have time to waste before i teach the next class so i will update...
cheong-ju: was a busy week visiting with middle school students, going on outings, more drinking, bowling, eating...generally having a good ol' time...laughing so much til my ribs hurt...

come friday...

after packing and emptying the contents of our dorms we went to our final lecture/closing ceremony...we were all awarded with a congratulatory certificate for having participated in the orientation. i recieved a 'special' award. a most outstanding participant award. it came in a nice blue folder thing and the certificate looked rather distinguished...let me just say it was really a glorified popularity contest...hehehe...i don't know who nominated me, but i can take a few guesses. whoever did...thanks...i also recieved some mugs which may or may not come in handy, but nice nonetheless...

as soon as the session was over i was quickly summoned onto a waiting bus ready for departure to chuncheon in gangwon province. i had little time to say goodbye to everyone which made the departure even more sad...yes, i cried...its amazing how attached to people you can get in such a short space of time...i miss everyone dearly...i was missing them while i was getting on the bus... we waved goodbye after hugs and kisses and we were whisked off to the unknown...

chuncheon, gangwon capital city:

after a few hours and a quick lunch we were ushered into a room full of teachers and important looking people. we were handed more blue folders and on presentation i was told, in korean, good luck, i wish you well, please don't use korean...hmm...interesting...the room was full of native english teachers and korean english teachers but they thought nothing of just speaking in korean the entire time...what doing there? hmm...

hwacheon:

about half an hour away from the capital of gangwon is a city called hwacheon...extremely beautiful and picturesque. mountains all around, literally, 360 degrees and water here and there with lakes and rivers which also surround the mountains and towns. here i met with another superintendant and was given yet another blue folder...i'm becoming a pro at shaking hands and recieving blue folders. i think i have the most of any epik member thus far, but i could be wrong...he seemed very formal as everyone senior in suits seem to be but very curious about australia and it's education system. a good conversation was had...

after the meeting i was taken to my accomodation...omg...it was so dirty. i almost cried at the prospect of having to live in a place so grotty for a year. i told my co-teacher i would rather commute from chuncheon and stay with family and she agreed that was the best thing to do as the accomodation was nasty...

schools:

i teach 5 days across 4 different schools but they are all pretty close to each other. the only down side is that i can't just get away early because i am carpooling with the teachers here and i have no way of getting out of this tiny town. i am teaching at gundong elementary middle and high school and at oeum elementary school.all schools are small and none of my classes exceed 19 students. the smallest class was grade 4 in oeum with just 5 students. i am loving the small school environment and as the kids are super rural their english is very very low but very similar to each other which makes it easy on one hand....i can almost plan one lesson to go from grade 3 to 12! that's what i've been doing this week...

seriously though, the kids are wonderful. they are so sweet and well mannered. i will try and get some pics up of the schools soon. the teachers here are so pleased that i can speak korean that they are all bending over backwards to help me out with things which is great. they were all rather worreid that i would have no korean and they would not be able to communicate with me.

ok, class soon so i better go...can't believe it's only been a fornight or so since i got here but feels like forever already...

RIP steve irwin...