FRUSTRATED!

So I'm totally frustrated!  I just don't get why its taking so long for me to get my visa #.  It's been about a month since I sent it to Korea...and supposedly I'm leaving around April 15th.  And that's another thing. I mean...when will I find out the exact date I'm leaving?  I gave my boss two weeks notice and I finish Wed Apr 7 so really about 2 and a half weeks notice...b/c Im that nice...  :|  Anyways everyone's asking me when im leaving and I just don't have a straight answer for them... which sucks since I'm like leaving in 3 weeks...and then I have to explain how I don't know.  It just seems so last minute...and for people who know me they know how much I don't like last minute things... and how I tend to stress out.  Which I guess is something I have to get used to because apparently a lot of things are last minute in Korea. Great!  So I guess I'll be stressing to my fam over skype...whenever it is that I get over there and start using skype.  I'm excited...but still not really feeling its actually happening b/c I just don't have the deets I'd like to have.  Like...oh I don't know...when I'm going, what my visa number is.  I mean technically I still have to do an interview at the Korean Consulate and its cutting it pretty close. 
Ive started making a list of stuff I have to buy and pack but I haven't really done anything in that area... other than write a list.  I'm good at writing lists.  My family is letting me know how much they're going to miss me but I guess because i feel so lost about whats going on I don't really feel like I'm actually getting on a plane and heading to the other side of the globe.  Like really I should be totally sad about leaving...but I'm excited and anxious... just let it happen.  So my cousin Lillian found out she's having a boy (due in August) and unfortunately due to my grandma's death she pushed back her baby shower which she was having early just for me.  So I'm going to miss it.  Which sucks. 
Marise's wedding is fast approaching (April 10th) and I (phew) finally fit into my dress (double phew).  I'm excited but nervous...b/c I totally don't like walking down an aisle (even if its as a bridesmaid) with everyone staring at you.  Great now I just made myself nervous again.  I lost 15 pounds and hoping to lose 5 more by her wedding.  So hitting the gym extra hard this week.
Hopefully this week everything will get settled and I'll finally know...

Good Bye Tita!

My grandma Awojeny passed away on Friday, March 19th, 2010.  It was such a painful week for us and definitely for her.  There are no words to fully describe how much I love her.  She will truly truly be missed  and we are the legacy she left behind.  She was funny, spiritual and wise.  She had all her wits about her and never forgot anything.  I will miss you Tita!  She was in my life every step of the way...and always always prayed for me...by name... believe me I've heard it.  She is such a special person in all our lives and even though we can't imagine our lives without her I know she is in a much happier place with a new body and no more suffering.  Her 5 children, 12 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren and everyone tita touched will never ever forget her.
Rest in Peace Tita!♥


I also lost another very special person last January (2009).  My other grandma Marie (dad's mom).  She was such a wonderful person who always asked about me.  I could do no wrong in her eyes.  I was very lucky enough to have spent some time with her in Alexandria when I went to Egypt in December 08.  She was always optimistic and we spent so much time having heart to hearts and just chatting together, her in her hospital bed and me sitting on another.  I knew she was in so much pain and winced every time she was moved but she never complained and she was always dignified.  She was sooo funny and always called us bata or ota.  She endured a few hardships like losing my grandfather, stroke and losing my uncle and watching my dad get sick and she kept strong for us all.   Tita I miss you and I know you will welcome Tita Awojeny with open arms and show her how cool and amazing heaven is.   

Ups and Downs

So… its been quite a few weeks or so since I last blogged and let me tell you a lot has happened.  First of all I have waited quietly, patiently for the visa number to arrive from Korea.  Then I decided to ask them when I would find out when I would be leaving to Korea so that I could give my boss two weeks notice.  Anyways Cindy (the really nice lady helping me with my visa) told me oh yeah don’t worry you’ll be leaving around April 10th.  So I reminded her that I had a wedding that weekend and that I couldn’t leave before that.  Anyways the school or the Korea rep (who was copied on the emails) quickly responded that the school could not wait that long and that it was possible that they might get another teacher who could start April 1st.  UM! I thought that was the whole agreement!! I could not start til April 15th and the school (with email proof) responded that they could wait til then…so why were they going back on their word?!  I started freaking out not sure why things changed!  And if it wasn’t for me asking the question when would I have found out?

So for about a week and a half Dan and Cindy have been emailing them back and forth and I’ve been pretty much just waiting to hear if I was going or not.  I felt kind of stupid just assuming that all was good to go.  It’s true what they say about assuming…  Finally today they told me that the school is willing to wait for me even though “I’m late”.  If I were the type of person who would send an angry email…well they’d have heard an earful, but I’m not so I’ll just seethe alone over here.  So now Im waiting for my visa number and my flight details.

Anyways on a more sombre note, my grandma (mom’s mom) is really sick in the hospital.  It started out with her falling on Wednesday and breaking a rib to her getting pneumonia and ending up in critical care.  We’re not really sure what happened and if she actually has pneumonia (she does have an infection) but she’s having a lot of trouble breathing on her own.  The whole family has gathered together day and night at the hospital and waiting and praying together.  In her own way tita gathered the family.  We are now just waiting…and praying.  We know God will do according to his will.

Done and Done

So I FINALLY sent my docs away to the land of the morning calm.  I went on Friday to the Korean Consulate to get the copies of the my degrees notarized but stupid me forgot the transcripts at home so I was only able to get my police check notarized.  So I went back on Monday after quadruple checking that I had everything I needed.  I was really lucky because the four numbers ahead of me didn't go up so I was in and out in fifteen minutes.  On my way home, it started snowing up a storm.  Getting everything together and making sure they were printed, signed and in the envelope took way longer than I expected and so I didn't have time to FedEx them on my way to work...due to reeeeeeaaaaaalllllllly slooooooooooooooow driving.  So instead I took 'em today!! Yipee!! They are out of my hands and soon to be in South Korea.  I'm a little worried that I forgot to send something or that I missed a page of signatures or something... I guess I'll find out on Friday which is when it's supposed to arrive.  Until then, I'll just wait and tutor.

Friday plans

So tomorrow is my day off work - yipee!! But it's going to be a busy one.  My criminal record check came in and I scanned it and emailed it to my reps and for a second they were like oh no this isn't the right check.  But then they said that this should work as well.  I plan on getting all my docs for Korea notarized which I wouldn't think would take that long...but I could be wrong.  Then I'm going to the Korean Embassy somewhere downtown so they can check over all my stuff...and hopefully they like it. And once that happens I can finally FINALLY send my stuff to Korea. We're moving at a snail's pace...but we're moving!!

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

I feel like I’m in Limbo.  I mean I know I have the job and I accepted the job but I’m just waiting on the paperwork so I know when I’m leaving and I think that will make it feel more concrete.   My current boss still doesn’t know and I think that’s just something I’m a little worried of doing which is letting her down... but I’ll get over it. Right now I’m just waiting on my Criminal Record Check.  When that comes in I'll have to get that notarized along with my BA degree and my Master's degree and then I'll be off to the Korean Embassy.  I just want to know when I’m leaving...I think that’s when it will really set in.   For now I’m trying not to tell a lot of people until I leave.  I was able to connect with some lady in the city I’m going to – Anseong.  She gave me some great advice and made me feel at ease about coming.  She told me that the teachers at my school are great (Yippee) and that they usually throw a welcome dinner for new people which is pretty cool.  I guess til I know everything is definitely on course I’ll keep doing what I’m doing here.

Update!

So the past week has been mind boggling and extremely fun. Tuesday. Feb 2 was the night of the interview with the Korean School (it was two people – I didn’t catch who the first one was but the second person was my coteacher).  The interview went well – they asked what I’d do in certain situations and a little about what I know about Korea and the culture and why I want to teach there.  The interview lasted about 20 minutes or so.  The next morning I found out that I got the job.  I told them I would reply on Friday because I was shocked.  It’s like the thing I wanted to do is finally happening.  I mean...Oh My God...if I accepted I’d be flying literally halfway across the world to teach in two months.  That would mean in April I’d be leaving my friends and my family to a country I’ve never been to with people I don’t know.  I talked it over with my family who had good insight but I knew that if I didn’t do this I would regret it. Friday was the day we were leaving to Windsor for Marise’s shower.  Knowing I’d be out of town I accepted.  On the way to Marise’s bridal shower in Windsor I broke the news to Ann and Karen who made me know I made the right decision. By the time we got there everyone on the trip knew.  It was a great weekend hanging out at Marise's shower and drinking lots of fishbowl drinks, casino-ing (which really I suck so I shouldn't be going) and shopping in Michigan.  Throughout the weekend I'd be doing whatever we were doing and then suddenly I'd remember that I am going to Korea and my heart would beat faster.  I am excited for the next two months and I just hope all the paper work goes through ok without any delays. 

I'll let you know!!