First week down, 51 to go!

So far the two things that have left their biggest impression on me was taking an hour to join the gym, and watching the kindergarten graduation.

With the help of four Korean translators, my fellow teacher, Gordon and I got signed up for the Jamaican gym. After an hour of signing up, I got on their measuring system, and was told that I was fat by Korean standards (I could have told them that one). But still, Americans don’t join gyms to be told that they are fat. Oh well, such is life J. The building itself is amazing, located on the 13th floor, above department stores, Starbucks, and Dunkin Donuts, it has a crazy view of the city at night. I’ll try and take a picture of the nightlife that’s scene from the windows. The gym’s here are cheap, for one year membership its $21 a month, and for 3 months its $35! Granted square footage is still super expensive so the gym is smaller then an American gym, but what isn’t? (My kitchen is 2 x 3’!) I’ve been to the gym twice now, both in the later evenings and have been the token westerner girl. I’m hoping to see another one soon, but I’m not pressing my luck on it. There was only one western guy there also.. mmm so this is what its like being the minority.

The Korean kindergarten graduation was 10:30-2:30, for less than 60 kids! All of the parents took off work to attend their children’s English class graduation, and it was a show. The kids had been memorizing the songs, poems, and plays for over a month. They played out Beauty and the Best, Lady Chongyoun, The Little Bear.. ect. It was an amazing production that ended with all of the schoolteachers (new and old) on the stage dancing to “Dancing Queen”.

I feel like my Korean has gotten worst since coming, all I’ve been saying is Hello and Thank you.. I’ve definite have to start studying, just so I can understand what is being said to me at a restaurant. Soo.. today I’ll look for a language exchange partner, whom I can help with their English and my Korean.

I start teaching classes on Monday! All of my classes are full, with 12 students each. Most of the classes have had english class before, so it'll be easier to communicate and instruct them. All morning I'll be hanging out with 7 year olds (american age 5), it'll be a fun but a struggle to get them to learn english and to adapt to an american. I've heard that most of the korean kids have never been around westerners so for the first couple of weeks half of them will be afraide to talk with me. So I'll be instruding, "Stella", to them. Stella is a huge hippo puppet with a skirt and bright pink lipstick. :)