Visas

Last Wednesday my dad and I went to Chicago for the day to do my visa paperwork. To teach in South Korea you have to have an interview, it takes about 5 minutes and they ask you what you know about Korea and make sure you aren't a criminal. It was pretty easy. Getting to and from Chicago was easy too, we took a train from Kenosha and it was way cheaper and less of a hassle than driving. I made sure to get an envelope with overnight postage because I wasn't sure how long it would take to process my visa (I knew it would be 2-3 days). Well, I got the visa on Saturday so I will for sure be leaving on July 5th. I started packing today! More later, my computer is about to die.

18 days

I leave for Korea in 18 days! I can't believe it. I called and made my visa appointment yesterday and I go next Wednesday. My dad and I are taking the train to Chicago to avoid traffic and high gas costs, it should be pretty fun. I have also opted to make a return trip the following week, probably Monday or Tuesday to pick it up. I can have it mailed, but being a worry wort, I want to make sure I have it in my possession because the week I'd get it in the mail/pick it up, is the week I leave. I still feel really unprepared because I haven't thought about it much. Work takes a lot of my time and when I come home I have other things to do (workout, help my mom with housework, etc) that I don't think about packing or trying to learn Korean. However, I have been reading various books about culture and history so I can feel a bit more prepared. I have a 14 hour plane ride, plus about 8 more hours of waiting/transport to and from the airport so I have time to read and learn Korean. I got a Nintendo DS for my birthday and it will be very nice to occupy some time on the plane. One can only watch so many movies.

We are having a garage sale next weekend because I have so much crap to get rid of and making a little cash would be nice. Whatever I don't sell will be donated to Goodwill because I don't need it and someone else might. I have to work on getting all of that together too and, ahhhh so much to do before I leave! I have more to write, but it will have to wait, I'm exhausted.

in the mail

I sent all of my documents to Korea on Tuesday and they will be there by the time I wake up tomorrow morning! How cool is that? I love FedEx. Anyway, now it's just waiting for the Visa Issuance number and then I can go to Chicago to get my Visa. I'm still sort of freaking about the time frame, but I've been getting better about that. Anyway, I've been working at McDonald's since about the time I got home. It's been ok, not too busy yet and I am actually enjoying myself. It could be that I have an end in sight, but it could also be because I don't care anymore and I just need a paycheck or two.

I spent a Monday in Kenosha with my grandparents and I made them some food to freeze. Their freezer was full of stuff from the early 2000's and I found a lemonade concentrate from 1996. I helped them clean the freezer out and restocked it with chicken paprikash, grilled chicken breasts, breaded pork chops and beef stroganoff. I enjoy my grandparents and I am going to miss them while I'm in Korea, but I'm trying to spend as much time with them as I can right now. In August, they will be celebrating their 60th year of marriage. Incredible.

I'm trying to keep this updated more because I have more time and my departure date is fast approaching. I leave in 36 days! I bought a Korean in 60 minutes CD and I have been using it a little, not as much as I would like, but I am going to put it on my mp3 player so I can listen at night and when I work out at the YMCA. I want to know how to say stuff and understand stuff so I don't feel completely lost. It's just exciting right now, I'm super stoked!!

graduation

Well, I'm finally a college graduate!! Ole Miss class of 2008!! I graduated on Saturday (May 10th) and I'm so excited that I'm finished with school. I will go back, someday, but not for a few years at least. I'm ready to make the world my classroom.

I'm back in Wisconsin now until I leave for Korea (a short vacation to Kansas City, but otherwise it's 7 weeks of home). Tomorrow I've got a lot to do in preparation for my departure: getting transcripts, mailing background checks to have them apostilled, faxing information, etc. I've already received my signed contract from BIS and I'm incredibly excited to embark upon this adventure. Until then, it's a 9th summer at McDonald's. Ahh. Well, it's been a long day of air travel and I'm off to bed.

Good News!

I don't have to miss my cousin's wedding! I got an e-mail from Ms. Choi (the principal at BIS) and the current teacher will stay an extra week. I'll be leaving on July 5th, arriving in Seoul the evening of the 6th and must report to work on the morning of July 7th. This is going to be a very exhausting first week of school, but I don't have to miss the wedding. It's pretty insane, I'm leaving for Korea July 5th!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm sending my contract via fax by the end of this week. It's official kids!

July 1st

Well, I'm about 95% sure I will be teaching at Brown International School (BIS) starting July 1st. This means that yes, I will have to miss my cousin's wedding, being that I'll most likely leave June 26th-ish. Well and because the wedding is July 4th, but anyway...I will be living in Gangnam, which is the more foreigny part of Seoul, but nonetheless amazing. I started taking impromptu Korean lessons with a girl in my graduate class and I have learned a few things, but obviously I have more to learn. However, I can say hello, thank you, where is the restroom, I am from America and my name is Molly. Pretty good, huh...oh and I can count to 10. Sweet. I'm starting to stress out about all the paperwork I have to have completed, especially my diploma, but I try not to worry too much because I think it will work out, keep those fingers crossed.

BIS sounds like a great place to work, but I only get 2 sick days the whole year and I'm still unsure about vacation days outside of national holidays, but this is a growing experience, right? I'm really excited to start teaching, but it seems like I have a million things to do before I leave. Trips to Chicago for Visas, figuring out my McDonald's schedule, etc. It'll all work out, everything always does, but still incredibly stressful.

Last week of classes start tomorrow and then it's finals week. I have two finals, both on May 6th and then I am done. Completely finished with my undergraduate career, sans the graduation ceremony of course, but I'll be done! I'm incredibly excited...it's about time I finish school and start experiencing the world beyond Mississippi, Wisconsin and the United States. I don't think I can entirely express how happy I am!

Brown International School

Well since it's been almost a week since my interview with Brown International School, I thought I would fill in some gaps. It turns out that the school really does only have four teachers. This was a worry of mine in the beginning, but I am liking th idea of a small close knit group of people. However, this can also work the other way, maybe nobody gets along and we'll all want to bite each others heads off, but I am optimistic. I would have to start July 1st which does interfere with a wedding I am supposed to attend, but Reuben is going to talk to the school to see if maybe we can push the start date to July 7th. We'll see of course, but I really do want to work at this school, it seems right up my alley. Hopefully I'll know more by weeks end.