hm... well i have been neglecting this blog for a long time. it's been almost relegated to "time to put it out of its misery" status for some time, so maybe i'd better spice it up with some real information. i think i've been a bit reticent with plans, etc. so here's a few things that have been on my mind of late.

first, i'm going to leave korea after this contract is finished. i'm done with the place. i've got lots of great memories here, a good experience through and through. i have very little negative to say about the last 3 years except when it comes to talking about some of the more insane people i've dated. and i'm not going to talk about them, so ferget it.

basically, the opportunities for advancement are very finite here. i'm not interested in pursuing a master's degree. not in anything. academia is simply not my bag. to move up the ESL ladder to the point where i have either 1. tons of fucking free time and paid holidays or 2. make more than 2.7 million won a month, i'd have to have a master's in something, TESOL or otherwise. i'm not too lazy, i just find my time is worth more as i get older. i'd rather do wage work.

the happiness ceiling in this country is frightfully low. there's just not that much that even a korean can do here to acheive the standards of happiness i've set for myself. at least in seoul. perhaps i could do it if i was teaching off in the sticks and had a bit of land or something. but as it is, korea as a country is feeling really claustrophobic. it always has.

i'm moving to japan in october, i think. i have yet to research the times of year it's good to try and get a job there, but the idea is to go to vietnam, do my CELTA certification, and then try and work up a few ladders there. is it a bad time to do it? i don't care - because there's SURF BREAKS UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST!!! which rules, of course.

being away from the ocean has been a real detriment to my mental health, i think. being in the ocean is a great feeling, and since my knees aren't up to skateboarding anymore, i think that surfing may be a nice low-impact alternative.

as well, japan just seems more open to foreigners. maybe gillian and kevin will read this and state some of their frustrations with the place, but i just felt more welcom e there in general. that isn't to knock the koreans, most of my experiences here have been totally positive, and negative experiences were isolated and generally easy to avoid. i am just more enamored with the culture of japan. i don't know what i mean by that, i just feel more comfortable there. and now that i'm getting a small grip on the language, it seems less mystifying than the last time i was there.

anyways. yeah. las vegas june 16. hanoi september(?) and maybe a quick trip to canada before i hit up japan.

that's an update. even this planless bozo can make plans.