Work has been getting a little more real... keep in mind, this is my first real job so it's all very new to me. I really like it but I am starting to feel the pressure and the stress. So far I have been observing different teachers (there are 7 english teachers all around my age.. 23- 28). They are absolutely wonderful at what they do. I feel pretty lucky to be working with them and having them as my friends (well we are getting there). Everyone who works for TNE is really kind and helpful. One of my bosses Alicia (love her) gave me a task to start working on... currently and for the next couple of weeks I will be writing the curriculum for one of the English textbooks. It's pretty cool but it's mostly just entails a lot of tedious, busy work. Today I taught my first class which was only 2 students. The students are not put into a grades but more so into levels for how they are split up (way better than the American ways). The two girls I am teaching are 9 years old which is like having 4th graders. You wouldn't believe how smart all these kids are... not just the 4th graders but all the levels/grades. I mean, the "Peachicks" (Kindergarten class) that I observed has students raging from ages 3 to 5 and they are way smarter than any of the American students I taught during my Internship. I am so impressed by these kids, this school... everything... i'm even a little intimidated! I must say... the Korean kids are sooooo adorable. They call you by your first name which is not what i'm used to. Basically all the staff goes by first name-teacher (Emilie teacher). It's funny to hear my first name in a work/teaching environment... i'm so used to being called"Ms. Smith".
After work the other night, Alicia, Laura and I (work friends) went to Outback... how funny is that. It cracked me up that there is a giant Outback in the middle of the city. It was really good, I was surprised. Ya know how at Outback the waiter bends down next to your table and gets real close and personal when asking you questions, and taking your order? (well, I guess they do this at a lot of American restaurants).. anyway, it was so funny when I saw all of the wait staff doing this. I will give them this.. they did a great job at mimicking the Outback etiquette.. haha!!
I discovered one of my favorite dishes here... I don't know if I am spelling this right but this is at least how it sounds.. nang myun (cold, spicy noodles)- dammit, I thought I was going to break away from carbs but not yet! I also really LOVVVEE the Korean BBQ (sam geyup sul) and the kim chee (pickled/spicy cabbage).
So tonight after work.. which was at 9 p.m., my hall mate/friend Laura went and got dinner down the street. We got the nang myun... one of our bosses raved about how good it was at this particular restaurant... it was rather delicious! So far I haven't really gotten a whole lot of stares but I don't know what was different about us tonight. Koreans came into the restaurant and pointed and started at us all night. At one point during dinner, a Korean man looked over at my and starting laughing because apparently I was not holding my chop sticks correctly (I thought I was doing a great job actually). He said something to his family and then they all looked over and laughed at me. You know me... I just held my chop sticks in the air, shrugged my shoulders and smiled haha!
So, I am loving it here... it hasn't even been a week.. I can't wait for more! :)
Korean Facts:
-Smoking: Korean women either don't smoke (cigarettes) or they do it in private and still continue to hide it. If your a women, seen smoking... Koreans pretty much think your a "floozy" (sp)..
-Korean ages: when you are born here, you are already one year. All Koreans are 1 year ahead in age. My friend Jin who is Korean says she is 25 but in American years she is really 24.
*I miss everyone :) xoxo
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