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I get one month’s vacation with my workplace, which is very generous by Korean standards – where many individuals still work six days a week and receive a paltry three days a year vacation on top of public holidays (which when fall on weekends, like last Saturday’s Liberation Day, are canceled out).

So, my work arrangements in terms of vacation time are very good in perspective and nothing to sneeze at, most Australian workers receive about the same, many Europeans receive more, while most North Americans receive less, all in all it’s pretty good.

I took one week off in June and traveled up north to Seoul and Gwangju to visit friends and was planning to take three weeks off round Christmas and head back to Australia. That was until yesterday’s meeting when I was informed by my co-ordinator that there’s a change in protocol in terms of vacations whereby everyone now has to take two weeks in summer, two in winter. As such, I have to take a vacation before the end of August – no much notice, but nothing I’m all that upset about. So, as of yesterday, the good news is I have a week off from 31 August until 4 September, the bad news is I don’t have extra week for the Australian summer, which isn’t all that bad as I should be able to do all I was planning to do in three weeks,in two weeks, and after two weeks the familial ties start to wear a bit anyway due to the prolonged close contact – I love my family but also love my free space.

Last Saturday, I had a meeting with my landlord whereby I extended my contract lease until March and was notified of a change in my address. I used to live in room 901 but now, for reasons unbeknown to me – not that I care to ask anyway – I live in 902. All the change involved was a lifting of my previous 901 sticker on the door outside my apartment with a replacement 902 sticker. I double-checked my contract just to see there wasn’t any funny business involved in the sudden room change which coincides with new tenants in the now 901. But, everything seems legit, my new contract has my new room number on it and as such I can’t foresee any troubles – yet.

One thing I like about Korea, the more she changes the more she stays the same. She keeps you on your toes as everything will be mellow and straight-forward until all of a sudden everything changes overnight. Luckily for me this time, these changes seem relatively minor and doable.

Now, I’ve just gotta somewhere to go and something to do for this unexpected week off in less than two week’s time!