KOREA Day 1

Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 9:34 PM

Safe in KOREA. All good here. Left Detroit at 6am EST on Sunday, April 26. Arrived in Seoul at 530pm Korean time Monday, April 27. Trip was as follows:

Detroit - Chicago 1 hour
Chicago - San Francisco 4 hours
SanFran Airport & lunch with James Lung 2 hours
SanFran - Seoul/Incheon Airport 12 hours
Total travel time was about 22 hours start to finish

Slept on every leg of the trip. Read a book and listened to my iPod throughout the day. Watched a movie on the big flight. Consumed mass quantities of AirBorne and EmergenC tablets so my immune system is strong. It was great to see James in SanFran and have lunch with him. It made the journey far more pleasant. Customs and immigration was a breeze. Was met at the airport by Kang (3rd party liaison) and taken by taxi minivan to Sanbon. No issues with my luggage. (major relief) Its a 1hour drive from the airport to Sanbon with lots of mountains, tunnels, and rush hour traffic. I learned the Korean word for rain (pe) and shared rudimentary English-Korean conversation with the driver.

Have since toured the school and met the staff. They are all very nice. My apartment is a converted office just down the hall from the school, which is located on the 7th floor of an office building. I can roll out of bed and be in class in less than .02 seconds. No joke. The apartment features a small bed, computer desk, two chairs, 13" tv with cable, small kitchenette, mini fridge, microwave, shower and toilet. There purchased cooking pots for me and there is a washer/dryer down the hall. I have two windows overlooking what appears to be a busy alleyway with many storefronts. I was told we are located in the most central part of the business district of Sanbon. There are many neon signs and business advertisements outside the windows. E-Mart (Korean for Wal-Mart) and 7-11 are only a block away. Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts are around the corner.

I hope to venture out soon for some food, perhaps even a Korean BBQ, bottle of Soju, and massage. No internet for three weeks, so I am using the computer in the school office. Apparently, after three weeks I must obtain my Korean resident card which allows me to open a banking account, enroll for Korean health insurance, and secure a Korean cell phone. Tomorrow, I will seek out local Wi-Fi spots so I can Skype with ya'll.. More to follow.

Love from the Land of the Morning Calm,