One Month Down

Well I have been living in Korea a little over a month now, and I think that I have adapted pretty well. The language barrier is difficult sometimes, but I have a lot of Korean-speaking friends who are always willing to help me out. However, I ride the bus alone, take taxis, buy food, go to the bank, etc., all without knowing more than a few Korean words. I am trying to learn more, but it’s a slow process.


Since moving to Nonsan three weeks ago, my daily routine goes something like this: I wake up around 9 a.m., go jogging, call my parents, eat, then head to the bus stop. I go into work around 1:30, and head home around 4:30. Usually I get dinner with some of the other TaLK scholars, then go home to lesson plan and Skype with friends.

I really enjoy going to Nonsan Banwol Elementary School every day. Both my mentor teacher and my co-teacher have been great. After hearing so many horror stories during orientation, I feel extremely lucky that everyone at my school has been welcoming so far. The kids are great too. Sure, some of the boys can get pretty rowdy, but my class sizes are so small that it’s not difficult to redirect their attention.

So far, these are my pros and cons about living in Korea:

Pros:

-Nonsan. The majority of the teachers from my program were placed in extremely rural areas, so I really lucked out by being placed in an actual city. I have multiple grocery stores, a movie theater, and a Home Plus nearby, so I’m not lacking anything (other than a Baja Fresh).

-Food is extremely cheap. You can get a huge meal in a restaurant for about 5,000 won, which is less than $5 USD.

-The food itself is BOMB. I really like Naengmyeon, Jajangmyeon, and Korean BBQ (click on the words for descriptions).

-My apartment. I miss living with Alexa in Eugene, but I have to say that living alone is pretty awesome.

-My co-teacher, mentor teacher, and landlord. I don’t think I’ve had so many people worry about me before (people I don’t know very well that is). My mentor teacher, Insook, is convinced that all I do is sit alone in my apartment and eat stale bread, no matter how many times I tell her otherwise. She is very sweet and helpful though.

-The other TaLK scholars. Life here would be very lonely without them.

Cons:

-There is mostly only Korean food here. It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes all I want is a burrito, or a loaf of bread, or some cheese.

-The Koreans’ take on American food is usually pretty bad. For example, there is pizza everywhere, but they overload it with corn and onions. I like onions on pizza, but in moderation. If you try to ask for your pizza without either, they usually give you extra.

-The lack of sugar. I realize that this should probably be under “pros,” but I can’t help it. I love high fructose corn syrup!!! Koreans don’t really eat sweet things, which, in my opinion, is a tragedy.



I just noticed that all of my “cons” are food related, which I guess is a good thing. Other than that, I’m not really having any problems. The weather is pretty humid still, but I haven’t given up hope that fall will be here soon. I miss my family, friends, and cat back home, but I wouldn’t say that I am homesick.

I can’t complain—Life is good.