Where does the time go?

Well, here it is - the day before V day. And I'm reminiscing of Korean ways....I suppose not reminiscing, but contemplating. Yep, I feel like actually writing in a bit more of a proper English way. Okay, so much for that!

All the stores and streets are loaded with the 'frouffiest' (non-English word?!) Valentine stuff that you could even imagine. Big humonsterous (my own English word) baskets of 'stuff', huge stuffed animals or chocolates all individually wrapped and decorated as cute anything! Hard to explain all the stuff. Oh, but guess what. Valentines is different here because only the girls have to buy something for the guys! What the...?!! And then they developed a day called 'White Day' where the guys buy for the girls! Imagine that!

Oh, and there's 'Black Day' too. That's when everyone who is single wears completely black, and they eat black noodles with black sauce and EVERYTHING is black! That makes complete sense because of how this culture is traditional in the sense that everyone is pressured to get married or be married. There are wedding centers everywhere you look pretty much, and I think it would be great to be married here, because everything is here. Just rent the space for a day and presto! you're Cinderella wedding is right there!

Oh man, I was looking through the Hyundai Department store last night...and I thought I would go and look at the men's clothing for a change...and there were the most amazing ties! Wowzers! There were lots with flowers on them, and there was one in particular that looked pixellated and integrated were Swarovski Crystals in it! Damn! It was 75,000 won (or close to $75) Wowzers. It was BEAUTIFUL! Hmmmm...maybe I should get that for me! Nah!

So last week I finally got myself to the National Museum here in Gwangju. It was really quite interesting, especially because everything I saw there was also somethign I could buy on the street. Except that the new things are new, and the old things are really old- if that makes any sense! It had pottery that was the original celadon (I think that's right) which is the light green color that Korea is known for in its pottery glazes. And the most memorable thing for me besides the paintings from the 11 century were the coffins. They looked like capsules and they were made from clay-just like pottery would be. Of course! I asked my students, and they called them tombs. How very cool. You could probably fit at least 3-5 people in them too!

So Candice came down to visit me this weekend which was really quite refreshing. We went around town and then to the jimjilbang on Sunday. Man, I really dont know what I'm going to do when I go back home to Canada and I cant go to a jimjilbang! I'll be in the rec centre with all the rest of them! I can understand it soooo much more now!

So the last few weeks have been kind of hard for me because-as I found out- I'm at a 3 month 'hump' and I couldnt figure out what was wrong until Yu-gin, one of the teachers mentioned it. I was having all these stupid anxieties about everything like my performance, and other things in my life all bundled up, and what a relief it was for me to realize that it happens to most people. Not quite in the same way, but there is a shift of things. Its hard to explain, but I suppose its just growing pains.

Well, that's about it for now...I wish I could record every thought that comes into my head sometimes. There's just so much, but I realized that there is only so much I can share...because its one thing to write or read or listen to it, but it's a whole other thing clompletely to experience it. I just wish words could convey that sometimes...but then I'm so glad that they dont at times too.

Oh, I just remembered, I got the book 'Memoirs of a Geisha' and read it, and then the movie just opened here a week ago, and I finally went to see it. The one thing that struck me while I watched it was that I have such a different and maybe better understanding of the movie because I am pretty much living it here! Well, not quite- I'm not in Japan or in the early 18th century, but I'm here in Asia, and very close to Japan, and I've been there now, and wow!!!! If I saw this in Canada I would just relate to it on an American point of view. A movie that has simply been stylized; but being here and living amongst these people (who are different but similar to Japanese people) and living with the architecture and different ways and spaces and ergonomics and customs of Korea makes me understand it soooo much more!

It was just a sudden realization that while she looked up and over the rooftops of Kyoto for the first time, that I see that here and that's my reality too! But it's just mixed in with modern times too! How bizarre and wonderful and I'm sooooo thankful that I'm having this experience!

Now I just need to learn Korean sooo much faster! Apply myself would be a good thing! Its hard though when your job is to speak English all day! Okay so that's no excuse. Allrighty!!!

Okay time to sleep...till the next time.