Again, there isn't anything really huge to mention! Just lots of little things and observations I've had. Lots of little stories.
One thing is that in the background, Korean sounds really familiar. It's like, that feeling when you're hearing people talk in another room over, and you know if you would just tune in, you'd understand the words. It's kind of like that. It's like if I could just concentrate hard enough... haha. Oh, well. I'm picking Korean in very small pieces, very slowly. Right now it's only at a veryyyy basic, functional level - still working on it!
As for English - it's only when I'm in a grammar class, explaining basic stuff, do I realize just how complicated and messed up English is! It's difficult to explain. Like it's not stuff like explaining idioms, it's even more than that. Recently I was explaining the structure of "too ... to ..." sentences, as in "she's too short to go on the ride" or "it's too cold to go outside". Those were fine. "It's too difficult to write essays" - this sentence was opaque to them, and even now, I'm not sure why. Try and explain the difference between that and the previous examples. You see my point.
Oh, English. Teaching grammar is definitely a place where I really depend on my co-teachers.
Small note. The pineapple we get at lunch is sooooo goooood. It's delicious. It's consistently above average tasting, and just. Mm. Yep. Real good. Everyone here knows I love it, haha. They always give me an extra piece. :P For which I am very thankful.
Being here for almost three months now, I'm surprised (but perhaps shouldn't be) how much Canadian news and politics and issues are so much more relevant than Korean news. I know very little about what goes on here, except for knowing about protests families are having, relating to the ferry that sank last year.
Hmm, what else. Okay, so teachers will do this thing, this yell "Yaaaaaa!" when a student is misbehaving, and when teachers do this, the students all straighten and behave again. Once, one of my grade seven classes was especially boisterous and I did it the once. The offending students jumped and straightened - and then when the class realized it was me who did it, they were delighted. And quickly they wanted me to do it again... haha.
Another time I walked into the classroom, and all over the blackboard is written multiple times in multiple hands "nobody can stop him". This was a bit alarming. To say the least. I was torn between "what...?" and some giggles. It was a sentence in the textbook the students were practicing but still. It was a funny moment.
Stock photos are so helpful. Before, I was like, "haha stock photos". Who uses them? Right? Well - teachers do. I use them all the time in powerpoints and things. All the time.
Oh, another thing that I haven't mentioned yet. Everyone bows, all the time. When you catch someone's eye and you're passing in the halls, you bow. The kids bow to the teachers, the teachers bow to each other... And will say at the same time "annyeong" or "hello, teacher!". At this point, I just mirror whatever someone greets me with. Easier that way!
And girls seriously don't play sports. Like, at all. Whenever there are kids playing soccer or basketball at break time, it's always guys. I don't even see girls during their P.E. class. I asked and during PE I guess the girls are playing badminton in the gym building, hence why I don't see them outside. I wondered if there was a stigma against girls playing sports, but no. The girls said they don't want to play because they don't want to sweat. It seems to be a cultural norm, because no girl would get out of phys ed by saying they didn't want to ruin their make-up.
And now for pictures!
One of my meals at school! Pretty good stuff! :D
This is when I went out for dinner one night. Kimchi, a salad, as a sidedish. In that black bowl is something called bulgogi, a beef stew which is delicious and hearty. It tastes familiar...
Another school lunch. That top right one was mustard-y, vERY spicy mustard. It hurt my nose. :(
These pictures are from earlier in April. These are the two kinds of blossoms that bloom before anything else. Notice how nothing else except for these blossoms are alive. These blossoms are now already wilted and gone to make way for green.
A very lovely sunset on my way back home. :)
This is what I ate one time with my friend Chris. It's called soon dae gook, though I can't remember what it stands for. Some kinda rice... thing...
Some of the flowers on school nowadays!
A couple weeks ago, I went to a training thing in another city for other native teachers. This is from the bus ride home. I was struck by the farming land. It was a familiar sort of feeling, seeing fields. Of course, they are very different, as they're filled with water as it's supposed to be. Mountains in the background.
This looks like I'm repping this Chinese restaurant but in fact this is my first Quarter Pounder from McDonald's, my first McD's burger since coming to Korea. The McDonald's is in front of me. I am very excited to be eating this burger! I ate it very fast. haha
More pictures from this week on my walk home. Wanted to show off all the green leaves! B)
One last thing. It's SOOOOO humid. I die. It's terrible. I'll supposedly get used to it, soon, but it won't cool down again until September. Oh, well.
