Today I woke up before my alarm as usual. It was nice because I got a chance to talk to Joe before starting my day here.
I met Brian in the street. He is living in a different building than me, but very close. He showed me a short cut to school. Unfortunately, I don't quite remember the way yet. We went to the IIE (Institute of International Education) building, only to be redirected to the "Crown Shaped Building" about 5 minutes away. We had the orientation, which was basically them reading a list of information to us, which they had just handed to us. Then, there was a Welcoming Ceremony, and some important person talked to us and they translated into English, Chinese and Japanese for the group, and then announced all the countries represented there. Brian and I happened to sit next to 2 other adoptees and some people they had befriended. So I've met a young woman from Ireland, Mexico and Switzerland and a young man from Australia. We went to lunch at the cafeteria. It is relatively cheap (less than 4,000W= less than $4), but the system was very confusing. They have a cabinet where they have what is being served on display and you can look at that and a line next to it for a change machine. Inside, you go to a 'booth' and place your order and pay. You get a little slip and it tells you which "kitchen station" to go to to pick up your food. You hand your little slip to the kitchen ladies and then you get your food. I tried a bulgogi wrap, but some of the other stuff looked good-and came with side dishes too. It was hectic like I mentioned before, and right at noon, so there were many, many students in the cafeteria (and they all knew what they were doing). After lunch, we took a quick tour of that building-it houses the bookstore, and then off to the placement test.
There were 50 questions on the test, and the started out very easy and got very difficult. I only made it up to #28 before saying, yea, I can read what it says, but I really have no idea what I'm reading and anything I get right is only from guessing. I got 14 right. After we got our test back, then we went to have an interview with a native speaker. I'm guessing I didn't do so well...she asked me about the weather and I said it was cold (because I was cold...) and then she asked me a question but I had no idea what she asked. I explained, in Korean, that I had studied for 4 months at Inje. Then she asked me to read a few sentences in a textbook. I did so, fine, I thought-she also nodded her head and made an encouraging sound, and then said, "level 1". What?? So, even with my little bit of background knowledge I still did not break through to level 2. I'm really bummed and disappointed in myself. I just hope that it is not painstakingly easy or repetitive or focuses too much on the basics that I already know. I'm dreading tomorrow and having to go over and over and over the alphabet. :(
After the placement test, I came back to my residence. Roommate has still not been seen since last night. I chatted with Jihye (my coordinator from last year) and studied on my Rosetta Stone for a bit.
Around 6:30 I met Brian to go to dinner. We walked around for awhile before finding a bibimbop type of restaurant (hot stone bowls with rice and then you could choose, meat, fish, kimchi, vegetables etc. to be inside-all were set menu items though-not like you could create your own). I got a tuna and kimchi one. It was pretty good and very reasonably priced. I ended up paying for Brian's because he has replied to so many emails and questions from me over the past few months that I needed to repay him. Our total only came to 8,000W (less than $8). They were very filling too. Afterwards, I stopped at a Daiso (Korean dollar store) to get coat hangers and some little hooks to hang things up.
We will see what tomorrow brings.
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