Miscellaneous Stuff and stuff

This post has no particular theme as I have about 17 different things to talk about......ok, five, and just can't be bothered to lovingly craft them into one cohesive theme.

So instead I'll just blurt everything out and possibly edit late. Ain't technology grand?!

In my last post I shared that I was applying for jobs hither and yon from Spain to Japan and leaving it up to God........and rather delightfully, it worked a treat.
For all my applications I was only getting nibbles from South Korea, which resulted in my accepting a job in an elementary school in Ulsan, on the south eastern coast of South Korea. It was only after I had accepted the post that I started hearing back from my other applications. Clearly Himself Upstairs wasn't giving me a chance to be distracted on this one!

Fair enough says I, thrilled at the prospect of a furnished apartment all to myself and rent free at that. Those who know me well will be in no way surprised to hear that I am already dreaming of filling the flat with house plants and purchasing goldfish!
Spring is in the air and I have an urge to nest, let joy be unconfined!

So then began the planning and the plotting and the surfing. My delight in the apartment was tempered by the discovery that Koreans aren't big on ovens and I won't get one in the flat. What's a baking obsessed girl to do?
Well, what I did was send an electronic lament to my old mate Stu, who has been teaching and living in Korea for several years. The darling man emailed me a week later to tell me that he had a counter top oven for me. So I shall be able to bake Irish brown bread and muffins galore and therefore my popularity in Ulsan in assured.

Phew!

Then began the paperwork. Not that I have any basis for comparison, but it felt like getting an E2 work Visa for Korea was something akin to getting security clearance for the Pentagon.

See for yourself, I had to dispatch via DHL:

One sealed college transcript in an official college envelope
One copy of my cv
One healthcheck form
One signed copy of employment contract
One police certificate - apostilled
One certified copy of my university degree - apostilled
One certified copy of my tefl certificate - apostilled
One photocopy of passport
Two passport photos


I got the Police certificate at my local police station and while I was there got my degree and tefl copies certified, naievely assuming that the sworn testimony of a guard would be sufficient.
Tchah! Silly me.

In blissful ignorance I sallied forth to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Cork, 90 mins on the bus, 5 mins walk to the Passport office - only to be told the police stamp isn't good enough, get it done by the college.
Back on the bus, 90 mins back to Limerick, and in Kildimo just in time to do a shift in the pub.
Next morning, into Mary Immaculate, get stamps, get cab to bus station, 90 mins on bus to Cork, get to passport office, fork out €60 for three apostilles, get directions to the nearest post office and head there, tennis shoes squelching in the pouring rain.
I got to the post office and prepared to send everything off.
"Wait! You need the telephone number."
"Sigh! Where is the nearest internet cafe?"
Trudge there, huddling under my pathetically inadequate umbrella.
Get a computer, get phone number, return to post office, send off documents.
Race back to bus station, detouring through Marks & Spencers on the way to get nosh.
90 mins back to Limerick, my brother picks me up at the station and I head home for a power nap before pulling the late shift in the pub.

Total cost of the endeavor: €150
Paving my way to Korea: Priceless!

(sorry, I couldn't resist!)

That done, I was able to move on to more important questions like:
"Will I be able to buy shoes in Ulsan?" , "How do I ask for a half leg wax in Korean?" and "What the frick will I do for Christmas?"

Turns out that I won't be able to buy shoes in Ulsan as I am too much of a decadent Western clodhopper and they don't stock shoes for giants. (I'm a size 40!)
The silver lining in this cloud is that this weekend I will be visiting my friends in Cardiff, who understand the importance of pretty shoes and will happily shop with me, breaking only for tea and cheese.

On Friday I set off on my 'Farewell tour of Britain', (no it's not a pompous title, thank you very much!)

I start in Cardiff, Friday morning till Sunday morning, then on to Katy in Salisbury for High Tea and Catch Up, then continuing on to Sophie in London for more gossip. On Monday I'm flying north to Edinburgh where I shall spend several days imprinting myself as firmly as possible on my 10 month old God Daughter, in the hope that she will then vaguely recognise me on Skype!

In brief, I shall have a week of shoe shopping, cheese eating and baby hugging. Hot dang!!

Later dudes!

(ok, so I lied about the editing - you'll live)