Day 118: Sad Goodbyes

Today was a really sad day! It was the day when Brad and Andrea left Korea to fly back home to Canada. Brad was going to pop in at his school for one last time to say goodbye this morning, and he invited me along to meet his coworkers and boss, and check out the school. Apparently Poly Ilsan is hiring some new teachers and Brad has put in a good word for me with his bosses - maybe I'll be able to get a job there? I wasn't too crazy about the idea at first cause I wasn't sure if I wanted to live way out in Ilsan. My whole plan was to get a job right in Seoul but it doesn't hurt to look anyway. Within only a few minutes, though, I was completely converted! Poly is SUCH a nice school - a school with money and resources and actual organization! They have a library and a computer lab and all the rooms are fitted with books and school supplies. WOW!! What a contrast to the harsh ghetto Stalinist Russian conditions I've been working in! I was totally blown away!

On top of that, I got to sit in on two of the classes to see how they ran. Once again I was completely (and pleasantly!) surprised! The kids are not only really well-behaved and listen to their teachers, but have a really advanced understanding of English! I was sitting in on a class of 7 year-olds and they were learning about all the different cloud types - cumulus, cirrus, etc. And they totally understood! Wow these kids are so smart! What a treat they would be to teach! After this I got to speak to one of the directors for a bit and he was really nice. I made sure to let them know that I was interested in a position there. Who knows, maybe I'll be working in Islan soon?

The rest of the day was spent helping Brad and Andrea do all their last-minute packing. Man, they have a lot of shit to pack up!! Brad's apartment was total chaos and full of clothes and books and paper and old food and odds n ends here and there and everywhere. But, slowly but surely, they got it all organized and packed away to get ready for the long plane ride home. I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY'RE LEAVING! One of Brad's students even stopped by to say goodbye - he was so cute and seemed really really sad that Brad was leaving too. And then it was 4:30pm and their ride to the airport had arrived, and now it was my turn to say goodbye. It was very sad and surreal - it just felt like I was saying goodbye for the week and that I'd see them again next weekend. But a small part of me inside knew that this was going to be the last time I'd see them for a long time. Goodbyes totally suck! I've never been very good at them. I rarely ever get emotional during goodbyes, it tends to sink in more later on... One last big hugs to my two best buddies here in Korea and then that was it. They were gone. Even just walking through their neighbourhood to catch the bus back home things felt emptier already. My life in Korea just ain't gonna be the same without them. :-(

When I got home I called my friend Ailish. She had some friends in town from Ireland and they had invited me to join them for a night of drinking in Anyang. I wasn't gonna go cause I was sad from the goodbyes, but thought that just sitting at home sulking would be pointless so I went out with them. I met up with Ailish and Anne, and got to meet Ailish's friends visiting her from Dublin - Barbara, Eleanor, and Chris. The six of us caught a cab to Anyang where we met up with Hannah and Bernie and a few of their friends at a bar. We all ordered some dinner and drinks and had a great time just chatting away. It's fun to hang out with a large group of people from another country - after a while I think I could even *understand* most of the Irish accent! haha! We only stayed until around midnight or so as were all kinda tired. I caught a cab home with Anne and went to sleep right away.