Prep work (or, reality is harsh)

Recently, I found a bogart. It was an endlessly rushing river of paperwork that needed reviewing, redoing, and re-submitting. It resisted my repeated roars of “RIDICKULUS!” so I recognized it must be REAL.

I’ve had this fear that I’m going to get there and have forgotten some important paper and be sent back, so today I spent way more time than necessary just checking and double checking I have everything they asked for both in the electronic application form and in my hard-copy folder that I’ll be presenting at the university.  Some of the things they ask for in the application form are not required as hard-copies to be handed in, an example being my Korea study plan.  Ugh, even thinking about paperwork makes me want to cry and scream in frustration.

 

Anyway, we’re getting closer! Just six more days!

Attempting to pack for myself draft 1

It’s not working

So I asked my mom to do it for me

It’s depressing to think you’re at least semi-capable at something and then be awakened by reality.

Oh well.

My mom also made the packing list for me.

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On a more serious note, something I’m looking forward to in Korea is meeting more people who are like-minded, have similar backgrounds, and are good at discussing ideas, rather than events.  I want to meet people that have also read current data on tourism and can talk about these trends and their opportunities with me.  I want to meet people who are thirsty for deeper knowledge of subjects like market developments and entrepreneurship and the trade in intellectual property.  I want to meet people who like watching slice-of-life foreign-language films.  I want to meet people who have internalized myths and legends and children’s stories from around the world and can reference them easily in conversation.  I want to meet people that inspire me to pursue my faith to another level. I want to meet people who write their own stories.  I want to meet people who aren’t particularly impressed that I speak almost three languages because they can express themselves in four or five. I want to meet people that recognize the names Simone Porter and Benjamin Beilman.  I really, really, really hope that I won’t be giving various versions of an elevator speech to different people every single week.

Wish me luck.

New York City’s Texan Eatery

Prompt: Explain why you’ve given this famous restaurant only one star, despite the fact that you’ve never been there.

Wildly popular with Manhattan’s group of female late Gen-X writers, Eat Pray Love appears to be nothing more than a marketing gimmick.  The food, supposedly an Indian-Italian fusion, only serves Indian appetizers and quasi-Italian desserts. Indonesian food somehow didn’t make it onto the menu, despite Indonesia being the most important part of the story. Entrees tend to be very American in style, with sandwiches, salads, hamburgers, salmon, and signature New York style pizza on the menu.  The al fresco dining area was “trying too hard to be authentic” and as such, the simple ironwork furniture and white linen napkins are ruined by the garish chair covers and uncomfortable cushions.  But the outdoor patio is a splendid sight compared to the inside, where each wall is decorated with too many cliched photos of the Taj Mahal, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, or Bali resorts.  I haven’t actually eaten here, but the interior designer is my best friend’s cousin while the chef is my second- cousin-once-removed.  Seeing as that we never see each other, I don’t feel bad leaving this restaurant with a lone star.