The downtown nightlife: I've only had one night out so far, but I've learned that going home at 4am is very early by Korean standards.  

A Korean Super Highway. 

This is the breathtaking view of my town from the top of a park directly behind my apt. 

Hoop Dreams: Asian style. I recently found out their is a league for the foreigners, so I'll be gaming soon. 

Another of the block I work on- I can't get enough of the manic city life here.  

This is the view from right outside my school. 

Some of the tiny little Korean wonders at my school. 

This is won. It's easy to figure out the monetary difference. Just X everything by 1,000 and you've got it. 

They wrap their pizza up like a present. Sycamore should steal this idea. 

Yes, there is a Domino's 2 blocks from my apt and I ate there my very first night. 

This is a nice overview of Seoul on a rare snowy day. This is my first Korean morning. 

Best Damn Domino's Crew, EVER. 

The H20 Hobos. 

Korean shower = shower head + a drain. 

When in Rome

In Korea we have all the same opportunities to wash and get clean but without the luxury of standing, hungover and closing your eyes for a long, hot, theraputic Sunday shower. Why? There are no showers!! Well, I guess the bathroom is the shower. Korean bathrooms are equipped with a shower head connected to the sink. I stand in front of the mirror and shower with water spraying everywhere and eventually going into the drain on the floor. Initially, I didn't understand the drain part and just washed my hair in the sink. My neighboor, like Kramer, taught me the Korean shower but, unlike Kramer, he allowed me to keep my clothes on during the tutorial. This is just one of the many differences (some subtle, some shocking) that I am adjusting to here. I was informed on my first day that Korea doesn't have grass and, as far as I've seen, they don't. Dont' ask me why- I never paid attention to geology. Transportation is another interesting cultural deviation. There seems to be a lot less enforcement on traffic violations and everyone just follows the 'whatever works' philosophy of driving. Just yesterday I saw a bus driver park his bus in the middle of a busy city road and leave. On any given street you will see cars that obviously made up their own parking spots. They honk a lot more and I've yet to see an accident so I guess this anarchy-based driving must be working. But this does make walking much more dangerous and looking both ways before you cross are now words to live or die by. I had my first taxi cab experience Friday night and it surely was an experience. The driver, knowing his opportunities to mingle with foreigners (it's so much fun to be able to call myself that) are slim, was showing off to us. The car was armed with neon lights above, on the sides and, as I learned from my roomate, you can judge the driver's personality by how flashy his car is. Think of a night-club on wheels. He turned some Korean pop music really loud and began dancing- urging us to join in and clap to the beat. Yup, we were dancing in the cab. He then proceeded to sing along to the song and he definately had a beautiful voice. Koreans aren't shy when it comes to singing and I can see why; most can really sing. He informed us that his car is a Night-Rider car and started changing the turn signals and flashing the many lights on his dash through is voice alone. Then, and I had been prepared for this, he stepped on the gas and got the car going twice the speed limit, weaving through lanes in a small tunnel. Wow, this was a time when I wished we could tip, but there's no tipping in Korea- they won't accept it. Not in restaurants, not in bars, not for pizza delivery :( and not in taxis. Oh, and my roomate ordered Chinese last night; it came prepared in dishes which are to be left outside after you eat for the delivery guy to pick up later that night. How convenient. And it's true what I've read: there is a lot of same-sex holding of hands (more with females than males). So, understanding this, I hope you fellows don't think I 'm strange when I come home, hold your hands, park on the curbs and shower in the sink.

Initial Teaching Obervations

I understand now, after my first couple hours with the 5 year olds (well, in Korea you're 1 when you're born, so these children are actually 4) that imitation is one of most innate instincts. When one child said she was angry, every other followed suit. When one kid starts singing, the rest join in or start their own songs. A couple kids have made their own songs to help with english; I just heard "Ithankyou,ithankyou,ithankyou," on repeat for the last forty minutes. Really though, besides the complete lack of verbal communication, teaching the kindergarten kids is going to be tons of fun and extremely exhausting. When everything else fails you can always just pick the little boys up, sing the Superman song and fly them around the room. And both the boys and girls are thrilled at a little game of "Horsee." I feel like Bill Cosby bouncing these 50 lb adorable children on my knee. This is what I've learned in observation. At the end of the day, my boss asks me politely if I will cover a class for him. I've watched uncontrollable children run the classroom all day and finally, I get my turn. My first class!!! No adorable children, no wild bunch, I step into a class of six extremely shy, pimple faced teenagers. This class is completely optional and intended for junior high kids who want extra English lessons. I try to talk video games with them but it's not working. I plead for them to say anything, but not a peep. What a disaster. Despite growing up in a family of teachers, I didn't realize how difficult this job is. After my first day I am beginning to understand why teachers complain about lack of financial compensation. The class dragged on and, eventually the bell rang and the kids went home. The next day I taught the exact same group, but this time it was planned and I had plan. I figured out that they are too shy to speak English but they can read and write it fluently. So I gave them some handouts (essays and some blank outline forms) and told them what to do. Beautiful. This was a teacher's fantasy. The kids worked dilligently and when the bell rang (I was almost disapointed it ended so early this time) they handed in their work. I couldn't believe it, it was remarkable, they did everything right- some even wrote better outlines than I had. I think it's true, everything I've read about how much better behaved and motivated these students are than America is, and I was. And, most importantly, I left school confident that if I could fix my teaching in a day, I'm sure it will expand exponentially in a year.

Seoul

And now this has officially become an 'experience. I arrived in Seoul at 8 am Chicago time: that's exactly 24 hours after I began this airport adventure. And in the full day of flying I was unable to fall asleep once. This was mainly due to my excitement of an innaugural trip to Asia and also because I had not flown in over 10 years. After waiting in a long immigration line I dearilly watched the bags go round n round and mine were not there. Fucking perfect. So I filled out some papers and left, barely caring that they lost my luggage- I was happy just to be free and on land. Havinig arrived so much later than expected, I was scared there would be no one there waiting for me. A man approached me and, with no English, I began to assume he was there to pick me up and take me somewhere. He knew nothing, but just nodded to every question I asked. Luckilly, I used my Chicagoan sense and concluded that he was just trying to con me in some way. Then, whew, there was my recruitor, CJ and her manic dog. CJ looked much younger than I had expected, but I'd already learned that the rumor was true; all Korean women look 16. She had her dog, Jimmy, on a leash, but it became clear to me that he was actually leading her. And so the dog ran, CJ ran in pursuit, and I took the roll of the kabuse, running to keep pace with them both. Her dog was on my lap, licking my face and I didn't dare tell CJ how allergic to this manic pup I am. How could I, she's the one who got me here? She drove me around Seoul and we discussed, amongst other things, her lack of friends, the drinking problems amongst all my collegues, the political tensions and arrived at the bus station too late; there was no way to get me to Teajeon: my new home. It was now midnight Korean time, and CJ decided it would be best to just put me up in a cheap Seoul hotel and she would rescue me tomorrow. We found Seoul hotel. This was unlike anything you'll ever see in America. We walked through ruins, through abandoned buildings and then the economic scene shifts completely: two glass doors that open at our presence. We walk up a few flights of stairs and I pay 40$ for a room right next to the front desk. When I say a room, I mean a room. Literally I have a door, a sink, a bed and a TV on the bed. No room to even sit up, but I don't care at this point. A bed is heaven. But, the highlight, and all those who know me can imagine how this suprise would make up for all my hardships in the day. I turn on the TV and there it is, the NBA ALL STAR GAME; everything I've been missing and everything I need now. I just watched the end of the game, found Look Who's Talking 2, in English, and everything's fine now. To some I believe this would be scarier than Hell but I think I'm getting a hold of this travelling vibe. Just leave all logic and expectations at home, this is Seoul, the 3rd biggest city in the world, there simply isn't room for my American views.

In flight movies

And now it is upon me. Sitting in the clean, tan-plushed seats of O'hare Airport, I simply cannot wait, as we're supposed to. My moments of contentment are nearly all on Sundays (today) or before bed, and in no way can I relax here at 9 am.- an hour as unfamiliar to me as Bernie Mac is to a plane full of Japanese. Were are all these folks going? Who waits for them and who have they left behind so miserably sad? I cried harder when I was drunk and tired but I had somber, sober tears as well. My father's goodbye was dry, lean and worry-free. I presume that's what is best for me; isn't that what motivates parents? Asians, african-americans, whites, man, women, young and old: they have one thing in common, Starbucks. Not me, I need my nerves bare like my stomach. I'm sure there will come a day when I can recline, drink state-of-the-art coffee, read hot-off-the-presses news and be entirely consumed. Looking around at all these waiting strangers I realize that I'm going to have to get used to not looking around for recognition, because it won't be there. This has rarely been the case in my life, my girl would attribute it to my over-sized egoo, but I know it has everything to do with experience- as do most my beliefs and virtues. I'm not so sure I'll be a good teacher simply because there are too many X factors, too many unknowns. I'm told I will be teaching children that have difficulty saying their own names in English. And perhaps I, a child myself, am exactly the teacher to connect with them. These are my concerns, but for now, I have only one agenda: board the plane, spy for terrorists (ahahhaha), lick the water beneath my metal wings and courageously begin my Korean oddyssy. 10,000 feet- I've never in my greenist, most despondant days been this high, hell, this may be higher than a Keith Richard's trip. It's been over eight hours since I had a cigarette, but I'm worried more about my poor barren belly. This flight is supposed to include dinner at some point but, so far, I'm subsisting on pretzel packets and orange juice. Whatever happened to peanuts?? Gone with carbs, nicotine and ballroom dancing. The initial flight to Detroit was delayed over an hour so I was forced to run through the Detroit airport like Barry Sanders and, thank Jordan, the plane was already boarded but had yet to leave. This plane, my Tokyo cruiser, followed Detroit's lead and we were delayed two hours and have just recently taken flight. The pilot isn't sure how this is going to affect our up-coming connection flights and the sweet, scaly, elder man from Hong Kong next to me says I might have to stay the night in Tokyo. If so, the airline is going to fund the hotel bill. As daunting as this sounds (alone, with no plan, and no clue where to go in Japan) I'm a little hopeful that it happens because I don't know that I'll ever have another chance to see Tokyo. The sweet old man says, "don't go out at night," and I say, "why, is it dangerous?" to which he replies, "no, just don't go." His English is limited and I'm as clueless as a 16 yr old Bartlett princess as to what I should take out of that exchange. Well, the drinks are coming round, they're free, and I'll be damned if I miss any opportunity to fill this depleted American belly. Oh shit, the 1st movie of the flight is "Mr. 3000," a baseball movie staring Bernie Mac. Why, why on a plane of mainly Japanese do you show a really bad Bernie Mac movie? This is going to be awkward, I can feel it already. Oh, I got an idea: let's follow up Mr. 3000 with Taxi: an embarassment on film staring Queen Latifah and Jimmy Falon. I don't know who I killed in my last life to deserve Bernie Mac and Queen Latifah in one flight, but it must have been a Mickey and Mallory-type mass slaughter. And the grand finale to this cinematic nightmare- "Raise your voices" starring America's newest vomit/star, Hillary Duff. WOW, that's all I can say.

10,000 feet above

Oh the fleeting fragrances of my former life
Nothing is as everlasting, savory as the smell of dried
sweat amidst burning coals and cold liqour- ah, the American
summer.
Now that the anestesia is wearing off, I know my time on Sweet Earth
is nearly gone- at least earth, which is land, which is love, which is
America,
Which is all I know.
Beneath the sulphuric bliss, they're still doing the Western Dance.
My eyes are finally off the TV, and I'm looking down,
1 0 , 0 0 0 feet above. I'd gladly trade the intelligence, the unnatural
Power, the domination; for a bird's serene view.
I'd join in the human orchestration but I've seen too much of the
past-
I've invisioned the forgotten calm.

Sleepless in So Ko

Well, I'm in Asia, alive, invigorated and yet drained. It's a strange sort of exhaustion I've been experiencing. I can't sleep, at times I feel I may pass out mid stride but I don't yawn and I can't find a good reason to go to sleep. The jet-lag is almost over and I suppose soon I'll realize that I'm going to be here for a year and Korea will not disappear when I wake up, but that's a hard realization to gain. I must apologize for the lack of pictures; the software is on my cpu and I have to buy a power convertor. I have files full of breath-taking city shots and I'm reluctant to begin describing this place in words. I don't even think Mr. Tom Robbins could properly put these visions into an American mind. Everything is just so damn different. I tell you what, these Koreans are a fine dressed people. Carefully orchestrated accesories, clothes that fit to a T': this is vastly different than slovenly America. Also, despite the many Mcdonalds, Burger Kings, KFCs, etc. finding an overweight Korean is like spotting a real terrorist in America. There simply are none. I'd go shopping and try to match their style but I was disapointed to find out that the myth about clothes being rediculously cheap in Korea is exactly that, a myth. It turns out the US government got hip to knowledge that Americans were buying things so cheap and selling them back home for a profit. They took all the fun out of that. They made regulations and now, Jordans are $130, Levis $100, etc. It appears I will not be able to excercise my materialistic American gene afterall. I promise more musings on the flight, teaching and life in Korea but even I have yet to experience the latter; I've been in my school, Swaton, for over 24 hours in the last couple days. I hope everyone is well and prospering and I will have more tails from this miraculous experience shortly.

A cowboy with the globe at his disposal..........what a scary thought. 

Man I'm going to miss the big $. 

All I've ever known. 

And I couldn't be any more allergic to this adorable creature. 

10 Days to go..........

I'm 10 days away from American exile and Kim Jung il had do start some drama. The story goes: We (America) say no other country can have nuclear weapons, Jung il brags about North Korea's nuclear capabilities and now Korea, my soon to be home, is filled with tension. Will Bush attack and jeapordize the South Koreans? I sure hope not. Reading this new development in the "axis of evil" (HA) should leave me uneasy, but it's not so. Growing up American, we learn very young that there is nothing to fear, at least nothing like an attack on our land. I remember the Persian Gulf war, lying in bed, looking up at my blank ceiling and fearing bombs and visualizing the kind of destruction we read about in history class. It wasn't long until I grew my invincible American armor and fell a victim to the US educational ethnocentric agenda. I'm looking outside these safety walls and looking forward to journeying above and beyond. Korea is ripe, and I'm anticipating a sense of emergency, a revitalizing anxiety. The only thing to do now is reconcile with my American life, and someway, somehow, gracefully say goodbye to everything I've ever known.......