Annyong haseyo (Hello) from Korea!!!! (finally)
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| My school- Hyun Jae Language School |
It already has been a "WOW" eye opening experience and today is our 3rd day here. Okay, so the first night was the worst- it was a rouuuugh night to say the least. A driver picked us up and took us to our school where we met Lily, our "go to" girl while we're here and she tells us Emily's room is not ready and she will be taking me to my apt and Emily will be staying with another teacher. We have been in the country for maybe an hour and it's dark and we are exhausted- I'm driving down these streets with Lily in her car trying to memorize where shes turning because I just left Emily at the school- I don't have a cell phone to call her on- I dont know anyone yet- I'm feeling a bit in shock. The streets are jam-packed with stuff and first time seeing everything was overwhelming. Lily takes me up and just wants to leave me there but I'm like NO WAY- I dont know where the hell I am in the city- not sure how to get back to the school- I dont know where Emily is- and all this is happening so so fast- oh and my computer is dying becuase I dont have a converter yet. Lily takes me back to the school with her because she has to get Emily and we go to where she is staying- we make plans to meet the following morning at station 5 which is literally at the base of my apt. building. I'm leaving alot out- but the emotions that night were UNREAL. When I got back to my place for the night, I felt completely isolated. My apt is little, and was so so so quiet. I didnt have any outside connection/communication to the world and I was just hoping Emily could find her way to the station that morning at 9 when were going to meet. I was so tired I just went to bed. I woke up that morning at 6 am thirsty as hell- I didnt have any food or water since the plane ride. I knew I had to LEAVE MY APT- OMG I was so scared but I had to woman up- I totally was talking out loud to myself giving myself peptalks- I had to! See, my apt is keyless- all electronic codes- super modern and i just knew it wouldnt work if i left- my luck you know. Lily had showed me how to do it once the night before. Well it worked nevertheless- all the while I'm venturing out by myself in this new land (lol) my stomach is in knots!!! When I'm in the conveniece store getting water the men were so nice to me and helped me out so much they called me "the americana" so now unbeknowst to them I call them my friends everytime i walk past the store and i wave and they just nod their head to me, hahahaha. Oh and Emily was at the station at 9 and we were just UTTERLY HAPPY to see each other!!!! We had found each other and we were'nt alone anymore!
We got the subway system down- it is spotless and sooooo much more modern than NYC's system. We went downtown Seoul and faound a FANTASTIC shopping area. We ran across a neat Korean market with fresh EVERYTHING- seafood- meat- vegetables- saw a whole side of a pig with the foot still attached (gag) laying on a table while walking through- and fish and stuff Americans are just not used to putting in their bodies you know- like live eels, weird little fish- stuff i couldnt tell what it was lol!
One odd thing I have learned about the Koreans....
there is trash on the streets- so much- its so so stinky its overwhelming. There are no trash cans to be found - not on the streets not on the subways. Why??? Koreans think that trashcans would be targets for bombs. So they just put there trash out on the streets- in bags- but that doesnt help with the smell- thats my real only complaint.
My apartment is pretty new- it's small- but it's standard for a single person here. It feels like a dorm room. It is modern and it is so ideally located. I literally walk downstairs and I'm at a subway stop. I live West of downtown across the river in an area called Sin-Jeong Dong and right next to Mokdong, which is where my school is. Evidently, it is the 2nd richest area in Seoul... so that could be a great thing.
I have so much I want to say and elaborate on- but it would be a book if I did. Basically- things got off to a rough start- but has gotten 100 times better with every hour that has gone by and I'm feeling good about things. Today is my first day of school- I am shadowing other English teachers today. My schedule is going to be M-F 3pm to 10 pm. It is a language school kids come there after their regular school so thats why its late in the evening. Kids in Korea go to school for long long long hours. This expereince is going to be such a true test of my strength- I have already learned so much about myself and survived the first test. What an adventure this already has been and cant wait for more.
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| My apartment building |
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| A cool market I ran across in my neighborhood |
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| Yummy 1st Korean meal we got to cook ourselves and sat on the floor on pillows |
Excellent first entry Megan, except the whole trash on the streets part lol Have a lovely first day at school!!
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