2 January, Wednesday (First Day in Korea)
Seoul's airport is crispy, polished white - I guess where airports go to heaven. The air is so cold, and ice stalgnites hang from cars parked outside. The highways are wide and neat and filled with cars efficiently wheeling along. It's a strong, interesting city, great and sparkling and everything is different. All the cars are Korean.
I sat in front on the way in. and got to know Brian, the driver. 29, studied music, likes movies and skiing and American food....
3 January, Thursday
...Lunch was not good. It's very spicy rice, beans and sprouts - the bread and fruit is nice. So McDonald's is likely to feature as a more staple diet!
Before going, John Kang allowed us to send emails from his office. The air is very dry, so we have to be careful to always carry water with us. Karen has a bad chest cold, she says, because she allowed the icy Siberian air to dry her out.
There's 1 English language channel called American Forces Network, and a newspaper called The Korea Herald. Also learned the phonetic alphabet today.
Pastor Kang warned us not to speak Afrikaans and to say we are British (rather than South African). This is, he says, because Koreans don't believe Africans are very educated.
All in all a very long but interesting day. Tomorrow, at midday, I'm dispatched out of this comfort zone, to Ilsan.
7 Monday
I'm writing this during a break between classes! I am so honored to be here, and it is a real thrill to be teaching this wonderful language to these strange and beautiful children. They may all have dark hair, but their eyes have a unique sculpture, though the same fiery glow of intelligence. They are very sharp, even this late in the day, which is just as well...
Mona knew I am not an experienced teacher, so it was gratifying to hear her say, "Oh, you teach English well," after my first lesson. She is my favorite teacher. Lizzie is the worst - very territorial over her brood. Sue is quite neutral, but nice.
So, I'm having a good time. Everything is turning out better than I'd hoped - though I made sure not to entertain any expectations. This school is like an auditing firm in terms of looks. It is sleek with moulded wood panels and soft lightning imbedded into the building. It's brand new - a few cans of open white paint are still lying in the staff room.
1 more class to go then Donald and I can gobble up the delicious lunch leftovers (prawn stir fry) that we rustled up...
This morning we went for a brisk walk over a new sprinkling of ice. The sky was crisp, and the streets crunched like biscuit crumbs under our feet. We went on a marvellous jaunt up a hillside...
Tuesday 8
An unexpected side-effect of coming to this country has been that, when I wake up in the morning, there is a compulsion to get up. Sleep is solid, and so is wakefulness. I have lived a perfect sleeping pattern since moving to Ilsan. I wonder whether that has anything to do with living without time (I left my watch in S>A>, and since it was once a birthday present from Sam, and her most enduring legacy, I thought it time to dispose of it. The band cracked and broke anyway, and then I superglued it back. Then the battery gave in. All signs, I should say, of putting that time (piece) behind me...
Teaching was super today - loads of laughter and enthusiastic learning. Donald and I have fallen with our bumbs in the butter. Had a lovely talk with Lizzie and Rachel (Korean teachers) on Korea, K/J relations, branding and "Are you married?" they asked me.
They want to go out with us, they said. Sue also called and we had a great supper. I'm finding balance in all that I do.
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