Mon, Dec 16

I think the most exciting (and I use the term loosely) thing today was going for a short walk after dinner. Woohoo.

Tue, Dec 17

Today I broke it to my tutor that I have to go down to once a week. I think my bank account has a leak. I had to do it, but I feel bad. I know how it is to expect a certain amount of income each month…and then suddenly have less.

I was going to go for another walk, but after I finished my remote work…it just seemed so cold out there. And I didn’t go.

I’m reading now that the lawsuits are rolling in – citizens and soldiers suing the Korean president for emotional distress. I thought that was an American thing.

Wed, Dec 18

Today was rough. 노무 어려워요 (“no-moo ohlyo-whoa-yo” ish). Too difficult. Well, not the DAY, but the class. I thought we were having a role-play test. That’s where the teacher pairs us up, assigns us topic prompts, we write a little script/dialogue together, memorize it, then get up and present it from memory. All in the span of about two hours. Those are hard enough. But today, you know how I have those presentations to give, twice each class? It was that, but WE HAD TO WRITE THE ENTIRE THING RIGHT THERE IN CLASS. No phone help, we could use our textbook, but…that was brutal. We were required to use at least 5 new grammars, new vocabulary, and it was 400 “boxes.” For written assignments here they use these papers with boxes, and each box gets one syllable. I think it makes it easier for teachers to read our handwriting. Anyway, I don’t really know how many words 400 boxes is, but it sounded like a lot, so I kept writing and writing. When I got my “box paper” and started filling it in from my draft in my notebook, I was Way Over, ha ha, so at the last minute I had to cut a bunch of things out so I didn’t go over…and have it still make sense. I think I was the last one finished.

It was just very stressful writing under the gun like that. We should really do more writing practice in class. We READ a lot, we answer questions verbally, we write one-sentence answers to things…but the only time we write like compositions, is in tests.

It was stressful and frustrating cuz while I KNOW the grammar and vocabulary I struggle to just think of it off the top of my head- like what are five grammars that will make sense to use in this…what five words can I use…?

Anyway, afterwards we did a practice TOPIK test (I’ll explain that in a minute) while she corrected all our papers. I was surprised at how “not as bad as I thought” mine was…but I suspect she doesn’t have the same expectations of me as she does for others in the class.

The TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) test, is a test many international language students take as they must reach certain levels to get into university here and get jobs. I think there are 6 levels. When I took a practice test in class over the summer I juuuuuust squeaked under the wire into Korean 1 level. That’s fine with me. I’m neither trying to get into university nor get a “real” job here.

I stopped at the convenience store on my way home, I needed a sweet stress reliever. I got a small bag of Skittles. I came home and popped a handful into my mouth and AARRGGGHHH – they’re sour. Says it right on the package. IN ENGLISH. Ha.

I cannot do sour. I don’t like sour, tart, pickled/vinegar-y. SO MUCH Korean food is pickled and/or vinegar-y. I like sweet, salty, spicy, umami.

I have a night of studying ahead of me as we have a test tomorrow.

Thur, Dec 19

Stressful Class Day #2. Ugh. We knew we were having the test…what we didn’t know was we were going to have another writing assignment! It was called a practice test but it’s stressful cuz clearly I have learned nothing and the teacher’s gonna see that!

They do love to bundle all the stressful things together. A presentation on test day…a writing assignment due the day before the mid-term. You’d think they could plan that out a little better.

My friend brought me some french fries, ha ha, so that was good.

Fri, Dec 20

Uneventful day…except that I had another little burst of productivity and finally carried my bag of “donation clothes” to the donation box that’s literally like a 6-minute walk…but I’ve built it up in my head since I last went in August that it was a major trek. Which is why a pile of clothes has been sitting on the floor right inside my door for  four months. Ugh. I also got all the cardboard out.

Go me.

Saturday, Dec 21

Just stayed in cuz I know I’m going out tomorrow. Did the usual puttering…a little studying, a little remote work, a little reading…a nap.

Sun, Dec 22

Met up with a new friend at a Christmas pop-up market. I met her on a meetup about a month ago. She’s American, from New Jersey, here in the military. Has lived all over the world. And has a car!

I don’t know them, they were just a cute couple doing a bunch of poses in front of the merry-go-round

The afternoon began as sort of a comedy of errors…she was running late cuz her taxi driver didn’t know exactly where the event was…meanwhile, I got the tickets, then stood in Line #2 three times cuz I kept getting to the front and she still wasn’t there, so I’d step out and return to the back of the line. Then when she got there we got on Line #2 once more, only to find that Line #2 STILL doesn’t get you IN, it puts your registration in the queue and you have to wait to get a text message saying it’s your turn to enter. It said there were 292 people ahead of us, so we figured it would be awhile.

We went into the mall – I’d seen a content creator eating a pastrami sandwich at the foodcourt, and I’ve been obsessed with the thought of a pastrami sandwich ever since. But walked all around, it was PACKED (how on earth was I in a MALL on the Sunday before Christmas?!?), never saw it…so we wound up at a sit-down restaurant up on the 6th floor…On the Border, of all places, ha ha. We joined ANOTHER queue there to get seated…it only took about 20 minutes, so not too bad…and while we were eating we got the message that we could enter the pop-up.

It was really crowded…there were a lot of gift and food vendors…some photo opp spots. Koreans very politely form a line so one person at a time can pose in the perfect spot for a photo without a bunch of other people in their shot. At one such spot, The Ugly American walked right up to the front and took a picture, without regard to the line at all.

Photo Credit: The Ugly American

Me. I was The Ugly American! I didn’t realize there was a line until after I took my picture and turned around to walk away and THEN saw the lonnnggg line of people patiently waiting. OhMyGod I was So Embarrassed 🙁 I bowed and cheh-song-hamni-da’d my way all down the line until I could scoot out of view.

Ugh.

I posted a wish on the wish wall (Hey Korea, Even Though I’m an Ugly American, Please Let Me Stay Here!), and my friend waited in yet another queue for the merry-go-round.

I haven’t done as many Christmassy things as I’d wanted…I’ve been stuck on study mode, plus, it’s been pretty cold. I plan to get to another couple things this week leading up to Christmas.

I can’t believe Christmas is in three days. What has everyone asked Santa for?