I am laying in bed with my headphones on finishing the last few episodes of Glee (from a free website, awesome). Today's work duties allowed me to prance around in the garden barefoot. Sigh...a good day.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Korea Part IV
If you are reading this for the first time, scroll down and read from the beginning. It is a continuous story and it starts with other side of the world, other side of the family.
From what I have heard TaeguTec resembles the campus of Google. Much like Google, TaeguTec has attempted to create an atmosphere within its company where the employees feel warm and welcome. They promote friendship by feeding employees three meals a day at specific times where you eat with your coworkers and are able to socialize with them. The internet is turned off during lunch to promote employees to get off their butts and move around. There are several buildings much life a college campus that compose TaeguTec. I was looking at a map of the new factories that they are building and there are currently 58 different buildings, none are very tall but it spreads across several acres of land. TaeguTec is located just outside of downtown Daegu. It is surrounded by green mountains and is quite beautiful. I really like the company and going to work is quite pleasant actually.
After I was taken around the grounds a little bit I was taken to my hotel where I will be staying until the end of June. The Hotel Ariana is small and cosy and will do me quite nice for a few weeks. In front of the hotel a bus picks me up for work every day and drops me off at the end. There are 4 company buses that take different routes throughout Daegu picking up and dropping off the members of the company. Another perk of this family oriented company.
My hotel/home for a month
The bus stop in front of my building at work
After I dropped my stuff off we went back to work where we ate lunch and then I was trained by members of the HR team until 5. I assumed I looked like a wreck because I hadn’t slept soundly in two days, I was still in the clothes that I left in, hadn’t showered or shaved and didn’t exactly smell like a flower. I sat in a conference room while TaeguTec employees came in, entered into some small talk (the same exact conversation with each one...name, where are you from, do you like Korean food, are you tired, blah blah) and then left. During the breaks I would lay my head on the table and count the minutes until I could go home. Finally at 5 o’clock I went to dinner and then caught my bus home. As soon as I got up to my room I took my clothes off, started unpacking my bags but basically just threw stuff everywhere, turned off the lights and passed out until morning. It was awesome. I had never been so relieved to go to sleep in my entire life.
Put A Bird On It
Ever notice how all things are bird these days?....love it...but love this parody of it even more. Guess my owl necklace is hip, but also ironic. perfect.
***WARNING: I think there's swear words and it gets weird in the end, but just love it.
My sister-in-law showed me this video when we were in San Fran and then walking down the street the next day I say this in the window of Williams and Sonoma. (Please read the fine print sign) Pretty sure they'd never seen this video...awesome. Laughed pretty hard.
Jane and I owl hunt together.
Here- Provo 1:00 AM
(Our summer blog will be called "Here and There", for now. I'm the here. Follow us as we tell you how we live worlds apart, and what brings our worlds together).
I went to my wonderful friend Amy Saycich and her hubby Scott's wedding Saturday and LOVED it. She was a beautiful bride. And she planned an amazing wedding. It was a PERFECT night with 5 of my very best friends. So pleasant to just stay all night and talk, eat bundt cake, drink free soda, dance, and love. Made me so happy and I love them all so much. Congrats again to Amy and Scott.
<3
My favorite
Amy the Beautiful
The next morning (my b-day) I was able to enjoy an early drive to California, singing my heart out the whole way. I got ready at a gas station and made it just in time to my sweet friends Dan and Anne's blessing for their baby girl Isabelle. She is a cutie and lovely. It was a super happy day. I was just so overwhelmed with gratitude for all of my great friends, for my family, for the Lord watching over them all (especially my husband) and just for how great things are going right now. I couldn't have spent my birthday in a better place. Anne even made me a cake and they sang to me and she gave me a present....at her baby's blessing party. Always so thoughtful. I spent the evening with Zach and Jana. They made me a birthday dinner that is exactly what I wanted and let me post up in the corner of their couch. Perfect.
Monday Zana and I took our time and mosied around Orange County. They took me to a GIANT Forever 21 and let me buy stuff (I bought too much). Then we had a delightful lunch together and walked around downtown Fullerton looking at vintage shops, eating mochi balls, and loving life. They showed me downtown Brea, and Orange and Zach gave me tour of his school's campus and Chapman's. Needless to say they are trying to sell us on moving to CA, but it was an enjoyable evening. Although I did SUCK at Cash Cab when we watched and played along, but whatev. I ended up staying up SUPER late to Skype with Spence before I slept.
I woke on my time the next morning and got out of town. I sang lots and practiced karaoke (Someone please invite me so it doesn't go to waste). Oh and what else should I do on my schedule that is all my and is no set schedule so I do as I please...stop at the Prim Outlets and drop a dime or too. I had some luck on my side and got some major steals. So happy to just go there, do whatever I want, answer to no one, not worry about inconveniencing anyone or taking too long. I did my thing. Saw Cami Dye at Banana and caught up. All great. Back in Vegas I enjoyed an enjoyable Cheesecake Factory birthday dinner with Morg, Kaylee, Momma, Linds and the girls and had girl talk with my momma and then Lindsey after at her cute home. Love my family so ridiculously much.
Today I got to eat a delicious lunch at Kona Grill with my pappa and have some always loved and needed Daddy Daughter time. That man...I love him. And the woman connected to him took me birthday shopping, even though I already got my birthday present. Love her too.
And I made it safely on my last leg of the trip home. I listened to the entire Bossypants audiobook by Tina Fey. It was like having a hilarious best friend actually in the car with me. Needless to say, my life is now forever changed...perhaps even complete.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Korea Part III
If you are reading this for the first time, scroll down and read from the beginning. It is a continuous story and it starts with other side of the world, other side of the family.
I boarded the bus at 1:05 and it was off to my final destination.
My bus looked a little like this I guess.
The bus was quite relaxing. The seats were soft and spacious and they even reclined. As we took off out of the station I put my head phones on as the bus driver turned the lights off. It was quite peaceful driving through Korea and to catch a few more hours of sleep. I must of dozed off because 3 1/2 hours later I arrived at the bus station at around 4:30. Everything was closed down so I was left with my two suitcases on the side of the street with no where to go. In the distance I saw the train station that I was supposed to be at but I couldn’t figure out how to get there. After a few unsuccessful attempts at finding routes to the train station I came across an alley way that lead me to an elevator that took me inside the train station. Once I got inside Dongdaegu Station I found a nice seat and hung out there until I felt like the company I am working for would be open. Inside the train station I pretty much just sat and did nothing. I read a little, checked my email, listened to music but mostly just people watched. Around 9:30 I hailed a taxi to TaeguTec, the company that I will spend the next three months for.
I left Monday morning and arrived at my destination Wednesday afternoon (yes there was a massive time zone change but still) ridden 3 airplanes, two buses, one subway and a taxi. It was quite the journey and the moral of the story, arrive in Seoul during the day and take the high-speed train.
The Taxi driver dropped me off at the gates of TaeguTec, yes the gates. Apparently TaeguTec is a full on campus. There is a security station with several security guards checking those people and cars leaving and entering the facility. I left my bags at the security station and met with a member of the HR department. He walked me inside the gates and took me over to the marketing building where I meeted and greeted several employees. We then walked around the campus little bit. I don’t know how to describe the campus but I am hoping these pictures will do.
The gate at the entrance of TaeguTec
Marketing building where I work
TaeguTec campus
TaeguTec is awesome and it is an easy place to go to work. I am glad that I am here in the summer so that I can be surrounded by the green mountains. Wouldn't have it any other way. To be continued...
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Korea, Part II
If you are reading this for the first time, scroll down and read from the beginning. It is a continuous story and it starts with other side of the world, other side of the family.
Once I landed in Korea I went through customs, got my bags and once again tried to figure out where I was at. The Incheon airport was vaguely familiar from when I was here in 2005 and so it already felt good to be back. After getting my bags I headed to the travel office to see how I could get to Daegu at 11 o’clock at night. The people at the travel office informed me that the last bus to Daegu had already left and that the high-speed train (KTX) would not be departing until the morning. I thought I would be spending the night at the airport when one of the ladies rushed in and told me that there was a bus departing to a subway station where I could find another bus station that would take me to Daegu. Before I could figure out what the best plan of attack was I was running out the doors, following some lady I had just met, giving me directions that I was trying to get me head around. She took me to the bus, told me how much it would cost and what stop I needed to look for. On the bus I tried not to fall asleep because I didn’t want to miss my stop. It felt so weird being back here. I spent the bus ride reminiscing on my days here as a missionary. Once I got to my stop I gathered my bags and looked around at where I had been dropped off at. I thought I would be taken to another bus stop but in fact I was at a subway station entrance. I lugged my bags on to the escalator and headed underground to the subway. I then started looking at a map of the subway system to figure out where I needed to go. I must have looked totally disheveled because three college aged students came up to me, and in their best english asked if I needed any help. They helped me find the bus station that I needed to get to. I had to buy a subway ticket and take the line two stops to my destination.
If you look close you can see me.
Another session of lugging my suitcases down an escalator was followed up by a quick subway ride, another lugging of suitcases back up the escalators and to find another map. I wish I would’ve taken a picture of what I really looked (totally disheveled) because another college-aged student with a guitar slung over his back asked me if I needed help. I took him up on the offer and together we found the bus station. The fact that he kept telling me all Koreans get lost in this station made me feel better about myself as well as grateful for his assistance. We found the station and I got my bus ticket. I was able to catch the second to last bus out of Seoul to Daegu. By this point it was about 1 in the morning.
More later... (I'm not really in the photo for those of you who actually looked)
Monday, June 6, 2011
Other Side of the World, Other Side of the Family
I will simply piggy back my wonderful wife’s words and start where she left off. Rach’s and I goal for this summer was to blog our experiences in different countries to show the differences in our lives as well as use the opportunity as a journal. Here goes...
On Monday I spent my Memorial Day holiday on an airplane. My flight took off out out of Salt Lake International Airport at 9:50 in the morning and it was there that I began my lengthy journey to South Korea.
Before I left my family all said goodbye at our house and they are all so great. I had to say goodbye to Bri for two years which was bittersweet. I will miss his goofy personality and uncanny ability to make any situation light hearted but I know he is doing what he should be. Brazil is getting a stallion for two years and we will gladly loan him for a time. Good luck Bri, you will do awesome!
You have come a long way little Bri!
Once I got to the airport, Rach and I loaded and unloaded my massive luggage so that we would only have to pay the overweight for one bag and not both. (Now that I am here I realized I took way too much stuff, but isn’t that always the case?) Anyway, Rach and I had to say our goodbyes and go our separate ways. It wasn’t fun but I think we were both strong. We both consciously made an effort not to dwell on what was really happening and tired to stay positive. I miss Rach all the time but manage to get by without. Not having a constant sidekick is tough and will take some time getting used to but we’ll make it work.
I hopped on a flight to LAX and honestly don’t remember much about that leg of the trip. I probably listened to music or slept or who knows but it was a quick flight and it feels like years ago. Once I found my next gate in L.A. I called Rach for the last time on my phone before I put it away for 3 months and boarded a plane heading for Tokyo, Japan. The flight was brutally long, about 13 hours long. I spent the trip watching movies, reading a little bit, drifting in and out of sleep, and eating the delicious airplane food (insert sarcasm here). The main thing that I came away with from this flight was that my 6’2” frame is not meant to spend long hours in a cramped, seated position.
I landed in Tokyo and a couple of hours to kill so I walked around the airport and tried to get a feel for where I was. After Tokyo, I got another plane to Incheon, Korea. The flight from Tokyo to Korea was about 3 hours and I finally got some legitimate sleep. I don’t remember anything about the flight, which is a great thing. I landed in Korea at about 10:45 on Tuesday night. This means that my travel covered from Monday morning to Tuesday night. But wait, it’s not over.
To be continued...
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