JOURNAL: Learning to Walk Again

I have a new apartment....yessssss.....No more sewer gas!

My spacious studio apartment has a large bathroom, with an actual shower stall; this is amazing because most of the time, your shower is just a hose on the wall and a drain. There is a large mirror, medicine cabinet, and a western style toilet (another plus). I took a very cold shower yesterday because I did not know that the device I took to be a thermostat turned out to control the hot water; you have to turn it on for about ten minutes before you get warm water. I wish someone had enlightened me before I froze my backside off!

I also have a kitchenette with what purports to be a gas stove, but is actually a glorified hotplate. There is no microwave. It took me several times, and near suffocation from the natural gas, to figure out how to get it to ignite properly. I was so happy I celebrated by boiling a pot of water! The previous tenant had left a big box of Quaker Instant Oatmeal, so I had that for breakfast.

Next I tackled the washing machine. This turned out to be more of a challenge. I easily found the ON button, but was mystified by the other buttons. Like a stupid Westerner, I threw some clothes in and pushed the green button. It seemed to take a long time for the washer to stop, and I suddenly realized it had gone through three or four cycles. Not only that, but the floor was flooded (the washer is on the veranda). I determinedly waited for the next spin cycle to end, then stopped the washer. I looked at the buttons closer, and discovered that it was apparently set on 18 cycles (oh, so that is what that random number means!). You need to preset the cycle number on each part of the wash (filling, spin cycle, rinsing, etc). The machine is not smart, and won't do it for you. Moreover, it doesn't automatically stop, so you have to keep an eye on it. There is no dryer, so my clothes are hung up to dry all over the place right now. They are still not dry because it is very humid in Seoul. I am seriously considering sending my laundry out to be cleaned; it is very cheap around here.

I have not yet figured out the tv. I suspect, by the phalanx of satellite dishes I see in the neighborhood, that cable is a necessary evil. I cannot get a single channel to come in, or figure out how to turn the volume down. I really wish I could speak Korean, so I could read the buttons on the fancy remote...

The funny thing about the apartment is that in some ways, it is ultra modern. I have a keypad entry, and the lights turn on when I come in (motion sensors?).

As for the school, things are hectic, but do-able. On my first day of teaching, one of the girls suddenly got up, walked over to one of the boys, and belted him hard across the back! I don't know what he said, but it must have been pretty good! I took approprate steps, but it was quite unexpected, nevertheless. The boys tease the girls horribly, mostly because they can, I think. Boys and girls separate themselves in this country, I have found, so when a boy acts up, I make him sit next to a girl! I find it most effective. In one class, there is only one boy, and he is very shy as a result!

I am finding I am actually in double culture shock, as the majority of the teachers are Canadian. Most of them have been in Korea for more than a year, and have formed their own social group. Being a bit group-shy, I find it hard to "break-in." On Tuesday, one of my coworkers did take me out for a drink in Itewon, and it was nice. He is a good conversationalist, and has a rather intellectual bent. I think there is something going on next week as one of the teachers is going home. I do feel a bit left out, though, although I still hope to make some friends here. My apartment is isolated from everyone else; I live in a different neighborhood and am still a little lost. I hope things get a little less lonely as time wears on.