Miscellaneous Update

I received the notice from the Foreign Service. As expected I did not pass, but I have already faxed the company that administers the test so I can receive details on how I did on each section. I should be prepared next year.

I leave for Jeju Island this weekend. I am very excited to get to the beach. I heard it is very beautiful. This will be only my second time taking a trip outside of the Seoul metro area for more than a few hours. And in about 2.5 weeks I have my summer vacation in Taiwan! I found out a former high school classmate just moved there, so now I have someone to at least hang out with for even just a bit. I am much more at ease now. And yesterday I bought tickets to the Philippines for my vacation in September for the Chuseok holiday. It was amazing that I even was able to find the tickets at the price I found them; I swear that every Korean and their grandmother is leaving Korea for the holiday. Koreans get so few actual vacation days, and they always work long hours, that when they get the chance to not go to work they take full advantage. Even European packages were sold out for that holiday. However, cheaper plane tickets came at a price: I am arriving to Manila 2 days into my vacation. I will only have about 4 days in the Philippines. However, upon my research I will probably fly from Manila to the Filipino island of Palawan as soon as I arrive due to there being many things to see on Palawan (especially in the nature department). I think I'll make my last day in the Philippines in Manila for some shopping and site seeing.

There is something else I want to talk about; I know that I said in my very first entry on the site that I wasn't going to make this blog personal; rather, this was meant to be an insight into the different cultures and countries I would be in. With that said, there is something I want to share that may be a bit personal, but I think it serves as something to be learned from, not just for myself but for anyone traveling. This is especially important, as I am going to be talking about dating.

As I mentioned a couple of months ago I went on a date with an Iranian. For a while it went well, but things took a turn when he told me he had to make a last-minute trip to Iran to sort out family business. After a week of supposedly being in Iran he completely stopped contacting me. We had been dating roughly a month by this point. I was taking things slow (especially in the emotional department), but at the same time I care about people I get to know, so naturally I was worried. About a month and a half later I went clubbing with Yelena and we ran into some of his friends. After noticing some suspicious chatter and body language I found out that what I thought I knew of the Iranian turned out to not be so true. Without going into details all I will divulge is that I was lied to on multiple levels. As this information was being given to me, it is also important for me to note that many of his friends did not hesitate to hit on me, and one even proclaimed his love for me that very night. After I discussed the matter with some other friends who are more knowledgeable in the ways of Persians, I think perhaps the men of that culture clash with me. As one of my friends said, "Look at their literature. Many themes are centered on deception."

That is not to say that every Iranian is deceitful or a bad person. Indeed, what I went through could have happened with any man from any culture. I do not judge someone based solely on their background/ethnicity/heritage. That was why I dated the Iranian in the first place, despite the hysteria of my own conservative mother. However, to any person reading this, I just want you to be wary of dating someone from a completely different culture, especially if you're a woman and you're anything like me as far as being independent and having big ambitions: that is, the likeliness of it working out is slim. Don't hesitate to try it because it's a good experience, and in the end a good life lesson, but be wary and be cautious; you never know if the person you want to have a relationship with ends up playing you.

-AALA