Jumbo Jets & Love Motels

It’s 5:00am. I tossed and turned all night to the lull and hiss of the air conditioner. I can’t sleep any longer, even though I pushed myself to stay up until around 11:00pm the night before. I can feel the jet lag set in, like a weight in my bones. It is my first morning in Anyang, South Korea, but let’s first rewind to the day before...

 Leaving Chicago O’Hare Airport was easy enough. I went through the motions of any previous traveling I’ve done. I would be returning soon enough, right? It was once I was inside the jumbo jet that it struck me. Yikes. This plane is going far. I am not coming back any time soon. As I sat down between two shy men, one Korean, one American, I was suddenly feeling a wee bit nervous. I wasn’t exactly heading for the exits or even shaking in my metaphorical boots, but I definitely had a tight chest as I realized that this was It. I was about to spend the next day up in the air (a scary thought on its own) in order to land in some foreign land that I was supposed to live in for the next year. What?! Whose idea had this been? Mine? Oh, please. Anyway, when in fear, or when in need of some sleep, take Dramamine. So I did and I proceeded to fall into a deep slumber for the rest of the trip. Oh, I woke long enough to eat the several bananas and such that the crew gave me for my “vegetarian diet”, but I was certainly out for the majority of the flight.

Upon landing, I felt like a rubber doll as I strolled through Incheon Airport. What a wonderfully efficient, organized place! I was out of there in no time, escorted by none other than the Maple Bear School owner himself. After several attempts to dissuade him, I finally allowed Mr. Lee to drag around my luggage... completely unnecessary, although I was quite convinced that Korean Air had stuffed a dead elephant into my hockey bag. I may be tough, but dead elephants push my limits. Mr. Lee drove me to Anyang City, which is about 30 minutes from Incheon. I immediately fell in love with a beautiful native tree which looks like a scraggly palm tree but is actually a conifer. Mr. Lee did not seem to know what the species is called. In fact, I think he found it amusing that the first thing I noticed was the trees. I swear the second thing was the architecture...

So, we finally arrived in Anyang and pulled up to my motel: Athenae Motel. Wait, was I in Greece? Nope, I was definitely in Korea. Athenae Motel is what is called a “Love Motel”. You guessed it: “couples” come to make sweet, sweet love to one another. Rooms are usually booked by the hour. License plates are often hidden by wooden boards. Porn intermingles with other movies on the shelf outside my room. Something tells me these rooms ain’t no honeymoon suites. Anyway, after a brief inspection, I approved of my love pad and got cozy with a book. I ended up napping until Mark, the director of Maple Bear Pyeongchon, came to take me and some other newbies to dinner. We went for authentic Korean, and I must say, the food is incredibly spicy. See, I thought I could handle spice, but kimchi and the like bring spice to a whole new level. After an internal battle with my belly, I finally fell asleep.

So, that was yesterday. Let’s continue on today...

As mentioned earlier today, I had a bit of trouble sleeping and was up before the sun. Or at least I couldn’t see it through the smog. I decide to get dressed and make my way down to Paris Baguette, the Korean version of Tim Horton’s , although it is much more like a fancy pastry shop. I head out alone, for, unlike the other newbies who start teaching next week, I am starting to teach on Thursday. Yes, this terrifies me. Morgan thinks the director planned it that way because he knows I can handle it. I think that’s bogus since he knows very little about me, but it’s proof that I have an excellent boyfriend. I choose a delicious cream cheese and walnut pastry and settle down with my book. Who would have known Koreans are big fans of cream cheese? The discovery warms my heart.

I finish up my breakfast and walk over to the school. Wow. What an amazingly clean, colourful, organized place to teach children. I am shocked by the contrast it creates with Canadian schools I have taught in. Resources are a non-issue, each of us has our own desk and computer in the staff room, and the classrooms are simply... awesome. Anyway, most importantly, I got to meet my future students. They already knew who I was when I walked in! I am, and will be for the next 365 days, “Franzi-Teacher”. Oh, yes, even orally, I know the hyphen is there. I am already slightly enamoured. Listening to them sing every single lyric of Livin’ on a Prayer by Bon Jovi will do that.


After school ended at 4:50pm, I walked out into the muggy streets and decided to buy myself dinner. This proved interesting. I went to a fruit stand and picked up one peach. The lady selling the fruit immediately started speaking Korean to me. The more confused I looked, the faster she spoke. Eventually she hauled over a passerby who managed to explain to me that I needed to buy three peaches, not one. So, I took three, but when I went inside to pay, the lady started repeatedly scratching her throat, threw around some more Korean, and made strange gestures. Now I was a bit worried, for it looked like the peaches were going to... give me a rash? What?! A man came in and said the lady was telling me to wash the peaches so that I don’t have an allergic reaction... I was genuinely confused but bought them anyway. No, I haven’t eaten the peaches yet. I’ll let you know what happens. I then went to Paris Baguette and got myself a delicious deep-fried veggie pocket. I now definitely have a favourite snack! Finally, I went to a little store and bought juice and yoghurt. I gathered the courage to practice the little Korean I had picked up and the lady’s reaction was enough to make me want to practice everywhere! Amazing what just saying “kamsahamnida” will do. It’s always the small things... anywhere you go.