Essays, Pork, and Street Music

Before Sunday, I was unaware that being an English teacher in Korea also means being an unpaid part-time model. It's always been a kind of secret desire of mine to be a model but I didn't expect it to happen here. I guess I'm getting pretty used to the unexpected these days.

So on Sunday, my day off, I was required to volunteer at an essay contest outside World Cup Stadium here in Daegu. The stadium area is a very impressive place. Mountains rise behind it and there's lots of park space for kids to run free. There's also some bike and running trails, and even a small Buddhist temple nearby. All in all, not a bad place for some mandatory Sunday volunteer work.

Once I finally got there after getting lost, I was instructed to go around and have my picture taken with the kids who were trying to write their essays. In my opinion, an essay contest should never be a 3 hour event. Writing an essay should be a long, hard-thought out process that takes place over a week or two, not a 3 hour speed contest. Shoot, when I was in college, it took me about three hours just to figure out the first three sentences. But this is Korea. And in Korea, speed is king.

After the contest, the school director took us all out to lunch which was more like a feast. Although my groins are still adjusting to the traditional Korean sit-on-the-floor restaurants, my taste buds are quite at home. In a lot of Korean resturants they have little circular grilles in the middle of the tables where you place the meat, watch it cook, and grab it when it's ready. I'm a big fan. It was probably the best pork of my life which I enjoyed with the only fork at the table.

Since I've been here, the thing that I've probably missed the most is a guitar. I've almost gone insane just sitting in my room with no guitar to play. But on Sunday, I finally found a guitar to borrow and my sanity is slowly making a comeback. So last night, I did something I've never done in the states. I played on the street. Street music is almost unheard of in Korea so it took a little courage. I did it partly to try to meet some more Korean people, which can be a hard thing to do in other situations. But as always, music has a power to bring people together. And it did just that last night as a small crowd gathered around me as I sang.

I met a really cool guy and his girlfriend who was actually born in the states. She speaks very little English but when she does, she sounds like a pure American. The guy has never officially studied English but he's picked up a lot just from movies, music, and talking to foreigners like me. It's very impressive. They are both hip-hop dancers and love street performance kind of stuff which drew them over to me. I am meeting them again tonight to have some dinner with them and just hang out. I also met three pretty Korean girls but I will post about that later. Time for work :)

Speaking Too Soon...

My last post was a case in speaking too soon. Just when I was starting to get comfortable and confident, I lose my wallet. At first, I didn't believe it. Then I panicked. And then I just laughed. I know it's no laughing matter, but after so many mishaps in one week, you come to the point where your life is just a really funny comedy.

Fortunately, I still have my passport so I'm not stuck here for life. In light of recent events, I'm thinking about duck taping it to my right leg, along with all my money. Nothing seems to be safe in my possession and I am clinging to what I have left for dear life.

Today I went to the hospital for a series of dreaded health checks. Turns out I'm clean enough for Korea. It was quite a rush as they rushed me from room to room for each test. I had a lot of coffee beforehand which I hope doesn't affect my drug test. It would be a shame to be sent home for my daily caffeine overdose.

Teaching went okay today. So far its either blank stares or really hyper middle school girls. There is no middle ground with these kids. But I do I have an elementary student who is probably the brightest student in all of my classes. He's always asking questions and speaks English almost without an accent. He even tells me what I need to be doing when I look confused, which happens a lot. I have a feeling he's going to be a great English speaker and it's kids like him that make teaching English my most rewarding job yet.

Rainy Day in Daegu

Only in a Korean PC room would I be using a computer screen so big that I have to turn my head all the way to see the other side of the screen. I almost feel guilty just using it to update my blog. What can I say, I'm a screen waster.

Although they're kind of smoky, these PC rooms can be quite nice when the employees come around with little lattes for everyone. It's definitely a nice treat after a hard-fought blogging battle.

I'm sorry to tell you I have yet to visit a real Korean restuarant, so last night I had dinner at the nearby Pizza Hut. Koreans like pototaes on their pizza which is kind of a weird texture on pizza, but it's actually not bad at all. And from now on, I am always putting hot sauce on my pizza.

Probably the best thing about restaurants in Korea is the service. As soon as you walk in, they run to you . And when you're ready to order, or need anything, you hit a buzzer on the table and they come running. And since there's no tipping in Korea, this service is nothing short of amazing.

Today I went to Emart again to buy a few things. I've discovered just going to the store and walking around gives me a sense of normalcy in a very abnormal place. But slowly, life here in Korea is becoming more normal, more routine, and more enjoyable. And that horrific first night, along with working at Starbucks, is becoming nothing more than a memory.

Teacher, Teacher!

With dove dark chocolates in hand, I survived my first full day of classes. That's right, I bought my student's love. And I feel no shame. I felt it was important to establish the rockstar teacher status right from the start.

I taught 6 classes from 4-9 and every class has its own personality. For the most part, the kids were respectful and well-behaved. The boys think I'm a soccer star and the girls keep asking me how old I am, how tall I am, and if I have a girlfriend. I really have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing at the moment, but I've got a couple games in my pocket to tie me over until I figure things out. You should also know I'm replacing a 50 year old British alcoholic who got fired for coming in drunk and falling down in class. It's going to be hard to top that.

Last night I bought every item of western food the walmart of Korea had to offer which I can count on one finger: Peanut butter, pringles, bagels, cream cheese, and Pepsi. But suprisingly, Korea has really good coffee. They sell iced coffee in big milk cartons and it's better than any Starbucks iced coffee I've ever served. And since my room only came with wine glasses, I drink it in style.

From Dayton to Daegu

Well I made it. After 24 hours of flying, I arrived in Daegu last night around 11:30 p.m. The flight to Tokyo was the longest I've ever been on but I was grateful that the seat next to me was unoccupied. A little extra room goes a long way on a 13 hour flight. The only downside were the three loud American college students who had the uncanny ability to find something to talk about for 13 hours straight, proving that Americans are still a unique people.

The first night was rough. Appearently, the school had forgotten I was coming so soon and hadn't clean my apartment yet. So on top of missing home and not sleeping for two days, I found myself in a dirty, smelly apartment that formerly belonged to a smoker and alcoholic who didn't think much of cleaning. It was almost too much too handle and made me wonder just what I got myself into. But then I opened up Spurgeon's Morning and Evening and read the May 12 evening entry. Talk about sovereign grace in time of desperate need.

So after a long and hard first night, I took to the streets today to look for E-mart, the Wal-Mart of Korea. By God's grace, I found it and a little shopping put me in a better mood. Emart doesn't have quite the selection of a Wal-mart but I was able to pick up a converter, hangars, a beard trimmer, and some cleaning supplies. I also found some cheap furnishings I plan on buying soon that just might make these four walls more of a home. And then to complete my adventerous day, I crossed the street and had lunch at Outback Steakhouse.

Tonight I'm going to the school to observe and meet some of the other foreign teachers. And then tomorrow I start. I'll be teaching mostly middle school students essay writing and pronuciation. Having never taught anything before, I am a little nervous but hoping it's not as hard as I'm thinking it's going to be. My director assured me that as long as I'm enthusiastic and passionate, I will be a good teacher and the kids will like me. If I live to write about it, I will be posting about my first day of teaching very soon. Stay tuned.

Almost There

I know exactly what you're thinking. You're probably asking yourself if this blog will be like my other ones that have sort of fallen by the wayside. While not making any promises, I will do my best to post at least once or twice a week. I should have no shortage of things to write about while I'm in Korea.

Korea? Well if you haven't heard by now, I am leaving this Sunday morning at 11:40 a.m. to teach English in Daegu, South Korea for a year. The idea to do this came to me at Borders bookstore a few summers ago while I was browsing through a book called "Delaying the Real World." This is a great little book for anybody with the travel bug and a meaningless major. I highly recommend it to any upcoming or recent grads.

So after two years of working at Starbucks and pursing an opportunity that didn't work out, I am on my way to Korea on Sunday. Although I've mostly complained about living in the American suburbs, I'm pretty sure I'll miss them. Absence just might make the heart grow fond. The reality of moving to the other side of the world is starting to set in and it's quite exciting.

I've spent the past few weeks reading about Korea and butchering their vowel sounds. But no matter how many books I read or words I horribly pronounce, I really have no idea what to expect. I had a few Korean friends in college, but I have a sneaking suspicion that being surrounded by Koreans as the foreigner will be a totally different experience. There will most likely be a post entitled "Life as a Foreigner" very soon.

Well off I go to do some more packing. I can barely pack for two days and now I'm trying to pack for a year. Stuffing your life into two 50 pound suitcases is no easy task.