In a few days, I will have been in Korea for three months. It feels amazing and a bit hard to believe. I'm supposed to be here for a year (minimum), and three months have just passed by. What have I accomplised? Well, in short, I've settled in. I have a place to live, a cellphone, my own washing machine. I've paid bills for the first time, and also received my first paycheck (Woot! I'm a millionaire!!! ok, not really. but the numbers used for currency are much larger in Korea). I completed two orientation/training sessions and made a ton of new friends/contacts. No matter how hopeless I feel some days, I have to admit to learning quite a bit of Korean since I've been here.
Right now I'm eating questionable ice cream...
FBSU: Ugh, this icecream. I'm not sure what this gray-blue flavor is, or why they put so few cookie bits in it. It's cookies and cream! More cookies! Also, I wish pianos weren't so inconvenient to travel with... miss my keyboard.
...contemplating eating some cookies, or maybe this Pocky (which is not called Pocky in Korea, but Pepero). I've been blowing my nose all day. Since last week I've been battling a sinus cold that came with a slightly sore throat and pressure headaches. I not only blame it on the weather, but also the many people around me who like to cough and sneeze the way they do. I'll leave it at that.... I am feeling much better today. I think my body's finally overcoming all that it was battling in the last couple of days. I only hope I can stay healthy until warmer weather comes.
I'm also working on a lesson plan tomorrow. It's close to midnight, but I'm pretty wide awake. I've been listening to Air1 for last couple of hours via this lovely invention called the internet, and the music is pretty soothing. It's got me in the mood to plan for tomorrow, write this blog entry, and whatever else I decide to do in place of getting to sleep early.
It seems like all weekend plans for April have been made for me. I only recall hearing suggestions and saying yes or no. I don't recall thinking up suggestions of my own. I don't know what to think about this, except maybe that next month I can make it the Seoul area for a trip of my own. I truly want to see all the other TaLK scholars that have been scattered around the country (especially those who have 6 month contracts), and I really want to see as much of cultural South Korea as I can while I'm here. I do, however, want a bit of "me" time. Perhaps it's time to make a schedule. Only, I don't want to end up with 3 months booked full of plans. Oh, it's kind of overwhelming.
Some things I'd like to do in the near future: Go to the gym ( I already paid, I just haven't had the time to go); find a piano I can play without buying (I have a keyboard at home. It was too big to bring with me); travel to the nearby mountains/lake that's somewhere outside my city (I've been told about it by locals, but haven't had the chance to go); ride that spinning ride in Cheongju at least once (I'll post the video link here as soon as I upload it).
The list will get pretty long, the more time I have to think about it. I just don't want to miss anything, but I also want to make sure I relax. It's nice to see and do everything, but I'd rather not be too burnt out to work. I do have a year, I do have a year.
Cheers to the rest of this year.
'Til next time,
-Shirby
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