April 30, 2008 – Lost a day after Crossing the International Dateline

April 30, 2008 – Lost a day after Crossing the International Dateline

 

So we made it, after a 2 hour delay, 5 hour flight from Toronto, a 12 hour flight from San Francisco and a whole 32 hours in total of travel (with time change).

Our connecting flight was quite interesting.  Just a note to everyone: try and avoid San Francisco airport at all cost.  They were so rude I couldn’t even believe it. But either way…we made it.

When we got to the airport our recruiter Jane was waiting for us.  She was so cute.  She taught us how to use a payphone, and then got us onto a bus that took us from Seoul to Daegu.  It was about 5 hours in total.  We had our first stop at some services, and I had my first experience with the money.  I am already trying to give them too much, but found that she was really nice and honest and gave it back.  I got a water for 600 wan which is about .60cents Canadian and I was about to give her 6000 wan which would have been a $6 bottle of water.

Either way, everyone seems really nice here so far.  During the bus ride, I was able to see some of the great mountainous landscape and as we were driving by the cities, it got darker so they were all light up in brilliant colours.  We finally arrived in Daegu and it felt pretty strange that I was looking around at a city that I would be living in for a year.  It was really nice though, even at night.  It felt very safe, and pretty quiet.  We got to the train station and my direct supervisor was there to meet us.  We walked off the bus and considering we were the only white people to walk off, he came over to us and asked if we were Carly and Elyse. 

He was very shy about his English but he was actually really good.  We could understand everything he was saying.  He showed us where our schools head office was and gave us his card with the office name on it so that if we are ever in a cab and need to get back to the office, we would know what to say.  It is on the 24^th floor of a very nice building right on a beautiful river overlooking the city.  I am looking forward to seeing the view from up there. 

Anyway we drove around and he found out apartment for us.  We aren’t too far from the office, but most of our work won’t be there anyways. 

I guess now I can get into some detail about our jobs, well what I know so far at least.

Elyse will be teaching children age 6-16 at a private school, which is a school that is provided after their regular school day. 

I on the other hand will be teaching adults.  I will be traveling about 20 minutes via subway to the business district and going to a new business every week (or couple of days…not quite sure as of yet)

From what I understand, I will have some sort of business lunch with them just exercising conversational English, and then I will have a curriculum to go over that is provided to me by the Institution I am working for.

 

Anyway, so he told us that he would tell us more about that tomorrow.   He will come to our apartment and pick us up around 1pm tomorrow and go over some orientation and answer some questions.  Actually I believe Thursday and Friday will be like that so it should be nice before we start on Tuesday. (because Monday is a Korea Holiday)

 

So our apartment is SUPER cute.  It is a fairly new building, with a code to get in.  I feel like Ace Ventura when he says the code “new England clam chouder” except we punch in our numerical code, and it’s a glass door not a steel door, so really not the same at all but kinda…haha.

Anyway it has marble stairs up to our second level apartment and automatic lights that are censored which is GREAT for the environment.  Canada should do this more often.

Our apartment had 2 bedrooms, one bigger than the other, but Elyse being the doll she is let me have the big one because she says this is all new to me and wants me to be comfortable.  Isn’t she sweet?!:)

Anyway my room had two windows, not the greatest view but still living the city life (which I have always wanted to do as most of you know).  It has the air conditioner, so we may be bunking both in this room in the hot hot heat of summer.  We will see how it goes though.  It has a nice hard bed, a dresser wardrobe thingy in each bedroom and a tv in the common room (which is a combo of the dining room/living room/kitchen) but it will do.  They bought us new dishes and pots and utensils that were still in the packaging.   We have a nice cute little bathroom and laundry room too.  Oh and when you first come in the door, there is a cupboard for our shoes, which is rather appropriate for Elyse and I.  So my co-teacher showed us how to turn on the water heater and all that jazz and then Elyse and I took a little walk around the neighbourhood.  Just down the way, there is a market but it was closed once we got out there, and there is also a bar and we think a Norabang (I think that’s how you spell it) it’s a Korean Karaoke Bar.  That should be fun being so close. (it looks kinda westernish too (like country western I mean) so maybe I will have to bust out the cowboy boots for it)

 

We made a list of some things that we have to buy to spruce up the apartment but I think we are going to do just fine here.  J

One thing we definitely have to get used to is the darn plug converter things.  I am scared to plug in my computer.  But once we are not so tired, we are going to read all the directions on the volt instructions thingy.

Anyway I will be posting this once we get the internet, so I am sure I will have lots to add, but this should give you all a good read for a while.

 

Thanks for all the comments everyone.  We miss you and love you all.

 

Thursday May 1^st 2008

 

Woke up after a good sleep in, and went down the road to get some stuff from the market.  We got some good breakfast food, some mini-bananas, the classic peanut butter (you gotta have it), a kettle, and some other things we needed. We got all ready and I used the Korea style shower.  Which again, I think we should definitely start using these in Canada.  Such a saver for the good ol’ H2O! Your whole bathroom is the shower and there is a drain in the middle of the floor.  So all you have to do, it put everything that can’t get wet into the cupboard, and then shower away.  I like it cause you get all wet, and then turn off the water to lather up.  So environmentally friendly.

 

We watched some Sex and the City (so happy to hear that it is played regularly here on one of the English channels.  I took some photos of our abode and Elyse made fun of me.  The people that we had been corresponding with over the past month came to pick us up and took us for a little tour of the city.  They drove us to the bus stops, and the subways stops and showed me the government building where I would be teaching some of the time.  They then took us to the office which was the 24^th floor of a huge building.  And I was right.  The view was spectacular.  I took pictures, and Jay (Elyse’s direct supervisor) was making fun of me.  I was in awe!

 

Our office is cute, and this will be where Elyse will be teaching.  It has several classrooms, a big theatre where the kids watch movies, offices and computers for the teachers, and a conference room.  We went over some things and I was given a curriculum with the units outlined that are to be covered.  I actually have my first lesson tomorrow, which is kind of nerve racking.  But I am meeting up with the adult English teacher tomorrow to go over some things and we watched a movie with some sample teaching tactics that were whole 10 minutes units that were covered.  It should be interesting and I am sure I will get the hang of it.  Just like I did at the bank with making the decision of whether or not I should be holding a cheque. Haha.

 

We got the use the internet briefly and then Elyse and I were off to explore.  We took the subway and man are they clean.  And bright.  I felt so safe in there and I think I discovered the reason why they have censored lights in all the apartments and buildings: because they use up all their energy at the subway stations. They are so lit up and bright and pump cool air at all times.  It’s great though.  I think it may even be world class subway system for cleanliness.

 

We then strolled home from the subway station and I totally guessed at what road was ours and was right.  YAY me and my great sense of direction.  But I don’t want to get too cocky, cause its still all pretty foreign to me. 

 

We are now all organized in our apartment.  Jess: I got all SITUATED which I thought you would enjoy.  Loving it already…and its day #2! YAY! We are heading downtown which is only 1 subway stop away which is very convenient for Elyse and I.  We are going to meet up with Elyse’s male friend Alec.  I can’t wait to meet him in person for once rather than on webcam. 

 

Wow this is going to be ONE long blog when we finally get the internet to post this stuff…and Elyse thinks it will die down but right now I just have SO much to say.  Once we get into routine, I probably will only post one every coulpe weeks but I thought you would all enjoy hearing about what we are up to.

 

Plans are already coming together for next weekend.  Maybe going to Busan (sometimes refered to as Pusan) – just like Daegu is sometimes Taegu. EXCITING!

we are stealing internet right now so i have to be fast in posting this...

i miss you all 

and hope to talk soon when we get a legal connection to the internet.

(i met Alec tonight...he's great)