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Wednesday, September 19, 2018

2017 RE-PRIORITIZED

THIS IS A BACK LOGGED POSTS FROM END OF 2016, BEGINNING 2017.
SO...

WHAT THE HELL HAVE I BEEN DOING SINCE BEING BACK FROM K-LAND, AKA KOREA? FOR NOW, THINGS HAVE CHANGED IN TERMS OF GOALS AND TASK LIST PRIOR TO ME TEMPORARILY FLOATING AWAY FOR MY KOREA JOURNEY. ALL I KNOW IS THAT MY INITIAL PLAN HAS TAKEN A 360 AND I NEED TO RE-PRIORITIZE.

REASON = EL PADRE.

PRE-RETURN
WHILE IN KOREA, THE PLAN WAS TO START PLANNING TOWARDS THE END OF MY CONTRACT (AROUND OCT 2016) EITHER WITH ANOTHER YEAR OF TEACHING IN KOREA OR ELSEWHERE (TAIWAN, AT THE TIME) OR START LOOKING FOR JOBS SO THAT I WOULD HAVE SOMETHING LINED UP WHEN I GOT BACK HOME.
AND, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. I THINK THAT IF I WANTED TO CONTINUE TEACHING, I WOULD HAVE HAD TO START LOOKING MID WAY INTO MY YEAR IN KOREA. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN PAINFUL. THE COMMUTE BETWEEN CITIES FOR IN PERSON INTERVIEWS PRIOR TO MY WORK SCHEDULE WHERE I HAD TO BE ON THE SHUTTLE BY 2:08 NEAR MY APARTMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN A BURDEN.

I DON'T THINK MY BODY COULD HAVE HANDLED ANOTHER TASK OF SECURING A JOB IN ADDITION TO ALL THE STRESS DURING MY LAST MONTH. WORK WASN'T THE EASIEST EITHER.

TOWARDS THE END OF MY CONTRACT, MY EFFORTS WENT TO ORGANIZING MY EXIT THAT INVOLVE:

GETTING MY SEVERANCE-BONUS/PENSION FOR COMPLETING MY CONTRACT (AROUND $2,200)
FIGURING OUT HOW TO CLOSE MY BANK AND TRANSFER MONEY BACK TO THE STATES (A GOOD AMOUNT)
FIGURING OUT HOW I WANTED TO UTILIZE MY TIME TO TRAVEL WHILE I WAS IN ASIA BECAUSE TICKETS WOULD BE WAY LESS TO GO FROM KOREA TO SOMEPLACE NEAR RATHER THAN GOING BACK HOME AND THEN FLYING OVER TO THIS SIDE OF THE WORLD AGAIN. PLANNING OUT WHERE I WOULD LEAVE MY STUFF WHILE I TRAVELED AND NOT HAVE TO LUG AROUND MY CRAP. GOT PERMISSION TO LEAVE MY SUITCASES AT MY LANDLORD'S APARTMENT. THANK GOODNESS I WAS GOOD WITH THE LANDLORD'S FAMILY DURING MY YEAR.
FINAL ARRANGEMENTS AND RESEARCH FOR MY REIMBURSED RETURN FLIGHT BACK TO THE STATES. THIS CONTRIBUTED TO MY DECISION TO DEPART FROM KOREA AS MY FINAL DESTINATION. IT'S A WHOLE OTHER STORY ON WHY THE KOREAN BOSS LADY WOULDN'T LET ME SELECT ANOTHER COUNTRY TO DEPART FROM. #ROLLINGMYEYES
PLANNING ALL THE FLIGHTS FOR MY 2 WEEK TRIP, CASH, AND TRAVEL ROUTES FOR JEJU ISLAND AND JAPAN. WITH THE LACK OF SLEEP DURING THESE DAYS, I THINK I COULD HAVE HIDDEN SOME KOREAN SNACKS BEHIND THE BAGS UNDER MY EYES!
AND, NOT TO MENTION THAT WORK STILL REQUIRED REGULAR WORKLOAD WITH THE BRATZ AND ALSO SUMMARIES AND STATUS OF EACH CLASS FOR THE NEW INCOMING TEACHER AS MY REPLACEMENT.
AND, NOT TO MENTION THAT WORK STILL REQUIRED REGULAR WORKLOAD WITH THE BRATZ AND ALSO SUMMARIES AND STATUS OF EACH CLASS FOR THE NEW INCOMING TEACHER AS MY REPLACEMENT.

WRAPPING UP IN KOREA AND PLANNING FOR MY 2 WEEK VACATION AFTER MY CONTRACT WAS PRETTY TIME CONSUMING. ALL OF THE TASKS ABOVE WERE QUITE TIME CONSUMING AND INTENSE. IT REQUIRED TEDIOUS PLANNING AND CONSTANT CALLS TO CUSTOMER SERVICE WHILE COMMUNICATING IN BROKEN ENGLISH. I ONLY HAD THE MORNING BEFORE GETTING READY FOR WORK. THOSE HOURS WERE LIMITED. I LITERALLY HAD ALL MY TASK LIST SCHEDULED OUT BY THE HOUR TO BETTER ORGANIZE MY TIME.

STARTED TO GET SICK ON MY LAST DAY OF WORK. NOT A GOOD SIGN FOR TRAVEL. I DECIDED ON JEJU ISLAND AND JAPAN (AGAIN) BEFORE HEADING BACK TO THE STATES.

AFTER COMPLETING IT, I WAS THEN ABLE TO MOVE ON TO FOCUS ON MY FLIGHT, AND LODGING ARRANGEMENTS FOR JEJU ISLAND AND JAPAND, AND THEN BACK TO KOREA TO PICK UP MY LUGGAGE. IT WAS ALL TOO METICULOUS.
ON MY LAST WEEKEND AT THE APARTMENT, I BARELY SLEPT AS THERE WERE PACKING AND BUS TICKET ARRANGEMENTS TO DO.

POST RETURN
I CAME BACK DURING HALLOWEEN 2016.
WHAT ARE YOU SUPPOSE TO DO WHEN YOU COME BACK AFTER A YEAR ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD? YOU EAT ALL THE COMFORT FOOD THAT WAS RARE OR YOU COULDN'T FIND IN KOREA ! AS WELL AS COMING UP WITH SOME AMERICAN-KOREAN FUSION FOODS.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, EVERYTHING HERE WAS ALSO WEIRD. TRANSPORTATION WISE, I HAD MY BRO CHAUFFEUR ME AROUND FOR ABOUT A MONTH. I HAD TO RE-SET UP MY AUTO INSURANCE TO BE FROM GARAGE-STATIONED INSURANCE, TO DRIVERS INSURANCE. THERE WAS ALSO A DELAYED REACTION FROM ME IN RESPONDING TO STRANGERS TALKING TO ME IN ENGLISH AGAIN. ASK ME HOW MY DAY IS AND I WILL RETURN WITH A BLANK STARE FOR A FEW SECONDS.

YET, THE UNIVERSE WAS LOOKING OUT FOR ME. ABOUT A MONTH AFTER I RETURNED, ONE OF MY FORMER GIGS CONTACTED ME FOR A WORK-FROM-HOME-TEMP JOB. YES, ANOTHER TEMP JOB.
THE POSITION? AN ART BUYER. IT CAME WITH A COMPANY MACBOOK TO USE FOR THE DURATION OF MY CONTRACT. HOW SWEET WAS THAT? IT WAS KIND OF PERFECT FOR MY SITUATION WITH "EL PADRE".

EL PADRE IS MUY ANCIENT.

BEFORE I LEFT FOR KOREA, HIS MOTOR SKILLS WERE CAUSING ME TO WONDER IF HE HAD A STROKE. HE WAS STARTING TO SLUR AND LOSE HIS BALANCE. THE DOCTORS SAID THAT THE BACK OF HIS BRAIN WAS SHRINKING. CEREBELLAR DEGENERATION IS WHAT I GOOGLED. AT THAT TIME, HE WAS STILL ABLE TO WALK ON HIS OWN OR STUMBLE TOWARDS A DIRECTION WITHOUT A CANE OR WALKER.

FAST FORWARD TO NOW,HE CAN'T BE LEFT IN THE HOUSE ALONE. OR AT LEAST, HE SHOULDN'T. IT DOESN'T HELP THAT I FEEL LIKE I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT IS ALERT AND ASSERTIVE WITH HIS WELL BEING. MOST OF THE TIME MY BRO IS IN HIS ROOM WITH HIS HEADPHONES ON, IN FRONT OF HIS LAPTOP. THEN THERE IS MY MADRE. TWENTY-FOUR INCHES AWAY, HER EYES AND EARS ARE GLUED TO THE T.V. AS SHE IS DECIPHERING THE PLOT OF A KOREAN DRAMA. THE IDEA OF ASSISTED LIVING SHOULD PROBABLY BE PONDERED OVER. THIS IS A HUGE FACTOR FOR ME TO CANCEL MY THOUGHTS ON CONTINUING ANOTHER YEAR OF TEACHING ABROAD.

THE TRAVEL ITCH STILL THERE. BUT, I NEED TO RE-PRIORITIZE.

SADLY, KOREA WAS JUST A TEASE.

THERE'S GOT TO BE A COMPROMISE. THIS HAS GOT ME TO CONSIDER MY OPTIONS.

WORKING FROM HOME IS IDEAL. EXCEPT...TRAVELING FOR THE NEXT YEAR OR SO IS STILL ON MY MIND.

I JUST NEED TO PONDER OVER OTHER OPTIONS.
I'VE LITERALLY THOUGHT OF EVERYTHING THAT I AM QUALIFIED TO DO IN ORDER TO TRAVEL.
⏩ WORK FOR AN AIRLINE AT THE CORPORATE OFFICE
THE NEGATIVE SIDE TO THIS IS, THERE ARE NOT MUCH AIRLINE HEADQUARTERS IN OR NEAR ORLANDO. JETBLUE IS IN ORLANDO BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY POSITIONS THAT I AM CAPABLE OF DOING.
AND NO, I DON'T HAVE THE TALENT TO BE A FLIGHT ATTENDANT. #THANKS
DELTA IS IN TAMPA, AND I'M KIND OF LIGHTLY TAPPING MY MOM'S FRIEND TO KEEP AN EYE OUT. SHE WORKS FROM HOME AND SHE TRAVELS LIKE CRAZY. HOWEVER, EVEN THOUGH SHE DOES NOT NEED TO GO IN THE OFFICE EVERYDAY, SHE IS RESTRICTED TO WORKING AT HER HOUSE WITH THE DESKTOP AND SET UP THAT THE COMPANY GAVE HER. THERE ARE TRAVELING LIMITATIONS WITH THIS GIG.

⏩ ONLINE ENGLISH TEACHER
THIS COULD WORK. SOME COMPANIES REQUEST IN-CLASS ESL TEACHING EXPERIENCE IN WHICH I NOW HAVE. THE COMPANIES ARE MOSTLY IN CHINA. HIGH CHANCE OF ETHNIC PREFERENCE MAY BE A ROAD BLOCK FOR MY APPLICATION. UNFORTUNATELY, ASIANS ARE USUALLY NOT PREFERRED. IF I TRAVEL AND TEACH REMOTELY, I NEED TO BE PREPARED TO WORK AROUND THE AFTERNOON, CHINA TIME. THIS MEANS I WOULD HAVE TO BE SUPER ORGANIZED WITH MY TIME AND INTERNET ACCESS. POSSIBLE NEGATIVE IS THAT THE CONTRACTS ARE FOR 6 MONTHS. I WOULD HAVE TO BOOK MY TRAVELS AROUND MY TEACHING HOURS. THE POSSIBLE PLUS IS THAT I MAY BE ABLE TO CHOOSE MY HOURS POST FOR THE STUDENTS CAN SELECT.

⏩ ONLINE ENGLISH TEACHER BY NIGHT + WORK AS AN ART BUYER BY DAY REMOTELY
THIS REMOTE ART BUYING OPPORTUNITY I HAD AFTER I GOT BACK TRIGGERED THIS THOUGHT AS AN OPTION.

BECAUSE THE PROJECTS AS AN ART BUYER ARE NOT CONSISTENT. SOMETIMES PROJECTS LAST A FEW MONTHS AND THEN THERE ARE A FEW MONTH GAPS IN BETWEEN THE NEXT PROJECT. THE NEXT UPCOMING PROJECTS ARE NOT ALWAYS GUARANTEED. THE PLUS IS THAT I COULD HAVE WEEKS IN BETWEEN WHERE I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WORK AND TAKE THE TIME TO SETTLE IN AND EXPLORE. THE NEGATIVE IS THAT THE DEADLINES FOR THESE PROJECTS CAN BE INTENSE.

I MAY NEED TO COMBINE ART BUYING WITH TEACHING ENGLISH ONLINE. OVERKILL???

EITHER WAY, INTENSE PLANNING, TIME MANAGEMENT, AND SUPER HIGH SPEED INTERNET WOULD BE NECESSARY IN ORDER FOR THESE JOBS SITUATIONS TO WORK FOR ME.

THIS WILL NOT BE A PERMANENT WAY OF LIFE. EVENTUALLY, I WOULD NEED TO LOOK FOR A MORE STABLE-PERMANENT JOB. AS MUCH AS I NEED TO KEEP A WATCHFUL EYE ON "THE PADRE" I STILL WANT TO TRAVEL ABROAD FOR AT LEAST A MONTH AT A TIME.

A PERMANENT GIG, WON'T GIVE ME THAT FLEXIBILITY AS MOST ARE OFFICE-BASED. EVEN WITH SOME OF WORK FROM HOMES, THEY REQUIRE SOME DAYS TO BE AT THE OFFICE.

SO THIS IS THE DIRECTION I AM HEADED TOWARDS.
THIS MIGHT BE AN OVER ACHIEVING AGENDA. BUT, WHAT ELSE IS NEW.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

PROJECT KOREA: WEEK 19 EXPLORING BUPYEONG INCHEON

02/27/16 SATURDAY

FOR THE SATURDAY IN FEBRUARY, I DECIDED TO GO TO BUPYEONG. AFTER WATCHING CHARLY CHEER'S YOUTUBE BLOG, I MARKED BUPYEOUNG TO BE THE PLACE TO VISIT ON THIS DAY. I HAVE ABOUT A 15 MINUTE WALK FROM MY BULDANG-DONG APARTMENT TO THE EXPRESS BUS STATION, ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE KTX STATION. THIS BUS GOES STRAIGHT TO THE EXPRESS BUS TERMINAL IN SEOUL (GANGNAM AREA).

BUS TICKET
I'VE DECIDED TO TAKE THE 10:25 AM BUS TIME. I WOULD ARRIVE IN SEOUL AROUND 11:55 AM AND THEN HAVE TO TAKE THE SUBWAY TO MY DESTINATION. IN THE PAST, I'VE TRIED TO BOOK EARLIER BUS TIMES, BUT IT WAS JUST A PAIN TO GET UP EARLY.

ALTHOUGH ARRIVING IN SEOUL AROUND NOON WOULD MEAN THAT I HAVE LESS TIME TO EXPLORE, IT BEATS HAVING TO RUSH IN THE MORNING. THERE WERE PLENTY OF TIMES WHERE I HAVE MISSED MY BUS TIMES BECAUSE I HAD SET IT UP WAY TOO EARLY. AND THESE BUSES DON'T PLAY WHEN IT WANTS TO BE ON TIME. THEY ALWAYS SEEM TO ARRIVE ON TIME WHEN I'M LATE AND ARRIVE LATE WHEN I'M ON TIME. I'VE MISSED A COUPLE OF THESE AND IT COST ME 6,200 WON WHICH IS EQUIVALENT TO AROUND $5-$6 USD.

THE BUS TICKET GOING TO SEOUL, I CAN PURCHASE AT THE 7-11 CONVENIENT STORE THAT IS ABOUT A BLOCK AWAY FROM THIS BUS STOP. FOUND OUT THAT YOU CAN REQUEST FOR A PARTIAL REFUND OF 80% BUT IT HAS TO BE WITHIN 3 DAYS OF THE PURCHASED DATE. THIS CONVENIENT STORE IS PRETTY WEIRD BECAUSE IT DOESN'T OPEN UNTIL 10AM. SO, IF I HAD TO TURN AROUND AND REQUEST FOR A REFUND ON AN EARLY DAY, I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR IT TO BE OPENED, OR GO BACK ANOTHER DAY. AREN'T CONVENIENT STORES USUALLY 24 HOURS?

IT TAKES ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF TO GET FROM CHEONAN TO SEOUL VIA THIS EXPRESS BUS. I USUALLY UTILIZE THIS TIME TO CATCH UP ON MY SLEEP.

IMAGE BELOW WAS A LINE IN THE SUBWAY THAT I HAD TO TRANSFER IN ORDER TO GET TO BUPYEONG. BUPYEONG, INCHEON IS AN OLDER AREA.

ARRIVING AT THE BUPYEOUNG STATION WHERE I HAD TO GET OUT MY TMONEY (TRANSPORTATION CARD) TO SWIPE TO GET THROUGH.

AFTER SWIPING MY TMONEY CARD, I WALKED TO MY LEFT AND FOUND A HUGE LOTTE MART. HEADED DOWNSTAIRS AND FOUND THE FOOD STALLS GALORE!

CHECK OUT HOW AVOCADO IS SPELLED. #SPELLCHECK
IN KOREA, THEY DO NOT HAVE "V" IN THEIR PHONETICS, HENCE LEADING TO A DIFFERENT SPELLING.

SO, AVOCADO & BANANA SMOOTHIE IT IS. IT WAS ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD. ONLY COST $2-$3. THE CUP WAS PRETTY SMALL, BUT ENOUGH TO LAST ME UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON.

THEN, I FOUND IT! IN COMPARISON TO THE GANGNAM UNDERGROUND SHOPPING CENTER, IT SEEMED SMALLER. DID I MISS A FEW PLACES? THIS WAS AROUND 3 P.M.

I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A CENTER PART, AND THEN THERE ARE DIFFERENT SECTIONS TO GO OFF FROM THE CENTER, SORT OF LIKE A SUN AS THE CENTER, AND THE BEAMS ARE EXTENDED OUT AS THE SHOPPING AREAS. WHEN YOU REACH THE END OF THE BEAM, IT LOOPS YOU BACK TO THE CENTER WITH THIS STATUE SHOWN BELOW.

I'VE SEEN THE MANNEQUINS ON OTHER BLOGS FROM YEARS BACK, AND YES, IT IS 2016 AND THESE GUYS ARE STILL HERE, AS IF THEY ARE DISPLAYING A KPOP IDOL GROUP IN THE "UNDERGROUND" WORLD. #LOL

DECIDED TO EMERGE FROM THE UNDERGROUND SCENE AND FOUND THE BUPEOUNG SHOPPING MALL THAT SITS ON TOP OF THIS UNDERGROUND SHOPPING WORLD.

TO THE LEFT OF THE MALL WAS THIS INSTALLATION, NOT REALLY FITTING WITH IT'S BACKDROP. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT AN INSTALLATION SUCH AS THIS ONE WOULD BE IN AN EVEN MORE OPEN AREA, OR PERHAPS IN A MUSEUM. THE CIRCLE DESIGN ON THE GROUND SEEMS FITTING, BUT THAT IS ABOUT IT.

THE TIME WAS AROUND 4:45 PM. I WAS TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING INTERESTING, WALKING AWAY FROM THE MALL WITH NEW DISCOVERIES. ACROSS THE STREET WERE SOME SKATEBOARDERS USING THIS AREA AS THEIR PLAYGROUND.

IT WAS ALMOST 5 P.M. I NEEDED TO LOOK FOR A BITE. THE ONLY THING I HAD WAS THAT LOVELY SMOOTHIE. I WAS POKING AROUND LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT EITHER HAD A PICTURE OR SOMETHING WHERE I CAN CHOOSE WITHOUT THE LANGUAGE BARRIER AS AN ISSUE. SO AFTER SOME WANDERING, I DECIDED TO GO BACK IN THE MALL WHERE I SPOTTED THE FOOD STALLS. I RECALLED SEEING VISUALS THAT WOULD HELP WITH MY SELECTION.

NEVER AGAIN WITH #PHONHO. NOW LOOKING AT MY IMAGES, IT ACTUALLY READS
PHO NO! SO, NO MORE PHO NHO HERE FOR ME.

IN COMPARISON TO THE PICTURE ON THEIR MENU, I WAS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE ACTUAL PLATE. I ORDERED THE 2ND DISH ON THE 1ST COLUMN. I WAS EXPECTING A REALLY THIN SLICE OF PORK. INSTEAD, I WAS HANDED A PLATE WITH THE THINNEST MEAT ON THE BONES. I WAS BASICALLY SUCKING ON BONES AND CLUELESS AS TO WHICH PARTS.

THE RICE AND SOUP WERE GOOD, BUT THAT WAS ABOUT IT. CILANTRO IS SUCH A SCARCE ITEM IN MY GROCERY STORES, THAT I MADE SURE I FINISHED THE CILANTRO WITH MY RICE.

THEY EVEN HAD A MESSY GROCERY SECTION WITHIN ARM'S REACH OF MY TABLE.

DONE WITH EATING. HEADED BACK OUT. NO CLUE WHERE I AM GOING BUT I'M JUST GOING.

AND YEP, I SEE THIS OFTEN, WHERE PEEPS JUST PARK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. I WOULD THINK TO UNLOAD, BUT, I DON'T SEE ANY PEEPS NOR RELEVANT INDICATION.

WALKED STRAIGHT SOME MORE, THEN DECIDED TO CROSS THE STREET IN HOPES TO FIND THE BUPYEOUNG NIGHT MARKET BUT HAD NO LUCK. BUT CAME ACROSS A SCHOOL INSTEAD... THIS IS BUWAN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
HMM, WONDERING WHO THE LUCKY ENGLISH TEACHERS ARE WITH GREAT HOURS!

IT WAS GETTING LATE AND I WAS PRETTY MUCH RUNNING AROUND IN CIRCLES WITH MY GOOGLE MAP GPS TRYING TO FIND THIS NIGHT MARKET. EVEN STARTED ASKING PEOPLE AROUND AND HAD NO LUCK.

SPOTTED THIS FOOD TRUCK, SELLING WHOLE CHICKENS! I THOUGHT OF GETTING IT, BUT THE THOUGHTS OF DISPOSING THE BONES WAS TOO MUCH OF A HASSLE. HENCE, IT WAS A NO GO.

MADE IT TO THE EXPRESS BUS TERMINAL IN GANGNAM.
BOUGHT MY TICKET AND THE NEXT OPENING THEY HAD WAS THE 10:20PM BUS.
NIGHT BUSES ARE SLIGHTLY MORE IN COST, ONLY ABOUT 60 CENTS MORE.
NEARBY WAS A LOTTERIA FAST FOOD AND WENT AND GOT A CHEESEBURGER AND PASSION FRUIT JUICE. THE PASSION FRUIT JUICE WAS INTERESTING. IT HAD LITTLE CRUNCHY SEEDS IN THERE.