Oh, hello. I didn't see you there. Well of course I didn't, you're halfway around the world aren't you? Or is it me who's a world away? Regardless, you startled me sneaking up like that. Shame on you.
Bare with me, I'm having one of those 'introspective' days.
Since this blog is about my experiences while living here in Korea, it makes sense to write of the moments when I think, rather loudly too, 'what the hell have I done?' These moments don't last very long, but they do exist. Sometimes I think, 'what other people consider brave really is just insanity isn't it? They may as well be synonyms in this crazy language we call English.'
So maybe it's time to announce the novelty of living in Asia has started to wear off and now it's the actual 'living' part I have to do. It was bound to happen, my 'pink cloud' so to speak, isn't quite the same color of hot pink it once was, but that's life I suppose.
I'm not homesick. Not yet. Of course I miss you all, all 12 people who read this little blog of mine, who happen to be primarily made of family :) but what I miss is the convenience of doing things a certain way. The familiarity of my life in Salt Lake.
For instance, I know how to work my washer and dryer at home. I also know where to buy fabric softener and have the privilege of eating food lovingly prepared for me. For me. Not by me. I don't have to wear a specific outfit when I go to a local cyber cafe because if I have to wash the smell of cigerette smoke out of one more outfit some innocent bystander just may suffer the consequences, but then again, I wouldn't be at a cyber cafe because I wouldn't have had a wattage issue with my non-existent power converter and thus my computer would be working just fine.
This is where my head has been, and you know what they say about that neighborhood up there, so I decided today was going to be a self-indulgent, 'I-miss-the-simplicity-of-my-idealized-American-life' day. And so the adventure began.
I've been told there are 2 theaters in town, one over the river and one by E-Mart. 'HEY! I know where E-Mart is!' I thought, so after a leisurely afternoon and following a lengthy hot shower, I made my way the in the general direction of thataway. And would you believe it? I found that theater by sheer dumb luck, along with discovering the location of a nearby grocery store and the post office! How much more American can that be? Knowing where to get all my grocery needs met under a single roof and then mail a post card or two less than a block away? Already, my self-indulgence was turning out promising.
One minute I was deftly looking out the window of the honorable bus 0, and the next, I was climbing the stairs to the theater I'd never spotted prior to that exact moment. 5 stories later, I know, who's ever heard of a theater being on the 5th floor? I got in line to purchase my first movie theater ticket in Korea, followed by a nice recognizable VitaminWater. Ah, the comforts of home.
Standing in both lines taught me the dangers of having a larger bubble than Koreans. While I was in college, I remember discussing cultural differences, such as personal space. On a whole, Americans person bubble is 3 feet in circumference from our bodies, Germans have a 2 foot bubble, and Koreans, well, sometimes it feels like it doesn't even exist. I've noticed this with my students. Anytime we play a game I can guarantee that before too long all the students will be hovering less than 1 foot away from the white board, and myself, shouting as loudly as if they were in a high traffic area. It makes sense though, the shear number of people here make it necessary to quietly, yet politely, assert your presence while in public. Needless to say, I learned to close the gap between me and the those in front of me or else I'd be butted in line yet again.
I bought tickets for the 3pm showing of 2012. It was 2:45, great, plenty of time to look at the posters of other movies playing. 'Hmmm, there seems to be 5 movie advertisements here yet I only see 3 doors, well I'm sure that's just an over site on someone else's part,' I calmly think. So I wait. And wait. And now it's 3:05 and it's clear that I have misread or misunderstood something because the theater I enter has been playing the movie for the last hour. Well, what could I do? Nothing really, after all, I was out to enjoy my day, so I started watching the movie halfway through it. I figured it wasn't one of those kinds of movies that require extensive storyline/character development, which is precisely why I wanted to see it. Nothing screams 'American' like this blockbuster's wet dream. And being as clever as I am, in no time at all I was completely caught up the complex situation of the world coming to an end.
And then, uh oh, gotta pee. Here is a sample of the inner conundrum I was experiencing: 'Shoot. I'll just hold it.' 'No, go pee.' 'But I'm at the very end. The hero is about to make the ultimate sacrifice, his life. I can't leave now.' 'Well I already know he saves them, I mean, how else could this predictable script end? Just go pee.' 'NO! I got here late, I'm not leaving early too.' 'Fine, I'll just pee right here then.' 'I wouldn't!' 'Oh but I would.' 'Fine! I'll go pee.' And wouldn't you know it, the line in the girls bathroom was a kilometer long? 'I don't have time to waste!' 'So go pee in the boys bathroom.' 'Uh, well... okay.' It was tricky squatting over that urinal let me tell you, but I was on a mission... now back to the show!
By and by, not too bad. I wished I had seen the dynamic first half, but overall, it was an enjoyable experience. After the movie I decided to check out what video games they had downstairs, and lo'n'behold, theaters 4 and 5! 'Ahhhhh, okay, that makes sense now, I went into the wrong theater,' but even knowing my mistake, when I reread my movie ticket written entirely in Korean, I could not decipher that correction. 'Oh well, I guess I'll just see the first half of the film now.' And that's what I did. Who needs a conventional movie experience anyway? Not me that's for sure.
After the movie I made my way down 5 flight of stairs and thought, 'gee, I'm hungry, and for some reason it's changed my inner dialogue into this even cheesier version of an old Andy Griffith Show.' And what's more American than a cheeseburger I ask? 2 cheeseburger I dare say! But I only had one, which was one too many as it turned out, but who cares? I think, as I stumble to the bus stop. I've had a thoroughly enjoyable experience today, doing exactly what I wanted and now that I think on it, I realize I didn't mention the smell of the day. It smelled like fall. The fall we have at home. It smelled like home the entire time I outside, or at least the entire time I was aware of my senses. It was so bitter cold at night that if I kept my mouth open, the coldness of the night air made the nerves in my teeth hurt. Honest, that's how cold it was, it made my teeth hurt.
And even though I never spotted another foreigner, saw the movie in a rather ass-backwards way, and the hamburger joint was rubbish and served Pepsi instead of Coke, it was a great day to indulge in a truly American way of life.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
This Morning
Even though I've been griping about my apartment as of late, I really do love it. What I especially love are the sliding doors, I often have one or both doors cracked to allow fresh air in. I didn't know how much I enjoy sleeping with a cool breeze until this month. Not moving air, not a fan, but a cool steady wind. At home in Salt Lake, my room is in the basement, and if I open the itty-bitty window I'll likely die from some Brown Recluse spider bite or something equally as dreadful. Until now, I've only slept with a breeze while camping, so I love that my bed is near the doors so I can cuddle under a blanket while the wind blows over me.
Lately I've been waking up around 6am, I know right? And while I lie in bed I just listen. I'm off the main street enough to hear other sounds besides traffic. Sometimes I hear people clopping up and down the stairs in my apartment building. Sometimes I hear the hard-of-hearing older couple who live within earshot of my window trying to communication over a seemingly large expanse. Always I hear the rooster that has become a sound of comfort rather than the nuisance he once was -- it's like living near train tracks, at first you can't stand the shaking and rumbling, and then you find you can't sleep without it. This morning I heard a neighbor washing clothes in a basin with what sounded like a washing board, whistling the occasional out-of-pitch melody. I laid in bed slowly becoming aware of my body and surroundings. It was a great way to wake up.
Mornings like today makes me think of the nature of my day and life. The moments of serenity and anxiety I experience daily. The people I think and care about. Mornings like today ensure my continual struggle to understand and to be understood are worthwhile endeavors, and that some moments, like today, make the challenge of living an unremarkable life, well, remarkable.
In high school I had an English teacher who instilled a love of lists in me -- making them, reading them, crossing them off, basically, everything to do with them. In honor of Mrs. Bean, my quirky and lovable 10th grade English teacher, I am inspired to make such a list (or two.)
Moments of serenity in my day:
waking up feeling rested
stepping on the heated floor of my bedroom for a middle-of-the-night pee
drinking milk directly from the container
laughing aloud while I'm alone because the book I'm reading is that funny
washing my dishes while listening to Michael Jackson
the fresh minty taste in my mouth after I brush my teeth
seeing my 'morning hair' every morning
the clucking of nearby hens attempting to seduce my unknown rooster friend
separating my trash into the different recycling bins
walking up the stairs to my apartment after work
unlocking the door to my apartment
paying bills
an 'inbox' with messages waiting for me to read
catching a program in English on t.v.
waking free of back pain
wool socks on a bitter cold day
Moments of anxiety in my day:
waking up tired and unrested
stepping on a water soaked bathroom floor from my shower the night before
remembering that I've forgotten to take my anti-depressant
touching public surfaces
having to wear slippers at work when my feet are cold
plucking my eyebrows
not having the option to bathe instead of shower
thinking of debt
an empty 'inbox'
naughty students and being forced to conjure some sort of disciplinary action
seeing a double-chin in my reflexion
not knowing how to read my boss
waking with a kink in my neck because my mattress and pillows are rubbish
Lately I've been waking up around 6am, I know right? And while I lie in bed I just listen. I'm off the main street enough to hear other sounds besides traffic. Sometimes I hear people clopping up and down the stairs in my apartment building. Sometimes I hear the hard-of-hearing older couple who live within earshot of my window trying to communication over a seemingly large expanse. Always I hear the rooster that has become a sound of comfort rather than the nuisance he once was -- it's like living near train tracks, at first you can't stand the shaking and rumbling, and then you find you can't sleep without it. This morning I heard a neighbor washing clothes in a basin with what sounded like a washing board, whistling the occasional out-of-pitch melody. I laid in bed slowly becoming aware of my body and surroundings. It was a great way to wake up.
Mornings like today makes me think of the nature of my day and life. The moments of serenity and anxiety I experience daily. The people I think and care about. Mornings like today ensure my continual struggle to understand and to be understood are worthwhile endeavors, and that some moments, like today, make the challenge of living an unremarkable life, well, remarkable.
In high school I had an English teacher who instilled a love of lists in me -- making them, reading them, crossing them off, basically, everything to do with them. In honor of Mrs. Bean, my quirky and lovable 10th grade English teacher, I am inspired to make such a list (or two.)
Moments of serenity in my day:
waking up feeling rested
stepping on the heated floor of my bedroom for a middle-of-the-night pee
drinking milk directly from the container
laughing aloud while I'm alone because the book I'm reading is that funny
washing my dishes while listening to Michael Jackson
the fresh minty taste in my mouth after I brush my teeth
seeing my 'morning hair' every morning
the clucking of nearby hens attempting to seduce my unknown rooster friend
separating my trash into the different recycling bins
walking up the stairs to my apartment after work
unlocking the door to my apartment
paying bills
an 'inbox' with messages waiting for me to read
catching a program in English on t.v.
waking free of back pain
wool socks on a bitter cold day
Moments of anxiety in my day:
waking up tired and unrested
stepping on a water soaked bathroom floor from my shower the night before
remembering that I've forgotten to take my anti-depressant
touching public surfaces
having to wear slippers at work when my feet are cold
plucking my eyebrows
not having the option to bathe instead of shower
thinking of debt
an empty 'inbox'
naughty students and being forced to conjure some sort of disciplinary action
seeing a double-chin in my reflexion
not knowing how to read my boss
waking with a kink in my neck because my mattress and pillows are rubbish
Thursday, November 5, 2009
My Bid for Freedom
Just a quick update...
I have the Swine flu and am officially in isolation which wouldn't be so bad if I had a working computer, but due to a faulty power converter (a.k.a. Chinese piece of crap) I nearly had an electrical fire in my apartment. Luckily was home when the outlet started to pop and smoke, unluckily my computer was plugged into it. I hope to order a new power cord from the Seoul Apple store next week when I reintegrate with society.
On Monday I went with the masses to the hospital to be poked and proded and given medicine for the Swine flu. The Swine isn't so bad, just a cold that makes you tired and poop a whole lot, but it's become an epidemic in Asia and they are trying to keep it from mutating and killing loads of people like SARS did a couple of years ago. Hence my isolation.
So for the last 4 days I have spent every moment in my studio apartment. I used to think it was a decent size... It wouldn't be so bad if I had the Internet. Life without the Internet is barely worth living. No kidding. But as I have found myself without my trusty Mac, I have no way to watch movies, listen to music or call friends/family while under the influence of Ambien. What's a kid to do? I've been watching a lot of Korean t.v., it's actually not too bad either.
I've been watching a lot of the Olympic-qualifying Games, naturally I cheer for Korea and hope the Japanese fall on their butts -- on a whole, Koreans don't much care for the Japanese. I'm also privy to the nature shows, which are hilarious in another language. Lately I've been narrating the footage of National Geographic, and I tell you, I amaze myself with how witty I am! Too bad no one is around to appreciate the depths of my hilarity. There are also plenty of infomercials to keep me entertained, just imagine American infomercials on crack. I've never seen people so excited to mop!
Luckily you can always count on catching an episode The Simpson's regardless of what country you are in. It plays 2x a day here. There are also plenty of Steven Segall and Martin Larewence films to be had by all, though it does make me question the nature of torture. I was elated beyond all reason when I found Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, I called my friend Val to tell her what I was going to watch next. Really, I did.
So how am I writing this, you may wonder. Well, I've made a bid for freedom. I have infiltrated a cyber-cafe less than one block from my apartment. Incidently it is the only facility in all of Korea that allows smoking inside. I am tempted to cough on random smokers to teach them an important public health lesson: 'if you smoke, you get the Swine.' It just may be the detterant they need.
Well, perhaps I should sneak back to my apartment, the smell of cigerette's and Axe is getting to me. I will write a proper post once I get my computer up and running.
Rots of Rove
I have the Swine flu and am officially in isolation which wouldn't be so bad if I had a working computer, but due to a faulty power converter (a.k.a. Chinese piece of crap) I nearly had an electrical fire in my apartment. Luckily was home when the outlet started to pop and smoke, unluckily my computer was plugged into it. I hope to order a new power cord from the Seoul Apple store next week when I reintegrate with society.
On Monday I went with the masses to the hospital to be poked and proded and given medicine for the Swine flu. The Swine isn't so bad, just a cold that makes you tired and poop a whole lot, but it's become an epidemic in Asia and they are trying to keep it from mutating and killing loads of people like SARS did a couple of years ago. Hence my isolation.
So for the last 4 days I have spent every moment in my studio apartment. I used to think it was a decent size... It wouldn't be so bad if I had the Internet. Life without the Internet is barely worth living. No kidding. But as I have found myself without my trusty Mac, I have no way to watch movies, listen to music or call friends/family while under the influence of Ambien. What's a kid to do? I've been watching a lot of Korean t.v., it's actually not too bad either.
I've been watching a lot of the Olympic-qualifying Games, naturally I cheer for Korea and hope the Japanese fall on their butts -- on a whole, Koreans don't much care for the Japanese. I'm also privy to the nature shows, which are hilarious in another language. Lately I've been narrating the footage of National Geographic, and I tell you, I amaze myself with how witty I am! Too bad no one is around to appreciate the depths of my hilarity. There are also plenty of infomercials to keep me entertained, just imagine American infomercials on crack. I've never seen people so excited to mop!
Luckily you can always count on catching an episode The Simpson's regardless of what country you are in. It plays 2x a day here. There are also plenty of Steven Segall and Martin Larewence films to be had by all, though it does make me question the nature of torture. I was elated beyond all reason when I found Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, I called my friend Val to tell her what I was going to watch next. Really, I did.
So how am I writing this, you may wonder. Well, I've made a bid for freedom. I have infiltrated a cyber-cafe less than one block from my apartment. Incidently it is the only facility in all of Korea that allows smoking inside. I am tempted to cough on random smokers to teach them an important public health lesson: 'if you smoke, you get the Swine.' It just may be the detterant they need.
Well, perhaps I should sneak back to my apartment, the smell of cigerette's and Axe is getting to me. I will write a proper post once I get my computer up and running.
Rots of Rove
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