No not from South Korea although that is really important, I'm talking about from my Mom. Now I'm not gonna lie I would be going even if she said no but I'm sentimental like that. I'm not one for big shows and trying to convince my mother of anything so I just kinda told her and fought off any questions she might have had. Once again I just wasn't into trying to convince her I knew Korea was safe it's super safe like ridiculously safe when compared to America but moms are moms and I guess that she just assumed that any place that doesn't speak English is a hell hole.
This all changed a few weeks ago, my mom got back from work one afternoon and just started to tell me about one co-worker who has a nephew living in Seoul. Her co-worker told her how his nephew was doing and having a good time and that is when she started to change, now, it seems that whenever shes on the phone with relatives or friends she says I'm going to Korea just to let them know or just to spread the word. Just wish it would have been this easy from the beginning, not that its all sunshine and lollipops now.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Vicious Circle
Work in the real world stinks. But this isn't even real world work it's high school summer work but I will do it and it will pay me. This is the money that will pay for a trip to Korea, I hope that I will be able to save enough to make it that first month before the first pay check. If I got a ticket now I could get one for about $750. Of course I'm waiting for the go ahead on something that I already know but don't want to jump the gun, plus this just in I don't have that kind of money, oh well the vicious circle begins
Friday, May 15, 2009
Things to do before you abandon your current life
Ah yes, What will I do until August, I will wait. Also I have a job and I'm gonna spend as much time with my family as possible. I have 2 nephews and a niece that once I go I won't be seeing for 12 months so I'm gonna try to get on their good side for a while until I leave. My Niece and one of the boys are 8 & 6. We are going to Carowinds in a couple of weeks. Shes probably tall enough to ride everything and I know that he won't be able to ride the big ones but he probably won't want to anyway.
Other things I plan to do during the summer is get back to Raleigh slightly more often, still good and maybe even decent people up there. I'd like to go and hang out with some of the people doing summer school at the radio station maybe drop in on some of the faculty and staff also.
I'll take the time and space here to reiterate how not cool it is to have to sit around and wait for anything while at the same time knowing that the chance is something I cherish and want so very very much.
Other things I plan to do during the summer is get back to Raleigh slightly more often, still good and maybe even decent people up there. I'd like to go and hang out with some of the people doing summer school at the radio station maybe drop in on some of the faculty and staff also.
I'll take the time and space here to reiterate how not cool it is to have to sit around and wait for anything while at the same time knowing that the chance is something I cherish and want so very very much.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The Process
I decided that I was going to apply to teach in Korea after a minor failure applying to Japan and finding out that I wasn't a total reject as a candidate on my own merits. When I applied I called home and asked my Mother to find my birth certificate. She couldn't so I ordered a new one from the State of New York online. They sent it to my house and I hastily had my Mom fax it to Raleigh and I sent it to the Japanese Embassy in DC to be considered. Well long story short my number wasn't on the list so I moved on slowly at first but then with more pace. I ordered another birth certificate so I could get a passport and when it arrived I actually looked at it and saw that it was a transcript and not an actual copy.
So all that happened in the last quarter, except the getting a new certificate and passport thing which was around February/March of this year and it was coming up on recruiting and application time for teaching abroad since most everyone starts in August. I contacted a recruiter and they took me and said I was in their program and they would help me find a job, well I turned in an application and got an interview a few weeks later knocked that out and at the end of it they offered me a job where I requested, Chungcheongnam-do, which will be referred to as Chungnam from now on in this blog.
RIght now, I am in a big league holding pattern, as I said I sent my documents to the ROK. I had to get some things done to do this like go to Raleigh and visit the Secretary of States office but also a chance to see some friends which is always nice. I also bought a handful of Transcripts from the school that I needed to send in my packet and also to the Consulate in Atlanta to get a visa. Anyway back to the original point of this paragraph, my recruiter says that I shouldn't expect to hear anything for "a couple of months". That was 2 weeks ago but I haven't heard anything and oh by the way that 2 weeks has felt like 2 months, I've kinda got a job that is awesome but wearing me out. I'm ready to go I just wish it wasn't still 14 weeks and oh 2 days or so until I could possibly step on a plane then the 18-30 hours of travel and arrive in Incheon for orientation.
I truly get giddy thinking about it and even my brother-in-law keeps saying "it'll be here before I know it", which would be true if I could sleep walk my way through the next 3 1/2 months.
Oh well.
So all that happened in the last quarter, except the getting a new certificate and passport thing which was around February/March of this year and it was coming up on recruiting and application time for teaching abroad since most everyone starts in August. I contacted a recruiter and they took me and said I was in their program and they would help me find a job, well I turned in an application and got an interview a few weeks later knocked that out and at the end of it they offered me a job where I requested, Chungcheongnam-do, which will be referred to as Chungnam from now on in this blog.
RIght now, I am in a big league holding pattern, as I said I sent my documents to the ROK. I had to get some things done to do this like go to Raleigh and visit the Secretary of States office but also a chance to see some friends which is always nice. I also bought a handful of Transcripts from the school that I needed to send in my packet and also to the Consulate in Atlanta to get a visa. Anyway back to the original point of this paragraph, my recruiter says that I shouldn't expect to hear anything for "a couple of months". That was 2 weeks ago but I haven't heard anything and oh by the way that 2 weeks has felt like 2 months, I've kinda got a job that is awesome but wearing me out. I'm ready to go I just wish it wasn't still 14 weeks and oh 2 days or so until I could possibly step on a plane then the 18-30 hours of travel and arrive in Incheon for orientation.
I truly get giddy thinking about it and even my brother-in-law keeps saying "it'll be here before I know it", which would be true if I could sleep walk my way through the next 3 1/2 months.
Oh well.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
But Bernard how will you get along?
I know zero Korean. I'm trying to to learn by myself online stuff, I don't want to pay for rosetta stone and I cannot find a class here in Charlotte so I do what I can, or at least I tell myself that. I think that once I arrive and have no choice I'll be much better about it but for now I'll try to build an infrastructure for learning the language through immersion which I'm sure many people say they'll do and don't, and I know I probably wont either but I won't let that deter me.
You might also say, "but Bernard do you even know anyone in Korea?" The answer is yes, I have one friend from school. She's from Korea and went back this January. We've talked through facebook messages before and for a while and shes cool so that's one person I can ask questions to and talk too. Then there are people from I think I'm Lost, which is a forum for the JET program and Japan. They have forums for other teaching jobs but mostly in Japan. Either through my incessant nagging or other peoples desire to do the same thing that I'm doing, which is really just getting away, so odds are that none of them speak Korean either but hey they are great people to talk to and hang out with on long weekends and such.
Other than that I don't really have a ton of people to go to other than my family and other friends who may read this which is where the commenters come in.
Hurray commenters!!1!11!one1!1
You might also say, "but Bernard do you even know anyone in Korea?" The answer is yes, I have one friend from school. She's from Korea and went back this January. We've talked through facebook messages before and for a while and shes cool so that's one person I can ask questions to and talk too. Then there are people from I think I'm Lost, which is a forum for the JET program and Japan. They have forums for other teaching jobs but mostly in Japan. Either through my incessant nagging or other peoples desire to do the same thing that I'm doing, which is really just getting away, so odds are that none of them speak Korean either but hey they are great people to talk to and hang out with on long weekends and such.
Other than that I don't really have a ton of people to go to other than my family and other friends who may read this which is where the commenters come in.
Hurray commenters!!1!11!one1!1
First Post
Hello and welcome to my new blog! For those of you who know me from school and other places I hope that I will have your attention for the duration of my time doing this here. For those of you who don't let me introduce myself.
My name is Bernard although everyone calls me B(or Bee), I graduated from North Carolina State University this past December with a degree in Communication-Media,I'm 23 years old and I will be going to the Republic of Korea, better known as South Korea, to teach English for at least a year starting in August. I hope to, on this blog, convey my feelings, emotions and thoughts about the lead up to and actual journey that I am ready to embark on.
I would start now with this post but I like my blog openings to be neat and tidy so I thank you for stopping in, encourage everyone to comment and tell me what you think as well as asking questions about anything from my state of mind to how it can be done.
My name is Bernard although everyone calls me B(or Bee), I graduated from North Carolina State University this past December with a degree in Communication-Media,I'm 23 years old and I will be going to the Republic of Korea, better known as South Korea, to teach English for at least a year starting in August. I hope to, on this blog, convey my feelings, emotions and thoughts about the lead up to and actual journey that I am ready to embark on.
I would start now with this post but I like my blog openings to be neat and tidy so I thank you for stopping in, encourage everyone to comment and tell me what you think as well as asking questions about anything from my state of mind to how it can be done.
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