I taught at two seperate summer camps over 3 weeks in July and August. I also negotiated moving into a new apartment IN SEOUL a month earlier than scheduled. That took up a lot of time effort over the past months. But the rewards of finally living in the city in a neighborhood I look forward to coming home to will be well worth the strain and anxiety of moving in a foreign country. I have been spending a lot of time with my friends and I also attended the Jisan Valley Rock Festival with James and a bunch of his Korean chingu (friends). But all summer vacations also need some sort of trip to secure themselves as worthy of mention in the future. That was taken care of with a week long tour around the South Korean coast with my friend Jeremy. All in all it has been a pretty nice summer. I played, partied, danced, traveled, moved, worked and relaxed for the first time in wayyyy tooooooo looooonnnnnnnnggggggggggggg. To end things on a proper note, I have planned a final weekend at the beach with my friend Silvia. In all, things seem to be coming together for me in my Korean life. It has not been easy, but it has taught me many things about living in a foreign culture and also about my determination, drive and commitment to seeing things through and making things work for the best. Things that seemed unattainable here don't so much anymore. I have a coupple theories as to why that is. First, it has been almost a year since I finished myu Masters and the strain of Academic burn out is beginning to fade. So much so that I am actually excited about beginning to study Korean. I started last week with James a bit and I think that with some hard effort I could make a lot of progress fairly quickly. The challenge will be to make it happen for real. My second theory is that the effects of culture shock which were extremely severe in my case, have alsoo begun to wear off and my disposition towards the country and my situation are all together more positive and optimistic. Both of these things perhaps have made it easier to imaging staying here another year and doing a better job at everything that I've had so much trouble getting ahold of this year. So many things that i once thought under my grasp have elluded me this year and I hope that this year I will be able to recalim a measure of control over them. That's the hope anyway.
Photos:
Mokpo harbor
Me at Gwangalli Beach, Busan
The gang partying at Jisan
James and I having a couples moment at Jisan
Me preparing camp teaching materials with my awesome co-teacher Sungwoo.
My trips, travels, concerts and visits with friends have all contributed to this new energy and direction in my life here. Let's give credit where credit is due shall we; James has really helped improve my attitude towards life here in the past coupple of months. A positive attitude is infectious. He has given me a new perspective on life here, that it can be special (not just biding my time before I decide to get a real job.) He has reminded me not to get lazy with my life and fall into a blundering routine, but to put effort into challenging myself with the new and the unknown.
And in a way I feel like I am starting fresh on a new leg. Sometimes I go over all the things that I have acomplished in the recent past to remind myself that I am doing something with my life and also to remind myself how time moves forward and how all things fall into their relative perspective and importance as time does move forward. Things that seemes impossible before have been done and forgotten and things that once were blown out of perspective have deminished in their scope, leaving a more relaxed and less bothered me in their wake.
And in a way I feel like I am starting fresh on a new leg. Sometimes I go over all the things that I have acomplished in the recent past to remind myself that I am doing something with my life and also to remind myself how time moves forward and how all things fall into their relative perspective and importance as time does move forward. Things that seemes impossible before have been done and forgotten and things that once were blown out of perspective have deminished in their scope, leaving a more relaxed and less bothered me in their wake.
With this new found energy and interest in my surroundings here, I am not only looking forward to the challenges of the new school year but also to all of the adventures and possibilities that Korea has in store for me over the next year.
My list of things to do has not gotten any shorter over the past year, but that list has changed quite a bit and that makes me feel like i am moving forward through my list of goals and things I would like to acomplish in Korea. Revisiting my list from this time last year i can really see just how far I have come and that makes me feel increadibly proud and optimistic about what i might acomplish in the upcoming months. Challenges and adventures, here I come.
A la prochaine!
