The end of the road...안녕히계세요 Korea.

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I'm not exactly sure the reason why it's so hard to blog on a continual basis. Maybe it's some sort of internal fear or intimidation of writing and the difficulties that lie within. Perhaps I need some educational incentive through grading, and it's simply a lack of motivation. Worse even, maybe it's just apathy. Well, I couldn't tell you, but either way, here I go! It's hard to believe that I'll have, as of next Monday, been in Korea for 52 full weeks. 365 sleeps on a small hard Korean bed. Who knew I could make it? I guess I figure I owe it to at least myself to write one more diary/blog/whatever this is, at least for the simple fact as to draw some closure to this absolutely magnificent experience I've had here in Asia. So here it is. And considering my absurd and absolute delusional intention of writing a weekly blog post, which by the way could only have been realized through enduring this experience, I think I did alright in the end with the final tally of blog entries coming in at eleven.

So the past three months have transpired with some ups and downs. We'll start with the ups. Back in September myself and a few buddies jumped on a plane and rather spontaneously headed down to Taiwan for a quick vacation. It's a gorgeous and flashy country filled with spectacular temples and wonderful architecture. Compared to the mundane and often identical architectural structures that go up at lightning speed here in Korea, Taiwan has diverse and beautiful buildings that clearly look like they were carefully sculpted through years of arduous labour. The temples are extravagant to say the least, with exquisite details covering every square inch of the golden palaces.

The night markets were bustling and filled with various types of street food. The prices were great, and we were determined to get our full taste of Taiwanese cuisine until we could eat no more. Vendors were out making their living hawking fake goods. Snake tamers, with their sordid yet impressively large boas in inhumanely small glass cages were out to entertain the passersby while simultaneously trying to persuade to try some snake blood or other wildly odd snake-based foods. Some of Taipei's night markets seemed a little grungy, but it just added to the rawness of the experience. English is definitely more prevalent, and it becomes apparent almost immediately. Almost everyone has at least a rudimentary understanding.

We also embarked on about a 15 km hike through a beautiful landscape of forests, grasslands, and mountains. We spotted at least ten massive golden orb spiders, and some other neat plants and animals. We finished with some famous beef-bone Taiwanese soup, and headed back to the airport. The trip was quick, at only three days, but definitely worth it.

Coming back that following Saturday I was to play my first ever band gig with our ex-pat band Death By Kimchi. We played basically a sold out bar with a few hundred people in attendance and it was quite honestly one of the best experiences I've ever had. I guess the utter intoxication was probably on par with scoring my first goal on the ice for Big V, or hitting my first home run, a massive 420 foot bomb, over the fence in Mississauga. The high lasted all night, and quite frankly, I wish I had written this blog directly following the show like I originally intended because I honestly can't even begin to get in the head-space of that night. I know I felt incredible. I felt alive. I felt invigorated. Everyone was patting us on the back and congratulating us on the performance. We put on a really good show, and although I only did it once, by choice, it's something that I'll treasure forever.

And that's something that I've never once taken for granted in Korea. It's a special gift having the time, money, and infrastructure to pursue goals, new and old, that I simply could not back home. I'm fortunate enough to only work seven hours a day while making a pretty good amount of money. It's easy to take advantage of the time and waste it away, and I'll be the first to admit I've done my fair share of wasting, but if motivated and driven, one can achieve a lot while over here. I love that I've played organized football, got back into drums, reading, hiking, writing, and actually learning. I don't feel like I'm regressing like I was last year, and I'm so thankful for that.

I'm feeling a whole mixed range of emotions regarding the coming months. The past few had really dragged, and it had taken a bit of a toll on me. I still felt like it would be a long while before going home; I had been away for eight or nine months, and I was starting to feel anxious. My traveling had finished, I was just trying to save money and I think I may have been feeling a bit of cabin fever or something. In Korea, 95% of the foreign population don't have cars, and it's not like you can just up and leave or take off somewhere. I'm basically to school and back on the average day, and I guess that was starting to wear on me. The language barrier is INTENSE, and consequently is an extreme pain to perform what would be the simplest of tasks back home. This is why so many foreigners simply opt out and stick to the tried and true. Same restaurants, same bars, same neighbourhoods. It's simply exhausting and overwhelming to do anything but just that. I've probably explored 5% of Daegu, despite actual effort. It's not like I didn't want to. But with no car, a crippling language barrier and the majority of your transportation taking place underground, you tend to miss a lot, even after a year.

But the end is near, and I have to say I'm excited to get back on Canadian soil. However, I'm still nervous about what I'll do upon return. In fact, I'm dead nervous about a lot of things. How will I drive? Is it easy coming back after not getting behind the wheel for an entire year? I'm scared I'll have a bit of reverse culture shock. I'll be normal and just another person, which I'm not used to. I've come to embrace Korean culture. I love it. I love their kindness, their caring, and their attention to detail. I'm sure I've already come to expect it, and it is literally thousands of miles away from ordinary back home. The students are marvelous. I like Korean's values and their respect. The bowing, the embracing of their own culture. Their attachment to community and the family. It's infectious. The respect for one another. There is a great feeling of equality among all the people here, and they treat each other that way. You can easily see it observing daily life. And the list goes on. I can even read the language relatively quickly now and I can pick out a good number of words when listening. And while a lot of what they do or think is illogical and downright insane (such as fan death or actually believing that their face will literally rearrange itself if one is to fall asleep in a cold room) it's all part of a remarkable and endearing culture that has firmly planted itself on the global stage. The country was war-torn 60 years ago. To think that within half a century they can now stand high and proudly say they are a global contender is worth a lot of praise in my books. Have they missed some fundamental steps? Yes. But Korea is young , ever-adapting, energetic, and seems to embrace just about everything. Pretty terrific if you ask me.

So with the foreknowledge of my impending nostalgia, I'm trying to soak up the culture and eat as much Kimchi and other Korean food as possible. Foods that I will miss the most? A good bibimbap, Kimchi Jigae, dwenjeong, Dweyji Galbi, jajangmyeon, Chamchi Gimbap, Deokbokki, Fried Mandu, and probably Donkkass. I guess it's unknown how quickly or easily I'll adapt back into home-life, or whether I'll want to get traveling again or not. It's impossible to know, because the excitement and eagerness of seeing my family, girlfriend, and friends is currently clouding my ability to foreshadow events. But whatever happens, I'm thankful for my experience in Asia. I've seen a good chunk of South and East Asia, and I will never forget my time here. It's been a blast. Thank you to the people of Korea and everyone else who has made my time here special. Onto the next chapter...!

Merry Christmas!

제레미 교사 Teacher.

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Comments

[Shane Pegg]

Homeland
Love reading the updates and seeing the pictures of your adventures (nice Christmas cards by the way). Looking forward to more in-depth tales at The Moose if I can negotiate a few hours of your time away from your ladyfriend. Actually, bring her along, we are way overdue for an introduction. Enjoy the final days!