A Word From Barbara,
My apartment is starting to feel like home now. I have a little wireless box and a home phone thanks to the generosity of my new Korean friend, Julia.
Julia asked me if I was feeling homesick today. I told her I haven’t really had time to think about it. I certainly wasn’t feeling homesick at that moment; rather I was feeling quite happy and settled. We were driving to the garden store to get soil to plant the flowers seeds Suz gave me before I left. I also bought an aloe plant and rosemary. With plants, a home phone and wireless, my apartment was going to feel more like home.
Today was an absolutely beautiful day. The sun was shining. I opened all the windows. I cleaned and did the laundry. I made fruit salad. Julia came over at noon, and the internet guy. I made them tea as they talked over my internet service. I like how everyone here takes off their shoes before coming in (even the maintenance guys) and sits on the floor. It’s so normal. And the floors are heated – I was glad that my floor was freshly cleaned
I finally called home and heard mom’s voice again. That was nice. Next, I bought lunch for Julia and myself at a local market. We had steamed dumplings and a fried yellow bean mash that resembles an omelette.
Inside the store, she helped me pick out some Korean staples like sweet potato noodles, seaweed, different rices, and a fish thing that you can fry and add to stir frys. I forget what it’s called, but it will now replace cans of tuna as a staple. I also bought some of this green powder that you add water to, to make a deliciously healthy drink with. In the powder are grains, beans and vegetables all ground together. As we shopped we also sampled delicious foods that they had out to taste.
This week was a tiring one. Last weekend was the POLY workshop, so I didn’t have my Saturday like I usually do. It was a good workshop. The first two workshops were on lesson planning and behavior management. Next, we had a workshop where we got to know our Korean co-teachers. This was nice. I like my Korean co-teacher, Helena. She helps with my Pre-Kinder class. The last talk was on how to teach the Debate class. The teacher who gave that talk teaches at POLY Vietnam. He is also a gardener, he would have fit right in with the NOFA crowd. He was an energetic speaker and gave an inspiring talk on teaching in general. After the lecture, I asked him about growing a roof garden. We are going to email about it.
During the week, I don’t have time for anything but lesson planning, grading, teaching and then coming home to cook and bed. I come home brain dead. My life is acquiring a new rhythm and I’m looking to pick up good habits to alleviate the stress, like going to the gym. This week I bought a membership to a gym near the school for the yoga classes. The teacher is really good – not as good as Alice – but definitely good. On the days that I don’t go to yoga, I go to the small gym that is in “EasyView” (our apartment building cluster) before work. It’s just a few steps from my front door. I like working out before work, then I feel like I’ve done something for me before the day has begun.
I made fruit salad for my 1st graders on Friday. I wasn’t sure if they’d love it, so before class I hunted for whipped cream to put on top. After Starbucks turned me down, I went to “illy” and just like Italy, they sold me a cup of whipped cream. It went perfect with the fruit. We ate it from little paper cups with toothpicks. The kids loved it. I think I will gain some popular points with this move.