School!
July 31, 2007
I went to my school today!! I am so excited to get started and meet my fellow teachers and all my students. The little ones are still on summer vacation, so today was my orientation day. Tomorrow is a teacher work day, and then Thursday I start teaching! Peter picked me up around 10, and we set out for school. Sarah, my supervisor, filled me in on school rules and policies, gave me a tour and showed me my classroom -- Eagle Class! It's a big bright classroom, filled with everything you can imagine a kindergarten class wanting. I am very lucky to be in such a great school.
My students are four and five year olds, and their pictures were on the wall. I was really looking forward to naming them all, but they have already gotten their American names. I so wanted to name them all after my friends. I can already tell that I'm going to adore them all, but especially the boy named Bird. He used to be Frank, but decided Bird was a cooler name when he learned that word, according to Sarah. My other students include Alex, Andrew, Clare, Dayeon, Eileen (c'mon), Emily, Eugene, James, John, Jason, Joshue, Michael, Sarah, Sue, Brandon, Jae and Kate. I will post pictures soon, because they are precious.
After my orientation at work they took me out to a special meal -- McDonalds. Hm, thanks. Then we set up a bank account and got the money my parents wired me. (THANK YOU) Opening up a bank account was lots of fun because I had to practice my Korean writing skills -- and they gave me a Korean name!
I met up with Erin, my friend from UVa, and another girl, Whitney, that Erin met who is from Oklahoma. We explored around my area a little, and now I'm back at my place resting before dinner. I am still falling asleep at 9pm and waking up at 6am. Ug.
Something I've noticed -- while almost no Koreans speak English, if they do they are anxious to show off their skills and be helpful to you in anyway possible. I was standing on the metro platform looking at my map today and a woman walked up to me and asked if I needed any help. I knew where I was going, but I was still so touched that she would go out of her way to see if I needed any assistance. We chatted for a while and it turns out she lived in Key West for a few years. Yesterday on the metro a guy and his girlfriend were sitting next to Erin and I and he struck up a conversation with us, making sure we were having a good time in Korea and that we weren't too lost. His girlfriend sat in awe. You could tell she was very impressed! Other than the people I work with at school and those two people, I have yet to see meet anyone who really speaks English. Perhaps they are just too shy to try. I'm sure they are out there! Erin, who has been here over a month, says that on the street or in shops a few times parents have sent their children over to demonstrate their English skills. It's usually just a "Hi, how are you?" or "My name is Susy. What is yours?" I am glad that I have a Korean assistant, Sonya, in the classroom who communicates with the parents.
Oh!! I almost forgot to mention that Erin and I saw the members of Super Junior yesterday!! (Super Junior is the Korean *Nsync.) She lives in a really ritzy area and they were just walking down the street, being followed by a gaggle of pre-teens who were in tears and screaming into their cell phones. I wouldn't have had a clue who they were, but apparently as far as K-Pop goes, they are gods Erin says.
I'm having a great time in Seoul, but it doesn't negate that fact that I really do miss everyone so much. My new Korean phone does not text to America, so I feel very cut off from you all!! I want to hear how all of you are doing, and how the newest chapters of your lives are going. Facebook me, email me or im me. If you have a mac let's video chat. Oh lord, how geeky can I get.. first I start a blog and now I ask people to video chat with me.
Lots of love,
Sarah
My students are four and five year olds, and their pictures were on the wall. I was really looking forward to naming them all, but they have already gotten their American names. I so wanted to name them all after my friends. I can already tell that I'm going to adore them all, but especially the boy named Bird. He used to be Frank, but decided Bird was a cooler name when he learned that word, according to Sarah. My other students include Alex, Andrew, Clare, Dayeon, Eileen (c'mon), Emily, Eugene, James, John, Jason, Joshue, Michael, Sarah, Sue, Brandon, Jae and Kate. I will post pictures soon, because they are precious.
After my orientation at work they took me out to a special meal -- McDonalds. Hm, thanks. Then we set up a bank account and got the money my parents wired me. (THANK YOU) Opening up a bank account was lots of fun because I had to practice my Korean writing skills -- and they gave me a Korean name!
I met up with Erin, my friend from UVa, and another girl, Whitney, that Erin met who is from Oklahoma. We explored around my area a little, and now I'm back at my place resting before dinner. I am still falling asleep at 9pm and waking up at 6am. Ug.
Something I've noticed -- while almost no Koreans speak English, if they do they are anxious to show off their skills and be helpful to you in anyway possible. I was standing on the metro platform looking at my map today and a woman walked up to me and asked if I needed any help. I knew where I was going, but I was still so touched that she would go out of her way to see if I needed any assistance. We chatted for a while and it turns out she lived in Key West for a few years. Yesterday on the metro a guy and his girlfriend were sitting next to Erin and I and he struck up a conversation with us, making sure we were having a good time in Korea and that we weren't too lost. His girlfriend sat in awe. You could tell she was very impressed! Other than the people I work with at school and those two people, I have yet to see meet anyone who really speaks English. Perhaps they are just too shy to try. I'm sure they are out there! Erin, who has been here over a month, says that on the street or in shops a few times parents have sent their children over to demonstrate their English skills. It's usually just a "Hi, how are you?" or "My name is Susy. What is yours?" I am glad that I have a Korean assistant, Sonya, in the classroom who communicates with the parents.
Oh!! I almost forgot to mention that Erin and I saw the members of Super Junior yesterday!! (Super Junior is the Korean *Nsync.) She lives in a really ritzy area and they were just walking down the street, being followed by a gaggle of pre-teens who were in tears and screaming into their cell phones. I wouldn't have had a clue who they were, but apparently as far as K-Pop goes, they are gods Erin says.
I'm having a great time in Seoul, but it doesn't negate that fact that I really do miss everyone so much. My new Korean phone does not text to America, so I feel very cut off from you all!! I want to hear how all of you are doing, and how the newest chapters of your lives are going. Facebook me, email me or im me. If you have a mac let's video chat. Oh lord, how geeky can I get.. first I start a blog and now I ask people to video chat with me.
Lots of love,
Sarah
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