It is the first day of class. There are a lot of questions in my mind, I'm not sure exactly what to expect. My first couple of classes are really nice... I feel dumb because I'm not sure of what I'm doing in there, and I start re-thinking the whole teaching English in Korea (ignoring the fact that it's too late for me to think that way LOL) It's funny because we were supposed to only do introduction, but my students quickly said their names and then it was time to do something with them...
That wasn't the bad part... After that it was time for lunch. We still hadn't been able to get anything in regards to food so we decided that we would try and eat downstairs considering that we had eating there yesterday so maybe that would remember what we could and couldn't eat. My roommate and I head downstairs and we sit at one of the tables and we wait...and we wait...and we wait... and we wait some more. At first we thought well, you know it's a busy time of the day ( the place was completely full) So we waited some more... but still no one would even look at us. We had bought some English Korean books in Seoul, I had brought it with me to the store to see if I could show them just in case they couldn't understand. Finally I worked up the courage to ask someone being that it wasn't busy anymore and no one was looking at me. To make a long story short, the worker I went to ask was cleaning one of the tables she looked at me she looked at my book and she more or less pushed me out of the way! I was in shock... She motioned that I should go to the area where they made bi-bim bop, so I went but it wasn't any better. I went and sat down with my roommate and finally just got up and left... i was soo frustrated with my inability to communicate that I wanted to cry. We then went to the bakery and tried to by something but we ended up buying things that we couldn't even eat.
When we got upstairs the pastor of the institute was sitting and eating and he shared some of his lunch with us. I think just this past week I finally understood why the people didn't even look at us. 1) of course the language barrier, 2) I guess the norm here in Korea is that when u walk into the small restaurants you automatically call out what your going to have and then they bring it to you... we would've waited there forever...
Interesting things to learn on your first day... It was quite frustrating to say the least.
The next day we decided that we were pretty homesick so we went to Costco to see if we saw anything that would remind us of home. We saw many things that we wanted to buy. Then we went to buy pizza because we knew that the pizza was the same one that they make in the states. As we are inline... I say to my roommate... so how do we even order a pizza?!!! LOL!!
So as the line gets closer to the register, we still have no idea. Finally we see this couple of guys (yes they were a couple) and we asked them and they told us to say Cheese Pizza Han Pan and to make a circular motion with our hands. We ordered the pizza and then we saw that everyone else would move to another line (yes we felt like we were in a amusement park) obviously everyone else can ask if they order is done... could we.. nope... one of the workers took pity and she took our receipt on 2 occasions and she finally got our pizza for us... that sure lifted our moral for the day and actually it was on of the best things that had happened to us :)
lunes, 24 de mayo de 2010
1st Day...in Daegu
Sunday May 2...
We were put on a 3 hour bus ride to Daegu, South Korea. That is in the southern part of South Korea. Daegue is the 3rd biggest city in South Korea. It is not as crowded as Seoul, and that is something I praise God for. I haven't been pushed since I got here ;) This city is known as the Fashion Capitol of South Korea.
Ok enough small talk :)
OK so I live in what are called Villas, it is an apartment building but it only has like 3 or 4 floors. I am next to the East gate of one of the famous National Universities. The apartment is like a 20 minute walk from the Institute. It's not a bad walk, except when you are dog tired from a long day.
Our first night the pastor of the Institute told us to walk back to the Institute to make sure that we knew how to get back, if not he said we might not be able to make it on time the next morning for our first day of classes. My roommate and I did as we were told. We hadn't eaten anything and we had no idea where to go or even how to say to anyone what we needed. By God's grace when we got back to the institute one of the Korean Jr teachers was here, here name is Luna, and she was here with another one of the Jr teachers. That was a blessing because she took us downstairs and she ordered food for us. (not easy being vegetarian in a place that you can't speak the language...)
As my roommate and I are walking back... you won't believe what happened to her... We are walking and minding our own business when out of the corner of my eye I see a lady walking up behind us... (the interesting thing was that we had been warned about what was about to happen, but we never thought that it would actually happen!!) All of a sudden... the lady starts touching my roommates hair..(my roommate has dark curly hair)... when the lady is done touching my friend's hair the lady proceeds to touch my friends BUTT! she actually starts patting my friend's butt! While she is doing all of this she continues to speak in Korean, of course we can't understand a word of what the lady is saying! We just start laughing because we can't understand what is going on. Finally the lady is able to say "Beautiful!" She walks ahead of us but has to wait at the same light as we do... we were actually worried that she would try talking to us again... LOL!! can you say amazing first few hours in Daegu!!
We were put on a 3 hour bus ride to Daegu, South Korea. That is in the southern part of South Korea. Daegue is the 3rd biggest city in South Korea. It is not as crowded as Seoul, and that is something I praise God for. I haven't been pushed since I got here ;) This city is known as the Fashion Capitol of South Korea.
Ok enough small talk :)
OK so I live in what are called Villas, it is an apartment building but it only has like 3 or 4 floors. I am next to the East gate of one of the famous National Universities. The apartment is like a 20 minute walk from the Institute. It's not a bad walk, except when you are dog tired from a long day.
Our first night the pastor of the Institute told us to walk back to the Institute to make sure that we knew how to get back, if not he said we might not be able to make it on time the next morning for our first day of classes. My roommate and I did as we were told. We hadn't eaten anything and we had no idea where to go or even how to say to anyone what we needed. By God's grace when we got back to the institute one of the Korean Jr teachers was here, here name is Luna, and she was here with another one of the Jr teachers. That was a blessing because she took us downstairs and she ordered food for us. (not easy being vegetarian in a place that you can't speak the language...)
As my roommate and I are walking back... you won't believe what happened to her... We are walking and minding our own business when out of the corner of my eye I see a lady walking up behind us... (the interesting thing was that we had been warned about what was about to happen, but we never thought that it would actually happen!!) All of a sudden... the lady starts touching my roommates hair..(my roommate has dark curly hair)... when the lady is done touching my friend's hair the lady proceeds to touch my friends BUTT! she actually starts patting my friend's butt! While she is doing all of this she continues to speak in Korean, of course we can't understand a word of what the lady is saying! We just start laughing because we can't understand what is going on. Finally the lady is able to say "Beautiful!" She walks ahead of us but has to wait at the same light as we do... we were actually worried that she would try talking to us again... LOL!! can you say amazing first few hours in Daegu!!
miércoles, 19 de mayo de 2010
Ok so it has been forever since I have been able to update you guys... here is an effort to put you all up to speed :) As you read please keep me in your prayers! Miss you guys very much!
My current location is Daegu South Korea, this is the 3rd largest city in South Korea. I'm a little over 3 hours away from Seoul( the capital of South Korea). Orientation was a total of 2 and a half weeks. I met some of the coolest people God has placed in my path. We had great times starting the adaptation process to this different culture. I was praying hard that God wouldn't send me too far from Seoul because I wanted to be close to Elsie. But I was also praying that He place me where He saw that I would do the best work for Him. As I was being trained my eyes were opened... I was like wow, you can really do sooo much for God over here for these people.
While I was in Seoul, I mentioned before that I had to get a medical check-up. My last week in orientation, Leo ( one of the big dogs in charge ;) pulls me aside and starts asking me some interesting questions (1. Have you taken any medications... and you can imagine the other ones along those lines.) I was like hmmmm....why do you ask? Apparently something had been found in one of my tests. Before your mind starts racing :P I had taken a Benadryl, apparently that contains some substances that are illegal here in Korea... I was like man... I just got here and I have to go... but God is good :) They still haven't called so I guess everything is ok ;)
Right before I left I was really getting tired of being pushed around by all the masses that you see in the capital.
While I was in Seoul, it was a blessing to see some friends from college that I hadn't seen in years some 4 years others up to 8 years. But it doesn't matter how much time goes by, I love the fact they regardless the time and the distance if you went to UAA you will forever be family :) I got to see Ito, J, Edgardo, Wilson and Carlos :)
I arrived here in Daegu May 2, and classes started May 3. No time to really settle in... And those first 2 weeks... MERCY! were those some first 2 weeks :)...to be continued...
My current location is Daegu South Korea, this is the 3rd largest city in South Korea. I'm a little over 3 hours away from Seoul( the capital of South Korea). Orientation was a total of 2 and a half weeks. I met some of the coolest people God has placed in my path. We had great times starting the adaptation process to this different culture. I was praying hard that God wouldn't send me too far from Seoul because I wanted to be close to Elsie. But I was also praying that He place me where He saw that I would do the best work for Him. As I was being trained my eyes were opened... I was like wow, you can really do sooo much for God over here for these people.
While I was in Seoul, I mentioned before that I had to get a medical check-up. My last week in orientation, Leo ( one of the big dogs in charge ;) pulls me aside and starts asking me some interesting questions (1. Have you taken any medications... and you can imagine the other ones along those lines.) I was like hmmmm....why do you ask? Apparently something had been found in one of my tests. Before your mind starts racing :P I had taken a Benadryl, apparently that contains some substances that are illegal here in Korea... I was like man... I just got here and I have to go... but God is good :) They still haven't called so I guess everything is ok ;)
Right before I left I was really getting tired of being pushed around by all the masses that you see in the capital.
While I was in Seoul, it was a blessing to see some friends from college that I hadn't seen in years some 4 years others up to 8 years. But it doesn't matter how much time goes by, I love the fact they regardless the time and the distance if you went to UAA you will forever be family :) I got to see Ito, J, Edgardo, Wilson and Carlos :)
I arrived here in Daegu May 2, and classes started May 3. No time to really settle in... And those first 2 weeks... MERCY! were those some first 2 weeks :)...to be continued...
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