New Year's Day

Today is Sunday, January29-- the Lunar New Year. I started celebrating this morning with a bowl of ramien, and a book. I moved one of my couches out onto my back porch and soaked in the morning sun. One of my favorite things thusfar has been my porch. As it was in Cairo, here in Gwangju I have an apartment with an amazing view of my immediate neighborhood. To my left I can look in the direction of downtown. Off in the distance is Mudongsang Mountain. I went there yesterday for some hiking with another teacher. Im not sure how tall it stands, but it is impressive, taller than anything on the Atlantic Coast. To my right I can see probably twenty miles out. In that space are a mixture of apartment buildings, the convention center nextdoor, open fields, Gwangju International Airport and large byways. My two favorite things to sit and watch are planes taking off from the airport, and a long stretch of train tracks way out in the distance that eventually passes behind a small mountain range.

Yesterday as I said I went with my friend to the mountains. It was quite a relief to find a place where people are not stacked on top of each other. We stopped in a small Buddhist temple that brought back to mind numerous religious sancturies with the powerful smell of incence. It was one of of three small temples- basically rooms- built in a square with an open front. The colors and artistry of the buildings were amazing. After our short stop there we went for a short hike. The best thing was coming upon the sound of running water in a small stream running down the mountain. The sound of running water remains for me a beautiful sustaining presence I cannot imagine living without. That and the sound of birds (blue, black of a likeness I have never seen) were all I needed to know that I will be spending more than a few weekends there.

So on Friday all the kids came to school in traditional Korean dress. It is a tradition here that on the Lunar New Year, the children and youth dress in this way and visit their family to bow before their elders (grandparents, aunts, uncles) and then receive money in turn. So for school the director came into each of the classes and sat with the teachers as the kids bowed before us and the director then gave them 1,000 won ($1) . So apparently thats one tradition that is taking place today. Most stores are closed, and it was very quite as I went for a walk around dinner time. Many families go to visit graves of elders on this day which are mostly found in the mountains or on small hills throughout the city.

Friday I was also gifted with a gift-card from my morning classes parents. Apparently this is something I should expect as a perk of teaching. Kid's often come to school with candy or other foods as gifts for their teachers. I was taken a little aback in that the certificate was 100,000 won ($100). But it is for a big department store that I get my groceries at. $100 dollars of groceries is very nice. The director also gave all the teachers socks for the New Year. And let me tell you they are the nicest socks I have ever worn.

So its been fun teaching afternoon classes. I don't know if I talked about them last time. The kids are great. They're not the complete handful 5 kindergardeners are. I get to choose songs to sing in class with my 4 oclock class. Last week was U2. I haven't decided on this week. But it will be fun to break out some Matisyahu, maybe Bob Marley, etc. Last week was very stressful because I wasn't going into class with much instruction. I had to ask the students what I was supposed to be teaching most of the time. It's not too bad, a lot of the kids are very trustworthy, obviously going against natural impulses to get out of work.

So I still have one more day of rest. I suppose I might take the metro out the mountains again. It's a struggle to study my Korean in the apartment. Last night I went downtown to a coffeeshop to study. I need a place where I can't be distracted by soccer matches, world news, or MacGuyver on the TV. These are common themes on Korean TV, along with Friends, Ghostbusters, Tom Cruise, Arnold Swartzeneger, and reality shows.

So for now I have the apartment to myself. Ben gave the dog to a Korean friend. I can't say Im all that disappointed. Though it was nice to have someone waiting for you when you come home. I might be moving to a single apartment when new teachers start to arrive sometime in February. I'm not too sure I'll prefer that option(its hard to beat the space and view I have), but it is a gift to have my rent covered and any place to live in.

I think I've given you enough to read for now. It's nice to sit down and just write for a while. Hope you're all doing well.

Ha

Ok, so I just wanted to send something out quick to say that Im still here. Life has picked up at a rapid pace the past few days. On Saturday I went for a morning walk and when I came back, my roomate, Ben, was about to leave to go home to NY. His brother has fallen very sick and his parents wanted him to come home. So he took a taxi to Incheon and flew out for NY on Sunday morning. So after my shock settled, I found myself alone in a two bedroom apartment. A day later I found myself with all his afternoon classes. Thus the past few days I have been trying to figure out what he's been teaching from other teachers, as well as my classes.

Despite the sudden shock of being thrown into new classes and expected to teach material I can't prepare for usually until Im in class, I love these classes. The students are relatively advanced, aged 10-12. Yesterday, I found out we are supposed to listen to and sing a song in my 4 oclock, so I printed out the lyrics for a song on the only cd I have here at school- U2 -Vertigo. I love it! Its even better than singing The Monster Mash in my morning class.

So with all this new work Im getting home around 7:45, cooking a quick dinner, and doing evaluations/preparation/ and grading until 11pm. And then I get up a half an hour early to come in and get what I didn't done. I don't think it will last too much longer, but it is very stressful for the time being.

Im doing well otherwise, just going a little crazy with so many things spinning around my head. I got around a bit this weekend seeing more of the city. Still played soccer on sunday, but I should definately give my knee more time. Weekend soon, and three days for the Chinese New Year. So I hope to find some time to email soon. Sorry for those waiting for replies.

Alright Im going to go cook some dinner and try to get done this work before 10. Not as much tonight. Peace.

Finally Sitting Still

Ok, so now that I have some time, I am at an internet cafe. Please feel free to email. I do have time to send some replies, its just very hard for me to start new correspondence, especially doing most of my emailing from work.

So Korea is interesting. I am able to stay inside a foreigner bubble. Its really hard to practice any Korean out on the street. Its just not like Egypt where people are running up to you from left and right. And being in the school all day Im expected to focus on English, obviously.

I have had some time to get to know my fellow teachers. They're pretty cool people. 6 other guys and one girl. A few teachers will leave in a month or so and well get some more, maybe well have 10 in all then.

I like waking up at 8 for work every day. Its nice to sleep in a bit but not too late. My roomate and I walk to school- maybe a ten minute walk. Every day we walk by Dunkin Donuts and Im always tempted to go for a Chocolate Glazed. I haven't yet. We start class at 10 after doing some prep for class or working on our lesson plans for next week. Im learning all that fast. I get my kids from a room upstairs and do my best to help them walk slowly and quietly. Everyday the two girls in my class, Angelina and Christine, show me their missing teeth and the new loose ones. Angelina has lost one of her bottom teeth and has two more loose ones. Christine has lost her two bottom middle teeth and has 3 more loose. Every day that is the first thing I see. All morning I try to keep Alex, a hyperactive 5 yr old, quiet and still. Only a few threats phase him. I have an hour lunch break from 1230-130. The teachers always eat out at local restaurants. Cheese Ramien and Pibimbap are my favorite thusfar. In the afternoons we have art, or games, or science. Science is the best. Then after 230- two days a week I tutor a 5 yr old named Lenny. He has a hard time with f,v,th, and l/r sounds. The first day I just tried to get him to speak. But today he livened up a bit. Its crazy because kids are worked hard here. They come to our school, then they go study Chinese, they take piano lessons, math, etc. They pack it in early. So its kind of hard to want to be strict with kids who are tired or restless.

When I don't tutor Lenny I write word explanations for flash cards were making. They don't have an afternoon class for me yet, so I fill in with that and other miscellaneous prep work.

I go home at 7:30 sometimes 6 and then I make dinner, watch CNN, soccer matches, other interesting Korean TV. Ill read a book, sit with my dog-Gus and drink tea. Thats a regular day thusfar. Today I decided to come to this cafe. My first time in one, its not so much for internet, but games. Im hearing a lot of gun shots right now...my favorite.

Hopefully this is giving you all something to read. Its nice to be able to write for more than 5-10 minutes. Hopefully your all doing well. Thanks for reading. Peace.

Tuesday

So this weekend I went downtown and walked around with another teacher. We went through a big market with lots of clothes, fish, squid, and rays for sale. I thought that would be interesting to cook up a ray sometime. Well see. Then on Sunday my roomate and I went to play soccer at a university. A group of foreigners have a team. I think Ill play pretty regularly when my knee feels better. Ive had some more trouble with my IT band. But it was pretty cool. There were a lot of guys from the UK, some from Canada, Belarus, Australia and a few other places. I had a good time. This week Im on my own with the students. So I should get going to class. Ill try to sit down when I don't have to be somewhere, soon. Peace.

First Week

Its been an interesting, learning first week. I arrived last Wed night in Gwangju at about 1 am. Since then I have been training under other teachers, basically just observing their classes. Right now I only have a morning class, which I started teaching yesterday under another teachers supervision. Ill probably do that again today, and then tomorrow I will teach on my own. My kids are so cute. I have five 5 year olds (William, Christine, Alex, Angelina, and Charles-given english names). In Korea they count age differently so they say they are seven.

There is still snow on the ground from about a month ago. They don't have plows here so they removed the snow from the road with backhoes and other tractors, but a lot of the sidewalks are still iced over. So I slip my way to work every day.

I like Korean food, but kimchee will have to grow on me. Its interesting learning Korean customs, like taking your shoes off in restaurants and every other public space. Exchanging money with your right hand exchanged while your left hand holds your right elbow. I've definately broken my share of rules already, but those mistakes prevent future ones. So Im really just trying to get something on this blog. Ill give it a try now. Most of the page Im looking at is in Korean so its hard to know what to click. Here we go.