I moved Thursday

I moved Thursday. I was told earlier last week that during the next three months I would have three different host families. My sister told me who those families would be, and I was really excited. I liked the people who I would be staying with. Then on Wednesday, November 30th, my Rotary affiliated teacher told me that I would be living with one family possibly even for the next six months. He only told me this after I approached him to find out who my family was and when I would be moving. He said I would either be moving that day or the next day. Too short of notice. This made me very nervous. I wasn’t packed; I had church on Wednesday night. I didn’t know my next family. Before I went to church on Wednesday, I left my host mom a note that said, “엄마, 교휘에 갔어요. (Mom, I went to church) I don’t want to move until Saturday.”

That didn’t matter. My next host mom was ready for me to move on Thursday. I packed Wednesday night, ate some ramen, and sat around talking with my mom until about 1am. I had to wake up at seven for school, but I didn’t feel like it. That was my last night in that bed, in that home as part of the immediate family and not a guest and I wanted to cherish it. I asked and my mom said I could go back to sleep and not show up at school until 8:30, which is when the real classes begin anyway. During the home room period they were watching “Home Alone.” I only missed the part where they forget him at home. In Korea students are not supposed to come to school tardy or not come to school unless they are deathly ill. Teachers tolerate me though because I am a foreigner. The only times I have arrived tardy were Thursday and the day after Thanksgiving. It was still Thanksgiving in the US and I called my family to wish them a “Happy Thanksgiving!” Back to moving…I skipped Chinese Calligraphy on Thursday. I usually have that class after lunch, but I skipped lunch too and went home to eat with my host mom. Then I went to church, because I was helping tape a commercial for the Winter Retreat we are having in January. After filming I went home to get my bags and move. My head was back to the surreal feeling of when I left for Korea, but not as bad. At least I was already in Korea; I was just going to a new house (apartment) and a new family.

I was nervous. Especially the first night, because when I got here I found out that my room was going to be what was before the playroom. There was no closet and no drawers to put my clothes in. There wasn’t a bed with a mattress, just a foldable bed pad and blankets, which is normal for a Korean bed, but it was different. Also my desk was going to be a table on the floor and I wasn’t sure if there was enough room for my books. I think I was mainly just nervous because I had moved and didn’t really know where I was.

I slept really well. The night seemed much longer than normal. Then on Friday morning someone who is becoming a friend came to pick me up for school. At my other house I just walked to school. Now I have to take a bus in the morning and I had no idea how to get to the bus stop.  So he helped me.  School went basically normal. Torie was moving during the day, so she wasn’t in any of my classes and most of the classes were just studying for finals. (I think they begin next week, so I’ll have some more time off of school)  I had to call my friend to have him help me get home from school. On the way home he pointed out landmarks like a post office, a park and a gym, so that will help me remember my way next time. (my last house the bus stop to go where ever I usually wanted to go was right outside my apartment) When I came home, I took a shower, and then I took a nap. I was so tired from a very busy week that I slept for more than an hour. While I was sleeping, my new host mom brought me a coat rack for my clothes that need to be hung up and after I woke up I helped her move a bed from my host brother’s room into my room. The bed has drawers underneath to put all of my clothes in, so now I won’t feel like I’m living out of a suitcase. I moved things around to fit all of my books and I definitely don’t mind sitting on the floor to type. I’m what you’d call a floor person. The bed is also really nice. I like to do most of my studying, reading, writing and so forth on a bed. It’s really nice to just put your back against the wall, a pillow on your lap and stretch your legs out. Now I already feel at home in my room. I still don’t feel as comfortable in the rest of the apartment though. It is much bigger than the last apartment that I stayed in.

I am getting to know my family although I think that we are both shy of each other. After lunch I sat and talked with my host father for at least an hour about the United States and Universities. He has been to far more of the United States than me. He says probably 44 states. That’s more than most Americans. He speaks English well because he is involved in finding the money to finance urban planning. I don’t know the title of his work, but he travels to the United States quite often.  His daughter, Jennifer, was born Dec. 7, 1992 when he was studying to get his MBA in Philadelphia. That makes her not a Korean citizen, but a United States citizen, because Korean’s can not hold duel citizenship. I think I will get to now Jennifer pretty well as a younger sister. She’s speaks quite decent English, but I want to help her practice her English and she can help me study Korean. My host brother is eleven years old, but I don’t know if that is Korean age or American. He’s not an American citizen, but he also speaks English well. I think it will be fun to have younger siblings. [Bobby is getting pretty old and I’m starting to think of him more as an adult and equal than younger (at least in maturity). I have just started to take him places and get him gifts and stuff like an older sister though. Sorry kid that I always took you for granted before. Now I realize how awesome you are.] My host mom is really nice, but I haven’t gotten to talk with her very much. I know that she majored in Literature and Art at Yonsei University though.  And that she is a good cook.

They have a print of Renoir’s “Mother and Daughter” (I think that’s what it’s called) in their dining room. Thank you Weber, because I saw the painting and asked, “Is that Renoir?”  Actually all of my knowledge from Humanities has been coming in very handy this year. Also the art that I saw on the Spain Trip this summer has been popping up in textbooks and magazines. I’m also proud to say that Claes Oldenburg’s “Spoon Bridge and Cherry” is in my art text book.

Since I have now diverted from the subject of my host family and it is 11:14pm I should probably post this and go to bed. I would also like to say though that IT’S SNOWING!! This is the first time it has snowed while I’ve been in Korea and it is so exciting. There should be quite a bit, maybe an inch, of snow when I wake up in the morning. I’m scared for traffic going to church in the morning, because Korea doesn’t have plows like Minnesota. Anyway, it’s really exciting and I have pictures. I’ll take more pictures in the morning, and then post some. Goodnight and sweet dreams to me and anyone else who is reading this before they go to bed. I’ll try to keep my updates more regular.