Hello all! I am very excited about being here! The plane ride was soooo long! 13 hours from New York. We flew over Canada and Alaska and I think I saw Russia at some point! Now i have more foreign policy experience than Sarah Palin. The plane ride was exhausting. The first half wasn't too bad but the second was just very boring. I watched a lot of movies. I finally saw Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Getting to Korea took a long time (including all of the paperwork and such) but as soon as I got off the plane I was super excited to be here.
This city is huge! I will post pictures soon, I haven't taken very many yet, I keep forgetting I have a digital camera. The school president picked me up from the airport last night and we went out to dinner. Then he took me to my apartment. It is very small, just a studio but big enough for me. The bathroom is Korean-style which means no bathtub or shower, just a shower head coming out from the wall. Essentially the whole bathroom is a shower. It is very cozy though. The area I am living in is very nice. It is one of the richest areas in Seoul. It is a short walk to school and there are many markets and little shops everywhere.
Today I woke up and realized I didn't bring a towel, so I went on an adventure to Lotte, which is a high end department store and spent way too much on a towel. Then I went to school and had orientation which is just me observing classes. There is another new teacher that got here on Monday as well. The kids here are so cute! Some are very well behaved and really enjoy the classes and some are very shy and don't like speaking english in front of the class. I think that I will have a pretty easy time teaching these students. I am teaching at a Hagwon which is basically like an after school private school that teaches English. Older students are there after public school for about two hours. Little kids go in the morning, most don't go to public school yet. I am going to be teaching a few different ages which will be fun. All of the other teachers are really nice. We went out to lunch today.
After school, the other new teacher, Ben, and I went on an adventure to find alarm clocks. We ended up at a bar and had some Soju and chicken. At the bars here you have to order food with your drinks. The language barrier was a big problem. I think the waitress was getting annoyed with us, but I am learning a few words pretty quickly, such as thank you and I'm sorry. We wandered the streets for a little longer and finally found alarm clocks. So, now I am back at home, trying not to go to sleep too early. It is only 9 here and i haven't felt the effects of jet lag yet. I am hoping that I won't at all.
I am so glad I came here. This city is really cool. I can't wait to post pictures. I will take some tomorrow. I miss everyone and please feel free to post comments and send me emails. My email address is lizlib62@gmail.com. Here is my physical address if you want to send me anything ^^
Liz Liberatore
765-15, Youksam-2Dong
ChunkwangJoo Taek Ga-Dong 101-2
KangNam-Gu, Seoul, Rep. of Korea
Love you all!
-Liz
6 comments:
Lizzie, I'm so glad to know you made there safe and sound. Sorry we missed your party, I heard it was really fun. I love the idea of blogs so we can keep up with what's going on with very exciting part of your life. We'll probably know more now than we did when you were here! Funny how you found a bar before you found the alarm clocks. Sound like you and Ben will be good friends. Looking forward to seeing your students and I'll check this site everyday. Have fun and know we think of you often!
Hi Lizzie! Sounds great so far. Is Ben cute???
YEA! Liz!!! you made it. i can't wait to see pictures. sounds like this will be an awesome experience. love you. be safe.
You go, Girl! Teach them all you can and have fun doing it. Don't forget to post a list so we can send you what you need, miss and want. We'll make sure grandma reads your blog and sees the pics. Do you want her to be on the lookout for towels? Hah! Enjoy the experience and thanks for sharing with us. Love, Rosie
yay liz! so glad you made it, and that the adventures are beginning. can't wait 2 c pics! good luck from me and daren
Hi Lizzie, how am I gonna manage w/o you? It took me this long to figure out how to "blog"!! Your dad and I are so excited for your adventure in Korea. Sounds like you've had a really great start. I miss you, love you and pray for you. XO, Mom
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