My Classroom

I made it through the first week! I had so much fun with the kids. I wasn't prepared for the age difference, but I'm adapting well. It's amazing to me how the kids I teach are just as international as I am right now. Here are some pictures of the progress in my classroom and some pics with kiddos.

Differences

T hese are the keys to my apartment. Crazy! I can barely figure them out. I just keep turning until it fits. =)


The past couple of days I've been a tourist just following along. I went to Busan with my mom and dad to see my grandmother and aunt and her family. It was amazing, however, the differences between a 'country' city and Seoul are huge! So even though Busan is as modern as any other city, it was just different.


Seoul is an amazing metropolitan city. I do not like the traffic or driving/parking laws, but it works for them. This has not changed in the past 15 years since I've been here. The types of cars, though, have changed. Lots of BMWs, Mercs, Lexus, and Ferraris around here now......I remember the days of KIA and Daewoo. Samsung makes a car now also and that's crazy to me. The city is bustling, but only after 9 or 10 am until the early morning hours of 2 and 3. Their rush hour begins around 8 at night and lasts through 11 pm.


I can handle the differences, but not the staring. I've realized that people are going to want to look at Helena, and then me to figure out why we look kinda Korean. Either way, when you stare them right back in the eye, they tend to look away faster. So many older men have reached out to touch Helena's hair, and the women will just grab her hand or face and tell her how pretty she is. She's handling it very well, she's such a good natured kid, but we'll see how long it lasts.

We made it!

Through a very difficult last week in the states, we made it to Seoul with practically zero problems. I had some help getting settled into my new apartment. Rosa, ever-amazing boss, brought over some essentials and made the beds before I arrived. My mom and dad spent the entire ration amount at the PX/Comissary getting me familiar foods to help Helena and I transition. The street I live on has a million restaurants, so I know I won't go hungry. (There's even an Italian restaurant with promises of tiramisu!!!)

My apartment is awesome! There are some definite changes that I have to get used to, but it's amazing and already feels like home! Our first day was spent registering my parent's miltary I.Ds and getting ration control cards, and at the end of it all, I wasn't allowed anywhere except for just on post....so I hung around the food court catching up on emails while my parents did all the shopping for me. Then we braved the storm and took the subway to my Samchun's apartment across town. *Note to self-take a stroller so when Helena falls asleep, I won't have to carry her up all those stairs and in the rain while trying to support her and an umbrella at the same time.

When internet is all set up and I have the correct adapters, I will be better at posting as well as a little more in detail. I'm running off borrowed power here, while I was waiting for my parents, I plugged in at the food court and it's slowly running down.

Just one fun story before I go this time: the snack on the flight from Tokyo to Seoul. It was an evening flight, leaving Tokyo around 4 p.m. and supposed to arrive in Seoul/Incheon airport around 7:55 p.m. This must be their idea of a breakfast sandwich....two white slices of bread on the outside.....peppered bacon on on side, wheat slice of bread in the middle, egg, cheese, and butter on the other side. It was very entertaining to watch Helena pick this apart and not eat it.

Lots and lots of things that are different for me, but I'm ready to embrace them. Bring it on! Let's see what this new life has for me!