Day 565 in Korea-(How is that possible?!) Thinking about 2012...

I've been thinking a lot lately. Things have been really stressful, both at school and in my personal life, which always causes me to re-evaluate everything I do. I've come to the conclusion that I will stay in Korea for another year for sure. Beyond that, nothing's certain. I love my job but I know it's not forever. While there are many aspects of living in Korea that continue to challenge and invigorate me, but some of the key components of my life are suffering in their disuse. My poor English skills, for one. I've already had to double check the use of 2 words in this blog post. Yeesh.

In the meantime, I've made a few resolutions to keep me occupied in the new year!!


1) Lose weight (I have a more specific goal in mind, but that's for me to know and you to see after I accomplish it!) I've actually lost a significant amount this year and it feels REALLY good, so I fully intend to keep on going!

2) Make a summer wardrobe. I have HUGE plans for this summer vacation and I will need a new wardrobe! Here's the plan: 6-8 new tops (at least 4 or 5 will be knit), 2-3 new pair of shorts/pants, 2-3 cute skirts and 1-2 dresses. I've got a lot of the fabric needed to get started and I'm sitting down this weekend to make a SWAP (Sewing with a Plan) as well as make a trip to Dongdaemun to pick up some more essentials. I think this is going to be the kickstart I need to get me motivated to do more sewing!

3) Continue with my Korean studies. I know that when you make a resolution, it's supposed to be concrete and with a definite finish line. However, it's hard to put a finish line on this one. As anyone who has ever studied a language (or even spoken their own language for that matter) knows, you're never finished learning. In the meantime, I would really like to achieve a Level 4 on the intermediate Korean skills test. If it happens the first time I take it (highly unlikely), then great; if not, then I'll keep taking it again.

4) Take at least 50 pictures every week. I bought a new camera this year and I haven't used it nearly as much as I should have. So, I'm putting a firm number down and saying "I WILL DO THIS!"

I have one more resolution bumbling around in my head, but it's quite a bit more personal so I won't be sharing that one*^^*

Happy New Year everyone!! 새해복 많이 받으세요! (Receive a lot of luck in the new year!)

Day 259 in South Korea: Noraebang and a few other tidbits.

First, the bad news. I found out a little over a month ago that my school has lost the funding it receives from the government to pay me. It's very frustrating because I've been really happy at my school: the teachers are amazing and friendly, the location is absolutely fantastic, and I've really enjoyed the students. However, I have to keep telling myself that God does everything for a reason. I don't understand the reasoning behind this right now, but I know that I will eventually find where I'm supposed to be. Right now, I'm working with my recruiter again and talking to a lot of different friends, trying to find out what jobs they know about. I have several leads, so hopefully something works out!