Update on life!

Everything is going well here! I really couldn't be happier at this point. I've met lots of very nice people to go out with or hang out with, and the job is so great.

I started going to a language exchange the week I came to Korea, and I've met some very great people through it each week I've gone. I'm really trying to learn Korean because I feel like it's a necessity. Even though I have been able to "get by" with basics, I want to be able to communicate with my Korean friends better. Also, being able to read instructions and restaurant menus would be great.

My schedule is sporadic throughout the week, but the earliest my classes start is 2:30 and the latest I ever have to stay is 8:30. I do have essays, diaries, and presentations to correct; I come in early or stay after class to finish them, but the working time is so limited.

In general, the kids are great. There are some monsters, but the good ones more than make up for it. I have an advanced writing class on Thursdays and I'm teaching them about writing opinion essays, start to finish. I have a girl in that class who, on her own, wrote a fairly decent rough draft body paragraph last night going along with a thesis she had previously written. I am so happy with how well she does with new material! It's incredibly impressive.

It should be mentioned that I even love some of my bad kids. I have three fairly young boys (6-8yo) in different classes, and I absolutely adore them. They talk too much during class, but they really try with their English. One of them is so little, he still struggles with writing in Korean. He's too cute!

I miss everyone back home! Please e-mail me or message me on facebook if you want to Skype! <3

New Apartment

Wow, I haven't updated since I arrived. I guess I should work on being more consistent! Since just about everyone that reads my blog is friends with me on Facebook, I won't go over some things I've already talked about there in a lot of detail.

As I mentioned to some, the original apartment I was living in upon arrival was a temporary place for me until the 2 foreign teachers at my school were scheduled to leave on May 4th. They were living in the apartment right next door, so it didn't initially seem like it would be a daunting task. Jesse and Kim left in the morning yesterday and informed Laura (another foreign teacher) that I shouldn't move in until someone had come to clean. This was all well and good, except the co-director at our school, Claire, informed me I needed to be moved in by the next night. UGH!

After school was done for the day I went to my new apartment to assess the damage. Oh my sweet baby Jesus, the smell was unbelievable! Jesse and Kim had two of the most adorable cats in the world, except they would get really pissed off when Jesse and Kim would take trips (they took 1 weekender since I arrived) and they would pee anywhere other than the litter box. Thankfully, the litter box was contained in the bathroom and they seemed to keep their marking in that tiny area, but determining how to destroy the stench was quite a problem. First I found a bottle of 3-in-1 Pet Odor neutralizer that Jesse and Kim apparently used frequently. I sprayed every floor surface of the bathroom that was visible and wiped it up. The stench remained. So I sprayed again. The stench remained. I realized, at this point, that the cats had been sneaking behind the washing machine and peeing in a back corner so I had to move the washing machine (they are so small and light in Korea!!) and spray more. From here I was spraying fumes on the smelly spots, and decided I needed to take drastic action: VINEGAR! I imagine they kept this massive bottle of vinegar I found under the sink for this exact purpose (and probably for clothes/fabric washing). I liberally poured quantities of vinegar all over the floors and it seems as if the smell is mostly gone. I can only hope it will fade with time, but I can always use more vinegar.

When all was said and done with the cleaning job, I finished moving my things from the previous apartment, completely unpacked my clothes and other items, washed/dried my new fitted sheet, and crawled into bed at the early hour of 6am. Somehow I woke up at 11am and didn't feel tired enough to fall back asleep, but I'm regretting that decision now...

I'm happy that I'm finally settled in to my new apartment. Now I can focus on buying things I'm missing... like a fan for sleeping!! Hopefully I won't die from fan death though...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_death

I have arrived!

I made it into Daejeon late last night around 9:40 PM KT after a long, long day(s) of traveling. I went about 30 hours with incredibly minimal sleep, so it was nice to get a little shut-eye after making it to my apartment.

Speaking of my apartment, WOW! I was so happy to get there. The couple that I am replacing, Kim and Jesse, as well as the other two foreign teachers at my school, Laura and Dan, all made sure that the apartment was presentable and left with necessities for when I first arrived. They all seem really nice, so I'm sure we'll all get along great.

Hopefully today I'll get to see the cherry blossoms before the rain washes them all away.

I miss everyone back home so much, but this was definitely a change of pace I needed!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

@ 1:26AM EDT or 2:26 PM KT

I'm sitting on my flight right now from San Francisco on my way to Seoul; we're about a million hours in, although I think it's really only been about 8 hours. So far I've had 2 alcoholic beverages, but they give you such a small amount it would hardly seem worth the cost if I'd actually had to pay for them. Perks of paying an astronomical amount for an economy class ticket, I guess? I've never flown this far since I was an infant, so maybe free alcohol is standard.

Mother Nature decided to pay me a visit right at the start of the flight to Seoul. Thankfully, I am right next to the lavatory, planned/packed ahead for it, and have no one in my 3-seat row to bother me... that is unless you want to count the terrible-two the next row up that has cried for about 7 of the 8 hours we've been flying. C'est la vie! I wonder if there's a Korean expression for this? I'll have to find out.

I'm not going on much sleep for the last 48 hours, and I've been purposely staying awake this entire flight to ensure I can sleep properly once I get to my apartment. It won't be much different than any all-nighters I pulled playing World of Warcraft or my drunken debauchery nights in Buffalo; at least the alcohol here is complementary!

All-in-all this trip has been pretty smooth (knock on wood), and a lot of surprises I was concerned about encountering have yet to happen: I didn't have to pay to check my 2 bags; I didn't have any delays in flights (with 2 layovers, it was probable); the food on the flights is tasty; and the alcohol is free (have I mentioned the free booze?). Let's just hope that I'm not too overwhelmed when I get to Incheon Int'l Airport in Seoul... I just need to remember to take a deep breath, and if I need to I will ask for assistance! Also there's the concern about how to contact my school representative once I get my bus ticket to Daejeon. I wonder how public phones are in the airport? So many questions!

Even though I'm writing this much earlier than I'm posting it, I just wanted to share my experience with everyone. I feel like the longer I'm there the tougher it'll be for me to post updates frequently, but I'll do my best! I'm sure once I get my alien registration card (maybe about 4-6 weeks in?) and I can get internet in my apartment and an iPhone it'll be easier for me.

My lack of sleep delirium is getting the best of me. I miss everyone at home both in Buffalo and Florida like crazy already.

Impending Departure

One week until I leave for Daejeon-si, South Korea and I am just not sure I am ready. I mean, I'm ready for the change of pace and culture, but I'm just worried I'll forget something or not have what I need when I arrive.

Just taking everything one day at a time and spending time with my friends in Buffalo while I can.