Korea Life Blog 2 -- Hongdae, Seoul

So, I lived through my first day teaching, and then some. It's not so bad. The main problem is that I am supposed to work from the book, such as, this month teach chapter 5 and 6. But the problem is that we have to review the same pages over and over and since the children are so young it becomes troublesome. In one of my classes, the children are basically done with the book, we just started the last chapter (each chapter is only about 5-10 pages of pictures). It has to last me ALL of June. I don't understand. Apparently they were moving through it too fast, but this class is five days a week and I have four weeks for chapter.
So, from this weekend, I will start bringing the books home to work on making more detailed lessons and more interesting activities. I am waiting until this weekend because I am still trying to figure out the schools system so I might understand better what I need to do.

In the meantime, I've been getting by pretty well. I've been relying on my friends a little too much I think, so I've been trying to figure things out on my own (what I can). I bought cereal and I get rice balls from the local convenience store, so that is breakfast. I eat what’s available at school and I eat whatever for dinner.
Koreans are serious about their recycling though. I have to buy a special trash bag for trash and another for food waste. Then recyclables can go in anything and they will sort it out. Apparently though, if you don't sort out the food and recyclables from the trash you can be fined 3 million won ($3,000). So it's something I will need to take seriously.

I went to Seoul last Saturday with my friend. It was interesting. We went window shopping and I bought some bling for my phone and key-chains. Then we went to Hongdae (the big party area) that night. We sat out in the park drinking with all the kids and then went to noraebang (karaoke) for a couple hours before eating again.... We were actually out all night, so I took the first train back home at 5:30a.m.

I learned the true side of Korea during my two trips to Seoul. Basically, Koreans have NO manners--they just don't exist here. They push, they shove, and they cut in line. Since it's hard to find trash cans they just

throw their trash on the ground wherever and the old people come out early to pick it up. I've also realized about 90% of Korean men and another 30% of the women smoke.

Because there is so much cigarette smoke here, I have had trouble. My throat has been really sore and my speaking hoarse. I feel annoyed all the time because of it. So I am thinking of just getting a face mask (the ones they always wear when they are sick or afraid of getting sick) and wearing it whenever I go out. Even though I was able to go karaoke last weekend, I could only sing four songs before my voice was gone. It's terrible. No wonder Koreans eat Halls cough drops like candy (they are actually sold as candy here…)

I've decided I'm really happy to be living outside of Seoul. I'm sad to be so far from most of my friends, but


the smoke levels here aren't as bad. So I feel like I can live here.

Among other things, Koreans are just strange. The adjumma (middle-aged/older women) have taken to drawing in their eyebrows in shades of blue and purple. Also, while the train is a great means of travel, when some adjussi (old man) sits next to you smelling like someone puked on him, then he breathes and you realize he was the one who puked... I thought I was going to be sick. I had to get up and move to the other side, which was rude, but it's Korea, so it's really kind of not. I don't understand really, but that's the way it is. It is also just the way it is when you take the last train home from Seoul, anything can be seen. I got off the train and the guy next to me wobbled straight to the wall and puked, then kept fumbling along. You would think someone would do or say something, but it's so common they just keep walking and think nothing of it. People are so strange. Maybe this is the sign that I’m a country girl?

Like Las Vegas, everywhere you go there are flyers and "business cards" for hookers on the ground and stuck to cars. Apparently there is noraebang in my building; however, I was advised by a Korean friend not to go. Why? Because it is the kind where you can invite women to "keep you company". This seems like such a nice place to live, but there is something like that? But it's normal here in Korea. Strange.

Everyone keeps telling me "You will get used to it", but I'm not sure I want to. Getting used to running into and shoving people without apologizing, throwing trash on the ground, smoke everywhere, people being drunk everywhere/all the time... who wants to "get used to it"?

At the same time, I'm not entirely unhappy. Those are really my main complaints. I'm not unhappy; it's just uncomfortable for me.

We'll see how it goes.