The First Week

Mud masks make
everything better.

It is safe to say I feel as though I've lived at least a year in the past five days. Even though it's been an overwhelming week, I am overjoyed with my choice to return to Korea. My students are full of energy and more than willing to accept me into their classrooms. More than one of the kindergartners has told me that they love me, to quote one little girl exactly it's not love it's, "loph," which in my opinion is even better. And if that wasn't enough all of the staff and my coworkers have been the friendliest, kindest, most helpful people I've ever met. 

My apartment (while it does have it's quirks and slight issues) is a thing of beauty. Just big enough that I can have people over and we won't be sitting on top of each other, but not so big that I feel the need to buy any extra furniture. I've inherited a rich variety of items, including (but not limited to) an airsoft pistol, bookshelf, fan, desk, shampoo to last me a year (bonus!), and a television (with cable!). 

This wardrobe doesn't
connect to Narnia :(

Things to get used to: John Wayne w/
Korean subtitles.

The wall of quotes/photos
grows

I try my hand at some easy wall art.

To answer the question, "How'd you spend your first weekend back?" 

Very... lamely? I'm not gonna lie guys, waking up Saturday was rough. I felt like I had no purpose without work, which sounds ridiculous since I'd only been here three and a half days at that point, but the weekend, once it arrived, just felt like a giant looming question mark. Sure, I had errands, but when you wake up at 6a.m., and leave your apartment at 7:30 forgetting nothing really opens till 10 or later... I ended up back at Yeungnam. Not having planned to visit, I hadn't been in contact with anyone there. I visited the old dorm, only to discover it now has more security than (insert maximum security prison title here). For real, I got locked inside dorm E and couldn't get out. What the heck is this facial recognition stuff both when you enter and when you exit, and on every floor above the second. I should have just crawled out the pizza hole, they made that even bigger for whatever reason, but instead I went looking for someone to let me out, and the Ajussi handyman gave me a ten minute lecture (in Korean) on how facial recognition works all the while I'm just nodding and saying "nae" about fifty times. 

Still can't believe I get to look at this every
time I'm in my kitchen

I'm glad to have had the old days when they didn't care enough about what international students did to put in CCTVs, or face recognition software... still, there's a new couch in the common area that I wish we'd had. Some serious sectional parties could be had with that couch. I got a haircut, bought a few small plants, some beauty supplies, more groceries, went back to Daiso for the stuff I'd forgotten during the week, went to mass in Gyeongsan this morning, and then went back to the grocery store for more things I'd forgotten, did laundry, cleaned (yes mom, I actually cleaned), and watched too much TV and ate too much ice cream. 

I do plan on having more adventurous weekends in the future, but as it is, I'm glad this one went by quietly and that tomorrow is Monday. It's my first official day of teaching and I can't wait. 

This one needs a little work. 

I've inherited a small stockpile
of  Xmas supplies. 

"The Princess Bear" by a previous student.