Our Korean Adventure

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February 29th 2008

Published: February 29th 2008

Hello, from Korea!

We arrived safely Tuesday at 5:20 Korean time after a very long 14 hour flight. Thankfully Korean Airlines is awesome- friendly flight attendants, two good meals, and every seat has a TV with remote. I watched 4 movies, two sitcoms, a documentary, and played Tetris and Blackjack.

At the airport, we happened upon quite a frenzy of security guards and photographers. I was pleased at our warm welcome by the Koreans (ha ha) until we were told that David Beckham was to arrive any moment. Mom and I were so tired we didn't care to stick around with the hoard of fans and instead took a shuttle to the hotel. Dan wasn't to arrive for a little longer so Mom and I ventured out and found a cute restaurant where we had to take off our shoes at the front door and then step up into room which was no bigger than our living room. We sat on thin pillows on the floor at low tables that had a small open flame grill in the middle. The wooden floors were heated (which we have found typical) so it made coming in from the very cold outdoors quite pleasant. Looking at the menu, Mom and I were baffled so a nice gentleman from another table came over, interpreted the menu, and gave the waitress our order. She brought over a pot full of broth and vegetables and set it on the flame to boil. Then a plate of very thin (carpacchio- like) red meat. We placed the meat into the pot, and it quickly cooked. We took it out, spooned out some of the "soup" and ate the mixture with flat, metal chopsticks. We were also given a bowl of cold, cooked noodles, and what looked like boiled lettuce covered in a red pepper paste (we didn't much care for this).

Daniel joined us soon after at the hotel and we went to bed early.

We got up very early Wed (5:30am) because none of us could sleep (still on NY time) and took an early shuttle to the airport to get breakfast and catch a bus to Camp Casey. We got there around 11:30am, but found that i was unable to obtain and I.D. because Dan was not signed in and had no Commanding Officer, which also meant we could not stay at the Camp Casey Lodge like we planned. So instead we took a cab into town, we got cell phones (that use calling cards, a concept which I cannot seem to figure out), then had lunch. We took a train to Yongsan, only to find that there were no rooms at this base either! There was a training excersize and everything was booked. Luckily, two soldiers realized our plight and took us to a very nice hotel with the coolest rooms I have ever seen. Two LARGE flat-screen TV's (one in the hot tub), heated floors, computer with internet, and drinking water cooler.

Thursday we took the train to Itaewon, which was filled with street vendors selling honey candies (very good) and various marinated meats on a stick (also very good). I found a set of tranditional tea sets I would really like, the kind where you put whole tea leaves in the water, then strain the leaves as you pour the tea. I think I will get a set once we move into the apartment. After some shopping and lunch I headed to my school where I met with my supervisor and classroom partner. I begin teaching on Monday, and I'm really excited. My school is located on two floors of a ten story building on a main busy street. In the morning I will have kindergarden (which is actually 7- year- olds) and in the afternoon I will have 2nd grade (3pm-6pm). Grade school children go to regular school all day, then those who can afford it attend English schools. Parents want their children to be fluent in English so they can attend prestigious colleges (which are ranked #1-100, for example), and get high pay jobs. I took the train home (alone for the first time!) then we all went to dinner and stopped at a pastry shop on the way home. I have found that all the milk here is whole (I drink skim, so whole milk is like drinking heavy cream) and most of the pastries including un-appetizing ingredients (like carrots and crab meat).

Today we are going to Camp Casey to meet with our landlord so we can see two apartments. Then at 3pm I go back to my school so they can show me the curriculum and lesson plans which I will begin on Monday! Everything is starting to come together, I just can't wait to actually have an apartment and not have to live in a hotel!

I am truly enjoying my Asian adventure, and although everything may not be comfortable right now, its all so interesting and new and shiny that I look forward to all that I can experience. (We want to tour the DMZ this weekend!) OK, gotta go meet the landlord, I'll write again soon!

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