Day 1 - South Korea

Said goodbye to Mum and Dad at Manchester Airport at around 11ish (Mum cried) in the morning then wandered around the airport like a bewildered sheep. Had a cup of tea and some lunch, spied some rather sporty cars on display, and finally made my way through the various sections, onto the plane and ready to go.

An elderly woman; Claire, sat in the aisle and a man called Barry (also going to South Korea) sat in the middle. An hour later and I felt sorry for Barry who had to keep helping our dear aisle companion as she drunk too much vodka and spilled it all over her. She had her knee jutting out into the aisle so the Cabin crew kept catching it with their trolly. finally changed at Dubai and went off to Seoul (ICN).

The first thing about the airport is that it is spotless (save the one blob of gum I managed to find). The second thing is the long wait through immigration. I must have been standing for nearly an hour.

John had been waiting for me for over an hour and a half when I plodded in with my bags strapped to me like a donkey. He got a trolly, loaded them on and pushed it to his car where we took the motorway to Cheonan. Met the the school and its' staff, then sat at a table listening to a conversation in Korean - I can't even imagine what they were saying. I also got told that I look alot better in person that in my photo (I'll admit to that one - it was a very bad picture). I even met a teacher that's been there for five years!

They took me out for a Korean meal. I didn't even know where to start! John had to show me the correct way to sit, and one of the other teachers informed me that I just 'tucked in'. Then came the task of the chopsticks! I didn't think I was too bad at home but I'd never used metal ones, or amongst pros. Everything slipped through them, or failed to pick them up in the first place...I musr have looked quite pathetic because the next thing I knew I was being given a bowl with the meat already in it.

So I ate this pork (the best ever) cooked infront of you on these black grill plate things, with sticky rice and lettuce and what I can only describe at transluscent noodles, some mushroom thing that reminded me of parsnips, and other things I can't even remember.

After dinner I was informed that I'll be staying in a hotel until the person i'm replacing has moved out (Mon) fine by me. The room I'm staying in has taught me a few things. For example there's a dispenser near the shower that when I managed to translate means Shampoo + conditioner. I also found the bathroom slippers that look like jelly flipflops (these are to wear when entering the bathroom but not around the rest of the room). I have yet to work out how to work the toilet with all the fancy buttons! The bed is round which is great. There's also a good supply of condoms, some anime guides that are implied for those above 18 and an old style computer with not-so-clean keyboard. I'll be getting out the babywipes in a second!

Anyway tomorrow I'm off to get my alien registration card! Then I'll have a phone, a bank and some more freedom. I'm tired so I'm off to bed.