Welcome to Yeongju!!!!!!

Hi everyone. 
Sorry for the delayed blogging- I have been crazy busy.

I found out on the last night of orientation that I was going to teach in Yeongju.

My instant reaction was where the f*** is that? So I spent the evening incredibly worried that I was about to be stuck in the middle of a rice field for the year with nothing but plants for company. In essence, I spent our final orientation night out at the local soju bar with my friends (who all seemed to have been given much better locations than I).

Last night out at the soju bar. A lovely picture of Rebecca (Lurpekka)

 

A ton of food at our EPIK closing ceremony along with fan dance!

After a couple of sad goodbyes to the friends I have made over the last 10 days, I boarded a bus that would take us to Gumi in Gyeonbuk province where our co-teachers would fetch us. Once in Gumi, we stood outside the bus with all our worldly possessions in the bags around us and waited for one of the many co-teachers to call us. Someone commented that it was like waiting to be adopted. It felt that way.

 Eventually I found an older man (one of the teachers in my school) holding up a sign with my name. I had little choice but to just smile and hope for the best. Another South African guy Marc, also got ushered into the car along with me. In hindsight I am incredibly grateful that he was in the same car along for the ride. I may have burst into tears if I hadn't had a familiar accent to talk to. Marc has come to Korea with his wife (who is teaching in the middle school and seems very nice). The teacher who drove us, explained that we were going to be teaching under the same foundation but at separate schools. I would be at Yeonju Boys' High School and he would be at the girls high school. We slowly drove 2 hours in the direction of Yeonju. I watched as the countryside became more and more rural and I became more and more concerned. 

Finally we turned the corner into the town. And we were there! And to my surprise - It was a decently sized city.  With small skyscrapers mixed in between traditional homes. Everywhere I saw shops and big grocery stores. There is a big multiple story Homeplus and Lotte Mart (sort of like Macro in SA). I instantly relaxed- I was not in the middle of nowhere. 

Next thing I knew I was dropped off at my school. It was incredibly intimidating walking around school while many high school boys laughed and pointed at me because I was foreign and new. I was used to teaching the babies, not these big teenagers. I have since decided it is not so bad to be at a boys high school. I figure you might develop more of a relationship with your students if they are older than toddlers. Although I have not taught a class myself yet- so we will see. 

After I was taken to school, I was ushered off to my apartment, my heart was pounding every time the car slowed down. I sat there thinking, no not this flat, yes maybe that one. In the end they took me to a block of flats about 20 minutes from the school. Its great. I have a double bed! Its not very big, but I am so happy with how cozy it is. It turns out that this area is mostly for foreigners.

I had about 3 seconds to feel lonely before I got a big knock on the door. A really nice guy in my block, Farzam (he also let me pinch his internet- thanx man), asked if I wanted to come up to the roof and have a few drinks with the other foreigners. I was exhausted- but I was hardly about to say no. I was elated - in a decent city and people who speak English around me. Yes!

 

Sorry not great pictures.. I will upload a video when my new phone is working!

My main co-teacher is Erica as well as help from Mr Bae.  She has been like my surrogate mother. She has done everything with me!! I couldn't have asked for a nicer lady. She is also only about 2 or 3 years older than me.  She helped me shop for my apartment, took me to get photos and open up a bank account, organised for me to go and get my acr. All while Mr Bae took us to Andong and to get new cellphones. Erica still asks me every morning how I am doing or if I need anything. All in all I am ok!