First day in Seoul

After a brief orientation at the airport we were bused to the Korean
Cultural Center for a traditional Korean brunch and a Welcome Concert.
The program featured traditional Korean music and instruments,
including a two-string violin. I also met my home-stay host family at
this time. Following the concert we traveled into Seoul proper, to the
Seoul Foreign Language. School, which coordinated the home stay family
contacts. I am staying with the Kim Family.
Mr. Kim is a banker and Mrs. Kim owns and runs a day care/Kindergarten
school. The school takes up the first three floors of their residence
and they live with their son on the fourth floor.
The Kims took us to a traditional Korean restaurant for lunch, then
took us shopping in on of the large shopping malls in the market
district. From there they took us to the tallest building in Seoul,
where we toured the aquarium, saw an Imax feature, and went up to the
63rd story observatory and art gallery. This is the monsoon season and
the downpours today accounted for 10% of Seoul’s annual rainfall. And
so, because of the rain and fog, we could see nothing from the 63rd
floor!
We had dinner at a traditional Korean barbeque restaurant and then
drove to the Kim’s home. My housemates, Michael and James, and I
presented Mr. and Mrs. Kim with hostess gifts and said good night!
Sound like a long day? It was!!!