First Day at School

Hello! First of all, I am writing on about 3 hours of sleep. Jet Lag is awful. Yesterday was a good day! I sat in classrooms and observed the teachers/children. I will be teaching kids from kindergarten to middle school. It is going to be a challenge, especially being I am used to the older kids. I have never been interested in teaching younger children, so this will be interesting! Most of the curriculum is created and there are certain books/workbooks that I have to use. The private schools (called hawgons) run like a business and keeping students enrolled is how they make money.  Hawgons want to please the parents in every way, so they will keep their children at their school. That is a little frustrating, but that is the whole culture here. If their child is not doing well, they will move him/her to another school. Grades are everything and determine what schools the children get into next (elementary to university). I will begin teaching on Monday. I'm excited and little nervous. I have no clue what I will be teaching, but I am hoping I will find out today! Ha. Can you imagine if schools operated like that in the states? 

Last night I went out to my first Korean restaurant. The chopsticks were very tricky, but I did manage to get some food in my mouth! We sat on plastic stools and the tables had coals in the center where we cooked the beef. I wasn't excited to eat the beef and was hoping I wasn't eating dog. Ha. It was actually pretty good! It was great to eat "real food". Peanut butter and crackers get a little old. I went out with American and Korean teachers from my school. They are all really nice and even paid for my first dinner here. :) I will be living in the same building as a few of them.  

Today is our Halloween party. I am going to wear a tiger hat and all black. I'm hoping I won't pass out in the middle of the day. Cross your fingers. 

So far, so good. Hope to sleep soon and be back to my "normal" self. 

Happy Halloween. Eat candy. Be merry.

Fun Fact- Korean's add a year on to their age, because they count conception to birth as one year. Isn't that exciting? Those of you who are almost 30 (I won't mention any names), you are one year closer here. haha.