Korea is AMAZING! I am loving most every day. At first everything was new and exciting. Now I feel as if I am at home. Fulbright is the best organization. They support us in everything we do. My school is amazing and helps me with anything I need and I have the most loving, laid-back host family. The students are cute at times and difficult at other times. I am at an all girls middle school... so needless to say there are some things that throw me for a loop every day! I just roll with the punches and smile.
We just had our Spring Fulbright conference this past weekend. It was on my island (actually 2k from my home). It was a lot of fun and informative. I got to see all the people I had training with. There are 13 Fulbrighters on my island with me and I am very close with 5 of them. We have our little group and do fun things on the weekend. Two weekends ago we went to a small, small island off of our island and had a birthday weekend for our friend Alex (another Fulbrighter). Well, the weather turned bad and we got stuck for 2 days on the island. For our winter break I got to go to Bali and Thailand. I fell in love with SE Asia (and the awesome tan I got there!!!) I rented a villa with my group of Fulbrighters in Bali and had such a great time.
My Korean language is coming along a little slowly. My home-stay does not speak English well so I am trying my Korean. However, at school I am always speaking English, so I don't have a chance to practice my Korean so much. But I think (and am told) I am the best speaker on the island. I have even picked up some of the island language, so that's fun.
Oh- I have a moped! I bought one after a month of being on my island (the island's name is Jeju-do, BTW). It is fun and I am very popular at my school. When I roll into school I have hundreds of girls leaning out the window screaming my name! It is kinda cool to have a 'rock-star' greeting every morning.
I can't believe I have been here 9 months as of TODAY! WOW! I only have about 3.5 months left! It is weird to think about. Time has FLOWN by! This semester is a lot easier than last semester. I know how to lesson plan and what I need to do and when I need to do it. I have a great relationship with the men teachers at my school. This is a very important part of being a man in Korean culture. I go out to dinner with them once a week and talk and laugh and joke and sing (karaoke is HUGE!). It has been nice bonding with them. My principal is a former English teacher. I am very lucky because I can go and have nice conversations with him and if I have any problems I know he could help me. Principals have a lot of pull in Korea.
I think the best part of this Fulbright has been learning about Korean culture. It is something you have to experience hands-on. And I would have never been able to be here if it weren't for you. Thank you so much for this awesome chance, Becky.
