Happy 4th from Far Away Lands! (read me please -- i could use friendly feedback and contact).
WARNING: Fairly rambling, but it IS 1am and it HAS been a long week and I haven't posted in a while.
I'll be honest, the 4th of July hasn't been a big deal to me for years. I like fireworks, like all proper Americans, but I mostly connect this holiday to the Bourbonnais Friendship Festival...the taste of elephant ears and running around with friends on too-expensive rides. And while it still wasn't a HUGE deal here, today was one of the rare times that the majority of the teachers convene together and socialize. Most of the time it's very clique-y..and even I have 4 or 5 people I tend to run with a lot already.
Anyhow, my last few days:
- Monday = Taught writing all day. Couple of good classes, couple of okay ones.
- Tuesday = Woke up violently ill. Apparently it was my turn to get the requisite "adjusting to a new culture/country" stomach thing. Had my first Korean medical experience, which consists of telling the doctor (with decent but limited english) my symptoms and getting a random cocktail of drugs that no one bothers to find out the contents of.
- Wednesday = Went to Homeplus (walgreens meets a grocery meets...maybe Sears?) to get weekly junk/after-hours food, ate at the other Mr.Pizza. I don't much care for pizza but this is good stuff. Taught the video situational all day.
- Helped keep Lauren company in the cooking classroom while she backed pies to sell to a local ex-pat restaurant for the 4th. Taught Video all day again.
- Worked the usual Friday half day and attended the closing ceremony (remind me to talk about that some time), then walked the 3 miles up a seriously crazy hill (I'll get a pic) to the closest village, Sindong. Wandered around and walked BACK. About 7 or so miles all total.
- Today = had partial Hive time with M and Sarah. Went to town to deliver pies to Holy Grill. Wandered Seomun Market and found sparklies for a certain someone's bday in a few weeks.
Daily rundown aside, I'm doing alright here. It's not home yet, though I love some of the people and some classes have gone well enough to make me remember why I'm doing the teaching thing. I taught mainly situationals this week, which are easy because they are a set, fairly simple curriculum. I'm back to teaching writing all week next week -- which is harder (as it's all my own lessons/brain), but much more satisfying when it works.
There are tenative plans to go to a Jjimjilbang on Friday next (bathhouse), and possibly the Boryeong Mud Festival next weekend.
Today we played in the rain on the rubber-floored kindergarten playground set.
Pics for a lot of the above on my mynorthwind Picasa, and I"ll update that blog tomorrow.
I'll be honest, the 4th of July hasn't been a big deal to me for years. I like fireworks, like all proper Americans, but I mostly connect this holiday to the Bourbonnais Friendship Festival...the taste of elephant ears and running around with friends on too-expensive rides. And while it still wasn't a HUGE deal here, today was one of the rare times that the majority of the teachers convene together and socialize. Most of the time it's very clique-y..and even I have 4 or 5 people I tend to run with a lot already.
Anyhow, my last few days:
- Monday = Taught writing all day. Couple of good classes, couple of okay ones.
- Tuesday = Woke up violently ill. Apparently it was my turn to get the requisite "adjusting to a new culture/country" stomach thing. Had my first Korean medical experience, which consists of telling the doctor (with decent but limited english) my symptoms and getting a random cocktail of drugs that no one bothers to find out the contents of.
- Wednesday = Went to Homeplus (walgreens meets a grocery meets...maybe Sears?) to get weekly junk/after-hours food, ate at the other Mr.Pizza. I don't much care for pizza but this is good stuff. Taught the video situational all day.
- Helped keep Lauren company in the cooking classroom while she backed pies to sell to a local ex-pat restaurant for the 4th. Taught Video all day again.
- Worked the usual Friday half day and attended the closing ceremony (remind me to talk about that some time), then walked the 3 miles up a seriously crazy hill (I'll get a pic) to the closest village, Sindong. Wandered around and walked BACK. About 7 or so miles all total.
- Today = had partial Hive time with M and Sarah. Went to town to deliver pies to Holy Grill. Wandered Seomun Market and found sparklies for a certain someone's bday in a few weeks.
Daily rundown aside, I'm doing alright here. It's not home yet, though I love some of the people and some classes have gone well enough to make me remember why I'm doing the teaching thing. I taught mainly situationals this week, which are easy because they are a set, fairly simple curriculum. I'm back to teaching writing all week next week -- which is harder (as it's all my own lessons/brain), but much more satisfying when it works.
There are tenative plans to go to a Jjimjilbang on Friday next (bathhouse), and possibly the Boryeong Mud Festival next weekend.
Today we played in the rain on the rubber-floored kindergarten playground set.
Pics for a lot of the above on my mynorthwind Picasa, and I"ll update that blog tomorrow.