Seoul Shift: This Week in Review

Ok, where to start... I guess this is what happens when you delay posting for a few days. Let's backtrack a little bit and then i'll work my way up to today.

This previous week was intense. We had class every day along with some adventures thrown in the mix. For starters, we had a Taekwondo on Tuesday, which was a lot of fun. The instructors were all very knowledgeable and could perform some amazing stunts. We began instruction on different styles of kicks mostly and were kicking pads before we knew it. Then, we had some instruction that included a quick wrestling match between two members of our group. Well, one of the guys rolled over on top of the other while he was in a very strange position and actually broke his arm. Being a tight-knit group, we were all really worried. This break wasn't any small thing, it was just below his shoulder and was a "spiral fracture", not a hairline. So imagine being in a foreign country with only friends you've known two weeks and then going to a hospital not knowing anything of what's going on? After a day of surgery and a few days of bedrest, he just came back yesterday. We are relieved he's back and ok, and even more impressed that he has decided to stay and fulfill his contract, even with one good arm. So, that was quite an event, and definitely shook up the group a bit.

The next day, we got to meet our Province Coordinators or P.O.E. (Provincial Office of Education). We learned about our schools and also about what to expect upon arrival. Here is what I know of where I am living and working. On Thursday we are heading down to Gwangju, the capital of Jeollanam-do. We will be there for 6 days where we will basically familiarize ourselves with the province and undergo some lecture about specifics of our area. Then, we are off to our different towns to start work. I will be working in a school just outside the city of Gwangyang called Bonggang Elementary School. From 1st to 6th grade is just 46 students, but I am lucky enough to even have a Korean university student as my co-teacher. She will work with me three days a week, but I will be teaching five days a week. I will be mostly teaching in the afternoons, but my schedule is subject to change if needed. The city i'm living in has about 150,000 people, but I'm trying to see if I can stay in the town just west of there, which has nearly 300,000 people. More on that later. If you want to check out my school website, check out the link at the bottom. It is in Korean, so if you have Google Chrome get it translated. If not, look at the pictures.

The city of Gwangyang actually is a fairly notable place. It is the largest steel manufacturing area in South Korea and has it's own professional soccer team. The capital, Gwangju, has a profession baseball team. So, I plan to be busy visiting games as often as I can. Baseball here is insanely popular, and the atmosphere at the stadium is supossed to be top notch. My pal, Jon (Gio), lives just under an hour away, so we will probably see a lot of eachother. Overall, I'm really looking forward to seeing my area and where i'll be living for the next year.

Back to Seoul, then soccer.

On wednesday, we are out playing soccer on the fields here at the university, and one of the group coordinators approaches a few of us and asks if we would be interested in playing for his league team in Seoul on sunday. So, of course we said yes, and he explained when and where to meet him. We would be playing with his division 1 Seoul team, which is pretty decent, and they would pay for our fees and everything if we came on Sunday. More on this later...

We got a group together for another weekend out in Seoul. We got a free ride into Seoul because on Saturday, our program had a field trip to Seoul to take us to the palace there. Then, we could choose to stay in Seoul if we wanted to. This time, we stayed at a different spot in Seoul, and the hostel was quality. We had a room of six bunks to ourselves and the kitchen space and showers were great. After dinner, Gio and I needed to do some shopping for some soccer equipment for the game the next day. We walked around the area, without even realizing that the area we were in was one of the largest shopping areas in Seoul. The shopping centers went straight up and were organized by floor. So the first five floors would be clothing, then a couple floors of sporting goods, then electronics, etc.

That night, we went to a dance club in Gungnam. The club was very expensive, but because of someone in our group with a friend there, we were able to get in for free. We got back to the hostel around 1:30 after some good dancing with a group of 11 or so scholars.

The next day, Gio and I got up and left for Itaweon to meet up with one of our coordinators who lives there. From there, we got a taxi to Seoul University, where we would be playing that day. We were introduced to the team, and they handed us jerseys. This league is a league for foreigners that is made up of three divisions, with division three being the lowest and division one being the highest. Most of the players from the teams were teachers or military personnel that were living there in Seoul. The team we were playing for, the "Harriers", was made up of Americans, British, Australians, South Africans, Canadians, and then one German. Gio and I were a bit nervous playing with people we didn't really know at the highest level around. However, once the game got going we realized we could compete just fine. The game ended with us losing 2 - 1, but it was a very close and very good game. The best part was what came afterwards. Because the team is sponsored by an english bar in town, we all went to the pub for drinks and food after the game. Free beer and fish and chips was the perfect after-game meal. Not only that, but they told us that whenever we like, we can come up on the weekends and play along with free food and a place to stay. So, that being said, we will probably be making trips to Seoul every other weekend or so.

This week is the last week of orientation here in Jochiwon. Thursday, we will be heading out to our different provinces. For me, i'll be heading to Gwangju, the capital of Jeonnam. There are about 37 people in my group. We will be there for a few days before being transferred to our different cities. This week we have to do lesson plans, teach at an english camp for a day, and pack for our departure. This month has felt very similar to the first month of college. There are 300 or so young people with the same general goal and mindset, so we are all getting along very well and making good friends. Now that we are leaving, most of us are excited to see our locations and our apartments, but at the same time we will be away from everyone we know here in the country, and those who speak our language. So, as much as I will enjoy my province, I will definitely miss my time here in orientation. I'm sure, however, that everyone will do plenty of traveling to see eachother during the school year.

As soon as I am in my province, I will make sure to take plenty of photos and post as much as possible to update everyone. Then, once i'm placed in my apartment and school, you can be expecting even more as i'm sure I'll have plenty of stories to share.

Thanks for reading!