so again, another milestone has passed. we have been in korea over 100 days! pretty awesome.
we are really in the daily grind of a normal routine. this is something that is very very important to tova and i. we NEVER have had the same schedule, even remotely, for our dating and marriage. this is something that is really important to us. there were times when i worked at 5 am, and she started work at 8:30, then there were times when i started work at 8, but had to leave the apartment at 6:45 and get home around the same time, leaving us only 2 hours together every day. we understand that there is a time when you might need to "suck-it-up" and deal with the schedule differences, but we think we have put in our time :-)
having the same schedule is really important to us, and i dont think we really understood how important it was to us until we got here. i just think that both of us dont want to feel like we are two different people who happen to see each other every once in a while. now, we know that people are different and thats ok, tova and i are very much the same in this regard, and ironically it was a major factor in us moving over here. we both wake up at the same time, get ready at the same time, leave for work at the same time, and she gets home about 20-30 minutes before me, unless she meets up with me on my walk. it is so wonderful for us, and so much what we have been wanting for years!
the funny thing about it though is that as much as we LOVE our schedules koreans dont like schedules at all. having things "sprung up" on you is the norm, and its a normal thing for koreans, unlike us westerners who like to get a memo 3 days in advance about changes: -p (which i LOVE) for instance, today 4th period was over and my co-teacher said that we needed to go out for lunch since there was a party during lunch. i was planning on eating lunch in the cafeteria (15 minutes tops) and then spending the other hour and 45 minutes lesson planning. OH WELL i wont be doing that! its just expected that you get up and go.
its not being rude, its not anything like that, its just a HUGE cultural difference. just 2 years ago i dont think i would have been able to be here in korea. i was so strictly tied to my schedule(s) and any changes in those would make me furious (in a bad way) over the past 2 years though i have been working on that a lot, and the scheduling thing is now just an annoyance, and something that i laugh at (even though i still like to schedule things, and love my day-planner!)
its amazing how God uses the little things to help you grow, and yet another lesson that we are learning/growing from here in korea. (WE LOVE IT!)
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Don't ignore the distractions of life. It is in the "distractions" that one often finds life.
ReplyDeleteMan you are getting radical in your old age! I never thought I'd hear you say some of the things you wrote. LOL
I SOOOOO understand your message, and can relate to it as well. You could almost be describing me in earlier times! It's obvious you have a handle on the whole 'not always on schedule' thing. It is ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL that you and Tova have nearly matched schedules.
ReplyDeleteHope you were able to get up into the mountains this weekend..or have an excursion someplace interesting and exciting. SHARE PICTURES ASAP ! Love seeing them. Take good care of one another! LH&P, always.