Lovely photos. I love photo updates. There's no rhyme or reason to photo updates, really, except that you have new pictures to present to the world. This particular one, which I call the "Sandy Lobster" was taken on June 4th, during a festive day at Hyundae Beach, in Busan.Check out my full LOAD Flikr of photogs HERE.
As far as updates go, in my case, I've got a ZILLION or so that SHOULD have been written. And this is just one of them! So hold on to your shoulder straps, belt buckles and knee-highs, folks. (Side note: sometimes I question my dry humor...)
Ah, another Worldcup segment. Exactly 15 days and some odd hours ago, I posted about Korea's soccer team playing in the World Cup. Just Google search "2006 World Soccer Cup" and you'll get a frenzy of info about every freckle and birthmark relating to this huge event. As I'm sure the whole world knows (well, those paying attention to Korea's progress in the game), that our "Dae-han-min-guk" Korea lost in a bitter battle on last Saturday morning's Korea verses Switzerland pre-lim game. I knuckle swear, every person and their mother talked about how Korea should have gotten that goal point, which didn't even count because a Ref decided to pull a yellow card... but alas, the resulting 2-0, Korea losing, meant it'd be expunged from a change at playing in the finals.
Now, for those people who know me, and know as well that I spent a great year living and working as an au-pair in Switzerland ~ who do you think I rooted for? Switzerland or Korea? Hheheh, you'd be surprised!
In any event, now that at least the BIG hoopla is over, onward to a few updates, eh?
Bye Mel. My favorite Taekwondo partner, Mel, left for her home of Perth, Australia, last Thursday, June 22nd. Her sister fell ill, and she knew she needed to be home with her family, who needed her the most. I can't say I haven't been bummed. She nearly kicked my bum in Taekwondo ~ literally dragging me into it back in February ~ and I've learned a neat trick or two on teaching, various Aussie lingo and well, you guessed it, how to down a 250cc cup of beer Australian style. Thanks Mel. You can check out my recent uploads of Mel's good-bye party (at Jungchul), her last day of teaching, as well as the little going-away party I threw for her at Thunderbirds, the Saturday prior to her departure. In any event, it's a bit strange going through a little 'transition period' with Mel leaving. I suppose one might say all good things must come to an end, sooner or later.
The new teacher. With that said, Juan has replaced teaching the bulk of Mel's classes, at least until we get a couple of new teachers in to start by the end of July. It's been a bit of a tangle emailing prospective teachers, while working on progress reports, teaching an already-hectic work schedule.. and balancing a 'work-relationship' with Juan while somehow maintaining our own relationship as well. I highly suggest not working with your significant-other if it can be helped at all; I have to say, Juan and I have had a few close calls on the 'uh, that wasn't an appropriate thing to say at work' situation. But we're working on that!
Tutoring. Otherwise, I've started to tutor a 16 year old named Huan-Hee, and his little brother Jin, who studied about 2 years in the Philippines. They recently wanted their neighbour friend, Min-Ji, mixed into the tutoring session with Jin. It takes up a bit more of my time now, seeing as I tutor all three of them close to 4 hours a week. Add that with my 8-10 hours of tutoring-by-phone, and my present 27 class work schedule at JungChul ~ and boy, you might agree that I'm a little busy worker bee. Too busy actually ~ heck, I can't even update my darn blog!
Argh. I forgot to mention. I'm updating from work. Yes, it's that time again ~ the feared PROGRESS REPORTS are back, and due tomorrow. Thank GAWD for templates: cut, paste, change the date and go! Another bummer in addition to a laptop that, as far as I'm concerned, unfixable {total exasperation here}. Voici the schoop.
The damage. In a nutshell, Juan and I were thinking of moving into Mel's old apartment, last weekend, after she left; we thought a change of scenary, even for a month, may do us good. Well, you leave a laptop open on the floor, a clumsy person like Juan (tsk tsk) carrying something into another room, and presto! A liable situation to cause damage. Yes, you guessed it: the thing he was carrying fell on the open laptop, causing a HUGE dent in the keyboard, and a what-appears-to-be, a cracked LCD screen. Wailing from start to finish, I pressed the ON button, and nothing. I couldn't believe it. Pressed again, nothing. Green light on, but no-one's home. I just spent 320,000W (roughly $320 bucks) fixing my computer because the processor supposed died, and now, I have a $2,000 Dell computer that may not be fixable. I'm thinking now of a clip in Terminator the movie, where a robot sifts through odds and ends of robots to fix himself: THIS IS A SUCH NIGHTMARE! Ahhhh!
Computer blues. So at the end of this week, I'll be taking a break from phone tutoring; calling my students on my cell would be too expensive for the phone tutoring company I work for to continue paying for. Plus, if my laptop is confirmed to be unfixable (as I've taken it, yet AGAIN, to Jonny Computer's by Camp Walker), then I'll have to go through the measure of buying another computer. Desktop or laptop yet, I'm not sure. Certainly my first buying alone if that'll be the case. But I don't want to keep putting money into this laptop, when it's ALREADY been jinxed TWICE with Juan being here! {No worries, I'm not superstitious by nature. I just believe in coincidences!}
Anyway, I'd say, this has been ONE hell of a good reason for not updating!
Back to the grind. Ahh, and now I hear my lonely, cumbersome progress reports calling me again to finish. I love this time of the month. Writing progress reports for parents who subsequently don't understand them, let alone the 3 line minimum comments you make ~ (sigh) just another formality in teaching-turned past-time of mine. Ya gotta love it!
Until next time,
~ Chelsea
Happy...Ps. Oh, and because I'm a slow-polk, one big HONKIN' shout out to my BRO who has turned, what, 32 ?!?!?! last Sunday, June 25?!? HOLY SMOKES... HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDON! Your sista LOVES ya!! :) xoxoxoxox
