night 1 and day 1

oh my goodness! well.......i got picked up, finally, last night around 9pm from tobi's apartment. the vice-principal, who's in charge of the hiring and taking care of the foreign teachers, drove me to my new apartment. it is clean......which is the biggest worry.......but it is also very, very, tiny. there is a single bed and with not much floor space i'm supposed to be getting a fridge and wardrobe in the next week. good thing i have a tiny laundry area where i think i can put the wardrobe. as soon as possible i'll be posting pics of the apartment so you can see just how small it is.

i also found out that i'm going to japan this week wednesday, not next week. the communication misunderstandings are inevitable........but hard to get used to again. so i think i go to school tomorrow for a couple of hours (as the new students aren't at the school 'till monday) then off to japan wednesday and back friday..........but i will remain on my toes for the plans to be changing at the drop of a hat. they always do.

everyone at the school seems very nice and helpful so far. i think it's going to be a great year. unless this housing situation improves to a bigger place.......i'm only staying at this school for a year. that's not to say that i'll only be in korea for one year. if i decide to stay for a second year i'll be able to choose my school from here and check out the apartment and school before agreeing on a contract.

hopefully i'll be getting a phone sooner than later and i'll post my number here so you'll be able to call me. : ) it probably won't happen 'till after japan though.

back again

here i am.....back in korea again. i arrived friday evening and it's kind of surreal. i think i had convinced myself, more than i realized, that i'd be teaching in a different place this year. i'm happy to be back, but it's weird. everything is so strange but so familiar. the old ladies are taking their "rightful" places in lines ('cause for sme reason, they don't have to wait like everyone else), men are blowing cigarette smoke from their mouths everywhere i look, the neon signs keep seoul lit up as if it were 12 noon when it's 12 midnight, taxi drivers weave in and out of traffic like driving is some kind of racing game---narrowly missing accidents every minute, men are spitting on the sidewalks, women are whining...........aahhhhh.......to be back in korea. for some reason (obviously not those just mentioned) i still like this place and it keeps me coming back. weird.

i'll meet my school's people today. not sure when my apartment is going to be ready. tobi is graciously letting me stay with her 'till that time comes. i met up with kristen and reilly yesterday. it was great to see them again. this morning tobi and i are having a breakfast date with heidi. it's so great to live amongst friends again. t arrives on monday. my visa number isn't ready for this week so my japan trip is delayed 'till next week. that's about all i have to report right now.

leaving soon

well.....i have 2 days left. i got a big start on my packing tonight and will hopefully get the rest of it done tomorrow night. i can't believe that it's been a whole year since i have worked. well......almost......i did volunteer for 3 months last spring, but since then i have been living out of my suitcase and haven't been in one place longer than a month. it's been a great year and i have many things to be thankful for. not many 28 year olds can afford to take a year off. i had a great experience volunteering for 3 months, had a good time in korea over the summer, finally made it home in august, visited friends in ontario during september, was home for thanksgiving, met teddy's family in mississippi and in boston during november, was home for christmas!!!, went back to see teddy's family for january (and even got to go to mexico!), and made it back home to complete my job search for february. now here i am tonight........ticket back to korea booked, job settled, mostly packed and a few good byes left. i will be 24 hours in transit. this includes 2-one and a half hour stops and i will get there with enough time for my friend, tobi, to meet me at the airport. whoohoo! i love having help with my bags! ; ) my next post will probably be after i arrive in korea. thanks to wendy and michael for coming from saint john to spend my last weekend with us and to leesa for coming home as well. it was nice to have everyone at home. we just never know when the next time will be!

it's a done deal!

at least i think it is! i'll be working in suji, which is about 10 minutes from teddy. i bought my plane ticket last week and i leave early on the 21st of this month. it's coming so fast! i'm determined to be more organized this time though. i know......i know.....i say that every time i leave......but it's true this time.......i mean it! not much else to write about in this post. if anyone reading this is close enough to get together, call me and we'll make a plan.

eenie, meenie, miney, mo.......

i'm happy about the decision to go back to korea, but i could do without this job search thing. can't it magically happen that the perfect job falls in my lap and i don't have to decide between two fairly equal schools??? i only hope in the end i make the right decision. uugghh.......