KoReA

Well I made it. Every time I have tried to write a new post my computer wouldn't let me. So this is my final attempt. It is Saturday and I am in the midst of my first weekend in Korea. My flight left at 10 am last Saturday. My friends and parents met me at the to see me off. It was quite tearful, but I haven't cried since. I know those feelings will come, but I am keeping my head up higher than ever! My flight was long, I watched about 6 movies, but after the 4th movie I entered zombie mode. Now I have no interest in TV, and if you know me that is big. When I arrived in Korea I had to collect all 200 lbs of luggage and go through immigration where I was met by a woman who was holding a sign with my name on it. I felt pretty important. She didn't speak English, so conversation was out of the question. The apartment I am in now wasn't quite ready so I was put into a hotel. Not the nicest, but I had complaints. The hotel room was the size of my parents bathroom, with a TV that took up the whole room. I met my classes the morning after I arrived, and the rest of the foreign teachers. 3 Irish, 3 American, and a guy from South Africa. They were very receptive, and so welcoming to me. They have invited me out to eat and get coffee or drinks whenever they go. They have been so understanding that I am the "baby" there, and that I am in for some major adjustments. I feel blessed with the school and peers that I was placed with.
The kids......I have a feeling that they will be the main reason I smile each day....but also the main reason I cry or need a drink after work.. I have never spent much time with young children, or babysat so I will definitely have my work cut out for me. My kids speak a fair amount of English, and they're not allowed to speak Korean during class times which makes it kind of nice for me. My TA (teaching assistant) is Korean so she is able to help me when I need to tell the kids something that I can't translate. Another challenge I have found already is to remember that I need to teach things in a simpler manner. I notice that I read a little too fast, and need to think of multiple words to try to explain to them what something is.
These are all things that will become natural for me, and over time I will get better at it.

FOOD: So far so good. A lot of the places have a grill in the middle of the table where they cook the food right in front of you. One restaurant handed out aprons to make sure nothing splattered on us, I felt that was fun and thoughtful. We went out to dinner with all the foreign and Korean teachers, and I decided to try octopus. It was a whole baby octopus...bigger than calamari, and you take scissors and cut it up to pieces at your liking.....I ate a tentacle. It was very chewey.

I am new to blogging, so it has taken me some time to figure out how to post new blogs. I also haven't completely unpacked, so I will post pictures of my adventure thus far when I can find my chords!