Second Day of Training - Getting Down to Business

Today we spent most of the day in training. We all woke up early, and even though Christine and I left alone to catch the subway, we all ended up crossing paths down in the tunnels and arriving mostly at the same time as everyone else in the hotel.

Our hotel is located round the corner from Gangnam Station, which lies under and around the underground shopping mall and walkway we found the other day. We have to catch three different trains to get to the stop, since it's on an awkward around-the-corner-type location from our subway route near the hotel. This means it was fairly simple to get confused as to which line to change to, going which direction, at each of the subway stops.

We all worked it out eventually, and we got to training in time to be hammered with all sorts of details in small groups.

Now, let me be fair. There are any number of people who tell you Chungdahm teacher training week is grueling and hard. If you compare it to the amount of work the kids do each and every day, it's almost next to nothing. It runs from 9:30am to 3:00pm, and then you have hours of homework, but those hours of homework are just what you'll have to do as a teacher anyway. It's practice in the preparation of classes. Each day you'll mock that part of the course as though you were teaching it to the kids, and so when you finally do get into a real classroom, you've already done it, seen it, experienced it, and received feedback you can immediately implement. Not to mention, all the work you're doing for training week is in fact with the first lesson you'll teach, so it doubles as prep for that first week of teaching.

I've been assigned to IRP and ILP, which are Integrative Reading Par and Integrative Listening Par. These are intermediate levels, where kids already know English and you're teaching critical thinking and analyzing skills for reading and listening and writing. These are, for those of you who don't know, things like: main idea and where to find it, supporting details, the patterns of organization of readings, pulling details from texts by using transition words as verbal cues, etc. It's basic grammar, and something anyone who has been through English-Speaking school systems has ingrained in them from day one. In effect, I'm not teaching kids English at this point. I'm trying to teach them to think in English, using the thought processes of English Speakers.

I'm actually really excited for this, because I've always been interested in cross-cultural consultation (advising people on the way other cultures think) so this is right up my alley in terms of what I enjoy doing. I am a bit nervous about doing this with kids outside a controlled setting, but by the end of the week I think I'll have practiced enough with my instructor and teams to pull it off. My group includes Rebekah and Amy, who are both going to Bucheon branch with me, so we're all on the same page as to how to do it. The people training us are actual teachers who go back into those classroom settings after our training day to teach the kids. This means that they've got tips and skills and styles all their own, and you're learning it from someone who is doing well and doing it now. This is also very helpful.

Tonight we're meeting to practice our mocks for both reading and listening courses and get the prep work done for tomorrow. I don't expect it to take too long (some of the more extreme people are panicking and expecting to be working for seven hours, but I think if it takes you seven hours to break down English reading and writing skills into a lesson then you're probably in the wrong profession here), and I'm trying to convince the guys to go out to eat again afterward for some more delicious Korean food. I've now been assured that the street vendors are perfectly safe to eat from (I was a bit hesitant at first), and I have also been told it's cheaper to eat out in Korea than eat in because fruit and vegetables are really expensive. Buying things off the street is really cheap (it's about $2-3 dollars) whereas buying things in shops to cook yourself is far more costly. Even the restaurants are cheaper, so its always the best bet to go out.

Amy told me a story of one girl who came out here and taught in Seoul who spent about $5 on gas bills for heating for her apartment because she just spent all her time eating out and meeting with people, so it might be the way to go once I've got an apartment. Either way, I know I'll at least know Rebekah and Amy at the Bucheon branch, and we've already got a list of places to visit as tourists within Seoul itself. This is made more simple by the fact that we've all got T-Money cards for the subway, and Bucheon is only a line away from the Gangnam line - the busiest line in Seoul.

With all that said, I'm off to group prep and mock with the team. If we go out I'll take pictures and do a double post for the day, since I've got a request to take more pictures of food. ;)

First Day of Training - Medical Exam and Orientation

Today we all got up early to get on a shuttle to take us to the medical exam for our ARCs (Alien Resident Cards). This would have been fine if the driver had dropped us off where we were meant to be, but instead we were dropped off round the corner and subsequently lost. When we called for directions (note, at this point we didn't know where we were meant to go, or even the name of the place) we were told to turn left, so we did, and walked half an hour in the wrong direction before eventually running around in a big circle and arriving half an hour late to our medical stuff.

We were all expecting some sort of private clinic, but it was a full on working clinic with Koreans all there doing their check-ups as well. So we sat there and got called one by one into the process, which all took place in one big massive room with lots of seats in some sort of station rotation sort of thing. We'd go to a changing room, where we were supplied with orange or blue Korean prison jumpsuits based on gender, as well as some Korean slippers, and then we were shuffled about the room to different stations.

One by one we were measured for height, weight, and blood pressure. We did hearing exams, a quick cursory dental check-up, and a chest x-ray looking for tuberculosis. Then we had blood drawn, did urine tests, and did some sort of Electric Cardiovascular thing, which involved stripping down and having stuff stuck to you while an electric current was run through you to check your heart rate and other cardiovascular things. It didn't hurt, but it was quite strange to do. One of the boys in the group was told off for having too much chest hair, so the little things wouldn't stick to him, so they took a pair of scissors to the patch of hair they needed, and shaved it for him to make it work, then chastised him for not shaving his chest.

Then we had a medical consultation, which was really more of an interview. I apparently checked out fine, so off we went back downstairs to wait for the bus, all feeling a bit uneasy and strange, once again back in our own clothes.

We got some sandwiches at a nearby shop, and the daring ate vendor food from the street (we still aren't sure what). We then headed off towards the Chungdahm main branch office to begin our training orientation.

This was a lot of fun. We found out what sorts of programs we'll all be teaching when we were separated into groups for our main lessons. Our days from here on out will be 9:30 to 3:00 and then we'll have homework to do. On friday, we break into our respective groups and head on along to our schools.

We also got the first taste of the subway system today. It seems simple enough to follow, once you have an idea where you're going, and they gave us some instructions to follow which were and were not helpful at the same time. I think there's been a bit of construction since last the instructions were updated, so it took a bit to work out the directions to go. We're on the subway until friday when we get another shuttle now, so we've got time to practice. Also, the subway cards you get (called T-Money Cards) work not only in the Seoul subways, but also in several other major cities, and they also work in taxis. You just put money on it, and then carry it about, top it up with funds when you need to. I've got one already, but it's got no money on it at the moment.

I'm also almost out of cash, so sometime soon I'll need to find an ATM. I've still got about $70 worth in my purse and don't expect to spend it quickly, but I don't want to run out, so tomorrow afternoon I'm going in search of the citibank to see if my debit card works in their machines. I'll report my results with that tomorrow.

Time for bed now. Thanks all for reading! Speak to you tomorrow!
-Sam

First Day in Korea - Test Taking, Rain, and Korean Barbecue

Today was a rough day full of Skyping and waking up at odd hours. I had what I originally thought to be a strawberry yogurt for breakfast, but it ended up being some sort of tofu, jelly parfait with strawberry chunks in it, and is meant to be a dessert apparently. It was actually really amazing and I liked it a lot.

Everyone was up at 4 or 5 in the morning because of jet lag, regardless of how tired we were. Eventually Christine and I got to sleep again and slept until 9:30 or so. Then we met up with Rebecca and Amy to go exploring for power converters, some lunch, and just to see what there was.

We walked up one of the main roads. Most of the signs for shops are in English, not Korean, which was a surprise but also a help. All the little shops remind me of England, and today we faced a lot of rain, so it was almost familiar. The smell of food was everywhere, but eventually we ended up inside a bakery that sold egg pastries and Korean spicy chicken salad, cakes of all sorts, and a number of different rice cakes/balls. We all got a few things to try (we could read it since it was in English as well as Korean) and headed back to the room to review the training videos and grammar before the exam.

Two of the girls had already taken the exam and failed it twice (there is no limit to how many times you can take it), so we all got a bit apprehensive about that and almost wrote down word for word what the videos said in our notes. It turned out to be a bit over the top (for me at least) since we then almost all passed it first try, or second.

After that we had a little downtime before we'd arranged to meet up with a group of people contacted by the recruiter (it was all arranged over the internet originally and then became a matter of word-of-mouth so by the time we arrived there were about 20 of us waiting to go). We counted off into groups so we'd meet new people, so five of us headed out into Gangnam to find our dinner.

Some of the others had been exploring before and discovered that under the main street we'd walked along before was a big shopping mall and walk-way. It was cover from the rain, and also prevented running across streets where people seem quite happy to run red lights or take off out of nowhere without warning. It's full of shops down there, like Baskin Robbins, Starbucks, and a bunch of clothing places, shoe shops, and whatnot. Amy (she's from Scotland, and she'll be teaching at Bucheon with me) and I decided to come back again once we get paid in January and see if there's anything we like.

My group consisted of Amy, Margaret, David, Dominic, and myself. When we emerged from the underground mall, it was fully dark out, and Seoul was lit up. Most of the main street is shops, but not restaurants. To find them (the good places, not the massive world-wide chains), you have to head back into the alleys.

We all ended up at a Korean Barbecue done in a traditional manner, so it was a little room with a wooden floor, low tables and benches to sit on. Since we're in Seoul, the menu was in English as well as Korean, and the waiters understood English fairly well, so we were able to order. We got two vegetable Bibimbap and one rib meat barbecue (this came with lettuce, noodles, and kimchi.

The beef is brought out raw but marinaded, and you cook it yourself over a pot of coals set atop some heated bricks they put on the table. The noodles and kimchi come separately.

This barbecue was amazing. The meat was gorgeous, and the rest was just as good. Kimchi is actually really nice. It's got a bit of a spicy kick to it, but nothing too bad at this place, and it was actually really tasty. The Bibimbap (we ordered the vegetable one) is a stone-cooked rice bowl. They bring you a hot stone bowl in a wooden holder with rice, vegetables, and a raw egg yolk. You break the yolk and then mix it all together, and because the bowl is hot it cooks it right there while you do it.

We managed an entire meal between the five of us for about 10,000 won each, or 10 dollars. This included drinks, as well as two bottles of Soju.

Soju is a rice liquor (can't remember if its beer or wine). Its drunk in shots, similar to vodka, and its clear in color like vodka too. The others said they liked it, but I didn't. It has an odd flavor that bothered the sides of the front of my tongue, and the taste lingers a bit bitter in the mouth for awhile afterward. It's not terrible, but it isn't my favorite, and it takes awhile to really affect you, so it's not immediate upon drinking it. In my opinion it's best with a chaser. Two bottles was enough for about 3 shots each of it.

These people, from the left are Amy, David, Margaret, and Dominic.

All in all it was a really good night out. We've got medical exams first thing tomorrow morning for our Alien Resident Cards, and we're not allowed to eat before going for that. Then it's off to the Training Orientation!

Margaret and Dominic at the Korean Barbecue

Amy and I at the Korean Barbecue

KOREA!!! I Have Arrived!

Hello all from Seoul!

I woke up in Denver at 5:00am and set off at 8:00am, nearly missed my flight in San Francisco. I had to run to catch it, but at last I made it. As a heads up from anyone doing the San Francisco to Seoul haul: you will suffer at the end of it. It's bright the entire 12 hours, and if you're flying coach, you've got all the kids and people moving about and being cramped. It's alright getting up and walking around, but you look on the screen thinking you must be there by now and then find out you're only just over Alaska and have another 6 hours to sit there. It's hard to sleep on the flight (and I can sleep anywhere, so that's saying something) so by the time you hit Seoul you're exhausted.

Incheon Airport, however, is brilliant. Even the boarding ramps are glass, so the moment you're off the plane the world opens up again. They've developed a reputation as one of the best, most efficient, passenger-friendly airports in the world, and they certainly live up to it. Signs are posted in Korean, English, and Chinese in the international terminal (and from what I gather, excepting Busan, all the flights are international) so you don't have to look about in confusion trying to work out where you're going. The immigration line was the shortest I've ever stood in, and you go immediately to the carousel. The only confusing bit was trying to work out where to find the Hanjin Express to pick up my Arrival Store boxes, as it was hidden behind some construction on the far end of the third floor terminal. The rest is easy.

Seoul as a city is really dense in some areas and then spread out in others. When we arrived, the sun was setting and a hazy fog covered the place, but the lights of Seoul were everywhere when we got in the taxi. Another note here: don't take the black taxis unless you're pairing up with other people, as they're the more expensive. I teamed up with Eva, who I met in the terminal looking for Hanjin Express, so our cost wasn't as bad, but if I had been alone, it would have been really expensive.

Traffic is Seoul is as bad as you might imagine starting at about 6:00pm from what I could see. It took an hour and a half to reach the Coatel Hotel from Incheon Airport via taxi. The guys who took the bus to the central station, then a taxi back to the Coatel Hotel paid less for the taxi, but arrived a little after Eva and I, and so the timing was about the same for a bit more effort.

I am now sitting in a room with my roommate Christine. It's done in traditional Korean style, with the spot at the front door for taking off your shoes (the hotel even gave us slippers, but we're all favoring socks for now). Our bathroom contains a massive shower, and a toilet with way too many buttons. It took Christine and I a good ten minutes to work out where the flush was (it's round the back). There was also some surprise when I sat down and discovered with a very tired brain that the toilet seat is heated. I could have easily fallen asleep right there at that point.

We met Rebecca and Eva down on the ground floor to visit the little shop in the back of the lobby. You can buy coca cola in Korea, as well as twix, skittles, many types of yogurt, and digestives (McVities at least in this shop).

Anyway, off to bed now. Got work and exploring to do in the morning. I leave you all with some pictures, and I've made it home safe.

P.S. My new phone is really awesome. It's got a touch pad screen with a special metal pen thing to navigate about, and it plays music and all that jazz. Considering it's not a special phone over here and is used anyway, it's still better than my phone back in the U.S.

Love you all!
-Sam

Christine and my shared room at the Coatel Hotel, Seoul. This picture was taken from the small smoking room (it won't be used, but it's like a closed in balcony, complete with sliding glass door).

See, Mum, I can leave my shoes at the door now. In fact, it's encouraged.

That's the massive shower and the sink, the mad electronic heated toilet's on the lower right. ;)

This is my roommate, Christine!

Final Post Before Entering Korea

So I'm now two days out. I've finally got all the things I need. Mum and I went and bought some suitcases last night, so I've now got some brand new bright blue suitcases to spot on the carousel. :) I'm still packing, feeling the time crunch now. I have to be at the airport tomorrow at 6:00 in the morning, so I've got to get everything done today and tomorrow. That means packing, cleaning my bedroom, tidying out my car so Matt can take care of it for me, and making sure I've got back-ups of all my important documents.

This will be my last post before I arrive in Korea on Saturday. I'm very excited to go now, and I'll be working on my Korean during the flight.

All the best to everyone! See you on the other side!

-Sam

Post Five: Ready to Go!

Today I got my passport back with my visa for 13 months in South Korea. I've booked my flights, so I'm ready to go as of now (minus of course packing, which is probably going to be last minute knowing me :P).

For those of you wondering, I'll be departing on the 9th and arrive in Korea on the 10th of November. I will then go into training on the 12th, and provided I pass training, start teaching on the 26th.

Not long now!

-Sam

Post Four: Visa Process

So today I received the code for my visa. I've still got to wait to receive it, but I'm in the final steps.

My leaving date, for those of you who are reading and know me, is Nov. 9th (in the morning, so don't plan on seeing me then). If you contact me using the contact page on this site (and I actually know you), I will send you my Skype name so you can reach me while I'm there. I don't yet have a phone lined up.

So, here we go. Three weeks and counting.