Two Days in Korea

    Well, I have been here for two full days now so I will try to catch everyone up on what has happened.
 

Day 1

    First the plane ride.  It was mostly uneventful, thanks to all your prayers.  No lost luggage or getting sick on the plane.  I was so tired I was able to sleep in a chair that didn't recline more than about 5 degrees.  ( My computer chair reclines more than that!)  I sat in the isle seat and had an empty seat beside me and a girl who was a returning teacher in the window seat.  She has been teaching in Korea for seven years and took a weeks vacation to her hometown of Chicago.  I enjoyed talking to her (we didn't talk much for being together for 14 hours.  Mostly we pretended to sleep:>)  On the flight we were given slippers to use and had two meals.
     We left Chicago at midnight and I had the first meal at about 1:30 am.  It was a supper meal.  I got the Korean food which was bi bem bop or a mix of vegetables, meat and you add rice, sesame oil and hot pepper paste.  It is the Korean equivalent of a casserole.  The grey things in the square in the photo are tiny anchovies about the size of fishhooks.  I do not like them very much but every time I ask or comment on them someone tells me how healthy they are and how much calcium you get from them.. I say, "You can get calcium from spinach!"


     When I arrived I was met at the airport by Gisung Lee.  He is one of the people who helped me find my job.  He drove me from the airport to my hotel.  I think I asked different questions than most people who get a teaching job.  He just laughed when I asked about agriculture and says he doesn't know much about it but I can find out being here in Paju.
    My Hotel looks like a concrete block turned on end.  My room is adequate but when I got here it was very dirty.  They don't have little bottles of shampoo etc, but large bottles already used.  The soap is also already used, but it is here, "for your convenience."  Mr Lee said, "Just use whatever you need,"  When I found the hairbrush with someones hair in it, the used lotions and some sort of toner he said, "Maybe just use the hairdryer."  (That's funny folks!)  When I asked where the key was he showed me a slot I was to put it in the wall at the entry way.  He asked, " Haven't you stayed at a hotel before?"
     After connecting with family by Skype and a shower, one of the administrators from the school picked me up and took me straight to work at about 11 am.  I had a very confusing day and had to learn at the bus system and have a note to get back to my hotel.  I will blog more about the school and the system here later, too much to get into.  But after finding my way back to the hotel (with cleaning supplies I found at a small market).  I cleaned the bathroom, fridge, etc. and fell asleep (on the floor first.  It is warm because they heat the floor. ) Then I took a shower and fell into bed (almost as hard as the floor).

Day 2

     Day 2 started at about 4 am when I woke up and sent some emails.  I am so glad I brought outlet converters so I can charge and use my electronic devices.  (Let this be a lesson to all travelers!)  I left the hotel at around 7 am and went to the bus stop.  The bus never seemed to come and there was a traditional Korean Restaurant across the street so I decided to get some breakfast.  I went in and had to take my shoes off and sat at a table on the floor.  The lady asked me what I wanted I told her I had no idea so she pointed at something that cost 7000 won or around 7 dollars.  I just nodded because she couldn't speak English and I don't speak Korean yet.  Some high school aged boys at the next table just laughed but they didn't speak English either.  The lady brought over 3 types of kimchi (pickled cabbage or radishes), some pickled peppers, a bowl of finely chopped hot peppers, a small dish of some other condiment, and a bowl of rice.  The tongs and scissors are used to remove one of the radish kimchi and cut it to bite sized pieces.    The kimchi and rice were very good and I told the lady so.  Then the lady brought a soup.  It was made of beef intestine pieces and coagulated blood.  I tried a bit, but, needless to say, it wasn't to my liking.  She came and asked how I liked it,  I told her while the rest was delicious, the soup was so so(with a hand gesture).  I finished my rice and she brought me a second soup.  This one had bean sprouts mushrooms, dried fish (to flavor the broth) and an egg.  It was much better than the first soup.  The lady kept trying to give me more rice but I couldn't even finish my soup because I had eaten enough.  I asked her the second soup and she showed me that it was one costing 6000 won or around 6 dollars.  I took a photo of the bill so I would know next time and the lady who was so kind to me.  She only let me pay for the soup I ordered and wouldn't take money for the second soup she brought me (so gracious).

     I found my way back to school but it was confusing and I felt like a kinder gardener trying to navigate a bus system with just a couple of words and my address printed on a paper.  In the daylight I could see Paju better.  It is known for its book district where all sorts of printing are done.  They are also famous for their architecture.  It looks like every crackpot architect who wanted to make a name for himself as innovative or cutting edge put up a building.  Want to see a house that looks like a wedge of Swiss cheese? or a house looking like a 3 year-old's block design with a tree on it?  Come to Paju you will find it here along with many other such sights.   

     There seem to be a great number of hoop-houses along my train ride.  I am not sure what they will grow in them as everything is brown now.  There are also some rice fields right inside the city.  I hope to be able to learn more about it as spring comes around.  They have a number of individually wrapped bales in the fields too.  I am not sure if it is hay or straw, (could be rice straw?)  another mystery to explore.

     At work I was more able to understand how the school works and what my job will be.  More on that later.  As I found my building, I also found a Dunkin Donuts, a bakery, a Baskin Robbins, and several other such places.  No shortage of fast food then.  At school they provide us with a lunch.  All of the students must take a little of everything.  They serve rice, kimchi, fish, vegetables, and a soup the past two days.  I had a tiny conversation with the cook.  She has a kitchen about the size of a large bathroom to work from.  She seems very nice, but several of the people here don't speak English.  I just jabber away and use hand gestures throwing in a Korean word every now and then until we communicate.  Everyone smiles at me.

     I have a lot to get done in this week to prepare for classes next week.  I am going to have to rush to get everything prepared, but there are two or three more English speaking (native) teachers that have yet to get here as they are having problems with their visa processes.  All of the morning Native teachers are leaving (3 or 4 of them) so we (the new ones) will have to catch on fast!

     The preschool program here runs from March to March so they are ending their school year with a program on Friday.  I saw a practice.  The tiny little children will sing, Dancing Queen, Roar (Eye of the Tiger), and another song for graduation the name escapes me.  It is so cute and funny to hear them sing about being "young and fresh, only 17" and "I'm a tiger, a fighter, and your not gonna keep me down" very loudly.  

     Yesterday I got a chicken sandwich from a Mom's cooking chicken restaurant to take back to the hotel.  Well, now it is time to start my third day so I will go.  I hope this blog is not too long for you all.  Keep me in your prayers!