The Orientation Shuffle

Now that I've been at orientation for a week, I've gotten into a groove. The mornings consist of begrudgingly leaving bed at around 7 A.M. for breakfast and morning routine. Everyone knows everyone or at least has a large contingency of fellow EPIK teachers, so it's not difficult to find someone to eat breakfast with. Sometimes I am too grumpy to talk, though.

We have two lectures in the mornings, which have always been helpful in giving us teaching guidance. I have learned quite a bit from them. The only thing is that they're an hour and a half long each, so it starts to drag by the end. Lunch is always disappointing for vegetarians, so I usually only have rice and salad and maybe soup for my mid-day snack. After lunch, it's two more lectures of the same variety as the morning. We then have a dinner break, which is sometimes more promising than lunch. I have to fill up here, though, so I add some bread the mix, maybe some seafood if they have it.

We then have survival Korean lessons, and they are coming in handy. I've just about figured out those pesky Korean characters (hangeul) and can use some key phrases. After Korean classes, everyone goes out to the crazy bars and the nights usually look like this:

Or this if we go noraebanging:

Oh, and here's the dreaded squatter toilet for your enjoyment. Look forward to those, those who dare come visit me: (!!!)
Notice the trashcan for toilet paper.

Well, dinner's on so I gots to go. But remind me to talk to you folks about the Korean Folk Village and the Icheon Ceramics blah-di-blah. More to come soon. Keep patient!