Chris' First Post (finally)

Hello all of you!!!!!!

First of all, I miss all of you very much. Not a day passes when I don't think about how much I miss everyone back home.

It's been a while since I have shared with you all, so this post will be a bit of an outline of posts to come and an overall check in. Here goes:

Life here has been pretty good. I am really enjoying my job, sans a few minor annoyances of course. But on the whole, I love my director and head teacher, the people I work with are actual educators (degrees and all) and so I feel encouraged and supported, and I adore the kids. Today during play time the whole class gathered around the CD player and started singing a Cookie Monster song, and it was one of the cutest things I have ever seen. They love hugs and say, "Teacher, I love you!" all the time. One of my little boys asked me if I can be his big brother. I also teach one adult class with all moms, and they are lovely people. They act like my mothers, telling me what to eat and to wear a coat, but it is really nice and I enjoy the love. They are taking Melanie and me out for my first seafood meal in many, many weeks.

Speaking of which, I have been a vegetarian pretty much since I got here, and it is going well, but the end of this little experiment is getting close and I am happy. I miss friend chicken sooooo much. I have been enjoying the food and cooking, and I am learning a lot. I feel like I am really growing in the kitchen here (as well as other ways).

As per other news, Melanie and I have been studying Hapkido, and we really like it. Well, Mel enjoys it, I am in love with it. It is exactly the style I have been looking for, except for no sparring. I miss the thrill of sparring, but with my shoulder it is probably better this way. I'm getting stronger everyday, and my weight is dropping. I'm working with a guy her who majored in something to do with the body and nutrition to learn how to make better food choices and exercise choices that are sustainable and healthy.

We are making lots of friends, and I feel like I am really connecting with many of the Koreans I am meeting as well as foreigners. In Japan, I felt like the locals looked down on me and kept me at arm's length, but here, everyone has been so excited to be friends and get to know us. It is really fun. I hear a lot of negativity from the foreign community about the Seoulites, but I haven't seen it. I have had an overwhelmingly positive experience so far.

On a negative note, the air here isn't great, and in combination with my asthma I have not been doing well. I have been sick for most of the time here, varying from a little sick to moderately sick. I haven't missed any days yet though. Also, I had a tooth-related emergency, and was in phenomenal pain, and no one would give me pain killers (I visited 4 hospitals). So, in short, I'm not thrilled with much of the medical stuff here. That said, I have had a bunch of other dental work done well, for cheap, and I like my dentist. mixed bag.

More to come. Here is a list of the things I would like to write posts on.

-Food (including video and photos of the live octopus dinner)
-Work (photos of kids!)
-Andong Mask Festival (photos of course)
-Going Out (more photos and video, including a scavenger hunt)
-Lantern Festival (haven't gone yet, but it looks cool)
-Hapkido
-Drinking
-Shopping
-Jimjilbang (onsen, or hot springs/bathhouse/flavored saunas)
-Social Rules and Formality
-Holidays

Lots of love and happy thoughts to all of you. I really miss you, and can't wait to give you hugs in person.

Cheers,

Chris