One Day Away: Having Settled

If (for some reason) all goes as planned, I should be living and working here in Songpa, South Korea (about 30 minutes outside of Seoul) for the next ten and a half months.

I moved here one week ago and, since then, have been enjoying daily life much more. I don't feel quite as buoyant. It's the difference between rolling out the sleeping bag each night and pitching the tent. The sleeping bag lifestyle was starting to take a toll on my psyche; the move came at a good time.

I live here, on the 3rd floor.

I'm now working at the new branch of the school and liking it so far. I had twelve hour-long classes this week, which made for a nice, low-stress start. My schedule should fill out more as enrollment rises. My coworkers are great, as are the students. Most of the students are pretty quiet so far, but I have a feeling I'll be longing for that quietness to return after a few weeks!

It's a much different feel starting at a brand new location than walking into an existing one. Everything - rules, relationships, norms, nuances - is being created now, and I, like every other participant, have a significant role in this rarely experienced formation process.

The brand new branch.

I'm also finding this city more enjoyable than the last one. My previous location felt more industrial; this place feels more personal. I'm in a smaller apartment building, with many small shops and restaurants close by. People, too, have, for whatever reason, been more approachable. I have interesting encounters most days!

Once, I was walking to Olympic Park (the biggest park in Korea, only 10 minutes away; I'll post pictures next time), when an elderly, tennis-playing lady struck up conversation with me in impressive English. She told me that her daughter had gone to Lewis & Clarke University in Oregon and now lives in Texas. Small world!

Another time, I ordered soup at a restaurant and apparently didn't pronounce, "to go" quite right. The motherly Korean waitress took it upon herself to teach me the correct way, which I very much appreciated. Shortly thereafter, however, I admitted (in Korean) that I am an English teacher as well as a Korean student and she became quite excited. She looked at me intently and spoke very quickly. I, of course, had no idea what I was being told, but the more I responded with a confused smile or a desperate, "I don't know!" the more focused she became and the louder she spoke. It was nice of her to talk to me, but when I finally left, I had a slip of paper with what I'm told is her brother's address scribbled on it... and I have no idea why!