I'm in Cheongju!

Ahh, I haven't been able to update anything or contact anyone due to the no internet at my place. I'm supposed to get it tomorrow so hopefully that'll be taken care of! Right now, I'm at the Tous Les Jours Cafe that's right down the street from where I live^^ I ran in to my boss as I was walking here and he asked what I was doing. I told him that I was coming here to use the Wifi and he told me he'd buy me some pastries. I think he feels bad for me not having internet yet. Hehe.

Cheongju is a really intriguing city thus far. I can't say much about it, because I haven't been able to really explore since I get done with work at 6. I start teaching next Monday and I'm feeling slightly nervous about it. Grr. Anyway, back to Cheongju. It's really easy to get around here actually. There's a couple from Canada who have been here for four months and they've been such a great help! They're only a year older than I am, and they've answered so many questions of mine and have given me a lot of insight in to Wonderland and how it operates. The other teacher from MN, Ann, arrived yesterday as well and she's super nice! It's funny because she's from the St. Cloud area - it is such a small world people!!!

My place is pretty small; it's a studio, but it's a space of my own. The shower and bathroom are really different from what I'm used to. There's no separator between the two, but I have a switch that turns the water from the sink to the showerhead. Hehe.

The kids are Wonderland at cute! I might be bias, but Korean kids are the cutest...aside from my nieces and nephews! When they smile, they're faces light up just like candles, and it's one of the most beautiful sights I've seen^^ They're also highly bright and intelligent; it's really impressive the vocabulary they know and how well they speak and write. I observed a class of 7-year olds today, and I was amazed by how quickly they picked up on the new vocabulary. I swear they're like sponges and soak up the information instantly!! Sometimes I wish I could speak Korean with them, but I'm told that I shouldn't >.< Many have approached me and in Korean, they ask me if I'm Korean and if I speak Korean, etc., but I have to reply back in English.

It's taking me some time to get used to the Korean culture again, but that's to be expected^^ Ohhh!! The internet is super duper fast here and I love it!! I've been at the cafe for an hour now, and I've been able to do so much in such a short amount of time. I can't wait to get wireless at my place^^

To be honest, I do feel kind of lonely. When I get back to my place, it's so quiet and in order for me to fall asleep, I have to have music or a sound playing. I've grown accustomed to roomies that it feels so strange to have my own place. I think I'll appreciate it more as time continues, but for now, I miss company.