In the land of the morning calm

After nearly 30 hours of traveling, I arrived in Seoul. 

The journey went pretty smoothly, considering how the slightest delay can really screw things up for everybody. Here's how it went down.

I arrived at Albany International Airport, where they told me my bag was 15 lbs. too heavy, but didn't I know I could have had a second bag for free? 

Since United Airlines website says something different, that a second bag would have cost $50, and has no information about the weight of the bags, I didn't know this. So I had to get rid of 15 lbs. on the spot. A more seasoned traveler than I might have known about the weight limit, but every time I went overseas in the past I never checked luggage; I only took a large carryon backpack (for six weeks of travel -- beat that). 

So I had to lose a few pairs of pants, a few shirts, a pair of running shoes, a travel iron and some other items. To tell you the truth, I was happy to see them go. But now that I have arrived I guess they would have been kind of useful. 

Especially the iron. I ironed a shirt maybe five times total this year, but a school calls for slightly more formal attire. In the news business, we pretty much wore what we wanted, within reason. So to come to Korea, I dug out of the closet a few pairs of dress pants and button down shirts.

From Albany to Chicago, I couldn't get more than a few minutes' sleep at a time before two kids in the seat in front of me kept behaving like…well, kids. One kept asking the flight attendant if the plane was going to crash. I closed my eyes again, thinking what a pleasant reminder that was for anyone afraid of air travel. 

From Chicago to Los Angeles there was nothing to report, except maybe one aside. At LAX it was pretty easy to find out where you were going, thanks to one fundraising effort I thought pretty effective. 

Anti-domestic violence advocates learned all they could about the airport, and told you where you needed to go and the best way to get there. Then they asked for a donation to help out victims. You didn't have to wait in line or deal with bored-looking security guards. How could someone not give a few bucks after that? 

I bet this would be an effective method at Albany, where I'm from. Granted, Albany is a small airport and easy to navigate, but some travelers will still have questions. 

The flight to Seoul could have been pretty difficult for westerners used to a lot of space. The passengers were packed pretty tight, and it was warm as well. 

Luckily, I was able to sleep for most of it. I read for the three or four hours that I couldn't sleep.

Since I had a window seat, I and the two other people in my row just started going to the bathroom at the same time, so we wouldn't have to wake each other. We didn't say anything; we just figured this was the best way to do it. 

After 13 hours of this, we landed in Seoul. 

I went through immigration without the official or I saying a single word to each other.

Waiting to get through immigration

Then I stood at the baggage claim. I stood for about ten minutes, waiting for my luggage -- just enough time to make you worry, I thought. I have to admit I was surprised when I spotted it on the conveyer belt. I once worked for a few weeks delivering lost luggage at Albany Airport, and I came to think it was a minor miracle whenever luggage got to its destination.

Picking up luggage, or witnessing a minor miracle? You decide

I walked out to the exit where about a hundred people were standing around, waiting for their loved ones or business partners. About a dozen people were holding signs with names written on them. At first, I didn't see my name, and for a second -- really, only a second -- I started to worry. But in less than a minute I had a plan. If no one showed, I would get a hotel for the night and call the school the next day. (I remembered to exchange a few hundred bucks for Korean Won at LAX.)

But then a guy appeared from the crowd and stood directly in front of me with a sign with my name printed on it. He even took the time to laminate the paper. I wondered what purpose that would serve since the sign would be discarded the moment I spotted him. In any case, he stood in front of me, obviously finding the confused-looking American in a sea of Koreans and U.S. Military personnel. 

The man didn't speak English, but he had his young daughter or niece with him (let's say it's his daughter to make things easier), and she could translate for him. 

After we shook hands, he dialed a number and handed me a cellphone. A woman on the other line who spoke English told me I would be brought to the school after an hour drive.

First glimpse of the sign for Seoul

I read a little in the car until it got too dark to read. By then, we were off the highway and there were people and places to look at. Things I hadn't seen before, like taxi drivers watching TV on their dash as they drove. People driving motorcycles on the sidewalk. Lots of lights and colors and narrow streets and the slight smell of fish and exhaust fumes. It was charming, in its own way.

Then she told me to stay in the apartment until I got a call. They split, and a few minutes later the phone rang. The school director said there was a misunderstanding, and I was supposed to be brought to the school, as I was told earlier. Instead, a few fellow teachers would meet me and we'd all go out to dinner. That sounded fine to me, and that's what we did. 

The five of us walked to a restaurant, and we ate while they talked to me about the school. How to do well, what kind of approach to take, that sort of thing. 

I will do a separate post about the food once I learned what everything is called. But we ate pork belly grilled in the center of the table, along with a slew of side dishes included with most Korean meals. As for drinks, I tasted the most popular ones around here, including Soju, Makgeolli (I think), and a few Korean beers. Everyone who has spent time in Korea probably knows what I'm talking about, but that first taste always is a novelty. A Canadian guy I was with, Don, described Soju as having a slightly flavor of bugspray. I agreed; it was like Deet with a little sugar added. I liked Makgeolli the best. It was a slightly carbonated rice liquor with a milky texture, kind of subtle but not too sweet. I'm not a big fan of sweet flavors, so this suited me the best so far. 

After dinner I went back to my apartment, where I hoped I could figure out the electric lock situation. I got in the building O.K., but my door also needed a code. I was told if I got the code wrong three times, I would be locked out for a while. It was around midnight. 

I tried the code. The door didn't open. I checked the code. It was the right code. I tried it again. The door didn't open. Perhaps I needed to push something else? I played with the other buttons and tried the code again. The door opened. 

I went in and fell asleep almost immediately, feeling relieved.

Friday morning, I woke up and drank some tea while I unpacked. Below are some pictures of my apartment. I really like the place; it's actually bigger than the apartment I had in Glens Falls while I was a reporter at The Post-Star. Funny thing is, I will get paid more here -- and the apartment is included. Not a bad deal, overall. 

In case you're wondering, the purple blanket
came with the room

The view from my balcony

Another angle

I will update again with pictures of my neighborhood and school. Stay tuned.