The SK Corral

What happens when you move to another country and you don't speak the language? Problem... yes? Yes. There are times when I feel like all of my students are talking about me. Eating lunch in Pear (I know they hate me, it's not all in my head) is always an experience. They take a bite, say something in Korean, and make eye contact with me. It's as if they're saying, "Fuck you, Teacher. Fuck you." I know, I know... they're young. Seven years old Korean age, so five or six actually. The look, though. It can be disheartening, to say the least.

Today, I found out that not all of my students hate me. A little girl named Jane made my day. No, actually, she made my six weeks. In between classes, one of the head teachers told me that she spoke to Jane's mother. I have been teaching her class for the past week, so not that long. Apparently, it was long enough to make an impression. Jane is one of my favorite students. She, too, has made an impression. She's smart, cute, plays the piano, and most importantly in this line of work, she WANTS to learn! What? A nerd? Be still my beating heart! Anyway, this coming Monday Jane will be moved to another class (a higher one, because she's just oh-so-smart...love it.) She told her mother that she didn't want to because she likes me that much. I'm not going to lie, I almost cried. I'm pretty sure I blushed, too.

Jane, sweet, sweet Jane... you have made my month and a half. Thank you.

A,B,C,D,E,F... K?

For the past five weeks, I have been living in a lovely little place called Korea. Things are interesting here, to say the least. There's the usual foreigner observations; jaywalking is virtually non-existent, all of the women wear heels all of the time (no, seriously) and apparently there is no such thing as a snow-plow. Life is generally good, but for the little things that make it hard. There are also the little things that make it easy. Public transportation, for one. Heated floors is another. My personal favorite is Harry Potter being on television at least once a week (what can I say, it's a sick obsession?)

I suppose I should say a little bit about my living situation. I kind of love it. Compared to some of the housing I have seen, there's a lot that could be changed. However, compared to a lot of the housing I have seen I damn skippied lucked out! I have a nice, big bed. Hard, but big. And, of course, the floors are heated. This is a little tidbit I really wish we had in the States. Probably the only thing I don't like is that I have to shit where I shower. Literally. Not a big fan of damp toilet paper and a nice, wet seat! Oh well.

All in all, life here is... life. I've done some exploring and there is definitely more to come. After all, it's only been a month!