Finally in Busan!

Before I get to Busan, I must say that fortunately, I did not end up staying in for my last night in Seoul. My friend who had told me she may not be able to go out got her work done and came to pick me up as I was looking at picture of Ironman Japan...haha. Anyway, we went out to a western-style bar for a bit - it was a really good time. I got back at 3am, woke up at 6:30a, had closing ceremonies, and jumped on a bus to Busan.

The bus ride took about 5-6 hours total, including stopping for lunch for a half hour and a few other short pit stops. Korea is SO beautiful! After 15 or so minute of getting out of Seoul, there was no point during the bus ride where mountains were not surrounding us on both sides, no exaggeration. It was almost as if the people who made the highway cut down mountains in the middle so that the road could be flat. CRAZY.

I brought War and Peace on the bus - I am on page 2. That's how amazing the view was (and that was not meant to comment on Tolstoy's level of engagement, just to be clear for all you Russian lit haters... :) )

So we got to the POE (I think that is where we were) of Busan - POE meaning Provincial Office of Education. 100 or so of us arrived with all of our luggage, and met our co-teachers. It was crazy! At first we were bombarded with co-teachers yelling their teachers' names and grabbing them and yelling, Ok! Let's go!" I was hoping I would get a teacher like that...aggressive, to the point. Ha. No such luck. So the 50 or 60% of us who did not get co-teachers who were waiting for us in the hall, we moved into the main room where the rest of the co-teachers were. Many of the teachers in that room looked very uninterested (at least there was a definite lack of excitement), tired, or maybe a little annoyed at the chaos); but also, as more and more EPIK teachers were being escorted out, it seemed like most of the co-teachers could not speak English very well (maybe that is why they were not so aggressive in the first place..). For me, that would not be a huge issue, but if he or she could not speak much English AND they weren't very interested in helping me get settled in...that kind of scared me a little...

I started looking around the room, for some co-teachers had signs with our names on them. So I'm looking...and finally I see a somewhat-timid looking woman with a sign that said "Catie Markes-ich" (the dash indicates that the 'ich' was continued underneath the rest of the name). Haha. So I went over and introduced myself, and we got out of there ASAP. We didn't speak much in leaving the POE, because I discovered that her English was not so good (she told me), and so since I was really tired I figured I would just chill and not try to say too much and overwhelm her by me asking too many questions. So I go get my bike and huge bag - she is very small mind you, and she sees the bags and her eyes widen with nervousness. Naturally, I took them both, and my backpack,
and gave her my purse. We go down to a taxi - this place is crazy now with teachers leaving in cars and taxis and kids getting out of school - and load up the taxi as follows: big suitcase and purse in trunk, bike and monstrous backpack in backseat, co-teacher in front....me laying on top of my bikebox in the backseat. They seemed a little rattled that there was nowhere else for me to sit. I wouldn't have had it any other way. I got some extra leverage to check out the streets of Busan from a taxi - fine by me! Although I had to close one of the windows so that my feet wouldn't slip out of the window when the cabbie took a hard turn or stopped short. That was probably the best cab ride of my life.

Anyway, in the cab, we are still not talking much, because I figured it might be easier for her to talk face to face. But she tells me that my apartment is not yet ready and that I have to go to a motel for 2 nights. She seemed a little scared to tell me that, and I can understand why...and I was a little disappointed because I just wanted to get home and unpack...but really, not the end of the world at all. This girl gets stuck with me, this crazy foreigner, doesn't speak much English...I'm trying to make it as easy on her as possible (and I want to create a good relationship with her of course!)

Before going to the motel, we stopped at the school and met another of the teachers (actually, I almost met two teachers, but the second apparently was very shy and he literally ran away from me...twice...hahahahaha. That was great...). The other teacher I met is SO incredibly nice, and speaks no English. Except for "ooh, high heels!" (when I opened my big back to transfer clothes into my backback) But anyway, she kept grabbing my hands and saying, "so friendly!" in Korean - (I can't remember how you say it - maybe something like chin-chu). She hugged me a few times too - even though things weren't going as smoothly as I had hoped in general, I am so glad that I have been placed at this school - I think I will get along very nicely here.

After meeting the other teacher, I brought my bags in the school and left my bike and big suitcase there, locked up...and I realized why when I got to the motel - it would have been a mess to bring those bags into the motel, because it is quite small (the foyer area is almost non-existent). But the room is very nice - they have supplied me with shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, a brush, hairdryer, fridge, tv, and some juice, and a water cooler. It seems like they are really going out of their way to make me feel comfortable!

After dropping my stuff off, my co-teacher asked me if I wanted to go get dinner with her, and naturally I accepted. She decided to call her friend, who apparently spoke better English than she, because I think she wanted me to feel more comfortable. Also, her friend is my age - 24 in Korean age - and apparently in Korea, anyone who is the same age as you is automatically your friend. haha. (We learned that in orientation. Korean age is basically you are 1 when you are born, and then turn 2 at the turn of the next year. So for me, I would be 1 on May 29, and on Jan 1 1986 I would be 2 years old. On May 29, 1986, I would continue to be 2 years old, but would still celebrate my birthday. So in essence, someone in Korea who is only 26 in US age could be 28 in Korean age, if the month is Feb for example and his of her birthday is in June. Does that make sense?) My co-teacher is 27, so she was happy that her friend was my age (not that she and I can't be friends because we aren't the same age, but I think there will always be a little bit of a distance between people of different ages. Although that custom may be deteriorating in the new generation.

Anyway, we meet up with him - and he is extremely nice. We went out to dinner - oh man, SO GOOD. We got this chicken with very spicy sauce (they asked me what I liked and I said mostly anything - rice, vegetables, spicy stuff..) and it came in one big plate/bowl, communal. We all had our own bowls and just took from the main. They also ordered a hot pot of cheese for dipping - if you don't like double dipping, you would not have liked this meal. At one point I dropped a piece of chicken in the cheese...and it was no big deal...haha. Before t he chicken, for an appetizer sort of thing, the restaurant gives you radishes and cabbage salad. Mmmmm. Loved it. And to drink we got some pitchers of soju, although it was kind of like a mixed drink with soju in it. I abided by my culture training and made sure to refill their cups when their glasses were empty, and they loved that! Also, they were very impressed with my chopstick skills - haha.

After dinner, we went for icecream - I think I mentioned Korean icecream before - icecream, ice, fruit, beans...delicious. We all exchanged phone numbers (I didn't give them my phone number because I don't have a phone yet..) and emails. They are so nice, and have such great personalities - very energetic and outgoing - especially my co-teachers friend - and we all got along very very well.

After icecream, they took me shopping for some food for the next few days (until I get my apartment), and then took me to get a subway/bus pass thing. You attach it to your phone (or for me, my wallet for now) and can add money to it whenever you need to, and just scan it when you get on the bus or subway and don't have to worry about money. After that we departed, for I was starting to lose steam (as I am now), and my co-teacher took me back to my motel. Overall, it was an AMAZING day.

In an hour I am meeting up with her again as well as the other teacher that I met yesterday. I think they want to take me shopping...but I'm not sure...but I am very excited for another fantastic day in Busan!