I haven't blogged in a long time... I guess since I crossed the globe :) To be fair... I haven't really stopped moving long enough to reflect on these last two weeks. I can't believe so much has happened in two weeks! Hold on to your socks... this is going to be a long blog!!!
Leaving Hawaii was hard and I had my first "what have I gotten myself into" moment at the airport. I was waiting in line at Korean Airlines and realized that I was the minority. I didn't understand those talking around me and did not know how to read most of the signs. When I got to my terminal, I saw hundreds of people and none of them looked like me. I took a couple deep breaths and got on my plane. The stewardess was very nice and would talk in English for me. I flew 11 hrs and lost one day and arrived at Incheon international airport at 5:50 pm. I made my way through the airport in a hazy dream... people were very kind and helped me whenever they could. I found my EPIC group, got my cell phone working for Korea, and boarded a bus headed to Jeonju University... 3 hrs away!
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| Korean Language Classes |
I arrived at the college around 11pm and was given my room assignment and a roommate. We hit it off from the get-go, but didn't talk long... we were both exhausted! The next week was a whirlwind of EPIC training and orientation. There were about 400 of us at that training site (there was another site training too). We had great lectures led by expert EPIC teachers who were or had taught in Korea for many years. We also had language classes taught by EPIC staff members. My teacher was so sweet and cute, her name was MJ. I met tons of people and I got close to some girls almost immediately, and ironically they are all within an hour of me! We ate Korean food with metal chopsticks (that's what they use in Korea... which make learning to eat very tricky... metal is slippery, ask my stained Khakis). Korean food has lots of side dishes with many flavors. I am getting used to it all and really liking some of it! One day we took a field trip to the historic part of Jeonju and got to experience some history and culture. We played drums, games, saw how paper was made, ate bibimbap (a famous Korean dish), and made Korean pencil cases. For the last part of orientation we had to show what we could do. We were put into groups of 3 and had to co-teach a lesson. Tuesday the 25th we presented our lessons in the morning and by the afternoon, we all knew where we were going to be living and teaching for the next year.
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| Jeonju Historic Village |
As many of you know, I was hoping to be placed in middle or high school. That is the age group I am licensed for and what I am most comfortable with. Over the course of my orientation, I had decided that whatever age group I got, I would take and grow from the experience. When I found out I was going to be at Inpyeong Elementary School in Chilgok-gun (really more in Gumi) I signed the contract and felt excited for something new. I got my placement on Tues. 25th and Wed 26th met my co-teacher, applied for my alien registration card (a card that you can do nothing without... like open a bank account or get your gas turned on or get a cell phone plan), went to my school to meet the principal, moved into my apartment, went shopping for essentials with my co-teacher(to him that meant bread... because all westerners need bread), and went to dinner with said co-teacher. His name is Robin, and he is my age. We get along very well and I am lucky to have him. He even lives in my same building... so I can ask him for advice easily. My apartment is a five minute walk to my school, and my school is right under a mountain. It is considered country living(not anything like the country I know) and I can walk to the grocery store in 3 minutes or go on a mountain hike in 5 minutes.
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| I passed my drug tests... and Orientation! |
I will be writing again very soon to fill you in on my first week of teaching and my many adventures thus far in Korea. Sending my love to you all!
Elsa
