Just a Random Weekday!

Good news! I have an internet connection in my apartment now! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! My school arranged for someone to come check my internet because it wasn't connecting and it turns out that there was just some issue with the IP address. Long story short, I don't have to steal other people's wireless networks anymore and I can skype without disruptions!!!!

I wish I had similar good news regarding the air conditioning in my apartment. My school also arranged for someone to come fix my AC but it turns out the guy didn't have all the equipment necessary to fix it =( Boo urns. I have to wait until Thursday for someone to come back! Until then, I guess I will continue to suffer in the extremely hot and humid weather.

I just finished my dinner. I didn't know what the heck to eat so I boiled some veggie dumplings and had some carrot sticks LOL. My dessert will consist of chocolate chip cookies! My dinner sounds pathetic but I was proud of it! I'm thinking I want to sleep a little earlier tonight because I'm super tired. Last night was a pretty interesting night...

I got into bed around 12:30ish last night and just as I was drifting off to sleep I heard someone yelling outside on the street. I checked my clock and it was roughly 1:45am. Of course, being the paranoid person I am, I jumped out of bed and ran to the window to discretely check who was out there. Because I'm on the second floor, I hear everything that happens on the street. At night, I usually only hear cars passing and the occasional Korean couple taking a walk. And because my AC isn't working, I sleep with both my windows open. So I looked out the window, and there was a Korean man staggering down the street. He was visibly intoxicated based on the way he was moving. It was almost amusing because at one point he was leaning face forward on the metal gate outside a building on the street. Then he just started moaning really loudly. I even considered videotaping him on my camera but then I didn't want him to see me and get all drunk drama on me lol. That's all I need: a drunken Korean man yelling at me from the street. So, I got back in bed and tried really hard to sleep. I'm pretty sure I fell asleep around 3ish because that's the last time I remember checking the clock. Next thing I knew, my alarm clock was ringing at 7am for my pre-work "skype date!"

Luckily, at school I wasn't actually teaching today. I pretty much just observed and chimed in when my co-teacher needed me. I was fine with that for today!

Ooooooooo and random note: As I was eating lunch at school, my principal had just finished and was leaving the lunch room (side note: my school supplies daily lunches for all the teaching staff). So my principal stopped beside me on his way out and placed an extra dessert cup (frozen persimmon apparently, which I've never heard of before) next to my plate:

He said something in Korean to my co-teacher and left. Afterwards, my co-teacher informed me that my principal had said, "This is a gift for Amarta because she uses chopsticks so well. She can use them even better than some Koreans." Wooooooooooot woooooooooooooot! Although I didn't actually enjoy the frozen dessert, I found my principal's simple gesture so warm and welcoming. Who knew that a cold goeey orangish fruit would bring me such joy! If I hadn't gotten my internet connected today, my principal's nice gesture would have been the thing to make my day!

Ok I'm going to clean up and go to bed. Hopefully, there won't be any surprise guests on the street tonight. Keep your fingers crossed for me please! 

Yay, it's the weekend!

When I woke up today and turned the television on (like I mentioned in a previous blog, having the t.v. on makes me feel less lonely) Sex and the City was playing. Bonus! It was the one where Miranda and Carrie have a fight because Carrie decides to meet up with Big (one of the many times!). Also, Samantha is plagued by three transvestite prostitutes who keep setting up shop outside her condo. Waking up to one of my favourite shows lifted my spirits a bit.

I did some laundry and cleaning around my apartment. Anyone who knows me, knows how obsessive I tend to be about germs and dirt. I wiped down the insides of all my drawers and kitchen cabinets, vacuumed and washed the dishes that the previous teacher left. I didn't get through everything so I'll finish the rest tomorrow.

A little after noon, I set out to explore my area. I didn't really have a set destination so I just walked wherever the wind took me. I walked down Suyeong-ro, which is the closest main road to my building. I found the closest subway stops too. Now I just have to figure out how to navigate the subway routes. In Busan, there are 3 subway lines (from what I know). I ended up buying an umbrella and then I found a PC bang, which means internet cafe. Unfortunately, smoking is allowed in the cafe so I was surrounded by smoke. By the end of my stay, my throat burned and my eyes stung. On a positive note, I was able to talk to a couple of people online. It felt good to communicate with people from home. One of my best friends in the whole wide world even stayed up until the wee hours of morning (Toronto time) to talk to me for a while! My visit to the PC bang, which ended up lasting for a few hours, only cost me 3,000 KRW (approximately $3 Canadian). 

After I left the PC bang, I walked further down Suyeong-ro. I decided to figure out the way to the beach so I got out my map of Busan and started navigating. Eventually, I figured out that I just have to turn onto to Gwangan-ro and walk all the way down to the beach. However, as I was walking I realized that I hadn't eaten lunch and it was getting close to dinner time. So, I turned back and decided to check out the beach later on this week. During my search for a take-out restaurant, I found a foreign couple  who I approached to ask about a good place to eat. The couple was extremely friendly and helpful. As egocentric as this may seem, I was relieved to be able to communicate freely with other native English speakers. 

I followed the couple's advice and walked into a restaurant where, with the help of a few Korean locals, I ordered a dish called Gimbap. Gimbap is seaweed-wrapped rolls of rice, vegetables (carrots and something else I didn't recognize),  crab, and what looked like ham. The Gimbap came with soup that tasted like Miso soup. For 2 rolls of Gimbap and soup all I paid was 2,000 KRW ($2). Boo ya! Cheap dinner!

My day ended up being  uneventful but still enjoyable. As I sit in my bed typing, I'm watching Harry Potter: The Prisoner from Azkaban. Directly in front of my building, there's some sort of storing facility. I'm not sure what is stored in there but every night, a few trucks are driven to the parking lot and some old Korean men sit around talking and drinking. Although it's not very comforting to see them outside my window and to hear them talking, I'm not completely worried because I see women, men and children still walking on the street at 10 pm and the men don't seem to bother them.

OOOOOO I just picked up on a wireless network from my building. I can post my blogs now wooooot! I'm going to see if anyone is on skype now!!!! Good night!

Arrival in Busan

After a 4 hour bus ride from Jeonju, I finally made it to Busan. All the EPIK teachers were taken to Global Village in downtown Busan, where our co-teacher(s) picked us up. I was feeling really nervous before I met my co-teacher. I've been told so many times that first impressions are very important with Koreans.  I was picked up by both my co-teachers and a member of the school administration. My co-teachers showed me the school I'll be teaching at (it was around 6pm by this time so school was over). Then we went to my new apartment, which isn't too far from my school. Apparently, I'm in an area that is close to Gwangan beach and I'm just a subway away from several other attractions. My place is super tiny but I'll make it work.

 After my co-teachers showed me my apartment and I dropped all my luggage off, we went to purchase a mattress cover and blanket from a local store. During this whole process, everyone spoke back and forth in Korean so I felt pretty awkward but I tried not to show it. Thankfully, I brought my own bed sheets because they are not so readily available in Korea. Regardless of their availability I'm glad I brought my own sheets because they remind me of home. In a way, having those familiar pink and green flowers make my Korean home feel like my Canadian home.

To end my first night in Busan, my co-teachers took me to a local restaurant. It was an interesting experience because I'm not accustomed to removing my shoes in public and sitting on the floor to eat. I had some sort of thick flour needles in a broth with spinach among other things. It was good but way too much for me to eat. I feel like my stomach shrank ever since I came to Korea. I get full so fast but I know I have to force myself to eat.

After my co-teachers dropped me home, I unpacked a little but I gave up quickly as I was exhausted! I pretty much unpacked my Babaji picture and prayer book, pictures, tigger, Bobo the Bear, and a few essentials. Now, I'm curled up into a ball in my new bed with the t.v. on to help treat the lonely feeling I have in my stomach. I've complained of feeling alone before in my life but I can honestly say, now I know what loneliness really feels like. I know this feeling will pass in no time but right now I just can't shake it. I'm sure I'll feel a lot better when I have access to the internet and I can communicate with my new EPIK friends that are also in Busan, and all the other important people in my life (right now, I'm just typing my blog on my computer and saving it since I can't actually post it online).

My eyes are closing so this is where I'll end it. Day 1 of my year-long contract is officially over. Good night!

My First Encounter With the Korean Medical System

As I mentioned in my last blog, my eyes were really bothering me for the last day or so. I self-diagnosed myself as having an eye infection or pink eye in both eyes. I was using Polysporin Antibacterial drops so I thought my eyes would slowly get better. Let's just say, they didn't...Throughout the day, I continued to put the drops in my eyes and each time I would put them in, I felt a burning sensation. Naturally, I thought this uncomfortable feeling was the result of the drops killing bacteria in my eyes. BIG MISTAKE!

I ended up approaching the campus nurse, who informed me that her and some of the other EPIK staff were taking another foreigner to a doctor in the downtown area of Jeonju, so she invited me to come along. At first I felt a bit apprehensive, as I didn't know what the doctor would be like or whether the clinic would be reliable, etc. As soon as we arrived at the Samsung Eye Clinic, my worries vanished! The clinic was so unbelievably clean and professional looking that I immediately felt foolish for being worried in the first place. The optician that I met with graduated from Korea's top university! Boo ya! So, it turned out I didn't have an eye infection at all. Are you ready for this...it was just ALLERGIES! I guess my eyes were reacting to the different environment and climate here. The optician prescribed some eye drops that immediately helped soothe my eyes. Thank God! The visit to the optician only cost 17, 000 KRW (approx $17 CDN) and the drops were 9700 KRW (approx. $10 CND). As an added bonus, I also got a free fan + back scratcher all in one for free! Woot woot!

So, that is how my first encounter with the Korean medical system ended. Good times indeed!

Almost there!

Loading onto the bus for a 4-hour ride to Jeonju University.

My temporary room in the dormitory of Jeonju University.

My temporary bed. Simple but clean =D Me likey!

Windows in my room.

Part of the mural in the dorm cafeteria. Looks like one of the Beatles, but Korean style!

Our meal schedule for the week. "ENJOY YOUR MEAL" my butt!

Fountain on campus. Brownish-green water reminded me of home (Woodbine Beach lol).

First Day in Korea

I've officially landed in Korea. My flight was great because I took some great advice to pop a few Gravols before boarding. All I can say is THANK GOD for Gravol! I landed at Incheon International Airport around 3:30am along with many other Torontonians who I slowly met. After waiting for 5 hours, all the teachers registered with EPIK (English Program in Korea) and we boarded a bus headed for Jeonju University, where the orientation week will be held. Although I was super tired, I was excited for what was to come. UNTIL my eyes started itching uncontrollably. Of course, I was thinking they were just itching from sleep deprivation. That is until they started getting REALLY REALLY red and nastyness started accumulating in them (I don't want to gross everyone out so I'm sticking to less descriptive adjectives). My thoughts flashed back to when I went to Walmart with Amita before leaving and I passed by the shelf that held eye drops for pink eye and I said "naw I doubt I'll need those"...................WELL I NEED THEM NOW!

Once we got to Jeonju University we had a quick lunch. I have nothing good to say about the lunch so let's leave it at that. Then we got our name tags and cute little gift bags from EPIK and we got our dorm rooms where we'll be staying for the next couple of days. I have a room mate who came to my rescue 3 times already. First, she lent me nail polish because I forgot mine. Second, she had Polysporin Sterile Antibiotic Eye drops. Third, she had an extra universal adaptor as mine isn't working! Super bonus!! Anyways, the rest of the day was a bit of a blur as I was so exhausted. I started getting a little emotional thinking about home and all the people that I love who are on the other side of the world. But I know I'll be ok =) I need to sit back and embrace my new Korean life, that's all!