Pseung Elementary School and life

This school is everything I ever wanted and what I thought I would be getting in Korea.

I'm at an Elementary School in Pyeongtaek. It's just south of Suwon, so I'm in another Seoul suburb on the opposite side of the subway map (Line 1).

School: It's small with about 100 kids of which I teach about 75 kids. This means I have an amazing schedule and hours less than the mandated 22 hours/week. My students English is much lower then what I'm used to from my hagwon kids. They are, however, most days into what I'm teaching, well behaved, attentive and participatory.

Co-teacher: I'd heard horror stories about co-teaching before I started, but she's awesome. She's married with 2 kids, so we won't be hanging out after work, but she's attentive, complimentary and really great at writing instructions for the errands I have to run. She even reimbursed me for a mistake she made in sending me to the wrong hospital for the health check!

It took a moment to get used to having someone in the room with me, but it works! She's pretty good at translating and we play off each other well.

School lunch: It's okay! I've trained the lunch ladies to only give me a little bit of kimchi, which I use to spice up the rice. I've never eaten so much rice and soup in my life! Lunch is only disastrous when it's that all bones fish, belch.

 Ocarina: I'm learning an instrument! I'm taking the class Thursdays with a couple teachers. It's a type of flute. It's giving me flashbacks to my trumpet/piano playing days. I must practice my scales. It's also harder because instruction is in Korean (obvs) and I don't wanna embarrass myself in front of the Principal, oh yeah he's taking the class too! I thought it was gonna be a one-off, but it's for 26 WEEKS!!! It's okay gives me something to do from 10:20-11 on a day where I only have 1 ONE ONE ONE class!

 Apartment: My apartment is great. It's different then what I'm used to because it's 3 separate room rather than the 1 big room. I have a FULL SIZED fridge, my life was made when I asked about that.

I'm also living right behind Pyeongtaek Station so it's really easy to get too and from places. The KTX is right there so 55 minutes to central Seoul and it's a rapid stop on the regular metro. Also the bus terminal is right beside the station. Woo woo! 55 minutes to Express Bus Terminal then wherever from there.

I posted this on Facebook, but it still applies a month in: