So it’s official: I’m going to Phuket for 8 days at the end of April. I was originally supposed to go to Bali, or Fiji, but the flights don’t go very often and my parochial boss refused to give me Friday off.
Who cares? I’ve been to Thailand during my first year of college and it was blissful!
On a related note, my contract ends on May 30th so I’m coming home for two or three months. I’m really looking forward to it!
I hope I’ll get to see everyone I love! Have a blast at my sister’s with, among others, my brother. If he shows up. Go on a road trip with my best friend. Discover Gaspesie. Kayak and camp with Cedric and Paolo, coming all the way from France.
I’m also thinking about spending a month volunteering in Latin America… building houses or teaching English or something.
As for next year, chances are I’ll be back in South Korea. I love it here. And y’all welcome to visit!
Since I won’t be returning to the hagwon/academy I’m working at now, things will be very different but I like change. Plus I hate a lot of things about my hagwon.
Most of my “white” friends aren’t coming back so I’ll definitely miss our shopping, movie nights, dinners, nights out, etc. I’ll also miss my killer apartment just 5-minute walk from school and the organic food store right on the corner of my building – for the delicious food, but also the guys who give me free stuff ;)
I’ll especially miss my gym, and the “sex and the city”-like habit of Twyla and I chatting all the way through the work out, bitching about work and men ;)
Work is fantastic and I totally LOVE my students! Yesterday in ABC class Paul, a little boy, came up to me and he said “teacher!” I turned around, and he gave me a big wet kiss on the cheek. Then he went on to tell the other kids “my… kiss… teacher!!!” it was so adorable!
Teaching ABC is awesome because you see them progress a lot faster than, say, in higher levels. During break time, my students all write the alphabet on the board, or spell their names, or draw a heart and yell “teacher! I love you!” It’s priceless.
As for teaching TOEFL, it’s really challenging. And those middle school students are sooooooooo self-conscious… every class I have to remind them that they’re at school, not at a funeral!
Anyway, life is great and I am very thankful. Once in a while I’m reminded that I’ve got it real good and I wonder how I could help even things out.
There was this homeless woman near Kyobo, begging for money. What I gave her probably bought her a meal (or boose but I prefer the first option). As I was walking away, I felt awfully guilty. I had just spent 20 bucks on a lonely planet for a trip to Thailand. Is life unfair? Or do we only get what we deserve?
Take a look at those pics from the trip with Youri and Genevieve… I guess we all are, in our very unique way, gold diggers!
