gryffyn

Yesterday was a grand day. All of my classes went well, I didn't have to yell or fight with anyone about doing work or paying attention, and one of my little students gave me a very nice multi-pen/pencil thing. It writes in black and red and mechanical pencil. I have that one and the Spongebob multi-pen that I got a little while ago from another student. These kids here are so nice and generous, and even that class full of rotten-heads is coming around when they see their classmates get rewarded and they get nothing (but they see that they could get something, too). Fridays still are boring as hell, but I did my prep work for all of next week.

I got two boxes from Yuma yesterday, mostly stuff that I had ordered over the last little while. It is so nice to have clothes that fit again! And also that will keep me warm. Got me a whole pile of long-sleeves and sweaters and hoodies now and I shouldn't have to complain much about the cold anymore. I also got the last seven weeks worth of Entertainment Weekly and some cooking spices, so I can make chili at last.

Next weekend I have been invited to go to a ski resort, and even though I'm dead against fun in the snow and can't ski worth a damn, I'm really looking forward to it. I'll get to see more of lovely Korea this way, meet some more people, hang out in a resort of all places for a couple days and just kick back. Should be fun. I don't have boots and I don't have a winter coat that would do for skiing (my lovely suede pea jacket just is not made for the slopes), but I'm not planning on being coerced into strapping planks on my feet and shooting down a hill or mountain, so I should be fine.

It keeps snowing and not snowing and then snowing some more. Nothing's sticking, but it kind of looks like this:

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I think I'll stay in and eat kimchi stew and watch movies. And catch up on my many lovely entertainment magazines. One of my fellow teachers was looking through my stack of EW's and asked if this was the only kind of magazine I read, wondering if I had any fashion or women's type things. Nope, that's it. All EW, all the time. With the occasional bimonthy creative screenwriting thrown in for good measure.

And it's snowing again. Looking to be a strange and cold day and I don't really want to go anywhere. I'll save the snow adventures til next weekend when I'm hanging out at a lovely resort, drinking coffee or hot chocolate or many shots of gin of some kind. (I really really really love my electric blanket.)

On Monday my principal took all us teachers out for a very late dinner after a very long day of meetings and teaching and whatever else there was going on. The meetings all seemed very important, but except for some decisions I made about certain textbooks, all of it was in Korean and not translated, so I have no real idea what was going on. We went out for Kimchi stew and they pickled me nicely on some kind of Korean gin. Not sure I like getting sozzled on a Monday, but anyway. At least I didn't have to get up early since work starts at 1:30.

I finished Gilmore Girls a while back and I've run out of Merlin for the moment, so I've started rewatching Dawson's Creek, which seems like it was on a lifetime ago. It's painful, but pretty much like I remember. Not bad, not great. I'll see how long I can put up with it and its annoying dialogue.

I saw Inglourious Basterds, something that I had to keep reminding myself was not a war movie, but a Tarantino movie through and through. And the previews made it seem like it was all going to be about the Basterds and their scalping ways, but it was not so. Lots of conspiracy and plotting stuff, all centered around movies, movie stars, movie critics, movie theaters and soldiers turned actors playing themselves. All very awesome and bloody and not what I was expecting, which made it even better.

Thinking Zombieland will be next. I'm so very behind on all the movies I want to see, but that's what you get when you live half the world away. New Moon is not here yet, and yes, I want to see it. Not sure I can go by myself to that one because it's one I really want to go and have fun with, and I really don't think my coworkers will get the same humor that I really want to see. I'm very happy The Hurt Locker is getting lots of early-awards props - I'd like to see that one do really well. One of the best I saw this summer.

I brought a giant bag of individual snickers to school and I totally just got mugged by the 2:30 group of kids.

The three best is easy:
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
Dracula - Bram Stoker
Death of the Day - Tanith Lee

What makes them good is that they're all brilliant. One about the descent into the psychological and postmodern insanity of light and darkness, one the quasi-original vampire story about community and technology overcoming an ancient and monstrous evil, and one a straight up and incredible murder mystery from my favorite writer who I always associated with fantasy and old school SF who surprised the hell out of me with this one. Plus they're all just great reads.

The three worst is much more difficult because I just don't finish books I don't like - there's too much other good stuff out there to waste my time on things that seem boring or bad. I do have one though - I absolutely hate Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Dafoe. Forced to read that one for both British Lit and for Restoration Lit, it just got worse with every reading and with every cat he kills. Never again, Mr. Crusoe. You can keep killing cats in other people's imaginations from now on.

I cannot believe in just a few days it'll be December. These last few months have sped by. Still in that nice and cozy dark place I was in a few weeks ago. So much keeps changing all the time and I can't keep up with it, but thankfully they're keeping me much too busy at work to brood very much. Among teaching and preparing for all my classes, my principal also has me assembling books for various listening classes - I pull together the articles and write countless multiple choice questions. Can't say I'm a fan of doing this, but then when we get to use the books that I helped to make, I have to say I don't mind. And the articles are actually pretty interesting - mostly very current and since I've never been much of a news junkie it helps me keep in touch with what's going on in the world. Of course, my entertainment and movie stuff is nice and up to date.

Two of the teachers I was most close with have left, one going onto a new job as a flight attendant and the other having gotten fired for reasons I don't know. And two of my favorite students are no longer at the academy either. I know you're not supposed to have favorites, but they were two of the best and most interesting kids there and they're not there anymore, so it doesn't matter if they were favorites. All this made me sad.

I have one class that causes some serious problems with participation and general attitude. I got sick of it, so I started up an incentive program - first week trial seemed to work and it was like a totally different class. I hate feeling like I have to bribe good behavior, but at least they're doing the work now. All my other classes are great and the kids go out of their way to talk to me and practice their English, which is nice. I know most of their names at last and I even make some of the kids who are silent and mostly expressionless smile from time to time.

It's getting quite cold these days and this lack of central heat is just becoming more and more stupid. I have candles that warm up the air in my living area, and today I bought an electric blanket/mattress that's lovely. Now there's a pocket of heat on my bed, but since that's my only piece of furniture that I have have to sit on, that's fine.

I only get Christmas Day off and then three days for New Year's. Unlikely I'll be going anywhere and I don't have the multiple re-entry permit anyway. Blah. Not going to think about that anymore since there's nothing to be done about it.

Let's see.... good things. I got some new South Korean outlet adapters the other day, so I can finally set up my PS2 and get the games going again. Got a few I need to finish, and a few others I'd like to finally start, plus it means I can finally watch my dvds on my awesome ultra slim tv that my place came furnished with back in August. I also started Christmas shopping and spent way too much money already, but my gifts over the last few years have been terrible and very scarce, so I want to make up for that.

My principal seems very pleased with my work and my lesson plans and my extra work of making those books so quickly. Nice to be appreciated. She's taking me into Cheongju City tomorrow evening to hang out for a while. I'd still like to venture out on the bus, but seriously, there's been no time. I can't go during the week because I'm always at the academy, and even on weekends I'm either tutoring or getting the weekly shopping done. Never been one to go out drinking, so it's not like I miss stuff like that. I do miss movies and the movie theater - my one real passion. I'll work it all out. Still figuring this place out after all.

Free time before going to work has been filled with episodes of Merlin mostly. That show has really grown on me. Once I got past the idea that it's messing up the legend (it's not at all - I just had to get past it), I decided to go with it and watch the stories they're trying to tell. I really love the playful interactions that everyone has with each other, and I love the tweaking to the old stories, especially the forging of Excalibur and whatever it is going on between Arthur, Gwen, and Lancelot. I have a problem with Merlin being younger than Arthur, and with what they've done with Mordred, but only minor quibbles. All in all, it's fun and the kid playing Merlin is wonderful but not weird enough (though I really love Lancelot - guess it's all in the name, and us Gwen's have little resistance against it). I've always been a sucker for all things Arthurian and if I was anywhere but here I'd be going through all my Arthur related books and getting all re-obsessed again. No books here but the new Mercedes Lackey Gwenhwyfar novel, but I am sorely tempted to watch Excalibur for all its weird-Merlin-goodness. And pull out The Holy Grail for the heck of it.

One more episode and then I'm all caught up. Think I'll watch it and then go to sleep. Might get snow tomorrow? I don't think it'll stick, but I hate the idea of snow on the whole. At least there's no squalls or six feet in three hours. I won't miss that at all.

Last few days have not had me in a happy place and there's no reason for it. Just dark right now, and it doesn't help that I really hate going out in the day - the bright light bothers my eyes, so I wait until dark to go anywhere. I'm drinking lovely peppermint tea that I found in the big super store a mile or so down the road.

I finally took care of some bank business and I did it all by myself. No help from any of my coworkers or my boss. I walked down to the bank one morning before work, got a number and somehow got everything done that I needed to. I speak no Korean and the teller spoke very little English, but it was all about money and sending money and all that, so we muddled through. Can't send money to Arizona though since there's a cap on how much you can send per day, but California is no problem. Stupid. Luckily California is an option and I'm not stuck with just Arizona, or I'd be at the bank every day sending little bits at a time. The big reason for me to take this job was so that I could finally pay off my biggest bill and while it's not paid off yet, I did take a big chunk off of it and am happy. I was also frivolous and bought two Star Wars hoodies - one that looks like Darth Vader and the other that looks like Boba Fett. Insanely expensive (for me), but what else am I spending my money on? Except for the one big bill, I've got everything else paid off. Next big thing is the nook from barnes and noble. I shall soon be an ebook reader and carry upwards of 17,000 books around in my messenger bag.

It got quite chilly here last week and I discovered that there's no such thing as internal central heating in any of the buildings. There's space heaters and one of the classrooms even used candles to heat up the air nicely, but it's mostly a matter of wearing warm things to make do. So I thought I could use some extra sweaters and the Star Wars ones were perfect. Yeah, like I really needed something like a practical reason.

Got me some more threadless shirts the other day, a zombie one and the 'so long old world' one with a city scape slowly dissolving into the sky. Very nice. I love getting mail and boxes from mum. Should have gone abroad years ago.

Talked to the sister today. I keep asking her when she'll come to visit me, but she doesn't even have a current passport, so it's not looking like it'll be any time soon. I need to get a multi-reentry permit myself if I want to go anywhere anytime.

Going to watch some shows that have been accumulating all week. It'll be dark soon and then I'll venture out for a bit, get myself a sandwich and some more tea. I found a coffee and tea nirvana the other day, only two months after I get here, but better late than never.

I love Halloween, but for the last many years that I've stopped counting, I was starting to think Halloween hated me. It's always the time of year that I'm the most sick with laryngitis or ear-drum bursting ear infections or colds and flus that just won't die. Well, my cold got me last weekend and this time I was fine. Turns out I just had to move to Korea for a decent Halloween.

We had a party at the academy all day on Friday and it was much fun even though they made me wear a giant cobalt blue bow on top of my head the whole day. Played games, ate lots of awesome food, wowed my coworkers with my prowess of the wooden chopsticks. It's become kind of a joke that I can't use the metal chopsticks with any sort of fine motor skill, so they assumed that I couldn't use any chopsticks at all. I was starting to wonder myself, but the wooden ones were no problem. Ended the day by watching the first half of Wolverine with a bunch of boys - got to where Gambit appears and then we had to clean up. That first half isn't bad - still not great, but not bad. Must be the rest of the movie (including stupid Gambit) and what they do to Deadpool that I must have such terrible memories of.

I watched Paranormal Activity last night. The last time I was so creeped out by a movie was either the first time I saw Psycho or when I first saw The Ring. I think I saw the original ending, not the theatrical one, but I looked up the theatrical one after and I think I prefer the original. I really have nothing to say except that I was stuck with many images of that bedroom in my head and I should not have watched it before going to sleep, although it made for a perfectly creepy night.

Going out and about today if it doesn't rain. The skies aren't looking too promising, but I have no food except for a can of corn and some bread. All day yesterday was a slow build-up to a monster storm that never came except for a little rain late at night. No scary movies today. Maybe Bon Cop, Bad Cop - one that I bought in Toronto before I moved.

Looking back at my twitter (yes I keep an archive, obsessed with my own words and all), I see it's exactly a year almost to the day that I was last sick with that superbug that bit me and took away my voice. And I'm sick again now. I was so afraid I had the flu yesterday - one form or another, regular flu or h1n1, whatever it might have been, it's not good to have any of them. And it's actually making the rounds at my school right now with quite a few confirmed cases. Anyway, my temperature was up yesterday, but not very high and I have a stuffed nose, but temperature's down today and I'm feeling much better, so I'm thinking it's a particularly nasty cold. I don't feel bad and it doesn't feel like the flu in any of its various incarnations; I'm just really stuffed up. It seems this time of year just doesn't like me very much. As far back as my time in Yuma, I remember being the most sick right around Halloween pretty much every year, which sucks! But it makes the make-up sitch easier since with my overly pale sickly skin I pass for the dead even without putting anything on.

I spent all day yesterday lying under a blanket watching all four hours of North and South (love Richard Armitage as Thornton much more than as Sir Guy) and then Hardy's Under the Greenwood Tree, plus a few episodes of Gilmore Girls. Lovely day, except for the being sick part. I drank many cups of peach tea and lots and lots of water. Hydration is definitely not an issue. I'm so happy this hit on a Friday and I had the weekend to isolate myself and take care of this. Since I'm already feeling better, I should be even more better tomorrow and it'll be fine. Hand sanitizer is my very good friend.

More t-shirts are on the way from threadless (so this is where all my money goes). Also a few books from amazon, though I'm really liking the look of this new Nook thing from barnes and noble. If I can figure out a way to get it here, I might invest in one and then won't have to think about being buried in books that I'll have to figure out how to ship home again when I leave this place (not for a long while I hope, but it's still something I'd rather not worry about). Nothing beats the feel of a book in your hands, but if I had to pick something to replace it, I think I'd go with a nook over a kindle. Not to sound all commercial like or anything - I haven't tried either. Just something to think about once I get this whole money thing figured out.

I've been watching the woman who runs the billiard room across the street feed and play with her puppies. So cute. I would have snapped a pic, but I'm a bit dopey from the medicine my coworkers forced me to buy at the pharmacy and my camera's across the room. I'm afraid I'd fall on my head if I rushed too much.

One of my favorite overly talkative middle school kids wanted me to come play soccer for his team last week. I started to explain that I really don't play soccer, never did, but he said that wasn't a problem. All I would have to do is shout English at the other team and they'd be so confused I could just swoop in and score. At least he had a strategy?


No school tomorrow for some reason that no one can really explain, but I do have tutoring, and that much later in the day. And then I will find myself a yummy bakery sandwich or five and wander down to Lake Park to hang out for a bit. One of these days I will get up the courage to go on a bus to the city, but for now I'm happy just wandering around.

It is beautiful out here today, sunny and breezy and just warm enough to not be oppressive. Me being me, I could use a little less sun, but hey, I'm not really complaining either. I wandered down to the massive super store today, hunting for a new brita filter. A girl on a bike totally ran into me, said "I'm soooo sorry!" in clear English and then rode on down the street looking over her shoulder at me the whole way. No wonder we collided. Funny though. I'm totally losing count of how many people all say hello as I'm walking around out there. Still find it weird and I don't like standing out so much as I obviously do, but it's nice, too.

I got myself a new hair straightener today and a decent coffee cup - a giant bistro soup-bowl style coffee cup that will finally give me the perfect cup in the morning.

The best sandwiches here are from the bakery down the street. Chicken cutlet wraps and chicken salad sandwiches and pizza baguettes and oh wow, do I ever go to town on the weekends. Of course, I eat nothing during the week because there's no time, so I don't really feel bad about the weekend tastiness.

I have this coming Tuesday off, though nobody can really tell me why except that it's a holiday of some kind.

I watched Dead Snow last night - a Norwegian zombie movie. Never seen so many intestines used in so many different ways. Also never seen such organized zombies before, but these were Nazi zombies, so they were very efficient zombie strategists. Seriously gross and grotesquely funny - I was rooting for the overly self-aware movie buff, but of course the zombies split his head apart and spilled his brains all over the floor before he got dragged out the window. For all its disgusting-ness though, the movie itself was beautiful, lots of snow and blood and blood on the snow. Yeah, it was grand.

So I got a whole bunch of boxes delivered here to the academy yesterday, from mum in Yuma. Just stuff that was too heavy, plus some other things that she thought I'd like or had asked for. It's easier to deliver stuff here at the academy than to my house, considering I'm here most of the time anyway and I don't really know how the package situation works at the apartment. So much stuff I could only carry half of it home last night and today I brought one of my suitcases with me to lug the rest back. Included among the various things of body lotion and other things was Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book. Big relief since I was afraid I had left them all behind in storage. Still no Smoke and Mirrors, but I'll get a used copy delivered sometime.

In the boxes was a giant container of coffee, my other binder of dvds (all my tv shows and literary miniseries), some more notebooks and journals, vocabulary flashcards, a few blankets, towels, scarves, and bedding sheets, a new threadless hoodie, and some other books and dvd sets. Am very spoiled and can't wait to start reading my new books and drinking multiple pots of tasty coffee. And now I can watch Oz! I have many other shows, but I've been having a hankering for that one since I started watching Fringe and Kirk Acevedo is (was? sniff) one of the main characters. Always loved him in Oz.

It started pouring outside after I got here today. Thunder and everything! While I'm glad I didn't get soaked and it waited until after I arrived to downpour, there was no real sign that there was going to be rain at all and I left my apartment window wide open with my laptop on and running right beside the open window. I hope the rain didn't change directions at any time. Oh, I hope the computer is still happy and not fried. Six hours until I find out. Not good, not good, not good! Calls for some plum tea while I wait for my first class to start.

Edit:
While I was sitting here fretting about the rain, a few more packages arrived. One containing a whole bunch of magazines and stickers, again from mum, and the other from the totally awesome ragecarnuu!! Coffee, 30 Days of Night, magazines, black nail polish (I will take a pic when I put it on, I promise), and other stuff. The last two days have been great mail days! Thanks so much!

Immigration finally came through and I have my Alien Registration Card at last. Very small card that just has my picture, my name, and a whole lot of Korean that I can't read, but something so important that I couldn't get anything done here without it. I couldn't even get paid! But the day my principal handed me my card, she also took me to a bank to open an account and get me some money, and then also took me to a phone store to get me a cell. So I now have both been paid and have a phone and I am happy. I've had a list of things to buy since I got here (like a camera!) and now I can start making a dent in said list. Even after she took off money for the phone (which she paid for initially) and for the travel agent fine (that I had back in August because of the visa taking too long to issue), I still have more money that I've ever had at any one time. And I get paid again next week once the pay schedule goes back to normal.

Getting the phone and the bank account are both good things, but I have to say the process was stupid and annoying. Like I said, my principal was there and she pretty much did everything. No one even made an attempt to talk to me, but talked to her about everything instead. So I sat there, staring out the window, signing my name and initials in about a million different places and that was that. And by the way, I did try to participate. I did ask questions about what things meant and what I was signing and totally got brushed off, so I gave up. I don't want to fight and I just wanted to get these things done - this was three weeks after what was supposed to be my pay day after all. And the phone was the same. I feel very small over here and extremely dependent and I can't say I like it very much. But the guy who sold me the phone delivered it himself to my academy later that day and he even set up the phone so it would be in English, which was very nice. And I inadvertently got myself a camera phone, so I do have a camera now though it's tedious getting the pictures off it to share. I'd still like an actual camera, but this is better than nothing.

When I got my alien card, I showed it off to everyone and told them that I was an alien - Mr. Y didn't like that because he thinks alien sounds weird, but I think it sounds great, and my kids just laughed when I told them. Even though it took longer than I would have liked, this was still easier than dealing with immigration in the States.

ETA: I just got home from buying a camera. It's a tiny Nikon. I really just chose the first one that looked nice and small - unlike my dad and other people I know, I'm not a camera person and just want something that's easy to point and shoot with so that I can send photos back to my family who kinda want to see what everything looks like around here. I'm not taking arty shots of anything, so I'm happy. Battery's charging right now, so later today I shall have some photos of my place. (You know you haven't had any sort of money for a while when you feel guilty for buying something like this, and it wasn't even that much.)

I also found a very cute and very small toaster oven that I might buy on another day. I'd like to make cookies for everybody at the academy, especially around weekends or the upcoming holidays and as it is right now all I have is an electric range and a couple fry pans. No good for baking. So yeah, think I'll get that soon, and then it'll just be a matter of finding butter (or some kind of shortening) to actually bake with.

It's Thanksgiving weekend here right now, so I have today (Friday) off. So I went to a movie with a coworker and her boyfriend. We saw Fame, not because I was dying to see it or anything resembling that, but I thought that would be a safe bet that everyone might enjoy? Yeah, it was pretty silly, but had some nice dance numbers and freestyle moments. Whatever. The movie theaters here are beyond incredible and I'd be happy with anything. It didn't take long to notice that no one here shares my taste in movies, so I'll just go see whatever anyone else picks until I can figure out the bus system and go to some on my own.

After that was supposed to be Korean Barbecue, but it's closed for the holiday so we went to a Vietnamese restaurant instead. Like everywhere else I can't read the menu - it's amazing how little you feel when you can't read or talk. But I trusted my company and I tend to like pretty much anything you put in front of me, so it's usually great. This was amazing. A huge platter of food and rice paper and you make your own fresh rolls with whatever you want. I had some interesting combinations with bbq beef, lettuce, peaches and pickles and others with what I think was either salmon or tuna, melon, bean sprouts and other things that I just picked off the platter. I left the shrimp alone - I usually love shrimp, but these still had their eyes and I just couldn't do it.

We took the long and scenic way back to my little part of the city - through the mountains and down a road I would love to drive myself. Reminded me of the route up to Julian in California. What a great stretch of road. And it's so beautiful here, very mild and nice out today and everything is still so very green. I'm looking forward to doing some hiking around the mountain just in behind where I live. I can't get over this. See, Yuma is beautiful too, but so spread out that walking was impractical, never mind the fact that it's the desert so you'll die if you're out too long. Ontario never appealed to me as a scenic sort of area, though my sister will fight me on that regarding all the trees and stuff. Whatever. I drove everywhere, so I could admire everything at highway speed. Never thought of myself as a pedestrian, but I do like it now that I have few other options. I will get the bus thing down in the next couple weeks though, and then Cheongju City will be mine for the exploring as well.

I was told that the kids really like me and that everyone at the Academy was rather anxious before I arrived in August because my predecessor was angry and rather strange (I've already heard many stories about him from some other students). Very good to hear that they like me, they really like me and all that. And the kids (for the most part) are great, especially the middle school kids. Once I get this stupid alien registration card thing, I'm sure I'll be even happier, but really so far so good.

Lunch was so good and so huge that I'm not sure I want dinner. I will catch up on this week's new Vampire Diaries (unfortunate name for abbreviation purposes), Fringe and Supernatural and then maybe eat some curry. ta for now.

PS
I keep forgetting.

I traveled over here with two other teachers hired by the same institute. I was supposed to find them before getting on the plane, but had no idea what they looked like other than being two "tall, white people." Great description there. But anyway, they found me in the Seoul airport and we got to talking during our four-hour wait in the airport. They're married and just out of school, but the funny thing is that the guy and I went to the same high school. He was a few years behind and it was a surprisingly big school for the town we were in, but yeah, what an incredibly small world.

And I haven't seen or heard from them since. There's fifteen different academies around this whole big city area that are all run by the same guy, and they went to one while I went to another. But I find it kinda cool that there's another Lancer out there in this hemisphere.

I tutored again yesterday for a couple hours - going well, though I have to find a better strategy to help my student write more complex sentences. Long way to go before being ready to write essays for that competition thing, but like I said last time, we've got a year. I also got paid for this tutoring gig. I haven't yet been paid for my actual teaching job, but this was quite a bit more than what I was expecting and just this alone could very easily pay for grocery type things for the next month, plus it was cash so I don't need to worry about not having a bank and all that other stuff. And when I do get paid, I'll send most of that on home. Very nice. I hope that the immigration card stuff will be taken care of tomorrow, though (and I'll only say this here) it's being done in probably the stupidest way possible, which is why it's taking as long as it is.

I'm bored and have run out of things to watch for the moment. Not movies - they're all sitting and probably hoping I'll pick one. I'm slowly getting that recent PBS Dickens mini, Little Dorrit, but I don't want to start watching it until I have at least half of it good to go. I'd go out and spend some of that new money today on things that I need, like food for the next week, but it's raining and I'm fighting off some kind of bug that I likely picked up at the school. Don't feel bad at all, but my throat is quite sore, though it feels better today than it did yesterday. So I'm stuck inside with no food other than bread and peanut butter, and some of that curry that I'll make for dinner. Coffee is in order right now.

I am in desperate need of books. I finally finished 'The Death of Kings,' the second book in the Emperor series by Conn Iggulden, one that I've been reading since July I think. It's a great series, but I'm not ready to go onto book 3 yet. I only brought a few books with me, and I mean a very few. Among them a Palahniuk favorite (Rant), a Tanith Lee favorite (Death of the Day), the 3rd edition of the Norton Heart of Darkness (just because and that particular edition because it has the most articles and essays about Apocalypse Now in it), both Homer classics as translated by Stanley Lombardo, the Emperor series, and Ender's Game, which I haven't read yet. And nothing is really appealing to me from that list, so I'm reading Odyssey, of which I haven't read this translation yet. I just ordered a new book from the sfbc, 'Transition' by Iain M. Banks, which will be delivered to Yuma and then sent on to me (quickly if I beg and plead), plus there's a new Gwenhwyfar (or however that's spelled) novel by Mercedes Lackey on the way. Very much looking forward to some new readings, but that doesn't help me much in the mean time. And if you're very observant, you'll see I don't have any Neil Gaiman with me. I don't know how that happened. I had them set out and good to go and somehow they didn't come with me. Smoke and Mirrors and The Graveyard Book in particular were supposed to be in my bag. This makes me sad. So I'm going to go have some coffee and ease my throat and make one of my movies happy while I watch it.

ETA: Jane Eyre it is. If I can't have Dickens now, then Bronte will do. Toby Stephens is still the best Rochester I've ever seen.

This is seriously getting rather ridiculous. I've been waiting on this stupid foreign/alien registration card since I got here (exactly one month ago as of today). I've done all the health check stuff, gotten much blood taken, been violated in any number of medical ways (admittedly a big overstatement, but I really hate all that hospital stuff), gave over my diploma and my bloody passport. In the meantime I have been unable to get a bank account (and consequently a paycheck because I have no place to put the money) or even a cell phone, which means I haven't talked to anyone in about a month. They're slowly making headway, but today I was told that the photos I provided are too big - apparently no one around here has heard of cropping or cutting the unnecessary white space at the top and bottom, and are also unacceptable because my ears aren't visible in the photos. So I told them to crop the stupid photos (if they won't I will) and I also pulled out a different set that I luckily brought with me in which my ears are visible. My payday was technically yesterday, but I'm waiting on this card and then I can get paid and get a camera and a phone and all the other stuff that I've been waiting on to buy and actually get settled in this place. It seems immigration stupidity is a universal thing and I don't find that familiarity comforting. Soon. I'll just keep telling myself soon it will all be well. I still have to get the multiple reentry permit as well, but one thing at a time, right?

I just wandered down to the store for some more cereal and milk and decided to give the coffee aisle another look-see, and happy day, I found some ground coffee. Maxwell House even, and there's also hazelnut there, so I won't have to beg kind people to send me some when I get low. Anyway, the reason I didn't see it before is because the packages are about a quarter the size to what I'm used to seeing and smaller even than the instant coffee packages that seem to be everywhere. Coffee is about the same price even though it's a teeny tiny size, but at least I found it. Also got me some more of that incredibly tasty curry, which is much too good for something that comes out of a foil pouch.

I must stop eating dinner while Fringe is on. I always seem about to take a bite when larvae comes spilling out of a corpse or something equally delightful. Just doesn't make me want to eat anything.

As of tomorrow I'll have been here four weeks. It's not quite the month mark, as that's the day I get paid, but still... four weeks. It's been interesting, though I haven't done practically any exploring yet. It's hard to get motivated when you don't have a camera and I want to share what I see. It's also hard to do any sort of restaurant/shopping/anything else that costs money exploring when, until that first pay day, you're on a rather tight budget. So maybe next weekend will be a weekend for photos, but I make no promises.

So I've been here four weeks. Today I'll talk about little (extremely minor and mostly consumeristic) things that I miss. My favorite coffee. So far I haven't been able to find plain, regular coffee. I did bring some with me, but as of today I'm out, and all I can find here in the local supermarket is instant coffee - and even that's not plain, but mixed with sugar and creamer. It's actually tasty, but it's not what I like. The thing is, they must have coffee grinds or beans here because I see coffee makers all over the place. I'll branch out my search today, after the sun goes down.

I also miss my olay body wash. I tend to have very dry skin and again, I brought some with me, but I've also run out of that. I have found another body wash, so I'm giving that a go and seeing if it's too harsh, but so far so good. In the same vein, the brand I really miss is my garnier shampoo. I never realized how much of a difference all that garnier conditioner was making to my hair until I stopped using it. This stuff that I have here, strangely and cinematically called "mise en scene," does smell nice, but is leaving the hair rather dry.

I thought I would miss driving. That was my biggest fear - giving up my car and then not having my own mode of transport here. Since observing the road rules and driving techniques of the drivers here, I have to say I really don't miss driving at all. That's not to say that as soon as I get back to North America (whenever that will be - not homesick or even bored in the slightest) that I won't hop into some sort of car and drive as far and as fast as I can, but for the moment, I'm good.

Ah yes. andweewoo has been inadvertently tormenting me about this one, but I miss baking! I have only a stove here, no oven, and no room for a toaster oven even if I find one to lug back. I suppose I could put it on the floor in the living/bedroom space. But I loved baking - if only to give it all away, and there's enough kids and teachers to share with, so I don't think I'd have a problem passing it all off.

So yeah. My list of things I miss is rather small and insignificant. The absence of any of these things is not making my stay here unbearable in the slightest, so I'd say it's all good. I still have a few issues with work, but who doesn't? I love most of the kids, I really love the classes that give me something to work with. I'm getting to do my own thing with both the writing and this strange social studies/science comprehension class I run, so that gives me a challenge to stay on top of. I'm being forced to learn my own rules of grammar, which isn't a bad thing in the long run and I should have learned them years ago. Yes, it's all grand in the great scheme of things. Here's to the next month.

The weather's too nice and bright today. I have to be careful as a pedestrian now because I burn much too easily and if I was out for any length of time today, I'd be nice and crispy, plus it hurts my eyes. So I will wait to walk around til after the sun goes down. At least it goes down early in this part of the world, usually just past 7pm. I really want to go check out that mountain just behind where I live - but I don't dare do that by myself. So that leaves time for more Fringe! ta ta!

I am so confused on Fridays. I have three classes right off the bat and then nothing for the rest of the day, but I'm not allowed to go home (nor do I really want to). I want to put in a full day and all that, but I've done all the prep-work for the next two weeks, I can't make any new powerpoint slides because the program is in Korean and I haven't memorized the menus to know where everything is, I've made an entire new vocabulary workbook for various speaking classes, and there's really nothing left to do but read Dilbert comics that have been piling up for the last three months. I wish I could help with whatever this place turns into on Friday, but again, everything is in Korean except for the example sentences, so I'd really not be able to teach anything. Help with pronunciation maybe. But no, I tried to help a couple weeks ago and ended up just standing there being quite useless, so that was that. So after my few classes I have five and a half hours to kill before I get to go home.

Yesterday was grand. Did not start out well - something set me off into one hell of a bad mood, but I had my lovely writing classes at the end and all was well. Plus... remember those kids who I was helping prepare for the competition last weekend? Well, their mothers were so thankful they sent over pizza - potato pizza with crust made of rice. It was so good! And I usually don't get to eat dinner until well past 9pm, so this was very welcome.

We started with descriptive paragraphs this week in the writing classes. I had them pick their own topic, which was probably a mistake, but three of them ended up writing about me (and one didn't realize I was going to read their paragraphs after, and was so embarrassed he tried to erase it all before I could get to it). Sidenote: why does everyone think I have blonde hair? It's red! I'm thinking neither ginger nor blonde is common enough to tell the difference, but anyway. My favorite detail from the girls who wrote about me was that I "walk very quietly." I also have good pronunciation, usually wear black, have white teeth, and "strange, bright green eyes." So yeah, the next class I gave them their topic, instead of letting them choose their own. As weird (and interesting?) as it was to read all about myself, there won't be any more of that. Makes me uncomfortable. But the writing classes are still my favorite - the kids actually talk to me outside of the lesson about their days and other things. The kids in those classes seem to like using and practicing their English, which is exactly what I'm here for so I don't feel so useless on those days.

Ah yes. Another favorite moment from the recent week. I have one class that's made up of six girls, and they all wanted me to write their names on their books in cursive writing. They all know how to print English, but not how to write it. Anyone who knows me knows my writing is not the greatest - it's one of my trademarkes, my terrible, terrible handwriting. But these girls loved it - mostly because they don't know any better. They all want to learn how to write now, so I got them a bunch of worksheets to practice with outside of class. I liked that though. Someone likes my handwriting! A whole bunch of someones actually! hahaha!

Okay, to television. I ran out of Deadwood at last, the last episode of which I found rather infuriating but brilliant like the rest. In my quest to keep myself occupied, I'm watching Fringe now, and I really like it. It's fluff, but it's good and silly SF fluff with Joshua Jackson, who I've had a thing for since Dawson's Creek. (So, same reason I'm watching Vampire Diaries really.) I'm halfway through the first season - I guess season two started last night? I'll be all caught up in no time.

Hey, next week I'll get my first paycheck. I'm not sure how that's going to work as I don't have a bank account yet (still waiting on that blasted immigration card), but I'm hoping I'll have money in one way or another. Luckily it really does cost nothing to live here. I think I've spent about $100 total on groceries in my four weeks here. And even once I figure out which bus to take to actually get to Cheongju City to go the movie theater, it's still not going to use up that much more cash.

My favorite teacher here is Mr. Y. He is studying English right now and always wants to talk to me about Canada or baseball or the usefulness of TOEFL studies or the general chaos of this place when the schedule never stays the same or Doctor Who. He always says, "Wotcher!" to me when he first arrives and it took me forever to figure out what that was - a British thing obviously, but I thought he was saying "What's up?" Yep, I'm an idiot. But anyway, when he thought he was saying it wrong I explained that it's not a common expression in Canada, but it's definitely correct. And so that's how we greet each other now. The other teachers, unless deliberately including me, always speak in Korean (and why shouldn't they - I don't expect anything else), but Mr. Y goes out of his way to speak English as much as possible and include me, which I greatly appreciate. He yelled at me about my coffee prediliction and wondered why it doesn't upset my stomach when I don't eat. All they eat here is insanely spicy food flavored with all variations of red pepper, so I find what does and doesn't cause stomach problems rather amusing.

Long enough again. Shall go now. I have an hour to kill before I can go home I think. Unless I have to stay until 9:30, which is another two and a half hours away. Sigh. Stupid Friday.

I became a private tutor today for one of my academy students - we'll be meeting twice a month to get ready for an English competition next year. I just finished getting three other students ready for this year's competition (it took place earlier today), so I'm happy to have someone else to help. Honestly, those extra classes have been my favorites, practicing speaking and writing with some scarily smart kids, and the new one's no different. We're starting off just getting his vocab up to snuff and writing small paragraphs, but I'll have him writing essays in no time.

I found some pre-made curry in the market, so I gave that a go today and it was surprisingly good. Not as good as mine, but still pretty tasty. And very easy to make, especially since I only have the electric range and no microwave.

There's a kitty outside wandering up and down the street between the market and the billiard room, and it won't shut up. Poor thing.

Should I admit that I liked The Vampire Diaries or just be quiet and keep my dignity? I don't really care. It's a vampire show, I read the books, I liked the adaptation, I was a fan of Dawson's Creek (same creator) - that's all I need and I don't feel bad about it. All I ask is that it's better than Moonlight and it is, so yeah, I'll keep watching it for a while. And Supernatural... oh yes. I am a very recent convert to that one - I watched all four seasons in about a week earlier this summer, and am happy to have more new ones. I'm just not sure about waiting to watch week to week - I devoured them all so fast before, this one episode at a time thing is going to suck.

I go from teaching 12-14 classes every day, trying to figure out how to let my principal know that I really don't know and am not qualified to teach any sort of in depth linguistics, no breaks and standing for hours on end, to this on Friday (this being a whole lot of nothing). The whole academy turns into a weirdo madhouse, but not for me. I taught two classes at the start and now there's nothing for two and a half hours and I get to go home at 8 instead of 9:30. The closest I can figure what's happening is a three-way simulataneous feed from the director of all the academies, broadcasting some sort of lecture to all the schools in the area (there's 15 in the city and surrounding area). It's all in Korean even though it's English examples, so I really have no idea what's going on when. But there are the other teachers constantly running around to gather various handouts and keep up with whatever's happening in the live feed. I am scheduled for something, but when I asked last week what I was supposed to do during this time, I was told, "nothing," so I went back to my desk.

I've been doing so much lesson planning and extra work for my classes this week, but it's keeping me busy. My speaking classes actually went very well today. The kids hate the book we're using and I have to say, it's pretty terrible, but we got through the section quickly this time and then I switched over to a powerpoint flashcard presentation I put together this morning and they perked right up. They loved it and it got so loud at one point, I was afraid my ears were going to bleed. Same with the speaking/reading social studies classes I'm teaching - the kids even said it looks like a baby book, but I made a word search for them, play hangman to review vocab, talk about the words, and make up more detailed homework sheets and it's so much better for me and them. The writing classes are still going well. I'll have to do some tips at some point about paragraphs, but these kids are already great writers. Like I said, I still have major issues with that linguistics class, but that's because I shouldn't be teaching it. It'll sink in eventually I hope, before I totally screw these kids up with understanding how English works.

Going to hunt down some food or coffee or something now. And try to stay out of the way of the stampeding teachers.

Edit: I did find food - the principal's mother left dinner in the break room, so I helped myself. I have no idea what I ate, but it sure was spicy. Good, but so hot my lips and tongue were numb for the next hour. I just procured some apple jam much more to my palette's liking.

Everyone keeps telling me it's too far to walk to the Home Plus (that big store that's like Walmart or the like), but when we drove it in that crazy cab ride last week, it seemed very close and not far at all. So I went out to find it tonight - not the store because that's waiting on my pay day, but to the walking park that's right across the street. It's exactly 20 minutes away from my front door, so not far at all and definitely not worth cab fare unless you're planning on buying a shelf unit or something huge at the store. I tried to go out earlier today but only made it to the bakery - much too hot and way to humid for any sort of stroll, but it's considerably cooler now and it was such a nice walk. I found it all by myself and found my way back, so I am happy. And it's a beautiful park, though the ducks look like they could eat me whole if they wanted. When the weather cools off or the humidity recedes a little, maybe I'll go there during the day and get some photos (a camera would also help in that regard).

Back to my primary activity of the day, watching more Deadwood, I'm onto season three. I find my vocabulary getting much more colorful thanks to the likes of Calamity Jane and Al Swearengen. Same thing happened when I watched Oz for the first time - started swearing up a storm until my sister asked what was wrong with me. Anyway, Jane said the best line in the last episode I watched - "Every day takes figurin out all over again how to fuckin live" - which struck me as the way everything feels right now, and that's not a bad thing in the slightest.

It's a full moon out there right now. I'm still working out the kinks to the academy and to teaching since I'm not receiving much guidance, but it's a good work in progress. I've officially been here two weeks, and this was my first good weekend, so bring on the start to another week. (And I found peanut butter, so that made the day even better.)