1.

One month ago I flew to Ulsan, South Korea.

One month. In some ways it feels like I have been here much longer (when I think of how long those bad days dragged on) and in other ways this month has flown by. Every time I meet a foreign English teacher (native teacher is the proper term) they always tell me: I don't remember my first month here. My common response is: It was that bad? They always comfort me by saying: it gets better.

Now that my month anniversary has come and gone I can post in this blog knowing that my first month hasn't been that bad. Sure I was ready to give up my first full week of teaching. And then I had a very bad attitude about the cultural differences like wearing "slippers" in the school (my poor new teacher heels sit under my table, I still feel sorry for them). I can't pinpoint when my perspective changed but slowly I started to view my life in Korea through a new lens.

Flexibility: I love planning and I love having a schedule. Getting a class syllabus on the first day of the semester brought me great joy because I knew that later that day I could pull out my planner and write in every due date and test. If I was really ambitious that day I'd even pencil in when I'd like to start writing or studying for those upcoming due dates and tests.

You can imagine my shock after the first week here when I had to except the fact that I wouldn't be given any form of a schedule or even the school calendar. Trying to communicate that I wanted to know when my vacations would be was like talking to fish, I was met with wide eyes and a soundless open mouth.

I started to carry important documents with me every time I went to school because they never asked for anything up front. On random days throughout these last four weeks the 6th grade co-teacher would message me through the school computer's messaging system asking if I had my passport or contract on me. And then inform me that we'd be leaving that afternoon for the immigration office or the bank to open a bank account. (She was always very impressed and surprised that I had all of my information on me, which made me laugh because with the lack of communication all I could do was always be prepared).

Most days when I leave my apartment in the morning I have no idea what I am going to be doing that day (for example: I don't even know what topic the 3rd grade classes are covering tomorrow or if I even have a role in the classes).

Ah-ha, I'm suppose to be flexible, right God? Add a flexibility lens to my life-glasses. Check. 

I'll continue to add more lenses throughout this month. Bless.