So many stress!

Today's music merits watching the music video as well...because it is so ridiculous. Starts out slow, but it's in order to set up a joke, so give it time: Curry by Norazo. Yes it's a song about the food. Yes it is a spoof of Bollywood.

So the last couple days have been super hectic, trying to get everything ready for my trip to Japan and get things like report cards finished beforehand. I could actually use some prayer for my trip, because as it stands right now, I have an hour and 45 minutes to land and get to the Korean consulate before it closes on Tuesday, and If I can then I get a a whole extra day with Hope. If not, I have to spend a day by myself in Fukuoka trying to figure how to buy food and do things without any Japanese skills.

Originally, my flight was getting in without any hope of making it to the consulate, but then our resident Plane Ticket and Everything Else Fix it Man, Yoonseo, was able to cancel my ticket and get a new one. I almost cried with relief. But of course, now it's all on me: if I don't get lost at all and run, I should have time to get there...but if I get lost the game is up.

And you know me and directions. We are not chingus. I am extremely nervous.

But if all goes well, then by Wednesday afternoon I will have my visa and will be hopefully on a shinkansen to Tokyo! Can you say six hours of quality time with The Three Musketeers?

I think I've started to settle into a rhythm here, which is both good and bad, I think. Good in that I don't feel as if I am trying to figure out how to teach every second and can enjoy my students a little more, but bad because rhythms tend to make everything go faster. I realized while skyping with Hope last night that I've already been here two months. Two months and it feels like the blink of an eye. Crazy!

Today we did some major cleaning and moving to get ready for Heather and Michael, the new couple that is coming on Aug. 6 to teach. It was hard work, but still fun in that 'every one is busy together' kind of way. We shifted our living room to Yoonseo's old room, which will take some getting used to since it doesn't have the great airflow that the other room did, but I think will still be a good. Check out the cleaning photos on facebook!

So as nothing out of the ordinary has happened lately, I thought I would just write some things about my most prized possessions in Korea so far:

1. My precious purple earplugs
Without these babies I would be a super grumpy person, woken up every morning at 6:30 and unable to go back to sleep because of constant noise. But this is now the case, because they block out 75% of noise, barring very loud whining, howling poodles, and ocarina/piano impromptu concerts (got that special treat this morning...헐)

2. Dear old compy
Running well since 2008, old whitey is still going strong. From skyping to music listening to blogging to k-drama and Psych watching, many a pleasant evening is spent with the laptop. Out of fondness I bestowed upon it an Avatar sticker...now in addition to a Courage sticker, a Vespers sticker and an I Read Past Bedtime sticker, Appa the flying bison graces the cover.

3. Kindle
I thought I wouldn't like it. I thought nothing would replace the textile feeling of real pages. But in reality, nothing can replace having dozens of books at my fingertips. Still love the physical book best, but long subway rides with the kindle are the best.

4. Korean Grammar in Use
Not technically mine, but I am borrowing for the time being and I love it to pieces. And excellent textbook and makes me feel so accomplished when I finish going through a unity. I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone learning Korean.


Ok, that's all for now!
Thanks for reading!

-Abby