Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday Dad!! And Pat as well!! (both upcoming, both getting pretty OLD, muahahahahaha). Seriously, love you guys, please help me find a car when I get back to Canada.

I'm far too lazy to speak in full sentences and remember things in chronological order. Thus:

- The apartment above mine has some leaky pipes happening which has caused a section of my wallpaper to get all wet and moldy and nasty. Of course I couldn't just talk to my upstairs neighbour, so I had to enlist the help of Mrs. Lee, who called the owners and we arranged a meeting. The only thing I understood was the man saying "chiosonghamnida", which means sorry. Apparently he's going to fix whatevers wrong. Wow, that's sort of a boring story. Sorry bout that!
- This weekend I'm going to go about getting a visa in order, so I can go to Beijing for a week!! (Aug. 4-11). Great Wall, here I come!
- Mrs. Lee is getting administration to pay for my flight home directly (instead of me paying then being reimbursed), which is awesome!! I'll be arriving in Canada the evening of August 21st.
- It's getting HOT over here. Monsoon season is supposed to be starting next week as well, which will make things interesting. HUMID. Weather here is pretty predictable compared to Canada. But I guess it's not a fair comparison since the weather in Canada is always insane.
- Today I started thinking about all of the photos of myself there are floating around the greater Jeolla area right now. Kids take pictures of me on their cell phones; people on the street will try to (and suceed in) taking pictures of me since I'm such an oddity; all of the teachers who bring their classes in make sure to get the waygook monster (i.e. me) into every shot; and I must admit there have been many times that I've wanted pictures with Hangookin (Korean) people, and then they end up taking pictures of me as well. So I was trying to think of how many pictures of me there are out there. Hundreds! Literally hundreds! *shudder* There goes my soul.
- Everyone who's contract is ending in August has begun to talk about "reverse culture shock". The theory is that when we go back to Canada, we're all going to wonder why the food is so bland, and wish we didn't have to understand EVERY SINGLE CONVERSATION. I have to say, for the most part I kind of enjoy not understanding conversations. Then I can zone out and spend some time in my own little Cathy world, and later someone can explain a half hour conversation in two sentences. Of course this doesn't always go well and I get some mixed messages, but, meh.
- Spending time in Cathy world. Sigh. It's not such a great place for others, but for me it's a joyous occasion. I have great conversations with random people and find myself winning every argument. Everyone tells me how witty I am; I react with humour and humility when complimented etc. etc.
- Ha! Funny story. Last night I get a call on my home phone. Most of the time it's a random person with the wrong number, and this was the case again. In response to my "Hello", I got the usual "ahhh... yoboseyo?" (Korean phone greeting). At this point I gave my usual "I'm sorry, you have the wrong number" and hung up. He called right back, but at this point I was thinking he might realize he was calling the wrong number so I decided not to answer. After letting it ring for a looonnngg time, he gave up. Then directly after I get a THIRD call which I pick up and he starts trying to talk to me in English, apparently convinced that the person he wants to talk to has just made some waygook answer the phone as an elabourate joke. After saying hello again and telling him I'm a "waygook saram" he asks "You... in Korea?" At this point I could only laugh. Did he think he was accidently calling a foreign country (three times!!)? Did he think that he had accidently called another dimension where all people in Korea had been forced to learn English (maybe that is more of a "future" than an "alternate dimension" thing, if you get my drift)?
- I am the queen of digression.