Hyundai – It's Not Just Another Car Company

I've been in Korea now for four days. I figured it was time for another post.

The flight was ... long. I was really impressed with the service and the entertainment. I was able to watch a few movies that I had been wanting to see! I met up with the other Footprints teachers at the airport and then it was off to the bus. And, oh, what a bus it was! The interior was stuck in an identity crisis. It was a strange mix between Mother Goose and Cash Cab.

We were driven to Who-Knows-Where, Korea, about a mile and half from Seoul, to the Hyundai Training Center, the place I will call home until Saturday. It's up in the mountains, and even though Korea is the most mountainous country in the world, it's still a picturesque location and quite different than the plains of Illinois. Most everything is in or around the mountains. It is a beautiful and impressive facility. To give you an idea of how this place is situated on the mountains, I am in the dormitory building, and I have to go down to the first floor and take a bridge that connects directly to the fifth floor of the training center. It has a fitness room, convenience store, pool, ping-pong, lounges (just couches, people), cafeteria with three meals a day, and hotel-like dorm rooms. Because I've only left here once, it feels like I'm just somewhere in the States at a camp.

I have two roommates for the week. Tamra is from Seattle, and Katie is from London. They are really great people and it's great to have instant friends here. We've had quite the experiences together already!

I was able to leave on Sunday to go to church. It was encouraging to see how many people are here at the training who are Christians. The church is a non-denominational church located in the city on the seventh and eighth floor of a large building. The service was great and the church body was very international.

Opening ceremonies started on Monday with a performance of traditional Korean music. Here's a little clip for your enjoyment! Sorry about all the heads, I was sitting near the back.

The food has been...interesting. We have had rice and kimchi at every meal, even breakfast. Breakfast has also included squid cakes and potatoes roasted in syrup. Most foods come bathed in chili paste. Yesterday we had a special treat; whole fish! Yum! Try eating that with a set of chopsticks!

The grounds are beautiful. Yesterday, I took a walk on the path surrounding the center, and today it snowed! Here's a few of the pictures below.

It's now close to 10pm here, and I just got back from a rousing evening of Korean culture. We learned three types of traditional Korean dances. The instructor was so engaging with an infectious smile. I felt really honored to be able to learn something that is so important to the people here. Here's a short video of the dance competition.

This entry turned out to be much longer than I had expected, but there's so much to share! I'm safe, healthy, blessed, and still loving life.