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Published: September 3rd 2012
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A very full bookshop in Itaewon!
You could barely move in this place! Hello all!
I've been at school for the last 2 weeks, which has been both stressful and enjoyable, although I'm not sure how much of a riveting travel blog it will make. I may have to put most of my writing energy into my nights out instead ;-) As a result of school related activities I don't have many photos to add, as I'm not one to get snap happy on a night out! However, I thoight I should update you on some of the amusing things that have happened in my life recently.
So the first day I went into school I was excited to go and see the classroom I will be pretty much living in for the next year (or so I thought). There were two things that stopped such excitement:
1) I found out I'm only in it till xmas, then I have to move (if the building work is done, but considering it's been delayed once it could easily get delayed again)
2) The ceiling of the classroom was on the floor!
So, my excitement turned a little bit to horror as I realised I was literally starting the classroom from
scratch. Arranging the furniture, backing the walls, finding resources (amongst the mass of stuff that was delivered from overseas - I've never seen so many pounds worth of resources in my life!! - teachers / T.A.'s I have left behind, you would have had a field day in there!) and putting them in the right places.....all the things that other people had already got done for them when the last teacher left!!
Luckily I have had my trusty new T.A. Jessica, who is absolutely amazing, to join in the horror with me and we both got stuck in and got on with it over the last 2 weeks. Everytime we had a meeting or training though I was just itching to get back to the classroom! I would also like to add at this point that Korean workmen are phenomenal, and had the ceiling sorted within 12 hours of it being on the floor, so I could get into my classroom and get on with it :-) I still went into school on a Saturday to get it finished though - something I vowed never to do. The first and last time I hope!! And it actually turned out
My classroom 2 weeks ago!
This is what I walked into on the Monday morning being told it had to be 'ready' by the next Wednesday. a good job that I did as we lost half a day later that week to an imaginary typhoon....it never did really arrive, despite the government making us go home early! :-)
So just as I got over the stress of getting the classroom done, the kids arrived! I of course, had forgotten how tiring it is to teach and this was made worse by the fact that the kids are in from 8.15 to 3.30 everyday, and I have to eat my lunch with them. So basically, we got no break from them at all and at the end of the first day I was ready to pack my bags and come home. Luckily, i was too tired to do anything even nearly as energetic as that, so I just went to bed, and gradually the week got easier and I got happier :-) Then we all went out and got incredibly drunk on the Friday to get over it :-) This week is even better as we now have 'specialist lessons' added in, which basically means I got 2 and a half hours worth of lessons off today whilst they had art, mandarin and music lessons. Tomorrow
Koreans work fast!
This was my classroom on the Tuesday. Can't complain about the speed they work at :-) I get about the same and it adds up to about 8 and a half hours a week off in total ;-) Good times! However, we do have to write in every childs home-school diary every week, which will take up some of this time. Basically we have to write a note saying something their child has done / said or any problems etc. I wrote a 'welcome' note last week and got some great responses. Hearts, kisses and lovely messages about how nice it was to meet me!! ;-)
Anyway....enough about school! Other things I have done:
1) Been to immigration where they took my fingerprint for their records - one step closer to the alien card ;-)
2) Watched Batman at IMAX.... again! :-)
3) Eaten more KFC
4) Eaten Thai food
5) Eaten sushi
6) Been to the pub for dinner and a few drinks a few times
There was also the staff welcome party last weekend at a really posh hotel, which is owned by one of the parents of the school. Free bar, free food (lovely food at that - sushi being the most brilliant) and a
My door!
Excited that I get a name plaque :-) swanky venue :-) We drank all the free booze we could and ate as much food as we could, then went out into Itaewon (our local drinking scene) to get just that little bit more drunk! Ended up getting in at about 6am and didn't feel my best the next day, but what are you to do when the booze is free?? I also met a guy in the bar who went to the same secondary school as me.... I fly half way round the world and yet still I manage it. Wasn't this one of the reasons I left York?!?!
I briefly mentioned we also went out this Friday night, after having had to spend 3 days with the kids. This night also started in some bar owned by a parent and he also put on free food! Apparently he has put on free alcohol in the past but considering the last bill from out college included 80 Jagerbombs, I'm not surprised that he stopped that benefit. The food was good though, and frankly, the drinks were cheap! So yet again, we ended up quite drunk, There was dancing, there was walking home, and there was bed at
6am again! Although this time it was due ot me and Katharine chatting in Mark's flat :-) He has been here a year already and lives on the same apartment floor as us and apparently didn't mind Katharine bending his ear from 4.30am!!
Speaking of parents and their businesses.....I have also visited a Mexican in town, which is owned by another parent. We didn't realise this at the time but soon ended up with free nachos when the wife realised who we were! Although we aren't allowed to accept expensive gifts from the families, apparently food is OK. So I'm sorted ;-)
I have also been making use of our pool and gym facilities that are conveniently situated in the apartment buildings. I asked Mr. Kim (the manager of the buildings, who is possibly the loveliest man in the world) how to make the sauna work and he was very confused until an American man explained, in his American accent, that the English girl was trying to say "sowneeeer". Then he understood! I'm already saying backpack, eraser and bathroom because the kids at school have influenced me - the accent is going to have to be the next
My classroom....
....once I'd spent 2 weeks sorting it out! step in order for Korean people to understand me! However, it could also just be Mr. Kim as when I asked him to put more air in the gym ball he asked me to show him, even though he repeated back to me what I'd asked him to do! On the 'American accent' note I have to say that it did make me chuckle when the headteacher said "Good Morning Everyone" in assembly and the chorus of children's voices back at him was very, very strong American. I'm determined to have my kids displaying a Northern accent by the end of this year.
And to finish this blog off (can't resist telling you a little bit more about the kids)........
Funny / stupid things children have said to me:
1) "You have a really long nose!" I can understand this, compared to theirs!
2) "Are you a Muslim?" ...... said to me as I'm eating a chicken and bacon wrap, and we had just had the discussion about why she couldn't eat it!
3) "Pee!" shouted as a request to go to the toilet, with an accompanying foot stamp! Funnily enough, he had to ask
Classroom,
My T.A.'s desk :-)
Yes, sorry English T.A.'s, in this school they get their own desk ;-) me in a slightly different way before I would let him go!
The child who asked me if i am a Muslim is in fact a Muslim herself, and therefore a vegetarian! However, she is determined to eat meat. So everyday in the dinner hall she comes to the table with meat and I have to take her back and explain to her AGAIN that she actually is a Muslim and that Daddy would be rather mad with me if she ate pork!!
And on that note,
Goodnight!! :-)
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kauface
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who are Walt and Wilf?