Orientation thus far

Hi all! I wanted to make a quick post and update you guys before I leave on a field trip tomorrow. I'm guessing that after tomorrow I will have some good photo ops since we will be traveling around more "Korean" or traditional locales. In the morning we will be going to Jenju Hanok Village, and in the afternoon we will be visiting the Keumsan Temple. In the middle of our day out we will be eating a huge quantity (supposedly served in something larger than a bath tub) of bibimbap; a serving of rice with egg, meats, and vegetables. It is supposed to be favored by foreigners, especially Americans.

Getting out will be nice too since I will be able to leave the safe haven of Jeonju campus, which seems like a safe haven between the US and Korea in regards to language and food. For example - at lunch today they were serving all the traditional Korean stuff (like kimchi) along with french fries. I actually passed up the french fries in favor of kimchi radishes (atypical of general Evan tendencies). I might have to pause and let that sink in for some of you who know me well.

Last night I was able to overcome my persistent jet lag and hit the town. For all the adults out there, I tried Soju for the first time, which is basically a watered down (20%) version of vodka. I don't think it will become my beverage of choice. I was fortunate enough to coax the manager of the bar/restaurant we were at to try soju with me, so I guess that'll be an experience I won't forget. Later that night, I went down the street to one of the many, many karaoke bars. I did NOT sing, and I don't see myself performing any time soon, but it is a really cool atmosphere. Rather than a stage and one singing to everyone, it is broken up into a series of rooms. There was plenty of Bon Jovi to go around.

I apologize to everyone for this only being my second post. It has been incredibly hectic trying to find time to write with everything going on (plus a shaky internet connection that got fixed about 10 minutes ago - hooray!), but I want to keep anyone interested with my experiences in the loop. I do intend to pick up the pace a bit as I gather some more free time. I have a feeling that if I don't stay consistent with it I am going to get overwhelmed and fall behind, so I will make writing a point of emphasis.

On a quick side note, I am uploading most of the photos from my trip to my facebook account. If this doesn't work for certain people let me know and I will find a more accessible site for them. The game plan is to figure out how to upload them directly on here though, but I haven't had the time to sit down and actually do it (I'm sure it's beyond easy though).

Hope all is well with everyone, I would love to hear from you all when you get a chance to send me an email!! No word on my address or who I will be teaching, I believe I find that out this coming Thursday.