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| Third year Fulbrighters |
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| Budaejigae (부대찌개) |
Hey everyone! As you know, I decided to switch things up for my third and final year and made the move to Seoul. The first two weeks back in Korea have flown by, and although they've been jam-packed, it's been a smooth and exciting process so far. I feel like I'm back in my first year, having a renewed "honeymoon phase" and feeling eager to explore Seoul, get to know my new school, and have an awesome year here.
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| Big Bang Concert |
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| Big Bang Concert! |
Per usual, the year started with a trip to Jungwon University in Goesan to close out the last few days of orientation with the new Fulbrighters. It was great to see all the renewing teachers again, and also nice to see new faces and get to know some of them. On departure day, my new co-teacher came to pick me up, and we drove off to Seoul! I had the weekend to unpack, clean, and get prepared for my first day at school on Monday. There are 10 Fulbright teachers in Seoul this year, so I'm excited to get to know them more and spend some time together.
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| Curry and Rice (카레덥밥) |
My first week at school went by in a daze. My school's name is called
Daedong Taxation High School (a vocational school). Most of these students will study to become public officials, accountants, real estate brokers, freelancers, and the like. The school is located in an older, traditional part of Seoul, so there are often plenty of tourists walking up and down the streets, visiting palaces and traditional architecture all around. It is a beautiful walk to work most mornings!
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| Kimchi Stew (김치찌개) |
My first impression of the students is that they are sooooo cute and eager to learn! This is my first time teaching Korean high school female students, so it has been fun getting to know what they are like. Of course, I love the boys too and am looking forward to learning more about their hobbies and interests. At this school, I only teach the first grade students, and I see each class twice a week (I only saw my classes in Gwangyang once a week). I'm looking forward to having more face time with them and fostering those personal connections. It's my last year, so I'm really letting loose and want to have as much fun with my students as I possibly can.
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| They wanted to choose English names... and this is what they came up with! Lol! |
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| Choco brownie bingsu and melon bingsu |
My coworkers also seem like an awesome group of people to work with. The principal and vice principal are older but lively and welcomed me warmly. They reminded me of the staff back in Gwangyang! A lot of the teachers here in Seoul are younger than who I worked with in Gwangyang, which is a nice change too. I get along well with the older male teachers anyway, and have already tried my skill at badminton with the men's teacher team. Haha! I have a lot of improving to do. The English teachers are extremely kind and helpful, and I'm grateful for their assistance as I've been asking five million questions about everything.
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| Steamed Seafood (해물찜) |
Overall, the first two weeks have gone quite well, and I hope this honeymoon phase doesn't end any time soon. Outside of school, I have been getting back into my routine of exercising, albeit through joining a gym. That's one of the burdens of living in Seoul - such a large city that it's difficult to run around outdoors. I also live right across from a huge department store and movie theater, so I'm sure I'll be wasting money over there quite often throughout the year... haha. And now that I'm living in Seoul, I'm surrounded by SO MUCH FOOD!!!!!!!! I can't wait to start exploring different food joints all over Seoul. Stay tuned~
