Yes, yes it's true. I have returned to the motherland. :)
Well, duh.
After a two week jaunt (is that the word I want?) Stateside, I have returned to the land of kimchi, adorable children, drying racks, and baking in a toaster oven. It's pretty much ... heaven. Well, it would be ... if I wasn't jet-lagged. But that shall pass soon.
My trip home, though unexpected, was just what the doctor ordered. Even though it was merely 13 days long, it helped to open my eyes to what is important to me. Weird, right? But it's true, at least, a little. I returned to Korea with a renewed sense of ... well ... whatever. But I know what I hold dearest to my heart, and I also know what I've lost. My only desire is that I can find it again.
Enough talking in riddles and codes. So far, I've spent the majority of my time back sleeping. Well, I guess it makes sense - I had only just adjusted myself to the time difference ... and then I picked up and left again. I plan on going to bed as soon as I finish baking the last of my goods ... hopefully they turn out alright.
Today was a productive baking day for me ... well, okay, I didn't accomplish EVERYTHING ... I set out with the goal of making bread, cinnamon rolls, and a cake. Well, two out of three ain't bad. And there's still tomorrow for that cake idea. :) I also went to Lotte Mart (and let me tell you, there is not a single idea in the entire world worse than going to Lotte Mart on a Saturday afternoon). Oh, and I figured out why my bread didn't turn out as I wanted it to - wrong kind of yeast. My bad. At least I rectified it pre-cinnamon rolls, right?
Tuesday starts a new semester. Tuesday is the first day because Monday is a holiday, hah. Anyways. My preschool class will be the Tigers, and they are Blue Ribbon. That means they are one of the highest preschool classes (there will be two Blue Ribbon [BR] classes and three Adventure classes). Previously, I had an Adventure class (a higher level adventure, but adventure, nonetheless). I'm a little nervous because I've observed that the mothers of the BR kids tend to be slightly ... psychotic. I'm not looking forward to that. My co-teacher will be Nicole - she's amazing, so I'm happy about that.
Tomorrow, I will be heading down to Suwon for church. Oh, and then there's the going away party that Trevor is hosting - saying goodbye to Katie and Amy and Matt L. :( Sad times. They will be missed greatly.
Let's see. What else can I write about? My trip back? Well, it was pretty great. I'm already written about my arrival in San Fran ... and the first part of my trip (in Oly). Then, I headed up to Bellingham to attend my father's memorial service. It was a really nice service. Nick, Father B, and Leah all came up too (well, Leah came up because she had to drive me, haha). I spent a few fun-filled days in the 'Ham - catching up with some old friends ... then on Tuesday morning, Chrey and Craig put me on the Amtrak back down to Oly. Nick picked me up at the station ... we had Koibito (mmm, good) and then Bucket!!! I stayed in Oly until I had to be at Sea-Tac on the 23rd, catching up with friends, eating lots of cheese (and just eating lots in general), getting some shopping taken care of, taking stuff to storage, sending WAY too much stuff back to Korea (books and stuff like that) ... you know, the "house-keeping" things.
Now I'm back in Korea ... I'm pretty happy about that. I even got to see my preschool kids before they finished! (^_^) Now, we're just gearing up for another year.
Anyways. It's almost time for me to go to bed. :) I'm going to try to get back itno the habit of using this thing regularly ... hahhhhh. But, I'm going to try. :)
Loves.
Saturday, February 27
Tuesday, February 23
Almost Home
It is 1:33 AM, Tuesday morning - Pacific time, that is. For those of us lacking in the math department, that means it is 6:33 PM, Tuesday evening in Korea. Which means that, barring any unforeseen complications (knock on wood), I will be arriving back in Korea in around 24 hours.
It's been a trip guys, it really has. I've been reminded of the things I miss most about America, and the things I love the most about Korea ... and I've been able to take a step back and assess the pros and cons of each places. I've spent quality time with my amazing friends, eaten tons of food that is not readily available in my immediate vicinity in Korea (even when I wasn't hungry, I still managed to find room), shipped even MORE crap back to Korea that I don't really need, but that I want ... you know, that sorta stuff.
It's now 1:36 AM, and I am leaving for the airport in roughly an hour and a half. I don't plan on sleeping until I am in the capable hands of Singapore Airlines ... HAH! That's sucha lie. You know me - I'll be out before my plane taxis the runway at Sea-Tac (on my way to San Fran ... BOTHER!) ... :)
Well, while I'm babbling (it's now 1:38) ... yesterday (and this morning), I began two lists. The first list is titled "Things I Will Miss About America" and the second is "Things I Have Missed From Korea." Right now, they're about the same length ... I don't know what that says or shows or whatever ... except that I had too much time on my hands.
My suitcases are packed. I even weighed them. They're close, folks ... REALLY close. But I think I'll be okay *fingers crossed* ... because I would hate to have to spend more money ... in addition to the boxes I already sent back. Gah. Don't even ask about those boxes ... but when they arrive, I will be flooded with books, photos, momentos, cheez-its (Judy!!!), taco shells (Trevor!!!), Easter candy, peanut butter cups, and herbal essences shampoo and conditioner. Heavenly ... don't worry. I'll share the candy. :)
And I promise I will blog about my trip stateside. But I am not going to do that until I'm back in Korea ... so I can get my thoughts straight. Which, you know me ... it'll take a while. Oh well. Patience is a virtue an' all that.
It's 1:44. This is getting more ... spacey ... as the minutes pass by. Before we get on the freeway, we're going to 7-11 for slurpees. :) And by "we", I mean Nick and I ... since he is kind enough to drive me to the airport ... and was kind enough to pick me up ... and chauffer me around ... and entertain/babysit me. You know. He's a pretty cool guy and a great friend. Don't tell him I said that, though. Wouldn't want him getting a big head. :)
I have two songs that have pretty much set the tone for my two weeks back in the States - the first was played at my father's memorial. It's Carrie Underwood's "Temporary Home." Watch the video ... wait, don't watch the video ... okay, you can watch the video, just don't tell me about it. (They played the music video at the memorial.) The second is a "Nick Song" ... which means I first heard it due to Nick (you know, for those of us who REALLY need things spelled out). It's Matt Nathanson's "Come On Get Higher." In fact, both songs made such an impression on me, I bought both CDs. I can't wait to get home and load them onto my computer ... and listen to them over and over again ... kind of like I am now (poor Nick) ... because, you know how sometimes certain sounds or songs will TOTALLY trigger memories or thoughts about a certain time? I'm pretty sure these songs will be my trigger. Wow. Those weren't exactly coherent sentences. Oh well. You get the idea.
1:47 AM. Today I had Dutch Brothers. Mmmmm, Dutch Brothers. And yesterday, Starbucks ... with raspberry syrup. Remember raspberry syrup? Yeah, that made it onto my list of things I'll miss about America. :)
'Kay. It's 1:51. I'm going to go find other ways to entertain myself until we leave for the airport ... and I say goodbye to Seattle for who knows how long. Love you bunches, and can't wait to see you again. <3
It's been a trip guys, it really has. I've been reminded of the things I miss most about America, and the things I love the most about Korea ... and I've been able to take a step back and assess the pros and cons of each places. I've spent quality time with my amazing friends, eaten tons of food that is not readily available in my immediate vicinity in Korea (even when I wasn't hungry, I still managed to find room), shipped even MORE crap back to Korea that I don't really need, but that I want ... you know, that sorta stuff.
It's now 1:36 AM, and I am leaving for the airport in roughly an hour and a half. I don't plan on sleeping until I am in the capable hands of Singapore Airlines ... HAH! That's sucha lie. You know me - I'll be out before my plane taxis the runway at Sea-Tac (on my way to San Fran ... BOTHER!) ... :)
Well, while I'm babbling (it's now 1:38) ... yesterday (and this morning), I began two lists. The first list is titled "Things I Will Miss About America" and the second is "Things I Have Missed From Korea." Right now, they're about the same length ... I don't know what that says or shows or whatever ... except that I had too much time on my hands.
My suitcases are packed. I even weighed them. They're close, folks ... REALLY close. But I think I'll be okay *fingers crossed* ... because I would hate to have to spend more money ... in addition to the boxes I already sent back. Gah. Don't even ask about those boxes ... but when they arrive, I will be flooded with books, photos, momentos, cheez-its (Judy!!!), taco shells (Trevor!!!), Easter candy, peanut butter cups, and herbal essences shampoo and conditioner. Heavenly ... don't worry. I'll share the candy. :)
And I promise I will blog about my trip stateside. But I am not going to do that until I'm back in Korea ... so I can get my thoughts straight. Which, you know me ... it'll take a while. Oh well. Patience is a virtue an' all that.
It's 1:44. This is getting more ... spacey ... as the minutes pass by. Before we get on the freeway, we're going to 7-11 for slurpees. :) And by "we", I mean Nick and I ... since he is kind enough to drive me to the airport ... and was kind enough to pick me up ... and chauffer me around ... and entertain/babysit me. You know. He's a pretty cool guy and a great friend. Don't tell him I said that, though. Wouldn't want him getting a big head. :)
I have two songs that have pretty much set the tone for my two weeks back in the States - the first was played at my father's memorial. It's Carrie Underwood's "Temporary Home." Watch the video ... wait, don't watch the video ... okay, you can watch the video, just don't tell me about it. (They played the music video at the memorial.) The second is a "Nick Song" ... which means I first heard it due to Nick (you know, for those of us who REALLY need things spelled out). It's Matt Nathanson's "Come On Get Higher." In fact, both songs made such an impression on me, I bought both CDs. I can't wait to get home and load them onto my computer ... and listen to them over and over again ... kind of like I am now (poor Nick) ... because, you know how sometimes certain sounds or songs will TOTALLY trigger memories or thoughts about a certain time? I'm pretty sure these songs will be my trigger. Wow. Those weren't exactly coherent sentences. Oh well. You get the idea.
1:47 AM. Today I had Dutch Brothers. Mmmmm, Dutch Brothers. And yesterday, Starbucks ... with raspberry syrup. Remember raspberry syrup? Yeah, that made it onto my list of things I'll miss about America. :)
'Kay. It's 1:51. I'm going to go find other ways to entertain myself until we leave for the airport ... and I say goodbye to Seattle for who knows how long. Love you bunches, and can't wait to see you again. <3
Friday, February 12
Passive Aggressiveness
To the man who was sitting behind me on Singapore Airlines;
Congratulations. You managed to keep me awake for nearly the ENTIRE flight across the Pacific Ocean! Now, that's a real accomplishment, seeing as how I normally fall asleep on planes prior to taking off. I'm sure you're very proud of yourself, wherever you are. Highlights of the trip?
1.) I really enjoyed your snoring for the first portion (4 hours or so) of the flight. I realize that the snoring really couldn't be helped, so I don't hold that against you. Don't worry. But since I'm cranky, I thought I'd mention it.
2.) My favorite part? When I reclined my seat a little to sleep ... and you began kicking my chair. Real classy. Thanks for that.
3.) I also liked the part where you began talking on the phone or to yourself or whatever ... halfway across the Pacific Ocean ... leaning forward in your chair so that you were RIGHT IN MY EAR. That was great. I'm sure the other people on the plane did, too, since you so very kindly were talking loud enough to include us all in your conversation. I enjoyed listening to your conversation ... it was like a lullaby ... from hell ... in that I didn't sleep for more than ten or fifteen minutes at a time.
4.) Oh, and then how even after I moved my chair forward again ... and you still continued kicking it. OH! And how whenever you got up, you would pull yourself up by using my chair ... thus creating a sort of sling-shot effect that would rocket my body forward a few inches after letting go. Yeah, that was great too.
Thanks.
The irritated, sleep-deprived girl sitting in front of you.
~~~
Okay. All complaining aside ... my flight over the Pacific was actually quite nice ... minus the man sitting behind me. Singapore Airlines was really nice - it wasn't full, so the seat next to me was empty ... the food was good (I had THREE choices for dinner ... THREE!) ... the flight attendants were very kind (except about letting you go to the bathroom when the fasten seatbelt sign was on ... which it was ... for like, 80% of the flight) ... the entertainment selection was great (I watched part of "Good Morning President" [Korean], "Wall-E", and another movie ... part of an episode of "Bones" ... created a music playlist with nearly 100 songs [complete with some Korean music [like Brown Eyed Girls and Dong Bang Shin Ki] ... and played Bookworm Adventure) ...
My experience at the San Fran airport? Not as stellar. My flight was delayed getting into San Fran - not because we were behind, but because there was a back-up on the tarmac or something. So, we flew in a gigantic circle, above the airport (and clouds), for nearly an hour. Awesome.
Then, I booked it off the plane in order to go through immigration, retrieve my luggage, go through customs, recheck my bags, and find where I needed to be to catch my connection. In under two hours. Or so I thought.
Immigration was a breeze. Getting the bags? Easy. Customs? I called it. I so called it. I got yanked from the line, taken to the special x-ray, AND they opened both of my suitcases ... took out all of my stuff ... opened the presents I had spent 5 hours on Monday wrapping (PS, that's what I did after finding out about my father because I couldn't think of anything else to do) ... grilled me on the contents of my things ... and then smiled and said "have a pleasant trip". Thanks, America. First time I've been back in 20 months. And you wonder why I don't come back more often. Thank you, racial profiling.
Oh, but I made it to my flight on time. Wanna know why? Because it was delayed nearly an hour, too. Have I mentioned how much I hate the San Fran airport? I realize that none of this is particularly their fault ... but it's 5:15 in the morning ... I woke up an hour ago and couldn't fall back asleep ... and so I'm just grouchy.
~
Being back has been nice though ... everything has changed so much (and yet, so much is the same, too). I've really enjoyed surprising people - the best reaction is a tie between So (who stopped dead in his tracks and just stared at me), and Yoshiko (who jumped nearly a mile and had to hold on to the table while her face turned bright red). For my first night in, Nick and Father B took me to Casa Mia, which was great (there was cheese, everyone ... lots and lots of cheese) ... I've gone to prayer and mass ... had Dutch Brothers ... sat and talked with Hiroko and Kaoru for like, two hours ... overall, it's been good.
Now, I'm just preparing. Later today, Nick and I are heading up to Southcenter. Hopefully we'll see Hannah, and then we're going to meet up with Leah, and it's like when your parents are divorced and you are visiting one ... you know, the swap at a designated location? :) Leah's going to drive me up to Bellingham ... and we're going to stay there ... because tomorrow is the memorial. I don't think I'm ready for it ... I'm definitely not ready for it. Minus the thought of the traffic we're going to encounter ... because the Olympics start like, tonight ... I'm just not ready. Because it's so ... final.
Well, I'm going to try to go back to sleep. Thanks Jen, for letting me stay at your place ... and using your computer ... and your amazing bathroom ... there's a bathTUB, people!
Loves.
PS - everyone looks TALLER.
Congratulations. You managed to keep me awake for nearly the ENTIRE flight across the Pacific Ocean! Now, that's a real accomplishment, seeing as how I normally fall asleep on planes prior to taking off. I'm sure you're very proud of yourself, wherever you are. Highlights of the trip?
1.) I really enjoyed your snoring for the first portion (4 hours or so) of the flight. I realize that the snoring really couldn't be helped, so I don't hold that against you. Don't worry. But since I'm cranky, I thought I'd mention it.
2.) My favorite part? When I reclined my seat a little to sleep ... and you began kicking my chair. Real classy. Thanks for that.
3.) I also liked the part where you began talking on the phone or to yourself or whatever ... halfway across the Pacific Ocean ... leaning forward in your chair so that you were RIGHT IN MY EAR. That was great. I'm sure the other people on the plane did, too, since you so very kindly were talking loud enough to include us all in your conversation. I enjoyed listening to your conversation ... it was like a lullaby ... from hell ... in that I didn't sleep for more than ten or fifteen minutes at a time.
4.) Oh, and then how even after I moved my chair forward again ... and you still continued kicking it. OH! And how whenever you got up, you would pull yourself up by using my chair ... thus creating a sort of sling-shot effect that would rocket my body forward a few inches after letting go. Yeah, that was great too.
Thanks.
The irritated, sleep-deprived girl sitting in front of you.
~~~
Okay. All complaining aside ... my flight over the Pacific was actually quite nice ... minus the man sitting behind me. Singapore Airlines was really nice - it wasn't full, so the seat next to me was empty ... the food was good (I had THREE choices for dinner ... THREE!) ... the flight attendants were very kind (except about letting you go to the bathroom when the fasten seatbelt sign was on ... which it was ... for like, 80% of the flight) ... the entertainment selection was great (I watched part of "Good Morning President" [Korean], "Wall-E", and another movie ... part of an episode of "Bones" ... created a music playlist with nearly 100 songs [complete with some Korean music [like Brown Eyed Girls and Dong Bang Shin Ki] ... and played Bookworm Adventure) ...
My experience at the San Fran airport? Not as stellar. My flight was delayed getting into San Fran - not because we were behind, but because there was a back-up on the tarmac or something. So, we flew in a gigantic circle, above the airport (and clouds), for nearly an hour. Awesome.
Then, I booked it off the plane in order to go through immigration, retrieve my luggage, go through customs, recheck my bags, and find where I needed to be to catch my connection. In under two hours. Or so I thought.
Immigration was a breeze. Getting the bags? Easy. Customs? I called it. I so called it. I got yanked from the line, taken to the special x-ray, AND they opened both of my suitcases ... took out all of my stuff ... opened the presents I had spent 5 hours on Monday wrapping (PS, that's what I did after finding out about my father because I couldn't think of anything else to do) ... grilled me on the contents of my things ... and then smiled and said "have a pleasant trip". Thanks, America. First time I've been back in 20 months. And you wonder why I don't come back more often. Thank you, racial profiling.
Oh, but I made it to my flight on time. Wanna know why? Because it was delayed nearly an hour, too. Have I mentioned how much I hate the San Fran airport? I realize that none of this is particularly their fault ... but it's 5:15 in the morning ... I woke up an hour ago and couldn't fall back asleep ... and so I'm just grouchy.
~
Being back has been nice though ... everything has changed so much (and yet, so much is the same, too). I've really enjoyed surprising people - the best reaction is a tie between So (who stopped dead in his tracks and just stared at me), and Yoshiko (who jumped nearly a mile and had to hold on to the table while her face turned bright red). For my first night in, Nick and Father B took me to Casa Mia, which was great (there was cheese, everyone ... lots and lots of cheese) ... I've gone to prayer and mass ... had Dutch Brothers ... sat and talked with Hiroko and Kaoru for like, two hours ... overall, it's been good.
Now, I'm just preparing. Later today, Nick and I are heading up to Southcenter. Hopefully we'll see Hannah, and then we're going to meet up with Leah, and it's like when your parents are divorced and you are visiting one ... you know, the swap at a designated location? :) Leah's going to drive me up to Bellingham ... and we're going to stay there ... because tomorrow is the memorial. I don't think I'm ready for it ... I'm definitely not ready for it. Minus the thought of the traffic we're going to encounter ... because the Olympics start like, tonight ... I'm just not ready. Because it's so ... final.
Well, I'm going to try to go back to sleep. Thanks Jen, for letting me stay at your place ... and using your computer ... and your amazing bathroom ... there's a bathTUB, people!
Loves.
PS - everyone looks TALLER.
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