"let's pray hard & live hard"

yesterday was the first time in 8 months that my cousin suri unni and i got to hang out. she's been so busy -- classes, applying for real jobs, going to interviews, taking all these written/oral english proficiency tests, blah blah blah.
sad because i saw her at least 3 times a week since i slept over a lot because of tutoring and stuff.

anyway, my uncle took some time off from work to buy her and me some TODAI. we were super excited -- especially my cousin, since it was her first time.

sad sad day. right after my first plate, i felt like i was going to puke. i felt that way the day before yesterday too, as i was finishing up my week-old chestnut bread. unfortunately, i ate a small plate of salad and some other weaksauce stuff after spitting up some saliva (pre-barf) in the bathroom, and finished off my weaksauce meal with some fruit and mini-desserts.

soon after, my uncle handed over a shiny gold envelope with a 200,000 (won) gift certificate to lotte department store. 은행안에 돈 (money in the bank).

*note: when you buy something with the certificate and you get change back, they give it to you in cash. how awesome is that. i got about 60,000 won left over in cash. 올라왔어 (came up).

went to DDM (dongdaemun), bought some last-minute bracelet/necklace material...

and slept over for the last time EVER. 

fast forward to right before i left -- at around 9:45 am. 

my aunt hands me an envelope and says "it's not much and i wanted to give you more, but...."

all the complaints i made on this blog / in my head / to my friends about my overprotective aunt just came rushing back and i felt like the dumbest girl in the world. she's not rich at all. she's not even comfortable. but she sacrificed so much for me, even with the new baby (her first grandchild) at home. she's the one who provided me with 3 students who i became super close with/will miss forever. she's the one who provided me with food and shelter when i needed it -- i.e. when i was just down to 20,000 won -- and even when i didn't need it. i can go on and on. i broke down as i put my envelope away and she gave me this life lesson -- typical and cliche, but so true: always have hope, even when things are down in the dump. never give up. 열심히 기도하면서 열심히 살자. (let's pray hard and live hard. *sounds a little awkward but whatevs.) 

she told me how proud of me she was and that she always knew that it was pretty tough for me here, living on my own and supporting myself in a foreign country, which is why she always wanted to do whatever she could to make me comfortable and well-cared for. 

"even when our family is going through the roughest times, i never give up hope. i have faith in God and our family that we will pull through and live a great life. so don't give up either. always pray, always hope, and study hard so you can be successful in life. i know you can do it."

i love how God shows himself to me through people like my aunt. He always reminds me that He is sovereign and that i am blessed beyond blessed. i'm just too stupid to notice it on the spot sometimes. 

4 days left. and then back to reality. freak.

... but i'm so excited.

(i think i need to prepare for a "sku, how was korea??" blog entry. i cannott waittt for that question to be asked -___-)