Teaching in Korea - One week in...

Well, Kate and I have been teaching English at our respective schools for the past week, and I think I speak for both of us when I say we are really enjoying it. The teachers are nice to us, and the kids totally love us. Most of the lessons this first week always ended up being a get-to-know-us question time, with our korean co-teachers translating questions and answers back and forth between me and the students. I think these kids know every detail about my entire history now; one even asked me my blood type.

As for extra-curricular stuff outside of school, we have been busy setting up our little apartment; scrounging furniture and kitchenware from garbage piles and generally setting ourselves up comfortably for the coming year. We have done a heap of shopping, both here in Juk Byeon and also in Pohang, which is two hours away and has a lot of stuff we just cant find here in town, like wine!

We are ALMOST at the bitter end of the dastardly red tape bonanza that is our application process. Both Kate and I went to the local hospital for blood tests, x-rays, vision tests and a bunch of other expensive poking and prodding aimed at proving we are fit to speak english in front of pre-teens. Now we just need to acquire our Alien Registration Cards (yeah friendly name, i know), which are used to get bank accounts, mobile phones, licenses, etc and then we are pretty much free to relax and plan slightly more fun things to do with our spare time.

I've made a short, 5 minute video tour starting at the local bus station and ending at our apartment, not only to show you all the town we are living in, but also for directional purposes in case anyone out there is brave enough to come visit. Feel free to by the way, since we have a lot of room here, and the location is amazing, with views of the harbour from our front door. Watch the video for more detail-



I havent taken any photos or footage of the apartment yet, but that is because it still looks like a tip (maybe since most of our stuff was garbage at some point). Expect something on the unit next post probably.

Till then, I can gots some real best english to teach heaps good like!

//Brendan