I will be spending the holiday weekend in a somewhat traditional manner with Christine's family (somewhere in Korea, I have no clue where). I will fill you in when I return back to Suji!
Remembering July 2009
15 years ago
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
My First Korean Holiday: Chuseok!
Chuseok is one of the most important holiday's in South Korea. It is comparable to Thanksgiving in the United States. Chuseok is a three day harvest festival where Koreans go back to their ancestral hometowns in celebration of the good harvest. Families make a large traditional Korean meal for the celebration.
Because of Chuseok we only had a three-day week at school. For the celebration all of the children dressed in their traditional Korean clothing and we made songpeyon ( or rice cakes but do not be fooled by the normal sounding name) which is one of the most important foods prepared and eaten during this time. The kids were absolutely adorable!!:) I have tried songpyeon before (I got some in a treat bag after one of my student's birthday parties) and it was O.K....but watching my students roll it all over the table, drop it on the ground, and stick it in their mouths- I have officially lost my appetite for songpeyon.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Hiking with 6 Year Olds
I experienced my very first field trip and it was quite a treat! The South Korean government has banned schools from taking indoor field trips due to the swine flu- so most of our field trips have been cancelled this year. Luckily, they still let us go hiking this week.
We assumed this hike would be more like a stroll since we were taking a bunch of five and six year olds. Boy were we wrong. Our first mistake was to think that hiking in the mountains would ever be easy with six year olds. Our second mistake was to believe that we would be able to follow the correct path and NOT go the wrong way...
The school asked the kids to wear there gym sweat suits on the field trip so that they would be easy to see. The sweat suits are gray and yellow and it was ridiculously hot. I am sure you can put two and two together, but to clarify- the sweat suits were soaked all the way through by the end of the hike:)
While on the nice "stroll" we took a wrong turn and ended up on a vertical climb. I could tell you stories all day long about this vertical climb- but to make a long story short we had 6 year olds sliding down the mountain all over the place. With their lack of hiking gear, their size, and the very narrow path- it was stressful (to say the least) trying to keep everyone safe. I had at least four children at any given moment grabbing my legs and under my arms. With the huge rocks, roots, and trees in our way- it was difficult for me to stay on my own feet without trying to get kids safely up the path. I was grabbing falling kids left and right- kids from my own class and kids from other classes-as their little feet slipped out from under them more times than you can imagine. AFTER we got to the top we realized we went the wrong way (figures) and then had to go back down. Going down was even more dangerous than going up, but everyone survived the trek.
I took some pictures but obviously wasn't able to capture the intensity of this hike. I felt it wasn't appropriate to grab for my camera instead of a kid when we were in the midst of the steep climb. I must say- hiking with a bunch of 6 year olds was a first for me!
The school asked the kids to wear there gym sweat suits on the field trip so that they would be easy to see. The sweat suits are gray and yellow and it was ridiculously hot. I am sure you can put two and two together, but to clarify- the sweat suits were soaked all the way through by the end of the hike:)
While on the nice "stroll" we took a wrong turn and ended up on a vertical climb. I could tell you stories all day long about this vertical climb- but to make a long story short we had 6 year olds sliding down the mountain all over the place. With their lack of hiking gear, their size, and the very narrow path- it was stressful (to say the least) trying to keep everyone safe. I had at least four children at any given moment grabbing my legs and under my arms. With the huge rocks, roots, and trees in our way- it was difficult for me to stay on my own feet without trying to get kids safely up the path. I was grabbing falling kids left and right- kids from my own class and kids from other classes-as their little feet slipped out from under them more times than you can imagine. AFTER we got to the top we realized we went the wrong way (figures) and then had to go back down. Going down was even more dangerous than going up, but everyone survived the trek.
I took some pictures but obviously wasn't able to capture the intensity of this hike. I felt it wasn't appropriate to grab for my camera instead of a kid when we were in the midst of the steep climb. I must say- hiking with a bunch of 6 year olds was a first for me!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Weekend adventures: Birthday Party, 5500-1, and Church
My love for my students (especially my kinders) grows and grows each and every day. I already love them like they are my own and I treat them that way too:) Each day of teaching brings new strides, new fall backs, new excitements, and new frustrations. I love getting up for work every single day.
Saturday Christine and I decided to venture in to Seoul for our first time without the help of other teachers. Most of the day was a huge success. We were able to take the bus in to Seoul and then get around on the Subway once we got there. It was out first time alone- and we were very pleased with our ability to get from place to place (the places we actually wanted to go!) so easily. We spent the day exploring large markets and browsing the shops. When it was time to come back to Suji we decided we wanted to try to take the bus because it is way more relaxing and less stressful than the Subway (if you get on the correct bus). We knew that the 5500 bus would take us back to Suji, but there was also a 5500-1, and 5500-2. We only saw a 5500-1, so we decided to just ask the bus driver if it went to Suji. We got on, said "Suji?" and he nodded. Good sign?! We thought so. I fell asleep instantly. For those of you who know me really well, you know I love bus rides and would rather sleep there than in my own bed. I knew Christine wouldn't sleep so I wasn't worried. After we had been driving for well over an hour (it should take between 40-50 minutes to get to Suji), Christine woke me up. We kept waiting for something to look familiar, but this was difficult since everything looks same same...but different. After awhile we realized that our surroundings were becoming more green with less people and buildings. Soon enough we started driving up in to the mountains. We were definitely not going to Suji.
Each place we stopped more people got off. Until it completely stopped and Christine and I were the only people on the bus. We had hit the end of the line and the bus driver was yelling at us in Korean. We walked up to the front of the bus and tried to talk to him but he didn't speak a lick of English. He wrote us a note on a post-it in Korean and pointed out another bus stop. We assumed (but still don't know) that he wrote us a note to give to the next bus driver.
To our surprise when we got off the bus we were on a gorgeous college campus. Trees and greenery surrounded us. We were part way up a mountain and it was amazing. Unfortunately that's not where we wanted to be and weren't really sure how to get home.
We went to the only bus stop in the area and got back on the 5500-1 going the opposite way. We figured out that the bus would not go to Suji but it would go to a town near Suji called Jukjeon. We gave the bus driver our note and told him Jukjeon. Unfortunately he was a very unfriendly, unhappy man. Rather than tell us to get off the bus when we were in Jukjeon, he turned around to us AFTER we passed the stop and basically told us we just missed Jukjeon and he laughed. What a jerk. He was supposed to tell us BEFORE the stop, not after. We got off at the next stop, walked a ways, and was able to find the bus station and catch a different bus to Suji. Lets just say our 40 min trip turned in to about 3 1/2 hours. With all the numbers in the world you would think if buses were going on completely different routes, they would have completely different numbers. I guess not. We do not regret anything that happened, because it ended up being very funny and we learned a lot. We now know that the 5500-1 will not take us to Suji. Lesson Learned.
This morning, Christine and I were able to make it back to church; a place where we already feel attached. This church is the first place in Korea where I have really felt a connection to the Korean people and this country. So much of my time here has been spent thinking about the differences between what I am used to, and what I am experiencing now. Everything just seems so different and unrelatable. But when I worship at this church, singing very familiar songs next to a person singing the exact same song in a different language, God's presence is all I feel and think about. When we walk in to the sanctuary, a place of worship, it doesn't matter where anyone is from, what foods people eat, or what languages people speak, our hearts are all in the same place. I am starting to find comfort and familiarity in this country, and for that I am very thankful.
This past Friday I had the luxury of experiencing my first birthday party in school. When a student has a birthday all the other kids in the class bring presents, and we take an hour out of the school day to have a party. The mom of the child with the birthday (and a few other mom's) make/buy more food than you can imagine and bring it in to school. We sing and we eat and open presents. It is magical. I love this aspect of school life here, and I also love that it is acceptable to make home-made foods and bring them to school:) yumm.
Each place we stopped more people got off. Until it completely stopped and Christine and I were the only people on the bus. We had hit the end of the line and the bus driver was yelling at us in Korean. We walked up to the front of the bus and tried to talk to him but he didn't speak a lick of English. He wrote us a note on a post-it in Korean and pointed out another bus stop. We assumed (but still don't know) that he wrote us a note to give to the next bus driver.
To our surprise when we got off the bus we were on a gorgeous college campus. Trees and greenery surrounded us. We were part way up a mountain and it was amazing. Unfortunately that's not where we wanted to be and weren't really sure how to get home.
We went to the only bus stop in the area and got back on the 5500-1 going the opposite way. We figured out that the bus would not go to Suji but it would go to a town near Suji called Jukjeon. We gave the bus driver our note and told him Jukjeon. Unfortunately he was a very unfriendly, unhappy man. Rather than tell us to get off the bus when we were in Jukjeon, he turned around to us AFTER we passed the stop and basically told us we just missed Jukjeon and he laughed. What a jerk. He was supposed to tell us BEFORE the stop, not after. We got off at the next stop, walked a ways, and was able to find the bus station and catch a different bus to Suji. Lets just say our 40 min trip turned in to about 3 1/2 hours. With all the numbers in the world you would think if buses were going on completely different routes, they would have completely different numbers. I guess not. We do not regret anything that happened, because it ended up being very funny and we learned a lot. We now know that the 5500-1 will not take us to Suji. Lesson Learned.
This morning, Christine and I were able to make it back to church; a place where we already feel attached. This church is the first place in Korea where I have really felt a connection to the Korean people and this country. So much of my time here has been spent thinking about the differences between what I am used to, and what I am experiencing now. Everything just seems so different and unrelatable. But when I worship at this church, singing very familiar songs next to a person singing the exact same song in a different language, God's presence is all I feel and think about. When we walk in to the sanctuary, a place of worship, it doesn't matter where anyone is from, what foods people eat, or what languages people speak, our hearts are all in the same place. I am starting to find comfort and familiarity in this country, and for that I am very thankful.
Here is a clip of my Kindergargten class singing during arts and crafts time!
From my heart to yours,
Shauna
same same...but different.
A common phrase Koreans use in daily conversation is "same same...but different." It took me awhile to understand the relevance if this phrase...but lately we have been finding this phrase helpful. When you are asking how to get to a specific store-- someone will ask you to go to a place you are familiar with (go to the corner by the school) then they will tell you to go down two blocks and take a right, and the store is right there. They will conclude the sentence with it's same same...but different. And they are so right. It literally looks EXACTLY the same as the corner you are familiar with (the corner by school). It has the exact same stores around it and the colors of the buildings are the exact same, however, you are in a different location. This phrase has become very familiar to us. Riding on the bus from Suji to Seoul, everything looks same same...but different.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
No Day But Today
This past weekend I had the opportunity to see the musical RENT in Seoul with several co-workers (yes it was in English). Even though I had previously seen it at least five times it was more amazing than ever. RENT has a way of putting my life back in to perspective and helps keep me grounded. If you have not seen it, I strongly encourage it. While it is very difficult to watch at times, it portrays real life- the real life that fortunately most of us do not have to experience on a regular basis- but a life that is reality for many, nonetheless. There truly is no day but today.
After a great relaxing weekend of feeling like I have so much to be grateful for; Sunday brought one more blessing after another. Before coming to South Korea Christine and I both expressed an interest in finding a church to attend for the year. As soon as we got here the teacher I replaced, Amanda, told us about the church she went to while living here. On her last night in Suji she verbally told us the bus to take to get to the church, the street where the bus stop is, where to get off the bus, and walking directions from the bus station to the church. None of us had anything to write with-so we decided we were going to try and just remember. This was two or three weeks ago. On Sunday, Christine and I decided we wanted to try and find it. Sunday was our first time attempting to go somewhere on our own, without other teachers. We were excited. Christine remembered the bus number and the street where it picks up. I remembered the building we needed to get off the bus at and the length of the bus ride. Christine remembered some of the walking directions from the bus to the church and I remembered others. Great teamwork.
After a great relaxing weekend of feeling like I have so much to be grateful for; Sunday brought one more blessing after another. Before coming to South Korea Christine and I both expressed an interest in finding a church to attend for the year. As soon as we got here the teacher I replaced, Amanda, told us about the church she went to while living here. On her last night in Suji she verbally told us the bus to take to get to the church, the street where the bus stop is, where to get off the bus, and walking directions from the bus station to the church. None of us had anything to write with-so we decided we were going to try and just remember. This was two or three weeks ago. On Sunday, Christine and I decided we wanted to try and find it. Sunday was our first time attempting to go somewhere on our own, without other teachers. We were excited. Christine remembered the bus number and the street where it picks up. I remembered the building we needed to get off the bus at and the length of the bus ride. Christine remembered some of the walking directions from the bus to the church and I remembered others. Great teamwork.
We got to the bus stop and saw the numbers of the bus we needed on the sign. Even though we couldn't read the bus stops, we decided to just trust that we remembered the bus number correctly. The bus eventually came and we got on asking the bus driver if we were on the correct bus by telling him where we were going, but he did not understand of course. I remembered Amanda saying it might take 45 minutes so we knew we needed to be patient. We were told to get off the bus when we saw a mall called Premium Outlets. We frantically searched the area each time the bus stopped. Forty-five minutes later, almost exactly, Christine heard the bus driver say Premium Outlets very quickly and quietly right in the middle of many Korean words. We flew out of our seats and got off without even thinking. Once we got off- nothing looked familiar according to the directions we remembered Amanda telling us. So we just stood there- looking around trying to see if something would jog our memory. But of course, to me, everything in Korea looks the same so nothing did. Out of the blue and man and his wife tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I was by any chance going to church. YES! It was as if God was with us the entire time; leading us right there. I mean what are the odds and how the heck did they know?
They told is they would show us how to get there. It was a good fifteen minute walk. A fifteen minute walk Christine and I would not have been able to figure out on our own. Without that lovely couple we never would have found it and would have had to go back to Suji where we started. God truly works in so many remarkable ways. What a blessing. The church was located in a school and there were so many friendly, English speaking faces. It was a very comfortable, and very welcoming atmosphere. So many people introduced themselves, and we received a bag including candy, a coffee mug, and other goodies because it was out first time. The first half of the service was worship and then the Pastor gave a sermon. It was wonderful, especially since we did it on our own (sort of). I honestly feel like God's hands were literally on my shoulders the entire morning guiding my body in the right direction. There were so many steps along the way that were unclear- it is truly fantastic that we were even able to make it to that church.
Work is going great this week. My biggest problems in my kindergarten class are making lines to walk in the hallway or go to the bathroom, following directions, saying "r's" and "l's", whining, tattletales, and asking to go to the bathroom RIGHT after the bathroom break....yup I think I covered them all:) My biggest problem with my older kids is getting them to do all of their homework. Most of them do, but some really struggle. I was in a very good mood today, though, because I received fantastic essays from my third graders. I had to explain my first big essay last Thursday so I was hoping they would write great essays and show my supervisors that I explained the assignment well. The essay was a pro/con essay about wearing school uniforms. They made me one very happy Shauna Teacher today:)
Love love love,
shauna
Work is going great this week. My biggest problems in my kindergarten class are making lines to walk in the hallway or go to the bathroom, following directions, saying "r's" and "l's", whining, tattletales, and asking to go to the bathroom RIGHT after the bathroom break....yup I think I covered them all:) My biggest problem with my older kids is getting them to do all of their homework. Most of them do, but some really struggle. I was in a very good mood today, though, because I received fantastic essays from my third graders. I had to explain my first big essay last Thursday so I was hoping they would write great essays and show my supervisors that I explained the assignment well. The essay was a pro/con essay about wearing school uniforms. They made me one very happy Shauna Teacher today:)
Love love love,
shauna
Thursday, September 10, 2009
nonsense.
Things I have learned in the last two weeks...
*The elevator at school does not show what floor you are on inside the elevator. I frequently get off on the wrong floor. By the time I realize that I am on the wrong floor, the doors are already closed.
*One of my kinder Mom's wrote me a note and told me she wanted to give me a "hearty welcome to Korea!"
*Every morning I can count on cracking my head on the flight bulb in my bathroom. No matter how many times I remind myself, it never fails...
*Koreans are obsessed with the Swine Flu. Schools are shutting down all over Korea. However, it is still acceptable for the secretaries to feed every child in the school cake during their bathroom break...using the same fork for everyone. It is also acceptable for a teacher to teach when they are sick- they just need to tell the students/parents their stomach is feeling a little upset from lunch if they ask!
*Kids have indoor shoes that they keep at school during the week. They walk to school in their outdoor shoes. In Friday's they take their indoor shoes home to be washed.
*No matter how often I tell my kids to never start a sentence with "Me" the do it all day long, non-stop. Now I don't even let them finish if I hear them say me, because I know the only thing that will come after the word me is ....need help, ...hit someone but it wasn't my fault, or ...go to the bathroom please.
*Every day I have to write all of my kinder's names on the board for our sticker system. Apparently it's not okay to write their names with a red marker as it's a sign of death and communism. I learned that the hard way..
*The belief that Kimchi grows on you the more you eat it is a myth. Complete myth.
*Ramen is a universal food- not just a college students life-line.
*Apparently my kinder Sean always has reasons for his reactions. He would never hit someone for no reason at all, according to his Mother. I guess since he has a reason, then it's okay..
*It is not appropriate to talk while riding on any form of public transportation.
--Challenge--Try to teach a 6 year old Korean child what it means to think when they don't understand any form of the word. Just try.
*The elevator at school does not show what floor you are on inside the elevator. I frequently get off on the wrong floor. By the time I realize that I am on the wrong floor, the doors are already closed.
*One of my kinder Mom's wrote me a note and told me she wanted to give me a "hearty welcome to Korea!"
*Every morning I can count on cracking my head on the flight bulb in my bathroom. No matter how many times I remind myself, it never fails...
*Koreans are obsessed with the Swine Flu. Schools are shutting down all over Korea. However, it is still acceptable for the secretaries to feed every child in the school cake during their bathroom break...using the same fork for everyone. It is also acceptable for a teacher to teach when they are sick- they just need to tell the students/parents their stomach is feeling a little upset from lunch if they ask!
*Kids have indoor shoes that they keep at school during the week. They walk to school in their outdoor shoes. In Friday's they take their indoor shoes home to be washed.
*No matter how often I tell my kids to never start a sentence with "Me" the do it all day long, non-stop. Now I don't even let them finish if I hear them say me, because I know the only thing that will come after the word me is ....need help, ...hit someone but it wasn't my fault, or ...go to the bathroom please.
*Every day I have to write all of my kinder's names on the board for our sticker system. Apparently it's not okay to write their names with a red marker as it's a sign of death and communism. I learned that the hard way..
*The belief that Kimchi grows on you the more you eat it is a myth. Complete myth.
*Ramen is a universal food- not just a college students life-line.
*Apparently my kinder Sean always has reasons for his reactions. He would never hit someone for no reason at all, according to his Mother. I guess since he has a reason, then it's okay..
*It is not appropriate to talk while riding on any form of public transportation.
--Challenge--Try to teach a 6 year old Korean child what it means to think when they don't understand any form of the word. Just try.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Seoul Bus Tour
Yesterday London, Britney, Christine, and I had the pleasure of spending the day with Christine's uncle who lives in South Korea. He married a Korean woman when he was teaching at a University here about 3 years after he graduated college. He lived here for almost 4 years when he came the first time, so he knows the language and the culture very well. Him and his wife now live in Virginia where he is an English professor. He has come back to Korea on a special grant, and he is here teaching here for 10 months. 
It was so much fun spending a day with someone who understands the language and is very knowledgeable about Korean customs!He took the four of us girls on the Seoul City Bus Tour. It was very fun because we got to see a lot of places in the city and it helped us to acclimate ourselves to the city and get a feel for where things are, and where we might want to spend more time exploring. 
We spent a lot of the day asking him about new foods we should try (we can't read any menus so we only know how to order a very select number of dishes), how to find certain things, and how the heck to to function in a place where we can't read or speak the language. He was not only extremely helpful, but warm, caring, and so very generous with his time. I really hope I will be able to spend more time with him!
We spent a lot of the day asking him about new foods we should try (we can't read any menus so we only know how to order a very select number of dishes), how to find certain things, and how the heck to to function in a place where we can't read or speak the language. He was not only extremely helpful, but warm, caring, and so very generous with his time. I really hope I will be able to spend more time with him!
Some of the things we saw were...The War Memorial of Korea, The N Seoul Tower (if you look in the picture on the front of my blog, its the big tower up on the mountain), Deoksugung Palace, the National Museum of Korea, and the Gyeongbokgung Place (now please don't ask me if I'm learning the language: I can't even read the words written in English. I am sure you can only imagine what the look like in Korean).
While I haven't yet fallen in love with this place, I have fallen in love with my job and the people I have met. I feel so blessed to have met so many wonderful people already, and my kids at school are just one big hoot after another. Kids in general say the most ridiculous things, so I am sure you can only imagine what kids say when they only know a few English words:) When I have more time I will let you in on my favorite phrases.
sending you all so much love,
shauna
Saturday, September 5, 2009
My Apartment!
I love my apartment. Compared to what some other teacher apartments look like, I feel very lucky! There are some things that will take some getting used t0- but nothing I can't handle. My biggest challenge right now is showering. As you can see, I do not have an actual shower. I just have a shower head that comes out of the sink. Due to the fact that my ceilings are only about 5 feet high, I can't even stand up in the bathroom. My showering experience consists of my crouching on the slippery tile, using one arm to hold the shower head, and the other to balance myself on the sink. This is not an enjoyable experience to say the least- but it works. I have never appreciated having a shower that I am able to stand up tall in more than I do now. 
My Shower
Apparently they made this bathroom for a person shorter than 5 feet!
Goofy little washer
The kitchen was also made for someone very short. I have to duck while I am cooking!
Please do not be deceived. The bed is as hard as a brick!
A lot of random furniture
Standing in the doorway
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Culture Shock
“Sometimes you just have to take the leap, and build your wings on the way down.”
(Kobi Yamada)
This past week I have spent a lot of my down time reflecting on the events, people, and beliefs that brought me to this place-South Korea-to teach small children. One minute I find myself questioning where God is leading me, and the next He reveals His love for me in a way to me that fills my heart with unquestionable doubt that I made the right decision. After a very stressful first day of work and grocery store experience, I was stopped by a huge bus and was not able to get around it. Right as my frustration was building I looked up and all I could see above the bus was the bright light of a cross. All of the churches here have big lit crosses that stick up from the building. It was just what I needed.
Last Monday (my first day of teaching) was my first emotional, almost meltdown moment. I had been teaching kids for 8 hours straight. I got done with work at 7, and had to go home to an apartment with no food. I decided I needed to brave my first grocery store experience. I can now laugh at the situation, but in the moment the experience was not enjoyable. I went to the large shopping center called Lotte Mart that is about 6 to 8 blocks away from my place. Lotte Mart is like a Super Target times 7. It has 6 or 7 floors, and each floor is the size of one Super Target. The grocery store is the whole first floor. After spending two hours in Lotte Mart walking up and down the aisles ( similar to grocery shopping at cub) I realized I had only been able to identify about 20 items. I felt exhausted and truly helpless. I just wanted some fruits and vegetables, stuff to make sandwiches for lunches, and some easy dinners. I had no idea how difficult that was going to be. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING was in English. The only exception were the few items imported from the U.S. and they were outrageously expensive. I walked down aisle after aisle looking at malt o meal sized bags of dried fish (eyeballs and all). There were sections of bugs-straight up larvae and beetles. Huge tanks of eels and octopus and the largest fish I have ever seen surrounded me no matter where I was. I walked through the entire "meat" section (i think it was meat) and could only find one kind of lunch meat (ham), in the smallest packages, and at a very high price. For the most part, however, most things were unidentifiable, and I had no idea which prices went with which item (especially in the produce section) because it was all in Korean. Needless to say I found enough food to survive on, but I wasn't able to get milk or anything real heavy because I could only buy as much as I could carry. The best thing that came out of that sitaution was that I now know what to expect. I feel very hopeful that my next grocery store experience will be less traumatic. I do have a feeling, though, that I will only have 1 or 2 meals that I will make repeatedly for an entire year.
(Kobi Yamada)
This past week I have spent a lot of my down time reflecting on the events, people, and beliefs that brought me to this place-South Korea-to teach small children. One minute I find myself questioning where God is leading me, and the next He reveals His love for me in a way to me that fills my heart with unquestionable doubt that I made the right decision. After a very stressful first day of work and grocery store experience, I was stopped by a huge bus and was not able to get around it. Right as my frustration was building I looked up and all I could see above the bus was the bright light of a cross. All of the churches here have big lit crosses that stick up from the building. It was just what I needed.
Last Monday (my first day of teaching) was my first emotional, almost meltdown moment. I had been teaching kids for 8 hours straight. I got done with work at 7, and had to go home to an apartment with no food. I decided I needed to brave my first grocery store experience. I can now laugh at the situation, but in the moment the experience was not enjoyable. I went to the large shopping center called Lotte Mart that is about 6 to 8 blocks away from my place. Lotte Mart is like a Super Target times 7. It has 6 or 7 floors, and each floor is the size of one Super Target. The grocery store is the whole first floor. After spending two hours in Lotte Mart walking up and down the aisles ( similar to grocery shopping at cub) I realized I had only been able to identify about 20 items. I felt exhausted and truly helpless. I just wanted some fruits and vegetables, stuff to make sandwiches for lunches, and some easy dinners. I had no idea how difficult that was going to be. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING was in English. The only exception were the few items imported from the U.S. and they were outrageously expensive. I walked down aisle after aisle looking at malt o meal sized bags of dried fish (eyeballs and all). There were sections of bugs-straight up larvae and beetles. Huge tanks of eels and octopus and the largest fish I have ever seen surrounded me no matter where I was. I walked through the entire "meat" section (i think it was meat) and could only find one kind of lunch meat (ham), in the smallest packages, and at a very high price. For the most part, however, most things were unidentifiable, and I had no idea which prices went with which item (especially in the produce section) because it was all in Korean. Needless to say I found enough food to survive on, but I wasn't able to get milk or anything real heavy because I could only buy as much as I could carry. The best thing that came out of that sitaution was that I now know what to expect. I feel very hopeful that my next grocery store experience will be less traumatic. I do have a feeling, though, that I will only have 1 or 2 meals that I will make repeatedly for an entire year.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
First Week of Teaching
I haven't written for a few days because my heart has been heavy with some anxiety due to my first week of work, and my body has been very exhausted. I wanted to get past the first few days of teaching before I wrote to you. The week started out rough; a lot of new things happened all at once. My first day of teaching went as well as could have been expected- but it was a hectic day. I had a stack of books about three feet high on my desk, and it took a long time to figure out what I was teaching, exactly, and when. Now that I have almost made it through a whole week, I feel much more confident.
Schedule:
Monday-Friday:
-10am to 2:30pm I teach Kindergarten
Monday-Friday: Most teachers then teach a class from 2:30-4. My class was cancelled because not enough students enrolled. I will start teaching a class October 1st, it will be an advanced kindergarten reading class.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday:
-4:00-4:45 I teach a class called StoryTown 1.5. It is a reading class.
-4:50-5:35 I teach the same class again
-5:40-6:20 I teach a different reading class and a writing class.
Tuesday, Thursday:
-4:00-4:50 I teach Social Studies and Essay Writing
-5:00-5:50 I have prep time
-6:00-6:50 I teach StoryTown 2.1
I have ten Kindergarten students, and that is the max. class size. My kinders are the cutest things ever, but I feel like all I do is reprimand them. They are very rambunctious and wild. I spend most of my time disciplining them.
**The school goes by a sticker system. In every class the teacher writes all the names on the board and people get "stickers" or a star drawn by their name when the do something positive, and kids can also get stickers taken away. The kids are ruled by the stickers, even though the aren't real stickers- its great. At the end of the day the fill in a chart of how many stickers they received-once the whole chart is full they get an actual big sticker that they put on their notebooks. **
In Kindergarten we have a special greeting every morning, we go over the date and weather, we have show and tell, and they learn one new "daily expression." For example, today's expression was "Can I have it, please?" We have story time, and then depending on the day they have 15 minutes in the play gym (like a McDonald's play place) or music time etc.
Then we do about an hour and a half of work books and phonics (brutal). This week we learned rooms (living room, bathroom, etc..) and we learned
other parts of the house (garage, chimney, garden, yard, mailbox). We also learned questions such as "Where do you take a shower?" and responses like "I take a shower in the bathroom." They are working on the long the vowel a and the long vowel o (gate, cake, tape, vote...). After lunch there is more work time, and then a special activity like science, art, or more phonics.
All of my afternoon classes are completely different. Social Studies is my favorite, though. We just finished a chapter on the 3 branches of government, and today we talked about ambassadors, treaties, Nelson Mandela, and the U.N.
I love my kids and I love all of the other teachers. I already know I will have great days at work and very terrible days (just like any job), but I am so excited nonetheless. I feel like I am already falling in to the routine of my schedule, and I love the fact that no day is predictable when you are a teacher. I love how kids say and ask the funniest things, especially when English is not their first language, and I don't think "Shauna Teacher" will ever get old.
I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support over the last two weeks. I miss everyone very much and appreciate all the love I am receiving. I never knew it would be possible to feel such a strong love from people that are so far away from me.
I will post a few pictures on here- if you want to see more I will post them all on Facebook.
Love always,
Shauna
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