The cell phone provider I have is not the best. Everytime my visa runs out they cut off my service "at my request". It's happened 3x in the last few months. So to fix it I need to bring in my Alien ID card and prove I am still legal. But this time I have no card to show them and if I don't show it within two weeks they close my account.
Contacting Immigration they said I won't get a new card for about 3 or 4 weeks. So my account will be dead and I'm concerned at getting my deposit back.
But in good news I can change to a cheaper service, will probably get a new phone, should be able to transfer my numbers, etc. And in other good news my Halloween costume is almost ready. We're hosting a party at our home and are expecting 20~30 people to attend.
I have a costume I've been putting together for the last few weeks. It includes camo from Greece, a flight cap from Ukriane made under the USSR, and a big scarf from the Philippines. I am hoping to get some flight goggles to add to it. And I've changed the wiring in the flight helmet so I can no hook up the communication system to my MP3 player ^_^ v
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
End of Story
Tuesday night:
I decided that this would become a vacation and attempted to make it into one. Took several hours walk and found where I stayed before.
Stumbled across several Pachinko parlors that just had hundreds and hundreds of these machines.
I found a cool pet shop with puppies and kittens costing $1,500 ~ $2,500 USD.
I found a great noodle shop and got a front row seat next to the cooking area. Real dirty looking kitchen but oh so good.
Wednesday:
Made it to the office and dropped off paperwork. Spoke Korean to the Japanese workers.
Was able to contact friends and co-workers in Korea informing them of change of plans.
Changed my airplane tickets and found an easy way to the airport.
Got some bubble tea from Quickly Tea Shop. Now I've been to their shops in the US, Korea, Taiwan, and Japan.
Found "Rough Cut" DVDs for sale with big signs up :) So glad to see that. Wrote down some movies I would like to research.
Thursday:
Couldn't sleep. I got upwards of three hours total last night. Too much green tea?
Went to visa office to pick up passport with new visa.
Listened to a bunch of Jpop and Jrock and wandered around the city more.
Found a traditional market, temples, elementary school, post office, and just here and there.
Ate at Lotteria and studied last years' Korean notes for a few hours.
Made it to the airport, slept on the bench for 20 minutes, made the flight back, got back home around 9pm and went to sleep an hour later.
I decided that this would become a vacation and attempted to make it into one. Took several hours walk and found where I stayed before.
Stumbled across several Pachinko parlors that just had hundreds and hundreds of these machines.
I found a cool pet shop with puppies and kittens costing $1,500 ~ $2,500 USD.
I found a great noodle shop and got a front row seat next to the cooking area. Real dirty looking kitchen but oh so good.
Wednesday:
Made it to the office and dropped off paperwork. Spoke Korean to the Japanese workers.
Was able to contact friends and co-workers in Korea informing them of change of plans.
Changed my airplane tickets and found an easy way to the airport.
Got some bubble tea from Quickly Tea Shop. Now I've been to their shops in the US, Korea, Taiwan, and Japan.
Found "Rough Cut" DVDs for sale with big signs up :) So glad to see that. Wrote down some movies I would like to research.
Thursday:
Couldn't sleep. I got upwards of three hours total last night. Too much green tea?
Went to visa office to pick up passport with new visa.
Listened to a bunch of Jpop and Jrock and wandered around the city more.
Found a traditional market, temples, elementary school, post office, and just here and there.
Ate at Lotteria and studied last years' Korean notes for a few hours.
Made it to the airport, slept on the bench for 20 minutes, made the flight back, got back home around 9pm and went to sleep an hour later.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Hit the Ground Running - Visa Run Continued
Tuesday Evening:
Well I did something new today. I arrived at the checkin counter for my international flight 3 minutes before take-off. They didn`t let me procede.
So I got new tickets and most of a refund from my old tickets during crazy pouring rain and a few hours later was able to get on the flight and go to Japan.
I made it here sucesfully despite Immigration on both ends of my flight hauling me off to the side initially refusing me entry / departure. Not to mention they confascated my Korean National ID card (insert profanity).
Being tight on time I got a $30 taxi and made it to the consulate 30 minutes beore they closed. However they stop taking visa applications an hour before that and refused me access to the building. So I`m going to need to change my tickets again and I might come back on Thursday if everything goes smoothly at the consulate. If somehow they get really crowded then I will come back next week. Would I still have a job by that point?
The last time I did this I made friends in the consulate and we got adjoining motel rooms together. This time no luck. Tried to find the motel I went to two years ago but was unable to find it ~ I might have found the right subway station, but am unsure.
I followed a big bright sign to an inn only to find out the whole building is under construction and it`s completely closed off; metal baracades and everything.
Through some tourist pamphlets at the airport I found an inn and have internet access in the lobby. It`s $5 cheaper than the love motel I found and this place looks just a bit more respectible. I didn`t plan for this much expenses so I didn`t have the cash; thank you credit cards.
Gosh, I`m batting 1000 today aren`t I? I haven` had this much adventure traveling since China. And if I am ranking things I should say dysentary in Manila comes in third.
Well I did something new today. I arrived at the checkin counter for my international flight 3 minutes before take-off. They didn`t let me procede.
So I got new tickets and most of a refund from my old tickets during crazy pouring rain and a few hours later was able to get on the flight and go to Japan.
I made it here sucesfully despite Immigration on both ends of my flight hauling me off to the side initially refusing me entry / departure. Not to mention they confascated my Korean National ID card (insert profanity).
Being tight on time I got a $30 taxi and made it to the consulate 30 minutes beore they closed. However they stop taking visa applications an hour before that and refused me access to the building. So I`m going to need to change my tickets again and I might come back on Thursday if everything goes smoothly at the consulate. If somehow they get really crowded then I will come back next week. Would I still have a job by that point?
The last time I did this I made friends in the consulate and we got adjoining motel rooms together. This time no luck. Tried to find the motel I went to two years ago but was unable to find it ~ I might have found the right subway station, but am unsure.
I followed a big bright sign to an inn only to find out the whole building is under construction and it`s completely closed off; metal baracades and everything.
Through some tourist pamphlets at the airport I found an inn and have internet access in the lobby. It`s $5 cheaper than the love motel I found and this place looks just a bit more respectible. I didn`t plan for this much expenses so I didn`t have the cash; thank you credit cards.
Gosh, I`m batting 1000 today aren`t I? I haven` had this much adventure traveling since China. And if I am ranking things I should say dysentary in Manila comes in third.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Gone to Japan
Tuesday morning:
Well my visa is expiring and this time around I need to leave the country and get a new visa. So in a few hours I'll be making my way onto an airplane and visiting Japan for 24 hours.
So I'll be back by Wednesday.
Bye bye~
Well my visa is expiring and this time around I need to leave the country and get a new visa. So in a few hours I'll be making my way onto an airplane and visiting Japan for 24 hours.
So I'll be back by Wednesday.
Bye bye~
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Properly Balanced
If a language class is not properly balanced then a majority of the students will have the same native language. They no longer need to rely on the language being taught to communicate within class, but they instead reply on their native tongue. Our Korean class at Yonsei has changed the students daily in five days. We dropped two, added one, dropped that one, added two more, and got one of the first students back. The class was more balanced before with speakers of a number of different languages. But now a third of the students are Japanese and we still have no Chinese students (which I had heard there is a large number of).
I was disappointed by, in my opinion, the lack of balance in the class until a few days ago. The teacher was explaining a term and the German student did not understand. They attempted several times to no avail. Then the Japanese-born yet Korean-by-blood student turned to our German friend and started to explain this in Chinese.
And it got better when the German replied back in Chinese to clarify a detail. They went back and forth for a minute until "Okay, I understand now."
Turns out he has a degree in Chinese. Go figure. But I guess we have a more balanced classroom now~
Oh, and to clarify it turns out that the first morning classes have a ton of Japanese and the second afternoon classes have a large number of Chinese. Apparently it is like this every year.
I was disappointed by, in my opinion, the lack of balance in the class until a few days ago. The teacher was explaining a term and the German student did not understand. They attempted several times to no avail. Then the Japanese-born yet Korean-by-blood student turned to our German friend and started to explain this in Chinese.
And it got better when the German replied back in Chinese to clarify a detail. They went back and forth for a minute until "Okay, I understand now."
Turns out he has a degree in Chinese. Go figure. But I guess we have a more balanced classroom now~
Oh, and to clarify it turns out that the first morning classes have a ton of Japanese and the second afternoon classes have a large number of Chinese. Apparently it is like this every year.
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