EPIK Orientation - Part 1

After making it safely to Jeonju University for EPIK Orientation, the days seem to have been flying by. Orientation has been great so far. Not too taxing and not too boring. It has definitely proved to be a rather rewarding experience thus far. My only complaint: the humidity + heat. You can't walk outside without feeling like you're taking a shower. Aside from that one complaint, things have been positive. I've met my Ulsan bunch and have already found (from California and England) a great group of friends. We're quickly becoming a second family here in Korea. We're already making future plans for our time in Ulsan.

As for the actually learning part of orientation, things are going smoothly. The Korean government has done a tremendous job putting this program together. Everything has been running quite well. No telling how much money they've invested into this program. We've heard lectures from several top notch speakers. Some have been questionable, but they've mostly been very informative and enlightening. The information provided has helped soothed my nerves. My lack of teaching experience keeps causing me to doubt my ability. However, my passion for the job is keeping my going. Helps to have some new friends with teaching experience and lots of advice (Thanks Neil and Christine!). On top of the lectures, we've been treated to some performances of traditional Korean fan dance, taekwondo, and Korean drums. We also got to go on a great field trip today... but I'll blog about that in a separate post later.

All of our breakfasts, lunches, and dinners have consisted of kimchi, rice, some sort of meat, some sort of vegetable, and soup. Oh... and salad. For every meal. With thousand island dressing. Sometimes with cereal... in the salad. I have photographic evidence to prove it.

The most bizarre part of orientation was the medical exam required by the government. Basically it checked height, weight, vision, hearing, color blindness, x-ray, blood, and urine (for anything illegal). The whole process was kind of out there. We weren't allowed to eat or drink anything (including water) for six hours before the early morning checkup. Basically, everyone was incredibly thirsty throughout the process. Then, their urine collection methods were... unorthodox? You get a cup, fill the cup, and then put the up on a spot on table with your cups' assigned number on it... this table is just sitting out in the middle of the hallway. Yeah... Oh! The best part was when the nurse realized I was color blind (something I've known for years). In a very concerned manner she said, "Oh, you color blind! Oh my! Oh, my my..." My response, "So, can I still work in Korea?" Without responding, she quickly directed me onto the next station. However, I keep waiting to find out I can't work here because of my inability to see certain shades of red and green.

It's been interesting keeping in touch with family and friends back home. My morning is their night and their morning is my night. Still a little confusing at times. Once I've settled into my apartment in Ulsan, things should become slightly easier.