I've arrived in Seoul

It's been quite a first week; they have you jump right into work. I
think it's so you don’t have time to second guess your decision! My school
is great though. There are 7 new foreign teachers all from the U.S. or
Canada, 3 returning teachers, and about 15 Korean teachers. I had an
opportunity to meet the foreign teachers who were leaving, and they all said
the same thing; that the other teachers were amazing and the kids were
great. All of which is making the transition that much easier. My new
co-workers and I have already had a few dinners out and adventures
navigating the transportation system, all of it being quite the bonding
experience.
The class size here is a teacher's dream; I only have 7 students in my
homeroom. I am teaching reading to all the 6 year old students, the most
students I have at one time is 9! I spent Thursday and Friday getting my
classroom together, which was very exciting to me. I finally feel like a
real teacher! Monday is a holiday, so the first day of school is Tuesday. My
work day is from 9-5, but the students are only there from 9:30-2:30. There
are a few after school activities that I think I am helping to supervisor,
but I am not sure which ones or when they start. That is one thing I have
learned very quickly here, you never really know exactly what is going to
happen, and it can change at any given moment. Another thing I learned
quickly is how inefficient Korean people are due to their culture.
Listening to your elders is extremely important and you can never question a
boss or elder. Because of this, things do not always get done in the most
efficient manner because you have to listen without question. Also, not
offending someone is important, so even when discussion can be had, no one
really speaks up right away in an effort not to offend the other person.
This has probably been the most frustrating thing for us new teachers.
I am spending the weekend getting used to my neighborhood and
unpacking. My apartment, or should I say room, is quite small. In my head
I pictured this small, but quaint apartment, and in actuality it is just
small. My first night here I was not sure I was going to be ok with this
small set up, but I have quickly adjusted. I even rearranged my room to
make it seem a little bigger than it actually is. Toriann is just down the
street from me, only a 5 minute walk. All the other new teachers are in the
same area as well, and we meet at our neighborhood dunkin donuts every
morning for our 20 minute walk to school together.
The language barrier is a bit harder than I anticipated. I have traveled
enough to be used to not always understanding the language I am around.
However, I could at least understand the letters, having no idea what
symbols stand for is a bit frustrating at times. I do however already know
a few key phrases. Maybe by the end of my year here, I will even know how
to read Korean words! The Korean people I have encountered so far have been
extremely friendly. My first day here when I was forgotten by my school and
trying to get a hold of the school, using the pay phones that were not
taking my coins, many Korean people stopped and helped. . The same day I went
into an electronics store when my computer power cord would not plug into my
adaptor and was surprised by how helpful the Korean men in the store were.
I had brought my power cord in to use as a way of communicating what I
needed, and they just gave me a new one that had a Korean plug already, all
for free! This kindness was the answer to my prayers at the moment. It was
a bit overwhelming being alone and not knowing where I was exactly, or
having a way to communicate with anyone. It all worked out and when Toriann
arrived that evening, I knew our neighborhood well and where we were
supposed to meet our new teachers!