I arrived.

Safe and Sound.


The flight was pretty much a formality. Two hours of tailed wind assisted flying from Heathrow to Helsinki, was followed by another two hours of transit at a very relaxing departure lounge at Helsinki. Then a very easy 8 hours and 30 minutes from Helsinki to Seoul. Whilst I was drinking out in London with my friends on the Friday night, exactly 36 hours before my departure time, Dad was sat at home checking me into the flights. Amazingly, he managed to get an exit seat. I've always walked past 'those' people with all 'that' leg room they have. Never thought that would be me. It was a luxury, and one that I would wish upon anybody close to me. It took me a while to get used to it though, I'll be honest. My mindset before any flight is simply, usually, "this is going to be uncomfortable", more often than not it is, but not as bad as one had first imagined. This time I went in thinking, "this is going to be as comfortable as sitting at home watching TV", but it wasn't, it's still a flat, straight, small, rigidly formatted chair, just with a little more leg room, one can only stretch their legs so far. But, big advantage was being able to walk forwards from my chair, when I wanted to, being able to fully stretch my legs out and up into the air, and behind my head if I could, and wanted to. Go to the bathroom, exactly, and when I wanted to, not when the person next to me shows some sign of being ‘possibly ok', and unfazed to be moved. All in all, a good flight.

Oh, Finnair have cameras around the outside of the plane, so at any stage of the flight, including take-off and landing, we could look ahead or below the aircraft. Genius idea…..


Once arrived, it was straight onto the hour long bus to central Seoul. These buses, well, all buses, subways, trains, taxis, cars, EVERYTHING in this country has heated seats in the colder months. So, I sat, and slowly started to cook my backside whilst taking in the changed surroundings. Three months away, you'd think everything would be the same. Nope! This is an upandcoming BIG Asian city, they don't sit back. Roads, buildings, junctions, areas, stretches etc that had just started to form when I left, were now fully upandrunning. Was it only three months that I was away???

Tuesday morning I took a trip down memory lane and popped into my school. The school I spent two fabulous years at, teaching, playing, messing around, singing, dancing and generally having the absolute time of my life. On a scale of 1-10, of how excited I was about going back, most would know that it was an out and out 10, no question. I had been having these very peculiar dreams in the past few weeks, leading up to my return. The same dream played itself out about 3 times. It went like this. I would walk up the stairs to the school. Go in. Say hello to all the staff and teachers. Reminisce. Then I’d start to walk around the corridor and peak into the classes to see my beloved kids working away. When I looked into the classrooms, I began to notice that they had all gone, and they’d been replaced by horrible children from my middle school, when I was a kid. A couple of old favourites would be there, and I’d ask them “where is everyone?”, and they would give me blank faces, as if to say “who and what are you talking about?”…. So, in my dream, I began to think that the last two years was all a dream. Deep filled crust of anxiety styled dreaming there.

Anyway, the dream was only a dream. Most of the kids were still there. Top three material Sarah (although her reaction to me returning puts her firmly in position 1, as all time greatest kid to have ever walked). She was playing the Melodian instrument with her classmates as I walked in. The Melodian is a piano/keyboard type thing, that you blow into to create the sound, whilst tapping the keys. So, she was sitting down in a line as I walked in. She was concentrating on playing her tune. Then she noticed me. Still blowing into her mouth piece, her eyes bulged, but she managed to keep in tune and concentrate on her teacher. True Korean hard working ethic maintained. As the tune finished, the smile came sweeping across her face, then she stood up and started to giggle and do a little Sarah-like dance, very hard to explain, but it stops her from getting too excited. So a dance to shake off her excitement I guess. Then she ran over and demanded a hug. Awesome kid. She then, along with a random rabble of old favourites continued to follow me wherever I went, pulling on my legs, arms, anything that dangled at a 5/6 year old height, for the entire morning. Lunchtime, I had to walk around with my tray, eating here there and everywhere. Each kid asked me, “Toby Teacher, today, eat lunch, where?”, so I had to do that rounds.

Sadly, Angela, who also makes the top three wasn’t there. Her mother has taken her out for a month as a precaution to the swine flu epidemic. But she’ll be back there soon, and so will I, for another visit. Decision on going back to work there still yet to be made. Time will tell.

My room is tiny. Smaller than I had hoped. But, I’m not going to complain. I have a room, I have shelter, I have running water, food, internet, a bed, clothes, money, health. This three months living in a box will finely tune and educate my future living style. I’ll go from this dog house to a royal palace and appreciate it like a dog coming across a half eaten Big Mac on the pavement.

The location is outstanding. I have everything and more on my door step.

One weekend to go before I start being a student. I’ll update after my first day, which is Tuesday.

Goodbye.

12 Hours to go........

My latest blog update is brought to you from a sofa in London. 

I have 12 hours to go to my flight back to Seoul.

What will I be doing in these final twelve hours? Currently watching friends, the one when Ross has a night with Janis, to get over Emily re-marrying. Then Match of the Day two will be on. Looking forward to seeing Arsenal lose 1-0 to Sunderland. Then, I will bag up my old clothes for the charity shop. Sleep will then be something I'll be very much trying to get, having missed out on a fair chunk last night, due to a large amount of Long Island Iced teas, and two bottles of James Bond's favortie champers, Bollinger. Once I have woken, I will do final cupboard and drawers checks, and then into the car it is.

See you on the East Side.

12 days to go (possibly most pointless blog do date)

So, I will be flying, courtesy of Finnair, to Seoul, in just twelve days time. I thought I would bring us all up to speed on the signficance that, to life in general, the number twelve has.

There are twelve in a dozen, dozen is used as a sales unit. A dozen is most commonly known for the use of eggs. A group of twelve things is known as a Duodecad.

The 12th month is December, which is the month in which I'll be starting my Korean course.

12 x 2 = 24, which was my age when I first arrived in Korea.

This is the 12th picture on my facebook that I am in. I'm centre, arms aloft, macho style.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/ is the 12th website that is inserted into my bookmarks.

In the former British currency system, there were twelve pence in a shilling. 

In the US, twelve people are appointed to sit on a jury for felony trials in all but four states.

12 face cards in a card deck.

12 inches in a foot.

12 = perfect government.

The McDonalds hamburgers' 12th birthday was last year.

This was the 12th google search, when I typed in '12', into google.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4ebtj1jR7c - It's a AA-12 gun, in action.

This was the 12th google search, when I typed in 'twelve', into google.
http://www.twelvegames.com/TWELVE.htm

This was the 12th image when I typed (twelve' into google images.

If Manchester United win the English Premiership this season, it will be their 12th Premiership title.

Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane, Tottenham Hotspurs' little option, strike force, have scored 12 premiership goals between them, so far, this season. 6 each.

Birmingham FC currently have 12 points in the league. No other team has 12. BIRMINGHAM FC is a total of 12 letters. haha.

12 is the amount of points that Tottenham are currently ahead of West Ham Utd. haha.

Last football fact. There were 12 years between Pele's 1st and last goal in the a World Cup competition. He scored many more in between.

There are 12 days of Christmas.

What does the number 12 mean to you???

I'm copping off..... I mean I'm copping out...

I feel the need to explain why I have copped out of going on a little adventure. Maybe, I need to jot down these thoughts, more so for me, to justify not going traveling in my break.

The plan was to load up my leather money carrier and head off on some self indulgent travel experience, somewhere uncharted and untouched by my small impressionable fingertips. I flirted immensely with the idea of a jaunt around India, I even bought the travel guide. I also dipped into the idea of a few months around Venezuela/Columbia/Ecuador. Again, I even bought a travel guide for Columbia. Plans were being made, flight prices were compared, Visa rulings were researched, climate assessments in relation to 'when to go' were also checked and noted. Some people said, 'oh my god, you must go there", or, "well, yeah, I haven't been, but have always wanted to go, I'm so jealous, you're going to have the most amazing time". Of course, I would have had an amazing time. I'm not denying those facts. I thought a lot, every night, (which is something I seem to do a lot, I limit my brain use during the day, which is probably the time when it should be most active) about what type of experience I wanted. If I was 20-23, fresh off the University boat, still sporting my baggy and wet bottomed alternative style jeans and questionable hair style, then maybe a 'life changing' exploration of another country is what the 'life' doctor would have prescribed. However, I'm growing up, turned 27 yesterday, and instead, feel like going on an adventure with a partner. With somebody who can share it all with. I don't want to get all cheesy, and sickly, by going on about why it would be good to share this with a partner, as I think it's all too obvious. But just, sitting here now, justifying, to all, as to why I have chosen to put that travel trip into the drawer labeled "To do before I'm 40", and embark on a  different adventure of, studying Korean relentlessly for the next 3/4 months. No regrets...!

A delicate fog descended upon Elmfield Road the other night. It was a damp, chilly and mysterious fog that nestled itself between every nook and cranny available, except the area surronding the Post Box, very mysterious indeed......

Language Fusion

This is Suna. Everybody say "Hello Suna!".

Suna is my new friend. She's Korean and has been living in London for about 8 months now. We met through a Korean Language Exchange Group that I discovered online. We have met twice now. On meeting we chat in each others language. Both parties within this meeting are rewarded with practice in their chosen, second, language. Her English is much better than my Korean, so we chatter in mostly English. My use of Korean is limited, but having now completed two meetings with Suna, I'm finding myself far more knowledgeable than originally thought. Still a long long, never ending, way to go, but this is a great method to get things moving in the right direction.

I'm currently reviewing a lot of material that I've studied so far in my short tenure as a Korean Language student. I have a level assessment on the 13th November. This will place me into either level 1 or 2. 1 would be a touch annoying as I'm pretty sure it will be a good few weeks covering a lot of stuff I'm comfortable with. Level 2, on the other hand, will all be new fresh material that will get me chomping at the bit. So, lets see what level I enter at. Either way, it'll still provide ample opportunity to get my speaking on course.

I've just polished off a large roast dinner, cooked by Mother. It was nothing short of ultimate deliciousness. The rice pudding, served as a pudding, was just too much for my stomach to handle. It's currently in recess and has warned me not to lean over and tackle the selection of chocolate and fruity chews that caress the coffee table. This leads me into my recent diet. Food has been a joy to get my lips around. I didn't think about UK foods too much while I was away, but having been in and around a few well endowed fridges over the last few months, it's easy to say that I have piled on a bit of holiday weight. This wasn't helped by a recent foot injury, which forced me to be sofa bound for about 10 days. I'm quite looking forward to getting back to my Korean diet. UK food is tasty, don't get me wrong, but, it does take a lot longer to digest and it does cause a rather uncomfortable amount of wind, which a few of my close friends will testify.

The next three weeks are going to be pretty busy. My 27th birthday is first up on Tuesday. Then Thursday sees a exciting trip to see a previewing of a Korean movie, called, Thirst. Then on Friday a small reunion in London with some old Bungay High School friends. Saturday is bonfire night. Sunday, it's off to see the Denholm side of the family, to say hello and goodbye. Then Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday is currently free (hopefully it will stay that way). Then Thursday, it's get ready for level test. Friday AM, level test. Friday PM, say goodbye to another crowd of friends. ETC ETC ETC...... Final week will consist of a family reunion in Glous. A short trip to the Foreign Office in Milton Keynes to notarise some legal documents for Korea. Then it's the final countdown.

OK, I've mumbled on just about enough that 'Countryfile', on BBC1, has finished so I can get back to some TV watching. X Factor it is, to hopefully witness the downfall of those awful twins 'John and Edward'. Fingers crossed.

Laters.
Just a silly little piece of photoshop I did......

While I was away, I did this and this and that, thought about this and this and that....... Lots of stuff really, read on...... find out.

Amie and I
31st July huh? Wow, please accept my dearest apologies for not updating for such a long time. Some might think that I have been plodding along doing nothing, others might think I may have gone into blog hiding, maybe given up on the whole ordeal, which to be honest it can be at times. Well, the truth is that for my last month in Korea, I was a bit of an emotional mess. Not sad to be leaving as such, but more just in a state of looseness. I had completely lost all drive for teaching, all drive for eating well, all drive for studying Korean, all drive for being social, all drive for my existence in some horror moments. I was strictly focused on getting home and seeing everybody and working my way through all those UK things that I had been dwelling on minute by minute since I'd booked my flight a few weeks back. To be brutally honest I felt a little lonely. My house became, all of a sudden, a very spacious airy hotel room. It lost its comfort and familiarity. Sleeping became a problem and I even began to see things in my room. I knew it was an accumulation of too many emotions. Sadness to be leaving, anxiety about what the next 6 months has for me, where to travel, therefore indecision, tiredness, confusion over the future, pressure on decisions, in regards to 'What job to do next?'........ Bla Bla Bla..... All sounds pretty deep, but it just boiled down to, I needed a break!!!!

Which is what I'm in now. Got back to the UK on the 1st September. Thrown into a hectic lifestyle of dinners here, coffees there, drinks here and more dinners, coffees and drinks there. Having such a wide berth of friends is great. Friends from University, friends from my first job, second job, third job, part time jobs, friends met in Korea now in the UK, ex-girlfriends, of course family and just people I love and wanted to see and be around again. Not to mention a couple of 'old school' reunions. One reunion with a small crew from Bungay High school days, last time we were all together was 8 years ago. What I'm trying to say is that I had a very busy schedule. So much so, that I had to start a diary, and actually use and live by it. I've always been cautious about starting a diary. I've always been proud to say that I can handle my 'goings on' without use of a diary and cope fine with my competent mind, but this, rapid fire, series of catch ups required careful and precise scheduling. Not at all complaining in the slightest. I ate many deliciously prepared foods and drank many delicately poured wines, along with perfectly executed catch up chats. I was living the life of a ra-ra king..... No work, lunching and dining may way through the working week. All this soon starting hitting hard on the bank balance, so I had to sit back.

Rick and I then thought that we'd would both tick a box on our 'must do' list and head to New York for a bit. We booked it, with thanks to Air France, and started our planning. 6 nights it would be. Emails from past New Yorkers got us on our way. We landed and were thrown into the deep end. Our hostel was in Harlem, ok it was East Harlem, and South South East Harlem at that. But, when we stepped out of the subway at 103rd Street, I tell you it was more of a culture shock than landing in Seoul. Can't explain what the feeling was, but just felt out of place. Soon got comfortable and started to enjoy New York for what New York is all about. The yellow taxis, the NYPD, the diverseness of everything there. The people, the architecture, the smells, the atmospheres, the attitudes, all combining to create the New York experience. On leaving New York, I decided that it wasn't all that I had cracked it up to be. Cities are cities and most tick in the same way as the next one, and the last one. I spent 5 days in Tokyo and came out with the same conclusion. To really thrive and immerse yourself into a city, and therefore get the essentials out of it, one has to live there for a healthy duration, not just a jolly 7 day tourist visit.

Whilst in New York, Rick and I went to a predominately Korean area. We both love Korean food so thought that we would hunt out some decent Korean BBQ. We found it and found ourselves enjoying it as if it was our first time. During this specific meal, something hit me. I remember the feeling as if it had just happened now, as I'm typing 'typing'. I placed my first mouthful of juicy BBQ-ed pork belly into my mouth and I decided there and then, that I need to get back to Korea, as soon as I possibly could. For the next 24 hours I racked my brain on what I could do. I then saw a video of my old kids on-line, thanks to Steph Teacher. This acted as the confirmation that I would be going back to Korea when possible. Although I didn't need confirmation, as such, as I already knew what I needed to do. I needed to go to Korea and study Korean.

On our return to London I started a little research and discovered the suitable remedy for my illness. A 150 hour Korean course at Sogang University, starting December 1st and finishing February 18th. This gives me enough time to organise my life before starting, and also fits in nicely with starting a new job from March 1st, which is the new schooling year in Korea. So, enrolling was next and enroll I did. Paid tuition fees, booked flights and off I go again. Now it's 24th October, and in four weeks I'll be off.

Sorry for the boring recap on my life, but thought that I would bring us up to speed, and use this as an opportunity to launch my blog into its next generation. On returning to Korea I will bring a new spin on the blog. Not sure exactly what it'll be yet, but maybe a makeover and some kind of format change. Stay tuned......

Some pics from the last couple months.

The London Eye.

umm, It's a New York City yellow cab. Duh!

A big green park called Central Park.

Exit door, with Statue of Liberty in the back, background.

Statue of Liberty and the sun in the back, background.

Thank you......

Broken down again (in a good way)

The unthinkable has happened. This is exactly what I didn't want to happen. I tried hard, not very hard, but hard enough to prevent this from happening. But, they did it, they did it again. They got me. I moulded an emotional barrier around myself with all natural materials possible, but they chipped, chopped and ground away until they finally broke me down. I have put my hand up, I have thrown in the white towel, I love these kids. God Damn it.....

My new kids in Yellow and Green class have finally made an emotional impact on me. When I took them over five months ago, I knew in my mind that I would be leaving Kids Herald School. So in order to make this 'leaving' as easy as possible, I said to myself not to get too involved with the kids on an emotional level. I made a serious conscious decision to care less about my job on all aspects, with the kids being the pinnacle of this. My last kids had a tremendous impact on my contract decision making, hence staying at the school a second year, a decision I have no regrets about at all, quite the opposite. What I really craved was a peaceful departure from my tenure at Kids Herald School.

It was impossible though. It was going well. I was able to teach them well, to the best of my ability, but keeping a safe distance from them. Having a larger number of kids (9 and 8) in the classes, than before (6 and 4), made this mission possible. However, no matter how much I pushed them away, literally, they kept chipping away, looking for weaknesses, and I finally cracked. Here are some short profiles on a couple of kids that stick out. With pictures of course. You could say these are the reasons.

Eric. Currently top of the tree. Number one kid. A comedy genius. An old man in a young mans body. He has a peeing problem. He goes to the toilet about 10 times a day, in fact, maybe more. He has a fantastic sense of humor. Situation comedy. I have never seen this in a child so young before. I could learn a thing or two from this kid. He knows he's cute. He loves to pose for a picture. He always questions a question, with a question. Comedy in itself (for a 7 year old anyway). He has artistic talent, he draws creatively. Everyones wants to sit next to him at lunch. Everyone wants to be him. He is Eric.
This is Eric, posing, yet again, for the camera, styling his new hat.

And his new clothes.


Lucy. Currently top of the tree of girls. She was called Cute Lucy last year, for obvious reasons. She's cute. This year I call her Lucy Loo, I call Wendy, Wendy Woo. It sounds good, kids love it. Lucy is very cute. She's a typical cute girl. She's a 7 year old with the mind of a rich, pretty, sweet 16. Daddy looks after her. She expects to get what she wants. If she's moody at school, leave her alone, if she's happy, then keep her thay way. Sounds horrible, but, it's charming. If she's smiling, then no doubt, you'll be smiling too. That what she brings to the class. She is Lucy.
This is her, at the forefront of this image, presenting me with a green tea, tea bag.

Here she's again, showing me her new book.


and here they are together......