Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Inconceivable!

It's crazy that in less than two weeks I'll be in Korea. My hotel for training is booked and now that I've finished a short stint of work that kept me occupied for a few weeks there's nothing left but to jump right into packing and preparation mode.

Mostly there are odds and ends to purchase- a new set of camera batteries and rain boots, if I can ever settle on a pair- plus assorted documents and IDs that need copying so I can stash extras amongst my luggage as well as at home. Hopefully this week I'll get as much done as possible but truth be told I know that at noon on Thursday the 18th I'll most likely be in Target buying six more tubes of chap stick and some new winter mittens. I wouldn't be me if I weren't bustling to get ready at the last second.

Surprisingly I'm feeling really calm about the impending move... which is kind of freaking me out. I slept better last week than I have in months and the panic I figured would hit about now is keeping its distance. I'm not complaining though!

I've been reviewing the Chungdahm pre-training videos and going over the assigned grammar packet exercises again and man, loath as I am to admit that anything good came out of taking five semesters of Latin, they were the only refresher I've had in grammar rules since high school and that's doing me some good now. The reality of the situation is that if you fail training they send you home. This was one of the first things my recruiter and I discussed when I initially interviewed and though he said it rarely happens and mostly occurs when the incoming teacher really just doesn't have their heart in it, I'm not taking any chances. So packing and preparation mode also includes intense participles, gerunds, passive voice, clauses, etc. review. Fun times.

Also I was perusing upcoming events the other night to see what will be going down during my first month or so there and stumbled across this:


Ah what a tease! This show is literally like an hour after my plane gets in so there's no way I could make this but it would be so awesome to see my favorite band play in a different country. I finally saw them in concert for the first time this summer and they were amazing. They are so much fun live. So if you'll be in or around Seoul on the 20th go hit up this show. I think this is the first time they're playing in Korea and who knows when they'll be back and you'll get to see Wayne Coyne rolling across the crowd in a giant plastic ball. I promise it's as weird and wonderful as it sounds.

Trivia of the Day:  The Blue House or Cheongwadae is the executive office and official residence of the South Korean head of state, the President of the Republic of Korea. The Korean name literally translates to "pavilion of blue tiles." The Blue House is in fact a complex of buildings, built largely in the traditional Korean architectural style with some modern elements. Built upon the site of the royal garden of Joseon Dynasty, the Blue House now consists of the Main Office Hall (본관), the Presidential Residence, the State Reception House (영빈관), the Chunchugwan (춘추관) Press Hall, and the Secretariat Buildings. The entire complex covers approximately 250,000 square metres or 62 acres.

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