pictures!!

heres some piccies for you, this one is of my appartment block and there are some of the area, there are also some shots from my roof ... enjoy!
ok you might have to tilt your head a bit to enjoy that!

And theres me in Korea!! I will stick some ㅕㅔ ... i dont like that language key!! as i was saying i will put some up of my place whne its in a reasonable state!!

Hello Dave-oo Teacher!!

Wow!

This place is pretty mad… crazy Koreans… crazy ‘way-gooks’!!! everyone is crazy. I have been hearing stories and seeing things that I never really thought that I’d see. Having breakfast with a guy in his underwear and a guy with his top off, was only slightly unsettling. This morning I sent some sad emails out. Yeah sure. I was a little down, but I did have a really nice dream about home, where everything was normal and people were nice, and my mum was made up like a cat! But that was this morning. Its just like playing a sport, when teaching I seem to be so concentrated on keeping the class reasonably quiet and still (let alone trying to teach them) that I don’t really have time to think of anything but that!

It seems that I will be living for the weekend. I went to a bar called Goose Goose on Friday night and it was a lot of fun. Its like a bar nowhere in the world, cos there are people from everywhere. But I do admit that the ‘Mansu Crew’ are definitely the life of the place. It seems to be a close knit group and very accepting of no0bs like me. But I am not the no0b anymore! There is a NZ guy and Canadian girl who teaching in the area and are living in the building.

You will laugh to hear that I played a game of basket ball on Sunday with some Koreans! The first time I had touched a basket ball in about 10 years! I was lame although my first shot went straight in… all of the others were a little wayward! But I think I can get into that game, as long as my throat doesn’t hurt next time. I am pretty unfit! On that subject it seems like most of the guys and girls here put on weight within a month of arriving. I have a feeling its to do with the amount of eating out these guys do, but then again I cant blame them when the food out there is so great! I have now had Shabu shabu (a bit like a steamboat but spicy), sushi, errrr and a whole bunch of other things… YAN!!!! I have to tell you there is a soup called Buddae Jiggae, which means Army Base soup or something, and its made with frankfurters of some sort!!! Calbi… I drool at the thought! It’s really nicely marinated beef which arrives raw and you cook on a hot plate in the table, you eat it wrapped in lettuce and with a bunch of other bits and bobs! I wish you were here to try it…

I am teaching the kids Maths (or Math, whatever) today, its great I don’t even have to read the books, it like: How many animals?

The picture showed an alligator, two ducks and 6 dragonflies, so Chris… the star pupil shouts out: 3!!! Dragonflies aren’t animals!!!

He a cool kid, but he keeps casting a stupid spell on me from Harry Potter!

Take it easy all

dx

Laters

Madness!!! That’s what they had on in the pub last night before I went back to Georgy’s house and stayed up til almost 6am chilling and playing games with the fellas.

It’s now 4.15 and I am just about to get ready to leave the house, maybe for the last time in 12 months! How odd. Have to get my last bits together and pack my flip-flops, so next time I update this; I will hopefully be in Korea!!!

Take care

dx

Almost gone... allllmmmoooosssssttttt.................

Time for the final goodbyes... didnt i say there would be one more Rich?

Already had a goodbye today... Fordy came by and dropped off a sweet treat for Korea! A whole box of Creme Eggs! I do hope they get to try some! Especially after my munching down on the chocolate that the Brightoners gave me! Yeah... the chocolates didnt get to Korea, I'm sorry. And the cheese got really mouldy and I had to eat it... (not the mouldy bits,) but the Marmite is packed and ready to go! I will think of you everytime I eat toast, my loverly and wunderful Brightonians.


I am packed and pretty much ready to go, like I have been saying for about a week now. You just know its all going to come apart tomorrow though! What will I forget? What will I forget to do? Who knows!? How much will I be charged for excess baggage??? I'm sure to find out tomorrow.

I guess I still have tomorrow to say goodbyes as well. not as if I have left already! flight is going at 2100. Non-stop, to the MOTHERLAND! Well, Jimmy's motherland anyway.

Right I have to go, gona go for a pint at my local, say goodbye to the pub.

dx

Last Days of UK

Went and got my Korean Won (KRW). Got a stack! Check it out! Theres a happy chappy on the back of the note... look at him... and all his majesty!

I also went to the butchers to get sausages. Loving Readers Butchers, Darkes Lane, Potters Bar. The sausages are really good, and there is such a selection! I think I've eaten ... 10... maybe more of the types and they are all good. I havent taken pictures of the sausages, you'll have to go get some. I think the sausages are definately one of the best things about Potters Bar.

Still packing, slowly. I think I am ready to go really, there are the last minute things that I always forget, like toothbrush and.... other things that I can't remember... doesnt bode well!

take it easy

dx

Curry Curry Curry!

It really is time to say goodbye. I have flight booked I have had probably my last goodbye evening replay, which was very nice! Not the saying goodbye, but getting to see everyone one more time was kind of nice. Enough curry though!

Now it’s a story of sorting out the last bits and bobs, making things fit and deciding what heavy stuff I am going to have to lug hand luggage style!

I managed to get a contact in Korea! In the end, it took me meeting him in the UK. I guess that means that he’s a contact in the UK… but he’s been to Korea and he’s going back out there on Saturday, wonder what flight!? He cleared up a few things… like when I will be working (all year round pretty much, apart from the numerous national holidays) and he said that the people were really friendly and beer and Soju were cheap, and that he managed to save a bunch of money. He’s flying back out on Saturday which is also a good advert for what I’m about to do.

My career path seems to be slightly blurred now. For the past months I have wanted to do an MSc when I get back, but the more I think of it the more I ALREADY want to stay out there for another year. Two times as much money, two times as much time for people to visit me, and I think after a year I will be just settled in! will one year be enough? Will I want to come back? Will I want to do the MSc?? *sigh* Gonna have to wait at least 3 days before I even think of those things.

Thanks Matt and Ali for my leaving gift… I am wearing it now, fits like a charm, love it!!! It’s an England shirt! My very first England shirt in fact! Thanks for the red one, very useful for eating all those Korean red pepper infused meals and not getting stained.

dx

Heres a picture of 'the stone' and some coffee, I hope I can get coffee maker of some sort out there, I'm missing coffee already!

my Gorgeous and Wonderful mates

Awwwww, my lovely lovely friends took me out for a lunch today, as a goodbye meal. Bit of a shame not everyone could have been there, but I think I have a number of goodbye to deals with, I think I am getting better at them!

Thanks to y’all for the box of goodies! It will be nice to tuck into a good cheese when I get to Korea for a bit of home. I am loving the home made cards that are happening! Very sweet of you to think of me – you know who you are you lovely folk you!

But the waiting game goes on. After the relatively fast start to these proceedings it slowed down considerably, which was a bit of a worry and made me a little anxious. I am now waiting for the visa information, which will be followed by the ticket information, so I will be able to actually tell you when I will be out of the country (probably about 2 weeks J).

Had Yan over for an evening in PB. Was nice of him to come up, but there really is nothing much to this place, as he found out! Quite amusing that when he drove into PB he made it all the way to the other side of the town before he realized to call me, not his mistake, but its cos the town is small!

Looking forwards to next week, gonna do some serious tidying and packing. I’m actually quite ready to go.

I’m tired, take it easy!

dx

p.s. here is a Krispy Kreme inspired photo, its cool, its Yan, its got Hollyoaks in the background. Went to the place today after lunch, its good, i like! I like the hats!

<--------------------------- DOUCHE!!!

Post

Got an email from my Korean contact, he said that the paper work has arrived, which is a bit of a relief, I was thinking that perhaps I’d have to go to the Korean Embassy again to get another degree certificate copy notarized! Well hopefully this will get the wheel turning again, but I have a feeling there is more posting involved in this process, lets keep our fingers crossed that there is no more postal system involved! I mean… how can the royal mail say that the letter will get priority treatment in the other country? The ‘international signed for’ whatever I sent the stuff by took ages! A week and a half… is quicker too much to ask for? When I spoke to the guy at the post office he said that it would leave the country on the next possible plane, ok a couple of days, but then a day to get there and into the postal system there, then another couple of days… and you have been waiting a week and a half! OK.

Well anyway.

I now have in full technicolour: Yan acting like a fool on my iPod. I think that the best thing that I have put on there so far. It went on along with 20 minutes of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and a whole bunch of cartoons from the iTunes podcast directory. Here is a screen shot! Unfortunately, the full outburst was not recorded and some of the footage lost, but what I have is absolute GOLD!

Dad came over yesterday to take my stuff to his, and he got it in the loft today, so my room is a bit emptier. But there is a lot that I should have packed. I knew this would happen I’d forget stuff or only notice things when it’s too late. My big coat, my badminton racquet, a pair of trainers. Oh well. The idea was to get pretty much ALL of my stuff out of this house, but that didn’t work.

gtg

Catch you soon