Welcome to Waegwan

August 20, 2010

Day 1

After a much anticipated arrival, I have finally made it to my new stomping grounds for the next year. Yesterday after packing up my bags once again, I got on a bus to the Seoul train station and then boarded a train to Daegu. After arriving, we were greeted by members of our unit who then loaded us on another bus and drove us thirty minutes or so to Camp Carroll situated in the city of Waegwan. My lessons learned from the travel of Thursday morning/afternoon are: pack lighter next time you have to spend two weeks traveling across the world and around a foreign country and the train system here is awesome. The train stations are clean, tickets are very cheap, and there are few stops on your trip, which makes for very expedient travel!

Upon arrival, we dropped our bags and were brought straight to the housing office to see if there were quarters available for officers, unfortunately the man in charge was out for the afternoon so we were asked to return the next day. I went back to my unit and started in-processing at my unit. It mainly consisted of turning in a large amount of paperwork and filling out some forms. And then I made the day of second lieutenant, when I went in and introduced myself to the current Human Resources Officer. She was beyond excited that I had arrived, knowing that she would only have a week or so left and then she would be heading back to the states. My only comparison was while I was deployed; I can’t even explain how exciting it was when the unit who replaced us showed up on the planes.

I didn’t stay long at the unit because I still needed to go get settled into yet again another hotel. Do you have any idea what it feels like to have been living in hotels for pretty much the last 5 months of my life…it’s crazy. But here I am again in Army Lodging in a room comparable to the one I had at Fort Jackson.

Day 2

Although I call it day 2, this was really the first full day of in-processing and the first full day for me with my new unit. I say that so you can see just how hectic it is for a transitioning soldier. I woke up this morning at 0430 so that I could wake-up and stretch for the diagnostic PT (Physical Training) test I had to take at 0530. Lucky for me I am what they call a PT stud and despite the ungodly humidity, I still surpassed all the standards for my age group and maxed the test! This was a good thing because I found out that I would be meeting with the Commander on Monday morning and it will definitely give me a leg up to walk in there and tell him I got a 300 on the test. From what I hear, like most commanders he loves to run!

For about thirty minutes after the PT test I cleaned up, changed, grabbed some coffee and began my busy morning. First I dropped off my medical and dental records at the different clinics here while filling out more paperwork as I went to each. Next I headed to my unit and was briefed about all the online trainings I had to complete. This was probably one of my favorite parts of the day as I got excited to present them all my certificates and say “bam, I’m done son!” But no sooner then taking them out of my folder the sergeant in charge told me that the website I had gone to was the wrong one. How could that be I wondered when I got the information straight off of the Korea website, but apparently the information was not updated so I will now have to redo 7 online trainings. I would not have been that irked about it until later I found out the training is exactly the same, the only difference is the training certificate will have a different emblem on it. This is ridiculous to me that I have to sit through the same ones just to get a different looking certificate but the Army really doesn’t surprise me in its ridiculousness anymore.

My next stop was a shuttle back to the city of Daegu where the train had brought us yesterday. Daegu is another one of the metropolis areas in Korea, it also holds three small Army camps that we travel to relatively often because they host larger stores, a bigger medical facility, and all around better resources. I had to travel there to go to the transportation office to fill out more paperwork so that my household goods and baggage will make its way to my future living space. Once we were there we had to wait a good hour and a half for the next shuttle to be heading back to Camp Carroll so we went to the PX and I was excited to see they sell my hair care products! This may not seem like a huge thing but when you are in a completely different environment sometimes the littlest things like that make the world of a difference.

Soon I found my way back to Carroll and took another trip to the housing office. Here’s the big catch 22 of the day, a space in the officer quarters on base doesn’t open until the 6^th of September, once I get that place I can then call transportation to get all my stuff that has already arrived in Korea, it will then however take 5 working days to arrive. So I won’t be able to feel at “home” and settled in until at least the 11^th of September. My other option was to move off of base but I can’t take a license test until next week so I can’t get a car for at least another week so I’d have to take cabs back and forth constantly until then if I did move off post. What to do? As of now I have my name on a wait list but will also be calling a realtor this weekend to see some places in town. Heck if I get a car I may move a ways a way, some people even live all the way in Daegu and commute to work everyday especially families because there is no family housing at Carroll, its all in Daegu.

The last part of my day was spent in my new office. I was there until after 1930. Apparently everyone in my shop works late most nights, I am going to do my best to see where the wasted time in the day is and make everyone more proficient in their time management. There may be a rare day here or there where some might need to stay late but its pretty ridiculous that the day shouldn’t end by 1800 at the latest, especially on a Friday! Heck at Fort Hood its mandatory that everyone leaves work by 1700 except if there is training exercise or people are in the field. So we will see where I am at with this situation in about a month.

Everyone has been very helpful so far. I met the commander today, Lieutenant Colonel Skaggs, he seems nice, already started pressuring me into signing on for another year. We have our official first meeting on Monday so we will see how that goes…lol

All in all it was a busy but good first day. And I had to explain to over ten people that my last name is Chan because a lovely Asian couple adopted me. I love the facial expressions I get…I hope they don’t find me out because I love the new identity. Just kidding everyone!!! Well I do tell people that but then a few minutes later tell the the truth J Makes for more fun in life, right?

Two Brothers

August 18, 2010

After a 24 hour reflection, I would like to share a little about my experience at the Korean War Museum. Yesterday afternoon our group headed off post on this little "field trip" as part of our cultural awareness training. After walking about a minute off of post, we quickly entered a two or three block area that was the grounds of the museum. The first thing that stuck out to me were the giant fighter planes and life size battle ship that you needed to walk around to get to the steps of the museum. We walked the steps and entered a building that was at least five times larger then I had expected. Upon our entrance we were given the option to walk around with a tour guide or by ourselves. Since the extent of my knowledge of the Korean War has been learned through my past obsession with Alan Alda on the TV series MASH and a short two or three hour block on military history I received in Officer Candidate School, I decided to step off with the tour guide hoping for more insight. As we arrived at the first stopping point, our guide, a elderly Korean man with decent English skills, proceeded to give a twenty minute explanation of the beginning of the Korean War. I decided that between still trying to get over my jet lag, the heat and my short attention span that I would part from the tour and lead myself. There was just no other possible way I would have been able to see the entire museum.

As I strolled through the museum, I would stop occasionally to read the historical accounts of the displays but to be honest I was much more intrigued by the artistic factors of the museum then the historical part. Like a museum you might see in the states, there were life size displays of soldiers and civilians in different scenarios that walked you through the pre-war status of the country all the way through the establishment of the armistice in 1953 at the demilitarized zone (DMZ). Different pictures and captions I read reminded me of things I had once learned in history classes but I felt completely detached from any emotion. Even as I walked through the refugee displays, I felt nothing. If you know me well, one of the first things that you learn about me is I am a passionate, bleeding heart, wear my heart on my sleeve kind of person, so going through a museum that walks you through complete destruction of a country in ever fashion, it was a little ironic that I felt nothing. Don't get me wrong it was sobering to see the numbers of casualties that surpassed any estimation I had made in my head and there is a definite stop-in-shoes sculpture shaped as a tear drop made completely of 1300 dog tags to represent the UN soldiers who died during the war, but still I thought it all would have hit me a lot differently then it did. This was my feeling until I went outside to tour the grounds around the museum.

As I began to walk around, I first saw two giant bronze sculptures of soldiers leading civilians in what was hopefully to safety and then I noticed a giant structure off to the side. The previous day I had googled the museum to see what had come up and there was the picture of two soldiers hugging, I had forgotten about it until I saw it in that moment. There was a giant dome and on top two humongous soldiers hugging each other. As I walked closer up to the plaque, I noticed that the artist had named the piece "Two Brothers." It was in recognition of the families, friends and entire nation that was divided in two beyond the control of the people. There was often nothing the people could do being separated from the North and South by two different political ideologies. It is such an atrocity that the world's superpowers after WWII ripped apart this small nation to show their power and political agendas.

This sculpture brings so many thoughts and emotions throughout my mind and heart. I can see it in my mind and I think of hope. Hope that maybe someday these two nations will be reunited in a peaceful way. I think of those who fought and those who died in that struggle beyond their control. As American we look at the casualty numbers and think "how many of our own did we lose?" But I look at the sculpture and remember the figure I saw inside, that millions of Koreans died; military, civilians, North and South, there were so many that lost their lives. I think of those that never got to say goodbye one last time to their loved one before they left to fight for the betterment of their family and nation. I think maybe it even symbolizes how both North and South may still today unite today and mourn over what occurred and how today ripple effects still impact their lives.

I will remember my day at the Korean War Museum, I hope for a very long time to come. And hopefully for those who read this and for myself, the Korean War won't have to be remembered as "The Forgotten War."

Cultural Awareness

August 16, 2010

During my weekend vacation here in Yongsan, I decided to relax in my spare time by watching season 6 of The Office which is one of my favorite television series. As I was looking at the in-processing schedule yesterday, I noticed that this morning's topic for the briefings were all revolving around Korean culture in some form or fashion. I recalled one of my all time favorite episodes of The Office that was titled "Cultural Awareness." The boss, Steve Carrell, plays an off the wall character that says anything and everything that is possibly offensive especially in this particular episode. Although I laugh every time I see see the episode, Steve Carrell's character in that episode does resemble a lot of American's stereotypes and viewpoints on other cultures. Many times I am shocked and appalled by these similar types of conversations or jokes that I hear come out of my fellow soldier's mouth, wondering to myself "are they serious?"

Because I so often hear derogatory remarks coming from my battle buddies, I was excited to see that cultural awareness wasn't just one of the online courses I had to take but that it would be an entire day's itinerary before incoming soldiers were sent to their new units.

I arrived today to a classroom filled with 183 other soldiers ready to take on the new day. There were definite grumbles from the crowd regarding the topic that would be presented during the entire morning. But I have to say I think most were pleasantly surprised by the speaker who delivered the classes. Her name was Ms. Kim, she is Korean and works for the 8th Army G9 office in Yongsan (for those of you not military this is the Cultural Affairs Office for a Division of the Army). Ms. Kim gave us a brief overview of the Korean culture, you know the do's and don'ts. She taught us some basic phrases and gave us lessons on Korean history, currency, demographics, religion, food, alcohol, transportation system and economics. I know what you are thinking... how could she fit this all into a few hours? All I can say is she is very good at what she does despite having to use the few Army mandated, ridiculously corny videos that were thrown into the lessons. There was just the right amount of information to get someone off to a positive start in a new country/culture and then provided follow on information for classes you could take at each base to learn more about the culture and language. Needless to say I was highly impressed as I think many were around me who came in with an attitude of, "oh great, another boring briefing." It also made me hopeful that very few Michael Scott (Steve Carrell's character on The Office) comments would enter the workplace, that is about Koreans at least.

Here's my takeaway points from today:

1. I am more excited now then I was before to learn all I can in this next year about the culture and everything that encompasses it. Ms. Kim made me believe that into the village where I will be living and even in the bigger cities, that Koreans will be as intrigued by me as an American as I will be by them. I really do hope there will be many mutual benefits for those who I cross paths with and I to teach each other about our different countries and cultures.

2. How amazing is it that I will have the chance to learn about a culture that is over 5000 years old! I know I have traveled to countries in Europe and India and Iraq, but still any country that surpasses our brief history of a couple hundred of years is still so intriguing to me.

3. One of my favorite things that I already knew but am excited to experience is the respect and reference given to elders in this country. I feel it is something that our culture could really learn from. It is just so great how the younger generations look up to the older ones and know that they have wisdom and knowledge to impart on them in so many different forms. And that tradition is so important.

4. Lastly I learned that as you eat octopus here, you must be careful because although the head may be cut off from the body, the tentacles still more around and if you don't carefully chew them enough they could try and work their way back up your esophagus after you swallow causing you to possibly choke. I added this in because I am stoked to try all the different foods and delicacies here, plus I love that Ms. Kim warned us about this simultaneously making us cautious while also intriguing our appetites for new experiences.

Tomorrow we get to go to the Korean War Museum, which will hopefully hit home for us all about why we are here and a history of brave men and women who came before us both.

And the journey begins...

August 14, 2010

I was never one to think I would start my own blog but as I thought about this new journey in my life it only made sense for me to take this avenue. So I have started this blog mostly so I can look back later in life and remember where I have been and what I have done, but also so that you all can embark on this journey with me at your own leisure and desire.

And so the journey begins...

I left the wonderful state of Minnesota on August 11th at 9am after another set of tearful goodbyes with the family. I was quite nervous, not so much for my arrival in Korea but mostly for getting on my connecting flight with no issues. After a short flight to Atlanta, I got off the airplane and found the first Delta employee so I could ask what the quickest way would be for me to get my next boarding pass. Twenty minutes later, after a slight panic attack that I would have to explain to some high ranking officer why I missed my flight, I was finally checked in and waiting to board the flight. Can I say just how non-helpful some airlines seem to be (my apologies for those working on airlines that know what they are doing and have customer service skills).

I took my seat, the middle one of course on a Boeing 767 (one of the giant planes) and hoped that the flight wasn't completely booked and that I could move to the window seat. Not my luck though, I actually was sandwiched between to Air Force officers, a one-star general and a colonel. For those of you not familiar with the military rank structure, those are ranks most officers will never reach and if they do it is not until a good 20+ years into their careers. Anyways Dave and Mike (no big deal that we were on a first name basis...lol) were both headed to Korea for the joint exercise that is currently underway. For those of you not familiar, this is the 3 week exercise that takes place annually where all the branches come to South Korea to train with those stationed here and the South Korean military. It is also why North Korea shot up a few missiles last Monday, something they rarely do. Well back to the flight, it actually seemed to go rather quick for the 13.5 hours I was in the air. I slept about half the time and watched a few movies as well for my inflight entertainment. Around 2am central time on August 12th we hit ground and the real journey began.

I was quite surprised how easy it was to go through customs, get my baggage (thank God for luggage carts) and find the military liaison at the airport. People were very helpful and I only had to wait about 20 minutes for the next shuttle to the base. I had a few flashbacks to the transportation system in India on our drive, the cars are much bigger but the fast paced, white knuckle drive was very familiar. Another forty-five minutes later and I was at the welcome center on Yongsan (the military base in central Seoul). Time update, it was now about 7pm Seoul time. After a short welcome from the cadre, we were brought by bus to a hotel off base (due to the joint exercise I mentioned earlier the on post hotel was booked that night). It was a decent establishment and I was out like a light by 9:30pm due to my jet lag and the wake up call at 5:30am I needed to start the next day.

Day zero, as they called it at the inprocessing site, consisted of briefs lasting from 8am to 1130am. I have never understood why the Army calls them briefs, because in my opinion there is usually nothing brief about them! It wasn't too bad though, after a lunch break I headed back for the remainder of the afternoon consisting of a lot of sitting around. The upside was that the Army decided to give me yet another Anthrax shot! I am now up to 5 and have finally finished the series, now I only need my annual booster, woohoo!! I had a few conversations with my brigade liaison who is helping me to figure out my housing situation once I arrive at Camp Carroll. He also enjoyed my arrival because he got to call the woman I am replacing and tell her that I have arrived. He let me know this was an enjoyable conversation because he teased her and said that I was being moved to a different assignment and almost had her in tears before saying he was joking. Good to know that there is a sense of humor in my brigade!

After a long day, I was told that the remainder of my stay would be in the Dragon Hill Lodge (the on base hotel). This was great news because it is a pretty classy establishment with a full on food court and many other amenities. It definitely pays to be an officer because if I was still enlisted I would be in the barracks here with no privileges including not being able to leave post during this weekend. After getting all my bags up to my room, I grabbed some dinner and updated my Facebook status, of course, before crashing at about 8pm.

It is now Saturday afternoon, I definitely caught up on sleep today. Initially I woke up at 730am and was very upset that although sleeping for 11 hours I was wide awake at such an early hour. I jumped onto the internet and was lucky enough to find my brother Chris on facebook as well. Its nice to be closer in time zones with Chris and Stephen, I foresee an easier time talking to Chris, for sure, over the next months. I then forced myself to go back to sleep and finally reached my normal sleep pattern of getting up at noon on Saturdays! If there's one thing that I excel at in this life it is my sleeping ability! After getting out of bed and putzing around for awhile I finally showered and headed out to explore the base a little. Don't think for a second my first stop wasn't at one of the many Starbucks locations on post. After getting some coffee and doing some walking I ended up at the post exchange (PX), which is like the military's version of a Target or Walmart. I got a few necessities including my new unit patch for my uniform and headed back. I now find myself lounging around again and will soon start trying to be productive for the rest of the day.

So far a quick list of pros and cons

1. Pro: I haven't once been asked why my last name is Chan, I think they figure I am married to a Korean which from walking around it seems there are many military folks walking around with Asians.

2. Con: the humidity sucks! I love that you can walk pretty much anywhere, in fact getting to downtown Seoul is in walking distance, but I am sweating like a banshee out there.

3. Con: I have numerous cable channels in my hotel room but I can only understand about 10 of them...note to self- need to learn Korean!

4. Pro: I have already used this time to start this awesome blog!

Hope you all enjoy thus far and the many adventures to come! Unfortunately I packed my camera cords in my stuff that was moved from South Carolina, so it will be a few weeks before I can get my own photos online. Until then here's a few pictures I have found online from where I am.

One last note: Happy Birthday to the most wonderful Mother in the world!!! Love you Mom!