let me tell you about my trip thus far....
I didn't sleep at all before having to "get up" at 3am on Tuesday to shower and get ready to go to the airport at 4:30am. My friends Rachel and Kat decided to come see me off at the airport, which was so amazing of them. I've never had friends that willingly got up before 4am to see me.
We went to the airport and it was completely heartbreaking to say goodbye to my friends and especially my parents. I don't particularly enjoy crying but I couldn't help but bawl like a baby. I couldn't stop it, it just started coming out and wouldn't stop. I was sobbing in the middle of the airport. I was one of THOSE people that cries in the airport. I kept dwelling on the fact that I wouldn't be seeing my parents for at least 6 months. So heartbreaking.
I met a girl, Michelle, who is also from AZ and going to be working at the same school as me and living in the same complex. I'm glad that I had someone to talk to otherwise I would never have made it this far. It is very hard to be alone. I am a strong person, but it is especially hard to be alone when you are in a foreign country when most people don't speak english.
We got on the plane to Portland, OR. This flight was about 2.5 hours long and I got the entire row of 3 seats to myself. So I laid down and took a nap, kinda. Once I was on the plane I became very exhausted. I had been running on adrenaline before.
When we got to Portland, we ate Wendy's, used the free internet and then I went to lay down and try to sleep some more on the seats by our gate.
Doggie takes a nap in Portland:
Once we got on the plane to Tokyo, I had to say goodbye to my cell phone and texting. I can honestly say.... I'm only having slight separation anxiety. My last text message went to my mom.
I was sitting in the center 4 seats on the isle, a pretty good seat. Except I was sitting next to some woman with a crying baby.... and behind a guy who reclined his seat immediately upon sitting down. So when I noticed that the seat behind me was emtpy... I moved. I was now sitting on the isle with no one in front of me and no one in the 2 seats next to me. I watched many movies on the 10 hour flight. I dozed off for a couple hours, but I tried very hard to stay awake most of the time so that I wouldn't get to Korea at 9:45pm and not be tired AT ALL. I wanted to beat jet lag before I could even get it.
Once arriving to Tokyo we had a short time to get to our connecting flight, but I had time to go to McDonalds in the airport and somehow order a large drink. The large was more like a medium in the U.S..... very small..... not large. haha
We got on the plane to Seoul and I got to sit next to an American from NYC who was actually going to Korea to teach english for the 2nd year. It was nice to be able to pick her brain about how Seoul is and Korea in general.
Upon arriving to Seoul, I needed to find a phone so I could call my mom and dad. They worry, so I wanted them to know I was there safely. And at 9:45pm in Korea, it was 6:45am in Arizona. So i wandered around on my way to customs/immigration looking for a phone. I didn't see ANY phones. So ridiculous. I went through immigration and got my first passport stamp in my new passport!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so excited, the guy laughed at me cause I said I was very excited and said "YAY!!!". He probably thinks "crazy american". So what??? I am very crazy. this.... I know.
I got my bags from the carousel which barely fit on one of those luggage carts... and Michelle and I pushed our bags to the doors out to the area where you meet up with family/friends/etc. There was a guy standing there with my name and Michelle's on a piece of cardboard. I was so excited to see my name there.
I then went and exchanged some money for Korean Won.... then I went to use the pay phone. My phone card wasn't working properly so I had to buy a new one, which was very frustrating. Finally we got into the taxi and started on the hour drive to Seoul from the airport.
Something interesting about construction in Seoul.... Instead of having men paid to stand there and hold a flashlight thing to direct the traffic, they have mannequins dressed up in the "caution vests/pants" with mechanically moving arms. I LOVED that!!! Haha. So hilarious. I told Michelle they should do that in US, because really.... you don't need to pay someone to do that if you can develop mannequins to do it for free!!! Plus, they look hilarious.
We got to the hotel (because our apartments weren't 'ready' yet) and meet up with Jessica from our school that we will work at. Once in our rooms, I fell right to sleep. We hadn't gotten into the hotel room until about midnight.... and I hadn't slept in a couple days. I slept until about 8:30am when I woke up and decided to call my parents because it was evening in AZ.
I took a shower in the morning and... the showers here in Korea do not have shower curtains. straight up a drain in the floor and best wishes to you and not spraying the whole room with water. So I accidentally sprayed the crap out of the door when I took a shower... check it out...
Jessica came and picked us up at the hotel at noon and we walked across the street to the school that we will be working at. The kids are adorable, I can hardly believe it. They have multiple classrooms with tiny desks. I met the 3 other english speaking teachers at the school. 2 men and 1 woman. I do not remember their names, but I'm sure that I will figure them out shortly.
They gave us a tour of the place and then we went to the cafeteria in the building to get lunch. It was my first official lunch in Korea. I took a photo...
Then we went back and had a meeting with the principal of the school...
I took some photos of the school itself....
1. The classrooms are down this hallway. I'm standing in the lobby.
2. This is more of the lobby and some kids that aren't students YET...
3. The hallway outside the main part of the school.... this is where you leave your shoes. I don't have to wear shoes at work!!!
4. The students made family portrait posters. So cute
5. The gym/play area
Then, we left for the day to explore the city. Michelle and I went to this place called E-Mart that is like a korean version of the super Wal-Mart... except a lot nicer. haha.
Bus stop.... awesome
On our way there, we saw a man walking down the streets in what appeared to be pajamas, while smoking a cigarette and pulling one of those IV's on a stand. Yes... the man was walking down the street, nowhere near a hospital (that I could tell) with an IV. Why would the hospital let him out?? Much less let him smoke a cigarette. I wanted to take a picture, but I didn't, I wish I had. It was hilarious. Michelle and I laughed about it for a long time. Then we saw a guy at E-Mart with the same PJs on with crutches... THEN we saw a woman at Baskin Robbins with a back brace and those SAME PJs.... We wondered.... did every person from the hospital escape?? or were the 3 in a conspiracy with each other. We figured they helped one another escape from the hospital by climbing the fence. The 2 of them helped the guy with crutches over... then the lady with the back brace helped the guy with the IV by handing him his IV, and then he handed it over to the other guy.... then the woman with the back brace climbed up and fell over the side with the 2 of them standing there to catch her.
Yup. thats how it had to have gone.
I bought myself a Korean hairdryer and a Korean hair straightener. They look the same as the American versions, in case you are wondering, but the refrigerators are so much more awesome in Korea... I also took a picture of this.
They have actual crystals put into the fridge so it sparkles. I want one.
We are now back at the hotel where I am desperately trying to finish this before the internet I'm stealing goes out again. boo....
Check back later for more!!! I have more pictures on myspace.
