"Once, there was this kid who..."

So...yeah. I'm still nervously counting down to Korea (incidentally, "Counting Down to Korea" sounds like an amazing band name- mental note) and I have about 9 or so days left. I'm not entirely sure what to expect, or if I should be expecting anything in particular. I know so little Korean that it's embarrassing, though I'm able to read the characters and stumble through reading the words (of course, I'd have no idea what it meant, but...I can read it). And I'm going to a country where English isn't the primary language. I find it ironic, in a sense, that I live in a country where I believe that citizens should speak English (though there is no official language in the US) and I'm going to another country and hoping that the people I run into will hopefully speak my foreign language. I do appreciate the irony- I try not to take myself too seriously in that regard.

I've read up on a little of the culture and have a feel for basic social conventions, which I don't want to go into, lest I find that the book had not properly depicted what I will experience. Maybe another day I shall put down what I know/knew prior to going. But I'm tired, even though it's early for me tonight.

In other news, the FIFA World Cup is running. I really have never been that interested in soccer (exercise induced asthma combined with being overweight as a kid kinda made it the worst of all sports for me) but I talked to a friend of mine who lives in Korea currently and will also be attending the same University that I will be going to in a few days and he is over the moon as Korea (the ROK team or "South Korea") qualified and won their first match. He said that he'll have to show me what it's like to be in Korea during a World Cup. Now, the US has been in the WC a great deal and I can't think of many people know that are that interested in it. So, I'm intrigued what it's like to be overseas in a country that is incredibly interested in soccer/football. I mean, there have been riots after games in the past, which while it wasn't in Korea, I'm sure the enthusiasm level has to be similar. This being said I'm going to have to follow the WC a bit closer and right now I'm pulling for Korea just to see what happens. Why not, right?

Also, on the news front, it appears (as of this morning) that both the Republic of Korea (South) and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK/North) are both appearing before the UN over the battleship sinking (I mentioned this a few posts ago, check it out). So...yeah. Both sides haven't really changed position- ROK is still upset (understandable) and the DPRK is still claiming they had nothing to do with it. Ugh. So...yeah. I'm going to have to check up on the news and see how that goes as well. Oy. Well...here's to an early evening and hoping that everything turns out well!

-Reven