Welcome to Pearville!

Greetings from 나주, (Naju), home of the Pears.

The big day has come and gone. Departure Day, (D-Day) was a whirlwind of activities. We met our co-teachers, our principals, and moved in with our host families.

Upon meeting my new co-teacher and principal, (whose names I don't remember,) I was showered with gifts:

Flowers, presents, and a cool book on Naju awaited me when I met my co-teacher! I felt so loved!

Soon after, Grace, Jim, Taylor and myself were whisked away on a chartered bus towards Naju. While it was bittersweet to leave our fellow ETAs, little did we know, we were entering the Naju Party Bus- we were immediately given ice cold beers. Once we finished one beer, we were given another. If we were not drinking, we were eating peaches, chips, and apples. We later learned that the Naju Educational Association applies for 4 ETAs every year, and has been working with the Fulbright Commission for more than 10 years. They love Fulbright. Needless to say, we felt even more appreciated and confident about the year to come.

Adios Jungwon University! Naju, here I come!

Don't worry, there are no open container laws in Korea. If you think this is crazy, read on. I'm going to blow your socks off...

MY CITY

Soon, we reached the land of Pears. Before I continue, some quick facts about Naju:

-Naju's population is approximately 100,000 people. It is located in the Southwestern corner of the Korean Penninsula, in the center of Jeonnam Province. Just north of Naju is Gwangju, a larger metropolitan city with a population of 1.4 million people.

-Naju is world famous for its Pears, Pear Museum, and Pear festival. Pear day, which takes places every January 1st, also features processed products from pears, such as pear liquor, pear wine, and pear jelly.

-There are 24 elementary schools, 14 middle schools, 12 high schools, 2 colleges and 1 university in the Naju region. Yet the best school of them all is Guemseong High school, home of the best English teacher of all, me. :)

-Did I mention that Naju has pears?

Downtown Naju. It looks a lot busier than it is...

Naju, where are you?

At one point a long time ago, the city of Naju was encompassed by a large wall. Today, only the northern, southern eastern, and western gates exist. This is the eastern entrance to the city.

The Naju Crew minus Taylor. He's taking the photo.

Wish you were here!

In terms of amenities, Naju is pretty well stocked. We have an Adidas store, a few pizza parlors, a pretty sizable bus station, a bowling alley, and pears. Although we lack a movie theatre and decent American food options, we make it up in an intimate, friendly small town environment. To boast, the weather is relatively temperate: It dips into the low 30s, averaging a few inches of snow during the winter. This cold-challenged LA boy will do just fine. I'm definitely not in Kansas anymore, but with the Naju crew at my side, and a great host family, all will be well.

MY HOST FAMILY:

My host family, while delightful, is a little out of the ordinary. My host dad is 35 and my host mom is 31. They aren't exactly, say, host parents, but more like host siblings. I also have a 2 year old sister, who for all intents and purposes, could be my daughter! And just for comparison, I have many friends whose host siblings are as old as my host parents!

So, lets meet the family:

My host dads name is Jinho, and is the Agricultural Comissioner for the ciy of Naju. He's really friendly, energetic, and speaks great English. He also loves Jokho, a Korean sport that combines soccer and volleyball. 

My host mom is Jinhee. She is a secretary at the local university and is currently studying for her final examination in her masters program. Due to her limited English, we don't really talk. We mostly communicate through online translation programs. 

My host dad and lil' sis. 

Isn't she cute?

When I found out I had a pre-school age sister, I had mixed feelings. I didn't really know what to expect. But so, far, it's been very enlightening. Besides watching Barney every morning with her, (which is dubbed in Korean, mind you) I've discovered that we are both at about the same level of Korean study. So when my mom and dad read children's stories to her, I make sure to participate as well. Whether we are looking at picture books, or learning how to write vowels, I'm always by her side in hopes I might pick up something too! 

MY HOUSE:

...is awesome. My host dad built it himself last year. The house is environmentally friendly and built from recycled or local materials. It is a humble, 900 square feet home in the middle of a neighborhood. We live on the outskirts of town, right next to the city limits sign. Across the street is a rice patty.

My house!

The cutouts in the wall show the straw walls to our house. I dare the big bad wolf to try and blow this little house down!

Our kitchen. We never eat on the table, so I don't even know why we have one

The stairs of death I need to climb up to get to my bathroom. The kitchen is to the left.

MY SCHOOL:


First off, let me say that I absolutely adore my all boys high school. The students are great, its close to my house, and the facilities are top notch. Yet the best aspect by far has been my coworkers. Let me share a few gems from the last week:
I went to school for the first time on Friday. Dressed to impress, I was ready to put on my best cultural ambassador face and make a good first impression on my new coworkers.
Upon arriving, I was shuffled into my principal's office. My principal asks me a series of questions about myself, opens the refrigerator, and hands me a nice, cold refreshing beer. And then he gives me another. And another. Not knowing what to do, (after all, it was the first day of school,) I said, "well, 'when in Rome do as the Romans do!" Nothing like getting wasted with your principal at 8 in the morning!

But it gets better. Much better.

Immediately after our early morning boost of liquid confidence, he decides to take me on a tour of the school. Within 5 seconds of leaving his office, he firmly clasps my hand. And doesn't let go. For the entire tour. And to boot, he proceeded to shower me with compliments about my devilish good looks! So here I am, hand in hand with my principal, walking (or more like drunkenly wobbling) around school at 8:45am. Mind you, students are present and eager to meet. me. Way to make a great first impression as a cultural ambassador!**

But wait, there's more.

After lunch, my co-teacher and I went to get my cellphone and bank account. While he is a very kind, sweet gentlemen, his English is far from proficient. I'm pretty sure every staff member including the 60 year old home economics teacher speaks better English than him. But I digress...Anyway, we get in his car to go to the cellphone store. Still recovering from the mornings' activites, my first thought was "oh, I am so happy that he's driving and not me!"

Then, all of the sudden....BHAAAAM!

"Oh, so sorry! So sorry!"

My coteacher backed up into a parked car.
Before I could process what had just happened, we speeded out of the parking lot.
I start teaching next monday. Who knows what awaits me then....
**Cultural note:

1. Holding hands with a member of the same gender is perfectly normal in Korea. It is the utmost sign of friendship.
2. The giving of alcohol is a sign of hospitality. Alcohol does not carry the same weight or stigma that it does in the United States. This explains a lot...

Well, thank you for reading this far. I know it was a long entry, but expect many many more from the land of Pears. Naju has definitely kept me entertained!

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