Liberation (of sorts)

At home for the week I'm having a good time with many changes to my daily schedule. It's good to get some fresh air and be surrounded by more nature than in Korea and also to be able to do many of the small things I can't often do. I'm also enjoying not being in the classroom for a while. Another thing that's different is the lack of a phone.


In Korea I always have my phone on and with me wherever I go. Having a poor command of the language means it's a necessity to be able to communicate with someone in my native tongue from time to time. Now it's harder to contact people or be contacted but the feeling is one of liberation. I dictate the terms of my day. No millstone round my neck. No expectancy or anticipation of receiving a message. No expectancy of a call or dependency on one.

Gone too is the feeling of irritation when someone takes an age to reply to a simple question or the bafflement of when someone prolongs a text 'conversation' with deliberate short messages such as "OK" or "Fine" when a brief phone call would suffice. Of course I need a phone but the feeling of being home is liberating, albeit a temporary one.