Little Diffrences Can Be Dramatic

A visit to the hospital today was...curious? First off I am OK my sickness is not exactly getting better but it sure isn't getting worse. *knock on wood...I would if I could find any in my plastic apt.
The visit to the hospital was to have some tests done to make sure I am fit to educate Korean children. My adventure started at the front door where an old man walking with a cane, who had obviously peed himself, walked past leaving puddles every step he took. He didn't seem too concerned nor did the staff walking past him. Next a man rolled a woman on a stretcher past me, nearly crushing my feet. Looking back at him I realized he wasn't an orderly, he was a relative, all the patience I saw today were pushed by family. I was whisked from station to station: check my teeth here, listen to my heart and lungs there, measure my weight height and BMI, then an unnecessary x-ray of my chest for fun, the best for last Urine and Blood!
I sat in the chair I was directed to and waited as the nurse made phone calls. A child of maybe 4 walked out of a room with a giant HAZMAT sticker across the door. He stood on the chair across from me next to the nurse on the phone. He proceeded to turn equipment on and off, pick up test tubes put them in his mouth then replace them at random. The nurse watched this with passive recognition. Was it "bring your kid to work-and expose-him-to-all-sorts-of-dangerous-things day"? I don't know but this is just the beginning of odd Korean phlebotomy practices.
Done with the phone conversation he replaces the receiver and grabs a needle. I notice he has missed a step but give the professional the benefit of doubt. "He won't really take blood from me with out washing his hands or dawning gloves...will he?" *Oh side note he also handled my urine sample, sans-gloves, while on the phone.* One swipe of the alcohol swab then with his bare finger he pokes the freshly "sterilized" spot on my arm, finding the vein. The needle goes in and the blood is drawn.
Back out the front door we have to squeeze past the truck that has backed up to the double doors to load soiled laundry. I could see a loading dock several feet from where I stand but the front doors was where he parked...Only in Korea. Today was an adventure all it's own. I truly can't believe I have been here for only two weeks it feels like a very long time, not in a bad way, just an observation. I had a few requests for my address; I will provide the schools as it will be easiest and most likely to be delivered.
LCI Kids Club C.O. William Teacher
660-8 LCI Acadamy B/D
E-Dong Ansan-Si
Kyunggi-Do, 426-857 South Korea


Oh and NO I am not near the bombing in the north...although we have been directed to have our travel documents on hand and a bag packed in case we are evacuated?!

What just happened?

Where to start? 
Well...I met this father and son paragliding duo on a forum and have been discussing flying in Korea for a few months. Turns out they live very close to me and were going flying in Cheomchun this weekend and invited me along. So good so far.
I rode to trains at 6am to get to Song Tan Station in Osan. Somehow my 1hour trip took me near two and I was 20 minutes late meeting them at the station. This is where things get interesting. Feeling bad I naturally apologized profusely. Most people would reply "oh no worries" or "it's ok we were actually running late too" but I got "meh well we were here thirty minutes early". Then I was all but ignored as the family squabbled among themselves, in the car were two sons a daughter a mother and their father. Father, Paul, is an overbearing, socially awkward,  white army guy who belongs in the 1950's. His wife plays the role of submissive Korean wife happy to have a man that supports her and also takes care of all her thinking. Some of the family is dropped off and all that is left is me Paul and Allan. They open up when they start poring some of Paul's home mad whiskey. It was delicious! 
We took four flights in the smoothest air I had ever had the pleasure of flying. The club they are part of consisted of twenty 40+ year old pilots. They were very nice but spoke almost no English. We ate dinner at  a place half way between a restaurant and a home. The woman cooked for us and one other table then sat down and ate and drank with us. As a guest many toasts were made to me and I consumed large amounts of soju. Paul got drunk.
For the next several hours after dinner he told me his life story. It consisted of: drugs (EVERY drug you can think of), the devil telling him to do things, and finding Jesus Christ his personal lord and savior. He ranted about weird stuff. Allen excused himself and made himself scares for the next few hours. I found him later in the hall when I left to make an imaginary phone call. He said that his dad is harmless but it's embarrassing to see him like that. That's the SHORT version of the nights escapades. 
The next morning everything was back to normal, as normal as this man can be. We met the club and i found out there was a competition today, spot landing. The top prize 300,000 won! (about $300) I came in for a landing, perfect heading, perfect height, "I was going to WIN!". A strong thermal, now I am too high, turn to loose altitude, now I'm off course, back on course but too low! 10' short, a horrible showing for the USA. All in all 4 flights the first day and three the second, this was an amazing trip, awkward at times, but amazing.
This post has taken me three days to write, between being ill and working I only get to write in ten minute chunks here and there. Thank you for reading and posting comments, it really helps me stay connected to my old home. Pictures coming soon.

I am...WILLIAM TEACHER!

First day of class today was long and stressful, but a day full of cute children calling me William Teacher made my day OK. I actually loved my Kindergarten classes, they are so full of energy and enthusiasm. The older kids are fun because you can have near natural conversations with them. I also teach the most advanced children at our school, they never cease to amaze me with their comprehension and vocabulary. Then there is The Class. *Cue dramatic music (dum dum dummmmmm) They really test me, speaking Korean (I think about me), moving, yelling, fighting, lying, everything a child their age does ;) It is difficult but I'll make it. I feel unprepared and over whelmed from time to time. I am still ridiculously happy about being here. It's nine am so I best post this get dressed and rush off to school. Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive, you'll be recieving postcards as soon as I find a place that sells postcards.

Many Happy Fun Time

The flight was quicker then I expected. Twelve hours actually passed with two movies, a measly 50 pages read in a book, a little sleep and a few meals. At immigration I was selected for a “random screening”. It consisted of me waiting in various chairs for intervals of 10-20 minutes. In these chairs I was facing bureaucracy and he had no interest in “chit-chat”. Finally he motioned toward the door and said something to me in Korean. I grabbed my passport and never asked twice or looked back.

My luggage had already done down the bag slide ridden the bag merry-go-round and been trapped in bag limbo. The place was deserted. I collected my bags and found my driver, 50 min later I was sitting down to dinner with my principal and to two other ESL teachers.

I woke at 4 am to the boom of thunder. I wrapped myself in blankets and watched the light show from the balcony. Massive flashes lit mountains in the distance and I made mental notes on side trips to be investigated later. After 20 minutes I went back to bed but clicked on the light, I was no longer tired. I pulled out the untouched book from the flight and read until the sun came up. 6am I attempted a shower in the combo shower toilet but there was no hot water so I settled for a “refreshing” see. Cold, sponge bath. Very awake I dressed quickly then decided to go for a walk, maybe find some food if I felt adventurous. I began walking down streets following no particular path, turning when I saw something of interest; a cool bike, an outdoor aquarium full of squid, a man in a park playing some game between bocce and croquet. Eventually my stomach won the battle between nervousness and hunger. I spotted an atm and after one failed attempt to navigate the system I was able to withdraw funds 50,000 won with a 3000 won service charge. I picked the amount at random, I didn’t know how much I would need for breakfast but figured I would need money the rest of the week at least as well. I chose the amount in the middle of the high and low amount I was able to withdraw and was ecstatic when the machine produced a stack of 5 10,000 won notes. I walked into the nearest shop and grabbed items at random. Piled on the counter an old woman watching soaps on a small TV rang me up, total 2,700 won (almost three bucks). With the transaction complete, feeling bold, I accepted my bag of treats and said, “thank you” in Korean which she responded likewise and added a good bye. These might seem like trivial feats but I was quite proud of myself. On the walk back I pulled cookies and butter crackers from their wrappers and ate them while admiring the clouds and slurping a horrible coffee drink in a can. Back at my temporary apartment I hurriedly typed this before it was time for my first day at school.

The first day started with me being introduced to the entire school. They had questions. What is your favorite color? What is your favorite shape? Where are you from? What is your favorite color? Mwa cham san da chawa? What is your favorite color? What is your favorite animal? What is your favorite color? * see answer key 5.71

My first class was amazing, excited, curious and bright, the rest did not necessarily compare. Some were smarter and quieter but some were lazier and more obnoxious. Overall it was a great time and I look forward to working with them.

I discovered I will be working with them sooner then I thought. My training started and finished today. On Monday I am on my own! It’s sink or swim and I don’t plan on drowning.

After work the staff went out for Korean BBQ, it was half good bye to Emily Teacher and half hello to William Teacher. The soju *see bad idea, flowed. I talked to many of my co-workers about everything. The evening ended at the Garten Bier where we were served beer by the foot. Over all it feels like this has been one of the longest and most eventful days of my life (and I skipped over a lot…you’re welcome).

Cold – An understatement of epic, private area shrinking, proportions.

Answer 5.71 

1) red, like my shirt. 2) ummm well I like circles…I guess? 3) the USA, Washington state, Seattle. 3) red, like my shirt. 4)ummm Say again? 5) red, like my shirt. 6) I like dogs. I have a dog back home that I miss. (first, of many, lies) 7) red, like my shirt….still

Bad Idea – Something between rice wine and vodka placed before you so your Korean counterpart can have some laughs at your expense.