Week 1 was the worst of all - horrible flight x 2, horrible Dubai and then the horrible realisation that I was going to be living and teaching in South Korea for a whole year - I think this was the first time I'd actually faced up to that and was not the best time do so!! When we arrived at Jeonju (my home city for the year), I was meant by my co-teacher and dragged all around the city in a state of deadness having various tests and filling in various forms (apparently I have an enlarged kidney but they don't care as its not contagious!).. I was then to experience my first taste of Korean food, which I can honestly say is unlike anything I've ever tasted before - either super super bland or super super spicy - makes no sense!! This was the start of my new diet which involves not eating in the week and stuffing my face with western food (burgers and chips) at the weekends - healthy!! I was also told that I wouldn't be going to my school - which at this point I believed was in the town of Jinan (pop 30,000) - until the next day and spent a nice but strange evening at my co-teachers apartment and buying about a million toilet rolls and water bottles at the Lottemart (local Korean supermarket/world takeoverer).. The next day I was taken to my school and my house - my school was in fact a tiny school in the village of Ancheon - as was my house - where the population was 100!! There are no proper shops and no bus to civilisation after 6.30pm. After hearing this I promptly burst into tears and spent the rest of the day and our first weekend in a hysterical state - it was not good!! I will explain Ancheon properly later, it is beautiful, quiet and had its good points but its the strangest, most alien place I have ever set foot in, and still can't imagine how I am going to stay here for 12 whole months!!
Week 2 and 3 passed without incident - I did a lot more crying and feeling sorry for myself and plotted several elaborate escape plans, which involved high levels of daring and ingenuity and then realised (and was told) that this was daft, so resolved to stick it out for 'at least a month' big woop!! I also discovered my students during this time, and after several schedule changes I am now teaching every child in kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school (age 4 - 19), and they are my best thing about teaching here!! As the school is so small, my classes are all very small and I have got to know my kids really well - the older ones try really hard (mostly) and I can have conversations with them, and the younger ones are insanely cute and all go hysterical shrieking 'hi! hi' at every moment and coming for cuddles etc - I am besotted with them and definitely want to kidnap a Korean kid to take back with me!! We also visited Gwanju and the 'entertainment hub' that is Indoor/outdoor themepark Lotteworld in Seoul in week 3 (there are a LOT of Lottes in Korea), I will let Greg explain that one though as its his best place.... it was a fun weekend though and Lotte is basically a fab disney rip off, that even lightened my heavy heart!! The weekend did begin with trauma, as we arrived at Seoul at about midnight in the pouring rain, unable to get a cab or a subway for about2 hours, eventually tracking down a hotel around 3am! I had major trauma that night but managed to survive for all the fun of LotteWorld the next day!
In week 4 we stayed at home in Jeonju. and then the next week we had 4 glorious days off for Chuseok - Harvest Moon Festival/Korean thanksgiving!! Before we went away we stayed in 'the Beast' love motel - it was a neon paradise and the best name for a love motel ever!!
It was great to get away and we visited Busan and Daegu - Busan was the best and had a gorgeous beach and a gorgeous hotel. and the weather was really hot!! It also had an ace aquarium and cocktails! We also discovered our new favorite restaurant - Bennigans!! Which does a killer club sandwich and cheese and bacon fries!! MMMM.... we did go to a crappy theme park called ME world., which is the WORST theme park ever!! Greg sat on a skanky fake dog and I almost vommed, not good!!
Hammer Shark - Busan Aquarium!
Ah, week 5 brought a weekend spent in Jeonju, and so came our finest hour - we discovered the Jeonju branch of Mcdonalds!! Hallelujah!! After a fruitless hour long trek on the Friday evening, we finally discovered it on Saturday lunch - it had been under our noses the whole time!! I can honestly say there was a mixture of jubilation and regret (that's sarcasm btw, I don't even eat much maccy ds at home, but in Korea it all means so much!!) We also went to see Jeonju's finest tourist attraction with my co-teacher Mrs Kim, the Hanok Village, which i loved but I think the paper museum was too much for Greg!! We stayed in the XO Love Motel in Jeonju, which was not as good as the Beast, but was almost!! Plus compared to Daegu it was a palace!!
Week 6 brought a romantic trip to Namwon, a visit to the beautiful 'City of Love;, where Korea's version of Romeo and Juliet is set - what a lovely place!! We visited another theme park, but also beautiful Gwanghulla garden, the setting of romance, and met an old man who told us about the Korean War and being a Jehovah s witness! It was a lovely peaceful weekend, and I do feel despite the problems I am starting to settle down here - roll on week 7 and beyond and hopefully more detailed blog entries!!..............................
Aw. Fantastic to read about all this. There is definitely an upwards trajectory happening here. By the time the end of the year comes you won't want to leave! I've decided that I want to spend my honeymoon in The Beast!
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AH, the Beast reigns supreme!! Not sure if its honeymoon material tho!! haha!! Glad you like, your haikus are inspiring me!! What does trajectory mean? smart ass!! xx
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