slightly more awake
So that evening we had a rediculous amout of food for dinner and called it an early night. Sarah and I both fell asleep around 9 pm. The problem with this was that we were both awake really early in the morning. Sarah left around 5:30 and I was laying in my bed from 4:30-7:00 futilely trying to force myself back to sleep. At 7 I woke up, had a shower and went to breakfast, which was the same as the day before.
After breakfast Sarah and I decided to go to emart (like walmar) to purchase some things that we forgot. We walked to wrong wa, which was very hard to determine since there are hardly any street signs. But about a half hour into our walk we realised that we indeed went the wrong way, and since we were sweating from the heat and humidity at 9am, and since no stores were open, we hailed a cab to go back to the hotel. The cab dropped us across the street from the Prado, and since there were no cars coming we ran across. Well there were these two police men standing on the side walk and they pointed at us as we ran and yelled “no walk, no walk” but they then smiled, laughed and pointed to the cross walk down the street. So apparently j-walking is illegal in Korea - lesson learned!
We had sometime to kill before lunch so we went out with Camille and Andrea to purchase some supplies for this afternoon. We walked a little ways from the hotel to a mini-mart which also happened to be near a bunch of bars - a ‘modern’ bar, a hof beer, and a sing fun time! We may head back this way this evening.
Lunch was similar to the other Korean meals we have had. Let me tell you how much I am enjoying this food….it is utterly amazing, I am even eating the Kimchi and am getting used to the heat.
Anyway after luch we began the orientation session. We spent the afternoon learning about what documents we need and vacations, and a little about the korean culture….here are some highlights:
1) I can get up to 3 months vacation (January, February, and end of July-August)
2) I contribute 4.5% to a pension, and because my school also contributes 4.5% I get to claim 9% back at the end, on top of my severance!!!
3) I have to file for a multiple entry visa otherwise if I leave I can’t get back into the country sucks!
4) thanksgiving is a 3 day holiday at the end of september and this year it falls on a monday, tueasday, wednesday (yay 5 day weekend)
5)there are 16 national holidays during the school year
6) Koreans have special ways of accepting, passing, and addressing people that I have to get used to
7)Koreans drink…a lot
8)There will be alcohol in the staff room at school and at all of the staff meetings
9)They think you are really strong and powerful when you don’t get bright red when drinking
10)it is considered rude to pour your own glass so you have to constantly be watching everyone else and fill them up as quickly as possible. It is often the job of the youngest to fill everyone’s glass (ya this is going to be me!)
i have discovered that I am one of the youngest in the group
They served us a western dinner - it was crap stick to what you know.
After dinner we did a little drinking, i got really tired around 10 so I went to bed … Sarah was asleep already, she had been since 7ish….apparently she woke up at midnight and went out. She came back around 5:45, which is when I woke up.
i stayed in bed until 6:30 when I just couldn’t stay anymore and I got up and had a jog. It was fantastic…so much cooler and I found this running/walking trail it was great…i felt so refreshed, and I was actually able to stay out for a half hour. good times
Well thats it! ttyl
Shanda
