What do you mean I have only been here a week?

Today marks the 7th day that I have been in Korea. Almost to the hour, actually. Things continue to improve here - except, of course, for missing David. Honestly, I don't think that will ever get any better....but it is so hard to believe that it has only been 7 days; it feels like I have been through a lifetimes worth of emotions during my brief stay.

So here's an update on the school. Kiana (the school's director) is staying. Today was supposed to be her last day but Ryan ( the school's owner ) came to the school and begged her to stay at least until the end of the school year. All of the teachers are pleased to have her continue on - especially me. She really is great. In order to celebrate her staying, as well as celebrate my new position, all of the teachers and Kiana went out for dinner at a nice little sit-down on the floor restaurant across the street of the school. Kiana surprised us with a bottle of apricot champagne and Korean cheesecake (its a lot more cake-y and less custard-y than American cheesecake) We all had a really great time - I kept trying to speak in Korean and with the exception of one silly mistake I was told that I have a good ear for the language.

I went grocery shopping the other day. This time, not at the tiny little grocery store across the parking lot from my apartment complex, but at "E-Mart" which is like Korea's answer to Super Wal Mart. Man, they sell almost everything there: squid, dried octopus, even live baby rabbits which I was about five seconds from buying. The few things that I could NOT buy, are the things that I want more than anything else in this world. . . . sour cream, good cheese, basically anything dairy. Man, i miss Goat Cheese....really, I miss any sort of cheese. American slices are considered the "good stuff". Also, Broccoli here is worth it's weight in gold. One head cost me 2,000 won or 2 American dollars. Yogurt here is thinner and a little bit more sour which is a little strange to consume on its own, but you throw in some Korean Frosted Flakes and "they'rrrrrrrrrre great!" Milk, and maybe this is just the milk i have consumed so far, but the milk here is what i would have to describe as being a little on the thick side. Not gelatinous or gloppy or anything, but somewhere along the consistency of buttermilk. I know that sounds gross, and it took some getting used to, but now YUM! I am assuming that the milk is probably WHOLE in ways that Americans with all their fat concerns are not used to drinking so I am really only having it over my cereal. I did find Skippy peanut butter there, which was exciting, until I realized that the small jar cost 6,500 won ($6.50). The part of me that is my dad said "are you freaking kidding me? You don't need peanut butter that badley" and then the part of me that is me and misses home said "get over yourself and buy the peanut butter if it makes korea feel a smidge more like home" So i bought it along with expensive strawberry jelly, made myself a sandwich, ate it, and it was totally worth it.

You know what else i miss? Dryers. I did my laundry today, and may I just say that I miss the ease and comfort in which I used to do my laundry? I used to hate having to go down into the cold basement at home to wash my clothes. HA. Silly, spoiled Anne. In Korea washing machines are out on the back balcony.... where it is cold...because it is the middle of November . So in order to do laundry here, I have to put on my winter coat. Once the wash cycle is complete my job has just begun because see, there are no such things as dryers here. People hang their clothes to dry on hangers installed on, you guessed it, the balcony. Where it is cold. So clothes can take forever to get dry....oh how i miss the feeling of my sweaters all fluffy and hot from the dryer. If you really loved me, you would ship me a dryer.

I went running for the first time on Friday. I knew there was a river (the Tongbok river) nearby and that it had a trail, so I set out after work to see how far it would go. Presently Pyeongtaek is under a Rejuvenation of sorts...it is the home of a US military base and in 2005 they began the renovation. The Tongbok river is the most current of these projects and so while the ending result will be gorgeous, right now it is a mess of bulldozers and dirt piles. They kept the river walk open during construction and there are always a few people on it, not runners though, just a lot of speed walkers. I don't know a lot about what has been in the food that I have been eating here, but there must be some kind of magic bean sprout because I hadn't run in a full week, and I had an amazing run. This could have something to do with the fact that my ipod had randomly shuffled to songs like Journey's "Don't stop Believin" and Wilson Phillips' "Hold On," that I was running towards a sunset over the Korean land, or it could be that all the people on the river walk were staring at me as I was gliding over the asphalt.

Here's something cool: Koreans don't use keys. I could be making a generalization, but from what I have seen, everyone has electronic key pads for locks on their doors. Once I learned the combination this made my life so much easier. Going for a run without being tied to a key (literally) has been awesome.

I have some apologies to a lot of my friends and family members. Many of you have been wonderful to me and graced me with special notes, gifts, or deeds as I prepared to go to Korea. I never wrote you thank-you notes. See, I really wanted to wait until I got to Korea so that I could send you a Korean thank-you card with the Korean symbols for "thank you" but I have looked in countless stationary shops to no avail. I have asked my Korean friends, and they all say that there is no such thing. Interestingly enough, Koreans think that English writing on American thank-you cards look more elegant and thus - no Korean cards. So, I promise that eventually I will find some or make some....your notes are just a little delayed at the moment.

To sum everything up: Korea is really interesting. I am really starting to adjust and things are getting so much easier. I am fascinated by this culture and to be honest, I am impressed with the idea that I might one day consider myself to be apart of it. I love you all.

Anne