If you hadn't heard by now, I just moved to one of the largest cities in the world. Gauging the size of a city is a complex statistic, due to suburbs and metropolitan areas, but let us suffice it to say that Seoul ranks anywhere between 2nd and 10th in its respective categories.
I start to realize that the world is bigger than my language of choice. It is a surreal experience to teach children English all day long, only to exit the school and be bombarded by a language you don't know. Korean culture is much different than I expected, but how can your expectations be spot on when you move to a city of 11 million souls. I wanderlust for miles meandering through the city. Gamsa Hamnida, I bow my head in thanks. I can't eat the food, that much is for certain. It's either heavily dependent on meat or fish. The entirety of Seoul conflicts with vegetarianism. I buy a dozen eggs, marvel at the price, and curse when I discover they are hard boiled. I had a panic attack as I moved into my apartment and saw its size.
"Teachaaaaaaa! buh!", yell my children. I have kindergartners in the morning and 1st, 2nd, and 4th graders in the afternoon. The intensity of the day is mind boggling, but it's what I signed myself up for. I work from 9-7:30, with 2 hours of prep and 30 minutes for lunch. It's an interesting work environment, to say the least. I didn't plan it this way, and it's both amusing and annoying, but I'm on vacation this week. The school is closed for a week during the summer and winter, aka my paid vacation. It's annoying because I'd rather save money and travel to Kuala Lumpur and Cambodia. Instead, I laugh and help myself further adjust to this city. I leave tomorrow for Busan for five days exploring through the national forest and gazing at the ocean.You can reach me by telephone at (612) 424-3774 or on my skype name: jordangroh. The phone number is a U.S. number and, assuming I'm at my computer, you can call it on your cell phone or landline for free.
Below is the view out of my apartment window. Click it for a bigger view. Those mountains are my sanctuary.
