I check my email first thing when I wake up like clockwork, I've done this since I began University. Lately, it's because I have been feeling homesick and I like getting emails from friends and family - especially when they have photo or video attachments! This morning's email was not what I would call fantastic and it kind of set the mood for the rest of my day. I was worried about my dogs, anyone that knows me knows that they are my world. They are my babies.
I vented to a few choice friends, because I felt comfortable talking to them about it.. because that's how my close friends and I interact back home. Since my father died I am not so great at filtering what I say.. it just kind of comes out when it needs to and lands where ever... with whoever. I'm starting to realize that my friends here are not really as close as I allow myself to think sometimes. I do this awesome thing where I just assume everyone is as comfortable and open with their lines of communication as I am. That doesn't mean I don't know some fantastic people here, I am stoked on my new friends for sure! But I get it.. I am still new here, these people are still (for the most part) relatively new in my life.. perhaps it's not so fair to dump my burdens on them and expect the same comfort to be returned as I might with my girl friends back home.
I really miss having friends that are girls. REALLY miss it. My friends back home are going to Vegas on thursday, and I am so excited for them because travelling is the best- but I am bursting with jealousy because I wish I could be with them. Watching from far away is hard, and sometimes it hurts... I find myself constantly reminding myself why I am here. Maybe I need to write positive notes for myself to remind myself better so it doesn't seem so lonely?
I came here to work, number one, because being a poor student sucks. I wanted to gain valuable work experience in a different setting - check! Work itself is awesome, stressful - but I definitely feel like I am growing as a person because of it. I do really miss home though.. I miss living close to friends.. In Victoria if I was sad, I would go to the top of Mt Tolmie or go to Maude's with Ben or Tori. I had these places that I felt safe, with people I was sure of. I don't have that security here yet.. I sure hope I find it soon. Nobody likes a Debbie Downer and I am clearly that right now. I don't mean to be.. just too many feels to sort through.
I would KILL for my onesy, puppy cuddles, a nice glass of wine, and some homemade soup. Comfort.
Really, I think I just need a hug but I am not close enough with anyone here to expect one.
Le sad face. Le homesick.
PS. - I can sort of hear out of my left ear now, it's quiet and kind of fuzzy (like having water in your ear or ear plugs) but that's a good sign!! Atleast that's some good news...
Now i'm off to lay on my couch in PJs and stream the Bachelorette. I may eat my feelings.
Wednesday 26 June 2013
Sunday 23 June 2013
homemade ear plugs and motown grooves
This week was stresssssssssssssful. I had the parents of my students come in I forgot to mention in my last post, but I am partially deaf in one ear. Welcome to Korea? I had a sinus infection that one round of antibiotics didn't kick, I ended up blowing my ear drum and making two hospital visits. I will be going for a follow up tomorrow to find out if my hearing will return or if I will be needing corrective surgery. LAME. Can't change it though, so I'm being patient and super careful.. when I know where I'm going is going to be loud I wear an ear plug or I just.. excuse myself. Good girl, I know!
Friday night I went to Sharky's with my homegirl from work Kristy. She was throwing back double rye and gingers like if she stopped the supermoon would swallow the Earth. She was hilarious, I love her energy. After Kristy took herself home to bed I met up with Johann and Joel for some ridiculously spicy chicken, and we hit up Almost Famous for some awesome motown and old school hiphop tunes. I LOVE MOTOWN. I also experienced Blue Monkey for the first time... MEH.
Post Almost Famous, it was time for some Cheesy Kimchi. Cheesy Kimchi is a kimchi pancake, which sounds kind of disgusting but it is heaven. It's basically a kimchi pancake pizza. it's delicious.
Anywho, this Korean dude who had clearly had too much Makoli, or soju, or both sauntered in. He had the most BEAUTIFUL denim button up I had ever seen on a man. I told him so and he immediately started bugging his friend to join our table.
He took a real shining to Johann, tarnished only by the fact that his Korean was not as fluent as drunky denim shirt would have liked. He did, however, write his name in hangul on Johann's hand so that he could pronounce it properly. That was kind of him. He kept telling the girl he was with that he loved her, and she was having none of that. It was a pretty awkward exchange, I think he may have been in love with Johann.
But this shirt. THIS SHIRT. It was incredible. I would marry a man for that shirt alone. It was a darker denim, sleeves rolled up to 3/4. It had red orange and yellow navajo print accenting, which I am really into right now. I was so into this shirt that i didn't even care that he barely spoke a word to me, just so into Johann. It was a strange love triangle indeed: I love the shirt, the man loved the Johann.
Saturday! Saturday was a great day. I got to nerd out all morning and read some excellent comics grace a Mark. I had a one woman dance and laundry party listening to some more Motown and some Coheed and Cambria. I got a bit stir crazy in my apartment, so i decided to wander around Seomeyon in the daylight. I brought my camera out with me, when I am able to upload photos I will (I have lost my usb chord and don't have a usb card reader out here). It was nice to go out and do something I love so much, I felt like I reconnected with myself in a lot of ways... just a girl and her camera. Soon I will be able to share the things I see out ehre and that makes me really happy. Words are great, but images often say what words do not. Get excited, they comin'.
In Seomeyon I found the strangest thing.. a sex shop! In Korea! In the most closeted society I have ever encountered... a sex shop! The shopkeep had vibrators and dildos shaped like various vegetables... it was.. interesting. A bit overwhelming, but I'm happy places like that exist here. It's an honest representation of humanity, Koreans might revel in their 'pureness' but as I'm sure Tori would agree... bitches gotta eat. Those babies come from somewhere, if sexuality is private that's fine but it's not non-existant. so there.
Saturday evening I mulled back and forth between sleeping and going out... I was feeling pretty lazy. My new contacts make my eyes look buggy, but apparently that's a cool thing out here? They are a cool blueish color, I feel like an imposter when I wear them. I cant wear a lot of makeup when I do wear them because I look like a living doll. So I went out with messy hair (I could pretend like it was intentionally beachy, but I actually just napped for 3 hours before I left my flat) and bug eyes. I wore jean cut offs and an oversized white button up shirt. I actually dig this look, and will probably redo. Attention can be nice, haha. Yes! Tell me I'm pretty! The night led to Eva's Ticket, for the grand opening party. 1 dollar tequila shots are an awful idea... the night consisted of more motown dancing (I love Korea!), me trying and ALMOST succeeding in stealing a handsome South African man's sunhat, learning alllllll about Serbia and the Taliban from Alistair (my charming Scottish friend who turns into a poli sci lecturer after a few too many whiskies), and the night ended at Cheesy Kimchi. I feel like I live there on weekends.
Today I am putting my laundry away, reading more comics.. and considering going to a dog cafe. my couch is just way too comfortable to move though.
Friday night I went to Sharky's with my homegirl from work Kristy. She was throwing back double rye and gingers like if she stopped the supermoon would swallow the Earth. She was hilarious, I love her energy. After Kristy took herself home to bed I met up with Johann and Joel for some ridiculously spicy chicken, and we hit up Almost Famous for some awesome motown and old school hiphop tunes. I LOVE MOTOWN. I also experienced Blue Monkey for the first time... MEH.
Post Almost Famous, it was time for some Cheesy Kimchi. Cheesy Kimchi is a kimchi pancake, which sounds kind of disgusting but it is heaven. It's basically a kimchi pancake pizza. it's delicious.
Anywho, this Korean dude who had clearly had too much Makoli, or soju, or both sauntered in. He had the most BEAUTIFUL denim button up I had ever seen on a man. I told him so and he immediately started bugging his friend to join our table.
He took a real shining to Johann, tarnished only by the fact that his Korean was not as fluent as drunky denim shirt would have liked. He did, however, write his name in hangul on Johann's hand so that he could pronounce it properly. That was kind of him. He kept telling the girl he was with that he loved her, and she was having none of that. It was a pretty awkward exchange, I think he may have been in love with Johann.
But this shirt. THIS SHIRT. It was incredible. I would marry a man for that shirt alone. It was a darker denim, sleeves rolled up to 3/4. It had red orange and yellow navajo print accenting, which I am really into right now. I was so into this shirt that i didn't even care that he barely spoke a word to me, just so into Johann. It was a strange love triangle indeed: I love the shirt, the man loved the Johann.
Saturday! Saturday was a great day. I got to nerd out all morning and read some excellent comics grace a Mark. I had a one woman dance and laundry party listening to some more Motown and some Coheed and Cambria. I got a bit stir crazy in my apartment, so i decided to wander around Seomeyon in the daylight. I brought my camera out with me, when I am able to upload photos I will (I have lost my usb chord and don't have a usb card reader out here). It was nice to go out and do something I love so much, I felt like I reconnected with myself in a lot of ways... just a girl and her camera. Soon I will be able to share the things I see out ehre and that makes me really happy. Words are great, but images often say what words do not. Get excited, they comin'.
In Seomeyon I found the strangest thing.. a sex shop! In Korea! In the most closeted society I have ever encountered... a sex shop! The shopkeep had vibrators and dildos shaped like various vegetables... it was.. interesting. A bit overwhelming, but I'm happy places like that exist here. It's an honest representation of humanity, Koreans might revel in their 'pureness' but as I'm sure Tori would agree... bitches gotta eat. Those babies come from somewhere, if sexuality is private that's fine but it's not non-existant. so there.
Saturday evening I mulled back and forth between sleeping and going out... I was feeling pretty lazy. My new contacts make my eyes look buggy, but apparently that's a cool thing out here? They are a cool blueish color, I feel like an imposter when I wear them. I cant wear a lot of makeup when I do wear them because I look like a living doll. So I went out with messy hair (I could pretend like it was intentionally beachy, but I actually just napped for 3 hours before I left my flat) and bug eyes. I wore jean cut offs and an oversized white button up shirt. I actually dig this look, and will probably redo. Attention can be nice, haha. Yes! Tell me I'm pretty! The night led to Eva's Ticket, for the grand opening party. 1 dollar tequila shots are an awful idea... the night consisted of more motown dancing (I love Korea!), me trying and ALMOST succeeding in stealing a handsome South African man's sunhat, learning alllllll about Serbia and the Taliban from Alistair (my charming Scottish friend who turns into a poli sci lecturer after a few too many whiskies), and the night ended at Cheesy Kimchi. I feel like I live there on weekends.
Today I am putting my laundry away, reading more comics.. and considering going to a dog cafe. my couch is just way too comfortable to move though.
Monday 17 June 2013
Various adventures with locks, keys, and hospitals.
Google decided that I was a hacker because my IP address changed to a South Korean one, so they locked me out for bit. Thank goodness my brother is so helpful, I was able to send his cellphone a reactivation code to break right back in! So here I am, blogging for my friends and family like a good little girl.
Much has happened since my last entry. I've never been a fan of chronological order - rather ironic considering that I am a Historian - so here it is like a collage, all over the place!
My landlord thinks I'm a derp for two very legitimate reasons. Firstly, I ran out of detergent and bought what I thought was laundry soap in the wash. The machine bubbled over and after I had my fun playing in the suds, I did my best to clean up the chaos... but he still saw it. Whoops. Secondly, I managed to lock the door that separates my kitchen from the rest of my apartment. I got in touch with my landlord who speaks very little English.. after much pushing, pulling, and attempted Jimmying of the lock with knives and chopsticks, my landlord started shouting, and walked off talking to himself rather furiously. He returned about an hour later with a massive ring of keys and proceded to try each one individually. Eventually he found the right key and the door clicked open. I apologized profusely and he just starred at me like I was the world's biggest idiot. The teacher who lived in my apartment before me didn't know the door locked either... I have since put a strip of duct tape over the lock to avoid this disaster in the future.
I have been feeling really stuffed up as of late, as is expected when you work so closely with small children. Kids can get so.. drippy, and ofcourse when they sneeze or cough they do not think to cover their mouthes. They are germ factories, cute little drippy germ factories. I love them dearly, but they're kind of disgusting at times haha. Well, I have had a flu bug, and developed a really bad sinus infection. This weekend my sinus infection seemed to worsen, and now I have this awesome ear infection. My middle ears filled with fluid, and on the left side the pressure has actually caused my ear drum to burst. It was bloody, pussy and really effing painful. I was up all night before I took a taxi to the closest english friendly hospital. Unfortunately there was no ENT present and I had to come back in the morning.
All night I had to lay on one side so that my ear-puss could drain out. It was very painful and I cried a lot. it made me really homesick for the Canadian medical system.. we often take it the nearly-immediate service for granted. I had to go to the Hospital very early and missed my first two classes of the day. They suctioned goo out of my nose, ears, and chest. It was very painful. They patched up my ear drum (which also really hurt) and gave me two needles (anyone who knows me knows that I am terrible with injections..).
It was a traumatic morning, but I returned to school feeling significantly better and was greeted by the most adorable little boy who pointed to my bandage & asked "Teacher! Ouch?" to which I responded "Yes, teacher ouch". I made a sad face, and he gave me a kiss on each cheek and patted my hand. In art, instead of happy birthday cards I was gifted little sympathy cards with flowers, birds, hearts and smiley faces. My kids seem to genuinely like me, it was a very touching experience.
This weekend I also had a blast from the past. My friend from highschool, Zach, came down from Gumi to visit. I have not seen him since the summer after Graduation, so it was very exciting to see him. It's nice to know that Langley/Aldergrove produced other gypsies and I am not the only one who was restless. It's also really great to have someone so familiar so close by! I am excited to take the KTX up to Daegu/ Gumi to visit him... after my ear heals of course!
Yesterday was Father's day, which was pretty surreal. When I realized what day it was it felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. I did cry a little bit after Zach had left, because I did feel rather alone.. however throughout the day I receive many messages from friends and family, which I found extremely comforting. Initially I was annoyed by the many facebook statuses I saw, or pictures posted of friends with their fathers.. I suppose it was envy.. but then I began to realize that my dad is still with me everyday, and that I can be happy with my many memories. My dad and I had an amazing relationship, and bonds like that should be cherished. I am lucky to have had a friend, and role model, for as long as I did.. not many can say that they had that and not many will ever be able to understand that love if they never saw it first hand. My dad was my best friend, and for that I am very thankful.
Oh, I also have a couch now. I am in the process of having it relocated to my apartment. Exciting!! I can host board game nights soon!!
Much has happened since my last entry. I've never been a fan of chronological order - rather ironic considering that I am a Historian - so here it is like a collage, all over the place!
My landlord thinks I'm a derp for two very legitimate reasons. Firstly, I ran out of detergent and bought what I thought was laundry soap in the wash. The machine bubbled over and after I had my fun playing in the suds, I did my best to clean up the chaos... but he still saw it. Whoops. Secondly, I managed to lock the door that separates my kitchen from the rest of my apartment. I got in touch with my landlord who speaks very little English.. after much pushing, pulling, and attempted Jimmying of the lock with knives and chopsticks, my landlord started shouting, and walked off talking to himself rather furiously. He returned about an hour later with a massive ring of keys and proceded to try each one individually. Eventually he found the right key and the door clicked open. I apologized profusely and he just starred at me like I was the world's biggest idiot. The teacher who lived in my apartment before me didn't know the door locked either... I have since put a strip of duct tape over the lock to avoid this disaster in the future.
I have been feeling really stuffed up as of late, as is expected when you work so closely with small children. Kids can get so.. drippy, and ofcourse when they sneeze or cough they do not think to cover their mouthes. They are germ factories, cute little drippy germ factories. I love them dearly, but they're kind of disgusting at times haha. Well, I have had a flu bug, and developed a really bad sinus infection. This weekend my sinus infection seemed to worsen, and now I have this awesome ear infection. My middle ears filled with fluid, and on the left side the pressure has actually caused my ear drum to burst. It was bloody, pussy and really effing painful. I was up all night before I took a taxi to the closest english friendly hospital. Unfortunately there was no ENT present and I had to come back in the morning.
All night I had to lay on one side so that my ear-puss could drain out. It was very painful and I cried a lot. it made me really homesick for the Canadian medical system.. we often take it the nearly-immediate service for granted. I had to go to the Hospital very early and missed my first two classes of the day. They suctioned goo out of my nose, ears, and chest. It was very painful. They patched up my ear drum (which also really hurt) and gave me two needles (anyone who knows me knows that I am terrible with injections..).
It was a traumatic morning, but I returned to school feeling significantly better and was greeted by the most adorable little boy who pointed to my bandage & asked "Teacher! Ouch?" to which I responded "Yes, teacher ouch". I made a sad face, and he gave me a kiss on each cheek and patted my hand. In art, instead of happy birthday cards I was gifted little sympathy cards with flowers, birds, hearts and smiley faces. My kids seem to genuinely like me, it was a very touching experience.
This weekend I also had a blast from the past. My friend from highschool, Zach, came down from Gumi to visit. I have not seen him since the summer after Graduation, so it was very exciting to see him. It's nice to know that Langley/Aldergrove produced other gypsies and I am not the only one who was restless. It's also really great to have someone so familiar so close by! I am excited to take the KTX up to Daegu/ Gumi to visit him... after my ear heals of course!
Yesterday was Father's day, which was pretty surreal. When I realized what day it was it felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. I did cry a little bit after Zach had left, because I did feel rather alone.. however throughout the day I receive many messages from friends and family, which I found extremely comforting. Initially I was annoyed by the many facebook statuses I saw, or pictures posted of friends with their fathers.. I suppose it was envy.. but then I began to realize that my dad is still with me everyday, and that I can be happy with my many memories. My dad and I had an amazing relationship, and bonds like that should be cherished. I am lucky to have had a friend, and role model, for as long as I did.. not many can say that they had that and not many will ever be able to understand that love if they never saw it first hand. My dad was my best friend, and for that I am very thankful.
Oh, I also have a couch now. I am in the process of having it relocated to my apartment. Exciting!! I can host board game nights soon!!
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