Arriving in Korea

Korea... where to start?

I moved to South Korea in 2009. I didn't speak any Korean, and wasn't sure really what I was getting myself into.

I moved to a small town by the name of Uiryeong (의령) and I was to be working at Uiryeong Girls' Middle School (의령여자중학교). This is all I knew of the area and the school. I was a little nervous but happy to be starting a new adventure.

When I got to Uiryeong, I was a little shocked by what I found. The town was TINY! I was in for an interesting year. I wasn't sure if there were any other foreigners in the town, nor was I sure what to make of the place. My co-teacher had taken me to the school, introduced me to the principal, vice-principal and head-teacher and then taken me to my apartment where I was going to be living. I remember sitting in this one room, thinking "Oh my God! What have I done?" but that feeling soon went away.

I met the other foreigners in the town and soon settled into a nice rhythm of Work, Playing badminton/basketball, walking around the town and learning Korean. I was shown the bus schedule and how to get a bus to the city and many other things by the wonderful new friends I had made.

This was to be the beginning of my journey. Now, I can't tell you everything that happened, as you'd be reading for hours and hours on end. But here's a few highlights of my time in Uiryeong:

June 13, 2009: Arrive in Uiryeong, South Korea

June 14, 2009: Starting working at Uiryeong Girls' Middle School.

September 2009: Say goodbye to one of my new friends (he returned to USA)

December 25, 2009: Celebrate Christmas with foreigners in Uiryeong

December 26 2009: Fly to MS, USA to meet Evan and help him pack to move to Korea with me.

January 8 2010: Evan moves into my apartment in Uiryeong

March 2010: Say goodbye to one of my new friends (she moved elsewhere in Korea)

                    Met a new friend (she'd come from South Africa)

June 14 2010: Re-sign contract for a 2nd year

July 24, 2010 Evan and I get married in New Zealand

October 2010 We met a new friend (from Scotland)

December 2010 We met 2 new friends who lived just out of Uiryeong, one of whom moved into Uiryeong to be closer to other foreigners

March 2011 Say goodbye to SA friend as she moved elsewhere in Korea

              

May 2011 Met another SA friend

June 14, 2011 Re-sign contract for a 3rd year in Uiryeong

October 2011 Say goodbye to Scottish friend as he moved elsewhere in Korea

                      Met yet another SA friend

June 13,2012 We say goodbye to Uiryeong Girls' Middle School, our friends in Uiryeong and many other people we had met, and we move to New Zealand for a short time.

At this point I think it's best to end this post (If I can figure out how to, and start the next part of our Korea journey a new)