On Korean Food and Our Orientation

So far things have been fairly laid back. We're somewhat isolated, so it doesn't really seem like we're even in Korea. It's more like we're at a convention on Korean culture and education. Though there is a town only fifteen minutes walk down hill, the double prospects of knowing there isn't really anything there to do, and that it's a half an hour hike uphill in sweltering heat keeps us securely placed near our air conditioned room. We've made a few friends, and since we're all stuck here together, going through the same things (adjusting to the climate, time difference, food, etc.), there's a real sense of camaraderie building up quickly.

Yesterday we spent three hours learning traditional Korean music and dance, in what turned out to be a kind of team building exercise. People, including Katie, being called out into the middle of all 190 or so english teachers because they didn't do the dance moves correctly. And a sort of contest where we all had to remember all seven traditional dance moves and in several groups perform them and hope for approval from the instructor. It was fun and interesting. It's actually quite nice that we are getting a rather slow introduction to Korean culture, rather than just being thrown in and seeing if we sink or swim, which is apparently what usually happens for first timers. Our colleague Patrick, who is also an Evergreen graduate, was forced to teach for three hours immediately after he got off the plane last year.

Later they made us watch Mr. Hollands Opus, presumably to inspire us. I almost fell asleep.

Today we start the more intensive orientation, how to write lesson plans etc.

On a final note. We have had kimchee for every meal, actually two or three different kinds of kimchee with every meal. I don't know if it's supposed to do this or not, but it seems to soften the stool quite a bit. Not in a diarrhetic way, but quite a bit more pasty.




--Richy.