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Published: February 25th 2010
1st graders
about to be 2nd gradersHere it is. The gradual step towards leaving a country that I have called home now for almost 2 years. When I say gradual I mean just that. I have signed a 6 month contract with my company that will keep me in the land of the Morning Calm until August 5th 2010. I am staying with the same school and company that I have been with for the past year, and teaching relatively the same kids.
It has been hard to really sit down and hash out a new blog, since most of life around Korea is staying pretty constant. The big trip I took recently was back home to Portland, and well I saw a good majority of you all and you know how the trip went.
It was great to see family and friends that I hadn't in the year and half that I had been gone, and although most of everything was the same, I had the sense that being back in Portland was more of a visit. I realized, or concluded in my mind, that I am not ready to settle down just yet. The world is vast and and so is my appetite for exploring
it, and after living abroad for two years I realize it is easier than seems. It comes down to two basic things...a will and a want. You have to want to be out of your element, to look in from the outside and you have to have the will to make it happen and stick with it.
I have met some great people over here and for the most part they are all quite adventurous and opened minded. It is something that has spurred a passion in my self to keep exploring, as I hope I have done to them.
Well that is what is the basic underlining feeling I have a the moment, but let me get down now to what has been going on here in the ROK!
Side A
Track 1
The last time I posted a blog here...which was a while ago I realize....was when I went to Jakarta to visit a friend who is now living there. After the trip, I was a little spent mostly in the wallet. I had very productive summer, but had little chance to save money and at the end of the trip I again found my self
living paycheck to paycheck, thinking about the next month and how much money I could reasonably send home. Then came the trip back to Portland. I had bought a ticket and was now trying to get money together to have while I was back. I managed, although again didn't save.
Now I have to say first off that I am not disappointed in that, because I had an amazing time back home and it was worth every penny, quite possibly even more.
When I got back to Seoul, I had a new step. I had been home, and like I said early realized that I wasn't quite ready to "settle down" just yet. I got back to doing my routine here in Seoul, which has now worked out to be quite busy. I rock climb 2 to 3 days a week in a gym about an hour away from my house...(not to bad to Seoul standards), and I started doing a language exchange with a friend. It was bugging me a bit that I had a been here for so long, and could not really hold a decent conversation with a Korean. I had all my basics down, not I
just needed some fine tuning, which I am in the process of right now. I am also trying to get more active in the photography field over here and am working with a few friends to getting an exhibit up and going by early spring. Here is a link to some photos I have online that I update quite frequently...http://www.flickr.com/photos/38287208@N05/
Track 2
As of now, I am focusing on my new term at school, and for possible part time work to really begin the big save. I am also looking into what I am going to do in August, once my contract finishes and I head back to Portland. I have a feeling that I will not be there for too long before I head off again.
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Kate Wilebski
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Hi Joey, I showed my students this anmd they laughed., They are wondering why the poor kids in photo ten and eleven have no names?! Very cool. Thanks for sharing. Kate