A first for everything!

I am almost one week in. I just showed my Omma my blog and she was so happy! (even though she just looked at the pictures). I am really having a wonderful start to my year. Things haven't started to pick up but they will on Monday when I start school! There are (I think) 6 exchange students total going to my school and they are all very nice. Yesterday we all went to a little store around the corner from my school to try on and buy our school uniforms. They are soooo cute! (: The plus side? I won't have to pick out an outfit 5 days out of the week. My school is quite large with 4 building surrounding a big area for outside gym class, which is dirt. One building is for the middle schoolers and the one next to that has a gym on top and the lunch room underneath. The high school building sits on the other side of the gym/lunch room. Each grade has its own floor. I will be in 2nd year, equivalent to 11th grade because I am much older than everyone else, while the other exchange students will be 1st years. I am kind of disappointed that I will not be with them during school but it will give me an opportunity to get to know the other students at my school. I would most likely be placed in 3rd year but as seniors, they are preparing for a HUGE test at the end of the year so it would be super boring and I would probably just get in the way.

Last night was the first Rotary orientation with all the exchange students in my district. Hopefully I will get to see all of them a lot through out the year. They all seem super nice and fun. Right before Orientation started we were all just hanging out talking and my Omma turns to me and asks "do you have a prepared introduction?". ?????? My stomach dropped. I didn't know we needed to have an intro prepared for all of these important people in Korean! I put it in the back of my head and told myself it would be fine, just say hi and my name. Well.... I had to go first. OF COURSE THIS WOULD HAPPEN TO ME. I got up there, stood there for a while and then realized I should probably say something.  With a slight bow I said hello in korean. Just my name and thank you. Everyone laughed as I walked away form the front of the room. I ended up just laughing it off but I have a feeling this is going to turn into a joke at some point. The next person to go of course had a whole list of things to say in korean. It really made me feel so much better... OH WELL. (:

For the first few months all of us exchangers will leave school right after lunch. On mondays we will go to Tae Kwon Do and the rest of the week we will take korean lessons at a university. We went to the Tae Kwon Do place today to meet our teacher. We were measured for our "uniporms" and I was the lucky one that got to try it on for everyone. Pretty stylish huh?

There is still a lot of sitting around, watching tv with my Omma or host brother and watching Kdramas on my laptop. We have gone out to eat a few times and I think I am picking up how to pass out chopsticks, and poor water (with two hands). I have taken the bus and train system a few times and I know how to get to school but both of my host parents have cars so we drive if we are going anywhere together. Driving here is pretty similar to the US. Same road rules and signs accept for motorcycles seem to do what ever they want. I have seen a few dart through red lights avoiding the traffic coming from the side. SCARY. I have noticed that most cars here are new. There really aren't many older than a few years it seems like. It will be strange coming back home and driving my old manual Subaru.

I keep telling myself I should work on learning more Korean other than hello, delicious and thank you but I keep finding myself doing other things like watching tv with my Omma and eating... can't I just use osmosis to learn Korean? Hopefully I will start to pick up more of the language soon so I can communicate with my parents and other people more.

                                      I ate octopus, an unknown clear seafood, and lobster for dinner!
I guess that is all for now! I am sure I will have another update soon once school gets started. (:

A Whole New World (sing it like Ariel)

All I can say is wow. I have arrived in a totally different world, and I think I am going to like it. A lot.




My travels started at 2:30 am on August 25. After about 2 hours of sleep I woke up with out feeling tired because of how excited I was. I made sure I had everything I needed, packed up the car and my parents brought me to MSP airport. We made it through our goodbyes with out any tears. I am surprised I made it through so strongly (not sure how my parents did once they made it to the car (: ). As we walked into the airport I told my parents that once I was in the security line they had to leave, I didn't want to keep looking back at them, I figured that would make it harder than it needed to be. I made it through security and sat around at my gate for what seemed like the longest time. Finally we boarded the plane and made our way to Detroit. Having a 3 hour layover in Detroit wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I ate a nice breakfast at a little diner in the airport by myself. I don't know if I could ever get used to eating alone at a restaurant. I only had a few people ask me if I worked at the airport.... I had to hold back a laugh whenever it happened. It came time to board the plane, find my seat and introduce myself to the people I would be sitting next to for the next 14 hours. I sat in the middle of two Americans, I was kind of disappointed that I wasn't sitting by a korean or someone from somewhere other the the US of A. But, both of my seat mates were very nice. The girl sitting next to me is a East Asia studies major and is spending the year in Japan. I had a few very interesting conversations with her but spent most of my time watching movies, reading and nodding in and out of sleep. I didn't run into any problems during either of my flights, which was a relief. I landed around 3pm August 26th. I made my way through customs and was then greeted by my host mother (Omma), Host brother and Grandmother as well as a few Rotarians. I couldn't stop smiling. I think I was just so excited to finally be starting my year. My Omma doesn't speak english but luckily I have my host brother as a translator for a little while before he leaves for the US to finish high school. My Appa, or father is away on business so I have not met him yet and my host sister is in Mexico on exchange.

My first day was quite uneventful. We headed home from the airport, stopped for some dinner at a small korean restaurant which was a very good first meal in Korea, then dropped my Grandmother off at her apartment before heading to our own. The drive from the airport was about and hour and half. All I could do on the way to my new home was try to imagine what the apartment looked like. I was pleasantly surprised to find a very beautiful apartment on the 11th floor with wood floors, large windows over looking the rest of the many tall apartment buildings in my area. It is a very comfortable environment and I know it will become home very quickly. I soon realized how tired I was and headed to bed at 8. I quickly fell asleep and then woke up at 630 the next morning. In the middle of the night I went into the bathroom, did my business and then for the next 15 minutes tried to figure out how to work the toilet. Have you ever seen and electric toilet with buttons all in a different language? After pressing every button on the control panel, I gave up and figured I could just ask in the morning. I ended up googling how to work the toilet, there is a handle on the side, right where it would be on a regular toilet. When I finally realized this I felt stupid for not looking in the most logical place. I had a good laugh at myself. Turns out the other buttons are for the bidet, which I do not plan on using, I am worried I will break it by pressing the wrong buttons or find myself soaked because I can't figure out how to stop the spraying water.

My second day was very relaxing. After a small breakfast of an egg sandwich with bell peppers, ketchup, mystery sauce and tomatoes, my brother took me to my school and showed me which buses and trains to take. At the school we ran into another exchange student taking a tour, who is from France. It was nice to finally see another person who was going through the same feelings as me. It takes about an hour or so for me to get to school, hopefully I will not get lost on my first day alone. I have a feeling I will be waking up quite early to catch the bus and train in time to make it to school by 7:30. After returning, we ate a simple lunch of ramen, MMMMM (: I am glad I knew how to use chopsticks (for the most part) before I came here, otherwise I would feel even more like a fool, dropping more food than I already do. We spent the rest of the day laying around, watching korean tv, reading and eating snacks. I found my self nodding off while laying on the couch, I hadn't realized that I was still so off because of the time difference. My brother had told me he needed to "meet up with friends" so it was just me and my Omma for dinner. She had prepared a special birthday soup made with seaweed. I am not going to lie, I took one bite and didn't touch it again. I felt bad that I didn't eat more of it but I couldn't force myself. My Omma then realized how tired I was and called my brother telling him to run home quickly! He showed up with a small bouquet of roses and a small birthday cake. I was so surprised by the flowers and cake that I forgot how tired I was for a few minutes. We took a few pictures, they sang happy birthday and finally sent me to bed at 9.

                                                     

And now, my third day in Korea and I wish I knew more Korean so I could talk with my Omma with out using hand gestures and my brother as a translator, but in time I will be able to. We have been sitting in front of the tv all morning watching the news about the typhoon that is heading our way. We have put newspaper up on the windows and now we just have to wait it out. The wind is picking up and every once in a while there is a loud snapping sound coming from who knows where.

Once the weather clears I will go with my Omma to get my school uniform and hopefully see a little more of the area I am living in. I feel like I have so much more to say but I will wait to talk more about the little things in my next post. As for now, I am doing well and am excited for everything to pick up so I can stay busy!

                                          Helping my Omma make lunch

And Now They Begin

They have started. They are one of the hardest things to get through but it has to be done. I started my goodbyes today, my best friend leaves on friday for an amazing year in Brazil and of course I just happen to be going out of the state the whole week before she leaves. But this goodbye is just a see you later. I have to keep reminding myself that I will see these people again, in just one "short" year. The hardest goodbyes that are yet to come are the goodbyes I will have to say to my new family and friends in Korea. There is a chance that I will never see them again, I think I can wait for that feeling. But I shouldn't be thinking about that yet, I need to look forward to the amazing year that is ahead of me.

I leave around the 25th of August, getting to Korea on the 26th, which just happens to be my birthday. I haven't decided if that is a good thing or not yet, I'm sure I will be welcomed very warmly but will I be homesick even more because it is my 19th birthday?? I will let you know how it goes after the fact.

Age works differently in Korea. They count based on the year you are born. I was born in 1993 so I will be 20 when I arrive in Korea and will be 21 at the new year. A 21 year old in the 11th grade?... yeah its happening. Can you say super super senior? Age set aside, I think it will still be an amazing school year filled with lots of learning and sleeping through classes.

Being a month out from departure and my closest friends leaving within the week, I expect to have some much needed down time to get ready to go. I will have time to figure out more gifts to bring with me and to figure out what clothes I am going to bring and how much. I have been told by many people that I will have a hard time finding clothes that will fit me. Compared to the average Korean I am a giant, and unless I am near the army base (luckily I am) , I think everything will be a tight squeeze.

As of now it is just the waiting game, watching all of my best friends leave before me is hard, even my friends leaving for college are heading out before me but in the end I know everything will work out. With about month to go I am feeling good. I am not too nervous yet, which I hope that doesn't hit me until I am already landed in Korea and I look forward to spending a year of my life living in a totally different culture.

Until next time!


   

5 months and counting

Here we go!

In five months or so I will be heading to South Korea, experiencing an opportunity of a lifetime. This opportunity would not exist if it weren't for the amazing Rotary club in my hometown, good ol' Northfield, MN. Before Heading off to college at the University of Denver, I will be taking a gap year to experience a new culture, a new language and eat a lot of nummy food. There are 17 people from my own school and a bunch more from around the area, heading off around the world with the same program and words can't express how excited we all are.

The process of filling out applications started last summer and we have already had two orientation sessions to discuss where we will live and what is expected of us as ambassadors for our countries.  Time has flown by and in just five months I will be meeting my host families and attending a new school. I have found out what area I will be living in, but I have no idea how to pronounce or spell it... all I am aware of is that I will be living in a suburb to the south of Seoul, Rotary district 3750 and I can't wait!!

(My family along with Adam, who will also be going to South Korea next year and the inbounds from Korea who currently live in MN)

It is scary to think about the fact that next year, I will be speaking a totally new language, wearing a uniform to school everyday and having a brand new group of friends. Growing up in a small town, I have been in classes with the same kids every day, every year for twelve years. Now, going off on my own seems so overwhelming. I won't have the security of knowing every single person and who their families are, knowing I can absolutely reach out to them for help, but that is the excitement of going to another country for a year. I will definitely have my ups and downs and take that roller coaster ride that they warn us of.

All of us, as exchangers, will be facing many of the same problems that our friends heading off to college will have to face. We will have to deal with leaving our families, having to make new friends and figuring out our places in the world, but as exchangers it will be taken a step past each of those things. We will face the culture shock, a language barrier and the fact that we are in a different country, none of us on the same continent as our families. A year abroad isn't for everyone, but when you know it's the right thing for you, YOU HAVE TO GRAB AT IT AND NEVER LET GO. This year is only the beginning of my world travels. I have dreams of seeing the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal and skiing in Chile, and more. I plan to make all of these happen even if it takes me 60 years to complete.

This coming year won't be a vacation, it will be pushing my limits and boundaries. I will face the hardships of not seeing my friends and family for a whole year, not eating american food and sleeping in my own bed. I have no idea what to expect, no idea what my host families are like or what their houses are like. But, all of these factors don't take away from my excitement and anticipation for the coming year. I will just have to wait and see (:

Until next time!
Calina