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This week has been one of the most interesting and nervewracking in recent memory. So our last few days in Jeonju revolved around getting our group presentations together, and then performing them in front of our group and an EPIK assessor.
Sean's lesson plan was Elementary level, inviting people and telling them not to forget things. We were all running around the classroom making up parties and inviting people to them.
My lesson was Middle school, and was about and receiving compliments, so I was Elton John in the role play, telling Beyonce how beautiful she was. Everyone was a celebrity and we had a celebrity mixer, inflating everyone's egos. Our group won the prize, international phone cards, which will come back into our story later...
We went out for some soju and beers to celebrate that evening and one drink turned into midnight, and time to go back to the dorm before curfew. We have made a few nice friends here. Georgina is from London, and is taking over from my friend who is just about to leave Busan. There is a lovely couple from Newcastle, and we have a really good laugh with them. And Sean has made friends with lots of the lads who went out to play football with them one evening, and they all plan to meet up again now we are in Busan.
We had to get an early start on the day to get to Busan and meet our co teachers. Sean and I were led off separately to our schools and apartments, and we never saw each other again....
Joking. But it wasn't easy to find each other again. My phone doesn't work at all here, and Sean's can only receive texts and calls. So when I was done seeing the school and registering with immigration, I used my handy calling card, and got hold of him, freezing to death, abandoned in his flat, waiting for the gas man to arrive. So I directed him to mine, and we arranged to meet. We are only 6 subway stops apart, so its around 12 minutes on the tube. An hour later he turns up... Apparently the Korean subway isn't as easy to navigate as London. It's something to do with the language i think...
Our flats are both lovely and the schools seem pretty good so far. Sean is in a mixed Elementary school. and I am in a private boys middle school. I am placed pretty much in the centre of Busan, very good transport links. Sean had a subway stop right near him as well, he is a little north of the centre, out by the baseball, football and basketball stadiums. So we are looking forward to seeing some live local sports. Especially those we don't have in the UK, though I'm sure Sean actually wants to see some live football after 6 months cold turkey!
My studio apartment is slightly bigger than Sean's because it's a bit older. His is brand new, so is kitted out with all the latest mod cons, but because mine is second hand, i have the added bonus of leftovers, so we have a DVD player, lots of crockery, bedding, vacuum cleaner, ironing board, and plenty of textbooks! I also have an awesome view out over the city and the mountains.
Our first days at school were both a little disorienting. The Korean culture is more of a listener oriented language, so the onus is on the listener to pick up the 'nunchi' or subtle signals, not direct answers. Rather than the Western culture which is more speaker oriented, so the responsibility is on the speaker to get their point across. Both systems work fine, if you understand the system. But put the two together and you get some very confusing conversations.
So not all the information was given to us immediately, and when the staff is talking about you all in Korean, that's pretty disconcerting too. All that said, all the Koreans we have met are lovely, and helpful if you ask the right questions.
Both our first days were pretty much admin days. First day of the year is spring cleaning and admin day. We did both have to introduce ourselves over the school TV station, in our very poor Korean, and I got echoes of that all over school after my broadcast... Though they do think we are Brad and Angelina. It's like being a celebrity walking round school, echoes of 'handsome' and 'beautiful'. I got a huge cheer at the opening ceremony when i bowed to the students. Maybe being at an all boys' school will work in my favour after all. Sean on the other hand was sent love notes from girls in his school (yes they are under 12...so that's weird) but they have a much smaller sense of personal space and boundaries. Same sex friends often act as real couples might in the west, lots of hand holding and hanging off each other, and sitting on each other's laps. I met a lovely woman who seemed to laugh at all my jokes, and we are now the best of friends, and I know because she holds my hand. At least it makes it obvious when you've got someone on side!
We both have the weekend ahead of us to do some socialising and catch up with other people's experiences (not that we don't know from keeping up to date on facebook during school hours when we were not doing admin...) and then onto real lessons next week.
And we haven't even told you about the food yet!
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