Birthday/flu

So it's my birthday. I am a quarter century old. I don't feel different...probably because I ACTUALLY do not turn 25 until like 4:15AM tomorrow morning...lol.  

I am REALLY medicated, as I have the flu. Yesterday was terrible, but after seeing the doctor and getting meds (all for under $20 I may add!), I am feeling better. Last night was tough, but everything is going better now. Today was a rollercoaster of a day. I am feeling better (with the drugs in me), but I had three classes where I had behavior problems. My saving grace was a package I got from my aunt with cookies and $$ inside. Halfway through the day, I got a card from my other aunt with practically a monologue written on the card...very sweet. I miss my family so much. Anyway, the last class of the day was my older kids, and they brought food and drinks for my birthday...along with homemade cards for me! I was shocked, and really impressed. Everyone at work said Happy Bithday to me, and I am excited for this weekend, when I'm going to have a birthday/apartment warming party! It should be a fun night. Don't know what my friends have planned for dinner tonight...I really haven't asked. I will be calling my travel agent either tonight or tomorrow night to purchase my flight back home over Christmas. YAY! Something to REALLY look forward to.

I miss everyone at home so much! Thanks for all the birthday wishes on Facebook, and I will try to post again (a post-Birthday post!) within the next few days.

~Greg :)

Getting the hang of things...

Hey all...

So Malaysia was great. Kuala Lampur is not a very beautiful city, but it certainly had flavor. It is roughly 100 miles north of the Equator, so it was VERY hot and humid. I think I lost a good amount of weight just sweating!! I went to the KL Tower, one of the highest communication towers in the world. I also went on a jungle walk nearby. I visited Chinatown and ate some great Chinese Food (as well as Malay food and Indian food). I spent 6 hours at the largest covered Bird Park in the world. I fed Lorikeets (one bit me!), and I also fed Emus, Ostriches, and a Casawary (which looks like a dinosaur!). I went to the Batu Caves. If you remember Amazing Race All Stars...it was the episode in Malaysia when Charla and Mirna were really far ahead and they climed the 272 steps to the base of the caves (yes Charla...the little person!)...unbeliveable sight. Anyway, the caves are amazing, as is the scenery from the top, and I almost got attacked by a monkey because it wanted my half drunk soda. I finished the soda running away from the attacking money...threw the can in the trash...and immediately saw the monkey jump into the trash, take the can out...slam in onto the ground, and sip the remaining drops of soda from the ground...determination if i've ever seen it! I also went to the "dark caves" and had a tour of the stalagtites and stalagmites as well as fruit bats, insect bats...and I saw a really cool spider looking insect! Overall, Malaysia was fun, and I'd definitely go back there again.
Work is going well. Homesickness has sunk in a bit, but I'm really excited to book my flight ticket back to the US probably next week...so at least I'll have a date to get really excited about. Although, knowing my birthday is less than a week away, and I can't be near my closest friends and family does make me a little depressed. I like the people here...a lot...they're incredibly supportive and friendly. But, they're not the people who knew me prior to 4 weeks ago. These people don't really know who I am...they didn't see me have to deal with my heart breaking 11 months ago and going through a depression I HOPE I never deal with again...they didn't see me get better, and turn into the person I am today...hopeful, aware of self, and REALLY happy with who I am today. They also don't know how singing is my life, and besides singing along with CDs, I have no way of expressing myself through music (like I was able to at Clark with choir and Clark Bars). They also don't know how amazing my life is...and how much of an INCREDIBLE support system I have that I left behind. I KNOW I made the right decision to come to Korea...but sometimes it's hard to legitimize the feeling of going 7,000 miles AWAY from the people you love and care about the most for 365 days and $22,000. I know the experience and rewarding(ness) of it all makes it priceless...but other times I just have to think...Did I really do the right thing? Don't get me wrong...I really do enjoy my job...and by all accounts, this very well may be my calling...TEACHING...but honestly, the longer I stay here, and get into this structured routine of sleep, teach, sleep (and all there is in between), the more I feel like I'm falling deeper into a lake of quicksand and doubt.
I can only hope that my over-analyzing is just that...over-analyzing. I miss everyone so much...and I will be starting a countdown to USA soon. Oh yea...and I found a flight on NorthWest Airlines that would get me into Boston late afternoon on Christmas Day...so there's a CHANCE that I may in fact be able to see my extended family for Christmas afterall...that is if they're ok with doing Christmas for dinner instead of lunch. We'll see. Once I have flight details, I will let you know.
I miss everyone SOOO much. Please post replies to show me you're reading and to give comments/criticism!!

Till next time,
~Greg

Update/my address...

Hey everyone. Sorry I have not written more recently. The cut and dry of it is that I am fine, I arrived a week and a half ago, and I am VERY busy. Training was tough and very challenging for me (not being a teacher before and having all this stuff to do), but it also made me feel like I can really REALLY do this. It may be really hard sometimes, and really boring at other times (my highlight of the day Friday was teaching kids about the words BALL, BALLOON, TRUCK, and CARPET), but I honestly feel like this experience is going to be really rewarding. It already is actually. I really like the kids for the most part, and they actually LISTEN to me, and I can tell that they are actually learning (which is good...because that means I'm doing my job).

I am staying out of the office drama, and pretty much keeping my nose into my own business. I had my first confrontation with my supervisor yesterday regarding my passport, but long story short, anything huge was averted, and all systems are go. I leave for Kuala Lampur, Malaysia on Saturday night (we have Monday and Tuesday off for Chusok...which is Korean Thanksgiving) with my friends from work, which will be great.

So yea, things are SLOWLY coming together...work wise and otherwise. The main reason for me not being online is because I don't have internet in my apartment yet. Speaking of my apartment, I LOVE IT. It's small, but absolutely perfect for me. I did my first load of laundry yesterday (and didn't break anything!). My friends and I cook meals communally, which makes it cheaper, and more enjoyable for all of us. I spend my time in my apartment playing my PS2 and flipping through the TV channels for the few to none English shows (I hate to admit that I have resorted to watching Tyra Banks, Oprah, and Sex and the City...along with Law and Order:SVU, House, and a couple reality shows that I may catch...I've seen Hell's Kitchen and Top Model). The great news is that LOST will air in Korea (duh!)...the bad news is that it will air at 9pm...and I don't get back to my apartment until 9:30...add to that the fact that Lost Season 3 just ended, which means I would be watching repeats of last season...so I'm back to watching them online. Oh well.

Anyway, I miss everyone A LOT...and I can't wait to see some/all of you in December when I come home for a bit. For all you New Englanders, I hope the hurricane blew over quickly.

Till next time,

Greg :)

PS. for all interested (*cough cough*...my birthday is coming up), my address is:

Gregory Tomao
SLP Uijeongbu
5th Floor Gu-Won Plaza #418
Howon Dong Uijeongbu City
Gyeonggido, South Korea
480-020