As the end of the year is quickly approaching it feels more and more like winter has truly arrived in Korea. The days are getting shorter and the weather is colder. I’ve been sick three times in the last two months (the hazards of working with school children during cold and flu season).
I’ve noticed a shift in my behavior as well. I snooze my alarm more often. It is harder to get out of bed in the mornings. The first shadows of homesickness have begun to creep in. There are days when I really don’t want to go to work. Not so long ago, living and teaching in South Korea was something I was dreaming of. But now that it is my daily life, I find myself falling into old patterns of mundanity and boredom.
In some ways, it is a welcome shift. The first few weeks here, I woke up at 7:00 am sharp, anxious that I would be late and wanting to arrive early to double check all my lessons. Now that I am more settled into my routine I don’t stress as much about perfect lesson plans or arriving earlier than necessary to school.
On the other hand, I don’t want to spend the rest of my time here going through the motions. While everyday can’t be an amazing adventure, I want to get the most out of everything I can. Recently, I have been trying to be more mindful in my day. During my commute which has become a habit now, instead of looking at my phone I try to notice what is going on around me.
When I leave my apartment in the morning, I take in the smell of fresh bread from the bakery downstairs. I typically walk to work on the days I am at my main school. I work at two schools in Busan. One is a twenty five minute walk from my apartment. The other school is too far to walk so I have to take the subway.
My walk to work helps to wake me up. I usually don’t listen to music or look at my phone. I let my mind wander and notice the sights around me. I see a lot of the same people on my route, many of them also heading to work. I wonder if they notice me too and if they wonder where I am on the days our paths don’t cross.
Ten minutes into my walk I pass by a different elementary school from the one I work at. There are crossing guards for the school who recognize me from my frequent walks. They say hello to me and one always gives me a salute. The school security guard, an older gentleman, likes to practice his English and sometimes asks me questions about myself. He always has a great big smile on his face and says “Good morning” waving with both hands.
At the corner there is a small violin store. Inside the window there is a rocking chair where a Siamese cat lays sleeping almost every morning. Checking for the kitty in the window has become a part of my daily routine. Outside the store is a rose bush with purple fragrant flowers. They are still in bloom although they have started to wither now. I stop to smell their sweet perfume as I turn the corner.
The next street is quiet but it will be lively in the afternoon when the market opens. It will be filled with stands of produce and food sellers. Now there are only a few people out selling persimmons and stacking crates for later. A small stretch of sidewalk glitters with fish scales in front of the closed metal door where the fishmonger will be later in the day. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit I hold my breath as I walk by the closed storefront. I am still not accustomed to the lingering smell of fish from yesterday’s catch.
Most mornings, I am in a hurry so I don’t have time to make my own coffee. I stop at a small cafe on my walk. It is almost always the same young woman at the counter. She recognizes me and knows my order already, “따뜻한 아메리카노?” she asks, a hot americano. When she hands me my order she smiles at me like we are old friends, her eyes crinkling at the corners. I feel warmer already.
As I get closer to my school, I start to see some of my students on their way. They stop and bow to me. Some of them gasp and whisper to their friends as if seeing a celebrity on the street “Katy-쌤” (Teacher Katy). I smile at them and say “Hello”.
At the school gates, the principal stands greeting the students as they come to school. He smiles big at me and bows his hand while waving with both hands, a cross cultural greeting, Korean/American style. I smile and bow/wave back to him.
Once inside, I change out of my outdoor shoes to my slippers. I take the stairs to the fourth floor where the English classrooms are. On the stairs there are phrases translated from Korean into English. A few of them are hilariously mistranslated. One set of stairs reads: “Do you have the time?” and “Pick it up trash.” I always pick up the pace a bit when I reach those steps.
When I reach my classroom I turn on my computer and pull up my lesson plans for the day. At my main school I teach the same grade all day so I only have one lesson that I will repeat four to five times depending on the day. I have thirty minutes before my first lesson so I drink my coffee and savor the silent moment before I need to put on my “teacher face”.
Last week, I taught my students about Thanksgiving in the United States. I showed them how to make hand turkeys. I look through a few of them as I drink my coffee.
“I am thankful for my family.”
Me too. I miss them. I should call them more often.
“I am thankful for my friends.”
Me too. My friends here have been a lifeline, keeping loneliness at bay and creating a sense of belonging. My friends at home keep me grounded and remind me of my life waiting for me back home.
“I am thankful for Teacher Katy.”
I smile. I am thankful too. For the opportunity to be their teacher, to live in South Korea for one year, to see the world and experience new things everyday. I have a lot to be thankful for.
Perhaps tomorrow morning, I will wake up with my first alarm. Eager to start a new day, no snooze needed.
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