2.5 years and we are leaving! * YAY
People in this country have explosive tempers and as you can see from this blog, I do too. This is not a personality trait that I’d like to foster.
Last night was the deciding factor. About to get off the train I grabbed my ridicously heavy should bag from the overhead compartment/rack thing and as I slung it with a grunt over my shoulder some old man was walking by and got nudged by it. I quickly pulled my bag back thinking, shit I hit someone. He stops, turns and starting yelling, in my face. I looked around in shock, thinking, there’s no way you are yelling at me for a mistake. Then everyone turns around to see what the hell is going on, since I can only assume that this prick was swearing at me. Well, never one to be shy I started to yell back at him. Then, a man younger than the yelling grandpa and older then me, intervenes and tells something to the old asshole. The old man stops yelling for about 2 seconds and then starts up again.
So, that’s it. I have had enough of assholes in this country that are making me stressed out and turning me into that crazed “foreigner” that I don’t want to be. It’s time to get out of Asia altogether. When I’m done my masters I’ll have been in Asia for 8 years. That’s more than enough for me.
Mentally I need to know that there is an end date, something that I can mark off on the calendar.
*although my brain is now working overtime at the thought of this and it could be sooner.
Yup. Time to leave. You and Korea are not a good match. You and Korean society — hierarchical, Confucian — are not a good match. (I say this because, mistake or not, the old dude would take offense to your perceived carelessness. Not fair, I know, but profuse apologies were in order.)
Enjoy life.
I agree but in my defense, he was standing behind me and the 3 younger people that bumped into me before that, never batted an eyelash.
Besides that, it was barely a nudge, happens all the time here. He was clearly pissed off about something else and decided to take it out on me.
Yeah, I’m turning into a crazy foriegner too. A lady not much older than 30 pushed past me to sit down on the bus yesterday, even though I was quite clearly waiting to sit, and had been on the bus longer than her. She got off 2 stops later. @%$#!#$^$%@!~ On her way off the bus though, she was tripped up by an unknown foot. Karma or revenge, who knows for sure?
My Korean expiry date is when Ethan starts Elementary school. Hubby has said he will not go to school here. I’m happy with that! 4-5 years left. How do I count the seconds?!!
After I’m done my masters we want to have children and the idea of being pregnant in such an angry place is not something that I look forward to. I’ve done my tour of duty as it were and am ready to be shocked, surprised and amazed by some other place in the world. This isn’t the be all end all, although some people like to think it is. Even at that, career wise there isn’t much further I can from where I am now. When I finish my masters I will be offered around 100-200 more per month which means it would take 8 years to pay it off!! I need a more challenging environment where I don’t have the urge to trip the citizens in it!
Sorry to hear you’re havin’ a hard time. My quality of life has improved exponentially now that I dont take the subway.
Wanna go to an all you can drink wine thing sometime before your 81,475,200 seconds are up?
H *^^*
I have yet to figure out a bus combination that will work to take me to work from this new apartment – forgetfulness coupled with a MAC makes it a challenge… one of these days I’ll get it figured out.
oo and yes to the drink! plans on saturday??
No plans on Saturday. I’ve been meaning to go to that all you can drink wine thingy at the InterContinental but Im not sure if they do it on Sat. There are other places though. I can look up the bus route for you if you’d like. Im becoming an expert at that.
Once I started driving here my quality of life increased immensely! Yes, driving can suck, I do have road rage, but it is not as bad as ajumma/adjeosshi bumping rage. You do get used to being cut off, and when they flash their hazard lights at you, it is like they are saying sorry and I immediately calm down. If they don’t, then I get really angry. ^^ Haha…random, I know!
Hope you can find a way to brush it off so the rest of your time here isn’t full of bad memories.
Yeah, I’m not a strong enough driver to take on the traffic in Seoul. Besides that, where we live, there’s no dedicated parking spot so that’d be a huge daily annoyance to try to find somewhere to park.
I had a scooter in Taiwan for 2 years and I never really felt comfortable driving that – you’re so ….. exposed. I suppose getting rear ended by a car and then side swiped by another scooter 4 days later doesn’t help to build your confidence … ha!
I understand you completely. If you have this much rage now, imagine when you are pregnant/have kids and little things are magnified even more. Some people deal better than me, maybe. I’ll never forget pointing out the pregnant woman/old person/injured person sign to a young woman on the bus. She rushed by me to sit down and I was nearly 30 weeks pregnant — can you say NERVE? She was a bit embarrassed after our encounter.
Our time is up here as well. We’ll be out sometime in 2010. Being in Canada for 3 months has reminded me of all those good things in life, like grass, parks, traveling safely in a vehicle from point A to B with baby in car seat, friendliness (usually), no being pointed at, etc, etc, etc.
Let’s have a latte when I get back and have a good rant!
Honestly, I can’t say that I am surprised that you are leaving. Once you mentioned that you were extending your trip I knew that the countdown had begun and good for you for making the decision.
I am not only a planner, but a long term planner and that’s what’s motivating me. There’s just so many options to choose from, in regards to where to go next and god is it ever nerve racking. And it’s not just old guys being rude (and no I don’t care if it is a cultural difference, somethings I just refuse to budge on – like giving up your set to a pregnant lady!!!) but the tole the work environment is taking on my husband. Obviously he wants to have a fulfilling career and make something of himself, and is as stubborn as I am so …. he keeps chipping away at it BUT that is not a life that I want for us AND I DO feel that I need to get us out of here; like it’s somehow my responsibility seeing as I have that lovely blue passport … Couple all that with having to find a balance that works for both of us and things get messy.
All that being said, I can’t wait to go for a latte and catch up! Have a safe flight!