Things Are Looking Up!

Things are getting a little better here in good old Gangcheon! First of all the gifts never end, Nurse comes up here every night with something new...recently most delicious was the sweet potato! Yeoju is known for it's rice and sweet potato and they are  both absolutely delightful :)

strawberry cookies

marshmallow cake covered in chocolate

crackers & clementines

giant pears and sweet potato; didn't mean for this to look perverted haha

Wednesday was my first GREAT day! Jon has some friends here, a couple who live close, in Chungju, and I decided that I wanted to go visit them this weekend (I am going a little stir crazy). I have NO idea how that buses work but me and Mr. Jung (my Korean bestie, who is my landlord and is in charge of pay cheques - yes, my closest friend is a 40 yr old Korean man!) did a lot of searching and we figured out a way for me to get there! I have to take a bus to Yeoju terminal, then a bus to Wonju terminal (bigger city) and then from there a bus to Chungju...which will take a total of about 2 hrs. Most of my coworkers live in Wonju so I hope to catch a ride there Friday after school, that will be a little quicker. Oh, and my whole trip will cost me $19 total! 

I only had one class Weds so I spend a lot of time in the finance/administration office (I would rather hang out there than in the English room because there are people to "talk" to and Mr. Jung is there...He speaks the best Eng out of anyone in the school, hence why he is my bestest buddy!

Mr. Jung in downtown Suwon

I also found out that the principal wants me to teach Kindergarten every morning before class at 8:20am and every Weds at 3 period. I said YES a) because those children are ADORABLE and b) I get paid overtime!! I am already up at 6am so why not, and the pay is excellent, basically $20 an hour CND!! So I am going to be able to save WAYYYY more than I anticipated, especially since I have nothing to spend my money on unless I go away on the weekends. So Wednesday was off to a great start!

I then had my first class with Eun Mee!! It was the 6th grade and I just stood and watched while she taught. I got really excited actually being in the classroom and interacting with the kids, it reminded my why I was here and made me so happy :) They asked me a few questions too, which was cute! I can't wait to teach them! 

Other highs of Weds, I got my new stove, hurray!! I made my first batch of rice in the rice cooker, hurray!! I had my first lunch in the cafeteria, it was pretty good and better than I expected. I basically pay $60 a month and I get lunch everyday (always just one dish, no choice), we eat with the children at different times for different grades. I eat at 12:30 with grade 6 and grade 2...It was right after class and some grade 6 girls were sitting at another table but when I sat down with Eun Mee, they all ran over to sit with me which was very cute! I have the option to not eat cafeteria food and just bring a lunch but really it is 2 bucks and if I don't like it, there is always rice so I will live.

stove...kinda looks like a turntable, no?

Kitchen is now complete!

Oh and to start my day off I had my first Skype date with the bf which is probably why my day went so well, he is my good luck charm! 

Talk soon friends!

Picnic...Day 2

So today (yay my blogs are finally in real time!) the whole school went on a "picnic". Well most people, Eun Mee stayed behind because she is pregnant (but only 3 mos. which I thought was weird) and the principal and support staff. This "picnic" which I thought (and was told) was a trip to the ocean to fish for shellfish, was actually a 2 hour bus ride to a restaurant to have noodles with clams and then to a mud flat to actually look for clams in the mud. Oh Korea, you make me giggle!


We all met at the school at 9am and loaded onto 4 buses. I was on a bus with 2nd grade students and 2 teachers. One was very quiet and the other sat beside me and we chatted about like, as much as the language barrier allowed us. After an hour of travel we stopped at a rest stop so everyone could use the bathroom and get a snack. I got a lovely Korean slap in the face when I went to the washroom...the toilets are not toilets but a porcelain hole in the ground that can be flushed! I was a little taken aback so I used the family washroom which had a regular toilet :) I used the other one on the stop on the way home just so I could take a picture...I am a squatter extraordinaire but this was a little extreme!

sketchy

It is crazy how different things are here...for example, at this rest stop, the kids just all run off the bus and go all over the place. I was worried someone would be left behind. This was a big rest area! But we never lost anyone and it was all good. Also, a couple children gave me treats! One little boy gave me an orange juice, and another gave me a coffee (in a can). The less chatty teacher got me a cold coffee too! But I already got my first Korean americano, which wasn't bad.

rest stop - there was a Dunkin Donuts!

Bus #2

Korean americano

juice some lovely child gave me

cafe latte treat...not bad!

Off for another hour to the restaurant. For lunch we had. as I said, noodle soup with clams and kimchi (spicy pickled cabbage for those of you who don't know). I am allergic to mussels and have never had clams so I was worried I would get sick. When I eat mussels, 2 hours later I vomit  profusely. I tried to explain this to the teacher from the bus and she was worried I was going to die so she got me some rice. I told her I am sure the noodles are fine, I just don't want to eat any clams. They were AMAZING noodles! They must have been hand made, they tasted so fresh. The soup kinda tasted like chicken noodle so I quite enjoyed our lunch.

restaurant

patio

I wish I had a patio spot! I ate inside

To tie in with the clam theme, the next stop was searching in the mud for them! We drove 5 more mins to a really muddy area and everyone got rubber boots. Basically the Yellow sea tide comes over this mud at night but in the daytime, the tide is low and thus leaves mud with sea dwellers, like clams, craw fish and crabs (all very small). So once everyone got boots (they even had some for my big ass feet) everyone got a digging device. This shit would NOT fly in Canada! All of the children were running around with their "hoes" and someone could have seriously gotten hurt! Even the 6 year olds got em! 

boots for all!

digging with their hoes

instruction time

look at my very sharp hoe!

Then all of the children ran to the mud and had a very muddy and messy clam digging session. They got to bring home whatever they found and some kids even brought plastic buckets, probably given to them by their parents. Everyone got super messy but it was fun times. Some of them even found baby crabs...pretty cool. It was a very Korean field trip, I must say. Canadians stick to the zoo and such!

To the mud!

Ocean is far away, not sure how the tide comes in so far

Digging for clams

Fun?

Messy field trip

I was giving all my clams to her :)

My boots and mud

When I got home, I came home to a wonderful surprise...2 men and Mr. Joon (The administration guy who deals with paycheques and is basically my landlord) installing a washing where my shower used to be. Where is my shower now, you ask...well, It is right above my toilet!!
WOW, this place continues to boggle my mind! Where am I supposed to keep my toilet paper? bring it in each time I use the bathroom? Is it a hazard to be getting water all over my washing machine? My washroom isn't very big! So that should be interesting when I shower tomorrow morning!

where my shower used to be

really?!

seriously, really?!

Nurse just brought me some more treats! She has now come every night and every morning with food for me, I shall display her treats below...goodnight!

first night

breakfast this morning...I ate 2 and almost threw up...but they were good

My First Day Pt. II

When you arrive in Korea, you have to do a medical exam in order to get your alien registration card. Basically they test you for drugs and AIDS. So my co-teacher, Eun Mee (I remembered a name!) and I set off on the half hour car ride to Wonju where the nearest hospital is located. Wonju is a bigger city that is close by and where she happens to live, as well as many other co-workers.
I have never seen a hospital so busy...hard to find parking and so many people inside! Maybe I just don't go to the hospital enough. So we go in and first they ask for a urine sample. Well, I haven't eaten and all day and only had one cup of green tea so I don't have to pee! I peed the littlest bit but it was not enough so I started drinking water. At the hospital, they have water coolers with little paper cups, like literally paper, that is flat and you open and you can only use it once (cause it's paper!). 


Because I couldn't perform, they checked my height, weight and eyes then we set off to another part of the building for my blood test...I HATE BLOODWORK! But after they took 4 viles of blood, GEEZE, I had to try to pee again...FAIL again and they didn't get much but apparently it was enough. Sorry, kinda gross but man, this blog has to be authentic right? 


Finally I have to see a doctor who asks me if I have allergies, diseases, etc... checks my throat and gives me a clean bill of health. I now have to wait 3-7 days for results then I can go get my Alien Registration Card (which allows me to get a bank account, phone etc... 


We then head back to Yeoju to go to E-Mart...basically like a Korean Walmart that has everything! Although I made a list, it was hard picking things out because everything is in Korean. It was a challenge asking Eun Mee which products were good and the right thing (for example, laundry soap etc...). It was a bit challenging but we managed, until the food section came along. She must think I am the most indecisive person in the world!! Back and forth on what food I wanted to buy and it is all Korean so unless it looked like a certain food, I had no idea what it was...like sauces! I picked up some tofu and some beef bits for stirfry and needed a sauce and that was like pulling teeth! It was really cute because I wanted bulgogi sauce and because the meat was not cut a certain way Eun Mee said no, that is not bulgogi! Haha so cute, in my head I was like, I don't care what the meat looks like, I am going for taste here! But we settled on some spicy bibimbop sauce. I ended up spending 100 000 KRW which is about 100 CND so not bad for getting everything I needed. 

just over $4 CND for this many bananas!

hehe

When I got home, an hour or so later I had a knock on the door and it was nurse. She brought me ramen and some weird looking eggs, the size and colour of green olives. I have no stove yet so she was worried I would go hungry. I was planning on just having rice so it was pretty sweet. So nice of her! I ate half the ramen (since my tummy shrunk from not eating all day) and put the eggs in the fridge so I could give them back to her in the morning...too grossed out to try them, maybe one day!

That was my first day in Korea and not so bad if you ask me! I was passed out by 9pm. I don't think I really got jet lagged, if that is even possible...other than being tired at the end of the day, I have not been delirious or anything so that is a HUGE plus!

Until next time party people...

My First Day

 I am currently just chilling out in the administration office of my school. 
 
MAN, this is so crazy being here! ... First of all, all I have had to eat today is a cookie and I can't eat anything because I have my medical check this afternoon and everyone has just gone for lunch..GREAT! I haven't eaten since last night at 7pm...6am Tdot time. It is so weird being in the future! I was hoping someone would come on Skype this morning, but no one did, 6pm on a sunday is usually prime couch time.
 
So last night was hard, went for dinner with some peeps and the food is way more intense than in Canada, obviously more authentic but lots of dishes I wouldn't touch. Lots of stuff with seaweed and randomness. I liked mostly meat dishes (so much for telling them i am a vegetarian so I dont have to eat chicken feet!) but didn't eat much, mostly rice.
 
I woke up early this morning, 6am my time and bb'd a blog, not sure how i am gonna get it off there and onto my blog but whateves, I needed to vent and didn't realize I had internet until I had already written it. I found a random cord and plugged it into my computer and it worked!! Then was time for my shower...the bathroom is really weird, you walk in and it is mostly tiled and the shower is not enclosed! I knew this going into it but it was kinda weird. Water goes everywhere, I will need to get a squeege or something! But not as bad as I anticipated. 
 
Before I showered I heard people so I opened my bathroom window and it looks onto the schoolyard! Kids are already there and playing soccer at 7:45 am! Then at 8am music starts blasting, children's voices singing...I guess they play it in the morning as kids arrive, and I guess that will be my alarm every morning!
 
The woman with the 2 kids from last night, who lives below me, is the nurse here (asked her name again and still dont remember!) and she came and picked me up at 8:35 and I scurried to gather my things. Then we walked to school, which I live right beside!
 
Upon arrival I was meeting people left right and center, not remembering any of their names but rather remembering what grade they teach or what they do! We went to the gym for the "Monday meeting". All of the children, faculty and staff were there. There are probably about 100 children, maybe more, but definitely less than in a Canadian elementary school...it didn't seem like that many. It was basically 20 mins of national anthem, prayer, introducing me and random talking and then some students got awards for good work. The not so fun part was that I had to go on stage in front of the entire school and introduce myself!! I was shaking in my boots but it was quick and painless...said my name, I am from Canada and that I was excited to get to know everyone and learn about their country.
 
After that, a lot of walking around meeting people and children coming by and saying hello. Then I went to the principal's office where we really didn't do anything, they just chatted about me in Korean while I sat pretty (that is the story of my life here!) I then got a tour of the school and currently the "English Centre" is being remodled so they are clearing a room out for me to teach in. I have basically been walking around and now I am chilling in this room until I go to the hospital I guess.
 
I just got my settlement allowance (300 000 KRW), which is awesome since I was told I had to wait 2 weeks to receive it. I got about 328 000 KRW before I left at the exchange place and was worried I couldn't live on it until I got paid,so this is great! Comes out to about 600 CND. I will certainly be fine seeing as I cannot go anywhere!
 
Well that is it for now, I am leaving soon for my medical exam so that should be interesting!
 
Talk soon!


*Disclaimer: my last post I transfered (re-typed) from my black berry and this I wrote on my first day and I am only posting it now so sorry for the repetitiveness!*

Goodbye Canada, Hello Korea

Ok, so flying across the world isn't so bad, unless you want to sleep! The airplane had rows of 10 seats with me being in F which is in one of the middle seats. Definite bummer since my friend Anna S. told me to drink lots of water and keep hydrated so I was peeing like a madwoman (not so fun for the man who had to get up everytime I had to go!). Pro was that there was a girl who was on my TOR - CHI flight with a bunch of magazines that I thought could possibly be heading to Korea as well. I saw her waiting at the Chicago airport as well but never got a chance to talk to her. Guess who had the seat right beside me!? Crazy hey?! She is from Collingwood and has come to teach straight out of university and she is teaching just outside Seoul. So I made another friend! :)  AND...she had way more luggage than me which made me feel better about the amount I had!


So sleeping on the plane was brutal...those neck things definitely don't work as I was bobble heading all over the place! You just gotta get into the right position and not move. Let's just say that my body was pretty messed up by the end of it. The food on the plane was pretty good, and there was always a Korean choice: Lunch was bibimbop or beef stew and dinner was chilli chicken or cheese pasta. I went Korean both times and I must say they were pretty tasty!


The flight was just over 13 hours so I traveled for one whole day! Luckily my bags made it safe and Mr. Kim was on time. He was provided to me by my Korean recruiting company (who were working with my Canadian recruiters) and he drove me the hour and a half to my town. He was very quiet but would ask me a question here and there. There were no seatbelts in the back seat so I was pretty terrified as I have heard that Koreans drive all crazy and that they have a high accident rate! But I was so happy to finally be at my final destination after all the planning and the  whole process. The scenery was beautiful, mountains everywhere and cute little cities and apartment buildings. There are a lot of buildings being built and lots of cranes everywhere. I was feeling pretty good, until we arrived in Yeoju.


Oh, Yeoju...it is kinda what I expected but I thought I would be able to walk (or at least bike) places. I actually live in Gangcheon, a small farming town (in the country) which is a 10 min drive to downtown Yeoju. I feel like I live in Cuba, no joke. There are little houses made of cement with clothes on clothes lines and little restaurants here and there. Lots of things growing and I am surrounded by mountains which is cool. A small road leads to a dead end, which is my school: Kangcheon Elementary School .

my street

my apt

my school

Gangcheon aka Cuba

principal's house across the street

When I arrived I was greeted by a woman and her little girl who doesn't really speak English. She is really friendly and says I am really pretty which felt good after a day of flying and feeling like shit.  The child is her daughter and I found out later that she is the nurse at the school and she lives below me with her husband and 2 kids (not the principal...he lives across the street!). Her daughter is super cute, she is 4 and her son is 8. She lead me to my apt, up a creepy flight of stairs, where a creature could come out at me at any moment, haha! At the top of the stairs I have a sweet patio that had some chili peppers drying out, where I could see myself chilling out with a book in the summertime.


The inside looks like I had pictured it but some things are a little off...well the shower is just a little off. It is a tap near the ground with a shower head but the shower is not enclosed. I had heard about this but it is weird. Basically when you shower water goes everywhere! kinda nuts, but good thing most of the bathroom is tiled. Other than the bathroom, I have a rice cooker, microwave, fridge, 2 desks, 2 wardrobes, a tv, a washing machine (we will discuss that later), a table with 2 chairs, a couchy looking thing, and a bed...which had some sheets on it when I arrived! However it is pink and looks like it is for a 6 year old but whateves, I came here thinking I wouldn't even get any linens! A woman from the administration office also bought me some bowls, cutlery, fry pans, RICE!, eggs, toast, milk and water! So nice!

bed (view from entrance)

kitchen (right of entrance)

beside kitchen 

2 wardrobes and a couchy looking thing (in green)

desk number 2

bathroom (right hand side of door)

shower (left hand side of door)

10 mins after I arrived and while I was busy inspecting my new home, my co-teacher arrived to take me to dinner. Her and her 4 yr old son (super cute!) and her hubby and the nurse and her family all went to dinner about a 2 minute drive away. Although they have been telling me their names, I have no idea what they are!! I am def gonna have to write them down or something ;-)


The restaurant was authentic Korean, you walk in take off your shoes and sit on chairs with no legs on the ground at a table very low to the ground (which I thought was Japanese, but apparently Korean too). My co-teacher ordered food for everyone and we drank water while we waited. I am happy my co-workers have families so I don't have to drink everynight, I hear Koreans like to drink A LOT and I thought I would be getting hammered at dinner everynight! Pro to country life I suppose. Everyone was just speaking in Korean and they would ask me a question here and there. Kinda awkward, but I just kept a smile on my face, and it makes me more determined to learn the language. Let me tell ya, sitting on the floor cross legged after a day of travel is not comfortable! So painful, I kinda just wanted to get the F outta there!


Food arrived in several little dishes...which I am used to but there were so many! Some of them looked delicious but most of them didn't. Lots of them had seaweed which I can only really eat in sushi. You get rice then everyone shared the dishes. I had spicy pork (yum), beef steak (yum), tofu in some sauce (meh) and potato in spicy sauce (yum). Lots of them were mystery items that I didn't recognized so I didn't eat much. The food was definitely different than Canadian Korean so I will have to start trying things or I am gonna starve!


After we ate, I started to feel kinda sad and was fighting back tears as they carried on speaking Korean. I was just looking around and wondering what the heck I was doing all the way over here. The kids were playing rock, paper, scissors in Korean which made me smile and forget about being sad...they make me giggle!


As soon as they dropped me off I got upset. Things are going to be a lot different than I anticipated and that is something I will have to get used to. I just feel so trapped here and I have no idea how I am going to visit any of the people I have met who live here without a car. I guess all I can do is ask at school and hope someone understands me and knows about the bus schedule, or maybe I can look into getting a car! haha doubt it!


Well I was up at 6am when I started writing this and now I have to get ready to go for my first day! 
I will let you know how it goes!


Talk soon.

Up, Up and Away!

Up until I left for the airport this morning it seemed like I wasnt even going anywhere. Yes, I have spent thousands of dollars preparing to go, but it never really felt like I was going anywhere. Then this morning happened. 3 am wake up call, shower, dressed and in the car on the way to the airport. I kinda freaked out! I am calm and collected on the outside but I am extremely overwhelmed. I have had my highs and lows today, the emotional rollercoaster continues. For the record: my low was saying bye to Jon...It sure doesn't help when every sappy song you can think of is playing in the airport all morning - Cue "Leaving on a Jet Plane", yeah, they actually played that! High would have to be that I am on my way to the other side of the world to do what I have always wanted (TEACH!) and I am excited about what lies ahead.

I am currently in the Chicago airport waiting for my next flight...over 4 hour layover, YAY! I am trying to keep busy but there is nothing in this area, except for the stench of perfume from the duty free and people waiting for this flight. I did stock up on magazines, twizzlers and Reece's Pieces (Thanks Caro!) and now I wait. I want to find an outlet so that I can watch some GLEE!! I bought season one just for the flight! However I am worried there are no outlets on the plane and thus I will not be watching anything since my computer sucks bigtime :(

Well, off to find that outlet...

Talk soon

Almost There!

It's almost time folks...I cannot believe I leave for Korea in 3 weeks! I finally got my visa so this is it, we just have to book my flight and I am outta here.

The process was not without it's ups and downs however. Basically what happened (and why I was getting worried) was my school went to immigration with my documents but forgot my university degree! This happened in the middle of summer holidays AND the busiest time of the year when thousands of people need visas! I kept my cool but was losing it inside. I was told my co-teacher was going to go back to immigration (AND that she is pregnant!) and eventually I got my visa number. 

Once you get your visa number, you have to go to the Korean Consulate for an interview. So I gathered all the documents necessary, got all prettied up and went up there (St. Clair and Avenue Rd.). After giving in my documents, passport and paying $55, I was told I had to come back for an interview at a scheduled date. I was a little peeved that they didn't just do it all in one visit but what can you do? So last Tuesday I went back, waited for over 2 hours for a 3 minute interview with the cutest lil old man ever and to get my visa stamped in my passport. HURRAY!!

I was all excited because now that I had the visa, we can book my flight...BUT NO! Let's make Cassandra wait some MORE! The Korean recruiter says we will book my flight next Tuesday...ugh, I am a very patient person but GEEZE, I just want everything to be finalized so that I can figure things out and just having the security that it is already booked. I dunno, maybe I am crazy?!

I leave so soon and I am getting a little emotional. Although I am excited and antsy and ready to go, I am sad that I am leaving my brother, my love, my friends and my co-workers. I already had to say goodbye to one of my roomates and that was really hard. Just gotta remember that it's not  goodbye, just "see you soon". I am going to come back, I am not leaving forever, so really I need to focus on having an amazing time and experience. :)

I cannot believe I have 5 more days of work left. I have met some amazing people working there and built some life-lasting friendships. What a great industry to get into...and I will be going out with a bang at the best time of the year, TIFF! I will get to attend some parties and catch some flicks with my coworkers before I leave which will be awesome. All I want to do with the time I have left is hangout with my people and enjoy every minute I have with them. That is all I can do.

I am gonna go do that now, so talk soon!

p.s. Skype is going to save my life while abroad!!