Coulda Woulda Shoulda

I find this part of the journey so difficult to articulate. Perhaps this is why I've been so silent here. Mostly, I just feel it's a very personal time, something that while I'm in the midst of it, I'm just not quite ready to share all the feelings and emotions I'm going through. Almost like my emotions seem to be changing so constantly, that if I write anything down, it will suddenly become a REAL emotion, one that's not associated with any stress hormones or general anxiety. And I'm not sure that's really the right way to go. Because I don't think venting in this sort of way will actually solve any of it or even make it go away momentarily. I think it will just paint the wrong picture. One that you can't easily erase. One that is a distroted view of the actual situation. And perhaps my journalistic side wants me to 'stick to the facts m'aam'. And those facts DON'T actually include my roller coaster emotions. Because then maybe s...

There has been a lot going on here in G-town - my mind is mostly elsewhere. I'm feeling a bit excited, apprehensive, sad, happy, angry, tired and content all at the same time. With not much else to say, I'll leave you with some more of my cents. For What It's Worth #2 - LEARN KOREAN RIGHT AWAY It was very easy for us to simply put this in the back of our minds and decide that we would 'just to it later'. Trust me, after your first week at school, the LAST thing you'll want to do is try and sit down and study. I know because we tried. And then we managed to come up with 101 excuses why we just didn't have time to learn the language. Yes, JUST DIDN'T HAVE TIME. People - there is ALWAYS time. And I think I would have had a much different - albeit less frustrating - experience if I tried to pick it up right away. It makes it easier to simply socialise in a way you do back home. Ask the convience store clerk if she's having good day. Comment about the fr...

D and I recently celebrated our full year in Korea. On Friday night, we were out with the same teachers who introduced us to Korea when we arrived. After our meal, we ventured off home to spend some quality time in a cool area (can I talk about HOW FRICKIN HOT IT IS RIGHT NOW??) our living room. Not to mention the bartender there makes THE BEST gin and tonics. We started a highs and lows conversation, a little stroll down memory lane. It's more than surreal. It's so strange and bizarre and amazing and weird and hardly possible and many other adjectives not worth mentioning that it's possible that we have been here a year. We have come a really long way. Longer than I could have ever imagined. If you had told me I would survive not only a foot break (yes I KNOW it's not that big of a deal but your are talking about a little bit o a drama head) but foot break IN ANOTHER COUNTRY, I wouldn't have believed you. If you had told me that I after a year I could put 'Can ...

Although I've already celebrated - quite extensively I may add - I thought I'd better wish everyone near and far a happy one. It was quite surreal this year as it's been the first one abroad that I've actually had other Canadians - and even Americans! - to celebrate with. Over the last 5 years, minus the one year when we were home, we were always pumping the day up for people who really, were just happy to have any excuse for a party. This year, it was a bit of sharing of past Canada Day stories, eating of the pizza, the missing of the fireworks and of course, the token drinking of many drinks. It was great. So although I'm not at a cottage somewhere, NOT working today, I certainly celebrated in good fashion. And will be hitting the sack early tonight. Because I'm an old lady people. I went to be 5 HOURS PAST MY BEDTIME last night. Oh dear. Have a great one.