The Purgatory

Im just sitting in Des Moines waiting for my flight. Today I am going to book my flight to Guam on Aug 4th and then onto ICN Korea on Aug 15th. Since my work has been delayed I plan to stay in Guam with Casey Mizell, a good family friend.

The Delay

Im not sure what to do now but I just received notice that my school wants to delay my departure from the US until Aug 15th. I dont even know if I can do this. This is very inconvenient. First, I have quit my job so I have no income for the next 6 weeks and my prospects of getting a job for 6 weeks would be slim to none. Second, I was planning on attending law school next year when I get back. If I was not able to get back until Aug. 15th I would have little time to prepare for school. Third, It took me a month to gather my documents and now they are sent off so if I wanted to apply to a different school I would have to recollect my documents.

The Contract

I signed my contract yesterday and sent it off to Ulsan, South Korea via UPS this morning. I am very excited that the process has started. Now I must be patient and wait for my Visa Insurance Number to actually obtain my visa here in the United States. After I receive that number I will have to travel to Chicago to be interviewed by the consulate.

The Locale

This is a map of the area. Ulsan in on the south western tip of the peninsula facing the Japanese Sea.

The Portfolio

The school also sent me some pictures of the city of Ulsan Korea. The city is a coastal city and has many beaches as well as a temperate climate. The city is knows for its Hyundai industry and is comparable in industry to an American city like Detroit. Although the city is similar to Detroit one thing that stands out is the nearly 0% crime in the city, like most Korean cities. The city in 2012 also plans to become the first Ecotropolis, a city with no waste. If a Korean city with 1.2 million inhabitants can pull off this feat then why can't Americans.

The Job Offer

This is the job I was offered in Ulsan Korea. There is a short description of the city in the offer as well as the name of the school and other details about the teaching. This job looks like a great opportunity. As you can see in the picture, the school pays for my apartment as well as round trip airfare. The compensation I receive for teaching is between 2.1 and 2.4 Million Won (pronounced just how its spelled, not midwest pronunciation like "wun"). That translated into dollars is between $1,700 and $2,000/month. Its a deal because I have no expenses except for food and any travel I want to do.

The Correct Stamp

To get any documents to become official they must first be notorized and then they must be formalized by the Apostiles office in your state. Its a tedious process. I have had to visit the Apostiles office 4 times to get only two documents certified. The two documents were my college diploma and my criminal back ground check. One time some stamp from the department of corrections was on the wrong pages of the document and the second time the notary did not put their seal on the correct page. Gotta love government.

The Failed Attempt

I decided that if I was going to go to Korea I would really want to visit other countries around Korea. China is a short boat ride away and I want to see the great wall if I am only a few hundred miles away. I got all of the chinese tourist visa info filled out and sent it off a few weeks ago. I got it back recently with the front page high lighted. It reads "Visa applications should be submitted by the applicant or someone else entrusted in person. It cannot be done through the mail. No appointment necessary". Well good. Im out of time because I must send of my Korean visa application in a few days. Looks like I wont be visiting China.