Training Day #1

On Monday, I went to my first training. I have three days of training before I start my new job on Thursday. Typically for trainings like these, the company chooses a central location in Seoul that is easy to access from different areas and subway lines. Fortunately for me, I live in Seoul now, so my subway ride is only a half hour, and I don't have to change subway lines. Woot!

I arrived to my training about an hour early, so I stopped in at a Starbucks nearby and relaxed for a bit. The training is run by a guy from Australia named Robert. He's been in Korea now for four years, and has a lot of teaching experience. This year, he got the job with the Head Office of YBM ECC, the company that I work for now. When I arrived at the training, Robert greeted me at the door and gave me my information folder. I went into a room nearby and waited for other people to arrive. When 10am rolled around, there were seven new teachers total, plus Robert. It was SO NICE having a small group to go through new teaching training with! It makes such a difference when you can actually get to know other foreigners and hear about their previous experiences.

The training took place from 10am to 6:30pm, so it was quite a long day. It was very informative, and everyone took to Robert right away. He's a very dynamic speaker, and very down-to-earth and honest about the realities of the job. He told us right away that he wouldn't be sugar coating anything. This company, YBM ECC, has been a phenomenal experience for me from the beginning. Everyone has been so helpful and straightforward, and I know exactly the kind of company I will be working for. That's a major relief.

After the training was finished, I took three of the new teachers a few subway stops away to an electronics market. They needed to buy voltage converters so their computers won't explode here! It was really nice spending time with them outside of training. Even though we all work at different schools, I think we will keep in touch with one another. All three of them are from the U.K., but they didn't know each other before they arrived.

Today begins the second day of training. My body has finally adjusted to the time change, and I woke up at a decent hour this morning. Finally!! I'm excited about going back to training and learning more. After training, I'm meeting up with Mi-Yeon, who I haven't seen in over a month!! We're going to grab dinner and do some shopping. :)