I found out that I will have my winter vacation in January! So excited! I likely will be off from the 16-31st. I've been chatting with Jess from Busan about Thailand and Cambodia. If you have any input on where to go, where to stay, what to do, please comment or email me. I'd love to hear any advice!
In the evening, I had dinner with Amy and Jess at a small place near our apartment. We had some difficulties with the communication barrier at dinner but it made for a fun dinner. I'm glad my neighbors aren't picky eaters! We basically just point to something on the menu and look forward to whatever is prepared for us. The nice owner served us a big bowl of some form of soup that was delicious! She also gave us some various side items, watermelon, and she gave us each a poster with a famous Korean celebrity on them to put in our apartments!
After dinner we took a cab to Seogwipo which is on the other side of the island. There was a big event going on at Monkey Beach club/bar! Most of the new Jeju Epik teachers came as well as other teachers on the island! Monkey beach was nuts! There is a water slide inside, a ball pit, library, so many couches, beer pong, arcade, dancing floors, and of course bar tops. When we entered we were each given a shot of tequila and 2 buckets of your choice of mixed drink. What a night! I somehow broke one of my black sandals, danced alot, and we somehow made it home in the cab. Taking a cab here feels like its a hit or miss. You basically just hope that the taxi driver understand you and takes you to the right place. haha!
On Saturday Jason, Jess, and I went to Hamdeok beach! This beach is about 30min from our apartment by bus. I love this beach! It was so beautiful! From my understanding, this is where the beach volleyball tournaments take place so thats awesome! It was drizzling a bit but that didnt stop us from beaching it up! We had a nice lunch in Hamdeok at a hole in the wall place which was yummy. In the afternoon, we walked through a market and bought some snacky stuff for Saturday night. We had our first house party at our apartment! A few other teachers came over for a chill night with music, snacks, and soju! It turned out to be a fun night so we will for sure be doing these again. I found out that I have a rather large apartment in comparison to the other teachers too. :o
On Sunday we went to a homemade foreigner market nearby where folks sell their homemade food, crafts, or talent. It was small but nice! I had a yummy crepe and bought a nice candle for my room. There was also a beautiful park next door with workout equipment! Afterwards, we went to Samyang black sand beach again since it was so beautiful out! We had a nice dinner at a place that served duck on top of pumpkin, many side dishes, and then soup! This was the best restaurant so far I'd say but every place has been great. In the evening we went to Emart which is like the Walmart of Korea and then a place called Marta which was basically a Costco! There are even kirkland brands! Some items are far more expensive here while others of course are cheap. For example, I noticed a double pack of Maybelline mascara went for 21,000won and a big bottle of basic vitamins were about 20,000won.
On Monday through Wednesday I teach at Sinchon Elementary. The students are great here. I continuously have to remind myself just how much work these students have. Most students are going to public school, some form of sport or music practice, hangwon, and are learning English! I've learned that most of my students play either the violin, piano, guitar, flute, or clarinet it seems. They also enjoy swimming, biking, and soccer! One of my 4th graders said that he "likes kissing" while another 4th grader had a shirt that said "sun of a beach" haha! My main handler has been so kind in helping me set up a bank account and a phone plan this week as well. I presented my principal and handler with a gift from Florida! I even took the bus to school with my principal on Tuesday! I play badminton on some evenings with my neighbors and take walks up Sarabong peak which is right where I live. Amy and I explored a beautiful temple at Sarabong peak too!
On Wednesday at Sinchon I taught lessons to 3rd and 4th graders for the first time. Of course the CD's weren't working so I ended up improvising and it turned out great. I was super happy! The kids were well behaved for the most part too! I started off showing a cute animated type video that introduced the expressions/ topic we were learning. Then I used the book and a powerpoint I had made to have to students read and speak and then write in their books. At the end of class we played a game and the team that won gets a piece of candy next week. I have created a sticker/stamp sheet to start next weekend where each student can earn a sticker for winning a game, behaving super well, or simply working really hard. After earning 5 stickers they get a piece of candy (American candy I brought with me) and when they get 10 stickers the student gets a pencil (American pencils I brought). I think the kids seem excited about it and I figured it was a decent system to get them more excited and involved.
This weekend is sure to be packed with lots of fun activities! Please let me know if you'd like me to discuss any particular topics in my blog. So far, I'm simply blogging on my experiences and observations simply because I'm excited to be here. There is so much happening its hard to write about everything but I'm trying! Thank you for all the kind messages and comments! In case you are wondering...of course I miss home, my family, friends, Kasper, and Chipotle! However, I am having a wonderful time, learning far more than my brain can comprehend, and look forward to any letters, emails, messages, or pictures from back at home from family and friends. Thanks again for reading- till next week! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment