Whenever I leave the house I am constantly reminded that I am a foreigner, and therefore not quite human.
These are the general reactions I have received so far.
Babies: Stare at me, mouth hanging open. Their expressions do not change if I smile and wave at them. But they are soooo chubby and adorable.
Small children: Smile shyly. Some of them will say 'hello,' as they've probably recently started learning English and they know that white person = English. When I say hello back, they get really shy and hide behind their mom's leg.
Middle school boys: Sometimes I get a 'hello' but usually I receive a series of quick glances, or nothing at all. They are probably the most discrete at staring.
Middle school girls: This group is probably the most interested in talking to me. The brave ones may walk up and try to talk to me. These girls, which are usually in a group, like to say 'hello' or 'good morning!' And when I respond, they turn into a giggly mess and run away.
Adult men: They stare at me for the entire time that I am in their line of vision. And not at my face. If I make eye contact with them they try to make it seem like they were staring at whatever was directly behind me. Or, they just keep staring until I feel awkward and creeped out.
Adult women: They hardly look at me, but will return a smile if I offer one. How pleasantly normal of them.
Old men: They stare at my FACE and usually smile, for the most part. Although they also tend to turn their heads as I walk by, so that they can keep me in their line of vision and therefore stare at me longer. They don't really try to hide the fact that they're staring at me.
Old women: They avoid me like I am diseased. They try to avoid looking at me, but if I make eye contact they do not break it...but they will not return a smile. The older they are, the more they hate me, because I am a dirty American and obviously want to kill her.
Note: Of course, this does not reflect the behavior of all Koreans, although I have noticed these certain patterns of behavior. The shop keepers at the places I visit a lot are, of course, used to me and do not do these things.
I am in no way complaining. I find most of these reactions quite amusing, like when I would pretend to be blind with the guide dogs just to see people's reactions.
I am an alien here, and that's okay.
Do not be afraid, Korea. I will not hurt you.
Muahahahahahaha!
I'm starving to death. Seriously, where are the tacos here?!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Teacher is Train!!!!!
Many of you wanted to know how my first day of teaching went, but I've been so busy this past week getting traumatized by Korean doctors and attempting to get my alien card that I just haven't had time!
It turns out my boss has to take me to a different city to get finger printed, which we can't do today, so I can finally tell y'all about my teaching.
So far, I only teach 3 classes a day. My students are the lowest level at the school, and range from ages 6-10.
Most of my students are boys, which in some ways is easier, and in some ways harder.
Most of the boys are adorable, and while they can get a little loud, they still do their work and participate in class. They also call me 'Train' and like to compare height and foot sizes with me, as they are nearly the same.
Some of the boys are not as cute. They constantly shout things like 'TEACHER HE HIT ME' and refuse to participate. They also pretend their parents are calling their cell phones in class, and I'm pretty sure they insult me in Korean. I haven't quite figured out how to control them yet.
The girl students are both easier and harder to teach. True, they don't scream as much as the boys do, but they also don't participate as much. Or, they finish their work so quickly that I have a lot of class time left over.
My really young students are...interesting to teach. I feel a bit like I'm babysitting, as they are only learning letters and how they sound, so there's not much to teach each day. They are also very wiggly and like to crawl under desks, so that's fun.
Next week I start teaching adults on Monday through Thursday at some company. They are apparently engineers wanting to learn some business English. My only female co-teacher said they will be very rich, very smart, and very handsome. My male co-teachers warned me that they will most likely ask for private lessons from me.
Luckily, my schedule is full, so I will be able to easily turn them down! On Fridays I spend time with a 3-year-old whose parents want her to learn English. She hates me. The mother gave me a lollipop to give to her. She took it, and slowly sucked it while giving me the worst death glare I have ever seen out of a toddler. Including mine.
She is cute nonetheless. I hope she warms up to me though, or I might lose that gig. :/
That's pretty much it for my classes. I'll have a pretty full schedule starting next week. Then I'll really start making money!
I'm thinking of getting a cat. Don't try to stop me.
Also, I'm having taco withdrawals. Someone help.
It turns out my boss has to take me to a different city to get finger printed, which we can't do today, so I can finally tell y'all about my teaching.
So far, I only teach 3 classes a day. My students are the lowest level at the school, and range from ages 6-10.
Most of my students are boys, which in some ways is easier, and in some ways harder.
Most of the boys are adorable, and while they can get a little loud, they still do their work and participate in class. They also call me 'Train' and like to compare height and foot sizes with me, as they are nearly the same.
Some of the boys are not as cute. They constantly shout things like 'TEACHER HE HIT ME' and refuse to participate. They also pretend their parents are calling their cell phones in class, and I'm pretty sure they insult me in Korean. I haven't quite figured out how to control them yet.
The girl students are both easier and harder to teach. True, they don't scream as much as the boys do, but they also don't participate as much. Or, they finish their work so quickly that I have a lot of class time left over.
My really young students are...interesting to teach. I feel a bit like I'm babysitting, as they are only learning letters and how they sound, so there's not much to teach each day. They are also very wiggly and like to crawl under desks, so that's fun.
Next week I start teaching adults on Monday through Thursday at some company. They are apparently engineers wanting to learn some business English. My only female co-teacher said they will be very rich, very smart, and very handsome. My male co-teachers warned me that they will most likely ask for private lessons from me.
Luckily, my schedule is full, so I will be able to easily turn them down! On Fridays I spend time with a 3-year-old whose parents want her to learn English. She hates me. The mother gave me a lollipop to give to her. She took it, and slowly sucked it while giving me the worst death glare I have ever seen out of a toddler. Including mine.
She is cute nonetheless. I hope she warms up to me though, or I might lose that gig. :/
That's pretty much it for my classes. I'll have a pretty full schedule starting next week. Then I'll really start making money!
I'm thinking of getting a cat. Don't try to stop me.
Also, I'm having taco withdrawals. Someone help.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
NATURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My co-teachers took me into the hills! I found a lot of NATURE!
Get off the road, Frodo! Nature!
Individually wrapped fruits...on TREES! NATURE!
Hillside graves!! Nature...?
Disgusting picture of me time! I was not happy about the heat.
Get off the road, Frodo! Nature!
Individually wrapped fruits...on TREES! NATURE!
Hillside graves!! Nature...?
Disgusting picture of me time! I was not happy about the heat.
Monday, September 12, 2011
THIS IS JINJU AND ZOMBIE
: : ALRIGHT! Time for a REAL Taren-style blog post, complete with incoherent narrations and disgusting pictures of me. That is why my blogs thrive on, after all. Ready...Go! : :
Yesterday I had some adventures, but today was the first time I actually decided to venture out by myself.
I planned to go on a long walk along the river, but I felt sick in the morning for some reason. Then I made myself spaghetti and felt even sicker. I wished I had a soda to help settle my stomach, but the mini mart is 2 whole minutes away, and I honestly didn't think I could make it without hurling.
So, I just kind of lied around like a zombie for hours until I felt better.
Around 2:00 I felt great and decided to go for my walk!
I left my apartment! Bye the time I walked the 20 seconds to my school, I realized it was about a billion degrees out.
I decided to keep walking anyway...But my skinny jeans were already sticking to my legs by the time I passed the BEST SHOP EVER.
I reached the river, which is an abrupt sliver of nature among the countless high rise apartments of Korea. NATURE!!
Korea tries really hard to give the illusion that their 'nature' is natural. They even put fake birds in the river, but today I actually saw some real ones! NATURE!!!
They even plant lawns like us Americans and put pomegranates on buildings! NATURE!!!!!
I was so excited by all of the nature, that it made me very sad to cut my walk short. But there was simply too much heat for me. I miss you, Bellingham, and your cold, dry air.
On the way home I stopped at some mini marts for some snacks, as my apartment was greatly lacking. I mostly wanted something cheesy, as cheese is really expensive here, and it's not even Tillamook quality.
I settled for some fake cheese crackers and a bun with cream cheese in it. And a tiny coke.
I meant to save these snacks for later, but with my fridge not working I had to drink the soda right away. Then I just transformed into a snack zombie and ate everything while laying under the air conditioner and drooling over my computer.
GRRRRAWWWWLSNACKS AND AIR CONDITIONER AND COMPUTER. Happinesssssssss.
More disgusting pictures of me in the next post! :D
Also, I am teaching tomorrow.
I am scared.
Yesterday I had some adventures, but today was the first time I actually decided to venture out by myself.
I planned to go on a long walk along the river, but I felt sick in the morning for some reason. Then I made myself spaghetti and felt even sicker. I wished I had a soda to help settle my stomach, but the mini mart is 2 whole minutes away, and I honestly didn't think I could make it without hurling.
So, I just kind of lied around like a zombie for hours until I felt better.
Around 2:00 I felt great and decided to go for my walk!
I left my apartment! Bye the time I walked the 20 seconds to my school, I realized it was about a billion degrees out.
I decided to keep walking anyway...But my skinny jeans were already sticking to my legs by the time I passed the BEST SHOP EVER.
I reached the river, which is an abrupt sliver of nature among the countless high rise apartments of Korea. NATURE!!
Korea tries really hard to give the illusion that their 'nature' is natural. They even put fake birds in the river, but today I actually saw some real ones! NATURE!!!
They even plant lawns like us Americans and put pomegranates on buildings! NATURE!!!!!
I was so excited by all of the nature, that it made me very sad to cut my walk short. But there was simply too much heat for me. I miss you, Bellingham, and your cold, dry air.
On the way home I stopped at some mini marts for some snacks, as my apartment was greatly lacking. I mostly wanted something cheesy, as cheese is really expensive here, and it's not even Tillamook quality.
I settled for some fake cheese crackers and a bun with cream cheese in it. And a tiny coke.
I meant to save these snacks for later, but with my fridge not working I had to drink the soda right away. Then I just transformed into a snack zombie and ate everything while laying under the air conditioner and drooling over my computer.
GRRRRAWWWWLSNACKS AND AIR CONDITIONER AND COMPUTER. Happinesssssssss.
More disgusting pictures of me in the next post! :D
Also, I am teaching tomorrow.
I am scared.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Korean Thanksgiving
So, in the last post I may have given everyone the idea that I have not left my apartment. I may have actually outright said that, actually.
I was joking. I have left my apartment, but due to the timing of my arrival, not very much.
My first day here I visited my school and met some of the kids. Then my boss took me shopping and out to dinner, and that was pretty much the extent of it.
The next two days were the weekend, so no school. My fellow teachers showed me around town, and I ate at some restaurants and attempted to remember directions.
I also bought cleaning supplies and groceries (which I have to keep in David Teacher's fridge because mine is broken) and I memorized what to say to a taxi driver if I am lost.
I also went to the castle, but I forgot a camera and it was raining a lot, so no pictures. Sorry!
Now, today (Monday) and Tuesday are apparently Korean Thanksgiving. I don't really know what they do on this holiday, but pretty much everything is closed. Also, no school or refrigerator repair man.
My first day of teaching will be Wednesday. It will probably be very awkward because I still know very little about the school other than the kids are cute and ...energetic.
I'll let you know how that goes. :/
Today will be some hiking with the other teachers and ...I guess that's it. Everything is closed.
Something I want to accomplish today: I purchased a pillow and they forgot to take the security thingy off. I must find a way to break it!
There will be pictures at some point, I promise.
I was joking. I have left my apartment, but due to the timing of my arrival, not very much.
My first day here I visited my school and met some of the kids. Then my boss took me shopping and out to dinner, and that was pretty much the extent of it.
The next two days were the weekend, so no school. My fellow teachers showed me around town, and I ate at some restaurants and attempted to remember directions.
I also bought cleaning supplies and groceries (which I have to keep in David Teacher's fridge because mine is broken) and I memorized what to say to a taxi driver if I am lost.
I also went to the castle, but I forgot a camera and it was raining a lot, so no pictures. Sorry!
Now, today (Monday) and Tuesday are apparently Korean Thanksgiving. I don't really know what they do on this holiday, but pretty much everything is closed. Also, no school or refrigerator repair man.
My first day of teaching will be Wednesday. It will probably be very awkward because I still know very little about the school other than the kids are cute and ...energetic.
I'll let you know how that goes. :/
Today will be some hiking with the other teachers and ...I guess that's it. Everything is closed.
Something I want to accomplish today: I purchased a pillow and they forgot to take the security thingy off. I must find a way to break it!
There will be pictures at some point, I promise.
Friday, September 9, 2011
JET LAG APARTMENT TOUR AHHHHHH
So, those of you who have been so adventurous to travel to the east coast and complain about jet lag...shut up.
Real jet lag (the kind you get from flying halfway around the world) confuses your whole body. My body feels tired and yet I cannot sleep. I'm not hungry but I know I should be. I keep falling asleep and waking up at strange hours of the day/night!
I feel like I am losing my mind.
So all of you can witness this, I made you a video.
Or, click HERE
You're welcome.
Real jet lag (the kind you get from flying halfway around the world) confuses your whole body. My body feels tired and yet I cannot sleep. I'm not hungry but I know I should be. I keep falling asleep and waking up at strange hours of the day/night!
I feel like I am losing my mind.
So all of you can witness this, I made you a video.
Or, click HERE
You're welcome.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Day of Traveling
6:00 AM (on the 7th, Pacific Time)
Goleta wakes me up and I am unable to fall back asleep.
8:00 AM
Ken Lee calls and informs me that he convinced the Adventure Teaching guy to meet me at the airport. Huzzah!
11:30 AM
I board a plane to Seattle. There are many screaming babies on this plane.
12:10 PM
Plane lands in Seattle. We were only in the air for 30 minutes, and we never got high enough so that I couldn't see the cars on I-5. What a pointless flight!
12:50 PM
I finally find Asiana airlines and get my boarding pass. I buy snacks and water. I wait.
3:20 PM
I board the plane for Korea. Still not really freaking out. I'm too short to put my stuff in the overhead storage, so a Korean-American dude helps me.
3:50 PM
Plane takes off. I'm sitting in the middle row of four seats. No one sits next to me, so I get 4 seats to lay down and sleep! Yay!
3:55 PM
An elderly man slides into the seat next to me and starts speaking Chinese. He shows me two tickets and points to the front of the plane. I smile and nod, and then he leaves and comes back with his wife. I finally realize that I'm being kicked out of my seat. Fortunately, they had a window seat, and I still have two seats to myself. Still, how boring.
4:30 PM
Dinner time! I have to choose between the American meal and the Korean meal. The American meal is steak so I choose the Korean. It is bibimbap. I have to read the instructions on how to eat it... :D
5:00 PM
I watch Pirates of the Caribbean. The new one. It sucks. I fall asleep.
????
I wake up and we are flying over Japan. I guess I slept for about 7 hours.
????
Second meal. It is dry pasta with dry chicken and flavorless pasta salad...and 4 small pieces of Melon. I eat it and feel sick.
7:05 PM (on the 8th, Korea time)
I get off the plane. Korean-American dude helps me not get lost. Customs is fast and easy.
7:20-ish PM
I exit into the lobby. I look for signs that say Taren, but no luck. Then I see a sign that say 'Karen (or Taren?)'. I awkwardly go stand by it. Suddenly a man is there! It is a Mr. Choi! Hooray!
He drives me to Seoul. It is a pleasant drive.
In Seoul, we get out and look for a place to eat. Mr. Choi informs me that I'm acting like a 4-year-old by the way I keep pointing at Korean letters and trying to read them, and that this somehow makes him look like a pedophile. This is entertaining for me, so I do it more. Poor Mr. Choi.
Then we eat hamburgers!
9:50 PM
He takes me to the bus station. There is an 11:00 bus to Jinju, but the only seat is that awkward middle on in the back. I buy a ticket for the 11:40 bus, the last one of the evening.
10:00-11:20 PM
Mr. Choi and I wait. He informs me that it is hard to get Koreans to make eye contact with strangers on the street. I attempt to disprove this theory by staring at the eyes of everyone who walks by. It seems to be pretty true, but I definitely got a lot of quick glances disguised as looking at the building behind me. It's entertaining because I'm tired. And weird. Mr. Choi smokes 13 cigarettes. I tell him he will die.
11:30 PM
Asian toilets. I don't know why I was surprised. But all went well.
11:40 PM
I get on the bus and say goodbye to Mr. Choi. He says the bus ride will be about 3-4 hours. The driver does not speak English. Gulp!
3:something AM
I think I'm in Jinju, but am not really sure. I ask the bus driver when I am supposed to get off. He cringes away from me and says 'next.' Geez.
The bus stops again, so I get off. I am instantly surrounded by Taxi drivers speaking Korean to me. I stare at them bewildered. One of them takes my suitcase and says 'where to?' I look around for Mr. Lee (not that I know what he looks like) but do not see anyone looking for an American. I take my suitcase inside and sit down. The taxi drivers keep looking at me. Then one of them says 'telephone, telephone!' Another one comes over to me with a cell phone. I show him Mr. Lee's number and he calls it. Then he points at me to stay. I am a silly American. It was nice of him though.
A man calls 'Taren?' across the bus station. Relief! Mr. Lee drives me to my apartment, which is huge and amazing even though it is very obvious a boy lived here before me.
4:00 AM
Mr. Lee leaves me to sleep, and says he will show me around tomorrow. He says he likes my positive energy. I actually am pretty positive when I am tired.
I shower because I smell of sweat (because it's humid here!) and cigarette smoke (from Mr. Choi :P ).
5:00 AM
I lay down on my sheet-less mattress with only the one blanket I brought and Cammy (because I am a child). It is so hot it doesn't really matter.
9:00 AM
I wake up and cannot for the life of me fall back asleep.
11:00 AM
I blog.
11:30 AM
I discover air conditioning. Maybe I can sleep more now?!
But probably not.
More updates soon.
Meows!
Goleta wakes me up and I am unable to fall back asleep.
8:00 AM
Ken Lee calls and informs me that he convinced the Adventure Teaching guy to meet me at the airport. Huzzah!
11:30 AM
I board a plane to Seattle. There are many screaming babies on this plane.
12:10 PM
Plane lands in Seattle. We were only in the air for 30 minutes, and we never got high enough so that I couldn't see the cars on I-5. What a pointless flight!
12:50 PM
I finally find Asiana airlines and get my boarding pass. I buy snacks and water. I wait.
3:20 PM
I board the plane for Korea. Still not really freaking out. I'm too short to put my stuff in the overhead storage, so a Korean-American dude helps me.
3:50 PM
Plane takes off. I'm sitting in the middle row of four seats. No one sits next to me, so I get 4 seats to lay down and sleep! Yay!
3:55 PM
An elderly man slides into the seat next to me and starts speaking Chinese. He shows me two tickets and points to the front of the plane. I smile and nod, and then he leaves and comes back with his wife. I finally realize that I'm being kicked out of my seat. Fortunately, they had a window seat, and I still have two seats to myself. Still, how boring.
4:30 PM
Dinner time! I have to choose between the American meal and the Korean meal. The American meal is steak so I choose the Korean. It is bibimbap. I have to read the instructions on how to eat it... :D
5:00 PM
I watch Pirates of the Caribbean. The new one. It sucks. I fall asleep.
????
I wake up and we are flying over Japan. I guess I slept for about 7 hours.
????
Second meal. It is dry pasta with dry chicken and flavorless pasta salad...and 4 small pieces of Melon. I eat it and feel sick.
7:05 PM (on the 8th, Korea time)
I get off the plane. Korean-American dude helps me not get lost. Customs is fast and easy.
7:20-ish PM
I exit into the lobby. I look for signs that say Taren, but no luck. Then I see a sign that say 'Karen (or Taren?)'. I awkwardly go stand by it. Suddenly a man is there! It is a Mr. Choi! Hooray!
He drives me to Seoul. It is a pleasant drive.
In Seoul, we get out and look for a place to eat. Mr. Choi informs me that I'm acting like a 4-year-old by the way I keep pointing at Korean letters and trying to read them, and that this somehow makes him look like a pedophile. This is entertaining for me, so I do it more. Poor Mr. Choi.
Then we eat hamburgers!
9:50 PM
He takes me to the bus station. There is an 11:00 bus to Jinju, but the only seat is that awkward middle on in the back. I buy a ticket for the 11:40 bus, the last one of the evening.
10:00-11:20 PM
Mr. Choi and I wait. He informs me that it is hard to get Koreans to make eye contact with strangers on the street. I attempt to disprove this theory by staring at the eyes of everyone who walks by. It seems to be pretty true, but I definitely got a lot of quick glances disguised as looking at the building behind me. It's entertaining because I'm tired. And weird. Mr. Choi smokes 13 cigarettes. I tell him he will die.
11:30 PM
Asian toilets. I don't know why I was surprised. But all went well.
11:40 PM
I get on the bus and say goodbye to Mr. Choi. He says the bus ride will be about 3-4 hours. The driver does not speak English. Gulp!
3:something AM
I think I'm in Jinju, but am not really sure. I ask the bus driver when I am supposed to get off. He cringes away from me and says 'next.' Geez.
The bus stops again, so I get off. I am instantly surrounded by Taxi drivers speaking Korean to me. I stare at them bewildered. One of them takes my suitcase and says 'where to?' I look around for Mr. Lee (not that I know what he looks like) but do not see anyone looking for an American. I take my suitcase inside and sit down. The taxi drivers keep looking at me. Then one of them says 'telephone, telephone!' Another one comes over to me with a cell phone. I show him Mr. Lee's number and he calls it. Then he points at me to stay. I am a silly American. It was nice of him though.
A man calls 'Taren?' across the bus station. Relief! Mr. Lee drives me to my apartment, which is huge and amazing even though it is very obvious a boy lived here before me.
4:00 AM
Mr. Lee leaves me to sleep, and says he will show me around tomorrow. He says he likes my positive energy. I actually am pretty positive when I am tired.
I shower because I smell of sweat (because it's humid here!) and cigarette smoke (from Mr. Choi :P ).
5:00 AM
I lay down on my sheet-less mattress with only the one blanket I brought and Cammy (because I am a child). It is so hot it doesn't really matter.
9:00 AM
I wake up and cannot for the life of me fall back asleep.
11:00 AM
I blog.
11:30 AM
I discover air conditioning. Maybe I can sleep more now?!
But probably not.
More updates soon.
Meows!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Adios!
I don't know how to say goodbye in Korean yet.
I'm getting on the plane today!
I'm not too nervous at the moment. I was nervous two days ago when I received my vague instructions from AT, but my dad's Korean logger friend apparently called them all and now someone will be at the airport? Maybe?
We shall see...
If no one is there then I have to somehow get two hours south to Jinju. Yayyyyyyy...But I'm just not thinking about that yet. I'm still worried about my suitcase being too heavy.
I'll probably start freaking out once the plane starts to descend though.
I'm assuming if I curl up in a ball at the airport and start to cry someone will help me. :D
...Wish me luck!
I'm getting on the plane today!
I'm not too nervous at the moment. I was nervous two days ago when I received my vague instructions from AT, but my dad's Korean logger friend apparently called them all and now someone will be at the airport? Maybe?
We shall see...
If no one is there then I have to somehow get two hours south to Jinju. Yayyyyyyy...But I'm just not thinking about that yet. I'm still worried about my suitcase being too heavy.
I'll probably start freaking out once the plane starts to descend though.
I'm assuming if I curl up in a ball at the airport and start to cry someone will help me. :D
...Wish me luck!
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