take two, part two

so this is it. the year is different, but the season is the same. in 2005, i returned from Thailand on November 8 and settled into a life in Seoul. this year, i arrive back in Seoul from Hong Kong on the exact same day. the plan is to teach English during the winter quarter, study Korean, write poetry and freelance articles, deepen relationships, study and practice the discipline of contemplative prayer, save money, and travel more when the quarter is over.

as i said, this is Korea: Take Two. maybe God will let me know why i was led there two years ago, and why the experience was so drastically different from my expectations. maybe this sojourn is a bookend - which side of the story, i'm unsure.

Korean winters are cold - not as cold as Siberia, but definitely colder than Sarasota, Atlanta and/or Seattle. i still have my winter arsenal of clothing from last time: long underwear, cotton tights, leggings, down jacket, ski gloves, hats, scarves, wool socks, the works. i'm working on the body insulation; the endless series of goodbye breakfasts, lunches, and dinners are helping - but not quite as much as i'd like.

i have a list of goodies to bring to awaiting folks in Asia. Alan (Seoul) wants a nice bottle of bourbon and power goo for his upcoming marathon. (erm, to be clear - he does not want the bourbon for the marathon. well, actually that's an assumption. one never knows...) Elaine (Beijing) wants instant oatmeal (which was my top desire two years ago in Korea). my mom (Beijing) wants a tube of Sensodyne; the one she brought on her carry-on was confiscated at airport security. she asked me to please pack the new tube in my checked luggage.

one last note before i finish off my task list: i'm going to couchsurf in Hong Kong. yes, i recently learned that there really is such a thing and that it will help me extend my stay in HK to more than 8 very pricey hours. my host will likely be a 38-year-old social worker. upon reading her profile, i thought we might have a lot in common: older, single, traveling, social-working Asian women. (she's currently vacationing in Croatia.) so, yea - couchsurfing it'll be. i'll let you know how it goes...