Just over a week in a new place and the sheen of newness is starting to fade. On the bus-trip home today I found my mind wandering to what I’d have for supper, instead of staring with the usual rapt attention at the passing scenery. Although this may have had something to do with the rather exhausting day I’d had.

I spent today on the campus of Keimyung University. I always find University campuses somewhat magical places. Not necessarily because they’re magically beautiful, although many of them are, but because they always seem a little like a place out of time – as though the real world cannot reach the many students who are immersed there in learning and living, a real … well, ivory tower, I suppose. This campus is particularly beautiful. Red facebrick buildings, overgrown with ivy, scattered between fir trees and stretching up the hills into the forest. We even had lunch in the cafeteria. Sitting outside, as we were leaving lunch, was student, so clearly a student, sitting chatting with friends with an Arsenal jersey and a cigarette – like any other student, anywhere in the world.

I was on the campus to do some extra teaching at an intensive English camp for elementary school learners. It’s the first time I’ve worked with young learners since I got here, and the first time I’ve ever worked with learners who have very, very little English (most only started English this year), so it was a little nerve-wracking, but it seemed to go fairly well. I spent several busy hours teaching kiddies about shapes, pets and vegetables. It was also rather exhausting. I stayed after I’d taught my three classes to watch their little play for the parents and was also, accidentally, roped into singing with the kids at the end. I imagine this is the kind of thing I may have to get used to. Luckily it was a song I used to sing a very long time ago in primary school and also that I seldom forget the words of songs, so that I didn’t make a complete fool of myself singing. The Singing and Chant teacher (an actual class that is part of the camp) was very complimentary. Still, in spite of many, many 7 to 12 year-olds, being on a peaceful university campus was a refreshing break from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The day also include one wholly new experience. I took today, for the first time every, the subway. Not just the first time in Korea. I’ve never spent a significant amount of time in a country that has a subway system and South Africa’s first one is still in the process of being built. I was very nervous about figuring out how subways work, particularly in a place that doesn’t use the English alphabet. Once I wandered down the (many) stairs, however, I found signs in both English and Korean, so it turned out not to be all that difficult to navigate. The trains are very modern and swish, with rows of seats along either side and open space for standing in the middle. It wasn’t too busy, on a random Saturday afternoon, and I got on at one of the first stops on the line, so I was able to find an empty seat without too much trouble.

Daegu has two subway lines, the red line (line 1) and the green line (line 2). I was taking the green line and there were 16 stations between where I got on and my stop. It turns out (thankfully) that the announcements  on the train are repeated in English, so I managed not to miss my station. I had a moment of panic when I tried to leave the platform and the barrier wouldn’t let me through, until a very kind Korean lady showed me (with no words whatsoever) that I had to place my transport card (provided by the school and works on buses, trains and possibly phones) upside down on the card-reader. At that point, I was lost. It appears the station I got off at – the station closest to my office – has 5 different exits. After various twists and turns, down staircases and up escalators, I was a little disoriented but I took the one I thought was most likely to be the right one and headed towards ground level. As it turned out, it was the wrong one, but was just around the corner from the bus stop I was headed for, so not too much of a crisis.

I also discovered, less happily, that this is another form of transport that can bring on that lingering, vague nausea that comes from motion sickness. It may just be a combination of nerves, exhaustion and very slight claustrophobia (because I know that I’m underground), but the subway didn’t make me feel wonderful. Or perhaps the aircon system was just malfunctioning and that’s why it made me feel a little off-colour. I was glad to reach the fresh(ish) air of solid ground-level and head for the now-very-familiar bus-stop outside the Fashion-Exchange.

The University is quite far away – literally on the other side of the city. An hour after leaving the University, I eventually arrived back in my neighbourhood. On the way home, I stopped in at the local bakery, a Paris Baguette (of course). Today is the first time I’ve really discovered the bakeries and they’re fabulous. I realise this adventure should definitely include some Korean food at some point, but it’s good to know there is a place where I can get fresh-baked white bread, sweet rolls, croissants and exquisite-looking cakes. I also picked up something for supper – pizza topping on a baguette, which was yummy.

It’s been a long day after a late night, but I have now visited a Korean university, taught little children who can’t speak English, used the subway system and tried out the local bakery, so all in all a fairly productive one.