Orientation Adventures

It's been a week into orientation, but it feels like i've been here for months. The program is well underway- I finally feel like I know the names of my fellow ETAs without having to look at their name tags. Luckily enough, the other ETAs are really diverse and dynamic. I feel like every ETA has something unique and special to offer. I've noticed that there are a few reasons people chose to apply for Fulbright in Korea. There are many Korean Americans who are here to reconnect with family, recent graduates from teaching programs and Teach for America alumni who are here to hone their teaching skills, and others who are here to expand their boundaries and try something new. Not only do they have a wide range of interests, but they come from a variety of schools as well. Harvard, Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, Stanford, Grinnell, Pomona, Wheaton, Smith, USC, Michigan, Johns Hopkins, and University of Virginia all have at least one Fulbright fellow in our program. However, Pitzer has the most with five.

Not only have I gotten to know my fellow ETAs better, but I can successfully navigate the labyrinth of mazes known as Jungwon university to locate the dining hall, (or "grand cafeteria" as it is referenced on the map), the basketball courts, and my room.

The men's hot spring boasts a number of different saunas, a pool, and showers. I'm holding a cup of noodles I bought from the campus store

Jungwon University is adjacent to Goeson, a small town in the 시골, or countryside. As a reference, this small country-bumpkin town boasts an impressive 40,000 people. Needless to say, the population density in Korea is much greater than it is in the United States. Goeson is within walking distance of our school, so we frequent the town often.

Beautiful Goeson

The Goeson countryside

A view of Goeson from the street

the streets of Goeson

A typical day begins around 7:30am. After showering in the bathroom (see previous post), breakfast is served between 8 and 8:50am. Korean classes begin at 9, and continue until 1pm.

Lunch is served from 1 to 1:50pm, and afternoon classes begin around 2:30pm. Sometimes we have guest speakers who present on a variety of topics, from race and gender in Korea, to workshops on incorporating American pop culture into our ESL lesson plans. Other times, we have officials from the State Department speak to us about networking opportunities within the Foreign Service and other ways we can use the Fulbright network in the future. A few of us usually sneak in a quick game of hoops after the afternoon session. Dinner is served from 6 to 6:50pm. Then there are a variety of clubs and activities that take place in the evening for us to participate in if we wish.

Last week we had to take our headshot photos for the Fulbright yearbook. Since these photos will also be given to our schools and host families, we had to appear presentable. But the 86 degree day with 90 percent humidity convinced me to skip out on the pants.

On the weekends, we go on various educational field trips to other parts of Korea. This weekend we visited the medium sized city of Chungju, located about an hour and a half away from Goeson. The city has close to half a million people, flashing neon signs, bustling streets, and traffic This year, there a few ETAs that are currently placed here:

Chungju streetscape

A cool alleyway.

A corner in Chungju. The Pizza Hut in the distance is a sit-down restaurant-the average item costs at least 15 dollars

Apparently, a few students from UCLA are in town tutoring high school students at a local private school. It was quite a shock to see my hometown school represented halfway around the world!

A cool outdoor market

Fellow ETA, friend, and Pitzer almunus Misa Kabashima and I posing for a photo

The best part of our trip to Chungju had to be the food. We went to a typical Korean barbecue restaurant for lunch. We ordered beef, pork belly, and beer. It was absolutely amazing. I've been to Korean barbecue all over Los Angeles, including Korea town. There is really no comparison. It was the best of both worlds: great food for an even greater price. I paid less than 9 dollars for beer and food.

I don't know what they were, but the side dishes were delicious as well.

Pork belly and beer! What more could you ask for?!

Overall, the day trip to Chungju was great. It was really nice to see another part of Korea and experience a slice of city life. So far, I have this impression that Korea is one giant playground for us. We can participate in a variety of activities such as volunteering, hiking, sightseeing, and cultural events, all while our daddy (i.e. the State Department) pays for it and makes sure we're always safe. And to boot, my experiences with the Korean people have been nothing but positive. But we are very sheltered, we see more Americans than Koreans, and everything is organized and done for us. We really don't have to engage the host culture if we choose not to. I think the real challenge will begin once we leave the secure cocoon of Orientation. Nonetheless, i'm looking forward to the upcoming year and the adventures to come.