Cold Showers

A week ago there was a bill taped to the door of my flat. Apparently, I hadn't paid my electricity bill in 4 months. You wouldn't believe how much 4 months of unpaid electricity is worth. Even if I told you it would sound like a joke. Seriously, Do you want to know?

The 4 months of unpaid electricity equated less than 50 Dollars. Yes. No joke people. It's hard for myself to believe it also.

I ran off to the bank and did a wire transfer to pay for the electric bill. At least thats what I thought happened when the button was pushed to send the funds. It turns out that the transfer is rejected if it isn't pain in exact. I decided to round up. Basically, the electric bill wasn't paid even though I thought it was paid.

Yesterday, I came home to a dark and quite flat. It was quiet and I was drunk. I took a quick cold... really cold shower and was in bed.

In the morning it's common ritual for me to shower before going to work. I dreaded the idea of a cold shower. It awakens you... or it awoke me before I even knew that drowsiness was still in effect.

Lesson: Pay the electric bill before you lose the electricity.

Going Home

Easter Sunday has come and gone and Spring is officially here in South Korea. It's warmer than some parts of the United States mainly Washington State & Alaska. I love Spring with life re-inserting itself on the Earth. I love the life it awakens in humanity. We swarm to parks and places we normally stray away from during the colder months. The warmth brings out the adventure in our souls. I feel awakened from my winters slumber.

This feeling of morning sun shining on me for the day to come prefaces my journey home in June. There is just a little over 7 weeks left before my contract with the Kindergarten is complete. It's exciting to accomplish another year of teaching. The bonus pay for completing the contract is also a great incentive to complete what I began 10 months earlier.

I've had my struggles working with my present employer. It isn't always easy for westerners to work in a Eastern cultural work environment. The lasting impression that I did leave is the children are important to me. This is probably not the reasons for their request for me to return but must have something to add to whatever problems the kindergarten faces at the moment.

Not to get to much into details about the Kindergarten's difficulty with hiring a replacement teacher, I will keep it simple. The present economic state of the world does not allow the present pay scale offered in Korea to be worth the hardships of work and transition unless... that is your goal and purpose in life. Travel and cultural experience is always a great reason for teaching in a foreign country.

The past 10 months have been an interesting experience for me. I haven't taught children this young before. It opened my world to a whole new experience. Kindergarten students are like the Muppet Babies. They literally live in a miniature world imagined right before their eyes. Your voice is sometimes a voice of a world entering their created world. It's exciting and fun with a little bit of adventure always around the bend.

The end of Spring will bring one chapter of life to an end. With the beginning of Summer so too a new chapter in the life of... B. Luis Grey. Until then the story builds up for what can be the perfect cliff hanger for a chapter to end.

April

Sunday:

Went on a 25 Kilometer bike ride along the Han River in Seoul. Crossed two major bridges on bike. Went to the Korean National Assembly [government building] and headed home back along the river.

Monday:

My arse hurts from sitting on a bike seat all day.