During my trip in Saigon, I went on a day trip to the Mekong Delta. After taking a bus two hours to the bay, we got on a boat and went along the river to a bee factory where we got to try some honey tea and banana wine (which was nasty). After the bee factory we took a row boat down a canal, listened to some traditional Vietnamese music and then went to ride bikes through the village... This is where my conversation with myself begins... Duc (our tour guide): Ok, now we're going to ride some bikes throughout the [View Full Entry]

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Vietnam is country I never intended to visit, which would have been a big mistake. Vietnam was a hidden treasure for me and I'm glad I took the advice of those that have been. I flew from Bangkok into Hanoi and to make things easy decided to have someone pick me up from the hostel I was staying in. My flight, as usual was delayed so I got in late that night so when I checked into the hostel I was very tired. Since travelling on a budget I opted for cheaper accommodations and stayed in a dorm style hostel. It [View Full Entry]

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Thailand was like a breath of fresh air after India. After a chaotic flight out of Calcutta I arrived in Bangkok around 4pm then jumped on a bus to Koh San Road. A bus ride that was suppose to take 45 minutes ended up taking nearly 3 hours because the rain and traffic. Since the weather wasn't so good and I just wanted to relax after India, I went into a travel agent and booked the next bus out to Koh Tao an island on the east coast of Thailand. The bus drove overnight and arrived in Chumporn and then a [View Full Entry]

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All the books you read and the stories you hear can not prepare you enough for your initial reaction to India. After my flight to India was cancelled in Bangkok I waited around for about 6 hours before I was able to find someone that was able to help me. The flight to Delhi was short but the thing I found interesting was the lack of females on board. The flight consisted of a few foreigners and mainly men. I was wondering where all the women were? As the flight landed there was a uproar in cheering by the natives on [View Full Entry]

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It's been almost two years since I came to Korea. And sadly it's time to say goodbye and close this chapter in my life and move on to the next. Friday was my last day at work and I moved out of my apartment this afternoon. So technically I'm homeless and unemployed. But I guess I gotta fill you in on life since I last wrote. As I mentioned last time, I made the decision to move back home after visiting a few months ago. After I came back to Korea, life was "easy" knowing what was happening and that I [View Full Entry]

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Well I thought I would write to update everyone on my past trip to the states and the future plans I’ve decided since visiting. Everyone was telling me that I would miss Korea once I left and that I would want to come back sooner rather than later. So I guess when my feelings about my trip were completely different from those that have been living in Korea, I knew it was time to go. I guess I’ll start off by talking about my trip. It was long trip home. I never realized how much it stinks to sit in the [View Full Entry]

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For some reason I was really apprehensive about this week. It was going to be a busy week with the end of the Spring term; I had classes in the evening, workshops in the afternoon and I also agreed to train new instructors in the mornings. I started to feel the effects of the week on Wednesday, but I was determined to finish the week. It was raining on Thursday and the day started off crappy. Bad things always happen when it rains. I got an email from my trainee that morning saying that her and her boyfriend had to go [View Full Entry]

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I had to write up something about myself for my school's newpaper. Here's the first draft... Many people ask me why I came to Korea and my response is usually one of the three: (1) make/save money, (2) learn Korean, and (3) get to know my family and culture. Have I accomplished any of these “goals”? Not exactly, but I try to justify them for my peace of mind. Let’s start with number one. I think this is a pretty common goal among most teachers here in Korea. But is it working for me? NO. I don’t know where my money [View Full Entry]

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I saw this ring and it was engraved with the word “rebel”. I wear it and look at it often wondering what it means. Go against the grain. Do something different. Make a change. Lauryn Hill has a song about rebel... Rebel, rebel, rebel, rebel, rebel Repent, the day is far too spent, rebel... rebel! Wake up and rebel We must destroy in order to rebuild Wake up, you might as well Oh are you satisfied Rebel... ohhh rebel Why don't you rebel? I agree…We must destroy in order to rebuild. Even ourselves. Sometimes when we reach the bottom that’s when [View Full Entry]

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I have been in Korea for seventy-two weeks. It’s been long and hard, but rewarding. In the last month so much has changed. I started working again at my school and took on a management position. On top of that I moved away from work to Yongsan and in with my friend. It’s been nice living with someone. I like change. But I found out that I don’t really deal with it very well. My way of dealing is pulling away and shutting out everything. Having Lily around has been good. I haven’t lived with anyone in a few years, and [View Full Entry]

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