My Last Day

My last day in the country felt like I had all the time in the world, leisurely, full of good food and good people. My mother, her friend Laurie (who we were staying with in Santa Barbara), and I met up with Laurie’s daughters, who are both a bit older than me. I ordered a Charlotte Raspberry trifle, a cup of tea, and a single scrambled egg for protein (because my mother insisted I have protein in my meal.) The trifle was absolutely melt in your mouth, strawberry mousse, angel cake, raspberry jam center. Ummmmm…

From there, we said goodbye to Alissa and Hayley, and went back to the house to pack my stuff into the car. I sucked it up and called AT&T to cancel my plan—and incidentally incur the $135 early termination fee—and was shocked to learn from the customer service department that, since I was actually moving to a foreign country and that was the reason I could not keep up my phone plan, they would reverse the penalty charge upon receiving proof of residency in the foreign country. Yeah, I’m definitely going to come back to them once I come home.

AT&T- 5 Stars

Travelocity—1 Star

Yeah, so, when I booked my flight, they’d checked the Travel Protection Plan automatically, and I didn’t realize in time. By the time I settled things on Monday, they informed me all they could do was provide me a $25 voucher for a future hotel. Great.
Oh, well, live and learn. We then said our goodbye to Laurie and headed for Los Angeles.

I picked up my passport and visa with virtually no hassle from the Korean Consulate, which left my mother and I hours to kill in L.A. She wanted to go to Venice Beach. It was dinnertime, so we found a lovely little Italian place which let us customize our order (the waiter said the portions were huge and we should split one). Decided on a linguine limone with shrimp, Portobello mushrooms, and asparagus. The sauce tasted like alfredo with lemon zest. Must try at home sometime. The waiter said the trick was to grate the lemon directly over the cream sauce, in order to capture all of the lemon oil released through the grating.

Because the airport is only a ten-minute drive from Venice Beach (with no traffic), we relaxed in the car and watched the sunset and typed out more of my mother’s travel blog on Zion.

Airport highlights: 1) Bought apple juice that tasted just like eating a fresh apple and cost $3.25, 2) Was able to drink said apple juice even though I forgot it was in my bag when I went through security, 3) Memory blanked when going through security for second time after drinking juice and could not remember being given back box of stuff they’d taken from me to inspect (dangerous items like my two silver Fisher Space pens). I freaked out, then found the pens and calmed down. 4) Arrived at Seoul, thirteen hours later, only to find out my transfer was at another airport a half hour away. Discovered this with an hour left before my flight. 5) Domestic airport security panicked over my mace, which I probably shouldn’t have packed, and I never use, but always carry. Figured since I shipped it under wouldn’t be a problem. They thought it was hair spray, but still called over about a dozen officials.

But at the end of it all, my co-teacher, dressed in a bright pink coat, picked me up and all was good.

Santa Barbara to LA

For future reference: Sunday afternoon is not the best time to drive from Las Vegas to L.A.

Yeah, I should've known this. Oh, well. The drive only took an hour over what it should have, so it was not honestly all that bad. I just could've timed things better. Oh, and it might have been a bit faster except for there was a MATTRESS in the middle of the highway that caused a huge congestion. And someone's dog got run over, and I couldn't help, having seen Watchmen so recently, still in my head, "Dead dog in alley this morning..." Only no blood.

Stopped at a Starbucks (as if I won't find a million of them in Korea), and evidently the girl who took my order for a large (I can't bring myself to order "Venti") Spiced Apple Cider, anyway, apparently she had never known anyone named Chloe. She spelt it like "Zoey," "Cloey."

But we finally pulled into Santa Barbara where my mother's friend lives. She made us jasmine tea and took us to a vegetarian place (which wasn't exactly vegetarian although it did have vegan desserts). Ordered a really fancy spaghetti and meatballs which was a chicken sausage meatball and organic linguini. Delicious garlic bread...ummmmmmm.... Pasta was okay, good, nothing special. Also split a slice of chocolate espresso cake.

And now I better reorganize my bags. Tomorrow I've got to deal with the Korean Consulate. Knock on wood that everything goes smoothly.

Leaving Las Vegas

I said my final goodbyes today to my friends and acquaintances from the Party (i.e Democratic Party work friends). Many of them asked me to keep in touch via various electronic methods. I've already said them to my littlest brother and my dad who are currently off on a Boy Scout camping trip.

I have to finish packing, so I better wrap this up, and perhaps write more once I'm in the air. It is a 17 hour flight, after all, including a 3-hour layover in Seoul.

I'm also redying my roots tonight. I want to look my best when I arrive in Pusan and meet my co-teacher.

The Final Preparations

I just booked my flight to Pusan.  About twenty minutes ago.  Why the delay, you ask?  Yeah, funny story, which means, like all funny stories, it's funny because it's over now.  

Before I could finalize a flight, I had to get my work visa.  In order to get my work visa....  I had to send over all sorts of documents, including a notarized and apostilled criminal background check.  I didn't even know what an apostille was before this.  For those of you blissfully unaware of such levels of buracracy, here is a detailed explanation.

Apostille: (noun) Additional authentication required for international acceptance of notarized documents including (but not limited to) adoption papers, addidavits, birth certificates, contracts, death certificates, deeds, diplomas, and degrees, divorce decrees, incorporation papers, marriage certificates, patent applications, powers of attorney, and school transcripts.  Instituted by 'The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirements For Foreign Public Documents' of verification by multiple authorities. As prescribed by the convention, an apstille (French for notation) is a preprinted small (minimum 9x9 cm) form having ten numbered items of information with blank spaces to be filled in by the designated authority in the issuing country.  It is obligatory upon every signatory country to accept apostilles of the other signatory countries.  The apostille is notarized by your home state's Secretary of State.   

Yep.  I am officially not a criminal.  Also I graduated from college.  

After getting through the masses of paperwork, I narrowed it down to my visa application, Notice of Appointment from the Korean Ministry of Education (MOE), my official contract, and...rather significant...my passport.  I mailed that off Express mail on Thursday to arrive at the Korean Consulate General in LA on Monday.  

Monday, I call the Korean Consulate.  It's not there.  By Friday, it's still not there.  I call fifty million people at the Post Office to demand where the hell my passport is and, no, "It's somewhere floating in the mail system," is not good enough.  I'm slightly worried, after all, I'm supposed to be in Korea that next Wednesday.  In desperation, I make a final call to the consulate-- and it's there.  Thank God.  I'd be pissed if I lost my passport with its cool shiny visa stickers and an attached invitation from the Russian Embassy to visit Moscow (my old babysitter works at the Embassy now in HR).  

I decide it's best to simply drive to LA, because now that I know where it is, I'm not risking losing it again.  I can fly straight out from LAX.  

I buy my ticket, proceed to have a quick panic attack, and begin my final preparations.  I guess it's time to pack.

Korea, Here I Come!

OHMYGODI'MGOINGTOKOREA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah.  I neglected to mention here that I've been accepted for a position teaching English in the public school system in Busan, South Korea.

I probably should have done so.

They pay for my airfare, housing, a month's paid vaction, paid sick leave, holidays, and 1.8 million SKW per month.  Yay, I'm going to be a millionaire!  (1.8 million SKW translates to a grand....$1200, but still.)  It's exciting, and everyone has been so supportive-- work, family, friends.  They all think it'll be a great experience.  I even know some people who have worked/know people who worked/currently work in Korea.  I know almost nothing of the language, but at least I can recognize the Korean alphabet.  It's a start.

God, I'm going to be halfway around the world.  It's a different day there now.  I don't even know what they drink.  I don't really know what their culture is like.  I don't know very much about the weather.  I don't play StarCraft.

I just hope I like the people.  One thing I've found, traveling, people are the same everywhere you go.  They just call things by different names.