I think it's going to be difficult to keep up with this blog as I first anticipated I would. So please check Facebook often if you are wondering what I'm up to. For those that don't have Facebook, I will try to keep you "in the know" as much as I can!
My flight was very long... I remember thinking after 7 hours that I couldn't possibly make it 7 more. There was an older Korean lady next to me who WAS able to sleep but would use me as a prop up. I, politely, would nudge her in the other direction. Lucky for me I was on the outside seat so I could get up frequently to move around and stretch. I was concerned about the possibility of the blood clot coming back, reforming, whichever so I didn't want to sleep. I watched 6 movies in total by the time it was over. I kept thinking I'd fall asleep while watching them but wasn't able to. When we finally landed I had been up for 24 hours and was feeling very giddy so I think that helped with the nerves because I wasn't nervous - at all... Leave it to me to fly around to the other side of the world and arrive in such a state that I'm like - Korea, I'm heerrreee!
I waited for my bags (the ones marked "heavy") for 30 minutes. I kept thinking, that's about right - they lost my luggage. I finally got them, piled them onto a cart and stood in line for customs. It took another 30 mins or so and then I went through the gate and looked for my name. I wish I had my camera out because the sign said "Jamie Davi" I just assumed it was me and raised my hand waving at no one in particular. Then David arrived. David was his English name AND he spoke some English. Win win for me.
The airport was about 45 minutes outside of Seoul so it was a bit of a drive to my apartment/school. It was so weird that it was never dark outside for 26 hours. I left in daylight and arrived in daylight. I just remember the first store I recognized was Dunkin Donuts and this made me happy. I was thinking, there isn't even a Dunkin in Erie yet I fly ALL THE WAY TO KOREA and there is one on every corner.
David drove me to my school and we met May, the supervisor, and she took me to my apartment. My apartment leaves little to the imagination. It's one tiny room, it's smells of sewer or just dead something and was filthy dirty with nothing in it. The teacher before me must not be a very tidy person. I found hair, dirt & fingernail clippings EVERYWHERE. Eck. Gross. We didn't stay around very long, I went with May & Devon to grab a bite to eat. We had Vietnamese for dinner. Lol - all the way to Korea and I eat Vietnamese. After that, Devon was nice enough to take me to try and find a pillow. Unfortunately, we didn't find one so when I got home I just used my neck pillow and a rolled up towel. The bedding was disgusting so I just put my sheets on the bed and slept in some long underwear and sweatpants. I finally got a comforter then next day.
The first couple days here were, well, different. They just put me right into the classes and were like - ok, teach. I'm still struggling with this and probably will be for some time. There is one printer in the teachers room and 6 teachers trying to use it. I can't seem to connect to the wifi with my ipad so I have to wait my turn to get online to look up some teaching tools. I'm sure after a few weeks I will get the hang of it but it just baffles my mind that we are teaching children and we have little to no experience in doing so. That's just crazy to me.
** I'm picking up where I left off a few days later. So I met with some teachers last night and they gave me some great advice - stop stressing, play with the kids and don't worry about how unorganized the school is. It doesn't matter, as long as the parent's are happy, the school will be happy. That advice actually helped. I know it's still going to be a little stressful but I will just get to know the kids and try to keep them happy :) There are a few pistols though; Arthur in my Boston class (they have named all the classrooms after Ivy league schools in the US) is a real snot. I am constantly yelling at him everyday. He just looks at me or ignores me. Then I have another one, Sean, in my MIT class. Sean is about 4 years old. He wasn't listening to me the other day so I put him in a chair and pulled it up to the wall away from the table. Sean's response - Weeeeeeeeeee. I guess it was a fun game to be pulled around in the chair. I couldn't help but laugh! So the kids will keep me entertained and hopefully I will make them happy :) I can't believe how different it is in the states (although never teaching before I don't really know how I am making these comparisons) to handle the children - we are actually encouraged to pick them up, hug them and hold them. Could you imagine doing that in Erie? I can't.
As far as the food is concerned, I look forward to the western food on the weekends. It's ok, some spicy - some bland but none of it is satisfying at this point. I had to break down the other day and get Dominos pizza. That was an experience - the menu was interesting. Some of my pizza choices were as follows: roast beef, potato, shrimp, swiss fondue & bulgogi (Bulgogi is a Korean dish that usually consists of marinated barbecued beef, although chicken or pork may also be used.) I opted for pepperoni. I knew I wasn't going to be able to eat the next day (had to get a physical for my alien registration card and had to fast for it) so I thought I'd better eat more than what I have been eating. Our school serves lunch and we eat with the kids. It usually consists of rice, kimchi, some type of meat patty (compressed squid, spam, etc... lol - I don't really know what it is) and some sprouts and then soup. It's ok, I need some soy sauce to put on the rice and we have discovered the honey mustard trick. You just pour honey mustard on everything and it becomes edible. There is a bar that my co-teachers have been going to on Tuesdays for wings so that is something to look forward to each week. I bought a cup of raman noodles at the MiniStop up the road from my apartment tonight for dinner because they were only ₩1,000 (I'm running out of money) but they are super spicy hot. I stopped eating them 30 mins ago and my lips are still tingling. I'm sure it's going to take a little time but I will get used to it. I kind of don't have a choice, lol!
I wanted to tell you guys about the hospital here. It amazes me that the technology here has surpassed America (by leaps and bounds - even though my apartment is a little older, the hallway lights are by motion sensor - makes sense right?) however, the hospital was horrible. I just can't believe how dirty it was. The floors looked like the original floors from when the hospital was built (maybe 70 years ago? I don't know, I'm guessing) and the walls were yellowed. I had to give a urine sample and there was only one sink in the two stalled bathroom but there was a cleaning bucket in the sink so I had to move the bucket in order to wash my hands. I just kept thinking - my mother would be horrified if she saw this... I mean, I am fine - I made it but I hope nothing goes tragically wrong while I'm here.
Anyway, that's a little quick narrative of the last week. I'm exhausted right now and going to call it a day.
Please just keep tabs on me through FB and I will try to updated this as often as I can :)
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