This last two weeks have been what I would call my ‘settling
in’ phase since my time here in Korea began. I’m able to order food to a
certain extent, I say to a certain
extent because I ordered one pizza, got a different pizza, but it’s okay
because at least I got a pizza. I think that the students and staff are happy
to have me around too, maybe too much so - I found myself balancing on one leg
the other day after I was attacked by a group of first and second graders, who
each took a limb.
We left off last time just before I was going to visit the
traditional Korean hanok village with one of the teachers at my school. Joining
us was his wife and two children, another family of four and three friends of
his children from their school in Jeonju. It was a busy day of different tastes and
different experiences, from a quick hike up a hill to relaxing in a gaeksa (rest spot) with a patbingsu, a kind of ice/milk/redbean/sauce
ice cream kind of thingy (yes I know I did a grand job of explaining that). It
was a really good day and I think that they must have liked me because they
invited me to Jiri Mountain with them next month!
Since then, I’ve been to a bamboo forest, a beef and apple
festival (the obvious combination DUH!) and sports day with my school. I
finished off sports day playing football with a couple of teachers, one student
and his dad. I told them before ‘I’m not good at football’ and I was pretty
hesitant to make myself look silly. I’d already displayed my physical prowess
in the tug o’ war, shoe kicking competition and ‘hit the rugby ball with a
paddle’ earlier on in the day. One teacher told me to be more confident with
the football after sensing this hesitation. I say sensing but he just saw the
way I was playing.
Okay. Confidence, Daniel, confidence. Kick the ball. It’s
okay. What’s the worst that can happen?
Five minutes later I was lying on the floor sprawled over a
combination of concrete, metal grid and sand. My football career hasn’t quite
taken off yet, I’ll admit.
This weekend is Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) which means I
have quite a bit of free time to do some travelling. Later on today I’m heading
to Daegu for the night before making my way to Andong in the morning for the
Mask Dance Festival and to rendezvous with people I haven’t seen since
orientation. After that, I’m not sure of my direction. At some point I will be
going to the Jinju Lantern Festival, which I’m very excited for and next Thursday
I’m going on a school trip to an exhibition in Gwangju, a city not too far from
(Less) Sunny (by the day) Sunchang. You will read about my cross-Korean
cultural trip in the next entry!
Gamsahapnida for reading!
Winner of the tri-school sports day adult shoe kicking
competition.
P.S. K-POP:
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