Been away too long I know...

It's been a while. I have started numerous drafts but have never finished any. I just didn't have anything important to say...

I've been home from South Korea for 2 and a half months. I lived there for a year and 6 days...

I will go back. That is a near certainty. My time there was the only time in my adult life where I've been able to take care of myself and my mom financially. I also liked the country, a lot.

And I feel I've disrespected it by not learning the language and not being open to being "the fish out of water" as I could of been. There is a lot more to do and see there. I need another year, at least...and I'm gonna see who I can con into going back with me...

I also want to say I miss my old school. I would of liked another year to be a better teacher for the kids. When I told the students on my last regular day I was leaving I was a bit surprised by their sadness I was leaving. I have become a bit "grumpy old man" and I when one student started crying when I told her, It broke my heart. Children should be nothing but happy...At that moment If my old boss came in and said we will keep you for 20% less money and you have to live with a hobo, I would have done it...

In the time I have been home I've....really done nothing...I've spent money...laid around the house....and basically ignored things I need to deal with...Mom's happy I'm home. I'm happy to see her but she's losing her house and now with a month left before we have to leave nothing has been done to really prepare...How do you go from a house full of a lifetime of stuff to...I don't know?

I've all my paperwork done to get back to Korea but no one's even responded to my emails yet. I've picked up the pace as my desperation grows, sending out multiple resumes daily.

And I think my depression is getting worse...to the point I am investigating therapy options...

that's it...

Sorry I haven't posted in ages...

I need to post a proper blog update but now I need to rant...


The one thing I've been reading this election cycle that pisses me off to no end is when people use "Mr." to refer to President Obama.

My irritation probably comes from studying journalism in college and teaching English in Korea. But showing petty disrespect by calling him "Mr." just makes you look small.

It's OK to hate his guts. But he is the President Of The United States. You don't like it. Do something about it on Tuesday.

Not a surprise but still packs a punch...

I just found out I'm not getting renewed...

maybe it's for the best, but I just started feeling right and getting "comfortable"...


I hate starting over...

its been a roller coaster of a few weeks...

my mom is going to eventually lose her house...

i found out my contract may not get renewed after all...

new schedule at work so i have to be there 2 hrs earlier...

but on the good end...explored bucheon and area around gangam this weekend. saw "frankie go boom" at a film festival and going back to the fest next weekend...

I think have a problem with Craigslist...

I have become shopping addicted to Craigslist...

The general nature of being and ESL teacher in South Korea is you're in for a year or two, then you go home.

This means people with a decent bit of disposable income buy a bunch of stuff. Then when they move, have to then sell that stuff they don't take back with them or chuck it...

Here's my present list of stuff bought (a won is about $0.85) :

• electric water kettle 5000 won
• 2 ps3 games 25000 won (Trivial Pursuit and Uncharted, seller asked for 20000 for both but I offered and extra 5000 if he'd meet me closer to Suwon)
• toaster 10000 won and a router 15000 won
• Wacom graphics tablet 30000 won 

The list of things I asked about and didn't get is even bigger

• video game stuff
• big ass shoes
• medication (you can't get over the counter drugs here, and my nearest pharmacy closes at like 7pm, also no asprin) I'm also very glad I didn't get this...I would of been too paranoid to use any of it...
• all in one printers

Cragslist has an Iphone app which I find myself using as much as Facebook or Twitter, if not more...

To friends and the stuff they leave behind...Craigslist - Seoul

Being Sick Sucks...

I just got over a cold or something. It involved the worst sore throat I've had in ages. I've also become grossed out by my own snot...I again declare myself old...

I went out with work friends on Children's Day (May 5) here in Korea. We went to this large park. We had some food and beer. My boss is a beer hound. That in itself is not a big deal in Korea. I, on the other hand, don't drink near enough to keep up with anyone in Korea. But this isn't important...

The park was at the tomb of some famous prince of some sort who had been double crossed or something and was buried there. Being it was Saturday and Children's Day, the place was packed. But the park was pretty big so we found a place to plop down. It was cool. I was fine initially, but the wind picked up and made it cold. I was to cool for school and never put on my jacket even thought I brought one...This is what I suspect cause the cold... 

The cold wasn't bad. The sore throat and the cough was the rough part. I couldn't sleep with either some nights. I've been in Korea 7 months and have been sick 3 times already. It's either the kids, the pollution, me not cleaning my apartment enough, or all the above...

I really miss NyQuil...

I also broke down and bought a new printer. I had budgeted 50000 won for it but found on on sale for 35000 won at Emart. I would of preferred the more expensive one but whatever...When I was there I forgot to buy paper so I went back on Sunday to get some. To my amusement, Emart was closed. They have this new law in  South Korea that forces the larger stores to close 2 Sundays a month to promote smaller businesses and yesterday was one of those Sundays...Me, I just wanted printer paper and swiffers...

Things to come...Seoul Racetrack adventure and maybe The Lotus Lantern Festival

Things I miss...

driving...

being able to buy over the counter meds...

real Doritos...

people saying "sorry", "excuse me" or at least a "my bad" in whatever the Korean equivalent is...

a bathtub...

Taco Town

....

So Friday was my birthday...(May 4th)

I'm at a point where my birthday is no longer an event. I've had 41 of them and in recent years it has devolved into getting another 12 pack of socks, underwear or both (these are gifts I actually want...) and previously going out to dinner with my mom. In very recent years we don't even go out as neither my mom or myself want the hassle of getting dressed up after a long day...

But that being said...Thank you to everyone on the birthday wishes...and...

They gave me a surprise party at work. Best part, it was organized by some students and not the other teachers..

I sort of knew a party  was going to happen as clues were popping up during the week, but I thought it would be something like out of Office Space when Lumberg had his birthday.

The kids decorated a classroom with a handmade banner using sheets of paper, there were a ton of balloons, pizza, an awesome cake, a card that a bunch of students signed and even gifts...

Best best part, some students even came back for the party even after they were done for the day...They all usually get up way too early. Then have school until 230 or 3pm. The come to the after school school and then if they are lucky might be home before 7pm...The older kids are here even later and then it's home for dinner, homework and bed....So for some to come back to school was a real big deal in my eyes...

and after all that my boss took me and another teacher out for beers and food...

there some pictures, I'll post them at some point...

Secrets to Life...(in no particular order)

#1 Garlic

and #2 (lots of) butter

.... if you don't cook with it or add it to stuff, then I don't know what's wrong with you...

"high" points of my day:

(1) a middle school student mimicked farting into her hand and then threw the "mimicked" fart into my face....I wasn't completely mad...It was completely rude, but still sort of funny...

(2) a college-aged student asked my age, I told him. He then asked if I knew I had white hairs popping up. I said I was aware of the present situation with my hair. He then suggested that I dye it. He then followed up with that he thought I was "tired". I don't think he meant in a "it's been a long day" sort of way...

this was such a good idea...

Lame ass weekend...

It's 1 on a Monday afternoon. I have to be at work at 230. I have been up since 10-ish and all I've done was shower, get depressed, eat a little, and go back to bed.

I was suppose to go to the bank to wire money home. Didn't happen....

Weekend recap - It was another weekend that began with great expectations and ended with the failure to meet any of them.

Saturday was subdude. But I did put a lot of effort in making the pasta salad for the picnic I was suppose to go on Sunday. I spent way too much money and even made a 2nd trip to the store for more cucumbers. The night was fine until I made my weekly call home to my mom. I won't go into details other than the call put me in a negative mood. That's how I ended my night, in a bad mood.

Sunday began on time and fell apart as the morning went on.

My bad mood was still around. I needed to be on a subway train at 1030am with 1040am being the absolutely last chance train I could take to get to the meetup on time.

I got up at 930 with intent on being at the bus stop at 10. But while I was showering and getting ready all the bad feelings from the night before crept in and took hold. The anger built up to where I was talking to myself in the shower being psycho.

By the time I came to my senses, I was 10 minutes late. I got to the bus stop and the bus took forever to arrive. It turns out there was also a marathon happening in Suwon. That put me back even later.

By the time I got to the subway station, I was 20 minutes past my fail-safe point. I get to the train and the doors close right as I got to the train. At that point I threw in the towel. I wanted to go to the picnic but I really only wanted to see a girl from the last meetup...

So I ended up going back to my apartment, ate pasta salad (litterally for 2 days) and watched the new Morgan Spurlock Comic-Con movie

The weekend could of been better but oh well

I am a boring ass person not matter what country I'm in...

I've been here six months and all I've talked about is my hair and Xbox...there is more on my facebook page but it is an effort to put it on here...

I need to be a better person. On April 11, I went to Jeonju with my boss and her husband for the day. I was a grump most of the day. I wasn't an ass but I could of been much more appreciative for the trip. 

I need to clarify that my boss' husband is a cousin on my mom's side.  I work for family basically. She has been amazing. She has bought me numerous lunches. She has also provided lunch at school. She has invited me to her home on holidays. She has paid for several train trips. She furnished my apartment before I got here. I have an amazing situation. One which I am completely undeserving. 

Back to the trip...She invited me only a couple of days before the 11th. Jeonju is a 3 hr trip by train so to do to it in a day the trip began way early. I am a night owl / insomniac so this was hurdle #1. I had to go to the pharmacy Monday to get sleeping pills as I wouldn't of fallen asleep in time without them.

We had a 7am train so I was up at 540 am.  So I'm up on time. We meet at Suwon Station on time. Wednesday was also the last day of a 2 day rain. It was cloudy and a bit gloomy all day, hurdle #2 ....

Oldest church in Korea

The city was lovely. There were a ton of people out and about in the old town. I was just not into it.

I'm a hermit. I was never always this way. But it's either getting old crankiness, depression, or just lazy...I'm hoping for depression because that can be fixed at least. The other two are what they are...

having just one day free, getting up at 530 am, spending 6 hrs of the day on a train, in the big picture isn't that big of a deal, but I make it a bigger deal than it should be...I need to fix this soon...

OK...I'm sorry Microsoft...

...after finally getting the power cord to get the Kinect to work on my old Xbox 360, I am now loving the Kinect...It's really fun and I have to swallow my irritation over having to get a cord...

good stuff... 

Thanks for nothing Microsoft...and Korea Postal Service...

On Feb 25, I broke down and bought a Kinect for my Xbox 360. I used the "I'll use it to exercise" excuse to justify the 200,000 won ($170) price I paid for it.

But like all things, there's a catch. The Kinect will work right out of the box with a new slim Xbox, but not with an older model. You need a power adapter to get it to work with the older models.

If I was back in the USA, this would not be an issue. I would of just gone to Gamestop or at the least just ordered it from Amazon. A 4 day wait, at worst. But I'm not  in the USA. I'm here in Korea and I figure trying to find a small specific power plug for an device not super popular here would be an issue. So I went online to Ebay. On Feb 27, I ordered the plug from a seller in Hong Kong. The seller rating was acceptable and the price was right so lets see what happens I thought...that was Feb 27...

The shipper mailed out on Mar 2. It arrived at the local postal facility here in Korea on the 13th. It was finally delivered today...2 weeks later...I accept the fact that since I gave my address in English caused the delay...but 2 weeks...DAMN dude...

So a month later I finally get to use this thing tonight....better work and not suck...

1/30/2012

Update

Started Korean classes Saturday (1/28). It will be a minor chore to get up at 750 every Saturday morning to get on the subway by 9 but whatever gets me up and out can't be bad.

Work is perfectly fine. I still feel like I'm a mediocre teacher but my boss says nothing but nice things to me so, great.

I'm debating whether to give my mom my vacation flight so she can come here or to keep it and go back to the US for 2 weeks. I want to go home but it will mean more to her to come back to Korea.

I'm losing all interest in fantasy sports since I've come to Korea... :(

I spent nearly $300 to get my xbox and PS3 (along w/ other stuff) sent here and I hardly ever touch either, except for Netflix or Uno on the Xbox...

blah blah blah...I'm running out of stuff so that's it for now...

Bed Head log: 1/29/2012