Final Day of Training - Bucheon

Given that we'd already prepped for the final day of training, and that we'd been going over it all week, last night became a time to relax. That was, at least, until I remembered I was meant to pack up all my stuff to go the next day. Well lucky me, I condensed three suitcases and three boxes into just two suitcases and a box, and then found that people are very helpful and generous in Korea. Christine left me to move everything on me own, abandoning me with the job of getting the key to reception and returning our LAN cable as well, so I ended up almost missing the bus. A man who spoke only Korean saw me struggling in the hall and helped me to the elevator, and then two of the other girls in training got on the elevator halfway down and helped me out to the bus. We had to move everything back out again into the training center after arriving there, but Mickey (who looks like Thor and has heard it so many times he's changed his facebook name to include "Thor") took half my stuff in without my asking for help or anything. So I now have a new best friend.

When we came back down the stairs, Tatiana helped, since she was staying at the Coatel a little longer and therefore had no suitcases. So thank you very much Tatiana, Mickey, and the Korean man on floor seven of the Coatel Hotel in Gangnam for all your assistance.

Well, I passed my training, and that meant I didn't pack for nothing, because immediately after training we were piled into a taxi to head to the Bucheon branch. At first we were so tired and hungry and it was such a long drive through the traffic that we weren't very impressed with Bucheon. But apparently that's just because we're blind, because as it turns out the place is pretty amazing.

Bucheon has a different feel than Gangnam in Seoul, because Gangnam is really cool, but it comes across as really aloof and expensive. Bucheon is the sort of place where families are moving about in the streets, and people are looking for cheaper options to spend money.

The Bucheon folks were great. They paid for the ride to the branch, which we had expected because some of the people headed further south on trains said their train tickets were paid for. They didn't stop there, though. We were show to apartments, already reserved especially for us, where half the other teachers live, and we were then taken to the branch on foot and shown how to get to work. Evan, the man who met us, is a native of Bucheon, so he told us all the little secrets of the areas as we went around. Apparently last week they finished a new subway extension that's just been opened quite literally round the corner from the apartment building. The subway at Sangdong Station (ours) runs directly to the original Chungdahm branch in Gangnam, meaning its really easy to visit. That also means all you guys from training on the Seoul subway lines can come to see Bucheon whenever you might like.

Evan took us about the shops as well, telling us where the cheap places were and what to avoid, why we shouldn't visit the local bar or night club, and advising us on the best way to find our apartment. He walked us through one of the shops, pointing out where in the shop we could find different types of food or things like cleaning supplies. He then took us for dinner, and since he's one of the school administration guys he bought us our food courtesy of the branch.

The branch guys already had apartments reserved for us, which we were immediately shown to when we first got out of the van. They'd bought bottled water and ramen for us to eat as a welcome present and left that for us. At the school, they seemed like quite a lively bunch, and they've got quite a friendly atmosphere for poking fun at one another. Apaprently the Bucheon branch is quite diverse, with people from all over the English speaking world working as teachers, so we're quite looking forward to starting a week from Monday. Until then, we're back to more training, where we will learn a third type of class for the following week.

The apartments are really cool, but I might just be saying that because mine wasn't too dirty when we arrived (previous tenants are not required to clean before leaving) or because I'm really tired. It's a studio. My shower is indeed my entire bathroom, and my bedroom is up some little wooden stairs in a low-ceilinged balcony.

There's no pictures for now, but I'll take some later and do it in another post.
-Sam