I WROTE A LETTER TO MY FIRST LOVE

Dear Journalism

I miss you. I'm sorry I left you for Teaching, I've thought about you every day for the past two years. I miss your passion, your love of interesting discussions, the way you'd stay up with me past midnight watching football. You made me feel secure and comfortable, which I took for granted and caused me to stray.

I won't lie, Teaching was good to me for two years. She was unpredictable, sometimes lazy yet relaxing, and I often didn't know if I was coming or going with her. Did she love me, or not? Some days it was like talking to a brick wall or getting blood out of a stone. Silence, confusion... it was almost like we were speaking different languages. I never had that with you, we were always on the same page. She was good, but she wasn't you.

I'm coming back to Cape Town in a few days, and I am so grateful you're giving me a chance to make it up to you. I know the breach will take a while to heal, while we both get used to each other again, but I promise not to rush you. The betrayal was a big one, and I'm sorry I didn't make more of an effort to keep in touch while we were apart.

I never stopped loving you, I just needed a change. This time I promise to keep the spark alive, with some varied stories and maybe a freelance piece or two, but nothing will be more important than our relationship. I'll call you when I get back to Cape Town so we can meet and discuss our future. I've loved you since I was 14 and have never wanted anything else, please believe that.

Yours always,
Lindsay

****************************

Dear Teaching

I'm sorry to do this in a letter, but I don't know how else to tell you that our time together has come to an end. I'm leaving to go back to South Africa on Tuesday. Please don't follow me, there's nothing you can do to change my mind.

It's only fair to tell you that I'm returning to my first love, Journalism. I know it was always difficult for you to hear me talk about her, and I'm sorry if it hurt your feelings. I think you've always known that this would happen, and I think you will be better off without me. We didn't mesh as well as we could have, and I don't think I put enough effort into our relationship.

We had some great moments, especially in the beginning when it was new and exciting. The spontaneity, the way your eyes would light up when I walked in the room, the way we learned about each other slowly and carefully. You taught me about patience, last-minute adaptation, and your culture, which is endlessly interesting.

But I'm afraid our relationship became too repetitive, and you became too erratic. I know Journalism intimately, almost as if I'd studied her, but you and I never reached that level. Almost like a thrown-together pair, united for convenience and money. Also, I didn't like the food you gave me, almost as if you didn't care about what I liked.

Thank you for our time together, I'll never forget you. I have fond memories, and will tell Journalism stories about us for years to come. She's a forgiving lady, she won't mind hearing about you.

Fondly,
Lindsay

I PANICKED AND STARTED A BLOG

You know that feeling when you think about the near future and your heart beats a little quicker? Things are going to change, you realise, and then it strikes you that you have no idea or plan about how to deal with it. I started thinking about how I'm going back to Cape Town in five months and haven't written more than an email or a Facebook status update in 18 months. I'm supposed to be a writer! Hi editor, please give me a job. I promise I'm really good, despite not adding to my portfolio in nearly two years!

And so here I am. People, from my friends to my parents to my girlfriend, have been nagging me for months to start a blog. I've resisted because a) after a day of teaching kids not to say 'Jew' when they mean 'Zoo', writing is the last thing I feel like doing, and b) everyone who comes to Korea starts a blog and they all say exactly the same things. This may be a crazy country, but it's the same crazy for everyone.

But alas, I have relented. I have the material, I have some fairly unique experiences to comment on, and I need to write something other than, "Oh my god, Bibimbap for lunch again!" for my own sanity. So I'm not promising anything, but I'll try to put something up once a week (ok, every two weeks) and I'll try not to bore you to tears. There might be pictures.