was sitting in the classrooms. Some classes I was finished what I had to teach in 15 mins, and others I was barely able to turn the page. I was so glad when the day was over. That night a few teachers and I went to eat at a restaurant attached to the school, chicken and beer my 2 true loves. We ate and I went home and crashed. I woke up around 4 am feeling SO sick I knew it had to be food poisoning. I was sick all night and into the morning and decided there was no way I would be able to go in to school to teach. Long story short I was told I couldn't stay home, so I had to go in. I basically just curled up into a ball in my chair during breaks and sat listening to the kids read while I had my head in my hands trying not to barf. By the next day I felt much better and believe it or not teaching got much easier as the week went on. By Friday I was able to enjoy it and 40 minutes felt like just the right amount of time. I even taught my grade 3 vocab class what a 'concrete jungle' was. I think they are a little young and sheltered to be introduced to Bob Marley just yet but I did make them promise they would never litter - even if they come to Canada and that they would treat the planet like they would their own homes: keep clean, live gently, walk softly.
Fast forward to this weekend and I was pretty tired with a potential case of tonsillitis. Korea is germy. I won't even get into that in this entry but I could spend a whole journal on things that are backwards in Korea and things that Korea could teach Canada/US. Let's just say that most of Korea is sick - coughing or horking up something or other.
Anyway, take a look at some of my pics from my first day to this weekend in Seoul.
Love you all! xo
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Kelly
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KoreaCupid
Thanks for the update, Carly! FYI - we're being prompted to meet cute singles in korea via your posts. :) Hope you're not sick the whole time!!!