Dispatches - July 5, 2009

I write from my dorm room in Chun Cheon, south and east of Seoul. Our flight from Los Angeles arrived around 5:00 a.m. I was impressed with Asiana Airlines – I snagged some trail mix from the international terminal in LA thinking that it might be my only hope for sustenance for the next twelve hours, but as I started to open it somewhere over the Pacific, a flight attendant inferred that I might be hungry and brought me a turkey sandwich on a platter...I could get used to this.

The honeymoon with Asiana ended when one of my suitcases didn't appear at baggage. To be fair, it could quite possibly have been United's fault. Come to think of it, after the episode of weight limit harrassment back in Philly I am resting sole blame on United.

Anyway, the late bag happened to be the bag designated for training. I write in a button down and dress slacks – from my suitcase packed with attire for the fall and winter. I've taken preemptive measures with my classmates by explaining that no, I do not enjoy dress clothes in July, I just don't have anything else to wear.

I asked for an adventure and I'm getting it. The bus ride from Seoul was terrific – I had not realized how mountainous Korea is. We went through what must have been a dozen tunnels through scenic mountain valleys and over just as many bridges spanning wide and slow-moving rivers.

My knowledge of the alphabet seems average. There are some that have phrases and grammar rules down and others that started studying on the plane. Classes start tomorrow so presumably more notes on the language will follow. My usage thus far has involved pure pantomimes. Lacking my towel and shower gear, I headed down to the corner store and was able to convey soap, shampoo, and a towel to the helpful clerk. The baggage problem I could do without, but circumstances could be worse.

My classmates – the ones I have met thus far – seem very pleasant. Outgoing personalities are the norm. Through some sixth sense we were able to spot each other in terminals and form Fulbright clusters. Conversations seem to go in waves – light banter about schools and home towns and then ever-so-slightly awkward pauses as we try to find other topics to explore. I always enjoyed dorm living and I'm glad to be back. It's a pretty classic set-up with bunked beds, two desks, and two wardrobe cabinets. We are all on two floors of the dorm and it's great to have ready access to people down the hall.

The next day and a half involve program introductions, language placement, and various sessions designed to get us accustomed to the program, our role, and what to expect. Similarities between this and freshman orientation are striking – including but not limited to name tags, mistakenly referring to program directors as 'RA's', and a cafeteria with rumored-to-be-lackluster food next door.

For a long time I have been focused on law school and a pleasant surprise to this program has been more than a few fellow teachers that are from Los Angeles and can fill me in on UCLA. For the moment, however, I can't help but feel I'm back in college – and I'm glad for the chance to go back for seconds.