Goesan has a population of about 50,000 people and is considered rural. It is a nice, fairly quiet city with local shopping centers, bars, grocery markets, etc. Basically what you would expect in your average city in America. Jungwon University (중원대학교) is a private university founded in 2009, so it is very new! The 76 of us ETAs (English Teaching Assistants) undergo our orientation at this university for the next six weeks. We stay in the dorms attached to the university, which also has a golf course, soccer field, running track, botanical gardens, buddhist temple, park/playground, among other fun sorts of extracurriculars. I posted some photos below for you all to see!
Since I have so much to talk about, I figure it will be easiest to just break this first week down day-by-day.
Travel days: I left on Friday, July 4th from O'Hare. My first flight left at 5:20 p.m. and had a four hour flight into LAX (Los Angeles). There were about six of us on this flight together, so it was nice getting to know some of the fellow grantees early and talk about all of our emotions and what not. Our next flight left LAX to Incheon at 12:20 a.m. that night, and would be a twelve hour flight. There were close to 40 of us who flew together on this flight from LAX, so we called ourselves the #partyplane! Woop woop. Overall, the flight was boring. I fell in and out of sleep most of the time. The only bummer was that the t.v. on the back of my chair didn't work so I couldn't watch anything. But I survived!
Day one (Sunday, July 6): Our group arrived at Incheon around 5:00 a.m. on Sunday morning - it felt so weird "time traveling" and completely skipping Saturday. There are 76 grantees this year, which is pretty typical for Fulbright South Korea. Upon arrival, we grabbed our bags, went through customs/immigration, and met the Fulbright staff for our next six weeks of orientation. We took a two hour bus ride to Goesan and got settled into the dorms. This country is so beautiful! I didn't realize that about 70% of Korea is covered with mountains. It reminds me of the Appalachia back in the USA. Our dorm rooms are pretty interesting. The room is tinier than my dorm room was at ISU, but these dorms have three beds! Luckily, I only have one roommate, but I can't imagine how Korean students can live in such close proximity for such a long time. The good thing is that each room has its own private bathroom, so we don't have to share a community bathroom with other people on our floor. However, don't think that these bathrooms have a shower stall or anything fancy like that. Nope. We get a shower head attached to the sink and a drain right in the middle of the bathroom. So it's literally a toilet, sink, and drain crammed in a tiny space so everything gets wet when we shower. Haha! It's a fun experience though, and I am pretty used to that after living in Spain.
After getting settled in, we had our first lunch at the dormitory. I have to admit that one of the things I was most worried about upon my year in Korea was adjusting to their diet, because I have heard of some pretty exotic things. But, after being here the first four days, I really enjoy and appreciate the different flavors (especially the spiciness) and different varieties of food the Korean culture eats. We typically eat rice, kimchi (fermented cabbage soaked in spices), a type of meat as a side to mix with the rice, and a few other side dishes to go along with our meal that vary. I know this may be TMI, but I am really happy that my stomach didn't have any "issues" settling into my new home and diet! Haha. After lunch, we had our welcome and introduction session, followed by a campus tour. There are people from all over the USA who are part of my Fulbright group. I have definitely connected with many individuals already and look forward to getting to know even more people. We were all pretty exhausted after that, and I ended up passing out around 8:00 p.m. that night.
Day two: On Monday morning we had our Korean Language Placement Test, which I was lacking confidence about. However, after going through the written and oral exam, I was placed in Beginner level C (about Beginner's intermediate), which I was actually content about. I had been practicing Hangul (the Korean alphabet) and some basic phrases before arrival, and I think that came to use during the exam!
After the exam, we had lunch and some time to relax, then we had a lecture on the Korean Education System mixed in with some cultural concepts. It was very insightful learning about the Korean Education System and how it differs than that of the US. In Korea, elementary school goes from grades 1-6; middle school is what we consider grades 7-9; and high school grades 10-12. One of the main differences is that as the students get older, they arrive at school very early and stay very late to study, study, study. School is their JOB in Korea. Almost all high school students study at what is called a 'hagwon' - usually a private tutor who instructs students in science, math, English, etc. Most high school students do private study at the hagwon until midnight or later, although this is illegal in Korea. For Koreans, the prestige is placed on entrance exams into SKY schools (Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University). If students do not receive high enough marks to enter one of these three universities, then the prestige is placed on other universities throughout Seoul. Whereas in America we place our prestige into the universities themselves, Koreans place their emphasis on actually entering the university. After entrance into the university, studies are somewhat "lackluster" (not always) as compared to how students study vigorously in the United States during college years.
After our meetings, we had dinner, and some of us decided to go into town and explore Goesan. It is a nice community with some shopping areas, markets, and bars. We went to pick up some fresh fruit and explore a little while before heading to bed for an early morning the next day.
Day three: On Tuesday our group was split into four or five different sections, and we had the opportunity to visit different school sites to get a feel for the types of settings we may be placed into. I signed up for a visit to a Rural Elementary School because being rural is something I am potentially interested in, although teaching elementary is not my preference. It was really nice being able to see the different levels of education though, and seeing how different teaching styles are used by the current ETAs. There are benefits and downfalls to living in any type of situation, and teaching in specific school settings. For example, most schools in Korea are gender segregated during middle and high school levels, so teachers deal with different issues in each school setting. Being in a rural community would make it more difficult to travel throughout Korea, but it also gives the opportunity to really practice the Korean language with locals and grow very close to students and families. As of now, I think I am interested in a rural or suburban district teaching at a middle or high school level.
For lunch we had something called a "pop" burger. The best way I can explain it is that it seems like the Big Mac of Korea. It is basically a rice burger with tuna and kimchi in the middle. Although you do not eat it with your hands, it was still really messy but very tasty. Google it!! I wish I would have remembered to take a picture. I am sure I will eat another one this year.
Yesterday evening, our group was placed into eight different "dynasties" to compete against one another throughout orientation. The top team at the end of orientation gets a special treat, although none of us know what it is (besides the fact that our dynasty RULES THE WORLD)!!! Hahaha. All of the dynasties are based off of actual monarchs that occurred at some point in Korean history. I was placed into the Buyeo dynasty, which ruled from 2nd century BC to year 494. The Buyeo were an agricultural community who named their rulers after sacred animals... I don't really know much else about them! But I am definitely excited for some friendly competition throughout the orientation weeks to follow.
Day four: Today we had more site visits, where I went to an all-girls middle school in an urban setting. IT WAS SO FUN. I didn't think I would like it as much as I did. The girls were so cute and stared at us like we were superstars. The teacher we visited with was very outgoing and quirky, so I really related to her in that sense. I am definitely going to be wild and outgoing and not shy about embarrassing myself in front of my students when I begin. That's about all that has happened today - we are on a break right now before dinner time.
Tomorrow I will begin my Korean classes - I am so excited! I cannot wait to jump into learning another language and start using it. We also signed up for extra curricular activities to participate in. I signed up for Tae Kwon Do, Archery, a visit to the Tea Garden, a visit to a Stone Temple, and K-Pop dance class. WOOHOO!
I will be sure to update again soon!
My last photo in America!
Since I have so much to talk about, I figure it will be easiest to just break this first week down day-by-day.
Travel days: I left on Friday, July 4th from O'Hare. My first flight left at 5:20 p.m. and had a four hour flight into LAX (Los Angeles). There were about six of us on this flight together, so it was nice getting to know some of the fellow grantees early and talk about all of our emotions and what not. Our next flight left LAX to Incheon at 12:20 a.m. that night, and would be a twelve hour flight. There were close to 40 of us who flew together on this flight from LAX, so we called ourselves the #partyplane! Woop woop. Overall, the flight was boring. I fell in and out of sleep most of the time. The only bummer was that the t.v. on the back of my chair didn't work so I couldn't watch anything. But I survived!
Day one (Sunday, July 6): Our group arrived at Incheon around 5:00 a.m. on Sunday morning - it felt so weird "time traveling" and completely skipping Saturday. There are 76 grantees this year, which is pretty typical for Fulbright South Korea. Upon arrival, we grabbed our bags, went through customs/immigration, and met the Fulbright staff for our next six weeks of orientation. We took a two hour bus ride to Goesan and got settled into the dorms. This country is so beautiful! I didn't realize that about 70% of Korea is covered with mountains. It reminds me of the Appalachia back in the USA. Our dorm rooms are pretty interesting. The room is tinier than my dorm room was at ISU, but these dorms have three beds! Luckily, I only have one roommate, but I can't imagine how Korean students can live in such close proximity for such a long time. The good thing is that each room has its own private bathroom, so we don't have to share a community bathroom with other people on our floor. However, don't think that these bathrooms have a shower stall or anything fancy like that. Nope. We get a shower head attached to the sink and a drain right in the middle of the bathroom. So it's literally a toilet, sink, and drain crammed in a tiny space so everything gets wet when we shower. Haha! It's a fun experience though, and I am pretty used to that after living in Spain.
After getting settled in, we had our first lunch at the dormitory. I have to admit that one of the things I was most worried about upon my year in Korea was adjusting to their diet, because I have heard of some pretty exotic things. But, after being here the first four days, I really enjoy and appreciate the different flavors (especially the spiciness) and different varieties of food the Korean culture eats. We typically eat rice, kimchi (fermented cabbage soaked in spices), a type of meat as a side to mix with the rice, and a few other side dishes to go along with our meal that vary. I know this may be TMI, but I am really happy that my stomach didn't have any "issues" settling into my new home and diet! Haha. After lunch, we had our welcome and introduction session, followed by a campus tour. There are people from all over the USA who are part of my Fulbright group. I have definitely connected with many individuals already and look forward to getting to know even more people. We were all pretty exhausted after that, and I ended up passing out around 8:00 p.m. that night.
Day two: On Monday morning we had our Korean Language Placement Test, which I was lacking confidence about. However, after going through the written and oral exam, I was placed in Beginner level C (about Beginner's intermediate), which I was actually content about. I had been practicing Hangul (the Korean alphabet) and some basic phrases before arrival, and I think that came to use during the exam!
After the exam, we had lunch and some time to relax, then we had a lecture on the Korean Education System mixed in with some cultural concepts. It was very insightful learning about the Korean Education System and how it differs than that of the US. In Korea, elementary school goes from grades 1-6; middle school is what we consider grades 7-9; and high school grades 10-12. One of the main differences is that as the students get older, they arrive at school very early and stay very late to study, study, study. School is their JOB in Korea. Almost all high school students study at what is called a 'hagwon' - usually a private tutor who instructs students in science, math, English, etc. Most high school students do private study at the hagwon until midnight or later, although this is illegal in Korea. For Koreans, the prestige is placed on entrance exams into SKY schools (Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University). If students do not receive high enough marks to enter one of these three universities, then the prestige is placed on other universities throughout Seoul. Whereas in America we place our prestige into the universities themselves, Koreans place their emphasis on actually entering the university. After entrance into the university, studies are somewhat "lackluster" (not always) as compared to how students study vigorously in the United States during college years.
After our meetings, we had dinner, and some of us decided to go into town and explore Goesan. It is a nice community with some shopping areas, markets, and bars. We went to pick up some fresh fruit and explore a little while before heading to bed for an early morning the next day.
Day three: On Tuesday our group was split into four or five different sections, and we had the opportunity to visit different school sites to get a feel for the types of settings we may be placed into. I signed up for a visit to a Rural Elementary School because being rural is something I am potentially interested in, although teaching elementary is not my preference. It was really nice being able to see the different levels of education though, and seeing how different teaching styles are used by the current ETAs. There are benefits and downfalls to living in any type of situation, and teaching in specific school settings. For example, most schools in Korea are gender segregated during middle and high school levels, so teachers deal with different issues in each school setting. Being in a rural community would make it more difficult to travel throughout Korea, but it also gives the opportunity to really practice the Korean language with locals and grow very close to students and families. As of now, I think I am interested in a rural or suburban district teaching at a middle or high school level.
For lunch we had something called a "pop" burger. The best way I can explain it is that it seems like the Big Mac of Korea. It is basically a rice burger with tuna and kimchi in the middle. Although you do not eat it with your hands, it was still really messy but very tasty. Google it!! I wish I would have remembered to take a picture. I am sure I will eat another one this year.
Yesterday evening, our group was placed into eight different "dynasties" to compete against one another throughout orientation. The top team at the end of orientation gets a special treat, although none of us know what it is (besides the fact that our dynasty RULES THE WORLD)!!! Hahaha. All of the dynasties are based off of actual monarchs that occurred at some point in Korean history. I was placed into the Buyeo dynasty, which ruled from 2nd century BC to year 494. The Buyeo were an agricultural community who named their rulers after sacred animals... I don't really know much else about them! But I am definitely excited for some friendly competition throughout the orientation weeks to follow.
Day four: Today we had more site visits, where I went to an all-girls middle school in an urban setting. IT WAS SO FUN. I didn't think I would like it as much as I did. The girls were so cute and stared at us like we were superstars. The teacher we visited with was very outgoing and quirky, so I really related to her in that sense. I am definitely going to be wild and outgoing and not shy about embarrassing myself in front of my students when I begin. That's about all that has happened today - we are on a break right now before dinner time.
Tomorrow I will begin my Korean classes - I am so excited! I cannot wait to jump into learning another language and start using it. We also signed up for extra curricular activities to participate in. I signed up for Tae Kwon Do, Archery, a visit to the Tea Garden, a visit to a Stone Temple, and K-Pop dance class. WOOHOO!
I will be sure to update again soon!
My side of the dorm room
Ahh this looks and sounds amazing!! Keep on posting so I can live vicariously through you!
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