My First Day In Korea

Well, I shall start my journalling!


My flight here went very smoothly.  I found that I was definitely in the minority as I was in line waiting to get on the plane!  I have no complaints about it at all, but it was very crowded.  I had an aisle seat, so I was able to stretch my legs out quite well.  Thirteen hours in an airplane is a very long time, no matter how you look at ti!  All my reading said to get up and walk around regularly, but there really was no room to walk.  The aisles were less than 24", I'm sure.  So it was surprising that the flight attendants were able to pass out the meals as quickly as they could.  I didn't have a window seat, but we were up about 36,000 ft, so I don't think that I would have been able to see anything anyway.

Incheon airport is huge!  It was really strange, seeing Korean signs everywhere.  I had no idea where I was going, so I just followed everyone else.  After going through customs and getting my baggage, I finally saw David, and it was so good to see someone familiar at that point!

We took a bus to JeanJu--a very luxurious bus, compared to the plane--lots of leg room, comfortable seats that went 'way back.  Nice!  When we got to JeonJu, David found us a cab to get to his place.  My introduction to Korean traffic!  By this time, it was dark and rainy, so I couldn't see too much, but the driver was quite aggressive in his driving!  I was also impressed by David's command of the language.

David has quite a nice apartment.  He has 2 rooms, each about the size of my bedroom at home.  He graciously has lent me his bedroom, while he sleeps in the living room/kitchen.  The bathroom is very small, and the bathroom is the shower (there is a drain on the floor!). 

We went to church in the afternoon, so he showed me around the city today.  We went out for breakfast where we had kimbab (looks like sushi but no fish, stuffed with vegetables, cubed ham and egg rolled in rice and then seaweed) and nangmyun (a cold soup with noodles, vegetables, and egg).  The Kimbab was pretty good, and I actually managed the chopsticks(!).  The nangmyun was OK too, but it is more of an acquired taste!

Then we went driving!  Traffic there is unbelievable.  Sidewalks in the downtown areas are non-existent--just little more than a yellow line painted on the side of the street.  The streets are quite narrow, the lanes are narrow, and the cars park where ever they wish.  So there is parking on both sides of the street (on the narrow sidewalk area)--and they park on which ever side of the street they wish, so the street ends up being very narrow--one car can get through.  But you must remember that these are 2 way streets!  And since there are cars parked on the sidewalk areas, pedestrians then walk in the middle of the street.  I took lots of pictures, but I'll post them tomorrow--I'm too tired now!

There are quite a few parks around--important since everyone lives in apartment buildings.  The doors for the apartment buildings are right off the street--no walkway to get there.  Everything looks very crowded.  So a lot of the parks have fitness equipment there.  I'll post pictures of that as well.

This first day has been interesting.  I feel like I am so out of place.  I have a better understanding of what David went through when he first moved here (as well as Jenn when she went to Japan).  I can't even decipher the street signs or billboards.  (The alphabet is totally different!).  It's a good experience.  I still can't believe that I'm actually here--I keep thinking it's a dream and that I will wake up back in Belleville!

It was good going to church in the afternoon.  It was just another reminder that no matter where we are or who we are with, we worship the same God, who is not bound by space. 

I will sign off now, and post pictures tomorrow.  Love you all!