One of the most interesting things about living in a country where you know nothing is the act of finding. First, it is something rather simple, like finding your way from home to work and back, a meal, a smile to greet the day, or a new routine. My first weeks here have been a continual search for things that make life function. How do I use the transportaion? How do I grocery shop? How do I find a sense of comfort amidst a world that is foreign and discomfitting in so many ways?
There is really no doubt about it. I am the outsider here. Everything marks me as foreign to this interesting and complex country. My skin is a shockingly pale color, I have freckles in a world of flawless complexions, I have red hair, I'm tall and broad. Those are just the physical markings. The less visable differences include my lack of Korean, my independant and forthright nature, and my big smile and merry laugh. These are all things that would make me stand out here if I were of the same physical make up as everyone around me.
This place seems so tight to me; like shoving myself in a box too small. I think this has helped me come to an epiphany. I realize, here, 6,600 miles from my last home, that I still have a great deal to master about myself. I need to gain greater mastery over my body, continue to grow in discipline over my mind, and let myself trust and be open to the world around me. So, I've decided, after all the other things that I've found here in Korea (including cheese, pizza, funky hot dogs, a lovely people, a fascinating culture, and a beautiful language) I would like to find my health and physical strength.
I think the biggest thing I have learned here so far is that I have amazing adventures and things to do in life but my body needs to be stronger to enable me to accomplish those things. Maybe having less mass on this earth will allow me to float a bit more. I used to think that I needed some cushion between myself and the outside world. But now I know that my mind and spirit are strong enough to protect me, my body just needs to be mobile enough to go where they want it to.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
E is for Erasers and Extra Helpings
As a teacher, I get to see how a lot of students handle making mistakes. Some just scribble over their mistakes while others erase most of the error and write over it. Then there's the S. Korean student. They talk softly and carry big erasers. They use them constantly, because you are supposed to do everything in an exact way. If you don't, you start over. One of my students even has a foot long eraser rope. When she showed me, I thought, "Wow, can I get one of these for my life?"
They not only have big erasers here, but they have little eraser debri cleaners, made in the shapes of animals, which will sort of 'vacuum' up the nubbies of rubber that are left behind. S. Korea has to be the school supply capitol of the world, besides being the all things cute and shiny capitol. I do enjoy watching my students work away, erasing and rewriting. I think that we all would rather like to do that with moments of our lives. "Ooops, that wasn't right, let's try that again, shall we?"
It was Thanksgiving this week and I went to the army base nearby to celebrate with some teachers and soldiers. It was lovely. A little taste of home, especially because someone made candied yams! I had an extra helping. I wish there had been a turkey, but the chicken was delicious. Finding a turkey in S. Korea is rather like trying to find an icecube sunbathing in Hawaii. It's possible, but it's rare and gone in a hurry.
They not only have big erasers here, but they have little eraser debri cleaners, made in the shapes of animals, which will sort of 'vacuum' up the nubbies of rubber that are left behind. S. Korea has to be the school supply capitol of the world, besides being the all things cute and shiny capitol. I do enjoy watching my students work away, erasing and rewriting. I think that we all would rather like to do that with moments of our lives. "Ooops, that wasn't right, let's try that again, shall we?"
It was Thanksgiving this week and I went to the army base nearby to celebrate with some teachers and soldiers. It was lovely. A little taste of home, especially because someone made candied yams! I had an extra helping. I wish there had been a turkey, but the chicken was delicious. Finding a turkey in S. Korea is rather like trying to find an icecube sunbathing in Hawaii. It's possible, but it's rare and gone in a hurry.
D is for Daegu and Doctors
So, this post should have been for the week before Thanksgiving. I've had it half written in my head since then, anyway. Here goes....
The Saturday before Thanksgiving I had to go to Gumi to attend an English as a Foreign Language Teacher seminar. I won't talk about that much because it was fairly useless. What was neat, however, was that I got to see some of the scenery of Korea out the bus window. It's pretty nice in the mountains. There are lots of farms along the way and the cities are tucked here and there among the mountains. I wish I had some pictures, but the bus was going too fast to get some as we went. I would really like to go to Gumi, or the mountains around it, in summer and take a hike.
The reason that going to Gumi is important is that it allowed my fellow teacher, Nathasha, and I to make a detour to Daegu on the way back. We took the train from Gumi to Daegu. The train station is massive and there are all kinds of stores in it. I decided to be adventurous as we watied for our train and try a Korean hotdog because I hadn't had breakfast yet. I got it with 'cheese' on top. It was rather like a cross between balogne and a Slim Jim with butter goo on top. So, I recommend not trying one if you're a fan of edible food.
The train ride to Daegu was fun. Getting on and off was a new experience for me. I can't believe how many people were there, waiting and crowding in. In S. Korea it's your job to move through lines as quickly and efficiently as possible, whether it's at the convenience store, grocery store, doctor's office, or train station. When we got on, some other ladies were in our seats, but luckily someone helped us get it figured out. The train was fast and it was interesting to watch people juggle reading papers and working on laptops while precariously perched in aisles.
In Daegu, I realized just how big a city it is and how easy it would be to get completely lost. Natasha and I were on a mission though, so we stopped and asked for directions to Costco. Yes, they have Costco here in Korea! It's amazing! It took a bit of finding (directions, a map, a taxi ride, an aimless wander, and a kind stranger) to find the store. The design of the building is very unlike any you'd find in America. The parking garage is built from the mainfloor up and the shopping is actually below ground. We had to ride escalator ramps (pics below) down several floors just to get into the store. It is pretty similar to the Costcos in the States. They even have Costco pizza, which I ate, yum! I found out here that Korea even recycles compost, isn't that cool! When we cleaned up from our meal, all wastes went it seperate shoots. I think this is something the US could do too.
Costco was a land of delights. They have cheese--real, unadulterated cheese! They also have bacon, Nature Valley granola bars and other exotic American goodies. I was in heaven! I will be going back there after the New Year. I miss cheese. Hopefully, next time I will have more time to spend exploring Daegu. I hear that there are Indian restaurants there. I hope they are as delicious as the Madhuban in Boise, Idaho.
Over these couple weeks I also got to have some more up close and personal encounters with doctors here in Korea. I've learned that they don't like to give you what you ask for, they want you to take what they think is best, even if you've been taking the other medicine for years with no side effects. It's very frustrating! I started having migraines again here, due to lack of sleep and stress, and it was a month long process to convince the doctors that I just needed a refill of what my nuerologist in the States gave me. Thankfully, I now have that medicine and my migraines are improving greatly. Other interesting things about doctors here is that they like to think they know everything. That's a lot like the States, but here they don't listen to what you are saying before they tell you you're wrong...lol.
Overall, though, the doctors do try to help, the service is inexpensive and the medication is also inexpensive. I'm looking forward to finding a dentist here and getting my teeth taken care of. Also, I've heard that laser surgery for your eyes is cheap here, so I will look into that too. I think I might miss glasses if I do though. Oh, well, I can still wear sunglasses. =)
The Saturday before Thanksgiving I had to go to Gumi to attend an English as a Foreign Language Teacher seminar. I won't talk about that much because it was fairly useless. What was neat, however, was that I got to see some of the scenery of Korea out the bus window. It's pretty nice in the mountains. There are lots of farms along the way and the cities are tucked here and there among the mountains. I wish I had some pictures, but the bus was going too fast to get some as we went. I would really like to go to Gumi, or the mountains around it, in summer and take a hike.
The reason that going to Gumi is important is that it allowed my fellow teacher, Nathasha, and I to make a detour to Daegu on the way back. We took the train from Gumi to Daegu. The train station is massive and there are all kinds of stores in it. I decided to be adventurous as we watied for our train and try a Korean hotdog because I hadn't had breakfast yet. I got it with 'cheese' on top. It was rather like a cross between balogne and a Slim Jim with butter goo on top. So, I recommend not trying one if you're a fan of edible food.
The train ride to Daegu was fun. Getting on and off was a new experience for me. I can't believe how many people were there, waiting and crowding in. In S. Korea it's your job to move through lines as quickly and efficiently as possible, whether it's at the convenience store, grocery store, doctor's office, or train station. When we got on, some other ladies were in our seats, but luckily someone helped us get it figured out. The train was fast and it was interesting to watch people juggle reading papers and working on laptops while precariously perched in aisles.
In Daegu, I realized just how big a city it is and how easy it would be to get completely lost. Natasha and I were on a mission though, so we stopped and asked for directions to Costco. Yes, they have Costco here in Korea! It's amazing! It took a bit of finding (directions, a map, a taxi ride, an aimless wander, and a kind stranger) to find the store. The design of the building is very unlike any you'd find in America. The parking garage is built from the mainfloor up and the shopping is actually below ground. We had to ride escalator ramps (pics below) down several floors just to get into the store. It is pretty similar to the Costcos in the States. They even have Costco pizza, which I ate, yum! I found out here that Korea even recycles compost, isn't that cool! When we cleaned up from our meal, all wastes went it seperate shoots. I think this is something the US could do too.
Costco was a land of delights. They have cheese--real, unadulterated cheese! They also have bacon, Nature Valley granola bars and other exotic American goodies. I was in heaven! I will be going back there after the New Year. I miss cheese. Hopefully, next time I will have more time to spend exploring Daegu. I hear that there are Indian restaurants there. I hope they are as delicious as the Madhuban in Boise, Idaho.
Over these couple weeks I also got to have some more up close and personal encounters with doctors here in Korea. I've learned that they don't like to give you what you ask for, they want you to take what they think is best, even if you've been taking the other medicine for years with no side effects. It's very frustrating! I started having migraines again here, due to lack of sleep and stress, and it was a month long process to convince the doctors that I just needed a refill of what my nuerologist in the States gave me. Thankfully, I now have that medicine and my migraines are improving greatly. Other interesting things about doctors here is that they like to think they know everything. That's a lot like the States, but here they don't listen to what you are saying before they tell you you're wrong...lol.
Overall, though, the doctors do try to help, the service is inexpensive and the medication is also inexpensive. I'm looking forward to finding a dentist here and getting my teeth taken care of. Also, I've heard that laser surgery for your eyes is cheap here, so I will look into that too. I think I might miss glasses if I do though. Oh, well, I can still wear sunglasses. =)
One of the little farm hills outside Gumi.
Gumi, poking out of the hills of South Korea
Costco, and pizza.... =)
Costco, the underground shopping area
I got in the way of this line of carts taking this shot....I think that was very un-Korean of me. I think these escalator ramps are kind of cool. the wheels on the carts are magnets and they stick to the steel ramp belt.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Jet Lagged
This is a poem I wrote about how I've felt since I got here. It's outside of my normal posts, thus the non-alphabet related title.
Jet Lagged
Stock-still the heart beat,
Rapid the surrounding world,
Moment becomes eternity,
Instant stretches for days.
Last year, time was this-
A curry and comfort, a kiss-
None starting or ending,
One long, slow blending.
Now, it's a Korean taxi ride,
Don't know I'm still breathing
Until the halt, lurching
Me into the littered streets, bruised.
Jet Lagged
Stock-still the heart beat,
Rapid the surrounding world,
Moment becomes eternity,
Instant stretches for days.
Last year, time was this-
A curry and comfort, a kiss-
None starting or ending,
One long, slow blending.
Now, it's a Korean taxi ride,
Don't know I'm still breathing
Until the halt, lurching
Me into the littered streets, bruised.
C is for Classes
Today marks the close of my second week of teaching classes. I'm not sure that I love the school itself yet. I'm becoming sure that I may never love the school, actually. However, I do love my students. They are almost all adorable, especially my kidergartners and first graders. I think that I might be in a funk. I almost didn't go to school today because of how tired I was and a disagreement with the directors, but the thought of my kids kept me going.
My day kind of consists of two shifts. The first is my morning kindergarten class. I teach them from 9:50am until 2:20pm, with some small breaks and a lunch in there somewhere.There are eight students in my kindergarten class. My second shift is a hodgepodge of afternoon classes consisting of first, second and fourth graders. These classes are especially small (1-8 students) and hard to keep track of because some I only have one day a week. I'm still confused as to how it all works, but I'm guessing that at some point I will either get it or stop caring that I am lost and confused 80% of the time.
I have to say, of all my classes, my kindergartners are my favorite. Not because I don't like my other classes though. I really do like almost every student. They are my favorite because I've really gotten to know them. They are all such fun to have in class. I can see their little brains working as they try to figure out how this new classroom dynamic is going to shake out with a new teacher. I think I do things very different from their old teacher. The learning curve has got to start bending soon though, right?
My favorite part about my kindergartners is their sense of humor and how surprised they get when they see I have one too. For instance, today I came into class for the second period and said hi to everyone. We talked for a minute and something spurred them to start saying goodbye to me.
So, since I needed a chair to sit down and tell them a story with anyway and had to go to another room to get it, I walked out of the classroom and shut the door. When I came back in, maybe one minute later, I could tell that they were all very surprised. I cracked a grin and said, "Got you!" They all laughed. I do lots of things like that, and they are always surprised. Like making funny faces, they love it when I do that.
My afternoon classes are a bit harder to describe, it always seems like I come to class not knowing what's going on. I even taught one class the wrong subject yesterday. Sometimes I feel really discouraged in the afternoons. I feel tired, my throat hurts from yelling at students and I just want to go home to bed. But then there are moments when it all seems worth it. For instance, some of my students actually like their lessons, do their homework and want to be at school. This makes me feel good about my job. But other students are mostly tired and would rather be at home.
I don't really blame the students who want to check out. The Korean School system is so much different from the States, it makes me shake my head sometimes. Not because I think the States has a better system, necessarily, but because of how much pressure is put on the children at a young age. Most of my kindergartners already have a 2nd grade reading and comprehension level.
The majority of my students get less than 8 hours of sleep a night and attend classes for 10-14 hours a day. Then they have homework on top of that. When I think of their days I feel like I might cry sometimes. Can you imagine spending your entire childhood in school? I loved school, and that still seems to be an unsavory way to spend a childhood.
Another thing that I find interesting is the English only policy which is not enforced by the directors of the school. This policy is a challenge for students to follow to begin with, but when you add directors who don't speak English well at all, even though their comprehension is fairly good.
Also, the Korean co-teachers have to use Korean with the students sometimes, just to make sure they understand a directive, or to get them to stop beating up their classmates. It would be great if the directors led by example at the school. The co-teachers make an effort to speak English, which I think is great, but it needs to be a top down thing. Here in Korea everything is about what your leader is doing.
Well, thanks for reading. This is all I can think of for now. If you have questions, please ask, I will respond, even if it takes a bit for me to get back to you.
My day kind of consists of two shifts. The first is my morning kindergarten class. I teach them from 9:50am until 2:20pm, with some small breaks and a lunch in there somewhere.There are eight students in my kindergarten class. My second shift is a hodgepodge of afternoon classes consisting of first, second and fourth graders. These classes are especially small (1-8 students) and hard to keep track of because some I only have one day a week. I'm still confused as to how it all works, but I'm guessing that at some point I will either get it or stop caring that I am lost and confused 80% of the time.
I have to say, of all my classes, my kindergartners are my favorite. Not because I don't like my other classes though. I really do like almost every student. They are my favorite because I've really gotten to know them. They are all such fun to have in class. I can see their little brains working as they try to figure out how this new classroom dynamic is going to shake out with a new teacher. I think I do things very different from their old teacher. The learning curve has got to start bending soon though, right?
My favorite part about my kindergartners is their sense of humor and how surprised they get when they see I have one too. For instance, today I came into class for the second period and said hi to everyone. We talked for a minute and something spurred them to start saying goodbye to me.
So, since I needed a chair to sit down and tell them a story with anyway and had to go to another room to get it, I walked out of the classroom and shut the door. When I came back in, maybe one minute later, I could tell that they were all very surprised. I cracked a grin and said, "Got you!" They all laughed. I do lots of things like that, and they are always surprised. Like making funny faces, they love it when I do that.
My afternoon classes are a bit harder to describe, it always seems like I come to class not knowing what's going on. I even taught one class the wrong subject yesterday. Sometimes I feel really discouraged in the afternoons. I feel tired, my throat hurts from yelling at students and I just want to go home to bed. But then there are moments when it all seems worth it. For instance, some of my students actually like their lessons, do their homework and want to be at school. This makes me feel good about my job. But other students are mostly tired and would rather be at home.
I don't really blame the students who want to check out. The Korean School system is so much different from the States, it makes me shake my head sometimes. Not because I think the States has a better system, necessarily, but because of how much pressure is put on the children at a young age. Most of my kindergartners already have a 2nd grade reading and comprehension level.
The majority of my students get less than 8 hours of sleep a night and attend classes for 10-14 hours a day. Then they have homework on top of that. When I think of their days I feel like I might cry sometimes. Can you imagine spending your entire childhood in school? I loved school, and that still seems to be an unsavory way to spend a childhood.
Another thing that I find interesting is the English only policy which is not enforced by the directors of the school. This policy is a challenge for students to follow to begin with, but when you add directors who don't speak English well at all, even though their comprehension is fairly good.
Also, the Korean co-teachers have to use Korean with the students sometimes, just to make sure they understand a directive, or to get them to stop beating up their classmates. It would be great if the directors led by example at the school. The co-teachers make an effort to speak English, which I think is great, but it needs to be a top down thing. Here in Korea everything is about what your leader is doing.
Well, thanks for reading. This is all I can think of for now. If you have questions, please ask, I will respond, even if it takes a bit for me to get back to you.
This is a picture of my school. I took it coming back from lunch one day. I went to a S. Korean buffet that serves traditional foods. It was quite delicious. I especially liked the marinated fish.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
B is for Boise to Bukbu
I've gone from Boise, Idaho, USA to Jangsong-dong near Bukbu Beach, South Korea. I've been here in South Korea for a total of 4 days and 18 hours, give or take. Here's some numbers that I've been throwing around in my head; 6,600+ miles from home (or 28 hours), 6 meals eaten out with new firends, 1 meal cooked to thank them, 1 blister and lots of walking, 2 days of observing classes, too many adorable students I've met to remember, and one person feeling blessed and overwhelmed by new experiences.
These numbers are sort of arbitrary in the face of the reality of being in a new place. South Korea is such a mix of the familiar and alien, more so than I expected. It feels like I might be in one of the new colonies from Firefly (a tv show written by Joss Whedon). Some things here are so like America in the 1950s; the attitude towards women, the desire to have flashy new things, the emphasis on perfection and idealistic beauty, and the need to hang clothes dry. That's right, I have to hange my clothes dry. Don't get me wrong, I was expecting this, but it still wrankles--or wrinkles.
South Korea has white bread. But it is nothing like American white bread. It tastes like a lighter version of pound cake. One of the other English teachers at my school explained that it is made from a flour derived from corn. So, yesterday, when I went to downtown Pohang and saw a Dunkin Donuts, I should have known that they would have been different than the ones in the States. Other things that Pohang has that surprised me include; Baskin Robins, Lotteria (a Korean version of McDonald's), and a restaurant that serves spagetti--which I had yesterday. It was different, but good.
There are potatoes here, which I am delighted about, but I don't have an oven to bake them in. I found out that goceries are much more expensive than I would have thought they would be, about the equivelant of shopping at Albertson's, for those who are familiar, or the more expensive grocery store in your neighborhood. I really need to learn Korean to understand how to find good deals.
I'm not too worried about figuring out how to eat American food, Korean food is very tasty. It's a very good think I like to eat it because it is surprisingly cheaper to eat in some restaurants than it is to fix food at home. I could get used to that.
Downtown Pohang was an interesting mix. If felt a bit like New York, with all the little odd shops and discount stores, alleyways, and crowds of people. It also felt completely foreign. All of the writing was in Korean, for the most part, and so I was never sure what was inside the little shops. It could have been a book store or a butcher's shop--unless I could see through the window--I had no idea. It is such a strange feeling, like being a child again with no understanding of how the world around me works.
A couple things that really struck me about shopping in Korea were that everyone tries to be very fashionable, that some designers need editors when it comes to printing things on their clothing, and getting glasses in Korea is almost easier than ordering food. We went in to get Michael-teacher new glasses, he lost his a bit back.
When you go in you are allowed to try on any of their thousands of frames, which are very cool, and as cheap as $10-$35US dollars. Then you are given an eye exam. After that they send you up to a little coffee shop on the top floor to have a drink on the house while they make and install the lenses. In all the process took about 90 minutes (maybe) and about $65US.
I've met some really wonderful people here at my school, and it makes me smile to think that life has an amazing way of bringing good things to those who have their eyes open for them. Thanks to all the teachers at my new school, for being friendly and helpful, with a special thanks to Natasha, Michael, Alan, and Tanya for making my first week so much easier than it could have been.
Thanks for reading. I'll figure out how to put pictures up soon.
These numbers are sort of arbitrary in the face of the reality of being in a new place. South Korea is such a mix of the familiar and alien, more so than I expected. It feels like I might be in one of the new colonies from Firefly (a tv show written by Joss Whedon). Some things here are so like America in the 1950s; the attitude towards women, the desire to have flashy new things, the emphasis on perfection and idealistic beauty, and the need to hang clothes dry. That's right, I have to hange my clothes dry. Don't get me wrong, I was expecting this, but it still wrankles--or wrinkles.
South Korea has white bread. But it is nothing like American white bread. It tastes like a lighter version of pound cake. One of the other English teachers at my school explained that it is made from a flour derived from corn. So, yesterday, when I went to downtown Pohang and saw a Dunkin Donuts, I should have known that they would have been different than the ones in the States. Other things that Pohang has that surprised me include; Baskin Robins, Lotteria (a Korean version of McDonald's), and a restaurant that serves spagetti--which I had yesterday. It was different, but good.
There are potatoes here, which I am delighted about, but I don't have an oven to bake them in. I found out that goceries are much more expensive than I would have thought they would be, about the equivelant of shopping at Albertson's, for those who are familiar, or the more expensive grocery store in your neighborhood. I really need to learn Korean to understand how to find good deals.
I'm not too worried about figuring out how to eat American food, Korean food is very tasty. It's a very good think I like to eat it because it is surprisingly cheaper to eat in some restaurants than it is to fix food at home. I could get used to that.
Downtown Pohang was an interesting mix. If felt a bit like New York, with all the little odd shops and discount stores, alleyways, and crowds of people. It also felt completely foreign. All of the writing was in Korean, for the most part, and so I was never sure what was inside the little shops. It could have been a book store or a butcher's shop--unless I could see through the window--I had no idea. It is such a strange feeling, like being a child again with no understanding of how the world around me works.
A couple things that really struck me about shopping in Korea were that everyone tries to be very fashionable, that some designers need editors when it comes to printing things on their clothing, and getting glasses in Korea is almost easier than ordering food. We went in to get Michael-teacher new glasses, he lost his a bit back.
When you go in you are allowed to try on any of their thousands of frames, which are very cool, and as cheap as $10-$35US dollars. Then you are given an eye exam. After that they send you up to a little coffee shop on the top floor to have a drink on the house while they make and install the lenses. In all the process took about 90 minutes (maybe) and about $65US.
I've met some really wonderful people here at my school, and it makes me smile to think that life has an amazing way of bringing good things to those who have their eyes open for them. Thanks to all the teachers at my new school, for being friendly and helpful, with a special thanks to Natasha, Michael, Alan, and Tanya for making my first week so much easier than it could have been.
Thanks for reading. I'll figure out how to put pictures up soon.
Monday, October 25, 2010
A is for Adventure!
Greetings! Welcome to my very first post of my very first blog! Wow! OK, done marveling for a moment....
So, seeing as I am leaving America to go teach English, I thought the alphabet would be a good theme for my posts. As I sit here, at the San Francisco airport, I can't help but be nervous, scared, happy, excited, tired, full, and generally overwhelmed at the idea that everything I will start my new life out with fits into 2 suitcases of 50 lbs each, a backpack (quilt and pillow strapped on), and a laptop case full of everything that is my lifeline to sanity at the moment.
I have done the passport, visa, and farewell portion of my travels and now I find myself in a bit of limbo. I'm in an American airport--that's familiar--but I'm sitting in the International departures section. I hear announcements in English, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. I'm here, in a blend of my old world and my new one, thinking that this is perhaps the most fitting waiting area; a place halfway between my former home and my home that is yet to be. As I sit here I think that the strangest part of it all is that I don't even know my new address in Pohang, South Korea: the place I will spend the next 12 months of my life.
I'm a little scared that I will get lost along the way somewhere but more comforted that I will find friends wherever I go. I have never failed to find friends in the past, and this is no different. Just a different location on the globe, a different language, and a new way of thinking to learn about. I'm also sad to leave the amazing people I know behind me physically (though never behind in spirit), and happy to be moving toward the meeting of other amazing people. I'm very excited to be teaching English to little kids. (I bet they will all steal my heart!) Having a job feels really good after graduating from college, like my world is back in balance.
There's also a dream-like quality to this.... Leaving for a new country, never having been outside my own country before, not knowing the language, and not really knowing anyone in the place I am going. It feels a bit surreal, but good all at once. It is, after all, the fulfillment of two of my dreams, going abroad and teaching, so perhaps that has added to the overwhelming feel of joy and terror that are under all the other emotions. Joy for the obvious reasons, and terror because there is nothing in life so scary as success and brilliant achievement. One of my favorite quotes is about that... "Our greatest fear is not that we will fail, our greatest fear is that we are beautiful and powerful beyond belief...." or something to that effect. I will get the specific quote and author posted ASAP.
Well, thanks for reading my first of hopefully many posts. I look forward to my travels and experiences, and sharing them with you. Be well and enjoy your own adventure every day!
So, seeing as I am leaving America to go teach English, I thought the alphabet would be a good theme for my posts. As I sit here, at the San Francisco airport, I can't help but be nervous, scared, happy, excited, tired, full, and generally overwhelmed at the idea that everything I will start my new life out with fits into 2 suitcases of 50 lbs each, a backpack (quilt and pillow strapped on), and a laptop case full of everything that is my lifeline to sanity at the moment.
I have done the passport, visa, and farewell portion of my travels and now I find myself in a bit of limbo. I'm in an American airport--that's familiar--but I'm sitting in the International departures section. I hear announcements in English, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. I'm here, in a blend of my old world and my new one, thinking that this is perhaps the most fitting waiting area; a place halfway between my former home and my home that is yet to be. As I sit here I think that the strangest part of it all is that I don't even know my new address in Pohang, South Korea: the place I will spend the next 12 months of my life.
I'm a little scared that I will get lost along the way somewhere but more comforted that I will find friends wherever I go. I have never failed to find friends in the past, and this is no different. Just a different location on the globe, a different language, and a new way of thinking to learn about. I'm also sad to leave the amazing people I know behind me physically (though never behind in spirit), and happy to be moving toward the meeting of other amazing people. I'm very excited to be teaching English to little kids. (I bet they will all steal my heart!) Having a job feels really good after graduating from college, like my world is back in balance.
There's also a dream-like quality to this.... Leaving for a new country, never having been outside my own country before, not knowing the language, and not really knowing anyone in the place I am going. It feels a bit surreal, but good all at once. It is, after all, the fulfillment of two of my dreams, going abroad and teaching, so perhaps that has added to the overwhelming feel of joy and terror that are under all the other emotions. Joy for the obvious reasons, and terror because there is nothing in life so scary as success and brilliant achievement. One of my favorite quotes is about that... "Our greatest fear is not that we will fail, our greatest fear is that we are beautiful and powerful beyond belief...." or something to that effect. I will get the specific quote and author posted ASAP.
Well, thanks for reading my first of hopefully many posts. I look forward to my travels and experiences, and sharing them with you. Be well and enjoy your own adventure every day!
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