So I had problems still getting my bag on Korean Air but once I got on, everything was pretty smooth.
First off, the entertainment available on Korean Air is WICKED AWESOME! (see picture) Everyone has their own personal LCD screen with lots of movies (all kinds – Juno, Enchanted, There Will Be Blood, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s!!!), a few games like Free Cell and Black Jack, a map that shows you where you are in the world and how fast you’re going and such, and music – mostly Korean but some Western. I watched three movies I think? The flight was about 14 hours and I only slept about 2 hours of it so I had a lot of time to kill. The food was good. They had choices between Korean and other food – Western/European. I didn’t really understand the flight attendant when she told me the choices the first time, and the second time I only understood “beef” so I just said “beef” and ended up with the Western dish. And speaking of the flight attendants – all the ones on my plane were like Korean models! They were beautiful, tall women that wore adorable outfits made up of the colors mint green and cream with scarves and sideways ribbons. They certainly broke the Asian “short” stereotype because they were all taller than me. I lucked up with an aisle seat AND an empty seat beside of me! I tried to lay down but it didn’t really help me to sleep any. The person behind me kept kicking my seat if I tried to lean back. The guy sitting on the other side of the empty seat was also going to Korea for his first time, to the army base. Neither one of us slept very well – blaming it on nerves and anxiousness.
But the more interesting part came once I got off the plane. I stepped through the doors out of the quiet baggage claim into a noisy arena filled with taxis, buses, and people with signs. I scanned the signs looking for my name and didn’t find it. Just as I started to panic, the cutest little Korean man came up to me and said “Inglid Kerrel?” As soon as I nodded and said yes, he reached for my HUMONGOUS luggage and insisted on carrying it all, even though I was taller and probably stronger than he. It was TOO precious. I felt terrible and offered several times to carry my own but he was quite the stubborn one. We got to his car, a car proportional to cars as little Andy is to adults. I wasn’t sure we would be able to load everything but we managed to squeeze it all. He asked me if I spoke Korean. I told him no and he proceeded to tell me that his “Engrish” is not very good. That made it difficult to have any kind of conversation so I asked him if he minded if I sleep. He said no (I think) so I nodded off. When I woke up, we were in the thick of the city and I was seeing Korean writing EVERYwhere. At one point, Andy pulled the car to the side of the road, turned on his flashers and said, “Wait.” I listened obediently but secretly began to panic, of course questioning my decision to come to Korea at all. However, the man upstairs must have realized this because I turned to my right and what did I see but signs for all the latest Broadway shows in town – Mama Mia, Company, etc. I’ve found this to be true in many cases. I see all these Korean signs that confused the bigeezus outta me, then I turn the corner and there is an Outback Steakhouse or a Papa John’s or 7Eleven. Then out comes Andy with sandwiches from McDonald’s – HAH of all places! It was a chicken sandwich with some sort of Korean sauce on it but I was starved and the gesture was amusing. We picked up a friend of Andy’s named Steve who spoke slightly better English than Andy, which is probably why Andy picked him up. Steve helped explain the dials in my apartment to me (for heat and water heat) and also carry some bags in.
As soon as they left, I hooked up my computer and talked to the parents! Then I began to unpack and trying to figure out things in my apartment…which deserves a whole entry of its own, that you will receive next installment.
First off, the entertainment available on Korean Air is WICKED AWESOME! (see picture) Everyone has their own personal LCD screen with lots of movies (all kinds – Juno, Enchanted, There Will Be Blood, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s!!!), a few games like Free Cell and Black Jack, a map that shows you where you are in the world and how fast you’re going and such, and music – mostly Korean but some Western. I watched three movies I think? The flight was about 14 hours and I only slept about 2 hours of it so I had a lot of time to kill. The food was good. They had choices between Korean and other food – Western/European. I didn’t really understand the flight attendant when she told me the choices the first time, and the second time I only understood “beef” so I just said “beef” and ended up with the Western dish. And speaking of the flight attendants – all the ones on my plane were like Korean models! They were beautiful, tall women that wore adorable outfits made up of the colors mint green and cream with scarves and sideways ribbons. They certainly broke the Asian “short” stereotype because they were all taller than me. I lucked up with an aisle seat AND an empty seat beside of me! I tried to lay down but it didn’t really help me to sleep any. The person behind me kept kicking my seat if I tried to lean back. The guy sitting on the other side of the empty seat was also going to Korea for his first time, to the army base. Neither one of us slept very well – blaming it on nerves and anxiousness.
But the more interesting part came once I got off the plane. I stepped through the doors out of the quiet baggage claim into a noisy arena filled with taxis, buses, and people with signs. I scanned the signs looking for my name and didn’t find it. Just as I started to panic, the cutest little Korean man came up to me and said “Inglid Kerrel?” As soon as I nodded and said yes, he reached for my HUMONGOUS luggage and insisted on carrying it all, even though I was taller and probably stronger than he. It was TOO precious. I felt terrible and offered several times to carry my own but he was quite the stubborn one. We got to his car, a car proportional to cars as little Andy is to adults. I wasn’t sure we would be able to load everything but we managed to squeeze it all. He asked me if I spoke Korean. I told him no and he proceeded to tell me that his “Engrish” is not very good. That made it difficult to have any kind of conversation so I asked him if he minded if I sleep. He said no (I think) so I nodded off. When I woke up, we were in the thick of the city and I was seeing Korean writing EVERYwhere. At one point, Andy pulled the car to the side of the road, turned on his flashers and said, “Wait.” I listened obediently but secretly began to panic, of course questioning my decision to come to Korea at all. However, the man upstairs must have realized this because I turned to my right and what did I see but signs for all the latest Broadway shows in town – Mama Mia, Company, etc. I’ve found this to be true in many cases. I see all these Korean signs that confused the bigeezus outta me, then I turn the corner and there is an Outback Steakhouse or a Papa John’s or 7Eleven. Then out comes Andy with sandwiches from McDonald’s – HAH of all places! It was a chicken sandwich with some sort of Korean sauce on it but I was starved and the gesture was amusing. We picked up a friend of Andy’s named Steve who spoke slightly better English than Andy, which is probably why Andy picked him up. Steve helped explain the dials in my apartment to me (for heat and water heat) and also carry some bags in.
As soon as they left, I hooked up my computer and talked to the parents! Then I began to unpack and trying to figure out things in my apartment…which deserves a whole entry of its own, that you will receive next installment.
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