Playing the waiting game

The one thing I've learned throughout the process so far is that, while things happen fairly quickly, much of it ends up as waiting.

It took me only one day to put together all my necessary paperwork, except to get my criminal check authenticated by the state Apostille. Thanks to a mistake by the notary, I got that back and found out it needed notarized in a certain way.

My notary didn't know that and, I think, was still uncomfortable when I took it to her a second time. I lost about five days in the process sending the criminal check out once and getting it back with a note telling me about the mistake.

I can take some solace knowing that most notaries would have made the same mistake. I met someone else who will be in Seoul starting in November. She told me that her notary said the same thing. Fortunately, I went through it already, so she didn't have to lose any time like I did.

Here is the address of my school. Obviously this won't be my apartment's address as well. But I will be in this general location if you're trying to find it on a map.
Okryun-dong 194-42, Yeonsu-gu
Incheon, Korea
Jungchul School
zip code: 406-050

Of course, that is a different story altogether. No online maps are detailed enough for South Korea to show all the neighborhoods and wards. You will find Incheon on there, and that's my city.

My parents and I spent a whirlwind weekend dropping Melissa off at seminary in Virginia, then swinging up to New York to see Jeremy. The trip paid off for me because I got to see Jeremy and Melissa before I disappear for a year, and I also finally found a book store with Korean materials.

I got a beginner's workbook with cd, a phrase and culture book, a pocket dictionary and a book called "Making Out In Korean." There's no doubt I'll be doing the last one the most. Realistically, there is a lot of stuff in the last book that will be useful when I'm out. It has less formal phrases and more that are meant for getting to know people when you're out.

The good news is that my school got my paperwork over the weekend. That means they're reviewing it right now to make sure I'm a suitable candidate. They'll then send me a visa insurance number.

From they're I might have a couple of options. I'll either have to go to New York again to the Korean consulate to get interviewed for my visa, or I'll go on a visitor's visa to South Korea. From there, they'll send me up to Japan to get my visa paperwork completed.

Obviously I'm hoping for the second. If that happens, I'll get to check out Japan and NOT have to pay for it. The New York trip would come out of my own pocket.

That's it for now. Na-jung-e. (That's how it sounds to say "later." I don't have the capabilities yet to type in the Korean characters.)