Hello Jeff-Teacher!

So I know I promised a digital camera and pictures in this post. But being a huge letdown is one of my hobbies, and I totally managed to NOT have any pictures for you today! I actually went shopping for digital cameras, and found a good, reasonably priced one. That one was sold out. So I found a second-best camera (reasonably priced). That one was sold out. So I found a marginally acceptable one for more money. That one burned down, fell over, sank into the swamp and was sold out. So I went home without one. I’m considering just getting a really good cell phone that can double as a camera, then all of you can see pictures of my adventures WHILE I’m telling you about them- how cool would that be?

On to more important news.

I’ve been to my school a few times and I’m out of training days. When I show up tomorrow, It will be as Jeff Teacher (still getting used to that one.) The substitute they had filling my spot until I came signed out for good today, so from here on in I’m flyin solo (solo). Some of my classes will be rowdy kindergarteners, some angsty middle-schoolers, and everything in between. Some notable highlights from my school experience so far:

1. Teachers get food in the teachers’ lounge. But in Korea, that means Korean food. Today one of the options was literally garlic covered in red pepper sauce. Whoo boy. Also, Kimchi must be an aquired taste. The I-don’t-actually-like-this-but-I-do-it-anyway-because-everyone-else-does kind of acquired taste. You know, like smoking. Or driving a hybrid.

2. Starcraft. We had a lesson with a reading out of a textbook, and the lesson was on bees, and the head teacher asked the class if they knew what larvae were. The only reply? “like starcraft!”. I’M over my head in nerdiness.

3. When choosing English names, Koreans often pick those English names to which they are most often exposed. Most of that exposure comes from entertainment media. I’ll give four J-props to whoever can correctly guess the most popular male name and female name I’ve seen at the school so far. (I’ll give you a hint- you won’t like the answer unless you’re thirteen and a girl.)

I went to a Chinese restaurant today and ordered sweet and sour pork. Not the same cheap, gross, non-chinese stuff we get in America. Different cheap, gross, non-chinese stuff. I was actually able to order in Korean, until the cashier stumped me with a question (“for here or to go?”—but I didn’t know this at the time). Now I was well-dressed that day, and looking in need of assistance, and a group of girls who’d clearly been watching the entire drama, and studying English in school, came over to save the day with translations.

TRAVELER TIP: There’s more to life than being really really ridiculously good looking. But it sure helps get you out of tricky situations.

The character-based language is getting easier. I read a street sign to two of my coworkers today, and they were amazed and asked when I had learned that. The fact that I had started studying Korean AFTER I left the USA (that guidebook my parents got me has been indescribably helpful, thank you!!) helped alleviate their disappointment when I revealed the fact that I didn’t actually understand anything I’d just read.

The typhoon is supposed to hit in two weeks, I’ve been told. I’ve never seen a typhoon, so I’m excited to see one. Did you know that they have no tornados in Korea? Guess they’ve gotta get their entertainment somewhere….

Hopefully at the next post, I’ll have a phone, photos, and real teaching experience stories for you all!

Til next time,

Jeff