Got My Apostilled Diploma!!

It's been a rollercoaster kind of day. On the one hand it was a crappy day. On the other, I got back my diploma from the State Department with the apostille attached! It only took 2 weeks!

Getting mail is the best. Getting mail that you need in order to move forward with getting your butt out of the country, is even better.

They stapled my affidavit to my diploma for me, and then stapled the apostille on top of that. It was just a normal sheet of paper, but it was super exciting to see it say: "Requested for use in South Korea". It makes it seem much more real. I really really really hope I make it through the first round. If I don't I'm going to try a different route, but it would be so much easier if this just worked out.

Here's what the apostille looks like.

Thank you Nandita. You have an epik name. (see what I did there? eh?)

Only like ten days until we here back from EPIK about stage one. I'm so anxious. 

XOXO

Kim(chi)

Signs From the EPIK gods

Wanna hear something totally bizarre? 

No?

WELL TOO BAD!

Because I have something totally weird to rant about this morning/evening.

Lately, I've been having the worst trouble sleeping. Ever since I quit my job (and have basically nothing to do all day, except work out in the vain hopes of becoming even somewhat fit before Korea-but that's a whole different post) I've been staying up all night and sleeping from like eight am to four pm.

So it looks like this

4pm- wake up
go abouts my day
complain endlessly about how much I hate working out
work out (maybe)
binge watch kdramas
8am- go to sleep

Now hopefully, I'll get the job I'm vying for at Best Western, wherein I shall babysit the hotel lobby from 11pm-7am. Initially, I thought well...I'm not sleeping anyway and my clock is already turned around, so this will be perfect for the next six months before I go to Korea.

BUT IT GETS MORE PERFECT!

Korean Standard time is 14 hours ahead so basically when we're sleeping they're awake and vice versa. If you were to put my current sleep schedule on KST, I'd be sleeping from 10pm-6am.

I hope you love 1990's clip art as much as I do.

TL;DR: I'm already living on Korean Standard Time, which is both strange and hilarious to me. I'm not sure exactly what prompted my sleep cycle to 180 on me, but I'm rather glad that it did. It's perfect for this job that I'm applying for and even more perfect for flying through space and time to Korea where I shall suffer no jet lag whatsoever. Mwahahaha!

SIDE NOTE: My next post is going to be musings on why I'm so confident that I'll make it to Korea. And why you should be too.

XOXO
Kim(chi)

Waiting is the Worst

I've sent out my diploma and FBI background check. I've copied my passport. I've printed out my application and have started my TEFL course. There's no more to do for the moment and waiting to hear if I have an interview with EPIK is literally THE WORST. 

Hopefully, I'll hear in the next two weeks. Grahhfgdsgggghhh. 

Bye for now!

XOXO

Kim(chi)

Familial Reaction Part IV

    Mom: I feel a lot better about this after watching those.

    Me: Makes you realize it's not some third world country?

    Mom: It makes me realize you'll fit right in.

    Me: ...thanks?







PVFKVTTT7SU4

Apostilles and CRC's

Alright so! I've been so on top of this whole paperwork/required documents thing these past two days. Here's what I did step by step (maybe it will help clear up some questions for anyone)

FBI BACKGROUND CHECK

1. I got my fingerprints taken at the local jail. I was in line behind someone who was bailing out their brother, which was...interesting to overhear. After waaaay too long of a wait, I was taken into the "processing room". It's ridiculous, but I really did feel like I was in trouble! He did my fingerprints (the ring finger on my right hand came out a little smudgy so I'm a tad worried about that...) and that was that. It was free. All I had to do was bring my own fingerprint card, which you can download from here.

2. Filled out the applicant information form, which you can download here. Just click the "request" button.

3. Went and got a money order from my bank for $18 and made it payable to Treasury of the United States

4. Stuck it all in an envelope with a note requesting that the FBI Summary be "Authenticated" or "Authorized" by a stamp or signature because I would be getting it Apostilled. I heard somewhere that you need to get it authenticated or authorized (because it acts as a sort of notary) before you can send it out to be apostilled. Not sure if it's true, but I went ahead with that. They also requested that I include contact information (ie. cell and email) so I did that as well.

And that took care of requesting my FBI background check. According to their website the wait time is around 28 days not including transit time. Note that I did not include an envelope for them to send me my summary. I think the $18 helps pay for that, unlike the Apostilles, which require you to include a self addressed stamped envelope. Speaking of apostilles...

DEGREE APOSTILLE 

This one was a little more confusing for me because I live in the State of Texas where apparently you can't notarize copies of school records like diplomas. I was told (by the expert as PostNet lol) that I would have to type up a letter of sorts which basically promised that the copy was a true and exact copy blah blah blah and then sign it, and then he would notarize THAT and attach it to the color copy of my diploma. Not being too sure about this I called the Authentications people in Austin and verified it with them. Yes. Exactly. Should've trusted the PostNet guy. SO!

1. Made a copy of my diploma (exact replica; size and color)

2. Wrote the promise/affidavit. Here's my wording:

I, Blah Blah Blah, state on this the 5th day of March, 2014, that the attached document is a true and exact copy of the original diploma issued to me by the University of North Texas. This copy was made in the presence of a notary public.

I then wrote my name and left space for the notary to sign, date, and stamp it.

3. I included the payment form (2101) for $15 and the Request for an Official Certificate or Apostille form (2102), which you can get here.

4. I included a slip of paper with the country where the document will be recorded/used/transmitted. (ie. South Korea) and I also went on to specify the EPIK program. Just in case.

5. Included a self addressed stamped envelope for them to send me back the apostilled documents.

There are a lot of options on the Secretary of State website where you get things apostilled so I made sure to go over it with the lady I talked to on the phone. She verified that I had everything covered. SO!

Now I just have to wait to get my FBI Summary back so I can rinse and repeat the Apostille process with that one, and I'm then basically done! :D

I should probably start my TESOL course... *ugh* TOO EXPENSIVE!!!

XOXO
Kim(chi)

EPIK Application Wait Time

Well I was nearly on the nose with my first prediction. I got my confirmation email for my EPIK application two days before I thought I would. :)

Other than providing the Attached Documents File, which you can find in the second tab on my page cleverly labeled "Required Documents After Passed Interview" or on EPIK's website here: www.epik.kr under application > required documents, and giving you the link to the Facebook group for other applicants in your term, the EPIK coordinators give an idea of what the wait time is going to be.

This term they say they will begin processing applications in the last week of March, which means that if you're like me and waited nearly three weeks after the first day to apply (February 1st) it might be more of a wait considering you're down a little further in the queue.

Last time I applied I think it was like 2 days in. I was basically hovering over the EPIK website and Facebook page waiting for them to say they'd begun taking applications. Because of this my next timeline prediction is probably going to be about a week or two early. Now I'm thinking I'll probably hear something by the second or third week of April. *My birthday month!*

I'm looking forward to being accepted on the Facebook Fall 2014 page though. It's interesting seeing how many people have already applied through EPIK (106 so far in the group). I'm sure that some haven't joined the group, and some are using recruitment agencies, but still it's a good general idea. The Spring 2014 page ended up having like 600+ people so it gives me a good idea of where I stand in line.

Next thing I have to do is get started on my documents!! I didn't have my diploma last time, but now it's sitting 5 feet away from me so that's less stress. I need to get my fingerprints done. Somewhere...
And I need to find my passport. :-/ I haven't seen it since I moved. I'll feel much better after I get my CRC and Apostilles sent away.

XOXO
Kim(chi)

See...

What had happened was...

This sad puppy exemplifies exactly how I feel about not continuing with my application to participate in EPIK last year. Very sad, a little guilty, a little regretful. BUT for reasons which were (somewhat) outside of my control, I found myself graduating college (I GRADUATED!!!!!) but not being able to leave the country quite yet. 

HOWEVER! 

I'm now back on the EPIK train and I'm not getting off until my feet are on South Korean soil, dangit! I sent my application again a few days ago, and have been stretching out my legs for all the hoop jumping in my near future. The great news is, I already had the lesson plan and the essay and the letters of recommendation. I wasn't sure about reusing the lesson plan and essay, but I figured that they accepted them once and it's not like I can cheat off my own work, so there's no sense in me not using what I previously came up with. 

I did make a mistake though. Instead of downloading the new application (I didn't realize they had updated it) I just redid my old one. I changed a few things, and submitted that. Literally, like 20 minutes later I had a message from EPIK that said they noticed my application was an old version and to resubmit it with the new application. 

I can't BELIEVE they saw the application that fast. I mean...I don't know how they process everything, but dang...

I did resend the application on Saturday, and based on last years turnaround time, I'm hoping to hear back with a confirmation of receiving it by the end of this week. A little over a month later, I got my email to schedule the interview. So based on that time frame:

2/22/14: Submitted Application

2/28/14: Confirmation of Application and Invitation to FB Group

4/06/14: Invitation to Skype Interview

4/13ish : Interview

I'm rather embarrassed...now you can see clearly the extent of my planning OCD. But honestly, I really think that the EPIK people are on top of their game, and I truly think this is a pretty good prediction of what the timeline will look like. My goal then is to have all of my documentation completed by April, 15th, because the faster you get that in the more likely you get the placement you requested, and I REALLLLY want Jeju Providence. 

That's all for now. I hope that y'all can forgive my little disappearing act. 

XOXO

Kim(chi)!