im just one person. for more soko info, please check the fb group BSSK, focused on expats of color

Friday, October 31, 2008

email

Subject: RE: Behind On Writing
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008
dear mom and dad,

yesterday i got an envelope from you with the magazines, comics, and voice and viewpoint, thanks so much. I got to wondering if i let you know about the last package, i checked my emails and surely i did NOT. sorry.... i got the box with the magazines, oatmeal, fiber pills, and tampons. thanks for making sure i live lush here in korea :)

my friend genoa that i told you about earlier is leaving korea after 2 months of teaching :( I was really surprised, but then again, everyone's experience here is so different. she came to korea w/her husband, and the school put her in an apartment half the size of mine. for the first 3 weeks, they had her commute to different schools every day, spending over an hour on the subway each way... that, along w/a host of other reasons (not so friendly coworkers, not being crazy about korean food, etc), she's decided to leave. I dont blame her, after she told me all she'd gone through in detail. she put in her notice, she's leaving in a week or so. i'm glad; some people dislike being here so much, they pull what's called "a runner." This is when a teacher shows up to work one day, and then disappears the next, usually on a plane back home... usually right after payday! it's happened i think 3 times at my job since ive been there. *shrugs*

Genoa is very traveled, mostly south america. she's american, and speaks fluent spanish and portuguese. But asia is a whole different ball game. she's moving to brazil, which i think is friggin awesome. i told her i'd invade her for a visit one day... but i'll come back to san diego first, of course. not sure when, tho! loveyoumissyou, ~daughter.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

EMAIL

Subject: RE: On Hold4
Date: Tues, 7 Oct 2008 23:39:27 +0000

dear mom and dad,
yesterday i got your envelope with the comics, stickers and magazines (spin, new african, heart&soul, star, jet), thanks so much for sending them. :)

work is going well as always. i only work 4 days a week, did i tell you? i think about leaving my company and working elsewhere; cdi is the only esl job that doesnt give benefits like free rent, health insurance, severance pay, paid holidays... but i only have a 4 day work week! im so in love with the schedule, i may never leave.
Plus, it's only 6 hours a day. every other teacher i know outside of cdi work 7-9 hours a day. things are too cush where i am to leave now. not saying at all that my job is easy, but after getting into the groove of things, it goes so smoothly. we're in week 7, halfway through the term already.

oh, about mary lovelady: i did write her, told her where specifically i lived and asked if there were certain things in korea she'd want to see, i would try to arrange an itinerary or help find a tour group. she didnt respond. it's ok, she's one of the busiest people i know, and i will be here for quite a while, so she's got plenty of time to respond/visit.

i dont have much else to say... the weather is slowly cooling, and i feel winter coming, which is filling me w/anxiety. but ive done two winters here now, i'll survive this one. i have my long johns, ear muffs, charger scarf, and the ugly sweaters you gave me :)

~daughter.

Friday, October 3, 2008

email

Subject: RE: On Hold3
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2008 05:49:18 +0000
dear mom and dad,

wow, im halfway through another term at work already! hey, can you please send me a dominoes set? i play online a lot, and a couple coworkers were curious, and i'd like to teach them how to play.

not much going on with me, just working and living. the weather has been ok, but i can feel winter around the corner and its giving me incredible angst. i need to plan my vacation to be IN WINTER next year, so i can be home in sunny san diego instead of here!

during chuseok a few weeks ago, me and some friends went to the national folk museum. they have traditional music and dance performances every weekend, it was the first time ive seen it in person. it was pretty cool, first we saw a dance, then some drumming, and the drumming was off the chain! my trips to ghana made me really love percussion, and tho i dont feel quite the same passion for korea drumming, it was still really awesome. they were all women drummers, too, which is so friggin cool. pero anyways, one crappy photo included. i cant seem to find anybody's pictures, even tho there were like 10 of us. alan took this picture, so he's not in it.
loveyoumissandallthat. ~daughter