Back to normal in Mountain View

I am sitting outside at the Bean Scene Cafe, downtown Mountain View, enjoying my cafe Mocha... Yeah - outside - right and having wireless internet access as well because this is MOUNTAIN VIEW, home town of Google Headquarters... Actually it is the first time that I am doing this, don't ask me why I didn't come out earlier the last half year before I left for my three months Korea, don't ask. I don't really have a clue... maybe it was not time yet...

BUT now, my experiences in Korea did change me. Especially in the way I want to spend my 'free' time here. Have been doing a lot of sports lately, as the weather here is really fantastic : inline skating, jogging, swimming.... Yesterday, I went jogging, followed by a nice evening dive in our swimming pool and ended with jacuzzi under the stars... There I met a British architect who has been living here for almost 30 years - and passionate about foreign languages like me - and we talked a lot about our profession, making me reconsider to maybe continue my job as architect here, when I get my Green Card. So that's a good perspective too... Not having to give up everything I have worked for in Belgium... But now, I just want to focus on language study...

It is actually the first time, that I realized I am living some kind of 'Californian' life... enjoying weather, enjoying my time on my own. Trying to get used to this kind of life and see the positive side of it. Although, I am a really social person, too, liking to be surrounded by friends and family... That was actually the main reason, I could not really adapt to my new life here in the States... I missed everybody so much...

And now? I feel much better now. Adapting to this kind of life... after 'ever bright light and living city' of Seoul. It is true... the further you go sometimes, the more you can see 'through'....
And there are nice prospects here too for me... Some friends and my sister are coming over in September and meanwhile I started my Korean class at Adroit College again. Too bad it's only two hours per week. It's really nice : my class mates are Americans Korean and the teacher is speaking Korean all the time, so I am really happy to be surrounded by 'full' Korean conversations again. By the way, the class is held in Palo Alto - much closer than Milpitas - and I only have to take my bike and train to get there. So no strange conversations with ex prisoners at 'I-880' Light Rail Station in Milpitas any longer... Although I found it very fascinating to meet different kinds of people :).

As for the rest, I spend my time studying Korean, bought a lot of new books so I can keep myself busy.
I have also been looking for some other activities. Next Wednesday I am going to start a course 'dance the way you want improvisation'... I should have done this earlier, now I think. But everything has it's own timing in life I think. I danced a lot in Seoul : outside in the grass at the DJ world Festival, at Jane's Groove - best rock and 80's bar in Seoul, in a studio during a photo shoot - yeah, I still have to tell about this in my Korea blog... - ... That's when I really realized, I really have to do something with this. Although my sister and my best girl friend have been pushing me for years to do this.... So, this is step one...

Waiting for my husband now to come off from work. Tomorrow will be the 4th of July, Independence Day. Tonight there is a small 'evening' market in downtown Mountain View. We might get some dinner outside today. And this weekend, we will be road tripping for Lassen Volcanic National Park (for sure), Lake Tahoe and Yosemite. Can't wait to hike and reach the mountain tops again :)).

So... dear people at home... Don't worry about me. I think, I changed, became more positive and am adapting myself eventually to life in the States... AT LAST...

And erhm... as you noticed, from now on I am going to write in English, for my friends in Korea and else where in the world can follow me around :).