When One Year Becomes Two

Hey there!

So, after being in Korea for a year, taking a six week trip through Southeast Asia, and heading back to Canada, I've come full circle. Although living in Korea for a year sounded challenging when I first thought about it, I let go of home comforts to come back for another year.

What I didn't expect was for Korea to feel more like home than anywhere else I've been lately. Jamie and I are working and living in a little residential neighbourhood called Juwol-dong, in the south of Gwangju. Compared to last year, settling in has been a breeze.

Of all the things I've noticed about Korea, my least favourite is that they're very fond of impersonal brick buildings alongside neon-highlighted signs and clothing stores. Our new neighbourhood is in the old block, where houses are snuggled up against one another behind tall brick and wrought iron fences and the main street is far enough away that we can pretend it's not even there. It's really nice to get up in the morning and join the groups of people off to work or school who pass by our building. If it's possible, I feel even more at home here in Gwangju than I did when I left.

Jamie and I are also getting a bit cocky about the tiny bit of Korean we managed to pick up last year. Instead of stumbling through charades, this time I can spit out enough to be basically understood. And the reception hasn't been half bad. I'm not sure if it's our neighbourhood or the fact that we're more comfortable speaking the language. I even got a smile from the ajossi selling vegetables on my way to the cafe. Now, all we have to do is learn some grammar and maybe we'll have a handle on the language before we leave!

Pictures will follow, but for now, we are internet-less until we get moved into our new apartment at the beginning of April. Have no fear, my friends! Blogging all the greatness of this country is a Korean-year resolution this time around.

:o)