Raining Lanterns

So it's been another week in Seoul. I have successfully finished my first week teaching and I have managed to take in a bit of Korean culture while at it.

I am teaching from one to four classes a day with kids ranging from 16 months to 13 years. I am a bit apprehensive about the youngest class but I think that with practice I will be able to handle the class on my own. This last week I had the help of Donner, the trainer from the Hong Kong school. She went back home on Friday so this week I will try my luck at teaching the classes alone. It was very nice to have her around. I even got to take her around to fun places in Seoul.

Besides teaching this week I have managed to take in a few shows! I went to the SFS production of Little Shop of Horrors on Friday. It was very well done and I could not stop laughing at the kids, many of which I worked with last semester. It did make me miss working at SFS though. I even got to sit next to Edie at the show like old times. After the show my friend Jen had a get together so I was able to chat with a few of my old friends from SFS. It was nice just to hangout and drink wine. Saturday I taught four classes and then went to the Vagina Monologues. It was really well done and half in Korean and half in english! I was so impressed by the actresses and it was amazing how much more powerful some of the monologues were in Korean. I stayed at SFS on saturday night and went to church in the morning on campus. They hold a catholic service that I had never tried out and it was nice service. The rest of sunday was pretty crazy. I had a pancake, went home to shop for food and wine, came back for some shepard's pie and then went out for Buddha's birthday! They have a huge parade with tons of lanterns and floats that are all lit up. I was really fun! I even got a lantern of my own from one of the parade walkers.

After the parade we all went to a bar for somak, soju and beer, which was surprisingly good. Good conversations with good people once agian and then home to sleep. Today is a recovery day and a day to prep for the week. It is amazing that though I did all of this it was raining the entire weekend. It would have been nice if we could have had some sun but I guess we can only hope for the best from the weather.

I am looking forward to this next week and the adventures that everyday brings. I hope all is well with everyone and I will write again soon!

love
Kristyn

A whole lot of walking

Well my first real weekend back in Seoul has proved to be quite a good time. This week at the centre we have been going everywhere around the city to buy supplies. I got to go on a trip to a huge Korean Toys'R'Us, to Alpha, the most confusing get everything you ever needed store, the ever popular market and E-mart for baskets.

After hundreds of thousands of won we are almost ready to start classes on Tuesday. In my studio now I have scarves, little kid books, bowling pins, drums, tambourines, cymbals, hula hoops, basically everything you would need to keep my kids adequately entertained for hours!

Besides work, I have been able to hangout with my new coworkers and my old friends at SFS quite a bit. I went for friend chicken and beer, a common Korean meal that I never knew about, had the girls at the office over for dinner and then a night of clubbing ending at 3:30 am and a great dinner with a regular sunday kalbi crowd from SFS. Today I went to a english catholic serivce that proved to be very good, no St. James, but good and then walked all over the markets with the girls from Hong Kong. I am pretty walked out, but I guess thats what I should expect from such a huge city. A look on the bright side at least I won't have to pay for a gym, I think all this walking will be plenty of a workout.

Well until next time. Hope all is well in the states.

Kristyn

Centres and Strawberries

So I have been in Seoul for a week now!
It has been a long but productive week. I have been spending a lot of time at the centre getting things ready to start classes next Tuesday. We had our grand opening on Saturday and we have had folks from Hong Kong in to help up get started. It has been very nice to have all of this help and I very grateful for their presence.
Easter weekend was nice. I after the opening I went to an Easter Gala celebration at one of my coworkers churches. It was very fun and I ran into a few friends from Seoul Foreign in the process. Sunday I went to church with my boss and her family. It was no St. James easter service but it was nice just the same. We went to look at the cherry blossoms in the afternoon which are very pretty this time of year and then I went shopping with the lady from Hong Kong. I have already bought three new pairs of earrings.
Monday was very nice. After a morning attempting to get my med check for my alien registration I headed over to SFS. I got to see a lot of my kids and many of my friends. It was really nice to catch up. I ended up staying for the evening for a friends birthday party.
Today the training lady came from Hong Kong and we got down to business. My boss and I also did some recrituing for students today and came up with a game plan for the next few terms. Today made me feel a lot better about starting classes on Tuesday! I am actually really excited! This term I will be teaching Sound of Music to the younger classes and Lion King to the older kids. I'm sure everyday will be met with new challenges but that is what teaching is about I suppose.

I was even able to buy strawberries tonight! I thought I wouldn't find them here but I was pleasantly surprised! Well until later.

love,
Kristyn

Address

So some people wanted my address. Feel free to send me fun things from the states!!!

Kristyn Art
193-47
Itaewon- Dong
Youngsan-Gu
Seoul 140-862 S. Korea

love you all!
Kristyn

Back in Seoul

Hello All!

I'm sure you have been heart broken to not be able to read this blog while I was in the states. But now that I am back in Korea I will be writing on it once again! So I arrived back in Korea yesterday night and it has already been quite an adventure. The flight was long and awful as usual but I was very happy to find my boss at the airport! She took me to my apartment in Itewon. It is a really cute apartment the only issue is that it is up a huge hill! When I say huge I mean like almost 90 degrees strait up. I guess I will be getting plenty of exercise climbing up and down.
Today I went to leave my apartment as realized that I had the wrong keys. I ended up locking myself out with just my wallet. At least I had my money! I decided that since I couldn't get back in I would just go to the school because I was going to go anyway. I decided I would walk since it was so nice out. I ended up getting pretty lost on the way to the school but eventually by some great stroke of luck I made it.
The school is beautiful! I am so excited to have my very out studio to work in! I will take pictures soon so you can all see the space. After a meeting with my boss about the upcoming events I went to lunch with the administrative assistant, Sunny and we went back to my apartment to set up my phone and internet. Tonight I am going to a movie with a friend from SFS! Yah! Though somehow my phone doesn't work now......oh well.

I'm sure tomorrow will be a whole new set of new things. Such is life in Korea.

love,
Kristyn