Our New Home

Well, we are in our new apartment. Finally! It is small, but it is new and clean. So, I am happy. I am at my school, but I will not start teaching until next week. The first day was very interesting. Once you walk into the building you take off your shoes and wear the slippers that are provided to you, I met my new Co-teacher. Her name is Jeong Jung. She is very nice, but I don’t think she knows what to do with me, so she makes me stay in the 6th grade teacher room while she runs around and sets up the classroom.

Since it was the first day of school for the year there was a Welcoming Assembly. So, I was called up in front of all the kids and introduced. I have no idea what the principal said about me, but I just smiled and noddedJ In the middle of the day there was a staff meeting. I had no idea what they said, and once again I had to stand up and be introduced. I said I was from California and they laughed. I said I was a teacher and they cheered. But when I said I was only staying for a year they grunted. The principal was saying things about me when I was standing there and everybody was laughing (I felt like I was in my awkward stages of middle school again).
After the meeting the school staff went out to lunch. We had spicy duck soup and other spicy side dishes. We sat on the floor. There was soju. The principal wanted to make sure I was drinking. Luckily my co teacher poured water into my shot glass when the principal was not looking. He said something and we cheered. Then the principal called me over to sit with him. He poured me a shot in his shot glass (there was no getting out of this one). I drank it. Then I was guided to pour him a shot and he drank it. He said, “Soju make you happy.” I guess it is a common Korean custom. It means we are friends now and we respect each other. I think???

Jayson actually had to teach the first day. On Friday his co teacher gave him the address to his school and told him to take a taxi there. This made him a little nervous, but he made it there alright. Soon he will learn the bus system or maybe even walk to or from school. For now he will stick with the Taxi. He has rowdy middle school boys. The old English teacher is still there, but he still made Jayson teach. Jayson did an introductory lesson about himself and made a game out of it. He quizzed the kids at the end of each class. Good Job Jayson. He ate cafeteria food. For the teachers it’s kinda like buffet style, where you get to pick what you want to eat. He liked the food, but we were both very hungry when we got home, so we had McDonalds. Bad bad bad.

Like I said our apartment is small. There is just one room for bedroom and living room. There is a very small kitchen, with a mini fridge/freezer and there is no oven. Koreans do not have ovens in their homes. The first day we had to share a twin size bed because they were in the process of getting a new one. So, yesterday they took the twin bed, but we didn’t get our new bed, so we had to sleep on the wood floor. Most Koreans sleep on the floor, so they didn’t see it as any problem. So, we just smiled and nodded. Hopefully we will get a bed today.

So, all is good and I think we have had some major culture shock. We will get use to it. I can’t wait to start teaching. I am so bored of staring at a computer all day. All in all, everyone we meet is very nice and helpful and it is a great experience!