Thanksgiving. The day non Americans get to eat turkey and Ashley does not.

It’s Thanksgiving. Being in South Korea for Thanksgiving reminds me of when I was in Russia for Thanksgiving…it’s just another day. In Russia, we had the day off and we went to our professor’s house, everyone bringing a different dish, but it wasn’t the same. Everyone seemed sad and like they had way better things to do. No one was happy except for me and a couple of my friends. The day pretty much sucked and made me miss home. Today was a bit of the same. I did not have the day off (which makes sense since Thanksgiving is an American holiday), I felt rushed through my entire day, I had to get up at 8:30 to get everything done and still got barely anything done due to unforeseen circumstances, Omar turned his phone off so I did not get to talk to him, I ate junk food, I am tired, I didn’t get to go to yoga or do any real exercise, and an Irish friend of mine taunted me about how much real Thanksgiving food he will be eating which I will not be…even though he is Irish and I am American and it should be the other way around. Sidenote on the Irish taunting me. Not only did he get a Thanksgiving dinner courtesy of his university complete with turkey (which I will not be eating), the day after Thanksgiving he is going to Seoul where food will be delivered from a US military base. So…he gets an entirely authentic American Thanksgiving. Maybe even two. So yes, I am complaining a bit, but today I got just a tidgin (I may have made that word up) irritated at the whole ordeal. I don’t know that I was actually homesick, I just wanted rest I think. Just a bit of time where I feel clear and happy, at peace, with people I am comfortable with…I don’t know, a moment where everything seems right.
I really should not complain though, I have a lot to be thankful for. Saturday I will be celebrating Thanksgiving with some American and non American friends. It’s going to be great, I found someone who has an oven so I can cook (overjoyed, you have no idea)!!
I’m thinking of going to Taiwan for my winter break because…I can. That’s pretty much the reason. Thailand seems a bit out of the question due to the airports being closed ad the fact that it’s high tourist season. That sucks for all the tourists there now that can’t leave. Or is awesome because they can’t leave a paradise…depends on how you look at it I guess. I’m also planning a DMZ trip for December. It should be an interesting time, visiting the most heavily fortified border in the world. Or the most something having to do with military and defense in the world. I think it’s most fortified…but I can’t be sure. There’s a lot of military there, that’s all I know. It’s pretty insane to be living in a country that’s technically still at war with North Korea since they never signed anything saying the war was over. It was rumored that they’ll be closing the DMZ soon since North Korea is getting increasingly unhappy with South…but they’re always kind of going back an forth.
I have the cough of death currently. It is this terrible dry cough that just lingers on into eternity. Or, if you’re me, eternity is defined as one week. I just don’t like coughing every time I speak especially considering my job requires me to be speaking most of the day. I feel like it’s getting better…but it would be great if it was just gone. I don’t cough a lot during yoga, but I think that has a lot to do with how deliberate my breathing is and that fact that I’m not talking during yoga.
Also, I have been told the following things this week: I have crow's feet and dimensia (from the kid that hates me), my name sounds like a yacht or an insurance company, I absolutely have to have a roommate but I don't have to switch apartments. Crow's feet? Wrinkles? Dear, Lord! I could only laugh when he said it because...I know he does not appreciate me forcing him to speak English. But I guess he should have thought I would force him to speak English...at an English school. Go figure.