Language Cafes, Bank Accounts, and New Gloves

Sorry for the delay in this week's update. I've been busy with a great many things.

Sometime the other week we went to KBStar and set up our bank accounts, meaning we can finally get flight reimbursements and be paid. I've got paid for a week of teaching I did for November, and that was nice, since I was started to run low on money. My very first paycheck will be split between the Arrival Store and monthly living expenses, so I won't be able to start properly saving up until my paycheck arrives in February, but that's okay. For now I'm feeling comfortable. I have a plan to pay off my credit card (which I've been using recently to pay for meals and such as I originally had planned) and to save up.

I've had to buy myself some new gloves. Korean winters are indeed cold, and mine were really thin. These ones cost me a pretty penny, but that's because they're lined with fur. Yay for fur-lined mittens! Best investment so far. I love them already.

My place is now mostly furnished, so those expenses are done for the most part. I'm just looking at finding some curtains now so I have a bit more privacy in my loft (right now you can see up into it if you wanted to) and to block out the light since my teaching schedule is a bit funny at the moment.

Last Sunday I went with Scott to a language cafe in Hapjeong in Seoul. It was at a little cafe where you paid 10,000 won and they gave you a drink and sorted you into groups to speak in different languages. Most of the English speakers there are Koreans learning to speak English or who have spent time abroad, or else English teachers. Its a good way to meet some friends, and I already made a couple. It takes awhile to get there on the subway, but it was a fairly straightforward trip, and on the way I got the chance to buy myself a new iphone case.

The language cafe was round the corner from Hapjeong station exit 2 (for those readers in Korea itself). Anyone can go, no limits, and its a good place to practice. Scott usually goes to learn Korean, but most English speakers end up speaking English there anyway to help Koreans improve their English. Apparently the English speaking crowd is fairly regular, but the Korean speaking groups tend to shift each time, so you're always meeting new Korean friends, and seeing your old English teaching friends again time after time.

I won't go next week, since I don't have the money to do it again yet, but I'm looking forward to going again sometime and meeting up with people again. I've made a few friends from it already, like I said, and it was nice getting out of Bucheon for once, which is a lovely place, but quite small. I'm trying to expand my social circle to include those who don't teach at Chungdahm with me. For that it's time I started properly and seriously studying Korean.

Which leads me to my next point. There's a great online free textbook that's helpful with the grammar called Basic Korean A Grammar and Workbook by Andrew Sangpil Byon. Obviously the hardcopy costs money, but a pdf version has been made available for free for anyone's use. It's quite grammar heavy, and comes with exercises and full answer keys for testing yourself after each chapter. If you're looking to learn Korean (properly learn, not just pick up some phrases) it's a good thing to get your hands on. A simple google search for the title and author comes up with multiple different sites to download. I got my version from Scott, so I don't know which downloads to recommend to you.

That's all for the moment, but more coming next Sunday.

Best,
Sam