A new life in the land of the morning calm

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So I'm finally here - after months of anticipation! Since Matt and Laura left to head back to the states on Tuesday, it no longer feels like a vacation! This last week has been such a whirlwind - it's amazing how much my life has changed. I'm currently sitting in my new studio apartment, with my wet laundry draped everywhere and my jeans drying on the heated floor. Today was my second day at the school...before I expound on my interesting school experience thus far, I'll backtrack to our first day in Korea.

Day 1 - Tues. May 27th
Today I was suppose to meet Matt and Laura at the Incheon Int'l Airport - as we were all flying in around the same time (M& L from Taiwan). Upon arrival I discover my "almost to capacity - just short of the weight limit by 1.5 pounds" luggage had been lost - figures! Then we just missed each other at our designated meeting spot and it was an ordeal trying to find each other. I felt terrible because my school had sent a shuttle driver to pick us up and all we could do was sit and wait. Finally after probably over an hour of scanning the crowds for Laura (which - incidentally - everyone kind of looked like her!) & Matt - we ran into each other. Blending in with those around us certainly does not bode well with my lack of direction and constantly "looking" for Laura!

Immediately after getting into the shuttle van, I was pretty certain there was no way we were going to make it to our housing destination alive. Korean traffic...actually - probably more the drivers - are nothing like I've ever seen! I am a very defensive driver and a paranoid passenger...well - the paranoia definitely hit an all time high. You haven't seen tailgating until you've been here...the two-second rule I learned in driver's ed does not apply. Cars, trucks, buses are swerving in and out of spaces I wouldn't consider suitable but somehow - they manage to squeeze right in. The drivers are all so aggressive and there's a lot of honking and anti-lock brakes kicking in...I was pretty certain I was going to die. We found walking the streets can also be crazy - the pedestrians do not have right-of-way and drivers will whiz past you before you even realize it. I have yet to see any injured pedestrians or even a car accident so I'll just trust they know what they are doing. You just won't see ME behind the wheel!

After an hour drive into Seoul, we arrived at KoRoot. KoRoot is a not-for-profit organization that provides services to Korean adoptees and their families. We had plans to stay there for most of the week and were greeted by Pastor and Mrs. Kim. This organization runs out of a modest home turned hostel...the accommodations were comfortable and the people were very nice. After getting settled in, we decided to explore the streets and find something to eat. The main street closest to KoRoot was pretty traditional - with many small, family-run businesses with a few more modern buildings scattered few and far between. During our stroll I needed to use the restroom...I experienced my very first (and as of today my last) in-ground toilet. The next mission was to find a place to eat...we found a smallish restaurant and had our first authentic Korean meal. Laura and I both enjoyed it...even Matt found something to eat there! There was only one mystery meat...it was okay...I'm pretty sure it wasn't dog! We headed back to KoRoot pretty early that night because jetlag was setting in...

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