20 Questions

20 questions with a 7 year old-

….

Is it a boy? Yes

Is he older than you? Yes

Is he older than me? I don’t know

Is he a singer or a movie star? No

Is he a president? Yes

Wait, so is he older than me? I don’t know (confused look)

Is it Obama? Yes

SAY WHAT?!

Home is Where I Want to Be on Thanksgiving

It's Thursday morning and I wake up, not to an alarm clock, but to the meows of the one cat and four kittens living with me in my studio apartment. It's not just any Thursday, but it's the fourth Thursday of November, which means it's Thanksgiving Day. Sure it's not yet Thanksgiving in the states, but I'm used to considering Korea time my reality and USA time a concept only important for determining when I can contact those I love from back home.

I'm running late, so on my way out, I rush to grab all things that look warm: A sweatshirt to wear under my jacket, some gloves and a hat. I haul my bike down nine stories on the elevator and out the door. WHAM, I'm stricken with a giant gust a freezing air. Yup, it's officially winter and in Korea, it gets really cold. My muscles tighten as I pedal my bike as fast as I can. I'm torn because pedaling faster means getting to school earlier, but also means more intense winds that bring tears to my eyes and a pins and needles feeling to my hands. A man riding on the back of a truck hauling cabbages shouts "hello" as we cross paths. The trees are bare and the remains of the crunchy, dry leaves flutter across the sidewalk. The neighborhood is quiet except for an occasional driver holding down their horn for a reason surely not to be solved by the awful ear piercing sound occurring much too early in the day. 

I guess you could say it's an ordianry day, but I can't help but feel a sense of emptiness. This is how the holidays go when living away from the place you truly consider home. There are occurrences throughout the day that evoke an array of emotions. Happiness when my students basically maul me in the halls just to get a chance to say hello. Sadness when I think about something I need to do but have been procrastinating. Confusion when a student writes a word in Korean on the classroom white board, which I'm pretty sure is inappropriate. Anger when a co-teacher shows up 30 minutes late for class. Excitement when I check my e-mail and find a message from my dearest Amy. But the overall undertone is a feeling of things not being quite right and that just can't be changed...that is unless I could snap my fingers and be in Oregon. I don't  usually even care much for Thanksgiving, but when I'm gone, the tables are turned.

In the evening, I have a spaghetti dinner with a Korean family. Not just any spaghetti, but it's cooked with fresh shrimp, 12 different vegetables, and within a loving home. And this weekend, I'll share a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with Shannon, Jeff and some of their friends down in Daegu, so it's definitely not a matter of food. I guess it's just that so many of the people and things I am thankful for are back home and to not be in their presence on a day dedicated to giving thanks feels strange. If I can't be home, thought, being with Shannon is the next best thing. She is the company that makes me feel most at home. 

The highs, the lows, the crowded subway, the yearning or the west, the emotional roller coaster.

11/11/11

Sometimes I joke about not wanting to get older and I’ve even felt a rush of anxiety prior to every birthday post 23-years, but in reality, I’m quite content with aging. With each year, I feel more like myself, more confident, wiser, more willing to open up to others, more in tune with what makes me happy and what does not, and more aware of what I feel is important in life. What others think about me becomes less important and instead, I care more so about what I think about myself. At 26, I feel more comfortable in my own skin than I have ever felt before…well, not counting those earliest hooligan years when I was certain the most important thing in life was proving big foot and aliens existed, but you get my drift! I’m still a whole bunch of messiness and a little bit insane and probably always will be, but I’m okay with that and those that matter to me are as well. I think some are even starting to understand it, perhaps better than I do. 

Fortunately, messy and insane or not, I’m realizing the more I know myself, the deeper and more meaningful my friendships become. People like real and real people are better at making and maintaining relationships. This year I felt extremely loved by these special people in my life, both those in the U.S. and those previously or currently in Korea. The birthday festivities spanned over a week and I felt like the luckiest person alive.

11/11/11; 2^nd birthday in Korea; Peppero Day; Veterans Day

The Pyramid of Giza was closed and Walt Disney World hosted 11 weddings.
But the world did not end and there was not a Mayan apocalypse.
Some believe it marks the end to greed. Who knows? I doubt it. 

For me, it went a little like this…

The Siddartha Bakshi visited Korea from the U.S. I saw and experienced the country through a true foreigners perspective once again. 

Co-workers surprised me with a cheesecake the morning of my birthday. That's a pregnant belly behind the cake :)

Really lucked out with these folks- Birthday Dinner

All That Jazz, Itaewon

Shannon and Ficken visited from Daegu with CONFETTI CUPCAKES AND FROSTING! FYI, I can't buy confetti cake mix nor do I have an oven, so this was such a wonderful treat :)

I belong to the coolest hiking/climbing group around and the leader, Mr. Kim, organized a birthday party on the mountain that included an awesome hike and lunch celebration on Bulamsan (불암산). Two separate worlds of friends merged. 

Another tasty cake thanks to Sunil (in the blue above)

Grand finale of Sid's visit- The Seoul Lantern Festival

I really hope that all those nearest and dearest to me know just how much I love you.

And finally, do...do...do...I'll be home or the holidays. See ya soon U.S. peeps!

3rd Graders Doin' The Dougie

Happy Friday, everyone! 


I love my 3rd graders :)