So I am here in Korea!!!! Really I could just fill this whole post with exclamation marks. What a culture shock!! I am in Anseong...which is a small "town" or as Koreans like to say... the country. I arrived in a jet lag stupor after a somewhat comfortable flight...its no BA. I was picked up by Mr. Kim for a two hour drive to my school and apt. As soon as he met me he said "Oh you look tired." I did hear that Koreans were blunt. He told me I could sleep on the drive. I tried to stay awake to take in the views but I fell asleep. We met Mrs. Lee (who also told me I looked tired) at the school and she proceeded to take me to my tiny apt. I was like I like the model, wheres the real place? Nope thats it...its that small. Its a bit smaller than my bedroom on London Mist Court (sob!) with a square kitchen off of it. its like a 5 by 5 ft kitchen...no joke. Ill add my vid later when i figure that out. I arrived on Friday and met up with the other foreign teacher Kay (my lifesaver). She took me shopping to Emart to buy some necessities and out for a korean pizza (they like to put corn on it among other things). I was feeling tired and homesick. When I had landed I was like did I really just agree to not see my family for a whole year? A WHOLE YEAR!
On Saturday (the next day) I met up with Kay, Paul (my predecessor) and his friend Jeff for lunch. We walked to downtown Anseong...which is about a 10 minute walk. How can I describe it? Its a main road with a ton of alleys. Pretty much packed with restaurants, bars, cute accessory stores, pc bongs (internet cafes) and other stores. We walked to an orange restaurant and it was closed so we went to the red restaurant (awning colours :)) I don't know what the food was called...but it was delicious...we sat on the floor cooked chicken on the barbeque with a bunch of veggies and ddok (rice cakes). Once the chicken was cooked you would put it on a lettuce leaf with a bunch of veggies and roll it and stuff it into your mouth. I'm learning that really it doesn't matter how rude you look when you eat!
On Sunday, Kay went of to Seoul so I took the day to explore my area. I woke up early to go the PC Bong to contact my family. I went downtown and went into the first PC Bong. The guy with shaggy hair looked up. I said "One hour" while holding up one finger. He stared at me and looked back down. Oook. I stood there trying to figure out how I was going to communicate with him that I wanted to use the internet. I looked back up because I hadn't left. I pointed to the computers and air typed (I was good at charades). I figured since there were only computers in the place he could figure out what I was trying to say. He just stared. Should I make a run for the computers? COME ON MAN! He continued staring at this crazy foreigner. I considered pulling out my lonely planet korean phrase book. But really I knew he just was not gonna get it. Frustrated I said..."so what! No? No computer!? Ok Forget it!" I walked out back to the street and remembered seeing another PC Bong. I walked over there hoping the next guy would have an idea of the business he was running. Thankfully he did. I walked in, pointed and was given a card. At the computer I figured out what to do with the card. Thank God for all the time I've spent in front of the computer because of the stuff that popped up I knew what they were asking and was able to press the correct Korean buttons!! After almost 2 hours there for 1700 wons (about a dollar twenty!) I went to the daiso, the dollar store and bought some stuff for my pseudo-home. Then I watched the maaaaaany english movies on tv and passed out. WHAT A WEEKEND!
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