I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, but I guess, no one, no matter what country you are living, is exempt from waiting for the cable guy to arrive! I’ve noticed, over the last few days, that the business day doesn’t really get started here until 9am; even the pharmacy isn’t open til 9. So, when I was getting up and ready this morning I anticipated the cable guy sometime on or around 9am. Not so much. It’s 11am and there’s still no sign of the cable guy. I’ve even checked out in the hall several times, whenever I’ve heard the elevator stop at my floor, but still no one. There’s not a lot you can do when waiting for the cable guy. I don’t live in a house any more, where I can find something to do. I don’t have Internet, yet, and so that’s out, I obviously can’t watch television, hence waiting for the cable guy. I’ve run out of reading material and I know that as soon as I leave the apartment, he’ll show up-it’s the cable guy law-he doesn’t show up all day and as soon as you leave he shows up! I really would like to get to work as today, I was going to be given materials for my class and go over curriculum with my director and my Korean teaching partner, Lindsay. Being the first teacher to arrive has it’s advantages. I was able to choose the subject that I wanted to teach and was given first pick at the age group I wanted as well. I’ll be teaching the 7 year olds social sciences. The school officially opens on February 23rd. Being here early gives me an opportunity to adjust and not feel so rushed and discombobulated once school does begin. I’m giving the cable guy til noon…

My first day of work was not really work so much as it was maintenance. When I arrived I promptly hopped online, as I have been without the Internet since I arrived, on Tuesday evening. I was able to communicate with my parents and sister briefly and then I was whisked away to get my Alien Registration card. I have to have this card within 90 days of arriving in S. Korea, but more importantly, for me, I need to have the card so that I can set up Internet, cell phone and a banking account! I won’t receive my card until February 2nd (clearly, there is a delay in between when I’m writing and when you read them)! This of course means that I won’t be able to just communicate whenever I want and must wait until I get to work, which brings on a whole other set of problems. I’m not a big believer of taking personal calls at work, and while, yes, I am on the other side of the world and my parents and sister and friends would like to speak to me I feel uncomfortable speaking to them when I’m at work. Of course I want to speak with my family, but I would also like to speak to them in private and not surrounded by my co-workers (this is nothing against them, the women that I work with are wonderful!). Anyways, getting back to my Alien Registration card. We went into Seoul and the city is amazing! The city is very westernized and besides the obvious Korean influences and a few other minor differences, Seoul is just like any other big city. The traffic though, would make anyone go insane. I’ve never seen anything like it! The people here drive crazy! I’m surprised that we didn’t get into an accident. We went to Pizza Hut for lunch. It was the same but it was different. The men choices reflected a more Asian style food, but did have American offerings as well. The difference between the Pizza Hut here and the Pizza Hut at home is that the individuals working at the Pizza Hut here were very service-oriented. As soon as we were seated we were promptly asked what we wanted to drink and eat. Our server waited for us to make a decision. We were able to enjoy our salads and then our pizzas were promptly brought to us. I didn’t finish all of my pizza and it was promptly taken from and put in a little to-go box with a ribbon wrapped around it (it was so cute). I guess my point is, is that the service I’ve received here in Korea, far exceeds that I have ever received in America. After eating lunch my school Director, Helen, and I went to the hospital so that I could have a “mini” physical, for my Alien Registration card. They did a sight and hearing test, took some blood and did a chest x-ray. I’m happy to say that I’m very healthy and they are going to let me stay. As I traveled to and from these different places yesterday, I was completely captivated by people and the city itself. I’m really looking forward to the weekend when I can hop on a bus and go explore and see all that this city has to offer!

It’s very daunting to be alone with your thoughts. It’s weird to not have someone to talk to and share the excitement of the new things I’m experiencing. I see everyone on their cell phones, here, and the one thing I want is to be able to call my mom or Danielle, or Laura, or Tracie or Jill and Carrie- the list goes on, but it’s weird, to not be able to just talk to people. There have been so many times, especially in the last month, when I’ve wanted my phone to stop ringing and now, I’d give anything to just talk on the phone again. I’m not sure, even when I do finally get a phone that I’ll be able to talk as much as I’d like. I’m going to miss calling my mom when I’m on my way to work in the morning or calling Danielle and talking about nothing for an hour or more. It’s different being alone. I know in spirit I’m not alone, but physically I’m on the other side of the world! I saw so many Americans last nite, at the airport, and today I haven’t seen one. My first day here has proved to be a little more emotional than I had really anticipated. I am without any form or communication. I am writing this and have no way to post it (yet). My television isn’t hooked up yet and I don’t have a cell phone with working cell service. Even if my phone was working it would cost me $2.29/minute just to call home-a small price to pay however to let my parents and my best friend know that I’m okay. I’m avoiding my suitcases, which is hard considering I have to step over and trip past them every time I leave my bed! It’s not that I don’t want to take care of them it’s just that I haven’t gotten any hangers yet. Looking around my apartment I feel as though I’m in a glorified dorm room! I know that this is a transition and will change over time.
I ventured out today. I just wanted to see the streets and shops and what was out there. My school, where I’ll be teaching is about 2 blocks away. Before I left the States, I had been warned that there were smells that came from street vendors and merchants; smells would take some time getting used. I haven’t encountered anything out of the ordinary. The first smell that I encounter, when I walk out of my building is that of the city. It smells dirty, maybe even a hint of sewage and then I keep walking and smell fried food being cooked along the street by a vendor frying up some kind of pancake looking food. Also, you smell fresh fruit as you walk by the numerous fruit stands lining the sidewalks. Further down, fresh fish is out and ready to be sold and strung along lines-there’s nothing like the smell of an open fish market. The fish though are incredible! There are huge fish on display and some of the fish sellers have tanks full of fresh fish and eels and what looked like some kind of sea snakes? The people here are always in a hurry. It’s a very different dynamic, than that of Nashville. I suppose it’s to be expected, I mean I don’t exactly blend, due to my height, but everyone stares at me. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m tall and clearly American or if it’s because I’m wearing sunglasses? It’s sunny and I like my sunglasses. Everyone I’ve encountered has been friendly and very helpful when I’ve purchased items. They do have many if not most of the items I would purchase in America. They also have several Parisian bakeries here. I wanted to try something earlier, but I’m not really hungry. The smells haven’t bothered me, but I suspect that my nerves and my not knowing the language have made me wary of eating. There is plenty of food to be had, I just can’t read the language and have no idea what is being served. I have yet to find any American food in my neighborhood. I did, however, on the drive here last nite, see a Dunkin’ Donuts (Danielle, you know how I love Dunkin’ Donuts; oh, and there’s a Baskin Robins here too!) Also, I saw a Papa John’s and McDonalds. I know I’ll adjust in time. There is so much to take in! I’ve been trying to take pictures of the world around me but I almost feel intrusive doing so. It’s only Wednesday, I’ll work tomorrow and Friday and then I’ll probably be out exploring all weekend!

Aside from having just arrived in Seoul and finally getting some sleep, I have a cold! I started to feel it coming on the night before I left and didn’t pay any attention to it, but I have a stuffy nose and a cough. Apart from that I think I’m ok. My apartment is little! Not little like made for Koreans little, just little-one room, my bed is in the corner; across from my “kitchen”; there is a door separating me from my bathroom. The bathroom is fine. It’s all tile and doesn’t have any boundaries. The shower is a part of the overall whole of the bathroom, there’s a drain in the middle of the floor. My apartment floor looks like hardwood but isn’t and it’s heated! It’s customary to remove your shoes upon entering your home or even job-before arriving at my apartment I met my boss at the school I’ll be teaching at and I was asked to remove my shoes. Upon entering my own apartment she told me I needed to take off my shoes. It will take some getting used to. My apartment’s cute and did I mention that it’s small? I’m not sure where I’m going to store my suitcases. I do need to become more familiar with centigrade. Temperatures here are in centigrade and I haven’t converted or used centigrade since high school math and chemistry. My washing machine and thermostat are in Korean; making it a little difficult to decipher. My bed is a twin, and while I had initially thought that I would buy a bigger bed, I have no room, so that’s probably not going to happen. I am really glad that I brought my linens. The sheet and comforter they had on the bed were not very warm and they were Hello Kitty! Not that I have anything against Hello Kitty. When I was younger (9, 10), Tracie and I loved going to the Hello Kitty store at the mall! For those of you who come to visit, I’ll keep the Hello Kitty comforter for you to enjoy.
When I woke up this morning I looked out one of the small windows, in my apartment, and looked out at the street below me-businesses everywhere, restaurants, there’s a gym in the building across the street from my apartment and the gym is on the upper level directly across from my window. It’s a little weird to me being surrounded by all of this…I mean, I lived downtown in Nashville and still lived in a house; everything there is so spread out, whereas here, it’s just spread up!

I have arrived in Seoul! It was a long trip; longer than it normally would take due to volcanic activity on an in island in the Pacific. The first few hours of the trip aren’t bad-you eat, watch a movie, take a nap. But when the food cart comes by again and you realize that these three actions, in this order, are how it’s going to be for the next 12+ hours, you begin to become a bit antsy. I didn’t think that I would anticipate “cabin fever” as I had a plan, in regards, to maintaining my composure and for making the flight fly by (forgive my pun). Of course, when you plan to sleep the entire way, it helps if you can find and maintain a comfortable position in your seat. This was not necessarily the case and I squirmed and couldn’t get comfortable. I did take a few naps, only to be awakened (right when I’d finally gotten to that deep sleep stage) by the flight attendants, asking is I’d like something to eat or drink. It was a viscous cycle and one I’m not looking forward to repeating!
Throughout my whole day, of traveling, I never felt that I’d made a terrible decision. When we landed in Seoul, I had anticipated feeling overwhelmed and extremely sad and a longing to get back to Nashville, but instead, I got up grabbed my carry-ons and made my way thru the masses to immigration and baggage claim. I think for that reason alone, I know that my trip here and my desire to embark on such a lofty adventure is confirmation that I’m where I’m supposed to be.
After arriving in Seoul, I was picked up and taken out to Hanam, where I will be living and working. The taxi driver was nice but I noticed some strange things while we were driving. I’m not sure what I expected the world outside of the airport to look like, but driving thru traffic and making our way through Seoul and onwards to Hanam, I didn’t feel like I was in a foreign city-I felt like I was driving through Dallas or LA! It’s only upon entering the city that you begin to feel as though you have entered another culture. There are lights everywhere! Businesses and restaurants are stacked one on top of each other, lining the streets. As we made our way closer to my neighborhood the traffic and the buildings become more congested. The city that I’m living in appears to be older and it looks as though the city of Hanam is trying to keep up with the demand to modernize without taking away from previous generations. There is construction everywhere!-fixing the roads, building new high-rises, wherever they think they can fit them. I wonder, only because I’ve only been in the city, whether there are suburbs of Hanam and Seoul or if everyone (families included) lives in high-rises? It’s a very different dynamic and culture that I am obviously accustomed to experiencing. The technology here, I can already see is way beyond that of what we have in the states. My taxi driver was able to watch crystal clear television on his navigational system, while he was driving me to my new apartment; and he was not the only driver on the road, watching television while driving!
Overall, since leaving Nashville, I’ve been exhausted, slightly swollen (I didn’t listen to my mom or Danielle) and extremely aware of my surroundings.