Jet-lag chronicles

It's four am in Seoul, but Jet Lag still has its grip on me. It's really frustrating because yesterday around five I took a "nap" and slept SOUNDLY for three hours. Then tonight, I went to bed around ten, woke up at one, and then fell asleep for two more hours.

So yesterday was my first day being in the actual city of Seoul. My feelings: AMAZING! LOVE! SO COOL! Seoul is different from, say, New York or LA. It is kind of hilly, and there are colorful signs everywhere because businesses and companies are all squeezed into whatever space they can get. In a city of ten-million, space is at a premium. There are nooks and crannies everywhere, but it's such a fun atmosphere!

I had my first language class in Kangnam (part of Seoul) yesterday. It was good- Kind of like my first days in Spanish. We just practiced the alphabet pronunciation and are working on putting letters together. It is really pretty simple. My hagwan (Korean word for school) is on the top floor of a small building. I have a class of six in a classroom about the size of the bathroom at Cotter. We don't have class today because today is Korea's Memorial day to remember all those who died in the Korean War.

I learned about one huge controversy that I don't think gets any coverage in the states. Apparently Korea has agreed to import the majority of its beef and chicken from the US, something that causes uproar because of all the mad-cow disease and other health issues that seem to follow US beef and poultry. There were absolutely HUGE protest gatherings in Seoul a few days ago, and the military was involved to try and stop it.

Another thing that is big in Korea is recycling. For real, they recycle everything. Food (Must be saved so it can be put in a compost. There are no garbage disposals), cardboard boxes (they use these for their groceries. Plastic bags cost extra money), everything. Trash bags are issued by the government the the grocery stores and I think they are relatively expensive.

A few other comments to wrap this up.
When we drove from Incheon (airport) to the Seoul area, it was amazing because we were surrounded by bluffs that look almost exactly like those in Winona from far away. They are a little "pointier" and are made of different trees, but otherwise almost the same!

Also, I read in a book once the Koreans use so much garlic that its oder emanates out of everything, giving Seoul a distinctive smell. It's true.