This is a eulogy for a netbook that has been through the
works. It’s travelled to four different continents, has stuck by me for four
years and has never given me many causes for concern. However, two nights ago
my beloved netbook died. It was a long time coming. It was never a top of the
range netbook, so, in a sense I’m surprised it lasted this long. The downside
to this is that now I have to buy a new laptop. It’s a shame because I was
intending to save a lot of money this month, alas, this will set me back a
little bit and I’ve concluded that a laptop is something I can’t really live
without, especially being a writer.
Less than an hour after my netbook kicked the metaphorical
dust my camera went and snuffed it as well. I think something got into the lens
as it makes an awful churning sound right before it switches itself off. I’m
hoping to be able to pick up a cheap camera here in Korea, as for a laptop, I’m
going to have to get that shipped from the UK which will also cost an arm and a
leg. Yet, we mustn’t fret must we fellow readers for we are still alive? I’ve
been hugely positive about the whole experience and am trying to see it as an opportunity
rather than a nuisance. Money comes and
money goes and things get fixed just as quickly as things break and if we went
around worrying about these silly things our whole lives then we’d get nothing
done, would we? So, I’ll take it with a pinch of salt and look at it like the
minor annoyance that it is.
Onto more uplifting news. The school went bowling yesterday.
Bowling, bowling, bowling, what an utterly repugnant sport that is? Like all
sport when it gets taken seriously its almost comical. If only some of those
Koreans knew what they looked like. Koreans seem to take any social or leisure
event incredibly seriously, they dress in the full attire, they focus on the
competition and the winning and they forget the main ingredient in doing
anything and that’s to just kick back and have fun. The Koreans were lined up
in the bowling alley wearing the most fashionable bowling shoes, dressed in
tracksuits and sporting shield guards on their hands, they did a strange
ritualistic high five with one another when they knocked any pins over and I thought
it was hilarious. My schools crew didn’t take it as seriously luckily enough
and it actually was fun playing with my co-teacher. We rarely get a chance to
actually talk to one another so this was a welcome opportunity. The school just
down the road from mine attended as well so I was lucky enough to be with
another native English teacher. We bowled. There’s nothing more to it really.
After bowling we went for beef (Sogogi) at a restaurant in Chuncheon
(hopefully the beef wasn’t imported from California as it might be infested
with mad cow disease, see the news for more information). I doubt that, though.
I’m sure it was locally sourced and not from Lotte Mart or Home Plus. Trent
(from the other school) and I sat with our co-teachers at the end of the table
and had a conversation which was nice.
Trent and I discussed some philosophy and talked about our
backgrounds and our future plans. It was great to be sat at a table full of
Koreans and still be able to have an intelligent conversation with somebody. My
co-teacher gave me some decent information, complimented my teaching and we had
a good time. Relief. This semester has been tough and it was good to finally
get some feedback on how I’ve been faring. The day after social events at
school is always pleasant and today has been no exception. At lunch my 5th
grade teacher asked me if I would be staying another year and was disappointed when
I said I wouldn’t be. She said the students will be very sad. This made me
smile.
So, onto buying my laptop I suppose. I’d better plan some
lessons for tomorrow whilst I’m at it. Luckily, I don’t believe in luck. That
sentence was loaded with contradictions wasn’t it? Yet, it seems any bad luck
that might have come my way has now departed. Here’s to a brighter tomorrow
with less technological problems.
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