Hi, everyone!! Well, after two months of six-day weeks and putting up with bratty 17-year-olds, we finally got a week off. Sadly I do have to go back to teaching on Thursday but I don't think the next month will be too bad. The past two have absolutely flown by and I'm sure I'll be leaving Korea before I know it.

The last term couldn't end soon enough, as far as I was concerned. Primarily I was looking forward to having a week off, but my three classes were all pretty boring. The first class of the day was unbearable. The kids were always tired when we started at 9:00 and generally refused to do any work. Even the usual tactics for getting them motivated (guilt trips, threatening to call their moms, pointing out that they'll never get into Stanford with a 380 Verbal) didn't work. So I ended up plying them with sugar (typically Dunkin Donuts or ice cream) and usually that got them awake for about an hour or so, but by noon they were going back to sleep. Sometimes I worry that *I* was the one who was boring but I think back to last term and it wasn't like that at all. Oh well.

I think next term will be better. First off, I won't be teaching any more four-hour classes. Those are brutal. Sure, we take lots of breaks but four hours of the same subject, in the same room, with the same teacher... it just gets boring. For the kids AND for the teacher. So now I'll just have all two-hour classes. Also, I won't be teaching the SAT Verbal stuff anymore. It's not all that hard but I just don't have a "passion" for it and it's the topic the kids hate the most. Next term I am teaching advanced algebra twice a day, SAT Math, and SAT II Math IIC. So it will be all math, all the time. I know most of you cringe at the thought but I am looking forward to it.

Outside of work, we've started to realize that we only have about four more weeks left so we're rushing to do all the things we kept meaning to do. For me, that primarily means going to all the bars in our neighborhood that we haven't tried out yet. Every time we think we are getting close to having been to all of them, someone discovers a new one in a small alley somewhere. This could get expensive.

A few other people have used the week vacation to do all the tourist stuff in Seoul. I haven't been particularly motivated to do that (it has been over 100 the past two days) but yesterday I did go to Building 63, which is the tallest building in Seoul. Of course, they have an observation deck on the top floor, which is actually the 60th floor (not the 63rd) since three of the floors are below ground. Strange. Anyway, it was fairly typical but I wish I had done this earlier in my trip because it really did drive home the point of just how gigantic Seoul is. Other than that, I've basically spent my vacation doing "administrative stuff" (looking for a job, planning my next trip), watching "Simpsons" episodes on the computer, and recovering from nights out.

Friday night I went to a big outdoor concert where Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane's Addicition were the headliners. I had never seen either of them perform and they were both awesome. I was surprised that there were only about 10,000 people there (so it wasn't all that "big") but I guess "this is Seoul, not L.A." (a little inside joke there for all you Gang Green fans). In any case, the audience consisted mostly of Korean punk kids but there were quite a few US soldiers there, too. I hate these idiots. They are definitely the scourge of any tourist bar/club in Seoul. Mostly they are 19-year-old knuckleheads who won't think twice about knocking over a Korean kid or groping a Korean girl. Serious. It's a total embarassment and they are one of the major reasons why young Koreans have a healthy dislike for Americans.

Other than that, "Real World Seoul" rolls on. We've got couples who have broken up; couples who have realized that things are going to end when they leave in four weeks; and couples who are keeping their relationships a secret. We also have roommate strife (fortunately not in my apartment) and a healthy supply of backstabbing. It definitely makes things entertaining. Specific stories will be made available on request. =)

As I mentioned, I have been looking for a job here but nothing solid so far. Those of you who remember what things were like just before I came here will recall that everything was very last-minute, so I guess that's Korea for you. I am also considering going back to Sydney or maybe just settling down in San Francisco. Or Boston. I don't know.

Well, that's about it from this side of the world. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!! Take care!!!

Chris