Yes, there are people in Daegu; some three million of them to be exact. I spent this weekend catching my breath and getting settled into my new home for the next year. I've also been doing a lot of exploring of my neighbourhood and surrounding areas. I've also been treated to many good meals courtesy of Oh and his family. They're a very friendly bunch and have made me feel nothing but welcomed in South Korea. I will be posting pictures of them sooner than later.

Tomorrow I begin work at my middle/high school. Oh reassured me that the first week will be pretty light as I'll mostly just be meeting all of the staff and students and feeding their curiosity by answering their many questions about me. I get my textbook which I'll be teaching from tomorrow, but I've alraedy begun lesson planning and honestly cannot wait to get into the classroom.

Last night I broke down and bought a jelly filled donut from a Western style bakery a few minutes from my apartment; but I think I made up for it by eating dried squid later in the evening. Here are some more photos of Daegu. I'm in love with this city and its people.

Welcome to Daegu! My first day in Korea is in the books and it's been a truly great one. I met my co-teacher Oh at the bus station and he immediately showed me to his car. He took me first to my apartment which is more than I could have ever expected; it's huge. I'm located above a very quaint restaurent and have my very own gate and stairs to my apartment. I have a very large kitchen / dining room area complete with stove, refrigerator, microwave, rice maker, and a full compliment of dishes. I also have a white board which initially said "Welcome Dixon" as I walked in. I have another room dedicated just to my wardobe with two large wooden dressers and plenty of hangers. The next room is a computer room / office complete with a new computer, and couch. My bedroom has a large dresser, large bed, and desk. It even had a television ready to use but I don't think I'll be watching very much TV while I'm over here so I put it away to make room for more of my things. The bathroom is very nice as well; it actually has a big tub which I wasn't expecting at all and am very excited about. I even have a washer/dryer on my porch which is a big help.

After dropping off my bags Oh and another teacher from school took me out for a traditional Korean meal; which was a real treat. Though I was feeling a little bit jet legged I wanted to dive right into the Korean culture and I'm glad I took the opportunity and chose the traditional Korean food over the option of "American food". The three of us sat on the floor as mountains of food in little dishes were brought to us. Oh seemed to be impressed with my skills with chop sticks; though I found myself fumbling with the unfamiliar metallic chop sticks which are the norm in Korea. We grilled pork right off of a hot plate in front of us; I can't even begin to explain the many dishes we enjoyed but it was a throughouly satisfying meal. It was remarkable just how healthy everything was and I walked away from the hearty meal feeling better than ever despite my numb right leg which had fallen asleep while sitting cross legged.

Our next stop was to my school; which is only a ten minute walk from my door for an informal meeting with the principals and other English teachers. I'm absolutely thrilled with my classes; I will be teaching grades seven and eight or as they say in Korea "Level 1 and 2 in Middle School." My school itself is a split between Middle and High school; which is exactly what I had hoped for. All of the Korean teachers were very nice and I especially enjoyed the company of the Principal and Vice Principal; they are learning English themselves so I'll surely be working with them throughout the year.

Finally Oh took me to purchase a cell phone which he explained as essential in Korea. After that we walked back to my apartment and parted ways until tomorrow. I am getting my internet hooked up in the morning and will be opening my bank account along with my alien registration card next week. I honestly couldn't be happier. I've experienced very little to no culture shock at this point and even my jet leg has subsided. I truly feel safe and well taken care of. At the beginning of the day I was feeling nervous about what to expect; but I'm happy to report that after today my concerns have completely faded.

Tomorrow Oh and I are going grocery shopping. I'm located right next to the river that runs through the middle of Daegu so I plan on doing quite a bit of exploring tomorrow and the next day. My first official day at school does not begin until Monday and although I missed the orientation week due to my late arrival it has worked out in a funny way; all of the other native English teachers are not yet at their apartments nor have they met their co-teachers or even know what grades they will be teaching. I on the other hand have been thrown right in. I'm glad how it's worked out. Day one has been a very good day.

Finally, the trip begins. As I sit in the Incheon International airport just outside of Seoul, Korea I find myself thinking back to how I finally got myself to Asia. I was scheduled to depart for Korea on the 24th of August, but upon arrival at the Pearson International Airport in Toronto I found myself in a dilemma; my passport had been misplaced. Many trips through Terminals 1 & 3 failed to locate my precious passport. I immediately reported the lost item to Canada Customs, Immigration and Lost and Found and held my breath. I wouldn't receive notice that the passport had been found and turned in until it was too late to catch my 11:50PM flight.

So, I spent the next two days exploring Ontario as phone calls were transfered between Prince Edward Island, Toronto, and Daegu South Korea in an attempt to get me on a flight. I'm very thankful for the hospitality of the Colvin family who had only intended to have me visit for an afternoon but soon saw me stranded for almost three days. We made the most of our time together as Meghan and I kayaked on the Grand River, lost ourselves at the Fafard exhibit at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, enjoyed the final warm days of summer, and were able to have an unexpected extended goodbye. I must achnowledge the efforts of my dear Mother and Allison my recruiter at Canadian Connection for helping me during the process as well.

I will be meeting my co-teacher at the bus station in Daegu and they will be taking me to my apartment. It's bound to be a very exciting and equally exhausting day. Here we go!

On Sunday August 24th, 2008 I will be leaving my home in Prince Edward Island, Canada to begin an adventure in South Korea. I have signed a one year contract to teach English is Daegu (Taegu). This will be a travel blog that will document my adventures throughout my stay in South Korea as well as my out trips throughout Asia. I will be snapping many photographs and shooting many videos. I'm not sure how long it will take for me to get the internet in my apartment in Taegu so for the first little while updates may be few and far between; but check back regularly for more news. Please do get in touch; my email address is xmdixonx at gmail.com. Let the adventure begin!