Third Rock From The Sun

Hi everyone,I keep meaning to write to you guys and tell you something interesting but I never get round to it. Things are pretty relaxed at school at the moment, so I've take a bit of a time out to write to you. Actually I might be a little bit too relaxed, at some point I'm going to to have to do some work. Still feeling relaxed at school makes for a nice change. Spring has sprung and all of a suddenly rural Korea is looking beautiful. The blossoms have faded but the mountains are a patch work of different shades of green. I want to go exploring and discovering, something which I never felt during winter.

The mountains around Sangju have many paths which are easily accessible, and because they criss cross you can wonder away happily and then easily reach town once again. There are also several quieter roads that lead out of Sangju, which means Jess and I can go for scooter rides and explore slightly further afield. I still don't have a licence, but apparently you don't need a licence until you get into an accident -- then you're buggered. So I just won't have an accident.

As some of you know Jess and I voted, after which we spent the rest of the day in Seoul. We had lunch in Itaewon, a suburb in Seoul that caters to westerners, and did some clothes shopping at a 'big size' shop. We also visited Yongsan elctronics market, Korea's largest, which I just love. It's great to gawp at all the fantastic stuff on sale at far cheaper prices than in SA. I learn't a lesson on this last visit though- you've got to shop around. The difference in prices that I was quoted for the same camera were huge. I definitely think that some of of the stalls added a special something onto their prices just because of my western face.

I have decided to spend a second year in Korea. Jess will most likely join me once again. Now we need to decide whether to stay in Sangju or move on. I wouldn't say Sangju is growing on me, but it has its distinct advantages - being small there aren't as many opportunities to spend money. We receive two extra bonuses if we stay on in Sangju as well. If we move there's also a chance that our salaries could drop. The other thing to consider is that there is no garuntee that you will be placed in your requested city, and there is a chance that we could wind up in any number of small towns that make Sangju look quite cosmopolitan.

My relationships at school are on the up and up, and I can definitely see an advantage in staying with tried and tested. If I stick to my current schools my workload for next year should reduce in a big way.

Upon signing a second EPIK contract you are entitled to two weeks home leave which you are expected to take in the last two weeks of your first contract. Being intelligent individuals we have asked our schools if we could rather take the two weeks at an earlier stage, say directly after a holiday, which will increase the amount of time that we get to spend at home. So the likelihood is that we will return to SA in late August for three weeks. So pencil into your diaries 'August is party month'. I've already planned my first meals, which beer I intend drinking first, which beer I intend drinking the most etc etc. I can't wait to treat you guys to some of the sniffing and snorting and hacking that I have got so used to. I am going to have some good laughs. Apart from eating and drinking I'm going to vegetate. I'm going to sit on that nice green couch at home and do nothing, absolutely nothing (except drool).

It's going to be so much fun.

Looking forwards to seeing you.

Julian