the ( yet still continuing) plunge of the South Korean Won, Barak-me Omadeus, one week in Thailand,a near death hiking experience, and of course various fundraising/volunteer activities.
All of this would NOT be complete ,however, with out the weekends spent in Seoul with my "Seoul Mates". I once made a comment to someone whom seemed to be looking for more excitement in their lives that " English teachers are the best to party with". Generally when you think of school teachers, they are the kind ,quiet type. They wear mismatched shoes and they reek of moth balls. Well not here in Korea. We come from all over the world in search of spreading the good word of English. Once our good duties in front of the white board have commenced we reconvene in various areas of the city. We do things like bowling:
We go shopping, we go hiking, we meet for drinks, we have dinner, and of course we teach.
The best part about all of this is that once in a while some of us are awarded....Holidays! During these precious times we are permitted to leave the country and take very short plane rides to some of the most beautiful places in the world. Most recently I had the opportunity to visit Thailand. A majority of my time was spent on Phi Phi island. Phi Phi is located on the West coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea. One week here and you will be plagued with sleepless nights filled with dreams about going back and never leaving. I also at one point considered quitting my job and going back there to live incognito as a taxi boat driver, but that is another story. One of the best parts of the island was the low tide at 5 am that permitted us to walk home to our private beach along the sea floor. I met amazing people from all corners of the world and made new friends. I saw beautiful things, disturbing things, and laughed until I cried. All in all it is pretty safe to say that Thailand is a magical place and I will be returning soon. Hopefully my trip in July to Bali, Indonesia will prove to be equally exciting.
Sometimes when the weather is cold and there isn't much to do, we visit ancient palaces throughout the city. These places are much much older than their surrounding architecture and have survived the growth of the city and the 25 million people that have surrounded it. They stand tall and beautiful with the modern horizon falling just behind;quite an interesting contrast.
We also host fundraisers to collect used clothing for North Korean refugees.
And of course at the end of the day, like creatures out of their natural habitat tend to do, we make friends.
As of recently I have been introduced to a small little taste of home just north of Seoul. An army base called Camp Casey that holds American stores ( including Taco Bell), American movie theaters,and my personal favorite American soldiers. These new experiences have only added to my intrigue of this foreign country . I cant wait to continue to learn more about what it is like to see it through the eyes of someone who isn't here by choice; but still loves it as much as I do.
With all of these things to consider about my life here in Seoul ( as well as the current state of the US economy); one might think; " Why should I go back anytime soon?" As more and more time passes the life that I left behind seems so far away, and my promise to my friends and family to return after one year also seems like it was made years ago. I went from working an 8 to 5 job in my hometown, comfortably enjoying a life of happy hours and gallery crawls ;wondering if this was how I would spend the rest of my life. Now I have a menagerie of options. I can stay as long as a I like in a welcoming country where I will always be respectfully accommodated as a teacher, or take a few months off and travel various parts of Asia and the surrounding world. Maybe I will move on to another country where my experiences here in Korea will make me a desired candidate for a position within their borders. Sometimes ,though, we meet people during our travels that make us want to stand still for just a little longer, and enjoy the time in their company. The people that you are lucky enough to get close to while being so far from home, essentially replace your family and friends that you once were close to, and you will remember them forever. It has been brought to my attention that I fear things that move in full circles and prefer to keep moving in indefinite straight lines. Maybe it is time for this late 20 something to commit to one more year in Korea and plant my feet in a definite position towards the future. Maybe I will just be comfortable and content with the decisions that I have made; not always seeking the greener grass on the other side.
"Knowing what you've got, knowing what you need, knowing what you can do without-thats inventory control"
