Well, I'm sorry that I haven't been here for a while. I couldn't get blogger to post, and then I got sick. A regular cold and I feel better now. I am very impressed with the doctors here.
So much has happened, I hardly know where to start. We have a new director, and so far I really like him. He is very polite and soft spoken, a big departure from the last one.
My apartment is very flash and I had my first official party. It was quiet but everyone seemed to have a good time and I got to help some people meet.
Work is going well, and I really love some of my classes. My problem child is starting to joke about not getting it, and we had a good time. I'm glad that he feels comfortable with me and is trying hard. My little writer is now working on a short story and I'm helping her. I told her when she is published I want my name in the acknowledgements.
My uncle just went in for open heart surgery so I'm waiting for news.
And so it goes.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Land of Morning Calm
Two facts- There is a high school across the street from my building. Korea is called "Land of the morning calm." For the most part, morning calm is a good description. Korea is a late night kind of country, at least here in Incheon. You can't get a cup of coffee at 8 a.m., but you can get one at 2 a.m. The bars and clubs don't slow down until 3 a.m. and if you stay up till or wake up at 5 a.m you can see the bleary eyed customers stumbling out into the cold light of day. If you wait till 6 a.m. all is quiet. But.
If you happen, like I did, to walk to the PC room at 8 a.m. "land of the morning calm" will not be the phrase that immediately leaps to mind. A mini horde of rampaging high school students almost late for school caromed around the corner and dashed in the gate just in time. I noticed a single rose tenaciously blooming by the fence.
Work is a lot more fun right now. Everyone is starting to relax a bit and joke around. We are sharing ideas and helping each other more. Even my students are getting more active (in a good way). Although it is the end of the month, and I have to get tests and evaluations done. Still, I'm looking forward to going.
In Taek kong mu sul class we learned one of the routines. I felt so bad for my teacher, who valiantly and patiently tried to explain the difference between left and right. I tried unsuccessfully to explain that I didn't know it in English, and besides I only have left feet.
And so it goes.
If you happen, like I did, to walk to the PC room at 8 a.m. "land of the morning calm" will not be the phrase that immediately leaps to mind. A mini horde of rampaging high school students almost late for school caromed around the corner and dashed in the gate just in time. I noticed a single rose tenaciously blooming by the fence.
Work is a lot more fun right now. Everyone is starting to relax a bit and joke around. We are sharing ideas and helping each other more. Even my students are getting more active (in a good way). Although it is the end of the month, and I have to get tests and evaluations done. Still, I'm looking forward to going.
In Taek kong mu sul class we learned one of the routines. I felt so bad for my teacher, who valiantly and patiently tried to explain the difference between left and right. I tried unsuccessfully to explain that I didn't know it in English, and besides I only have left feet.
And so it goes.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
sorry
Sorry I haven't posted in a while. No, I'm not dead, sick or injured. Actually I'm pretty happy right at the moment.
It is 9:30 Monday morning, and the Irish would call the day "soft" there isn't a bright sun, or a harsh wind. Just a gentle haze around the sun and a soft breeze. Although the breeze is carrying hints of winter, they are just hints.
The trees in my park across from my building are starting to turn. Mostly yellow with a few dashes of red thrown in.
My head teacher is no longer with us. She left on Tuesday, and I feel happy, but I didn't realized just how stressed I was until now. I'm starting to get my energy back, but last week I felt so tired. I slept until 2pm on Saturday!
Sunday was a bit like Christmas, because I got my new bedding. Now my room doesn't look like an unfortunately pink hotel room. I got four big pillows, three middle sized pillows and a blanket/quilt all in dark green. The green is even prettier on the bed than in the picture (something that doesn't happen very often). I've put my bed against the wall, and threw the pillows around it so it looks more like a sofa than a bed. The people at the shop were very nice. First, I was able to get everything only one week after I ordered it, then the owner of the shop carried the bags to the taxi stand and made sure I got a taxi, and the taxi driver helped me with them when I got home. Customer service here rocks.
It was my friends birthday on Saturday, so Sunday night I took him to the place with the great duck. He loved it as much as I did. I slept pretty good, and now I'm actually looking forward to going to work again. Life is good.
And so it goes.
It is 9:30 Monday morning, and the Irish would call the day "soft" there isn't a bright sun, or a harsh wind. Just a gentle haze around the sun and a soft breeze. Although the breeze is carrying hints of winter, they are just hints.
The trees in my park across from my building are starting to turn. Mostly yellow with a few dashes of red thrown in.
My head teacher is no longer with us. She left on Tuesday, and I feel happy, but I didn't realized just how stressed I was until now. I'm starting to get my energy back, but last week I felt so tired. I slept until 2pm on Saturday!
Sunday was a bit like Christmas, because I got my new bedding. Now my room doesn't look like an unfortunately pink hotel room. I got four big pillows, three middle sized pillows and a blanket/quilt all in dark green. The green is even prettier on the bed than in the picture (something that doesn't happen very often). I've put my bed against the wall, and threw the pillows around it so it looks more like a sofa than a bed. The people at the shop were very nice. First, I was able to get everything only one week after I ordered it, then the owner of the shop carried the bags to the taxi stand and made sure I got a taxi, and the taxi driver helped me with them when I got home. Customer service here rocks.
It was my friends birthday on Saturday, so Sunday night I took him to the place with the great duck. He loved it as much as I did. I slept pretty good, and now I'm actually looking forward to going to work again. Life is good.
And so it goes.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Drama and Trauma
There is a lot of drama and trauma at work, and since I'm not supposed to know about it, I can't blog about it. I will say this much, I am not traumatized myself.
In other news, I really need to get back into shape since I missed so much taek kong mu sul. But the class was still fun, and I stayed on my feet the whole time.
Life.. gotta love it.
And so it goes.
In other news, I really need to get back into shape since I missed so much taek kong mu sul. But the class was still fun, and I stayed on my feet the whole time.
Life.. gotta love it.
And so it goes.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Good times
Friday night I just crashed and burned. I went to bed early, didn't go to martial arts, didn't go out. But it was good to get some rest.
Saturday I didn't get up nearly as early as I had planned, but I did manage to get to Seoul and meet up with a friend of mine and my co-workers in Kybo. We picked out two books to study grammar (starting Monday) and then went to dinner at the bulgogi place I went to with Kristen Tom and Todd. The food was even better at night. We had some great kim'chi, a mushroom stew, and of course bulgogi. Then we went to Insadong, the old quarter of Seoul. I bought some cool earrings from a jewelery artist? I guess that is what to call him. I talked to him a bit, and I definitely want to go back to the area for shopping! I found the lamps I want (right now I only have the overhead florescent lights and they are way to bright most evenings) and some other things to make the apartment beautiful.
We then went to a beautiful little coffee shop/tea house, but they didn't quite get the coffee part, and put caramel on my mocha. It still tasted good, so no complaints.
Later that night my friend wanted to find the "boys" town, and he didn't want to go alone, so we went in search of "boys" clubs. We found two, after getting lost twice. They were in a back alley, and one was really nice, with flowers on the walls and these beautiful flower lamps. It was quiet and cozy, but I think I scared a few of the customers off. We then asked about the other place my friend wanted to go to. The bartender was very surprised. He kept looking at me, and then looking at my friend. I think it confused him a bit. We were going to have one more drink, but we decided not to because we didn't want to scare anyone else off.
The next place was a bit busier, and the bartender spoke English. The bartender thought we didn't know what kind of place it was, but then I explained I was just a friend. We had some Junebugs, a sweet drink with Midori, and hung out for a few hours. The place wasn't hopping but it was busy enough. I think my friend will be back there soon.
I didn't get home until four a.m. The bars here don't close at 2, like in the States, they stay open until the last customer leaves. This was the second time I stayed way way past my bedtime. I woke up again at 2 pm. I met up with Todd and we went to the bedding shop, I had to call the tourist translation line (they have that now!) and was able to get the bedding I wanted special order. My apartment is going to be so cool. We also bought some more plants, and Todd laughed at me, but I love my mini-jungle so I don't care.
And so it goes.
Saturday I didn't get up nearly as early as I had planned, but I did manage to get to Seoul and meet up with a friend of mine and my co-workers in Kybo. We picked out two books to study grammar (starting Monday) and then went to dinner at the bulgogi place I went to with Kristen Tom and Todd. The food was even better at night. We had some great kim'chi, a mushroom stew, and of course bulgogi. Then we went to Insadong, the old quarter of Seoul. I bought some cool earrings from a jewelery artist? I guess that is what to call him. I talked to him a bit, and I definitely want to go back to the area for shopping! I found the lamps I want (right now I only have the overhead florescent lights and they are way to bright most evenings) and some other things to make the apartment beautiful.
We then went to a beautiful little coffee shop/tea house, but they didn't quite get the coffee part, and put caramel on my mocha. It still tasted good, so no complaints.
Later that night my friend wanted to find the "boys" town, and he didn't want to go alone, so we went in search of "boys" clubs. We found two, after getting lost twice. They were in a back alley, and one was really nice, with flowers on the walls and these beautiful flower lamps. It was quiet and cozy, but I think I scared a few of the customers off. We then asked about the other place my friend wanted to go to. The bartender was very surprised. He kept looking at me, and then looking at my friend. I think it confused him a bit. We were going to have one more drink, but we decided not to because we didn't want to scare anyone else off.
The next place was a bit busier, and the bartender spoke English. The bartender thought we didn't know what kind of place it was, but then I explained I was just a friend. We had some Junebugs, a sweet drink with Midori, and hung out for a few hours. The place wasn't hopping but it was busy enough. I think my friend will be back there soon.
I didn't get home until four a.m. The bars here don't close at 2, like in the States, they stay open until the last customer leaves. This was the second time I stayed way way past my bedtime. I woke up again at 2 pm. I met up with Todd and we went to the bedding shop, I had to call the tourist translation line (they have that now!) and was able to get the bedding I wanted special order. My apartment is going to be so cool. We also bought some more plants, and Todd laughed at me, but I love my mini-jungle so I don't care.
And so it goes.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Look on the bright side of life
Work is not making me happy. I can no longer work at HQ, and that is not good. If I wanted to only be a teacher, the high schools here offer a much much better deal. However I can deal, even with the weekly obscure grammar point tests, the petty punishments, the daily rudeness. It is only for nine more months. I'm disappointed of course, I didn't want to waste a year, but that is life.
I've decided that work is work, I'll go in, do my job, and collect my paycheck. I think they are foolish, because I know I have a lot of energy and good ideas, but that is on them. I have a lot of good things in life: I have some great friends (both foreign and Korean) I have a great martial arts teacher, and I have a fantastic Korean teacher. I am going to concentrate on the things I love and enjoy. Start going back to Toastmasters, climb a few mountains, get my apartment flash. ( I already have a mini jungle)
There is so much to do here, and so much that is good, I am going to concentrate on those things.
And so it goes.
I've decided that work is work, I'll go in, do my job, and collect my paycheck. I think they are foolish, because I know I have a lot of energy and good ideas, but that is on them. I have a lot of good things in life: I have some great friends (both foreign and Korean) I have a great martial arts teacher, and I have a fantastic Korean teacher. I am going to concentrate on the things I love and enjoy. Start going back to Toastmasters, climb a few mountains, get my apartment flash. ( I already have a mini jungle)
There is so much to do here, and so much that is good, I am going to concentrate on those things.
And so it goes.
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