just another American teacher in SK

(Rufus Wainright fans may find it amusing that I looked at the clock upon awakening and it was, indeed, 11:11 am)

What a FANTASTIC weekend it has been!!

I got home around 9 pm last night, and Tim got back from Jeju about 15 minutes later ~  we drank beer and swapped stories and talked smart to the wee hours of the morning …

The weather was beautiful today ~ sunny, clear sky (no dust!),  21C/70F.   I did some laundry and hung it out on the roof of the building to dry ~ ah, the smell of sun-dried clothing is one of life’s simple pleasures!

OH!  We ventured to “the roof” of our building today ~we knew it existed but until this afternoon we didn’t know how to get up there.  What we found is a nice, clean, uncluttered space where we can spend private time outside of our 12×12 rooms.  I don’t know what the restrictions are but we could probably find a grill and bbq up there in the evenings ~ what a delightful idea!  Now if we can find a meat market that isn’t too scary …

We immediately set out on a mission to find “stuff” for our new-found space ~ specifically a grill, but also maybe some chaise lounges or just some folding chairs.  We searched high and low, but didn’t find what we are really looking for ~ it will have to go on the “buy in Seoul” list, which seems a bit goofy, but that’s how it is.

The only bad thing about having a fantastic weekend is the return to reality.  “God almighty, this place is a dump.”  It really is.  I traveled back to the island on the bus last night with fellow teachers, a lovely couple from South Africa.  They told me that they usually make the trip to Seoul every weekend as well, just to get out of town for a day.  They assured me that life on the island “gets” to everyone ~ and that anyone who suggests they love it are simply lying.  I have found this to be true at “teacher gatherings” when, after a few (or a few too many) cocktails, the serious bitching and moaning begins …

Urgh, enough of that ~ I’m going to revel in a few more hours of afterglow …

The 3-hour commute is a real pain-in-the-ass but, now that I have found a wonderful place to stay, I will probably make weekend get-aways in Seoul a regular activity.  I can look forward to 24 hours of pampering, decent meals, and sensory stimulation.  If that’s what it takes to keep my marbles in the ring, it’s a small price to pay.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 11:42 pm and is filed under 1. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.