Winter Camp Begins!

Happy New Year!

I have arrived safely at my residence at Halla College, where the Winter Camp will take place. Sorry no fancy shmancy pictures yet.. I don't have wifi.... but I do have a gigantic desktop computer, so at least I have internet. I know some people will be upset that I can't put up any food pictures for awhile, you'll just have to wait, people.

My residence is FAR less posh than Kate and Linda's... the school was built in the 60s and I don't think much has been updated in the residences since then (except for the 1990s computers, of course!) It is also COLD! Kate and Linda could control their heat in their room... not this little mouse! They also had an ensuite bathroom, while I've got a communal one... and I haven't quite located a shower yet... so hopefully I can bathe at some point! The hallway where my room is is very dark and really resembles anything you may have seen in a Russian spy movie.

Despite my whining, I'm safe and happy... I'm sure it will make for some funny stories... It's seriously so cold typing right now though!!

That's all for now... the first question I asked the Director of the camp was how to get food... so she is coming to meet me to show me where the cafeteria is in a few minutes... again sorry (Martha)... there will be no pictures.

Seogwipo

Ventured off the Compound toward Seogwipo, which is on the very south side of the island. One of the guys that Kate and Linda work with has lived in Korea for a few years and offered to call me a taxi to the compound, in return for getting him instant coffee and cookies while I was out!

The taxi driver dropped me off in town, and I found another information booth where I inquired about how to take a bus back to the compound (the taxi had been about $19 which seems crazy compared to the cheapness of everything else!) she wrote the name of the bus I needed to take in Korean, as well as the name of the stop I needed to transfer at. Then she suggested that I take a bus to downtown Seogwipo, but since I had been sitting on planes & lying around the compound for days, I figured I could use the walk. It turned out to be about 5k (whoops!) but it was very scenic & nice out... By the end I was just wearing my cardigan.

The city was really nice! It had a main street with good shopping, a pretty harbor (see above) and a cool market. Kate and I have both noticed that it doesn't seem really 'Asian' here... Of course I have nothing to compare it to, but she said when she went to Thailand it was much crazier... I think it's partly because Jeju is an island... It definitely has an island feel, but so many of the areas could be in Canadian cities if signs were in English. Similar shops, transportation, etc.

I also found a World Cup soccer stadium... I travel with the Dobos' for two weeks and suddenly find myself taking pictures of a soccer stadium! (I also got one of a really nice turf pitch at a school...) haha

That's all for now!

Happy New Year!

Jeju-si

After getting clean and rested at my hotel, I decided to get my bearings. The hotel supplied me with an English map (which has since saved my butt numerous times!) and agreed to keep my big luggage. I got a quick taste of the city, but my main mission of the day was to track down Kate! I made my way to the main bus terminal and a very nice lady who spoke limited English at the information booth told me what bus to take, but it seems as though there isn't one that goes right to 'the Compound', as Kate calls it. After getting that info, I was starving & had been putting off eating Korean food by surviving on my Jewish Bread rations from home. I found a tiny restaurant (pictured above) in the terminal... the whole menu was in Korean, but it seemed like all the 80 year old Korean men in there were eating the same thing, so I just pointed to that! It ended up being soup with noodles which was pretty safe... It had quite a fishy taste, but did the trick!

Then I boarded the bus to find Kate... I ended up missing my stop, but when the bus got to the end of the line, I knew the town we were in wasn't too far from 'the Compound'. I found a cab to drive me, snuck through a side gate & into their residence building! They were pretty surprised & happy to see me when they came back because they had ventured out a few nights before, and despite the fact that they kind of knew where they were going, it had taken them like 3 hrs to get back!!

They had been hoarding food in anticipation of my arrival, so I had a PB& Jam sandwich ans random Korean sweet breads waiting for me. I try to stay in their room (which randomly has 3 beds) while I'm in the compound & sneak out to sightsee during the day! They have told two of the people they work with that I'm here and they refer to me as the little mouse!

That's all for now...

I Can See Russia From My Window!

My flight out of Vancouver was delayed over an hour -- apparently they had some issue with cargo... either had to repack it properly or we had the wrong stuff... not quite sure! The flight itself was really good -- I was fed well... which is the main thing! We got lunch and dinner, plus Mr. Noodles as a disembarkation treat! I read a bit and watched one movie, but I was really surprised that I wasn't bored at all... I was also able to sleep a bit more, so that helped!

In terms of scenery, I saw some very cold, barren landscapes, including what I think was the Bering Strait, and the edge of Russia (see picture). It was also pretty cool to follow the sun -- it was never night time!

Everything went smoothly again with baggage claim and customs at the Incheon Airport, and I found my way pretty easily to Gimpo by subway. Most signs and announcements were in Korean and English, so that made it very easy!

Right now, I'm at December Hotel in Jeju City. I got an email from Kate (who is already working at her camp) and she said that they aren't allowed off the 'compound' after 10pm, which meant they couldn't come get me at the airport. It actually worked out for the best because I was really tired, and this hotel is awesome! I'm typing this from the random desktop computer that they have here for my use... along with a mini fridge, tv, kettle, etc. My mission for today is to explore Jeju City a bit and then catch a bus to Daejung-eup, which is where Kate's camp is!

Vancouver, British Columbia

I made it safely to Vancouver! Baggage & security were really fast in Toronto & here... The longest line I have waited in so far was at Tim Horton's! 

I was able to sleep quite a bit on the flight & in the airport once I landed and I have been keeping myself occupied... I haven't really felt like I was putting in time yet!

The long distances between arrivals/baggage/security/gates have been giving my legs a good workout... This airport is really nice though... As you can see from the picture, there is some sort of pond/river feature in the International Departures concourse.

That's all for now... Just thought I'd send a quick update before my marathon flight to Korea! The airport says my flight is on time, but dad says its going to be delayed 30 minutes... So I guess it's delayed 30 minutes!

Korea!

After taking part in the holiday festivities in Canada this weekend, I will be flying to South Korea to work at an English Camp on Cheju Island. From my research into Cheju Island, I have found that it is often called the Hawaii, Disneyland & Paris of Korea. Apparently it is an Asian honeymoon destination. Unfortunately, I will be there in the winter, so I don't think I'll be able to experience the beaches, but apparently there are quite a few sights to see in winter, too!

My Itinerary:
December 26: Toronto-Vancouver
December 27/28: Vancouver-Seoul-Cheju
January 1-15: Working at Winter Camp
January 16: Cheju-Seoul-Toronto