A Typical Weekday for me in Korea

Howzit!

Okay, so, I wake up about 6am, switch on the water heating system, (at least the heating control panel is in my bedroom!) climb back into my nice big comfy bed for 30min. Then finally wake up properly, shower, etc. Have breakfast. Maybe watch a bit of TV (did I mention I have cable?). So, it's the funniest thing for me to be able to watch a movie at 7:00am! Oh yes, did I also mention that I have a huge TV in my bedroom and a flatscreen in my lounge? Like, who needs 2 tv's when you live alone? Am I supposed to run between the 2 rooms? LOL!

Ok, now I must explain the shoe thing. I am trying to adopt and appreciate as much of Korean culture as I can. So much so, that I also leave my outdoors shoes in the special foyer reserved for them. And try not to walk in the home with any outdoors shoes! Good thing I packed so many shoes! Right, so just before leaving for school, (which is a leisurely 3min stroll away if I'm at the Middle School that day), I do a little shoe dance at the door. Leave indoor slippers on the home level, which is higher than outdoors shoes, change into outdoors shoes. In order to do this effectively, one must have everything that you need to take with you, with you! Else, it can be quite a palaver....Slippers off, shoes on...oh, no, forgot packet for shoes for school. Shoes off, slippers on. Go fetch packet. Slippers off, shoes on, Oh no, forgot school bag. Shoes off...oh what the heck. I live alone! (but the conscience, oh the conscience gets you!!!)

Right, so off I go, on my way to school. On the way, if I pass anyone, I bow, oh there's a stern-looking old man, better bow and greet (Anyeonghaseyoh!). Too bad, he didn't return my greeting. Probably thought I'm just a nutty foreigner! Ok, next time maybe. Oh, look there's another one, bow...bow...bow... Ok, I'm finally at school. Change shoes, outdoors shoes in shoe locker in foyer. Nice comfy slip-on shoes on feet. Enter teachers' office, bow to vice-principal and colleagues. Now the students can start bowing to me. Justice has been served!

Now I check my emails and facebook, maybe prep a little for the school day, if I hadn't already done that! Then teach a class, rest for 10min, maybe teach another class, rest for 10min. Sometimes, I rest for 3hours, depending on my timetable! I am being forced to relax here in Korea. What a weird notion! Relaxing! Who'd have thought it possible?

Lunch-time! Colleagues collect me to go to cafeteria with them. Wash hands in following order-hot water, cold water, dry hands. Collect steel chopsticks and spoon and lunch tray. Lunch inevitably consists of soup - to wash the meal down with, no tea or coffee here (that's in the teachers' office). Lunch ladies all wear those 'doctors' masks, gloves, etc). Rice, always rice. Plus various accompaniments, which can be anything from crumbed chicken to squid to omelette to stew to fish, plus gimchi (hot spicy fermented cabbage)-always gimchi, everyday gimchi!. I have already eaten eel, squid, tofu, some strange fruit and vegetables (and perhaps even dog, without knowing it, of course!) The combinations are often strange but damn, it tastes good! Place all left-over food in soup bowl, empty in following order: soup bowl contents down the sluice, chopsticks in one container of water, spoon in separate container of water. Stack lunchtray on lunchtray pile. Collect sterilised stainless steel cup and pour a small amount of hot water/or it could even be very weak herbal tea from urn and drink and stack cup in special compartment. You may now leave the cafeteria. Back at desk. Everyone goes to bathroom to brush teeth! Join in brushing teeth in tiny bathroom! (Got to respect the culture!) Back at desk! Someone has usually left a vitamin drink or rice cake, or strawberries or whatever local snacks (made of rice, of course!) on my desk. No idea who it is. That's just the Korean way. Always bless someone and don't seek recognition for it :)

After lunch, catch up with friends on facebook, arrange socials etc, teach a class or two. At the moment, I'm only teaching for a total of 20 hours - supposed to be 22 but there are only so many classes in a rural school. In SA, you must teach a minimum of 27 hours.

Finally 5pm comes round. Time to go home. Some teachers stay working at school till after 6pm. At high school, even later. So, I go home, usually rushing just to use the toilet! Cause, out here in the old rural schools, they still only have traditional Korean toilets, which I was forced to navigate last week. I just hope I was facing the right direction! LOL!. It's a strange contraption, like a long, flat toilet set in the floor (not a 'long-drop'). But in order to do your business comfortably, you HAVE to get down and squat low!

Right, so at home, shoe dance at the door again. TOILET! Maybe go for a walk downtown. Come home, make supper, watch some TV. Write in my journal. Maybe practice my baby Korean language, learn a few more Korean words, and fall asleep in front of the TV. Wake up a few hours later, go to bed. Daily cycle complete. Can you understand what I mean about relaxing?

That's a typical day for me in Korea. Anything out of the ordinary, you'll be the first to know....

Till next time!

Love and hugs

Andrea

PS I'm going to a country market with some colleagues after school today! What weird and wonderful things await me! And I'm being treated to supper, too! YAY! (Hope it's not dog!)