The Nitty Gritty

It's time we get to the stuff about my new school and where I am
living. There was a little bit of false advertisement going on in
Songdo, and while I thought about some legal recourse, I think I might
have to let it slide. Let me say that it is a BEAUTIFUL area, with a
lot going on and some serious resources at it's disposal. However, on
the brochure for "Visit Incheon," about half of it was dedicated to my
area where the land of robots and excellence unite! The problem is
that most of the buildings and attractions on the brochure have not
yet been built. They are timing it on a project for 2020, with a huge
portion to be completed by 2014 (In time for the Asia Games, being
held in Incheon). So while even the construction is magnificent
(along with how quickly they do it), it isn't quite all the brochure
chalked it up to be.

At the same time, I wouldn't trade it for any other area in Incheon.
The school is fantastic, and is as close to being an "international
school" as it can get without actually being one. I am the 5th
"native teacher" (born-English-speaking teacher) at the school,
something no other EPIK'er can boast. The other 4 have all been in
the area and teaching at the school for about 5-8 months. They are
really great people from all over the States (GA, OH, OK and MI). I
actually just had a BBQ with them last night (I got to eat some
fantastic BBQ sauce, which I had gone too long without). Funny side
note: I invited my friend Anthony from LA to the BBQ but in text
messaging on a Korean phone, there is no "q" key, so I had to settle
for BBCUE.

My principal is an English enthusiast and we have already had a few
impromptu English lessons. The school has about 4 floors and caters
to grades 1-6. The school is set up in a "U" fashion with one of the
prongs making up grades 1, 3, and 5 by floors with the other prong
making up grades 2, 4, and 6. In the middle there is a variety of buildings:
Teacher's room, a Music room, Science room, English center, and a
couple other centers. I love just about everything about it, and have
had an unparalleled welcome. I have felt like the new member of a
large, warm family. I have spent the week observing my classes, and
am fortunate enough to only have one co-teacher, which means that I
will be working alongside my main co-teacher who has had the grand
responsibility of getting everything set up for me. Ms. Lim, my
co-teacher, has been fantastic and I don't know if I can ever repay
her. I am in her debt. We will be seeing the 4th grade and 3rd grade
classes once a week, and 5th and 6th graders twice a week (each grade
has 3 classes). While observing has been an education experience, I
am excited to get to teaching!!

On a side note - Just yesterday I purchased indoor slippers, rendering
the pairs of dress shoes I painstakingly brought across the world
rather useless. In fact, before the ones I bought yesterday (they
are Van's knock offs, so it definitely fits my style!), I was using
guest open toe slip ons. I consider myself quite the fashionable man,
so being forced to wear dress pants, shirt and tie along with open toe
sandals was like making me walk on fire. New work slippers moved up
the list: past getting my refrigerator, internet and TV pretty quickly,
settling ever so slightly behind breathing air and eating food in
terms of priorities.

Before I end this post, I just want to tell all my loved ones one more
time that I am getting treated far better than I deserve, and am so
incredibly grateful for this opportunity so far.