Andong spirit

Teaching life

Monday was my first day as a teacher with my own classroom. I get to the school knowing nothing. I didn't know what grades, how many in a class, what classroom, or when the classes were. I went in blind with open spirits. I met the new principal and some teachers. I spent a lot of time in the teachers room doing lesson plans and figuring out the prior questions. The vice principal is a very nice elderly man. He motioned to me that it was time to eat and had me follow him to the cafeteria  a small building outside the main school. The food is practically homemade. So it is a good lunch. even though sometimes I am not sure what I am eating. My first class was 1st n 2nd graders. I was very nervous but had my coteacher there to help me. Which i needed. I struggled to communicate with the students while trying to explain my instructions. I thought it was simple but I didn't know their level or they were just very nervous like myself. Here are some of the kids in the class. I had them again Thursday and Friday. Thursday i didn't have a co teacher and things went great. I felt so proud after leaving class that day. He kids listened and were well behaved. There is one kid whom I have troubles. He doesn't sit in his seat, he will go in the back and just sit with a I spy book. When he is near the class he is very disruptive. So when he is back there I now just let him be. I will not risk all of the other students education for his. But I do hope to slowly build a relationship and get him to participate in more than just games. But Friday also went very will. This is one of my favorite classes. 

Next is my 3-4th graders. They are very energetic. But fun and always willing to participate which is half the battle. There were shocked at the pictures of me I showed them. There from when I had short hair. They didn't believe it was Michael Teacher. the week went great in their class just. My 5-6th graders are a fun class as well but the fist day it was to simple and i could see they were bored but i adjusted for the last two days of the week for them. They seemed to really enjoy it. The biggest challenge in that class is getting them to participate. 

 On Tuesday and Wednesday I got to a different school. A yes smaller school. This school has 11 students in the whole school. and the lunch is brought over by people from my first school. The staff is once again really nice. The English teacher is a huge soccer fan and he plays as well. I may be joining the league he is in. There always looking for goalies. But Tuesday was the day that just wouldn't end. I have a different co-teacher there. He is really good at helping out. But i missed my kindergarten class cause i had the wrong schedule. My second class was an very unexpected hour and a half. Most are only 45 mins. And well this class is composed of 2-3 graders. All 2 of them, the clock was not moving. Small is good at times but there is too small. Especially when one of the two will not participate. I heard she knows English cause her mom speaks it as her first language. So we just sat there and tried finding stuff to do. It was an epic fail as a teacher and i am still struggling with that class. It is hard with so few students.  My last class has 4-6 graders. All 7 of them, which is a big improvement and it is much easier to get stuff done. That is a brief overview of my teaching life. The best is yet to come from that i expect. One last note I was singing BINGO with my 2 kindergartners and one of them said something at the end of the song and closed his eyes as it played again. I asked my co teacher what he said. Well he basically said gross she is ugly. Talking about an animation on the youtube song.

Coffee life

I was told about a amazing coffee shop. Its small but nice and very friendly i was told. So i went there with and met up with my friend Kelsea. Wow talk about nice, Its owned by a husband and wife. And they are the nicest people ever. So welcoming and made sure our time here has been great and made it clear that we can go to them for anything we have a problem with. The coffee was great and they made you feel at home being there. Every customer who came in was the same way. They would say hi and wanted to get to know you. Afterwards we walked in the market looking for food and two customers from the coffee shop spotted us and bought us food. After eating and talking and walking with them i went to back to the coffee shop to hang out more and there was more food. They literally give u chop sticks and say eat eat eat. We made a promise, I will help with their English and they will help with my Korean.

Rock Climbing life

Monday after class I was told to go to this rockwall. I was told the people are nice and it is free so I didn't hesitate. I have always been interested in the sport. I get there and the club president came and said Hello and introduced himself and then found out i want to climb and it would be my first time. He loved that. Next thing you know i am in a harness and climbing the far left side. Learning new words along the way. But i made it to the top and i felt like i was on top of the world. It was a great feeling. When i got down my forearms were "pumping" as it is called. While sitting there another head guy who is better with his English came and showed me a book with what word means what then they had my practicing different small skills. I became an official member of the Andong Sport Climbing Club. But its more than that. I joined a family whom i cant communicate with very well. I didn't realize that till later though. I went back Friday and climbed. It was great again, they brought food and was like eat eat eat. Then the guy who speaks good English asked what i was doing Saturday. He invited me to what i understood to be camping and hiking with the club. So i said sure.

Saturday.

11am meet at the wall someone grabs my bag and i ride with who I will call Tom (not sure his real name way too many to remember) and his family. His two boys are excited to meet me and ask me lots of questions on the drive there. We get there and I realize its a big festival. But its beautiful. I was kinda confused until i notice that it is a hiking competition. And there are members from our team in it. Wow that is cool but i wanted to hike. Am i just going to sit here well they hike? about 20 minutes after it starts i was skipping rocks in the river with the kids and they are like Michael Hiking Michael Hiking. I then realize that we do get to hike. Wow it was hiking like i have never done before. We would hit one peak and i was like stunned at how beautiful it was then we would to down then go even higher and get a better view. It was just amazing. We probably hiked for an hour and a half. On the way down the sponsors were giving bandannas out and i hear my name being called once they can see me. I had never met the lady before but being the only foreigner there word travels fast and everyone knows who you are.

 After the climb we find out the our club won. Not only the team race but the men's and women's. It was a total ASCC Sweep. Let the party being. More food than i have ever seen. They were making sure i tried everything. It was all amazing. Even the fish, that still had its head and the pig intestines. All very delicious. Don't knock it till you tried it. Everyone came and talked with me as much as they could. This is when i realized i was a member of their family. It will never replace what i have back home. But it is nice to be so accepted in such a foreign place. Let the drinking being, soju is a vodka like drink that is very popular. It is not very strong but they love it. We all had dixie cups and were sitting around cheersing and have a great time. People from other tents would come over and meet me and be be like cheers and we would take a drink. Luckliey i am smart and wouldn't take a full shot each time. But it was great, big bon fire and food and singing and soju. I met so many people. When it came for bed i wanted to sleep in my hammock but Tom didn't fully understand what i was saying and he brought a tent just for me and it was set up so i slept in a one person tent. What a nice guy.
The next morning was another huge meal and more talking. Then we took off. It was a great time I am glad i was able to experience it. I will be climbing mon,weds,fri.

 above is a panoramic of where we were camping. I was standing at the edge of the beach.

 I am sure i left out a lot but that was a long one. Any questions fb me or comment. I will gladly answer.

To be continued.