Access!!

I'm at the Hyundai Learning Center here in Korea, and I finally got internet access on my own computer, so here's the stuff I wrote on my first day here. There will be a couple pics coming too.

August 23, 2005

Here I am in Seoul again. It’s seven am as I write this in my hotel near where I’m going to be living and working. For now I’m writing in Word since I can’t get a good wireless signal here.

The journey yesterday was fine. No problems whatsoever. Laura left me at the airport at about 11:45, I was checked in for my flight at exactly noon, we left about 20 minutes behind schedule, but more or less made up the time in the air. Oh there was one thing. On the flight I was seated near two full rows of kids coming back from a summer camp of some kind. The kids were really rambunctious and kept making noise and kicking the back of my seat. It bothered me a bit, but I think that was mostly because I was having nicotine fits. Some nicotine gum helped soothe my nerves. Guess I need to get used to being around a lot of children again. My luggage arrived safe and sound, and at the same time I did. It was the first time in my three flights to Asia that that has happened.

Korea Connections picked me up at the airport. Apparently I was the last of 12 of their teachers to arrive yesterday. About a dozen more are coming today. All in all, there are 100 teachers coming for the program in Seoul, and another 100 who will teach in Gongs-do. From the airport I was taken to the SMOE office in Jungno-gu, where a teacher and the vice-principal from my school met me. Lois, the SMOE coordinator of this program was there. She’s short, and pretty, and a lot younger looking than I imagined. The hand-off was quick, and soon we were yet again navigating the streets of Seoul. It took about another hour to get to the neighborhood where I am now. From the map it looked like I was going to be in Nowon-gu, but this morning I noticed “Dobong-gu” printed on a trash can outside the hotel. Maybe it’s on a boarder? Anyway, doesn’t matter.

During the drive they asked if I was hungry, and I was, so I said “yes.” (One does, doesn’t one?) Later I wished I hadn’t bothered. They insisted on getting dinner for me, which turned out to be a small pizza and a coke. It was fine, and very nice of them in fact, but I was so tired at that point I only wanted to be alone and to smoke a whole bunch. Eventually they did leave me alone, and that’s exactly what I did, smoking in the bathroom again, just like old times.

The hotel itself is not bad by Korean standards. Not the Hilton. Hell, not even Motel 6, but as I said, passable by Korean standards. There were two service (free) bottles of Hite beer in the fridge when I arrived, which frightened me to death. Lo and behold however, it’s morning and they’re still there. I guess with practice (thanks again Dave) it gets easier to just put it out of your mind. Like, I know it’s there, but I don’t obsess about it. Now if I could only do the same thing with cigarettes. Sigh!

Today my co-teacher (still not clear on her name, only that it’s not the same person who has been e-mailing me) will pick me up at 10:30 and take me to my new school. The other teachers are in training today so the school will be vacant, but I’ll get to see my classroom and the school grounds at least. Tomorrow (Wednesday) I think, they will take me to the training center. Oh yeah, I only found out about this on Saturday night. I knew there would be some training, but I thought it meant I’d go into the office everyday for a few hours. Instead, the training will be held at the Hyundai Training Center about 50km outside of Seoul. Mr. Lee sent me a few pictures and it looks resortesque. What they plan to teach us is a mystery to me, but I’m keeping an open mind. If nothing else, it will be nice to meet the other teachers and hopefully start to make some new friendships.