Things I miss

Not surprisingly I don't miss people in particular much. I mean there are moments when I see or hear something and wish a certain person was there in the moment. Or I just can't contact them cuz they never get online so i miss talking to them but that's about it. The things I really want that I can have are:

1. Burger King - they do have them but I haven't eaten at one and the McD's that I tried didn't really size up so I'm thinkin the Burger King doesn't either. Although McD's delievers so they pretty much rock.

2. Being rude and making fun of people to their face (mostly jokingly) - I barely have conversations with people and if i started making jokes they wouldn't understand so the only time I get to is when I'm skyping someone and not tryin to catch them up on my life, which is rarely.

3. WiFi - I missed this when I was in MI too lol

4. Dresing down - I gotta dress up for work which is in the middle of the day so that's pretty much the only thing I wear all day.

5. My car - this is prolly going to be closer to number 1 pretty soon but gas is sooo expensive here so I wouldn't be able to use it much even if I had one.

6. Carpet - All hardwood, all the time.

7. Eevesdropping - try as hard as I can, I can't understand a word of it.

8. Tutoring - I love my classes and students but I wish I could tutor them one on one as well as in a group.

9. THE RADIO - I need background sound. I only get to hear it on the bus sometimes.

10. Salt/Sugar/Chocolate - I'm still an American. The candy out here isn't cuttin it. I haven't had a cookie or cake in over a month! My 22 year sugar high is officially over. (Although I do like and appreciate all the thought and health that goes into Korean food AND luckily they eat ice cream like it's their job so that's cool)

I know it's been a while

I'm sitting in my classroom. It's my short day so I have a free hour after lunch and before my students stream in. I had 5 more min left with nothing to do so decided to write for 5 min. 4th grade is still my favorite but 5th is getting close. I need to find ways to get closer to students and teachers. I met a new admistrator today and she speaks a lil english and she's my age so AWESOME. Hopefully i'll see her more and get to talk to her. Two hours of teaching today and then I'm done for a week! It's Cheosuk next Tue, Wed and Thur. I heard it's like Thanksgiving but then I read a cite that said "Don't compare it to Thanksgiving." Basically you have to go to your parents house, clean up the tombs/graves of your relatives and have a feast for them. Still not really sure how it goes BUT Keitha invited me to go with her to a celebration with her friend. So i guess I'm stayin with her all next week in Gumi. That should be cool and interesting. I'm ready to see everyone again. I've only seen the TaLK kids in Pohang since orientation.
I was sick this week so that sucked. i started feeling it on Monday and was just kinda crapy til today. At night it's worse than during the day. I've just been tired and weak feeling. I was trying to drink more water but the bottled water makes me sick i think so that didn't help. Still had my pizza party on Wed. Marshall, Nicole, the twins and Jenine came. It was nice, we all just hung out and talked until they had to go to TaeKwonDo. The kids are here so I gtg

Everything is settling down.

A lil gap between the last post and this one. It's 3am and i can't sleep but i'm super tired. Just had an awesome weekend in Gimhae with a fam that i love! They got me a cellphone and took me to dinner at an old Korean place, spent the next day chillaxin at a stream in the mountains....so nice! But the bus ride was 3 hours so i slept and now my sleepin is messed up I guess. Not ready for tomorrow school. I feel like every week is gonna be class class, rush to the bus station to visit someone, cram a million things into a weekend then back on the bus and class on mon. idk if i can do it but that's the only way to get everything done. We'll see. I got internet at my house now too. Things are finally starting to come togethe. i can't imagine how hard it is for families to move and do this kinda stuff with no help! Crazy. I'm startin to miss ppl but i think it'll go away when I get more of a social life. SOOOO Tired!

Gettin better?

The kids came to my door, knocked and rang the bell as 6 this morning! Freaked me out I thought it was Nicole and I had overslept. When I saw what time it was I just went back to sleep. They came two more times after that, before it hit 9. aaghhh! Nicole came to my house around 10:30 today and she brought me to the school. We waited 20 min for the bus, it was late, idk how late, Nicole couldn’t explain the bus schedule to me and apparently neither could anyone else. Easy enough to get there, it’s the last stop on the bus route, literally, we got off and the bus did a U-turn. Jenny was there and I met the vice principal, head teacher and two more teachers, I think. Then the head teacher went to the principal’s office then he got us and everyone straightened up before walking into the principals office (they call him the president and treat him like it). He had a nice office. Really nice, welcomed me and then kicked us out kinda. I don’t think we’ll be having many conversations but he seemed nice enough to me if we ever get the chance. I gotta figure out what to call him. Then I saw my classroom, it’s a science lab so there are globes, human models and science stuff all around but I’m happy, it’s pretty nice. Jenny explained my schedule and what papers I have to fill out, gotta turn in lesson plans everyday for the following day and sign in everyday. Tried to fill out a paper but Nicole had to do it cuz I couldn’t read or follow directions. Then we left. I’m excited about the whole thing. There were some kids reading in the library (which was such a cute nice library) and it’s their summer break! I hope all the kids are so well mannered and smart.

So since most people are sleeping while I’m awake and don’t get any responses I’ll write to myself or letters that I’ll send once I get internet. First I’d like to express the strange feeling of not being able to do anything. It’s frustrating but it’s more of an experience rather than something to get upset over, at least now because I’ve had someone to help in most situations. Today I wished so hard that I could understand all the conversations around me but couldn’t. At school I told Nicole what to say to the principal before I met him so that wasn’t an issue, it went over pretty well. But then he spoke back to me and I had not a clue what he said. About ten conversations were held in front of me about me and I could only make out – English teacher, Singwang, American, Italian, Jamaican, English and no Korean. People have to tell everyone that I’m an English teacher from America and then explain why I don’t look American. Then the have to explain why I don’t answer them when they speak to me. From the voice tones and gestures I figured out that the story of the lady and me and how I cried was told at least 5 times. So now I’m embarrassed but every woman on the block prolly heard and has my back. My mentor teacher made me show her the mom’s house and she very politely but strictly told her not to come to my house, ever, if she did the cops would be called. I wasn’t sure how it was gonna go over when my teacher told me that’s what she came for but it looked like it worked. On the way out the lil girl rode in and she explained it to her as well. I felt a lil bad but Jenny said they’re not good ppl and sometimes they just don’t understand when to stop. Idk how things will go when I see them on the street, I mean we live two buildings apart, but we’ll see. Majority of reactions to the story have led to pity faces toward me or “she’s crazy” or “so sorry” so I don’t feel so bad about it all.

I still get almost teary every time I see my Ju-In Ajuma (landlady) cuz she’s kinda like my Korean mom. She lives the floor above me, works on the first floor, has keys to my house and is kinda responsible for everything. She makes me miss my mom! I havn’t talked to her in a week and I’m so sad. I cry when I think about it so I’ll stop…

Another thing that got me emotional today was when Nicole handed me the phone while we were waiting for the bus. I figured it was my mentor teacher, Jenny, cuz that’s the only other person I talk to but it was Eunjeong!! I was so surprised and so happy I almost cried again. She said she missed me and then she put Jihun on the phone and hearing her voice made me get emotional, I could barely talk but she asked how I was doing and invited me to visit them this weekend. I said I’d try and I gotta figure out how to get there. I’d love to see them but I have got to get over this crying mood that I’m in.

I’m confident that I can make it to the school by myself on thru. I’m not so sure I can handle waiting at the bus stop. Everytime I go in there, ppl talk to me and about me. Usually it’s all old ladies but Jenny took me a lil bit ago and old men kept saying hi in English and Korean, they got so loud we had to go outside to finish our conversation. A few ppl commented to Jenny about me. She ignored most of them but one shocked her and she told me an old lady asked if she was my mother-in-law. Everything is everyone’s business around here. Something else to get used to.

I’m going to go outside to check my messages again before it gets dark.

Hopeuflly I wont have much to write about between now and tomorrow. I’m hoping to have my neighbor, Lim, over tonite even if it’s just for a lil bit. May be I’ll be lucky and she’ll invite me over so I can eat! (no fridge = no food)

Trouble

Imagine only have an hour of conversation a day. That’s what I’ve been going through for the last week. I havn’t gotten to talk to my mom and only a few text messages from home everyday. I’m getting sad that I know no one and don’t know how to get anywhere and couldn’t even find myself on a map of the town. So when that fam down the street was nice to me and the lil girl and dad spoke a lil English I jumped at it. When everyone left me for the weekend and they invited me out to eat and then to go shopping I accepted. They followed me home and I swear the mom stole about 40 bucks from me. They were all going thru my stuff and I was tryin to keep it under control so I wasn’t payin attention. I forgot I had left some money on my dresser. I saw her wit rolled up money in her hand then she tried to hide it, slipped it in her pocket and left. The kids stayed. I tried to get them out for half hour before they finally left. I was so tired but was mad so I tried to wash my clothes but the power kept going off and I couldn’t finish a load. I couldn’t tell anyone cuz I did’t have a phone or internet. I went out side and messasged my coteacher, an hour later I checked again and she said she would call my mentor teacher who would call my landlady. The fam came back to my house but I got them to leave within 15 min. Then I went to check my messages again and when I came back upstairs the lil girl was at my door. I waited around to see if she would leave but she didn’t so I went inside and she came. I got her to leave in a lil bit. They invited me to come over at 9pm for dinner, I said no but they wouldn’t agree so I said yes. I locked me door, not wanting them to come in. But sure enough someone knocked around 6. I opened it and it was the matenience man. I was so happy to see someone besides them. He came to fix my power! Then the landlady came in, then another man to help, then the mom came back! She came into my room and sat on my bed (she was way too comfortable in my house). I was keeping an eye on her though. They all started talking in Korean and two guys my age (one lives next door) decided to join in too. I managed to signal to the landlady that I didn’t want the mom in my house. Thank God she understood and started to tell her nicely to get out but then the kids showed up. So there were 9 ppl in my house all talking in Korean about the power or why this fam was in my house. The men got the power workin (apparently it was the fridge throwin everything off so now its unplugged, still no food), everyone but the fam looked like they were leaving so I grabbed the landladies arm and she tried to get the fam out. The mom wasn’t moving. They started argueing. The man got involved, they were yelling and trying to get me into it. It looked like a soap opera in my house. I was nervous and wasn’t letting go of the land ladies arm until that fam left. After 20 min of yelling they pushed everyone out of my door, literally. As soon as the mom was gone I broke down and cried. The landlady saw me came over and hugged me and said it’s ok (I think anyway) she tried to call my mentor teacher, who as usual didn’t pick up. I tried calling my coteacher but it just rang. It felt nice to be hugged though and to have someone yell at that mom and not leave me with her. The landlady said not to open the door if anyone knocks. I wrote a note to my neighbor askin her to come over when she got home and to speak in English so I’d know it’s her. About an hour after all that my neighbor came to the door and I started to tell her everything but started crying too. Then the landlady came over cuz my coteacher was on the phone and she said so sorry she can’t get here, and asked if I wanted to stay at the mentor teacher’s house and to be careful and she’d pray for me but I said I think I’m ok now that everyone knows what’s going on. The landlady said the mom was drunk, I think now she’s a drunkard. My neighbor said if I needed anything to get her but her bf was in town so she didn’t want to leave him. I said I was fine.

My power has stayed on since they left and I got a load washed but it started beeping and I checked it and they were still soaking wet so I sent them through again hoping that the last cycle was just messed up cuz the power got shut off half way thru. I’m still lonely and need ppl but I’m supposed to get picked up at 10am and taken to school. It’s 9:30 and still no knock on my door so I think I’ll be ok.

The older girl fought with me for 5 min about using my bathroom I said no but she tried to push the door closed on me, I pushed her out but she ran back in and went anyway. I think she clogged it cuz it hasn’t flushed right since she used it. I wanted the men to fix it while they were here but it hadn’t flushed and that’s too much embarrassment for one day.

So all in all I feel dumb for trusting ppl when I never would’ve been that trusting at home and letting them follow me home. I just felt so hurt that I’m so lonely and the people who were being the nicest to me stole from me and were so mean/disrespectful to my house. It sucks getting left and now I just want to go home and be super nice to all the ppl that come to A2! I’m still hurt and on the verge of tears and prolly will be until I get to spend time with ppl I know. This has been a hard day. I hope I have enough money to last until pay day! I cant wait to get internet!!!!!

The couch is what led to the destruction of modern man’s motivation.

There is a dominant gene in most humans that causes a strong upsetting emotion when we stay in bed all day. That gene is what causes us to justify the smallest action as an accomplishment, allowing us to return to our state of rest. Therefore, creating a place as similar too but different from the initial location and position is the best alternative, allowing our natural lethargic tendency to reign while also feeling a sense of achievement.

In layman’s terms: Most people hate stayin in bed all day but we like to be lazy. The invention of the couch allows us to lay around all day and do nothing (as if we had stayed in bed all day) but we’re not in bed, not even in the same room. So we feel like we’ve done something (gotten up and moved to a different room) when really we didn’t. And if our need to feel accomplished has been met than why do anything else.

Now that I don’t have a couch I’m finding all kinds of fun things to do, like spend and hour and a half dissecting and scrubbing the inside and outside of my fridge. I also spent at least another hour going through 100s of pictures on my computer. I reorganized and deleted some. I washed all the dishes that were left by the previous scholar, made a video of my house and finally went outside to get internet. My mentor teacher still hasn’t contacted me, nor have I gotten in touch with my mom. I did go down the street to see if I could find the fam from yesterday. I found their house but didn’t see anyone. I went to the place my mentor showed me the first day and managed to order Kimbop all by myself. I ate and watched youtube videos that Nate had on the ipod (I miss him). The meal was a dollar. Totally beats Subway! Then walked down a few new roads. I’ve been trying to cover a new block a day so I get used to my area. I found the police station and some kinda English classroom or something. And this really cute store that had everything cute in it! They had super cute earrings (I’m going back soon to buy a pair), hair clips, ties, bows, scarves, stuffed animals, pens, paper, notebooks, cups, hats, everything with cartoons and cute stuff on them. I bought notebooks for the kids down the street and a deck of cards for me.

I ran into the kids later (they were going to get ice cream). The fam took me out to dinner! In celebration of the mom and lil bro’s bday. The lil boy Kevin is 7 years old and is so so so cute! He laughs at everything. He held my hand the whole way to the restaurant and back. He pushed his sister out of the way so he could sit next to me. The girls played with me a lot too. They’re all so nice. We had bbq pork, really good, a ton of side dishes as usual and so much food! The kids kept eating ice cream and they got us all some when we finished eating. The dad got 2 bottles of soju that the three of us ‘adults’ polished off. On the way back I had to individually pinky promise the kids that I’d be at their house at 10am tomorrow for seaweed soup and cake lol. Happy Korean Birthday ! lol.

Orientation

We’re into the third week now and everyone is pretty tired… all the time. It seems like everytime we even think about the bus someone falls asleep. I haven’t had my camera because I’m letting my friend borrow it cuz I accidentally broke his. But he took lots of pics so I’m ok with it. But my computer is not connecting to the internet for some reason so I can’t post them online. My computer is 5 years old and I hope I don’t have problems with it next week when I’m in my own apartment. Katie got me on last nite so I could skype my mom. And I think I left my plug converter in the wall of the dorms so I don’t have that either. I can’t wait to get to my place and stop living out of a suitcase. Still haven’t gotten my bank card to work and I’m running out of money. Got 20,000 won left. About $20 bucks US. We went to visit the nuclear power plant, the beach, visit an elementary school and had lunch at a restaurant. The beach was the best! It felt so good to be in water again. It was supposed to be the king’s underwater tomb but idk about that. There were a few rocks but they looked pretty natural to me and it was supposed to be an important king. I think they would’ve had a museum or diagram or sign or something. People are starting to complain and be negative and it’s getting on my nerves. Luckily my friends aren’t but I had to sit in front of some complainers and it was annoying. The only thing I’ve said anything bad about is eatin BiBimBop for dinner…I’m still a lil upset about being force fed at the temple 2 weeks ago. It feels like we’ve been here for 2 months already. We’ve been so busy everyday. It’s good, we’ve learned and experienced a lot. I can’t wait to meet my co teacher on Tue and everything else that is to come.

First Thoughts on the apartment.

The apartment is nicer than I expected. It’s bigger than my friend’s in Seoul. Luckily it came with a bed, desk, nice chair, kitchen table with two chairs, two dressers, tv, tv stand with drawers, washer, AC, shoe cabinet and clean sheets and blankets. Alfredo left a mug, pot and pan, spatula and a few other things. He also broke the toilet seat and the shower head. The sink in the bathroom drains really slow so it always fills up the sink. The power doesn’t stay on for longer than an hour which is REALLY annoying. I can’t buy food because the fridge doesn’t get/stay cold. I asked the landlady and she said she was gonna fix it. They might have changed the box but it didn’t work.

The location is awesome! The people next door/or upstairs wake up at 6 and yell but that hasn’t bugged me yet, I fall back to sleep (after turning the power back on) downstairs is a old lady meeting area. Idk why or what its for but a crowd of old ladies block up the stairs getting in and out twice a day. A man talks on a mic for a while, they do karaoke and who knows what else then they get free stuff when they leave. The landlady has a restaurant downstairs, haven’t eaten there yet. There’s a convenient store 4 doors down which is awesome. There’s a dollar store down the block, another cheaper store on the next block and a market across the street! The bus station and taxis are also down the street and a bunch of other stores. And the bank is next to all that stuff too. I’ve walked in almost every direction and seen Naribongs and PC rooms and lots of places to eat.

I couldn’t get internet or a phone until I get my ARC so I have to sit outside on the street to pick up internet on my ipod. People stare at me but it’s ok. I made a friend yesterday. One girl stoped to stare at me and her mom pushed her to talk to me in English. One thing led to another and I ended up in their house being asked to teach the 3 kids in the house (age 13, 12 and 7). I also got invited to a birthday party on the 26^th of September. They have two hedgehogs one albino baby and the other is full grown, I think. I got to hold them and touch them, the mom poked all of us with a needle she pulled out and it hurt. They introduced me to another guy who spoke some English (he translated a lot of what we were saying) he owns a fried chicken place a few doors away from my place! He said I could come use his computer in the store any time. I think I’m going to visit them today. I have to check and see if anyone has emailed me.

My mentor teacher hasn’t contacted me since the day she dropped me off. Everyone else has visited their school and a few have internet and stuff set up. I don’t know what to do everyday or when school starts or anything.

I took the bus by myself yesterday to visit my coteacher at her university. It’s a Christian university. We ate in their cafeteria. There were a few international students and lots of English signs and stuff. She’s an RA. She told me they’re not allowed out of the building after 11pm. If they want to stay overnight they have to get written permission from her and they can only do it a few times a month! Besides that it seemed like a pretty cool school. The teachers stay on campus in apartment buildings just like dorms cuz it’s kinda far from any town. I think that’s how a lot of schools are out here though.

Well I’m going to scrub out my fridge. Alfredo didn’t do a very good job, it stinks when I open it and once my power starts working I wanna get food in here.