We've now been in Gwangju for a week, and I know you'll forgive us for waiting so long to describe our initial experiences. It has been a whirlwind of activity - no, scratch that - it has been a bipolar week of frenzied plans and panicked preparation punctuated by moments of synapse-coagulating boredom. The definite impression is that it will be this way most of the time.
Let me give you a run-down of my day at school today as an example. I arrived at school at 8:30 am, hurried down to the supply area to laminate some flash cards. Walking down the hallway, I jumped over students who had tripped and run into each other because they were staring at me and exclaiming, "Waaaaaaaa! You are so beautiful!" It's quite an ego boost, but I can't help but think how disenchanted they'll be once they get used to me. After that, I started my first class, dancing around the classroom and acting out the vocabulary. Between classes, there is a ten-minute break - much too long for unoccupied students who generally just wreak havoc for 9 1/2 minutes while the teachers desperately seek the relative serenity of the teacher's work area. I say relative serenity because students are constantly in the teacher's area, being rebuked or turning in assignments or finding another reason to come in and gape at the new foreign teacher. After this, three more classes follow in succession. By this time, it's time for lunch - an entire hour during which basically unsupervised children do whatever they want. On most days, the building starts to shake at a certain point. Several students were having a water balloon fight in the stairwell yesterday. There is something to check the madness - the students clean the school after school every day. If that's not a deterrent, I don't know what is.
After lunch, I have nothing to do for three more hours but surf the internet, read a book, or just stare at that brown spot on the wall to try to decipher what it could be. Thrilling.
When school ends, I head back to our cozy new home. We have all the necessities - stove, A/C, washer - but none of the luxuries that we're used to at home, like a microwave, a clothes dryer, or cheese. Our home is located just off a street that is named for the special dish that nearly every restaurant on that street sells, called ttukgalbi.
It's beef short ribs, chopped up, cooked up, and wrapped up in a lettuce leaf like a burrito. Good stuff.
We'll post pictures of our place soon. For now, rest assured in the fact that we're safe happy, and "beautiful teacher!"
Azure
When school ends, I head back to our cozy new home. We have all the necessities - stove, A/C, washer - but none of the luxuries that we're used to at home, like a microwave, a clothes dryer, or cheese. Our home is located just off a street that is named for the special dish that nearly every restaurant on that street sells, called ttukgalbi.
It's beef short ribs, chopped up, cooked up, and wrapped up in a lettuce leaf like a burrito. Good stuff.We'll post pictures of our place soon. For now, rest assured in the fact that we're safe happy, and "beautiful teacher!"
Azure
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3 comments:
It must be pretty cool to be considered a foreigner. I love reading this blog please keep it up! :) Miss you guys
Yeah, it's kinda weird. You feel like saying, "Hey, I'm not the foreigner, you all are! All 50 million of you!" Also, there's no way to hide the fact that you're not from here. It's not like you can keep your mouth shut and no one will ever guess.
Miss you too, momo! When you comin'?
A
That food looks scrumptious! I hope when I meet you you can cook it. If you do know how to make it, you should show me, and do those students of yours have email addresses? Because I would like to talk to them after they really get to to know you. All I have is Biased information about you from Dimples. I wonder if I am being deceived as much as you say those kids are. I hope you own up to your looks. I hate disappointments. And if you wondering why I am all of a sudden commenting on your blog, well I am in a library s'pose to be doing My senior project. Do they have those over there. Got any rooms you want to rent out. I can pay ya about 10 meals a week. I'm a pretty good cook though I say it my self. Just ask Dimples. =) (by the way this is Harrison again)
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