and then there was one...

on friday, all of the EPIK teachers in incheon left together on a bus. it took about one hour to get from seoul to incheon. we were shoved off the bus and given all of our luggage. standing outside in the hot sun, all of the co-teachers came out to find us. it was a mess. about 50 teachers trying to find their matching partner. eventually, i found my co-teacher because he was holding a sign with my number and my name (spelled wrong, of course). his name is bo and he is a very kind man who knows quite a bit of english. we've already shared several meals together and he's been more than generous with his time. it is interesting to note that the co-teachers do not get any compensation for their job. he does a lot of extra running around to help me out because he wants to (or maybe he was lowest on the totem pole and the other teachers forced him to). either way, i am happy. after student teaching with male cooperating teachers, i think i am used to working with men and actually prefer to.

after taking me for sushi on friday, bo took me to the school that i will be working at. it is shinsong highschool. a co-ed school with about 1,500 students in three grades (equivalent to sophomores, juniors, and seniors). i will only be teaching the sophomores and juniors. in addition, i will be teaching the teachers for 2 hours every week. when i mentioned that i was interested in biking to school, the teachers bent over backward to get me a bike. the school has its own bicycles and they are allowing me to borrow one for the year. it is a red cruiser with a basket in the front...i could not be more ecstatic! the frame is a bit small, but i cannot complain. all of the other teachers i have met so far are very friendly and everyone said that they had been anticipating my arrival for quite some time.

as for my accommodations, i will be living about 5km away from the school. near the school, everything is brand new (the school is only 4 years old), so housing nearby is VERY expensive. i live in the older part of the yeonsu dong, an area in southern incheon. i am close to a bus stop and a subway stop, but the subway does not go all the way to my school. the place that i am living in is very small...called an officetel (aka studio, efficiency). it so small, especially after living in madison with so much space. i am content though. i have everything that i need. please watch the video below for a tour of my new pad!

it's now saturday afternoon and i have to do some shopping. i need a few things for around the apartment and some school/teaching supplies. i received my 300,000 won settlement allowance (about $300 USD), opened a bank account, and will have a cell phone monday after school! i am hoping that we will be able to get an internet connection soon. the first company we tried said they would not service to foreigners. strange! right now, i am at a pc bang (internet cafe) which is filled with prepubescent boys playing starcraft. not the most calming environment...