I needed sleep so much. I didn't sleep much on the 27 hour trip here and then my flight landed 30 minutes early so my director (Julie) wasn't at the airport yet. Finally, she got there with her mom. Very nice of her to drive an hour at 4 am to come get me. And thank heaven for cell phones. Without one I'd never know how to figure out how or where to meet people. A map simply wouldn't have sufficed in this situation.
Surprisingly, there was no line going through customs and it was pretty quick. Nothing to declare. It's just me and my necessities... heavy and probably some not so necessary... but things I spent months figuring out what to bring, even up to the very last minute. So happy to have a box of girl scout cookies though that I got for valentine's day before I left. It will definitely come in handy as comfort food later.
I'm staying at my director's family's home until March 1st when my apartment is ready. Julie's grandmother and mother live here. It's a cute 2 story place with the tiniest little round dog I've ever seen. Smaller than most chihuahuas. When we got in I went to sleep as the sun was rising. Then when I woke up I called my daughter for a little (just trying to get my bearings still) before getting into the very typical Korean shower/toilet area (at least from the ones I've seen). If you've never seen one, the shower is basically separated from the toilet by a small piece of glass yet all the floor of the bathroom is where the shower drains. You have to step down into the bathroom because that way the water will not flood into the house. You usually need shower slippers so when you use the restroom your feet don't get wet.
When I was was finished I went into my room to get ready for the day. Her grandmother had brought me a plate of kimbap, rice cake, an orange, and some drinks. The hospitality here never ceases to impress me. Her grandmother is so sweet. In case you want a quick Korean lesson, grandmother in Korean is halmoni (할머니) which is the only thing I knew to call her since she speaks no English. Luckily, I know enough key words to have an idea what she would say to me and answer or ask a few small things back. Very cute little grandma.
I decided to take a stroll around the neighborhood in order to get a feel for the area. This house is next to a street market so there's tons of fresh fruit and meats/fish for sale, clothes, restaurants, and pretty much anything else you can think of. I bought wet wipes, hair gel, and shower shoes for my first purchases here. I have to remember to be sensible with my spending and since I'm here for a year so there's no rush to buy trinkets and things. I probably walked around for a little over an hour but was still afraid of getting too far from the apartment so I went back.
'Grandma' then proceeded to ask me if I wanted to watch TV and showed me how to use the remote. Next thing I know, she's bringing me food. It's customary to make sure your guests are fed and very comfortable. I knew this but it's still sometimes strange to experience from a western point of view. She brought me kimchi pancakes with sesame oil... honestly, I'm not usually a fan of them but Halmoni makes them very yummy. I thought, "yay, this isn't too much food and I like it", but I figuratively spoke too soon... next thing I knew, Halmoni brought me a tray full of food - kimchi and radishes, rice, soup, greens, and seaweed. Way too much food. First order of business: to learn how to say "the food is wonderful but I'm full". Otherwise, I'll burst open here, lol.
I'm still tired from all the traveling, but I knew Julie would come back after work so I went upstairs to rest a little. When she got here, she and her mother took me out for grilled pork belly with a little soju. Honestly, there is so much difference between Korean food here than in the states. You hear the stories but really can't imagine it until you try it. I even voluntarily even ate onions in my lettuce wrap (don't tell my dad - mom always cooked without onions just for me) and there was a soup with mushrooms that I tried (didn't hate it nor did I eat the mushrooms but needless to say I did very well). The samjjang and kimchi has a much spicier aftertaste than what I'm used to, but dang it's good. Afterwards we came home and I called the momma before winding down for bed.
I have to get myself more alert though. I almost lost my phone twice in less than 24 hours. Once it fell out of my jacket in the car and the other time I thought I brought it to dinner when I actually left it in my room. Need to focus better for sure...
Anyway, tomorrow I head out with Julie for my medical exam, a sim card for my phone, and to meet the other teachers. It should be an interesting day. Don't lose phone and don't eat too much are both on the agenda also...haha.
Jewels
2-20-2019
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