first night in my Korean digs
I arrived in Seoul late Tuesday night, greeted by a middle-aged Korean man who drove me to my apartment. He did not speak any English, which was nice because I was in no mood to talk. My silent escort took me to my place and gave me a ‘tour’ of my place. TV on, the fridge opens, and he’s gone. There I was, alone in my new digs. My first thoughts were, “What am I doing here?!” “Why did I sign up for this?” I got my pjs and bathroom stuff. A shower should make me feel better. The shower was less than expected, there is no shower, or rather the whole bathroom is the shower. Nonetheless, I felt like a new person when I finished. For how tired I was, I couldn’t sleep but eventually I drifted off.
early morning view from my window
Jet-lagged and one restless night later, I pull myself out of bed. Shower number two. Thankfully one of the teachers is meeting me at 10 to get food and help me settle. I am so thankful that voting day, a national holiday, is my first full day here. Why? NO SCHOOL! I’m greeted with Midwest hospitality, I haven’t been away from home too long but it’s comforting to see an America. I get some food items, nothing special, it’s difficult to think of eating when my stomach is in knots and my body has no idea what time it is or what is going on. Walking around and seeing a little bit of my neighborhood, Dobong-gu, is nice. We drop my stuff off and then I tag along with some of the other teachers to a park on the Han River. The weather is perfect, maybe a degree or two on the warm side. Either way, the sun and fresh air do me well.
After a nap in the park, we’re hungry. We go to Itaewon, a part of Seoul that has lots of foreign shops and restaurants. Who would have thought that my first meal in East Asia would be Mexican? Not me. I order a steak burrito and a margh. Am I in the orient or at the local taco truck back home? This place is so different but I think I can adapt. We’ll see.
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