The place we are staying at is called BOA Guesthouse. I guess technically it is a hostel, and I have to admit, I'm a little spoiled so I have never actually stayed in a hostel before, but it's a lot better than I envisioned "hostels" being. My sister and I are thankfully sharing a room, and there are two twin beds, a TV, a fridge, and a bathroom, albeit it is pretty small and reminds me of a bathroom you might have on a yacht- the "shower" is above the toilet/sink so it's kind of an all-in-one tiny room. It certainly is "efficient." The beds have a mattress cover and a blanket- I asked around for sheets but apparently they don't do that in Korea. I checked extensively for bed bugs and cleanliness, but it looks like it passed the test.
My sister didn't get in at the same time as me, so she was in the last group to arrive at BOA. My group went to meet the others for dinner across the street - err alley way - where it was basically a little mom and pops hole-in-the-wall. Everyone got a plate of roasted pork, rice, and shared a pot of tofu stew and various banchan. It was decent, but I still wasn't even sure if I was hungry from having that stupid burger, two meals on the plane, and various snacks.
After dinner, I stopped by a small convenience store to pick up some food for the room in case I got hungry- some canned fruit, peach nectar, and little peanut butter bread sandwiches that looked like adult uncrustables. Then I waited for my sister to arrive.
Once she got here, we went back to the same place with the last group for their dinner. I didn't eat again but had a few bites of their tofu stew because it was different than mine; it was really good. My sister has successfully inserted herself into the program. She tried to apply, but since she had been to Korea before, back in 2002, she wasn't eligible. Luckily, they've been so nice and accommodating letting her room with me, that I think she just broke them down. LOL...they said she could come to all the events - basically everything - and they would also pay for her transportation card and meals. So the only thing she has to pay for herself is her flight and half the hotel bill (but I don't even know if they will make her do that). It probably helps that she's yukking it up here, all in her element, and people don't even realize she isn't officially part of the group. She basically is just one of us, since she's an adoptee looking for her family too, so I don't think anyone cares. If she was a tall white guy who was just following me around, it might be a different story (sorry T).
Anyway, we finally got back to our room around 10, and got ready for bed. I felt tired and took some Robitussin, and went to bed around 10:45. Then I woke up at 12:45 thinking it was the morning. WTF. I forced myself to go back to sleep, only to wake up again at 2:17 wishing it was 8am. Ate two uncrustables. I tried to go to sleep again, but at 4:40 I just sat up and literally could not sleep. This time difference is tough. It's now 6am and I am wondering when it's acceptable to start getting ready for the day....today seems like it should be pretty chill- we just have Registration, a Korean lesson, a BFS (Birth Family Search) and DNA presentation and group discussion, and meals. Let's hope I don't pass out by noon.
If anyone needs to reach me, I'm on wifi pretty much all the time so email or iMessage is best! Hope all is well on the other side of the globe.
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