Another month gone and now I'm at the 22nd month of my journey here in Bucheon. Updates on a few things in June, as it is going to be JULY on Tuesday....
Edward had his 14th birthday...that alone deserves a blog post. I couldn't ask for a more awesome little brother. Not only is he a boy genius, but he is caring and loving. I get so excited when he randomly Skypes me in the morning. Even though he is usually multitasking during that time with a website or game during the session, that fact that he thinks to Skype at all makes me feel on top of the world. I wish I could be there to see all of your baseball games, basketball games, and piano recitals, but know that I'm thinking of you out here and I miss you to the moon and back. Actually more than that. Pluto and back (poor pluto needs some credit). Here's the happy birthday wish for Edward from my class of newby English learners. Couple of goofballs at the end who I adore.
Another project a group of lovely ladies and I have been working on is for Korea Burn. As mentioned in previous blogs, my last experience was a torrential failure. To make up for that weekend, I'm trying again this year, hopefully to have a much...drier...experience. This year will be different in that we have a theme camp at the event! We have painted a giant tree, which has become a new decor piece in my apartment as it dries. Our vision is to have people come to our camp, write what mark they want to leave on the world, take a Polaroid holding that statement and then hang the picture on our tree. By the end of the weekend, our tree will be covered with photos and ribbons from the hundreds of attendees of the festival! To fundraise we have found that foreigners and (some) Koreans alike love soju jello shots. Making a batch and transporting them to the park in Hongdae, we manage to make some money to help cover the cost of transportation, and other major pieces to our camp. Here are some sneak peaks of the tree and fundraising!
Now, about the title of this post. I haven't spread the news yet, but I decided it has come time to do it. Recently, with the eminent end to my life here in Korea, I've been putting a little more serious thought into "what next?" besides "eh, I'll just go travel around Europe and some school will open the door and doves will fly out and the boss will start singing a Disney style song to hire me on the spot". As cool as the Disney situation would be (and I'm not completely ruling it out), it was time to go for more serious searches. Applying through several recruiter websites, I was contacted by an International Kindergarten in Viernheim, Germany. Last week I had a Skype interview with the founder of the school as well as a current teacher there, who coincidentally also taught in Korea! We talked a lot about my experiences here as well as my teaching philosophies and strategies. Overall, this program looked like the perfect fit! Then I asked when the school started...September 1st...aka 3 days after I fly out from Korea. Already having planned a trip though Germany conveniently I would be in the area already, however it hit me that I would have to postpone going home for another few months. I told them I would have to talk to the family before being sure of taking the offer. After explaining the situation to Mum over Skype, she basically hit me on the side of the head asking why in the world I was even thinking about this. Getting the opportunity I've always wanted to- working in Europe, in a school that seems incredible, with significant vacation time (compared to the teeeeeny tiny amount we get in Korea) seems like the dream job mentioned early (minus the doves and the singing....kind of...). In the end....this is why you might be angry with me. I will not be back in the states in September as planned. However, I will try and make it back for my break in October for a week! Meaning, all of you must make time in that week for some Laura! Or, better yet, it's much more likely that some of you back home would make a trip to Germany than Korea. So if that's the case I say a Eurotrip would be in order for many of you in the next year!........
***peeks out from behind computer***
Can we still be friends?
Korean Phrase of the post:
독일에 갈거야!
dokilae galkeoya
"Going to Germany!"
Herzlichen Glückwunsch!
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