Life this Week in South Korea Oct 23-29, 2023
MONDAY, OCT 23
My Alien Registration Card is here! My Alien Registration Card is here (sung to the tune of The New Phone Books Are Here! The New Phone Books Are Here – a la the Steve Martin movie The Jerk)! Actually, it’s now called the Residence Card as there were grumblings about people being called “alien.” So I am now officially a RESIDENT (not a citizen…and not an alien) of The Republic of Korea (ROK), aka South Korea.
FYI: North Korea is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Anyway. Typical day: tutoring from 11-12, lunch, class from 1:40-5:30, grabbed some fried chicken for dinner, watched a 50-minute kdrama episode while I ate, did my tutoring homework, went over the new vocabulary for tomorrow’s class, then started on the exercises in the book that we’ll get to to tomorrow. I TRY to stay one step ahead so at least I have some familiarity with the material before the teacher confuses me in class.
Pamela
It’s a joy to hear? read? your voice again. Thank you for sharing your adventure with all the ups and downs with us.
bettyewp
Thanks, Pamela!
Lisa
Thank you for taking us on your journey. I know you must get frustrated BUT YOU are AMAZING! Seriously!! I’m 65 and back in school taking classes because I didn’t get a degree the first time around. I’m also working full time. My brain does not hold onto information like it used to. You’ve got this! If you have to take the class again, you will be ahead of the game!!!
Jaynn
I admit, I don’t think much about your schoolwork while reading about your adventures, but wow, it does sound very daunting and it is so hard to learn languages as older adults. Maybe one day, it will just click in for you, language wise. Until then, keep at it! It sounds like you really do want to learn and are enjoying the process. That phrase, “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey” seems apt for you right now and thanks again for taking us along! It feels like you are chatting to me on the phone as I read your words. Thank you for sharing, really.
bettyewp
Oh, now that I have a place to live and know where to get food, and MOSTLY have internet on my phone (except when I don’t), school weighs the most heavily on my mind. It takes up most of my time (10+ hrs/day) and is the cause of most of my stress right now. I’m learning, but SLOWLY…which generally would be fine, but if I learn TOO slowly and fail my classes repeatedly, I will lose my student visa and then it’s bubye Korea. I mean, I can come back for short periods of time on a tourist visa, but I won’t be able to LIVE here for the next two years and that was (and still is) the plan.
It never even entered my mind that SCHOOL would be the hard part of this story. And yet…here we are.
Debbie from Illinois
Bettye, congratulations! My three favorite things from this post: Residency card, hair straightener and fried chicken! 😁😁😁
bettyewp
Ohh, fried chicken 🙂 Interestingly, fried chicken is one of the more expensive foods here! And the hair straightener has been a godsend. At least I can de-loopy-doop my humidity reactive bangs. It’s not GREAT, but it’s BETTER.
Barbara
Bettye, you have my full admiration!!! I’t so wonderful to read about your Korean Adventure you write so funny about. I think in a little while your brain will switch over and the language gets much more easier to learn.
P.S. I’m a longtime reader and posted comments back when you were still in the U.S., but they all disappeared.
I’m looking forward to your posts!
bettyewp
Oh I hope my brain switches soon!!! I literally googled “testing for adult learning disabilities” about an hour ago while trying to memorize a presentation in Korean I have to do tomorrow from memory. IT’S NOT GOING WELL.
If your comments ever disappear, let me know cuz I can usually find them in spam or trash – I don’t know why so many wind up there, and I always try to remember to check regularly, but…LIFE.
Glad you’re still following along!
EmD
Such progress!!!
What a happy change from surviving a day to enjoying it…with new friends and the chance to enjoy the adventures you were seeking.
Your journey seems like a movie in the making, Bettye.
Pretty darn cool!
Definitely Amelia Earhart!
bettyewp
What an anoying movie that would be ha ha. THE FEMALE LEAD COMPLAINS ABOUT EVERYTHING!!!
Leslie Susan Clingan
I didn’t realize I was holding my breath through this post until I got the end and gasped for air. Oh my goodness. Too much for my old heart!! All the walking, amid all the folks, in all that humidity. You are a better woman than I. And jockeying for a position in line to take a photo. Oh, no. I don’t do crowds well and surely don’t like people in my photos. Unless they are under 4′ tall and 8 years of age.
Hope your essay writing and diligence to your schoolwork paid off with a great grade and a shiny gold star. Hope your tests and other work comes easier this week and from here on.
Heading to IG to see if you shared your new apartment. Love the view. Look forward to seeing the sunset. But want to see the interior, too. I’m nosy that way.
bettyewp
Ahh, don’t hold your breath! My posts have gotten too long haha!
I wish my diligence was paying off as well…but my poor brain has other ideas 🙁
There will be more room photos as i get it a little less 1970s dorm. Haha. Could be awhile.