I used the same moving guy from the first moving catastrophe (remember my humiliation at the hands of the neighbor guy who had to help the screaming old man move my motorcycle because he wouldn’t let me carry anything because I am a woman? Yeah. That guy. Love him). Today he and I carried a queen size bed, a futon, several tables, and other items up to the third floor to my apartment. Because it’s my life we ended up breaking the metal plate off the top of the entrance to my apartment building. After frantically yelling at me in Korean, the hilarious old gent gestured wildly at the CCTV cameras. The race to put the metal plate back up to the seven-foot level it had fallen from with my 5’9 self and a 5’0 old Korean man was one of the more entertaining moments I’ve had in quite a while. We succeeded in covering up our crime and my apartment officially looks awesome!
It’s been quite a while since I’ve had time to write because of some major changes that happened in the past month. Let me try to put them in order.
I tried to keep it positive on my blog, but my job in Jinju was not acceptable. Things got pretty dark for a bit. I was able to get out of a very bad situation and managed to leave my former job as well as Jinju.
My train ticket to my new city
Packing my old apartment up
Luckily, soon after this, I was offered an interview at a huge private boarding school in Asan, Korea. The part of Asan where I live is a very new and
developing; it’s 30 minutes by KTX high-speed train to Seoul, or an hour and half by express bus. Samsung owns EVERYTHING in the my part of the city, and the schools and apartment buildings are filled with Samsung employees. It seemed like a cool place to start over, so I jumped at the chance.
My last picture with my kids from Jinju!
For my interview, I had to teach a demo lesson in front of five people: the school’s principal, the English department head, and several other faculty members. It was harrowing! After the demo, I was asked questions for another 3o minutes on why I believed I was qualified. Several other teachers were also there to fight for the position. After waiting for an hour after the interview, I was taken to a conference room and given an official offer letter. The terms were incredible. I immediately took the job.
My last day at my old school was bitter sweet. The kids gave me candy and gifts to say goodbye…and my last class was epic! Here’s what happened.
I finished my last week at my old school on a Friday, moved out Saturday, and rented a place in Asan the same day (a four-hour drive). I hired a moving van for my things and sat on the floor in my empty new place, waiting for my stuff. After it was delivered, I started my new job on Monday! Talk about a hellish weekend.
Since I post most of the crazy things that happen on my Facebook, I’ll just post them here as an easy update. Click to enlarge.
As for the job, I often pull 12 hour days to keep up with all the work. I have a fantastic job with fantastic coworkers, an incredible facility, and amazing students.
Keeping things running well takes a lot of concentrated effort. I’m a new teacher and my school has only been opened for two weeks, so we’re all having to attend daily meetings and adjust rooms, schedules, and the logistics of everything. When we all get into a routine it’ll be a lot easier, but for now I’m just still in awe that I’ve landed such an amazing position! Did I mention I was given a brand new 2014 Galaxy Note and a brand new Samsung laptop? 😀
Anyway, I’m living in Asan for the next year (and hopefully more!) I signed a new contract that is up in March of 2015. I don’t have any plans to move back to America for a few years at least. I’ll post my updated address soon.
My street
Verdict of Asan? The neighboring city of Cheonan is a lot bigger and more established. The main thing I’m having to get used to is the lack of public transportation here. I’m having to pay $10 taxi rides one way to get anywhere, so I’m selling my motorcycle and buying a car. Pros? Everything is new here! I love the restaurants and all the brand new buildings. The expats here are a really solid group of people and I’ve already made several new friends.
I’m really excited to see what the year will bring! I’m in a better school, a better city, and with great people. I’m excited to move forward.
Below are some photos and videos of the journey.
My last picture with my kids from Jinju!
I’ll miss my kids at my old school! And I’ll miss dressing in formally…
Packing my old apartment up
My train ticket to my new city
My bathroom selfies have become a daily routine now
My first bathroom selfie at my new school
My bathroom selfies have become a daily routine now
Wearing our sashes at the assembly
My fellow English teachers!
Cafeteria food at my new school
I’m an official high school English teacher with my own classroom!
New equipment
First day in my office
My new laptop
My new kitchen!
My new apartment!
The KTX train station
My street
Misty morning walks to school
The stream by my school
There’s an adorable street with shops and apartments near my house with cute street decorations
Miss Anna Teacher 