11/23/09
So I managed to pass training and find my way down to Changwon. Training was a pain in the ass, but I met some good people and managed to have some fun and some beers despite the hefty workload. All week we worked towards learning how to teach two lesson plans. One we practiced all morning, the other we practiced all afternoon. It seems kinda funny to work on the same two lesson plans for a week when we will have to do new ones every day starting next week, but I just did as I was told. In the end, it was worth it. I am finally employed.
Some highlights from training week: eating live octopus, eating chicken feet, learning how to say hello (anyang haseo), walking through countless outdoor markets for hours causing me to spend several more hours finding my way back to the hotel, a breakfast bar at the hotel that included fried rice and fish soup, passing 8 stores that sold safes in a row, followed by 12 stores in a row that sold chairs, followed by 12 that sold puppies, followed by 10 that sold motorized scooters, etc. (Koreans must have invented the saturated market), and watching some ridiculous American movies on Korean TV punctuated perfectly by the hilariously cheesy Korean commercials. All in all, a very good week.
So after passing training at 3 on Friday, I caught a bus to Changwon at 4 and arrived before 10. I go picked up by Kevin, the handy man at our school, dropped my bags off at a hotel, and met all the teachers for dinner. After a delicious dinner of Dakalbi (spicy chicken and veggies all mixed together in a wok that is cooked in the middle of the table), I met Tommy at a wonderfully named foreigner bar called O'Briens. We threw back some Korean beers and a few shots and quickly forgot the rest of the night. We both woke up in my hotel room around 1pm thanks to handyman Kevin calling us. We trekked over to my new apartment, and they left me to my own devices to spruce it up and make it my own. Tom was clearly pissed by my well-decorated and -supplied apartment, and I am thrilled.
Next night we headed to Daegu with some friends. Daegu is the third largest city in Korea and the place was bumping. People were everywhere. They have a bunch of pedestrian streets that are lined with bars. We went to an ice bar where you can throw your ice mug at a target to win a prize, a place where you play billibowl (an awesome combination of bowling and billiards), and several other foreigner bars full of interesting people from all over the world. We ended at a norebang (private Karaoke rooms that apparently are all the hype in Korea), where we subsequently ran on the bill for no apparent reason, seeing that it was only about 5 bucks each. Either way it left us laughing and out of breath. From there we hopped in a cab to a bus station, and realized that it was already morning so the buses were just about to start running. Within an hour we were back on the bus and headed home to Changwon.
So my first weekend in Changwon was a whirlwind of culture shock, introductions, new food, and old beer. No complaints here. So far it has surpassed any expectation I could have come up with, but honestly I had no idea what to expect in the first place.
(Pictures coming soon)
DAY ONE
Saturday 11/14/09
I landed yesterday in Seoul. The flight was forever, but managed to watch a few movies and some episodes of Mad Men so not all was lost. The night before I left, I went out with the fa
mily to eat in Philly. Dad couldn't make it, but Craig was there, so we maintained the standard Foley number of 6. It was great seeing everyone one last time, although it also reinstated the things I will miss most about being gone for the next year. It still seems pretty surreal that this country is my home for the next 12 months. I have never spent longer than a week or so outside the country. Boston was far from Lanc, but there was a comfort in knowing that if necessary I was always a day's trip away. Now I really am on my own. It's a funny feeling, but I maintain that this year will be unforgettable.
I am hanging out in my hotel room right now. This is my home for the week. Two twin beds (no roommate thankfully, I think), a stove, fridge, freezer, washer, desk, tv, sofa, bathroom, ridiculous amount of closet space and kitchen shelving, and a converter so I can use my laptop thank God. I really want to check out the city, but it seems enormous on the map and I don't know where to go or what to see. That is the one thing that would be nice about having a roommate, but overall I prefer the independence to do what I want and to get over the jetlag on my own. Also, on Monday I start training, so I will meet plenty of people soon enough.
Overall I feel a little lost, but I am happy I'm here. It's going to be a wild year and a great learning experience. This is really my day one of being in Korea. Can't wait to see what happens.
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