It's almost October already!

Fall is rolling in here on Jeju. The weather turned a few days ago and all of a sudden it's cool weather and no humidity. Hooray! I don't really want summer to go, but I can deal with some cool weather. We've had a bit of rain, but mostly overcast or partly sunny skies. (I'm from Seattle, we have 20 different ways to say that!) The leaves should be changing color soon and from what I hear it is a spectacular sight.

Last week ended with an impromptu meeting at the Education Office (I'll refer to it as POE - Province of Education) about an upcoming Foreign Language Festival on Jeju in November. About 50 English teachers came to the meeting and we organized some booths from the different countries represented. Australia only had 1 native member, so I volunteered to join the ranks along with 4 other Americans. So I'll be representing my Aussie family and friends at the 2nd Annual Jeju Foreign Language Festival on November 7th. If there's anything I should be sure to pass on to the classes by all means let me know! After the meeting about 30 of us went to a Pizza place in the city. Julia and I went for a quick beer, then met Cindy and headed down to Yeongyeon for an outdoor concert of traditional Korean music and classical Western music. (pictures above) The night was clear and chilly and the waves crashed into the shore as a full chorus and orchestra played the last 3 movements of the Carmina Burana. It was spectacular. After the concert I went to "the makeli place" with my usual friends and some other foreign teachers who've been here awhile. We drank Makeli, a rice wine that has a little bubble to it, out of individual bowls and ate side dishes (as always) of kimchi, soybeans, tofu, and radish. The restaurant had a great traditional ambiance and was very relaxing. Makeli definitely tastes better than soju and it's effect is a bit more like champagne. And it's very cheap.

Saturday we all slept in and went into City Hall for a brunch at the newly opened Ti Amo coffee. They make fresh Belgian waffles topped with gelato, whipped cream, fruit, and paired with a cup of coffee. See photo collage for the full experience.

Then we headed out to Jeju National University for a Kotesol meeting. We met a bunch of other foreigners there and came back into city hall to continue our evening. This island is getting smaller by the minute. I run into someone I know every day in the city and I'm meeting and getting to know more and more of the foreigners who live here.

Anyway, I decided to check out a classical music thing at Jeju National Museum just outside the city. It turned out to be three outstanding opera singers who gave an intimate recital and knocked my socks off! The soprano (sorry, didn't get their names) sang my favorite aria (Queen of the Night Vengeance Aria from The Magic Flute) and it was the best performance I've ever heard. And in the traditional Korean style, she was stunningly beautiful and her dress was exquisite. Also a great Nessun Dorma by the tenor and an encore of traditional Korean music that the audience stood and sang along with. There are different performances and showings there every weekend so I'm going back again, definately. Saturday night the Led Zeppelin, a bar in City Hall frequented by the foreigner (way-goog in Korean) community, was hosting an Open Mic night. The performers were really fun and just about everyone I know on the island was there. Julia and I stayed out waaaaaaaaaay too late, ending the evening with Kim-bap (Nori rolls Korean style) and Ramyen (Ramen...but oh so good). Our friend Alexa had driven into the city, but none of us were in a condition to drive home so we used a service they have here where you call a company and someone comes to drive you home in your own car. It's very affordable and convenient. Someone should start that at home.

Sunday morning we got up early and took the bus out to Yeongshil, one of the 4 trails up Hallasan (Mt. Halla). Halla is the tallest peak in South Korea and it's incredibly gorgeous. The weather on Sunday was perfect for hiking, partly sunny, cool but not cold, light breeze. 5 of us from my building went and had a really great time. The bus from the city dropped us off 2.5km below the entrance to the trail, so we got to warm-up by climbing up to the trailhead. The trail itself was a good incline mostly paved by wooden steps and lava rocks carved into stairs. Everything is still a lush green from the summer but the colors are just starting to turn and we plan on going back and hiking a different route in a few weeks to enjoy what is said to be a spectacular sight. I'm really glad we did go when it was still green so I can go and enjoy the colors of each season. The full summit trip takes 8-9 hours and you have to reach the peak by 1pm since the parks all close at dusk. That'll be an early day but I'm looking forward to it.

So now we've been to 2 of the 3 UNESCO World Heritage sights on the island. Yet to go are the Underground Lava Caves. There are also 368 oreums, or secondary volcanoes, on the island and those are fun day trips and short hikes. And 13 beaches, 12 of which I have yet to see. And numerous temples, parks, museums, waterfalls, plantations, etc, etc, etc. There's plenty to do here on Jeju. Don't think I'll be getting bored anytime soon. It's almost manderin picking season and we look forward to observing this fall tradition (kinda like apple picking in New England). And a cultural festival next weekend. And a pumpkin festival sometime around Halloween (which they don't celebrate here). Whoo! One day at a time...

I posted more pictures on my kodak site. I took a friend's pictures as well, so there are more of me from her camera from the last month. Check it out...

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=ungl5o5.4yqdzokx&Uy=-w1sbo5&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0&UV=783503506745_171262876209&localeid=en_US

A lazy weekend + My first full week of school

Last weekend was the most relaxing yet. Friday night we went out to a few bars in Jeju City including a brew pub called Modern Time where we enjoyed delicious microbrews. The beer in Jeju is reminiscent of Busch Ice or Bud Light. Some are also lemon flavored, kinda like Sprite and light beer. It does leave something to be desired. But this beer was in the wonderful, classic European Microbrew style. After french fries (oh so good), popcorn, kimchi, and beer, Cindy and I wandered City Hall area, the most happenin' place to hang out at night. We found a small bar called The Doors. We bought imported German beer and sat on the rooftop patio relaxing. It was early so no one else was there. Just us, beer, and great classic American rock music. Then we ran into some hagwon (private language school) teachers and had a late dinner with them at a Korean BBQ restaurant.

Mmmm...beer and french fries!

Saturday I slept in (!) did some yoga, and went for a run with Julia. It was a cool, humid day, and we sweat our buns off. Cindy and I went into Emart for some things and had a relaxed dinner at home followed by a bad Kevin Costner movie that we bought at Emart.

Sunday we debated hiking Mt. Halla. There are 2 hikes to the summit that are about 9 hours round trip and 2 shorter hikes about 2 hours each. We didn't get up in time and instead we brunched on the last of my Seattle coffee, pastries and fruit and went to Iho Beach which is the closest beach to Jeju City. The weather this weekend was overcast and raining on and off. We planned on swimming but it was a bit too cold for our blood. So we sat on the beach and enjoyed the quiet day. In the afternoon we played ping-pong at the high school where we live. Then a friend invited me up for fresh caught fish, raspberry wine, and a movie. It was truly a relaxing weekend, something I've been badly needing.

So now it's Tuesday of my first "full" week of school. The first week I didn't teach on Monday, and the last two weeks we've had holidays. Next week is also a holiday weekend, but after that we're solid until Christmas. I'm really settling into teaching and having fun with the kids and the other teachers. I know I've said this before, but everyone here is so friendly and supportive. They really try and communicate with me in what ever capacity their English skills lie and I'm learning Korean once a week with a teacher from my school. I feel like I live here. I get paid this week and hopefully will get a cell phone, and internet in the next week or two. I'm not really in a hurry, I've been getting on fine without them.

Some kids at my school were in an English Play Competition. They put on "Don Quixote". These are pictures from their dress rehearsal.

A long weekend and a few cultural differences

(left: My 6th graders got to make up a vacation story about a place in WA state)

My long weekend is drawing to a close. I had a great 5 day Chusok Weekend. Schools typically get 1 day off for this Korean Thanksgiving holiday but my principal decided that we needed 3 extra days off, giving us a wonderful 5 day weekend. So I have yet to work a full week, nor will I this week. But I really love my school, the teachers and kids, and my schedule seems to be okay.

My planning time is lumped into 1 day every week (different every other week) and I haven’t worked either of those days yet as they fit into my schedule, so I’ve been very busy teaching and planning in a small amount of time. And we have another holiday October 3…eventually I will work a whole week.

(My desk and my book projects)

Some small differences in South Korea:

1. Korean Ages. When you’re born in Korea you are 1 year old. On January 1st, you turn 2 regardless of your birthday. So everyone born in the same year has the same birthday. The kids are a bit younger than I’m used to as far as years in school since, for example, the 6th graders are 12, but only 10 or 11 in US years. The big kicker here is that I’ll be 29 in Korean years on January 1st of this upcoming year. I don’t know if I’m ready to be 29 yet! Ah well, I’m sure I’ll get used to it.

2. Toilet Paper. Korean toilets were not made to flush paper. There are small wastebaskets next to each toilet which are t.p. receptacles. I keep forgetting this and habitually put my used t.p. into the toilets. I’m sure I’m going to cause a big clog one of these days. Also, teachers are given a roll of toilet paper at school that you take with you to the bathroom. There is no t.p. in the individual stalls, but one large roll as you walk in the bathroom. This is the lovely, school grade 1-ply. Our rolls are cushy 2-ply. But you have to remember to grab the roll on your way to the bathroom! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten halfway down the hall only to turn back and grab my t.p.

3. Island Views. From my front door I can see the sunset over the ocean. From my terrace, I can see the sunrise over Mount Halla, Jeju’s volcano (when I wake up that early). Actually, I can see that one from my bed in the morning. I officially love living on an island.

I got my ARC (Alien Registration Card) last week! This is exciting because it takes much time and paperwork to obtain. So now I have only 1 verifying document to submit (plus my US tax exemption forms) and I’m free and clear to live and work here. I can also get my cell phone and internet. Well, 2 of the 3 internet providers on the island are currently on probation for selling customer information and I believe 1 of those is the only provider who gives service to my location. So I’ll have to wait another 2 weeks for that. But cell phone! Yay!

My friend John came back in town this weekend to take care of his Education Office paperwork. Friday (after yoga with Julia) we ran around the city all day signing papers and filling out information. I was his tour guide around the city and actually surprised myself at how well we found everywhere we needed to go. Between the buses, inexpensive taxis, and walking, this island is very accessible. Friday night we had a potluck at my building to get to know our residents. About half of us came and we had great food and a fun time. Then everyone went out and I stayed home for a quiet, early night to myself.

Saturday we celebrated Chusok with a big dinner at my apartment. Marcie made tempura sweet potatoes, yams, and zucchini. Mike & John made Cucumber Noodles, and I made tofu stew and sautéed tofu with veggies. We drank soju and Korean Plum Wine and had a nice, relaxing evening.

Sunday my friends and I took a bus out to the east coast of Jeju Island to the town of Seongsan. There is a large hydro-volcanic peak/crater there called Ilchulbong, commonly referred to as Sunrise Peak. So we hopped on the 1 ½ hour bus ride from Jeju City and headed east, not really knowing where we were going, where we were staying, or how to get to this crater. But as we stepped off the bus in the sleepy coastal town, an elderly Korean man with very good English escorted us to a Minbak (like a small, inexpensive hostel), showed us where to have dinner, and told us when to leave for our Sunrise Expedition. (left: John and our friendly tour guide in Saengsan) I am constantly reminded how helpful and generous Korean culture is. Every person to whom you ask a question tries to help you regardless of language barriers or how time consuming your quest is. This was just another example of Korean hospitality.

After we settled into our Minbak, for which we paid $50 total between 6 of us, John, Mike and Julia decided to climb the peak. Cindy, Marci and I walked around the touristy part of town around the Ilchulbong entrance and browsed the local Jeju merchandise. We met at a local seafood restaurant for dinner (they’re all seafood restaurants) and had a huge seafood stew with every kind of shellfish you can imagine. I had rice and kimchi with the traditional accoutrements, which was enough for me. Then we went down to the beach with Hallasan Soju and Orange Fanta, our new favorite drink, and Julia, Mike and John swam in the surf and lit off fireworks. We came back to the Minbak and watched CSI:Las Vegas in English for an hour. None of us have watched TV or heard that much English in over 2 weeks and we were glued to it.

Monday morning we awoke at 5am for our trek up the peak. The walk is paved with lava rock stairs carved out of the mountain. It was about a 20 minute walk up in the cloudy, misty weather but the humidity abounded as usual and we were hot and sticky by the time we got to the top. It was beautiful watching the sky lighten up and seeing the colors of the sky, the ocean, and the green crater. Unfortunately, the sun could not be seen behind the thick cloud cover, but it was still breathtaking. I plan to go back when I can see the sunrise, maybe in the spring.

We all got breakfast at GS 25 (Korea’s 7-11) and took the bus back to Jeju City at 8:30am. It was a very fun and spontaneous trip and we all had a great time. All in all, I think I spent about 30,000 Won ($30) including food, bus, and accommodations. I’ve definitely found some awesome friends who are ready for adventures and surprises and are open to whatever comes along.

It's been almost 2 weeks

I got to school early this morning (7:25) so I have a few minutes to post before I head over to immigration to hopefully get my Alien Registration Card which allows me to get my settlement $$, my airfare reimbursement, my paycheck in a few weeks, internet service, and a cell phone. Basically, you can't do anything without it.

It's been a good first week here at school. I am teaching at Jejudong Elementary School which is outside of town a bit but still in Jeju City. I'm pretty close to many conveniences like my bank, a bakery, a huge open market, the Underground Shopping Mall (a huge mall under the streets with tiny little boutique stores and a few restaurants...I've shopped there a few times), the beach, and City Hall which is a great part of town with restaurants, bars and coffee shops. The school itself if very large with 3 buildings, about 65 teachers, 45 of which I teach, and about 1500 kids, at least half of which I teach weekly or bi-weekly. Today is my 6th day of teaching and I've almost taught all my kids once. I still have the 4th grade to go!

My first lessons went great. I did an introduction about myself, sang Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, played "teacher says" similar to Simon Says or Director Says, had all the kids introduce themselves to me, and did a writing/drawing activity modified for the different age groups. The kids' English skills vary quite a bit. Some were incredibly confused when I asked them to write their names in English because they don't know phonetics at all and don't know how to sound out their names. Also, the way Korean translates into English is not straight forward because their vowel sounds are typically a combination of English vowels and their consonants just sound different than the way we pronounce them. But we all got there eventually! Some kids are amazingly proficient in English and obviously go to the Hagwons, or language schools, for English lessons. They wrote whole paragraphs to me and told everyone else how to spell their names.

Both of my co-teachers are wonderful to work with and know how to handle the loud, enthusiastic kids (and the apathetic kids...there are always those, too). They both speak English very well and can help translate my directions to the students and my stunted conversations with the other teachers. I've figured out that we're actually in the role of Team Teaching (something they explained at the orientation we did not go to!) so we're supposed to plan lessons together and both teach in the classroom. That's coming along well as Kee Jeung and Pyong Su are both are happy to use the book supplied lessons and I'm happy to make up games and songs to accompany them. I think it's going to be a great year. The other teachers also seem excited to get to know me. Today I start teaching English to the teachers after school and hopefully I can get to know their names and a little bit about them. I've been encouraged to mostly speak English in school so people feel comfortable approaching me in English. Not that I know much Korean, but I was trying to use it in conversation when it fit.

As far as materials and resources, I have plenty. My classroom is the English room. We teach 3rd, 4th, and 6th in here and my and Kee Jeung's desks are also in here. For the 5th grade I go to their classrooms with Pyong Su. His English room is in one of the other buildings along with all the 5th graders classrooms. Our rooms are decorated with English posters, cut-outs, signs, and a few big white boards. There are books, tapes, DVDs, basic art supplies, flashcards big and small, extra posters, a few computers, and other misc English resources. We have POE (the head education office) supplied workbooks that the kids all have for each grade along with teacher books (mostly in Korean), accompanying DVD's, and a dialogue book. I'm encouraged to teach from the lessons that give basic English phrases and idioms but they are amazingly dry and boring so thus far I prefer to make up accompanying fun lessons to communicate the same points. For instance, the 3rd grade lessons for the next few weeks is "I like apples". The kids are learning some food vocabulary (apples, bananas, oranges) and "I like..." or "I don't like..." In the books, we repeat that same dialogue for 3-4 weeks. AAh! Boring! But we'll see if I can successfully spice things up...

Last week I was invited to two dinners, one for the whole staff on Monday and one for the 6th grade teachers on Thursday. Monday's dinner was a traditional Korean meal. We had almost the entire restaurant and sat on cushions on the ground at low tables. We were served a plethera of side dishes like pickled onions, potatoes, little fish in chili paste, kimchi, radishes, seaweed, lettuce, bean sprouts, pumpkin (used for any kind of squash), rice and many different sauces. The main dish was fish soup, which is typically the main dish in a Korean meal, so I just ate bunches of side dishes and rice. It was plenty of food for me! We also gave a few toasts with beer and soju including the traditional toast to the new Principal and V.P. of the school. On Thursday there were 11 teachers, seven 6th grade teachers, the head teacher, myself and 2 other English teachers, at a restaurant by the coast called Victoria. It was decorated like a Victorian tea room with cushy couches, big coffee tables and...forks! First time I've seen those since I've been here! I ate spaghetti accompanied, of course, by kimchi and pickles. We also had soup, salad, and coffee that almost tasted brewed. Koreans drink instant coffee or the little individual coffee mixes with powdered milk and sugar. Oh, and coffee is called "cop-ee" since they don't say "F" in their language.

I've also been exploring the island with some friends from my building. Last weekend Julia, Mike and I went out around City Hall to a restaurant with a Texas theme (very bizarre) and then a 2nd story bar with great "bar food" of traditional Korean side dishes where we drank Soju. Then we hit Samyang Beach and swam in the ocean around midnight. The water was warm and calm and it was a beautiful night. On Saturday John from Idaho,who was on my flight from Seattle to Jeju, took the ferry to Jeju from Chu-ja-do (Chew-jaw-doh), a very small island where he lives and works. We walked through town and did some shopping. He doesn't have a grocery store on his island so he was excited to get fresh produce and packaged food. I cooked dinner for him, Julia, Cindy, and Marcie and we sat around eating and drinking Soju most of the night. On Sunday, John and I walked around the village where I live, Goesang (Ko-sahng), got immersed in the early morning fog, and watched some locals weeding and taking care of the overgrown fields. Even though it was cool, we were still soaked in sweat from the humidity by the time we got home. John found the ferry home and I took the bus to Soegwi-po with Julia and Cindy for the day. It was hot, clear and sunny and we found some beautiful waterfalls and rugged coastline, walked through a big open market (they're all over the place), and got sunburned! It was so overcast when we left we didn't think to put on sunscreen. I've learned my lesson now, though. Apparently it's a must through October. The sun here is pretty intense.

Time to go teach! Feel free to post a comment or email me with specific questions. I'm sure I'm being pretty vague. Miss you all!

Week 1!

Some pictures from my first week on Jeju...

Here is the view from my terrace. Mt Halla is behind the clouds, but you can see the rest of the mountains and the greenery around my suburban apartment.

This is my lovely twin bed/day bed for lounging and my desk with the desktop computer I inherited. Internet is soon to come...

My kitchenette with a 2 burner gas range, microwave, mini-fridge, sink and a few cupboards. I managed to cook a 5 course Korean meal here on Sunday night for some friends in my building.

This is the group of us from Jejuesl, my recruiting company for the teaching job on Jeju Island. Left to Right: Marcie from Seattle, Julia from Canada, Cindy from New York (and France), Mike from Canada, and Trent from Canada. Marcie, Julia, Cindy and I live in the same building. Mike lives downtown in Shin Jeju, the newer part of the city. Trent lives on the other side of the city in the suburbs. We all spent the day together between our medical exams and teacher meetings ㅣlast Friday.

Cindy and I walked to the coast from Shin Jeju on Sunday. We found this awesome ocean road east of the city with big black lava rocks. It was a warm, sunny day and we had a great time exploring the coast and watching the fisherwoman among the rocks.

We stumbled upon this little suspension bridge over a small inlet from the ocean. The red pagoda is said to have inspired poetry and was made for a king...or something like that!

After the first day of school on Monday there was a big staff dinner at a Korean Restaurant nearby. The whole staff was there (about 65 teachers) and the new Principal and VP. I toasted them with Soju, the traditional Korean alcohol made distilled from rice. It's similar to vodka, but half the alcohol. On the left is one of my co-teachers in my English class, Kim Kee Jeung. She is so nice and friendly! On the right is another teacher at the elementary school. "V" for Victory!