For those of you who read for the Teaching in Korea aspect, please check out a new page that I just put up about Chungdahm. Unless there are requests for more, that will probably be my last post about Korea!
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I'll be missing Korea but there are many things that I won't be missing. I plan to go on a much needed vacation to South East Asia! Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, here I come.
While I am excited I am also very sad to see my friends stay here. I wish I could bring them with me. I will be going back to Vancouver then toronto but I don't plan to stay and it is scary. I am looking into Vietnam but I may hate it there so I don't know what is in my future. Its hard to believe I am on the last term of my contract. The last 2 terms really flew by and in 13 weeks I'll be done! Crazy. This year so far has held so many firsts. I think I have become more independant and become more of a stable adult. Then again I have had more wild nights than ever before. Training week was my first College like experience since I never got to live in a dorm. This 1.5 week was the start to my adventure and the number of study sessions made it seem like we were in school. The after party was great and the celebration of passing was awesome. Though there was also cliques that developed, I got to meet some great people. First time having my own apartment, buying my own household items, sleeping on the floor for weeks before buying furniture. Having my fridge replaced because the other one didn't work and having plumbing fixed because apparently electrical tape doesn't hold water. Delicious food, of course. And getting blackout more times than I did the other 22 years of my life. Alcohol tolerance is up though! Coworkers have become great friends. Teaching has become so much easier than day 1. Relationship fights start and end sooner. Still some work to do but I think I've gotten to be a better girlfriend and I feel like I'm in a different kind of relationship compared to the previous ones. Having people VISIT me and crashing on my couch. More to come in 2015.
Warning: No editing because this is just a string of thoughts. There will be many emotional and wordy ramblings. Korea hasn't been all fun and games. Getting here was tedious and a headache at times. All the experience of getting here is not exactly going to ever help me again. Getting the Alien Registration Card was a test of patience. Some of the kids make me want to smack them upside the head for their attitude. Cars seem to want to run you over, traffic is terrible and spitting on the ground is all to common. The foreign food is not very good and my own inexperience in the language has caused me some problems.
The absolute worst thing about coming to Korea has been the departure of co-workers. These people have grown to be my closest friends in a short 6 months. In a country where I know no one, I have come to rely on them in times of professional, personal and physical hardship. I see these people more than I would my friends or family back home. In one day, I will eat lunch with them as well as dinner. We all live a short walk or an even shorter subway ride from each other so weekends usually involve some social event. The overlap in work problems and overall nerdiness allow for endless conversation. I appreciate and have grown to love these people; people I would never have met if I hadn't come to Korea. We are different in location, age, academic background and previous occupations. In this short moment in time, we are here in this space we call temporary home. In this limited time, we have created memories and bonds that have molded us into who we are and will be. There is an incredible sadness that bubbles over right now because two of our friends have gone back home. This sadness is different from the the one that I had when I left Vancouver. Leaving Vancouver, I knew I would eventually return. When I did, almost everyone would still be there and I would be able to catch up with those friends. I know this group will never be the same. My sister reminded me that I could always visit. Most of us are from North America so a road trip or even a flight would not be impossible. What is impossible is the interactions that happened so naturally here. The group as a whole would not be together. All the enjoyable banters and dynamics can not be recreated and familiarity will be lost. I even felt a pang of sadness entering the subway station the first morning after they left; I knew I would not bump into Thomas anymore. I grew up from childhood to adulthood in the same neighbourhood and same house. I have never moved or switched schools. Every step has been something I had been anticipating. Every friendship would end with growing apart. Having them leave is like them have been ripped away too soon. This experience has been rewarding. I would not trade this for anything. I genuinely wish them all the best in the future and I am glad I can check in on them once in a while. I desperately hope I can remember all the good memories we had and I will be sad on the days I forget their laugh, their voice or their face. I will hold the advice, wisdom and experience Ryan has passed on to me whiling continuing to pass it on myself. Lastly, I hope I was able to convey how much they meant to me and how thankful I am to have had our lives overlap in this brief moment in time. |
AuthorHello! I am Erika, English teacher in Hanoi. I had started my journey as a teacher in Korea but will continue until the kids drain all the life force in me. This is a blog to keep my friends and family informed as to what I am up to. I expect all of you to visit me. |