I did it. I got the perm. AND the job.

Are you saying what I THINK you're saying?!

I had been pondering over this moment for quite sometime. Was I or wasn't I? Did I want to take the risk? What if I don't like it? Can I reciprocate on the girl if I can't stand to look at myself in the mirror after the deal's done? You guessed it. There were many things rolling summersaults in my head as to whether I was going to, ahem, finally visit a hair salon after 11 months of teaching in Korea.

So with a firm decision, and without further ado, Juan and I headed downtown. We had spent over an hour tutoring 2 kids--on a Saturday of all days--whose mother was no less than demanding as to how she wanted her kids taught in English. A sigh relief, and a trek back to our most familiar side streets, and we soon found ourselves outside the quasi-front door of the White Hair salon.

Why did I decide on the White Hair salon, you may ask? Well, just a week prior, I was picked up a discount coupon from a stylist handing them out while crossing the street. I thought it was worth a shot; afterall, what's the chance I would find a place whose stylists spoke but a lick of English.

Well, the whole deal took over 3 hours, a phone call to my Korean friend Myunghee for translation, and a conditioning treatment to prepare my hair for what seemed like hours of head-hair rolling.

Imagine having 3, 4, no wait! 5 people all helping one another roll curlers in your hair. Now that would have been a sight; thankfully, I didn't have my camera, because Juan would have made sure the whole world (aside from those local folks then-visiting the salon) know that I looked no less than ridiculous with my head rolled in green and pink pieces of circular plastic.

Nice imagery.

Onward to the moral of the story: the perm turned out pretty good, I think. When I was younger and had frequently permed my hair at that oh-so-annoying stage of growing out one's hair, I was usually pleased with the result. But I know a little better. In a country where I've finally gotten used to things being done a bit backwards, I know now how to take those precautions you otherwise wouldn't take so vainly at home.

Now that it's over, I can breath a sigh of relief. No more uncontrollable mess to somehow plunge into a bun before work; now it's wet, gel and go. Talk about easy fun for the lazy folk!

Oh, and did I mention before further delay ~ I got the job at Yeungjin!?

I can just imagine: waking up every morning with a beautiful view atop a 14 story apartment building, my instant mocha in one hand, kim pop using chopsticks in another ~ just 20 hours max a week in classes, and more free time to persue my music, art and, yes, book writing...

Okay, okay, okay. My updates have NOT been so easy to comeby. First my mother visiting. Then Juan arriving during my mother's visit over a month ago. THEN it was the computer (poor PC.. :'( Now it's those damn PC bongs with quasi-non-smoking sections. In any event, I'm due to update more often. Sorry about that folks...

So back to my story: Yes, Yeungjin. In a nutshell, last Tuesday's interview turned into a little nerve-racking (incessantly asking myself what I could have done better!), yet in the end comforting ~ by the following evening, Wednesday night, I was called after work, a near fifteen minutes to 10 to recieve the good news that Yeungjin's FLI (Foreign Language Institute) wanted to hire me. I know the clan at FLI, and with nearly 10 hours a week less in preparation and classes, overall I think working at Yeungjin will be a great experience.

Cool stuff indeed. Now comes the tricky part: if my official contract with JungChul ends June 29th, should I stay an extra month (July) to make up for my month-long December 2005 vacation... or work at Yeungjin July 1st (essentially getting no previously planned summer traveling break) OR better yet.. start working for Yeungjin August 1st and take the entire month of July off to travel and catch up on changing the color of my ghost-white skin? I'm not quite sure yet, but I'll keep you all updated. As of now, the decision is that I'll be staying here at least another year!! (sorry for all my friends and family who thought just one year would be enough :)

In the meantime, however, I'll just work on getting my PC back to working condition and updating this blog. And, at 3:30am on a Saturday night---sleep.

Night ya'all! *^^*

~ Chelsea