First Days at the Central Do Jang

Saturday, it was raining, I went to the central do jang, followed the signs upstairs, and come to find two korean men in a damp office with fake wood wallpaper on the walls and domed ceilling. This is the center where we all come from. The central do jang is so Korean, the wood floor for the training hall is bowed from years of moister and use, the dressing rooms smell like sweat and raw sewage (as do a lot of places in Korea) and the organized classes are not all that organized. But you've gotta love Korea. I spent the day with these men who I later have come to know better and they took me in as family. On Monday I trained with Hong Sa Bom Nim, the head of the central Do Jang, in a semi private class. He is going to do this special class three days a week for me and other Dan members. In the evening I came early to watch the kids class but I ended up teaching it and now I am the teacher of this group from now untill I don't know when. I thought it was hard to teach children when I could communicate, now I can't even tell them to be quiet or stop hitting eachother, Igo igo (Korean for Oui/Hy corumba). I taught again on Tuesday and it was a little better. The adult class consists of mostly foreigners, some Australians, Americans, Bolgarians etc. They are all lower ranking (white, yellow, green) but it is fun to have people to talk to and relate being in a strange land with. The training is hard and there are many things about my technique that need a lot of work, I feel like a white belt again and a little astranged. Korea is much different from the US as is Korean Soo Bahk Do. Communication is a constant struggle but I think it will become easier the longer I am here. Chal Je Buseyo (good night)