Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day

I've actually had nothing of the kind. I just like that book.

I've started taking Korean lessons with someone I met through ATEK on Saturday mornings. At first I was reticent to give up one of my few days sleeping in, as well as the possibility of going out on Friday nights, but so far it's been worth it. The first lesson was way above my level, but after talking to the guy who's giving the lessons to myself and another foreigner, it's been changed to something that's much more on my level. I thought at first that I wouldn't go to the lessons if they were free - that paying for lessons would be more of a motivation to go. But since the person is doing it for me as a personal favor, it's almost like I'm being guilted into attending. Not that I mind that much, as I'm learning quite a bit. It also gets me up and going on a Saturday morning instead of laying in bed and wasting the day.

This Saturday, I met a friend of mine in Anguk after my lesson. I had heard of a place in the area where you could go to see an ice carving gallery, and you could carve your own ice. We decided to find somewhere to grab a bite to eat while on our way to the gallery. We tried to follow the directions Amy had written down, but we weren't able to find one of the big landmarks that the directions were dependent on. So we ended up wandering aimlessly around Jongno, which since it was a nice day neither of us minded. We found a strange little coffee shop called Yellow Bricks. We stopped and shared a real Belgian waffle for lunch, and then tried again to find the ice gallery.



We finally managed to find the Ice Gallery. We headed in, steps ahead of a Chinese tour group. The tour started out in the ice carving area, so we decided to go into the gallery first. For lack of a better word, and pun intended, it was really cool. There was a small group of young girls in there who seemed to be just as interested in watching us as they were in looking at the ice carvings.



After wandering through an igloo, an ice pension, ice palace, and even and ice bathroom, we went back to the carving area, just as the tourists were coming down.



We watched an 'ice expert' carve a block of ice first into a beer stein, then a wine chalice, then a coffee mug. And then she handed us two ice picks and Amy and I had a ball hacking away at the ice.







After we left the ice gallery, we wandered around Jongno a little bit, deciding to stop at Jogyesa. The last time I'd been there was at Buddha's birthday last year, when I went to the Lotus Lantern Festival. There was some ceremony going on inside the temple, and while we walked around, Amy told me about some of the different symbolism in Buddhism. I can't wait to go to Japan with her - she's gonna be like my own private tour guide!





We then headed back to Apgujeong, where we killed time in a Tom n Tom's coffee shop, until we met up with Leah for dinner at an Italian restaurant right across the street at a place I'd been meaning to try, called Pizza and Wine Married .



My "Funghi Pasta", which was string pasta with cream sauce, mushrooms, and black bread, was particularly tasty, and quite filling. After that, we headed to the Jang Cheon Art Hall close to my house, where one of my students was performing in the "Seoul Genius Junior Orchestra". June was the youngest member of the orchestra, and played both cello and trumpet. I forget sometimes how small my kids are. it was easy to be reminded when I saw June playing a cello that was larger than he was, seated with his feet dangling from his chair next to other students, some twice as old as he was.


After the performance ended around 9:30, and I had a short conversation with June's mom, Amy and I went back to my house, where I was charged with introducing Amy to the film wonderment that is Labyrinth. Before we saw the movie I checked my email, where I found out that I had won tickets to see Do Make Say Think Sunday night in Hongdae. I asked Amy if she knew who they were, and since she not only knew who they were, but also had some of their music (which was two steps ahead of me), I asked her if she wanted a free ticket to come with me. She agreed (would you turn down a $50 free ticket to a band you liked?).

Sunday morning I spent sleeping, and the afternoon was filled with putzing around my apartment, writing this blog (since I left my camera cord at school I didn't actually publish it), reading, and drinking an entire pot of coffee. Amy and I met around 4pm on the subway, and headed first to Richard Copy Cat's American Diner where we both enjoyed breakfast for dinner. We then made our way to Hapjeong station in search of Bau Haus Cafe, where Amy fulfilled her dog craving and I satisfied my curiosity.



After the dog cafe, we went to find the venue for Do Make Say Think. I had no idea where it was, only that it was in Hongdae, and it was called V-hall. Usually there are signs all over Hongdae on the streets for shows that point you in the right direction. This time there was nothing. So Amy and I stopped at the tourist box, where I asked for directions. The lady at the desk pointed out the window right across the street, and told us it was in the basement of that building.



I was worried that we might have trouble getting in because the reservations for the tickets had actually been made in someone else's name. I won the tickets through TheYeogiyo.com forum. The contest had been simple - first person to reply to the post gets the tickets. I was the second. But it turned out that the first person couldn't go, so that's how I got them. But the first person's name had already been put on the list. It didn't turn out to be a problem, and not only did Amy and I get in for free with no hassle, but we got there pretty much as the doors opened, so we were in the front the entire time.



The opening band was called On Sparrow Hills, and they were very entertaining to watch, particularly one of the drummers.


The second band was called Vidulgi Ooyoo. I couldn't tell if some of the sounds they were producing were accidental or on purpose. I'd like to think the ones that hurt my ears were accidental. Though I wasn't particularly fond of their music, it was nice to see a Korean girl playing guitar on stage.


And of course the last band was Do Make Say Think.


Even ignoring the fact that the first time I'd heard their music was the night before, I really enjoyed their performance. There were nine people in the band - two drummers, a violinist, saxophonist, two horn players, and three guitars and one bass (I think). Not only were they enjoyable to watch, but their music was interesting and varied. I'm not usually into instrumental music that's not classical style, but this was catchy, danceable, listenable music.




I wish I had better words to describe the concert. I've always envied people like my friend Steph, who can write about bands and review music and actually make it sound interesting. Anyway, the show was great, and as we were leaving, I saw a 10,000won note lying on the floor so I grabbed it, and promptly told Amy that we now had free cab fare home since the subways were just about closed.

And that was the end to my 'wonderful, marvelous, not bad, very good' weekend.

Adventures in Hangul

Since making the conscious decision to stay in Korea until my loans are paid off, I decided it would be in my best interest to learn Korean. I'm able to get by in normal situations that a foreigner would find themselves in, such as a restaurant, a taxi, asking directions, or other such things. But I can't carry on even a simple conversation in a social situation with someone about the weather, movies, interests, family, or anything else for that matter. And since my circle of friends is slowly growing to include non-foreigners, I decided that I need to take an actual class that involves tests, homework, quizzes, and tuition. I have taken two "classes" already, but because of the level of informality, they both fell to the wayside.

You would think that Koreans would be rather gung-ho about foreigners learning their language. If you think this, you would be surprised at how difficult it is to find Korean lessons for foreigners. You would also be surprised at how many Koreans have looked at me in wonderment and asked why I wanted to learn Korean, since English is so widely spoken here.

Regardless, I was determined to take lessons. I asked around, searched on the internet, and made inquiries wherever I could. I took a level test at City Hall a few months ago, only to find out that the single beginner's class was offered from 4-6 pm on Wednesday afternoons. Not the most ideal time, seeing as how I teach until 3:30 every day and I can't leave work until 5:30. I suppose that's what comes from offering free classes.

Then I found out in September that the company I work for, YBM, offers 50% discounts to any employees. So of course I jumped on that chance. However, after much fuss and discussion with the office staff, I came to discover that the 50% discount is only valid after you've worked for YBM for three months. So I sat on my hands in anticipation of November 1st, when I could start. At least, I thought so. According to the head honchos, because my contract says I started August 3rd (the first Monday of August this year, and therefore the first working day of the month), I wouldn't have worked a full three months until November 3rd, which was too late. So, I resigned myself to wait another month. While waiting, I somehow managed to excite Chris, one of my co-workers, into wanting to take lessons as well.

The registration deadline is the 20th of the month before classes start, and I had been asking Miss Mia (the now vice-principal), if I had been signed up for the classes at least once a week since the beginning of November. She kept assuring me that she had told Aaron, the office manager, several times so she was sure I had been registered. I wasn't so sure, and on the 20th I went in to talk to him myself, something I'd been avoiding because his English is only slightly better than my Korean. Of course I hadn't been registered, and so we spent the next 20 minutes or so making sure that he signed Chris and I up for the classes that we wanted (MWF 6-7:50). I went back a few days later to check on the first day of classes, since the first of the month fell on a Tuesday I wasn't sure if the first class would be Monday or Wednesday. Aaron called the school, and confirmed that classes did indeed start on Wednesday the 2nd.

So, Wednesday, December 2nd finally arrived. I was incredibly excited. I had gone the day before, like the dutiful student I am, to find the correct building and make sure I knew where I was going so I wouldn't be late for the first class. (And yes, I did that every semester in college as well. Who wants to be late for the first class of the semester?? It does NOT give a good impression, and you never know what you're going to miss.) Chris and I even snuck out about 10 minutes early so we could try and catch a bus. We ended up taking a taxi after I realized that the only bus that went to the place we were going came every 14-19 minutes, and we only had a 30 minute window to get there.

So, wrapped in multiple layers against the winter chill, we arrived at the building and I confidently strode up to the second floor ahead of Chris, eagerly anticipating what I was sure was going to be an informative evening. I approached the desk, where a Korean woman was standing behind it helping another Korean who looked to be signing up for English classes, and stood ready to wait my turn. Once she had finished helping the Korean, she turned to help me, and our conversation went something like this:

"Yes, can I help you?" she said.

"Hi! We're signed up for a Korean class today that starts at 6 o'clock. This is our first time, so we're not sure where to go or what to do. We also haven't paid yet." I paused, indicating her cue to point me in the direction of my classroom, or look to a list and see how much I owed for my class.

"Oh. Uhhm, there's no classes today." Her brows furrowed a bit when she said this.

I was a bit thrown off by this response, but I continued in an upbeat note. "Oh, there must be some mistake. You see, we were told we had to sign up by the 20th in order to take classes. I work for YBM, and the guy from our office signed us up last month. We're taking the Monday Wednesday Friday class that starts at 6."

"No, there no classes today. The schedule changed, only Tuesday Thursday class." At this point she seemed to be a bit annoyed.

"Oh, well....um. I don't understand. We signed up for the Monday Wednesday Friday class. That's why we're here today."

"No, no class. It changed schedule. Class start yesterday. Look, only Tuesday Thursday schedule."

At this point she pulled out a schedule and pointed to the block for 6-7:50 pm that did indeed show Tuesday Thursday classes - right next to the Monday Wednesday Friday class. I attempted to point to the latter but to my dismay she pulled it away and tucked it under the counter as soon as I reached out a finger.

"But, there's a Monday Wednesday Friday class listed on there. I don't understand. I can't take a Tuesday Thursday class. That's why we signed up for Monday Wednesday Friday. Are you saying that there's no longer a class during that time, and the only night classes started yesterday?"

"Yes. Yesterday first class. The teachers ask the students what schedule they prefer, and sometimes they decide to change the schedule. Now only Tuesday Thursday." At this point she was starting to huff a little bit, and was definitely annoyed with us.

"But, this is supposed to be our first class. It's the beginner class. I don't understand how the professor could have asked the students if they wanted to change the schedule if we haven't started the class yet. And if they changed the schedule, why didn't they notify us?"

"No, no, no, no! I don't know! No class today! Only tomorrow." She was really getting annoyed with me now.

"Ok," I said, a smile still on my face, though decidedly less enthusiastically that it had been five minutes prior, "Forget about December, then. What about January? Will there be a Monday Wednesday Friday class in January that we can take?"

"I don't know! Schedule always changes! I don't know!"

At this point, two foreigners who were waiting behind us decided to put their two cents in. The girl waiting by the desk said "I've been waiting four months to take a class. Schedule changes happen all the time."

The guy standing off to the side added "Yeah, they change the schedule all the time, you just get used to it."

I didn't really respond to them, since I wasn't quite sure how to take that information. Especially since the fact that I was asking a receptionist to supply me with information that I thought would be readily available was apparently an offense to her good natured-ness and I had inadvertently insulted her by asking why the class I had signed up for had suddenly disappeared. So instead I turned back to the receptionist for one final attempt.

"Ok, so you're saying that I can't sign up for a class in January, because you don't know if there will be a class in January, and that the class I signed up for that was supposed to hold the first class tonight has been changed by the teacher because he asked the students and they preferred a Tuesday Thursday schedule, even though we haven't started the class yet?"

"No, no! No classes today!"

"Ok, thank you very much. Have a good night." And I left.



I ranted and raved a bit with Chris at dinner, and we both puzzed and puzzled till our puzzlers were sore, but couldn't figure out what had actually happened, or why they hadn't told us that the classes had been changed or canceled. I decided to go ask Aaron the next day.

I hunted Aaron down, and asked him to call the school and find out what had happened, since we hadn't been able to take the class. He called, and didn't seem to understand the problem because the school said there was a Monday Wednesday Friday class. At that point, I decided that Aaron was no longer a helpful avenue, and I needed to find a new route to obtain the information I was looking for.

After a conversation with the math teacher, Sarah K, about what had happened later that afternoon after school, she decided to call them for me. After a rather long conversation, of which I understood hardly any since it was conducted in Korean, I learned the following information:

• There is a MWF class.
• The MWF class had been canceled for December because of low registration - only two people had signed up.
• There is no cancellation notification policy.
• YBM teachers are not considered normal students.
  
• Non-YBM students sign up for classes first, and if there are any spots left, they are then opened to YBM staff.
  
• Therefore, if a class fills up, I can't register because other people come before me.
• Also, if I am the only one to sign up for the class, they will cancel the class, but will not tell me that it's canceled.
• It is up to the teacher to decide if they want to cancel the class based on the number of students registered. There is no minimum number.
  
• I have to wait until the last day possible to register.
• I then have to call a few days before the start of class to see if the class is scheduled to continue, or if it has been canceled.
  

So, I'm going to try again for January, and hope Chris and I aren't the only ones this time. Never give up, never surrender! I will learn Korean...

Avoiding studying

We had our first day with our new kids this morning. It had all the trappings of a first day back home in the states: nothing really being taught, showing the kids where everything is and explaining what's expected of them, nervous parents sending their kids to school without supplies (like a toothbrush, chopsticks, and a towel - all necessities at my school), and so on. Of course the only difference was that my TWO new classes of kids really don't speak any English (The other teachers either have two old classes, or an old class and a new class. My boss owes me big time and she knows it). A few of them know some choice phrases (or just their name in English), but other than that, I'm going to be doing a LOT of pointing, gesturing, and sign language in general to communicate with these kids. The problem comes, of course, when they have a question and can only ask in Korean. I can pick out a little less than a tenth of what they're asking, sometimes I understand the whole question (where is the bathroom), and sometimes I can only catch a single word (teacher, blah blah blah blah blah).

All of my kids are cute, and I can tell that some of my boys are going to be a handful, but I think I'll have fun with them. but I started out today by being nice, but firm, and letting them know that I'm not going to take any misbehavior, but that I also don't understand Korean well, so they have to try their best to speak in English.

Soooo... I'm studying my classroom Korean/English. These are phrases that either I need to be able to say in English and Korean for the kids to understand me, or I need to understand the Korean when they say it to me so I can correct them with the English. For example:

What's this?
Sit nicely.
Line up, please.
Don't do that.
I like it.
I don't like it.
I'm not finished.
Clean up, please.
Help me, please.
I don't know.
Change your shoes.
Be careful.
I'm sorry.
Be quiet, please.

...etc. And I really should know all the Korean by tomorrow. So, back to studying....

Oh yes, and I know I still haven't done Tokyo Part 2. It's coming, I promise. I'm just a bit, well, lazy right now. ^^

Culture Shock, or the lack thereof

I had been warned by a few people that I would experience culture shock. According to wikipedia (not the source of all information, but still it's faster than most sites), culture shock consists of three phases:

shock (moving to a foreign country) often consists of distinct phases, though not everyone passes through these phases and not everyone is in the new culture long enough to pass through all three[3]:

The "Honeymoon Phase" - During this period the differences between the old and new culture are seen in a romantic light, wonderful and new. For example, in moving to a new country, an individual might love the new foods, the pace of the life, the people's habits, the buildings and so on.

The "Negotiation Phase" - After a few days, weeks, or months, minor differences between the old and new culture are resolved. One may long for food the way it is prepared in one's native country, may find the pace of life too fast or slow, may find the people's habits annoying, etc.

The "Everything is OK" phase - Again, after a few days, weeks, or months, one grows accustomed to the new culture's differences and develops routines. By this point, one no longer reacts to the new culture positively or negatively, because it no longer feels like a new culture. One becomes concerned with basic living again, as one was in their original culture.

Reverse Culture Shock - Returning to one's home culture after growing accustomed to a new one can produce the same effects as described above.

Last night I had a dream, where I was homesick. I couldn't get over the fact that I couldn't get frozen waffles, or read a menu in a restaurant. I missed being able to see my family, and trying on shoes my size, instead of 3 sizes too small. I missed the unconscious act of reading every single sign I passed by, instead of seeing symbols that I can barely pronounce, let alone read. I missed knowing that at a moments notice, I could hop in my car and drive to see my parents, or sisters, or friends for a special occasion, including the arrival of a new member into the family. I was crying hysterically, and flew back home immediately, just to hug my family. And then I woke up. It took me a minute to realize that I wasn't actually homesick. Yes, I feel frustrated at times that I can't read anything, and I can't shop for shoes within the country. Yes of course I miss my family and friends. I miss the independence of having a car.

But I don't miss the insurance bills, or the gas money. I've discovered the new independence of the public transportation system. I may not be able to tell where all the buses are going, but I know which ones to take to get me to the places I want to go. And at this point, that's all I need. And soon I will take the first bus that comes along and ride it as far as possible, just to see where it goes. The same with the metro. I don't miss feeling like I'm dragging myself out of bed in the morning to go to work, now I feel like I get to sleep in every day. The language is logical, and the grammar is simple. I'm excited to be learning a new and exotic language again, even though my mind constantly slips back into French when I try to speak it, mostly because it's the only foreign language I've ever known. I feel like I'm a student again, something I've missed for the past three years. I'm learning about a new culture, through total immersion. Yes, I am a foreigner here (they call it mee-gook). I'm reminded of it every day with the stares I get from people, and the lack of complete comfort in my surroundings.

But for some reason, I know that everything will be just fine. When I first arrived in Uijeongbu, I got off at the wrong bus stop. I didn't know a single word of Korean, despite my studying, and no one really spoke English. I didn't have any way to contact anyone here, aside from the fact that I'd never met anyone whose name I knew. I hadn't even written down the phone numbers of my contacts. But I still managed to get home and get settled. Without crying.

I think that first experience helped me to realize, once and for all, that no matter where I am, or what I'm doing, I can take care of myself. I can get to where I need or want to go, and I don't need anyone to help me do it.  Even in a foreign country. And now I want to continue to test my limits. See what I'm really capable of. I've become settled here within a month. I know I went through the 'honeymoon phase', because everything still fascinates me. Just because I can live my life on my own doesn't mean that I'm lonely, or want to spend the rest of it living by myself. But for now, I'm content with being independent, and exploring the new world that's been shown to me.

I will learn to speak your language

So the scavenger hunt was fun, though a little out of my comfort zone. I hadn't realized that it was with a group called Seoul Sisters (Seoul is the capital of South Korea), which is a lesbian group that gets together about once a month or so. We were assigned to teams, so I wasn't with the two people that I came with, and we had to go to 6 different bars around Hyundai and take pictures of certain things in each bar, get someone's number, and ask about something at each bar (for example: a picture of you and a member of the bar staff in a reflection in a mirrored mural, and ask who painted the mural). At each bar we were supposed to buy a drink each to get a stamp on our paper, so we could get the clue for the next bar we were supposed to go to. I ended up ordering cokes, and about halfway through, realized I didn't have to order anything- as long as one of the other girls on my team ordered something they would give us the stamp. So I was 'forced' to wander around Hyundai, which is full of interesting places (there's an 80's bar there that I want to go in next time), and spend about 2 hours with three other people that I'd never met. It was fun for the most part, but asking strange Korean women for their phone number when I had no intention of ever using it was a little awkward.

What I also hadn't realized when we went out is that the metro stops running around 12am or so. Hyundai is about an hour and a half on the metro from Uijeongbu, and about 30 minutes by cab (though 20 times more expensive). So once we were done with the scavenger hunt, we had to stay out until the metro started again - at 5:30am. If I'd known that, I probably would have stayed in bed longer yesterday morning. So we stayed at the first bar until about 4am, where I hung out with some of the other teams and met some other people. But Cherita and I were hungry and tired, so around 4:30 we went to a 24hour KFC and grabbed something to eat, and then Cherita paid for the 30,000 won to get home (about $30). At first the cab driver wanted to charge us 30,000 plus the meter. He said it was because we were leaving Seoul, but we both knew it was the "foreigner tax". But Cherita can speak basic Korean, and managed to tell the guy that she's never paid more than 35,000 to get home, and it was either 30,000 or the meter, not both. Our total at 5:30 am when we left the cab was just under 30,000. 

And then I had my first Korean lesson this morning around 10:30. I had put an ad on Craig's list for a language exchange (I teach you english, you teach me korean, no money involved), and got a reply back from someone. Turns out they were Cherita's teacher that she has lessons with every Sunday morning. So I went to her house this morning where Yong-tae Kim (he's 28 and just got married) worked with me on the basic consanants and vowels, and worked with Cherita on dialogue. So now I'm going to make some flash cards to practice, and maybe soon I'll be able to at least pronounce all the signs I see. 

I'm here

It’s been quite an eventful few days. I got on the plane from Daytona on time, and transferred planes with no problem. The flight from San Francisco was very long, and a bit cramped. I had wanted to at least see the US for the last time as we were flying away, but it was overcast from the moment we got in the air until we hit Alaska. I did get to see a little bit of Russia before we got to Korea – seems like a vast wasteland of frozen tundra to me. I got off the plane, and got through customs with no problem. My bags were even at the baggage claim as soon as I got there. I found the limousine bus that I needed (they’re basically like charter busses) and got on it right away. The bus driver, however, didn’t speak English. The stops were announced in Korean, and then in English. But at the City Hall stop, it didn’t say that the next stop was in Uijeongbu. So I tried to ask the driver, since I had been told that my ride would meet me at the last stop in Uijeongbu. He didn’t understand what I was asking.


 

There was a family that got off at the stop with me, who had a little girl and a little boy. I guess the girl was taking English classes because she knew a few words and tried to find out where I was trying to go. But I had conveniently forgotten the name of the school, and I hadn’t written down any of the phone numbers that my boss had given me. So they drove me about a block to the city hall, where the night watchmen were nice enough to let me use their computers to find the phone number of Lee, who was supposed to pick me up. After we finally got a hold of him, they gave me come coffee (which is actually instant coffee sold in little packets, but it wasn’t bad), and we watched soccer until Lee, the director's husband, arrived.

He got my bags into the van, and drove me though downtown Uijeongbu, passed the school that I’ll be working at, and then showed me where my apartment is. It’s right off the main road, but on a little side street so there’s no traffic, and about 10 blocks or so from the school. My apartment is on the second floor, right above a flower shop. It’s a studio, with what passes for a kitchen, a bathroom, and a “porch” where the washer is that faces another apartment building under construction. The front door doesn’t have a key; it’s a number code so I don’t need to worry about loosing my keys anymore. The kitchen has a dorm-type fridge, a microwave, a sink, and a hot plate. There’s no closet, just a metal rack with some hangers on it. There’s a desk/table with two chairs, a place near the door to put your shoes, a small table that you have to sit on the ground to use, a tv with the cable already working (My options in English include the BBC and a movie channel. That's it.), a bed (which is apparently brand new but hard as a rock), and a cubby hole-type thing. The air conditioner has a remote, but it’s been cold enough here that I’ve just left the windows open. Apparently this is spring weather, and it’s going to get much hotter in the summer.
 

 


The area itself is beautiful. The mountains are right next to the city, walking distance actually, but you’d never know it if you’re in downtown because everything is so flat, and the high-rise buildings cover them up. Since the country is so small, everything has a small footprint and goes up ridiculously high. All the apartment buildings are higher than most hotels I’ve seen. Mine is an exception, as it’s only three stories, and has shops underneath it, including a flower/plant shop. The school is on the sixth floor of one of these buildings.


I’m a few blocks from Home Plus, which is like a 24 hour Walmart, mixed with a department store. The bottom floor is a food court and the designer clothes. Each section is separate, and you have to pay the cashier for the items you want in their section – most of them are separated by brand. The second floor is the grocery section. When they run out of something, they don’t re-stock it until 5am, so when I went there tonight, they were out of bread, bananas, and a few other things I had wanted to get. There’s a little section in the middle that’s kind of like a mini restaurant, so if you get hungry while you’re food shopping you can eat. And yes, deodorant is no-where to be found. This place is much more sanitary than the downtown market-place, which has every kind of meat and seafood (squid, manta-ray, octopus, etc.) lying out in the air with no ice and flies buzzing around. The third floor is the rest of the home-type things that you would normally find in a Walmart. Of course everything is in Korean, though there’s a lot more English than I thought there would be. There’s more English on things like shirts and ads, but I think most people that wear those shirts have no idea what they say. Tax is included in the price of everything, so the price listed is what you pay.

There’s also old money and new money, referring to bills and not to people. I tried to use one of my bills in a vending machine to get a drink, but they only take the new money. I should be able to trade out the rest of my US dollars sometime this week, when I set up a bank account. Cherita, one of the other teachers who showed me around today, thinks that I’ll get paid next week for half a paycheck. She said they take your bills, like electricity and cable, out of your check. There’s a wireless set up here, but I need the password for it, which I was told I’ll get tomorrow.
Cherita took me out to lunch today around 1. I didn’t wake up until noon when she knocked on my door – and I probably should be in bed right now since I have to be at work tomorrow at 9:15. She said there are three English teachers – myself, Cherita, and James- and three Korean teachers. It’s a private school, and apparently very expensive, as I only have 6 or 7 kids per class. I suppose I’ll find out tomorrow more of what that’s going to be like.