My first weekend in Daegu

My first weekend here wasn't all that exciting. I had to go to the school at 11:30. Of course, I worried that maybe it was 10:30. I showed up at 11:20 or so. I'm pretty sure it was 11:30 though since neither said anything.

Amy talked about the different classes and what textbooks they were using and how old they were. I'm not sure if she was giving me their Korean ages or their actual ages. Korea has this odd age system. As soon as a child is born, they're automatically 1 year old. Then on the New Year everyone is automatically one year older. So some kid born in December can turn 2 in less than a month. It's a little weird so I think you have to subtract at least a year or 2 to get someone's actual age. I guess I would be 24 already if I had been born in Korea. I really don't understand the mass birthday though. Anyways, that went on for over an hour I think. Then we had a break. I didn't really know what to do so I went to the bathroom, walked around, and looked at a map. I was a pretty dull map. Then it was time to start again. More of the same. Then her, Jupiter, and I had lunch. It was Korean food and it actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was bulgogi. It was fried pieces of beef and slices of onions and other vegetable-like slices. Not the best meal but not nightmare food. There was also rice. We ate in the conference room which has all these pictures of students of the month. They showed me a few of the teachers. Ones they thought were good and why they were good. Subtle advice really. Maybe not so subtle. One guy was from Edmonton but that was a few years ago. They didn't tell me where the others were from. One was from the USA.

Then we went back to the room. We didn't really do anything. No wait I think we went over the rule book. I always have to wear a shirt apparently. That was the only weird rule. I know what they meant but it just sounds strange and what I was wearing was fine they said. I think just no T-shirts. Then Amy and I had a little discussion. She doesn't like Americans, hates Japan, and likes to watch sports but can't find anyone to watch them with. She's 32 or maybe 30 who knows. Oh another strange rule was that I'm to be proud of myself as a Wonderland teacher and of Wonderland.

Afterwards, I go back home and grab my guidebook and Teach Yourself Korean book and hop on the subway to go downtown. I need to buy a towel so I decide to go to towel street. The subway system was a bit strange but I figured it out watching the other maybe 5 people in the station. After you pay you get this weird little plastic token. I walked to entrance but there was nowhere to put it. What do you do with this token then? I wait for someone to go through. There aren't any turnstyles so really I could just walk through but there's someone watching from behind glass. It didn't even occur to me actually because I didn't even notice there weren't any until I walked through. Maybe I just take them granted. Apparently though it's some magnetic disk and you just put it on top and then it beeps and you walk through. I still have the disk though. A little strange.

I wait for the subway to come. There was a tragic accident on the subway in 2001. The train derailed and some people died. I wonder if maybe the subway will kill me. Not seriously, I just contemplate the possibility. I get on the train. It's pretty empty really. It's about 3-4 on a Saturday. I feel a little out of place just because everyone is Asian. It doesn't really feel all that strange except that I stand out I guess. Or feel I do. I don't know if I mentionned this but Jupiter, my boss, said he wanted the colour photo because in the black and white one I sent he thought I looked east asian. I don't know how he could've thought that. I couldn't possibly be such a cultural/ethnic chameleon. So know I've been mistaken for or been told I look Russian, French, Bosnian, Turkish, German, Argentinian, Chilean, English, and East Asian. I can understand most of them except for Turkish and East Asian. In person though he said I didn't look east asian at all. Still strange though.

I'm on the subway for what feels like a long time. I feel like I'm so far from downtown. I'm the third last stop and I think there are 6-7 stations to downtown. I got off and walked around downtown a bit. They have a pedestrian street downtown. An Asian Stroget or Florida St. I'm trying to find Towel street though. My Lonely Planet map isn't helpful at all because the streets on it aren't labeled and I have no idea which way is North or East or anything. I find a park but I don't know which park. Eventually I see ________ (I forget what exactly) written on the side of a building. It's on my map. I eventually make out where I am. I go to the bookstore and buy a Korean phrasebook and dictionary. Then I walk on to Towel St. Lots of towels but they are all little vendors in little stores. I'm intimidated by the language barrier and I figure the towels are probably more expensive then at E-Mart. I'll go to E-Mart. I see this big cathedral and it feels strange because I'm supposed to be in Asia. 25% Of Koreans are Christian. They used to have a very strict hierarchy and the equality in Christianity was popular for some. Oh yeah, I found out when leaving the station that you put the token in as you leave. Still no turnstyles. Also they have a 800 and 900 won fare. I have no idea what the difference is. I bought the 800. I went back home. Ate the rest of my pizza and actually unpacked. I swept the floor and rearranged some furniture. I doubt they'd ever been moved. Underneath one the floor was grey with dust. No white or tiny pink squares to be seen. I swept everywhere except the entryway were all that dust was. It's out of the way...kind of. I decide that I'm wash the floors the next day. Wait, I also went to E-Mart and bought some towels. They have Japan written on them but they're the nicest ones. I'm worried because Koreans hate Japan but not that worried. Those Japanese textbooks are a big deal here and the fight over these barren rocks called Dokdo. Some people have even changed their legal residence to the islands as a sign of support.

Sunday I didn't do very much. I walked down some new streets, bought a calling card that doesn't work for overseas calls. Didn't wash the floors because although I have a mop, I have no bucket. I also went to a PC house as they are called here and figured out how to call home using my parents telephone provider. I don't know how much it was but I talked to my mom for 20 minutes or so. My dad was already asleep by the time I'd figured it out. I also bought some raman noodles, bread, and some cookies. I clean a pot and boiled the water for 20 minutes and then added the noodles. I don't have a microwave. I wonder if I should get one. That was the end of my weekend. Well one day weekend since I actually had to go to work on Saturday. Only 4 days behind the present.