Bow down!

On my first day back, I bowed to the Mexican guy at Chipotle. That's right, I BOWED! And even before getting home, on my layover, I bowed to the guy at H&M. Seriously, I thought I was going to never live that one down. A quiet "Jasmin, do you know you just bowed to that guy?"

I'm not sure where this need to bow has come from. Korea has ruined me. I go to the store, and I want to blurt out "Camsahamnida". Which I can't do, because NOBODY WILL UNDERSTAND ME, BECAUSE I'M IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!

Maybe secretly I'm into the whole bowing thing, and I like it. I secretly miss it, and now that I can't really have a reason to do it anymore, I'm a little lost.

There is however, a little Korean restaurant down the street from me, so maybe I could go in there and bow to them..... they'll appreciate it.

OK.....

So apparently that was NOT my last blog, as fitting back in at home is a little bit strange, and it's a little amusing to say the least. The blog now is going to focus on trying to adjust back home, start married life, and find a J O B.

Which in THIS economy, is going to be a LOT of fun!

Ode

This will be my last post on this blog. Why? Because as I write this I'm sitting in the Seattle International Airport waiting for my flight home. That's right, I threw in the towel and decided to go home 6 months early.

In the end, Korea was just NOT where I wanted to be. I was working a job that was sucking out my Seoul (yea, lame, I know), living in a tiny apartment I hated, and away from my family and friends. The exchange rate was causing me to lose tons of money each month, and I generally was not a fan of Korea nor it's people and culture.

I went to Korea to teach, not be a monkey. And yet there I was, working at a job that any idiot could do, repeating and repeating, day after day. I was not asked to actively use my brain, nor teach, which is pretty demoralizing if teaching is what you're going after. I was restricted in what I could do with my students to the point of suffocation, and got tired of being treated like a complete moron at my job. I worked in an enviornment which was not encouraging in the least, not positive, and just plain BORING.

Being away from my family and friends is the hardest thing I have ever done, hands down, in my entire life. I hated it, no lie there. The fact that I had a husband at home made it even worse, because everything is more enjoyable for me when he is there. So to spend every day so far away from them, so far removed from everything at home, I couldn't take it any more.

I made good friends in Korea though, that is the one thing I will take away. Friends that I hope to have for life. With the exception of a few people (like the bitch, the snob, and the drunk) everyone I worked with I genuinley liked. I'm glad to have met such great people and made a little family overseas for myself.

So besides the friends and maybe some of the pastries, I shall miss nothing about Korea. I learned many things about myself, and that is the experience I hold dear. I don't regret going, I don't regret anything. I learned so much while I was there, about myself, what I'm capable, and how much I can take.

Korea Sparking... FAREWELL!

Crash

Sometimes you just have to know when enough is enough. You reach a point, and at that point you crack.

I have cracked. At this moment, I am emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually exhausted.

And yet a new journey begins

What's happening to me?!

I came to a stark realization today. Korea has turned me into a BITCH. Maybe it's just while I'm here, as a self defense machanism. I sure as hell hope so.

I'm from Cincinnati, the land of the conservative and polo shirt wearing golfers. Hey, it is what it is, I'm just saying... I've always been outspoken, but a bit shy. I'm honest only to a point, and even when I really want to be rude, I'm not.

6 months later...

I'm now a loud and brash Westerner in a sea of dark hair and almond eyes. I yell at cars as I walk because they barrel out right in front of me. Any New Yorker would be proud. I say ungodly things to teenage boys who assault me every day on my way to work with "Oooo yes, very sexy! You like Korean boy?!" When I'm grocery shopping I take my cart and shove it into people who are in my way. I push over people to get to the produce I want. I cut in lines. I spit on the street. I throw my trash into buckets on corners. I drop the F bomb profusely. I wear ugly Korean clothing and think I look good. I'm brutally honest in my place of employment, and I bitch about the freezing cold building I work in nonstop.

I'm sincerely hoping this will all stop as soon as I set foot back onto American soil. This country is like "kill or be killed". If I don't shove people, my ass is going to be knocked on the ground. I'm polite to people who are rude to my face. I bow to old people who look at my in digust because I'm wearing a tank top and shorts. If I don't watch my back, someone will shove me in it.

In a culture that is so polite and heirarchal in so many ways, there are so many ways in which you have to be rude. It's almost like being rude gains you respect. But what do I know? I'm only a waeguk.

Seriously though, this hideous clothing problem has got to STOP. Jasmin is most DEFINETLEY hitting up the Gap during Christmas holidays....

New Blog

Since one blog is apparently not enough, I have started another one. It's called "The Sassy Cynic" and it's also on this website. Instead of writing only about Korean adventures, this one of more of a rant about everything situations and life in general, not particularly pertaining to Korea. I wanted to keep this one ONLY about Korea.....

www.SassyCynic.blogspot.com

Only one post up so far, but stay tuned!

New words!

Since living in Korea, I have added many new vocabulary words to my... vocabulary. I work with a bunch of Canadians, one South African, one Kiwi, and one South African. The following words are now a part of my every day conversations, and will be included here with a definition, what country it's from, and used in a sentence.

1. Pesh (New Zealand): to make out with someone. "Hey Jasmin, did you see that guy? I'd love to go and have a pesh with him."

2. Eh (Canada): I have no Fing clue what this actually means. "Hey Jasmin, that burgers pretty good EH?"

3. Wank (England): to mastubrate. "What a WANKER!"

4. Slapper (England): slut. "Well, look at that old slapper!"

5. Knackered (England): tired. "I'm going to head home, I'm knackered"

6. Lolly (New Zealand): any hard candy. "Jasmin, do you fancy a lolly?"

Those are only what I can think of off them top of my head. Along with those we've got all kinds of confusion now in the staffroom. Stuffing, knickers, vests, jumpers, iron, biscuits, cookies, football. You name it, between everyone in my staffroom, we all think it means something else.

Korea SPARKLING!