Net-izens

Much has happened since our last entry. I'll try to keep it short so as not to bore you, but we feel like new people. We feel like "Net-izens"-as my co-teacher called us upon receiving Internet, but let's not jump ahead. So. we've moved, we've gotten cell phones and we have internet. We set up a skype phone number so people can call us on a US number and avoid the international phone bill (413-992.6490) and we are slowly trying to visit every eatery and drinkery on our new street.

The new digs= great. It's in an apartment complex which makes it very authentic. We live on the 6th floor and shannon likes it because she doesn't see her students every time we walk to the supermarket. Jamie however frightened the hell out of one of his students. She lives in the building and the poor think practically ran away when she saw him (her personal sense of decorum kept that from happening). ANWYAY, the apartment is 18 peyong (the unit they use to measure apartments here) which means we have a bedroom, a living room, bathroom, kitchen and a balcony. It's quite lovely. We both really enjoy it and although we said we'd be fine in the other place, this really is so much better. (aside from the day's worth of cleaning).

Move in day was hilarious. Both of our schools sent contingencies to move us. Shannon's school showed up first at 9:00 with 7 men and no translator (not that it mattered much) and then jamie's school showed up at 10am with another 7 men. The move took no time at all and everyone was gone by 11 at which time all the women showed up. Three of Shannon's co-teachers, her principal and two of Jamie's co-teachers. Shannon's principal promptly decided we needed a bigger fridge, and then just as quickly, she left. Shannon's co-teacher Ms kim brought us more kimchi, someone brought us fresh, hot donuts and everyone brought us toilet paper and tissues. The TP and tissues is a korean custom. The idea being that the tissue just keeps coming, signifying your life continuing to roll on pleasantly. Or something like that.


So, our new apartment is a 15 minute walk to both of our schools and there's this great exercise park on a hill right next door. There's great shops and restaurants real close by and we can walk to HomePlus (it's like Target only much more expansive).


I'll take some pictures now so you can see for yourselves and the next edition will include: meeting 72-year old hiker Mr Kim, our trip to insa-dong and chuseok holiday preparations.


Exciting things about Korea:

Mountains:
Seoul is surrounded by mountains. It's very exciting. Almost anywhere in the city you can see mountains so it means that you can easily get to hiking trails and that you get splendid views of the city while hiking




Age:
Generally we avoided this one because shannon just had a birthday and is not to interested in being any older, but in Korea, you're considered 1 when you are born and turn 2 when you pass the new year. Which means that born right before New year you could be 2 years old just three days after being born. HOWEVER, we're not certain how this works exactly because there seems to be some discrepancy with people who are born in 1980. We can't figure out if we're 30 or 31. it varied depending on who we talk to.

Pop stars:
are OUT OF CONTROL! There are so many here! there's this one band that has 15 members! crazy. nd it's not only our students that love them-the teachers too. There's been this huge controversy with this singer Ja-Beom and it's been the best way to get people to practice english! Of course...maybe it's the same in the US and we just weren't hanging around the right people.