Remember Dover?

Holy CRAP: Remember Dover? Dude I flew up this mountain as the sun was setting so I could grab some kick ass pictures and make sure you guys can see the water. My co-teacher (the male) at first told me that it was Mokpo on one side, Ocean on the other…he wasn’t kidding. The Indian Ocean was on my left, Mokpo City was to my right. Pretty freaking bad ass. The pictures speak for themselves, but I’ll explain as I go. My iPod wouldn't let me play playlists for some reason...but this song came on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQfGn1t63jA

...some korean dude just grabbed my camera and took this picture,
great pic buuut kinda weird...!

...ever have a 'holy shit' moment?

So, story time??? Mk, so since there is much to explain, lets start slow. Explain the amazing-ness of the Korean people. Let me start with the most recent experience I just had at this kick ass coffee house called "Paris Bagguette."

(i dont think they know how to spell Baguette)

so i stroll in my jeans, tennies, t-shirt and leather jacket. i'm obviously from out of town--not to mention my pale white skin and goofy grin. homegirl at the counter is all gooey for seeing a foreigner, just like the one that just walked in. teehheee...well, i grab my pastries for tomorrows breakfast, grab a green tea latte

....its not a girls drink, mk, its freaking amazing, dont judge. its got plenty of anti-oxidents...!!

annnnnyway, so the tea is freaking amazing (duh) but i go up to the counter and ask if they're closed by, talking and literally using sign language. literally, signing AMERICAN sign language to asians....good logic eh? so the 4 people working all tune in, the owner comes out, and all the sudden i'm teaching a class. haha, didnt think i've have to do that til tomorow (your today).

so, after finally figuring out what i was trying to say, they said no no--we open, we open. they give me my latte, i ask to sit out side as it was raining earliar and it smells good. duh, everyone loves the smell of the rain, and its like 60 out here right now. the owner comes out, un-does all the chairs for me, grabs a cloth and wipes them all off. then, she gives me a free bagggggget. (like the emphasis on the gness)

anyway, so thats the smallest of the insane jestures the koreans do, just out of the kindness of their hearts. heres a list of just, damn nice things I've had done for me since I've been here...

- the apartment manager came to my apartment and show me how to use the hot water, the floor heater, everything.
- my co-teacher gave me 4 frozen fish as she doesnt think that i eat, (take that as i'm scronny??)
- no worries mother i'm eating, hence the baggggggggggggets
- given coffee, at samsung, while they charged my camera for me....
- walked to the street i need to go, to get a cab, and had the cab paid for me...!
- my co-teacher has taken me everywhere, the hospitarrr*, the bank, the school, shes picking me up tomorrow, bought me coffee (at popeyes, meh)

*=haha, L and R confusion is quite humorous. the korean language has no direct sound object identification, so when they say stuff like lost...it comes out rost, but they nail love...interesting or...micherrrrrrrrrrrr, bahaha, i dont laugh though i promise

thats just a few, i love this city to say the least. i don't start teaching until tomorrow, and my nerves are...well, as nervous as ya would be starting your first real job in a foreign country, with no clue of what to expect tomorrow, with a vice principal who was 'dissapointed in my appearnce' after 31 hours of travel...its korea.

haha, its fun, which leads me to the...flight, and the funny ass people i met along the way.

we'll start in houston, the security guard who kept telling me to go give my mamma one more hug...'now wave, come on man she's crying...wave...dude wave or i'll say you have 3 bombs.' ok he didnt say all that, but he did tell me to wave in a very security kinda way, so i did...;)

Houston to LA met Belinda; a oil rep from Brasil going to Australia. I watched 'the proposal' which was surprisingly funny...got off the plane and was handed my man-card back...:-\...

LA Airport: haha, met Randy. funny guy, going to India for engingeer buisness. told me 3 things about asia...1) treat everyone with respect and you'll be find...2) there are ass-holes everywhere...3) don't mess with the customs, (like the airport customs)...and the hidden number 4....dont get the oink oink flu (bahahahaha)

also met a crazy guy...dyrell...told me 'if you've got time main, you should run to the subway, take the yellow line til it ends, theres a liquor store, you'll have time to finish a bottle by the time that the train gets back....

...cheers to the guy in LA who told me to take a subway til it ends, and go to a liquor store, finish my bottle by the time the train got there....in LA....good call

LA to Seoul: sat next to a north korean, seriously really think so...she woke me up with some 검색도구 열기!!!!!!!!! loud ass korean, and then made fun of me...she had very large hair as well, put your arm up over your head, and thats how large this womans fro was...i called it...the 'bitch'

Got to Seoul and had 2 hours to catch a bus, and get to Gimpo airport, about 45 min away. found the bus ticket place, lady spoke flawless english...got to Gimpo, to fly to Gwangu...

Gimpo Airport (in seoul) to Gwangu: met all the canadian connections people...Brians a funny brit just back from Japan for 4 years of teaching. Neil's in Mokpo...don't remember anyone else...

Gwangu to Mokpo: my co-teacher gave me a lift, a man that knew little...LITTLE english but knew all the bands!! like ACDC, rush, metallica, linken park (like a raw apple in a keg of rum), pearl jam, (meh) seven mary-freaking-three!!! holy crap on that one...! we stopped for water and he paid of course, didnt let me pay at all! kind of annoying...but its cool, i guess

Mokpo: first week...real quick, cause theres too much to tell

Picture down the street:

Other side of the street:

Monday: got in, met the prinicpal, right out of the freaking gate. never saw neil or anyone else after Gwangu's airport, sure i will though. went home to craaaaaaash.

Tuesday: slept, and slept and slept...watched CSI for like 6 hrs, cause apparently its awesome...they have like 3 channels in english.

Wednesday: got a fever from sleeping with the window open tuesday night...didnt know it was artic here at night...hah whoops...get a alien registration card started (2 weeks, they've got my passport)

Thursday: co-teacher thinks i have swine flu and takes me to get a bank acct set up (woman, takes over...can't say her name...like literally can't spell it, or say it...i'll just take that turnpike when i come to it ;) felt not so good

Friday: felt...better, walked down the street, hit Paris Bagggggggggggets for the first time...whole new crew working...then went back to try to sleep off a fever with an ib profin/beer induced slumber.

Saturday: felt MUCH better...walked for like 2 hrs, around...just strolling, met up with some people from london, and a funny irish guy named nigel, FINALLY HAVE AN IRISH FRIEND NAMED NIGEL!!! the bar we went to just opened and its called moe's bar, like on the SIMPSONS, freaking hysterical. the owner's name is mike and he owns a private school (hagwon). he told me just to have energy and if all else fails, just teach roman numerals...the numbers here and there are the same...!

Sunday: got my lesson plan for tomorrow together, in case i need it, but apparently i'm just gonna be backing up homegirl (co-teacher lady). watched bones, which is apparently awesome too...then uh, hit up paris.

so anyway, thats been my crazy experience thus far...the food is freaking incredible! everything here is good. the coffee, the tea, the baggggggggets, the food at the gas station around the corner from my apartment. the people are awesome, its the korean thanksgiving right now so every foreigner has taken a break from mokpo, they're apparently gonna be around soon. but i do love it, and i cant wait to see the harbor and stuff, go to school and figure out what the hell i'll be doing for the next year!

haha, here's to ... we'll see!!!!!


oh i love skydiving!

13 days baby!!!

Listening to Punchline at Wake the Dead, killing my iced toddy...checking out the hot blonde on my 6:00 and....just finished a test for TEFL certification a-nudder 40 hours of certification-ness....

oh and yes, i'll be teaching english, like those words i just-done-put-togeder

...yee haw...mmm, hickness. that picture is for my hardcore-redneck moment i had last night:

sitting on the porch, shirtless...drinking a budweiser...outta a 24 oz. can with a brown bag on it...

annnnyway... i'll be 100 hr TEFL certficied affording me 1842.66 a month in mokpo. annnyway, i'm picking up my contract in NB early AM tomorrow from fed-ex. then its off to houston to get a work visa started, something that should take a week. so by either the 15th or 16th of sept. i'll have everything that i need to leave...

then canadian connections finds the flight and i pay for it.

well, my dad pays for it, then korean school pays him/me back. thennnn i start i believe a week after i get there, as i must go through some sort of initation---week long---how to do it class...i guess. damnit the blonde left by the way, i guess she figured out that i wasn't "cracking my back" i was shecking her out. haha...dayum...

anyway some good-to-knows...

Bachelorate 'flat': me living alone which means no tommy and sean ever again!!!!

Work uniform: buisness casual, so all the clothes i've got work

Vonage: more expensive than skipe, but maybe better...i dunno yet havent tried either

T-mobile: no workie in south korea (again, teaching english, like dat?!)

Co-teacher: this is a big one, she/he will help me find a cell phone, get me set up and teach the grammar, biiig one as grammar apparently sucks to teach. i'm just there to help with the communicative part. heres a view from the top of an apartment buiding off the website of the recruiter...



according to the website of canadian connections (the recruiter) under "things to leave at home:" ....expectations (bahahah) :-\

damn, iced coffee is now dead. i'm gonna need more. but i'll be around again once i get to houston. bahahaha 2 weeks from yesterday

13 days baby!!! thats like less than 2 weeks. holy shit!

...woah

fed...ex

Sigh, I'm awaiting a contract that has been mailed to my dads house in San Marcos as of today from Korea...(thursday morning korea time). As soon as that gets here, i will be off to houston to get a work visa started, and hang out with the fam.

Provided I get my contract Friday (as told by the recruiting agency), and i get my materials to become 100 hr. tefl certified from oxford seminars also friday as told to me by fed ex. something i paid 68 extra bucks for, so it damn sure better be here.

...i'm going

emails, fed ex, and canadians truly dictate every move i make. i leave for houston friday possibly, or even sunday...either way, i'm going to korea on sept. 20th. i just don't know how much i'll get paid, if i get the oxford seminars 40 hr. course done, then i'll get $1842.64 a month...! bahhahahahahha!!!! see how important it is to just get a freaking fed-ex package?!?!

its gonnnnnnna happpppennnnn :-\

anyway, whats that picture of you ask?? its of jeju island just off the coast of south korea, around mopko city (the city i'll be going to)

gorgeous eh?

By the Grace of Dr. Grayson: Why I'm not in Seoul right now

So granted, its like 2:32 in the am but i cannot sleep based off the university slightly to my right. I live with the padre right now who happens to be a professor of said university that i chose to attend for 3 years.

July 10th I finished the requirements for a bachelors of arts in psychology, with a minor in sports psychology. i earned every damn facet of this degree and texas state university does not agree that i am 'graduated.'

i was supposed to leave for south korea for a year to teach english today.

texas state cannot say that i am graduated until august 25th, technically today, but still 3 days away from korea; as fed ex can only 'overnight' a letter saying i've graduated over 3 days to korea. now, all i needed from this university was a letter that said i have completed all required coursework and will graduate as of aug. 25th. all gravy, korea can agree with this letter and i can leave monday aug, 24th. again, all texas state would only say and i quote:

"I anticipate with confidence that mr. caverly's degree will be posted as of tuesday august 25th, until then, i cannot say he is graduated."

when looking at my transcript to ensure a 'graduation' ... homegirl ( liberal arts dean), called down to the registrar and said that:

(be sure and use a texas accent to get the full-agitating-effect)

"hi diane this is nancy grayson up in liberal arts, michael caverly has graduated but its not showing up on his transcript"

...why not say that in a letter...?

no worries eh? its all good, its my fault in a weird way as i took one more class that ended aug 12th. an independent study class through dr. osbourne of the psychology department whom sent an email to the dean stating: i've gotten an 'a'...the same day, aug 12th. 12 days before i leave. grades were not final til aug 18th, which logic would say that if i've completed all....

a) required coursework,
b) finished all 'coursework' with an extra class, then i'm done. i've graduated.
c) graduated meaning, i'm...finished with what they told me i've had to do.
d) i can go to korea and get on with my life, not lose money by sticking around in san marcos.


funny as, the hidden (e) that we never pick in multiple choice tests. the same tests that dictate our gpa. the e=....not mc squared as many would think...

e= naw, you're not going because you havent graduated. yet i do 'anticipate with confidence that you will go'

so i spend all sorts of money, time and effort for 3 years to this university, annnnnd the best they can do is 'anticipate' with some sort of 'confidence' that i've done what they wanted me to do. the fuck are you going to do for me?

thats why i'm not in korea, because i havent graduated...a month and a half ago.

College 'graduate"

5 things to do: Letter of Graduation from Texas State
Apostle from the Secretary of State
Transcript from Texas State
Deposit a check
Quit Freebirds

All, done. Except for the things that have to do with Texas. The state of texas' server, their...state...fucking...server, has been down. since last thursday. leaving those who need stuff, helpless. Helpless as the state of texas is in telling me when it will...be...fixed.

The University I've chosen has told me that I will not 'graduate' until I receive a diploma on august 27th. In case you haven't heard, I will be leaving for Korea on Aug. 24th. See my debacle.

Graduation letter would suffice; if i could get one. The Dean of Liberal Arts has told me that it is 'fraudulent' to submit a document on state papers. Meaning, I haven't 'graduated' yet. I won't until I receive a letter stating that I have, which will be august 18th. I took an extra class called 'independent study' which is an EXTRA class that has NOTHING to do with my 'graduation' credit. I cannot get anything that says I've 'graduated' (which I thought meant finished 'college') until 6 days before I leave.

...my required, REQUIRED, coursework was finished as of July 10th.

Yet I have not 'graduated.' Or gotten a plane ticket (last price i saw was $1500)

...why???

Mokpo City

So, weeks after starting this blog without a start date. Shane at Canadian Connections has given me 2 of them, first on aug 14th, the second, on aug 24th. Over the last few days i've been getting all the stuff done, so provided I pull all that off...I'll be on a plane to go to South Korea, on Augest 24th.

Sad thing is, Rachel comes to Tejas the 25th, and Meghan the 23rd...so close.

Yet, it does look like I can remove the question mark from the title of this blog as everything seems to be setting up pretty nicely. Kinda crazy yes...i copied and pasted all the information from the 'job offer' email. The important ones at least

Salary: 2.1 million KRW (1700 dollars a month)

City Size: 300,000

Grades: 3-6

Working Hours: 9-5 mon. through friday

Transporation: School is in walkin distance

Holy God.

Anyway, so thats that. I'm going!!!!!! BAHAHAHAHA

(although the state of texas' server is 'down' so i cant get my crimial record notarized til monday, ugh...eh?)