So We Come To It At Last

Know what 2012 signifies? The 21st of January will be the start of my FIFTH year in Korea (April 28th, will be the start of my fifth contract). Kicking off half a decade in Kimchiland, and half a decade of living outside the borders of Canuckistan.

Noteworthy.

What are my resolutions for this year? I was going to make a Scroozle Vlogs video for the Facebook page, but thought it would run too long, so I’ll break it down into blog format. Why? Because you are utterly interested in every facet of my life. Right?

Right.

THOU SHALT NOT INFORM ROOKIES THAT THOU HATH BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT

I came into far greater contact with my fellow foreigners in 2011. Thanks to EPIK. Thanks to SeoulTube. Thanks to socializing.

The thing I noticed? I was constantly puffing up my own sense of self importance by letting everyone know my expertise with all things Korean. I’m sure that was annoying.

I shall endeavour to be more humble and allow the good folks on Facebook revel in their new Korean discoveries.

THOU SHALT CONTINUE TO CUT DOWN THINE USELESS SPENDING

I saved a lot of money in 2011, thanks to smart purchases in the beginning of the year. I saved a lot of money by ripping my DVD collection to the external hard drives. I still bought some new Blu-rays, but they were mostly Korean ones I wouldn’t be able to purchase in Canada.

I’ve been trying to spend around 100,000 on an average week (so a week that doesn’t include traveling to other cities). That being the case, I’ve been trying to buy nothing but groceries each week. A week’s worth of groceries comes to around 70,000-80,000 a week.

THOU SHALT NOT PROCRASTINATE WHEN IT COMES TO ART DUTIES

My rather weak art portfolio is a source of much shame. To most people, they probably think “Holy crap, Zack. Loot at all these awesome drawings!”. To me, it’s more like “Holy crap. Look at all these mediocre attempts, and handful of decent ones!”. I doubt I’ll ever crank out art like I did in my pre-university years, but there’s no reason why I can’t try.

The problem with going digital, is that each time I draw, I discover new settings. The new settings generally make things look better, and more in line with my pencil and paper skills. I can’t draw a comicbook, because each time I discover new settings, my style gets tweaked. If I drew more, I would finally discover the perfect settings for moi, and then I could go back to creating comics.

Practice makes perfect.

THOU SHALT SHARE THAT ****

As I’ve mentioned before, I intend to open up every single TEFL-oriented thing I’ve created in the last four (five) years.

As it stands, everything has been uploaded to the ‘net. This coming week will be the last one for camp, but after that, I have one week of desk warming. I’ll use that time to edit everything so people can use it.

As with all my stuff, it will be free and open to everyone. It’s how I roll, yo.

THOU SHALT GO ABROAD AND SEE MARVELOUS SIGHTS

Since I can’t use my Daegu Bank account to send money overseas, I can’t really use my Visa Card. This week, I will go to KEB Bank and set up an account. That way I can send money back to Canada, and then be able to use my Visa Card.

Once my credit card is good to go, I shall purchase my airfare for my vacation. Having been in Korea since 2007, it’s embarrassing that I haven’t been to anywhere else. 2012 shall be the year I change that!

Japan and Singapore will be the first places graced by Scroozle. I don’t know if I will go traveling this summer, but I might. Next winter, I will have to go to Canada.

THOU SHALT NOT SUFFER A FOOL TO LIVE

I was a bit too forgiving in 2011. Especially on Ye Olden Book of Faces. If I witness ignorance/bigotry this year, it’ll be hasta la vista, baby. This was my MO for years, but in 2010/2011, I was a bit forgiving to those who “didn’t know any better”.

We’ll see how many bridges I can burn at once…

THOU SHALT RESPECT THINE WEAKNESSES

I haven’t puked my guts out in several months now. I’ve begun to wizen up on which types of foods I am unable to handle. Certain types of greasy foods served at lunch made me empty out my entire digestive system after 45 minutes over the course of 3-5 hours (it must be a type of oil they’re using to fry stuff with. Other types of fried foods are a-okay). I’ve also discovered that certain milk brands here had been destroying my stomach, which is probably why I was never hungry for lunch in Daegu after eating my morning cereal. It was only after summer here, I discovered the brand of milk that doesn’t harm me in any particular way.

2009 had been a year where I wanted to push myself beyond my limits, and I continued that into 2010. We all know how that ended.

THOU SHALT ENDEAVOUR TO BE EVER MORE ACADEMIC

I need to start seriously thinking about the next stage in my university “life”. Putting feelers out to different universities would be a good start. I’ll have enough money to put aside for that when the time comes, so there’s no worrying about student loans next time around.

Online courses, like the TEFL certification, can’t hurt.

I gotta get my masters in history, and I’d prefer it to be sooner, rather than later. I’m still relatively young, so there isn’t an immediate rush. I graduated Dalhousie when I was still 21 years old, which is ridiculously young. I remember there being 30 year olds in my undergraduate classes, congratulating me for deciding to graduate right away.

THOU SHALT NOT PLAY SOCCER AND BASKETBALL IN THE SUMMER WITH THE STUDENTS

I’d play, and then my clothes would be soaked through with sweat. It was fun, and it helped build bonds, but it made a heckuva mess.

THOU SHALT GO SKATING BECAUSE THOU DOTH LIVETH NEXT TO AN OLYMPIC CLASS RINK

I still haven’t visited Gangneung’s rink. It was christened by Kim YuNa herself, and will host 2018 events, but I haven’t gone yet. I even have my skates. Waiting.

What the hell.

THOU SHALT CONTINUE TO DISPARAGE K-POP AND ITS LISTENERS

It sucks. So do the hordes of sheep that prop up the industry.

THOU SHALT CONTINUE TO BETTER THINESELF UNTIL THOU ART GOD OVER ALL THE WORLD

Done.