a weekend

last weekend i didn't do anything...i left my flat exactly twice, both times to go get ice cream from a shop in my own building...a whole lot of nothing...i still don't know exactly why, but last weekend i just couldn't be bothered to do anything..it happens every now and again..
this weekend was different..i wasn't super busy, but i wasn't so immobile either..i went to contact rugby practice saturday morning..there were only 10 of us there (including the coach, and a korean girl who showed up about an hour late) because of hong kong 7s (the longest running rugby tournament in asia, i think) and cold weather..i'm sure there were other reasons as well..anywho..since there were only 10 of us, we weren't able to do as much as the coach had hoped..it's really hard to work on scrums when you don't have enough people..we ended up playing touch for a little while, on a very much shortened (both length and width) pitch, to force us to work on passing..sometime in the middle of touch, we noticed a whole lot of people taking pictures of us..we continued playing for a bit, then decided to take pictures of them taking pictures of us..as we learned later, it was a photography club that had come to take pictures of us..i wonder what kind of photos they ended up with..
the rest of saturday i didn't do much..i could've, but there wasnt any reason to do so..making it to rugby practice meant this weekend was already better than last weekend..hee hee...
sunday morning i went to church..there is an advantage to having a really early service, and that is that it's over earlier..the weather today was absolutely beautiful..sunny, with blue skies..a perfect day..

after the service, i took the subway to the tombs at uireung..they are the tombs of king gyeongjong and his second queen, queen seonui..he was the 20th king of the joseon dynasty..the long and short of it is that they both died, childless..he was only on the throne for 4 years, and she was only 25 when she died!! these tombs are different in that instead of being next to each other, one is behind the other..apparently this is the feng shui way of arranging tombs.. either way, the mountain was still behind everything..it was disappointing for me to realize that i couldn't really get up and see the tombs..there were ropes around the bottom of the hill, clearly saying "don't go here"...i wanted to get up and see how everything was arranged, but that wasn't an option...it didn't stop me from thinking about ducking under the ropes, as there weren't too many people there, and at one point no one could've seen me if i had ducked under the ropes and climbed up the little hill..but i didn't..i saw a tree which i thought would give me a better view, so i tried climbing it..but climbing a tree in high heels wasn't my forte..i ended up kicking off one of my shoes and making it up the tree.. sadly, i didn't end up with the view i wanted, so i had to go back down without breaking anything..i made it, but just barely..since i didn't get to really see the tombs, the best part of the outing was when two kids came up to me and gave me little snacks..i should've gotten a picture with them, but i wasn't thinking..
as i was leaving the tombs, i realized how badly my feet hurt..OUCH..i guess i can wear high heels for a little while, but not an entire day...ooops...by the time i got back on the subway i was taking really small steps, and trying to figure out the fastest way back to my flat, so i could get there and change shoes..i FINALLY got home, and it was heaven to take off the heels..i still think it's stupid to see korean women hiking in high heels, but now i have a different view of their level of coordination in that they're able to do it in the first place!! plus, when i took off the shoes, i realized i had scraped up my legs and feet a bit while climbing the tree at the tombs...oops...hee hee...i'm sure my legs will feel good as ever tomorrow..ending up with bumps and bruises seems to be the norm for my weekends:)
the rest of the day involved grocery shopping, and a trip to my favourite coffee shop, coffee bean..they have the best chai lattes on the planet, and a chocolate mousse cake to die for..a perfect ending to a weekend:)

settling in

i've continued to be massively in love with my flat, if such a thing is possible...looking out the ceiling to floor length window over the city is amazing...considering the city never completely sleeps, it's really relaxing just to look out and watch...i get to watch the weather, something i've never been able to do before...this isn't always a good thing, as it also means i can see all the smog, and the yellow dust...(we've just entered yellow dust season)...i can see (and usually hear) storms (rain anywho) coming in...and the snow too..
i've been getting to know my neighborhood a bit better...i've found two ice cream stores, a couple theaters, plenty of stalls with street food, lots of convenience stores, and more..there is a starbucks (and at least 4 other coffee chains i've found so far) pretty much next door, several banks, lots of little fuit/veggie stands, etc..
i've adjusted to my "new" school as well..it's been open since 2002, and has been kept in good shape, it doesn't look at all grungy..korean kindergardens differ from american kindergardens in that they are basically little schools..the kids have homework starting as early as two years old!! they're learning to write, both english and korean from 2-3 yrs old...they're doing simple math from 4 yrs old or so..this school is different from my other schools (in addition to not being english immersion) in that they don't encourage me to give very much homework...hardly any at all, actually..this has been a challenge for me because some of the kids could really use the practice at things like forming their letters properly..some of the kids write really well, and some still write letters backward, in all sizes, and not necessarily on a line..at my other two schools, i taught kids who were in their second year of english immersion kindergarten, so they already knew how to write properly..here i've got kids who don't know the sounds each letter makes..i've got kids who think the vowels only make one sound..sometimes i feel like i'm starting all over from scratch..i've got some kids who are so used to not knowing what's going on that they don't even try when we have assignments in class..as soon as i finish giving instructions, they just look at me and say "teacher help".. even though i know they can complete it, they don't even try..one kid in particular starts looking at other student's pages before i finish giving directions..he doesn't yet understand that cheating is not okay..when he says teacher help, he just wants the teacher to tell him the answer, he doesn't want to try at all..it can be really frustrating..on the other hand, some of the kids have been extremely rewarding to teach..one girl is pretty much fluent (her speaking is sometimes a little halting, but her sentences are almost always perfectly constructed) so when she speaks up it's fun..i had two students who started out not recognizing their own (english) written names, but now they can answer some questions, and they understand basic directions..the first day with my 2 yr olds, one of the classes was dead silent, and just stared at me..the other class cried..the first class is still pretty quiet, but they've started to follow me in some of the hand motions, and i've actually heard their voices a few times..(not many, but still, it's progress)..the second class is now all smiles, they sing along with me, and they do the motions..they're almost always a joy..and they have a LONG attention span, it's great..i wonder if i had that kind of attention span when i was that little? probably not..lol..i've got one kid who has a behavioural disorder..i don't know what it is, but he has one..out of all the kids at this school, he's the only one who actually has a behavioural problem..he understands everything i say, and can talk to me about anything..howeva, when i tell him not to do something (which happens at least 10 times in a half hour class) he immediately does it again..i know he understands what i'm telling him, he's very deliberate in doing exactly the opposite of what i tell him to do..he antagonizes the other students in the class, and is rarely quiet..most days i feel as though very little is accomplished in that class because i spend most of the time trying to get the other kids to ignore him and focus on their own work..he is remarkably effective at holding up an entire class..he's been at this school over a year, and no teacher has been able to control him..he's so bad most of the time that even when he's good it doesn't come close to making up for the awfulness..thank goodness i don't have that class all the time! overall, my good/rewarding students FAR outweigh the students who drive me crazy..
this time i feel like i'm learning a little more korean..not a lot, but definitely more than i have previously..part of it is because my school isn't all english, so i hear a whole lot more korean during the day..i think another part of it is because i'm much more comfortable with the language..when i first came here in 2005 it was all new and strange sounding, but now i recognize the sounds and flow, and occasionally even know what's being said!! i practice my reading on the street and when watching tv all the time..(but i still don't read fast enough for that)
i joined the gym, which is a couple blocks down from my building..it's open until midnight during the week, which is super convenient..when i'm busy directly after school i can go to the gym later and not have to worry about rushing..next on my list of things to find in the neighborhood is a jim jil bang, (a sauna)..
i've also gotten back into rugby..i still don't know what i'm doing most of the time, but i'm not a total newbie anymore..i've been able to gain some fitness at the gym (and going out running) so i'm not gasping for breath quite so much..i want to tour with the team, but don't know if i'll be able to afford it..a weekend tour ends up being more expensive than it seems like it should be..i found a web site with a calendar of a bunch of races in korea, and the links to the web sites for those races..i've already entered two half marathons, and i plan to enter many more..a marathon sometime during this year..with all the races i found listed, i could run almost every weekend!! i'd end up with a great collection of race t-shirts and whatnot..i don't go for training runs nearly as much as i should, but i love weekend races..
tomorrow is a theme day at my school..this month the theme is spring picnic..the kids will sing a couple songs, have a "lesson" and play some spring related games..all in all, it's fun..really high energy, but fun..the korean teachers at the school put a lot of effort and time into the decorations..

it's supposed to be the land of the morning calm...

it took 14 hours to fly from atlanta, GA to incheon, south korea...the flight left atlanta late, but still landed earlier than scheduled in incheon..i wonder how often that happens? getting through immigration/customs took almost no time at all, and i quickly found the person who was waiting for me..i had thought it was someone from the school, but it wasn't...it was a taxi they had hired, so there was no conversation to be had..at all..over an hour (an hour and a half?) of total silence...i don't know why, but he turned down the radio, and even turned WAY down the sound on the gps..awkward much? i'm glad i know the city a bit, i was able to watch the signs on the highways and know where we were..the driver took me to a motel where they seemed to know what to do..again, it was fortunate that i've spent time here previously..the taxi driver was somehow able to contact the teacher i was replacing, so she arranged a time to come over later that evening..we ended up chatting for an hour, then she had to go help a friend pack..(i arrived at the time of year when there is a lot of turnover, as the school year starts 1 March)..we also arranged when and where to meet the next morning..
soooo, the next morning i got ready and was waiting at our arranged meeting point, not particularly enjoying the rain..ugh..typical winter weather here, gray skies and chilly..ugh..
getting to school took less than 10 minutes..it's really nice to live so much closer to my school than i did when i last lived in seoul..at my first school, 4 years ago, i could walk to school in 12 minutes..at my second school it took me 35 minutes to walk and take the subway to work..not fun..anywho, my new school is close, YAY!! my first day of work was actually the second to last day of the school year..(it was originally intended that i get to seoul earlier than i did, but all sorts of things were crazy, and the whole process took far longer than expected)..the way the schedule of this school works, thursday is the last regular day of the week..fridays are always "special days"..that means anything from birthday parties to field trips to theme days to just about anything else..so i only had one normal day to observe and figure out how the school works on a regular day..i followed sara to her classes, met some of the kids, and figure out which students i'd have in my own classes..the way the schedule works out, it's basically two hours of teaching, lunch, two hours of teaching, snack, then another hour..i don't eat lunch with the kids, though i do eat the same food..it's korean food, which i like, and is healthy..woo hoo:)..the day went well, there wasn't much to it..
the next day was my frist field trip..we went to the soma art museum, which is in Olympic Park..which just happens to be about a 5 minute drive down the street from the school..(which, i found out a week later, is only a 12 minute run from where i live)..i'm assuming this museum is one that changes it's exhibit every so often, because that day the entire museum was all about robots..from some of the first robots, to popular robots, to contemporary robots, etc..it was fun, and i think the kids liked it..on fridays lunch is longer, as is the afternoon snack..the whole day is much more relaxed..another easy day..after the day ended, sara helped me bring my boxes (i had shipped my things to korea the day before i left bloomington)..
the next day i got up early and went to touch rugby..i had gotten the email not too long after arriving saying that touch was starting up for the new season..touch is much more informal than contact, i'm not sure there is an official coach..it's also often mixed with the guys who play touch..basically, a touch game is started, and people sub in and go out for a couple hours..it's a game with a LOT of running, and i quickly realized i am WAY out of shape..sure, i can run a long way, but i can't do it fast..i was sucking air, badly..(not to mention the AWFUL quality of seoul air)..motivation to get in shape!!
i went home and attempted to sleep..after running around for a couple hours, i was knackered..of course, it didn't happen..so far i hadn't slept through the night, i kept waking up really really really early in the morning, after going to bed at a reasonable hour..waking up at 0300, and staying awake until 2300, then doing it all over again..i kept thinking my body would crash, but it never did..i just slowly slept later and later each morning, and after a week and a half finally slept all the way through the night..that evening (a saturday) i met up with sara and a couple other teachers at a brazilian all you can eat steak restaurant..sara wanted to eat there, and since it was her last weekend, she had every right to do whateva she wanted..i've been to this place before, and i love it..i'm not usually big on all you can eat places, but all you can eat steak is AWESOME..brazilian steak to boot..(sorry if you're vegetarian)..i definitely ate my money's worth..soooooo good..needless to say, by the end of the meal (pretty much non stop eating on my part) i was done eating meat..there were side dishes on the table, but none of us ate large portions of those, why fill up on those when we could eat steak?
sunday was a day of rest..i took the subway to a few areas i used to love, just to see how they've changed..

monday was a holiday..one of korea's two celebrated independence days..since sara was leaving that day, i got to move from the motel into the flat..while still a studio flat, it's soooooooooooo much nicer than anything i've lived in previously..it's on the 12th floor, and i have a view over a good portion of the city..beautiful..or at least as beautiful as any view can be in seoul..it's way bigger than my previous flat, i love it..there is enough storage, room for my bed, a laundry rack, a bookshelf, a small table and two chairs, as well as a small couch..and the bathroom is super nice!! there is a wall between the shower and the rest of the bathroom..to most of you this doesn't sound like anything out of the norm, but here most showers just come out of the wall, and everything in the bathroom gets wet when you take a shower..the building is connected by elevator to the subway station, i don't even have to go outside..across the street is a large grocery store, and the gym is just down the street..a huge department store is also across the street, as is a coldstone creamery..what more could a girl want? life in this flat is going to be good:)