Chuseok

So Chuseok is their biggest holiday here in Korea and I now have 6 days off.  At school though we got to celebrate and the kids dress up in the traditional wear called: Hanbok.  The kids looked great and it was a lot of fun!  We played games and made some food.  I also got a gift from one student and he gave me a nice box with 2 bottles of wine and and opener. 

This is one of the other teachers, Carrie, in a Hanbok.

Tiffany.

All so cute!

Sarah

Tron being Tron!

Practicing how to bow on stage.  This is one of my classes.

Looking cute and pretty!

Esther!  They do love the peace sign.

My youngest class.

Making a traditional food, Songpyeon.  A dough with sesame seeds and sugar in it.  Then steamed.

One of the games the kids played where they had to throw arrow like things in a bucket.  I was in charge of this game.

It was a fun day and there are these few boys who love to dance and I am going to try to upload a video of all the kids dancing!  Very funny and super cute. 

This school is so nice.  I happened to metion to a teacher that cereal is expensive here and she said to go to Costco.  I told her I had seen Cheerios there and I plan to get some when I can join Costco.  When I got to work this morning there was a Costco box of Cheerios on my desk.  She bought me some over the weekend.  I also did finally get my alien card and can join things (like Costco) and not carry my passport around.

Olympic Park

I went to Olympic park this Saturday and it turns out the Olympics were in Seoul in 1988 and this was before they alternated summer and winter Olympics because the winter Olympics were in Canada this same year.  It was a very nice place to walk around and a really nice park to hang out it. 

This sign was in the parking lot and I can only think women park here, possibly pregnant but she does not look it.

The pool which I would have loved to go into but everything was closed.

We need these signs in America, no questions as to what it means!

Taste of home!  Not all the same drinks though.

Another place I stopped, Achasan.  Busy place and this is where all the furniture is sold.

A neat children's park I found where you can get into for free and they have a small zoo and other neat looking things.

Their characters!

I am actually here!

Subway and Bus

So I decided I didn't want to be in my apartment any longer and went to go explore.  I got on the subway and picked a stop and got off and walked around.  I got off at Deakso and there really wan't much there.  I saw somewhere that is said there was a temple there but I didn't find one.  As I was walking down the street a bus went by, hit a puddle and I got splashed.  Luckily the water was clean so I wans't covered in mud.  Her are a couple pics I took there though.

People sell their crop food on the street side!

Really cute kid I saw riding his bike around.

I also was able to explore a park right by my house and it has a really nice walking pathway where you can work out along with exercise machines and signs with some English help on them.

One main area.

An eliptical machine!!

A really huge spider I saw.  Probably 3 inches long!!

A pretty view from the park.  The park is really high up from the street so it is quiet and and has great views.

I did find a puppy store and they are soooo cute. 

No idea what this one is sucking on but he wanted it.

I am going to try to go to a new stop every weekend and maybe 2.  I will eventually go to further away places and spend the night but I need to get a little more confertable with the train system.  We have a break coming up in a little over a week and I have 6 days off.  It is kind of their version of Thanksgiving called Chuseok.  I am going to travel to different places in the Seoul area and learn the train system.

I also tried a bus today back to my apartment and I did fine but while on the bus the driver got really mad at this one kid in particular and kicked him and his three friends off the bus.  I did not understand a word of what was being said but the kid was pissed when the bus drove away.  He was yelling at the bus!

Some School pics

My desk

One of the main halls

Some of my kinder students (Emily, Andy and Sunny)

Christina, Jessica and Yejee

Tron and Esther

Older students later in the day.  Very good class!

School

School is pretty good.  Everything is pretty much planned for me and I just go class to class and teach it.  A lot of it is just getting the students to talk and have a conversation with me and each other. Some classes are directed more towards writing.  My day begins at 9 and the first students, kinders, get here 9:30.  Kinders stay here until 2:30 and then the elementary kids come in.  They finish at 5:30 and I get to leave at 6.  The afternoons are a bit more relaxing because the older kids are not as crazy and they understand more.  I have the lowest class in the morning of 5 year olds and it is difficult to get them to listen and follow directions.  Just like kindergarten in America.  I usually teach about 6-7 40 minute classes a day and that leaves me a lot of time to "plan" which I don't really need to do much of and can be finished in about 20 minutes.  There are 3 other American teachers here but one is leaving soon, the only other girl and the gits seem to already be good buddies.  They also live in the complete opposite direction of my place so I don't see them much.  I am getting into the swing of things and I will post pictures soon. I haven't done too much traveling yet but we have a break coming up and I am going to learn the train system. 
Well that is a quick update and I have to go welcome the kids to school.  We are on the 8th floor and help them get to the right place.
Talk to you later! 

Korea Life

So I finally have internet in my apartment along with hot water so I am settling in.  Just a few more weeks and I can have more furniture.  A teacher is leaving at the end of Sept. and I get all her stuff.  It is very interesting here and very hard to figure things out.  Almost everything is in Korean and hardly anyone speaks English.  I never thought I would be so happy to talk to missionaries today.  Here are some photos of my apartment and the area.  I also have them on fb.

My Apartment (very small, but getting more cozy)

Door to my building, I am the window on the left

Do not travel by bus because you can't find out where to go

Huge market that is very easy to got lost in.

Yummy fish and an octopus!  Live crabs are all over as well.

Crazy red dog I saw.  I think it is a poodle.

My school is in the building on the right on the 8th floor.  The one with all the signs on it.

This is what I see every time I walk out of my neighborhood to walk anywhere.