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The huge welcome sign that greeted us on our way to Jungwon University. Those who saw the sign outside their
bus windows started cheering and clapping. |
I arrived in Korea at 5 this morning with no incident!
MY YEAR AS A U.S. AMBASSADOR STARTS NOW (AKA ON AN ALASKAN AIRLINE PLANE)
Except for one small episode on my flight to LA which involved a Spanish-speaking mother of two who had taken my assigned seat and was refusing to look at my boarding pass as proof. I tried to see if I could then switch seats with her, but she was also refusing to let me see her boarding pass for some reason. Thus, I was the awkward person standing right in the middle of the aisle, apologetic in barring everyone else's way to their seats as I attempted to explain the situation to her in Spanish. A woman sitting behind the lady tried to help me help her understand but in vain. As more and more passengers came on board, I had less and less room and became more and more stuck. At this point, I was sweating in my gray UW sweatshirt, and growing panicky and indignant. It took the flight attendants a while to notice my dilemma. I was able to flag one of them and, luckily, he was able to more assertively plead my case with the lady. Because of her two children, the lady still wouldn't give up my aisle seat, which I had quickly gathered. I explained to the flight attendant that I was willing to switch seats early on, but she refused to let me see her boarding pass, thus, preventing me from making the switch. The flight attendant nearly had to pry her boarding pass from her before she gave it to him. By the time she understood that the seat really was assigned to me, and that I was willing to make the switch, I had been standing for nearly 20 minutes, with every other passenger on board seated, and just looking on. A few gave me sympathetic glances, which actually helped me keep my composure and remember the reason why I was on the plane in the first place.
I stomped all over my frustration when I remembered where I was headed and what my future role was going to be. I was very glad I did.
The flight attendant offered me "free drinks" during the flight as an apology for the inconvenience. There was no where else to stow my carry-on but some folks promptly rearranged their luggage to make room for mine. Once we arrived in LA, a man quickly got up and started a chain made up of folks who ensured that I got my luggage handed to me from the back of the plane. Unexpected acts of kindness like these really helped pump me up for the rest of my journey!
THE FULBRIGHT ORIENTATION COORDINATORS GREETING US AT THE AIRPORT
I flew with Alaska Airlines from Seattle, WA to LA, CA and then switched to Asiana Airlines to fly out from LA to Seoul. Once in Seoul, a team of Orientation Coordinators (OCs) met me along with 77 other ETAs at Incheon Airport and bused us to Jungwon University in Goesan, a county in North Chungcheong Province. The OCs wore neon green Fulbright T-shirts at the airport and were strategically placed throughout the place to help welcome us and guide our exit out of the building.
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| I believe there are a total of 7 Orientation Coordinators, including Ashlee, who is the Chief Orientation Coordinator. |
They were a very organized bunch. Immediately we were given name tags and ETA numbers (I'm ETA #5 out of 80), room keys, an electronic card that allows us access to food in the cafeteria and entrance into the building, as well as our first weekly stipend of 70,000 won (roughly $70). From reading the ETA Handbook they had given us, I was actually expecting around $49, but I suppose cost of living has increased between now and then.
Either way, I was quite pleased.
Two buses took 40 ETAs each and two big trucks hauled our stuff right behind us to Goesan, where we would be staying for the 6-week Orientation.
JUNGWON UNIVERSITY, THE MARBLE MANSION
Once in Goesan, the sight of Jungwon University loomed over us, and many were quite impressed with the big school. Compared to the UW-Seattle campus, however, Jungwon is very small.
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| Jungwon University in Goesan, (aka the "Marble Mansion"). Taken during a campus tour with one of our RAs |
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| Jungwon University sits in the middle of nowhere. This is a view of the field, hills, and mountains that surround it. |
By a quick estimate, it is probably the same size as the Health and Sciences building. The university is a neat stack of mostly gray buildings and is immediately surrounded by a wide field, and by nature and mountains off in the distance. The grayness of the building matched the sky. I have been describing the weather here to friends and family back home as being a cross between Seattle's norm of overcast and rainy and the Philippines' humidity.
MEETING MY ROOMMATE AND MOVING TO OUR ROOM
My roommate is a very sweet young lady named Tara. We settled into our new home, which is a very small but cozy triplet.
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| Jungwon University, Room #1017. I share a small and narrow triple bedroom with one other Fulbright ETA. |
So far, everything looks good except the fact that our air-conditioner doesn't work. Several other rooms have the same problem so the OCs and RAs have assured us that everything will be fixed soon.
We unpacked, took turns taking a shower, changed from our sweaty attires, and went downstairs for our first meeting as a group. To help combat jetlag, the OCs had set up activities designed to prevent us from crawling to our new beds and sleeping our first day away in Korea.
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This is Anthony, the OC that I corresponded with the most regarding all things of concern while I was still in the States.
Thank you for your prompt and thorough responses, and for your patience with me! |
JUNGWON CAMPUS TOUR
One of these activities was a campus tour with our RAs. We practically circled this vast building, got lost in its many halls (our tour guide/RA got lost with us), and saw where the mart and pool were. Here are some photos I took:
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| More of Jungwon University! |
The full schedule on our first day in Korea worked. I was exhausted by the end of today! Imagine me sleeping as early as 9 p.m. That's how utterly beat I was. My roommate a wall away from me was out, too.
