Pyeongchon: The place to be

It's the middle of October and I've been here since the middle of August. Life so far is very enjoyable here. Teaching is going well. I am teaching all elementary kids now and think I made the right move by switching from middle to elementary.  My kids are definitely warming up to me and have become much more outspoken in class. Most of my students are great. There are a few kids that test my patience and tolerance levels. At the end of the day, I love what I'm doing. (Even if I have to bribe my kids with candy to get them to behave!) 

A festival in Pyeongchon Central Park

As far as life outside of work, everything's going great as well. I expected to feel slightly out of place since I don't speak the language, but it's not nearly as bad as I thought. My friends all speak Korean, which really helps, but with that aside, I still fell extremely comfortable wondering around by myself. Doing daily things like ordering food, going to the grocery store, or taking a taxi all feel normal and not at all strange. Surprisingly, most people here speak a little English and I know very few words, but can get by alone if I truly need to. There's a coffee shop close by that I love. I went in today to grab a coffee to go. Obviously I am a foreigner, and the men that worked at the coffee shop recognized that and immediately began attempting to speak English to me rather than me trying to butcher their language. They went out of their way to make me feel comfortable in their shop. It was adorable and I really appreciated their efforts.

This place is really becoming a home to me. I have everything I need within walking distance. The store is across the street, there are tons of restaurants, bars, convenient stores, and things to do like batting cages, pool halls, and a park, all within 5 minutes of my apartment. 

I really lucked out getting this position and being placed in this town. I don't think I could have asked for anything more. Stay tuned...

Peace & Love,
Elissa Rae