korean odds & ends..

just in case you didn't know how to use a wrench?

sculpture by my apartment - they're all over the place

HomePlus! My korean walmart :)

giant scallions! They're about 2ft tall..

giant pineapple! it's delicious :)

week 1: done!

So my first week went by with only mild glitches (whew!). There was a computer outage on my first day teaching that caused some anxiety, but it was figured out rather quickly. I have a range of ages with my kids and for the most part, they are all rather well behaved and (so far) I like them quite a bit :)

I'm finally in my permanent apartment (yippee!!) and I must say, I like it quite a bit. There is storage space galore, which is  nice. Except I could only bring 3 suitcases (1 being a carryon) so I honestly couldn't bring that much stuff. So I have tons of extra space :)

I was internet-less for a day once I moved in, which was quite disconcerting. My entire life / outside connections to my world back home is via the internet. Not having it was not an experience I would like to have again. not. at. all. But until I ask tomorrow about getting my internet hooked up, I'm stealing some random WiFi network for the time being. yay for wireless!

I've made yet another trip to HomePlus for foodstuffs. I even ventured out into the produce department! I was so proud of myself until a man that worked there told me in his best broken English that I couldn't have the bunch of bananas that I had so carefully picked out because they were a sample. Whoops! I'll have to remember to take a picture of HomePlus the next time I go - this store is massive!! I wondered around a bit before it got to busy/crazy and it is pretty much exactly like a Korean Super Walmart. There's food, clothing, school supplies, kitchen items, bedding/linens, an automotive sections and a small pet section as well. It's crazy how much they fit in this store! It's almost a little overwhelming lol

Dinner tonight was delish - I have leftovers too, so I can have it for dinner tomorrow too! yay! It was a stew-type dish, with rice, chicken, 1/2 a potato and a carrot. nom nom nommmm. My kitchen is pretty tiny, but it's just me, so it works pretty well :)

I even figured out how to work the washing machine! I patiently translated all of the buttons and got everything working without a hitch...only to not know how to open it when the clothes were done! My smelling-good, clean clothes were trapped inside the washer for about an hour, until I had the genius idea to google the manual for the machine (which I had to translate too, mind you). But I eventually got the door open, so now I know how to work my washing machine with only minor issues :)

For now, I'm off to clean some more and put things away. A fellow teacher is coming in the morning to help me move my mattress up to the loft (yay!), so once I get everything moved and put away, I'll take pictures / video of my new place!!

HomePlus! and other tidbits

I just got back from my 2nd trip to HomePlus today - the 1st time I went with two teachers from the school; the 2nd, I decided I needed to brave it on my own. It turned out ok, I would say though. It was definitely more interesting the 2nd time :)

Genius that I am, I forgot gloves back in the states. So I had to go on a hunt to find them at HomePlus. Being a foreigner, I had no idea where gloves would be in the clothing department. A nice lady working there saw the confused look on my face and tried to help. So I mimed gloves…needless to say, the point didn’t cross the language barrier. 3 HomePlus worker ladies, a nice Korean man who spoke some English and LOTS of laughing by almost all involved, I was directed to gloves. I found a pair that fit me, too! I’d call that a great success :)

This time around, I bought fabric softener and detergent, dish soap, and some other food-related odds & ends. I bought some coffee that I honeslty don’t know if it is brew or instant, but I’ll find out in the morning! I can’t be going to a coffee shop every morning – I spent as much for a bag of coffee as a large cup would cost at a coffee shop. I feel satisfied with my decision though :) I just hope it tastes good! It’s hazelnut, so I’m really hoping it does.

Other funny facts from the day...
- I used a Christmas stocking I found in the cupboard as an oven mitt. I originally thought it was an oven mitt & only found out it wasn’t upon use.
- I startled more than one person with my appearance. Most amusingly, 2 small children. They did a very obvious double-take, their small mouths agape. It was adorable! I assume they don’t see many foreigners, much less ones of my height. And I’m thinking my assumption is true, as the number of foreigners I saw today I could count on one hand (and that’s including me)
- I had to watch a YouTube video to figure out how to work my washing machine. The one I have wasn’t exactly like the one in the video, but the characters were similar enough that I could work it out. And after lots of fiddling, button pushing and a few trips to Google Translate, I figured out how to turn it on. I’m so proud of myself :)

The excitement of the day has worn me out, for sure. So for now, I’m going to make some dumplings, look over class material, unpack a smidge so I can find clothes I want to wear, and relax. I think I might be getting the hang of this whole Korea thing :)