This fall has gone by quickly - though that should be no surprise to me since time seems to fly by here. Last year I was so new in the fall that my experiences were more chaotic and I often went along with whatever was happening around me because I didn't really know how to go about things on my own. However, this time around I'd already been here for a year and was able to appreciate things I missed out on last year while learning to say no to other events in order to take more time to relax alone. In October two of my favorite events occurred: the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) and the Busan Fireworks Festival. In addition, Halloween is my favorite holiday, and this year my costume made it a very interesting and fun-filled adventure!
Juliette Binoche, Oliver Stone, and Moi @ Haeundae Beach
Juliette Binoche, Oliver Stone, and Moi @ Haeundae BeachLast year at PIFF I only made it to 3 films and had to pick them at the last minute without fully understanding my options or the process. This year I prepared in advance. What made PIFF even more exciting was the special focus films - groups of films from a specific country or in a specific style which were brought especially for the festival. This year they had 6 films under the title of "Czech Films Now: Cinema of Liberalism." 
Since I'm heading to the Czech Republic next year to study, with a particular interest in political and social developments relating to the transition out of communism, I was thrilled to see these films available! I was able to get tickets for 3 online and for 2 others in person. I'll have to catch the one I missed once I'm in the Czech Republic, I guess. In addition to the 5 Czech films I also saw films in Korean, Italian, Danish/English, and Kurdish/Turkish. I went to all but two of them alone, and really enjoyed the experience on the whole and will miss it next year when I'm not here - but am looking forward very much to being in a new place next fall!
A couple weeks after PIFF was the Fireworks Festival. Last year we arrived just in time to see the show, and had a decent place to stand. This year I had hoped to arrived earlier in the day to enjoy the pre-show events, but unfortunately had to work until 5pm, and, by the time we got the bus and got through traffic, we ended up arriving even later than we did last year and came from a different direction which left us with a less-than-ideal vantage point. It was still a lot of fun, though, because I've always loved fireworks and the experience of collective enjoyment of said fireworks, so after my initial disappointment I was able to appreciate the experience with new people and a new perspective.
Since I'm heading to the Czech Republic next year to study, with a particular interest in political and social developments relating to the transition out of communism, I was thrilled to see these films available! I was able to get tickets for 3 online and for 2 others in person. I'll have to catch the one I missed once I'm in the Czech Republic, I guess. In addition to the 5 Czech films I also saw films in Korean, Italian, Danish/English, and Kurdish/Turkish. I went to all but two of them alone, and really enjoyed the experience on the whole and will miss it next year when I'm not here - but am looking forward very much to being in a new place next fall!
A couple weeks after PIFF was the Fireworks Festival. Last year we arrived just in time to see the show, and had a decent place to stand. This year I had hoped to arrived earlier in the day to enjoy the pre-show events, but unfortunately had to work until 5pm, and, by the time we got the bus and got through traffic, we ended up arriving even later than we did last year and came from a different direction which left us with a less-than-ideal vantage point. It was still a lot of fun, though, because I've always loved fireworks and the experience of collective enjoyment of said fireworks, so after my initial disappointment I was able to appreciate the experience with new people and a new perspective.
Halloween was a lot of fun this year, and I took my costume seriously. My coworkers and I decided to be notoriously crazy, attention-loving stars. I was Lady Gaga, and they were Amy Winehouse and Kanye West. I spent about 24 hours making my costume from poster board, fabric and electrical tape. I modeled it after the bizarre black and white striped dress that Lady Gaga wears into prison in her music video for Telephone. Most people got it immediately, and I probably had my picture taken at least 100 times by Koreans who recognized the costume and wanted pictures of or with me. The experience made me actually feel like I was surrounded by paparazzi for the night, and helped me to appreicate how little privacy and how much attention stars get all the time. For about 10 minutes it was flattering, then amusing, then annoying, and finally a little unnerving. Overall, though, it was primarily funny and fun to be Lady Gaga for a night.
Lady Gaga and Kanye WestI've been spending more time alone than I did last year, in part because many of my friends left around August, but also in part because I have gotten better at listening to myself and knowing that it's okay to say no to a night out or a dinner when what I really want is to rest at home. This is a big deal for me because saying no to social situations is something I was almost incapable of up until about 6 months ago. I feel like this is an area where I have really grown a lot and an important change. While I'm really enjoying spending time with new friends and co-workers, I'm also glad that I'm learning when to put my health and wants first. I enjoy the time I spend with people more now, because I no longer go out just because I feel obligated to or because I want to make people happy or don't want to miss out on something. It's an amazing feeling, to realize that saying no doesn't matter much in the long run, that you might disappoint people at first, but that, realistically, we all need to say no sometimes, it's human. I'm sort of in awe of this new evolution in my personality, so forgive me for going on and on about it!
Anyway, overall life is very good right now. I'm very happy with my job and my co-workers, and looking forward to a new term starting in a couple of weeks. I have some great dinners coming up with good friends to celebrate the fall weather and the upcoming holidays, and I am enjoying cooking fall foods for myself. In the weeks to come I'll be deciding officially whether or not to sign on for three more months, which would mean being here until May, or letting my contract finish as it stands at the end of February. I think I'll be happy with either decision, it's just a matter of weighing the pros and cons.
Anyway, overall life is very good right now. I'm very happy with my job and my co-workers, and looking forward to a new term starting in a couple of weeks. I have some great dinners coming up with good friends to celebrate the fall weather and the upcoming holidays, and I am enjoying cooking fall foods for myself. In the weeks to come I'll be deciding officially whether or not to sign on for three more months, which would mean being here until May, or letting my contract finish as it stands at the end of February. I think I'll be happy with either decision, it's just a matter of weighing the pros and cons.
