My first week

So I have reached the end of my first week. Round of applause please.

I had my first day of teaching today, so, of course, I did the sensible thing and stayed out drinking until 4.30am. I was a goodbye for 2 of the boys, where were off back home.

We went straight from work at about half 8 to the bar. A very american looking place, I think it might have even been called Miller Time.

We we drinking from massive plastic bottle of beer that only cost £5. (The glass is a normal size) We also had sweet potato cake, and yes it is ming.

Most people stayed till about 1 but me, two other girls stayed and 2 of the korean teachers stayed. Why are I always the last to leave? We continued drinking and got through 3 of the bg beers.

When your in a bar in Korean you press a bell on the table to make the waitress come over and they always give you little nibbles with your drinks so we got given a weird dryed squid jerky thing. It stinks to high hell and makes you like rot but it is delicious. I'm so gross.

Eventually left and we ended up speaking to some random korean man who owns a local restaurant for ages. It's so funny everyone wants to talk to us. Some guy yesterday almost killed himself trying to shout 'Hawllo' from the back of his motorbike.

The school reception

Felt horrific all day and had to figure out all my timetables, syllabus and a load of other crap. A few vomits later I felt a little better but sooo frigging tired all day. I've basically been drunk every night this week. My liver has turned to pate but according to my health check I am disease free, so at least I have that.

The screaming kids and one of the western teachers in the back ground.

The weather is still beautiful here. Like a lovely english summers day. But there are fucking mozzys everywhere. Evil little bastards have bitten me to shit. The koreans are also terrified of the air conditioning at the moment because they think that it will increase the germs and give them swine flu (very odd, they also have this nonsense idea that if you leave a wall fan on in your bedroom at night it can suffocate you. Fan death- what a load of bloody nonsense) so in order to stop us sweating to death we have to open the windows and all the evil mozzys fly in. So annoying.

Moving to my new apartment tomorrow. Yay!!! Can't wait to have a proper bed rather than the noisiest blow up bed in the world. I'm watching TV as I watch this and I have just seen an advert for a loo with a squirty bum thing. The TV here is so hilarious-loads of variety shows that all seem to take the piss out of the fat and mentally disabled.

I'm loving the teaching so far. The kids are so sute but you have to be really strict with them and give them detention a lot. For every class I set my rules and punishments-

1. Do you homework (detention and 50 lines)

2. Speak only english - NO Korean! (25 lines)

3. Sit quietly (Stand outside or stand up at the back for the whole lesson)

We're really encouraged to be super strict with them cause they do so much school that they will take the piss at any opportunity. We are also told that we can hit them if necessary. Not hard obviously but my boss was telling me that he made some of the boys stand with their arms out for the whole lesson holding all the books they had in their bag. The parents love it and one of the biggest complaints is if we aren't strict enough. I feel quite sorry for them really. They have normal school from 8 till 1 or 2 ish then come to us for another 7 hours ish. They don't finish until around half nine then they have to do they ton of homework that is set for them. And these are all primary school children! Apparently this continues throughout high school and once they get to college they stop working and chillout.

I have to talk in a very slow slightly americanised accent for them to understand me. I feel like such a twat.I'm going to get a Joss Stone like mid-atlantic twang.

Okay, I have to go to bed as I am struggling to keep my eyes open

xoxoxoxo

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Tests

Hospital today for all my tests. Blood, eye, ear, throat, chest xray, dental, urine. At one point to thought they were talking me to gynocology and almost died. They as sooo paranoid about westerners!
Oh and you should try peeing in a cup whilst a little korean granny is hammering on the door shouting at you in a language you cannot comprehend. Good times.
Had a 'Korean' hotdog for lunch. Not a euphamism but tiny non the less. (Haha, I'm so easily amused).
I was watching the kids in a speaking competition this evening and there level of english is so good. THey gave these amazing presentations about the the human body (I actually learnt something) but one of the teachers had been emohasising the uses of the anus so the kids kept on talking about it not realising what it actually was. I also almost died laughing when someone started talking about multiple climaxes - they actually meant in a story but of course my british humour took me else where and I was quietly crying to myself with laughter.
Off to emart tonight (korean tescos) ans I'm a little over excited about it. I need milk and sugar as I will die if I don't have a cup of tea soon.
xoxoxoxo

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Looking rough and tired as hell

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Here!

So after 26 hours in transit I finally made it. And by god did I smell!
I arrived in the airport and emerged from arrivals like a blonde giant amongst gnomes.
Even in the airport there were Louis Vuittons as far as the eye can see and all the women are tiny and gorgeous. It's enough to give a girl a complex; well, it would be if I didn't have such fabulous hair. Anyway if they annoy me too much I will just sit on them and squish them.
I've eaten gimichi already. It's amazingly gross, but I love it. Sushi for breakfast too, fab!
Oh and I also found Korean Spam. Proper Spam in a can!
Off to the school today to have all my tests (HIV, Hep A & B). If I have any of these I will hunt you down and rip your balls from your body. You know who you are.
And I also have a drugs test.....um....should be fine.....
I will post some photos soon but will have to wait on the video as I'm sharing an apartment for a few days beofre I get my own and I don't need her to think I'm nuts.
xoxoxo

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Nearer there

I got an email today to say that my flights have been booked for saturday.
So much to do; I'm so disorganised.
However instead of doing anything productive I went shopping and drank a bottle of wine. My perfect day!

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Nearly there!

So this is it...finally!


After months of planning and organising I will finally have my E2 visa on friday, and of course because of the stupid fucking postal strikes I have to go to London to pick up my passpost. £50 to spend 5 1/2 hours on a train and 3 hours in London. We are in the middle of a recession with people lucky to hold onto their jobs and the Royal Mail holds us to ransom to maintain their outdated 1970s working practises. Absolute bloody prats.


Then I'm off. Well...give or take a few days. The school still has to book flights for me.
I'm desperately trying to get them to book me onto Emirates as you get an extra 10kg luggage allowance. I need 30kg! I will happily sit in Dubai airport for 20hrs if it means I get the extra luggage allowance. 20kg will not do me. I have a lot of shoes and clothes and I am not a small person. I'm still going to fly in a least 3 layers. I'm even considering cutting a hole in the lining of my coat in order to pack it full of knickers and tights. Bit dramatic maybe but I am never going to get into teeny-tiny Korean clothes. I'm going to get my mum to send me boxes full of Primark clothes every few months.


God, I'm shallow. Clearly my only real concern so far has been regarding clothes and my hair. Lots of you have asked me about being nervous living and working in a foreign country for a year and so far I'm not. I'm really looking forward to it!



I keep getting a little over excited and squeeling. Mainly because I will be able to properly stalk Super Junior. The most amazing pop band to come out of Asia. I've put the video below. I even love the fat one!




(And, yes, I am damn proud that I managed to figure out how to post videos)



Right, I'm off to bed. It's 2 am and I have a million things to do tomorrow. Including walking the worlds smelliest and most demented dog for my neighbour. God, I'm nice.

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