Like a nerd

 Of course I chose books as my birthday present from my husband. And I finally got them in the mail today! So excited! I got an Elementary Korean college textbook and corresponding workbook. The nerd in me is super excited to start studying. Hopefully this textbook, combined with Rosetta Stone and a few other workbooks I've gotten will help me finally get this language. So far, I've just learned random vocab from my other books. This textbook incorporates grammar and structure, which is something that is extremely important. Korean is a very exact language. There is no fluff room like in Spanish or French. You cannot play around with words and people understand what you mean. Your sentences have to be dead on. I'm a bit intimidated, but at the same time really ready to learn this language and impress my inlaws. They are ready for me to be able to talk to them as well. 

Immigration Woes

So happy to almost be done with Immigration!!!

This month marks the year anniversary of my husband’s and mine journey through the green card process. Last December, we had just been legally married (we had the religious ceremony on January 1st) and we began the long and arduous process of applying for a green card. We went to the approved USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) medical practitioner and Kyoung Hee (the husband) had a physical. Plain, boring physical. They did blood work and such and a lot of other things that my doctor could have done for a mere $15 copay. Oh no, this was a whopping $200ish visit to the doctor. For the SAME THING. boo. Anyways, we finished that. Got married January 1st. Sent off a billion other forms and applications (I-90, I-485, I-30…..etc etc…blah blah) Not to mention a lovely application fee of $1500.

I totally understand why there are so many illegal immigrants in this country now…..doing this the right way is dang EXPENSIVE. Did we mention that we were poor, recently married college student? Government doesn’t care.

Back to the point. Sent off the forms the 1st week of February. Got a reply in April saying that we were missing a few things($85 for the fingerprint fee being one of them…) We resolved the issue. Took us till  July to get Kyoung Hee’s birth certificate translated and then we sent everything off again. Didn’t hear back from them. It took until almost October until I got fed up with waiting and called them. They apologized and said that they somehow had forgotten us and that they would send us a biometrics(hoity toity way to say fingerprints) appt. Got the appt notice and went to Atlanta the first week of November. That was fun. Completed that milestone and then just recently got the notice for the LAST STEP in the process for us. THE INTERVIEW *summons choirs of angels* We have an appt. on December 15th to be in Memphis, TN at 7:30 am.  Rather early in the morning if you ask me. We are sooo happy that this is the last thing that we have to do. No more waiting! After this interview, Kyoung Hee should get his green card in the mail and then….job searching begins.

If anybody who happens to stumble across this blog is going through this process, about to go through, or just has questions about it, we are more than happy to answer them as best we can!

~~~I didn't notice the demon cat in the bottom of this photo until just now....Creepy Pippa. 

Many a Moon has passed

It certainly has been a while since I last posted. I haven't neglected posting because I meant to, but I really have just been that busy. I accepted the interim position at Walker Valley and what was suppose to be 3 weeks of full time teaching turned into 5. After that I jumped right into my secondary placement at Cleveland Middle School, which I must say, was rather horrid. My mentor teacher was amazing, but those kids....urghh. I would NOT ever want to teach middle schoolers. Now I am finished there and getting ready to go on Christmas break. Hallelujah.

Today is the day before my 23rd birthday, and my parents and brother are coming down today to take me out to eat. (^^) 23 is a weird in-between year. I don't really feel anything towards it except disdain that I am 1year closer to 25. Once 25 hits I'm not sure what I will do. 25 is a barrier in my mental psyche that I haven't yet reconciled to yet. As it inches closer, I get more and more uncomfortable. Kaleb was nice enough to tell me that I was already 25 in Korean years. booo. I do not like Korea and it's age progression. Way to age me faster. 

Time Travelling

Have you ever made one of those decisions or commitments where immediately following setting it in stone, you begin to wish you could get in a time machine and undo what you just did? 

Yup. My life this week. 

Nothing has been confirmed about said commitment yet, but I am just now realizing the repercussions to what I just signed on for. As most of you know, this fall I am student teaching/ interning at WV high school. I love it. I mean I really really love it. At first I was completely unsure and not confident in my choice of profession, but I love my kids/ mini adults. I shouldn't call them kids. Most of them are legal. Anyways, I was approached this week about an opportunity to sub for 3 weeks for another English teacher in my hallway. She had to take a leave of absence for personal reasons and her kids really need someone consistent in their classroom. Voila! Me. I had to interview this morning for the position and should hear back by tomorrow. I am excited about the chance to get experience and GET PAID for it, but I am sad because I will be leaving my wonderful seniors for juniors and sophomores. 

Also didn't think about how I would be at WV all day every day and how that would affect Kaleb's mobility in getting to class. I won't get done at WV till 4... Kaleb has a class at 3....I have the only car....we are a 20+ min walk from campus: Problem. 

I am not totally regretting volunteering to apply for this position, but I am nervous. I have decided though that if I get the job and for my future classes I am going to make them call me Kim Sunsangnim. (Basically this is Teacher Kim in Korean) I love it! 

KCD introduces Korean Dramas!

Now I have allotted Fridays to be known now and forever as Korean Culture Day or KCD. On these days I shall share amazing tidbits that I have learned about Korean culture. Today we will begin with Korean Dramas. This topic could easily cover an entire blog in and of itself. Maybe I will start one that reviews the various dramas I have watched....anyways off topic! Korean dramas. Yes, these are magical things that will suck you in and steal your soul. I first started watching Korean dramas because I wanted to learn more about the culture and hoped to pick up some more of the language. I was pulled in almost immediately. Korean dramas differ from American dramas in that they are actually good. All of the dramas I have watched have amazing plots. They literally are so angst ridden and culturally frustrating at times that you want to rip your hair out, but they have their moments of hilarity where you are crying you are laughing so hard, or their moments of heart rending sorrow where you curse the world with the characters. I have never been as emotional invested in a TV series as I am now in Korean dramas. And these dramas are not all romantic comedy/ sappy crap either. They have some excellent crime dramas, family dramas, regular comedy and coming of age stories.

Another interesting thing about Kdramas are that they are internationally famous. Among China, Japan, Phillippines, Thailand, and other Asian countries, Kdramas are known for their superior quality. They are starting to become more recognizable here in America too. I saw some of the dramas I had watched on Netflix the other day. Very exciting. I would recommend them to everyone. They are a fantastic insight into a different culture. Some of the dramas that I recommend in a heartbeat are the following: (in order of my favorites)

1. Secret Garden (2010)

2. You're Beautiful (2009)

 

3. Personal Taste (2010)

 

4. Hello My Teacher (2005)

5. Coffee Prince(2007)

Those are just my Top 5. They are the ones that I would recommend to the beginner Kdrama viewers out there. They are light and fluffy with just enough angst to worry, but not to want to jump off a bridge over. (Trust me...there are some dramas out there like that...cough cough Boys over Flowers)  Series usually run for about 16-20 episodes at 1 hour each. So so good. 

New Word

So K taught me a new word in Korean. Dongsaegi. It means "pooper". Why did he wait so long to teach me this word?! This is probably the most exciting word in Korean I have learned in a long time. Minus all the dirty words. Those are always fun. In any language.

Anyways, this post is brought to you by the word dongsaegi. And the number 8.  I am already looking for ways to introduce my new word into conversation. 

Behold....I am a feminist.

Let the mutters of indignation start now. Feminists really do have a bad rep. I read a quote on Facebook a couple days ago on one of my friend's statuses. It read as follows: "Feminism is a socialist, anti-family, political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians.” - And this was quoted by a leader of a church! When I read quotes like this coming from prominent church leaders, it makes me wonder from what planet are they from. If I ever met a woman who was a feminist like this, she would be a sight to behold. What a fearsome creature she would be!

Now I am not one of those bra burning crazy radical feminists who would be happier forming a world of Amazon women and using men only for reproduction and pleasure. But there is a subtler brand of feminism and this is the school of thought I prescribe to. And honestly, it is more outrage at how women were treated in the past rather than the present. Although, I had to force myself to listen to a misogynistic male in my philosophy class last night that I would have LOVED to hand over to the Amazons. I just feel that women have been undervalued for anything but housekeeping and childbearing. There is more to life than that for men and as such, should be the same for women. Feminism started out not as a "anything you can do, I can do better" type of mindset, but as women wanting their voices heard and considered as well. This was striven for whether it be in literature, politics, or everyday lifestyle. Even though equality is on a more even ground, women are still not taken as seriously in areas such as the workplace. I know this cannot change overnight, but I do believe in standing up for women's rights. Go me. That is all. Do I have crazy eyes now? Don't think so.

If I have to burn a bra, it might as well be lacy.

Back to the misogynist male from the other night, he used my favorite accusation about women being lower than men...the good ol' Eve is the reason for Sin argument. Really? Really? And where was Adam during all of this?  We know he was right there next to her. Did he do anything to stop this? Nope. Just as guilty. Really this argument holds not bearing and I want to chuck a Bible at people who use it. Sigh. Rant over. I was just reading some literature on feminism and then saw that quote on Facebook and felt compelled to say something about it. Not that I really have a plethora of readers who actually care about my feminist leanings. Maybe I will go burn a bra.

On a happier note-- this weekend has been proclaimed Chattanooga weekend! K and I really need to get out of Cleveland and out of our apartment. Life on the home front lately has been stressed. Husbands are bizarre creatures that require sensitive care. How you advert disaster one time is totally different the next time. Luckily adaptability is one of my strengths.  Anyways----> this weekend...Barnes and Noble!! I am going to have to reign it in with my book buying. I can go slightly crazy. Ah well, we may end up starving, but at least it will be in the pursuit of knowledge.  

Stagnation....the smelly fridge kind

Weeeel, I have been feeling that wanderlust itch. The need to pick up and move somewhere new. Certainly not inspired by the fact that a lot of my friends and acquaintances have finished with college and gotten real jobs and moved to new cities. (cough..Anna) I just feel like my life has been put on hold and I am just sludging through grad school.  While I love love love the academic setting and am definitely committed to lifelong learning, I really am ready to move to the next stage. Not like children next stage...don't get excited readers. Children scare the willies out of me. I want an adventure.

That is something that has been on my mind a lot recently. Kiddos...children...spawn. I have always thought that naturally  I wanted to have kids. Perhaps I do. However,  I can't picture myself as a mother. At all. Shouldn't you be able to picture that? I don't even have that burning desire to have them. Most moms I've talked to mention that they have always wanted/dreamed/ imagined having kids and that they couldn't imagine not having them. Not me. I've never felt that way. Is that a sign that I shouldn't have kids? I know Kaleb wants to have kids and I'm cool with that. He isn't pushy about it at all. I definitely have like 5+ years before it becomes an issue. 5+ years left of freedom. Maybe that mindset is what is wrong. Maybe I shouldn't view children as a loss of freedom. But isn't that what they are? I am probably pissing off all of my "mom" friends, but let me explore my feelings. I am honestly not judging women who have kids or want to have them. I just am thinking through my feelings on the matter. Possibly the thing that scares me that most is having to be responsible for shaping a small being's worldview and taking care of them. You are shaping a life. How you raise them directly impacts how they live their life. Unfortunately, I can't even keep a bamboo plant alive.

I suppose one day I will want a baby, but right now I want to enjoy life and be free to spontaneously pick up and move. Hop countries and have adventures. There is plenty of time for childrearing later. I want to live first.

I might have to duck rotten fruit after posting this entry. 

But why is everything rotten?

 Today is all about getting used to Korean culture. Being married to one, I have regular mini-culture shocks. For instance: Kimchi. It stinks. If you do not know what kimchi is, it is a Korean staple for every meal (EVERY MEAL...even breakfast.) and it is basically rotten cabbage that has been lathered and drowned in spicy peppers and stuff. Koreans honestly believe, and I was told this in Korea, that if something is rotten it is healthier/better for you. Oh, excuse me, I was raised being told if something goes rotten...you NEVER eat it.  Now, I have been married for over 8 months now and I dated Kyounghee for two years before that. I am used to kimchi. I even like to eat it. <---it is an acquired taste. But on Sunday I think I bought the wrong tub of kimchi at the little international market in Knoxville. The tub said kimchi sukbak. Apparently the word sukbak makes it different from regular kimchi. I get home and start to prepare it. It is not rotten cabbage. It is rotten radishes with a few leaves of rotten cabbage and these mysterious slimy grayish green things that reminded my of squished eyeballs and almost made me throw up when I touched it. Come to find out they are, and I quote from the ingredients...."fish parts". For the love of God...why? Rotten fish parts. Surely that is not ok to eat. But no, Kyounghee scoffed at my squeamishness and happily munched away. I had to leave because the slimy eyeballs were staring at me and mocking. Ergo..mini-culture shock. I foresee a horrible future pregnancy when we live in Korea. I am going to be throwing up over everything. Beautiful.

So that is a  little insight into the daily workings of my cross-cultural marriage. Sound fun? 99.9% of the time, it is. Yesterday just so happened to be one of those 0.01% days. And if you are brave enough to eat da rotten kimchi....make sure it is cabbage kimchi and not "fish parts"/eyeball kimchi. You have a better chance that way. 

Row, Row, Row your boat

 Well, after over a month and a half of absolutely no rain in Cleveland, TN, God has opened the floodgates. Literally. There is a lake in front of our apartment that was not there before. And it has no intention of stopping until Wednesday. Joy. At least I do not have to student teach tomorrow. I don't think I have posted since I started student teaching so I suppose I can talk about that. I am observing and teaching a 12th grade English class at a local high school here in Cleveland. I am honestly terrified of it and the students. Most days I wonder what in the world I have gotten myself into. I've been told numerous times that once I am alone in the classroom teaching that I should expect to go home crying everyday. Uplifting, right? My mentor teacher is great though. She is really honest about the profession and I appreciate that. I would rather she tell me how hard it is going to be rather than sugarcoat it. Plus she has a fantastic sense of humor and I love our planning period together! The students themselves are typical seniors. COMPLETELY UNMOTIVATED. And I have no idea how to motivate them into wanting to learn about literature. My respect for teachers has multiplied a MILLION fold.

Kaleb and I are starting to plan our fall break trip. Everybody say yay!! We really need a vacation. We haven't gone away somewhere together since our honeymoon. We are thinking about DC if we have the monies, but if not, then we are daytripping it to Rock City, Lookout Mt, and/ or possible Six Flags and Stone Mt in GA. I'll keep you posted on that. My Korean study has been pretty lame lately. Kaleb takes joy in reminding me of that almost daily. As if I didn't have enough pressure over my head, learning one of the hardest languages in the world so that I can stop feeling guilty about not being able to converse with my in-laws is something I DON'T need. blah. Anyways, I need to stop being lame and just commit 30 mins a day to it. Easier said than done. Maybe instead of blogging...... 

To the Virgins, to make much of Time

Gather ye rosebuds

GATHER ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow will be dying.
The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,	5
The higher he 's a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he 's to setting.
That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;	10
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.
Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while ye may, go marry:
For having lost but once your prime,	15
You may for ever tarry. ~~Robert Herrick~~

Oh Thesis, My Thesis!

Disenchanted. That is a good adjective to describe how I am feeling about the thesis process right now. There are now 8 days between me and the deadline for turning in my proposal, which constitutes about 60% of my grade in my Research Methods class. Intimidation! Not to mention that I absolutely abhor APA formatting! Where has my beloved MLA gone? Grad school can be a beautiful, terrifying beast. I am uncomfortable with my jobless state-correction...my professional jobless state. I do not count Cracker Barrel as anything but a dead end job. I am collecting applications to turn in around Cleveland and perfecting my resume, but I feel like it is going to be really difficult to find anything in this current job market. Maybe I should just shut up and be happy I have a job at the Cracker. -_- Anyways, today is super hot too. I about melted into a sweaty, gross puddle when I went around campus getting applications. Also, physical plant has been power washing the side of our apartment complex and it really is very life threatening. I was almost power washed walking out of my front door this afternoon headed to class. Well, after I wrap this entry up I guess I will pay the internet bill and do some library research. Always a great way to spend the afternoon. On a happier note.....Picture of the Day!

Say YES to Carrots

I have seen the light in regards to health and beauty products for my hair and face. I have officially gone green/natural or whatever it's called. And I am loving it! Last week, I was strolling through a Walgreens looking for some face wash/lotion when my eyes caught an ad for "Say Yes To Carrots". Puzzled, I stopped and read over their summaries and descriptions.

I was intrigued so I bought some lotion and face mask stuffs. Let me just say this. This product is MAGICAL! My skin has never felt softer or smoother. There is nary a pimple on my face and my hair is the softest I have ever felt it to be. Plus I just feel really healthy rubbing carrot and tomato stuff on my face and hair. It doesnt smell like carrots either! It smells really fresh and clean. I absolutely love it! It contains minerals from the Dead Sea and all the nutrients from the fruits and vegetables. I highly recommend this face and hair product to anyone and everyone! You can find it in Walgreens, Walmart, Target and online at their website www.yestocarrots.com. Their prices are reasonable as well. They average about $7-8, while some of their more expensive choices are in the $20 range. Definitely worth checking out. 

All Hail Nerds

For we shall inherit the Earth. Today I am basking in the joy that is loving books, loving school, and loving my calling to be a teacher. I feel like the highest calling we have as humans, besides our Christian duty, is to be well educated. I want my learning experience to be life long and never ending. If I haven't learned something new today then today has been wasted. I have been re-reading Anne of Green Gables (the entire series, not just the first book) and finding myself wishing that my outlook on life was similar to Anne's. It is days like today that I truly wish I had my childhood imagination back. Boy, it was a wondrous thing. The fun my sister and I used to have playing together. It simply cannot be reproduced.

I love the feeling of empowerment that school gives me. Last week I was in the ditches of despair almost literally due to the writing of my Master's Thesis, but this week it seems as though I have been reawakened. I want to travel and live an unusual life. I suppose I signed up for that when I married a Korean though. My fridge will NEVER smell the same. These are a few of my favorite pictures I have collected (aka stolen from Google) over the past years.

My greatest joy is in experiencing the freedom that life can bring

and of being continually with the one I love

while never losing that spark that drew us to one another.

Well, I am in a very expository mood which I am sure will soon be squelched by my Research methods class. I don't have to work tonight and this instills a huge amount of happiness and frantic joy in my heart. I can CLEAN my apartment now! Because of all the doubles I worked this weekend, our apartment looks like it combusted internally. I almost can't wait to vacuum.

Future furry Felines

So Kaleb thinks it is ridiculous that I am planning out the names and types of cats we are planning on getting, but I believe in knowing what you want. Just wait till we start having kids. The names will be picked out before the first ultrasound, I'm sure. I actually have a lot of homework to be doing right now, but I love to be distracted over meaningless things.

To start off,  I know I want to have three cats. And being an English buff, some will have literary names and maybe one will have a Korean name. lol. Let's meet my imaginary cats.

1. This one shall be named Keats. Keats is one of my favorite Romantic poets and my first cat shall be a tribute to him.

 2. This one will be named Dante because I LOVE Dante's Divine Comedy. After reading it, that is really how I picture the afterlife.

 

3. This one will be named Maru. It means "floor" in Korean, but I really like the way it sounds. Apparently Nabi is a really popular cat name in Korea, but I didn't like it as much. 

Kaleb is laughing at me as I write this, but I think it is great fun planning out my cat names. 

Comedy of Errors

Today is one of those days where you feel as though you have recovered from a long and foggy sleep. You might compare it to hangover. Whichever you choose. I'm not to fantastic at this blog thing; it seems as though every other blog I read is soo much better than mine. I just ramble about ridiculous things that don't seem to apply to anyone but me. I'm sure I am not the only one out there. Anyways, today has been strangely productive, but a type of forced productivity. I've made the bed, and cleaned the kitchen, made a pitcher of tea, checked the mail and even gotten in an hour of reading. I am trying to make this more of a habit.

Yesterday felt like an out of body experience at work and I couldn't seem to wait until I got off. I am in the beginning stages of writing my Master's thesis and it is already giving me gray hairs. The stress is really starting to get to me and yesterday I was lucky I didn't dump gravy or pinto beans on a guest. What I think I really need is a quiet, relaxing afternoon with a book and a cup of tea. That would be fantastic. Will I get it? Probably not, since CB is calling my name tonight.

Update on Korean stuff: My language study is going fairly well, but slow. I have written out a list of important vocabulary and am resolved to increase it a bit everyday. Kyounghee is trying to study English alongside me as I work on Korean. That way we can keep each other accountable. I am still terrified every time his parents call that they will ask to speak to me. But sad at the same time because I so desperately want to speak with them. My Korean cooking is far behind my language skills. Nicely put, I suck. Kyounghee does not hide that fact from me. If anything, I married an honest man. Tactful, no but very honest. I am still getting used to cutting up kimchi which burns my hands when I touch it. Tastes great, just don't rub your hands in it. Kyounghee once told me that spicyness is not a flavor, it is actually pain and your tongue's reaction to it. Who knew? That actually makes sense though. I am really getting eager to finish up this crazy Masters nonsense and move  to Korea. Kyounghee needs to finish up school too. Will appreciate any type of prayer regarding that. Turns out it is rather hard to do anything at all as an international student if you don't have a green card...or money. Money is an important but elusive thing.

Update on us: Being married is certainly very fun, Kyounghee and I are learning things from each other and about ourselves. I find I am having to rely more on God to instill patience in me because I've found that I really am not a patient person at all when it comes to husbands. 

Doesn't this just make you wish you ate Korean food on a regular basis? Oh so good.

Foggy Inclinations

This morning was my first venture into the scary world of graduate classes. This is also my first 7:45 am class ever in my collegiate career. Bravo. It is a General Secondary Education Methods class and I've already fallen in love with it. In just one three hour period, the teacher has managed to reassure and inspire me in my chosen vocation. I think I am making the right choice with my life and the direction it is heading. I'm very clear on where I want to be in a few years, it is just the in between steps that are a bit foggy. Mainly just on how to get by from day to day.  Like how to be a good wife to my husband and support and encourage him while I am furthering my own education. How to work 20+ hrs a week, go to school 24 hrs a week and still have to gusto to clean and prepare meals. Kaleb helps some and we are working on the teamwork aspect of it all, but sometimes it does feel very overwhelming. As though I will never get beyond this point in my life. The thought of having babies terrifies me. The thought of a real job excites me. Moving to Korea still = scary, but at the same time it is something that I want to do deeply.


Haven't studied Korean much lately, but I choose to think it is because I am working too much and not because I am super lazy. I really do need to put more effort in however. I've discovered that I am really not that great at multitasking with large projects. Like if I work a lot then I put all of my energy into working and then into recovering from work. Same goes with schoolwork and with learning Korean. It is rather hard for me to do more than one of these at a time with 100% effort.

Started reading 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I'll keep you updated as to how I like it. I've always enjoyed his use of magical realism, so I'm eager to see how and if he uses it in this novel.

Picking up a check from the Business office today( or am suppose to) so I gotta run.

Is it May?

Good God. Where did this semester go to? I just graduated from Lee University this morning. How utterly bizarre it feels to be done with this stage in life. I didn't really know what to do with myself after my family left this afternoon so I took a three hour nap. Because I could. I start grad school in a month and that feels so strange too. I have so much to do this summer. So many goals.

Goal #1: Start grad school and actually focus
Goal #2: Read one book a week if not more. 
Goal #3: Practice Korean every day.
Goal #4: Earn da monies.

Sounds ambitious? That's because it is. However, we will begin this list of "To-do's" tomorrow. All I did was sit in the sun and then walk across the stage, but I am so damn tired.

Ah well, Goodbye Undergraduate! You were not fun while you lasted. I used you as a means to an end and now I am finished with you. I'm completely ready for the next stage of life. Let's go! 

Reading like a fiend

  So the past two weeks have been insane, but I made it! My last semester at Lee as an undergrad has been kicking my butt, but finally I am free to be able to relax for a while. I discovered over the course of these past two weeks that being newly married and trying to get a lot of schoolwork done just doesn't work out so great. I was at my most lazy state and I simply didn't care. I just wanted to play Frontierville on Facebook. Now that is just sad. Luckily that phase is over now. I can safely say that I'm better at balancing husband and school, and now with all this free time I can clean our apartment! My husband thanks me for this.

  Today I gave my presentation on Henry Fielding's Tom Jones. That book was humbling. I had to read it with a dictionary in one hand, the words were that archaic. Anyways, I really loved presenting on that this morning. I got to dress up in my 'teacher' clothes. And now I am completely finished with that class until final exam day when I turn in the rest of the paper I presented today. The feeling of absolute freedom I am experiencing right now is unexplainable. I took a four hour nap today just because I could. I could get used to that.

  So a very large fat orange tabby has decided to make our apartment complex grounds it's new home. Kaleb and I discovered him/her yesterday afternoon. It just reminded me that we couldn't have pets and that was depressing. But we are keeping our eyes out for this cat so that we can water and feed him/her. I've just had the thought that I should really like to buy fish for our apartment. So Kaleb and I can experience a sort of parental responsibility of having something depend on us for its survival. Call it a practice baby. Several of my friends are having babies relatively soon. I swear that it is actually deterring me from wanting one rather than giving me baby fever. Plus we have the best birth control around...we live in an apartment complex where kids are as plentiful as roaches. And loud. We have a tiny baby herd of elephants living above us. Oh sad, my "V" key on my keyboard is sticking something awful and it makes typing rather annoying. Now I am trying to stay away from "v" words just to avoid hitting that letter. So Kaleb and I celebrated our one month anniversary yesterday. I can't believe that it has already been a month. Insane.

Newlywed Life

I've been awfully deficient in the blog writing department as of late. I'm afraid that the old foe of laziness and busyness got in the way yet again. However, I've decided to turn over yet another leaf. I've started a new chapter in my life, being married and everything, and as such will daily write the joys and trails and discoveries that I make along the way. Perhaps it will be helpful to someone else out there who is in an intercultural relationship or marriage. I shall be brutally honest with myself and not gloss over details so as to keep from humiliating myself. So here goes.
Today marks the two week anniversary since Kyoung hee(I shall call him Kaleb) and I were married. It's been a blur of a two weeks by the way. We were married on the first of January, 2011, a very unique anniversary date if I may say so myself. We honeymooned in Gatlinburg, TN and stayed in the mountains for three days. It was fantastic. Now we've moved into married student housing at Lee University as of a week ago today and are settled quite nicely now. Nothing monumental happened on this Saturday however, I am just sitting at my husband's desk typing away on his laptop. (Mine is currently indisposed for the time being) I rather like the particular clacking that his keyboard makes; it actually causes me to feel more productive than my keyboard does.

So far marriage is fine. Not as mindblowing as the masses have made it out to be. Kaleb is a thoughtful, funny husband who can make me laugh. We have a blast together and we love being able to live together and spend most of our time together, minus time spent in classes. However, it didn't take long at all for the stereotypical male habits to make themselves known. Already the toliet seat stays up and clothes are all over the floor. I had to learn patience extremely quickly because I take great pride in our new apartment and I want it in a constant state of cleanliness.....Oh God...I just realized how domestic that sounded and like a married woman. Horrid. I shouldn't make my husband out to be the "bad guy". I absolutely love being married to Kaleb, but boy, does marriage teach you a ton in just the first few weeks. Already I get frustrated with things he doesn't do. Can I expect him to telepathically know what I am expecting? Perhaps. Or perhaps living with a man and pinning all of your preconceived notions of what your dream husband should be or do on him is simply unfair.

Before you think me already a horrible wife, I want to reiterate just how much Kaleb is the perfect man for me to spend the rest of my life with. He shows me painful truths about myself and forces me to grow and become a better person. He has helped me notice my own shortcomings that I never saw when I was a single person. And we are only two weeks in.