It has been over a month since I returned from my trip to Korea and therefore over a month that I have been staying by myself at home (Sarah stayed in Korea for an extra month and a half).  I have come to realize a couple of things from my month alone.  First, living alone is not so easy.  While being alone has provided some much needed solitary time (I know i'm anti-social), having to shop, do laundry, cook, cleaning and all the other aspects of single life I had not really previously experienced and I don't really find them enjoyable.  It's not that Sarah did all these things all the time but it's different when there is no one else to do some of these things and there is not the same sense of self-reliance.  My fridge is barron and i've noticed that i'm eating out more often. I realize that I have come to rely on Sarah for a lot, and not that i'm lost being alone but it is definietly different having to survive on your own, especially when you've been a 'couple' for so long.  This leads to my second point, i've realized that my closeness to Sarah has coincided with a distance with my friends.  Not that this has occurred intentionally but I definietly do not keep in touch with my friends in the same way I previously did.  I'm not sure if it's due to all us growing up and having our own new lives but a distance has been created. I'm not blaming anyone or complaining about this situation, i'm merely making an observation.  I have never been a person with a wide circle of friends (for evidence check my facebook!) but I have always valued those friends I do have. Most of the people I truly consider friends I have known for the majority of my life and so no matter How infrequently we meet I am confident they will continue to be close to me but now after so much time without communication and with the demands of daily life I'm unsure it is possible to resume a friendship as previously experienced. I've tried recently to make an effort to maintain communication and hopefully  things will change. 

It has been about three weeks since I returned from my trip to Korea.  I have to say it was one of the best experiences in my life. 

I'm not sure if it was that fact that Sarah was there or that I simply needed a break from the daily grind but the trip was so relaxing

and comforting. While only there two weeks I made some observations about Korea.  I don't anyone to think that the what i'm about to say is meant to be offensive its simply my observations (if i'm off base let me know in comments).

 

1.  Koreans have a strange fascination with English.  Parents push their kids to take English classes. Aparently english tests are required for certain jobs.  All of this is well and good except NOBODY uses english.  I'm not complaining i'm just wondering why there is such a desire to learn english in a country where nobody uses it.  Very strange to me.

 

2.  I spent almost all my time in Seoul so my next point my be off base, but Koreans love fashion but this love of fashion is not limited to females.  You would not catch me in any of the shirts that they were selling in the mens stores. I'm all for style but I think the obsession with comercial brand names even surpasses North America.  Consumerism is almost a way of life for a lot of young people. While there are a lot of fakes there are also a lot of young people walking around with 1000s of dollars worth of clothing.  How they can afford it is beyond me and why they need it is even more difficult for me to understand. 

 

3.  North Americans are much larger in size compared to Koreans but man can Koreans eat!.  I have never felt so full in my life and oftenI was the first one to stop eating. Young, old, male or female it didn't matter they all out ate me.  It wasn't that I didn't like the food (i've been eating Korean food for 4 years now), I simply couldn't keep up. 

 

4.  I saw my share of non-Koreans while in Seoul.  I assumed that they probably were working as English teachers.  (Let me preface my next observation by saying I not trying to sound arrogant).  Many of these teachers appeared to be dating Koreans.  Now I understand that a person while working in Korea would meet/date a Korean.  But why did so many of the non-Koreans that I saw look so unattractive and a lot of them looked like they were small town country people.  But most curious of all was that they were going out with girls that were definitely 'out of their league'.  I just wondering if by simply being a foreigner they were more appealing to Koreans.   *I'm now wondering if people are saying the same about Sarah and I, is she out of my league?* 

 

5. Seoul is definately a congested city and it is inevitable that people are going to bump into each other.  Perhaps that is why nobody uses the terms please, excuse me, or sorry.  Now I know I am guilty of overusing all three of these terms on a daily basis but it was strange to go

through two weeks of people bumping, pushing and stepping into you and not hear it said once.  I understand that its not part of the society, but it still felt wierd