Christ it's been a while sinse i updated this bitch eh?
Reflections on a year in Korea.....
Last year at this time i was just starting to get adjusted to the bewildering maze of life that is Korea. Figuring out how to use public transportation in this odd land (for basically the first time in my life; figuring out what to eat (being veggie in the ROK, this amounts to not much in terms of Korean food); trying to make sense of the strang squiggles that are Hangul (the Korean phonetic alphabet); and many other things were often difficult and bewildering-- especially at the beginning. And i was not yet to know what a difficult couple of first months it was to be...
Two weeks into my job i was told the school was closing down and i had to find a new job (the boss wasn't a dick...he was just a bad businessman i think). After many job interviews i found a job that turned out to be evil so i once more had to move on. More interviews....more ups and downs...more headaches in this place I could barley understand. Finally in January i did find a job and i'm still working at it and am finally comfortable in my life.
In the past year i have.....
>learned how to read Hangul (the Korean Phonetic alphabet). I can't read it well and i have no idea what i'm reading 99% of the time, but it's cool to know i can actually read it. I find it easier to try and read the Hangul names in my Lonely Planet guide than the actual Romanized names of things now.
>Visited Taipei Taiwan for Lunar New Years with D and had a great time seeing some cool temples and the world's tallest building.
>visited Thailand and learned that at night, Lady Boys outnumber real live girls and seem to emerge like vampires. Also, I saw some absolutely magnificent temples and had an amazing experience, riding elephants, jet skis and other cool stuff.
>spent my birthday covered in mud at the Daejon Mud Festival which is totally awesome (thousands of drunakards running around, getting covered in mud.) Great times, though i did fall down way too much.
>Drank until dawn way more times than i care to count, but that's a large part of ex-pat life as a teacher here in Korea.
>Met some amazing people and said goodbye to some truly outstanding people. That's the sucky part of living here: meeting awesome blokes and birds and then having to say goodbye.
>Speaking of blokes i now say "blokes," "birds," "knackered," "heaps," "cheers," and number of other phrases as a consequence of hanging around so many British, Aussie, Kiwi, and Irish English speakers.
>Have discovered that Irish males and the Welsch don't mix too well with me and i had a bruise to prove it (well from a Welschman at any rate.)
>have seen many drunk businessmen reaking of Soju at 6pm as i get on the bus after work...6PM!
>have discovered that Soju is the devils. Soju is basically a lower level alcohol content grain alcohol that tastes like watered down vodka and saw dust. It'll get the job done right quick but leave you with the feeling of getting kicked in the head by an iron boot in the morning. Did i mention it's damn near cheaper than water? For real...a 12oz bottle of Soju is only $2.00 and a huge 2 liter jug is only 4 or 5$ It's also used as window cleaner.
>have seen some absolutely hilarious and rediculous usages of "Engrish" all of which escape me, but the next time i see one, you'll be the first to know.
>have actually figured out that if given the proper tools and guidance, i'm not a half bad teacher. I even managed to get some good discipline into the classroom and have learned a lot from the new-ish Curriculum Head (more on that later.) Man, i love my little guys sometimes. Sure, i've have my ups and downs (cleaning up drool and a few pee accidents now and a again) but it's just such an awesome feeling to see a kid reading English for the very first time and know you were the one who taught them that (it's only a three letter word, but damn, they couldn't do that a few months back now could they?)
>Spent a pretty good Halloween as Batman on the streets of Itaewon (the seedy den of damn near every expat in the country, where the bars never seem to close and there's always people looking to score). This brings me to Halloween where our Curriculum Heads (religious Fundies who want to push their ideology through the school) banned Halloween celebration in the school! This sucked as the kids loved it and i do as well. But being the badass i am, i dressed as Batman for class and handed out candy regardless b/c they weren't there (the CHs).
It's been a crazy year and i've done more and learned more about myself than i ever dreamed of. Some good, some bad, but i think nowadays i'm a much better person for this experience. I'm much more independent and am more capable and adaptable than i ever believed possible and it's really great to know that about oneself.
Onto the future. Flashback 6 weeks: I interviewed for a job in Fukuoka Japan and think i did fairly well for it (ended up going out for a night of drinks with the interveiwers later). Teh job starts in March but i won't find out until December if i get it, but 2006-2007 may be spent in Japan (how cool is that?)
Next month i booked a flight and it looks like I'll be heading to Bangkok for Christmas and hopefully Cambodia to see Angkar Wat in the week between Xmas and New Years (total travel dream fullfilled on that one if it comes to pass!!!!!)
February i'm done working at this school but not before a hellish winter camp ensues which i'm sure will be full of chaos, confusion and double-speak on the part of management, but it could also be a hell of a lot of fun.
Late Feb on through march, i may be home (i've got a baby niece to see on her first b-day) So perhaps some Max16Characters is back in the USA Baby! getogether will be in order then, but we'll see.
Holy christ this is a book! I didn't mean it to get this long but when one hasn't updated in nearly 2 months i suppose that will happen. FYI the people reading this now know more about what's going on in my life than my dad does. YES, i'm that BAD at keeping in touch sometimes. I'd love to catch up with what's happening with all of you, but bed time is nigh. So peace and chicken grease mammy jammies!
Reflections on a year in Korea.....
Last year at this time i was just starting to get adjusted to the bewildering maze of life that is Korea. Figuring out how to use public transportation in this odd land (for basically the first time in my life; figuring out what to eat (being veggie in the ROK, this amounts to not much in terms of Korean food); trying to make sense of the strang squiggles that are Hangul (the Korean phonetic alphabet); and many other things were often difficult and bewildering-- especially at the beginning. And i was not yet to know what a difficult couple of first months it was to be...
Two weeks into my job i was told the school was closing down and i had to find a new job (the boss wasn't a dick...he was just a bad businessman i think). After many job interviews i found a job that turned out to be evil so i once more had to move on. More interviews....more ups and downs...more headaches in this place I could barley understand. Finally in January i did find a job and i'm still working at it and am finally comfortable in my life.
In the past year i have.....
>learned how to read Hangul (the Korean Phonetic alphabet). I can't read it well and i have no idea what i'm reading 99% of the time, but it's cool to know i can actually read it. I find it easier to try and read the Hangul names in my Lonely Planet guide than the actual Romanized names of things now.
>Visited Taipei Taiwan for Lunar New Years with D and had a great time seeing some cool temples and the world's tallest building.
>visited Thailand and learned that at night, Lady Boys outnumber real live girls and seem to emerge like vampires. Also, I saw some absolutely magnificent temples and had an amazing experience, riding elephants, jet skis and other cool stuff.
>spent my birthday covered in mud at the Daejon Mud Festival which is totally awesome (thousands of drunakards running around, getting covered in mud.) Great times, though i did fall down way too much.
>Drank until dawn way more times than i care to count, but that's a large part of ex-pat life as a teacher here in Korea.
>Met some amazing people and said goodbye to some truly outstanding people. That's the sucky part of living here: meeting awesome blokes and birds and then having to say goodbye.
>Speaking of blokes i now say "blokes," "birds," "knackered," "heaps," "cheers," and number of other phrases as a consequence of hanging around so many British, Aussie, Kiwi, and Irish English speakers.
>Have discovered that Irish males and the Welsch don't mix too well with me and i had a bruise to prove it (well from a Welschman at any rate.)
>have seen many drunk businessmen reaking of Soju at 6pm as i get on the bus after work...6PM!
>have discovered that Soju is the devils. Soju is basically a lower level alcohol content grain alcohol that tastes like watered down vodka and saw dust. It'll get the job done right quick but leave you with the feeling of getting kicked in the head by an iron boot in the morning. Did i mention it's damn near cheaper than water? For real...a 12oz bottle of Soju is only $2.00 and a huge 2 liter jug is only 4 or 5$ It's also used as window cleaner.
>have seen some absolutely hilarious and rediculous usages of "Engrish" all of which escape me, but the next time i see one, you'll be the first to know.
>have actually figured out that if given the proper tools and guidance, i'm not a half bad teacher. I even managed to get some good discipline into the classroom and have learned a lot from the new-ish Curriculum Head (more on that later.) Man, i love my little guys sometimes. Sure, i've have my ups and downs (cleaning up drool and a few pee accidents now and a again) but it's just such an awesome feeling to see a kid reading English for the very first time and know you were the one who taught them that (it's only a three letter word, but damn, they couldn't do that a few months back now could they?)
>Spent a pretty good Halloween as Batman on the streets of Itaewon (the seedy den of damn near every expat in the country, where the bars never seem to close and there's always people looking to score). This brings me to Halloween where our Curriculum Heads (religious Fundies who want to push their ideology through the school) banned Halloween celebration in the school! This sucked as the kids loved it and i do as well. But being the badass i am, i dressed as Batman for class and handed out candy regardless b/c they weren't there (the CHs).
It's been a crazy year and i've done more and learned more about myself than i ever dreamed of. Some good, some bad, but i think nowadays i'm a much better person for this experience. I'm much more independent and am more capable and adaptable than i ever believed possible and it's really great to know that about oneself.
Onto the future. Flashback 6 weeks: I interviewed for a job in Fukuoka Japan and think i did fairly well for it (ended up going out for a night of drinks with the interveiwers later). Teh job starts in March but i won't find out until December if i get it, but 2006-2007 may be spent in Japan (how cool is that?)
Next month i booked a flight and it looks like I'll be heading to Bangkok for Christmas and hopefully Cambodia to see Angkar Wat in the week between Xmas and New Years (total travel dream fullfilled on that one if it comes to pass!!!!!)
February i'm done working at this school but not before a hellish winter camp ensues which i'm sure will be full of chaos, confusion and double-speak on the part of management, but it could also be a hell of a lot of fun.
Late Feb on through march, i may be home (i've got a baby niece to see on her first b-day) So perhaps some Max16Characters is back in the USA Baby! getogether will be in order then, but we'll see.
Holy christ this is a book! I didn't mean it to get this long but when one hasn't updated in nearly 2 months i suppose that will happen. FYI the people reading this now know more about what's going on in my life than my dad does. YES, i'm that BAD at keeping in touch sometimes. I'd love to catch up with what's happening with all of you, but bed time is nigh. So peace and chicken grease mammy jammies!
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~cheers