The 10:30 Post #1

So the 10:30 posts begin in earnest here. It isn't even 10am today and I already feel like I've done quite a bit. I took Mom to work this morning then drove across town to get the second part of my physical done, the blood work. I spent all day Sunday drinking bottle after bottle of water to pump myself up and swell the veins in my arm for this one and it worked. Well more like I got the really good nurse this time. I told her about how they tried 3 different veins and kept moving around in my arm last time and she was like "I don't do that, I find a vein and I don't move". Lo and behold she did it and even made it nearly painless. Also while I was there I had them look at my ear because since I last visited them I couldn't hear anything with my left ear. Turns out it was just earwax on my ear drum so they flushed out my ear and sent me on my way. I can hear everything now it is glorious. Gross yes but you don't know how many times I thought I was sick or catching something that would derail the trip just about a month outside of it happening

As far as thoughts on South Korea and the whole program go all I can say is I wish that there was a forum or just online community like ITIL for EPIK teachers and people because the visceral negativity that oozes from Dave's ESL Cafe is so tough there isn't like one troll it's more like everyones either a troll or a newbie. ITIL is much more comfy.

In other news today is the 40th Anniversary of Man landing on the Moon. Why haven't we gone back or further? I don't know but we should look into that.

The FInal Countdown

Make your own Countdown Clocks

Suprise!!

I was gonna start posting everyday at around 10:30am starting yesterday one month or 31 days from when I leave North Carolina, the East Coast, and the United States to head to South Korea. Then it happened as I was sitting around waiting for work to start my Brother-in-law called and said we're at the hospital. My Sister was having labor times and it was time for the baby to come. This conversation was at 8:34 am. Slightly more than 2 hours later got another call back and the she was here. Sydney Jean. Or I assume they choose that spelling of Sydney since that seems more popular. And even though I wasn't there through the magic of technology I know what the little one looks like a bundle of joy.


So I have another little one that I will be able to watch and play with. Although this one will be for a much shorter amount of time(try 3 days) I will treasure the time and take a ton of pictures since I won't see her for a year. But yes now there will be 30 consecutive days of writing until I get on that plane and fly away. I plan on talking about everything. Emailing people for help, the contract, shopping for luggage or using the same old stuff, and just the nerves that I'm feeling which is high but not much on the "I don't want to go" side but are very high on the "God I wish it would be closer so I could quit my stupid job and just go party in Raleigh for a few days". Also there maybe a few days in August that I don't post. No need to worry it's all part of the plan.

Super In!!!!

HAHAHA!!! Yes There is nothing in the way but time now. I got a note from the Post Office yesterday after work that said they had tried to deliver my Passport yesterday but no one was here (I had to take the bus in so I left around 10:50am 40 minutes before they came by). So I went to the Post Office this morning at 8:30 and picked it u. There was still a bit of apprehension but I ripped the envelope open and there it was on page 9 my Visa from the Consulate. What did I do after that? Went out and spent $715 on a plane ticket to Korea. I go from Greensboro to Washington D.C. to Tokyo to Seoul. I was a little shaky about taking this because I wasn't quite sure what kind of plane I was going to be on for the first leg but I looked it up and it isn't a turbo prop or anything super old so I felt better. Other than that big planes and long flights at least the middle part. I would much rather have the one really long segment to take me all the way to Asia then having to cross the continent then cross the Pacific Ocean then stop in someplace not Seoul. I guess what I'm trying to say is two stops is better than three.

I'm in!!!! Giggity Giggity Giggity!!!!

Yesterday morning it finally arrived!!! My EPIK contract to teach is here and now all I have to do is apply for my visa. As I sit and type I am 6 and 1/2 weeks away from quitting my job and then spending a few days in Raleigh, High Point and then back here in Charlotte with my Mom before I head overseas for at least a year. I'm going to be placed in Chungcheongbuk-do or Chungbuk Province which is smack dab in the center of Korea, so I will be about equidistant from all sides of the country. My last day in America is going to be either the 17th of August or the 18th and then I might go dark for a bit until I can really get set up over there. Soooo excited to finally have the waiting over with now all I have to do is wait until then and keep my head down and keep working cause I kinda sorta need all the money I can get

Finally!

I have been waiting and waiting and waiting to hear anything from my recruiter. I even broke an unofficial rule and emailed EPIK (why would they not want e-mails, they have an e-mail address) but regardless, my recruiters much to their credit have answered all my questions in reasonable time for living on the west coast. What would usually happen is that I would think of a question on the weekend and then shoot them an e-mail and Monday after work I would have a response. I won't say who they are now but once I'm closer to going over or actually there, I don't want to sound like a shill especially since they aren't giving me money.(Yes I will shamelessly sell out for cash, have you seen the economy). But either way back to the point, when I woke up this morning at 6:00am thanks to the neighbors yapping lapdog and then I came out to the loft and laid down on the couch said "Hey" to my Mom right before she left for work, the last thing I expected to see was an email with more information or anything for that matter since these things take time... lots of time. So I saw the e-mail and thought nothing of it. I opened it and it was my guy saying "Hey EPIK doesn't like when you e-mail them and oh by the way we have Notice of Appointment and we are gonna send it out on Monday, and I'll shoot you another e-mail then." That was a huge moment I can't wait to go to work tomorrow then come back and check my e-mail. I demand details!!!!

Dreaming

So last night I slept really really well. While I was sleeping for some indeterminate amount of time I had a dream that I actually remember. It was brief, but I was sitting where I am now at my computer and the doorbell rang. My mom answered the door and it was the FedEx man and lo-and-behold it was my Notice of Appointment and Official Contract from a school in Korea. Needless to say I woke up shortly afterwords and cursed myself for having the dream and thus making me more antsy.