노란색 별표! Estrella Amarillo!

I can get a little obnoxious when I start learning a new language. Once I muster up the energy and motivation to actually learn the language, I'll flaunt my new skills to a-n-y-o-n-e. I learned how to say Spanish shapes and colors last week, and I've constantly spouting out the colors of t-shirts and leaves in Spanish. My friends smile and laugh, but the occasional eye roll comes out when they've heard me saying "la blusa rosa" for the umpteenth time. My favorite phrase is "estrella amarillo" or "yellow star". I like the way it looks and rolls off the tongue.

Amidst learning Spanish, I realized that I have no idea how to say yellow star in Korean. This thought makes me panic, momentarily, that I didn't spend my time wisely in Korea simply because I don't know this phrase, or that learning Spanish right now means I'm "leaving" Korea too quickly. Luckily, the moment passes, and I silently laugh at my melodramatic logic. I think it's ok to be excited and sad in the same moment. Last week, I went on a retreat with my seniors and learned about a transition concept called R.A.F.T. It stands for Reconciliation, Affirmation, Farewells, and Think. The concept encourages people to properly say goodbye to their home and gives positive strategies how to transition to the next one. I've definitely done my share of transitions, but I don't know if I've ever properly said goodbye to a place. I think my exit from Korea will my first proper goodbye.

I will definitely learn how to say yellow star by next Tuesday.

The Shipping Man

I'm really going to miss the Korean post office. Seriously! Yesterday, Sarah and I brought ninety percent of our personal belongings to respectively ship to Spain, American, and Uganda. The whole scene was quite a circus with the myriad of suitcases and Costco bags hauled in! Then we met him: the infamous Korean shipping man. The man that makes his own cardboard boxes and packs an entire box of shoes, clothes, and ceramic figurines in under 10 minutes. (That includes bubble wrapping the breakables!) He packed 10 boxes in under 80 minutes. 10 boxes! I'm still mystified by his packing powers.....