September 1-7 week two

September 1, 2008 Monday
First day of school. We were picked up around 8am and were driven to school though the rain and mist. We went through the city to a road that winds through a valley with green covered hills on either side. Beautiful and 40 minutes to school. When we got there we were greeted by a ton of different people. Luckily we were already acquainted with several folks from drinking on Friday night. It’s sort of like being in a parallel universe. The vice principal sort a looks like Al Pacino, the 3rd in command (who we have sadly taken to calling #3) sort of looks like Moe, and the Principal well…he is very soft spoken and has a very sweet voice. I like hearing him talk. Everyone is a caricature for something. I'll admit though, it is sort of embarrassing to almost never remember anyone's names. And when I do I feel like I'm talking with cotton balls in my mouth when I try to repeat them. After meeting some other teachers we made our way to the gym where after hearing 400 Korean children sing the national anthem we introduced ourselves up in stage into a microphone. It was very surreal.
After that we went back to the office. We sat down on some couches expecting to be told to do something. We just kept waiting and eventually figured out that that was what we would be doing most of the week. There is one other teacher that sits here all day with us and tries to speak English with us. I think she is going to be a new PE teacher. We took a tour of the school later. Very nice school, lots of kids everywhere, itching to shout any English they know at us. Michael is of course an instant celebrity. We eat lunch in the cafeteria with all the students. Rice, kim chi and various meats. We may need to start bringing lunch.
So it turns out (you’ll hear me using “so it turns out” A LOT) that the first of the month is school eat out together night. Who knew? We all went out to dinner at a really nice restaurant. I like eating out with Koreans a lot because they know how and what to order and it seems to always end up quite good. We had baked fish and fried pumpkin squash circle things. Also on the table was cabbage leaves, napa cabbage leaves, lettuce, and what I think is Shisho (which is a Japanese word? Not sure what the Korean is). Next that was this hot jam (the Principal called it jam) that you spread on the various leaves and eat with rice and fish if you like. I said it was like a burrito and ate it with my hands. I think they think I’m a dork. After some shots of beer it was time to go home…☺
August 2, 2008 Tuesday
Oh boy…we…get…to…sit………in the ……office……again? Okay I’ll take it. Learned some Korean…made some lesson plan outlines.
The meat (can I use meat like that, it’s used in everything else here) of the day lies in what occurred after school. We got to leave early. Yea! We met up with all the other foreigners at the Gangwon do office of education. It was really lovely to hear English for a couple minutes and catch up with people.
However after the meeting we went to the hospital with one teacher who has been helping us out here and there. As we don’t seem to know anyone’s name here, Michael had been referring to her as “the matriarch”. She has been working at the school for 28 years! So off to the hospital where we were supposed to get a simple blood test and drug test. Twenty five dollars total for the two of us. When we got there it was very strange and challenging. I thought about immigrants in American and how it must feel to go to the hospital and not be able to speak the language at all. Honestly it was very unsettling and scary. Once we finally filled out paper work we were taken to a room where Michael got a chest x-ray. Then, though pantomime and sort of exasperated Korean, they told me to take me clothes off and put on a hospital smock. That’s all it took, I was in tears. What did they need me to do that for? Who knew? What was I doing next? How much of my clothing? AHHHH!!!!!!!! After me completely flipping out, it turns out that I was just needing to take a chest x ray like Michael did. All’s he had to do was take off his tie! Next we had the blood test, a drug test, and I shit you not, an EKG. Luckily the lady who did it was a woman. Then we were shuffled upstairs where we had our eyes checked, height and weight checked, and blood pressure checked. Well, we haven’t heard back yet, but I guess for 35 bucks each that sure a thorough check up!
That evening we went out to eat with a group of foreigners that live in Samcheok. Everyone is really friendly and fun. It was so wonderful to be out with people who can empathize with you and speak English. After Korean all day, my brains start to shut off and turn to mush. I cannot begin to tell you how completely bizarre it is to hear people speak Korean all day and you just never know what they are saying or what is going on. Sometimes I hear our names mentioned and know that they are discussing our fate but I can’t make out what they are saying. I can’t think of anything more frustrating not being able to communicate. I kind of feel like a mute that cannot understand words at all. I am trying to learn some Korean, but as it is considered one of the hardest languages of all time, it’s a little slow going.
August 3, 2008 Wednesday
Well…sat in office…did some power points. Okay…
Our school seems to get together and do things a lot. Which is nice and a great way to try to bridge the language barrier; and it makes for really long days. Tonight was volleyball night. I suck at volley ball anyway, but without being able to say “I got it” or “over here” or shout anyone’s name, I got suckier. It was really fun though. Lots of laughing and cheering and camaraderie. After two rounds there was a food break. Michael and I shot hoops with the PE teacher and then made our way over to the refreshments. Mmmm…baskets of pork…thinly sliced…bones on the side. Kim chi…soda. One dude busted out some soju…No third round.
Wednesday night was a treat as I made CHILI! Awesome, yea, spectacular. Oh how I love cumin and chili powder!!!!! Excellent meal full of me sighing and blessing the spice Gods for the forethought to bring cumin into this world. After dinner massages and bedtime followed.
August 4, 2008 Thursday
Went to work. Sat in the office. Typed blog. Did a bunch of lesson planning. Went home…I think we may teach next week. Not sure.
Too tired to cook tonight. So we went out for some kimbap and bi bim bap at a restaurant across the street. It was very good and we even ran into some foreigners.
Some news: we are either going to try very hard to get a travel allowance or consider moving to Dogye, where we teach. This would make us very close to school and very far from the beach.
August 5, 2008 Friday
I am crabby today and quite tired. We sat in chairs all day again. Can't wait to actually teach! I enviously watched little kids play soccer out the window today and wished I could join them!

August 5and 6, 2008 Saturday and Sunday
Saturday Blessed Saturday. Did some shopping, ate, RELAXED!
Ate at the great restaurant across the street.
Here's what you get for 6 bucks. A full and happy belly!!!


One of my favorites is the happily vegetarian Kim bap.

Michaels favorite is Bi Bim Bap.