WHATS NEW...

WELL, BESIDES THE FACT THAT THE COMPUTER I'M ON HAS A BROKEN CAPS LOCK KEY, A LOT IS NEW.

FIRST OFF, I'M STAYING IN KOREA UNTIL FEBRUARY. I WAS STUPID NOT TO RE-SIGN MY PUBLIC SCHOOL CONTRACT BUT I WAS ABLE TO GET A HOGWAN (ACADEMY) JOB UNTIL THE END OF FEB. WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES FROM THERE. I LOVE THE LIFESTYLE HERE A LITTLE TOO MUCH TO LET IT ALL GO RIGHT NOW.

I'LL BE BACK IN AMERICA SOMETIME WITHIN 2 YEARS...

Tension is high.

Just in case you haven't heard, tension is high between North and South Korea. Here is a basic time line of what happened.

March 26, 2010: The South Korean warship Cheonan mysteriously sinks in the West (Yellow) Sea, killing 46 sailors. People suspect North Korea is to blame.

April 25, 2010: South Korea's defense minister says the most likely cause of the sinking is was a torpedo.

May 20, 2010: A United Nations investigation finds that the sinking was in fact caused by a North Korean torpedo. On May 15th, torpedo parts were found that matched the schematics for known North Korean torpedoes.

South Korean President Lee Myung Bak promised that there would be repercussions for the North. North Korea has denied all of the allegations, even though a small fleet of submarines left their North Korean base shortly before the attack and returned shortly after. The North has also promised consequences for whatever measures the South will take.

Its crazy to think that just 6 hours north of me, this is happening. And yet, nobody seems too concerned. Although today I was asked if I was registered with the embassy and in my extra class my students told me that I would have to go home soon because of the war. Its all kind of scary.

Enough with being a downer.

Thinking about how much fun last Friday at school was completely reverses whatever negativity I was feeling earlier. Last Friday was sports day at Jonggo Middle School. Classes were canceled, students didn't have to wear uniforms and everyone was happy. The students broke off by grade. The third graders went to the gym to play basketball, kick volleyball, and this weird jump rope thing. The first and second graders went to the outside field to play soccer, basketball, and tug of war. At the end they all ran a relay race. For the majority of the day I hung out with the third graders, and by that I let them pull me around and sat there uncomfortably when they cracked my neck and hands and touched my arm hair. Pretty awkward. Between the games some students did a dance to this song. Be careful, it will get stuck in your head.



It was good enough to make up for not being at lip sync this year.

All the students had a great time and so did I. The raw fish and soju dinner we had afterwords was also awesome.

Bonus, tomorrow is like Friday because of Buddha's Birthday!

I need to shake this funk.

I have no idea whats wrong with me. I'm living such a carefree life, I'm making great money, have awesome friends, but for whatever reason I've just been in a funk the past couple of weeks. Maybe because I've been stressing myself out about my contract being renewed. In trying to prepare myself for the chance that I don't get rehired I think I really got myself excited to go home. But what is at home? Yeah my friends and family, but what else? I have no job. The job market isn't great right now. Oh and I'd be living in my parents' basement. My current situation seems way better. Job, money, friends, adventure, self growth. I guess I just feel stagnant. I'm not working towards anything. The sooner my school tells me if I'm being re-signed or not the better because then I can start on a TESOL course to give myself something to do. This is the first summer that there'll be no big summer vacation. Maybe thats getting me down.

This week is a short week, so thats a plus. Hopefully something comes together for the weekend. Its Buddha's Birthday on Friday so we have the day off. My original plans to go to Seoul fell through and I really don't want to sit around Yeosu and do the same things.

Sick season? Really?

Most people get the flu or the plague or whatever during the winter months. Leave it to me to be sick for the third time in three weeks when the sun is shining and the weather is warm.

Two weeks ago I had a killer sore throat and fever. Last week it morphed into a full blown head/chest cold complete with losing my voice completely. Now this week its dizzy spells and throwing up in the bathroom at school. I went to the doctor who told me I have enteritis. He could tell by the wince of pain when he poked where my small intestine is. I got sent home early yesterday and today I am in bed to, as they say in Korea, take a rest.

At least the health care is cheap. I know I praise the hell out of it every time I'm sick but its just so great. The trip to the doctor and 2 days of 5 different meds all together cost me less than $5. What a great country.

Now to put my head down and force feed myself crackers.

Its been a busy month (or so)

I can't even begin to comment on the past month and a half here in Yeosu...and Korea in general. Here is a brief overview:

Hugo's bachelor party in Daegu- Baseball, Mexican food, meeting new friends, getting abducted by Koreans, getting lost and spending the night in a public bath house.

Robbie V's Wedding in Seoul- Traditional Korean style (circa 1500's), great food and great to see Tom Opp and Robbie V.

Busan- God I love this city. Rowdy baseball compete with orange plastic bag hats, aquarium, seeing my Daegu friends, playing roulette, noraebang until the sun comes up...literally.

Camping on Bangjukpo Beach- Awesome scooter ride out, Daegu friends invade Yeosu, randomly seeing 60 people from Seoul who came to Yeosu to hike, drunk guy backing into my scooter, bonfire, mandolin, soju, chopping down a tree, TIMBER!, sleeping on rocks, having a 2 sided tent.

Daegu part 2- awkward van ride, hangover, rugby game, Korea loses by a landslide, macaroni and cheese, drinks in ziploc bags, thumper, team t shirts, beer pong, losing my voice, breakfast burrito, really gay couples shirts.

Yeosu- (a lot has happened here) Turtle Ship Festival, being sick, taking Korean lessons, moving upstairs into a bigger apartment, seeing good friends leave, getting abducted by more Koreans, shooting ranges, roller coaster simulations, springtime, screen golf, hangovers, noraebang, buying a convection oven.

On top of all of that its contract resign season. I told my co teacher that I would like to stay another year. Now I'm wicked paranoid about not being hired back. From what I've been told they will keep you around unless you do something really bad/stupid/suck at your job. I think I'm in the clear but I just hate not knowing. I like to have some sort of plan.

Speaking of plans, I think I might be changing mine. Maybe instead of going down the culinary road I'll go down the road to graphic design. Upfront, graphic design will cost more but average salaries are higher than that of a pastry chef. That also means earning another bachelor's degree. Luckily there are some good online programs that I could start here through the Art Institute or the Savannah College of Art and Design. We'll see. I need to skype call some admissions officers once the internet in my new (bigger!) apartment improves beyond shotty wireless.

Spring is here in Yeosu and summer is well on its way. Its almost "think about where you want to travel on summer vacation" time. My plan is (assuming I am re-signed) go to China for a week or so then go back to RI for about two weeks. As part of my contract I get one week of home leave, so I'll use a week of my summer vacation to make it longer. Then as part of Chuseok break (this year we get a whole week off!) I'll jet (probably ferry) over to Japan. As for winter break...its too far to tell. I've pretty much done all of mainland Southeast Asia with the exception of Laos so I'll just go wherever the most (and most fun) people want to go.

Lets hope I can keep up with this thing more regularly.

Really sorry.

No I haven't died. No the North hasn't invaded and taken me hostage. I'm just lazy. I'm sorry, I will update this week. I promise!