Orientation. Nice to meet you.

Orientation is probably the one stage of moving to Korea to teach that I didn’t concentrate on. I knew that I was going to be going to a university for a week but when you are worrying about apartments, school and how you will ever possibly survive on 20kg baggage allowance, it does get moved to the back of your mind.

Only on the last few days before departure when I started getting emails about room mates and running shoes (which forced me to re-pack as I’d forgotten to put them in my already to heavy bag) did it dawn on me that this orientation might be a little scary.

I realize compared to moving half way across the world orientation sounds like nothing but I am deep down a shy person. I had considered the idea of making friends in Korea. Hell I really wanted to as I think it’s the only way you survive but I envisioned a slow process of bumping into people at bars or on nights out. After a few months I thought you might know one or two people you could call friends. Oh, how wrong I was.

Orientation took the shy person in me and shook her around until she was unrecognizable.

It was maybe the most fun I’ve ever had.

Firstly you have to remember that every single person is in the same boat as you. It’s actually scary how similar you will be to the people around you. Everyone has decided to up and move to another part of the world so you know there is at least one thing you will have in common.

I met my first friend on the plane. (I should also mention here that I was traveling as a couple so I did have a buffer zone of taking a friend with me)  I sat down next to what seemed to be the only other ‘Waygook’ (foreigner) on the plane.

He introduced himself and the next 11 hours are a blur of chat (and sleep).

Since that moment I haven’t stopped introducing myself. Every person at orientation was friendly and approachable. I am embarrassed to say I cannot recall if I’d met any South African people before I moved here but now after only two weeks they are some of my best friends.

They will become your family very quickly and there are a great number of online forums you can join before you arrive to meet some people early on.

I was a late comer to the Facebook groups but there was a meeting for the new teachers to get acquainted before they even stepped on the plane.

 

As I mentioned previously I am a shy person. I think that the buffer of taking my friend may be the only reason I originally came. I wasn’t as brave as the other people I’ve met.

I laugh with my friends that I would never ever have spoken to anyone that had sat next to me on a plane if I’d been on my own. I’m glad that my friend had the confidence I didn’t.

My shyness still exists but if this is one of your worries about coming to Korea then please abandon it.

Koreans and travelers are some of the loveliest people you will ever meet.

I hope to meet many more.