I have been graduated from university for 2 years and about 6 months....it really freaks me out when I say it out loud. I still get these feelings like I'm in university like right now it's midterm season and even in Korea I'm still feeling the buzz. I think my system is permanently scarred from caffeine consumption and all nighters which would explain my inability to fall asleep before 2am despite my 8am wake up call!
Well even at Maple Bear its midterm season ie. report cards. I have many moments where I pay some respects to my former teachers and friends who are teachers or becoming them and report cards is one of them. I had no clue how time consuming and tedious they would be...I was seriously in report card hell. I don't know how teachers do it, well I guess I do now, but it I still cannot believe how much time and effort goes into a piece of paper that will eventually be thrown away and forgotten....its a very important piece of paper to us because I doubt half my kids will take them seriously, especially if they're doing really well.
Midterms also means fall and I looooove fall weather. I do not however love that overnight it became fall and I did not have time to prepare my wardrobe or even my mentality. Monday was a chilly day, actually no it was cold and my hands and feets have officially stop circulating blood. If this continues I might have to break out my winter jacket...who knew Korea was so cold and windy.
What does midterms also mean...me missing school. I still manage my life based on a school type calender where the year runs from September to April and then summer is free time, this is clearly not very realistic. When I was writing my report cards I had this flashback to the many many hours spent writing essays...I was procrastinating from my reports just like I would from essay writing, it was a scary deja vu especially when I vowed to never write one again (this might change with the possibility of grad school...).
I'm not really missing school....more the collegiate atmosphere that comes with midterms, you really feel like a student when you are studying in the library at 9am in total silence, probably the only time I was up at 9am back then :)
I'm missing a few other things like hockey season although the guys at my work and my boss keep me pretty updated. Its just not the same without my dad and brother's hockey talk and the constant discussion of the hockey pool from the boys which us girls just love and I think we actually bonded over ignoring the boys!
I miss Starbucks fall drinks believe it or not...another thing I base my season changes on, Starbucks themed drinks, how sad! They don't have caramel apple cider or pumpkin lattes or maple lattes here and its pretty upsetting. I honestly don't know what I will do if come November Christmas drinks AND cups don't show up on the menu filling me with the goodness of peppermint mochas and aggnog lattes mmmmm *tear*
Other random additions to what I miss include: my fireplace, my bed(still), a bathtub and seperated shower, recycling, my cat, driving and television although Korea's speedy downloading means I'm not missing lots, just the channel flipping!
What I'm loving right now about Korea: 1) there is nothing better then going anywhere in Seoul and being able to find street markets. I love the independent sellers, the art, the jewellery, the clothes, everything is just amazing and I've actually started leaving my wallet at home. 2) Even though I have started forget my obvious minority status there are a few people, mostly in the coffee shops that I frequent, who give me special treatment and get so excited to speak to me in english when all I want is to attempt Korean with them even in Hongdae which is filled with foreingers like me :) 3) I love how cuter everything is in Korea...there is no way to decribe this but Korea is just filled with flowers and hearts and cute anime girls with big blue eyes and ceramic animals and Mickey Mouse lol its so easy to feel like you're about 8 year old again 4) That there's so much to do and not enough time to do it all. My time off is limited so I'm having to plan everything in advance which is annoying but exciting too because I always have something to look forward to. No wonder people stay up all night out on the town...after hitting up 5 bars, a Norebong, a games room and places to eat in between, there just aren't enough hours in the day!
I miss home ofcourse and that won't change...its aches me to be missing things even if its the same old, I like the same old but I also like it here and I'm happy. I guess I can never have the balance, it'll always be back and forth but I love loving where I am and also knowing I have so much to go home to :)
Time for bed...sleeping beauty needs her rest if she's going to face her kiddies tomorrow and plan and finish report cards and and and...it never ends.
Until next time,
janer xo
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