I'm a real teacher now!

Asia
July 2nd 2009

Published: July 2nd 2009

Hello, all!

I figured that there is no better way to fill my first development time than to update you all on the goings-on here in beautiful South Korea. That, and I'm crazy homesick today for some reason. So since I can't talk to you, I'll fake it and just write something that you can read a respond to.

The weather is insane. By "insane" here, I of course am referring to the heat. And the humidity, and the spastic rain. Yesterday, it was about 84, with 81% humidity (and that's a good day). It would be perfectly sunny one moment, and the next moment, the skies would open up and literally pour buckets on us for about 15 minutes. Then it would abruptly stop raining and the sun would beat down on us again. I don't pretend to understand. All I know is that I carry my umbrella everywhere, no matter what, and I am getting a little tired of SWIMMING through the air. It gets better, though. From what I understand, this is Spring. It gets much hotter and much more humid. Joy of joys. Apparently, however, I was mislead about "monsoon season." There is a lot of rain, but not really flood material. So, no need for me to worry, shaking violently in my stylish yet affordable rain boots.

I've started taking on little (and sometimes big) responsibilities in addition to my regular job requirements. I've joined the Sunshine Committee, which is essentially the One Week Program Welcoming Committee for new teachers. I make sure they have the essentials in their apartment when they arrive, help them get around, and assist in pretty much any other way I can find to make myself useful. I am currently working with the Chief Financial Officer and Human Resources to design an Orientation Program for teachers campus-wide.

I'm also working on a side-project with the CFO and COO to improve the grammar, spelling, and syntax around the campus. There tends to be a lot of "Konglish" around the village, and our program directors find it embarrassing (as do I). My most recent project is to proofread some of the documents we are sending out to new and potential employees. I'm also shadowing LaNi, who is the main proofreader of lesson plans and the like. I know it sounds really, REALLY nerdy, but I love it. I like that I can teach basic English part of the day and still use my Super Geek Skills the rest of the day. Besides, I get to puff out my chest and feel really important because I am working with some of the higher-ups on projects... in my first month here. :-) I'm so unbelievably cool...

I'm getting addicted to Korean pop music (K-pop). It's awful and cheesy and has terrible messages... and it's really darn catchy! Seriously, go to playlist.com or youtube.com and look up Lollipop by Big Bang and 2ne1. It's one of my favorites. I hate myself for loving it, but oh well. It's fun, and I can call it "work-related research" since it helps me relate to the kids... What? That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! Besides, it's not like I know all the dances or anything.... okay, that's a lie. I know them. And I do them regularly. With kids. And other teachers. And alone.

Yesterday, I got my first paycheck! I felt REALLY cool when I looked at my account balance, and it was 1,400,000!!! Sadly, it's in won, so it isn't that much. Maybe $1000 USD. And most of that is going home to pay for loans and the like.

Grocery shopping is an adventure and a half. E-Mart (Korean Walmart, essentially) is a zoo! First off, the place has its own 4-level parking garage. Second, the store itself is TWO STORIES!!! They have special escalators to get your carts full of unnecessary crap between floors. Moreover, I rarely know what I'm buying. I don't read Korean yet, so I have to look at the pictures and take a guess at what it might be. I'm glad to say that I have not tried the dried squid yet. However, I am not entirely sure what all was in that soup I had for lunch yesterday... potatoes and... ? I don't know. It looked tasty on the can. Most of the time I can guess what it is, but I've started just grabbing stuff and trying it. Most of it is VERY spicy, which is not good for me. I like spicy, but with certain limitations. For example, if I'm out of breath and I look like I've been pushed into a pool with all of my clothes on by the end of a meal, it's too spicy for me. I'm not a fan.

I'm no longer the new kid in town and I'm pretty happy about that. It seems like we get a new person every week! It's nice, though, not being the only one who doesn't have a phone, can't speak the language, and has absolutely no clue how to get anywhere.

I'm going to a concert Friday. It's supposed to be quite a few bands, but I've never heard any of them. I'm also going ice skating Sunday and I'm going to see Transformers 2 (in English! Woohoo!) tonight. I'm trying to decide what I want to do with my forced week of vacation at the end of September - I have been invited to Thailand with a co-worker and I am seriously considering it. It sounds expensive, though, so I'm unsure.

For those of you who have been asking, yes - it is fully okay for you to send me things. The address I provided, though is a little off. My name should go UNDER "Gyeonggi English Village" - that way the guards will know where it is supposed to go. Also, You do not need to write my apartment number (Saturn 104). I pick up my packages at the front gate; they are not delivered that far. The things I need that I can't get here are... well, you people. I can get almost everything else I need at E-Mart, and what I can't get there, I can get on gmarket.com. No joke, you can buy everything on that site from shoes to Fried Cheese. It's a little ridiculous.

My development time is almost up, so I had better go. I love you all very, very much and I hope to hear from you soon.

Hugs, Kisses, and Lollipops,
Meg

I'm a real teacher now!

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