Walmart!

So, we finally found our local Walmart, after the third try!! Now, I am not a particularly big fan of Walmart back home, but we really needed a store that cheaply sold several key items, like brooms, a pillow, laundry detergent, etc. We were so proud to have navigated ourselves to it!

So, I'm pretty much all set up at my place. I have slippers for the apartment, slippers for the bathroom (you shower in the middle of the bathroom for those of you not in Korea, so your bathroom floor is wet all the time. I love the shower, keeps the bathroom clean all the time!!).

So, Seoul still totally feels like Vancouver. I definitely don't need anything from home (except emails and some phone calls of course!) because absolutely everything you could possibly want is here... and much more.

It's Sunday night, and we start work tomorrow. We have to set up our classrooms all day, and then meet the kids and parents on Wednesday and start officially teaching on Thursday. I'm pretty nervous, but I think I will make a good teacher. I'll let you know for sure though :o)

Night guys!

Blind posting??

Okay, so for some reason, I can't view any of the blogs that are run on blogspot today. I could the other day, but I can't now... I can, however, get onto blogger still, so I can still post.

Wow... quite the weekend! We hung out with Shaun (I Have Seoul) and we had a great time! (Thanks Shaun... will have to do it again sometime soon! And we still owe you that beer!) Danced till early morning and got to see one of the most interesting club districts I have ever seen, Hongdae. Of course, in grand Seoul style, we ran into too people who went to the same high school as Jeril and I in Winnipeg! How insane is that? We will probably go out with them next weekend! Small small world!

We are still doing very well, but I am super tired today. We are in search of the Walmart in our area cause we need a couple of basic essentials like another pillow each (ours are incredibly hard) and a few more basic items.

We have been all over Seoul now, by foot, bus, subway and SUV (but that is a whole other story) :o) We made friends with a Korean business man that owns 240 ice cream shops throughout Seoul, so I see free ice cream in my future! :o)

Still feels just like Vancouver. Not understanding the language yet is not too bad, cause you can get by a lot of the time with some basics and a lot of pointing and sign language :o) We both really want to learn more of the language though, so once we get throught this next month of getting used to work and a little more settled with the city, we'll be able to start focusing on that more.

We also went to Namdaemun market yesterday. It's an open air market that is completely crazy! I bought a super cute tank top and a few basics like chopsticks and a notebook for school. We are getting better at the whole bargaining thing, but these people are amazing salespeople! (Yes dad... I am taking notes!) ;o)

I love you guys and miss you but am having so much fun! The people are super super nice! Very helpful. Everytime we stand somewhere looking confused with a map, someone approaches us and offers help. Jeril and I were just talking about how jaded we have become in North America about random acts of kindness from strangers. In Canada, we often are suspicious at these random acts, but here, we have experienced so much for so many different people that we are having to re-adjust our worldview. It's great!! One strange showed us how to use the subway our second day, and another showed us the bus system yesterday, so we are pretty much set for transportation. I have walked more in the last three days then possibly in my entire life, so I'm glad I brough comfy shoes! I'm already losing weight, so I hope that free ice cream thing kicks in soon!!

I really love the food. Some of it is incredibly spicy, but it is all scrumptious. We had 'meat on a stick' yesterday for dinner in Itaewon... mmmm.... meat on a stick (drool...) We will definitely be visiting that vendor again soon!

The Korean woman dress just beautifully! The earthly colours and flowing knee length skirts are inspiring actually. I will definitely be buying clothes here. I've never been much of a clotheshorse, but there is just so much good stuff here!

Okay, this is a very long post, so I'm going to get going. I will be able to email you guys more often when I get internet in my apartment next week or the week after, so posts will be more often!

Love you all!

Seoul? Or Vancouver?

Okay, so we arrived safe and sound and LOVE it here! It's just like living in Vancouver, except it's cleaner, safer and the stores are open later!

We had quite the adventure getting here though. I got super sick just after we got off the plane and in true best friend style, Jeril held my hair back while I puked my guts out... ahhh... what a way to begin our adventure! Then, the cabbie ran over my suitcase (well, sort of... he almost ran over it, it's ripped up but nothing inside was wrecked).

Our apartments are cute and just down the lane from our school, so we save time and money not having to commute. We have been observing classes over the last two days and the school is AMAZING! The hours are great, the kids are awesome, and we work with two other teachers to co-teach the classes, which takes some of the pressure off of us. We start officially teaching on Wednesday or Thursday, so the next few days are mostly spent observing other teachers and decorating our new classroom. We have our own classroom with our own students for the whole year, which is great!

The food is awesome, and Jeril and I already found a favourite spot to eat right near our place. Our bosses are really great as well, they took us out to lunch at a really nice place our first day at school. It was quite a treat! They said that together with this one other Canadian female teacher, we are like Charlie's Angels! LOL.... I hope I get to be Cameron instead of Drew Barrymore (sorry Drew, I loved you in ET) ;o)

Korean girls are dressed to the nines! High heels and short skirts in a monsoon... crazy!! They are often conservatively dressed and highly stylish at once. They rarely show much more than a leg, and always look flawless... I'll have to learn how they do that in rain and humidity. :o)

So far, nothing we were worried about seems to be the case... I'm not much taller than most people, I don't get stared at like crazy, and people are really nice and helpful. One lady helped Jeril and I in the Subway by showing us how to figure out how much our ride would cost and to buy tickets. I don't feel like I'm on Mars at all, which I kind of thought would be the case. I feel like I'm Vancouver, but I can't really read most of the signs or understand everyone. But many people speak english and they are more than willing to stop and help you out.

I really like it here! I'm sure I will have days when I will miss everyone insanely, but I am still so glad that we decided to do this. Everyone keeps saying how lucky Jeril and I are to be doing this together, cause it certainly does make it more fun then scary. And we were definitely lucky to get in with this school, cause they are just awesome.

I miss you guys, but don't worry about us at all... we are great!

Love ya!!

Leaving on a jet plane...

Okay, ticket is in hand, clock is going to strike 7:30am in Winnipeg, and we'll be on our way to Korea.

Holy s$%t!!! Today, it finally hit. Before now, I was just excited, but today I realized how much I will truly miss the day to day interaction with all the people that I love.

I know that this is the right decision. I know that I want and need to have this adventure and experience for the year... but I will miss you guys so much (you know who you are).

I love you guys and will talk to you on email, MSN, and through my blog soon! Take care of yourselves and each other for the next year. Remember, I'm just a few computer clicks away ;o)

Tickets in hand!!! It's real!!

Jeril and I got our paper tickets from the airport today, so it's completely official now... we leave for Korea on Monday morning.

We'll be at the airport at 6am! But I'm sure we'll be awake enough because we'll be excited.

I'm dead tired right now and I'm doing the friend and family thing over the next few days, so I might not write again until we are actually in Korea.

Woo hoo! Let the adventure begin!

Almost ready...

Okay... so I've got most of the things done that I need to get done for our year abroad. Jeril and I pick up our tickets at the airport tomorrow, I have some family dinners to do, a few nights out with friends, and some quality time with my brother, and then we leave first thing Monday morning!

I am so excited! But very sad to be leaving the people I love. I think that Jeril and I are about as ready as we are ever going to be to go... and I don't think I could possibly fit anything else in my suitcase!

We have a six hour layover in Vancouver, so we have a few people we went to school with coming to meet us to help us kill some time... (HI JAMES!) Then, we get on the Korean air flight and get off in Korea! For some reason, that still sounds completely insane to me. But in a good way! :o)

I am excited to see where we'll be living (same area, different apartments) and what the kids and the school will be like. I'm excited to meet up with some of the bloggers we've been chatting with who are in Seoul, as they have been so helpful and their blogs have really given me a good sense of some of the things (positive and negative) that I'll be dealing with out there.

So... any last words of advice before we leave? Let me know ;o)

I find it so interesting what it is that different people want or expect out of their lives and how much this varies. I'm sure that an individual's answer to such a question would probably change depending on their age, what they have been through in their lives, etc, but I just find it to be a very interesting thing. (Yes, I realize that this is the psych degree coming out once again).

Some people want to really amount to something... whether this means to be famous, successful in their career, rich... that varies greatly.

Some people really want to be surrounded by people... to either add names to the address book, or to really develop quality relationships with many people in their lives.

Some want to make a difference... invent something, cure something, develop something that actually changes something, give something back.

Some want to be happy, some want to be respected, some want to be remembered, or honoured.

Personally, I want my life to be interesting... I want many things for myself, my life, and the people I love, but what I want it to ultimately be is simply interesting... filled with ups and downs and travel and happiness and sadness and learning and understanding and risk and beauty.

There are so many different paths for you to take your life and I've learned that anyone who thinks they know which path you should take should be politely tuned out. It is your own ride afterall.

:o)

Absolutely best purchase I ever made!

Okay, I looooove my iPod. What an awesome invention! I've just put my entire cd collection on it to take with me to Korea. It's like 1000 songs in something the size of my palm... amazing!! And it will be so handy out there. I have even put my Korean language cds on it so I can practice my Korean anywhere!

My Mac is the absolute best present I have ever gotten. I love Mac's! They are so incredibly user friendly, and all of the applications on it work so well together. I can have 10 applications open and running at the same time without the evil "Fatal Error" message (or the classic "You have performed an illegal action") that many Pc's will give under the same circumstances.

Hail Apple! A company that actually makes good products.

Ahhh... that's better!

Just went for a run... and god, I love that feeling! It takes me a bit to psych myself into going. Mosquitos, wild 'leashed' dogs, and crazy cyclists on the sidewalk all attempt to talk me into staying in my cozy home, but once I get out there, I wonder why the hell more people don't do this. (Course, truth be told, part of what I love about it is that there aren't that many people on the street when I go in the evening.)

Just over a week before we leave for Seoul, and I am very excited, but also very realistic now about how hard it is going to be to say goodbye to everyone for so long. Still... just thinking about it makes me realize how many amazing people I have in my life and how much you take that for granted when you have them around everyday. I know that I will meet some interesting and wonderful people once I get to Korea, but I hope that everyone here knows how much I love them and how much they mean to me and have affected my life.

I'll miss you guys tons! You better write!! ;o)

Okay... I get it...

I bought luggage tonight. This would not seem to be a major occurance, but something has changed since I put my credit card down and brought the things home.

I get it now... I am leaving for a year. Before this moment, I have not been saddened by this thought for a second. I was only excited. But tonight, as I sit here and write this with my family just a few steps away, it is all I can think about. The people I love most in the entire world are not going to be just blocks away or a car drive out of town. They are going to be halfway across the world.

Thank god for Jeril! She knows me so well, and I know that she will let me feel sad when I need to, and kick me in the ass when it's time to suck it up and cheer up.

I know that this city is just one tiny little spec on a map, and there are a million other places to visit and to have experiences. I never really imagine that Winnipeg is where I would spend the rest of my life. But when your family is somewhere, a part of you is always there with them, even if you are not.

I'm sure we'll all be getting overly emotional at the airport... so it's definitely going to be a waterproof mascara kind of a day!!

"Everything that could have happened but did not is carried away with the wind and leaves no trace."

Paulo Coelho, The 5th Mountain

It's amazing how strong we all try to be for each other. The things that we live with, that we deal with, that we keep hidden away. It's amazing how we don't realize how much the people around us can take... is that why we try to be so strong? To try to save them from knowing about the things that are hard and sad and too complicated to deal with?

But the people who really love us can handle a lot. Much more than we give them credit for. The people who love us can handle seeing our pain, and our sadness, and the things that we carry inside, or cover up for years. And by telling... by giving up some of those secrets, maybe we can walk a little lighter for a few more miles. Maybe it is not so lonely when you look up and realize you were never really alone.

Sometimes, keeping silent about what hurts us does not make us strong... it makes us sad. By telling, it does not uncover anything that will scare away the ones who love us. Instead, it helps them to finally understand what they knew all along and gives them a chance to give back some of the support they are thankful to have received over the years.

I would give up everything if I could make this better for you.

What do you dream about?

Yesterday was really nice. A great dinner with a good friend, and a really cool movie! If you are in North America and like action movies, you'll have to check out 'Stealth'. Okay... so it may be a modern version of Top Gun, but the action sequences are pretty impressive and the two lead guys are pretty hot (Jamie Foxx being one of them), so there's a little something for both men and women!

Saturday, we have baby Chris all day. We are going to go swimming and maybe head over to the park. She is so cute because all of sudden, she grew up into this little woman! She is only six (actually, not even quite six yet!) but she has this incredible little personality developing and she is so smart that sometimes she just completely freaks you out! Out of nowhere will come these sentences or questions that honestly make you stop and look to see if a child said that or whether an adult with a really tiny voice is just playing with you!

My favourite was when she was four years old. We were at dinner at my grandmother's house, and Chris just snuck up beside me and whispered in my ear, "Susan, what do you dream about?".

I think that is one of the most profound questions I have ever been asked... and it was by a four year old!!

What do you dream about? When was the last time you thought about your answer to that?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE BRO!!

I know you don't want to celebrate it until you get home on the 20th, but I still have to give you a quick shout out!

WELCOME TO YOUR 20's...

I believe you will find that Dickens said it best: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Cause that certainly sums up your 20's!! On one hand, in your 20's you're in great shape, you look great, you have lots of energy and dreams and passion... on the other hand... the funds are low, your dreams and goals change rapidly, and life seems to take many dramatic turns during this decade.

But it is great. Mind you, I can only speak for the first 5 years, as I am only 25! But I figure... Hell!! It can't get worse!! Can it?! :o) Just kidding!

I miss you tons little bro, and can't wait to see you on the 20th. At least we'll get a day and half to chill on Corydon before Jeril and I leave for Seoul!! Maybe you'll have to come visit me out there!!

Love ya, and again, Happy 20th Birthday!

Oh my!

So, we leave on August 22nd for Korea! Crazy!!

I know that I'm not doing this right. I mean, you are supposed to write from beginning to end... start to finish. I know this. I've been told that all my life. But I didn't live my life that way. I never followed a straight line, or stayed on the same path. I don't think that many people do, although for some reason, we all think that we should.

I have lived my life forwards and backwards and from right to left and back again. I have made the mistake and learned from it, and then made the same mistake all over again. I have fallen, got back up and then stumbled forward, backward, and ended up right back on my ass. And I would probably do it the same if I had it to do over. But that is a chance that none of us get. We don't get to watch our lives from the outside in. We never get to see the curves before we hit them or the bottom before we jump. Instead, we live our lives at the controls. Making decisions along the way that move us in a completely different direction than we meant to go, and maybe, if we are lucky, lead us back to where we want to be.

My mom absolutely, positively, totally and completely ROCKS!!!!

She helped me move out of my apartment and clean it all up (YIKES!!) so that I could get my security deposit back and get all ready to take off for Seoul at the end of the month. We are both soooooo tired, but I definitely couldn't have done it without her. How is it that moms know just exactly what needs to be done? Awesome! I can't figure out how to thank her enough.

But now we are DONE!!! I am finally done living in two places at once, which was really pretty stressful. Living with my parents for the month won't be so bad... :o) At least I will get some quality time with them before we leave. And Jeril and I can sit on the patio and check out the city while we surf the net! That's pretty cool.

Thanks so much to Jeril and DJ for my awesome birthday presents!! I love them! And I loved my cards... It is strange I guess how the "little Filipino girl, the tall white girl and the vain black girl" became such good friends, but it never really seemed strange to me. We just all kind of fit together and I have loved every minute of our nights out! Jeril and I will definitely miss DJ in Seoul, but she BETTER EMAIL US!!! Or at least respond to our emails! ;o)

Okay, well, I need to go relax now... I am so tired from moving. Only a few more weeks until we leave... can't wait, but so much to do!