New Life Begins

Life begins with lessons, one day at a time.

Lesson 0.  If oatmeal is all you have, ration it. 

Lesson 1.  Cars first, then pedestrians. 

Lesson 2.  Don't follow the crowd off the subway unless you want to go to the same place they're going.

Lesson 3.  You only have to push the crosswalk button if you want a loud shouting voice and continual beeping sound to accompany you (and everyone else) across the street. 

My studio apartment: the view from the front door.  

Day 0.  Tuesday night, after nearly 30 hours of traveling ((which not only included the standard excruciating flight, but also an hour-long "limo bus" ride, a half-hour journey in a makeshift taxi, a stop at the school I'll be teaching at (where I was told that my location had been changed and will be changing again in roughly one month), and one more vehicle transfer)), I arrived safe and sound in my new "home"... and I was only missing two small bags (which happened to include not only my laptop, passport, and emergency contact numbers, but also my wallet, which held every form of currency I own - most notably a large wad of freshly exchanged Korean won).  Regardless, I made a feeble attempt at unpacking and slept.

My recently stocked kitchen: on the right when you enter.

Day 1.  Wednesday morning, I rose early (which, as some of you know, is not only peculiar, but typically preposterous for me), and my feet and I set out to find the school that I was scheduled to start training at that afternoon.  With many great thanks to the subway map I was given and the attention I strove to pay to the path the night before, I eventually (quite eventually, that is) happened upon it.  I returned to my apartment (via a giant circle) and later returned to the school for my first day of training ((which, fortunately (remember, at this point I am still without a wallet and thus had not made a single purchase) ended in dinner with the boss)).  When I arrived back at my apartment that night, my missing bags had been returned. 

The laundry room, dinning area, and study: in perfect alignment.

Day 2.  Just because I had the tangible means, however, does not mean that I had the inner strength it takes to face a cashier head-on in a foreign country.  Thursday, fate forced me to ride the subway to work, but I still did not buy food (thank goodness for the oatmeal and protein bars I'd packed); the subway (the exits of which I found nearly un-navigable) was enough newness for one day... not to mention the experience of teaching Korean elementary school kids.  My first lesson was a flop (quite a flop, that is) but (at least in theory), more flops down means fewer to go. 

The porta-bathroom: on the left shortly after entering.
Oh, and that little sprayer next to the faucet, that's the shower. 

Day 3.  Finally, Friday.  I couldn't stop myself from rising at 6:30am ((although all alarms weren't set to ring until 8:45 (bear in mind, for those of you I've resided with, I have yet to hear a single one of my alarm clocks beep since being in Korea... but I know, I know; we'll see how long that lasts)))  so, upon recalling yesterday's flop, I cracked open the TESL textbooks (yes, I packed them) which turned out to be a good choice because, after I arrived at work and received my training schedule for the day, I was called away to substitute for a middle school teacher at the branch down the road.  The "sure" I replied sounded much stronger than the "sure" I felt.  

My 8th floor city-view bedroom: all the way at the back.
The windowsill on the side makes a great seat, and the bed,
well, it's firmer than it looks. 

Regardless, I went and taught 6 hour-long classes in a row, no breaks included (but at least he'd left a lesson plan).  The class sizes ranged from 6 to 27 students (partially due to some kind of testing) and it was a bit crazy at times ((e.g. when I made one fairly large class (in a fairly small classroom) line up shortest to tallest to select partners... now that was a bad idea... or when another class (upon learning that it was only my 3rd day in the country) took it upon themselves to teach me Korean (starting with a phrase that sounds something like [hangul ma mulaio] and means "I don't know Korean!")... that was great for me, just not exactly the purpose of the class)), but overall it was a good, exhausting day.  

The daily view, but imagine it with horns honking in the
not-so-distant distance. 

The daily view, by night. 

And, at the end of it all (all 3 days, that is), my only Korean friend who lives anywhere near where I'm at* drove out and took me to the supermarket.  It would have taken me weeks to get what she helped me find in an hour.  

Little things are the most tedious to learn, but the quickest to drive you mad, and therefore the most important place to begin any good life. 

***

Everyone has entered into a new life in some way, at some time, and probably on multiple occasions, for that matter.  If you have any "first days" stories, lessons, or other observations that came along with a new life, I'd love to hear about them!  Just post your comment below.  

Unrelated comments or questions are cordially welcome as well.  

Thanks for reading :)

* Special thanks to J!