Greetings from Korea!
I can't believe I have been here already 6 weeks! Its amazing how quickly time goes. I feel like I am getting to know my way around the city of Daegu. I can take the bus to school, a major accomplishment in my book. It's an interesting experience since the buses are stick shift. You definitely can tell the rookie bus drivers. Globalization has hit Korea and yes American fast food is everywhere. Dunkin Donuts, Pizza, Outback Steak House, Baskin Robins, and yes McDonalds and Burger King are here as well. I could live here the entire year and never eat Korean food. Aside from the fact that I can't speak Korean to order in a Korean restuarant I would have to point and hope. My friend Jihee from Seoul is planning on coming to visit and since she went to the university here she knows some great Korean places. We plan on eating our way through Daegu when she comes. Get out the tums! Korean food can be extremely hot! The most interesting food I've had so far is acorn pudding. You would see elderly people on the streets, almost getting decapitated by crazy Korean bus drivers, picking up acorns from the curbs to make this delicacy. It's consistency is like tofu with a very delicate flavor. Lovely but I don't know if it is worth risking your life.
I teach Monday-Saturday from 3:45-10:30 at night. It's taken some getting use to working late and having half of the day off. Most teachers sleep in until at least noon but I'm a morning person and up and ready to go by 9:00. Korean's are late nighters. Most people are out and about until at least midnight. Since, Korea has such a low crime rate you often see children as young as twelve out taking the bus or walking home at 10:00 or 11:00 at night. Students attend school in the evening to learn English and high school students are often out until 11:30 taking classes. I'm beginning to adjust to my classes and starting to recognize faces. I have students from seven years old to high school. Lesson plans have been a challenge with such a diverse age group. Children in Korea are no different from anywhere else in the world and they will definitely challenge you. They get a great kick out of my attempts at Korean.
This is our first three day weekend in six weeks so I intend to take full advantage of the time off.
I have had a chance to get to a couple of mountains so see some temples. They are quite beautiful in the mountains. We were fortunate to take a teachers outing to Haesinsa Temple and the monks were at prayer. We also watched them drum which is a way to prepare themselves for concentration on prayer and meditation. The mountains were beautiful with the leaves starting to change colors. I wish we could have stayed longer but we had to get back for our classes.
Korea is on the same latitude as North Carolina, so they say Daegu rarely gets snow. Daegu is surrounded by mountains but certainly nothing like the Rockies. The weather now is starting to change to damp cooler nights. I hear the summer is quite humid.
Please stay in touch! I would love to hear from all of you. More later!
All the Best,
Cellini