Out with the old, in with the new

Things are a-changin' here in Suseong Heights-suh!

That is the way we say "heights" here in Korea. There are some sounds that can't be the end of a syllable in Korean, so to an English-speaking ear it sounds like adding an extra syllable. Another example: if you say "E-Mart" you'll never get there, but tell the taxi driver "E-Mart-uh" and you're all set!

Anyway, so here I am, still really exhausted and about to drop into a blissful sleep -- the first night in I don't know how long I will be able to sleep more than a few hours and I am SO EXCITED -- and I can't possibly post and catch up about the play and everything just yet. But I really did want to just check in and mention that I am under the three weeks mark now 'til I am leaving the country! What!

It's so amazing and weird.

One of my English co-workers departed this past weekend. His replacement is an American girl. She got here Friday and started teaching classes today. She is still in the cheerful, wow-this-is-new-and-strange-and-tiring-and-look-at-me-I'm-in-Korea phase. It is decidedly bizarre to watch that phase now, with sooooo much distance between me and it.

My overall conclusion right now is just that this has all been so amazing! What a lucky soul I am to have experienced the things I've experienced in my life! On the other hand, I am rather glad to be going to law school this fall, because, quite frankly, I can see exactly how this experience gets addictive. It's such a great life to fall into, this expat teaching life. I might actually not have succumbed, especially in Korea, if nothing else because of the vegetarian food thing, but I have certainly been tempted. As with many things in life, you get sucked in. I have friends here who've been here 3 years, 5 years, etc...it's crazy. It's so eminently possible to just drop out of "regular" life. Although, who's to say what's regular?

Well, I shall undoubtedly philosophize and ramble more about these things in the coming days, but for now, those glorious eight hours of sleep await.