First Week in Ulsan

So, it has been a long week of work given that we came straight from the punishing 7-day orientation. This morning was the first day off we've had in about 12 or 13 days. Teaching is definitely something of an art. If those kids aren't interested, you aren't getting anything out of them. All the talk of Korean kids wanting to learn and be in the classroom is pretty much a lie. These guys aren't really any different to kids back home, maybe just a touch nicer.

I take 6th graders for four days a week and 3rd graders on friday. The 6th graders are about 11-12 I think - kings of the school in their eyes. You definitely have to cut them down to size if you're going to get anything done. The third graders on the other hand just love you. They ask question after question of 'Teacher, do you like.....? Do you like......?' I think I've answered every question under the sun yesterday.

Michelle has a little bit of a rougher deal in that she has around 10 after school classes a week. The kids REALLY don't want to be there then. At the minute I think the kids are taking to us very much as you would a substitute teacher, and I remember what a raw time we'd give them back in the day!

Still, we have three days off now. Monday is a National Foundation Day, commemorating the birth of the Korean nation over 4000 years ago. We're going to get our tourist on around Ulsan and scout out some cool things, then on monday we're hiking with Michelle's school's teachers. I think we'll make the apartment a little more homely too :)

Oh, and this is Ulsan:

Our Apartment :)

Orientation Pt. 2

Things are still hectic. The last couple of orientation days were punishing once again. Each one twelve hours of learning. Everything to a schedule. We’ve had lectures on everything you could possibly imagine related to the classroom, but still no indication of what level we’re teaching. I’m not sure we will until we get down to Ulsan.

We’ve been working on these lesson plans for a presentation tomorrow, which has just sucked the free time out of the day. Everybody’s been gradually looking more tired, frequenting the coffee machine more and more. For the first few hours of the day I feel like a zombie until the caffeine kicks in. I’m definitely not trained in this Korean work ethic.

Internet has been shocking around the university grounds, so much so that Michelle and I had to take to the streets to try find some wifi to complete our presentation. We stood outside a café for a good 20 minutes last night, just two out of place white kids with an open MacBook in the middle of a busy Seoul street. In England somebody would’ve probably tried to run straight off with it, but not Korea. You’re never more than 10 feet from a smartphone, like rats! Nice analogy.

I had a very cool thing happen to me today though. Well, two actually. First I had a nap. Probably the greatest nap I’ve ever had. When you’ve had five fairly sleepless, mosquito filled nights somewhere, you need a damn good nap. The next thing was that on my way to a computer room a woman started talking to me, first in very fast Korean. I tried to understand her but struggled, so I laid out my best Korean phrases. She was ridiculously interested in what I was doing at the Korean Open University. I finally got it across to her that I was training for teaching English, but then she wanted to know more. I was telling her about my degree and architecture when she told me she was a department head from the Korean National University for interior and spatial design. She seemed very impressed with me coming to Korea and took all my details, asking if I’d want a job in Korea after I was done. So, I guess I pretty much nailed the international contact making.

Anyway, I’m excited for tomorrow. First Michelle and I can get the presentation out of the way, then we go on a field trip (told you it was like school!). On Monday we’ll be getting ourselves down to Ulsan with three others. I get to sample the KTX, which has to be something pretty amazing to beat the Japanese Shinkansen.

Orientation Pt. 1

We checked out of our hostel on Tuesday and packed everything back up again. Next came the punishment of the impending walk to our orientation venue, about 10 minutes away. Not too bad, but in the 25C heat with 30kg of luggage on my shoulders it started to feel pretty rough. Anyway, we got registered and set up in rooms. Michelle and I were in separate rooms, but each sharing with another teacher. It’s pretty much a basic halls of residence style set up. Later on we got treated to a Korean movie - a romantic comedy, my favourite …and I mean that.

The next day we started to get down to business. Up at 7:45am. A brutal medical check up in Yonsei hospital in Seoul was tough going. No food or liquids from 11pm the night before. I was dying by the time we got to thehospital. Then came the urine test - a pee in a paper cup (no lid, of course), which you walked across the busy hall with to drop off. I never thought I’d see so many people’s urine in one go. Not great. Next three vials of blood were taken, and only then could you drink any water. A further standard medical check up and x-ray prolonged the eating a little more, until finally at midday we could go. I couldn’t even finish my lunch though; I think I’d forgotten what food was by that point.

After lunch we had a couple of lectures. We set up a Korean bank account. We signed away on the foreign formswith zero idea about charges and terms. Who knows what they are. Maybe I should’ve learned more Korean banking terms. The next one was about a lesson plan we’ll be doing at the end of the week. Basically a group of three will each present a condensed lesson plan for 20 minutes on a specific subject to a specific level. Michelle and I are in a group of three together anyway so that’s easy for us. Not sure about the presenting part though, I think it’s only just dawning on us that presenting will be our job day after day. Definitely need to be settling those nerves down by then.

Our day wasn’t over anyway. We had a welcoming ceremony where a group played some Beatles songs on traditional Korean instruments. Pretty awesome to be fair, I’d book them. We then went to dinner, then back to lectures from 7 until 8:30. A pretty punishing day’s schedule really.

Michelle and I are really looking forward to just getting into our on apartment by now. As good as orientation is for networking and training, its like boarding school, with set times for literally everything. A load of otherteachers also turned up, so we’ve got 180 of us running about the place. A little too much like school for my liking. Still, we’ll storm it, I’ve no doubt.

Below is the palace I'm living in for the week....

First day in Seoul...

A few pictures from our first day in Seoul. Gyeongbukgung Palace, then a buddhist temple, an incredibly spicy first meal then a trip up Seoul Tower by cable car. Finally we have a nice bit of Konglish! I hope you make only precious present of your life :)

Arriving in Seoul

We finally arrived in Seoul today after 24 long hours of travel!

Our flight ended up being delayed a little because China wouldn't let our plane in their airspace. Who knows what those crafty devils are up to.

Seoul instantly reminds me of Tokyo, which can never be a bad thing. Family Marts and 7/11's are everywhere. The street food is spicy, but incredible. Not sure if we should be eating it or not, but it's far too late to worry about that now.

We're going to get ourselves out to some attractions this weekend I think, as we aren't due at our orientation until Tuesday. Should have more fun to report then I guess.

Oh, I did speak my first Korean words today though, a proud moment even if it was just saying 'two thanks'. I'll get better, I'm sure.

The Wait Is Over!