Getting ready for school

During our second week in Korea we felt more settled-in.  Here is the front of Daegu International School looking at the cafeteria (ground floor) and the library (round glass building on 2nd and 3rd floors).  The building is beautiful inside and out.

This is from the same spot, looking to the right to the residential hall entrance and the gym.

And one more turn behind me to the school's entrance.  There are security guards there 24/7 and they see everyone who comes and goes (it is very safe here though).  They also are great at getting a taxi if you need one.

Taa- Daa!  Here is my classroom, almost ready!  My biggest class is 12 students.  I'm on the second floor, overlooking a nice courtyard.

Another view of my classroom.  I'm teaching Art for grades 8-12 and Robotics for grades 4 & 5.

My classroom is on the second floor. Right next to the stairwell.  The Koreans seem to love granite flooring, it is everywhere and looks so nice. Not slippery, either (surprisingly).

Elevator around the corner from my room.  The school building has three short wings off this main hall and is four stories tall. 

As you walk down the main hall, the door at the end opens to a hallway which leads past the round glass library and to the residential hall.

Here's the view to one side of the outside hallway.  Feng Shui is everywhere.

And looking to the other side of the outside hallway (2nd floor).

In the Residence Hall main hall leading to our wing, on the second floor.

The hallway for the Mutter Quad (four rooms). Oh behind where I'm standing is the door to the laundry room for our floor.  Four new HE washers and four new dryers for the 15 or so people living on our floor.  We use them for free.

Whoever designed this system is brilliant.  We leave our shoes at the entrance. It is a half-step into each room.  Floors stay much cleaner!

Each room has its own bathroom and glassed-in porch with frosted glass sliders on the outside.  Levi's room has two beds, closets and desks.  If you come visit, there is a guest room available for you that looks something like this, without the large Boy running through it.  Guests may stay for up to one month!

The living room of the Mutter Quad.  Fridge, TV, microwave and nice couch. I'm working on getting some art over the couch.

Marly's room- identical to Levi's.  Each room has two good-size closets + large storage cabinets on the porch.  We have more storage than we need. The kids also have under-the-bed drawers on the beds.

Bathroom.  All four of our rooms have one, so we each get our own! The showers are GREAT!  Water is always hot and full-pressure but can be easily regulated. Nice hand-held option.

Master Bedroom.  James and I get a king bed and closets. ☺ All that is needed is more art on the walls... I'm working on that.  The walls are solid concrete under the wallpaper. It's great insulation but makes hanging things a challenge.

Some of the items on the breakfast buffet.  Most Koreans eat Kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage, on the left here) for breakfast.  Us Westerners prefer cereal and milk, which they have available every day. The packets are tasty dried seaweed strips.

Typical weekend brunch from our cafeteria assortment.  Carrot soup, rice with veggie & ground pork sauce, salad, steamed veggies, and pickled radish (yum).  The kids seem to be eating more veggies too; they are often mixed in with things.  There's such a variety on the buffet line every day that they have plenty to try. There is also usually seafood in most meals- fish, shrimp or octopus (tastes like calimari!).  Many of the veggies are locally-grown.

Mutters at Sunday brunch, 8-19-12.  Marly has her seaweed packets.

Right behind the school building is this little coffeeshop called the Muffin tree.  The owner/operater is from Canada originally but taught in Korea for 16 years.  Nice guy. Our music teacher had a guitar concert here this past week, it was great!

This is looking back at the school (blue building in center) from the road to the mall, which two blocks away.

Looking towards the mall from the same intersection.

The lovely three-story Lotte Mall, less than one year old. There are dozens of upscale shops here.

Food court upstairs- Main Dish is Korean foods, we tried several and all were delicious- the kids liked them too.  Lotteria is like McDonald's.  Only instead of Filet of Fish it's Shrimp (like a Po' boy- delicious!)  No milk shakes though- haven't seen them anywhere here.

Lotte Mall has lots of western-brand shops.  There's a 3-story Gap, Izod, Benetton, Apple, Body Shop... There's also a TGI Friday and an 8-screen theater that always has a few new American movies.  Prices in the shops are a little on the high side but there are always plenty of shoppers.  Apparently the economy is just fine in Korea.

This is the coolest thing.  Koreans LOVE kids.  They have set up a 3' swimming pool in the open-air mall for them to enjoy.  The water gets changed out every day and the kids must wear caps.

Another view of the pool at the mall.

Walking back to the school.  Right across the street from the school is Korea Textile & Fashion Polytechnic- a Fashion college!  It doesn't look too busy right now but I saw serger machines through the windows.  I'd like to find out more about it.

I've been walking the three-mile loop around Lake Dasanji at Bongmu park, (1/4 mi. walk uphill from the school) several times a week. This week I found out that the lake is actually a reservoir, built by the Japanese during a war- not sure which one but I'm guessing WWII.  My brother Matt knows more about military history so perhaps he can enlighten me.  Here is the start of the path, on the high berm on the west side of the lake.

Looking down the other side of the steep berm at the gardens and houses below.

On the walk around the lake. So tranquil.

Everyone greets you politely on the path.  This is typically how local Koreans dress on the walking path. Long pants and sleeves even in the current 88 degrees & humid weather!  It seems they sweat less.

One of several babbling brooks that feed the reservoir.

I walked with the kids to the top of the hill behind the butterfly house by the lake. Here they are going back down.

There's lots of Nature to photograph at Bongmu Park.

This is across the lake, looking across to the Butterfly House and Museums in the center/left. The brown buildings on the right are actually the 3rd and 4th floors of our school, down the hill..

Kids at the top of the hill by the Butterfly House. That's a caterpillar they're sitting on.

Water Skier at Bongmu Park.

Here's one of the veggie vendors on the road up to Bongmu Park.  I bought the cucumbers, two for $1,  they were tasty!

Another veggie vendor.  Locally grown and organic, and cheap!

My co-worker showed me how to take a city bus downtown to a school & art supply store.  Easy and cheap bus system (bus costs $1.20).  I loaded up with the kids' school supplies and some classroom supplies (those, the school will reimburse from receipt) and took a taxi home ($7 from downtown Daegu).

Here is a view of a bridge over the Nakdong River on the way back to the school. This is near the airport, on the northern edge of Daegu.

Here are the kids on their way out, on the first day of school.They were nervous but needn't have been.  They have had a great first few days and really seem to like the school (really!) Of course, they have wonderful teachers and small classes and everyone here is so nice... they feel quite special.  What a great place to learn, and teach!   More in my next blog!

Our First Week in Korea!

Front of school

We arrived here at 8 pm August 5, 2012.  Daegu Airport is only 5 minutes' drive from Daegu International School so it's quite convenient.  We traveled here with four other teachers and their families and more came in the next day.  We received a warm welcome from the staff and our apartments are comfortable.  Many of us teachers live here on campus and some in an apartment complex off-campus (there are 33 teachers at the school).  James is the resident hall director and in charge of dorm life for the teachers + 25 students living here. 

Outside DIS

Our school buildings are beautiful and well-made, with state-of-the-art technology and engineering.  All the new architecture here is elegant and functional.  Here we are going for a walk past our school to the nearby park.  Notice they are building a huge new apartment complex down the road.  It is very quiet though because the building is happening behind the wall on the top floors.  It is quiet pretty much everywhere here.

Around the corner and up the hill on the 1/2 mile walk to the park.  One of the coolest things here are the  many vegetable gardens. People who live nearby tend this one and sometimes sell veggies on the side of the road to the park.

At the park there is a walking path around a lake (2 miles long).  Perfect for exercise!  Here is a view of the countryside and part of the city of Daegu looking east in the morning, from the start of the walking path (1/2 mile from our school). Besides exercise the park is a really beautiful place as you will see.  I plan on bringing my paints some day.  Right now it is pretty hot (upper 80's) and humid.  We've had just a little rain this week.   

This is looking west at Lake Dansanji in Bongmu park from the start of the walking path. There are motorized duck boats and a water ski boat that people rent regularly, they also go tubing pretty often.  Something fun to do one weekend.  There is also a hiking path that goes along the foothills around the lake (4 mile walk) that we will try later. 

A Buddhist burial mound.  There are several of them around the lake. I have no idea how old it is, but I think very... I wish I knew what the sign said. 

About halfway around the lake there is this really cool workout machine area. There are various stretching and weightlifting machines.  My favorite is the inversion table, to stretch out the back.  Ahhh.

More of the workout area, with one of the light poles with speakers that play peaceful music all along the path.  There is uninterrupted music all along the path, usually classical.

Another view of Lake Dasanji in the morning while walking around. These mountains are around 1000 feet tall.  This is the southern end of the Mount Palgongsang area.

The northern tip of the lake, about halfway around the 2-mile walking path around it.

Marly and her new friend on the lake path.  You can see the new construction in the back.

Here is what the walking path looks like most of the way.  Many local people walk it every day.  Great exercise and such a relaxing place.

 A newer-looking Buddhist burial site.  There are  also several of these around the lake.

There is a Butterfly House and museum along the path in Bongmu park.  Here is the entry.

Lots of pretty butterflies in the gardens around the butterfly house. 

Swallowtail butterfly, Bongmu Park

Levi inside the Butterfly House.  There were a lot of smaller white butterflies flitting around.

Butterfly House, Bongmu Park

Love the turtle

Exiting the Butterfly House

There are beautiful gardens all around the butterfly house and museum, like these roses.

 Entrance to the Butterfly Museum, next door. 

There's a very nice playground in the park.

A Korean magpie, common around the lake.  They are about the size and shape of a crow and pretty shy.  The dark feathers are purple.

Marly had her first ice skating lesson two days after we arrived. Other than being really big, the rink and lessons were very much like back home. The rink is by Daegu Stadium where World Track & Field is run and is part of the same complex.  It is a very big rink so they have public skating on the outside while the inside is coned off for figure skaters. Marly and another girl aged 9 share the same lesson with Coach Jennifer.  Good motivator. Mar will be back.

Here the girls are learning their sit-spins.

HUGE rink!  Look at all the lockers.

Snack bar just like home, with popcorn, ice cream, and lots of noodles-to-go offered.

On August 7, our co-worker took us to Donghwasa  Buddhist Temple, further up north in the Mt. Palgongsan area. The giant Buddha is 100 ft tall and holds some of Buddha's remains.

On the walk on the road uphill to the temple.  Looking over the side we saw lots of little groups of people picnicking on the rocks in the river below.  Lovely!

It was worth the long walk up.

Buddhist monks and novitiates were everywhere.

Beautiful place!  The temple was founded in the year 500 in the Silla Dynasty. WOW that is old!

Worshippers inside the temple

Another view inside the temple.

Here we are at Donghwasa temple.

A monk-novitiate heard James talking about magic tricks and motioned to us to watch him make an airplane.

He flew it over the edge and it kept doing loop-the-loops.  I think it was supposed to hover in the air over the trees but the monk kind of explained that the wind wasn't cooperating that day. Nice guy for trying anyway.

At Donghwasa temple there are several different Buddhist shrines for worshipping- here is the view into one.

These guys were guarding an entry.

Here's what the temple looks like from the outside.  The newest building is from the early 1700's.

It was nice to go on this trip with our new friends!

Tiger lilies growing wild on the path down from the temple.

Here is a view of the downtown area with lots of shops and restaurants, that we went for dinner (American food) one night.  The food and games were good (darts, foosball).

On August 9th we were treated to a trip south to the World Expo in Yeosun.  The bus was so luxe!

Very clean and comfy.  No fumes.  The drivers stop every hour at rest areas for potty breaks. 

On the way to the Expo we saw HUGE mountains, much bigger than the ones by our local park.  About 4000 ft. tall.

World Expo was amazing.  So many pavilions!  Some had very long waits. We waited in line for a few, and went to some with shorter lines.

Some acrobats practicing before their show.  The circle structure behind them lit up at night in a synchonized show. 

International Pavilion area with TV screen ceiling showing undersea world, and plants on the roof in the back!  We got some fantastic Korean food upstairs here (Bi bim bap) that the kids liked too. 

Another view of the International Pavilion ceiling at World Expo in Yeosun.

This dancing dude was inside the Posan (huge steel/Building company)'s pavilion. Really fun light show and effects and then he came out break-dancing before the bubble drop.  Hilarious!

Levi at the Posan pavilion

Giant marionette at World Expo.

There were lots of interactive displays at World Expo.  The overall theme was ocean conservation. 

Bob kept us entertained at the entrance to the China pavilion.

We were treated to a VIP tour at the USA Pavilion. The show on the big screens began with some moving (filmed) speeches about ocean conservation by Hillary Clinton and President Obama.  Monterrey Bay Aquarium was one of the sponsors.

Mutters at World Expo Yeosun, Korea 8/9/12

This was the coolest thing! In the Kid's Zone at World Expo (for which our wonderful boss waited on line for an hour for tickets) they started us with mounds of FLOUR (yes, flour) that we were invited to play in.  Everyone dived in (including adults). Some more than others.  It felt SO good to walk in!  

Of course James had a blast.

This was in the Flour area as they were telling us to brush off and move to the next area of the Kids' Zone:  

.....Which was- GRAIN!  The floor was about 2' deep with a whole grain, either flour or barley we think.  It was like a massage to walk in!  We had fun "burying" each other.  That's me trying to put bunny ears on Levi but he's gotten too tall.

Everyone turned into a kid here, even the adults.

It was a fantastic first week in our new home!