Feb 26, Saturday morning when I arrived at the airport. It wasn't too long until I checked my luggage in. I was a little anxious and didn't know what to expect, so I did what I knew best to calm my nerves. I looked for the nearest restaurant where I could buy a few drinks, half an hour later I was finally in chill mode. Two hours later the gates opened. My heart skipped a beat, It was time to go. The plane ride went by in a blurr, considering all the alcohol I consumed and all the wine I drank. I keep myself fairly occupied and entertained watching movies and sleeping. It took me a few hours later to actually realized that I had boarded the plane. A few hours into the ride I feel alseep. Eleven hours later I arrived. It was Monday evening Korean time. The chaotic airport painted a picture in my mind of how NYC was. After an half an hour of passing through customs. I found a near hotel in the city of Incheon, since the destination where I was staying was four hours away, it was best to stay the night there. The impression that I got when I first arrived in Korea were the people were very respectful and extremely polite. Every time you pass by someone they would greet you with a bow to you with respect and honor, something that was very common in Asian cultures. Later that night, I met a young lady who happened to have traveled from the states, I introduced myself to her, as we talked about everything from foods, travels and our experiences. We decided to talked over a good traditional Korean cooking of
Gujeolpan and
Sinseollo, at a nearby Korean restaurant. There was a moment that night that was unforgettable, as we wondered around the city looking for someone who knew English to pin-point us to the nearest ATM machine. We were shivering in the freezing cold, and we didn't know anything The meal in the end was all worth it, it was my first time in my life I used chopsticks. it was a bit of a challenge, like anything new, but the way the meal was prepared and served to us was definitely a cultural experience within itself with all kind of assortments of veggies, meats, noodles, rice, soups and other side dishes.From that moment on I knew I was going to enjoy Korea. When I arrived in Korea, I met another Jamaica by the name of Changa Harris, who was also in Korea to teach ESL. Gunsan was about 3 and a half hours from the major city of Seoul, which was quite a distance from where we anticipated. It reminded me of Brooklyn, where you had small shops and stores on every corner. Changa was a cool and mellow dude sort of like me, he enjoyed the party vibes and he was a intelligent person,who always gave you something positive everyday to think about. We decided to go for a little walk around the Gunsan. Suggested, by Amber " Lets go for a wi wonder" meaning a short walk
down the hall from where I was staying in the Apartment building and when we met up daily we made sure that Korean Soju(vodka) was our daily beverage. We played Jamaican music and discussed the possibilities of what could be in the upcoming months in Korea. A few days later we met Aileen Ryan, Amber Bergman and Matt Milne, which was our little click we formed there. Matt was from South Africa, He was into music and everything that was associated with vibes and fun. What I liked about him was his enthusiasm for everything, he was always game. He was really down to earth and a very exciting individual. He loved music and he was also in Korea to teach English and spread his love of music through his band. Then there was Aileen she was from New Zealand, but born in the states. She associated herself with being more of a foreigner.She was very polite and friendly. She is from mixed heritage of Japanese and Caucasian. it was her first time teaching English abroad and she loved to connect to the Asian culture Then there was Amber, she was a party girl also from New Zealand, who came to teach English as well. She was an extrovert who like to have fun and meet different kinds of people. We all met at a hotel one morning, while having breakfast. Changa was the first to meet the ladies the night before, as we were making the best of the time at the hotel getting acquainted. After an hour getting to know each other, one of the ladies suggested for us to go on a short walk, which I later adapted, because I thought it best represented who we were. We went by a nearby park in Gunsan. We went by the river front and took pictures of sautes and monument at the park, while we shared our experiences and heritage. That was how the Wi Wonda Crew was formed.
Feb 26, Saturday morning when I arrived at the airport. It wasn't too long until I checked my luggage in. I was a little anxious and didn't know what to expect, so I did what I knew best to calm my nerves. I looked for the nearest restaurant where I could buy a few drinks, half an hour later I was finally in chill mode. Two hours later the gates opened. My heart skipped a beat, It was time to go. The plane ride went by in a blurr, considering all the alcohol I consumed and all the wine I drank. I keep myself fairly occupied and entertained watching movies and sleeping. It took me a few hours later to actually realized that I had boarded the plane. A few hours into the ride I feel alseep. Eleven hours later I arrived. It was Monday evening Korean time. The chaotic airport painted a picture in my mind of how NYC was. After an half an hour of passing through customs. I found a near hotel in the city of Incheon, since the destination where I was staying was four hours away, it was best to stay the night there. The impression that I got when I first arrived in Korea were the people were very respectful and extremely polite. Every time you pass by someone they would greet you with a bow to you with respect and honor, something that was very common in Asian cultures. Later that night, I met a young lady who happened to have traveled from the states, I introduced myself to her, as we talked about everything from foods, travels and our experiences. We decided to talked over a good traditional Korean cooking of Gujeolpan and Sinseollo, at a nearby Korean restaurant. There was a moment that night that was unforgettable, as we wondered around the city looking for someone who knew English to pin-point us to the nearest ATM machine. We were shivering in the freezing cold, and we didn't know anything The meal in the end was all worth it, it was my first time in my life I used chopsticks. it was a bit of a challenge, like anything new, but the way the meal was prepared and served to us was definitely a cultural experience within itself with all kind of assortments of veggies, meats, noodles, rice, soups and other side dishes.From that moment on I knew I was going to enjoy Korea. When I arrived in Korea, I met another Jamaica by the name of Changa Harris, who was also in Korea to teach ESL. Gunsan was about 3 and a half hours from the major city of Seoul, which was quite a distance from where we anticipated. It reminded me of Brooklyn, where you had small shops and stores on every corner. Changa was a cool and mellow dude sort of like me, he enjoyed the party vibes and he was a intelligent person,who always gave you something positive everyday to think about. We decided to go for a little walk around the Gunsan. Suggested, by Amber " Lets go for a wi wonder" meaning a short walk down the hall from where I was staying in the Apartment building and when we met up daily we made sure that Korean Soju(vodka) was our daily beverage. We played Jamaican music and discussed the possibilities of what could be in the upcoming months in Korea. A few days later we met Aileen Ryan, Amber Bergman and Matt Milne, which was our little click we formed there. Matt was from South Africa, He was into music and everything that was associated with vibes and fun. What I liked about him was his enthusiasm for everything, he was always game. He was really down to earth and a very exciting individual. He loved music and he was also in Korea to teach English and spread his love of music through his band. Then there was Aileen she was from New Zealand, but born in the states. She associated herself with being more of a foreigner.She was very polite and friendly. She is from mixed heritage of Japanese and Caucasian. it was her first time teaching English abroad and she loved to connect to the Asian culture Then there was Amber, she was a party girl also from New Zealand, who came to teach English as well. She was an extrovert who like to have fun and meet different kinds of people. We all met at a hotel one morning, while having breakfast. Changa was the first to meet the ladies the night before, as we were making the best of the time at the hotel getting acquainted. After an hour getting to know each other, one of the ladies suggested for us to go on a short walk, which I later adapted, because I thought it best represented who we were. We went by a nearby park in Gunsan. We went by the river front and took pictures of sautes and monument at the park, while we shared our experiences and heritage. That was how the Wi Wonda Crew was formed.
