At a crossroads. What's next??

January and February and all the excitement those months brought were probably my happiest times of the adventure so far. Mum's visit, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia! Wow! But after all those things that I had been looking forward to for so long were done and dusted, I came back to earth with a very big bump!

The month of March has been pretty horrific. Not only are all those exciting times over, I am now faced with the fast approaching dilemma of, 'what next?' The more I think about it, the more I don't know the answer. And the more I don't know the answer, the more I freak out! It's one big cycle of uncertainty and confusion. It's a big mess.

In the meantime, with the beginning of the new semester, it became very clear, very quickly, that it was the beginning of the end of my time at this school. I've had lots of great times at this school and have generally enjoyed the job until now but it's time to move on from this. The job in general is extremely repetitive and at times very boring and it loses its draw quite quickly. I also no longer want to be part of a school where my opinions are not valued and where I do not feel part of the school. August will be the right time to leave and begin whatever comes after.

So at least I have that clear in my mind. But from August onwards is a big black hole. Do I want to stay in Korea but get another job? Do I want to go home after a bit of travelling? Or do I want to go and set up camp somewhere else? Those are my options but which one do you chose when none of them are screaming out to you??

HELP!!! Any advice would be greatly appreciated...

St Patrick's Day

That 'luck of the Irish' saying could not have been more true this weekend! What a beautiful warm and sunny day it was! The first signs of spring , especially after such a long miserable Korean winter, and the opportunity for an all day drink fest had everyone's spirits up!

Reminiscing about our trip

With Chris' sister, Kelly :)

My very own little leprechaun :)

Face painting time! 

Contradictory mess! ..UNTIL NOW!

Just back from one of the best trips, if not THE best trip, of my life; Malaysia>Singapore>Indonesia. And I couldn't be happier about the wonderful time that I had, the invaluable lessons I learned and the nice memories that I'll have forever.

That trip was different to any other trip I've ever been on because it was the only time (after my last plan failed due to my ankle injury) I have ever moved from country to country as part of one trip. I was quite worried about that before the trip began because I thought I was sure to mess something up. I didn't think it could or would go as smoothly as I had planned. It was very fast paced (I was literally moving from place to place every two/three days!) because I only had fifteen days so I didn't have time for anything to go wrong!

But nothing went wrong! In fact, the whole thing turned out perfectly! That was such a huge accomplishment for me. A trip that I had been completely responsible for, not relied on anyone else for, and it had all worked out. Sometimes I doubt my own ability and this is a nice reminder that I can do anything that I set my mind to. I'm happy with myself and proud of myself for this great achievement! I did it! Yeah!!! :)

I learned something else on that trip. Actually that's downplaying it a little; I had a breakthrough. I realised, for the first time in my life, that I could be happy... wait for it... alone. Yes, ALONE. If I'm being honest, I've been somewhat of a contradictory mess until now. Ha. On the one hand, in certain situations, I would be independent to the point of complete stubbornness and desperation to get by without the help of others. And then on the other, when it came to "happiness," I put my absolute reliance on others. The two were very different for me. In trying to get things done and trying to be "perfect," I  HAD to be independent. In my attempts at happiness, I could not have been more dependent on others. Anyone and everyone. I had no idea how much this had been destroying me. Until now.

That trip was so eye opening. Although the first two days were spent with friends and the last few days with friends, which of course was lovely, the time in the middle was alone and wonderful on a whole different level. I kept myself busy all day, everyday, exploring and seeing things and doing exactly what I wanted to do. I didn't have to please anyone but MYSELF. I met loads of new people that seemed happy in my presence reminding me that I am a nice, happy, fun person to be around. And most importantly, I went to sleep every night with a contentment in my heart that I'm not sure I have ever felt before. I was experiencing for the first time how to enjoy my own company and how to be be happy, and probably even more importantly, content, alone. Learning that being alone, God forbid, didn't have to be associated with negative, miserable feelings of loneliness. What a breakthrough!!! FINALLY!

It's been a long time coming but I'm finally starting to realise things I could never understand before. I'm actually not so bad after all... :)

"So long" sixth graders...

Before I left for my trip, it was time to say goodbye to the students in my sixth grade classes. I was particularly upset to see *some of* these children go as they'd been my students since the beginning so I'd taught them for eighteen months in total. The whole time I'd been in Korea from when they were in the fifth grade. Many of them had changed a lot over this time and become the typical horrid, moody, miserable sixth graders that we all love to hate but I did manage to maintain good, strong relationships with some of the nicer kids right up until the end! And those are the kids that I will miss very much.

Although I don't feel I have the same effect on the lives of these children as I did the children in my classes at home, (because I'm 'just' the English teacher, we don't speak the same language and I only see them twice a week) I do hope that I achieved the things I set out to achieve:

• Made English fun for them and free of pressure in their already very pressured lives
• Made English a happy time relaxed time with a teacher they knew cared about them and their education
• Changed their opinions about English and foreigners being scary and something that they should stay away from

...and above all else...

• Encouraged them to have belief in themselves and inspired hope and dreams for their future

Indonesia

Indonesia was the last of the three countries on my action packed Southeast Asian mini tour bringing with it the chance to meet two sets of friends and some much anticipated beach bumming. From Singapore, I flew to Bali and had a couple of days alone there as well as an afternoon on the beach followed by dinner and a night out with Fontaine and her friend who were also in Bali at that time.

Legian Beach 

Dinner with Fonts :)

Strawberry Daiquiris 

Clubbing in Kuta

The day after that I met back up with Melisa, Kasia and Andrea, who had joined the others in the meantime, and we left Bali and headed to the stunningly beautiful island of Gili Trawangan; one of three spectacular, tiny, little islands just off the coast of the Indonesian island of Lombok and to the east of Bali (about two hours away by 'fast boat').

And when I say 'tiny' I mean tiii~ny! Although Trawangan is the largest of the three Gili Islands, it is only 3km long and 2km wide and the whole island can be walked around in less than two hours! It has a population of about seven hundred people and there are no motorised vehicles on the island whatsoever with horse and cart and bicycles being the only means of transport. Getting off the boat is an interesting experience; you have to climb or jump off the side of it and make your way through the water to the beach where the men will deposit the bigger pieces of luggage. We found cute wooden beach huts (the four of us in one room, lol!) to stay in and after our hard days' sunbathing on the gorgeous beach, we spent our evenings drinking cocktails and eating delicious food in the beach front bars and restaurants. It was wonderful. I could have quite happily stayed on that peaceful little island, away from all the hustle and bustle of the real world, for a very long time.  

Paradise

Afternoon cocktails

Perfection

Pretty sight 

Fresh tuna steak and CHIPS! Whoop!

After our few days on Trawangan were up, we got back on the boat and went back to Bali for the last couple of days of our trip. Although I personally found the beach area of Kuta/ Legian to be somewhat of a disappointment, (except of course the abundance of gorgeous Australian surfer boys!! That was just heavenly!!)) my final day in Bali was brilliant. I signed up to do a tour of the island, which turned out to be me and just one other tourist so only four of us in total with the driver and the tour guide (most of the tours in Bali are arranged privately as far as I could see which was a little irritating). It was a very busy final day but I saw many a great sight including: Taman Ayun Temple, Pacung Rice Terraces, Ulun Danu Temple, Monkey Forest and lastly Pura Tanah Lot. It was the perfect ending to a very perfect adventure. ♥

Final dinner as a foursome 

Clubbing in Kuta part deux

Ripping my dress and having to walk back showing the world and its wife my undergarments :/ 

Rice Terraces

At Taman Ayun Temple

Ulun Danu Temple

Making friends with a bat

Monkey Forest

Tanah Lot

Singapore

Singapore! Wow! What can I say?! After such a long time away from my humble abode, this country was like a home away from home. I can't tell you how comfortable I felt there from the second I arrived. It was just like being home for a little while. Everything seemed familiar and everything was so easy; largely due to English being the national language and the most commonly spoken of the four official languages. What's more, and as if English all around me full stop wouldn't have been enough, British English was the frequent sound from the subway announcements that so eagerly penetrated my ears and swirled around in my mind like fluffy white clouds in the summer sky. It was heavenly. I can't explain. Around every corner, I found something else that reminded me of home: from the cars, escalators and the direction of walking being on the left hand side to the plug adapters being the three prong UK type, from lifts being called 'lifts' and not elevators to having British shops, that I could call 'shops' and not stores, all around me, from seeing pound signs on labels to trying shoes on in a  UK7, from going about my shopping eating my M&S Percy Pigs to sitting and having a drink in what felt like a traditional British pub... I could go on... It really would be very easy to live in that country... hmmmm... Not the first time that thought has occurred in my mind!! Watch this space...

My Singapore highlights, in addition to all the points listed above, include: the Singapore Botanic Gardens, an afternoon of shopping in my favourite British shops, Little India and even more great food, Raffles Hotel and my Singapore Sling, Sentosa island resort, Marina Bay, Merlion Park and the Singapore Flyer.

It looked like just a subway station but ohhh, it was so much more :)

Never could go into Markses without buying a packet of Percy Pigs.
But question... when did all these varieties happen? I've clearly been away far too long.!

An afternoon well spent :)

The best :)

Raffles Hotel

Singapore Sling :)

Palawan Beach, Sentosa

Southern most point of continental Asia 

Merlion Park

Marina Bay Sands

On the Singapore Flyer

View from the Flyer