It's nine degrees outside today, and it feels like spring. The expanses of gravel that broke up Pyeonjin circle road are now freshly covered with blacktop. So my scooter ride to work is five minutes longer, but now i get to weave back and forth through turns, go up and down hills, and enjoy the countryside and the ocean, without the annoyance of traffic on my way to work now.
I at last finished slogging through Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance at about three in the morning. And ever since I've been feeling positive and optimistic. I'm going to book my flight sometime tomorrow. I've decided I'm going to fly into Thailand and spend a month traveling around.
There is going to be another belt test in a month and a half. I've decided to step up my training by going to the MMA gym five days per week. If I cannot get my black belt, I will at least get my red.
I hope the coming spring is putting a smile on your face too.
Teaching days left: 47
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Trying Not to Think, Swallow
I'm back at square one, philosophically--and I hope to stay there. I decided it was time to embrace the advice that you cannot find enlightenment by searching for it. So I stopped mediating, and now I try my best not to think philosophically. I feel like a body-builder who has decided to stop lifting weights and stop eating at the same time.
I dragged myself to the gym last night and my ultimate reward was getting my neck crushed by Alex the Ukrainian killing machine. It still hurts everytime I swallow. The warm latte I'm drinking is doing little to help.
The question of what I am going to do when my contract is finished was a mere itch a couple weeks ago. Now it is more like the soreness in my throat--by turns barely noticeable in the background and severely uncomfortable and distracting. Ultimately, what it represents is the larger, question of "what the hell do I want to do with my life, anyway?"
I still don't really know, and worse, if I were to try to solve it I would just get caught up in the kind of philosophical trap that I am trying to avoid. How do people make decisions about anything?
Well there is a bit of sun left, so I might as well enjoy it.
I dragged myself to the gym last night and my ultimate reward was getting my neck crushed by Alex the Ukrainian killing machine. It still hurts everytime I swallow. The warm latte I'm drinking is doing little to help.
The question of what I am going to do when my contract is finished was a mere itch a couple weeks ago. Now it is more like the soreness in my throat--by turns barely noticeable in the background and severely uncomfortable and distracting. Ultimately, what it represents is the larger, question of "what the hell do I want to do with my life, anyway?"
I still don't really know, and worse, if I were to try to solve it I would just get caught up in the kind of philosophical trap that I am trying to avoid. How do people make decisions about anything?
Well there is a bit of sun left, so I might as well enjoy it.
Happy Weekend, Broken Machine
Yay! It's Friday and I've just finished my last class of the week! Dear. God. This. Week. Dragged.
I'm a little ashamed to say I broke my relative sobriety by drinking twice during this work week just to make it through... and soon it will be off the gym to get my ass kicked.
I really hope that my long out of commission washer will be fully operational when I get home. After a week of trying to get a hold of my landlord to look at the thing, he told me the motor was burnt out, and I should inform my school, since they own the thing. So, after another week of trying to get 'David' to get it fixed or replaced, he tools around with it a bit and tells the engine is burnt out. Brilliant!
This weekend I hope to go to one of the islands. Since I am entering my final stretch, and am not sure when I will be employed after this, I'm trying to save about half of my paycheck each month, which for some reason is proving fairly difficult.
In other news, my sister Kelsey is following in my footsteps and has arrived in Jeonju to begin teaching English here herself. She picked a good city--the maekolli there is delicious.
I'm a little ashamed to say I broke my relative sobriety by drinking twice during this work week just to make it through... and soon it will be off the gym to get my ass kicked.
I really hope that my long out of commission washer will be fully operational when I get home. After a week of trying to get a hold of my landlord to look at the thing, he told me the motor was burnt out, and I should inform my school, since they own the thing. So, after another week of trying to get 'David' to get it fixed or replaced, he tools around with it a bit and tells the engine is burnt out. Brilliant!
This weekend I hope to go to one of the islands. Since I am entering my final stretch, and am not sure when I will be employed after this, I'm trying to save about half of my paycheck each month, which for some reason is proving fairly difficult.
In other news, my sister Kelsey is following in my footsteps and has arrived in Jeonju to begin teaching English here herself. She picked a good city--the maekolli there is delicious.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Mirry Quits, Morgan Gets Screwed
Well, it's Monday afternoon and I am back at work. Yesterday I applied with Katimavik to be a project leader. Hopefully, I will hear back from them soon. I am becoming anxious to book my plane tickets so as to get a fair rate, instead of waiting until the last second and getting screwed.
Mirry--the kindergarten director and Korean teacher with the most seniority quit.
She is also the person who interviewed me for this job. She had been planning to quit for a while, I understand, but her baby has a serious medical problem, and I think that helped quicken her exit.
In other news, it looks like they are trying to screw Morgan out of his airfare, because he signed a contract with another hagwan, to begin after his contract here.
I better get at it--I've got student evaluations due in two days, and I want to review my contract.
Mirry--the kindergarten director and Korean teacher with the most seniority quit.
She is also the person who interviewed me for this job. She had been planning to quit for a while, I understand, but her baby has a serious medical problem, and I think that helped quicken her exit.
In other news, it looks like they are trying to screw Morgan out of his airfare, because he signed a contract with another hagwan, to begin after his contract here.
I better get at it--I've got student evaluations due in two days, and I want to review my contract.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Changing Seasons, Peers.
Yay! It's Friday once again. One more day of classes, and I will be able to enjoy glorious respite from the mind-numbing monotony that is my job. Despite the fact that I have told my students many times that I am not a babysitter, that is pretty much what I am. I am a high-paid exotic babysitter. They do the work, and 90% of the material comes out of the book. I am essentially there to make sure that they don't speak Korean or beat the piss out of each other.
I'm not sure what I will do this weekend. Evan is having a birthday dinner in Okpo tomorrow, so that's a good excuse to get out of town and eat some non-Korean food for once. There is also an abandoned amusement park there, so I'm going to try and go early to check it out. Maybe I will go to an island on Sunday--the weather is starting to warm up, and the temperature is perfect for hiking.
In other news, Kasey and Brandon's replacements have arrived. One is a girl from Alabama that apparently has trouble holding her liqour, and the other is a girl from South Africa with terrible grammar. But they seem nice.
I've gotten some response from the directors at Uniworld (the academy that I might be teaching at next), but I'm still not sure if I want to do it. For one thing, I would not be out unitl 9:40, which would mean I would always be late to MMA, and unable to go to Hapkido. So...that may just be the tipping point.
I'm not sure what I will do this weekend. Evan is having a birthday dinner in Okpo tomorrow, so that's a good excuse to get out of town and eat some non-Korean food for once. There is also an abandoned amusement park there, so I'm going to try and go early to check it out. Maybe I will go to an island on Sunday--the weather is starting to warm up, and the temperature is perfect for hiking.
In other news, Kasey and Brandon's replacements have arrived. One is a girl from Alabama that apparently has trouble holding her liqour, and the other is a girl from South Africa with terrible grammar. But they seem nice.
I've gotten some response from the directors at Uniworld (the academy that I might be teaching at next), but I'm still not sure if I want to do it. For one thing, I would not be out unitl 9:40, which would mean I would always be late to MMA, and unable to go to Hapkido. So...that may just be the tipping point.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
New Teachers, Possible Extention
It's Thursday once again and I have 10 minutes before my first class starts. I like Thursdays because I get to teach in heated classrooms during my first two periods. Also, I only have seven classes today.
For a while I have felt like my job is superfluous, and that I am little more that a glorified babysitter.
I don't know if I should even try to solve this problem, since I have less than three months left.
I may remain in Tongyeong though. I gave my resume to another school in town, and if they get back to me I'm going to see if a six month contract will fly. From what I gather, my job there would be a little bit more gratifying.
In other news, Arthur's replacement has arrived, so her and her colleague will come out to meet everyone tonight at Thursday night bowling. I told them I would call them and give them the scoop, so I will probably go to the early MMA class.
For a while I have felt like my job is superfluous, and that I am little more that a glorified babysitter.
I don't know if I should even try to solve this problem, since I have less than three months left.
I may remain in Tongyeong though. I gave my resume to another school in town, and if they get back to me I'm going to see if a six month contract will fly. From what I gather, my job there would be a little bit more gratifying.
In other news, Arthur's replacement has arrived, so her and her colleague will come out to meet everyone tonight at Thursday night bowling. I told them I would call them and give them the scoop, so I will probably go to the early MMA class.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Lunar New Year
Well, my Lunar New Year break will be over tomorrow, so beginning the final three month stretch.
I would like to say that I have done a lot with my my last holiday here in Korea, but I ate a bad burger last Monday (at school) and had to excuse myself half way through the day. Two days later, I could move around again, which was a big bonus. Sadly I didn't have much strength left for traveling.
In other news, my would-be traveling partner informed me that he couldn't really think about traveling until after the end of the fiscal year in Australia (June 30th), effectively bailing out on our travel plans completely. So, I guess I am faced with the same decision I was faced with a couple of weeks ago.
I would like to say that I have done a lot with my my last holiday here in Korea, but I ate a bad burger last Monday (at school) and had to excuse myself half way through the day. Two days later, I could move around again, which was a big bonus. Sadly I didn't have much strength left for traveling.
In other news, my would-be traveling partner informed me that he couldn't really think about traveling until after the end of the fiscal year in Australia (June 30th), effectively bailing out on our travel plans completely. So, I guess I am faced with the same decision I was faced with a couple of weeks ago.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)