60 more days until I leave
21 more school days
17 more teaching days
12 Middle School teaching days
5 Elementary School teaching days
4 High School teaching days
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Monday, May 27, 2013
78 days
I've sold a lot of my stuff already. Mainly appliances and furniture.
The clothes and nick-nacks will be sold soon, too.
It feels great to get rid of things.
Make space.
Clear the clutter.
And...
The clothes and nick-nacks will be sold soon, too.
It feels great to get rid of things.
Make space.
Clear the clutter.
And...
Monday, May 20, 2013
85 days
So, I've got 85 days until I fly out of Korea, and embark on my journey yet again.
I've been going through a plethora of emotions. Some conscious, some not so much.
I feel overwhelmed. Not just because there are so many things to do, but the change is so big.
I've been in Korea over 6 years now. This is as much my home as the previous two countries I've lived in. This feels actually more my home now because I've grown so much here. I've been so independent.
I'm excited for the future, I know it's time to go. But still, it's so difficult.
I've enjoyed my time here so much.
I've been going through a plethora of emotions. Some conscious, some not so much.
I feel overwhelmed. Not just because there are so many things to do, but the change is so big.
I've been in Korea over 6 years now. This is as much my home as the previous two countries I've lived in. This feels actually more my home now because I've grown so much here. I've been so independent.
I'm excited for the future, I know it's time to go. But still, it's so difficult.
I've enjoyed my time here so much.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Bulls and Zipping in Daegu - April 20,21 2013
After a very long vacation from the very popular weekend trips, I finally joined one. It wasn't so much for me, but for my friend Liz who is leaving Korea and going back to Liverpool in 4 weeks from today. She hasn't gone on many organized trips and feels she's missed out, so now, we are taking advantage of the beautiful weather, and going somewhere as often as possible.
Last weekend, we went to a bull fighting and zip lining trip. It was in Daegu, which is very far SW from my town, and pretty far SE from Seoul. I thought originally to take a bus down to Daegu and meet up the tour group there, instead of going all the way E over to Seoul and then down south. But, because of the mountains and the roads, it is faster to first go to Seoul, and then take a bus down. It doesn't make sense, but it just is the way it is.
So, Friday night, we headed out on the last bus. I was late, and Liz was drunk. That's a very common occurrence for both of us.
We found a sauna to stay at overnight, and after a mere 3 hours of sleep, we woke up and headed out through the labyrinth that is the Express Bus Terminal underground passage world. We arrived promptly at 6:50am and waited with the other sleepy eyed foreigners for our bus to arrive.
The bus arrives, and we all swarm it. Not only to catch the best seats, but to get out of the miserable rain. Luckily, most of our days activities were indoors today so it didn't really affect us very much.
That was a very quiet bus ride. Usually people talk, get to know each other, drink, some even start karaoke. But this time, it was quiet. Saturday morning at 7am, everyone we to sleep and did not wake up until we arrived at our destination.
First stop, Bull Fighting arena. Now, this is not the bloody sad horrible Spanish version. I'm not really in favour of the killing of the bull part. No, here, two bulls are brought into the arena, and when they see each other, their male instincts kick in and they want to fight and claim their territory, presuming they think the arena is their territory And then the butt heads and horns, trying to out-wrestle each other. The game ends when one bull submits and runs away. If the bulls are well matched, it can go on for the entire 30 minutes, which is what happened for the first match. Then it's a tie. For the next match it was over in less than a minute. Poor bull ran away muuing. The winner was posing big and strong. If he could talk, I think he'd say something like: "Come back here!! I'll show you who's boss!! I'm the boss! Don't you run away!!" Or something like that.
We had some beer to warm us up, some soup to keep us going, and some persimmon magkoli to satisfy our curiosity.
After the bulls, piled back onto the bus and headed out to the wine tunnel. Sounds intriguing doesn't it??
Well, it was really pretty. Unexpected, and delicious.
Originally, it was a train tunnel, but was abandoned, tracks removed and transformed into a persimmon wine cellar. Can you sense a pattern?
Persimmons. Yes. Apparently that area is famous for their persimmon products. They had persimmon everything, and we were there to sample the persimmon wine.
There were no free samples. Apparently, there were a few years back, but now it had become so popular that they figured they might as well charge people for the samples as well, not just the full bottles.
Liz and me walked down the tunnel, and eventually found a table to occupy. We got some wine, got some cheese and enjoyed a very fragrant and unusual persimmon wine.
After all the snacking and drinking, everyone was hungry and ready to devour some meat. Perfect place to go to?? BBQ Buffet! YES! YES!! YEEEEES!!
Our tour organizer William booked the place ahead of time. After all, we were more than 50 people. I think the restaurant staff were a bit freaked out seeing so many foreigners together in their establishment. They were very flustered and were running around to all the tables as we were all demanding more meat, more alcohol, more meat, more alcohol, and a bit more vegetables.
It was great. It finally gave us the chance to sit with random people, talk, get to know each other, and set the mood for the evenings shenanigans.
Unfortunately, the lack of sleep and long bus rides were leaving their antisocial mark on me. I was grumpy, tired, and all the people around me were annoying. It didn't help that they were all in their early 20's with raging hormones, full of energy and ready to party the night away.
I felt old.
I didn't mind it though, I just didn't want to be there. So, I made sure Liz was ok, had found people she could hang out with, and after the dinner was done, and the bus took us to the hotel before heading out to the clubs, I sneaked away and had a wonderful night in.
I read, I watched TV, I had the whole comfy bed to myself, I had some delicious pastries from a nearby shop... I was so glad I didn't go out. I didn't need to prove anything, pretend to be enjoying something when I wasn't. Nah! I just wanted to have a chilled evening, and so I did.
Liz and Maya came back at some point in the night, Maya went on the blankets on the floor, and Liz flopped on the bed next to me, fully dressed and completely inebriated.
The next day, after a quick breakfast, we load back on the buses and head out to the Zip Line course.
I was really excited. I had done it before but my fear of heights and vertigo were not helping me enjoy those experiences. So, I decided to do it again and get over those fears.
Unlike the day before, the weather was great. Sunny, warm, pleasant.
We got there, waited a bit until our turn came, got our harnesses and helmets on, signed away our lives and headed up the mountain.
I was the 2nd to jump. I didn't hesitate too much. It was great.
It had 9 courses and they were all fantastic. One especially was memorable because of it's incredible speed. I was worried the guide could not stop me in time and I'd fly off the other end. I didn't. I was OK.
After everyone was done, it was time to head back to Seoul, and for me, Liz and Maya, continue our epic journey to the east coast.
Last weekend, we went to a bull fighting and zip lining trip. It was in Daegu, which is very far SW from my town, and pretty far SE from Seoul. I thought originally to take a bus down to Daegu and meet up the tour group there, instead of going all the way E over to Seoul and then down south. But, because of the mountains and the roads, it is faster to first go to Seoul, and then take a bus down. It doesn't make sense, but it just is the way it is.
So, Friday night, we headed out on the last bus. I was late, and Liz was drunk. That's a very common occurrence for both of us.
We found a sauna to stay at overnight, and after a mere 3 hours of sleep, we woke up and headed out through the labyrinth that is the Express Bus Terminal underground passage world. We arrived promptly at 6:50am and waited with the other sleepy eyed foreigners for our bus to arrive.
The bus arrives, and we all swarm it. Not only to catch the best seats, but to get out of the miserable rain. Luckily, most of our days activities were indoors today so it didn't really affect us very much.
That was a very quiet bus ride. Usually people talk, get to know each other, drink, some even start karaoke. But this time, it was quiet. Saturday morning at 7am, everyone we to sleep and did not wake up until we arrived at our destination.
First stop, Bull Fighting arena. Now, this is not the bloody sad horrible Spanish version. I'm not really in favour of the killing of the bull part. No, here, two bulls are brought into the arena, and when they see each other, their male instincts kick in and they want to fight and claim their territory, presuming they think the arena is their territory And then the butt heads and horns, trying to out-wrestle each other. The game ends when one bull submits and runs away. If the bulls are well matched, it can go on for the entire 30 minutes, which is what happened for the first match. Then it's a tie. For the next match it was over in less than a minute. Poor bull ran away muuing. The winner was posing big and strong. If he could talk, I think he'd say something like: "Come back here!! I'll show you who's boss!! I'm the boss! Don't you run away!!" Or something like that.
We had some beer to warm us up, some soup to keep us going, and some persimmon magkoli to satisfy our curiosity.
After the bulls, piled back onto the bus and headed out to the wine tunnel. Sounds intriguing doesn't it??
Well, it was really pretty. Unexpected, and delicious.
Originally, it was a train tunnel, but was abandoned, tracks removed and transformed into a persimmon wine cellar. Can you sense a pattern?
Persimmons. Yes. Apparently that area is famous for their persimmon products. They had persimmon everything, and we were there to sample the persimmon wine.
There were no free samples. Apparently, there were a few years back, but now it had become so popular that they figured they might as well charge people for the samples as well, not just the full bottles.
Liz and me walked down the tunnel, and eventually found a table to occupy. We got some wine, got some cheese and enjoyed a very fragrant and unusual persimmon wine.
After all the snacking and drinking, everyone was hungry and ready to devour some meat. Perfect place to go to?? BBQ Buffet! YES! YES!! YEEEEES!!
Our tour organizer William booked the place ahead of time. After all, we were more than 50 people. I think the restaurant staff were a bit freaked out seeing so many foreigners together in their establishment. They were very flustered and were running around to all the tables as we were all demanding more meat, more alcohol, more meat, more alcohol, and a bit more vegetables.
It was great. It finally gave us the chance to sit with random people, talk, get to know each other, and set the mood for the evenings shenanigans.
Unfortunately, the lack of sleep and long bus rides were leaving their antisocial mark on me. I was grumpy, tired, and all the people around me were annoying. It didn't help that they were all in their early 20's with raging hormones, full of energy and ready to party the night away.
I felt old.
I didn't mind it though, I just didn't want to be there. So, I made sure Liz was ok, had found people she could hang out with, and after the dinner was done, and the bus took us to the hotel before heading out to the clubs, I sneaked away and had a wonderful night in.
I read, I watched TV, I had the whole comfy bed to myself, I had some delicious pastries from a nearby shop... I was so glad I didn't go out. I didn't need to prove anything, pretend to be enjoying something when I wasn't. Nah! I just wanted to have a chilled evening, and so I did.
Liz and Maya came back at some point in the night, Maya went on the blankets on the floor, and Liz flopped on the bed next to me, fully dressed and completely inebriated.
The next day, after a quick breakfast, we load back on the buses and head out to the Zip Line course.
I was really excited. I had done it before but my fear of heights and vertigo were not helping me enjoy those experiences. So, I decided to do it again and get over those fears.
Unlike the day before, the weather was great. Sunny, warm, pleasant.
We got there, waited a bit until our turn came, got our harnesses and helmets on, signed away our lives and headed up the mountain.
I was the 2nd to jump. I didn't hesitate too much. It was great.
It had 9 courses and they were all fantastic. One especially was memorable because of it's incredible speed. I was worried the guide could not stop me in time and I'd fly off the other end. I didn't. I was OK.
After everyone was done, it was time to head back to Seoul, and for me, Liz and Maya, continue our epic journey to the east coast.
Monday, March 25, 2013
My new tattoo
So, after about 1 year of contemplation, I finally got my 3rd tattoo.
I found the perfect picture, edited it a bit, added the perfect quote, and VOILA!
I found the perfect picture, edited it a bit, added the perfect quote, and VOILA!
It is the perfect time for this. Most of my friends have left, I am leaving soon, I am changing my life completely again, good things have come and gone, bad things have come and gone, and everything is impermanent. Well, maybe not this tattoo; this is permanent.
And the eyes? Well, to remind me to see. Not just look, but to see myself, and my actions, and my dreams and values, and live by them. To strive every day towards what I want in life.
And to remind myself, that everything will pass.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Loosing people
It does get easier.
I've been here in Korea for 6 years now. I've had two big groups of friends come and go, and I feel I'm handling it better this time around.
I did cry more, and I did share my feelings more, and I think that helped with the healing. I didn't bottle it up and simply ignore it.
People here come just for short periods of time, 1 or 2 years, and then they leave. You make good friends and then they all disperse throughout the world.
I was trying to stop thinking of all of this as a loss, and think of it as an opportunity. Now I have so many more places to visit in the world. Free places to stay at, friends to meet up with and trips to look forward to.
But it's still difficult now. And I still cry when I see something that reminds me of things we used to do together, or when I hear a song that we used to listen to together. Those will never be the same. But again, I'm trying not to think that I won't ever do that again, but to remember how great it was and how fortunate I am to have met such great people.
I've also noticed I have less interest in getting to know the new people that have come. The same thing happened last time, and it took over a year to get back to normal and have a full social life again.
But maybe this time it'll be different, because everything is different now.
I'm leaving as well. FINALLY!
I'm embarking on my own journey. I'll be the one leaving this time around, and others will be left behind to wonder where I am and what new things I'm experiencing.
Well, that comes to everyone in the end. For me: 6.5 years.
I can't wait to get going!
I've been here in Korea for 6 years now. I've had two big groups of friends come and go, and I feel I'm handling it better this time around.
I did cry more, and I did share my feelings more, and I think that helped with the healing. I didn't bottle it up and simply ignore it.
People here come just for short periods of time, 1 or 2 years, and then they leave. You make good friends and then they all disperse throughout the world.
I was trying to stop thinking of all of this as a loss, and think of it as an opportunity. Now I have so many more places to visit in the world. Free places to stay at, friends to meet up with and trips to look forward to.
But it's still difficult now. And I still cry when I see something that reminds me of things we used to do together, or when I hear a song that we used to listen to together. Those will never be the same. But again, I'm trying not to think that I won't ever do that again, but to remember how great it was and how fortunate I am to have met such great people.
I've also noticed I have less interest in getting to know the new people that have come. The same thing happened last time, and it took over a year to get back to normal and have a full social life again.
But maybe this time it'll be different, because everything is different now.
I'm leaving as well. FINALLY!
I'm embarking on my own journey. I'll be the one leaving this time around, and others will be left behind to wonder where I am and what new things I'm experiencing.
Well, that comes to everyone in the end. For me: 6.5 years.
I can't wait to get going!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Sad day - Good bye Bernard
Today Bernard left.
He left in the morning.
After knowing him for 2 years and nearly 2 weeks of staying at my house, it was incredibly difficult to let him go.
Now he's off to India, having an adventure with Danny.
I've never met a person that is as happy, as positive and as kind as him.
It was a difficult day. Luckily I've been busy with school and was able to keep myself occupied.
He left in the morning.
After knowing him for 2 years and nearly 2 weeks of staying at my house, it was incredibly difficult to let him go.
Now he's off to India, having an adventure with Danny.
I've never met a person that is as happy, as positive and as kind as him.
It was a difficult day. Luckily I've been busy with school and was able to keep myself occupied.
Danny and Bernard staying at my house for a couple of weeks. It was so hard to get up in the morning and go to work when they were sleeping so nicely like this.
Bernard stuck in the Internet.
Danny trying to be cool with his Mac.
Bernie is the snuggle master.
He makes everything look comfy and cozy.
After 2 years, in the last week, Abby finally allows Bernie to snuggle up.
SNUGLEEEEEEES!!!!!!!
Trying to make Logan jealous.
Come back Logan!!
Love you Bernie!!
Missing you already!
My boys!! They both left. Hope we'll be reunited sometime somewhere.
Logan and Abby. Not many people have been able to get so close to her.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Oscars 2013
What a fantastic morning (for me).
Found a link to watch the Oscars online, and proceeded to do so at work.
At the same time, I've been tweeting and facebooking and messaging and staying connected, live.
What a rush.
Here are the results:
Best Picture: "Argo"
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln"
Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Best Director: Ang Lee, "Life of Pi"
Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway, "Les Miserables"
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained"
Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino, "Django Unchained"
Best Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio, "Argo"
Best Cinematography: Claudio Miranda, "Life of Pi"
Best Foreign Language Film: "Amour"
Best Animated Feature Film: "Brave"
Best Animated Short: "Paper Man"
Best Visual Effects: "Life of Pi"
Best Costume Design: Jacqueline Durran, "Anna Karenina"
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Julie Westcott and Julie Dartnell, "Les Miserables"
Best Live Action Short: "Curfew"
Best Documentary Short: "Innocent"
Best Documentary Feature: "Searching For Sugar Man"
Best Sound Mixing: "Les Miserables"
Best Sound Editing: "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Skyfall"
Best Film Editing: William Goldenberg, "Argo"
Best Production Design: "Lincoln"
Best Original Score: Mychael Danna,"Life of Pi"
Best Original Song: Adele, "Skyfall"
Found a link to watch the Oscars online, and proceeded to do so at work.
At the same time, I've been tweeting and facebooking and messaging and staying connected, live.
What a rush.
Here are the results:
Best Picture: "Argo"
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln"
Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Best Director: Ang Lee, "Life of Pi"
Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway, "Les Miserables"
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained"
Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino, "Django Unchained"
Best Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio, "Argo"
Best Cinematography: Claudio Miranda, "Life of Pi"
Best Foreign Language Film: "Amour"
Best Animated Feature Film: "Brave"
Best Animated Short: "Paper Man"
Best Visual Effects: "Life of Pi"
Best Costume Design: Jacqueline Durran, "Anna Karenina"
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Julie Westcott and Julie Dartnell, "Les Miserables"
Best Live Action Short: "Curfew"
Best Documentary Short: "Innocent"
Best Documentary Feature: "Searching For Sugar Man"
Best Sound Mixing: "Les Miserables"
Best Sound Editing: "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Skyfall"
Best Film Editing: William Goldenberg, "Argo"
Best Production Design: "Lincoln"
Best Original Score: Mychael Danna,"Life of Pi"
Best Original Song: Adele, "Skyfall"
Thursday, February 21, 2013
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