I Can Sleep on the Plane

It's the night before I leave for Pusan. I can't sleep. Let's see--I'm looking at 23 hours of travel. it's not that I'm not nervous...I just want to savor the moment. I have had a wonderful week and a half with my brother's family and my parents, Including two rips to Chicago. I called all the relatives tonight to say goodbye and packed. I am going to be the best instructor Pagoda Foreign Language Institute has ever hired. This is it. Don't get scared now.

Woo Hoo!

I'm Going on Thursday!

Friday, Tim and I went to the Korean Consulate and I had my first ever work-visa interview. Located on the 27th floor of the NBC building, downtown Chicago, the Consulate has an incredible view of Lake Michigan. The two ladies in front of me seemed nervous, and their interviews took a little over fifteen minutes apiece. Luckily I had read the guidebook twice, and had fellowship with a few Korean natives. Fully prepared, my interview took only five minutes.

Tim and my stomachs were growling so we decided to get a quick bite to eat before braving the road construction on I94. Tim said cheeseburgers sounded good. Ah, comfort food. We went to the Billy Goat Tavern (spoofed by SNL). FUn TimES! SO, Wednesday I have to pick up the Visa, what a pain.

I just received my flight tickets, and I am ecstatic! In less than a week I will be on the other side of the world. Then it is all about immersion. I am going to jump into it head first. Teaching to the best of my ability and learning as much as I can as fast as I can is the name of the game. WOO! Danny Woo my new manager will pick me up in Busan after my 22 hr trip. I can't wait!

Becoming Real

The move went smoothly. I fit almost all of my belongings into Carly's jetta station wagon.I brought the rest in a guy's, from my mom's church, truck.  Although the weekend brought a mix of snow and freezing rain, Josh, Carly and my mom made the journey from Minneapolis MN to Omro WI without a hitch. Sunday, it took forever to get on the road. The tarp covering my mattress continuously blew loose. The truck had to be returned before morning; so by the time we made it to Omro, unloaded everything, and dropped that weak machine off it was 2:30am. 

Monday was all about rest. 

Tuesday, Shi my nieces and I went to a nature center in Monona. While the kids learned about native dancing and the significance of wildlife, I went shopping. I found a nice MSR water filtration pump on sale--40% off! Anyways, no waterborne illness for this guy. I finally received my visa number, but the visa application website is so confusing and tedious. Two lists with overlapping items, none of which I will actually need are listed in different places. So, I called Wednesday morning to set up an appointment and interview. This will take place Friday in Chicago--what a huge pain in the ass. After riding On The Road in my father-in-law's 49 Hudson I became entirely too restless to hang around my brother's commune, so I road Shi's bike to the mall and bought some sweet professional attire (at highly discounted prices) for the new job. This is going to be great! PS. Please Feel Free To Post Comments, Questions, and Snide Remarks

The Low Down

I had a nice going away party last weekend and drank entirely too much. Now that I have re-established my limits I am ready to start a new life on the other side of the world. I am moving my stuff to my parent's house this weekend. I am excited. Networking through the line at starbucks really paid off. I have made a few friends from South Korea and have been learning the language and culture. I have the alphabet and phonetics down, as well as the numbers and a few common phrases. I leave at the end of this month to start working in Busan, South Korea. On the water and located on the south-eastern tip of the peninsula, Busan is the second largest city in the country with a population of 2.66 million. Half my classes will be intensive programs and half will be general english learning. It is about time all this comes together. After several vague emails, I was able to glean enough information to begin asking the right questions to get the answers I needed. They are giving me the hook-up. Now, I am all about it. I just want to thank my family and my friends for their support and patience through this process. I'll miss everyone, but feel free to shoot me an email or call me on skype. Peace and Love everybody, I'm Out!

hello welcome back (Explicit)

Riding the bus home, I walk to the back where are a few open seats. The thought crosses my mind that people have no clue who you are or what your about until you show them something. As I space out, letting my mind wander, a voice on the wind chimes through.

"I don't give a fuck about what you think of me. Mother Fucker sitting over there. Yeah, you heard me. Who the fuck do you think you are. Scared to look at me. Yeah, well fuck you. I don't care about what you think. Yeah." 

A random guy is staring me down from two seats over. Barely audible, but with an unwavering voice, he sits provoking me, waiting for me to make a move. A confrontation is the last thing I want right now. I don't give a fuck who you are or what you think of me. I have my own problems to deal with. I am moving out of my place because it's a hostile environment, and I can save money. Don't put your shit on me. Yeah. So you think you're big, you think you're tough. Well so am I. You're not the boss of me Mother Fucker. And I'm not about to let your jerkass get to me. Peace of mind. Discipline. Composure. Breathe. Really? Welcome back to reality.

SomeOne I Don't Know Already Hates Me.

Damn what a Hellish day. To see so many sides of the story all at once. Miss Communication can be such a bitch. It doesn't matter your motivation, but the delivery and reception of your message brings to light the principles of all at play. She interjects her own individual translations into everything that is said, causing disparate ideas to come crashing together in dramatic fashion. Unfortunately, the subject is still too painful and personal to post here--those of you who know, already know what I'm writing about. For those of you who are set in their beliefs and ways, I hope you can look at a face and see humanity in it. I hope you refuse to learn, to tolerate and to practice hate; because Karma will finish what Miss Communication starts. What will you do next time you walk into a room of strangers who hate you because you don't fit their definitions--because you are different?

Caff heads anonymous

Can I survive another day at Starbucks? God. 

Back in December, I quit working the Loring Pasta Bar in Minneapolis so I could dedicate my time to travel. Ha! What a joke.  After a 1600 mile road trip over Christmas and New Years, I started my job search the last week of January. Was it fear of change or simply the need to unwind after a break up followed by four months of soul-sucking customer service?

Getting back into the grind the day after MLK day rudely jolted me back into reality. All those tired, eager smiles, just waiting for me to finish the transaction so they could finally get their desperately needed stimulant fix. Ok, here's your bloody latte. Every time Starbucks makes the news-whether it be to introduce a one dollar coffee, announce the layoff of six hundred employees, or to swindle some free advertisement about a three hour closure for training- I get accosted five hundred times daily with the question of how it affects me. 

Are people so individualistic that they completely ignore the person standing in line, one foot in front of them, and ask the same pointless question to the heel trapped behind the counter? I try not to bring my personal problems to the job, but my problem is my job. Simply explaining the difference between a corporation and a franchise never satisfies the average university student/employee. So I leave it there and let them have it, both barrels. No, I didn't have to stay late at the job I hate, because I am the model of legendary service. By the way, did you know you are only the 369th person to ask me that exact question today? Print the receipt, we're all set here. Thank you have a nice day. I end all my venomous comments with, thank you have a nice day.

WOW, your lunch looks delicious. I have been working since seven without so much as a restroom break. Where did you buy it? The Campus Club? I was so angry when they took a whole floor of the student union for a crummy two and a half star restaurant at which you have to be  a member to eat. It's not for students. Not that expensive? What do you you call $10,000 of tuition? Sounds like a membership fee to me. Enjoy your lunch. Thank you have a nice day.

I see so many tired, nervous, sometimes way to amped up regulars. They all want the Starbucks Guy to memorize their exact twenty-word custom drink order. Well, I sell about seven hundred drinks a day, you can't even remember one guy's- who you see every day- name. So can you please tell me how you want your fix? Thank you have a nice day.

 I landed a job in Seoul, South Korea. I cannot wait to go. Some of my Korean friends told me to expect delays in the visa process. So far, the only frustrating snag has been a delay in the reference process, however that has been resolved. I have been working on the language and sharpening my skills with a few exchange doctors. So close. Then the fun will begin. Peace and Love--I'm out.