Im going to miss Korea so much when I leave in 8 days...

Today my friend wrote on my wall: "HURRY BACK I MISS YOU" to which I replied "I'm already home"

and it's true...I meant it

When I first started watching The Weekenders when I was around 13 I was extremely jealous of the friendship they shared.

They are whom I would deem the ultimate friends. So rad, so awesome I'd even go as far to call them soulmates. Each of them have different areas of interest and beliefs yet they respect one another and are always helping each other out regardless of the sacrifices they have to make. Yes they are different and yet they manage to say in sync.

The past few days I've been re-watching the masterpiece titled The Weekenders but no longer am I envious of them. Cos now I do have a Lor, Tish and Carver just like Tino (my fave) does except their names just so happens to be Sho, Margaret, Alice, Angus, Cyrus and Stephanie.

Margaret, Alice, Angus, Cyrus, Stephanie and I all attended Shaughnessy Elementary. Steph and I were best friends since second grade and when Margo and Alice (twins) transferred in the fourth grade, the three of us (M&A&Me) started rolling together. Margo could dial my number in a second no joke and Angus and Cyrus also happened to be besties. I stopped hanging out with elementary friends when the twins left for boarding school in Victoria, but everyone else started a "Shaughnessy group" in the eight grade. I didn't join until the end of ninth grade and Sho (a Catholic private school soccer playing junkie :D and my best homeboy) joined us in the 11th grade. Since then we've been pretty much inseperable. We've just gotten to a point now where we know each other down to the tee. We accept each other for who we are, flaws and all. We stick up for each other and we take each others shits when we're having a bad day. I can't say that we've been though everything together, but we've been throught a lot together and I honestly would not be the person I am today without them.

I hope we can grow old together. I know that the chances of our children being friends together like us (yes we've talked about it don't judge) are so extremely slim but I just hope that my child one day will have friends who share a bond like we did(do/will).

What Pisses me off to no end...

the list is too long to list

Love in Little Packages

I'm so sick of feeling like shit. It's my second last day of teaching these kids that I've come to love and adore. I even love my 5th and 6th grade brats...and instead of moping because I let another chance at love slip away, today I will teach these kids with a smile on my face.

5 months ago I came into Oksan Elementary in Sangju, Gyeongsangbukdo, South Korea a frightened newblet just ready to gain some teaching experience. Little did I know that I'd gain something even greater than that. I gained patience, compassion,and understanding for others. I gained an entirely new perspective...well not entirely new since it's something I guess we all possess when we're young and innocent =P

So many of these kids come to school to be loved because they don't recieve any at home. I know this kind of situation may exist in any school in any part of the world, but it's shockingly prevalent in rural parts of South Korea. A majority of the kids who live in these rural counties are children abandoned by their parents due to splits in marriage, death, work, or just simply for the sake of neglect. They come to school, love-deprived, many of them dirty and haven't seen a bath in weeks. So when they seen the foreign teacher who is always smiling and always teaches the "fun classes" they subconsciously target me as their affection outlet.They shower me with hugs, trail me wherever I go, hold my hand, cling on to my body, and even cling to my leg as I try to make it from Point A to Point B.

I know they will never read this, but I love my kids so much and it breaks my heart to leave them and I am so sorry. I am filled with so much regret. I saw the disappointment in one of the boys' eyes when I told him I had to leave in August, he was probably thinking they always leave. And they always do, but what am I supposed to do?

I am going to miss them so much...

A confession

I will always love you.