Dear TaLK Scholar

My letter to the next TaLK scholar who will  be in my apartment and working at my schools.

Dear Corey,

Welcome to Andong! Your first couple of weeks will be exhausting and overwhelming so I'm writing this so that maybe a few things can be cleared up and out of your hair.

About your apartment. I'm leaving you some school supplies, books from my orientation, and guidebooks underneath the television. Make use of them. Use "barryfunenglish.com" to help jump start your lesson planning as well. The Seoul book is very useful when you visit. Practice your Korean/Hangul while you're here. Things like motel, jimjabang, noraebang, hakyeo, and names of food are nice things to know in Hangul.

Your neighbor right across the hall is John Scott. He's a friendly Canadian who will gladly help you with the heating device, gas, and washing machine. Lucky for you, he makes yummy cupcakes often! You have hot water and great water pressure in your shower, so that's nice too. Toaster and kettle are easy enough. I left you coffee, spaghetti noodles and tomato sauce, almonds, peanut butter, canned fruit, ramen, butter, cheese, and ketchup. Enjoy! Homeplus is right down the main street so make use of it for groceries. There are small little markets around as well. I left you towels in the closet and cleaned the bed sheets and dishes. The bed sheets are kind of musty, I couldn't get that to go away in my time here, sorry.

You have two schools: Giran and Namseon. Mr. Park (a real character) is very friendly and will help you with anything you ask. Sometimes Giran will take advantage of your services so make sure you know your contract and stand your ground firmly so that you're not doing extra work with no pay. This is very important, I cannot stress it enough.

On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, take bus 28 (to the left of the train station is your bus stop everyday) at 10:45AM to the very last stop in Giran. When it drops you off, with your back to the bus terminal, turn right and walk straight all the way through town. You'll see Giran to the right after you get out of downtown. Cross the street and enter. You'll eat lunch here probably.

On Tuesday and Thursday, take bus 21 at 12:20PM to "Namseon-Myeong Office." Press the button and get off. Ask people on the bus for help by saying, "Odee (where is) Namseon Chodon (elementary) Hakyeo (School)?" Walk along the river down a small road to the left of the fork in the road. Namseon will be on your right after a short walk. You'll eat lunch before you come here.

The principal from Giran had me teach him English before lunch. He's a super nice guy and speaks some English. In fact, almost all of the teachers at Giran speak English so make sure you always say hello to each of them and smile. They'll become good friends and help you out if you do. Anyway, helping the principal was nice because you build a relationship and he's more likely to say nice things about you and help with your vacation time. He'll also take you to lunch which is nice.

Sometimes you'll teach in the library at Giran so be flexible. The librarian is extremely kind. Say "anyong-ha-say-oh" and bow when you meet her, she'll love it.

Your co-teachers are ByeongSu and Yiseo. You really lucked out with them, as did I. Yiseo is really great with discipline and keeping the peace. He's also very nice to talk to during breaks. ByeongSu will be at Namseon with you. He keeps a positive energy and likes to keep the kids smiling. Use them to your advantage, they love this job. They'll let you lead the lessons and make the plans. They'll give you suggestions when things don't work, it's so nice. They'll also be your best friends and show you around Andong if they're not busy.

The only reason I didn't extend was because I have ot go back and finish my degree. I felt very fortunate in my situation. Above al, you will love these kids. My second grades (both schools) were difficult, but your CT's will help. Kindergarten is adorable and the 5th and 6th grades are fun to have conversations with. If you show love to these  kids, they will show it back in handfuls. Enjoy it.

Make sure you join the Andong Facebook page. (It's just "Andong" I believe.) There are some real cool cats in town who will help you out and hang out with you when you need a friend.

If you have any questions during your stay, you have my facebook and my email is _____.

OH! I'm leaving you a crappy pay-as-you-go phone that is only good for texting and calling, but it's cheap. You can refill it on the main street all the way to Homeplus, the last "T" store on the right. Enjoy your stay, make good memories, and have great experiences!

Shelby Eaton
8th generation TaLK Scholar