Annyeonghaseyo?---the standard greeting in Korean which literally translates to ”Are you at peace?”
We made it!
Our traveling went quite well! On the way from SanFran to Korea we sat by many other EPIK (English Program in Korea) teachers, which was exciting and comforting. We arrived around 5:00pm, grabbed our luggage, and proceeded to wait in quite a long line to go on our 4 hour bus trip to Jeonju University for our 10 day orientation. Upon arrival to Jeonju University (which is "the place for superstars" as written on all of their buildings!) we were given our room assignments, checked for swine flu, given a thermometer so we can check our temperature everyday (to make sure we don’t get swine flu--ha), and given a goodie bag with treats and 2 manuals for orientation.
We woke up early early the first morning here as we’re getting used to the time difference (it is 14 hours ahead here). Our first breakfast was buffet style and included kimchi (their famous dish consisting of spicy, fermented cabbage), bean sprout salad, French fries, eggs, cream of broccoli soup, croissants, fried spam, cornflakes, and basically liquid sugar with a little bit of coffee mixed in. Needless to say, Aaron loved the spam, I loved the cornflakes, and we walked across the street to a little place that has real coffee. Fantastic!
Our first full day in Korea consisted of a welcoming ceremony with traditional drumming, pensori (a traditional type of opera), and a woman who did a traditional fan dance. This was all followed by a huge welcoming dinner. We ate a variety of foods including kimchi, octopus, shrimp with the head still on it, barbeque ribs and sweet potatoes. It is clear that the university is making an effort to somewhat cater towards our Western taste buds, however, the Korean food is fresh and delicious!
Our second day was filled with medical check-ups and a fascinating class on culture and culture shock. Much like the grief process, there are various steps one goes through when experiencing a new culture (we are currently at the honeymoon stage when everything is still new and exciting). Therefore, in order to make our transition a bit easier, we learned quite a bit about Korean culture. One of the main points made was that Korean culture is based in Confucianism. This philosophy promotes social harmony through putting feelings first and logic second. This is evident in all Korean relationships regardless of context. Also, there is not necessarily an absolute or objective truth. For example, in the US we have set policies and rules that are strictly followed in the business and social world. Here, truth is situational and meaning is indirect. Koreans put what’s best for the individual first rather than the policy. I will only touch on these cultural ideals briefly now as I assume we will have MUCH more to say about them once we are actually teaching and experiencing more of the country.
One of the really neat parts of this orientation is meeting people from all over the world. We’ve met fellow EPIK teachers from England, Scotland, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. Oh, and of course, the US! We are both excited to make new friends from all over the globe.
Today we began our lecture classes. We spent the entire day listening to lectures about teaching strategies and how to work alongside Korean colleagues. Tomorrow is our field trip day to a traditional village and Buddhist temple!
I’ll end with a quote given to us during our culture class. “The world in which you were born is just one model of reality. Other cultures are not failed attempts at being you; they are unique manifestations of the human spirit.” –Wade Davis
We appreciate all of your thoughts and support! We are enjoying ourselves and adapting surprisingly well thus far. Love to you all!
