Like Phoebe, it appears that I too have lost time...

To start, let me just say that, due to a random bureaucratic deadline, I have spent most of my life being the oldest person in my group of friends. Thus, I am used to it, and really not all that sensitive about my age, or aging for that matter- I LIKE the fact that I have a shock of grey/white hair developing around my face... But the prospect of losing two years is disturbing to me in a very real way, even if the loss is strictly abstract. Here's the story:

For those of you who do not already know this, I have recently begun teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to a Korean family that has moved into the house across the street from that of my parents. My students are really great- very hard workers, and VERY determined to learn- and I'm really enjoying teaching them (much to my, very pleasant, surprise). In return, they are teaching me about Korean culture and language, which is absolutely fascinating.

For instance, every Thursday is Korean food night: After our english lesson, I am unfailingly served with a new and wonderful Korean dish. The children and mother all watch expectantly as I take my first bite... half expecting me to cry out for WATER!!! because I can't take the heat, and then erupting into peals of delighted laughter when I just grin and say, "YUM!" They were also very impressed with my chopstick skills... no fork for this white woman... oh no... I'm no wuss!

I'm also trying to learn the Korean alphabet right now... it's going VERY slowly... but I've learned how to spell my name... (it translates to Jenniper because there is no 'f' sound in the Korean language). Anyway, back to the story...

Last night, as part of a vocabulary exercise, we were discussing age and birthdays. In Korea, age is measured on a twelve-year cycle, and each year bears the name of an animal: Year of the Sheep, Year of the Dog, Year of the Monkey, Rooster, Snake, etc... So I was asking my students to tell me which year they were and what that meant. I then asked them what year I would be? After asking my age, and then my birthday and year, and then performing several calculations, it was determined that I was Year of the Sheep... and that in Korea, I am, in fact TWO YEARS OLDER than I am in Canada. Something to do with the way age is measured- from year to year, rather than birthday to birthday... I'm not sure... we got a little lost in translation at this point, and I shall have to research it further... But the fact remains that in Korea, I am 28 years old. I've just lost two whole years.

So what's the big deal? Do I really care about being older? No. As stated above, I don't. The problem is this- I am not currently in a place where I'm altogether happy with the rate of my progression through life... and I'm hoping to make up for that by the time I'm 30... the prospect of suddenly having two years less in which to do all this is distrubing, to say the least.

I know it's an abstract difference, and that the number of days I've been on this planet have not changed a smidge, but the socialization around where we should be at certain points in our lives is rearing its ugly head, and I've (temporarily) fallen hook, line, and sinker.

Whew! That was good...

Now that I've purged these anxieties from my system, I shall sit back and wait for my old friends perspective, rationale, and logic to return to the scene...