So it's been a long month with lots of ups and downs. My visa was delayed because of unfortunately timed holidays in Canada and Korea, so I missed my orientation because I was a week late. So I arrived at the airport at 5am (after a delightful flight that included me passing out from exhaustion/dehydration and a 2hr delay), and was taken to the hagwon for a week's worth of an orientation stuffed into one day!
Needless to say, it was quite the first week. It's still pretty crazy. I'm sick already (darn kids), and because I was taking Canadian medication (much stronger than Korean over-the-counter meds), the pseudoephedrine ruined my drug test. So I can't take any medication until I take my second drug test. So it's been a week of tissues and water!
But onto the hagwon!
I currently live in a richer area of Seoul (there are a couple of ex-Presidents who live here) and there's also a fairly high foreigner population here (as in foreigners who've actually started families and aren't just partying teachers). Wizville is the name of my hagwon and it's a VERY nice hagwon that brings in the young children of more affluent families. This is quite a change for me, as my old student's parents were taxi drivers or store owners, and now all these children have doctors or professors for parents.
The other huge difference is the age and style of teaching. In the morning we have lots of activities, snack time, and I even teach the science class for the hagwon. Then in the afternoon I have more traditional classes. My morning class (named Monet) is the youngest group in the entire hagwon, the 5 yrs. Although that's the Korean age, my kids are actually closer to 3-4 years old.
I definitely work harder, work longer, and have more homework, but I enjoy my job a lot more. It's interesting, different, and I feel like I'm accomplishing something here. But to call it exhausting would be an understatement.
I'm looking forward to next month. We'll be heading off to Hanok village for a Spring picnic, and we'll be going to the Seoul Museum of Animation for field trips!
PS- I am 100% safe and unaffected by any tsunamis, earthquakes, or nuclear meltdowns!
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