Changes

It's been a while since I've updated this blog, so I guess I'm about due to throw something up here.

For starters, some of you may not have heard, but my current school decided not to renew my contract. Fortunately, I won't be unemployed for long, as I've lined up my next job. I won't be in Gwangju anymore, but a little bit south in a smaller town called Naju. There'll be more kindergarten teaching, which seems to be a strong point for me, and hopefully a better fit for my abilities. I'm starting as soon as I finish here in a month, so it looks like I won't be able to make a trip home this year. For all the family members missing me, believe me, I miss you too.

Second, my crappy old laptop finally gave out on me at the beginning of this month (seriously, it was on May 1), and I finally got around to buying a new one. I decided to get a brand new one here in Korea, as I'd be able to get service for it if I needed to, and it would be built for this country's specifications. So far I'm not regretting the choice, as this thing runs like a champ (it did act weird on me one time, but I'm hoping that was either a fluke or something that can be easily fixed). I was a little frustrated to find that I apparently hadn't backed up certain files from my old laptop, ones I could've sworn I had. Perhaps it's still possible to retrieve them from the old hard drive, but I don't need to worry myself with that right now.

Some of you may know that karaoke was something that always looked fun to me, but I never had the occasion to participate in it. In Korea their version of karaoke is called noraebang (노래방), which means "song room." It's literally a room where a group can hang out and sing karaoke songs, and I've been wanting to try it ever since I got here.

I still haven't been to one of those, but a friend of mine showed me an arcade where they have a long row of booths along the wall. It turns out that these are just small boxes that are big enough for only a few people. However, there's a karaoke machine in each one, and you can stay as long as you want. I've made it my weekend ritual to visit this arcade and sing some songs. It's quite addictive. Some people might be surprised that I manage to have so much fun by myself, but when you're a social misfit you learn how, and it's not really a big deal. I made my first song "Daydream Believer" in honor of Davy Jones, and I've performed it every time I've been there. The only other song I've done each time is "이젠 그랬으면 좋겠네." Jo Yong Pil (조용필) is such a great artist.

Work is stressful as always, but it's still something I love and take pride in. I was disappointed at first when I learned that my school didn't want to keep me, but now I'm looking forward to the new town and new teaching experience that awaits me. If this new job is better for me than my current one is, I have nothing to be sad about, except the fact that it'll be hard for me to say goodbye to the kids and co-workers I love so much.