Wasn’t I just sick? I’m thinking my last sickness somehow didn’t count because I am sick again. This time legitimately sick in the way that you feel gross when you wake up and have an interesting time falling asleep, get a little worse everyday, and then hopefully get a bit better after you hit sickness bottom. I have an effing cold (or bird flu if you want to make it sound exotic). Boo. I taught a lot of my classes the word sick today so I guess I can attribute my cold to expanding the children of Korea’s vocabulary. And there’s the silver lining.
I’ve noticed over the years that when I am sick I tend to get a bit dramatic and all “poor me”. I think that’s the selfish me coming out. That also may shine through in this little update I’m about to give.
I’ve been in Korea for about 2 ½ months now…approaching the 3 month mark. Historically, this is about the time I start missing things from home. Right now I miss scalding hot water coming from my showerhead, people speaking English all around me, the number four button being an option in the elevator (they don‘t put the number 4 they just put the letter F since the number 4 looks like the word for death), studying (yes, I am that nerdy), calling anyone I want in America whenever I want and not having to say, ’I’m sorry, I’m on my computer, can you hear me better…now??’, the insanity of the holidays, the airport in December, reading the ingredients on the back of food and body products, and driving. Also snow, but there are places in America that I would also be missing that last one, so it only half counts. I realize that list has some weird things on it but you never really know what sort of things make you feel like home until you don’t have them anymore. Biggest pet peeve in Korea? That I can’t read ingredient labels. Seriously. I need to get a move on with learning Korean food words.
I went to the DMZ and if I was in a better mood, I would tell you all the awesome things I learned. Really though, I did find out a lot about North Korea that I didn’t know. It is insane how sheltered and closed off that country is. I was reminded of how ignorant I like to be of world happenings today when I read an article about how China likes to censor what information gets into their country. What’s the deal there? They don’t want their citizens to know what’s going on? I’m not sure I quite understand how a country advancing as quickly as China can afford to censor their people from information most of the world has access to. Doesn’t that sort of put their people at an informational disadvantage? I think it does, but who am I? Clearly not anyone at all close to influencing the Chinese government. Also, looking at it objectively, America also censors information…maybe just not as blatantly as China.
I’m currently looking at which grad schools I want to apply to. I’m not applying until next year, but I want to start preparing now or I’ll never do it.
Over the past few weeks I have realized that I talk about eggs too much, get very passionate about whatever book I happen to be reading, and am a pushover when it comes to cheating during made up card games like pumpernickel. Life is wonderful when you are learning.
And here are some lyrics to a song that makes me smirk when I realize my current situation:
I'm a new soul I came to this strange world hoping I could learn a bit about how to give and take but since I came here felt the joy and the fear finding myself making every possible mistake (New Soul--Yael Naim)
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