I know I have been completely horrible on updating this lately. It's a lot different from when I was in Paris. Paris seemed more like a long trip, but it's harder to blog about your actual life. When it comes down to it, being in Korea really isn't that different than being anywhere else. Sometimes I forget that I'm so far away from home. I get up, I go to work, I come home, eat dinner, work out, catch up on Glee, Modern Family, read, and look forward to the weekends. So sometimes blogging seems unnecessary since it's not like anyone updates their family what they do every week in the states! I will keep blogging though and I'll try and pick up the pace!
Since it has been so long, I don't remember the day to day stuff to write about but I'll write about a couple changes since the last time I wrote.
First, the free lunch we had at school ended. Apparently the school wasn't following regulations or something and so they have to use a catering service now instead of making everything themselves at the school. Not only was I really upset at having to spend more money on food for lunches, but also that was really the only real Korean food I got. I've gotten used to it now and I think I'm eating healthier now that I'm not eating a ton of rice every day, and it's not that much more expensive at all. I guess I'll just have to try and eat at Korean restaurants more often on the weekends or something!
Next, we had a Korean Thanksgiving celebration last weekend. No one has an oven in their apartment so we had to improvise. Instead of doing a traditional dinner, we just had a potluck at one of the other teacher's apartments. We had quesadillas, mashed potatoes, potato salad, guacamole and chips, and pumpkin pie (thanks to Costco!). It was a really great evening and we all went around saying what we were thankful for to keep with tradition. It wasn't as hard to miss Thanksgiving as I thought. We didn't get work off (obviously since it's only an American holiday) and we are so busy anyway I didn't have time to really be homesick. When it came to my turn to say what I was thankful for, I said even though I miss them, I'm thankful to have such great friends and family TO miss while I'm here.
The weather is getting colder finally. My friend Christine and I got one last hike in the weekend before Thanksgiving. A car actually pulled up right when we were starting our hike, rolled down their windows, and handed us clementines and said, "this is for Thanksgiving" so I guess Koreans still know about the holiday even if they don't celebrate it! It was really nice though and they seemed so happy to give them to us! I'm trying to get one last week in of running outside before I have to join a gym.
Work has been pretty much the same. I can say after three months I'm finally into the swing of things and the job has gotten a lot easier. I found out this week that one of my kindergartner's mom has cancer. She told me in the morning, "I am not happy today" and when I asked why she said, "My mom is very very ouch" and started crying. It wasn't until later that I discovered her mom has thyroid cancer. I know it is one of the more treatable kinds but still, I don't think a 7 year old really understands that :(
On a lighter note, I started a new class this week for the rest of the year (their school year, so until March). It's a newspaper class instead of social studies now. My Tuesday/Thursday social studies class finished and so a different teacher is going to teach them science, and I switched to a new class with 8 girls. I LOVE the new class. The subject is way more interesting and the girls are really fun to teach so I'm excited about that. Otherwise, work is the same old same old! We started decorating for Christmas which is exciting. I actually learned how to make a paper snowflake and so my kindergartner's and I did that the other day. It took them a while to figure out that the MORE you cut, the better. Some of them just look like white pieces of paper still, oh well.
I haven't done any real exciting "Korean" things (as in touristy) lately and don't know how much more stuff I will while it's cold out but right now I'm just counting down the days until the Philippines and finally a vacation after 11 straight weeks of work. Ick. Is this really what the real world is like??
Have a good week/weekend.
Love, Meghan
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