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this blog post was meant for september 13, due to lack of internet connection I was unable to post it then...

Current location: ny, ny 

As promised to Chelby Lawrence, I will be logging how long each flight is, starting today.

September 13, 2010: Syracuse->JFK 48 minutes

So today marks the first small leg of my trip. I flew from Syracuse to JFK this morning. With a 4 am wake up call, there was little space in my sleepy mind for any sort of sadness as I drove away from Lamp Post Village. I’m actually finally starting to believe that I’m ready. I am no longer as nervous and definitely not as nostalgic as I was about a week ago. To be honest, I cannot wait for Saturday.

After spending close to 4 hours in various transportation vehicles I found myself people watching in a different way than I usually do. I am an avid people watcher, constantly viewing my surroundings and observing everyone. Today I took it to another level. I looked at each scenario much deeper than I usually do (this is probably the creep inside me). Was the 30 something year old man next to me flying for meetings all day or to visit a mistress? Was the blonde mother of 2 traveling to meet the children’s father or was she just a single mother? The couple sitting diagonal from me, were they about to go on a romantic vacation together or on their way to see college friends? The lady with her lap top out at 5:15, are you a workaholic or are you really receiving 5 am emails? 

As these thoughts were flying through my head, I began to wonder what these people thought of me. As I sat there with my headphones on, a huge hood over my head, and a very large coffee, I had to stop people watching. It dawned on me that people are probably watching me and wondering, where is she going, why is she not in class, how old is she…and the list of questions goes on. This experience really put things into place. There are different perspectives on everything in life. I see people a certain way and formulate this made up life about them, where they are probably doing the same to me. Rarely does anybody approach each other and really find out the truth about the people around you. The interpersonal skills have declined with the development of technology, and it truly is unfortunate. Who cares where everyone is going or what they are doing, they are living their lives period.

Making my way into Manhattan always raises my blood pressure a little. The energy that is streaming through the tunnels of the metro is like an adrenaline rush at times. At 8am EVERYONE is in such a rush. I understand that people have to go to work, but I found myself rushing just because of everyone else. It is a contagious energy. I like it. It’s like a high…something you experience and can never get enough of. 

Continuing on to my grandparents’ home and sliding back into a world of comfort is always nice. As soon as I arrived I was offered a plate of skinned, cut apples. Some things never change. When I was a child, I used to hate the skin of apples because it was bitter and tasted different than the inside. I have since grown out of my childhood picky stage, but my grandparents still conform to it. It is interesting how you set a standard as a child and then it becomes to define you. I am 22 years old, and my grandmother still cuts up my apples as if I am 5. “I like the skin of the apples grandma!” I have told her, but it is irrelevant. I will forever receive apples without skin at my grandparents’ home.

After a snack of apples, I proceeded to lie down on the cushy couch, turn on Rachel Ray, and fall asleep for 2 hours. When I awoke, it was lunch time. As some of you know, the communication with my grandparents, particularly my grandma, can be somewhat difficult. My grandma speaks very little English, and my Korean is less than adequate to converse at a level of understanding. On the other hand, my grandpa is well versed in the English language and it is much easier to carry a conversation with him.

I ended up sitting with my grandma for about an hour without my grandpa present. This is always an entertaining challenge for the both of us. She sits in front of me trying to tell me stories of her childhood, Korea, my mother, and so on, but most of the time all I can do is nod my head and say “neh” (which is “yes” in Korean). As silly as it sounds, I have yet to understand a full story from my grandma.

Language barriers take on a whole form of miscommunication. How do you even begin to understand hand gestures and facial expressions of another culture? During my trip I’m going to be banking a lot on non-verbal communication. The question is: how does this vary between countries? A smile is a smile, a nod is a nod, but to understand a way of life and culture through these gestures is going to prove to be difficult.

Alright now off to a day in Manhattan with miss Meg