Due for a Post. . . Perhaps

Let me just say that life has been rather crazy lately, crazier than usual and that makes my life pretty stressful at times with many ups and downs. I will do my best to summarize a little bit. . .

First, the whole job situation. . . well a couple of weeks ago they dropped another bomb on me at work. They said that our academy is moving to a smaller building during the vacation and then I had the choice to stay the last two months or just "call it a day" and leave after vacation. You got to be kidding me ~ that left me with like no planning time or time to think. I almost had a nervous breakdown that week and also at the beginning of last week. I felt like I was being push out or something and wasn't even sure if I wanted to stay if the whole thing was going under.

The end of that week we had a company party/dinner the usual thing. I didn't drink a lot and got kind of criticised by my supervisor a little for not drinking more and I am too shy. He said many things to me or about me that kind of hurt and I didn't have a good feeling about him especially that night. Then he told me that there is another academy that teaches kindergarten and the supervisor there wants me. I was like okay, I could try for the interview and see what happens. My supervisor was like, no problem you could start there in August, make more money, and have a better schedule. I thought sure, that sounds good maybe.

That next Monday morning I went in for an interview there, and that was not a good interview at all. I waited at the place for maybe close to thirty minutes to come and talk to me. They were not very friendly or warm to me, I thought the whole time "I can't do this." Even though they were like the sooner you can start the better. I haven't heard anything else about that.

Anyway, so I am back to where I started and ended up deciding to stay the last two months and hopefully find another position somewhere by September or October. I am not for sure yet or not if I will be home at all between jobs or not, but we'll see. Right now, the idea of going back to the States makes me a little nervous.

I am still seeing this woman that I like and that has been taking up most of my free time. It hasn't all been fun though and light at times I feel very stressed out about the whole thing because of communication and if it is actually going anywhere or not. Last week. after I was very stressed out last Monday after the interview and got kind of depressed, Tuesday was a holiday. I ended up going with her to Incheon a city by the coast about an hour away to visit her university friend, met her husband, and two very cute sons. We hung out with them during the day and then drove to a beach and talked and walked around a bit. Then we came back to Seoul, but we hit a cultural difference that almost stopped the evening. . . a funny story now. Anyway, we went to dinner and then to the Han River and a beautiful park and walked around some more and had coffee. I learned many things about her mind for me that day ~ maybe.

I feel like God is blessing this relationship and I am very surprised by that, but need to keep seeking Him and His direction of this. It is still very soon, but I know she cares and worries about me a little. We just have to still improve communication differences at times and cultural issues.

I will tell you more about her. .. . she is nine or ten years older than me and has her Ph.D in nutrition (primarily Eastern/Korean cooking and such). She works at a university research institutue and runs a functional food restaurant or is a manager there at a hospital. She gives presentations sometimes for people like this Saturday for women about ostheperosis. She is also in very good shape and likes sports like basketball, etc. I see her usually every morning at church, but I go to pray. We talk throughout the day. Oh another big thing, maybe for the next three weeks she is appearing on a TV show on Friday mornings on MBC, which could be compared to NBC or ABC in the States. She is working with a team of her, a doctor, and a trainer on a project to help an obese mother and son lose weight in a month. She is doing the nutrion aspect of it. If the mother and son reach their goal they win a trip to Thailand. Anyway, so she is pretty impressive. What is she doing with me. . . .?? God is blessing me a lot maybe ~~~ if only I can feel more secure about this relationship and its possibility of going somewhere.

I go to Japan on Saturday morning till the following Friday, and I almost don't want to go. I feel like it is going to be more tiring than relaxing. Especially, since I have no plan for Tokyo and don't even know where I am going to sleep. I will probably be alone a lot too in this huge city where I don't speak the language, and it is super expensive. It will be an experience/adventure too. . . I hope to take a lot of pictures!

That is all for now. . . any comments or questions?

An Expensive Night

Yesterday, I met the woman I like at about 4:15. The place I planned for dinner didn't open for dinner until 6, so we went to Burger King and ate chicken tenders and talked there. Anyway, then we had an adventure trying to find the restaurant, that was entertaining. We got there and had a huge traditional Korean meal in this traditional Korean house. . . maybe about five courses. Needless, to say for the two of us that cost me 120.000 won or about 130-140 USD probably. Then, we had to make a detour and go to a place where she had to meet a man for her job giving a seminar for like ten minutes. Anyway, then we went to the Han River and walked and sat down in a bench and talked some more there and left almost at 11. Then she dropped me off at what we thought was a subway station but turned out to be just an underground walkway. That turned into a mini-ordeal, but is funny now maybe. I finally got to the subway station and went the wrong way of course and finally got to the place where I was to transfer at like 11:45, too late. I had to take a taxi home which cost about 13 USD maybe. It was a good night, I also gave her three yellow roses, a book of English Expressions, and a narrow black neck tie. I told her to wear it she would look good in it, make a fashion trend.

I also went to the Korean church early today at 9, to go to the high school student service and meet her students. I ended up going to the class and talking some and I guess I will be helping out with that from now on. They were very excited to see me and want me to come. After that, we talked and ate lunch in the church dinning room or temperorary one anyway.

I would say we are a couple. . . she likes me anyway.

Still Exciting. . .

I haven't been able to say 100% yet in my mind, or on facebook that I am officially in a relationship yet, it is still too early. (Because we all know facebook makes everything official when you put it on that. hahaha)

We usually see each other ever morning at church, then talk on the computer, then text messages while I am at work and then talk on the phone for anywhere from 20 minutes to about an hour before we go to bed. Saturday night we are going out again and I am trying to make a great plan that will be fun.

This morning she invited me to go to Namdaemun with her, a big old market where she needed to buy some things for her job. Anyway, another girl went with us from church too, which was fun though. We did that, ate, and had smoothies at Smoothie King and then I had to come home and she had to go to work. It was a lot of fun though and sharing an umbrella (oohh. . . ) haha~! It was a lot of fun though.

Footprints the company that I got this job here in Korea emailed me back today saying that it should be easy to find me another position in Seoul starting in October or November. They said I won't even have to leave unless I want to, but would need to go to Japan to get my visa renewed. What does everyone think?? Should I try to make it home for at least a couple of weeks in October or stay here and maybe hope for a long break over Christmas when I might be able to come home or something.

Any thoughts??

Another Nice Date Night!

Well, yesterday ended up being kind of crazy and another good night with the girl I like. I was supposed to plan it this week, but my plan wasn't exactly amazing maybe and didn't think it through enough. I did give her another one of my CDs that she likes, but I wanted to give her a flower but didn't do that. I met her at the subway station in her car and we went to a Korean Family Traditional Food Restaurant that was nice, but in a very busy area. Lots of traffic, so first problem right there: traffic on Saturday night.

The next part of my plan included coming back here to my hometown or neighborhood and showing her where I work and then walking around the Han River. She didn't seem to warm to this idea, she was like lets go to Namsan Tower. I was like sure, why didn't I suggest that Namsan Tower is a very beautiful place where you can go and see all of Seoul from up on like a mountain and there are places to sit and so fourth.

We went up to Namsan Tower and of course there were tons of couples. We walked up the mountain and then stayed there for a while and sat down and talked on a bench for probably maybe two hours we were there at least. It was fun and I am positive she has to be interested in me. Anyway, then I walked down and I was like lets get ice cream or coffee or something. Good idea ~ but because of parking we can't just go anywhere. We went up by Korea University and ended up at this like gourmet ice-cream place. It was like 9:00 at that point and she kept saying how late it was and we would only stay maybe 15 minutes. We were there for almost two hours and at the end were looking at some like women's fashion magazine talking about what we find pretty, style, etc. The ice cream was good, the first time I ever had sweet potato ice cream, sweet potato is very popular here. She wanted to get wine too, but I was like wine and sweet potato don't mix, she said I had a prejudice. . . haha!

The more and more I hang out with her and get to know her, I am completely surprised why she is interested in me or how she likes me. She is older, has a Ph.D, good at sports, knows teakwando like a black belt, has wrote her first book this year for people who do taekwando about how to lose weight and have a good body like through nutrition. I imagine her type to be like some athletic guy with a lot of muscles or something. . . so what is she doing being interested in me.

Okay, I have to admit the language is a barrier sometimes, but not bad enough to call it quits. We can communicate and I think we are learning how to be better communicators through this. There is also like a spark, like a chemistry between us that we just know. . . it is amazing, and can't help but think I am in over my head!

We still aren't an official couple, but I am pretty confident and saying that we are dating! The culture difference is a little bit hard and confusing too to figure out, but I think this is going somewhere. Unless she wakes up one day, and realizes I am a lot younger than her, not as smart or athletic as her. At the same time, I have to stay positive and confident about this too.

I wonder if it is a good thing if I feel so happy and excited about this, but at the same time feel like at any moment I could wake up and realize this was one big dream??

At this point, I am not going to change my relationship status on facebook because I don't want to ruin it. . . but if there was a choice of "dating someone" that would be me right now.

What do you guys think??