Prep to go to Korea to-do list:
Wait to get my Visa FROM the consulate in Fukuoka, Japan;
Get an ex-pat computer program, so I can watch American stuff online in Korea.
Get on a plane from Japan to go BACK to Seoul.
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Wow, so things happened quickly.
It is 12:40pm (Central) on Saturday Feb. 22, 2014. And here I am on a plane, flying over Canada, that will will take me to Incheon Airport in South Korea. I am being served a drink as I am writing this; ^_^ and the plane is empty!!! I have three seats all to myself. BUWAHAHAHAHA!! Yes, I have totally taken the other two over; but there are still whole rows empty, so I don't feel bad.
This past week was pretty hectic. I found out on Wednesday that my director decided we were not going to wait for the VIN from Korean Immigration. I would go over as a tourist and whenever my VIN comes in I would go to Japan and get the visa from the consulate there. Which is good, because I can start my training on time.
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Fun Story Time:
So I am sitting in MIA this morning waiting for my first flight (to ORD) when I get an email from my new Director "S" saying he JUST got my VIN. LOL So The Plan now is I will still arrive in Korea on the 23rd at 4:50 and drop all 5 (yes, you read that right - FIVE) bags off at my new apt. I will spend the night in my new bed, then at o'dark thirty I will have to go back to the airport and take a flight from Incheon (which is like a hour & a half outside the city) to Fukuoka, Japan; go straight to the consulate, give them the paperwork & my passport; then go to my hotel, spend the night; and at 1:30 pick up my passport & visa. I will then fly out of the airport that night and arrive in Incheon at 10:35pm. So I will be going through Incheon Airport three times in as many days. *le sigh* Good thing I don't mind flying. And don't worry, my boss is picking up the tab for the flight to/from Japan and the hotel. ^_^ (I think... >.<) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Anyways, so back to the past couple of days: the most bittersweet days so far this year. Having to say goodbye to so many people for a year is rough. Especially with my parents and my brother. My parents and I didn't even sleep on Friday night, we just stayed up, chatted and watched the Olympics together. My parents are awesome. They have helped and supported me through this, even when inside they were cursing every minute of it and dreading my leaving. So MAJOR shout-out, with lots of love, kisses, and hugs to them!! <3 I love you & thank you sooooooooo much. You will never know how much it means to me. Packing every last thing I own, either to bring to the R.O.K. or to put in storage was difficult. I am REALLY happy I started that WEEKS ago. Another shout-out to my godfather for shipping 4 boxes to R.O.K. for me. They were huge and it was a VERY pretty penny. I am about to be fed, and then I will pass out. Be back in a bit! ~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Ok, so it is a bit later than "a bit." 10 hours have passed. It is now 10:47pm (Central)/1:51pm (Korean Standard Time). So we are coming up to Japan now, having already flown over Alaska & the Bering Strait. I just woke up, I am now a champion sleeper (Thanks Advil PM!) Why didn't I think about doing this during my trans-atlantic flights?? And this is THE warmest flight I have ever been on... eugh. Even with all the windows closed, which is VERY dis-orientating when waking up. So there are a lot of Americans on this flight... and after talking to some of them when we first got on & during our first meal, guess why they are going to Korea. You only need one. :D +~*+~*+~*+~*+~*+~*+~*+~*+~*+~*+~*+~*+~*+~*+~*+~*+~*+~*+~*+~* Ok a LOT has happened since I last wrote. We landed, I went through immigration as a tourist. I met my Director "S," and my Principle's son "R." S and R are both REALLY nice. S had to go home, and he lives in a different part of town so R drove me to the Academy where I met "H," she is going to be the main person I speak to since she has really good English skills. She is like the Principle's Assistant, and also the Principle's daughter in law. You may get confused now. About the Academy - OMFG! Totes adorbs! It is the cutest sh!t I have ever seen.
So H showed me around the school and then she, R, Beau and I went to eat dinner after we dropped my bags off at my tiny, I mean REALLY TINY, apartment. Dinner was really good, It was Korean family-style where the servers bring out a tabletop on a cart just FILLED with food and put it on the table in front of you. Seriously, no joke. I will take a picture next time I go there!! At this point though, I was starting to hit a wall and get REALLY sleepy.
So after dinner H dropped Beau and myself off at our building where we went to my apt to talk while I unpack/re-pack (for my morning flight) my stuff. I then realized, I brought too much stuff, and I need to buy hangers. After all that fun, I finally tried to sleep on my bed. Problem: I was freezing. So I moved the pillow and blankets my Principle prepped for me to the floor. FOr those of you who do not know Korea uses "ondol." Ondol is floor heating, google it for more info here. It is the best thing since beginning of time! So I slept as comfy as a bug in a rug, but on the floor.
Then at 4am I had to get up, and meet H who was taking me to the airport bus stop. We chatted a bit while we waited for the bus, she is really nice and I think we will get on very well. So I took the bus for about an hour to the airport & checked myself in. I then went through immigration to get out of Korea, but I didn't have to take off my shoes to go through security! Bonus!
The flight to Fukuoka was short, about an hour, but they still served us a full breakfast. (I am REALLY liking these Asian airlines. They know service!) I then got to Japan at 9:15, and then rushed to the Korean consulate via the subway, where I towered over everyone - literally. I was able to turn in my application and my passport before 11 am, so it should be ready in 24 hours. Which is AWESOME. If I had done it via Atlanta, it would've taken a week. I then finally found my hotel - Heiwadai Hotel 5 (thank you random office lady who printed out a map for me!). I then Skyped with my folks and was pitiful enough that the lady at the check-in counter let me get my room 3 hours early. I then passed right out. I had planned to only take a 2 hour nap, but it ended up being a 7 hour nap. So I didn't explore too much today.
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Fun Story Time:
I then got up and for 15 minutes I tried to turn on the lights. Nothing worked. So I called down to the front desk and tried to explain what was happening and the lady said "godere?" And I said "Yes." At this point I would have agreed to anything, peeing in the dark with only a tablet to light up the little bathroom was not fun, I can't even imagine taking a shower like that. She then hung up on me and as I stared at the phone (which I couldn't really see) I realized she meant "I will go there" as there was a knock on the door. I opened it and she pointed at a little box near the door, which in my desperation to turn on the lights I heavily fondled. She then saw my confusion walked into my room, grabbed my key (which also had a card attached but was too tired to notice earlier), and stuck the card into the box. My room lit up like a Christmas tree. I profusely thanked her and bowed as she left, since I was feeling like an a$$. I then looked at the little paper she gave me when I checked in and what had seemed as mystical writing then about a "box providing electricity" finally became clear.
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So I finally took a shower (my first in Asia - I have no towels in my apt!), and explored a little around the hotel and then went to a restaurant next to the hotel. No one spoke English, so I pointed at a picture, the waitress then had a pen/wand that she rubbed on the menu on different points to make the order for me. I swear, it was magic. What I got: a hot plate - but with open flame; on it a bowl filled with some broth, cabbage, bean sprouts, green onions, and some pork. It all came to a boil and I put it in a smaller bowl in front of me and ate it all. It was DELICIOUS! I have no idea what it was, but I will order it again tomorrow for lunch. Best part: it was only 6 bucks, no tip. And it was not a small serving.
And so here I am. In the hotel lobby writing this; Skyping with my brother Pachi and others, and messaging with Beau - whose Skype isn't working. HA HA.
After I post this I am going to sleep, then I will explore Fukuoka some more (I saw a cute pagoda earlier), get my visa'd passport at 1:30pm, board a plane that will take me back to Seoul at 9pm-ish, arrive in Seoul at 10pm-ish, have poor R (I feel bad for him - he doesn't even work for the school) drive me back to my home, pass out on the floor ;), then I start my training Wed at 10am and continue that for the rest of the week. I will hopefully give you all an update at the end of the week.
Also, I am sad to inform you that I do not have my cord to connect my camera to the computer, so I can't upload any pictures today. I will do a pictures only post with everything I have talked about today and some things I haven't, but found interesting.
*In honor of my being in Japan I will teach you a bit of Japanese which I wish someone had done for me before today and I made a fool of myself, since I had TOTALLY forgotten all of this. >.< こんにちは - Konnichiwa - Actually means "Good afternoon" but is used as a general Hello.
どうもありがとう - Domo Arigato - "Thanks a lot," and this is not sarcastic (which is how I originally read that) but a very sincere thank you.
さよなら - Sayonara - Goodbye (but not when leaving your own home). But I haven't heard this while I have been here. I have heard:
ではまた - Dewa mata - See you later. I have mostly been dealing with younger people, so that may explain it.
