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Part of a long (and everlasting!) series. Others here
Carpe diem. That sums up quite a few blogs (and their replies) on TL. I've read many genuinely inspiring posts here that echoed similar lines- Just go for it! You're still young!! You're just gonna be kicking yourself later... etc. etc. So last week, I “went” for it. I finally grew the balls to say to that girl what I wanted to for several months. I played the situation a hundred times in my head. I even wrote down what I was gonna say, desperately trying to avoid the usual cliché lines. And then I did it. + Show Spoiler +
I honestly, honestly, HONESTLY hope that none of you have to break someone’s heart like I did. I won’t bore you with the gory details – suffice to say we had been going out for 4 and a half years, it was completely unilateral on my part and no, there's no one else.
So why post this emo shit here? Well, it’s relevant to my “Mission” (hmm sorry I just realised how corny that sounds, should’ve picked a title like ‘Invasion’ Korea or “FUCKFEST KOREA” :/..). Anyway, in an earlier blog, I mentioned that I was going to Korea for 6 weeks in November but I wished I could go for longer. Well, whaddyaknow I can and am now. Fuck 6 weeks. Try 80.
My (beloved) employer has granted me a super-mega-holy-omgwtf deferral of a year and a half. So I now start work in Feb 2010 (assuming it and I still exist by that time…hah). Unfortunately, my previous 6 week budget was tighter than my 2 fac timings on Python. So as I did not fancy investigating the intricacies of Korean ramen and Asian tramp hangouts for over a year, I realised I needed a job. This was quite a hard concept to accept as a fundamental principle of the “Mission” (…) ever since its inception was to be a lazy bastard full stop. There was little choice though 
This is why …drum roll………I am now applying to be an English teacher! Yup. What a creative foreigner I will be. My Korean really isn’t anywhere near good enough to do much else and I have convinced myself that it may actually be pretty fun.
So as it stands, The Grand Plan v.2.0 is..:
- continue learning Korean pretty intensively from now until Sept/Oct
- go be a teacher for 12 months in Seoul
- attend a language course on the side
- get drunk on BW
- find gnoll and stalk Tossgirl together
- save some money
- travel around the rest of Korea/Far East for the other 6 months.
Pretty good changelog I think!…
In other news, I officially became a Wanker® last month. That’s right folks, I’m now a qualified lawyer with a certificate to display ever-so proudly on my mantelpiece. Fuck yeah.
That's about it for now! Expect another blog post in the near future about my Korean learning……
<3 to any comments 
PS. I probably should explain why I picked 'coming clean' as a title. Above all else, I feel I have 'come clean' about the said relationship and my feelings about it to my ex and also to myself. I chose to follow the feelings I had deep-down about what I really want. As a result, I feel a lot better about my life as a whole and the direction its taking. Also, I feel that I can continue with this blog with more honesty to myself and (any) readers..
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I don't know why but I felt really good after reading that. I guess I'm just glad your happy; good luck with everything!
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On July 13 2008 11:10 Wizard wrote:
I don't know why but I felt really good after reading that. I guess I'm just glad your happy; good luck with everything!
Ha-ha! Same here!
Hope your travels of Korea are successful! (just like your stalking of Tossgirl...)
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Hey I just read all of your blogs cuz I feel were in the same boat. (going to korea etc)
I have started Rosetta stone but sadly theres only like one level, as opposed to japanese with 3 levels. pobre =[
But how come you dont like Rosetta? Im curious if I should change the program im using based on your recommendation. What about http://www.sayjack.com/
have you used that site b4?
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3861 Posts
Best of luck finding a job out here! I hope you enjoy Korea - just a word of advice - (saw that next to your name says UK) it gets a LOT colder out here than it is in the UK, and definitely more humid and gross in the summer too ^^
Hope everything works out well~
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Thanks Wizard and hasuprotoss. Thats probably the nicest comment ever
mel_ee, PM me when you are there! I can't wait to organise some TL meet-ups in Korea.
Oh, I don't like Rosetta Stone because of several reasons. 1) It teaches you no grammar, and not even Hangul. 2) The pictures are really ambiguous, many words/phrases have a specific meaning in a particular context and Rosetta Stone can really mislead you in what the hell a picture is representing (there aren't even any English captions!). 3) It teaches you the ultra formal way of speaking which isn't very practical at all. I don't plan on binning Rosetta Stone completely though (it was a hard-earned download..!) I plan on going back to it when I'm at an intermediate level to practice my listening (I need whatever I can get!).
I had a quick look at sayjack but it seems quite underdeveloped at the moment. I don't quite understand how effective the site can be in improving my Korean. I think I'll learn quicker with the materials (Sogang textbooks) I have already.
TY susie as well. I am actually from the "North" (of UK) so I am automatically immune to all cold weather.  Humidity is a killer however, although it can't be as bad as Hong Kong can it?!? I visit some relatives there every couple of years and the heat/humidity totally fucks me (and my stomach ) over
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I realize I'm not replying to this in a timely fashion but I did read through all your blog entries at once and I did notice that you took an interest in mine while I'm on vacation in Korea. Anyway you probably already get the jist of what I'm doing here. I gotta say though, I was in the same boat as you, I wanted to come here with one of my friends [ white guy, totally into korean stuff ] and just spend money and play. However, the way my trip turned out is completely different but at the same time very rewarding.
I leave the 28th to go back home to the States and I guess the thing that I felt most from my time here is this:
At all times, there is a world revolving that is larger than your own.
I guess that's the best way to phrase it in English. I think conveying that message in korean would make a lot more sense [ Being here for 2 months has made me start becoming a fob -______- ]
Basically I had a really shitty school semester before I came to Korea and I worried about all kinds of shit like family, gf, financial stability, educational future....but in my time here I've learned that all of that is not such a big deal compared to what I made it. I made all those worries into much larger worries than they should have been. Even as I type this I feel like I'm confident enough to go back home and face those worries instead of just pushing them aside.
I also made new friends, and among them one I can probably consider a life-long friend. By meeting these people and experiencing new things together it really makes me look back at shit I do back home in the states just ' to do it ' and has made me realize if something doesn't make me happy I shouldn't waste my time on it. I guess the defining moment was when my friends asked what kinds of foods I was eating, if I was drinking and partying etc the normal stuff.....but when I thought about what they asked, sure it's nice all that stuff, but being here has been nothing like that.
Sure I had that one weekend where I threw up from drinking [ 2nd time ever ] and sure I had opportunity to go to booking clubs and nightclubs with friends that are fashion models but all of that wasn't the highlight of korea thus far. Instead I told my friends that I got to visit Hwaseong, Insadong, impacting the lives of new friends who honestly needed to learn English because they had hopes of going to the US.
Anyway, I know this might seem like more of a reflection of myself than a response to your blog but I just wanted you to know that reading all of your blogs made me think about these things and I only wish that you will see Korea for what it really is. It's funny that you can make the obligatory TeamLiquid jokes like fucking tossgirl and getting bitches while being an English teacher....but all that....it's not korea. Not in my opinion anyway.
The things that I love in life are few, probably only enough to count on one hand...and among those things is simply being in Korea. Whether I'm in the boonies or the bustling city it doesn't matter where or what I'm doing, I love being here. I guess it must be something gay like the korean heritage flowing in my veins but I can't explain or deny it.
I see that you're serious about going through with this and I can only hope that you will have wonderful experiences in your time in Korea.
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I'm not one to write long long paragraphs of a(n) reply, so I'll just leave you with this.
If you need help with Korean, just PM me. I won't be able to explain everything clearly and have answers for WHY this and that is but I'll be able to tell you whats wrong and how to say it properly, etc.
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thedeadhaji
39489 Posts
On July 13 2008 11:10 Wizard wrote:
I don't know why but I felt really good after reading that. I guess I'm just glad your happy; good luck with everything!
haha same ^^
Oh btw Elric_ John's called and wants some of your lawyer money asap to add to their fat bankroll.
Congrats, and I'll have another reason to find some time off to go visit korea.
btw that spoiler was fucking epic.
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Ack1027, thanks for the deeply thought-out reply! I try to make the blogs a bit jokey and lighthearted so that it appeals to more than the philosophical hardcore (hence the talk of girls, Tossgirl and fuckfests etc.). However, maybe I have gone a little too far as I feel a little misunderstood by you. The point of me going to Korea is fundamentally twofold.
Firstly the language. I'm not fully sure why, but I 110% want to master it as much as possible and with it, a deep understanding of Korean culture. Secondly, it's to be independent. I've developed quite a mean free-spirit streak over the past year and going to a country where I know no one would satisfy that. I really really hope I don't portray myself as another stereotypical Westerner whose sole purpose in Korea is to get hammered and bang hot Asian chicks all day.
XDawn, thanks for the offer. Expect me to abuse it
and cheers haji! It's funny how you mentioned that Johns thing. The amount of crap I get from the "Development Office" about donations, donations, DONATIONS is obscene.
-"Oh hey, we've got a new bursary scheme, you haven't started earning anything yet and you've still got £10,000 worth of debt (because of us lol!) but would you like to give a minimum donation of £100??"
-"Oh hiii, we decided to plant some new trees and shit at the back of the College, money plx??"
-"HEy again, we just built some new library toilets!!! They look fucking awesome!! Now what was that card number again?"
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