Blogging about blogging

What is it that we expect from an expat blog? New experiences, cultural observations, day-to-day life in a foreign country, perhaps. Things that surprise us, things that annoy us, our jobs, our friends. But when one has been in a country for over a year and the daily routine doesn't differ that much from one day to the next, it rather leaves a void for potentially bloggable subjects. I guess this is the part where it's less of a "cultural experience" and more of a "life". Not that we're not always living, of course. But that's not my point.

I guess it doesn't help that Marie is counting down the days until she flies home to Australia for a couple of weeks before the beginning of the new school year in March. It rather puts my imminent departure to the UK at the forefront of my mind, which is now a mere five weeks away. I do suppose that the fact that I'm looking forward to going home is a sign that I've made the right decision. It doesn't necessarily mean I'm looking forward to leaving, mind you.

Not that I'm particularly making the most of my final weeks in Korea. The pro-active-me would be ticking off all those niggly bits of sight-seeing that I've been wanting to do. The apathetic-me is quite happy embracing solitude and the warmth of the indoors. Because how often in life do you get to do that? And I did take a brief/thorough look through my guidebook for anything pressing I've managed to miss in the last 15 months. Nothing is jumping out at me.

So the daily routine is sitting all right with me at the moment. Of course the prospect of work is never particularly appealing, and this week has certainly dragged. But perhaps it takes a while to readjust to the 9-5 routine. Perhaps the promise of the end of the school year in just three weeks time allows us to wish away the time. Regardless, kids are dropping off classes like flies, and I'm reasonably certain it's the pressures of school life and the end of term that are to blame. So guilt-free I can enjoy classes where all the children fit round a 12-seater table. And hell, if the teacher is nodding off by the end of the day, it's little wonder the kids aren't too motivated for a hardcore lesson on vowel sounds.

But it's probably not healthy to spend all your time alone. Especially when you're inclined to thrive on human contact. In the past five days I've chatted with Marie, imparted knowledge on the children, exchanged necessary information with other co-workers, and greeted the man at the grocery store. Recluse is a term I've been using a lot lately. But I'm fine. (Would I be writing this if I wasn't? Would I be writing this if I was?)

We may be inclined to write about the fun times, the annoying times, the interesting times. But non-descript times are inevitable. Do they not deserve blog posts too?