So we talked with Danny yesterday and it looks like its going to be reasonable for us to go home. I had my mom transfer money into my Korean account so I should be able to buy the plane tickets soon. Ensongcha called me yesterday to cancel forever so I'm down $160 but we are trying to sell our TV so hopefully that will help.

preparing for home

So Danny was supposed to get back from Japan yesterday and is supposed to contact me about when we can meet. I'm really anxious to get it over with! Still working on plane tickets I faxed over my passport pictures yesterday to the travel agent and she is supposed to contact me back soon! I've been working a lot more now but its still not gonna be enough to be 100% back on my feet but I'm gonna work hard when I get home so I think my odds are okay. I just don't like have loans in my name without the money to pay them back immediately!! I've been reading a lot on my bus rides and still enjoying that. The weather is hot and muggy and I feel like I am the only one who is always sweaty!! Its gross and to add to that today its raining on top of the mugginess...
Eddie's been working on cleaning the house and its looking pretty good. We are getting ready for a visit from his dad and brother Jeremy around the 15th up until we leave so that will be a nice change of pace for us before we head back. Still no chicken at the grocery stores so we're eating lots of tofu! Beef protests are going on everywhere and beef prices are high. Eddie and I've had a good run Monday night and hope to keep it up. Its funny to see how many people are all walking the track at like 10pm at night. People aren't really into heavy working out here but they seem to stay moderately in shape by lots of walking!
As always change is hard for me so I'm getting a little anxious about the return home I know it will be hard but adaptation isn't something I enjoy.


And bravo to Korea for banning junk food commercials from prime time TV!!!
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2008/05/123_24833.html

Ban on Dog and Cat meat!
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2008/05/161_24818.html

So I started a new student today named Britney and Jimmy officially canceled for good... :(

Also Danny wrote me an email with calculations of about $2,000 in expenses if we leave a month early!! AHHHH!! He's off to Japan but we are meeting in person next week so I have some time to calm down and prepare for an adult conversation with someone who seems like he is trying to make me pay for not being able to stay here!! But it looks like we'll be coming home at the end of June so I am really excited about that. I told some of my students and they all were really upset which makes me sad too cause I've really enjoyed some of my students! I've almost finished my book on Anxiety and Eddie and I have been trying to get into a routine of running and I've been eating extra healthy and i just feel better most of the time. I've had a stressful month but the end is near.

Also a girl at my gym got my number today and she wants to hang out before we go back so that would be fun cause I haven't done anything with friends in a while.

So Ive been thinking about getting a haircut for a while and yesterday I finally did it. Kenny got one with me. I cut off like 6 or more inches and got more bangs! We went to Yonsei University and went into the basement and found a salon that only charges $8 for women's hair cuts. Mine ended up being $10 but the woman did a really good job and thinned my hair a lot.

Danny sent me an email telling me he wants to meet up some time next week and "talk figures" so we'll see how that goes... I'm really worried he is going to try and take all my money!! Today Eddie and I teach in Cheolsan and so far none of our students have called to cancel yet! YAY!


beef...
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/05/117_24467.html

Jimmy sent me a text letting me know he was canceling again today. I really don't know what I am supposed to do. I sent Danny an email about possibly coming home at the end of June on Tuesday and its Saturday and he hasn't responded. Today and tomorrow I just teach for free then Monday I am hoping Ezongcha doesn't cancel cause its been forever since I've seen her. I'm stressing out.

Canceled

So Jimmy canceled his lesson today so I have officially taught him 1 time out of 7 lessons!!! Jane canceled yesterday which puts her at 1 time out of 4 and Enzongcha I have seen 1 time out of about 10!! I literally have $9 right now. (I still have enough money to fly home but I'm not touching that) I should be getting paid at the end of the month so that should help pay Danny for the internet bill.. BUT ITS FRUSTRATING!!!

On the plus side... Emily said her teacher has some extra beetles so Eddie is getting a new beetle... I'm not as excited as him but now we don't have to throw away the case he bought for his last beetle... I guess he was supposed to squirt water on him so he doesn't dry out... so thats why the last one died...

So I still haven't heard from Danny. It says he read the email yesterday but I guess he hasn't had time to write me back about me coming home earlier. We tried to get tickets to see a BIG BANG concert but they are sold out. Eddie and Kenny are trying to buy from scalpers today so we'll see.. I want to go but I have two lessons today. I would love to cancel and go but if I don't go that means we'll be even more in the hole then before! The weather is warm in the day and cool at night. People are always in long sleeve shirts though no matter how hot it gets. When the rain is just barely sprinkling EVERYONE has an umbrella ready. It so different from Olympia because I hardly ever see people with umbrella's there they just drive as close as they can then run...



North Korea submitted documents about its weapons...
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/05/120_24153.html


In Korea the controversy over eating US beef is huge. Most beef restaurants have stopped serving beef and started serving pork because no one wants to eat US beef even on accident... its a strange thing to see beef restaurants serving only pork.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2008/05/123_24189.html


AND grocery stores aren't carrying chicken and restaurants aren't selling it much either because of bird flu! Eddie and I have been living on tofu and shrimp! This Article is about global warming in Korea and a little about the bird flu.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2008/05/202_24169.html
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2008/04/202_22088.html

The big dongdaemun stadium is being removed to make way for new city plans
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/05/117_24160.html


and an article from a teacher( For Teachers Day)
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2008/05/162_24165.html

changes??

So Danny called me last night to tell me my internet bill for the last 8 months has been coming from his account instead of mine..which is roughly $30 dollars times 8! Which is just more money I definitely don't have!! On the plus side he also informed me that he and his family are thinking about going to Canada this summer which may mean I can go home earlier!!!

Wednesday when I got to Emily's house they had a present all wrapped up for me! They bought me some Puma shoes!!! They are so sweet! They are pretty tight but I will wear them whenever I'm around them. They both wrote little cards for me too!!! Thursday I taught Stella again and she decided she wants to meet twice a week! So that is both good and bad because she lives far away but its extra money so I'm willing to take the trip. I also finished Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching so I'm on to the next one. Jimmy canceled Thursday night for the fourth time in a row so we had a tough week money wise. Friday we went to Yongsan and I got a cell phone. Its a old one and the light flashes constantly on it but it was only $40 so Im okay with that. Its a prepay phone so I'm only using it for emergencies! I have ten dollars on it right now and Im gonna do everything I can to make that last! After buying the phone we went to Shinchon and got a ice cream cake for my birthday. We met up with Eisei and his girlfriend Bora and we headed to Kennys to eat the cake. Eddie and I took a bus home but we went the wrong direction so we had about an hour bus ride around the area which was actually kind'a interesting. Saturday I taught all day then Sunday I taught until 5 then met up with Eddie and we finally had some Thai food! (we tried to get some on Friday but it was closed!!) After eating we headed to City Hall and walked around the big HI SEOUL festival that was going on. Then we found our way over to the Cheonggycheon river that goes through the city and had a nice walk. It was really really crowded and there were lots of bugs but it was still nice to get out. Today I'm teaching Ensongcha and then Eugin so I'm off!!

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/05/117_23751.html Bird flu in Korea!!! SO SCARY!!!!

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2008/05/115_23743.html

So today Eddie had to teach from 3:10 to 6:10 and I have to teach from 6 to 10 so my birthday isn't too eventful... i got lots of Happy birthdays from everyone so thank you!

Yesterday was Kids Day and kids didn't have school. Eddie and i went to anew bookstore in Jonggak just near City Hall and I got a book for one of my students. We stopped by McDonald's and they were giving out coupons for free big macs. We went to an Italian restaurant called IN PASTA which was just okay. We tried to go to the Thai N Blue restaurant but it had been shut down!!

Today I talked with a women from Finland who is an exchange student at Yonsei. We both work out at the gym there. She seemed really nice and we talked awhile about shopping for pants in Korea. As of now neither of us has had any luck finding above a size 5!! arg! I also got my first birthday package today with some reeses peanut butter cups!! They were amazing! Tomorrow I only have to teach Danny's kids from 7-9 so I'll get to relax most of the day. My new student on Fridays and Mondays is really great! My other new student on Thursdays named Stella seemed pretty sweet too but its a huge hassle to get out to her house!! No big plans for my birthday I hope to get some Thai food some time this week....

I just read you have to have a visa to visit China which will cost even more money!! So that will change my plans a lot if thats the case!

So I looked it up and its $170 for a visa for China!!