Korea. Man. Woah, man. For the way things started out I would have to say that I'm doing possibly better than I have for any other trip thus far. I've lost baggage, been abandonded at the airport, joined a sailing club, and have met some really solid people. I haven't even started working yet but I feel like I've been here for ages.
Upon arriving at the baggage carosel in Seoul I waited patiently for my luggage. 1, 2, and . . . the third, and most important please? I was alone. The carosel had stopped moving. I've only slept for about four hours in the last sixteen or so. I knew I should have bought travel insurance. I was hoping the baggage fairy would rev up the engines and start her up again and my bag would majically appear out of the depths of the airport and into my safe hands. Instead what happened was a cute Korean woman wearing the appropriate Korean Air regelia approached me. "Um excuse me," she said aprehensively. "Are you Jason Brown." Can you say retorical question boys and girls? "Your bag, it did not leave Los Angeles." Sweet. I haven't even gotten to Busan yet and things are going wrong. I got online to get the information about my school and filled out the sheet so that they could deliver it there. "It will be there tomorrow," she said. "Don't worry about it." Um okay lady. You are very sweet and all but for some reason I don't believe you. I'm worrying. I still am. I find out if it got sent to my school tomorrow. Sigh. I hope so. Virtually the most important bag, no not virtually, it IS my most important bag. K well we'll see tomorrow. And then? ...
I halfway expected one of my other bags to be missing when I arrived in Busan. But, no suprises. Thank Jebus. Not yet anyways. I couldn't wait to see the smiling face of my co-teacher holding a sign that said "James Brown." They thought my name was James Brown until I told them otherwise hours later. I could only keep the personal joke to myself for so long. When I came out of the airport I saw no such sign. Lots of happy people waiting in anticipation but no signs for "James Brown." How could this be? They told me they would be here! Are you serious? The bag and now this? Where's the abort mission button? I was approached by a taxi driver who sounded suspiciously like the shiesty ones in Guate. "No, I have someone coming to pick me up." I was hoping that by saying this outloud perhaps I could summon them in some sort of spiritual way. But after five laps around the arrival section of the airport with my luggage cart (menos una bolsa) the driver approached me again. "Phone number?" You want my phone number? Get away you perv! But then rationality struck me and I realised he wanted the number for my co-teacher. He was genuinely trying to help me. Aw. This didn't happen in Guate. So luckily I lost a bag in Seoul and I just so happened to have all that information right in my pocket (yes, family . . . I realise that I should have had it on me anyways so hush!) He called the school and they thought I wasn't supposed to be there until one in the afternoon. Um yeah I sent that to you guys. I even highlighted the flight information within the document about my arrival time for Busan. Grrrrrhhhhh. Anyways. They payed for my taxi ride to the school which was nice, but only after the taxi driver put on some tv and insisted that we both watch it. I feared for my life as we weaved in and out of cars while watching some comedian make fun of John Fogherty and Neil Diamond.
The school I'll be working in starting tomorrow has 800 kids all the ages of 11-14. There is a staff of about 50-60 Koreans, including 3 other English teachers, and me. Yes in deedy. I am the token native English speeker. Its official my months of hiding from people in the kitchen are over. I'm a spectacle and as far as I can tell quite a popular on at that. I'll be teaching 22 hours of class a week in conjunction with 18 hours of prep time. Specifically I'll be dealing with the first and third graders. Keep in mind this IS middle school. They just do their system a bit differently and I haven't quite figured it out yet or else I'd let you in on it. I work with all the other teachers and I supplement their lessons (I think) with pronunciation and some conversational lessons I create on my own. During the kids' lunch they can also come into my office known as the EOZ (not to be confused with the DMZ). This is the English Only Zone where the kids can practice their conversational skills with me. Oh, my office! I have an office folks! The veiw overlooks some of Busans few heavily wooded hillsides and the playing field. I don't really have much else to say about the school other than . . . get this! That number I gave to the Korean Air woman in Seoul about my bags . . . it wasn't even the number to the school! It was the number to one of the other English teachers at the school. AND she's not my co-teacher! Oh Korea you will delight me with suprise after suprise. I can't wait.

I move into my apartment tomorrow as well. The school paid for me to stay in a motel called the Ice Motel (found at www.motelice.com ). Its kind of sweet really. I am currently across the street from Haeundae beech and the room itself is set up! I have a plasma HD tv, full on computer hooked up to the net (which I'm using now) complete with these phatty boom-batty computer speakers and the list goes on! But yeah I'm moving into my place tomorrow and I'll be neighbors with Lindsay!

At the beginning of Winter term I was talking with this guy about what I wanted to do when I grow up (finish school) and I began ranting about Korea. When we were done the girl sitting in front of me says, "I'm going there too!" So we exchanged a few emails. Met up like two or three times to talk about it and now we're neighbors here in Korea. This part I have to say is pretty sweet. My first night here Lindsay showed me around a bit, giving me a heads up on this and that and we ate Korean BBQ (which is totally amazing btw). She's here with her man, Dave (who freaking rocks the house too) and they have showed me elsewhere around town and introduced me into the Busan Expat Sailing Club. Yes thats right folks I'm going to learn how to swim, I mean sail. I just got back from a few hours on the ocean aboard a 45 ft Katamarand (spell?). Then we spent the afternoon having a bbq chatting and doing what you do at bbq's. So now I've met some folks who have been here for years and want to show me around some other parts of town and some who want to begin a dinner night! I have to say that I feel really, really fortunate right now. Dave just cut his beard and now he just has a stache. Lindsay hates it. I'm a fan I can't lie. The people in the club are great. I'm meeting seasoned veterans in the teaching field who are giving me loads of great advice and showing me the sweet spots to hang out in Busan and I've only been here since Friday! Despite the mishaps at the beginning of my trip this is turning out to be crazy rad. Ugghh I just hit a wall. I'll be up in a couple hours probably to write more. In case I don't, take care all.

Jason