One umbrella, three people, no bus and rain equals a bad start to the day. All the neighborhood families are huddled together under the few umbrellas present waiting for the bus to arrive. Ten minutes after the scheduled time and no bus. Everyone else decides to start walking since it's only 10 minutes away walking briskly. We walked back to the apartment to phone the school. By the time we make it there, it is pouring down rain. The other families were soaked!
We call the school and are told that the bus schedule changed this morning. It picked up at 7:15. Didn't get that message! OUR email said that it would start Wednesday, not Tuesday. The school calls back. Nope, it came at 8:10. Every one of the families must have missed it. The bus NEVER came. They tell us we will likely have to get a taxi and she was going to see about getting us one and call us back. Stacy calls his boss who says "I'll see what I can do." Within 2 minutes we receive a call saying the bus is on its way. Stacy says, we'll walk down to the stop.
Off we go using the smallest umbrella (because we misplaced our 2 large umbrellas at the school) and all 3 of us, dressed in our Sunday best minus Ethan, huddled under one umbrella. I'm sure we were a sight. Even though I didn't spend a lot of time on my hair this morning, the bit I did was wasted. We get to our stop and within 5 minutes we had 3 KIS vehicles come from 3 different directions. I guess they realized that they missed our neighborhood and were sending vehicles to all the apartments in our neighborhood to pick up any strays.
We were in such a rush to get to school that we left Ethan's bag on the bus. We had no time for breakfast and got to his orientation right at 9am. I didn't realize we had misplaced his bag until lunch time because we packed Ethan a sandwich. He's still getting to know Korean food. We didn't end up finding his bag until close to 3pm. We did meet his teacher and the good news is Ethan will be going to first grade instead of kindergarten. We had originally signed him up for kindergarten because we thought it would be beneficial for him to begin at the earliest grade at KIS. After considering the pros and cons, it just made sense to keep him on track. So Ethan will have Ms. Nam this year. He was so excited exploring his new classroom that he didn't want to leave it. I must remember to take my camera tomorrow for a new photo of first day of school. Don't worry, I already told Stacy that I'm going to come by and take a picture of him and his new students too.
So it is time for me to hit the sack because we must rise and shine early tomorrow morning. Hello new school year!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Day 17 - The neighborhood cookout
Sundays are good days. We got to sleep in. Made pancakes. Cleaned house a little. We didn't get out but its because we are broke. Banks aren't open on the weekends here.
The cookout was at 5pm and it was really hot. Within an hour the sun had set enough to still provide light but it had cooled off. The cookout took place in a small fenced area down the street at another apartment complex. The Fellers had a charcoal grill and each family brought food to grill. The kids played. The adults visited. We met more families that we had not met yet.
Almost everyone has lived in other places prior to Korea so they are fountains of information. Mark and Kristen, who are new to KIS but not new to international teaching, recently came from China. Kristen's parents actually were hired by the school that they left in China so they are nearby.
The cookout was at 5pm and it was really hot. Within an hour the sun had set enough to still provide light but it had cooled off. The cookout took place in a small fenced area down the street at another apartment complex. The Fellers had a charcoal grill and each family brought food to grill. The kids played. The adults visited. We met more families that we had not met yet.
Almost everyone has lived in other places prior to Korea so they are fountains of information. Mark and Kristen, who are new to KIS but not new to international teaching, recently came from China. Kristen's parents actually were hired by the school that they left in China so they are nearby.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Day 16 - Homeplus & the Feller Family
More shopping. You would think I would be excited about more shopping but believe it or not, I'm kind of shopped out. This afternoon we met the Feller family at their apartment down the street. They offered to take us in their car to Homeplus which is the closest and better equivalent to Walmart. It's cheaper shopping, not by much, and has more familiar foods. There's a movie theater on the top floor which is where we plan to take Ethan to watch Toy Story 3. We stopped in at Subway to get a bite to eat. Here we found TURKEY and DR. Pepper!!!! It was delicious! The cans that we are used to in the states cost $2 here. While we were eating, Kris, the wife, stayed with us while Elka and Sean stopped off somewhere else. They showed up with a birthday gift for Ethan. It was the sweetest gesture from a 6 year old. Apparently she had been bugging her parents for this. A little Woody doll from the movie.
Once everyone was done eating we headed down a couple levels to start shopping. Ethan and Elka have a new name...double trouble. They were constantly trying to out do each other. Giving each other not so good ideas but they get along really well.
Stacy and Sean shopped for our grocery list while Kris and I took the kids and looked around. To give you an idea of how much American goods cost here, a small box of Ritz crackers with one sleeve is about $3.50. The store has lots of sampling stations. The kids loved it. Good to go during snack time. We went through the seafood area where the kids wanted to touch the fish, crabs, octupus, and others. The kids were very helpful getting veggies and fruit.
We finished shopping, paid and loaded up so that we could get ice cream at Baskin Robbins. Near BR is a store called I Love Cookie where you can get all kinds of western groceries but they are kind of expensive. I found nutella (7,000 Won) and a small package of corn tortillas (9,000 Won). Stacy and I were excited to find cake mix, sour cream, and American Dr. Pepper. Ethan found a Cars toy that was nearly $50 and in the states it would have been $10. Can't wait to go back and shop sparingly. We get paid Friday!
It was a fun outing and yet again we have more pros to add to our list for a car. Grocery shopping is much easier with a car.
A little info on the Fellers. This is their 4th country. They were in Kazakhstan previously. Their daughter was born in another country so the only life that Elka knows is an international one. It really helps us justify our recent decision.
Once everyone was done eating we headed down a couple levels to start shopping. Ethan and Elka have a new name...double trouble. They were constantly trying to out do each other. Giving each other not so good ideas but they get along really well.
Stacy and Sean shopped for our grocery list while Kris and I took the kids and looked around. To give you an idea of how much American goods cost here, a small box of Ritz crackers with one sleeve is about $3.50. The store has lots of sampling stations. The kids loved it. Good to go during snack time. We went through the seafood area where the kids wanted to touch the fish, crabs, octupus, and others. The kids were very helpful getting veggies and fruit.
We finished shopping, paid and loaded up so that we could get ice cream at Baskin Robbins. Near BR is a store called I Love Cookie where you can get all kinds of western groceries but they are kind of expensive. I found nutella (7,000 Won) and a small package of corn tortillas (9,000 Won). Stacy and I were excited to find cake mix, sour cream, and American Dr. Pepper. Ethan found a Cars toy that was nearly $50 and in the states it would have been $10. Can't wait to go back and shop sparingly. We get paid Friday!
It was a fun outing and yet again we have more pros to add to our list for a car. Grocery shopping is much easier with a car.
A little info on the Fellers. This is their 4th country. They were in Kazakhstan previously. Their daughter was born in another country so the only life that Elka knows is an international one. It really helps us justify our recent decision.
Day 15 - Friday, dentist, & a good time
Friday felt more routine. Bus at 8:10. Breakfast until 9:00. Meetings through the morning. Korean lunch about noon. Then for me a free afternoon but for Stacy meetings until 3:30.
Since he had meetings, I had to go to the dentist all by myself. I realize that I should be a little more adventurous independently but, my experience today did not encourage me. I was able to get a ride from our counselor, Jonathon Webster, to the dentist's office. He is a fountain of knowledge and has lived here 6 years. So anyways, I get up to the dentist's office, sit down and immediately he says "we're going to extract the tooth today." WHAT!!! Um, well...I wasn't prepared for that. I was able to put it off until our first week off in September (Chusok-Korean holiday). The visit lasted no more than 10 minutes. I got another antibiotic prescription in case it starts hurting again. I found the pharmacy again and filled the prescription. By this time, I'm thinking I need to hurry and get back because it is about to rain. There were some heavy black rain clouds looming in the distance over in KIS's direction. I stand on the side of the sidewalk looking for a taxi. Ten minutes I wait. Finally I flag one down (taxi #1) he drives maybe ten feet and stops. He tells me after looking at the address that he can't take me, politely. Right. So I get out and search for another one. In the exact spot that Stacy and I found the taxi waiting last time is a woman in her own vehicle waiting for other people. I walk into the street next to her vehicle to flag down another taxi. Yeah I think, here comes one (taxi #2). What I didn't notice was the hidden lady who really flagged him down. I show him where I want to go and he says yes. Apparently he said yes he CAN go there but this other lady was before me so he booted me out. The lady in the vehicle I talked about before, rolls her window down and talks to him about taking me. They argue (I think, its all in Korean). She asks where I needed to go and I show her my teachers badge that has the address on it. She points to the taxi that pulled up behind taxi #3. Exact same kind of taxi with the green light on top. She rolls her window up and continues waiting for her people. Taxi guy #3 looks at the address and tells me no, somewhat gruffly. I look ahead to the lady in the vehicle and she sees me through her sideview mirror. She rolls her window down and I tell her, he said no. She hops out of her vehicle and begins conversing with this cab driver for me. All I can make out are hand gestures, Bundang-gu and Gungne-dong. He continues to say no. I think she was saying something about it being nearby and how to get to it. No luck. Next thing I know she is opening her car door and gesturing for me to get in. SHE WAS GOING TO GIVE ME A RIDE. God bless good-hearted people. As I get in, 2 other Korean ladies open the opposite passenger door and look at me. "Who is she?" is the question on their faces. I am SO happy that I was wearing my KIS shirt and badge because the lady asked me "teacher?". I said yes I am a teacher at Korea International School. The lady, the guy in the passenger seat and the other 2 ladies in the back with me are conversating in Korean and I can't understand a lick. (I now understand what it is like for my Spanish students last year.) I hear some laughter, don't know what that was about. I'm sure she told the story about the darn taxi driver who was not doing his job. Nevertheless, halfway there it starts pouring down rain. I failed to mention that with that 3rd taxi driver I was preparing myself to walk back to school. I had my umbrella but it was going to take me 20 minutes and I was pretty sure that I was going to have to figure out the right path. I was super thankful that she had offered. They pull up to the gate of KIS and the guards see me. They start to the car with an umbrella to help me out. I tell the lady thank you in the best Korean I could muster and hand her 3,000 won. My version of a thank you. She gets out of the car and gives it to me with a big smile. I couldn't believe it. I did have to walk up the hill to the school in the rain but this was nothing compared to what my trip could have looked like. I will never forget the kindness she showed me.
After all that, I got back in time to tie up a few loose ends then it was time to go home. There was a faculty get-together tonight at Gecko's and luckily one of our new friends has 2 high school aged daughters who were cool with babysitting. KIS sent buses to pick us up at our neighborhood bus stop. We changed buses halfway. Made it to Geckos by 6:30. Had a great time and really mingled with the new and returning staff. We ordered burgers because we thought that sounded good. BAD IDEA for me at least. I thought it tasted like a mix of tofu and ground beef. So I ate my fries and ordered some chicken strips which never arrived. They got lost in communication. I ordered dessert instead. Belgian waffle with ice cream. Yummie!
As we were descending in the elevator in the building, we stopped on a floor where 10 Korean kids tried to pile on. This was like 9:30 at night. These kids were just leaving the Hagwon, which is a private school that specializes in certain subjects. Students attend these after regular school. Since we didn't know where we were, we followed the high school principal and his wife to the nearby subway stop. YES! We finally took the subway. Very easy. Long walk to it but once we found it, we had no problems. They got off before us. We got off at Sunea station and came out at Lotte, a department store type place. It was nice to be out at night. We caught a bus to our home but by this time it was 11pm. Had a fantastic time.
Since he had meetings, I had to go to the dentist all by myself. I realize that I should be a little more adventurous independently but, my experience today did not encourage me. I was able to get a ride from our counselor, Jonathon Webster, to the dentist's office. He is a fountain of knowledge and has lived here 6 years. So anyways, I get up to the dentist's office, sit down and immediately he says "we're going to extract the tooth today." WHAT!!! Um, well...I wasn't prepared for that. I was able to put it off until our first week off in September (Chusok-Korean holiday). The visit lasted no more than 10 minutes. I got another antibiotic prescription in case it starts hurting again. I found the pharmacy again and filled the prescription. By this time, I'm thinking I need to hurry and get back because it is about to rain. There were some heavy black rain clouds looming in the distance over in KIS's direction. I stand on the side of the sidewalk looking for a taxi. Ten minutes I wait. Finally I flag one down (taxi #1) he drives maybe ten feet and stops. He tells me after looking at the address that he can't take me, politely. Right. So I get out and search for another one. In the exact spot that Stacy and I found the taxi waiting last time is a woman in her own vehicle waiting for other people. I walk into the street next to her vehicle to flag down another taxi. Yeah I think, here comes one (taxi #2). What I didn't notice was the hidden lady who really flagged him down. I show him where I want to go and he says yes. Apparently he said yes he CAN go there but this other lady was before me so he booted me out. The lady in the vehicle I talked about before, rolls her window down and talks to him about taking me. They argue (I think, its all in Korean). She asks where I needed to go and I show her my teachers badge that has the address on it. She points to the taxi that pulled up behind taxi #3. Exact same kind of taxi with the green light on top. She rolls her window up and continues waiting for her people. Taxi guy #3 looks at the address and tells me no, somewhat gruffly. I look ahead to the lady in the vehicle and she sees me through her sideview mirror. She rolls her window down and I tell her, he said no. She hops out of her vehicle and begins conversing with this cab driver for me. All I can make out are hand gestures, Bundang-gu and Gungne-dong. He continues to say no. I think she was saying something about it being nearby and how to get to it. No luck. Next thing I know she is opening her car door and gesturing for me to get in. SHE WAS GOING TO GIVE ME A RIDE. God bless good-hearted people. As I get in, 2 other Korean ladies open the opposite passenger door and look at me. "Who is she?" is the question on their faces. I am SO happy that I was wearing my KIS shirt and badge because the lady asked me "teacher?". I said yes I am a teacher at Korea International School. The lady, the guy in the passenger seat and the other 2 ladies in the back with me are conversating in Korean and I can't understand a lick. (I now understand what it is like for my Spanish students last year.) I hear some laughter, don't know what that was about. I'm sure she told the story about the darn taxi driver who was not doing his job. Nevertheless, halfway there it starts pouring down rain. I failed to mention that with that 3rd taxi driver I was preparing myself to walk back to school. I had my umbrella but it was going to take me 20 minutes and I was pretty sure that I was going to have to figure out the right path. I was super thankful that she had offered. They pull up to the gate of KIS and the guards see me. They start to the car with an umbrella to help me out. I tell the lady thank you in the best Korean I could muster and hand her 3,000 won. My version of a thank you. She gets out of the car and gives it to me with a big smile. I couldn't believe it. I did have to walk up the hill to the school in the rain but this was nothing compared to what my trip could have looked like. I will never forget the kindness she showed me.
After all that, I got back in time to tie up a few loose ends then it was time to go home. There was a faculty get-together tonight at Gecko's and luckily one of our new friends has 2 high school aged daughters who were cool with babysitting. KIS sent buses to pick us up at our neighborhood bus stop. We changed buses halfway. Made it to Geckos by 6:30. Had a great time and really mingled with the new and returning staff. We ordered burgers because we thought that sounded good. BAD IDEA for me at least. I thought it tasted like a mix of tofu and ground beef. So I ate my fries and ordered some chicken strips which never arrived. They got lost in communication. I ordered dessert instead. Belgian waffle with ice cream. Yummie!
As we were descending in the elevator in the building, we stopped on a floor where 10 Korean kids tried to pile on. This was like 9:30 at night. These kids were just leaving the Hagwon, which is a private school that specializes in certain subjects. Students attend these after regular school. Since we didn't know where we were, we followed the high school principal and his wife to the nearby subway stop. YES! We finally took the subway. Very easy. Long walk to it but once we found it, we had no problems. They got off before us. We got off at Sunea station and came out at Lotte, a department store type place. It was nice to be out at night. We caught a bus to our home but by this time it was 11pm. Had a fantastic time.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Day 14 - The day before Friday and the Dentist Experience
Today was the first day for returning KIS staff. We went from knowing everyone to feeling like a fish out of water again. I don't know how many people I met today and I probably can't remember any names either but everyone was so friendly that it sure made introductions easy. During the first hour after breakfast, Rich, the middle school principal, did an activity which helped the returning staff and the new staff meet. The returning staff had ten minutes to find a new staff person and interview them. Included in the interview was a question, "what was the most bizarre or interesting thing about you". We found out some pretty bizarre things about people! Whoa! Then you had vote for who was better, Tommy Toms (60 year old, balding, one-time Giants player) or Kevin Caspiac (good looking, young guy). We hadn't been introduced to either of these fellows but voted based on their looks and what we had heard about them. It was silly things like this that really helped to liven it up and make it more fun. Poking fun at one another as if you were family. I can't believe how quickly you make "family members." Everyone in the school is so close.
We had a pretty easy afternoon. I spent my afternoon in the middle school principal's office collaborating with my boss on substitute preparations and the newsletter I will be working on. Unfortunately, I woke up this morning with a terrible tooth ache (why does everything happen to me?) which I had mentioned to Kevin my boss. I was asking about dental clinics when he transferred the question to Rich. Rich then offered to take me to the dentist. Seriously, he was swamped with principal preparations and offered to take me. If my stinkin tooth hadn't hurt so bad I would have turn him down but, it was needed. I forced Stacy to go with me (not really, he thinks I'm a wheeny but whatever) because I needed him to help me find my way back to school.
I went to UCLA Dental Clinic where the dentist graduated from UCLA. This is the fanciest dentist office I have ever been to. They took an x-ray of my mouth and led me to a chair where the dentist was there within 5 minutes checking me out. Definitely more efficient than the U.S. After looking at everything, he was confused as to what was causing my pain. He thinks it is my wisdom tooth pressing on the nerves of my teeth. He prescribed an antibiotic and said that if the pain goes away, then he will know it is my wisdom tooth. If it does not go away then he may have to extract it TOMORROW! I have to go back tomorrow for him to see me. I didn't have to make an appointment today. I just walked in and was able to be seen. I did make an appointment for tomorrow though and today's visit was 20,000 Won. That is without insurance. (My insurance will reimburse me.) We were instructed how to get to the pharmacy. The prescription came in a pouch. (See the picture) One pill is for the pain. Another is an antibiotic. The third is for digestion. It only cost 6,100 Won. Healthcare is SO inexpensive! The dental visit alone would have cost close to $200.
We took a taxi back to the school. This all happened within an hour. The school had a back to school barbeque with appetizers, beer, wine, footlong hotdogs, and bulgogi which is a Korean marinated grilled meat. It was all very tasty. Then we had cake! It was a time for everyone to visit and get to know one another.
I met a Spanish teacher who is Turkish! I thought that was pretty crazy. Today was the first day that we have had to walk in the rain. It wasn't raining hard but enough to get you wet. Thank goodness for the KIS umbrellas.
So again, we have made it to Friday. Friday is going to be a busy day and in the evening we are all going to meet at a restaurant/bar downtown (adults only) for more celebrating.
Ethan has made many new friends, primarily Elka, and a new one Mia. His girlfriends back home might have some competition :(. Either way he is liking it if not loving it here. We have a neighborhood barbecue this weekend if it doesn't rain. The great thing about this school is that there is always something to do here. Stacy is playing basketball after school Friday too with the faculty.
- Until tomorrow friends!
We had a pretty easy afternoon. I spent my afternoon in the middle school principal's office collaborating with my boss on substitute preparations and the newsletter I will be working on. Unfortunately, I woke up this morning with a terrible tooth ache (why does everything happen to me?) which I had mentioned to Kevin my boss. I was asking about dental clinics when he transferred the question to Rich. Rich then offered to take me to the dentist. Seriously, he was swamped with principal preparations and offered to take me. If my stinkin tooth hadn't hurt so bad I would have turn him down but, it was needed. I forced Stacy to go with me (not really, he thinks I'm a wheeny but whatever) because I needed him to help me find my way back to school.
 |
| My meds from the dentist. I have to take one packet 3 times a day for 3 days. |
We took a taxi back to the school. This all happened within an hour. The school had a back to school barbeque with appetizers, beer, wine, footlong hotdogs, and bulgogi which is a Korean marinated grilled meat. It was all very tasty. Then we had cake! It was a time for everyone to visit and get to know one another.
I met a Spanish teacher who is Turkish! I thought that was pretty crazy. Today was the first day that we have had to walk in the rain. It wasn't raining hard but enough to get you wet. Thank goodness for the KIS umbrellas.
So again, we have made it to Friday. Friday is going to be a busy day and in the evening we are all going to meet at a restaurant/bar downtown (adults only) for more celebrating.
Ethan has made many new friends, primarily Elka, and a new one Mia. His girlfriends back home might have some competition :(. Either way he is liking it if not loving it here. We have a neighborhood barbecue this weekend if it doesn't rain. The great thing about this school is that there is always something to do here. Stacy is playing basketball after school Friday too with the faculty.
- Until tomorrow friends!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Day 13 - Ethan's 6th BIRTHDAY!
Today was again full of orientation stuff. We began with introductions to some non-new KIS staff. They had great tips and information to share, like learn the language and eat kimchi. They also shared some great websites to help out with questions we might have.
Then it was on to more macbook training for me while Stacy stayed behind for round table discussions. Again, I love what Macbooks were created to do. Dragging photos from facebook into applications is so efficient. Stacy and his group discussed healthcare, housing, and pension plans. We have 2 retirement plans. KIS retirement, which matches a percentage of your salary based on number of years worked. Then there is the National Korean Pension which KIS also matches a portion of your salary based on your salary AND you get 100% of both of them when you leave.
Below are the notes I took during all of this. If you have questions about our shorthand notes please ask. (So google docs has a feature that allows you to share notes even while you are taking them and whoever you share them with can also contribute, hence the "our" is myself and 2 other colleagues.)
Living in Korea
Sherman Taylor and Lisa
-History of South Korea
Ben Harnish
Since Stacy attended the round table discussions, I didn't have to attend this after lunch. We have a pattern going for meals, western breakfast and korean lunches. We are definitely seeing what we like and don't like.
Anyhow, I was summoned to the textbook storage room where I worked with Danielle, our curriculum coordinator, to organize the thousands of books KIS has. It was quite a task and I know we only made a dent in it in the short time I was there. Clair, who is the textbook manager for 2 more days, is leaving to move to Belgium for 6 months while her fiancee finishes up research, then they will marry and move to the US where she will begin her Phd. She spoke the closest to perfect English so far and that is because she lived in Maine for a few years during elementary school. I felt terrible for having to leave but I couldn't miss my bus home.
Before leaving, we had to take Ethan to the nurse's office where we received good news about his TB test. We hustled over to the business office to ask another handful of questions and made it to our bus right on time! Why were we NOT going to walk home you ask? Simply put, the humidity lately has been worst than it has ever been here. Walking home or for that matter, standing outside for more than a minute will have you soaked in sweat.
The big event tonight was a soccer game between Korea and Barcelona. We were going to take Ethan but he chose not to go at the last minute. Instead, we hopped on the bus to AK Plaza. We stopped in at a shoe store because Stacy spotted a pair of Nike basketball shoes which they didn't have in his size. He must have a big foot according to Korean standards. Ethan ended up with the new pair of shoes. Some Nike sandals that he desperately needed because his flip flops were "talking" to us. I spotted some Birkenstocks but they were 69,000 Won. Maybe next time. We got lucky here because the shoe salesman spoke enough English to communicate effectively with us.
We chose to have KFC for dinner...super spicy and we didn't even order spicy. I think they add some Korean spice to the ingredients of western food. We headed on to Baskin Robbins for an ice cream cake that Ethan had been eyeing. It also helped cool our mouths down. The "cake" cost 20,000 Won plus a candle which they lit for us also. Again, super lucky...one of the employees spoke really good English.
The 3 of us sat down and we sang the birthday song to Ethan...kind of sad that we were alone. We plan on making something a little bigger this weekend with our neighbors. We all ate as much "cake" as we could then had BR pack it up for us. The girl asked Stacy how long it would take us to get home. Turns out they ask so they know how much dry ice to put in the cooler. No charge for this extra service either.
All in all it was a great night! Enjoyed every minute with my family and even ran into some friends while we were out. Truly enjoying life and everything it has to offer.
Then it was on to more macbook training for me while Stacy stayed behind for round table discussions. Again, I love what Macbooks were created to do. Dragging photos from facebook into applications is so efficient. Stacy and his group discussed healthcare, housing, and pension plans. We have 2 retirement plans. KIS retirement, which matches a percentage of your salary based on number of years worked. Then there is the National Korean Pension which KIS also matches a portion of your salary based on your salary AND you get 100% of both of them when you leave.
Below are the notes I took during all of this. If you have questions about our shorthand notes please ask. (So google docs has a feature that allows you to share notes even while you are taking them and whoever you share them with can also contribute, hence the "our" is myself and 2 other colleagues.)
Living in Korea
- Korean ppl are soft-spoken, soft hand shake, males bow to a lady
- Koreans cry out loud at funerals
- drinking - if someones glass is EMPTY you pour their drink with 2 hands.
- pouring when glass is 1/2 full is only for dead person
- sip your drink turned sideways when sitting next to an elder
- take your shoes off before entering a home
- calling into Seoul dial 020
- Cell phone- 2 year commitment. ARC only good for 1 yr. Company will not hook you up for contract. Buy pay as you go plans.
- Don’t eat raw fish and oysters during summer months
- Western groceries - will be shown later
- T-Money card -Going to Seoul, swipe in and out.
- Faculty support can help get more T-Money cards - or buy at Hi-mart for 2500won
- Multiple visas? Check your passport. You must have multiple entry visa
- High end hotels and restaurants you will pay taxes. Otherwise it’s built in to price
- Safety tips - apply with your local embassy
- Koreans eat quickly, don’t talk to each other
- Koreans don’t walk and eat at the same time
- Cars have right of way, not pedestrians
- Shopping - Iteawon
- Maintenance - Bundang will receive statement for utilities. Bills can be auto-deducted. Wait a few months before beginning this
- Watch electricity usage, don’t leave on overnight. The more electricity you use, the more expensive it gets
- Use handy wipes for everything, Spinning Mop is awesome for floors, walls, and ceilings.
- AC in classrooms turned off at 11am and 3 pm every day, you can manually turn back on if needed
- 119 - fire dept, 112- police dept,
- Recycle as much as possible
- Buy HIPPO dehumidifiers for closets or clothes will mold. Last ~3 months
Sherman Taylor and Lisa
-History of South Korea
- korean.sogang.ac.kr
- Ask Sherman for web links to Korean dramas with English subtitles
- Don’t let anyone pour their own drink, always pour someone else’s drink
- Sip from drink so not to have empty glass
- children can share food with you as a sign of respect
- parents may try to negotiate grades, students may sometimes continue more school after KIS bc education is their resource.
- Rude to summon someone with the index finger, you may use your whole hand
- kam sah ham ni tah (thank you)
- Give and take with both hands (respect)
Ben Harnish
- travel within the country from time to time
- eat kimchi - one of the 5 healthiest foods to eat, cancer-free food
- learn to read Hangeul
Since Stacy attended the round table discussions, I didn't have to attend this after lunch. We have a pattern going for meals, western breakfast and korean lunches. We are definitely seeing what we like and don't like.
Anyhow, I was summoned to the textbook storage room where I worked with Danielle, our curriculum coordinator, to organize the thousands of books KIS has. It was quite a task and I know we only made a dent in it in the short time I was there. Clair, who is the textbook manager for 2 more days, is leaving to move to Belgium for 6 months while her fiancee finishes up research, then they will marry and move to the US where she will begin her Phd. She spoke the closest to perfect English so far and that is because she lived in Maine for a few years during elementary school. I felt terrible for having to leave but I couldn't miss my bus home.
Before leaving, we had to take Ethan to the nurse's office where we received good news about his TB test. We hustled over to the business office to ask another handful of questions and made it to our bus right on time! Why were we NOT going to walk home you ask? Simply put, the humidity lately has been worst than it has ever been here. Walking home or for that matter, standing outside for more than a minute will have you soaked in sweat.
We chose to have KFC for dinner...super spicy and we didn't even order spicy. I think they add some Korean spice to the ingredients of western food. We headed on to Baskin Robbins for an ice cream cake that Ethan had been eyeing. It also helped cool our mouths down. The "cake" cost 20,000 Won plus a candle which they lit for us also. Again, super lucky...one of the employees spoke really good English.
The 3 of us sat down and we sang the birthday song to Ethan...kind of sad that we were alone. We plan on making something a little bigger this weekend with our neighbors. We all ate as much "cake" as we could then had BR pack it up for us. The girl asked Stacy how long it would take us to get home. Turns out they ask so they know how much dry ice to put in the cooler. No charge for this extra service either.
All in all it was a great night! Enjoyed every minute with my family and even ran into some friends while we were out. Truly enjoying life and everything it has to offer.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Day 12 - About the school...
Today was orientation day 3 at KIS. I finally received keys to my office. It's very nice and, so I have been told, I will be working with the funniest man at the school. We will see.
We had building level meetings. My boss will be Kevin Jaramillo who is the associate principal at the middle school level. We covered the parent student handbook, teacher handbook and all of those important things.
My homework tonight is to read them and then I'll let you know all the wonderful things I read about. :)
So, as I was walking through the MS/HS library (which connects the middle school and high school) I met the school librarian named Kris. She, her husband Sean, and their daughter Elka used to live in the apartment we live in now. Ethan and Elka are the same age. They only moved down the street a couple blocks so we scheduled a playdate for this evening.
There is a playground area with some outdoor exercise equipment in our neighborhood which was our meeting spot. Sean and Elka met all 3 of us there. Ethan and Elka played very well together, choosing to climb the trees and pick leaves rather than play on the playground equipment. We asked Sean several of the questions we had. Again, we are on the fence about a car. We asked him if he was familiar with the bus system and he said they bought a car because it makes life much easier. They purchased a used car for $2100.
According to KIS staff, Koreans don't typically keep the cars they buy for more than 2 years. They always buy brand new and take very good care of their vehicles. So you can always find a good deal.
Also, we were informed that this is the first year that dependents' insurance is covered by KIS. Last year, you had to pay the premiums for your dependents. Since they were trying to hire more families, they have tried to change their benefits to be more family oriented. This is great news to us! Now it is all making sense. This is the first year they have had to accommodate family medical check ups and therefore, they had some kinks in the system. I'm sure next year it will be much easier.
Well, I must go to my homework, so I will catch up with you tomorrow!
P.S. I am going to post some pics of the school to the shutterfly site.
We had building level meetings. My boss will be Kevin Jaramillo who is the associate principal at the middle school level. We covered the parent student handbook, teacher handbook and all of those important things.
My homework tonight is to read them and then I'll let you know all the wonderful things I read about. :)
So, as I was walking through the MS/HS library (which connects the middle school and high school) I met the school librarian named Kris. She, her husband Sean, and their daughter Elka used to live in the apartment we live in now. Ethan and Elka are the same age. They only moved down the street a couple blocks so we scheduled a playdate for this evening.
There is a playground area with some outdoor exercise equipment in our neighborhood which was our meeting spot. Sean and Elka met all 3 of us there. Ethan and Elka played very well together, choosing to climb the trees and pick leaves rather than play on the playground equipment. We asked Sean several of the questions we had. Again, we are on the fence about a car. We asked him if he was familiar with the bus system and he said they bought a car because it makes life much easier. They purchased a used car for $2100.
According to KIS staff, Koreans don't typically keep the cars they buy for more than 2 years. They always buy brand new and take very good care of their vehicles. So you can always find a good deal.
Also, we were informed that this is the first year that dependents' insurance is covered by KIS. Last year, you had to pay the premiums for your dependents. Since they were trying to hire more families, they have tried to change their benefits to be more family oriented. This is great news to us! Now it is all making sense. This is the first year they have had to accommodate family medical check ups and therefore, they had some kinks in the system. I'm sure next year it will be much easier.
Well, I must go to my homework, so I will catch up with you tomorrow!
P.S. I am going to post some pics of the school to the shutterfly site.
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