Where was I...?

It's been so long since I've written anything on this blog that I hardly know how to start again. I have plenty of excuses - I have no stable internet at my apartment, I'm really busy with lesson planning, I'd rather spend most of my free time hanging out with my boyfriend than sitting in front of a computer, and the rest of the non-hang-out free time I don't feel like thinking. So there.

But part of me still likes to think this blog exists for a reason, so here I am again. Where to start?

I've been in Korea for a little over a month now, and I've been teaching for about four weeks. It's all been wacky, but I think Shawn and I are finally getting the hang of things and working out a routine.

Let me go way, way back. All the way to Feb. 26, when we left the EPIK orientation and actually got to Daejeon (that is, the city where I live, in case anyone missed it). All the new teachers were gathered into an auditorium where, one by one, we stepped up to meet our co-teachers - the people who act as liaisons (read: translators) between the native English teachers and school administration. My co-teacher was a very nice lady named Jin-Young, who took me to my school, my apartment, and then grocery store. I say "was" because as soon as I met Jin-Young, I also found out that she was about to leave town to attend a six-month training program, so in fact, she would not actually be my co-teacher.

I met my new co-teacher four days later, on the first day of school. But not until the end of the day, when we rushed out of school and across the city to go apply for my Alien Registration Card (green card). The rest of the day, I spent sitting by myself in the "Fun, Fun English" room, because A) they did not have a desk ready for me in the teachers' office and B) they didn't have my class schedule ready, so I didn't have anything to do. All of this is well and good, except for the fact that everyone neglected to inform me that I would actually have to teach classes the next day.

Really, I should have been expecting this the whole time, because one of the first things that was pounded into our heads at orientation was DYNAMIC KOREA. Sounds pretty romantic and exciting, right? Sure, until your class schedule changes 3 times in a month, your co-teachers don't show up for class, and you find out you're attending a dinner about 10 minutes before it happens. Okay, so the dinner part really isn't that bad, but the point is that "Dynamic Korea" basically means that something could be switched or dropped or sprung on you at any moment (usually the last possible moment), even though other people have known about it for several days.

Needless to say, the first couple of weeks were pretty hectic and stressful. Added to this is the fact that, despite all our optimistic hopes, Shawn and I were not placed in adjacent apartments. Not even walking distance apartments. We have to travel about 20 minutes by bus and/or subway to reach each other's neck of the woods. And since both places are far, far too small to store all of our collective necessities, our dreams of keeping one place for living and one place for storage went up in smoke. Of course, we probably should have expected this too, but it's hard not to be idealistic when you're setting off on a new adventure.

Anyway, this blog isn't for complaining. Because after all the initial insanity and frustration, we're getting the hang of things. I'm starting to develop better lesson-planning skills (although my time management skills will always be lacking) and figuring out enough basic language to get by. The teachers at my school have been incredibly helpful, and Shawn and I have adjusted to this back and forth situation. I'm sure there will be up and down days in the future, but I think the most difficult part of this relocation is behind me now (thank God).

So that's my incredibly abbreviated "first month in Korea" update. Someone should remind me about this blog before month two is over.