The Long Road...

...to the weekend. 

It's been a lengthly week, probably the longest and most intensive week yet here in Korea for me. 

Reasons: 

1. The DMZ trip last weekend and the subsequent trip to Daejeon on Sunday made for a very un-relaxing weekend

2. Winter camp was officially upon us. My schedule up until the end of December was teaching three classes a day in the mornings for five days a week. At least then I could relax in the afternoons because I only have to make one lesson plan a week. Then the last two weeks have been spent teaching extra classes to the 11 best English students for three hours in the morning. I have to teach two lessons a day which is nice because it gives me something to do in the afternoons while I freeze upstairs in my office by myself. Finally, on Monday the official winter camp began. 15 students per class, two classes, twice a day. Four classes total. Which is great because that means I was busy....sadly I'm not used to being busy. Then on Tuesday I had the bright idea that I would make cookies with them. NEVER again. Thankfully they all turned out quite well and, besides being appalled by the amount of sugar that went into cookies, the kids were quite pleased with themselves. 

This went on until Thursday when we wrapped everything up with some awesome games. And by Thursday night I was ready sleep for a week. Sadly I had to go back the next day for the regular extra classes. 

3. On Saturday we made our way to Seoul. We met Sang in Myeongdong and proceeded to shop till we dropped. Not actually but it was pretty intense. 

It was also a day of firsts:

First time shopping in Korea

Eating Indian food

Wishing I had a pair of long johns

Going to a Middle Eastern restaurant

Eating Middle Eastern food 

Watching bellydancing

Wanting to sleep in a subway station

All in all, a busy day full of busy things but a good time nonetheless.

Now I just have to look forward to my first holiday since I got to here: Lunar New Year. Three days off plus a weekend. The options are endless....except that I need to save money for my actual vacation in the middle of February so I'll probably just spend it chillin' in Jochiwon. 

Awesome.

DeMilitarized Zone

Ruth and I, and about 30 other foreigners, trekked up to the DMZ for a quick peep at North Korea. I really had no idea what to expect....which was probably for the best because it was....different.

 Yep....that's North Korea...

Even a train station...

....it's been awhile

So it's been awhile since anything was really posted on this here blog. I don't even have any excuses like I've been busy or anything. Because really I'm not busy at all.
Everything has pretty much fallen into routine. I'm at school from 8:30 to 4:30...ish...most days. At night I sit around, bake cookies...that sort of thing.

This is Jochiwon from the top of a mountain somewhere above town. In the bottom left corner just above the treeline you can see my building...aaaand that's my building from my old building....

My new apartment is bigger than the old one which would be great except that I don't really know what to do with all the space when I don't have anything to fill it with. The only furniture I have in the main room is a tv, my desk, and tiny table with an oven on top of it. Very...homey, what can I say.

So the weeks are fairly normal. And so are the weekends. A couple of times to Seoul, a few times to Daejeon, up a mountain or two, and making the trek to Homeplus and back. 

Our first weekend in Seoul was...an adventure. We did the tourist thing and looked at some palaces and such, climbed a mountain unnecessarily, saw a pretty awesome traditional dancing show thing and shared a hostel room with a Mexican Tae Kwon Do team. Overall a pretty interesting weekend.

A couple of weeks later we trekked up Obangsan Mountain outside of Jochiwon with Brian and Jeremy, a couple of Americans who taught at Korea University. It was pretty awesome except that we had to go over three other mountains to get there.

I think the sign on the....left is for the mountain....

There was a lovely little gazebo at the top and pretty awesome views in either direction.

Nothing much to report otherwise. I guess that's a good thing. I mean it's not like North Korea has invaded yet....just the students being drilled on what to do if anything does happen.

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.

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 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.

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.