What to Expect...

...when you're living abroad.  

Cultural Transitions:

The process of adjusting to a new culture can be very different from one person to the next. Many people go through a period of personal frustration or disenchantment with their new environment, known as cultural transition or "culture shock".

Although each person's experience will be different and will depend on the individual situation, the following are typical stages of cultural transition. This is a normal part of adjusting to a new place.

Honeymoon stage:

Months 1-3

When you first arrive, you may experience exhilaration, anticipation, nervousness, and excitement. Settling in takes a significant amount of time and energy. This stage can last from a few days or weeks to several months, depending on your circumstances. 

Hostility stage 
Months 3-6

In the second or third month, you may begin to notice annoying details about your new environment. It may seem as if people here don't understand you, or you may have difficulty understanding them. You may feel frustrated or depressed when you have trouble communicating or getting things done. You might wish things could be as they are at home. Don't despair! These feelings will fade as you gain confidence. 

Acceptance stage 
Months 6-9

After six months or so, you may start appreciating the differences between your home country and your new environment. You may regain a sense of humour and feel more balanced. The minor mistakes and misunderstandings that would have frustrated you before may now just make you smile or even laugh. 

Adaptation stage 
Months 9-12

Eventually, you may begin to feel at home in your new environment and find greater satisfaction, both personally and academically (or professionally).

~~

I'm definitely still in the "honeymoon stage".  I'm still trying to get my bearings in this place.  At the end of each day, there's a process of unpacking what I've learned and figuring out how I feel and what I think about things.  It's great and wonderful and I enjoy it, but sometimes it's just exhausting.  I fully anticipate making my way through all the stages, to arrive at the final destination of "acceptance/adaptation. 

 

It's good to have a blueprint for what's to come. 

*Big thanks to deenie (K) for sending this chart my way!*

~~~

Meanwhile, I just put an order in with What the Book!  I tried my hand at paying with a transfer from my Korean bank account, so now I actually have to get down to the bank and fill out the bank transfer form.  The website shows a sample form, but I'm not sure exactly how they'll know to send it to What the Book... Will report back.  

(edit to add... the bank transfer to whatthebook went through.  There was a bit of a hassle because I didn't realize that what looked like a "sample" form actually contained the "actual" account number necessary for the transfer.  Had to run to the school to retrieve this number from my e-mail, then haul back to the bank to complete the transaction (for which they charged a 2.000 won fee).  But all's well that ends well and my books should be arriving in ten days or less.  Woot.  

In other news, I'm going on a "field trip" to a park outside Daegu w. Ms. Cruise, a lovely girl I met in training.  It will be my first experience with the bus system and I'm hoping and planning for good things...)

~Your Girl 

Moving In, SoKo style...

Lest we allow this weekend's sickness to detract from the overall fun of the experience, here are some snaps from last weekend for your amusement:

This is me: preparing to clean... 
(I'm a "Method" cleaner... I like to get into character first.) 

  

I'm a maniac once I actually get going.

More lounging around in the finished product.

And finally, the view from my bed: 

 

Back to my current status~ Sucking down citron tea and water.  My luck I'll wake up with a vitamin C hang-over, which would be fine, as long as I wake up no longer sick.

  

Power of suggestion: I will wake up healthy and full of energy. 

Under the Weather...

Your girl has internet. 

Woo!

She also has a nasty, sticky, gross infection lodged in her upper respiratory system. 

Boo.  

She is currently trying to drown that sucker out by drinking liters of water and sleeping a lot.  

Will let you know how all that goes. 

  

Unplugged.

Your girl is working on getting internet access set up...

She hopes to resume blogging just as soon as possible. 

In the meantime, she is storing up delightful tidbits for your amusement. 

(It's amazing how quickly you get used to things.  Before I came to SoKo, I was using trusty ol' 56k dial-up and that was just fine.  Now I feel like it's part of my basic human rights to have hi-speed internet access everywhere I go... This is a slippery slope, I'm sure.)

Meanwhile, I'm a pirate surfing the net like a bandit. 

Kid story: We were discussing extreme sports and danger.  One of the questions in the workbook 'which of these sports have you tried: skiing, rock climbing, tennis, soccer, surfing.' 

The kid question: "Teacher, surfing is mean 'surfing the net'?" 

Er, no.  But almost as much fun.  

Venturing Out

Saturday, 3/15

"I Love Speed" 

Off on my first solo excursion to Daejeon.  Took the KTX "bullet" train, which got me there in 48 minutes and cost 18.300 won.  (appx $18.30) There's lots of press that makes this train out to be something space age, but really, it's kind of like a NYRR train in the states.  It's fast, but it's no teleportation...  Hmmm, teleportation.  Now THAT I would pay good money to experience.  Come on, Korea.  Let's get on it!   

Daejeon Station 

Met up w. Ms. Fighter Girl (who rocks the lingo like a native) and her new fiancee.  We walked around downtown and picked up their Hanboks, traditional Korean wedding clothes, which they bought to wear for the ceremony back in the states.  

We dropped the boxes off at their apartment, which is positively palatial.  It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms -one with a bathtub (!)- and two balconies.  

The Chairman's Request 

Had a little fun at E-Mart, or "sigma dot" as Ms. Fighter calls it (the sign looks like the greek letter Sigma) It's Korea's answer to Wal-Mart.  And it's open 24/7.  When I heard that, I think I had a teeny tiny heart flutter.  

Found a Popeye's and decided to pay homage to the Chairman.  Look!  I'm even giving the international sign of peace.  

My purchases included a book of short stories w. English on one side and the Korean translation printed on the other.   

Oh, happy day.  

First Week

No one likes a lazy blogger. 

Despite my wealth of free time, I've been lax in updating.  This is mostly because I don't know what I feel just yet.  I haven't seen my permanent apartment nor have I met any of the people at my branch although I've spoken to most of them via e-mail and they seem like a pretty cool bunch.   

I've decided to stick to the facts, of which I can be fairly certain.  

Week in Review:

Sunday- 

Landed in Daegu @8:40pm.  Was met at the airport by a member of the MK Korean support staff.  He drove me to my temporary flat and made sure I was all set up for training on Monday.  There was food and drink in my fridge, but just in case (and to hold me over for the week) I brought beef jerky and energy bars.  Mordant laughed at me, but seriously, they were a life saver.  

Monday-

New teacher training w. the teaching manager and another new teacher. 

They ordered us pizza and soda for lunch.  Easing into the local cuisine gradually.  

Tuesday-

E2 Health check up at the hospital.  The waiting room had a large, colorful poster detailing the importance of a regular colonoscopy, featuring an assortment of polyps and bleeding lesions.  I call that "scared straight".  

They checked ears, eyes, weight, height, randomly, measured my chest.  I went with the other new foreign teacher and they had us both disrobe from the waist up.  She went into the room first and I saw her standing arms around a giant machine.  My first thought, after the colonoscopy poster, was .... Mammogram!?!?  wth? I was busy gettin' all riled up when she walked out and said something to the effect of  ... "Gotta love the chest Xray."

Ah.  Chest Xray.  Of course.  

Wednesday-

Observed more classes at branch #3

Thursday-

Had the "day off".

Friday-

Was called to fill in branch #3.  My first full day of teaching solo.  It was six story telling classes, so it required fairly light prep.  This is what I was hired to do.  I love being in the classroom.

Was invited to go out w. the other foreign teachers, but I declined in favor of an early night.  

Yeah.  I'm that exciting. 

Cuba’s Fidel Castro Tries to Capture Asian Readers

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-cuba-castro-asia.html

What, like with a net? 

No, it appears that he’s aiming his autobiography at readers in Asia. Following last week’s release of his book in Mandarin , translations in Hindi, Farsi, Hindhalese are set to follow.

I thought the title would be something exciting like “How to Become Leader of Your Own Communist Country in Ten Easy Lessons”.  Instead, he chose the boring “Fidel Castro: My Life – A Spoken Autobiography.”  Come on, dude.  How do you expect to move any product with a title like that?

Let us not forget that this is the same paranoid man who built himself his own private hospital and has a predilection for consuming gourmet hams.   

After a recent visit, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez pronounced his friend, Mr. Castro, to be “happy, splendid, and full of ideas.”  (Which sounds suspiciously like a euphemism for “babbling lunatic”…)

Why do we read about other (more famous) peoples’ lives?  Does it show us the path to power?  Give us a possible template for success?  Or do they simply allow us to live lavish lives vicariously, if only for a few hours…