난 너에게*

* = from me to you.  Davichi, 2010.

We interrupt your regularly scheduled blogging with a brief...uh, I don't know what this is.

Today, my best friend left to go back to America.  She's currently been on a plane for about 5 hours.  Without her, Korea will be a very different place.  Without being overly presumptuous, I think I can say that Yale will be a very different place (for her) without me, so we're both going to have a bit of adjusting to do.  But there's consolation; there's my planned trip in November (we're going to Woodbury Commons!  for some reason, all Koreans know and fantasize about visiting this place), the fact that she has an internet phone that enables me to text and call her directly from my Korean cell phone (technology for the win!), and the knowledge that no matter where we are or what happens, the way we feel won't change.  That sounds kind of ridiculous in English, but Korean speakers will often say in consolation, "내 마음 알지?" which literally translates to, "You know my heart, right?" or more accurately, "You know how I feel, right?"  What I mean to say, I guess (queen of eloquence right here) is that we will always have great love, respect, and feelings of deep friendship for the other.  A couple of thousand miles and a few months can never change that.  언니, 난 언니의 마음 알아.  언니 나의 마음 알지??  ㅋㅋ

언니, 사랑해

Because this post can't just be a cheesy mess, I'll add something...uh...less cheesy?  Anyway, because Unni has been so busy this week, she hasn't had time to see me or to say goodbye, so her parents, because they are the epitome of AWESOME,  invited me to come out to the airport to see her off there.  Her flight was at 11, so they told me to be there by 9am.  To which I respond: what's 9am?  Because I have been sleeping so much this break that I haven't woken up - at all - before noon.  But I will do anything for Unni, lucky girl, so I decided to get up at 6:45am (I planned to take an airport shuttle from outside of the Hyundai Dept Store and didn't want to chance it - in order to be there by 9, I'd have to be on a shuttle by 8:15 at the absolute latest).  I set an alarm and purposefully put it on the loudest setting - AND STILL MANAGED TO COMPLETELY SLEEP THROUGH IT.  It actually seems as though I turned it off in my sleep.  Now, this of course has a very good explanation - I didn't hear it (nor do I remember hearing it) because I was extremely extremely drunk last night having some fun with friends and got home at 4am late.  Ahem.  Anyway, I somehow miraculously woke up at 7:45am.  I shot out of bed like a bullet.  I have never, ever moved that quickly, I don't think.  Within 5 minutes, I was dressed and had applied a semi-full face of makeup (I only kind of looked as hungover as I currently feel).  I dragged my shoes outside and flew out the door, sprinting noisily to the bus stop in shoes that one should never run in.  I'd been to that bus stop before and knew vaguely where it was, but was too impatient to wait at the cross walk to go correctly to it (it's located in the middle of a giant multi-lane, two-way street - ah, city life), so I illegally jaywalked across 4 lanes and then (here's the kicker) jumped the fence that separates the bus stop and the highway.  Would I have done such things for anyone but Unni?  Or a better question, would I have done such things had I not still been slightly buzzed?  Or a better question still, would any of these things have been necessary if I had not been inebriated and HEARD MY ALARM WHEN IT WENT OFF?  Eh, maybe.

Anyway, my sprint paid off and I was on an airport shuttle by 8:05 and on my way to Incheon.  The trip only takes about 45 minutes from Sinchon, so I was more than on time - I got there before Unni and her parents by about 10 minutes.  They were easy to spot when they arrived, courtesy of Unni's giant blue cello case.  I thought we wouldn't be able to spend very much time together, but we actually got to spend a full hour - her parents let me wait with them on line for check-in, and because airports are sloooow, we obvs had a lot of time to chat.  Her boyfriend came, too, and it was actually a lot of fun for a morning spent at an airport terminal waiting to say goodbye to your best friend  After check-in, we had some drinks (non-alcoholic) with her parents and then she was off to great wide open (okay, so Yale is not that mysterious).  Of course, I was the only one who cried like a baby, but what can I say - I'm definitely a crier, and I don't think that's gonna change.  Having sent their daughter off numerous times before, Unni's parents were totally fine, and so I looked mildly crazy to onlookers - even at an airport, whitey still sticks out.  Anyway, we waved and waved until the giant blue cello case was no longer visible, and then her parents drove me home (but not before buying me two sandwiches and a cream puff that my omghungovergonnavomit self really didn't need - gotta love Korean parents).

I can't wait until I see the blue cello case and its owner again.  Safe trip, 언니, 먼곳에 있어도 우리 사랑 변치않을거야.  I love you.

넌 나의 구원*

* =  you are my salvation; from Epik High's One

An update!  And so soon - look who's making up for lost time!

Well, the official reason I'm updating today is because I have to (obviously) recount the tale of how Yonsei Severance Hospital charged me upwards of $300 to tell me that I have no food allergy.  The unofficial would be to sing the glories of Korean street food.  All in due time.

First up, My Very First Trip to the Hospital (Korean style):
Actually, it was not my first trip; it was more like my 4th or 5th, but this was the first time I've ever had a significant medical procedure done in this country, if you call an allergy skin test a "medical procedure," which is debatable - it's not like I got an appendectomy or a nose job (wait for it, kids!  I'm saving up my money!).  Anyway, if you have no idea why I needed to get an allergy test done, refer to this post for my near-death experience (literally) and let us begin.

So about three weeks ago, the combined powers of Jung Min Unni and her mom managed to get me an allergy consultation at Yonsei Severance Hospital, a giant hospital rather obviously affiliated with Yonsei University that is located just a short 10 minute walk from my apartment.  I was told that there was no need for me to speak Korean, as the doctor and nurse were fine with English; I later realized that Yonsei's staff clearly operates with a generous definition of what "fine with English" means, because neither of them were conversant enough to get everything across without my help in Korean.  In any case, the end result of the consultation was that the doctor ordered an allergy skin test, and why the consultation was necessary, beyond sucking $50 out of my wallet, for this obvious conclusion is still beyond me.

The actual test was scheduled for today at 1:40, and I got there right on time - only to be told that they wouldn't start my test until I paid first at the International Clinic.  Okay, because I was really going to try and dodge the check.  Thanks, Yonsei.  Anyway, after paying an absurd amount for the first visit, I went ahead and called my insurance company to beg politely ask if they could provide coverage despite "allergy" not being listed as part of my benefits.  They said that they were partnered with Yonsei Severance and so coverage was a definite possibility - they'd open a case for me and would call the hospital to see what they could do.  Well, I discovered they probably weren't able to do much - the asshole at the International Clinic who takes payment told me that the insurance company couldn't guarantee payment, and so I had to pay for the whole thing up front.  345,000 won (~$300).  I was so pissed I wanted to cry.  I took the receipt and kind of told the guy that this was bullshit, but of course that usually gets people nowhere, and I am no exception.  I'll be filing a claim for reimbursement and hopefully that will work out.

Payment issues aside, I decided to come prepared for this visit by bringing along Yoonhee Unni, a dear friend of mine who is also a cellist from the Yale School of Music, to translate (yes, for the record, the only Korean people who like me are musicians.  Michelle Cho is the obvious exception, but she might have played piano at some point like all other Asian children.  Or maybe she doesn't actually like me).  Yoonhee Unni has translated before, so I felt like she'd be pretty helpful in working between the doctor/nurse and me - IF THEY WOULD LET HER INTO THE ROOM.  Despite my near-begging, the nurse adamantly refused to let her into the testing room with me (which was just a portion of a room closed off with a curtain, goddammit!).  I was extremely pissed off, especially because the nurse - who tried hard, I'll give her that - couldn't even properly tell me which articles of clothing I needed to take off.  She could have told me in Korean, but at that point, I was so frustrated with the whole process that I refused to use anything but English.  I'm kind of a brat.

But why did I have to take ANY articles of clothing off?  In my (limited) experience, allergy skin tests are usually performed on the arm, no?  Well, turns out that despite my insistence at the consultation that I wanted/needed to be tested for a seafood and shellfish allergy, the doctor for some reason ordered a complete test for all food allergies.  I stole a glance at the medical sheet for this and was mildly horrified to discover that they planned to test me for 63 different allergies.  What the WHAT?  To state the obvs, my arm wasn't big enough for 63 tests.  Both arms wouldn't have even been enough.  So they drew a bunch of tic-tac-toe boards on my back and tested me there.  63 pricks in the back = nothankyou.

15 minutes of waiting for the test results and another 20 minutes of waiting for the damn doctor to tell me the test results (they couldn't have just done it right then and there?), I was informed that I tested negative for every single food allergy, all shellfish and fish included.  Pause for sigh of relief, but a tempered sigh of relief due to the outrageous cost of the whole ordeal.  The doctor said that it's possible that I'm allergic to a food additive - MSG or something like it - which could have been present on the shrimp or in some seasoning that I ate when I had the initial reaction.  His only other alternative was to test for an allergy to antibiotics, because I was on an antibiotic to treat a sinus infection when I had the reaction.  I declined to schedule a test for this, because (1) I'm fairly sure I'm not allergic to any antibiotic (I had already been taking it for 3 days prior to my near-death experience, so I think if I was allergic, something should have happened beforehand) and (2) unless I am guaranteed up-front coverage or am POSITIVE about getting a reimbursement, I am not paying for any further tests at Yonsei.  Given that I'll probably be making a trip to the US in November (details to follow), I could always just get tested there if I really felt like it.  The antibiotic test, as I was told, is a bit different because it's an eating test and not a skin test - and it takes all day.  You start in the morning, eat an antibiotic, wait 2 hours.  Eat another, wait 2 hours.  Repeat.  Repeat.  No thanks.

Anyway, I did get to spend time with Yoonhee Unni, which was great because she, too, is going back to America this weekend (whyyyyyyy), and I was given the green light to go out and eat a sushi smorgasbord if I so chose, so I guess this ordeal was kind of necessary and kind of a good thing.

Wait, did I just say I was given the green light to go eat fish again (after a horrifying 3 months of making all of my friends work around my stupid and actually non-existent dietary restriction)?  Oh, I did - so naturally, my first meal was - 포장마차 음식 (po-jang-ma-cha food)!!!  Also known as Korean street food.

I don't own this photo, but NOMS.  This is what it looks like.

 Now, before you freak out that Daddy's baby girl is eating poisonous street crap...don't.  Korea is not India.  Seoul is not Calcutta.  Korean street food is totally safe and absolutely mother effing delicious, SO MUCH MORE so than anything served in A-muh-rica.  It's served at little street carts called 포장마차 (po-jang-ma-cha), and typical offerings include 떡볶이 (ddeokbokki, fat rice cakes in spicy sauce), fish cake, dumplings, 순대 (soon-dae, Korean stuffed sausages), and other assorted fried goodies.  Because fish cake and a lot of the fried offerings contain fish (even ddeokbokki is cooked and served with fish cake), I haven't been able to eat at a single one all summer.  Knife in my heart.  Buuuut because I was told by official authorities that I can eat fish til the cows come home, I decided that my first meal must naturally be these delicacies of which I was so long deprived.  That, and these street carts are popular for people eating alone, which...yeah.

Anyway.  There are street carts everywhere, and most offer the same things, so I picked one whose rice cakes looked to my liking and settled in for a very, very satisfying platter of ddeokbokki.  Up until today, I've only been able to eat ddeokbokki at certain types of restaurants that prepare it on the table for you (as in it's not been pre-cooked in a giant vat and then dished out).  If it's made to order, I could tell them to leave the fish cake out.  But restaurant ddeokbokki is almost never as good as the street variety, and those fat spicy rice cakes that I consumed today were some of the best I've ever had.  And the cost?  ~$1.50.  BAM

But after paying the very nice ajumma and taking my leave from this particular street cart, I decided I was still hungry.  I wandered around a bit until I found another, and this time ordered pan-fried dumplings.  For the same price of $1.50, I was expecting maybe 5 or so, but the ajumma gave me over 10, I think - and then generously slathered them in spicy ddeokbokki sauce.  I ate them rather animalistically.  It was glorious.  I walked away with lips burning from all that red pepper paste and a very happy stomach.  So it wasn't the healthiest of meals, but it was a wonderful way to celebrate emancipation from dietary restriction.

Although I'll probably never eat shrimp again for as long as I live.  Blame it on the Garcia effect.

*POST SCRIPT
This made my entire day.  Seriously.  Watch it even if you don't give a sh*t about the Ground Zero Mosque.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
The Parent Company Trap
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

나 땜에 Hot, Hot

* = because of me, everything's hot; from Secret's fabulous new single Madonna.  Secret may or may not be on a mission to salvage all of Kpop, because they are just about the only group right now that isn't making me vomit with disappointment.  Nine Muses?  GP Basic, anyone?  I'm sorry, but there just is no need for any group to have a member that is still in elementary school.  Jesus H. Christ.

 

A whole two (count 'em, TWO) people (who are in no way connected to each other) told me they read my blog this week and were looking forward to an update!  Okay, so one of them was my father, buuuut here's me delivering.

I will leave a majority of my Sogang stuff for my Light Fellowship end-of-program report (which I will link in a future blog or post separately for the interested masses), but I will comment that I had a very memorable and fruitful time in Level 4.  While it wasn't the most gripping or fascinating of levels, I think I solidified a majority of the things I've learned in the past, which is exactly what I set out to accomplish.  The final exams were fair, and even though my speaking interview final threw me for a major loop in that the teacher did not ask a single question from the list of 19 questions we were supposed to prepare (seriously, I spent hours constructing and memorizing answers with Jung Min's mom and dad, over a very delicious home cooked meal, I might add), everything went smoothly enough and I am pleased to report that I earned the highest scores I've ever earned at Sogang this semester!  Although I pretty much had nowhere to go but up after last summer...yeesh.  Anyway, for your viewing pleasure, here is a picture of my listening/speaking class; pictured at center is the greatest, most fabulous teacher that Sogang has, and I mean that.  I wrote on her teaching review that I thought every single Sogang teacher should model themselves after her.  Future Sogang-ers, if you're ever fortunate to encounter 장수진 선생님 (Jang SooJin Sunsaengnim), thank yo' lucky ass stars.

FABULOUSITY.  My 4금 classmates (L-R) Daisuke, Ryoko, Miho, Some Dumb American, Jason, Steven, Geoffrey, Do Tsz, Tamara, 장수진 선생님, Ai

As it goes, Sogang's levels (in terms of numbers of students) resemble a pyramid; there are many more students in levels 1-4 than there are in 5-7.  I think it's generally acknowledged/understood by students and teachers alike that completing Level 4 means you're at a level of BASIC proficiency in Korean, i.e. if you're not interested or it is not necessary for you to become completely fluent or advanced, you can stop spending your money here.  Out of my classmates, only 6 out of 10 will continue on to the next level, which may seem like a lot, but it's really only a little more than half.  Out of the 4 who won't go on, 3 are returning to their home countries.  Such is the cycle of life at a quarterly language school; people come and they go.  But a smaller pool of students means a higher likelihood of winding up with at least SOME friends in my future Level 5 class!  Fingers crossed, I suppose.

I will say that I'm kind of freaked out for Level 5, because it's supposed to be Sogang's hardest level and I know people who have, despite their best efforts, outright failed it; but I guess I'm in a good position to begin this level, because ALL OF MY FRIENDS ARE CURRENTLY LEAVING ME and so 80-90% of my afterschool distractions have just become obsolete.  Sad face.  Seriously, when Jeong-ah Unni left, I sobbed inconsolably in a subway station that was just empty enough for me to draw attention to myself.  Jung Min Unni and JaeIn Unni are leaving on Saturday, and I don't even want to talk about it because I tear up every time I think about it.  사랑하는 언니들, 가지마!  가면 안돼!  언니들 없이 못 살아!

(Oh, you wanted the translations for that?  It's just some melodramatic whining.  Google translate it if you're really interested).

The start of a new semester and the start of a new season (which, THANK GOD; I literally, and I mean literally, cannot take this summer weather anymore.  The scorching heat, the unbearable humidity, the horrific sudden downpours of HOT RAIN (WTF) and my tired summer wardrobe are starting to piss me off) brings not only new clothes from Uniqlo (I'm in a spare-no-expense kind of mood, which is kind of a problem, but I'm so sick of my cartoon-character clothes from summer that I find it totally necessary to buy magenta flannel - it's not as bad as it sounds), but serious considerations of my life plan and life goals from here on out.  I'll admit that Jung Min Unni's GRE insanity has contributed in large part to my sudden thoughtfulness on this subject, but nonetheless a plan had to be carved out, and so carve one I did.  And that plan is...Korea for 2 years!

Wait, what?

Yeah, I know my Fellowship runs out in May 2011, thereby forcibly returning me to the good ol' US of A, but I came to the rather obvious realization that once I return, I will...uh...kind of have nothing to do.  I will have approximately 0 dollars (maybe some chump change/something like $2000 if I choose to move out of my apartment and collect the deposit), no job, no tenable plans for pursuing higher education, and no place to live.  I mean, I could always move back in with my dad, but this plan is unappealing for a number of reasons, boredom and impracticality being the top two.  I just don't think I could get a good job that caters to my interests in my suburban home, and commuting to NYC is not really a feasible or inexpensive option.  Additionally, it is not really possible/a good idea for me to matriculate into graduate school in 2011 because (1) the money problem is a big problem (how am I supposed to put down a deposit on an apartment/pay for ANYTHING related to my education with 0 dollars?) and (2) Korea doesn't actually offer the GRE.  I'm not really clear on WHY that is (I heard it had something to do with Korea breaking the rules and information sharing, which actually doesn't surprise me as much as it should), but I haven't taken it yet and if I can't take it soon, I am ineligible to apply to grad school; most apps are due in the fall, which is...uh...basically now.

Staying in Korea for an additional year after my Fellowship ends solves these problems nicely.  I am fairly confident (hopefully not overly/unjustifiably confident) in my ability to get a decently-paying job in this country, and provided I keep living at my current location (although I'd like to get out of the student district if I'm no longer a student, sacrifices must be made), I can save a hella ton of money on rent and living expenses.  Plus, I can't see how getting work experience of any kind in Korea would hurt my resume, particularly if I plan to pursue Korea or East Asian regional studies in the future (see below for an explanation on that).  Essentially, then, what I plan to do is spend an additional year here, make some green, apply to grad schools, hopefully get in somewhere, and then matriculate in Fall 2012, three months before the predicted end of the world.  Awesome!

But Dana, you ask, surely you have to come home to take the GRE?  Wise point.  Which is why I've decided to come home immediately after my Fellowship ends in late May 2011.  I was planning to come back then at any rate, largely because I promised Jung Min Unni I would be at her graduation (a promise I am hellbent on delivering), but it actually winds up being perfect timing on a lot of fronts: my visa and Alien Registration Card all expire in early June.  So I figure what I can do is come home, re-apply for a work visa (pending that I actually have a job at which to work waiting for me in Seoul), visit family/friends, take the GRE (which I will have spent my final semester at Sogang studying for in addition to my Korean studies), and come back in June/July to begin what I hope will be a year-long position.  Bam chicka wham wham.

Of course, the best laid plans...well, usually get f*cked up at some point down the road.  But there's room for flexibility (Dear Light Fellowship Office, I'll come work for you if you need/want me!  I promise, I'd be a great office worker!  Just like Pam Beasley!), and I tend to be the type of person who believes that opportunities generally come when one least expects them, and so I'll be keeping an open eye and ear out for anything that sounds good.  But in the meantime, at least I have some skeleton of a timetable/plan.

But Dana, you now ask, isn't "grad school" kind of a nebulous term?  Surely you must have given SOME thought to where/what you might like to study.  Another wise point!  Given my current state of unpreparedness, I started researching graduate programs I might like to be a part of and concluded that the best two options are either (1) a Master's degree in East Asian regional studies or (2) a Master's in international relations.  The latter is much less likely than the former.  I'm actually just not prepared to undertake formal study in IR, and I think I'd be far more useful in any career if I focused as specifically on Korea as is possible.  Unfortunately, this is actually impossible at most schools (the number of schools that even have the resources to make a decent Korean studies program is sad and pathetic), but I managed to find a couple (okay, like 3) at which it might be plausible.  The University of Washington, for example, has a combined Korean Studies/International Studies Master's program, which is great...if I wanted to move to Seattle (benefit: JAEIN IS MOVING TO SEATTLE!!!).  But since I'm more inclined to stay on the East Coast, my other two choices are...uh...Harvard and Columbia, which don't offer individual Korea programs, but offer students studying East Asia the chance to focus on Korea.

To be fair, I haven't done anywhere near as much research as I should, and I'll continue to look into other programs at other schools, but let me just say that I'm highly disappointed that I can't add Yale to the list of possibilities.  I loved being at Yale and would love to spend more time there, but it's just totally infeasible.  Yale's East Asia graduate programs don't even allow for concentration on Korea, but even if they did, I wouldn't go near it.  I know what sort of resources Yale has for students interested in Korea and they are...approximately zero (which is the same as the number of dollars I expect to have left after this year - oh hey!).  If you're listening, Yale...FIX THIS.  Thanks.

So a potential 2 years in Korea, a potential job in Korea, potential graduate school applications to Univ of Wash, Harvard, and Columbia, and...a potential visit to the States in not only May 2011, but also November 2010?  I'll definitely keep you posted on that ;)

Because there have been too many words in this post, I'll end with some pictures of ALEC 2010, the leadership conference that I spoke at over my week-long break in July.  It was much more fun/productive than is this current two-week break, in which I have done little more than eat, sleep, and watch The Daily Show re-runs online (anyone care to comment on the ::cough:: "Ground Zero Mosque"?).  These pictures can't possibly convey everything, but this conference was an amazing chance to share what I've learned with Korean students while listening to their concerns, questions, and stories.  If I have time next year, I'll definitely be going back.

The speakers of the conference (all Yalies - two undergrads and the rest grad students) make up the bottom row; the rest of the kids are students of a 학원, a private after-school academy, whom we got to speak to while in Jinju, a city near Gyeognju in the southern part of the country.  I'm holding the Yale banner because my dress was deemed too inappropriate to be photographed (there are certain drawbacks to speaking at conferences run by mega-churches).

The conference was actually kind of a big deal - everywhere we went, there were enormous banners greeting us!  Ted, another Korea fellow, posted a picture of the banner in Jinju; he went there to visit relatives and was kind of surprised to see a giant banner welcoming Yale students to the city.  This particular banner was found at Yonsei University, one of Korea's top three most prestigious universities, where the first part of the conference was held.

The conference poster!  Which was actually everywhere, including all over Yonsei University!  This poster, believe it or not, kind of saved my life - you see, I was VERY sick the first two days of the conference, and on my walk to Yonsei, I thought I was going to pass out from exhaustion, weakness, and an inability to carry all of my luggage (we were due to go to Cheongju that night, hence we had to be prepared).  Fortunately, because of the poster, some students recognized me and offered to help with my bags.  It was the first time in my life I've ever felt like a celebrity.  Little did I know how much of a celebrity I would feel like later on in the conference, in which I was asked to sign numerous autographs and pose for a thousand pictures.  We were literally followed by a camera crew the entire time we were there.  Papa-paparazzi!

ME GIVING A LECTURE AT YONSEI UNIVERSITY!  I look so badass here.

Participating in a Q&A panel on our expertise and study at Yale.  During this, someone asked me a question about the reunification of North and South Korea.  Uhm.

All of the conference's key players!  (L-R) Jeong-ah Unni, who came to accompany Alvin on the piano (we got to room together!!  It was SO MUCH FREAKING FUN), Kyle Cromer, Yong Rao, Joshua Beach, me, Head Pastor Lee Kyung Eun, CheonHa Jeon, Alvin Wong, Romil Chouhan, Devin Noblin, Chris Moon, Hanna Jeon, NaNa Jeon.  Special thanks to all of the Jeon family for inviting us and taking care of us SO WELL (literally, we were treated like VIPs...amazing food, great accommodations, etc)

I think this was at Yonsei.  Can you find me?

Expect an update soon, for I am finally (finally finally FINALLY) getting tested for my seafood allergy TOMORROW!

Jangmiiii out.

An explanation.

Yeah, so I haven't posted in about a month, which technically means I haven't fulfilled the requirements of my fellowship and will now have to write an end-of-program report.  This doesn't bother me, since helping out future generations of Light Fellows (particularly Korea Fellows), whether by blog or by report, is not a chore or an unwanted responsibility to me.

The reason I haven't been posting is very simple: I didn't feel like it.  I re-read some of my more recent entries, and almost none of them have anything valuable or worthwhile to say about the experience of being a student in South Korea or at Sogang University.  A lot of it is petty whining about my own personal struggles and/or opinions about rather irrelevant aspects of life here.  I partially attribute this to a "generation" gap - as a second-timer here, nothing is really green or new, and so my blog last year was much more useful in terms of gleaning what it might be like to take a summer here as a language student.  This time around, however, Seoul has lost a lot of its sheen, and while I don't like living here any less than I did last summer, I just don't have a great deal to report that's new or informative.  I expect this will change in the fall/winter, which are seasons I have yet to experience in Korea; additionally, I'll be facing a much more challenging Korean course in about 2 weeks time, which I'm sure will provide greater opportunities for societal understanding and linguistic growth.

I guess what this boils down to is that I realized that I felt like I had done my duty well when I blogged last year, but the challenges of my new life here have almost nothing to do with my experience in Korea and will not (at least in my own opinion) contribute to the body of knowledge that Yale has compiled to help students who hope to become Light Fellows.  Because I didn't want to abuse this blog and hurt any readers, I neglected to post at all, feeling that I would do a better job writing an end-of-term program report that forced me to gather my thoughts on what actually matters to this Fellowship regardless of how I feel about other things going on here.

My conclusion is, therefore, that last summer I blogged for the benefit of others.  While that is still a clear goal in my mind (the last thing that I would ever want to do is be responsible for an even greater lack of interest in studying Korean at Yale), I realize now that this time around, for the sake of my sanity and for the sake of honesty, I have to blog for myself.  If that means failing to fulfill a requirement, then so be it; I will continue to post as often as I feel like it, but I also won't force myself to try to present my experience here as particularly packaged so as to maximize appeal.  And that might just mean not posting.

I do regret not blogging about some things in the past month; I had an amazing, amazing, amazing week-long break from Sogang in which I was invited to speak at the 2010 ALEC Leadership Conference sponsored by Jinju Chodae Church (the roof, for the record, did not cave in, but I did get an envelope containing 150+ thank-you letters from students and got to sign about 300 autographs).  Additionally, I am behind on sharing my totally necessary opinions about K-pop today with the masses.  As an added bonus, I also finally started making long-term life plans, and now have a schedule for the next two years that kind of resembles something a responsible person might have come up with.  And I do plan to talk about all of these things in future posts (I mean, I will probably start some posts tonight or something), but I felt it necessary to say all of this first.

To those who have borne with me, thank you.  To those who will continue to do so, thank you even more.