28 Days

Living in Korea for the last year, I’ve been able to experience a very unique East meets West culture in a way that will forever impact my life. Korea, however, is a very small part Asia, so I decided to take a little time try and learn more about the history, people, nature, and beer from this ancient continent. I had 28 days to make Asia my wonderland and venture anywhere I pleased. South East Asia is a popular destination for travelers because of its warm sun, beautiful beaches, and mysterious jungles. Before I could enjoy all this however, I had a personal goal I had to accomplish. Here is a brief chronicle of my experience.

Beijing, China

Before a enjoying warmer climate I had to make a stop in the capital of a the newest emerging superpower (I still don’t believe the hype). Though I took in the financial and corporate growth of this communist country rife with homelessness, the real reason I was here was because it’s the best place to access the scenic and historic Great Wall of China.

If the Great Wall were still fully intact today, it would stretch 6000km across the beautiful mountainous regions of Northern China. I hiked a modest 10km (6mi), but with the rugged ups and downs of a crumbling wall, I was exhausted well before we reached our exit point. Even the most fit members of my tour group (you have to go with a tour), said they struggled to finish.

There’s three common parts of the wall that a guided from Beijing. The most popular is the Ferris Wheel section, which has recently been completely restored. Then there’s the more beautiful, and moderately challenging portion, and finally the immaculate 10km where I hiked, which in March is almost completely void of people as there are plenty of warnings that this tour is not for the meek. What attracts travelers to this portion is that there are parts which were last reconstructed 500 years ago, and other parts which have never been restored.

Aside from the Great Wall, the highlight of Beijing was getting to cycle around the city. Insane is the only word to describe the experience, though bike lanes help, and if confusion sets in, following the hundreds of other cyclist can easily simplify matters. Wall and cycle aside, I did not like Beijing. It’s a big, busy city, it smells, lacks excitement and I always felt like people were trying to scam me. After accomplishing a long-time goal, I was anxious to move on to South East Asia.

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Chiang Mai is a delightful city with a population of approximately one million and located in Northern Thailand. I went to Chiang Mai to meet up with my good friend Rob and his delightful girlfriend Cami, who would be my travel companions for the next two weeks. There are an abundance of wat (monastery temple) scattered around the city, but other than that, there’s not much to see in Chiang Mai. My personal highlight was watching an elephant walking the streets to seek out prostitutes. Still, Chiang Mai is a laid back and enjoyable city which attracts tourists because it is a gateway for adventure seekers. From the city you can easily indulge in jungle trekking, kayaking, cycling, zip lining, white water rafting, or visiting an elephant sanctuary. Additionally, it’s the ideal place to begin a tour of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. I had to leave out the latter for visa reasons.

The Slow-boat

It’s a four hour bus ride from Chiang Mai to the port on the Mekong River located on the Thailand-Laos border. From there it’s a two day boat ride down the beautiful and scenic infamous river. We had heard many things about this boat ride exclusively carrying tourists. Mainly that it’s long, boring and uncomfortable. I personally found it to be delightful. It was basically a party full of people who have a thirst for adventure. Not to mention scenery that even the most uninspired person could never become bored with. The slow boat was also where we picked up Laura, a charming and well travelled young Irish girl who became the fourth person in our group and more importantly, my roommate. With Laura around I was able to share the cost of my accommodations.

Luang Prabang, Laos

Like Chiang Mai, Luang Prabang itself doesn’t offer much. It’s a touristy city on the Mekong with a population of just one hundred thousand, but is a gateway for adventure seekers. Laos is a poor country, but the insanely jacked up prices for tourists make it expensive for backpackers looking for a budget holiday. The highlight of Luang Prabang was Beer Lao, which might be the best beer in Asia, and the street food. For just a few dollars you can enjoy a delicious meal from barbequed chicken, pork or fish, to soups or a delectable vegetarian buffet. Add an extra dollar and you can enjoy a 680ml Beer Lao with your meal.

A thirty minute tuk-tuk ride from Luang Prabang will take you to a national park with beautiful waterfalls, deep blue fresh waters and lush greenery. It’s natural beauty that I never tire of. Though the waterfalls didn’t rival those of Plitvice National Park in Croatia, this park allowed swimming and also had a rope swing and a 7m (20ft) waterfall to jump off.

The Trek

Despite being the most challenging part of my holiday, the jungle trek in Northern Laos was the the most memorable part. Laura, Cami, Rob and myself picked up a Welshman and an Israeli for the trek to make a group of six. The two day trek started with a six hour hike. The first two hours flew by. The terrain was pretty flat but we constantly had to cross creeks by either balancing on slippery rocks and logs or by just taking off our shoes and socks and walking through the water. (Yes, we were all rocking the shorts and socks.) After a quick lunch break we kept on trekking. Quickly the terrain became much more difficult. Hills seemed be piled on more hills, and for a jungle, we hardly seems protected from the warm sun. By the end we were all thoroughly exhausted and an overpriced warm Beer Lao, from a village shop (hut), never tasted so good.

We settled for the night in a remote jungle village. For a larger sized village they receive a small amount of electricity from a nearby creek. I don’t think they receive enough electricity to keep a refrigerator running, but some houses actually have a television, which is more than I have. As we sat there eating and drinking our warm Beer Lao the local children gathered to observe the miracle of non-villagers. We seemed to be the most fascinating thing they had seen. They stared in curiosity, though all we did was sit and talk. There was nothing interesting happening between us, but we were more interesting to them than the dead rodents and machetes the young children used as toys. The stay in the village was an experience I’ll never forget, but it also taught me a true animosity towards roosters. They start at 03:00 and continue until about 08:00. They seem to stop their incessant crowing just after you’ve actually gotten out of bed.

The second day of our trek was a 4 hour kayak down a beautiful river. I only wish I could have actually stopped to admire the beauty. There were 3 two man kayaks and 2 individual (6 plus two guides). On account that I have never kayaked before I thought it would be best for me to paddle on my own. I felt my lack of coordination would interfere with other people’s natural flow. This was a terrible idea. After a couple hours everyone was so far ahead of me, at one point I couldn’t see them anymore. The calm river became rapid in the shallow areas and carried you into rocks spanning across the river and tiny drops that felt mammoth to an inexperienced kayaker. By the end I survived without getting wet and with a new respect for the sport of kayaking.

Aside: I lose cell phone reception for the most part of the journey between Ottawa and Toronto on a major highway. Our guide is proving Canadian cell phone inferiority by having a conversation at a remote Laotian jungle village elementary school that doesn’t even have electricity.

Siem Reap, Cambodia

After the trek Rob, Cami and myself parted with the others and took a flight down to Siem Reap. I had issues at immigration because I didn’t realise the visa took a full page and I had no free pages in my passport. After much stress, that problem was quickly solved with a $20US bribe to make them paste the visa over stamps on a used page. So off we were into town to find a bed to sleep in and bar to watch the biggest football game of the year (Man U 1 – Liverpool 4; happiest day of my life).

After a night of heavy intoxication (Rob is a fellow Liverpool fan, as are many Cambodians), we woke up quite late and decided the day would be best spent taking a short tuk tuk ride out of the city to see the floating village. Since non of us had actually heard of the floating village, credit goes to the tuk tuk driver for knowing this truly unique hamlet. Everything here floats. Homes, a school, a church, and even a basketball court, they all float in a massive lake created by the collapse of an equally massive volcano.

The reason tourists travel to Siem Reap is to see Angkor (meaning city, but describes the period 802 – 1431 AD) Wat. This is a true Indiana Jones experience. The main event is Angkor Wat, but the grounds contains dozens of Angkor. It’s a 5-10 minute tuk tuk ride to the next Angkor so it was nice to have our own driver who patiently waited for us while we explored the grounds, ruins and temples. We only saw 5 ancient cities, but Angkor Preah Khan was my personal favourite. This was a massive set of ruins with endless alleyways to explore and 5 square meter temples offered as the reward for those lucky enough to find the hidden entrance.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Rob and Cami had booked a flight to Bali, Indonesia, so they had to take a bus from Siem Reap to Bangkok. Though I also had plans to go to Bangkok, I felt that a trip to Cambodia necessitates a trip to the killing fields, and I was told that Phnom Penh was the best place to experience this important part of history. After saying our goodbyes I was back to travelling alone, something I’m more experienced and comfortable with.

I took a 5 hour bus ride down to Phnom Penh. I think that if the bus drove a normal speed, the ride would have taken 8 hours, but apparently it’s safe to pass other vehicles at 160km/h despite oncoming traffic. Cambodian drivers seem to believe that that is why there are shoulders on the side of the road.

Upon arriving into Cambodia’s capital, I was anxious to find a place to eat, drink and perhaps find some company for the evening. I found a restaurant with great food, but more importantly, I met perhaps the most interesting girl I’ve encountered during my travels.

Eng is 24 years old. She has grade 8 education, works from 7 am to midnight, seven days a week. She lives in a small apartment with her older brother, who she helps support, and six other co-workers. She has an email address, but no computer to check it on. She’s never heard of Hitler, and doesn’t know what WWII is, but is knowledgeable about Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. She’s basically a typical Cambodian person, but the warmth and friendliness she showed me made her so much more. Despite the fact that her life is basically to work and sleep, Eng always had a comforting smile. Meeting people like Eng is the type of experience that gives travelling real value.

Krabi, Thailand

I felt that the best way to end my vacation, having to go back to work upon arriving in Korea, would be to spend it relaxing on the beautiful beaches of Southern Thailand. The East coast is known for parties, including the infamous full moon party as well as half moon and quarter moon parties. I chose to visit the West coast, considered to be prettier and more relaxing than the East, though parties were never hard to find. I had a memorable time in Krabi, mostly because of the people I met. There really isn’t much exceptional about Krabi, but with the right company, this is a place you can easily fall in love with.

Kho Phi Phi

As far as night life was concerned, I didn’t love Kho (island) Phi Phi (pronounced pee pee). A couple bars with fire shows were okay, but the beach party full of Scandinavian and North American lust seekers had a distinct smell of desperation in the air. What made Kho Phi Phi memorable was the day life; the beach. The beach was busy, but never overly busy. It was pretty and not overly big, but what really made the beach special was the waters. In mid-day, you can walk out about 300+ m and the waters would never pass your waist. Incredibly, the water was so warm that you could comfortably and happily sit in bliss until every inch of skin begins to prune.

Phuket

Despite being a popular tourist place, Phuket is not special. The highlight of this place is the prostitutes. The main street is full of girls and lady boys on bars and stripper poles in the middle of the street trying to sell their body to you, and dirty guys inviting you to ping pong shows (use your imagination). I couldn’t decide if this place was more degrading towards men or women, but I don’t think you could argue that this place was a spectacle and something that must be seen if you’re in Phuket.

After 28 days of exploration and daily partying, I was quite content to go back home in Korea to see my friends. Given the opportunity to live or travel again in South East Asia, I would be thrilled to go back. I felt that Thailand, Cambodia and Laos were all more laid back and relaxing places than Korea, Japan and China. In two of the countries, people had so little, but in all three, locals seemed to enjoy life simply because it’s the most valuable thing we have. As cliché as it is, it creates a hospitable environment, and an experience far from one you could find in North America, Europe or Northern Asia.

note: this blog took me hours to write, edit and publish; I really appreciate you taking a couple minutes to leave me a comment

Feeling The Love

Many people enjoy the rewarding feeling of helping to shape the future of our world by influencing our young people to aspire to greatness. Though often very frustrating, teaching children can be a truly rewarding experience for those with patience and understanding. This past week I have learned that for someone as superficial and egotistical as I am, teaching adults is far more rewarding.

My first week at Pagoda I received several small gifts from students who wanted to show their appreciation of my efforts. Cookies, cans of juice, small pins, all very little things that meant so much to me. I even received a can of mango juice as a gift from a very sweet girl that's not in any of my classes. The little things make me happy, and the gift giving part of Korean culture is definitely something that I love.

My absolute reassurance for teaching adults began last Saturday. I blew off a soccer game to hang out with one of my students. It was absolutely worth it. Though Lauren is a sweet, funny and beautiful person, I was unsure how the day would go. I'm teaching lower level classes, so her English is not great, but she works harder than any of my students, often staying after class to do supplemental work independently. We ended up spending the entire day together in a traditional part of Seoul, checking out a palace and museum, and eating dinner. Before any of you start getting ideas, know that she's my student, has a boyfriend, and is moving to Australia in a month. That being said, I couldn't imagine a better way to spend a Saturday. It is great to be able to make friends with Koreans, something I wasn't able to do my first three months in here.

The gifts kept coming this week. After one of my evening classes yesterday, two girls who knew I was hungry but had another 2 hour class before I could eat ordered me to stay put in the 4th floor lobby. They came back 5 minutes latter with some some crackers and a latte they had bought for me. I don't drink latte, but the kind gesture melted my heart.

After my morning classes today, Lauren took me out for coffee (tea for me please) and gave me a great birthday gift. As I write this, I'm listening to the second of two cds full of Korean music. She spent time hand picking and downloading songs she thought I'd enjoy based on ... well she didn't really have a lot to base it on.

At noon I met up with an ajoshi (respected businessman) who is a student in my 7am class. Earlier in the week, he had insisted on taking me out to lunch today. Eating a meal in foreign culture that has strict rules with an ajoshi who is only learning to speak English is not the most comfortable situation. It is however, a show of appreciation that I will forever appreciate.

The respect that most my students show for me is remarkable. The few that go above and beyond are who make an experience like this truly rewarding.


Only In Korea

Not only is Lauren my favourite student, but she's one of my favourite people right now. I absolutely don't mean to make fun of her or embarrass her, but I really want to share this response simply to illustrate a cultural difference. Something that you'd just never say in the west is considered a compliment in this funny little place:

1. Talk about a famous or interesting person you have met.

When I went to pagoda for first class in this month, there were a lot of foreiner teacher and students. I wondered who is my teacher. Then I've met him on the 3rd floor in Pagoda. His head was more smaller than mine. ^^; and he has worn glasses so seems to be smart.He was Jay. He said he was from in Canada. He was first person who I met Canadian.

Turning A New Leaf

The last few weeks have been eventful. Unfortunately, I haven't had Internet to publish all the excitement. I'm currently relaxing in a coffee shop near me that has WiFi. An Earl Grey is more expensive than Starbucks, but it's a neat place with a cool atmosphere and some chilled out acid jazz. As the table next to me is getting up to leave, I'm suddenly realizing that I'm the only guy in this place. I guess in Korea Seven Monkeys doesn't mean viral apocalypse, but means girls drink expensive iced lattes. I actually only count three monkeys... maybe there's more upstairs.

Today is the last day of a three-day-weekend. People are out and about, but seem more relaxed than their usual hectic selves. Tomorrow is back to work, and the start of my second week at Pagoda, my new school. My first week was great. The only complaint is that with a split schedule of 07:00 to 10:00 and then 18:00 to 22:00, I don't get to enjoy very much sleep, unless I take a nap in the middle of the day. Still, remarkably when my 07:00 class starts, I'm able to muster up a bundle of energy to expel into my class. Some classes are extremely easy, with students eager to express their opinions. Other classes are more difficult, and I have to pick on people to elicit conversation. It humours me when all the students avoid eye contact with me during class discussions, hoping I won't ask their opinion. They paid for a conversation class, but I guess they hoped I would be doing all the conversing.

The teachers at Pagoda are complete opposites to the teachers at Maple Bear. They're loud, rude, obnoxious and will make fun of you any chance they get. I love them! There's around 40 teachers at Pagoda, compared to 7 at Maple Bear, so it's easy to find somebody to talk to. Also the teachers are much less stressed, and more outgoing. I'm happy that I no longer have to deal with the cliquey high school atmosphere of Maple Bear, but I do miss the few friends that I did have, mostly Tim, my single Korean friend. I still hang out with Daniel, just not as frequently. The one hour trek on the always crowded subway means meeting for a quick dinner is impractical.

Moving to the the other end of the city meant that I had to leave the apartment that I loved so much. I don't miss it. My current apartment is less than exciting, and I'm lighting candles in attempt to defeat the funky smells, but the excitement of the area easily makes up for everything. Everyone in Gangnam is between the age of 20 and 30. There's actually army men with guns at Gangnam Station, checking IDs and ensuring that only youthful people get off the subway. No children or old people welcome.

Three months of in Korea, and finally things feel right. This is what I was expecting when I came here. It's only been a week, but my first week with Pagoda has been much more enjoyable than my first week with Maple Bear. I hope it will continue to be enjoyable for another 51 weeks.

Poor Man In A Rich Man's World

I'm starting to think that I should just write frequently write little happenings instead of trying to come up with stories all the time. Day to day, there's very little exciting going on. I don't work, or really have any friends, so I mostly sit around and watch movies of episodes of Flying Circus on my lap top. Still there's been some development, and one exciting day since I last published.

I have found a place to live. It turns out that I am moving from the second richest area of Seoul to the richest. This is good... if you are rich. Where I'm living is a quick walk to school and in a much more interesting area than I am in now. Gangnam is apparently very popular with movie stars and the young crowd. Unlike where I am now, which seems to be popular with families and high schoolers. I will be paying $800 for a bachelor. There's no loft, no 15 foot ceilings, no massive window, no video intercom, and most importantly, no sexy talking doors. Just a small basic apartment in an expensive part of town where I will see movie stars that I will not recognize. Perhaps though, this could be where I meet Natalie Portman. It better be for $800/month!

I managed to get off my lazy ass and see some of Korea. I ventured out to Suwon to discover the Hwaseong Fortress. It's a 12km city wall around the a part of this Seoul suburb city with a population of around 1 million. It's UNESCO protected, cheap, easy to get to, and a day well spent, but surprisingly, most Koreans have not gone to see it. People here hardly leave their comfort zone. Though not as spectacular as the Great Wall of China, the wall is pretty neat. As they say, pictures tell more than words:

Pen to Paper

I am now officially done teaching at Maple Bear. Tomorrow I'm going to pick up my release forms and on Tuesday I'm going to immigration to have my Visa canceled. I never really got to say goodbye to people, but those are never fun anyway.

I have considered different options for what I could do. I've considered getting a work visa in England and try my luck there. I'd also get to visit some of my friends I met in Sweden. I also considered going back to Canada to try beginning my career again. Today that all came to a rest. I have decided to stay in Seoul and teach adults. I signed a contract with Pagoda, I believe it's the second largest school here. I'll begin work at the beginning of June. Until then, I have a bunch of free time. I'll have to attend some training courses at Pagoda, but I have a chance to see some of Seoul. Lately I've been pretty lazy though, watching episodes of Monty Python's Flying Circus.

I'm looking forward to a new beginning. I'm hoping that I'll finally get to meet people and enjoy my job. It is a demanding job though, requiring I invest many hours. I don't mind, as long as I can enjoy my work. If this job doesn't work out, then I will see the Great Wall, and South East, and I will leave Asia. I get a free trip to Japan soon sponsored by Pagoda. I have to leave the country for 24 hours while a reapply for a new visa.

I'm going to be working in Gangnam, an area of Seoul about an hour from where I am now on public transport. Daniel and I will stay in touch and continue to hang out. I need to find a place to live, since I don't know how long Maple Bear is going to let me live here. Thankfully there isn't anyone coming in after me. The rent is too expensive here to continue having teachers live in this place. I think they should let me stay at least until the end of May since that rent is already paid.

If things go well, I will be spending 12 more months in this country for a total of 15 months. That gives everyone plenty of time to come visit me.

Finally! (Adult Content: Intended for 18+)

Finally I have something to write about. Though my first two months in Korea has been a great experience, I wouldn't say it's been a completely enjoyable experience. This has left me with little to write about. Although admittedly, laziness has played a large part in my recent neglect for this blog. So today, I decided to write about my last hour, as it has perhaps been the most entertaining hour in the last two months.

I was on my way back from dinner and beer with Daniel. Any buzz I had from the couple beers on a weeknight was deteriorated and instead of more beer, I decided to splurge $3.50 on an Earl Grey Tea from Starbucks. I find the tea here very weak, so this occasional splurge on Corporate America is quite comforting.

The weather is quite nice right now, so I decided to enjoy my overpriced tea on a pedestrian street people watching- staring at the pretty girls who despite enjoying the attention, won't give me time of day. An older gentleman sat next to me and struck up conversation. Typically, he started by asking where I was from. After that it was mostly just awkwardness that comes from conversation with a complete stranger mixed with conversation restricted by a language barrier. I generally enjoy these exchanges though, as it's just part of traveling. The awkwardness was quickly interrupted when a passerby came and started trying to talk to me. His English was extremely minimal. He offered me a cigarette. I politely declined, but he didn't seem to want to take no for an answer. I have a hard time believing that he can't accept that I'm just not a smoker.

Like the children in many of my classes, he spoke to me in Korean. I'm not sure if it was expectation or just hope that I might understand some of what he was saying. I mostly just responded with "I don't know." The only thing I really understood was "Tupac," "cocaine" and "marijuana" as well as "nigger" and "white nigger" which he used to describe himself while pointing. I tried to explain to him that he's a yellow nigger, but I'm not sure he fully understood.

In Canada it's much more normal for me to hang out with complete strangers doing vodka and blow in an unfamiliar basement till 8 in the morning, but here it's hard to continually assess my situation for many different cultural reasons; language being the predominant one. I decided again to politely decline. (For the record I declined the blow in Canada too. I didn't feel like it was the best environment for my first experience with hard drugs).

I've become accustomed to being asked if I have a lover. That's just how Koreans ask if you have a girlfriend. I told him no, I don't have a lover. He told me he was a player and began making sexual gestures and used the word home. At the time I thought he was trying to tell me that he can hook me up with girls. I wasn't sure if I'd have to pay for the encounter; regardless, on account I've had a difficult time with the girls here, I was rather enticed. Still, I decided to keep with my theme inherited from the cocaine offer and politely declined.

Turned out his home was in the same direction as mine, so before departing we continued to enjoy each other's company while walking. In Korea it's very normal for girls to hold hands or just be physically close to each other while walking. It's a little less normal for guys to do this, so when he put his arm around mine I wasn't really sure what to think. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, mostly because I just didn't know what else to do. He eventually put his hand on my back as we walked, and slowly moved it down, stopping just before getting a full clench of my ass. Line crossed- I'm officially freaked out! I haven't had anything resembling physical interaction since landing in Korea, and this is very much the attention I've been looking for. Problem is, it wasn't exactly from the person I was hoping for. He wants to see me again, but truthfully, I'm not sure I'm ready for a second date.

Change of Events

I'm sure most of you have noticed that in my last few blogs I've had very little to say without complaining. I felt that one publication of complaining was enough. At the end of the day, as frustrated as I may be about things at work, I still get to have exciting experiences, learn about new cultures, and begin to understand why people in this part of the world behave they way they do.

All that being said, it appears as though my days at Maple Bear are limited. After a short discussion with my director today, it seems that not only will she grant me the release letter that teachers require if they want to change employers (I was considering moving to Japan if they didn't let me leave), but she will also assist me in any way she can to help me find a job that will make me happy, including talking with other directors.

Leaving Maple Bear is about an easy a decision as it was for me to leave my last job at Corel. Not easy at all! Aside from the friends I've made, who I can still keep in contact with, the hardest part is leaving my lenient schedule of a mere 17 hours per week and leaving my sweet apartment. I think people who know me best though, know that I'm a bit of a workaholic and would rather work 50 hours of fulfilling work than meager hours of unfulfilling work. Also, as much as I don't want to leave my sweet loft behind, I know I can live in any conditions. I did survive for 2 months in hostels, parks, and train/bus stations.

As of right now nothing is definite, though I'd say there's about an 80% chance that I'll be moving on to another job in Seoul, and if my current boss, Clara has anything to say about it, in the same area of Mokdong. Clara started at Maple Bear about a month ago. She's really nice, easy to talk to, and has a lot of experience teaching (though I'm not sure much experience with preschool/kindergarten). On the business side of things though, I feel like I could run the company (Maple Bear Mokdong) better. Of course I wouldn't be a very good business student if I didn't feel that way. It's unfortunate how much this place is considered a business before it's considered an educational institution.

On Sunday, since I had too much paperwork to do, I decided my outing for the weekend would be to just go to the local park and read my book "Bloodletting & Miraculous Curses" (Canadian Publication). I bumped into my boss there. She was very stressed about her new job. It was a Sunday and she was just on her way home from work. She explained to me, trying to make me feel sorry for her, for among many things, how much her family was frustrated with her working so many hours and not seeing her, how frustrated she was that none of the teachers were following the lesson plans and how the reputation of the school was very poor (I told you before that this school is a joke). My feelings at the time (and still are), my family sees me even less. If none of the teachers (including myself) don't follow the given lesson plans, there must be a reason for it (I can give you three). It's much easier to follow a lesson plan than it is to come up with one on your own. Plus, on account that this isn't my career and I will never have full residency in this country, why do I care about the reputation of your school more than my wellbeing? Shouldn't you try to regain a good reputation through a good rapport with teachers. Having to deal with this on my day off sent me over the edge. It's not that I can't sympathize with my boss, but if she wants to get some guilt out of me, the least she can do is consider the position I'm coming from. Still, when discussions came of me possibly leaving, she was very fair and very professional, and I respect that.

At this point I don't know what the future lies for me. I would expect that I'll find a job teaching either high school or adults in Seoul. There's possibilities of me leaving Korea too. I'm sure there'll be a change though, and hopefully I can begin to really enjoy myself here, the way I've heard so many other people have been able to.