Teacher Blog

by Tim Donnelly

Hello Everyone:

To say I feel a little bit like Pee Wee Herman looking for his stolen bike is an understatement.  Things here are a little surreal and unbelievable.  I have never been so overwhelmed or excited in my life.  I am definitely the one who is different here.  Since I’ve gotten to my hotel I’ve wandered the streets some and seen only one other Caucasian.  It’s 5:00 AM Saturday my time, I can’t sleep anymore – I feel like there is just too much to do.   I start training at at 3:00 PM later today.

The flight from SFO to SEL on Singapore Airlines was a dream.  If any of you ever get the chance, don’t travel on any other carrier.  Remember, I flew coach, but we were afforded hot towels to help us settle in once we were seated.  The food service was quick and efficient.  I wasn’t drinking (okay, everyone, you can blink your eyes twice more and believe me – I just figured I have enough stuff going on without getting loopy) but others were:  beer, wine, liquor, even champagne for those with grander tastes.  The Givenchy bag with soft socks and toothbrush made it more than bearable, all for the ticket price of about $650.  The stewardesses were beautiful, cheerful, and helpful.

The flight was great.  The twelve hours it took felt shorter than the two hour bus ride into Seoul from the airport, but I’ll get to that.  I had been provided an Orientation and Welcome Pack prior by my new employer: CDI.  It was informative and gave me all the necessary information needed to navigate the change of terminals via a connecting train that took you from the landing gate to the main terminal, where you picked up baggage and went through customs (which was a breeze) and had access to taxis, buses, subways and a train.  My instructions told me to contact my recruiter, who I’ve been working with throughout the process.  Per her recommendation I picked up a phone card to call her on the many easy to use public pay phones.  She explained I could get a cell phone at the airport right then, but there were better options available if I waited until getting to Seoul.  Thus I spent my first 10,000 KRW (about 10 bucks) on a phone card.  Whoo-hoo!  We spoke and confirmed my hotel and training schedule.

Next: The Challenges Begin