One Month Anniversary

I can't believe that it has been one month! In a lot of ways, it seems like it went by so quickly, and in other ways it seems a lot longer than one month. We are still chugging along in our "training program" and as far as we know, we are set to report to the English Camp on April 30. We have begun work on our own lesson plans and I am finding I really like this. I love being creative and it is fun to think of different ways to teach English through activities. The English camp is set up with 16 learning stations. Each week, a school will arrive on Monday afternoon with 120 students. Classes begin Tuesday morning where groups of 12 students will go to a different station for 50 mins. This happens through Thursday, so that each group gets to visit each station one time. The stations are: clinic, broadcasting, around the world, games, art, Korean culture, drama, computers, outdoor activities, science, bank/post office, supermarket, kitchen, restaurant, music, dance and library. Each teacher will be assigned to two stations for two weeks. Then we switch. This way, none of us are stuck teaching one lesson the whole year. (since you teach the lesson 10X every week, it could get pretty old fairly quickly) Outside of the classroom time, we will also have club activities to do with the kids (mine is drama) and also be involved with an end of week talent show and various nighttime activities. I think it is going to be a lot of fun for the kids as well as for me! The kids who will be attending the camp will be from some of the lower income areas of Seoul where kids don't normally have opportunities for private English education. Wealthier families send their children to private academies for English education every night after school. It is quite common for a Korean student (beginning in 3rd grade) to attend class all day (9-3) and then go to tutoring (called a Hogwan) from 4-9 or 10). There is a HUGE emphasis placed on education for a lot of these kids. A lot of pressure. They are not graded on English until their exit exam in High School- where they cannot pass with out an acceptable grade in English. I don't know that I agree with the methods here, but it is a different culture than what I know.
It is still pretty cold here in Seoul (40s for the highs) but I think the cherry blossom festival is this weekend, so we may have some signs of Spring soon. I can't wait. Seoul's weather is much like Washington DC (same basic latitude), so when Spring hits there- it should be hitting here. There are rumors of 60 degrees on Saturday, but I will believe it when I see it!
We did celebrate on Friday our one month anniversary with a cake. We are all big fans of the cakes here, so are working to find reasons to get a cake each month. No birthdays in April, so we may have to get a cake for Korean Election Day.
Hope everyone is well- I will post some more pictures next time. Thanks for the messages from everyone...keep me in the loop!!

Still Have Seoul

Hey all-
Week three is done and in the books. I would consider it a success. We ended the week at work on a high note with a "field trip" on Thursday to observe an English lesson at an elementary school here. I can tell you that you will never feel more like a celebrity than when you are a foreign Caucasian going into a school. They stare and laugh and point and shout "hello!" I guess they don't get too many visitors. Plus- we were a group of 12- so it was like the foreigner circus showing up at school. The lesson was good- all about directions and I was impressed with their level of English. It is only a 45 minute lesson though that they may get 2-3 times a week. So- difficult to learn a language in that short amount of time. That is one of the projected benefits of the English camp I will be at- it will be intensive immersion for a week. Anyway- it was really great just to see some kids and to get a glimpse of what we will be doing in the coming months.
Friday we started with our own lesson development which was fun. I created a lesson on music (of course) and really enjoyed being creative.
My roommate Jen and I decided to go to a Good Friday service that was a put together by several of the English ministries here in Seoul. It was a good service and put me in the frame of mind for Easter. We didn't get home from that until 10:30- so it was just a night in for us.
Saturday it was cloudy and cold- but we had made plans to go to the "63 tower" which for a time, was the tallest building in Seoul. It is similar to the Sears Tower in Chicago and has a sky deck where you can go a view the city from 360 degrees. I got some good pictures- and a better perspective of how MAMMOTH this city actually is. It is unbelievably big. It is surrounded by mountains and the buildings go all the way from mountain to mountain. I would say it would take about 30 Charlottes to compare. Anyway- we ran into an environmental rally on our way there and snagged some kites they were giving away. We had some fun with those and then headed home for some dinner.
It started raining around 6:30 (when I went out for groceries) so we kept it low key and Jen, Gail and I went out for a beer in the neighborhood. We woke up for church this morning to COLD and dreary skies with the rain continuing. We set out about 9 am for a service at 10 across town. It was a nice church and good service. It is amazing to think about all the churches across the world celebrating the Resurrection on one day. Pretty neat.
Gail and I went to a bookstore here in Seoul called "What the Book" to find some used books to keep us busy. They had a decent selection- so I picked up two. Then- FINALLY- it was time for a nap.
So now- I am just preparing for the next week. We have a city tour scheduled for Tuesday so I am excited to see some new sights. Keep the news coming from the states. Will update again soon.

Birthday Wrap-Up

Thanks so much to every one who sent birthday wishes and e-cards. (and I even got one card in the mail from Arizona!) I can truly say that it was one of the most strange and wonderful birthdays I have ever had.
My Korean supervisors, Mr. Lim and Ms. Noh, got me a cake at work on Friday and sang Happy Birthday to me in Korean. I wish I had gotten it on video- but it was great nonetheless. My fellow teachers and I met up here at the residence after work for pizza and MORE cake. It was really sweet that they all came to celebrate with me. A few of us went out to hit the town and visited a few different places. We went to a bar here in the Hyatt which was so ridiculously overpriced that we decided to head out to something a little more our speed. We went to another bar and ended the night in a Karaoke room. It was a lot of fun and I have video to prove it. (no, I am not posting it)
The next day we headed out to see how the Koreans celebrate St. Patrick's Day. As you can guess, there weren't a lot of people out for the celebration. There was some live music and some Irish food- but not a lot else to see or do. We decided to at least wait for the parade. It was about 5 minutes long with about 7 groups marching in it. We did see the US Marines Band playing and the Korean Harley Davidson association. We left there and went home for a much deserved nap.
Sunday, Jenn, Jess, Gail and I went to Gyeongbok Palace to finally see something other than cars and buildings. The palace was built by the last dynasty in Korea, the Jeonsun. Really neat architecture, but very sparse. I think my favorite Korean invention is the heated floors. Even back hundreds of years ago, they built fireplaces underneath the buildings to heat the stone floors. Really smart. Anyway- the Queen had a really isolated existence and was only visited by the King maybe twice a month. (when he wasn't visiting his concubines) Who says the Queen has it all? We spent a couple of hours there and then Jenn and I went to visit one of the largest churches here in Seoul for their English service. It was really good and I would love to go back.
This week in training has been uneventful. We are finished with the editing of the textbook they will be using in Korea next year for English education and will now be able to focus on developing our own lesson plans for the year. We are scheduled to begin camp on May 6, but it will depend on whether or not the construction is completed in time. We have started to get an idea of our schedule at camp with the kids and some of the activities we will be doing with them. I am so excited. I think I really lucked out with this assignment. Who wouldn't want to spend a year at camp?
Other than that- life grinds along. We had another teacher join us this week, Joel from Vancouver. We are still awaiting 4 more teachers. Not sure when they will arrive. Our team works quite well together and we are all getting along well (so far).
Keep the emails coming...I love to hear from everyone. Thanks for the continued prayer as well.

Field Trip

So today we got to travel to Gapyeong, which is the city where the Education Center is where we will be teaching. It was great to get out of the classroom we have been in all week editing textbooks and listening to lectures. We left around 9 am and were there by about 10:30. Again- let me reiterate that I am SO GLAD I don't have to drive here in Seoul. The traffic stretches from end to end. Kind of like Atlanta times 20. Anyway, the education center is under construction (about 65% completed), so we just went to get an clearer idea in our head of where we would be. Of course, we all wanted to see the size of our rooms. They are about the same size as the hotel-type room we are in now- but we will not be sharing. The most exciting discovery was that we will all have our own small balcony. So nice. I really feel like we are lucky to have the assignment we have.
So, the center is literally on the side of a mountain, so after touring the building, we went for a small "hike". I don't know if I would call it so much a hike- it was more of a CLIMB. Seriously- this mountain was quite steep. Our principal, Jaime (can't remember her formal Korean name), is a trim woman, maybe like 55 years old, and she was practically floating up the hill. The Korean people are really fit and healthy. (even the beer has "for well being" on the label). We got to the top and there wasn't much of a view, but we did find a grave. It will be really nice to have a mountain trail right outside the back door.
After the tour and hike, we went for lunch- Korean BBQ. It is beef cooked over hot coals, served with veggies and rice and soup, etc. Great food. We got to meet most of the Korean teachers who will be there with us, and they are all really nice. I am most excited about working with Jaime. She is so warm and friendly, and seems truly concerned and invested in us working well together. She had us all tell what we would like for her to have prepared for our breakfast!
The town of Gapyeong is really small, but I think we will be OK. We will be able to get small things there- but will need to go into Seoul once a month or so for some harder to find things. I am content to eat my free meals in the cafeteria with the students.
So- we are just hoping construction is completed on time for us to move on April 30. Until then, lots of lesson planning. This weekend will be busy with a birthday party for me Friday night, a St. Patricks Day festival on Saturday, and visits to the palace on Sunday.
PLEASE send me some emails. I have only heard from a few of you. I miss everyone and want to know what's going on with you. Since we have laptops and wireless internet in our room- I have great access to email. Hope everyone is well. I AM VERY JEALOUS looking at the Charlotte weather. It is still in the 50's everyday here. Can't wait for spring...

Promised Pictures

Here is the view from my room, overlooking a park on a small side street in downtown Seoul. (the window is really dirty- Sorry!)

Here is a picture of my partial team. Jen (my roomie- VA, Jess- UK, Gail- UK, Adam- Canada, Titus- NZ, David- WA)

This is a panoramic picture of an art wall we passed on the way to the market. So colorful and pretty. I love random street art.

Here is me and my roomie being surrounded by a live street ad of characters selling cell phones. They gave us free umbrellas. Seoul is like the land of free gifts and samples.

This is a district called Hyehwa that had a lot of cool shops and restaurants. It is a college district, so the crowds are young and fun. Only about 40 more districts to go...

One Week Down..

So I am so excited to report I have completed my first week in Seoul without getting run over by a scooter, eating anything suspect, or completely offending a native!! (that I know of)
We technically began our training on Thursday, but the schedule has been quite lax. We still have 4 more teachers that are joining us this week and have still had some remaining housekeeping items to take care of. We went Thursday afternoon to have our medical check-ups at the local hospital. That was an experience. We had our height, weight, eyes, ears, teeth, lungs, pee and blood checked. Of course, these are all precautions that most countries take to prevent diseases from coming in but it didn't make the experience any more pleasant! I am so thankful that I am with a "team" of teachers that can share in all of these things. I can't imagine taking a job here and being on your own to navigate some of the hurdles. Anyway- that took up most of the 1st day and our second day of training included "presentations" from some local school principles. I honestly think they are coming up with random things for us to do while we wait on the completion of the construction of the Education Center. I, myself, feel a bit guilty having not done much to have earned my keep thus far. However, from what I understand, this is the first time they have opened an English Center outside of Seoul and they are really hoping that the investment pays off. Since the Center is in such a remote village (about 1 1/2 outside of Seoul and pop. 55,000) they offer more benefits to the teachers going there. Most ESL teachers want to be in Seoul- but I am fine not being in the big city everyday. From what they showed us on construction plans, the center looks like it is going to be really nice. I think they want to treat us really well so that we will stay or that they will get a good reputation to recruit other teachers to work there. (don't worry Mom, I am not staying :)!)
This weekend we went to a local children's musical that my roommate's cousin was producing called "The Princess Party". Needless to say, it wasn't anything that any of us would have sought out- but since it was free- 7 of us went to watch it. It was actually quite entertaining, even though it was in Korean. They are so animated in their acting- that you could get the gist of what was happening. Jen's family took us out for Korean BBQ afterwards (yum) and then we wandered around that district for awhile.
This morning, 3 of us went to church with one of our teachers, Titus, to his church. It was really small- but SO FRIENDLY. The message was preached in English, Korean and Chinese. They sang hymns, taught the message (1 Peter 5:7) and then we split into our respective language groups to have a time of sharing. After that- they served us lunch- which was awesome. It was a great experience and I can't wait to see some other congregations to compare. When we move to Gapyeoung, there won't be an English speaking church there- so I am not sure how far we will have to travel for church.
So- back to work tomorrow morning. From what I understand, this week we will be working on editing the textbook lessons they have written. Once we get them edited, the textbook will be published for use all over S. Korea. Exciting! (and a bit of pressure for correct spelling and grammar!) I will post some pictures tomorrow of things I have done.
Hope you are all well and can't wait to hear from you!
molly

Hi Ho, Hi Ho...

So- work will start tomorrow. Or at least training. We have really been fortunate in that we have not had much going on for the past few days. It has been nice to have some time to adjust and to get acclimated to being here. Although I am still not sure that I am aware that I am here. I am guessing that it will feel like an extended vacation for awhile. Once we start teaching though and get into a routine, I imagine that will change.
So far, I really like Seoul. It has been AWESOME rooming with Jennifer. She has been such a help in navigation and interpretation. We have another Korean on our team who is from New Zealand. So we have 2 girls from the UK, 2 girls from the US, one girl and one guy from New Zealand, one guy from Canada, and one other American coming from Italy. Quite a diverse team. I thought that we had 15 people on our team- but so far we just have the 9. We all have a lot of questions about how things will work- so hopefully at orientation tomorrow- we will get more information.
So far, I have been out to eat several times, shopping in a market, and to the largest mall in Seoul. Yesterday, on the trip to the mall, we braved the subway. It was actually pretty easy to figure out as most of that signage is in English as well. Really clean and convenient. So even though Seoul is a HUGE city - you can get anywhere you want to within 20 mins. I LOVE NOT DRIVING!
People in Seoul are somewhat indifferent to us foreigners. Since so many English speakers come to teach every year- we really aren't that big a deal. When we get out of the city to our small
city to teach though, that may change. I am actually kind of glad that I won't be in the city all the time as the air quality here is not that great. We had snow yesterday and the snow clouds were a strange yellow color. It was mostly sunny today- but still a haze in the air. You see a lot of people walking around with masks on- either because they have a cold, or because they want to protect their lungs!
The food has been great. I really like spicy food- so that's a good thing as most things are at least a little spicy. Mostly chicken, veggies, noodles, rice, soups, etc. Of course, there are American restaurants everywhere. So- if I do get a craving for something- no problem finding it. I am trying to learn to recognize some of the characters so that when Jen isn't with me I will be able to order something safe! We have an open market a block away where they sell produce and fish. Nice to have that right outside.
Been trying to get used to slipping my shoes off when I come in the door. An awesome thing about Korea is that all the floors are heated. It is so nice to walk on a heated floor in your socks. Especially after coming in from the cold.
I am on skype now so I can call home on the Internet. Calls are free to others with Skype or 2 cents a minute to numbers without skype. Still debating on a cell phone here as it may be expensive.
Thanks for your emails and hope all is well! Love hearing YOUR news!

Safe and Sound (and sick)

So I am here in Seoul after arriving yesterday on time at 4:30. The time difference is +14 hours- so needless to say- my body is all out of whack. Coupled with the fact that my runny nose is now a full blown cold- I am quite run down. Anyway- things have run mostly smoothly. My roommate is a Korean-American from Richmond, VA named Jennifer. I am so fortunate because she speaks Korean- so she has been quite the help in navigating that front. I need to find a Korean Sesame Street on the TV so I can grasp some basics. :)
We are staying in an "officetel" for the 1st two months while they finish construction on our English Center where we will be teaching. So- the space is small- but located centrally in Seoul- so we will have a few weeks here to explore. The English Center where I will be teaching is about 1 hour outside of the city. They are scheduled to have it completed by the end of April- so it will be nice to be in a brand new facility and we will each have our own rooms.
My initial 1st impressions of the city are: not a lot of attention paid to foreigners, you can find a lot of American cuisine here (an outback down the street) as well as a lot of American products in the stores, very cold and the air quality is not that great.
Other than that- things are one day at a time. We went to the Lotte Mart today for some groceries and provisions. We are going tomorrow for bank accounts. Our actual training begins on Thursday. Nice, slow start. I met a girl in the airport from Canada that was scheduled to start in the classroom on Monday- so I am grateful that is not me! So far, in addition to myself and Jennifer, I have met 2 girls from the UK- Gayle and Jessica and 1 guy from New Zealand- Titus- who is actually Korean as well.
I think we are going to try to hit some markets tomorrow- so that should be a great view of the culture. Will try to get some pics up soon. Take care and thanks for the prayers!
m