I feel like I'm finally settling in and this is how I am able to tell. I sleep on my bare mattress here because it's brand new and it's fuzzy like it already has a sheet on it. The annoying part is that where my feet go there are a bunch of labels so it feels different than the rest of the mattress. A few days ago I had the really obvious realization that if I flipped my mattress over, my label troubles would be gone. Noticing the little things shows me I'm starting to settle. And it made me feel kinda dumb.
Even though I am feeling as if I'm starting to settle, I am also starting to think "Ugh, I hate Korea." way too much. There are way too many moments. One just occurred about 2 minutes ago. I THOUGHT I was watching the Sound of Music as I flipped through the channels and I was so excited! But no, it was a clip from the Sound of Music that was actually an effing dream sequence in some awkward Korean comedy show. I wanted to punch my tv.
I'm beginning to learn the language but lack the sort of discipline it takes to sit down by myself and learn the alphabet. I lose interest after about...5 minutes. It's really pathetic. I just do so much better in a classroom. How am I gonna look at a square and repeat, "mm, mm, mm" by myself for longer than 20 seconds? Seriously.
I went to Songtan last night which is a town pretty much occupied by an Air Force base near here. I was surprised by how overwhelmed I got being surrounded by American military men. It was really insane though, a complete mix of emotions. It was like the downtown street we were on was America but we were still in Korea. We ate at a Mexican restaraunt and even the restaraunt seemed like America because all the workers spoke English VERY well. It made me feel so sad to be somewhere I knew was far away from home but looked just like it. The entire place was a giant tease that I cannot wait to go back to when I REALLY start to miss home.
1 comment:
Hi Ashley,
My name is yousin. I've been searching songtan online and some how I found your blo site. I was born in US but my mother decided to move back to Korea after my father passed away. I grew up in Korea until 15 years old and then I moved to back to US after my mother passed away. I have half sister and mother side of family live in different cities in Korea.
Reason why I was looking into Songtan is because I grew up there. I've been wanting to visit there eversince I left. Now I'm visiting my families over the holidays from US. Since I'm here in Korea, I want to visit Songtan before I go back to US. I don't know when I'll have chance to come back so I thought I should visit Songtan. From your blog, you don't like Songtan at all! Is that bad? I'll be going there alone and somewhat scare because I have no clue how I'm going to get there. All I know is to get to PungTak station and take a bus to Songtan. Then I have to find a motel to stay in and then try to find the home that my mother, sister and I lived. My sister doesn't want to go with me. She doesn't like to think about the past, which I understand. She lives in Korea so she can visit whenever but I live in Arizona so I feel I need to visit while I have chance to.
Why are you living in Songtan? Do you think, it's easy to get lost in Songtan? I left songtan when I was 13, which that was around 1987, so it's been awhile and I'm sure alot of things have changed, and adopted or developed because of the US army base.
I'm thinking about visiting Songtan sometime towards end of next weekend. I would like to hear more things about Songtan, if you'd like to share. So that I could have some ideas about it before I go there. I'd greatly appreciated. My email address is ujinone@gmail.com any info will be helpful. Such as which motel to stay and how to get around the town. Where I shouldn't go or go etc. Thank you! I wish that your living sictuations and adjustments get better as day goes by. :)
Here is my blog site if you want to know little bit about me... :)
www.bayidesign.com/blog
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