Making Friends and Breaking Hearts

First things first, the group is called Local Natives and the song is called Airplanes. I've been listening to this song at least once a day for the past three weeks now. I can't get enough of it. I'm trying to get a hold of more of their music but I'm finding that to be a more difficult task than I expected. So that has been the group and the song pushing me through the month of April. I have been prompted to blog a little more by a friend of mine who thinks the reason I have not been blogging has something to do with my time being taken up by other ventures. The fact is that I have not had much to write about in a while. I'm just coasting along waiting for my final contract to come to an end. The weather is getting warmer and the rains are coming out of their long winter slumber.

I got sick again, which makes that about 20 colds in just under two years...that can't be healthy but I always seem to make a quick recovery. Lot's of people are coming down with that Korean cough lately. Oh Korean cough, how I will miss you when I'm gone. The Koreans seem to be freaked out about the Pig Flu because of what happened when SARS was a big deal. Isn't it amazing what a word can do. You name something swine flu and all of the sudden pork prices start to bottom out. Even though you can't catch a damn thing from eating pork.

So this blog is going to be short and sweet. I'm thinking about my friends and my family. I got to see my niece a few days ago through the miracle of skype video. She has a personality and is full of energy. I don't think she really knew who I was and quickly became bored talking with me. I can't blame her, when I was that age the last thing I would want to do is talk into the computer. She had to go and watch scooby doo. Before she left she did impressions of my brother, his wife Kristine, my mom and my dad. Her impression was how each of them sounds when they get upset. It was one of the funniest things I've heard in a long time. When she got to my dad, her grandfather, at the very end my brother said, "And how does Grandpa sound when he gets mad?" Talia paused and you could see her thinking, then she simply said "He doesn't ever get mad." She's pretty much right, my dad never really lost his temper growing up and it seems that is still the way it is.

I'm looking forward to seeing my family this year. I'm looking forward to seeing old friends. I've got a lot of catching up to do. Now that my departure date is under three months I've found that more people seem to be contacting me. I'm only getting gifts for the people who kept in touch the entire time I've been here though. I'd say I was just joking but those of you who know me well know that I'm serious so what's the point.

I see pictures of friends and I get a feeling of comfort seeing how their lives have changed. Some of you have found partners that you are head over heels about. Unfortunately, I'm missing a good friends wedding by about 8 days. I'm also looking forward to going out with some of you and suggesting men and women who I think might be your type. I feel like I've got to spend my first few weeks back in the states traveling around the country and visiting people. Well....got to is probably the wrong phrase, I should have said I want to spend the first few weeks doing that.

I hope to make up for all the birthday's, new boyfriends, new girlfriends, surgeries, births, marriages, and everything else that I've missed since being here. Put me on your calendar if you have not already because come the first or second of August I'm touching foot back down in the U.S. starting with Portland Oregon.

Before I go, I'd like to tell you about another opportunity which has come my way but might be kind of insane to pursue. The school in Abu Dabi is still available early next year if I want to apply but another position is opening up in the green zone. Yes, the green zone as in Iraq. Does that sound crazy? Here's what it pays, 8,000 tax free American dollar bills a month. That's rent free, plane ticket paid for. But here's the best part, unlike in Korea the contracts are in three month installments. But...it's in Iraq. You can call it the pink zone for all I care, it's still Iraq and I realize that, but damn...8 grand a month is a lot of money. I'm putting this one in my way back pocket. I've got a contact here and it's a good contact to have. Don't send me messages about Iraq either, it's something I'm kinda sorta considering but probably would never do unless it's the Great Depression Part two back in the U.S. It's gonna have to get pretty bad for me to get on a plane and fly into the green zone. It's not really the flying in part that worries me, it's the flying out part I'm concerned about. And yes, I think my life is worth way more than 8,000 dollars a month.

So that's what's going on with me people. Just hanging out in the good ol' ROK (Republic of Korea) doing my thing. Making friends and breaking hearts.