Just call me Gloriams

I just got my e-ticket today and was completely estatic... until I realized they got my name wrong. 

Just call me "Gloriams." Nice t'meet'cha.

Update: Worries quelled. I'm very silly - my name was presented as "GLORIAMS" and, of course, I thought there was some mistake with my middle initial, but the "MS" stands for Ms. afterall. Whew.

I'm set to go.

I'm set to go.

I have my plane ticket reserved (and paid for by SMOE, I hope) and I'm now trying to tie up some loose ends, such as getting my tax forms done before I leave and so on. I'm going to be arriving in Incheon International Airport on the 28th. I'll be hanging out there for quite a good number of hours; but, eventually, I'm going to get picked up by a shuttle bus, which will take me to the Hyundai Training Center, where I'll be staying for a week with other English teachers. After that week, I'll be heading off to meet my principal and co-teacher, as well as going to move into my apartment.

I received a few things in the mail, last Wednesday. I was really excited to get my visa. I never knew how awesome it is to have a passport, but I love mine now... I have no idea why either. The passport is so empty, but it's just ready to get some interesting stories stamped into it. I wonder what stories this little adventure will produce.

I also received some things from Footprints Recruiting, which are rather cool.
The package included a rather detailed map of Seoul, a travel guide to Korea, a guide to Incheon, a disc with cultural information, a key chain, and a flyer for international health insurance.

The map is very detailed. It has a large overview and then there are smaller maps of different districts and different public transportation lines.I'm going to have to keep this in good condition so I can use it for reference when I'm trying to get around in Seoul. I always end up ripping or getting food stains on maps for some reason.

The guide also comes with a rather detailed map of the subway system in Seoul:
I hope I don't get lost. I'm much better at taking public transportation, at least in Philly and NYC, from when I was in middle and high school, but getting lost in underground tunnels was rather disorienting from what I remember.

I'm guessing culture shock tends to be one of the main reasons that people have a negative experience living in another country. The flyer that they included in the package had a lot to say.
I've been thoroughly warned of this by a small group of people, a couple of which were rather adamant that I will either hole myself up in my room or that I will try to conform as much as I can and transform into that dreaded being they call a "fob." They warn me with such vigor that I have a suspicion they're trying to scare me into actually doing what they're warning me against.

Since I've never been in the situation, I don't really know what my reaction will be, but, needless to say, we all have out very different personalities, and I doubt I will react in the exact same way as ... you. ;] Whether I deal with it in a more constructive way or not is another question.
But... I think I can try to do these things without too much trouble.

In the meantime, here's something you can do for me, apparently:
And by support system, this obviously means... send amazingly awesome care packages galore. ;]

The keychain is bottle opener (I think) with the recruiter's information.
I wonder if they're sending a bottle opener because it's the cheapest keychain to send or if I'll really be needing to open a lot of bottles once I'm abroad.

There are 35 teachers hired by Footprints Recruiting going into teach for SMOE this school term, out of 140 positions they hired for. I'm probably going to be living in a studio apartment (a tiny one, much like Janet's 2nd apartment room that she posted in her blog).

I probably won't have an oven, which is unfortunate because, although I rarely find the motivation to bake, I do like baking every so often. I will probably have heated floors, which is how most Korean heating systems work. The heating system is connected to the hot water system, so if I toy with the thermostat, I may end up shutting off my hot water or my heat or both; Footprints Recruiting suggests I ask an actual Korean person to help me so that I don't end up freezing.

It's also recommended that I bring any non-Asian spices, ground coffee, vitamins, and other such things because they are either hard to find or very expensive in Korea.  I should also get converters for the outlets, so that I get the right voltage and the correct shape for the plugs. My mom's friend offered to buy that for me and give it to me once I arrive in Korea; this way, I won't have to pack it. Another thing that I've been hearing is that I should pack a couple of big towels, as Korea generally does not sell the large towels we use so often here in the USA.

The things I'm going to have to get as soon as I can, once I am in Korea, is a bank account, a cell phone, and an internet connection. I'm most likely going to use the internet as my international phone; I'm going to have to try to teach my parents how to use skype or google chat before I leave. I am sort of excited to get a Korean phone; I remember when I would watch Korean phone commercials from two years earlier and that technology had just been incorporated in the phones they sell in the USA.

Most of all, I'm really thankful for all the people I know here and in Korea who are being so helpful and giving me tips and advice, even if they're trying to intimidate me. ;P If I was going alone, I think I'd be ok, but that feeling of being somewhere new, being so far from what's familiar, and not knowing anyone I can turn to or trust can be overwhelming. I'm going to Seoul and I already have good people I can call up, who I know will help me out. I have people here at home, and even people who are nowhere near Philly or Seoul, who I know will keep in touch and support me as best they can from where they are. Knowing that just makes me feel so loved. I just want to say "thank you" a million, billion, trillion times over.

Thank you!