Day 2

So my second day. 

It was a good day.  Things went very well.  my first class was a second year class, filled with boys.  and those children are LOUD, and a lot of them do not want to be there or learning English.  Their teacher, Mr. Lee was VERY helpful, and was apologetic that the boys were rude and misbehaving.

  My second class was a little crazy.  Ms. Song doesn't speak English very well, so she had a hard time understanding what I was there for.  Instead of me helping her teach, I was to be in charge of the class of girls. I introduced myself, and then asked them if they had any questions.. but they were very shy and didnt want to ask me anything, they just wanted to talk.  So then Ms. Song made each girl introduce themselves.. that was really hard because everyone was talking over each other... that was a stressful experience.

  I also had my first experience with corporal punishment.  ACK! its intense!  They still smack kids on the hand with rulers and HARD.  They also yell loudly.  I didnt want to look or stare, but i was worried about what is going on.  Ms. Spring even had given me the stick when I was teaching, because when the kids are too loud, you slam it on the desk... or you go and wack the kid that is goofing-off.. i DONT think i could do that!

  I then had lunch with ms.Lee's homeroom.  I am now going to be bringing my own lunch because then i dont have to have that deducted from my pay as well.  And then i can eat my food, and sorta know what i am eating.

  My third class was another class with Mr. Lee.  I got some points with the kids by saying Hello in Korean, but it was another class of boys.. so we got some rude questions.. and already many little boys calling me beautiful and pretty.  I bet i have some little boy fan clubs.

  The last class was with Ms. Choi, and she really knows what she is doing, and is really helpful and understanding.  She is also young, so she knows how I feel.

  Then i did some prep-work for the other teachers.... sat around until i could get my passport back before i went home.  ms. Lee needed it for some paper work.. but i was not going to leave it with her :)

   Then i walked home and made it safely :)  It was a nice cool day yesterday, because it was supposed to rain, but its raining today (day 3).  

   THE GOOD NEWS: I ate supper last night! And I slept NORMALLY.. i went to bed at 9 and slept well until 6!!! 

   There is a chance that I could be normal by the end of the week!!!!!

The first day of classes

So maybe everyone is awaiting to hear how my first day of clases went.
Well here it is.
The first day was pretty interesting, at least GETTING to the school was. I had the hardest time getting a cab (no tears though).. so i started walking in a general way that was pointed out to me. Little did i know that it was a LONG way. I walked to another school, and then there was a round-about ahead of me, and I did not know where to go. So i was finally able to get a taxi.. and showed him where i was supposed to go.. I was about 4 min away from the school, so the taxi ride cost me 1,900 won.. or $1.90.. But i made it to school in the end.
When i got to the school, the first thing we did was meet the principal. I was sorta sweaty from walking.. and very nervous. We had coffee.. they drink it black, but i did notice that the beans that were ground were STARBUCKS beans :). So i meet with her, and then headed up to my office where i work on stuff that i am teaching.. or sit and blogg.. or talk to people on MSN, since you guys have your evening right now, and its my day..
The first class i was in, i just came to introduce myself, and then after some questions from the class, i left.
My second class is behind, so i dont have to be involved in it until the 10 of October. bit of a break. YAY
We then had lunch period. This was interesting because i was to go for a special lunch with the principal, as well as 2 members of what we would call the PTA. They are students moms. Anyways, we went for a traditional Korean meal. There was SO MUCH FOOD. And all of it was very overwhelming. They wanted me to try pretty much everything, and were so kind to me. It sorta made me tear up, because it had been a long day already, and they were so very kind. The tears made the PTA ladies tear up too.
They were very surprized to hear that I was 21. I said that it explains why i look so little and scared. I guess they are not used to such young people.. I also didnt tell them that i turn 22 in November.
They talk so quickly in Korea.. so i just sit there and smile at them, because i can tell when they are talking about me, and smiling makes it look like I sorta know what is going on.
So those few tears that came out at lunch got everyone pretty worried about me.. more kindness. On the way back to the school, we stopped so that one mom could buy me some sandwhiches for home.. and then when i was leaving the other mom sent up some popcorn, Coke, and some meat patty thing. The principal made sure that someone was to walk home with me, and take me for more grocery shopping.. and just to answer my questions. That was really nice, and now i know how to get to the school a lot shorter ( I walked this morning, and if i leave early enough, i can follow students.. but be at the school at 8.. intead of 8:20.. give me more time for working).
After lunch I had a seond year class.. so i just read some stuff. that was the first semi-teaching experience.. it went fine.
Then there was the afternoon where i finished working on some stuff for the teachers.
The evening was filled with grocery shopping
and sleeping
I was so tired by the end of the day

my apartment

i have photos up of my apartment in my Picasa account.  I believe if you look up melanie.rowaan@gmail.com  you will find it.

Its also in a slideshow on the side.

In korea

Here is the long awaited post... I AM IN KOREA!
I guess the best place to start would be with my flight.
I left Toronto at 10:30 Canadian time. That flight was delayed in getting to Chicago because of fog in Chicago. But the flight went smoothly and was really easy. The stress started when I got to Chicago. I got SO lost in that air port. I was very thankful for the amount of time that I had, because I checked into my flight at about 12 noon Chicago time (which is an hour later the Hamilton area), and the flight left at 1 pm. So after a lot of tears and just stressing... i got on my flight and settled down for a 14 hour flight. I ate the lunch that they served, and watched a movie. This was all in the United States still. The flight took a very interesting path. We went up through the states, and then crossed over in to Manitoba, and then into Saskatchewan. From there we kept going up into the Northwest Territories. Then into Alaska, right a long th coast of it. From there we crossed the Ocean and then flew over Russia and downwards, towards Seoul. I didn't look out the window much because they darkened the cabin to encourage sleep. I think i got about 5 hours of sleep through out the flight. And got really sick feeling over Alaska, because we had been flying for so long. I only ate one meal on the plane because of that.. and all the smells were getting to me.
On the flight I had a very cute Korean baby sitting beside me, and she did really well for flying for so long.
Arriving was very easy as well. I went through customs without trouble, it may have been the fact that they sent me through one where the guy didn't speak english, so he said nothing to me. American customs in Toronto was harder, because I had just said good-bye to my family, and was an emotional wreck.. plus some of the things on my card were not filled out properly.. and i couldnt focus on what he was saying... but i got through.. and its a good thing not wearing pockets, because then with security nothing went off.
So i have my own stuido apartment. Its small, but it will be home for a year. My bedroom is a loft, and i am for once thankful that i am short, becuase I have to bend down even up there. I will put up pictures soon. I went shopping with my co-teacher yesterday, and got some things.. but forgot to get a lot of stuff. So i need to go shopping tonight, so that i can get some more things. I bought orange jucie last night, and i am very happy to say, it tastes normal.. the only little off thing i have had so far is the bread, but i will get used to that.
The bathroom is another interesting thing. I have an American-style toilet, which is a good thing. But i do not have a seperate shower. Its part of my sink. The sink is in an enclosed area, and on my tap, there is a shower control. So i have a very strange shower. I took a shower at like 4 am this morning because I could not sleep. It was a very different experience.
My kitchen is tiny, and i have a washing machine in my kitchen too.
Pictures will definatly help explain things.
I have internet in my house, and have a computer here at the school, so contacting me is very very simple, and i am very thankful for that.
Right now I am at the school. It is Tuesday at 9:33. I have my first class at 9:55. Today i am just watching, but i will be meeting the students and such. They are cute, they bow to you when you walk in, because I am a teacher, and they respect me. makes you go wow. I have met the principle today, and she was wonderful. She is very kind. They were discussing my name, and there is a Melanie in "Gone with the Wind", and she told me that i looked like how she would imagine the character Melanie to look. So, as you can see, she is very sweet. I get to go somewhere special with them today for lunch, which is a very special thing as usally the teacher eats with the students.
I got pretty lost this morning. I was supposed to take a taxi, but i was having NO LUCK with getting one, so i began walking, and was walking in the right direction, and was pretty close when i felt very lost. when i felt very lost, i did get a taxi, and he drove me the way that i need to go, and it did not take very long. It is a 20 min walk. I may take a taxi home tonight just so that i can get that path right, but i don't remember how to say my address. I will have to ask my co-teacher that before I go home. Or maybe be confident enough to walk home.
The weather here is very humid, and very cloudy. I havent seen the sun yet, but it hasn't rained either. I was very sweaty when i arrived at the school, and then right away had to meet the principle... she was kind enough to let me borrow her fan, and to do much to make sure i was comfortable, like turn on a fan. I am also very thankful that i CAN drink coffee black, because thats all they do here, no sugar or cream offered.
Well, i should be going now. I have a class at second period, which is at 9:55, and I believe it is in the English zone.. which is on the first floor.. but thats all i know right now... my co-teacher is a little busy all the time.
Oh, funny news, I am wearing socks in flip-flops because they all wear slippers in the school, so i will have really sore feet by the end of the day, and i will have to get used to wearing socks in sandels... DANG

FINAL INFORMATION

Ok. So a crazy week has passed. I finally got my VISA back on Friday September 12. That was the day that we also got my flight ticket finalized. I spent the week getting info from my Korean co-teacher, as well as from my contacts here in Canada. I was at first flying out on the 19th, and that was from my contacts, on the day they told me that, my co-teacher told me that they could not pick me up on the weekend, and that I would then need to stay in a hotel.. yikes. So we figured it out in the end.
I am now flying out of Toronto on September 21, 2008 at 10 am. That sends me to Chicago by 11, and then I get to hang out at the airport from 11 till 1 when I am going to be flying out to Korea. I should be landing in Korea by 3 pm on the 22nd. I get to go over the time date line, so thats why I am a day ahead of you all.. its a 17 hour flight or so..
South Korea is a 13 hour time difference... so I will do my best to write on my blog when I can't find time to call on Skype (add me if you want to talk to me)...
Hope you all will read this... and keep me in your prayers.. we are getting close to the date... 6 more days :)

*edit*

So, edit to previous post.  I was able to email my Korean co-teacher, and she asked that I do not come during the Korean Thanksgiving, which was occurring on the 16-19th.  We are now aiming for leaving on the 20th, or some time after that.  Yeah, its crazy how things are so up in the air.. but it happens

Closer still

Well, who would have thought that I would be writing what I am going to write.  I may be leaving sooner then we anticipated.

  The current news is that when I receive my passport back from the Korean consulate (stamped with my VISA hopefully),  that I will be heading out as soon as possible.  That means that I can be out of Canada before September 18th.  SHOCK!

  This news is pretty exciting for me, and nerve wracking, because part of me was very prepared to be leaving on the 18th, it was a good date.  But now if everything is pushed ahead, then I may feel a little rushed.  Yet, I am ready.  All of my bags are packed, I have maybe 2 or 3 little things to do yet, and then I will be totally ready to go.  Its pretty amazing how much peace I feel about going...

  Thats the strangest thing.  I am done school! I worked at the school when all the students were coming in, and it wasn't that strange feeling to not be going to classes or having to do things related to school.  I just felt like staff at the school, and normal to see everyone leaving.  I think everyone coming back to school just added a little stress to me.  There was more people around, more people to say good-bye to, and more people that had to see me cry.  That was something that got me.  We have regulars at work, and on Tuesday, EVERYTHING was making me cry (i left on wednesday, so I didn't have anymore crying to do.. i got it all out. So if I didn't cry around you on wednesday, that is why).

  So I am ready to go!

PLEASE send me an email with SKYPE contact information if you want to talk to me while I am gone... or your email address, and phone number and mailing address if that is the way you would like me to contact you!