The last post of Korea...

So, this is the end! I just had my last meeting with my students! There were only a few...and that was it! My boss is a funny man. I have always been nice about him ~ but I feel he's really shown his true colours! He asked if i would come back to Korea, and my 1st response was "NO! You think after what you've done to me I want to subject myself to it all over again!? You must be joking!" He looked shocked and I walked away. I know I'm not the subtlest of people, but I normally tone myself down for my bosses...but he'd finally given me my final pay (DISMAL!), and I'd finally got him to do my letter of recommendation - the worst one I've seen, but whatever! And I was about to walk out.

I am so sad I'm leaving feeling this way, but after the last 2 weeks, I am so ready to get on the road, and leave Korea and have a few weeks in South East Asia, Spain and then getting back into the swing of things in the UK!

I will miss a few things about Korea, but most things I think I'll miss I can replace with something at home - food, people, etc etc....!

Anyway, I'll try and get a happy blog up here as soon as I've purged and cleaned and packed I'm sure I'll be a little happier!

Love xx

I just saw this...

OK, so enough with the melt down...I just saw this video, and I think it expresses what Korea is to me a bit too...the crazy kids, who are so loving and affectionate...and all the fun we get to have seing it...and being dragged into it :D Man, I love Korea and teaching...

Please enjoy and a huge thanks to Simon at http://www.eatyourkimchi.com/ for spending 2 years making it...I hope you guys don't mind me using it...

The 1st Melt Down...

Tonight I had what I would like to consider to be my 1st of a few melt downs. Two weeks ago I was given the news that as of the 19th I would have no job for me in South Korea. It was a very tough blow and I realised a lot of things about what I wanted out of life. In Yeonghae, I had a great job, good kids and my own place. I earn enough money to both save and spend and my friends are pretty cool :) I know I'm far away from civilization (the hard part) and my dear dear mother ~ who I don't know how I live without, but I seem to manage with almost daily emails and weekly phone calls. And of course my friends back at home. Thanks to the new age, with internet and skype and long distance phone calls, I'm very very lucky and can keep in touch with all who want to keep in touch with me!

I was really comfortable here before it was ripped out from under my feet. But once I found out (after about 24 hours of crying and wallowing in self pitting and wondering what it all meant!) I jumped back up, landing firmly on my travelling feet. I'm so excited to have an opportunity to see some more of God's great earth! So, I cancelled tickets and booked others, and got excited and planned more, and packed all my boxes. And planned more. And booked more. And generally came up with a plan.

Well as of today I am as sorted as I can be for a trip to SE Asia. And I am as packed as I can be until I buy my backpack. And I've cleaned as much as I can clean until I have shipped various things either to England of the rest of the ex-pats in Korea! I was preparing myself for a monday of farewells...

Then I find out my classes finish today ~ bummer, but easily sorted with a quick fix party and a huge game of hide and seek! Then I find out I don't get a chance to have the party the middle schoolers were planning with me! Oh, but I can pop in on Monday at 1:30pm to say goodbye and take a photo....GRRRR!!! Now that made me mad!

I would think that's right about when the melt down started.

And then I continued to be bored and not being able to find something (anything) to occupy myself with so I didn't have to think about these horrible things...I started to wallow again :( then a few other things happened that are completely unrelated and I think my head might actually explode with either tears, screams or something worse....silence!

So, it's almost 10:30pm, I'm not tired, my online movies aren't working (the others are packed) I have no happy place to go to right now, and I'm angry. At my boss. At the world. At myself. I don't know! I just needed to air my melt down in a vain attempt to help me over come it!

I hope you've been provided with some kind of amusement! Laters guys xx

Slowly Winding Down...

So, with 5 days before I become a temporary nomad, I thought I'd start finishing up! Those who know me will know that this is a pretty new concept for my to be dealing with....finishing something I've started, but this year has proved to me and hopefully a few others, that I'm capable of starting and FINISHING something! Hehehe! I'm one of those people who gets excited about new starts and doing new things. I love starting things. But the finishing is a lot harder for me to finish. I think it's just one of my personality traits! But, I think I've done quite well this year. In 9 or 10 months I've posted over 70 blog updates, and I'm coming close to finishing.

This week saw me booking my flights from Korea to Vietnam, and then Thailand to England. Getting a Vietnamese VISA, travel insurance, getting photos and planning more of my trip. On one hand I'm really getting excited, but on the other hand, in 2 weeks I've seen my plans for the future become nothing but dead wood lying there doing nothing. I know I'll still go to China and do all the things I wanted to do while I was there, and in the mean time I get to see more of the world!!!

Yesterday I told the last class I needed to that I'm leaving. One of the girls actually almost cried! I felt awful! But there's not a lot we can do about it!

OK, on with the day guys, have a great one ~ and I'll try and write at least one more blog on Monday when I'm officially done with this contract!

Love xx

Unsurityies Of This Life...

Well, that title doesn't seem overly optimistic does it!? I promise it'll get better!

In 9 days I finish working here, and then I get to tour Korea with some friends. After that I'm heading to South East Asia for a short while before heading home.

Up until last night I was feeling apprehensive about the whole thing. I mean I'm having to start all over again, all over again. I'm also travelling on my own. I have to pack up my life. I have to see so many people before I leave. I have to leave friends behind and I have to move back home.

Up until last night I was still worried about travelling. Thinking that maybe I was being stupid for going exploring on my own. But truth be told, I'm pretty good at making friends, and think of all the awesome people who'll be travelling too! I get to see amazing things and go to amazing countries. And meeting up with some friends will be a nice touch :)

Suddenly I didn't feel so worried about all.

This is what I love to do!

But then there was still that nagging feeling. Slowly it dawned on me, it's the going home. To England, to my old life, to no job, no actual bed and finding peace with that.

And then I remembered my friends, my family, the potential for doing what I love for a short time in England. The possibility for more travel and being surrounded by all things English :p

So, now the nagging feeling has subsided, for the moment. And I'm glad!

I'm going to miss Korea and my little place in it's bizarro nation...but I'm also going to treasure the time I have back at home!

Have a great weekend guys! xxx

Just Some of the Books I've Read Since Being in Korea...

Ok, so I started writing a list of the books I was getting through while I was in Korea...because there were so many. Now I'm moving on, I need a place to store the list and add to it as I need to. It's basic at the moment, but I'll pad it out when I get a chance...

The Undomestic Godess

Bad Mothers Handbook

Velvet Elvis

The Book of Negros

White Tiger

Twilight

New Moon

The Curious Indecent of the Dog in the Night Time

Eclipse

Not That Kind of Girl

Breaking Dawn

Meeting Mr. Kim and Learning to Love Kimchi

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Thanks for the Memories

Remember Me?

Life of Pi

Flatmates

Eat, Pray, Love

Poisonwood Bible

Alone

Outlaw

Lake News

Blue Like Jazz

The Reader

We Need to Talk About Kevin

The Girl that Played with Fire

Life Support

Goodnight Nobody

Water for Elephants

Most of them are amazing books. Thanks to Natasha for broadening my reading genre from merely chic lit! I'm so inspired to keep reading more and more!

Kat xxx

Sleep Glorious Sleep

So, since hearing the news about my job on Thursday, I haven't really slept. My mind has been working over time about what lies ahead. I now understand when people say things like: when we were at war we only slept a couple of hours a night. It's like your body goes into survival mode, and just copes without sleep.

But after 4 nights like that I was really in need of a great night's sleep...and last night I got my wish! 10 hours of almost uninterrupted sleep.

It's beautiful! I can almost think straight! I think the bike ride in the 32C heat helped, and the energy of my kids!

So, thanks for all the prayer, thoughts and what-not!

Love you all xx

Korean Churches, Eating and My Korean Mother...

Today was the 3rd Sunday I've attended church in Korea.

Like every church I've been to we sign hymns, read from the Bible, pray and hear a sermon. But there is one huge difference. Instead of being seen as an outcast because I am different (and I speak very little Korean) I am celebrated. The pastor actually learned a few phrases during the week to say to me.

Each and every person is wonderfully friendly and helpful. When I don't catch the hymn number, they help me, when I don't get the words right, they smile and encourage me to keep trying, and when we say the grace they still smile at me, and include me, even though I can't fully join in.

I guess I am lucky though. I've been involved in a lot of wonderful church families.

Anyway, in true Korean style, after each service there is a joint meal of rice, either fish or meat, and a range of side dishes and kimchi. I love this part too. B, my friend from South Africa, and I are joined by the younger kids and two girls who are a little younger than us (whey speak a little English!) and then we have the ajumas (older ladies) behind us. We all sit and chat and eat and chat and eat. And every time I get near to finishing, I'm presented with more food and then coffee.

But it's more than that. I know it's their way of telling us that we're part of their family.

And that leads me onto something even more special.

I have a special knack of finding a make shift family where ever I go. At church in England it was a few people in the congregation and some friends, in Indonesia it was my best friends family, in Korea...I have found my wonderful Korean mother and father! They are kind hearted souls who pick us up each sunday and drive us to church. Who talk to us like we're normal people. Who tell us off when we do something wrong. Who listen to us when we're sad. Even though a lot of the time we can't understand each other. After church they've started taking us to dinner (yes more food) where we sit with my Berlitz Korean-English Travel book and fashion some sort of conversation. they tell us about their son, and we tell them about our families.

It's lovely.

Today, B couldn't come to church, so I went alone. I was a little nervous, but as soon as I stepped into church I knew it would be ok. And then afterwards, a couple of the school kids walked me home (so cute!!)

I had to break the news to them all that my hogwan is closing and I have no job, so I have to leave. They were sad, just like me. But we've promised to write. So I'm happy I get to keep up my Korean and keep in touch with them. It'll be interesting.

Oh, and as all mothers do, today my Korean mother bought me a top and some fruit, told me I was beautiful and that she was sad I was leaving, before hitting me on my bum, hugging me and sending me home.

So sweet!

Just another thing I'll miss about Korea - but this is where the new adventure starts!

BRING IT ON!

Love xx

And then the Bubble Burst...

So, I've been in Korea for almost 9 months. I could have got pregnant and had the baby by now, but I didn't. I love it here. I should have 3 more months to get used to the idea of leaving, but I don't.

On Thursday I went into work, like any other day. I decided I wanted to know how many more lessons I have until I go to China. I love counting down, there's a sense of achievement in it for me. My first 2 lessons were like every other lesson. My little girls were cute and we did colouring, my middle class was combined with my Friday class, and we played One Card and Chase the Joker. Obviously all in English. We chatted and laughed all through the classes. Then I had my break and went back upstairs just before my lesson was due to start. Less than 5 minutes before my class starts my boss asks to speak to me.

Something you should know about my boss and I. We have a really good working relationship. I teach and have fun with the kids, while he is the strict one. He never tells me to do anything differently, and I make sure he knows what I plan on doing if there is a change in schedule. He respects me as a teacher and I respect him as my boss. I only have to be in hogwan when there's class and I do all my planning at home. It's my perfect set up! Seriously!

So, back to the story. I immediately knew there was something wrong. He asked me to take a seat and then I thought "Oh pants, he's going to ask me to stay on for another year, and I'm not ready to tell him that as much as I love my job and the kids, I want to try somewhere new." So while I spent the split second thinking about what to say, I didn't notice the sad look on his face. And then I did. Oh man, he's going to tell me he doesn't want me to work for him any more. That he doesn't like me or my teaching, and I'm fired.

Oh man. Oh man. Oh man.

Well, it's worse.

He says he's very sorry that he has to do this. And if he could he would do something else. But he can't keep me working for him. The business is dead. (as in he's bankrupt) He has to let me go.

When you might ask? In August? September?

NO!

In July. He says that at the end of the month there will be no more hogwan. Oh, I say. So you will work until then, he says. OK. I ask, when is my last day?

19th JULY!

WHAT THE FLIP FLOP!?

Are you kidding?

I could blog about the extra problems that ensued over the next couple of days, but I'm over them. I don't want to bring them up right now. I'm sad enough that I have to pack up my very comfortable and wonderful life here in Korea and go home.

I'm no longer going to China for 6 weeks, or having black week. Or meeting up with my brother.

Instead I'm going on a very scary and wonderful journey somewhere else.

Man alive.

So, today I stopped crying and started packing.

Boxes and boxes.

Books everywhere.

Oh my, where is it all going to go?

I'm just thankful for my parents and friends. I know something is round the corner that'll prove the reason for leaving Korea so suddenly. And then it'll all make sense. But for now...I guess it's dealing with everything and being more aware of the jobs I take in the future!

As for all of you reading this who are thinking of becoming teachers in Korea. I still say GO FOR IT! Just be careful who you work for. Public schools are the way forward! Longer hours and less pay yes. Being let go with 14 days notice and then short changing your final pay...not going to happen!

I'll try and keep you all updated!

Love Kat :)