[If I could figure out how to get my keyboard to type in Korean Hangul, this would be a really witty subject heading - in Korean]

Alas, I cannot yet manage how to do so ... yet.
The past couple days here at Fulbright Orientation have been a somewhat of a blur. Over the weekend I stayed in Chuncheon and became more familiar with the night life of this booming metropolis. (I actually was forced to stay in Chuncheon and not participate in a Key Club excursion because I need to raise my language exam scores. Bleh. I'm working on it ...) I also saw the Camp Fulbright kids off this Saturday. The two week English immersion camp has ended and we are now back on track to the "regular" schedule. Here, "regular" schedule consists of 4 hours of language classes and a good 4 hours of culture workshops and seminars. It's like they think we don't have any culture!
The workshops and training seminars ... as boring as they might be ... are actually pretty helpful. In the past 4 weeks or so I have learned how to become a more effective English teacher, and have also been able to ease myself into the Korean lifestyle. I can now say that I will know exactly what to do if/when:
I meet my school's principal for the first time - Principals and vice principals are super important here and are somewhat feared (at least by me). Not only will I have to bow at an exact 45 degree angle (I'm pretty sure they whip out protractors just to check) and not mumble any of my Korean when I introduce myself. Oh man ... need to practice that. I also have to buy him/her really nice gifts when I meet them - standard when you meet any person who ranks higher than you on the social ladder. I actually just bought and gave my two Korean language teachers gifts today. Some pretty amazing Minnie Mouse socks I got in a local store here in Chuncheon. They absolutely loved them. However, I don't think I'll be getting a pair for my principal (who are usually guys). I'll probably go with the Mickey Mouse for him.
People ask me about/complain/tell my why I shouldn't be a vegetarian - one of the counselors here is also vegetarian and has given me some pretty helpful pointers. She said it would be best to tell Koreans that my family at home are all vegetarians, and I eat vegetarian as a way to bond with and support the rest of my family. (Dad, you've got about 2 more weeks to give up meat before you make a liar out of me) Because the Korean culture here is so group oriented, my vegetarianism is more understandable and thus justified by Koreans so long as I do it not for individual benefit or individual desires, but to support my community and/or family.
I ride in a taxi ... all by myself - A friend and I went shopping a couple days ago - neither of us speak Korean - and I managed to safely direct us to our destination and back. And I actually understood the gist of what the driver was saying. I was so proud of myself and the progress I have made that I let out a little squeal of excitement ... promptly losing all respect the taxi driver had given me. Oh well. It was still neat.
Koreans approach me because I am a foreigner - we have had several cultural seminars dealing with this topic and past and present ETAs have illustrated many different ways about how to deal with this. Reactions have varied from: scream and shout English until they go away, (probably not something I will try, at first) try to speak to them in Korean (also something I don't know if I will feel too comfortable doing at first), and/or walk away quickly (seems kind of rude to me). I have been approached/stared at intently on multiple occasions ... mostly when I am outside of the university grounds and in the city. I had a pretty intense staring contest with a little Korean girl a couple days ago on the escalator in Emart. Sadly I did not win. Koreans are extra good at not blinking for long periods of time ... something I need to work on. However, I usually smile and wave and attempt to say something in both English and Korean, trying to explain myself. This has generally worked - a smile and a thumbs up can go a long way I've noticed.
Well today I was able to go to and participate in a traditional Korean tea ceremony. It was pretty legit. The lady who did it for us was a Korean tea master and I had some of the best tea I've ever drank. We had a mixture of green tea and lotus tea - made from the leaves of the lotus flower. It was gorgeous and tasty - a pretty sweet combo. Actually the tea wasn't sweetened, but the ceremony was. (I took some pictures and will be posting them soon on my picture website)
Today I also learned that placement day - the day where we all find out where we will be living for the next year and what school/grade level we will be teaching - has been moved. It was originally scheduled for this Wednesday, but they moved it up, so I will know where I will live by tomorrow evening! I'm pretty stoked - I feel that for the past 3 or 4 weeks I have been living in limbo. Kind of in Korea, but not really. Kind of own my own as a "grown up", but not really. I think that once I finally realize that I will be living in Korea pretty much by myself (with my host family, not with other American ETAs) the feeling will finally sink in that I'm in Korea and have to do some stuff now. Some pretty important stuff, actually. Cultural exchange and ambassador things and stuff. I hope I can handle it!
I will definitely let you all know exactly where I will be living and in what type of school I will be teaching. So stay tuned ... if I can find some free time tomorrow I will definitely let you all know via blog!

Lauren, out.