Slow, slow, slow, slow, FAST!

Tuesday night and my first blog this week, which should go some way towards explaining just how insanely busy I have been since work started up again yesterday. My head is fried with so much going on all of a sudden having been so idle for most of the summer. So far, I think I'm keeping on top of it all fairly well and I'm enjoying the classes. Right, how about a quick catch up on the weekend?

As my last blog alluded to, I was being very 'sensible' last Friday in order to get myself organized for a busy Monday and be free to enjoy the weekend guilt-free. Once I was done blogging I did, indeed, get sucked back into my book and very nearly didn't bother going out to meet Thomas and his co-workers celebrating the end of their summer camp in Suyu. I talked to Rob on the phone on his way to the airport and then did the family mart > Rock n' Roll Day thing that is becoming more and more of a nice little Friday night habit.

I didn't have much time to laze around on Saturday before I set out from Wolgye at 5.15pm to get to Suwon (at 7.45pm...) a quarter of an hour into the Suwon Bluewings V FC Seoul encounter at a packed Suwon World Cup Stadium, by which time we were already losing 2-0. I was pretty much heading down on my own but one of the nice things (although sometimes annoying) about Korea is that random people have a habit of befriending you and that's what happened as I was getting out of my train. My FC Seoul shirt attracted a fellow supporter and she shared a taxi with me to the stadium. I'm not going to talk too much about the game but I was still standing, staring in shock a fair few minutes after the players had left the pitch. I certainly understand why Seoul and Suwon fans simply don't get along. When I was heading to meet Matt for a quick beer after the game, two Suwon fans stopped me to kindly warn me that if I didn't take off my Seoul short, "You die". Lovely. Having come from 2-0 down to get back to 2-2, it still rankles that we lost 4-2. I'd say it was a great game for the neutral: highlights here.

After the game I got the train back up to Seoul to go see Kev at Stompers in Itaewon. We were treated to some good music over the course of the night. It was both strange and enjoyable to watch Kev (old guitarist) and Jeff (new guitarist) playing so well together in the Rolling Stones cover band. The lead singer was also one of the best to watch that I've seen in a long time. Like true rockers, they headed over to Woodstock after to play another show but I stole off to Dillingers in honor of Rob where I met up with Stephen and Darragh and did a fair bit of ranting to the poor barmaid who made the mistake of asking me about the FC Seoul match. When they found out I was a fan, the bar owners gave me some merchandise they had laying around and promised me the signed ball they have behind the bar if I could make it back for the quiz on Thursday. There's no way I'll make it with my teaching schedule, but I'll be holding him to it at a later date...

Sunday was a lazy day spent hanging about with Ji and Thomas before forcing myself to stay awake for the rain-spattered Belgian Grand Prix, won by Lewis Hamilton to keep his world title bid well on track. I stayed over at Ji's that night even though I never ever seem to sleep that well over there. And so it was the case again...

Monday consisted of a taxi home at 6.30am, teaching Brand English from 7.30-8.45am, heading over to the main campus to pick up class lists for General English, writing out seating plans, teaching three General English classes from 10am-1pm, going back to prepare myself for the Dynamic English 2 classes, squeezing in a short nap, finally getting some food, teaching DDE2 from 6.40-9.20pm, preparing my classes for Tuesday and FINALLY getting to sleep around 1am. Somehow I woke up at 4.30am and couldn't get back to sleep so today has been as all over the place as yesterday. Throw in doctor's appointments and Korean class and it's looking like a pretty busy week. Importantly, all my classes have been going really well and I'm looking forward to a couple of really productive teaching blocks coming up. Secretly, I have to admit, it's nice to be busy again...

A couple of other things before I go. I have seen a few people posting this South Park episode on facebook (ironically) but I finally watched it in full tonight when I came in from class. If you're on facebook (is anyone not??), I think you'll identify... Watch it here.

As part of my recent push to get my pictures up on facebook, I asked my ex-girlfriend Annie for a link to some pictures of a safari we went on with a sound couple from Jersey (UK) back in early 2008 in Venezuela. I'm not going to get around to putting them on facebook anytime soon, but if you want to check them out now, you can do so here.

Finally, I mentioned meeting my friend Matt after the Suwon game last Sunday. If you're interested in reading a PROPER blog that never ever fails to be funny and insightful without taking itself too seriously, you should check out his recently revamped blog here.

There you go, that's all my business for the day. I'll do my best to blog again soon but we'll see how limiting my classes and sleeping pattern will be over the next few days. Great to be busy again though...