Orientation Day 1

I may have just graduated college in May, but I feel as though I am once again a freshman wandering an unfamiliar campus, eating with hundreds of my peers, and attending various lectures in large auditoriums. Takes me back to the good old days!

The first official day of orientation started bright and early at 8am for me. I had to complete a medical exam for EPIK which consisted of: a physical exam (height, blood pressure, hearing, vision), blood work, a urine analysis, and a chest x-ray. Nothing quite says efficiency like watching someone pour a cup of your own pee into a test tube in the middle of a very busy lobby with dozens of other EPIK teachers waiting in a queue behind you. Gross, I know!

After the exam, I went back to my room to relax and eat my breakfast. I tried banana milk for the first time; I quite liked the vanilla-esque taste although it was served warm which was new. Lunch consisted of beef, kimchi, steamed squid and broccoli, and dumpling soup. I know this will be controversial...but I am not a fan of kimchi. I tried it (and will continue to try it throughout my journey), but it is not my cup of tea. It always looks delicious though!

Banana milk

My first class of the day consisted of my orientation leader going over our options for an enrichment class we get to participate in on Thursday. The choices ranged from a Taekwondo class to Korean folk songs to a cooking class. Stayed tuned for my selection. We also did a little icebreaker where we shared our name, hometown/ country, and a fun fact about ourselves; my fun fact was that I have been stuck on two different ziplines and had to be rescued. Once the time hit 3pm, we were herded into a giant auditorium (keep in mind there are about 500 teachers for the fall intake) where there was an opening ceremony. The director of the EPIK program gave a small speech, as well as the lead coordinator, Peter, who just so happened to be my coordinator throughout my entire application process. The real showstopper, however, was the Jeonju University Taekwondo Demonstration team. They are nationally ranked and placed first and third in the World Taekwondo Hanmadang in 2019 and 2023. I am hard pressed to remember seeing anything as amazing as this demonstration team. After their traditional show, they moved into, what I am assuming, was a K-pop dance routine.

Jeonju University Taekwondo Demonstration team

Dance routine

My second class of the day revolved around duties and regulations of EPIK teachers. Not the most interesting lecture but highly useful. After class, I had a lovely dinner of roast potatoes, tomato stewed pork, and salad. I then fell asleep at 8:45 in the evening. Certainly makes me feel old and not the spry 22 that I am.