Welcome to my new life!
So, I just got into Seoul this past Monday. But I don't start teaching classes at the institute until April 3. Oh my God! I can't believe that I really came here! I have no idea how to teach and no idea about Korean people. They stare at me everywhere I go. It is soooo creepy. Why are they looking at me? It's not like I don't see other foreigners around.
I made some new friends at the teacher's training class. But most of the people look so boring. I mean, this Canadian guy asked me what my favorite color way. How weird is that?! I just totally lied to them about my whole life. What am I supposed to say: "Hi. I'm Melinda. I'm half-Japanese and half-straight. A couple of the teachers at this school are kind of hot, both boys and girls, so I hope we can all get to know each other." Right. "Oh, and I come from near Chicago." No, I do not have an accent asshole bald man. I can't believe how totally weird some of these dorks are. I hope it's not going to be one of those loooong years. I hope I have made the right choice.
I still haven't found a place to stay yet. I am staying at this really sick little hotel. It's like some kind of sex hotel, or something. It is sooo disgusting. I have got to get out of here and get a place to stay, pronto.
I made some new friends at the teacher's training class. But most of the people look so boring. I mean, this Canadian guy asked me what my favorite color way. How weird is that?! I just totally lied to them about my whole life. What am I supposed to say: "Hi. I'm Melinda. I'm half-Japanese and half-straight. A couple of the teachers at this school are kind of hot, both boys and girls, so I hope we can all get to know each other." Right. "Oh, and I come from near Chicago." No, I do not have an accent asshole bald man. I can't believe how totally weird some of these dorks are. I hope it's not going to be one of those loooong years. I hope I have made the right choice.
I still haven't found a place to stay yet. I am staying at this really sick little hotel. It's like some kind of sex hotel, or something. It is sooo disgusting. I have got to get out of here and get a place to stay, pronto.
posted by Melinda @ 3:31 PM
4 Comments:
At 4:06 PM,
kushibo said…
Welcome to Seoul.
Let me know when you starting missing Taco Bell or Doritos.
Eventually, you won't notice the staring.
At 8:15 AM,
kushibo said…
Oh, and by the way, I wandered over here from Space Nakji's.
This is really important: make sure you get a decent place to live. In my humble but highly informed and accurate opinion, where you live has a strong tendency make-or-break your living experience here.
Does your employer cover housing? Do they pay you for housing but you have to find it yourself?
It's not for everybody, but what a lot of foreign residents have found as quite satisfying places to live are roof-top one-room places, which are all over the place. Koreans generally don't want them because they're often too small for two or three people, and more so because there's a perception that they're hotter and colder in summer and winter, respectively (though it doesn't make any difference with an A/C and a heater).
The great thing is that you have more privacy, a lot of space (the rooftop) and a less trapped feeling when you can look out over the neighborhood instead of looking out your window at another brick wall.
At 9:39 AM,
Melinda said…
Thanks for coming to my blog!!
Taco Bell? Ew.
Dorito? Yes please.
The housing is paid for by them, and I get a choice of where to stay. Right now they are making me stay in the apartment of the last teacher who took a midnight run.But we have been looking for a place and have seen some really cute places and some really crappy places too. Thanks for your advice. Oh! I went to your blog. How do you know all that stuff?!
At 10:20 PM,
kushibo said…
Thanks for coming to my blog!!
Taco Bell? Ew.
Okay, I see why some people react that way, but Taco Bell, believe it or not, is one of the things that a lot of North Americans miss while they're over here. Some of my friends would beg me to take them on post (I'm not in the military, but I have access to Yongsan) so they can get a seven-layer burrito or a Mexican pizza. There's also the American-style Mexican restaurant, which has passable food. Anyway, the other things people miss is...
Dorito? Yes please.
Cool Ranch, Nacho Cheese, or Spicy Nacho Cheese (am I getting these right?)?
The housing is paid for by them, and I get a choice of where to stay. Right now they are making me stay in the apartment of the last teacher who took a midnight run.
Oh. Why did this person do a midnight run?
But we have been looking for a place and have seen some really cute places and some really crappy places too. Thanks for your advice. Oh! I went to your blog. How do you know all that stuff?!
Not sure if that's really true, but if it is, then I credit grad school, listening and reading a lot, and being forced to learn stuff while making cross-cultural learning and broadcast materials. Feel free to ask me anything you want to know.
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