Queries

To get a scooter or to not get a scooter, that is a question.

To get an air conditioner or to not get an air conditioner, that is another.

Both will cost at least $300. Driving is dangerous here. I've heard several stories about foreign teachers getting their legs broken by erratic drivers while scooting around. The last thing I want is a broken leg.

It's incredibly hot and humid here. Everything seems to grow mould and I feel like I need a shower every twelve hours. I wonder if an air conditioner would cure this.

Some of the signs here are really funny. I particularly enjoyed the "Do not lean on the elevator or you will fall and your head will explode" one in the elevator. To the right is another sign I found amusing.

After two months as nomads, we finally have our own place again.

We're starting to settle into our new apartment. It's bigger than our old one, and in Korea, that's saying something. We have three bedrooms, which gives us room for lots of visitors. I don't know if any friends from back home are going to visit and take us up on our offer of free accommodation, but we definitely have room for all the friends we made during orientation. I hope they come visit us at least. Even if they don't, the other teachers in Yeosu seem really cool and I'm looking forward to hanging out with them.

Our co-teacher is really really nice. She took us to Lotte Mart (or as the Koreans say it, 'Lottie Martuh') and helped us get groceries for our new place. She kept remarking at how all of my choices were 'low calorie' and for 'people who are trying to lose weight.' Eventually she looked me up and down and told me that I'm crazy for being so thin and eating so healthily.

An teenaged girl said 'hi' to me in a sultry way and then she and her gaggle of friends broke into giggles when I turned around. Being a celebrity is going to take a bit of getting used to. Supposedly, 53 elementary schools of children are going to visit our 'English Town' in the course of the next year, so we're going to be very well known in Yeosu, at least among the little children we'll be teaching. We get a different class to teach every morning and afternoon. I'll say more about it when I know more.

It looks like the two women here before were quite the partiers; there are nearly six bottles of half-drunk wine in the kitchen, and plenty of soju, beer, and vodka in the fridge. The other teacher at our school must miss them, from the sounds of things she really wants to hang out. I'd be happy to go out tonight, but she didn't answer her cell phone when I called. So I'm sitting her rambling.

We don't have to go to work until Thursday, when we'll be meeting the rest of the teaching staff. I'm not sure when we'll start teaching, but I think we should take advantage of these two days respite to see Yeosu and have some fun.

Initial Meeting

We just met our co-teacher and vice-principle. Our co-teacher, Olivia, told Alden that he looks like a genius. This bodes well.

End of Orientation

It's the last day of our orientation in Gwangju today. We'll be meeting our co-teacher in about an hour, driving a couple hours to Yeosu and be dropped off in our new apartment. We've been told by another couple from Yeosu that our co-teacher is awesome, so I'm hoping for the best. We'll need help applying for the alien registration card, setting up the internet - heck, even just figuring out how to work the washing machine and floor heating. (We may not have any internet at home for 2-3 weeks, so the updates may be less frequent over the next while.)

I have discovered that Koreans have a favourite English word. It is "maybe". Over the past week, I have found out that I will have a new group of kids everyday. Maybe. That the English Town is new and in great condition. Maybe. That our co-teacher is young and super nice. Maybe - if they are thinking of the right teacher. Basically, I just have to wait and see... and go with the flow. After the next couple weeks, I should have all my answers - I just need a bit of patience.

Time to finish the packing (my stuff and folding Alden's shirts). Alden is off trying to return a purchase I made last night at the Kumo World (6 storey electronics store)... but they didn't provide a receipt and I'm the one that bought the radio alarm clock, so I'm doubtful he will be successful. Ah well. Maybe.

Fresh & Powerful

I'm sitting here in the hotel room, listening to Tegan and Sara and drinking some soju & o.j., about to head out on the town with the group. I have discovered that "fresh" flavoured soju is actually mint flavoured... and that it does not mix well with o.j. Live and learn.

The day today was spent in lecture sessions. We learned Arirang, a traditional folk song from the Jeolla region, from a hysterically funny and fun music teacher. She had us singing a four-part round in Korean. She also had individual students (teachers) come to the front and either play the janggu (a two-sided drum) or sing Arirang solo. Alden was picked to play the janggu for one of the renditions - the look of concentration on his face was priceless. I have a video, which I intend to use as blackmail if the need ever arises.

The culture shock session provided some interesting information, but a highlight of the day was the "How to Have Fun" session. We covered 'having fun at school' and 'having fun in general' - I am looking forward to some good times.

Speaking of good times, it's time to join Alden & the others on the hotel roof top. The plan is to head to a hof/soju place, and then head to a nori-bang (karaoke). I'm thinking it's about time for some ABBA...

Tea, Beach, Town, Baseball

Today's fun-filled activities began with a trip to the Boseong Tea Plantation. The group was pretty impressed with the plantation, but I have to admit that I was a bit surprised when we drove up in our big tour bus, and we had to pay an admission fee and walk past at least 15 souvenir shops before actually arriving to the tea hills. The last time I saw a tea plantation was in India, and we just parked our bicycles on the side of the road and started venturing into the plantations. No ticket booth, no green tea ice cream, no $120 tea cups for sale... just the locals and the tea. But then, I remembered that I am now in Korea - better known as the Land of Endless Souvenirs (kitsch). Anyway, the hike to the top was humid and sweaty, but beautiful.

Next stop was for lunch at an enormous hotel. We ate our bibimbap (veggies, egg and rice, with chilli sauce mixed in), and headed over to the beach. It was more of a fisherman's beach than a suntanning beach, but was pleasant nonetheless. Again, humid and sweaty, but beautiful.

The old Korean town we visited had been in existence since the 13th century. There were thatched roof mud brick houses, a temple, flower gardens, lily ponds, mountain scenery and... a ton of tourist shops. Also, when you visit an "olden days" town in Canada, everything is re-created and there are actors playing their parts. However, people still live in this old Korean town! There was laundry hanging out to dry and trucks parked in the yard. A few of the thatched roof mud brick houses even had glass windows. Good to see that all space is being put to good use!

This evening we went to a Gwangju (the city) Kia (the car company) Tigers baseball game. The fans were very excited - constantly keeping up rhythms and songs. There were also lots of kids, including the ones sitting next to us. They spent most of the game taking pictures of the foreigners with camera phones. No joke - I had my picture taken for a straight hour and a half! I feel like quite the celebrity. (Especially after yesterday's encounter with the press at the Gwangju Cultural Museum! There were about 10 professional photographers with 10" lenses, all simultaneously sticking their cameras in my face. I was playing my instrument and pretending not to notice them... Andrea told me that I'm probably in all the Gwangju papers today, but I haven't actually bought any papers to check.)

We just got back from the game, and it's off to bed now. Alden has decided to get up early to work out first thing tomorrow morning... unfortunately/fortunately for me, it's a men's only gym, so I don't even have the option of working out. Ah, Confucianism.

"My advice to you: smile and nod and go with the Korean flow."

The flight was more than thirty hours, and it was so exhausting I don't want to really remember it. I did get to watch three movies: Disturbia, 300, and Spiderman 3. They were all better than I expected.

I don't have any drinking buddies yet, but I'm having a good time. Yesterday we visited a Buddhist temple amidst several impressive mountains. Today we went to the Gwangju Museum and watched a spectacularly skilled display of Korean music and dance after we shoddily plunked away on the same percussion instruments. The cameras were on us while we played though. Half a dozen photographers filled the room, carrying cameras with enormous lens extensions.

Joanne has taken excellent pictures and video of these events, so I feel that it would be a waste to spend further words on them.

I still haven't quite adapted to Korean food or time. I keep waking up at 6am and the level of fat, salt, and sugar in the stuff the hotel provides us is a bit more than I can handle.

There are tons of couples here. I think we outnumber the singles. In a way this is good, because not many people want to be a third wheel. In another way, it is not so good, because couples can happily socialize among themselves and so it makes meeting new people a bit more challenging.

Tonight I've organized a SojuHotelParty. We'll see how it goes.

Embarking for life as an ELI...

It's been confirmed. Joanne and I will be working together for the next year as English Language Instructors at Yeosu West Elementary School. We're both thrilled about this. Perks of the job include a three-bedroom apartment, five weeks vacation and living in a city on a sandy beach--the sand is black, but I'm not sure that makes a difference. We are also in the same city as "Korea Brandon"(termed such so as to distinguish him from the one we know in Victoria) who kindly pointed me to Canadian Connection when Joanne and I embarked on our search for work in Asia months ago.

First person to seamail me a 10kg jug of whey isolate gets the best Korean souvenir I can find.

Planning

The passports are sitting in front of me, complete with work visas for the Republic of Korea. The contracts are signed. The plane tickets bought. Nothing left to do now but research health insurance. Oh, and find out where we'll be teaching! Perhaps an e-mail to our placement agency should be in the works?

This is the place for those hoping to follow our adventures over the next year, teaching in an elementary school in Jeollanamdo province in South Korea. We hope to update fairly regulary - please do your part and comment!