Sleep deprivation

This is what happens when you don't sleep for close to 48 hours. Sung Hyun and I were suffering from major sleep deprivation. The only other time I felt this way was during military boot camp. We promised each other we'd try to keep one another awake.

This is just a video of my rambling so you don't need to pay attention to my nonsense, BUT you have to watch Sung Hyun in this.

SO FUNNY! Since the right part of the video gets cut out, please click on the video and it will lead you to my youtube page where you can view it there!

HOME SAFE!

Korea is my HOME!

Everyone keeps asking me what it's like to be HOME. And to be honest it's wonderful in so many ways, but it doesn't feel like home. Everything is so unfamiliar. I got on the bus the other day before the old lady could get off (my bad!). Then I stood in front of someone because I didn't know people left so much space in between each person in line. The personal space thing is a little ridiculous. Then there are all the rules. You can't smoke directly on your balcony (don't worry I don't smoke, but Sung Hyun does), you can't j-walk, you must leave a 20% tip at a restaurant. All these rules seem so silly to me!

And then complete strangers say 'hi' to you when you walk down the street. And people riding the bus over use the word 'thank-you' while exiting. Silly, silly, silly, and so strange.

But then again fellow Canadians look at me with my camera in hand, taking photos of the overly large pop bottles in 7-11, all while thinking 'how strange', as I play tourist in my own country.

Immigration at the airport went really smoothly. Sung Hyun had some difficult time answering some of the questions after 4 hours of sleep in the airplane over a 48 hour period. But they stamped him in without hesitation. He automatically qualifies for free health insurance, and he can go downtown to apply for his social insurance number (SIN card) and then start working that afternoon. How sweet it is to be Canadian!

But for now, my country seems so foreign and weird and strange. And I like that!

Dear Korea,

Five years ago I started my blog with this statement:

I have fallen in love with Korea -- it's people, culture and customs. Pack your bags and join me on a journey across the world where you too can get up close and personal with the amazing possiblities this culture has to offer. So hang on tight and join me on this rollar coaster ride of adventures, all in the pursuit of happiness.

And it couldn't have been more true...............................

Korea, thank you for the memories. I LOVE YOU!!!!!!

A big post about NOTHING and EVERYTHING!

I'm not an organized person (and my spelling sucks)! And you, my lovely blog readers, already know I'm neither a) consistent with my blog posts nor b) organized with my thoughts. So this too will be another random post about EVERYTHING and NOTHING. This post is for me - more or less a way for me to get my thoughts down on paper, or in this case floating around in the blog sphere. So here goes:

I'm leaving Korea in 1 week.

To be frank, I'm not really sure how I feel about leaving. I know I need a change in my life but I'm certain I'm not ready to buy a house or get a full-time job and I'm about a hundred years away from wanting to have children. Everyone asks me about my plans when I return to Canada and to be honest, I don't have any. I'm excited to go to Canada, but I'm sad to leave Korea. I have learned that I love learning about different cultures and I'm madly in love with Korean culture (and Korean boys, but that's a given). These 5 years abroad are probably just the start of something much bigger to come (at least that's how I feel today).

I never got to say 'good-bye' to this guy. My ultimately awesome and amazing friend Charlie. He was planning to come see me this weekend but his weekend military leave got cancelled. I'll miss you FRIEND!!!! I LOVE K (Korea) too. Or incase you can't read the fine print. K (with a colon) : to touch sb with your lips as a sign of love, affection, sexual desire, etc. or when saying hello or goodbye. LOVELY!!!! The perfect part-time job for my obsession with Korean men (joking, joking)

These are my favourite students of ALL TIME. These 4 have become my family away from home. They know a lot about me and have given me a lot of helpful advice when dealing with Korean family stuff. I'll miss each and everyone of them ;)

This week marked the last time it's acceptable to drink beer on the street in front of a convience store. Damn I'm going to really miss doing this!!! And especially you Donata, my partner in crime! Mischief and shy girl - we make a good pair.
Can you guess which one of us is mischief girl?

I will most definitely miss partying it up with random cute Korean boys until the sun comes up (cough* Friday AND Saturday night). Yes I'm married. And yes for having such an awesome tolerable husband ;) I heart heart heart MY Korean boys (okay they're not ALL mine, I'll share)!!!!

Instead of paying $1300 for the studio wedding photos we were going to get, just so that I could get a cool shadow box frame, we opted to get some of our travel photos professionally framed instead. I'M SO IN LOVE. So much in love that I was only a little* bothered that it cost $260 to pack and ship this frame to Canada. *Okay a little more than a little bothered!

This week I enjoyed some Makoli (Korean rice wine) with my neice. Her English has come a long way since I first met her 4 years ago.

PIG FEET FOR DINNER THIS WEEK. Okay I opted for the leftover pizza instead. BUT......

......I did try one peice! I'm going to miss crazy Korean pizza with it's sour cream, potatoe, bacon, sweet potatoe, corn and anything else you can find in your fridge. Delicious (this time I'm not being sarcastic)

I bought new glasses. Sung Hyun bought 5 new pair. He's crazy! I'm not sure how I feel about them. They are a little big for my face, but I like the way they make my eyes look greener My former student invited me to her place for a good-bye dinner. Their family really has taken care of me and we have shed many tears about my departure. This girl is going to be a famous artist one day. In the photos above (aren't my husbands photography skills grand?) I'm holding her present to me. You'll have to wait till I set up my place in Canada to see what it looks like

This office no longer uses papercups!

SEE!!!!!

This is how I found Sung Hyun one morning. Lately it's been so hot in my mother's house (NO AIR CONDITIONING THIS SUMMER HAS ALMOST KILLED ME) I've been sleeping with only my underwear and a tank top in my mom's/ everything room. One morning I woke up and my tank top was twisted around my body and yup my boobies, in all their glory, were exposed to my mom who replied with '예뻐' (which means beautiful). NICE MOM, NICE!

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Living in my parents basement upon return to Canada will feel like a mansion and an icebox.

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I'm sad that I couldn't power through and finish my Korean studies. Working and studying and working some more just got the best of me. After an in-class meltdown (yup I was bawling in front of all my classmates. Poor teacher!) I decided that my own sanity was more important and didn't show up for the last 8 classes. I also missed the final exam. BOO for not being able to finish level 2 at Sogang but YAH for learning a shit ton of Korean.

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And double boo for not eating healthy this past month.

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And triple boo for the screwed up spacing on this post

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Korea I'll miss you but I got the feeling I'll be seeing you again sometime soon!!!!!!

Don't know how I'm feeling.....

Well in less than 2 weeks, I'll be saying good-bye to some very important people in my life. I have made Korea my home for the last 5 years. 5 years!!!! I still can't believe that. Korea has become a part of me. Although I miss my parents and friends in Canada tremendously I always knew that I'd be returning to Canada and calling it my home someday. But we really don't have any plans to return to Korea except for a visit here and there.

It doesn't feel real that I'm leaving. I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that in 13 days we'll both be boarding a plane to start our new life. I'm not at all prepared. I'm going to have major reverse culture shock and it's going to be harder on me to return to Canada then it will be for Sung Hyun to live there.

We're both really nervous and anxious. The excitement hasn't kicked in yet. I anticipated more of a reaction from my friends when I told them I'd be coming back. I hope I won't feel lost when I get there.

I don't have a plan for when I return. My plan is to just relax really. I have been going full force in preparation for Canada for the past 2 years in Korea. I've worked and studied hard to make this happen. I'm a little nervous that I've built it up to something bigger than it really is, much like a bride after her wedding day. I'm waiting for the NOW WHAT?

Do you have any helpful advice you can give me?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

The students at Sogang are wonderful!!!!! This week they surprized me with a birthday cake. A very special watermelon birthday cake because they know I've been trying to eat healthy ;) And I had no problem indulging in that:

Hottie in heels

After my birthday party dinner on our way to find a local pub with our friends my husband took off his shoes and offered me his as he noticed that I was in pain from wearing my heels. My friend snapped a picture as he was changing into them (he was also carrying my bag). And that's what I love about Korean men (or my Korean husband).

I'm guessing that this won't happen at all when I'm in Canada. Or if it does, I'm sure my guy friends will straighten him out quickly. Until then, I'll just adore his little acts of kindness.