One Week In...

So it has been just over a week since I moved to HongSeong and one week ago today that I started teaching. Hurrah! Let's see if I can do it 51 more times.

Korea has brought plenty of surprises but the culture shock for which I prepared so much in my last days in America... it hasn't been nearly as bad as I had expected. Most of the surprises were positive.

For instance, the first thing I like about Korea is the landscape. ChungCheongNam is very mountainous and beautiful. (The rest of Korea may also be very mountainous but my experience is limited to ChungNam at the moment). Apparently there is a mountain very near where I live which people hike for exercise. I am so game.

(I just think the mountains around here are just beautiful.)

I went to downtown HongSeong the other weekend which was an adventure-- because I got lost on my way back and ended up getting a ride from a complete stranger. It didn't end up in me getting killed in a shotgun shack in the middle of nowhere so it was a good day. I even got lunch at my new favorite restaurant.

(I don't know the place's name but the owner recognizes me now so it's all good)

Teaching is a pretty good time too. I like both of my schools for different reasons but they are both most excellent places. Neither of them are very big schools either which is definitely welcome (especially after hearing stories of hundreds of students per week in some cases). I am still a bit uneasy about taking too many pictures at the schools just yet but I have a few.

(DaeJong Elementary School)

(DaeJong Teacher Room)

I would have to pay like 2200 won a day to take a bus to school if my life weren't awesome. It is though. Usually a teacher from my school will see me waiting at the bus stop and give me a ride or offer after school to give me a lift. The vice-principal has given me a ride several times, as have the 1st grade teacher.

Today I got a ride from either the school nurse or the science teacher. It's not that I don't know who gave me a ride, it's that I don't really know the lady's job. She works in the infirmary but I saw her teaching science today. I can't imagine a situation in which my lack of knowledge thereof would become a problem.

My apartment is pretty awesome. I get the Discovery Channel and I also found a channel that is usually showing Starcraft. Yes. The game. On TV. People play this and a whole channel is dedicated almost entirely to this one game. And Monkey Ball. But mostly Starcraft.

(Some sort of professional finals Saturday afternoon)

(Apparently not quite so important game tonight-- meaning

only a thousand or so spectators and minimal pyrotechnics)

It's a pretty good time considering though. I've kept to myself this week because I'm a little short on dough as of yet and I don't know much Korean yet but I might do some stuff this weekend. For now I am content to eat my delicious Korean cuisine and try to make peace with the cave demon that inhabits my apartment.

(Aforementioned fine cuisine. Yes. I bought it

mostly because of the cartoon squid.)

(Strange, cryptic messages written on the cave demon.)

Depending on how tomorrow goes, there may be another post very soon on how to party in Korea very cheaply (less than thirty Altairian dollars!).

Cheers, Thank You, and Good Night!