Holy Moley!
Well, a lot has happened in the past year.... brown hair to red, Mokdong to Hongdae, single to relationship, hagwon to university.... I don't know what all next year will bring but there is one certainty--- Korea to Thailand!!!!
Yep. It's a done deal now. Allister is leaving for Thailand on January 28th, I will follow in August when my contract is completed. In the meantime I will move into one of my school's apartments (not a dorm, a subsidized apartment for foreign teachers) and I will try to pick up some extra classes while preparing for my move this summer.
Living in Daehangno will be great. I'll be a short walk from my school and I'll be in one of the loveliest parts of Seoul-- mountains, old palaces, swanky wine bars, and theaters.
We had originally planned on staying here another year but Korea drastically changed their visa requirements just this past month, the same week that Allister's school decided to dump all of their part-timers (he does a lot of home and phone teaching as well). Two days later, he was offered the Thailand job, it all worked out perfectly!
His old friend Matt lives there, in a city called Ubon in Ubon Ratchathani Province. It's a small city, about 100,000 people with some Western amenities but a lot of traditional living as well. I'm picturing Nassau without the Lyford Cay element. Matt has been trying to get us to move there for a while and the two of them may start their own school. I've met Matt before and his wife, who he actually met here in Seoul, they're both really nice. Matt speaks Thai and works at the university as well. It will be a pay cut but the cost of living is extremely low so I'll still be able to make the bills and travel a bit, no worries. There's a Chinese program at the school so I won't have to give up on that. I won't have to drop the Korean either because I'll have Matt's wife to practice with. It'll all be a big change but we're looking forward to it. What a way to start out the New Year!
Yep. It's a done deal now. Allister is leaving for Thailand on January 28th, I will follow in August when my contract is completed. In the meantime I will move into one of my school's apartments (not a dorm, a subsidized apartment for foreign teachers) and I will try to pick up some extra classes while preparing for my move this summer.
Living in Daehangno will be great. I'll be a short walk from my school and I'll be in one of the loveliest parts of Seoul-- mountains, old palaces, swanky wine bars, and theaters.
We had originally planned on staying here another year but Korea drastically changed their visa requirements just this past month, the same week that Allister's school decided to dump all of their part-timers (he does a lot of home and phone teaching as well). Two days later, he was offered the Thailand job, it all worked out perfectly!
His old friend Matt lives there, in a city called Ubon in Ubon Ratchathani Province. It's a small city, about 100,000 people with some Western amenities but a lot of traditional living as well. I'm picturing Nassau without the Lyford Cay element. Matt has been trying to get us to move there for a while and the two of them may start their own school. I've met Matt before and his wife, who he actually met here in Seoul, they're both really nice. Matt speaks Thai and works at the university as well. It will be a pay cut but the cost of living is extremely low so I'll still be able to make the bills and travel a bit, no worries. There's a Chinese program at the school so I won't have to give up on that. I won't have to drop the Korean either because I'll have Matt's wife to practice with. It'll all be a big change but we're looking forward to it. What a way to start out the New Year!
posted by MacKensie at 12:49 AM
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