Orientation...and reality



Chocolate Pocky Sticks, Maxim coffee, &
Korean style chewy Choc-Chip Cookies

Orientation Life...

Orientation is the first five days of the trip. We stay in the hotel and attend lectures from 9am - 9pm. For the most part they are helpful and informative. Others...let's just say I need some Korean snacks to get me through them...



They feed us breakfast - lunch - and dinner. The first day was pretty good. Since then it has been downhill. Koreans love a lot of seafood which is not my fave. Most dishes come with a seafood soup or some sort of seafood on the plate. Spaghetti sauce? shrimps in it. Salad dressing? mussels are on the side, sweet and sour pork? served with filet fish...Food is deinitely going to be a challenge here. I am trying to have an open mind, but there are just some things that I cannot do.

The first night, which is probably my favourite thus far, they gave us a popular dish in Korea called "Bibimbap". It means mixed meal and is basically a ground beef served with sauteed veggies a raw or fried egg on top and chili paste to give it some kick. You put the rice in the hot bowl and mix it up and eat. I like my egg fried...This is def going to be a regular order...its the safest bet so far...aside from wondering if the beef is really beef...

  

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Slowly, reality is starting to hit...as things become more apparently different and I have to adjust my normalcy. I need an adaptor for everything...and I mean everything.

Living out of bags is the worst, so I cannot wait to get my apartment.

It was not until Friday February 23rd, that I woke up and was like..."Cam, your in frickin' Korea"...I looked out the window for the first time and took it in...I have to admit, Im pretty excited.

Some quick Korean for you....

Hello/How are you? - Pronunciation - "Ahn-nyung-ha-say-yo"

Nice to meet you. - Pronunciation - "Bahn-ghap-seum-ni-da"

Thank-you - Pronunciation - "Kahm-sam-ni-da"

Korea thus far...

We've gotta do a few days in one...I have been slacking and been notified!

Incheon International Airport

The airport was really nice. It actually reminded me of Pearson YYZ quite a bit. There was Dunkin' Donuts, 7-11, Jamba Juice....on point! The flight arrived at 3:30ish pm but we had to wait for some teachers from California. Pick-up for the hotel was not until 7pm...I used this time to wake ppl up in T.O. and facetimed. To all of you that answered - 감사합니다 (Thank-You - pronounced - kham-sam-ni-da!)








After a bus ride that I cannot even remember, I arrived at the Royal International Incheon Hotel...nice lobby, great service, but no wifi...this 4 star quickly dropped to a 1 star quick. Ethernet cord pimpin is not hot...

Anyways...Shower - Bed - YUP! That was the order...I slept like a baby! This first night anyways...

My Thrown :)

Waking up the next morning was stil surreal. It still hadn't registered where I actually was...am...

This beautiful invention however shall be packed in my suitcase when I come back. There is no feeling like a pre-warmed toilet seat to warm ur bu-dunk-ka-dunk. Sitting on the toilet with confidence and grace is a regular thing now. There is a rinse feature if need be as well. Beauty at its finest! I am sure there are other features I have yet to master!

This convo should sum most things up that happened in the first few days and answer that question that a lot of you have been wondering....

Korea in 3, 2, 1...

The Flight...


After repacking 4 times at the airport and having to leave some necessities (tear to my Aunt Jemima syrup) and paying the overweight fee of $100, I finally got through to my gate. The flight was on time departing at 11:10am. Pretty roomy seats and good selection of movies on the plane. I attempted to watch Puss n Boots, Margaret, and In time...they ended up watching me.







Plane food?


Ahhhh, I was a little skeptical...is beef really beef? chicken truly chicken? Needless to say I was second guessing my food the entire time. This is going to be one of the more challenging parts of my trip...


Spicy pickled carrots, fruit cup, seaweed soup, rice with beef and veggies...









Overall, flight was good. I slept 8 out of the 14hr flight....not too shabby




Airport food was a little better...

And so it begins...

SooooOooo as most of you know, I am off to South Korea. As far as I know I will be teaching in the city of Incheon and am awaiting my confirmation of the school. I wanted to be able to keep family and friends in the loop while keeping a memoir for myself. What better way than a blog? :)

I am going to attempt to post photos and updates of my time from beginning to end of my trip and whereabouts.

More to come...

C.A.M.

xox