With Love and Chocolate Animal Crackers

This summer I've kept good old-fashioned kind of journals and writing notebooks. All day as I’m stuck in a stuffy classroom I want to write: fiction, book reports, newsy articles, folksy blogs. Yet every time I get a on a computer, I resort to surfing. Really, it’s more like being caught in a Web. From television torrents to Twitter, to Tubing, I spend immeasurable quality time filling my brain rather than recounting it. Of course, this is educational, but exclusivity does get a little depressing.

This weekend I decided to get caught up on emails and accomplished my goal so extensively that I decided to cut-and-paste them into a blog. I don’t like kitschy blog updates. In fact, I despise them. But knowing that a few specific people actually do read and want to know, I occasionally have to spice up my attempts at intellectualism with a mundane day-in-the-life.

It was a busy week at school with evaluations due and my last week of intensives (extra summer classes for mostly stupid children). As of today I'm down to 40-hour work weeks and words can't fully express the freedom this feels like and the optimism it brings.

Thursday I had an inexplicable urge to go screen golfing. So a little while after work I walked downtown by myself, took my laptop, plugged in some tunes, and golfed for almost two hours. It was awesome! I paid the equiv of nearly twenty bucks for unlimited golfing range practice and 18 holes, and unlimited snacks from candy to coffee to bananas. I don't know if I've explained this phenomenon called screen golfing but I love it. It's basically like you're playing Wii, that is, you hit balls into a screen. But these are REAL balls with REAL clubs and you wear golf shoes and stand on a motorized tee and everything. There are private rooms and you can play with a whole group. It was a really great time for me although I SUCKED! Clearly, I need to spend some more time there....

...but maybe not. I think I paid for the fun on Friday, with one of my worst "back" days in recent history. I couldn't think of anything else all day--it was all-consuming. I was supposed to go to Itaewon for a few parties but I couldn't even fathom riding the subway all that way so I went home and lay down in bed. Paula came over a little later and we went and had a beer while she ate chicken. I didn't want any, and afterward I didn't even make it through one episode of Breaking Bad before I was out, and slept til after 11am when I woke up to Paula letting herself in to get stuff she left behind and make cereal for herself.

Saturday: Pretend to clean and in reality laze around in the Air-con and avoid extreme humidity. Night: dinner etc in Hongdae.

Sunday: pool day with my Aussie and Mexican mates! Evening: goodbye dinner for Canadian big brother with Thai food in Itaewon. Tears shed. Half one’s social life here is spent attending goodbye functions for transient ex-pats such as myself. So life goes.

As for random life here, it’s good. I did indeed get to do quite a bit of traveling and learning about the Peace Corps on my recent 8-day excursion to the Philippines, as I spent the majority of the week with Jerica. One hint: don't vacation with the Peace Corps unless you're NOT looking for a rest! It's quite a busy and bustling life one leads as a PCV, even on vacation :) When I arrived in Cebu City toward the end of the week, I was shocked to find that the Philippines ALSO has modernity. Palawan is so rural and rustic that, although it was AWESOME to experience it the way I did, it was also pretty exhausting and strange contrast coming from modern, elitist, brand-label, tech-savvy Seoul (did I use enough adjectives?!)
I kept thinking that Palawan would have been HEAVEN had I gone there at age 11ish. That was when I was really into adventure books like Treasure Island, Captain Cook, The Wreckers, and stuff like Nancy Drew, etc. Pirates, mysteries, buried treasure, exotic islands all the way! Off shore Palawan, we went to all kinds of "secret lagoons" and "hidden beaches" that were straight up out of those books. It was amazing! It was also super refreshing to talk to Jerica and solve world problems over coffee and books ;)

The weeks are really flying by which is good and bad. Sometimes, like most of this week, I feel like I'm in limbo--just killing time til the next thing. Part of it is living completely apart from my family I think. I always feel like there’s stuff going on “at the main hub” that I’m missing. But after a year I would think this feeling would be somewhat abated—I mean, much as I love them I can't live with them forever! Sometimes I feel quite at home here. Other days it’s so unsettling. Overall it’s been a great experience though. It’s frustrating to be in limbo but I’m learning to enjoy life as it happens. Vocabulary purge: indecisive and angsty.

My contract would have been up this week—crazy to think that over a week ago (August 14-15) I celebrated my one-year anniversary which seems crazy!) but I re-signed for another six months. At that point I'd like to spend a month or two traveling southeast Asia, then possibly stop at a few places in the UK to visit people on my way home. After that, who knows?! I was thinking of applying to a "cultural ambassador' program in Spain for the next school year, but it'd be stipend-only and I'm not sure I'd like to/be able to spend a year not making money. I've also heard Delta might be opening jobs early 2011 and flight attending might just be something I'd like to do for a few years! I freaking LOVE airports, as you know.

I’m looking to get out of teaching, at least, teaching tiny tots. And maybe even teaching English. Maybe I’m lazy, maybe I’m indecisive, maybe I’m bored. Not sure. I’m glad to be here another six months but I’ll be happy to leave. Not sure I want to continue down the TEFL/TESOL/TOEFL/ESL/LOL (props to Kevin) path but it seems the best way to fund one’s own world travel.

Cubicle does blow, but I suppose it’s better than nothing. That’s why I’m not sure I can make it if I go back to America. I’m afraid of the prices and the jobs!

Korea is still the place to be as far as making money, but starting next year I hear there are going to be more hoops to jump through, such as FEDERAL criminal background checks etc. Sources say Taiwan is a lot more fun to teach in, and I’ve considered going there, because after five consecutive years living there you’re granted citizen rights such as local voting, business ownership, etc. How awesome is that?!

Today my kids were shocked to learn that my littlest sister is only 10. “But teacher, you’re SO much older. You’re an adult!” GROAN.

I miss you and chocolate animal crackers.