The plane ride over was rather uneventful. The only interesting part came when Ami and I were going through security at SFO. We had both taken off our shoes, emptied our pockets, taken our laptops out of their bags, and put everything into those grey trays. As we got close to the x-ray machine, I leaned in to get the security guard's attention, "Uh, we have a cat and how do we get her through?" The lady looked a little surprised as if this wasn't something she'd ever heard before.
"Well," she paused to think, "can you take her out of the bag and hold her and walk through so that we can scan the bag?"
I was surprised by this and said, "Hold her and walk through?"
"Yes," she answered, "We need to scan the bag. Will it (the cat) let you do that?"
"I can try," I said while I opened up the carrier, scruffed the cat (Stella is her name) by the neck and pulled her out.
Ami looked a little shocked by this turn of events and I instinctively drew on my years of working at vet hospitals to control Stella as she and I walked through the scanner and waited for the bag to come through the x-ray machine. Good thing the scanner didn't go off as she and I walked through as the guard probably wouldn't have known what to do. Once Stella was back in her carrier, Ami and I grabbed our stuff and we moved on to find the gate.
The rest of the trip was rather uneventful until we got to Incheon (the airport that serves Korea). Ami and I had to split up to pass through immigration as we hold different passports. On the other side of immigration we reconnected, found our bags, and then Ami had to take Stella over to a pet claims area while I waited with all our luggage. Once Stella was cleared for entry, we exited out to join the general public where Andrew was waiting for us. It was good to see him and he directed us towards the bus area and within 15 minutes or so, we were all riding the bus into Seoul.
I have to say that through all of this it never hit me that I was really in another land so far away from home. When I went to Japan, I remember being both intellectually and emotionally aware of my situation. But for some reason, though I was intellectually aware, I didn't really feel much. I'm not sure if this is because it's the second time I've moved overseas or because I wasn't as nervous as I was before or both or something else, but walking through the airport and riding the bus into Seoul didn't grab me as much as it had when I went to Japan. Don't get me wrong, though. I was (and am) happy to be here. It just doesn't feel like I've gone so far this time.
Perhaps it did start to hit me a little though when we started getting into Seoul. The first thing I think any foreigner will notice when he/she travels to a place where a foreign language is spoken is the signs. I started seeing bright signs in Hangul and I knew I wasn't in America anymore--though perhaps I could have been in Cupertino. The signs and some of the architecture looked a little different and the names of places written in the English alphabet that I could read were a bit different: Mr. Pizza, Joe's Sandwich, Family Mart, etc. Of course, some of them were the same: Starbucks, 7-11, Burger King, and a few more.
After we got into Gangnam, we got off the bus and met Andrew's wife, Alice. Alice is the name she goes by, but she is Korean. Because of all the luggage, we had to get two taxis and then we rode to my new neighborhood. I'm not sure if I'm going to explain completely correctly, but I'll try. Let's start big. I (and you) live on planet Earth. Then we can take it down a notch and say Asia (for me, not you). Then down to Korea, and Seoul, and Gangnam and finally Samsung. So I live in a neighborhood called Samsung which is inside a district called Gangnam which is in a city called Seoul and on and on. You get the idea.
So we got into Samsung and the drivers let us all out on a street corner near my place, but as none of us had any idea of the exact location and as addresses work differently here, we'd now have to look around a little--which wouldn't have been so hard except that it was dark. Alice went off one way and I went off another and as the numbers started to get closer to ours I figured I was on the right track and indeed I was. Within a couple minutes I located the building and then went back to collect everyone and the luggage.
Andrew had the combination to our place. Yes, I said combination. Our place has no key. There is a door to the building where you have to put in a code to enter the building and then there is another code to enter our apartment. It's nice not to have to carry a key and it will be really nice not to have to go running with one.
So we got up to the apartment and had a look around. It's quite simple really. Just a large room with an adjoining bathroom and another small space where the washing machine is. There is no balcony and no other rooms. But it's not bad for now. Ami and I (and Stella) will live in relative coziness here.
The good thing--the BEST thing--about the place is the location. We are close to so many things that we basically just have to step out the door and we are there, wherever there is. On Monday when I was at work, Ami left the apartment to go to her bank (she already had an account in Korea) and to get a cell phone and didn't have to walk more than 300 meters, I'd wager. The subway and bus stops are probably a two-minute walk. The large COEX shopping mall is a three-minute walk. My job is a bit further as it takes thirty minutes to walk to, but it's certainly walking distance. I haven't stepped on a subway or bus yet and I probably won't until this weekend. Tonight I went to the local 7-11 to get a beer, a 150 meter jaunt, and passed three restaurants and a bar. Gonna have to check out the bar soon and see if it's a place I can duck into from time to time.
Anyway, after we dropped off our luggage (and Stella), Andrew and Alice took Ami and I to an E-Mart, something akin to a Target crossed with a supermarket, and we got a few things and then went over to their place for a beer and fried chicken. Andrew and I talked about the job while Ami and Alice talked about where to shop. Was a nice comfortable first evening in Korea.
Have more but think I'll end this here. More tomorrow.
I have to say that through all of this it never hit me that I was really in another land so far away from home. When I went to Japan, I remember being both intellectually and emotionally aware of my situation. But for some reason, though I was intellectually aware, I didn't really feel much. I'm not sure if this is because it's the second time I've moved overseas or because I wasn't as nervous as I was before or both or something else, but walking through the airport and riding the bus into Seoul didn't grab me as much as it had when I went to Japan. Don't get me wrong, though. I was (and am) happy to be here. It just doesn't feel like I've gone so far this time.
Perhaps it did start to hit me a little though when we started getting into Seoul. The first thing I think any foreigner will notice when he/she travels to a place where a foreign language is spoken is the signs. I started seeing bright signs in Hangul and I knew I wasn't in America anymore--though perhaps I could have been in Cupertino. The signs and some of the architecture looked a little different and the names of places written in the English alphabet that I could read were a bit different: Mr. Pizza, Joe's Sandwich, Family Mart, etc. Of course, some of them were the same: Starbucks, 7-11, Burger King, and a few more.
After we got into Gangnam, we got off the bus and met Andrew's wife, Alice. Alice is the name she goes by, but she is Korean. Because of all the luggage, we had to get two taxis and then we rode to my new neighborhood. I'm not sure if I'm going to explain completely correctly, but I'll try. Let's start big. I (and you) live on planet Earth. Then we can take it down a notch and say Asia (for me, not you). Then down to Korea, and Seoul, and Gangnam and finally Samsung. So I live in a neighborhood called Samsung which is inside a district called Gangnam which is in a city called Seoul and on and on. You get the idea.
So we got into Samsung and the drivers let us all out on a street corner near my place, but as none of us had any idea of the exact location and as addresses work differently here, we'd now have to look around a little--which wouldn't have been so hard except that it was dark. Alice went off one way and I went off another and as the numbers started to get closer to ours I figured I was on the right track and indeed I was. Within a couple minutes I located the building and then went back to collect everyone and the luggage.
Andrew had the combination to our place. Yes, I said combination. Our place has no key. There is a door to the building where you have to put in a code to enter the building and then there is another code to enter our apartment. It's nice not to have to carry a key and it will be really nice not to have to go running with one.
So we got up to the apartment and had a look around. It's quite simple really. Just a large room with an adjoining bathroom and another small space where the washing machine is. There is no balcony and no other rooms. But it's not bad for now. Ami and I (and Stella) will live in relative coziness here.
The good thing--the BEST thing--about the place is the location. We are close to so many things that we basically just have to step out the door and we are there, wherever there is. On Monday when I was at work, Ami left the apartment to go to her bank (she already had an account in Korea) and to get a cell phone and didn't have to walk more than 300 meters, I'd wager. The subway and bus stops are probably a two-minute walk. The large COEX shopping mall is a three-minute walk. My job is a bit further as it takes thirty minutes to walk to, but it's certainly walking distance. I haven't stepped on a subway or bus yet and I probably won't until this weekend. Tonight I went to the local 7-11 to get a beer, a 150 meter jaunt, and passed three restaurants and a bar. Gonna have to check out the bar soon and see if it's a place I can duck into from time to time.
Anyway, after we dropped off our luggage (and Stella), Andrew and Alice took Ami and I to an E-Mart, something akin to a Target crossed with a supermarket, and we got a few things and then went over to their place for a beer and fried chicken. Andrew and I talked about the job while Ami and Alice talked about where to shop. Was a nice comfortable first evening in Korea.
Have more but think I'll end this here. More tomorrow.
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