As it turns out, radish is served with almost every meal here. Sometimes it looks like a pear, and sometimes it looks like a pineapple. However, it never tastes like them. I have come to realize that "expect the unexpected" applies to many aspects of life in Korea, but especially the food. I have enjoyed all of my meals to this point, but you can never be quite sure what you are getting. Instead of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", it is closer to "Can't Ask, Can't Tell". I can't ask them what I'm ordering, and even if I could they couldn't tell me.
Anyways, once I finished eating I set the food outside my door. Then I went inside and passed out. Why was I so tired???
I woke up at 5:45 for a 9:00 flight to San Francisco. It seemed like it was going to be a trip plagued with problems when the United Customer Service Rep told me that I could only check one bag for my trip on Singapore Airlines from San Francisco to Korea. He said, "You have to prearrange with the airline if you are going to check more than one bag." I asked, "Can you call and do that for me right now?" He spent the next 30 minutes doing just that. When he came back, he said, "You can check both bags, but because one is overweight you will have to pay three times the overweight fee." That worked out to $330. I wasn't thrilled, but I needed the luggage if I was going to be in Korea for a year. Thankfully, he couldn't figure out how to charge the fee. He was only able to charge United's $50 fee. He left it with, "Check with the gate in San Francisco. If they don't charge you then you should be good." As it turned out, Singapore Airlines had nothing in their computer to charge me more when I checked in at SFO. I was good to go and not out $280.
The hardest part of the trip though occurred at the Houston Airport when I had to say goodbye to my family. I think somehow I had been avoiding the fact that I was actually moving around the world for the next year. Saying goodbye to my sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew first, and then my parents about 30 minutes later, everything became crystal clear. Walking through the security line and waiving goodbye, I couldn't help but wonder if I was out of my mind. I wouldn't know anything or anybody, and I was leaving behind everyone that was important to me. This is what I had wanted to do for the last two years though, so I figured you can only regret it if you don't try. If it turned out to be miserable, I could always catch a plane back. Besides, I had no job or car anymore, so I would be starting over wherever I went.
Once I arrived in San Francisco, it was time for my last meal in the states. Of course, I picked Mexican. Chips, salsa, guacamole, and a burrito, it seemed a fitting way to say goodbye to the variety of food in America. It doesn't hurt that I love Mexican food above all others either.
The time had arrived for my 13 hour flight across the Pacific. The plane was huge. First class was amazing, and coach wasn't too bad either. The airlines don't do much for you on normal flights, but it seems that they still take care of passengers flying across the globe. There newspapers to choose from as you boarded, a pillow and a blanket waiting for you in your seat, free headphones for the free movies and TV shows, a bag with socks and a toothbrush, and then two full meals to go along with four snacks. It wasn't the best 13 hours of my life, but it was far from the worst. I also met two other passengers on the flight who were on their way to teach English in Korea as well. It seems like the thing to do.
Once we landed in Korea, I had to go through immigration and customs before finding the Domestic Terminal in order to check in for one more flight to Busan. Immigration and customs went smoothly. Thanks to the fact that it was an international airport, so did everything else. I got my ticket, went through security, and sat down to watch Korean soap operas (which are huge here) with a bag of chips that could have been any flavor they wanted to be considering I couldn't read the packaging. The flight was short and sweet. I did find it funny that on a 40 minute flight they left a note on the seat in front of me asking "What may we serve you since you were resting as we passed by?" It was sweet of them, but by the time I woke up we were landing. They had already put everything away. What a tease!
27 hours after I woke up, I was done flying. All that awaited me was grabbing my luggage and finding my transportation to Masan. A nice taxi driver was waiting for me in the terminal with a sign that read "Bryan Fouqueklt." I figured that was close enough. If there was somebody on the flight actually named Bryan Fouqueklt, then I guess I stole his ride. It was about a 40 minute drive to the motel that the school director was putting me up at in Masan. Upon arriving, I stood there clueless. The taxi driver was saying something, but there was no sign that said motel (at least not in English.) I held up my hands and he began walking up some stairs. I grabbed my bags and we were off. He got me to the owner of the hotel who spoke very basic English. He escorted me to my room, and left me for the night. That was it! It was finally done! 28 hours of traveling and I had arrived.
Once I arrived in San Francisco, it was time for my last meal in the states. Of course, I picked Mexican. Chips, salsa, guacamole, and a burrito, it seemed a fitting way to say goodbye to the variety of food in America. It doesn't hurt that I love Mexican food above all others either.
The time had arrived for my 13 hour flight across the Pacific. The plane was huge. First class was amazing, and coach wasn't too bad either. The airlines don't do much for you on normal flights, but it seems that they still take care of passengers flying across the globe. There newspapers to choose from as you boarded, a pillow and a blanket waiting for you in your seat, free headphones for the free movies and TV shows, a bag with socks and a toothbrush, and then two full meals to go along with four snacks. It wasn't the best 13 hours of my life, but it was far from the worst. I also met two other passengers on the flight who were on their way to teach English in Korea as well. It seems like the thing to do.
Once we landed in Korea, I had to go through immigration and customs before finding the Domestic Terminal in order to check in for one more flight to Busan. Immigration and customs went smoothly. Thanks to the fact that it was an international airport, so did everything else. I got my ticket, went through security, and sat down to watch Korean soap operas (which are huge here) with a bag of chips that could have been any flavor they wanted to be considering I couldn't read the packaging. The flight was short and sweet. I did find it funny that on a 40 minute flight they left a note on the seat in front of me asking "What may we serve you since you were resting as we passed by?" It was sweet of them, but by the time I woke up we were landing. They had already put everything away. What a tease!
27 hours after I woke up, I was done flying. All that awaited me was grabbing my luggage and finding my transportation to Masan. A nice taxi driver was waiting for me in the terminal with a sign that read "Bryan Fouqueklt." I figured that was close enough. If there was somebody on the flight actually named Bryan Fouqueklt, then I guess I stole his ride. It was about a 40 minute drive to the motel that the school director was putting me up at in Masan. Upon arriving, I stood there clueless. The taxi driver was saying something, but there was no sign that said motel (at least not in English.) I held up my hands and he began walking up some stairs. I grabbed my bags and we were off. He got me to the owner of the hotel who spoke very basic English. He escorted me to my room, and left me for the night. That was it! It was finally done! 28 hours of traveling and I had arrived.
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