New and different wonders to experience here in Korea!

So many new and different wonders to experience here in Korea!  I have two new Korean Elementary schools that I work in, a new home and community and many new interesting places to travel beyond my community in Chungju.

Korea schools are not so different from American schools. In many ways thy are similar.  

Teachers in both places have expectations for their co workers and students. Korean and American students decide whether meeting the expectations is an infliction or a pleasure. I am really proud to say that in my two schools I have staff and students that really care about what we are doing and even I (though not Korean) am meeting the expectations here. I love my job!  Teaching English as a second language is difficult but we have lots of technology, a national curriculum, and multiple resources that are available online. We make it fun. One thing that amazes me is the Korean drive for competition. They will do anything if there’s a chance they can win. I have multiple contests and competition going in every class. Hey, if you find something that helps kids engage, I say DO IT!! 

Another thing that Koreans love to do is eat! We eat together at every opportunity. SO far, I have worked for 2 weeks and have been out to lunch or dinner 3 times with staff and they are always dragging me down the hall to their office for cha or tea and sometime coffee. The other morning I was offered tea and when I arrived there several other staff members in the office and everyone brought a dish to pass. This was at 8:30 before school started. We had kimbob, soup, apples and a choice of tea or coffee. I had already eaten breakfast so I had to pass. This week I will return the offer and bring a delicious treat to share with the morning coffee clotch. This school is out in the country where probably most of the ingredients for the dishes was grown locally. All the way to work I look out the window at the beautiful landscape, rolling green wooded mountains, peach and apple orchards and rice fields along the river that runs alongside the road. Some mornings there are small fishing boats on the river. It’s so historically Asian. I hope you get the picture.  Soon the leaves will be changing and I am told, it is truly amazing. 

This week is Chuseok.  Chuseok is a kind of cross between memorial day and thanksgiving. The family comes together from far and near bring gifts of food for a feast and to pay respect to the ancestors. The Korean tradition dress is sometime worn to dinner.  I had a 4 day weekend and made plans to travel early. My friends and I went to a mountain destination in the North East called Sokcho and went hiking at Seoraksan Mt. The weather was very rainy for the first 2 days, but cleared up beautifully for our hike and on the last day, we were able to see the sun and  get a short swim in the sea. I can’t leave out my newest naked experience at the Jjimjilbangs or Korean bath house. In these wonderful, hot spring spas the women and men are divided into separate areas and it is explained that it’s mandatory for clothes to be removed, completely removed for entrance in to the pools and saunas. It’s part of the fun to sit near a water spray and take a good scrub with soap as well. If you have some extra money you could have someone do the work for you and have a massage afterwards. I did it myself this time and no massage.  Oh, I felt so good afterwards. 

Needless to say most of our meals were seafood. No complains from me. I had the best squid potato pancakes. I didn’t think they would taste good, but I really liked it better than the plain potato pancakes. Squid is very popular here along with octopus and fish, lots and lots of fish. Koreans put fish in to dishes where you would not expect to find them, like in a caramelized almond dish that I had for lunch one day at school.  hmmm?

We took a train, a bus and a taxi to finally arrive at our destination, the House Hostile. It’s rightly named. The man that owned it converted his house into a sort of bed and breakfast. It was a lovely place, very homey and we spent a lot of time socializing with teachers working in Korea from all over the world. Some have just arrived like me and others have been in Korea for years. It was very fun and interesting to go around to the various places with complete strangers that so quickly become your friends. This happens mainly because the world is a teeny tiny place full of people just like you and me.  The mystery is simply that we have not all been introduced, yet. 

If it sounds like I’m having a great time, you’re right. I am, and I have no complaints to share yet at all, except that I am not enjoying this with all of you, other than through this journal. Please keep reading, making comments and please keep in touch.