Seoul from the start

Korean couples come to Namsan and leave messages or a padlock to symbolise their commitment, makes for a nice photo anyway.

View from Namsan tower, the sun's going down and the lights of Seoul are coming on.

So I arrived in Seoul at the end of February after spending 3 weeks travelling through Siberia. Arriving from Vladivostok I was tired, disorientated and weighed down by my massive bags. But I remember the feeling of touching down at Incheon airport, and getting through customs. All those months of anticipationg were fading into reality, I was met at the arrivals gate by a familiar face: Alasdair who helped me settle into the city I now call home. I met Alasdair back in September '10 whilst on my CELTA training course in Edinburgh. He was so enthusiastic about Korea, even though I was almost sure I was going, he definitley cemented the notion of teaching in Korea.

So I had two days until the mandatory orientation for new EPIK teachers started, so I stayed with Alasdair, met his flatmates and friends, indulged in lots of Korean food and saw some sights. The experience was made all the more amazing after experiencing harsh Siberian winter temperatures  and very average food for the past 3 weeks. Korea hit me full force from the moment I landed.