Jet Lag Is Catching Up To Me...

Yesterday was a really long day and I am definitely feeling it today.  After school let out, my co-worker Kristen and another teacher, Ushi, offered to help me get a cell phone so that I will not get horrifically lost this weekend when I go to meet up with my friend Jenna in Seoul.  None of us had any idea that apparently it is more difficult for a foreigner to get a cell phone in Korea than it is to get a freaking work visa.  After driving 25 minutes to downtown Gimpo, we made it to the Samsung store, where they informed us that foreigners are required to sign 2-year contracts in order to get a phone.  With nearly all work visas good for only 1 year, this is clearly a discriminatory practice designed so that no foreigners will use SK Telecom (the provider for Samsung phones).  Next, we headed over to the LG store in order to sign up with LG instead and everything was going smoothly at first, with the phone costing only 40,000 won (about $35) and a 1-year plan that costs only 12,000 won ($10) per month + 20 won (0.018 cents) per text message.  Seemed like a great deal, especially compared to the exorbitantly overpriced crap we have to deal with in the US.




And then the salesman said I couldn't buy a phone without an Alien Registration Card, which I won't have for another 3-4 weeks.  After much unintelligible debate between Kristen, Ushi, and the salesman, Kristen amazingly (for me) ended up signing the contract in her own name so that I could get the phone.  Then it turned out she was delinquent in her last month's phone bill and Ushi had to help her pay for the outstanding balance because they wouldn't let her leave the store.  The whole process ended up taking over 2 hours and was totally bizarre.  My managing teacher, Mr. Lee, told me today that Korea is very closed off to foreigners and I will find many things like this that will be difficult, if not impossible, for me to do simply because I am not Korean.  It's kind of weird to be considered such an outsider, if not downright uncomfortable.

Anyway, I ended up with a new phone (thank goodness) and Ushi took me and Kristen out to a traditional Korean dinner (sitting on the floor, about 30 different small dishes that were all shared) and it was DELICIOUS.  Man, I freaking love Korean food.  So spicy and flavorful and unique.  It was really awesome and Ushi paid for the whole meal; I really like him and Kristen a lot and they clearly enjoy spending time with me so they can practice their (poor) English.  Afterwards, Ushi dropped me off at the bus stop and I had to take the 25 minute bus ride back to Haseong by myself.  Fortunately, Haseong is the last stop on the route so I was at no risk of getting lost.  Hard to believe that so much happened in my very first day in Korea.  I ended up getting home and watching an episode of Ugly Betty I downloaded on iTunes earlier in the day at school.  It was so nice to hear good English at regular speeds.  I think TV on iTunes is going to be my biggest salvation this year.

Today was my first day in the actual classrooms.  I missed my very first class because apparently today was a "special day" due to some government exam and the bell schedule was completely different (which Mr. Lee acknowledged was not my fault).  I spent the first couple hours at my desk, frustrated and near tears because I had still received no directions, instructions, or textbooks.  Finally, Mr. Lee and I had a long conversation that explained a lot about the class structures in Korean public high schools (main thing: 1st grade = sophomores, 2nd grade = juniors, 3rd grade = seniors) and made me feel infinitely better.  I accompanied him to his English Conversation class and was shocked at how little the 2nd-grade students actually know.  Their English is pretty terrible for having studied it as many years as they have.  Plus, it was a big class (maybe 30 students) which was a little rowdy.  It was funny to see how similar the class was to high schoolers in the US.  There were the eager kids who sat at the front of the class, the quiet girl that the other kids teased for being "special," and the obvious rebel/bad boy/troublemaker/cute/popular boy who sat in the back row and caused the most commotion.  High school really is universal.  I don't know whether to find that comforting or disturbing.

My only other class of the day was another 2nd grade class that is more advanced and had just 14 students.  This was WAY more enjoyable.  The students spoke much better English and clapped and cheered when I came in because they were so excited to ask me questions.  I was only supposed to talk for 5 minutes and I ended up answering questions about myself for the entire 50-minute period.  One girl in particular, Yerim, is so cute and she asked at least 75% of all the questions in class.  English is her favorite subject and I can already tell she is going to be an awesome student.  Hooray!!

Now I'm back in my office and the jet lag is hitting me HARD.  I feel like I wanna keel over and pass out.  Just 90 more minutes and I can go home and sleep......

*That damn bell just went off again.  It's only day 2 and I already hate it so much.  Stupid little song, and so loud!!  Argh.