Friday, September 30, 2005
September 30, 2005: Mass email #2
Thanks everyone who sent their love and words of encouragement. It has been kind of difficult for me - I think the most difficult part is going home after school to an apartment by myself, with no phone or internet. It makes me feel pretty lonely (Amanda, I miss you!!). I'm just so used to having friends around me or at least have them available to communicate with if I feel like it. I'm sure once I get my phone and hopefully a computer, it will be better. And once I meet some other foreigners, it should be better too. I'm curious to know how I'm supposed to meet these other foreigners in the city when none of them are in the school or at my apartment. I'll just have to ask some people I guess - or maybe find out where they hang out and stalk them!
Ok. here are answers to some questions you asked: the flight was actually great. It was long, but Singapore Airlines is the best airline ever! You have your own tv and remote and you can choose from 60 movies and a bunch of tv shows. there's also a huge music selection. pretty cool. Mom - I watched 'Monster In-Law' - I remember how you wanted to see it. It was cute. Oh - and I had three seats to myself, so I was able to sprawl out for a sleep. AND they served Haagendas (sp?) chocolate ice cream. :D Oh yeah - and in San Francisco, I took a free shuttle bus to a nearby hotel and walked along the water a little bit. It wasn't the best scenery, but it was nice to get out of the airport a little bit before my flight. I felt kind of adventurous pretending I was a hotel guest. :) (Amanda, are you proud? I kind of had to lie... not straight out... but it was an implied lie)
-my apartment: it's actually very cute and not as small as i thought it might be. The front door opens into the kitchen area, then you walk through sliding glass doors into the main room where my bed, desk, tv, and wardrobe is. then there's another set of sliding glass doors that goes into the laundry room where I've got a washing machine and some rails to hang clothes (this is also where the window is). The bathroom is off to the side of the main room and there's a toilet with a cabinet above, a small window, and a sink. The shower head is on the wall by the sink, and you just shower in the bathroom (no tub or stall). This makes for quite an adjustment in the showering process, and it means you have 'bath shoes' that stay in the bathroom cause the floor is wet (again - Amanda, I don't know how you'd deal). Actually, shoes are kind of a big deal here. You have different shoes for different areas. Outdoor shoes, indoor shoes (like slippers, or soft shoes), and bathroom shoes. I need to buy indoor shoes - I've been walking around the school in outdoor ones and it's not proper. Everyone is nice though, and they know I'm still learning.
Speaking of learning, I'm really having to memorize a lot of Korean words. I find it really hard to hear a word and remember it, so I need to write everything down and memorize. It's times like these that I wish I learned through listening as opposed to visually. Ah well. Hyun-ae is impressed by my ability to read the language though. :) At least I don't have to necessarily remember everyone's names. All teachers are 'Sunsangnim' (teacher) and the vice principal is 'Kyugam Sunsangnim' and the principal is 'Kyujeung Sunsangnim'. I walk around saying 'anyeung haseyo' (greeting) all the time because it's a sign of respect to aknowledge my elders with enthusiasm whenever I see them.
What else? umm.. Yesterday, Hyun-Ae took me to a discount store so I could buy a bunch of household stuff that I had been lacking. But first she took me to a bank where I could use my TD card. So I have some cash now. Phew. Then today, one of the staff took me to the bank and opened an account for me. It's really frustrating for me though because nothing is in English and hardly anyone in the service industry speaks English. So, I feel so incompetent. And I like to know everything, so this is quite a challenge. I want to make sure my account stuff is set up right too. Ah well. Again, these are things I'm sure I'll sort out as I go.
I can't think of other things you asked... oh - the time difference is 13hrs. So now it's 1:42 on friday afternoon for me and 12:42 in the middle of thursday night for you in Canada. And it's Allison's birthday! Happy birthday Allison! I've written a bit of a book. That's what happens when I crave home. Again, thanks for the emails and sorry I can't write a bunch of personal ones. I really do appreciate hearing from you and your words of encouragement really touch me.
Ok. here are answers to some questions you asked: the flight was actually great. It was long, but Singapore Airlines is the best airline ever! You have your own tv and remote and you can choose from 60 movies and a bunch of tv shows. there's also a huge music selection. pretty cool. Mom - I watched 'Monster In-Law' - I remember how you wanted to see it. It was cute. Oh - and I had three seats to myself, so I was able to sprawl out for a sleep. AND they served Haagendas (sp?) chocolate ice cream. :D Oh yeah - and in San Francisco, I took a free shuttle bus to a nearby hotel and walked along the water a little bit. It wasn't the best scenery, but it was nice to get out of the airport a little bit before my flight. I felt kind of adventurous pretending I was a hotel guest. :) (Amanda, are you proud? I kind of had to lie... not straight out... but it was an implied lie)
-my apartment: it's actually very cute and not as small as i thought it might be. The front door opens into the kitchen area, then you walk through sliding glass doors into the main room where my bed, desk, tv, and wardrobe is. then there's another set of sliding glass doors that goes into the laundry room where I've got a washing machine and some rails to hang clothes (this is also where the window is). The bathroom is off to the side of the main room and there's a toilet with a cabinet above, a small window, and a sink. The shower head is on the wall by the sink, and you just shower in the bathroom (no tub or stall). This makes for quite an adjustment in the showering process, and it means you have 'bath shoes' that stay in the bathroom cause the floor is wet (again - Amanda, I don't know how you'd deal). Actually, shoes are kind of a big deal here. You have different shoes for different areas. Outdoor shoes, indoor shoes (like slippers, or soft shoes), and bathroom shoes. I need to buy indoor shoes - I've been walking around the school in outdoor ones and it's not proper. Everyone is nice though, and they know I'm still learning.
Speaking of learning, I'm really having to memorize a lot of Korean words. I find it really hard to hear a word and remember it, so I need to write everything down and memorize. It's times like these that I wish I learned through listening as opposed to visually. Ah well. Hyun-ae is impressed by my ability to read the language though. :) At least I don't have to necessarily remember everyone's names. All teachers are 'Sunsangnim' (teacher) and the vice principal is 'Kyugam Sunsangnim' and the principal is 'Kyujeung Sunsangnim'. I walk around saying 'anyeung haseyo' (greeting) all the time because it's a sign of respect to aknowledge my elders with enthusiasm whenever I see them.
What else? umm.. Yesterday, Hyun-Ae took me to a discount store so I could buy a bunch of household stuff that I had been lacking. But first she took me to a bank where I could use my TD card. So I have some cash now. Phew. Then today, one of the staff took me to the bank and opened an account for me. It's really frustrating for me though because nothing is in English and hardly anyone in the service industry speaks English. So, I feel so incompetent. And I like to know everything, so this is quite a challenge. I want to make sure my account stuff is set up right too. Ah well. Again, these are things I'm sure I'll sort out as I go.
I can't think of other things you asked... oh - the time difference is 13hrs. So now it's 1:42 on friday afternoon for me and 12:42 in the middle of thursday night for you in Canada. And it's Allison's birthday! Happy birthday Allison! I've written a bit of a book. That's what happens when I crave home. Again, thanks for the emails and sorry I can't write a bunch of personal ones. I really do appreciate hearing from you and your words of encouragement really touch me.
# posted by Keri May : 2:28 p.m.
