8/21: The powers that be

Whew. Okay I just got home and settled after dinner (rice, kimchi, veggies, chicken and a hamburger patty; not sure why there was hamburger, but oh well). School gets a little easier every day.

I'm starting to learn the students' names and personalities, so it's easier to get their attention and to feed off of them during my lessons. I've also gotten to the point where I'm not carrying around my map of the school, so I feel like less of an outsider. In general, I feel more comfortable with the Korean teachers, foreign teachers, and staff as well.

Today, I ate lunch with the VP and accountant (who are married and picked me up on my first day), and they said I am a good teacher. It was just conversation for them, but it really made my day. At a new school in a new city, I usually feel uncertain and a little out of place, so even the smallest compliment eased my anxieties a bit. They speak a bit of English and have two kids in the school, who are both very sweet. The vice principal basically runs the school, whereas the principal is more of a figurehead. So far, they have all been very kind to me.

In the office, there is also a secretary and head teacher, who are both very nice and a bit more lighthearted. The secretary speaks limited English, but knows a lot of vocabulary. Today, after school, she whipped out the word "parasailing" when we were looking at a picture. Sometimes, I eat lunch with these two ladies, and they both try so hard to talk to me in Korean. I wish I could understand so badly!

I'm trying to learn a new word or phrase each day. Apparently, one of the other foreign teachers overheard the office folk talking about me and they think my Korean is very good. Someone said they think I will be speaking Korean in one month! It was a nice compliment, but it's definitely going to take longer than that. Coming here, I didn't think I would actively dedicate time to learning the language and just pick up what I could, but the frustration of not being independent and not understanding anything is too much. If I could have any superpower it would be to understand and speak any language on demand. That would be incredible.

We have a staff meeting this Friday, and plans are in the works to meet up with a friend from Mizzou this weekend! I've also begun the process of reserving a spot on a DMZ tour in September. So many things to look forward to! More immediately, however: bedtime.

I'll leave you with this tourism video I found when I was first offered this job. Note: I just found out Baekun Lake is walking distance from my apartment. Also note: This video is cheesy, but it has some nice shots of the landscape.