I feel really ashamed that this blog has just turned into a running tally of how long I've been here. It's supposed to actually be chronicling my story. Oh well, guess I'll have to do better at that.
Anyway, Descriptive Blog Title is Descriptive! It's been almost one month since I have been in Korea, and I'm still alive! Unfortunately, the last two weeks have been a little on the stressful side. After the last blog post, three of us got sick. The boys had some kind of virus/bacteria, but I think mine was just a combination of allergies and not being used to talking for 8 hours a day. I had a really bad sore throat for about 3-4 days (it wasn't strep though). The week after this was the "end of term."
Every two months, you collect the materials you have graded for the students and put it into one big file and grade them on reading, speaking, writing, behavior, etc. It doesn't sound so bad...until you realize I'd only been teaching solo for about two weeks! On top of that, the class has been in flux for the past few months due to teachers leaving/getting fired, Korean teachers taking the class, other teachers taking over, etc., so the files weren't exactly well organized. Needless to say, they got done within a few days, and now I just have to catch up on the grading I missed out on while I was filling out 70 evaluations and I'm all set until the end of October!
I finished the progress reports on Friday. Two weeks ago the new teachers were sick, this last week it was the other teachers who got sick. Add to that the joys of having the blue sheets and a new term starting, and you can believe that we were all ready for Chuseok! Chuseok is basically Korean Thanksgiving, it is a tradition from when Korea was agricultural based. Basically everyone goes back to where their family is from and makes a lot of food. Traveling in Korea during this time is basically suicide, and most of the foreign teachers stayed around Jeonju.
The Thursday before school let out, we went out for my first taste of duck!
Anyway, Descriptive Blog Title is Descriptive! It's been almost one month since I have been in Korea, and I'm still alive! Unfortunately, the last two weeks have been a little on the stressful side. After the last blog post, three of us got sick. The boys had some kind of virus/bacteria, but I think mine was just a combination of allergies and not being used to talking for 8 hours a day. I had a really bad sore throat for about 3-4 days (it wasn't strep though). The week after this was the "end of term."
Every two months, you collect the materials you have graded for the students and put it into one big file and grade them on reading, speaking, writing, behavior, etc. It doesn't sound so bad...until you realize I'd only been teaching solo for about two weeks! On top of that, the class has been in flux for the past few months due to teachers leaving/getting fired, Korean teachers taking the class, other teachers taking over, etc., so the files weren't exactly well organized. Needless to say, they got done within a few days, and now I just have to catch up on the grading I missed out on while I was filling out 70 evaluations and I'm all set until the end of October!
I finished the progress reports on Friday. Two weeks ago the new teachers were sick, this last week it was the other teachers who got sick. Add to that the joys of having the blue sheets and a new term starting, and you can believe that we were all ready for Chuseok! Chuseok is basically Korean Thanksgiving, it is a tradition from when Korea was agricultural based. Basically everyone goes back to where their family is from and makes a lot of food. Traveling in Korea during this time is basically suicide, and most of the foreign teachers stayed around Jeonju.
The Thursday before school let out, we went out for my first taste of duck!
It was a little bland, but once you dipped it in the sesame oil and put garlic and onions and some fruit on it it tasted delicious!
After this, we ended hitting up a coffee shop which had the best white mocha I have ever tasted in my life, and by the way everyone else was drinking their drinks of choice I think the feeling was shared by the group! Also, this was the night that I learned there is ACTUAL SHEESHA in Jeonju. Michael was excited when we started talking about it, apparently he hasn't found anyone who has wanted to go with him before, so we're planning on stopping by after the next makgeolli tour. I will probably be horribly disappointed, but hey.
Friday, we were all exhausted (the Korean children were beyond unruly on Friday!), but felt that we somehow needed to celebrate the holiday. We headed to a bar about a 15-20 minute walk from our apartment. It had cool decor. The place was massive, two levels and full colorful bottles wrapped all the way across the building.
My culinary luck continued on Friday, as I also had the most delicious Kahlua and Bailey's here.
This is a picture of my Korean co-teacher Jessie! Please note that she started the random peace sign, not I.
This night was pretty laid back as far as Korea is concerned...we were all exhausted and we were all home and in bed by 1 a.m.! It was a good thing though because about 10 minutes after I got inside the floodgates opened. It has been raining since Thursday and it is suppose to rain through all of Chuseok! So today I didn't do much except go over to Jessie's grandmother's apartment and watch/help them cook Chuseok food! Normally they do not eat it today, but her grandma was amused by Michael and I and so we got to nibble. It was delicious!
I am hoping it doesn't rain too much tomorrow. Michael is an avid hiker around Korea, and he is willing to take Rob and I around and show us the good spots! Otherwise, the rest of the vacation is a lot of relaxing and getting mentally prepared for the next two months! Until then,
Karin
