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!