On the Kindness of Strangers

Where do I start? Korea has been interesting at best, mildly annoying at its worst. The people here are incredible! That's one point that has impressed me the most. I've never lived in such a big city but most people are as thoughtful as they are back home. I've got so many stories about it... I went to the grocery store today and it's totally different here. You get your fruit from the fruit guy who actively sells you whatever you're buying, then he wraps it and you pay for it at the cash register. Anyway, the guy today was really friendly but didn't understand me when I asked for my apples. We tried the sign language thing, we tried the limited usage of both of each others' languages and it just didn't work. So, he called through the store for someone who spoke English and this really nice girl came out and helped us. My landlord's the same way. He lives upstairs in a penthouse (a really really nice one, I might add) and can't speak a word of English but has been so helpful with helping me move in and understand how all the stuff in my apartment works. He's even invited me up for fruit and tv. For the most part, the golden rule applies: if you're friendly people will be friendly in return.

My friends are pretty great, but I have to say that it's been a bit hard finding people I can relate to. Not that it's lonely, it's been kind of nice to be on my own. I have a close group of friends but sometimes I wonder if we all don't hang out together for the sake of hanging out. It makes for an interesting dynamic, that's for sure. I get on with all of them, but it'd be nice to have someone I can relate to. Such is travel life. I'm sure that there'll be someone soon. :) In the meantime, the parties are fun, the people are friendly and life is good.

Oh what a place is Korea. Imagine the cleanest and most organized stores you've ever seen, dripping with incredible fashion at every turn alongside food carts smelling of dried squid (the local favorite) on the street and garbage everywhere. Picture four and five-storey buildings with signs all over them advertising everything from yoga studios to English schools to doctors offices. Can you see jam-packed streets with cars dodging in and out everywhere, paying no heed to what color the lights are, as long as the intersections are clear? How about the hundreds of thousands of fashionistas walking around in obscenely high heels and classy men in business suits, hawking loogies on the sidewalks while they try not to trip over the uneven cobblestones? That's Korea. It's vibrant in style and food, but also drab and Stalin-esque in its ode to high-density housing. It's exhilirating and overwhelming all at the same time. Do I love it? I don't dislike it, but it's no New Zealand. Dammit I had to pick an amazing country to start travelling in! Korea is different, I'll give it that. And the countryside: gorgeous. I can't wait to see it in the spring and summer when all the flowers come out.

My job is taking on a different facet everyday. One day it's overwhelming, aggravating and so challenging I can't wait to get away; the next day, it's enlightening, inspiring, and the kids are so charming that I want to take them all home with me. Above all, it's a business, not necessarily a school and the parents pay to have their children talk to a foreign teacher. With my workmate gone, I'm the only one. And it's winter vacation right now which means that the parents all want to send their children to school ALL DAY LONG. I start at 1130 AM (which isn't so bad) but I don't finish until 7 or 8 at night. It makes for an exhausting day. For the most part, though, the kids are great. Surprisingly (to me anyway), my kindys are the easiest and most fun to teach. I always thought that the older kids would have more to talk about and therefore would be more interesting. That is not the case here. The kindys haven't realized that I'm all that different from their mom, so they're more likely to play with me and tell me stories and want me to be proud of them. The older kids wallow in their attempts to distract me from whatever I'm doing, outplay each other and generally make noise. It's a challenge, but the good part is that if I have a bad class, there's usually a great one following it, so it keeps me sane.

On a final note, I've discovered a new...well, I can't call it a hobby...a new thing. I'm taking yoga! It's only once a week right now, but I've heard that there's a daily class right near my school that I'm going to look into tomorrow. The class I have been taking is INTENSE! It's hatha yoga and the girl that teaches it loves to introduce us to different styles and techniques. We did this abdominal-focussed one on Saturday along with some digestive technique that I can't remember the name of. My muscles hurt so much, but in a good way. I've discovered where my rectus abdominus, longissimus dorsi and spinalis muscles are. I have to say it's an odd sensation having one specific are of your body aching while the rest of you is just fine. No matter how much I hurt the next day, though, yoga is so relaxing after a rough week at work. I think I'm hooked. :o) Plus, I found Starbucks yesterday and bought coffee beans. I'm set!