Laura Fail

I went to Seoul and made numerous attempts to take pictures of myself in front of historical/ cultural relics. The results were mixed...

Hello there, Long Time No See

I know, I know, its been weeks since I've updated this thing. Please accept my sincere apologies. It's been an interesting few weeks in Daegu for me. The initial excitement of being here has started to wear off and what I'm left with is the reality of life here. I still think it's great that I'm doing this. It's an opportunity to see some of the world and learn about myself in the process, but I've become a bit homesick recently. It's nothing major and I know this feeling will pass, but currently I'm missing home and my friends. But I am here to make the most of this experience and that's what I'm gonna do.

Work: Teaching has become fairly routine now. I know what to expect from my classes and my students and I like that. Things will definitely change in the future but I'm happy for the time being I have a handle of what I'm doing at work. Currently we are on school vacation. No work until the new year!

What am I going to do with this time off? I'm glad you asked. I've decided to head up to Seoul for a few days and do some sightseeing. There's plenty that I haven't seen in Daegu yet, but to feel like this is a real vacation, I need to take off and go somewhere. It should be fun and an adventure. On a whim I decided to book a hostel and will take a train up tomorrow morning. I will be back in Daegu for New Years.

I've Been Here for One Month

Yesterday marks my being in Korea for one month. I know I should have updated this yesterday but I didn't feel like it and I got side tracked with doing other stuff that I should've done a while ago.

So yesterday, instead of updating the blog, I did a few things to make it feel like I fully live here. I finally cleaned out my wallet. I have no need for those four dollars and three cents in my wallet. And that Berryline card I had in my wallet, I know I will get a free one one day but not for a while. And I doubt I will be riding the MBTA any time soon. So I will put aside the cash, my T pass, and the five frequent buyers cards. They are a symbol of my life in Boston, a life that I've left behind in search of something new, an adventure. In their place are the many South Korean cards I've already acquired.

I also finally hung up my pictures. I don't know why I waited this long to hang them up. When I went abroad, hanging up my pictures came only second to unpacking my suitcases. But now that is done so I am officially moved in with nothing left to do to set up my apartment. It's a crazy feeling to know that I really live here and don't have anything left to do to establish myself here.

Another Week Done

I have now finished my fourth week in South Korea. Life is becoming a bit more routine now; I'm getting a better handle on my classes and am starting to learn my way around downtown Daegu and my neighborhood.

One thing is for sure: this is definitely a job not a vacation. I'm working really hard and happy to be doing so. I teach a total of 28 classes a week, which is not a bad course load by any means, and do additional training and orientation stuff on top of that. I do really enjoy teaching for the most part and most of my students are really awesome and seem to be enjoying my classes. The hard and frustrating part is when students are not interested in being there or learning. I have to get through the curriculum in a certain amount of time and its really hard when the students just stare blankly at you. I have not idea if they are not comprehending what I'm saying or just bored out of their minds. Oh well, I guess it's just part of the job.

This weekend was also really good, especially because we didn't have to work on Saturday. Friday night I went out to some of the usual places that foreigners in Daegu frequent. I stayed out way too late, causing a bit of a sleep deprived Saturday, but that did not stop me from going out and exploring a bit.

After doing a lot of research about places to go, I decided upon checking out Duryu Park mainly because of its close proximity to a subway stop. I figured it was a good choice because I would most likely not get lost on my way. It was a nice place to walk around and take pictures. I came across another pretty lake. After exploring the park for a while I headed downtown to do a bit of shopping. A combination of Korea not having clothes dryers and my eating healthy food has made every pair of jeans I own gigantic. I stopped in this store, Uni Qlo, which is very popular here. I discovered that I am the largest size that they sell jeans for and they are on the top shelf that is kind of hard to reach. I guess size 6 women are not their target demographic. But these South Korean jeans certainly fit me like a glove. I think it has something to do with the fact that my lack of curves is more akin to the Korean figure than the ideal western figure. All in all, a good day...a little exploring, new jeans, and a new flannel shirt that I'm in love with.

I was a little late getting up on Sunday. Despite staying in the previous night and going to bed relatively early for the weekend, I slept later than I did on Saturday. My body was probably compensating from lack of sleep the previous night. After doing a bit of wash and cleaning, I headed downtown in search of a new winter hat and gloves since it's starting to get pretty cold here. After succeeding in purchasing new gloves and a scarf, I headed to a coffee shop to enjoy a nice warm beverage and read my book for a while. And now I am back at home updating my blog and sad that the weekend is practically over.

A few images from my trip to Duryu Park:

I Actually Have Energy So Why Not Update The Blog

I'm sitting in my mess of an apartment and thinking to myself, "Wow, I don't feel sick and tired anymore. This is amazing! What should I do? I could wander around downtown again, but its already 10pm and I don't know how late stores stay open. I know! I will clean and update my blog and upload the few pictures I've taken."

My energy level could have something to do with the fact that Tuesdays are my easiest day. I only teach four classes as opposed to Mondays and Thursdays when I teach eight classes with only a five minute break between classes. Whatever the reason, I'm happy to be having a productive Tuesday night.

There is still so much of Daegu that I haven't seen yet, but I have gone out and explored a bit. A week and a half ago I went to Suseong Lake, which is about a half hour walk from my apartment. It kind of reminds me of the Public Garden in Boston because it feels very man-made and there are swan boats that people can ride in. It was a nice little excursion.