Overdue Entry, Been Trying to Settle In...

Well my plan of blogging every Sunday has fell through, and I won't try to recap the last 3 +(!!!) weeks all in one entry, but I will say that there have been plenty of ups and downs and I am happy to be here.

I'll break this down by category, so you can skip any section you're not interested in.

The School

Teaching is why I am here. And after some tiring and stressful first days, I feel like I'm beginning to get into the flow. That goes for everything, from planning the week, knowing what happens each day, the way I conduct class, and the relationships I have with the students. I am hoping to improve each week, and so far that has been the case.

The most difficult aspect of the job is the long hours, being in school for basically 50 hours a week, but only getting paid for 30. They do this by implementing 10 minute breaks throughout the day, as well as an unpaid lunch. The 10 minute breaks are hardly relaxing, as I am likely cleaning the class or preparing something the for the next lesson. However, the job overall is good (so far), and I haven't freaked out (yet).

The Band

Yes, you read correctly, I've joined a band. I mentioned this in the last entry, but I can now say that it's official. The name of the group is Yeo Sook, or You Suck, and features an array of colorful tunes only meant for those socializing in smoky bars. Not all the songs are this age-appropriate, just most. One of my (clean) favorites is "The Last Pirate of Saskatchewan", who, after losing his job, pirates the River Saskatchewan for fertilizer and grain until having to go south to New Mexico for the winter. In the band, I'm drums/percussion, depending on where we are and what's available. But I've also helped "write" a song on guitar, and even bought one of my own this past weekend. My fingers are sore but I'm motivated to practice in order to contribute to the band.

One story I have to relay happenend a couple weeks ago. Our bassist Ryan was able to procure rehearsal space at a local high school, which we use Saturdays at 11am. This space is in the music room of the school, which is actually a small building of its own. Anyways, I was not in the band the first time we performed for the director of the music department, but apparently she thought enough of us to allow the space to be used. Well one day Gene (percussion) and I arrive planning, and prepared to rehearse. He and I (not showered or shaved) are greeted by four well-to-do music teachers, as they AND the entire concert band are waiting for us to PERFORM. Well, the rest of the guys finally show up, all in the same condition, unshowered or shaved and fresh in from a night on the town. Ryan was the only clean one, as he works Saturday afternoons.

So here I am, nervous to be in the band to begin with, and am now expected to perform songs I barely know, some none at all. My part in this ended up being a couple congas, and we made due with about 6 or so songs. Needless to say, some of the music teachers were not impressed at all, some of the songs we struggled to get through, but we did have a couple highlights and one memorable experience!

Other News

I've just upgraded bicycles, after using one that was too small, and am enjoying cruising around Gyeongpo Lake (mentioned in the very first entry, more to come when the trees blossom), the beach, the cement roads through the rice fields and other small pathways the weave through the town.

There is a cool little hiking trail near the apt that leads up a hill that features an exercise park. These are actually common here in Korea, and I'm happy to take advantage.

Every weekend, I meet more and more foreigners here in Gangneung, there was recently a big party with foks from all over the province, and most people are pretty decent. I'm looking forward to meeting more people and building relationships as I continue my Korean experiment.

Till next time!

Settling into Gangneung

Well, this past Wednesday evening I arrived in Gangneung. The following couple of days I got to observe classes, meet my fellow teachers, and also become familiar with my neighborhood.

The school is really nice, there are a tremendous amount of resources there: a computer lab, new books for the students, and a large "backyard" with 2 small soccer fields, a golf net, pull-up bars, trampoline and pool for the kids. I intend to break up the day playing sports and doing some pull-ups. Lunch is provided by the school, so its nice to get a hot meal each day, though it's really a lot of food.

My apt. is a small one room, but more importantly is located close to the beach - about a 15 min. walk. I've gone down to see the sunrise a couple times, and am certainly looking forward to summer time. Here are a couple images from Gyeongpo Beach, the first of a sunrise and the second from yesterday afternoon.
The top of the beach features a nice boardwalk, and the strip is loaded with restaurants and motels. The establishments with outdoor seating are the most expensive. Most of them also have water tanks with live seafood that you may choose to have for your meal.
This past weekend I went to a couple bars downtown that are popular with Westerners, and most of the people I met were pretty cool. They seem to have a nice camaraderie with each other. A few of the guys have a band, and on Saturday night they were playing at one of the bars. They didn't have a drummer, and after playing some drums (along with the house music) at the same bar the night before, I was feeling bold so I asked to sit in. They were obviously nervous, probably fearing that I would bang the hell out of them and make a huge mess, but I was able to fit in with the music and they've asked me to practice with them. I'm really excited about this, because despite my love for music, I've never been part of band, and it is certainly as good a time as any to start.

This brings me to today, where I will begin teaching in a couple of hours. I am definitely a little nervous, but the kids are young so I won't be dealing with anything too complex. I'm excited to have my own classroom and hope to have a successful year with the students.

Thanks again for reading!