Photo on the left: Mr. Park, his son Eric, and David (the English teacher from Nova Scotia) at General Douglas MacArthur Memorial. Right: Chinatown in Incheon. Left below: Mr. Park on a hike with walking stick, the trails adorned with colorful lanterns on a beautiful October day.
Sunday the director and her family took me and David, another English teacher who is from Nova Scotia, to an island called Khwanwa. I've probably misspelled it but that is easy to do since translation of Korean to English changes the letters frequently. Anyway, we had one meal on the island, traditional Korean food, of course. Then another meal in "China town" which was supposed to be Chinese but started with kim chi (as does every meal here).
That is one thing here that seems very different than back home. Folks eat so quickly that I have barely put a dent in my hunger by the time they are done and ready to leave. I see that my style is to eat slowly and to use the time together to communicate and connect. I've learned to shut up and shovel food in so I get enough to eat. I'm sure I've lost several pounds as a result, which I'm grateful for but it is a habit I will want to unlearn once I get home, I bet.
The traffic was thick on the way back and forth (due to the fact that it was the weekend and everybody else wanted to hang out on the island as well) so I was able to get a few good shots of the country-side, outside of the city, while in traffic on the way home. There was a festival on the island so I got some shots of the musicians and dancers, all high school students.
Still haven't been able to get photos of the city but your patience will pay off later. I'm not as intimidated about the possibility of driving here as I have been in other countries I've traveled to in the last year (Malta, Italy, Switzerland), probably due to the fact that Koreans drive on the same side of the street as Americans do. I am confused by the way they drive though-making lots of U turns (and going through red lights and other surprising things). I've decided that this is to avoid left hand turns. I recall my Aunt saying that left-hand turns were hard for her when she started driving after 40 years of age. Here most streets are 10 lanes wide, if you can imagine that (my friends in Sebastopol)! Perhaps that is what lends the feeling of Paris to Incheon? The intersections are massive and expansive but they lack the statues/art of Paris.
I'm celebrating that I bought a bicycle. It is one that folds in half and I'll be able to take it on the subway with me and hope to use it to get around town, as soon as I'm able. New, it only cost me $100 bucks so that seemed like a good investment in my freedom, my health, and efficient use of my time getting back and forth to work.
Had a health check on Friday, in preparation for my visit to the immigration office to get my green or alien card. They took an x-ray of my chest, measured and weighed me, checked my eyes (and were impressed with my far-sightedness) took a few samples of blood, a urine sample, and interviewed me (which consisted of the doctor asking me if I have any health problems). Reah, the director of the school that hired me and who I am staying with, took me to the hospital for this. She was able to translate and fill out the paperwork for me. When she was asked to wait outside, while I got undressed, the x-ray techs struggled with English to communicate what was needed. But between the two of them remembering English words and me repeating back to them what they were asking, we managed.
It's been a week now and I have been to school to teach only four times so far. I seem to know most of my 43 students names though, or I'm getting closer anyway. The curriculum is fairly well laid out and fun to teach and I have four different levels of students and ages out of the six classes so I am enjoying the diversity. Especially the singing and pronunciation. But when the children speak in Korean, I am lost. I hear that I will be teaching alone two days/week and the other teacher will be teaching alone two days/week soon but don't know when that will start or how I will swing that. I hope to meet some more English teachers and pick their brains about it sooner than later.
The students are so cute. They all bow to me, to show respect, and call out "hello teacher" and "good-bye teacher". They are enthusiastic about learning and I'm amazed at how different they are from each other. I feel like a celebrity at school where children can't wait to greet me and ask me where I'm from. I believe I'm the only foreigner at this school, even though there is another English program. My program is called Sesame Street and the school is very well supplied with tools and I even have my own computer in the office that Lexy and I share.
Another night, I encounter the first food that I just could not eat. It was (not dog) sliced pigs ears. Listening to the sound it made while Eric chomped was enough for me! I have tried many new foods though...octopus (in many shapes and flavorings), Korean corn on the cob (which is more like rice than corn), kim chi made from every known vegetable (dill pickles, octopus, radishes of many types, squash, leaves, etc.), and so many things I can't tell you because I don't even know the names of them!
Looking forward to moving into my own place tomorrow, going to the immigration office (all my health tests results are back now), and learning how to ride the subway. Will let you know how it goes.
I'm having technical difficulties with the photos right now but will try again soon.
Love you and miss you all,
Terri
No comments:
Post a Comment