I have to share this brief moment of insanity with the masses.
While (not) rehearsing for my 15-minute presentation (which I'm giving tomorrow in class - oh hey!), I was suddenly struck by an incredible feeling of nostalgia/missing things random and stupid from the States. Namely, bread. So I went out (at 10pm) with the intention of buying a baguette from one of the imitation French bakeries near my apartment only to realize that any bakery, imitation or not, would not be selling baguettes at 10pm because they wouldn't be fresh. I settled for a bag of Paris Baguette's notorious "milk bread," which is entirely too soft/sweet (I really wanted something crunchy and chewy), but that didn't stop me from wolfing down two slices. Each slice is the size of about 3 ordinary slices of sandwich bread. Fatass.
A similar feeling struck when I was at the convenience store today, prompting me to buy a bar of milk chocolate (HOW DO THEY NOT HAVE DARK CHOCOLATE HERE/IF THEY DO WHERE
This all comes amidst a minor existential crisis in which I realized (thanks to Jung Min Unni's incessant studying for the GRE) that I have no tangible plans beyond June 2011 and thus no future. Amazing! I've started researching graduate programs. Am I too dumb to get into Harvard?
All of this clearly points to one thing: our week-long vacation begins TOMORROW AT 1(!) and even though I will be speaking at a conference all week long and thus lose the freedom of a break full of sleeping and ignoring reality (my specialty), I don't care as long as I don't have to go to Sogang for one week. It's not that I don't love you, Korean language learning institution, it's just that we all need a break from time to time.
Since I am incapable of making long-term plans, I'll go with the short: practice presentation, call JM Unni and practice presentation (gomaps, 사랑하는 언니야!), give presentation tomorrow, eat lunch with last year's fave Choi Sunsaengnim(!), meet with
Sorry for all the caps in this post? I'll try to update soon and not sound like a crazy person.
Sounds to me like you're a tad homesick. Maybe you didn't realize that you were, but these small things are bringing it out. I'm sure it will pass. I've never been away from home that long, so I can't REALLY say. I just think that, yes, you are going to be away from home for a really long time and you will have your moments, but all in all I think the major change that is moving to a new country and being away from all that you know is hitting right now. Don't worry! All the bread and dark chocolate you want will be here when you get back!
ReplyDeleteAs for not knowing what's coming in the future...I'm technically a freelance worker. I'm done with this job in November. What the heck am I going to do next? I have no idea. Maybe this company will have more work for me...maybe not. Life is more exciting this way and something will come up. You have about a whole year to think about it. Don't sweat it just yet :)
Hey Dana, I was looking through the Korea blogs because I'm being nostalgic and saw this.. just so you know, they sell dark chocolate in the grocery area in the basement of the sinchon hyundai dept. store. It's more expensive than it is in the US, but it's saved my life before.
ReplyDelete<3, Bob