By the GRACE of God, I made it safely to Incheon Int'l airport. I flew Singapore airlines and it was a smooth flight. I thought I would have a panic attack! Seriously...16 hours!!? That's crae. lol I remember my Uncle Kevin telling me about when he came to Korea. (He was there for the military when he was 19). He said, "Michelle, you'll get on the plane and sleep for a long time then wake up and you'll STIL be in the air." It was funny how he said it. As most people know, my Uncle Kevin is rather comical. HE ALWAYS GOT JOKES! Anyway, it was a nice flight. I sat by an older Korean lady on the plane. We were on a row of 4 and it was just the two of us. It was so roomy. Yes, Lord! *smiles* She kept inquiring as best she could about my plans once we arrived. At that moment I realized that I would be dealing with language barriers constantly. It hadn't really hit me before. She was persistent about making sure I got to where I needed to go. :) She end up knowing my coordinator at my new job and she gave me her contact info.
After we parted ways, I took a shuttle bus to the Incheon Sky hotel. The next morning I went back to the airport. I exchanged my US money for Korean 'won.' I paid for my bus ticket which was 35,000 won. I took a 4 1/2 hour bus ride from the airport to Jinju. As if 16 hours of travelling wasn't enough! It was a lovely ride as there are many beautiful mountains and such great scenery in Korea! The first few days I was just thinking, "Wow. I can't believe I'm actually here." It was kind of surreal but EXCITIIIING!! One thing I used to be that I grew out of in college (thanks to my sorority) is being shy so I planned to mix and mingle as much as possible. I used to hate sparking conversations with people. Now, I will pretty much talk to anyone!! So meeting people I knew wouldn't be a problem. It may seem to some that going to a foreign country alone would be scary and lonely. It doesn't HAVE to be! It depends on one's mindset I guess.
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Eventually, I arrived at my apartment complex and met my manager. She was very sweet and helped me get settled in rather quickly. She took me to E-Mart (similar to Wal-Mart in the states) so I could get what I needed for the night. We ate at there as well. It has a nice little food court. She ate at McDonald's which I refused to do in another country (esp on the first day)! So I ate some "Koreanized" Chinese food. It was alright! Interesting fact: In Korea, McDonald's delivers right to your doorstep! ha-ha... a mess. I'll never forget when I saw the MCD symbol on a motorcycle.
At E-mart, you have to pay 100 won (about 10 cents) to get a grocery cart. However, you get the money back when your finished. Also, there was no one to bag the items I bought. It was so strange to me! I also had to pay for the plastic bags. smh lol I'm thinking what's really going on? I guess I'm spoiled in America? But anywho, it was no big deal just different. I got back home and rested as I was extremely tired from all the traveling.
The next morning, I woke up Sunday, March 11 hungry and determined to find some food. Of course I knocked on my manager's door. At that time I had not activated my phone yet. Now, mind you, it's my first day in the neighborhood and I'm a tad bit directionally challenged. I figured she would walk with me to get food but it was kind of early. For the first two weeks I was waking up no later than 5 am. She explained where some places were. I looked at her slightly confused and she said with a smile, "I think this will be good for you." I'm thinking, "I'm hungry!" lol She told me I would find a Holley's coffee (popular coffee chain in Korea), Dominoes and other restaurants. I got a little turned around but eventually found it. It was fun exploring and speaking to people. The natives in Jinju are extremely friendly!! It was so comforting. As I walked along the street, it seemed EVERYONE smiled and spoke. My greeting was a little scruffy that day. I had practically just learned how to say hello (anyanghaseo) in Korean on the plane.
From the very first day In Korea, I felt welcomed. I didn't feel like a sore thumb (well at least not at that point). However, as time went by of course I experienced a lot of stares (NECK breaking stares)!! But I just continued to speak. It was expected to some degree. I mean I'm a foreigner with an afro at that. :) I end up eating at Holley's coffee. For the first week I ate there and Dominoes. :/ I know. Ordering food was interesting. Sadly before arriving in Korea, I had no desire to learn Korean. Sounds bad, but its the truth. I figured, I'm coming to teach English, I don't necessarily need to learn it. My mindset changed after a few weeks. :) The language barrier got "real" REAL quick. If you can imagine...:-) I'll speak about how I feel now about learning different languages and traveling abroad. Stay tuned..! Til' next time...*Toodles*
With a heart of appreciation,
Michelle
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