Okay - here are more details

I haven't had much time -- and yes, there are some photos to come -- but for now, here goes:

The flight: Warren (another teacher) traded me his window seat, so I got to look at DARKNESS for the whole trip. Actually, I slept from meal to meal. The supper was choice of Bibimbap or chicken. I opted for chicken, as bibimbap often contains beef. For breakfast, I had green tea rice porridge, which was.... interesting. Korean Air is a really nice airline.

We arrived at Incheon airport at 2:30 am Seoul time. Baggages and immigration went smoothly, and we boarded our private bus to Gwangju. It was a Karaoke bus, with purple and pink curtains on the inside. We didn't use the karaoke machine, but I did get to taste some Soju (Korean rice alcohol). At one point, we stopped at a road side rest stop for snacks and to stretch our legs. The ladies bathroom was huge and clean. The toilet seats were heated, and there was soft classical music playing. There was also a little garden with a fountain! And that was just the bathroom!

The countryside is very mountainous, with terraced farms just about everywhere. Lots of burial mounds too. Like, right next to people's gardens! Reminded me a bit of driving through Cuba, but no obvious poverty and lots of neon. Also, the apartment buildings are often in rows like dominoes. Most sport the logos of certain companies (LG, Samsung) too.

We got to Gwangju (Gwangju Prince Hotel) at about 7 am (???? Not sure - jet lag has rotted my brain). After breakfast, we went to a large department store - sort of like a Simons or Saks idea. We all RAN to the Starbucks (Grande Latte DOES translate to Korean) for some real caffeine, then walked around the shopping complex, getting a few stares as we wandered through. It was very well-lit, with more staff than customers (and everyone bowed at us as we passed). The shoe selection is amazing - if you are under size 8. Katrina and Ellie, you would have a field day here.

Then, we went to a pool hall, then to a restaurant for some cheap (and delicious) eats. We kept walking until we hit a park, where we also found a temple. The ladies who passed us were often wearing track suits, white cotton gloves and sun visors that they pull over their faces - classic Ajumma.

Back to the hotel, where we acted a bit like kids on a school trip, piling into one room and watching TV and drinking beer. We stopped at a grocery store where I picked up some pears the size of my head. Also got my own bottle of soju.

Supper was a bowl of broth, beef and veggies cooked on our table. Of course, there were plates and plates of kimchi, pickled turnip (?), rice, SQUID (which was basically a squid sliced on a plate), fish, the best tofu ever etc. We are very well-fed!

Everyone returned to our room (my roommate Nicola is from New Zealand and a total gas!) to drink until I kicked everyone out at 8:30 to get some sleep.

This morning, Nicola and I were both up at 5:30. The room is comfortable, but small for two people and tons of luggage (err, my tons of luggage, as Nicola packs much lighter than I do). Jet lag is not too bad today, and I'll probably be okay after tonight. Forcing myself to stay up and not succumb to napping yesterday was probably a good idea.

After breakfast, we headed to the Art Museum (it's raining) across from the hotel. It was beautiful and the art was very interesting to see.

The Koreans are super polite. We've had a few points and giggles, but not too bad. As the only blonde, I thought I'd get it a bit worse. The city is clean, lots of traffic and the cab drivers are absolutely insane. The architecture is grey and mundane, but brightened by many many huge colourful signs.

Our orientation starts this afternoon with an opening ceremony. Then, we are going to have various talks etc from teachers who are already in Korea. One of them will be from the school were I will be teaching, so I can't wait. Also planned for this week are hikes, visits, a soccer match at World Cup Stadium and a Karaoke night.

I have Internet in my room, but am not answering all the e-mails that I receive. Also, blogger.com is not always working when I feel like posting things.

I'll try to keep you posted and add some photos as the week progresses.