A Week In Seoul

I arrived in Seoul late Saturday night…

The ride from the airport was very pleasant. My driver couldn’t speak any English and I couldn’t speak any Korean so it was a quiet drive. But, I didn’t mind because I was trying to take in everything around me –the people and cars everywhere (after a summer of car counting the first thing I thought was ... “they’re ALL Hyundai’s – even the buses and trucks!!”), the signs that I couldn’t read, the colours, the lush greenery!!!  

After driving through freeways and over causeways and bridges and in and out of tiny street that seemed more like alleys then streets, my driver finally dropped my luggage off at my apartment and took me over to my cousin’s apartment.

And so life in Seoul began.

The first week has been bit of a blur. There are so many new things to see and do; everywhere I go there are people and more people; there is a constant sensory overload with new smells and sounds and colours!  It seems in so many ways like I’ve been here forever as so much has happened yet at the same time it seems like it was just yesterday that I arrived. It’s hard to comprehend that I will actually still be here 12 months from now. 

The subway isn’t as hard as it looked at first. There are like 12 lines and I don’t read Korean!!! How I’m I going to do this?? But after doing it a few times the lines start to make sense and almost everything is written in English below the Korean. I live on the edge of the East side of the city on the ‘purple’ line. It goes strait into the heart of Seoul, which makes getting around easier.

Much of this week has been spent adjusting to my new apartment. Although I was prepared for a small space I think seeing it for the first time was still a shock. I’m going to spend the next 12 months of my life in this box?  I have a bed, comfy chair, desk and TV/stand. After ALL that furniture is put in place there isn’t really room for much else. The kitchen area is bigger than I expected with a full size fridge, sink, two gas burners and some counter space. The bathroom has two parts - one room for the toilet with a shower facet for showering and another area for the sink. That’s right – you can sit on the toilet and take a shower at the same time! There is also mould in the washing machine, a hot water tank that will not turn on making for very cold showers, a smell that reeks of something I don’t want to know and a tiny, hard, lumpy mattress that makes my wonder if the floor wouldn’t be a better place to sleep some nights.  The teacher that lived in my place before me left a number dishes and other things to help my moving in process easier but I still have made numerous trip to the local EMart to purchase things to help make my ‘box’ feel a little more like home.  I think I miss my home in Edmonton at the Hood already…no cozy living room to sit in,  or clean tub to bath in or delicious dinners to enjoy with my fellow hoodies.

My school seems like the opposite of my apartment. Everything is clean and new and presented with care. We all have are own desks, computers, mp3 players and can ask for any supplies we want. The children all arrive on bus service compliments of the school, sit in brand new desks in color coded rooms and have tons of colourful, glossy books to learn from. Everything seem shiny and new – even the walls. Although the curriculum has an impressive appearance after teaching it for a week I’ve found it to either to be very repetitive or to deal with topics (debate and essay writing) beyond their English skill. The lessons will take some work to make interesting and understandable. The whole school seems more concerned about presenting an image of being a top Hagwon (private afterschool institute) then looking into how the children learn best.

My first day was a bit of a shock.  I wasn’t given any training, introductions or tour. Just .. oh Karen…you’re finally here… here’s your desk, books and schedule…. you teach in two hours. ..hope you have fun!!! I’ve been asking LOTS of questions ever since.  The head teachers are easy to get along with yet seem preoccupied with their own jobs and not too concerned about what we’re doing with our time or lesson plans. I’m not sure what to think about this management style. Enjoy the freedom?? Be annoyed by the lack of direction?? I teach between 3-5 50 minute classes each day so have lots of time for preparing lessons which makes for a very stress free job.

Eating has been a challenge. As much as I want to try all the food I see in the shops around me I’m also scared too. Not being able to speak the language doesn’t help. How are you suppose to go in and order when there isn’t any English on the signs and I don’t know what any of the food is called? I have tried ‘gimbab,’ which are seaweed rolls filled with rice, veggies,  ham and egg.  They make a wonderful light lunch for only about 1,000 won!!  That’s less than a dollar.  For now Paris Baquette bakery has met my need for food that looks somewhat ‘normal’ keeping my hunger at bay until I figure out some new Korean favorites.

Tomorrow I will start my second week in Seoul.  I’m excited to learn more about the culture and language. I’m excited to see my students again and understand better how they learn. I’m excited to see more of this city and acclimatize a bit more to big city life.

But right now I’m in Starbucks listening to American jazz and drinking my Café Americano.  If it weren’t for the rush of traffic outside the window or the buss of Korean I hear around me I wouldn’t know I’d been transported into a totally new world!