Here am I. Send me!: Day 2 = Adventure

Well if day 1 was all about success. Today, day 2, is all about adventure. I have to be at school at 8:40. Yesterday when I took the bus to the subway station and then the subway to my school it took me just about an hour. I took the bus home and it was about 30 minutes. But I wanted to make sure I was not late on my first day and I had no idea how long the bus would take in the morning to get to school. So I woke up really early to get ready for school. (on a side note my sleep schedule since I have arrived has been to go to bed between 9-10 and wake up between 6:45 and 7:15. So not me, but its working for now). I thought school was starting at 8:40 so I did not want to be coming right as they started so I hoped to arrive by 8:30. I left at 7:30 and was so excited to find not just 1 bus at the stop but 2! It’s the beginning of the route so I definitely had a bus and a seat. The bus took about 20 minutes to arrive. Thankfully before my stop, the announcement is “Yangjeong subway station” in English so I know where to get off. I was really early so I tried to figure out the free wifi at the subway stations. What I found out was that its not really free but connected to the different cell phone companies. So I didn’t get to talk to my mom or send messages to my dad but I was definitely not late! Adventure 1 of the day = success.

I was very early but just went to my desk and began to look at the textbooks that I will use. They also left me a schedule for the rest of the semester (well school day schedule). I knew that I would be beginning with fifth grade so I looked at that. My co-teacher Shin (???maybe that’s her name) arrived right at 8:40 and gave me some instructions about what to plan. Then it was time to plan. During the first period, another co-teacher, Ja Yeon, came in to visit. It was tough to carry on conversations but we are getting there. We talked some about what we will teach together which is 4^th grade storybooks. It actually sounds like a lot of fun. I really struggled with figuring out powerpoint in particular with everything in Korean. However, by lunch time I had figured out how to google what I was trying to do and look at images of screen shots that people had posted. It worked! I figured out how to do animations of objects and triggers for animations on powerpoint and how to take a screen shot of specific items that are on the computer. So Adventure 2 of the day was learning to plan lessons and use the computer when most if not all of the writing is in Korean = mostly successful with a lot still to learn.

Lunch = Adventure 3. Shin Teacher came back to get me for lunch. I followed her and just went with it. I was so incredibly excited and blessed that today’s lunch was bimimbap. I don’t know if I’ve posted this story before, but the first time I had bimimbap was on my Maymester trip to Seoul when I was in Berry college. We went to a monastery that served us bimimbap for lunch. Doc Wakefield told us how to eat it. I did not like it at all!!! So much so that I took the entire hour to use my chopsticks and pull out every piece of rice form among the vegetables and little bit of red sauce that was in it. Doc and his wife Carolyn laughed at me a lot that day at lunch. But I didn’t go hungry and I was sure I would never eat bimimbap again. However, while living in Hong Kong I flew Korean Air several times and was served bimimbap because it was the best option being served. I learned that I indeed do like bimimbap. Kimchi on the other hand I do not like. I tried it at Jeonju University 3 times and the third time I almost got sick because I just could not take the taste. So back to Day 2 in Busan, lunch was bimimbap and I was very pleased. Kimchi was also served but I didn’t eat it. There was some kind of egg soup served that I tried and it was okay. They also served watermelon. I actually enjoyed the lunch today. Adventure 3 = Success!!

After lunch, I had tea with Ja Yeon and Shin Teacher. They are both wonderful and I am enjoying getting to know them. Tomorrow the Head English teacher Kim Young (who picked me up yesterday) will be back. I am looking forward to getting to know her as well. Her daughter left for a year in Canada today which is why she was not at school.

After tea, we went back to the English office to work on preparing documents to go to the immigration office to apply for my Alien Registration Card (ARC). When I receive this document I can finally apply for internet, cell phone, and a bank account. We met with the principal and vice-principal to go over my contract and my duties and as a Guest English Teacher (GET). We also asked permission to leave school early to go and apply for my ARC. This time away from school is unpaid leave but it was granted. In Korea, I only have 18 days off for paid leave and the 15 national holidays. There are not sick days. If I am sick, I am to still report to school, but they might send me home. If I leave early for sickness, personal business, or anything else I must ask permission and keep up with it on an attendance record. Every 8 hours equals one of my 18 days of vacation. I sincerely hope that I don’t even miss 8 hours because I don’t want to lose those days! But if I do I will survive. Sitting with the principal and vice-principal and not knowing anything that was said really made me want to learn Korean. Hopefully I will have some time for Korean classes.

After that meeting we finished preparing the documents and left school just before 3:00. We took the subway to Busan Station and walked to the immigration office. When we arrived there were 49 people in line in front of us! We had a long wait. But there were other teachers there too. So I was able to see some familiar faces and had some time to get to know Shin Teacher some more as well. She is expecting her second child in October. I am excited for her! We also applied for delivery service to the school. I was so thankful when the accepted the only passport photo that I could find because it was about 5 years old and I had really short hair in the photo. I had it taken in Hong Kong just before I left. Thankfully, they didn’t say anything since I could not find my other photos. My card should arrive in 2 weeks. Adventure 4 = definitely a success.

After immigration, we walked back to the subway station. Shin Teacher had to go further than I did. Since I knew where the bus was from Seomyeon station I got out there. It is a 15 bus ride from the station home and it is 20 minutes and 2 subway stops after Seomyeon to go back to the school home. However, when I got to the subway, I decided to try and find a place in Seomyeon that I had listed on a map that was given me. It also had written directions. It said it was a good, cheap place for home goods. My feet were killing me because my shoes don’t fit right but I put bandaids over the blisters and went for it. I successfully found the store and was excited to find an air freshener since my apartment does not smell good. I also got a container to put the sugar in that I bought yesterday. I also got a air freshener for the refrigerator. I found a lock for my cabinet at school and I think that is all. From there, on the map was an E-trader store. They said it was similar to Costco (which there is one in Busan) but with less Western items and no need for a membership. I have been craving peanut butter for days so I decided I was already out I might as well go for it. The map it all written in Korean but it is close enough to show how many streets. I just guessed some and started walking. Thankfully about 4-5 blocks away I saw a huge green sign that said E-Trade Market. I just kept it in view and kept walking. I made it there and searched for ever through all 3 levels for the peanut butter. I almost gave up until I saw it in someone’s cart! I knew it was in the store and that I just had to find it! I did! I paid about $4.50 for a jar of peanut butter but I couldn’t have been more excited! I also bought a few other items. I probably should have waited to buy the Kleenexes especially since I found some at the grocery store near me since I went there. But the sign seemed to indicate they were on sale and its one of those items that you don’t really need most of the time but when you do need them you don’t want to have to search for them. But thankfully, I didn’t go to crazy buying stuff in this store.

After E-traders I had to find the bus stop. The map has had writing from previous teachers of all of these places and it didn’t seem to be that far way from the store and they indicated it was about a block. Either I missed the first station or their definition of a block is quite different from mine. I just kept walking towards the direction of the stop and began to worry that I was going the wrong way. I came to Lotte World, which is good to know, and beside it is a HUGE intersection of highways and then subway rails above it. I honestly thought I was going to be practically stranded in the middle of nowhere. But I recognized the buildings and knew that I was at least heading in the right direction. I finally found a bus stop. I knew that bus 17 and 23 are supposed to go to my neighborhood but I only knew where the stop for 17 is. I just missed bus 17 and almost let bus 23 leave because I was uncertain. But on the front of the bus I read the English that said Jujong and I knew that was my area so I got on and hoped for the best. I knew I was getting close but wasn’t really sure where to get off. When I saw the first building for my complex I got off and walked about 10 minutes back to my building. But the exciting part was when another person who got off at the same stop walked to my building too! I guessed absolutely right! So thanks to the Girl Scouts and my parents for teaching me how to read a map so well, Adventure 4 into Seomyeon was a huge success including taking an unknown bus!

I honesty did not think I was this adventurous of a person. But honestly, I just really wanted peanut butter. When I got back, I went to the grocery store in my neighborhood to buy bread and coke to complete the meal (and a few other things).

Oh and my reward for today was a peanut butter sandwich and soaking my feet in hot water in the tub because they hurt so much! Oh and I forgot, I got myself a treat on the way home from the grocery store. I saw my favorite kind of ice cream from when I was here before. I couldn’t pass it up. It’s a type of walnut ice cream and it only costs 50 cents! So several rewards today, but it was quite the day!