Annyeonghaseyo Korea!

Me and the symbol of Anyang, the city where I live.

Several words come to mind to describe the past week, all following the theme of "overwhelming". In the past week I have travelled around the world, been lost and lonely, found some great new friends, turned two years older, set up a new apartment, and hiked a large hill. Not to mention the 8 hours a day that I teach countless children (with a surprisingly good grasp of English) how to debate, and countless other children how to improve their command of the language.

Travelling was fairly uneventful. Luckily, as I was trading in my United Airlines boarding pass for a proper Singapore Air pass, the desk attendant noted my particular disadvantage in regards to air travel. "Mr. McCarthy," she said in what I assumed to be a Singaporean accent. "You are very tall." She offered me an emergency exit seat, which I gratefully accepted.

My apartment (the second from the left) and the Acro Towers as seen from Central Park

On arrival in Korea, I was driven to my new apartment. My first night in Korea was not so good to me, mainly due to the lack of any sheets, pillows or blankets on my bed. I bundled up and turned the heat up, but despite this didn't sleep well.

The next morning was out of the blanket-less, phone-less frying pan and into the child-full, energetic fire: my first day of work. Tired and confused, I was briefly explained the job requirements and shoved in a variety of classrooms. I managed to figure out where and what they expected me to teach on the first day, and survived to enjoy some after-work beer with the coworkers. Although there were some bright moments, my view of living in Korea needed some improvement.

This was not to come immediately. If my first full day in Anyang was the physical test, the second morning was the emotional test. I had managed to pass a message home through a coworker, but had no working phone, and--since the power distribution system is different here--no working computer. I had blankets and a pillow now, but waking up in my empty apartment, I was disconnected and lost. I spent the morning before work trying desperately to call home, and finally succeeded by buying an international calling card (from a 7-11, no less!) and going to work a few hours early. I broke down crying on the phone, trying to express the relief that came with just being able to call home.

Korea has been uphill since that phone call. I made friends with the other English teachers at my school, and since most live in my apartment building, I've been knocking on their doors a fair bit. The second day at work was better than the first, the third better than the second and so on -- each day giving me a better understanding of what exactly I'm supposed to be doing, and a deeper appreciation for the great kids I teach.

Hiking with Erin

This weekend was the high point so far. Friday night was drinking and dancing with the teachers. It turns out that we live on the corner of a downtown area we call "the strip" that centres on Beomgyeuk (Beomgye Metro Station), so all of this was achieved within two blocks of our building. I was introduced to the local bar for foreigners, Happidus, which is in the next building over.

Saturday I went shopping with my friend and coworker Jay to Home Plus -- one of about four Walmart-type stores within walking distance of us. I went crazy on the kitchen supply section and now have a fairly well-stocked kitchen. Next was a trip to Gangnam, a part of Seoul, to see more city life. This was my first experience on the Seoul Metro, which is large but well signed and not too overwhelming--though I had help navigating the system.

Sunday I went hiking. Well, the Koreans call it hiking up a mountain; I think of it as a short hike up a hill. My new friend Erin (the Bostonian) guided me to a hill about the size of Mt. Doug in Victoria, and we trekked up to the top to get a good view of where we live. I learned that Koreans love their mountains, and that Anyang is really ugly from above. Instead of the urban creep of houses that dominates Western cities of my experience, Korean cities seem to have sets of identical (and numbered!) apartment buildings, all the same height and all from the same school of drab, institutional design.

Anyang from above. If you look carefully you can see the Acro Towers, the only deviation from the "same-same" skyline.

Sunday night was into Itaewon (another neighbourhood of Seoul) for some Western food--a decent cheeseburger, which is hard to get here--and the end of a good weekend.

And Monday it was back to work! I have plenty of thoughts and photos to share about my apartment, the area in which I live, my new friends and life here, but they'll have to wait until another post. This one I'll end with a couple thoughts about Korea. Overall, it has been a good adventure so far and looks to get better. Work was an initial shock, but I'm adapting to it and think that once I get into the routing it will be appropriately fun and challenging. I'm learning that my fondness for teaching still applies when 8 hour days are considered, which bodes well for my future. Though it will be a couple weeks until I can get a cellphone, I've been able to get connected enough through the internet, work and res-style living to keep myself occupied and happy. The food is cheap, plentiful, spicy and extremely tasty; I'm developing a taste for galbi (Korean barbecued beef... yum) and gimbap (a Korean dish similar to sushi). And the differences from Vancouver are numerous and wonderful to observe.

There are things to dislike, as well. For instance, there are few restrictions (and lax enforcement) on places that allow smoking, so restaurants and bars are generally filled with smokers. Though according to the other teachers my school is among the better employers, the relationship between employee and employer is somewhat different in Korea, and the expectation of English teachers is to work with potentially few breaks, and to teach many classes on less prep time than I would like.

A final thought before I crash for the night: I would have run for the airport sometime last week were it not for the support of the new friends I have made here. So here's a shout out to Erin, Angela, Jay and all the rest. I'm sure to be writing about them lots in the future, so remember those names!

A viewpoint from hiking the large hill, looking away from Anyang