apparently i have been to lame to have made another post before this one, my first blog entry since arriving to south korea nearly a week ago.
the flight went surprisingly smoooooothly, and, as recommended, i lasted the entire 12 hours without napping. i made two friends on the plane, and today we actually met up to explore Itaewon, an area of Seoul with lots of foreigners.
of course, the airline left my bags in LAX, but i got them about a day and a half later. i was well-prepared considering the contents of my carry-on, but my extra t-shirt made a very poor job drying me off after my much-needed shower.
on the plus side, two of three other teachers that shared the same nauseating cab ride with me (people drive like drunks here) had to stay in a hotel for a whole week. i got to move right in...and begin cleaning away all the schmutz the next day.
Now it is awesome, very clean, and even complete with a bonzai tree and cactus!
training went on all week, and i live within a 15 minute walk from the school where i am teaching. however, the first day, me one other new teacher that lives in my building managed to get VERY lost. But we did discover the sweet areas around our neighborhood. When others went exploring later in the week, they took nearly the same walk we did by accident. Ha!
I anticipate enjoying my school. It is very cute above all else. More seriously, it has a very good reputation and has been open for much longer than many Haegwons (English school businesses). Many of the old teachers that are leaving i had the pleasure of meeting and going out with. They are sweethearts and are sad at having to leave. It's strange to think what it will be like to think back to this first week when i will be returning home, too.
Even stranger is the food. Actually it isn't very strange. I am very proud of my belly for enjoying foreign food so tolerantly, even when it contains lots of hot chili powder, salt, pork fat, and sea creatures.
Going out to eat hasn't failed to be exciting yet. At one Korean BBQ restaurant, where i went with four other new foreign teachers, a lady seriously asked us if we were Russian prostitutes. I don't think she believed us when we laughed and said "no," some of us mildly insulted. Since that day, I've noticed more Korean babble directed towards me, ending in "Russ-ga?" ANYOOOOOO!
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