06 October 2010

I've been a bit busy and/or away from the internet for extended periods of time, so here is a quick update.

Jay invited me to Chuseok dinner with her family on the 22nd. Chuseok is the Korean Thanksgiving. She worried that her family would be too shy or unable to speak to me, but they were very welcoming. Her grandfather brought out some old photo albums with pictures of him as a child in school, as a soldier, as a teacher. They were really wonderful to look at - Jay said that she hadn't even seen them before then. I spent most of the time with her grandfather and uncles who spoke English quite well. We drank North Korean whiskey (one shot was enough for me) and played a traditional game called Yut Nori. I'm fairly sure that her grandfather is a cheater.






















Last week I went to a three day teacher orientation (a month after I've started). It was pretty helpful, but I didn't feel much of a connection to most of the people there. For many, the teaching programs here are merely an excuse to extend their college partying. It was really good to get back to Anyang; when I returned, I finally received my alien card which allows me to buy a cell phone and internet. I've also begun joining the Baduk Club after the instructor invited me. I get a real feeling of accomplishment when I beat a 10-year-old at a board game. So far, I have two wins and a tie. Amy and Naomi arrived on Saturday and are slowly getting acquainted with the city and culture.