Final Countdown

I only have 9 more days in the ROK before I hop on a plane and head home!!! This is something I'm really excited for, but also feeling kind of sad about.  I can't wait to get home and see my family.  And eat Mexican food and understand at least most of what's going on around me.  I'm ready to get back to a sense of normality.

However, there are things I'm going to miss about being in Korea.  My students, some of my co-workers, my Korean tutor, some foods, and the friends that I've made here. The amazing public transportation that makes it so easy to go pretty much anywhere in the country.  Seriously, the US needs to get some better public transport, then I might take it.  I also really enjoy having a steady paycheck. I don't enjoy the weather.  I'm so sick of the rain.  I'm terrified about not finding a job at home, not having a car, and therefore being incredibly bored.

That's not to say that I'm not bored here sometimes.  This week and next week work is painfully boring.  I'm desk warming.  I literally have nothing to do for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for 2 weeks.  It's awful. I'm spending my days watching Criminal Minds online (already onto season 2) and spending hours using stubleupon. And my school is being crazy about some stuff, which is annoying me, but I'm hoping to have some of it resolved tomorrow.

Last weekend I went out with friends in Itaewon and Hongdae.  In Intaewon we went to The Bungalow, and cool bar with sand and swings that Amy, Emily, and I came across one of our first weeks here.  The next day, Saturday, I went with my friend Stephenie to the Seoul Zoo! That was pretty sweet.  And, seriously, flamingos are trippy animals.  They have crazy, twisty necks and they are a pretty awesome pink color. 

I still need to get my apartment cleaned and start packing, but I just haven't been able to bring myself to really do any of it yet.  I'm having an "open house" on Sunday to give a bunch of stuff away.  I'd rather other people have it then have to throw it away. 

Saturday, barring rain, I'm going into Seoul with Mychaela to see the Secret Garden.  I'm really trying to do what I can before I leave.  However, at some point this weekend I'm going to have to suck it up and start cleaning and packing.  Packing shouldn't be top bad.  I'm going to have to get rid of some stuff.  The washer and really hard water here have definitely taken a toll on my clothes, so not all of its going to be returning with me.

What I'm most looking forward to at home, other than seeing my family and friends, is going back to Weight Watchers and really hitting the gym.  And swimming.  I've gained a lot of weight, so now I feel pretty gross.  I want to get back on the right track.  The first week I'm home I plan to do nothing other than sleep, relax outside, work on my tan, eat fruit and veggies, and go to the gym.  And try to get over what is sure to be terrible jet-lag.

It's going to take me about 24hrs door-door to get home next weekend.  As much as I love to travel, I really hate the actual traveling part.  I should, if everything is on time, be getting into Philadelphia at 10pm Saturday night.  This probably means I won't be out of the airport until around 11:30 or 12.  The next day is going to be busy and I know all I'm going to want to do is sleep.  First, at 9, is the Weight Watchers meeting I'm determined to make it to and directly after that is a party at my aunts house with all my family for my grandmothers 85th birthday. 

I'm looking forward to it, but I know I'm going to be exhausted. Then a couple days after being home I have to go to another doctor and get more paperwork filled out for Peace Corps.  It's torture sitting here not doing anything when I need to get something done.

Anyway, I'm sitting here at work watching it rain, writing this, and watching Criminal Minds.  Later I'm meeting friends for dinner, I think at Big Bread.  Speaking of Big Bread, that's another thing I will miss here.  It's a Belgian restaurant owned and run by someone actually from Belgium, so the food is legit.  And it's delicious, especially the chicken pita.  Gah, I really can't wait to get out of here.  All this sitting and doing nothing is too boring to handle. 6 more days of it after today....

Mud Fest

A couple of weekends ago (July 16-17) was the Boryeong Mud Festival.  What is Mud Fest? A chance to play in mud! There was mud wrestling, mud slides, mud fights, and more! It was pretty awesome and probably the only time I will ever be that muddy.  It was also great for the skin, besides for the sunburn I got.

It was right on the beach, so once you were covered in mud and it had dried you could run into the water to get clean! So awesome!  I went down with Seoul Hiking Group (Warren!) with a bunch of friends and we met more there who went down separately.  We spent hours during the day just playing int he mud park.  The wrestling was the best: it was super fun and you go the muddiest.  They also had kind of mud sinks where you could go to paintbrush/splash more mud onto your body. 

 (I couldn't draw this very well in paint, so you get an actual picture:)

After playing around for several hours I went back to the pension, showered (so nice to be clean!) and dressed.  There was a BBQ out back for everyone in our group which was good, though not filling.  Afterward I went for a walk around with a friend to try to find some mud-soap.  I found, which I was unusually excited about, but later found out I had gotten the wrong kind.   What I wanted to get was the soap that was 1,000 won and came in a box.  Instead what I got was prettily shaped mud-soap for 4,000 won :-( But, oh well.  It's still nice.  Hopefully.  I haven't used any yet...

That night was spent, at least mostly, hanging out on the beach with friends and strangers.  We played some ball, drank, and really just relaxed and enjoyed being there.  It was a good time. 

I had told myself that the next day, Sunday, I would not get muddy again.  Yeah, that didn't work out.  Sunday was spent painting ourselves in mud, dancing to the live music, and swimming in the ocean.  They had like a floaty dock thing out there for people to lay on and jump off of.  That was pretty nice, but not so good for my pale skin. 

Eventually we all had showers and got back on the bus around 3pm.  It was an amazing weekend and I'm glad I went and got to spend time with friends I'll be leaving soon.  Besides, when am I going to get a chance to spend the weekend playing in mud again?