My Roof

So my apartment has a roof. Yeah, it's as awesome as it sounds. Here are some of the views. Yes, those are mountains in the background.

In Korea!

So I landed in Seoul at around 4:00 pm on Saturday. I did not sleep a wink on the plane, which I think worked out, because I might be on Korean time. We'll see how that develops over the next day or two. Anywho, the plane was uneventful. I watched a lot of movies:
*Brave (sorry Eric)
*Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
*The Hunger Games
*The Three Musketeers

I also ate my first Korean dish, Bibimbap. It was a bowl of steamed veggies with minced beef. You pour in some steamed rice, gochujang, and sesame oil, mix it all together, and eat it. It was quite delicious. It also came with some kimchee, which wasn't too bad. I could see myself growing to like it. The two very nice Korean women next to me were very helpful with explaining what it all was and how to eat it. They also had some good advice on not putting in too much gochujang on my first try.

Once I landed,  I was met by the very nice Mr. Kang (or Mr. Kang the airport man, as Caroline has dubbed him), and he helped me buy a bus ticket to Daegu. I had the front seat, which gave me plenty of room to spread out. We drove for about 2 hours and stopped at a rest area. I was pretty full from the plane, so I just had one of my Cliff bars. Black cherry almond. Yum. We drove for another 2 hours and finally arrived in Daegu.

I was not expecting that much neon. Good lord there is so much neon here. The director of the school, Mr. Bahn, met me at the bus stop and helped load my bags into the car. He drove me past the school so I could see where it was, and then to my apartment. It's very cool. I don't need any keys because the building has keypad locks. I just have to remember my code, which is (censored). You didn't think I'd be that stupid, did you? Mr. Bahn also had my cell phone from the Arrival Store. I now have an LG Sky, and I still have to figure out how to register it. The instructions are, of course, written in Korean. I got to skype with my Mom, Grandma, and Poppy really quick before I went to bed.


I woke up at 5, so I'm not entirely sure that I've adjusted to the local time just yet. I unpacked, organized, made a shopping list for my trip to E Mart (Korean equivalent of Walmart), and did a few Rosetta Stone lessons on Korean. I'm coming along nicely, if I do say so myself. I tried going back to bed, since I don't have anything to do until 2, when one of the other teachers will be taking me to E Mart, but I just couldn't fall asleep. I decided to head on out and walk around Daegu. I found a 7-11, and guess what?

They have Mountain Dew in Korea. So much for kicking that habit.

I also took a walk down towards the local river. It's quite beautiful with the mountains in the background. There is a running and biking path along the river, so I think I know where I'll be going for runs until the weather turns.

I also figured out a little bit more about the neighborhood. In other words, I know where I am on a map. Crucial information. I'm just north of Beomeo station. My school is somewhere between Beomeo and Daegu Bank stations. I look forward to seeing a lot more of the city later today!

Last Days

So I got my visa, and they put me on a plane. I'm currently writing this from my studio apartment in Suseong-gu, Daegu, South Korea. It's cozy. That's the word I'll go with: cozy. Before I get to talking about Korea, let me mention some of the things I did getting ready to leave.

OAA Alumni Weekend
I had a great time camping down at the Indian Village at the 2012 Onteora Alumni Weekend. Had some great times with old friends, met some old staffers from back in the day, swapped some songs and stories, and just got to enjoy home for one last time before I left the country. I also got to swing by the Robin Hood for breakfast, which is always a plus.

 My tarp, sadly, was not as long or as wide as my new hammock, so I woke up to some rain pooling underneath me at about 2 in the morning. That's camping for you.

 The location couldn't have been nicer. While some of the older guys were on cots in the health lodge or in campers by the long house; me, Eric, Drew, Vinny, Katie, Rob (of the Jambo variety), Tim, and Logan had this beautiful spot right on the shore of the lake. NOthing like being woken up by the sun rising over Orchard Lake.

Me and Eric saying goodbye to home at the brand new sign. We'll see who gets back to Onteora first. It'll probably be Eric.


Graveyard Party in Jersey City
So I went out to Jersey City to say hi and bye to Zach, and wouldn't you know it, there was a benefit party in the old Jersey CIty Cemetery to raise some money. Who would pass up the chance to hang out in a graveyard listen to music and drink a few beers? Certainly not Zach or me. We also got the chance to head into the old tunnels that have functioned as tombs, passages during the revolution, and various other activities. It was a great day, and seeing Zach one last time was a big plus.

At Home
Drew and the Goebels came by at various points to say goodbye. Chelsea also came to visit one last time for some rainy day movies. She also helped me start packing, which worked out well, because I got my flight that afternoon! I will say, I am leaving behind some absolutely wonderful people. I couldn't ask for better friends in this world. I got some last minute pointers from everyone, which was nice. I also got to have my favorite meal one last time. Thank you mom!

Then, of course, I packed some more, which I don't want to dwell on. Oversized baggage charges are rather unfortunate. Oh well. At the airport I got to see almost the whole family. Morgan and Emma and Caroline called/texted to send me off, and Grandma, Poppy, Uncle Stephen, Kathy, Dad, and Mom all showed up. Michelle and Ken dropped by earlier in the morning. After a lot of pictures (which I don't have) and goodbyes (which were very sweet and almost tearful), I went through security, found my gate, and grabbed one last mountain dew...or so I thought. More on that soon!

Pictures, Round 2

So I found a bunch more pictures buried on my computer. Had to throw them in.

Reminders of Home

These are the pictures I'm bringing to hang around my apartment. Just some photos to remind me of good times, friends, and family.