The facts. Part II

Now I will give you some information about the prices so you see how much things cost here. It's far cheaper than I thought it would be. According to the current price 1600 Won are equal to one Euro. You will find a currency converter when you scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Monthly rent in my Goshiwon (everything, also Internet, included):

290.000 Won

Hotpot or barbecue (for two people, luscious):

ca. 20.000 Won

A fresh salad with chicken in a Western restaurant:

14.000 Won

The lonely-planet-language guide:

9900 Won

A whole-grain bread at Hyattsbakery:

6000 Won (50% discount after 9.30 pm)

One cappuccino in a café-chain:

3000-4000 Won

One simple warm meal (bowl with rice and vegetables or noodles; soup; dumplings):

3000-4000 Won

One beer (in a bar):

3000 Won

One washing at "24h Coin Wash":

2500 Won

Six peaches/ big plums/ nectarines:

ab 2000 Won

One roll with sausage or cheese in our cafeteria:

1800 Won

One beer (in a shop):

1600 Won

One double sandwich:

ab 1500 Won

One French cruller (Dunkin Donuts):

1100 Won

One (delicious and indispensable ;o) freshly squeezed fruitjuice:

1000 Won

One freshly baked wafer with icecream:

1000 Won

One ride with public transports(till 12km, including transfers):

900 Won

One 500ml-pack of strawberry milk:

900 Won

One 2l-bottle of mineral water:

ab 800 Won

One pack of Kimbab:

700-1000 Won

One whiteboard marker:

700 Won

One cinnamon bread on the street:

500 Won

One pack of probiotic yoghurt (6 bottles):

400 Won

(... to be continued...)

Not a bad place to live... ;o)

The facts. Part I

I haven't told you about my schedule yet. I've been teaching three classes for two weeks now: A1 (beginners), B1 and B2 (advanced students). I'm sharing the beginners' class with a Korean colleague. Until now I had two courses a week, 1-4.30 pm; from next week I'll be teaching this intensive class with 16 students three times. The rather reserved students are starting to open themselves and as in China it's the girls being more active than their male mates which are sitting around quite serious and silent.

My extensive classes are being held each evening from 7 til 9.30 pm, b1 on b2 in turns. That means, on some days I'm off til the evening. I also teach on Saturday mornings and some people feel sorry for me teaching "that much" - but that's absolutely okay and actually what I came here for! And my class (9.30-12 pm) is very nice.

Many of my higher level students have already been to Europe. Some studied in Germany or went to school for several years. They are very open and most of them speak German very well. Even some of them who haven't been to Germany, only with a noticable accent. The ones without an accent (mostly younger, very talkative and influenced by slang) have problems with grammar instead.

Teaching is very comfortable. The conditions are ideal and principally everything is well-organized. Mainly the students in advanced levels are highly motivated. Step by step I've been learning their names and hopefully I will be able soon to call them by thier first names. "Mr. Lee" and "Mrs. Kim" is much easier and by now I know who is who - it's just that there are up to three or four Kims and Lees in each class ;o)

18th July

Today it's been one month since I came here! Time has passed so fast... And nothing is missing, as you cam see on the pictures ;o)

You'll find more new pictures in the slide show at the right bar.

Big city. Daily routines

Taking umbrella and sunglasses, buying a sandwich in 7/11, waiting for green at the big road while eating, heading for the juice booth - strawberry, apple/carrot, orange... - rushing down the subway steps and avoiding rushing or verrrrry slow Koreans, putting the card on the ticket machine at the barrier - beep, 900 Won drawn off - standing on the escalators, NOT stopping in front of the big mirror as everyone else, handling the last steps, waiting for the train - still drinking juice, descrying a seat and taking it as fast as possible, continuing to drink, taking out the book and reading, riding for about fifteen minutes, announcement, stopping, departing... - getting off at Hangangjin, up the stairs, NOT stopping in front of the mirror, taking the escalator, buying one or to Kimbabs for the afternoon, throwing juice cup into the only available bin, passing the barrier, card on the ticket machine, stairs to get outside, waiting for the green us no. 14, getting on, nodding to the driver, validating the card, finding a seat or being shaked, passing the Norwegian embassy, then the Danish one, pushing the button after ten minutes for "Huam Yak Sun", validating card, getting off, walking under trees for about five minutes, crossing the street and...

... arriving Goetheinstitut. Working.

21.40. Walking slowly to the bus stop, waiting for the bus, getting on, nodding to the driver, hopefully finding a seat, getting off at subway station after ten minutes, validating card before that and saying good-bye to students, walking down the stairs, validating card and passing the barrier, going down the escalator, NOT stopping in front of the mirror, going down to the platform, taking seat on a bench, reading and waiting for the train, finding a seat, continuing to read, departure, announcement, stopping, departing..., getting off at Anam after fifteen minutes, validating card and passing the barrier, strolling up the stairs, all way up, going home, greeting the porter, taking shoes off and slippers on, unlocking my room, turning on the computer...

... and maybe having dinner with Lena later on, or a beer.

And this, every day... ;o)

Walks

Already yesterday I wanted to head for the foreigners' district Itaewon (not far from Goetheinstitut) but I got off the right way when having turned left too early. Today I finally ended up in the street where numberless Western restaurants and cafés are strung together and where you will meet a foreigner here and there. Including US-soldiers in uniform, how strange... In front of a few shops the sellers will talk to you but alltogether this quarter is quite likable and good for having a beer.

The library

One of the first thing in a new place is always finding bookstores and a library. I had already taken a look at Goetheinstitut's library a while ago but today I decided to borrow a book. As everyone else I need a card and while this was issued the curious employee asked me many things.



From now on you can see on the right bar what I'm reading and listening to at the moment. That's most likely borrowed from our library!

Healthy!

Today I could get my medical report. In the beginning it was kind of difficult to find the right counter - in this huge hospital I had gone the right direction but at the wrong floor! I asked someone at the information desk who only spoke a few words English but followed me; after a while we had found it, she didn't seem to know where it was and had to ask other people... But then, everything went quite fast, I got my papers and only needed the (red!) stamp on it, as well as a seal upon my picture. Now I've got all I need for my working permit!

Ddal gi

I have learned my first real word in Korean! Well, Gamsa Hamnida (thank you) I've got accustomed to after having heard it so many times but now I also know the important ddalgi (strawberry ;o) I'm addicted to strawberry juice... And I simlpy don't want to point at it saying "strawberry" when I'm buying one. I'm highly motivated to learn the other fruits' names for trying the other kinds. Wasn't it how it started with Chinese? Cao mei!

Little by little I'm also getting used to the alphabet which means I'm able to read a few words - but not understand all of them... Wow, every language has something new to offer!

The passed days

On Friday my pre-course was finished and it was a nice Good-bye with cakes and cookies. The students thanked me and asked which of the following intensive courses I would be teaching. They have chosen different ones because of their schedules and I had the feeling that we all were a little sad about "breaking up". (And that's now when I finally know their names ;o)

On Saturday morning me and my Korean colleagues worked on correcting exams - the reading, listening and grammar parts of 'ZD'. A little boring, this template correction but still fun since we were sitting together in the teachers' lounge.

After work I walked down the hill towards downtown and discovered the following:

Seoul is swarmed with Italian restaurants and here you can also eat Genoese. I'm gonna try that one day!

I'v been strolling across Namdaemun market, the largest in town and the city centre. I discovered quite a few nice places which I want to get back to. What I like about Seoul are all the small restaurants and numberless bars and cafés.

Saturday night I've had a little mishap - I just got back from dinner at Lena's and Tina's place and shortly before going to bed I went to the bathroom just one more time. When I got back I wasn't able to unlock my door and suddenly the lock was broken and nothing worked at all. I had to wake up the porter who started to screw and draw around my lock, rather akwardly. Finally he called the "reparation student" (I just call him like this because he already fixed my internet connection once ;o) This guy went outside, entered my room by the window and opened the door from inside. But they decided not to repair it anymore that night, it was already 1.30. If I had had the chance I would have unscrewed the lock myself... When I then heard "I think you better (aaaaah!) change the room" I went along with their first idea and slept in my room with the keys inside the lock, locking the door from the inside.

On Sunday someone came to change the lock in the morning - I had insisted not to wait until Monday. Then I would have had... Well, it would have been so long winded but they hadn't thought that far.

Like this I could spend my Sunday afternoon outside and went to the Campus and the hills behind. How beautiful and quiet it is over there! Sometimes I was all alone... And enjoyed the fresh air and the view over Seoul:

Yesterday there was another exam correction, this time the essays. Thinking is required... I finally met my boss who had just returned from Pyongyang. Together we went through some sample corrections which was very helpful. When we had finished correcting after four hours I could hardly write anymore ;o)

In the evening I went out for dinner with my colleagues. It was Tina's last night here because she returned to Germany this morning where she'll spend the summer. We went to a small restaurant and I had an incredibly delicious, slightly spicy soup with tofu, dumplings, scrambled eggs and mussels - accompanied by many small bowls of side dishes. And I remember the soup's name: Su Man Du So Du Bu ;o)