Ch-ch-ch-changes ...

It's 7:30 PM on Thursday, and my weekend officially began 3 hours ago. Can you say "four day work week"?

Jealous? :)

My first week is now finished, and I must say, it's not a bad gig. I mean, sure, I have to get up super early (compared to what I'm used to), and I'm pretty far off the beaten path. However, the work is hardly taxing (just wait 'til I have to put them through their first round of tests, though) and the students are pretty sharp. It's not bad at all.

Well, let me fill you in. Remember how last week I was unemployed and freaking out? Didn't last for long. Well, the unemployment didn't. The freaking out ... well, that still hasn't completely run it's course. Anyways. To make a long story short, last Monday I received an offer for an interview with a high school in Gimpo. I automatically said no. I had a change of heart on Wednesday, and we set up an interview for the next day. I trekked all the way out to Gimpo (with really no intent of taking the job ... I just wanted to have the experience of the interview), did my interview, was offered the job, thought about it for a few hours, and accepted. Bada-bing, bada-boom, you are now looking at the newest addition to the staff at Gimpo Foreign Language High School.

Funny how these things work out, right?

I moved the majority of my belongings up on Saturday. PS, in a taxi, it takes over an hour and a half to get from Hogyedong to this school. Last Thursday, it took just over two hours via a combination of the subway and the bus. Oh, and for future reference, it takes 3 hours and 40 minutes from Yeongtong using a combination of the 900 bus and the 380 bus - but I'm sure there's a better way to do that.

My first day was Monday - I teach only second year high school students (they're juniors). There are six junior classes of around 36 students each, and I teach four of them. These students are pretty incredible - since it's a foreign language high school, they are here to study (major in) other languages. Now, as I teach English, you would think that my students would be English majors, right? WRONG. Two of my classes are majoring in Japanese, and two of them are majoring in Chinese. They are simply required to take English, no matter what.

Also, schools such as these have pretty rigorous entrance examinations. These students are, for the most part, serious about their studies. They are woken up at 6 AM every morning. For the seniors, their homeroom class is at 7 AM. The other students begin at 7:30. They have classes throughout the day, including study hall sessions ... and they are finally allowed back into their rooms at like, 11:00 PM. Oh, and they can only go home like, one weekend a month. 'Tis a hard life these kids lead.

Anyways. I teach 2-1 and 2-2, and they major in Japanese. 2-3 and 2-4 are majoring in Chinese - they're also mine. Another English teacher teaches 2-5 and 2-6 - guess what they major in? BOTH Japanese AND Chinese. Each class is split in half for their language lessons, to make it more manageable - so think of it as being like, 2-1A and 2-1B and so on and so forth ... and I see each group of students twice a week. So I teach 16 classes a week, at 50 minutes a piece. Oh, and I only teach Conversation. :)

There's a few other foreign teachers - two teachers who teach English and some Chinese and Japanese teachers. The other English teachers are quite a bit older than I am - and neither are from the States. One, a man, is from Canada, and the other, a woman, is from New Zealand (though she's spent the past 20-some years in Fiji). I don't know how old Randall is, but Daphne is 65. So yes, I am the youngest. Surprise, surprise. :)

The first few days, students have been unable to figure out if I'm a teacher or a student in the hallways. Often, they get stuck in a sort of half-bow ... which is quite comical. The other day I was doing laundry (we have combination washer and dryers) and I was waiting for my clothes when a student came in - I was wearing sweats and a t-shirt, so I guess I looked like a student ... and when I said "hello" to her, she just about jumped a mile. There's been a few times like that. :)

The hardest part ... I guess it's the feeling of being isolated. Especially at like, meal-times, because I don't have anyone to eat with. I'm too shy, and I can't speak Korean. But, it'll pass. And if it doesn't, I have 3-day weekends and hella awesome vacation time.

My first week of classes went well - well, as well as could be expected. I already can tell who's going to work hard and who doesn't really give. I've already had to discipline one student for being disrespectful in class, and I'm already planning out what tests I will give them. But, for the most part, they are super kids. There's one student in my 2-2 class who lived in England for quite some time and has a British accent. There's several students who have studied in foreign countries. There are some insanely motivated students who I am lucky enough to have in my classes. My 2-4 kids are INCREDIBLY intelligent. They're all super bright.

So, I'm doing well. Right now, I'm waiting "Tristan and Isolde," packing up a backpack for the weekend, and listening to the AMAZING rainstorm that's going on outside, complete with lightning and thunder.

Soon, I'll be off to bed ... and then in the morning, I have to run by city hall to change my residence information ... and then, to Anyang!!! This weekend, Jenny teacher is getting married - I'm SUPER excited for her. And then, church. Hopefully I can find a better bus route. :)

___

PS - I don't notice the moon anymore.