Apologies and an update

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Where to even start... It's been over six months since my last blog entry and it has been a roller coaster ride. I have suffered through near crippling back pain that basically locked up my entire left leg. It left me bed ridden and miserable for most of the summer. As a result of this I was told I was being replaced at my job and I thought my time in Korea was over. As I dealt with pain I also dealt with my director and, how should I put it, her ruthless cultural and business practices. I was coerced into working more overtime hours, and at one point she refused to give me my passport back. Initially she told me she needed it for some kind of paper work, just repeating ministry education, drawing it out. Then when I said I needed it to send money home I found out she was holding it to make sure I didn't cut and run, which has apparently happened to her before. It doesn't surprise me, she is really an awful person. But I am bitter, and I let my bitterness overrun too much. After a surreal stressful day when I picked my fight she finally gave me back my passport but took half of my paycheck and is still holding it. For a month or two it seemed every week, every day there was a new problem, a new demand, a new miscommunication, a new ridiculous situation to deal with on top of ever present radiating pain. I think it is fairly safe to say that this summer has been the worst time I have had in my life. But thankfully, it is not that summer any longer. I was bed ridden for summer vacation in July, told I was fired in August and had my passport held hostage at the start of September, but by the end of September the clouds broke. With some rigorous core exercises I was able to contain and manage my back pain, the cause of which is still unknown, even after seeing a doctor. As I began to claw my way out of my shut in world of pain and a bed I came together with the other foreigners in my town. They have been amazing and I have had countless fun times, wild nights and good laughs with the people I have met. Going to Busan for Chuseok (the Korean version of thanksgiving), a Halloween party, a poker tournament, going to the same bars over and over, because I mean, where else is there to go in this small town? My situation at school has settled nicely, my director, while she is still a spiteful conceited ruthless person, she leaves me alone when I teach. I love my kids, especially my kindergarten class and as soon as I get into class everything else seems to melt away. That has been my refuge and my solace; my kids. I have gotten used to what I considered insanely long hours in the beginning, and have to admit I am getting paid for the over time and the money is surely not terrible. So, I have to apologize for my apathy in regards to my blog, certain circumstances allowed my to believe that this was not something that needed to be done, when in reality writing about what was happening to me probably would have been some of the best therapy I could have gotten. I still have down times, I have been depressed here, embarrassed at myself, confused at what I do and unsure of what I should do next. But with a fairly steady job now, kids I love and new great friendships developing, Korea has finally stopped kicking my ass and only roughs me up every now and then. Funny though, as I type this my internet isn't working, so I can't post it for a few days, WHY KOREA????!!!!

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