03/27/2008: "Adding some pictures"

Been a long week.. gar, and such. Nothing really exciting, just getting back into the swing of things; going back to work and classes. It really isn't so bad, but it's always less-than-fun to go back to all that after living it up and living free in another country. Alas, that's life!

Met all the new students, took some quizzes, did some homework, that sort of thing. This weekend I need to write up a paper for a class and prepare a debate in Japanese (about 5-10 minutes of talking). My topic is violence in media and its impact on people. Considering my partner chose to argue that it has no impact and that video games and movies don't turn young adults into crazed murder machines (which happens to be my opinion as well), that means that I get to go down with the ship and fight tooth and nail--crazed-reverend-style--while arguing that it is the devil's work. Should be interesting, to say the least.

This weekend I also have an interview for my teaching position in Japan so we can finalize everything. If all goes well, I'll be submitting all my paperwork, contracts, what-have-you so I can get my work visa. One thing of note, though, is that the starting date is about 10 days earlier now, so I should be going to Japan roughly 2 weeks after I graduate. Ah well..!

The most interesting thing--and this may sound stupid--is what alot of this will mean. While I'm certainly quite qualified to care for myself and have most of the skills necessary for such, I've never actually had to do all the grocery shopping just for myself. Never had to buy pots and pans for cooking, decorations for a house, bedsheets, dinnerware.. Yes, this will certainly be a different experience.

On a positive note, health insurance is mandatory, and Japan is relatively reasonable with that. Because we all know that if it was up to me, I wouldn't bother paying for it. That's just how I 'roll'... 'yo'. But alas, that won't be an issue. Also, I've learned that DSL internet access is possible from the apartment. This is most definitely YES. I must have the internets. I'll probably be offline (and generally, almost entirely out of touch) for the first month until everything is connected and I have a bank account (and can thus get internet and cell phone service).. but.. umm.. I'm sure I'll make a semi-concentrated effort to let people know I'm not dead (we all know how good I am at that!).

Anyway, I have pictures attached to this, under 'more..'. Click that to go see more of my Korean exploits. Not so many, but.. semi-representative of my time.

I should finish my homework and.. do something. Or sleep.


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This is roughly the same amount of money in Korean won, Japanese yen, and American dollars.


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HA! Panda driving, redux! I have a shot from Asakusa, Tokyo in 2005 where I'm driving a panda. I found my panda once more, but in Seoul.


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Hyunji, her father, and her mother (the family I stayed with in Korea) before going back to America.
Jason

On Friday, March 28th, Kat said:

aww..i like the panda