We made it to Korea!!

Well, we finally made it to Korea!  Actually, we have been here for about six days but I haven't had the chance until now to write.  Before I get started, I would just like to say that we are fine, we love Korea (so far), and we miss you all!

Well, I guess I'll start from the beginning.  On Sunday morning around 2:30am, Rachel and Chris drove us to the Indy airport for our 5:50am flight.  It had started snowing so we left earlier then we had originally anticipated.  Our first flight took us to Chicago - it was only an hour flight.  We then had about six hours to kill until our 14-hour flight.  We exchanged our money to Korean Won and grabbed a bite to eat.  Then....we waited.  Finally our plane came.

Since neither of us have flown internationally before, we don't really have anything to compare it to, but Korean Air is pretty amazing!  I recommend it to anyone flying this direction!  The food was really good!  :)

                                          First meal - we even got an instruction card!!!  hehe

After we got off the plane in Korea, we had to find a bus that would take us to Iksan (the city we are living in).  It really wasn't that hard - I stayed with the luggage and Zach got the tickets!  lol!  The bus ride took about 2 1/2 hours.  Two hours into the bus ride, the driver stopped at a "rest stop" for 15 minutes.  People got out and ordered food.  Zach and I searched for the pay phones.  We had to call our recruiter/helper at work/boss's daughter (a really nice and helpful woman).  It is definitely interesting trying to figure out the pay phones in another country when you don't understand the language!  But, after being cut off twice (because we didn't insert enough money) we finally got across to her that we were on our way.

Our boss picked us up at the bus station and took us directly to a motel.  The couple we replaced needed to stay in their apartment for about one more week.  I will show you pictures of motel.  See if you can catch the differences...

                                                    No shower curtain.  This is actually the
                                                    norm.  I will explain more in my next
                                                    (video) blog in a couple days.

                                          A care package we were given when we arrived at
                                           the motel.  Yes, that is a condom.  We found out a
                                          couple days later that we were actually staying at a
                                          "love hotel".  This is a place where people go to have
                                          affairs and young people to sneak away from their
                                          parents....lol!

                                                    Koreans like small towels....  Not my
                                                    favorite part!  However, since we've
                                                    moved into our apartment, we have been
                                                    able to buy big towels!!!!!


Since we were staying in a motel, we ate out for basically every meal.  However, things are prettey cheap here compared to the US.  Everyday for lunch we walked to E-MART (the Korean version of Walmart).

                                          Snacks from E-MART for the motel room.

                                          A meal from the E-MART food court.  About $5.00
                                          US dollars.

                                          Another meal.  About $5.50 US dollars.

                                          Budweiser at E-MART.  About $1.00 US dollars
                                          for a six-pack.

                                          About $2.00 US dollars for a six-pack of Beck's.

At E-MART, you don't order drinks.  There is a water cooler and you fill up teeny, tiny cups of water.  I make several trips back and forth!!!

We did go to the school where we will be teaching and basically shadowed the people we are replacing.  I am so thankful for that!!!  I am Sam Teacher and Zach is Zach Teacher!  Next week, the students will have "midterms" so we will be reviewing and testing all next week.

Well, I figure this is long enough.  It is 12:00am, Sunday my time - about 10:00am, Saturday Indiana time.  I must get ready for bed.  Zach and I have another adventure planned for tomorrow.  We are going to try to navigate Home Plus ( a place similar to E-MART) and get a couple of things for the apartment.  Then, we want to create a video for this blog to show you our apartment.  Then finally, we will need to prepare for our first week of teaching!!!!

Talk to you soon!

Love,
Sam