So, of course, I must apologize for not writing over the past few months. I've been just living and enjoying Korea. I had an American Thanksgiving with my co-workers. One of my co-workers is a fabulous cook, and she had us all over. I also got to eat another Thanksgiving meal on the military base. We got to go on as a group with my church. I ended one regular semester at my job, had 3 weeks of vacation and just now finished the 6 week intensive camp. During my 3 week winter vacation I just relaxed, and relaxed and relaxed. I wandered around the city, I listened to a lot of music. I tried to practice guitar, and I just generally had a great time. Christmas was spent with my co-workers. They were so concerned about me being alone on Christmas-it was so cute of them. We started the maddness of our intensive/camp at work at the end of December. I spent New Years with my roomate, Seah, my friend Anna, and some random people we met as we were out. We had a blast together, really. It was one of the best New Years's I have had in several years. I thought it was awesome to be in Korea experiencing the year change. So, work...this intensive I have been doing has been all-consuming, really. Those that made the name, intensive, were not kidding. I worked ALOT for the last 6 weeks. There were many 12 hour days, and just one thing after the other. I got the chance to teach a Music in Western Culture class which I got to create. It's when you are in charge of all the curriculum, that you realize how inadequate you are as a teacher and a music coinsurer. At least that was true for me, but I really do have some great co-workers: Dave and Fan, who helped me soooo much in the preparation for that class. Even though it was a lot of work, I loved sharing music with the students. I loved opening them up to new styles of music, and I loved discovering more music myself. The students at this winter intensive were absolutely great. They were soooo motivated, and energetic. I hope I don't ever forget their faces. My mom got the random, crazy chance to visit Korea....and she came during this intensive camp. It was amazing to have her here, to have her meet my co-workers, friends, and students. I tried to drag her around to as many places as possible, and with the help of two of my good friends, Seah and Anna, she was able to do and see SO much. It was fun sharing my life here with her. Since it was her first time out of the states, she was shocked by a great deal-the food in particular. I will admit, Korean food is unique...and looks absolutely nothing like American food. So, it was interesting to see her take Korea all in. I am proud of her for venturing out of the US, and experiencing another culture. Go Mom!

So...I am at the end of my time here, which is beyond weird. How did one year go by so fast? How? I don’t understand time. I remember a couple of months ago, and how I was so homesick. How all I wanted to do was to get on a plane and come home. Now, I don’t feel that way. I don’t know what to think about me coming home. I am excited to see all the faces I love so much…but I am actually sad to leave here. I knew this would happen…but I did grow to like this place quite a bit. Here are some of the things I will miss:

·         My roommate, Seah: She is SUCH a nice person. She has made my time in Korea so good. She is beyond caring. She does nice things for me on countless occasions. Just the other day, she randomly got up early and made me breakfast, complete with amazing coffee. She goes out of her way to be sweet to me, and no matter how many times I thank her, or tell her she doesn’t need to fold my laundry, she just keeps on doing caring things for me. She baffles me really. We have become really good friends over this year here, and I am sincerely going to miss her.

·         The times with my co-workers, laughing at the computers in the office. Just good times with them in general. I never hated going to work. They are all eclectically different, and it made the dynamics of the office really fun.

·         Shopping on the street: the endless cute shoes, scarfs, earrings, ect.

·         Kimchee Gigay, and cold noodle soup

·         Using chopsticks everyday

·         The celebrity status of being a foreigner here J ha. Ya’ll wouldn’t understand this unless you have been here and felt it. Sometimes it’s so annoying, but sometimes it’s interesting…

·         My house, the peace that is always present, and the view from my living room window

·         My students: I found out that even though I am inadequate in my ability to teach, I enjoy sharing things with them. I loved all the times talking about various subjects including blind dates, American culture, ideal jobs, and future plans. I love inspiring people, and there were those special times where I felt like I was able to reach them-to let them know that living is meant to be done everyday.

·         The subway

·         The bus while listening to my Ipod

·         The walking (should I say this because seriously there is so much.)

·         My friend Anna who has helped me through so much. She listened, encouraged, and just generally was there for me when I needed a friend.  She’s a person who is always up for doing something cool which always makes life more interesting.

·         My Korean friends that studied in the states: Su Yeon, Seohee, Brian, Clara, Ally, and many others. I am sad that I won’t be able to see them when I get back to the states.

·         A disposable income J

·         The vibrancy of the city

·         Mandu (yummy!)

·         The random motorcyclists on the sidewalk

The list could go on and on…but those are some of things I will miss when I go home.

I’ve been thinking about the things I’ve learned over my time here in Korea, and they are many. I will list a few things here. It is not a complete list because there is no way to convey the thoughts I’ve had, and the things I’ve learned while living here.

1.      I’ve learned that some of the things that drive me crazy here simply because I can’t understand the culture, may not actually be bad. I realized that maybe it’s really, really ok that the culture is different. Here they play by different rules then the West does, and maybe my job isn’t to share “our” way with them, but just to accept that the way that “they” do it is ok. I don’t know if this makes sense to you, but since I come from the US, a country of truly so much freedom, and so much independence, it is hard for me to identify with a culture that stems from Confucianism which is polar opposite of the foundations of our culture. I understand now that when the foundation is different, unity in thought can never fully be found. Yes, Korea is a modern place, with many modern things, and with people who look somewhat western in style, however their family structure, social pressures, and hierarchical system is indescribably different. Is this bad? I have to say, maybe not. I just know that I had to learn to accept the differences rather than try to change them. Maybe sometimes the things we do in the States IS better, but will it change here? Maybe not, and maybe it’s really ok. Basically, I realized that I can’t put the same western standards on Koreans, as I am grateful that they don’t hold me to the standard in their cultures. This is all so hard to explain because if you haven’t traveled to Asia, and really spent some time analyzing behavior and cultural differences, you won’t really get what I am trying to say. I really am just trying to say that yes, there are differences, and sometimes they divide our thoughts, and ways of doing things, but it’s ok that the cultures are different. It’s really ok that they don’t do things similar to the states…it is in fact another country J and I understand that more fully now. Since I have accepted things more, I have become more comfortable here.   

2.      I’ve learned that when you live outside of your comfort zone, who you are seems to get a little blurred. Since the people that know you, and love you for you, live far, far away, it’s possible to re-create yourself. Sometimes this freedom is good, and other times I’ve found the lack of accountability to friends, family, and culture was not so good. I decided that when I move to another random country, I would like to go with at least one person I know already. I think that that is a wiser, better way to live abroad.

      3.      I’ve learned that I like being an expatriate (the nickname that foreigners have), that it’s fun to be a   foreigner because you are constantly learning about that culture while living in it. Also, you get to always try new foods J

       4.      I know this is random, but I have learned that I truly love Spanish. Ha. I know I know, how could I learn that in Korea? I figured that out because on the few occasions that I was able to speak Spanish here, I felt truly alive. I didn’t know the passion was so strong in me. I found myself speaking Spanish, even randomly in my classes! So…these cute Korean students learned a few words in the beautiful language of Spanish. I am happy that I realized, I want Spanish to be a real part of my life in the future.

      5.      I learned that God is stable, consistent, good and merciful. Though I made a good few mistakes here, He is never ending in love and so faithful to me. I know He  exists and I want to serve him always.

      6.      I learned that I have difficult conveying information to students, and that I have a lot to learn about teaching.

     7.      I learned that I like entertaining people…I even thought about going into acting because I enjoy it so much J (weird, but true)

     8.      I learned I love earrings J

     9.      I learned that working with people from all over the world, makes my life sooo fascinating, and I hope to be in that kind of environment for my whole life.

 10.  I learned that the life of a teacher is good, MUCH better and more fulfilling to me than pushing paperwork.

 11.  I learned I probably can’t marry a Korean man.

 12.  I learned that I still hate grammar…

 13.  I learned that I really love teaching through reading books and having discussions.

 14.  I have learned that I need to be grateful for being 25 and free. I realized that this time is SO good, and that I need to appreciate it.

These are just a few of the things that I have learned over the past year here. I am bummed out that I didn’t blog more because there is just no way to write down now what I learned over this time in Korea. I am happy that my mom got to visit because without that, it’s hard to really grasp my experience here. I think since she got to see my house, see the city, smell the smells, meet my Korean friends ect. She can kind of understand my experience here.

So… I leave Korea in 10 short days. I am unsure of my plans when I return. First, eat a lot of Mexican food J Then, figure out what I should do with the rest of my life.

I can’t wait to see you all soon~

Vicki

Well, yet again I have waited tooo long to blog. I don't know why I don't keep up with this thing better...oh well I guess. So, It has been six months here. That is unbelievable really. People told me it would go fast, but I didn't believe them. I can see how when you are just living your life, time flies by. So, if anyone knows anything about culture shock, they know that at about the six month mark, the person really misses their home country, and begins to see the deficiencies in the country they are living...well, that is pretty much how I have been feeling lately. I miss home more than I ever thought I would, and it seems that all the things that aren't so grand here are being illuminated. I am aware that these feelings will pass, so I am looking forward to appreciating the culture here rather than resenting their ways of doing things. I do feel bad that I have been feeling this way, but it's normal I presume. I am still liking my job, and my Korean friends, and of course there are new opportunities that present themselves that do seem to remind me that it's cool living abroad. One thing recently that was really cool was I got to go with my roommate to her family holiday celebration. They have this thing here called Chuseok-basically like Thanksgiving. Anyway, I got to go out of town with them to her grandparent's farm house. It was so interesting to be with the family, and see all the difference between our thanksgiving festivities and theirs. One thing I noticed first was that there was no kitchen table, or table in general. We sat on the floor around this cute little table that we would call a coffee table...it was adorable. I was the first foreign person who had been to their house so it was such an interesting experience. The family fed me soooo much food and tried to get to know me (well through translation)...so I had a really great time with them. It remains one of the coolest things I've done in Korea.

So, I completely missed blogging about my trip to Japan...There is so much to say really. I spent three weeks there. I went by myself (my first trip alone). I stayed in Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyoto, and Osaka. In Tokyo I met sooo many great people at the hostel I stayed at. I had a fantastic time with them, either sightseeing or just chillen at the hostel cafe. Some of them had recently come from Beijing because they played, sang, or danced at the pre-olympic events. Some were random travelers also traveling alone. One of my most favorite people I met was this older lady named Iris. She is from Chili and had been traveling around the world for the last two months by herself! She was a trip to say the least, but I just loved her :) After my week in Tokyo, I stayed in Yokohama for just a day. I mostly drank coffee and journaled because this was one of my days alone. I ended up taking a night bus to Kyoto ( a very cultural city) in middle/southern Japan. Kyoto has soo many temples, shrines, and cultural sites that it could keep you busy for weeks. I loved this quaint place, really. What I liked most about Kyoto was the vast amount of bikers there. Everyone from young children to working men in suits ride bikes...so I decided I would join them for a couple of days. I loved biking around the city. It turned out to be the best way to see the most while being in and amongst the people. My bike actually got towed one day because apparently bikes are like cars, you can't park it just anywhere. So it was a challenge to find my way to the bike place, and pay to get the bike out of jail :) I was also at that point dealing with money problems. For whatever reason my ATM card, Visa cc, and various other cards were not working....I was almost, almost at the point at calling my parents...geeeez. So, basically I used my little bit of money at that moment to get the bike back. So, after a week in Kyoto, I went to Osaka. I met up with some FSU alumni. I ended up staying with the one girl Danielle. She was so sweet to let me stay there given the money issues I was having. So Danielle, her boyfriend, Barabara and I had a great few days together in Osaka...mostly just shopping and chillen. So after 3 weeks that felt like 6, I returned to Korea, and yet again started another semester. I am now in the 4th week of the semester. It's weird to already be in the 3rd section of my work here. Time is flying like I mentioned before. So, I have a few more months here, and I just hope to have even more great experiences. I miss you all in Florida and can't wait to catch up on everyone's life when I get back :) Take care all.

So, good news from all ends :) I am officially on vacation for 3 weeks because the semester is over. Relaxation time is here!! So, the greatest of all news is that my best friend, Nicole is coming to visit. She was able to get a decent ticket and is on her way this week :) :) :) It's rare that people get to visit you when you are so far away, so I really feel happy about it. So, together we are going to go check out the beautiful Thailand! I heard from seriously everyone that it's a cheaper trip than Japan and it is incredible! So, it should all work out. There will be blogs about that trip I'm sure. So, I think I am beginning to really love being in Korea. It seems that everywhere I turn I stumble into a new area that has its own intriguing qualities. It's still incredible to me how HUGE Seoul is. I mean, it is gigantic, and so it has so so many different areas. I've even been trying to take walks near where I live, and I've found such interesting little shops and things. Another thing I find to be very fun is exchanging culture with my Korean friends. They make me dinner, and then I make them American breakfast. They introduce me to a traditional tea, and I show them how "real" coffee is made :) That part is really fun. It's fun seeing the differences and noting the similarities between my culture and theirs. So, life is good at the moment.

just a reminder: anyone is welcome to visit : ) I'd love it!