And with that, our Orientation was done. It was time to say goodbye to the people and friends we’d made and for us all to be scattered about different cities through out the province.
One by one we walked through the conference hall and up in front of the crowd, where all of our co-teachers, our preordained teaching partner for the next 12 months, sat at tables waiting to pick us up. We each introduced our selves to the crowd as best we could with the handful of Korean sentences we had been given. It generally came out as heavily accented half broken Korean, but the teachers seemed to appreciate the attempt. After a quick lunch, it was off to our placement cities.
After spending every hour and day with a solid group of people from all over the world for almost two weeks in a brand new country and environment, and then to be taken one by one off to a different corner of the province, It felt like what I imagine being a puppy at a breeders being picked up by their adopted family for the first time is like:
“Who is this, where are we going, oooh whats that new smell, wait where are my friends, let me out I need to pee!”
After an hour drive, I’d arrived in Gwangyang-Eup, the original Gwangyang, placed in between Suncheon and Gwangyang-Si (The bigger Gwangyang which has the port and POSCO Steel Works). The whole day was a blur. A quick intro to the school and the Principal followed by a run by immigration, and then I was dropped off at my apartment. After a run down of the apartment, She left, and that was it. Here I am, In Korea, on my own. Now to get my bearings. I know I have a few friends in Eup and a few in surrounding cities, but I don’t know where any of them ended up exactly.
I was told that morning by a friend from New Zealand who had taught before that “Orientation doesn’t count, today you really move to Korea”. Stepping out of my apartment, and I fully realized the weight of that comment.
Still no working cell… I need wifi…where is there wifi….How do the buses work, where are the buses? Where can I get food..? How do I even order food…
Time to go find out. Adventure Time.