Hello Everyone!
First of all, I apologize. I've been really terrible at keeping up with this blog. I have found that I am much better at posting pictures on FaceBook (or MyFace as my mom likes to call it) and writing fun captions. If you want a regular update on my life Facebook is the place :)
Highlights of the past month include:
- Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving, the biggest holiday in Korea (think along the lines of Christmas in the US) We had two days off and it rained like crazy. Don't worry, it was just a small typhoon and the river-streets weren't too deep that we couldn't wade through them. I attempted to visit a palace one day but after an hour of soggy traveling the grounds were closed due to a flood. We made it back the following weekend and got some great shots.
- Teaching has quickly evolved through a number of stages of experimentation. At first, I tried to be a stern disciplinarian and that worked sometimes but it wasn't fun for anyone involved. Next, I have shifted to a reward based system. I reward my students with games and candy. This is much more fun but the disciplinarian still has to come out for extreme cases. I caught two of my student cheating yesterday and 'mean angry teacher' came out to rip up their tests and scare all the students out of cheating.
- Korean lessons are slow but steady. One of the administrators at my school is assigning me 'homework' that I dutifully complete every week. The only downside is that these assignments are clearly meant for toddlers. I feel that my comprehension of the language is improving but I need to spend more time memorizing vocabulary. I have forgotten how hard school is! I am working on finding a language exchange partner and hope to have something to report by the time I get around to my next blog. My big accomplishment thus far, I can halfway read a menu and I ordered take out on the phone yesterday for the office :-D
- Extracurricular activities are awesome! I am having the time of my life with all night dance parties, Oktoberfest with new friends, cultural experiences, hiking, yoga, a FC Seoul Football game, shopping and art in Insadong, inside jokes and dinners with my fellow teachers, and daily exploration of my city.
- Future plans include a fireworks festival this weekend, a weekend trip with Adventure Korea 'Autumn Foliage Trekking and Mud', joining the yoga studio to get myself up and out of the house at a decent hour, and I can't WAIT for snowboarding season.
Thats all for now folks! Email me, Skype me, FaceBook me, call my Google Voice number (619-630-5786) or call my Korean cell (010-2416-5263)
