Today is Sabbath and I have never been so happy for a day of rest. It's been about 4 or 5 days (depending on who's time you're using) since I've arrived in Seoul, and everyday I find out just how much there is to learn. This world is different from any other I've ever seen.

Let me start at the beginning. The entire trip, from doorstep to doorstep took about 18 1/2 hours. That doesn't include standing around and waiting time. When I got off the plane in Incheon (the main Korean airport) I was walking along with my carry-on and I literally fell asleep standing up. It must have been a few seconds because I began to dream and suddenly woke up. There was a Korean man waiting for me to drive me to the apartment where I would be staying. He didn't speak a single world of English other than hello. It was nighttime and raining when I arrived and in my half-state of consciousness I watched the lights and limited scenery go by. My first impression of Korea was glum. I remember thinking all I saw was bright light, bridges and Hyundai's. The van finally came to a stop and the nice (stone silent) Korean man opened a door that revealed a flight of stairs. One flight became two and then three. By the fourth I found myself wishing that I had packed less than 50 lbs maximum. He opened the door to the apartment room and the first thing I realized was that there were notes everywhere. How to turn on the heat, how to turn on the A/C, where the keys were, where the bathrooms were, etc, etc. I was utterly exhausted, and the last thing I noticed was that someone would be by to pick me up at 8 the next day. My final thought before going to sleep was that someone told me I had a roommate, but if I did she was the neatest person in the world because I didn't see any of her stuff.

The next day someone did come pick me up. From then on, things went more smoothly, with training and meeting the other foreigners. I was surprised to find out that Korea is relatively safe for foreigners to travel around. This is of course comes as a big difference from places like central Africa or South America. The Koreans are extremely polite and well-mannered. They are punctual and generous, AMAZING dressers and respectful. Girls and guys alike look like they belong on a magazine cover. The women do everything in the most beautiful heels you've ever seen. This is probably the first place I've ever seen men using the same bags as women. At night, the cities is drenched in bright and colorful lights. Everything seems to be a mix of high tech and poverty. From the mile walk from my apartment to the training center, near the metro tracks, there's a section of shanties made of scrap wood, glass and tiles. However, the importance of appearances is so great that the person who lives there may pass you on the street, dressed like everyone else and you would never know. Society is very friendly. Among themselves, they refer to each other as brother and sister. The women hold hands as they prance down the street. Men look more like girls than men. More tomorrow...