Offended

Many of you know that it takes a lot for me to get offended, but its been happening here in Korea. During my classes, I find that when I have no clue what the kids are saying, or when I hear them call me babo (fool) I get mad very quickly! So I take away their carrots and send them out of the room.

I've come to understand that sometimes that is just how the kids talk, so I'm letting go of it a little. And I'm taking steps to learn Korean, so I don't feel so confused in class. I may be telling them to be quiet when they are trying to help someone else remember their lines. Oh well, I'll figure it out sometime.

As for all my adoring fans, write me more emails! I feel very unloved over here...

Adjusting

This week, after a few days of drinking out at bars with other foreigners, I became sick somewhere along the line. Since we had Monday off for a Holiday (which is pronounced ChewSuck) I just sat around and watched a movie and stuff. By the end of the movie I felt terrible. Went to the doctor the next day and he diagnosed me with an upper respiratory tract infection. Said it was due to my adjusting to the Korean culture. Whatever truth there is to that, or to my drinking, I don't know. I thought I was just really dehydrated because my kidneys hurt and the back of my head hurt.

So I missed two more days of school laying in bed, sweating out whatever illness was there. I also got a shot in the ass and took pills with meals. As an aside, my total cost for the prescription and the doctor visit, without insurance, was less than $20! Thats affordable healthcare.

By Thursday I was ready to go back to school, and I felt much better. But while I was down, I asked myself, What the hell am I doing here? Maybe I should go back home and get a real job. Even other foreigners here mentioned how easy life is here, and some have had their relatives refer to their current job as a situation, not a career. I even thought about how I could move back to Ann Arbor and get a job there, and get busy with my electronic music.

But I'm still here. I prayed and asked for an answer, and told myself I would wait. In the meantime I went to a downtown area of Busan yesterday with a girl. It was okay, but I also found out where all the hot women are! We were under the streets, where there is much shopping, and it was about 90% women, no joke! So I have to venture out more. There's just the issue of that silly Korean language...

Things I miss

I miss my car, being able to drive wherever I want, when I want. I have to rely on public transportation or friends to get me to far places. If I were to leave the city, there's always the KTX express train, but its not the same as my own car.

I miss movies. I saw Guess Who and Red Eye recently, which were okay. But I never got to see The 40-yr old Virgin. That was the one movie I was hoping to see b4 I left. Or The Four Brothers. I hope to find a place that sells pirated copies of movies, or maybe something on the internet.

I miss Jimmy John's and Subway. Living in Kzoo, I could just hop in my car and be there and back in 10 min. Believe it or not, I also miss Shawarma King.

I miss the size of houses in the states. All the homes here are apartments, they don't have houses here. Too many people. Maybe out in the country, but I'm sure they're small as hell.

I miss trees. Where I live I have a view out the window of the next building, about 10ft away. I see trees in the distance, but I have to take the bus to get close to them. I can't see shit from my apartment. The other window looks out at the stairs that lead up to my floor.

I miss the crappy bars in Michigan. At least everyone spoke English and I could get whatever I want with little confusion. And I lived close enough to Firehouse to walk home all drunk, when I didn't want to wait for anyone. Cause I hate waiting for people. And everyone here walks much slower, they slow me down. I'm not even a fast walker!

I miss having a dryer and a dishwasher. Minor inconveniences, but they are luxuries here. I miss my turntables. Even though I never played anywhere live with them I loved them, and I wish I had them here. I go to the dance club and I see those guys up there and I want to be up there, controlling the crowd. I can still dance, but I imagine how my music would sound in that place.

This is part of the experience I guess. You have to let go of so much when you move to a different country, and I'm still figuring out how many new things I have to experience and grow attached to.

Intoxicating scent

Tonight I went out for dinner with two of my fellow teachers. After dinner we went to a bar for a few beers. Shortly after I arrived I caught whiff of the most intoxicating scent. I had to follow it and savor it. Then it disappeared.

So we talked some more and once again I smelled that scent. Once again I stayed with it, until it diminished. And I was disappointed. This happened a few more times, then I had to say something. One of the servers came to our table and I smelled that scent again. "It must be that server," I thought. I told my friends about that scent that I'd been smelling, and it was that waitress. They asked me if they should ask her what she was wearing and I agreed.

I went to the bathroom, and upon returning to the table I saw her. So I said "Yogiyo" which means, "Here, please" and she followed me. My friend asked what she was wearing. She said nothing, but she mentioned that there was an air freshener which sprayed every so often.

I was attracted to the air-freshener! Then my friend said that is a common smell for the restrooms. I felt embarrassed and confused. I told her that scent would be considered perfume in the States. Believe me, if you smelt it, you'd take a second whiff. So that intoxicating smell I loved was for the bathroom. Once again, what's crap in one country is gold in another.

So tell me, who out there loves the smell of urinal cakes? Holla!

Hurricanes

My teaching was cancelled today due to the nearby threat of Typhoon Nabi in Japan. For the last few days the winds have been howling, and they wake me up at night,pushing against my windows. My A/C is making a terribly annoying sound. The drainage line that runs outside, the water is popping like bubbles as the air tries to blow back in. I know we're pretty safe here in Busan, Japan already has 3 dead.

However, it seems to me that Japan will not see the kind of damage that has been witnessed in the US. On CNNI today, they are asking the question, "Does this natural disaster change the way you see the US?" Some say no, some say it is proof that the US is not prepared for such events. I tend to agree with the latter. I think Japan will be ok for the most part because they are used to this weather. US doesn't really respond to catastrophe until it is too late, then they are strong. And while I agree that Bush and the people have every intention of responding to the best of their abilities, at the same time we kind of look like less of a country than we are portrayed as.

So are the gas prices ridiculous yet? Is the cost of everything going up?

Taejongdae

The first weekend I was here, my director took me to a national park in Youngdo-gu. The name is TaeJongDae. Here are some pics from that trip. There is also a pic of a typical Korean street, with many neon signs which say, "Look At Me!" My director also took me to Haeundae (Hay-un-day) beach, and you can see all the umbrellas and people. Its banana-cakes!

My apartment

You must be wondering by now how my place stacks up against what you know in the States. Well, here's a few pics. Since I didn't have a tape measure I used my wingspan. The room seems to be a perfect square at about 13ft per side, minus the closet and the kitchen. The bathroom/washing machine area is 13ftx2.5ft. I have my own A/C, which is nice. Most places in Korea have heated floors, and mine is no exception. However, this raises the floor a few inches, and I can easily touch the ceiling.

Like the shower? Its a spray nozzle with a line which stands at my knee. At first I was like, This is Ridiculous!, but now its okay. I have to shave in there, in that metal bowl; no mirror. And the toilet is right next to the wall, so its really fun to sit down. My knees touch the wall. And I can't wear pants in there because the toilet leaks; otherwise my pant legs would get all wet at the bottom. I keep it a little neater than the pictures suggest, but I don't have a lot of options. The bed is hard as a rock, but I sleep very well there, better than my soft futon. Thanks for taking that, Jess.

Last week I had internet installed, so I don't need to go to PC bangs anymore. A PC bang is a bunch of computers in a room with internet access and neon lights, where many gamers go. Korea, I guess, has the largest community of online gamers in the world. And on the news the other day they said that Korea also has the largest number of broadband users in the world also...? Broadband or wireless, one of those two.

My main problem is geting out and meeting people. Since everything I need is within a five minute walk of where I live, I don't need to go out for much. I just started a membership at a gym across the street. 3 months is roughly $165, and they give you clothes to wear to work out. They also have a sauna. Its not a real big place, but when I go during late morning its not really that busy either.

So what do you think? Jealous? I bet you are, my place rocks!

The Miracle of Children

I came in to work today, just kind of sitting there. For whatever reason I was feeling down, and I didn't really feel like figuring out why I felt that way. So I just said a quick little prayer to God asking for him to help cheer me up a bit, so I could have a good day (cause being depressed sucks). But I didn't totally feel better right away.

Then I went into class, and thats when the miracle happened. I just went along like any normal day (I've figured out the routine after a week of teaching) but the kids just started laughing and goofing around. Instead of trying to calm them down or getting mad, it infected me. And from that point on I was in a good mood. One of my coworkers invited me to her family's house for dinner this weekend, and said she has a brother my age who likes alcohol. What's that supposed to mean??!!

By the end of the day there was a troublemaker, Gary. This kid has way too much energy for the whole class, and I was getting frustrated. But eventually we started a game which turned into homework - Bingo. 5x5, fill the squares with objects in the room. This was maybe too advanced for them, but it kept them quiet. All in all a good day.

So were my prayers answered? I believe they were. I feel that we see what we believe. And I'm only just starting to believe in the power of faith. But don't try to get me to go to church!