Bloody, Buggery Soju... (Sunday 23rd Feb 2014)

Dear Sal,

This morning I am suffering from the worst hangover in the entire history of the world, ever. In decades to come, this hangover will be given as a example to discourage foolish young people from drinking. I shall forever remember the pain of today as I vow never to drink again... Until next weekend. 

I spent the majority of my first day in Daegu watching movies, and ventured out around midday to explore my area. I made my way down to Home Plus, got some food and went over to the school for a little extra training, and to pick up my new tablet. Over the course of the day, I saw three young Korean couples arrive in my hotel of sin. I found out most of the new teachers spend their first weekend here, a rite of passage if you will. 

Eventually, I received a message from David after he found some free WiFi in one of the many, many coffee shops they have here. I was so happy to hear from him. It may have only been twenty four hours since we had last seen each other, but that was more then enough for me. We arranged to meet up with our fellow trainee and new Daegu resident, Raquel, for dinner and possibly a few drinks. 

After purchasing a subway travel card through the medium of mime, I made my way to the platform and found a bench to park my bum. As I waited, I was joined by an oddly dressed man who came and sat next to me. Out the corner of my eye, I could see him looking at me. Nothing unusual about that, until I noticed what was in his hands. Tarot cards. With each glance, he pulled a card from the pack and closely studied it. This is weird, I thought, so I got up and walked over to the edge of the platform and pretended to read a sign for plastic surgery. He followed me shortly after. When the train arrived, I made my way down a few carriages to escape my creepy stalker and find a seat. Once again, I was joined by my new friend. For the duration of the twenty minute journey, he pulled the cards out one by one, and read them to himself. Not once did he try and speak to me, he just stared and made me feel very uncomfortable. Maybe he cursed me? With the hangover I have now, he probably did.

Downtown Daegu is a labyrinth of shops, bars, clubs and restaurants. We met a small group of people and made our way through the neon maze to find sustenance. It came in the form of galbi, a sort of Korean barbecue, which is delicious. To accompany our meal we drank soju, bloody, buggery soju. Soju is Koreas most popular drink,  It's cheaper than water and ruins lives. There is a Korean drinking game where you each take it in turns to try and flick that bit on the bottle cap off, you know what I mean. Whoever does flick it off wins, and the people either side of them have to drink. We played the game for each bottle we drank, three. 

Last night was a fun whirlwind of drinks, dancing and debauchery. We met so many new people as we crawled our way from place to place, mixing socially and alcohol. Mixing drinks is never a good idea, and last night I mixed an awful lot. I started with vodka, then several long island ice teas when I found out they where cheaper. Soju with dinner, beer, more long island ice tea, more beer. Shots of something which I am still unaware of and copious others I have clearly forgotten about. The drinking culture here is insane and I'm not as young as I used to be. 

I had no idea what the time was when David and I left, but it was early by Korean standards. In my drunken state, I confidently hailed a taxi, asked to go Wolbae and had a very broken conversation with the driver about formula one racing. He handed me his phone and played me a video of a race, while driving. Safety first. 

Waking up to the glaring morning sun did nothing to ease the agonizing pain in which I was in. I haven't had a hangover this bad in years, and I do not intend to have another like this. 

Love, hugs and more paracetamol please. 

Samuel James.

 

Seoul to Daegu... Part Two. (Saturday 22nd Feb 2014)

Dear Sal,

After arriving in Daegu, I wandered in search of a payphone for about ten minutes. I called my branch manager who informed me a man named Alex would meet me by car park exit three. I found my way to that location and my eyes scanned the crowd of commuters. With a name like Alex, I understandably thought I was looking for a westerner. I Imagined a tall, fair haired american about my age. What I got was a fifty year old Korean man who spoke limited English.

He approached me holding a piece of paper with my name on it, "Samwell, Samwell?"
We exchanged an awkward handshake as I performed a balancing act with my luggage, switching alternatively from left to right. A brief "hello" was given before he gestured with his arm to follow him. We walked frantically through the bustling train station,  narrowly avoiding knocking anyone over with massive suitcases, eventually arriving at his car after several wrong turns. As I shut the door, he turned to me, smiled and said "It's nice to meet you, welcome to Daegu" before speeding off into the terrifying Korean traffic.

On the nearly hour long car journey, he pointed out every thing that had an English name, assuming I would find some joy in knowing that a Pizza Hut was close by. His limited English is a lot better than my limited Korean. He said I was "very handsome." I told him he was misinformed, which went over his head. Daegu is stunning at sunset. Driving round the base of a mountain gave me the perfect view of this colourful sprawling metropolis. I look forward to exploring It over the next twelve months.

After quickly dropping off my bags, I was taken directly to the school, where I finally met my branch manager, Joanne. I signed my contract, went over some paper work and was given some key information that I was desperate for; alien card, bank account, mobile phone and some other stuff. The kids saw me through the glass office window and got excited... fresh meat.

I'm staying in a hotel for the weekend until my apartment is ready. I'm pretty sure it's a lovers retreat. It had an air of sleazy sophistication about it. As I lay down to rest briefly before going out again, I wondered how many abortions were created here. After peeling myself off the bed, I made my way back to the school to meet my coworkers. It is a Korean teaching tradition on the first night a new teacher arrives and an old one leaves to have a dinner... And drinks. My branch manger brought my dinner, which was very kind of her. She seems lovely, very sweet. She even drove me back to my hotel afterwards.

I met my fellow members of staff as well as a few others who work close by. They seem like a decent group, but I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open and stop myself from yawning, I hope they didn't think of me as boring. I politely declined the invitation of "coming down town?" after I realised the average time to return home was around four or five in the morning. I went straight to bed and slept for about nine hours. It was wonderful.

I messaged David and have had no response. I hate the fact I can't contact him. I hope he's alright and made it there safely.

love, hugs and sign here, here and here.

Samuel James.

Seoul to Daegu... Part One. (Friday 21st of Feb 2014)

Dear Sal,

Well we both passed. After a week of almost non stop preparation it was some what of an anticlimax. I had about three coffees and about six cigarettes before the final exam even begun. My body is so exhausted I desperately need to sleep. Hopefully this weekend will allow me some much needed time to rest, but some how I doubt that.

Last night, we went out for a meal with some friends we'd made. An India of all things, it was really good, but expensive.  We talked and laughed about anything and everything but the training. It felt wonderful to get out and forget about the impending doom of morning, if only for a couple of hours.

I feel like me and my group partner, who's called Adam by the way, had a great trainer who really made the whole week much more bareable. Other groups didn't appear to be so lucky. The whole thing flew by with ease. Within a few minutes of finishing a man came in the room, handed me my completed medical check to give to the school and my train ticket to Daegu. The goodbyes where rushed, as people exchanged emails, phone numbers and Facebook information. Their was only three of us departing from Seoul station, after showing one man our tickets we where thrown in a taxi and he quickly drove off, waving our last farewells to the survivors of Chungdams relentless training week.

The drive to the station was long and at times worrying. The driving here is terrible. At one point our driver was on his phone texting as the red light in front changed to green. A barrage of horns beeped franticly as he slowly finished writing his message, he didn't give a shit. This happen several times on the journey. Apart from the roads, the public transport here is amazing, everything is on time and regular, that's not a lot of waiting around. And everything is label in English, thank god.

We original thought the three of us would be on there same train, but alas, our luck run out. Poor David had to wait over two hours at the station by himself. I hated abandoning him on his own. I felt sick, but not from nervous about traveling to my new home,  I just didn't want  to leave him behind. I don't know when I will be seeing him next, hopefully tomorrow.

I am currently on a crowded train headed for Daegu, without internet or a phone. The  melancholy tones of The Carpenters are my only company. I am armed with my branch managers phone number and the hope that someone will be waiting to meet me at the other end.

Love, hugs and a packed of Marlboro Lights chew sae yo

Samuel James.

Training, Gangnam Style... cont. (Thursday 20th Feb 2014)

Dear Sal,
 

This week has been long and hard. Tomorrow is the day of judgement. The other day at lunch I found a crabs claw in my noodle soup. A bad omen perhaps?

After the initial shock of the first day of training, I found out in the second that my brain can retain at lot more knowledge than some people give me credit for. My classmate finally arrived, taking away my private tutorial. I spent all Tuesday doing mock lessons while he watched and took notes. It's a lot of work but I'm keeping up with it and doing alright. I feel quietly confident in my teaching abilities and don't see the assessment as anything to worry about. It's the medical check I'm now starting to be more concerned about. I know I should have nothing to worry about after being given the all clear from the doctor, and by all clear I of course mean not enough evidence to diagnose.  Reassuring words from a private specialist.

The days are jam packed with pre training, class simulations, revision and tests. There is barely a moment to stop and eat, let alone take in our new and exciting surroundings yet I'm feeling oddly at home here already. I haven't felt home sick once. I imagine next week will be the real test. If I can survive that, then I know I'll be fine for the next year.

It would have been nice to have gone out for a drink and to celebrate with the people we've been intensely training with all week. But apparently after we finish on Friday, and find out if we passed or failed, most of us will be shipped off straight away. Either with a free ticket to our branch location or an expensive one way ticket home. If we pass, fingers crossed, then this will be mine and David's last night together for a few days, possibly even a week. I know this will be the hardest part for me, I haven't spent more then a night away from David in nearly four years. I'm not looking forward to it.
 

I realised I've been talking so much about myself recently. How the hell are you? Well, I hope. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Love, hugs and random crab claw soup

Samuel James.

Training, Gangnam Style... (Tuesday 18th Feb 2014)

Dear Sal,

I woke up at four o clock this morning, slightly confused as to where I was. Damn you jet lag! After failing to fall back to sleep, we decided to make the most of the short amount of free time we had before the training begins.

We walked around Gangnam subway station in search of breakfast and a photo booth. I had forgotten to bring three passport pictures that I needed for my medical examination. The photo booths here are crazy, you can perform alterations on your picture. Digital plastic surgery. You can change the distance between your eyes, thin your nose, narrow your jaw, make your skin lighter or darker, and still use the image as a passport picture. I mean, how is that even legal?

We passed countless phone shops until we found a cafe that drew David in with a large window display of donuts. I had an English muffin with bacon and egg and David had a blueberry jam sandwich, with surprise cheese. Then we went to a place called Paris baguette, where we drank coffee and played Candy Crush on the tablets that are built into the table. It's like another world.

We made our way back to the hotel where we met some people in the lobby. We chatted inanely as we waiting for the bus to take us to our next destination. Once we got to the training centre, we were given a brief introduction on what to expect in the week ahead before being put into small groups of three and four. I wasn't with David. I had to walk down three flights of stairs to find my room and it was empty. One guy just hadn't turned up and the others plane had been delayed. I felt somewhat awkward sat on my own in that classroom... I had to answer every bloody question.

After about four hours of overwhelming training, we were huddled onto a coach like cattle to a nearby medical centre, where we were made to change into some ill fitted pyjamas. The whole process was very bizarre. We were thrown from pillar to post as one nurse after another took us to different locations to be weighed and measured. We had our eyes tested, our hearing, an x-ray was taken, our teeth examined. And of course the obligatory urine sample. "You pee, this?" said a tiny woman holding up a tiny paper cup and two glass test tubes.

If the security check at the airport was dehumanising, then I don't even know what this was. After we escaped what I can only imagine to be a North Korea induction centre we'd been sent to by mistake, we had our first traditional Korean meal. Ah, kimchi, how I missed you, and metal chopsticks, how I haven't. After not being able to eat all morning, I was more than happy to fill my face with spiced fermented cabbage and dumplings soup. It was delicious.

We returned shortly after our late lunch and began to review our training for the day, complete a number of online tests and prepare for tomorrows' lessons. This is so much harder then we thought it would be. We have so much to cover in so little time, I feel like my head might explode. I think David is finding it harder because everything he's learned in teaching over the last four years has been pretty much thrown out the window. We have a final assignment on Friday that if we fail, we get fired. I'm remaining optimistic.

Hopefully not seeing you soon,

Samuel James.

Travelling... Part Two. (Monday 17th Feb 2014)

Dear Sal,

It's not as cold here as we were led to believe. I carried the world's biggest scarf for no reason. I had a moment of deja vu as we walked through the gate. Seeing the sea of people waiting for loved ones to arrive, holding signs of peoples names to be met and picked up. I scanned them, knowing neither of our names would be there, but hoping they would have taken pity on us. They didn't.

We saw a celebrity. I have absolutely no idea who it was, but they came out the gate right after us and were swamped by hundreds of Korean teenage girls. On our search to find a bus ticket office, we were approached about twenty times to be asked if we wanted a taxi. Through my sleep deprived eyes I thought it was the same two men, but I'm not sure. Maybe they weren't either. 

The itinerary we were given informed us to call our recruiter as soon as we brought the bus tickets, to let her know we'd arrived safely and what time we'd hope to get to the hotel. Of course she didn't answer. After a few attempts, we gave up and joined the line to get our bus. Lucky for us, the bus made announcements in Korean and English, how kind. Unlucky for us, the driver decided not to stop at our destination. Now, the buses in Korea aren't like buses in England, where you have to press the button to get off. This guy was stopping for ages at almost every stop, regardless of people getting on or off, just not ours. After realising we'd missed it, we abandoned ship, and walked the short distance to Ganggnam Station to follow the itinerary map given to us to find our hotel.

The walk itself wasn't the bad thing, it was the four bags and twenty two kg of extra  weight that we carried and dragged. Oh, yeah and the stairs, the never ending stairs. My neck and back hurt from sleeping on the plane, and now both arms and legs ache as well. But that's enough moaning for now. We're sharing a room for the week, which is a relief. I was worried we'd end up with some random people. It's a pretty big room, with a small kitchen, double wardrobe, desk and a dinning table. It even has a washing machine and a little room to smoke in. Result.

Right, I'm knackered and off to bed. I'll try my best to keep you updated over there next week as our training begins. 

Love and hugs,

Samuel James.

Travelling... Part One. (Sunday 16th Feb 2014)

Dear Sal,

I don't really know where the morning went. It was all a blur of packing, phone calls and final goodbyes. It felt more like we were going on holiday for a week or two rather than leaving the country for a year. In the last minute rush, we forgot to take a few cards and gifts people had kindly given us that I wish we could have kept.
 

The cramped car journey to Heathrow went by quickly. My parents sat in the front, while me, David and Charlotte sat in the back playing the spotting game. You know the one, where you spot things. David won with bridges. We arrived over four hours before our departure, and the gate wasn't due to open for another hour, so we had a coffee. Graham wanted to leave immediately, he did have a dog to walk after all. He seemed distant, maybe that's his coping mechanism, but I found him cold.

I'm more then grateful to my parents for everything they've done for us over the last six months and without them, this wouldn't have been possible. They kindly paid for our extra baggage, and I'm not talking a couple of Kg. The airlines website that we used was translated from Korean, and it wasn't translated well. What we read as twenty kg max for each bag, was actually twenty kg max for all bags. We were over by twenty two kg. I don't know what we would have done without them.

 

Saying goodbye to my parents was hard. Saying goodbye to Charlotte was just painful. In one close hug and no words it hit me. I wouldn't be seeing her or any one of my family and friends in over a year. Then I finally broke. 

 

The heartfelt goodbye was somewhat detracted by their swift return after failing to find the car park pay point. They left shortly after and we made our way to the security check. I sailed through after emptying the content of my bag. David didn't, and was felt up by a random man, normally an acceptable experience but at the airport it just feels like we're being dehumanised. I was only allowed to take one lighter through with me. I chose the Zippo Lily brought me in Vietnam. It was empty, while the others were full. Now that's love.

 

My last meal in England was a full English breakfast, how fitting. I thought of you and the countless breakfasts we've shared as I reluctantly ate, despite nerves. I watched Despicable Me 2 on the plane, ate about half my meal and fell asleep, I must be getting old. The eleven hours flew by. Before we knew it, we were filling in our arrival slips. It looked odd to see three hundred and sixty five in the number of days you're staying box.

Walking off the plane, you're hit by this smell that is difficult to describe, but it put me strangely at ease. Any fears I've had in the past few weeks evaporated instantly. It has taken us a bloody long time to get here, but we've finally made it.

Love, hugs and  an optimistic tired smile,  

Samuel James.

Last Night... (Saturday 15th Feb 2014)

Dear Sal,

Last night was so much fun with you guys, just what I needed to unwind and forget about the inevitable. It's one of the things I'll miss most about England. I love how a quite evening in with you can so easily turn from just one glass of wine to just one bottle, then another, and another. Seven bottles later and I knew my last full day in England wasn't going to be a pleasant one, but it was worth it.

Our goodbye was rushed and I felt like I didn't get to say anything I really wanted to in the early morning haze of a hangover. I think I was actually still a little drunk. Needless to say, I crawled from the floor into your bed after you left, but to no avail. I couldn't sleep and we left about an hour after you. I'm sorry if I upset you last night, it wasn't my intention. I want you to know what I said came from a loving place and I had absolutely no intention to hurt your feelings. I love you and I'm proud to call you my best friend. I'm going to miss you so bloody much.

The nerves have finally hit. What started out as a bad hangover has disappeared and left only genuine worry. I'm not gonna lie, I'm scared. It's about midnight now and don't anticipate I'll sleep for hours. I'm so glad I have David to go through this with, he's been incredibly supportive through the whole process. I can remember sitting in that doctors office six months ago and feeling like the rug had been pulled out from under me. He's been nothing but kind and understanding. I can't imagine doing this on my own, how does Lily do this every year? I feel a little overwhelmed.

There are so many people I wanted to see before we left but was unable to. This whole thing has happened so quickly and I can't believe tomorrow we're actually leaving the country for a year. I haven't broken yet, but I can feel the emotions building up inside me, it's only a matter of time before it all comes out.

I imagine I'll be very busy over the next twenty-four hours, but I will try and write to you as soon as I get a chance. For now I'll just say goodbye Sal. Goodbye England, family and friends, I'll miss some of them.

Love, hugs and limp wristed waves.

Samuel James.

  

The Packing Commences... (Wednesday 12th Feb 2014)

Dear Sal,

The flights have finally been booked. We leave at nine o'clock Saturday evening and arrive in Korea by ten to five Sunday afternoon. We had to pay a little more than we expected, and more than the school will reimburse us for. But... at least it's a direct flight with no lay over. Eleven hours sounds a hell of a lot better then eighteen. Now, the packing commences.

With the tickets came the knowledge that our baggage allowance is only twenty kg, which has filled me with dread. How many shirts do I really need? Is five jackets excessive? When was the last time I wore that? Are jumpsuits still in fashion? I have been asking myself all these questions and many more over the last twenty-four hours.

This afternoon, we did a packing test run. Sad I know, but necessary. All my fears evaporated when we weighed the bags and they were both around the fifteen kg mark. I have so much more space,  I might even go shopping again. I'm no longer worried  about the packing and feel like we're more than prepared now. I know you don't care, but please find enclosed my final check list...

I hope I haven't forgotten anything...

 

Tonight was our final meal with some close friends. Saying goodbye felt strange. David got upset, but I just felt numb. It's not that I'm not sad to say goodbye or that I won't miss people, it's just that it still doesn't feel real to me yet. Almost like I'm just waiting for something to go wrong again. I've never been very good with goodbyes, it's usually not until I've gone and I'm on my own that it really hits me. 

Maybe saying goodbye to you or my family will make me crack, or show signs of genuine human emotions. I'm not looking forward to finding out.

Love, hugs and awkward high-fives that just miss.

Samuel James 

The Last Weekend... (Monday 10th Feb 2014)

Dear Sal,

The countdown to departure begins. With only five days to go, I've started to feel the first pangs of nerves. I still haven't began to pack and still don't know when and who are flights are with.  I've started smoking again. 

Going to London on Friday was a nightmare. We planned to get the eight fifteen train, arriving at Victoria just before ten. The two hour window the Korean embassy is open for to apply for a visa, doesn't leave much room for any mishaps. We had until twelve. David and I had been on the train less then an hour before it stopped and the conductor made an announcement. A train had broken down at the junction at Gatwick, causing every train  to be delayed for an unknown length of time.

In that moment I felt defeated. In a matter of seconds I ran through  the scenario of us getting to the embassy too late, having to come up to London the following Monday, causing us to miss our deadline, leading to the schools cancelling our contracts and us having to stay in England, again. I felt humiliated, broken and sick to my stomach.

Over the next half an hour the packed carriage of passengers all reach for their phones. Calling work to say they'll be late for their meeting and calling friends to let them know they'd have to miss lunch. I overheard one woman calling a hospital, panicked that her daughter won't make her surgery she'd been waiting months for. I couldn't speak to David, who remained surprisingly positive. I tried to seek solace in my iPod, and found my finger scrolling to Kate Bush. I have no idea how, but Rubber Band Girl eased me slightly.

The announcement that finally came to inform us the train would shortly be moving couldn't come soon enough. We made it to the embassy with half an hour to spare. Even after we left and I brought an overpriced pack of cigarettes, I couldn't shake the knot in my stomach for the rest of the day.

This weekend has been marvellous. Our return to Lewes was a nostalgic trip down memory lane. The last lunch at Robson's was only dampened by the lack of musical notes plates, and that guy that spend forever in the toilet when I really needed to piss. Not even the decency of a courtesy spray, how rude. Thank you for giving me the gist of The Secret, you saved me hours of wasted time reading it. If only I knew the power of positive thinking the day before, when I needed it. Oh wait, I didn't.

Finding the last maze pen in Bright Ideas was the highlight of my weekend, it was so sweet of those ladies to search their desk draws and find you one, even if it was broken without a lid.

The evening went by in a blur to quickly. It was so good to see so many faces before the two of us leave, although I would have liked to have spent longer with some people and see others who couldn't make it. I feel a strange mixture of emotions today as I begin the inevitable final goodbyes, but it could just be the hangover.

To avoid any broken down trains, suicides or birds on the track, we'll be coming up to London the day before to pick up our visa's from the embassy on Friday. Can I stay at yours? Thanks.

Until Thursday,

Samuel James

Dear Sal... (Friday 7th Feb 2014)

Dear Sal,

In one weeks time, I shall be leaving England to begin my year of teaching English in South Korea. Tomorrow will be the start of our last weekend together for over a year, and if one of us dies, then it will be our last one forever... If it's me, I hope you can move on in time. If it's you, I can live with that.

David has suggested/told me to write a blog to let the people at home know what we're getting up to on our year long excursion abroad, but I thought, no, I don't want to do that, no, thank you. But what I will do is write letters to Sarah so she can know what we're up to. Screw the rest of them.

I feel like we should really start packing and getting everything sorted, but I keep finding new games to play on my tablet. My biggest concern at the moment, apart from the fact that we won't get our visa until the day before we leave on the 15th, is that I won't be able take all my clothes. The luggage allowance is something stupid like 23kg, however much that is, not a lot apparently. I hear tale on the grape vine that I can pay extra to take another bag, but until we book the flights and know the airline, I feel powerless. I stare at my shoes and contemplate which ones will be left behind...  It's all a little to much for me. Oh well, you win some you lose some.

People keep asking me; What will you miss most about England? Apart from the inevitable fact that some of my shoes will be left, I have resigned myself to not think about the loss of my home comforts too much. What small joys I will miss will soon make themselves known, probably within hours of being there. I'll wait until then to worry and moan.

After what happened six months ago with our failed attempts to leave the country, I feel less nervous and more prepared than before. These last few months have been great for both of us. It's allowed me to escape the prison of retail and gain some much needed experience working with children. It's allowed David to work less and write more. The fact that he's writing for four blogs now and is getting paid is amazing, and doesn't make me jealous at all.

Anyway, I have to go and buy a very large bottle of vodka to get me through my last weekend with friends and family for a while.

Love, hugs, kisses and fake heartfelt goodbyes.

Samuel James