2 things happened today that made me very happy. Although they may not seem very exciting, I feel like this is a milestone for my adventure in Korea.
1) I bonded and interacted with the kids for the first time. They don't know what to make of me in class and many of them are still very scared to talk to me because I don't speak Korean. Today, I played with some of the kids in the gym after school. We played Tuho (a traditional korean game where you throw sticks into a pot), ring toss, soccer, basketball, and hula hoop races. We all had a lot of fun and the kids were not afraid to approach me in that atmosphere. And they were all speaking (or trying to speak) in English to me too! I promised them I'd do this every week, so I suppose I started an impromptu club! Take that Tony! (sidenote: Tony is their last English teacher. He has been there since the school opened so all the kids really miss him and ask about him all the time. He also has the exotic factor - European/South American mix of sorts. It is very discouraging because kids always ask for him when I'm there.)
2) I cooked in my apartment for the first time! After using my "kitchen" for the first time, my tiny apartment feels so much more like a home. Cooking was really hard here. I didn't know what I was buying or how much I was ordering. I had no car to carry it home. I have no counter space. I have no salt. My hot plate takes forever to heat up. My hot plate is wobbly. Either way, here is my first cooking adventure in pictures:
Went to the market to buy some groceries. Bad picture, but I was trying to be less creepy.
A guy was selling Korean Slap Chop on the streets! I had a little giggle in my head as i passed by.
Due to the size of my "kitchen", I had to cook rice in my bedroom, beside my dresser.
My "kitchen". The cutting board is balanced ever so precariously on the edge of the counter top/sink. My hot plate is also wobbly.
Bulgogi (beef) with oyster mushrooms.
Not the best meal I have ever made, but definitely not bad! I'd say it's a pretty decent first meal, especially with the pineapple fanta on the side.
I swear I will never complain about my kitchen in Toronto ever again. :)
Awesome Claudia, the kitchen thing, is a common issue. My microwave and toaster were beside my bed. I never used my range because it was gas and I didn't want to have a large gas bill. They will soon forget about Tony, and Claudia will reign supreme.
ReplyDeleteNick, how did you deal with compost and garbage disposal in such a small space? I (along with all the other foreign teachers I've talked to) have just stopped eating at home because composting in our tiny apartments is just a bad idea.
ReplyDelete