The Long Flight to Korea

My brother drove me to Washington Dulles International Airport. I met other UM student abroad for Korean Air's 11:45 am group flight. It's been 15 years since I've been to Korea and 9 years since I've been riden on an airplane. So it was my first time that I experienced the intense post-9/11 Security check. After the check, I waited at the gate for Korean Air and started listening to my long list of playlists on my iPod for the 14+ hour flight.

Around 11:20 am, I boarded Korean Air's Boeing 747 (KE094) and sat in seat "47H." I thought the group was going to sit together during the flight, but we were spread out so I wouldn't see some of the UM students again until we arrived in Korea. The airplane took off at noon. I ate two "flight meals" with occasional snacks and drinks. During the flight on their Entertainment System, I listened to music, played video games Atari-style, watched movies, and tracked the plane's flight progress with their Google Earth-like capabilities. I didn't sleep alot but I had a series of 1-2 hour "Power Naps." I redundantly repeated these activities, in order, throughout the flight.

At 3:55pm (Korea Time), I finally arrived in Korea at Incheon International Airport. This is my first time at this newly built international airport dubbed the "World's Airport Hub of Northeast Asia." I picked up my luggage and looked for a bus driver with "University of Maryland" sign. We saw the bus driver with the UMD sign as soon as we exited the Customs Check.

Unexpectedly, I saw a woman holding a sign with my name "William Pak, University of Maryland." It turns out that it was my aunt from Cheonan (천안), a city on the outskirts of Seoul, who was informed about my arrival from my mom and wanted to surprise me. I was in kindergarten the last time I saw her and relatives in Korea. I planned on visiting my relatives during "Free Time." I guess this is just a precursor of a family reunion. My aunt (외숙모) let me borrow my uncle's black Motorola Razr and gave me boxes of 효두 과자 (walnut confection) for me to share with the group. After conversing with my aunt briefly, she went back to Cheonan and I caught up with the group and rode the bus to Ewha Woman's University. We finally arrived at Ewha Woman's University and walked to Ewha/Samsung International House, a dormitory for international students. I received my key card and assigned to Room 605. I punched in my PIN number and opened the door to my room. Wow, I liked the IKEA-style room layout, wooden Floor with Ondol (heated floor), and a bathroom with a shower and no separate tub

Then, I unpacked my luggage, connected my Gateway notebook to the internet ,and talked to my mom on Skype that I arrived safely in Korea and met my aunt from Cheonan. At 7:20pm, I ate dinner at a Korean restaurant around Ewha with the group. We ate 순두부 찌개 (Spicy Tofu Stew), 불고기 (grilled beef, bulgogi), and 된장찌개 (Bean Paste Stew) plus with a lot of side dishes. I enjoyed the authentic Korean dinner and walked around the area filled with clothing stores and coffeehouses/cafes. In sum, I endured the 14+ hour flight and finally arrived in Seoul, Korea.