Part of an ongoing series about my trip to and discovery of Seoul...
The big day is almost here. Last week I received my issuance number from Korean immigration and made my way to the local embassy in Bern, the Swiss capital. I'll get my passport back with its new visa stamp in the next day or two and this morning I received my e-ticket which departs from Zurich this Sunday (June 3rd) with a layover in Doha, Qatar before arriving at Incheon airport Monday evening. I'll be flying with Qatar Airways which I've only heard great things about, however I am sad that it won't be with Korean Air as naturally I would have liked to catch some new releases on the plane!
I'm absolutely thrilled to finally be making my way to a country that I've for so long held high in my estimation. Frankly, it's like a dream coming true. Of course the real work starts when I get there and it won't all be sun and roses, or rather Korean BBQ and soju! I haven't worked fulltime since last July and in that time MKC, as well as my other writing obligations, have increased dramatically, which I am so thankful for. But of course I realise that this means I will have to juggle considerable obligations as a teacher in a fast-paced city along with my responsibilities towards all of you as the editor of MKC, the Korea correspondent for Twitchfilm and as a staff writer for the VCinemashow. It will be a challenge that will likely launch some significant obstacles in my path but I am more than happy to take it on and I promise to do my best and not let you down.
Six weeks ago when I first announced that MKC would be relocating to Seoul I had a job lined up but unfortunately it fell through. As disappointing as that was I immediately threw myself back in the search and secured more interviews. Most of this happened during my time in Udine where I was quite busy but within a few days I did secure a new post. This new position means I will be living in Gwangmyeong-si which is just on the border of the Seoul Metropolitan Area but it is close to all the areas I want to be near. It is also very close to Bucheon (or Puchon) so I'm happy to announce that I will be attending the 16th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival this July! However, as I will have only just started my new job it will only be on a limited basis (i.e. weekends, late nights) but I'm dying with anticipation for my first Korean film festival.
Again, a big thank you to all of you for your continued support and also for your well wishes for the relocation. I was frankly taken aback and moved at the wealth of positive responses following my announcement of the move. I can't wait to meet those of you who are already in Korea and hope to meet more of you if and when you make your way to Korea.
감사합니다!
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| Gwangmyeong-si |
Good luck with everything! You must be SO excited!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you'll find a way to juggle all your obligations. I personally find the more I have got going on, the more focused and productive I am. :-)
Have you taught before? If you haven't, the biggest word of advice I can give you (which was given to me by another teacher) is GOOD TEACHERS STEAL! As in, don't try to reinvent the wheel, don't create all your teaching materials from scratch, but use what others have already prepared. Of course I don't mean steal without acknowledgement or thoughtlessly (i.e. do "tweak" things specifically for your students), but there are a lot of excellent teaching resources freely available, freely shared (and equally one should share when creating something worthwhile oneself). Don't hesitate to ask co-workers for help either - they will have materials and good advice, or suggestions where to get what you need.