Warping into a new life (good thing I have the soundtrack for it)

Wow. So this has officially been the weirdest and busiest week OF MY LIFE. I LOVE it. Last weekend, my ETA class went to Seoul. We swam in the American ambassador’s pool, stood next to the border of North Korea in the DMZ and locked eyes (well, binoculars?) with a North Korean soldier, went shopping, ate good food, and danced and bar hopped the night away in Hongdae, near Honik University.

We also graduated from our 6-week Korean class at Korea Daehakgyo (University) in a ceremony that included Korean skits that were written and preformed by us! Here is my class’s:

Linda and Sato Fall in Love from Eileen Ryan on Vimeo.

 I got a sweet cash prize for having the highest grade in my class, Beginner D, but we were all superstars really.

If that wasn’t overwhelming enough, we packed up EVERYTHING WE OWN, partied our butts off Tuesday night to celebrate/mourn our impending separation, and participated in “The Amazing Race, Jungwon University Style” all day Wednesday. Thursday, we gussied ourselves up in our finest duds to meet our principals [교장선생님/Gyojangseonsaengnim] and co-teachers in the Departure Day ceremony, before shipping off with them to our new homes.

Here are some pictures from the bits above:

When I was first introduced to my co-teacher, Jin Yang Na, she apologized for not bringing me flowers on departure day like some of the other ETAs’ co-teachers did. My principal chimed in, “But I washed my car just for you. It was very hot this morning, so it was hard work.” From what I know now, these first impressions are pretty representative of Ms. Na and my principal’s personalities: very sweet, and a nice mix of funny and proud, respectively.

During the hour and a half long drive to Cheonan in my principal’s wife’s very clean car, we talked about mountains and hiking in their very good English and a little bit of my very bad Korean. We laughed about how Swiss people don’t think Korean mountains deserve the title; “They think they are only hills,” my principal said.

When I arrived at my homestay apartment half way between Cheonan and Asan, my host father was the only one home. He invited the three of us in for grapes and Tang while my principal told him all about me in Korean. [Since this moment, I have gotten VERY used to people talking about me or about anything in front of me in Korean for long periods of time, while I just sit there and smile obliviously…]

Once I was settled, Ms. Na and my principal left, and my host father and I sat down for a chat in English. Like many Koreans, Mr. Lee told me he speaks very bad English, and then proceeded to be completely conversant. He started off by telling me that he wants me to treat his home like my home, and his family like my family. Good beginning, right?

Then, as he showed me around the apartment, a series of amazing things happened:

• I have a balcony, overlooking mountains/hills (whichever you prefer), and the family uses the “open-window” policy most days instead of the A/C. Since I infinitely prefer fresh air to an A/C in a clammy marble room, I am now a very happy girl.
• Mr. Lee told me apologetically that they don’t eat meat often, that they eat very healthy foods like brown rice, and that they only have a few slices of apple and maybe a smoothie for breakfast. He then showed me the pantry stocked with crates of fresh garlic, onions, apples, grapes, peaches, peanuts, potatoes and cabbage. CHACHIIIIING! Eileen hits the host family culinary JACKPOT!!!! [Of course, they also have a refrigerator specifically dedicated to kimchi… ;) ]
• Mr. and Mrs. Lee work for an American company called Amway, which produces cosmetics, dietary supplements/vitamins, and cleaning products, so they gave me free laundry detergent, shampoo etc.!

Since that first night in my new life, everything has been a whirlwind. I taught three classes the next day, but they were mostly just introductions since I didn’t have much time to prepare. The students seem very smart and well-behaved. Since, as Ms. Na put it, I am Cheonan Wolbong High School’s “first real Caucasian,” I have already gotten used to people gasping and giggling or asking about my freckles when I walk down the hall. In some ways, this just amplifies the feeling of isolation already created by the culture and language barriers suddenly thrown up between me and this new world I live in, but everyone has been so nice that it’s hard to feel as terrified and confused as I otherwise would.

My principal went out to lunch with me and some of my fellow teachers (including one who majored in Korean Lit and promised to lend me translated Korean novels!), cracked some jokes, and sent for a hot pepper for me to try. Everyone at the table watched expectantly as I bit into the pepper, but since I am an expert already with 매운 음식 (spicy food), I powered my way through that pepper and surprised them. Ms. Na later told me, “In Korea, the man who holds the big pepper is very healthy.” Interpret that how you will....

Today my host mom, who speaks no English at all, made curry with brown rice for lunch because I told Mr. Lee that it’s my favorite food. Afterwards, I hung out with my awesome host sisters, Damhee (17 in Korean years) and Bumhee (15) and their three little cousins.

Now for a short walk in the cool night and then, SLEEP. Tomorrow, I will lesson plan away! As per usual, there are more pictures on my Picassa!