Something just walked into the PC bong....I think it might have been a girl.....
Either that or it was a guy with long hair, a pink coat, tights, and a skirt.
There have been stranger things to happen....
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Made it.
Whew. I'm finally here. Who knew that one of my MANY schemes might actually happen. Blows my mind actually.
There's so much to say and not a whole lot of time. Actually I have all day but I might get lung cancer or something sitting in this PC bong for too long. I had no idea there were still places that allowed smoking....there are actually smoking allowed signs. Never seen one of those before. It's not a bad place actually. The guy who 'runs' it knows I can't speak korean and he's nice enough to tell me how much I owe him in English which is more awesome than it sounds.
So I arrived on Friday morning at 4 am, got into an airport taxi and slept for most of the 2 hour trip from Seoul to Jochiwon, the town that I'm living. We went right to the school I'll be teaching at and my co-teacher met me there. Her name is Mrs. Shin and she's pretty awesome. Her English is good enough to converse with but I've got to take it easy on the sarcasm because it definitely escapes her.
I never knew it was so hard NOT to be sarcastic.
It's Monday today, and my fourth day here. Here's what I've been doing:
Friday: Arrived in the country, went out for breakfast with Mrs Shin, which was awesome by the way because I LOVE Asian food, went to my apartment, which is pretty small but there doesn't seem to be any reason for it to be bigger, unpacked, napped, met Paul, the American I'm replacing, took a little trip around town, went back to my apartment, went to the GS, which is a little convenience store by my apartment, and went to sleep.
Saturday: woke up at 2am because the guy upstairs was being loud. I'm hoping he tripped, or fell out of his bed. Had a hard time sleeping after that, finally got up at 8ish, piddled around the apartment until about 10ish, went for a walk to the school and back, found out my gas line was cut because the girl in there before me hadn't paid her bills (no wonder my showers were cold), had a lunch of duck with Mrs Shin, and headed to a PC bong to email and stuff, went home, went to bed.
Sunday: Met Paul and headed with him to a church service in Daejeon, the very large town/city about a 20 minute train ride from Jochiwon. Had church, met awesome people, went to lunch with them, headed for the train, had to wait, watched some break dancing while waiting, headed back to Jochiwan, met some other English teachers, more Americans (they're EVERYWHERE, these Americans), had supper at a Chinese resturant of all places, went home, went to the 7/ll, bought some more jam for breakfast (I never thought I would need that little bit of non-asian food so much) and an MGD, went home, watched some Band of Brothers with the converter I'd bought in Daejeon, and went to bed.
Monday: Pretty dull today. Slept longer but the people in the apartments around me were up a whole lot later than they were on the weekends so I was still out of bed by 8, breakfasted, watched some more Bof Bs, drank coffee, and headed to the PC bong I had gone to with Mrs Shin on Saturday. It's the farthest one from my apartment that I've found but it's nice and the guy who 'runs' the place is nice and knows I can't speak Korean. He puts up with me pretty well, cleaning industriously around me. I try to be polite and move out of the way but these people take polite to the next level and there's no arguing with them. And so I sit.
This country is unlike anything I ever imagined and I haven't even started working yet. I guess we'll see what happens tomorrow when I start.
Phew.
There's so much to say and not a whole lot of time. Actually I have all day but I might get lung cancer or something sitting in this PC bong for too long. I had no idea there were still places that allowed smoking....there are actually smoking allowed signs. Never seen one of those before. It's not a bad place actually. The guy who 'runs' it knows I can't speak korean and he's nice enough to tell me how much I owe him in English which is more awesome than it sounds.
So I arrived on Friday morning at 4 am, got into an airport taxi and slept for most of the 2 hour trip from Seoul to Jochiwon, the town that I'm living. We went right to the school I'll be teaching at and my co-teacher met me there. Her name is Mrs. Shin and she's pretty awesome. Her English is good enough to converse with but I've got to take it easy on the sarcasm because it definitely escapes her.
I never knew it was so hard NOT to be sarcastic.
It's Monday today, and my fourth day here. Here's what I've been doing:
Friday: Arrived in the country, went out for breakfast with Mrs Shin, which was awesome by the way because I LOVE Asian food, went to my apartment, which is pretty small but there doesn't seem to be any reason for it to be bigger, unpacked, napped, met Paul, the American I'm replacing, took a little trip around town, went back to my apartment, went to the GS, which is a little convenience store by my apartment, and went to sleep.
Saturday: woke up at 2am because the guy upstairs was being loud. I'm hoping he tripped, or fell out of his bed. Had a hard time sleeping after that, finally got up at 8ish, piddled around the apartment until about 10ish, went for a walk to the school and back, found out my gas line was cut because the girl in there before me hadn't paid her bills (no wonder my showers were cold), had a lunch of duck with Mrs Shin, and headed to a PC bong to email and stuff, went home, went to bed.
Sunday: Met Paul and headed with him to a church service in Daejeon, the very large town/city about a 20 minute train ride from Jochiwon. Had church, met awesome people, went to lunch with them, headed for the train, had to wait, watched some break dancing while waiting, headed back to Jochiwan, met some other English teachers, more Americans (they're EVERYWHERE, these Americans), had supper at a Chinese resturant of all places, went home, went to the 7/ll, bought some more jam for breakfast (I never thought I would need that little bit of non-asian food so much) and an MGD, went home, watched some Band of Brothers with the converter I'd bought in Daejeon, and went to bed.
Monday: Pretty dull today. Slept longer but the people in the apartments around me were up a whole lot later than they were on the weekends so I was still out of bed by 8, breakfasted, watched some more Bof Bs, drank coffee, and headed to the PC bong I had gone to with Mrs Shin on Saturday. It's the farthest one from my apartment that I've found but it's nice and the guy who 'runs' the place is nice and knows I can't speak Korean. He puts up with me pretty well, cleaning industriously around me. I try to be polite and move out of the way but these people take polite to the next level and there's no arguing with them. And so I sit.
This country is unlike anything I ever imagined and I haven't even started working yet. I guess we'll see what happens tomorrow when I start.
Phew.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The Time has Come
And here I sit. The bags have been packed, the goodbyes said, and my trip has finally begun.
Maybe finally is the wrong word.
As I sit here in gate # C35 with the old ladies chattering behind me and the kid screaming in front of me I realise just how lost I'm going to be in a country where I don't understand even one word of the language. And I haven't even left the country yet.
Back to the finally bit.
It seems like I've been preparing for the this trip for a very long time now. It was strange today to actually tell people that I knew when I was going, instead of just "when I get my visa" because I have not only my visa but my plane ticket and boarding pass as well.
huzzah.
Ok, so the enthusiasm that is flowing over resembles a plugged toilet, but I'm trying.
The pilot has trotted by followed by the flight attendants with their awesome kerchiefs. Time to prepare to board this flight.
Korea, here I come.
Better watch out.
Maybe finally is the wrong word.
As I sit here in gate # C35 with the old ladies chattering behind me and the kid screaming in front of me I realise just how lost I'm going to be in a country where I don't understand even one word of the language. And I haven't even left the country yet.
Back to the finally bit.
It seems like I've been preparing for the this trip for a very long time now. It was strange today to actually tell people that I knew when I was going, instead of just "when I get my visa" because I have not only my visa but my plane ticket and boarding pass as well.
huzzah.
Ok, so the enthusiasm that is flowing over resembles a plugged toilet, but I'm trying.
The pilot has trotted by followed by the flight attendants with their awesome kerchiefs. Time to prepare to board this flight.
Korea, here I come.
Better watch out.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Getting closer....
One more update before leaving....hopefully.
The visa is applied for, the online test completed. Now comes the waiting game.
Amid comments of "why are you still here", "when are you leaving for korea", and "if you're still here on (insert date here) can you babysit for me" I am struggling to persevere through the uncertainty and nerves that have arisen from this decision to travel half-way around the world.
But alas, it seems to late to change my mind.
After successful shopping avec Maria I have everything....and maybe a little more....than I need to survive the trek across the sea. Now all that is left for me to do is pack. Which, according to Maria, will be a feat in and of itself (usually I ignore the peanut gallery).
Also on my list, put there by my mother, is cleaning my room and the various boxes left in the garage from my moves in and out of the house over the last four years. We'll see how that goes.
And so it goes....my disorganised life is slowly becoming more organised with lists that are somehow being completed.
Mom, I'll try not to leave my room a mess for you to clean up.
The visa is applied for, the online test completed. Now comes the waiting game.
Amid comments of "why are you still here", "when are you leaving for korea", and "if you're still here on (insert date here) can you babysit for me" I am struggling to persevere through the uncertainty and nerves that have arisen from this decision to travel half-way around the world.
But alas, it seems to late to change my mind.
After successful shopping avec Maria I have everything....and maybe a little more....than I need to survive the trek across the sea. Now all that is left for me to do is pack. Which, according to Maria, will be a feat in and of itself (usually I ignore the peanut gallery).
Also on my list, put there by my mother, is cleaning my room and the various boxes left in the garage from my moves in and out of the house over the last four years. We'll see how that goes.
And so it goes....my disorganised life is slowly becoming more organised with lists that are somehow being completed.
Mom, I'll try not to leave my room a mess for you to clean up.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
The mail
I have finally acquired everything needed to continue on to the next step of my going to Korea process. My list is as follows:
1 - signed, notarised, validated copy of my diploma
1 - official, notarised, validated copy of my police check.
1 - validated, official transcript
2 - professional references on letter head
1 - soul
1 - signed clause that maybe mentioned something about firstborns....
Today, after work, I shall trek over to the post office, or the UPS store because, as much as I want to believe in our postal system I just don't trust them not to loose this stuff.
Just one step closer to the rest of my life.
1 - signed, notarised, validated copy of my diploma
1 - official, notarised, validated copy of my police check.
1 - validated, official transcript
2 - professional references on letter head
1 - soul
1 - signed clause that maybe mentioned something about firstborns....
Today, after work, I shall trek over to the post office, or the UPS store because, as much as I want to believe in our postal system I just don't trust them not to loose this stuff.
Just one step closer to the rest of my life.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Almost there....
Another small update on how things are going....mostly in response to having people ask me, wherever I go: Why are you still here, or, why haven't you left yet, or, shouldn't you not be here?
And it's always great being greeted with "Just leave already" by a certain someone....you know who you are.
And then there's asking if I'm going to North or South Korea. Seriously? You're asking that? Get real people. North Korea. Obvi.
Not.
Things are a little behind where I'd like them to be due to the negligence of a certain professor who was supposed to hand me a reference. But all if forgiven....mostly and I've moved on. My hope is by tomorrow to have sent my package of goodies to my employers who will do some strange Korean magic to said goodies and send them back to me, ready for Visa approval. Once I get them back I can go immediately to the Korean Consulate in Toronto (nice place by the way. Classy building and landscaping and stuff. Gets my hopes up for their country) where my Visa will be applied for. 5 to 10 business days later I should have my visa in my hand and be on my way to leaving this county for awhile.
My plan is to leave as soon as I get my visa and stay with Kristin for a bit. Otherwise I'll be arriving just in time to start teaching strange boys in a strange country with no orientation whatsoever.
Sounds fun.
Not.
Maybe North Korea doesn't sound so bad after all.
And it's always great being greeted with "Just leave already" by a certain someone....you know who you are.
And then there's asking if I'm going to North or South Korea. Seriously? You're asking that? Get real people. North Korea. Obvi.
Not.
Things are a little behind where I'd like them to be due to the negligence of a certain professor who was supposed to hand me a reference. But all if forgiven....mostly and I've moved on. My hope is by tomorrow to have sent my package of goodies to my employers who will do some strange Korean magic to said goodies and send them back to me, ready for Visa approval. Once I get them back I can go immediately to the Korean Consulate in Toronto (nice place by the way. Classy building and landscaping and stuff. Gets my hopes up for their country) where my Visa will be applied for. 5 to 10 business days later I should have my visa in my hand and be on my way to leaving this county for awhile.
My plan is to leave as soon as I get my visa and stay with Kristin for a bit. Otherwise I'll be arriving just in time to start teaching strange boys in a strange country with no orientation whatsoever.
Sounds fun.
Not.
Maybe North Korea doesn't sound so bad after all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)