Once upon a time, Albert Camus said "every day is a fight, so you best bring your fucking a-game." Actually, that's paraphrased... he actually said "I shall tell you a great secret, my friend. Do not wait for the last judgment, it takes place every day."
To remind yourself of this, be sure to attempt the closest shave possible on every applicable morning. If all goes well, you'll draw blood at least five times. Good morning, endorphins.. how are you? Good to hear. I'm doing juuuuuust fine.
Had a good conversation recently that I can't get out of my head- it's really driven home the fact that I've learned so much from my experience here, from having time to delve into my own head while finding new and interesting ways to pass the 'survival' threshold and barge into the 'thrive' zone. The prior is one of those lessons.
What else? Ahhhh yes... again with Camus. "Everything is ridiculous. Learn this. Accept it. Never stop fighting it." Or, again with the real quote... "From the moment absurdity is recognized, it becomes a passion, the most harrowing of all." From Camus' essays on Sisyphus, the idea is that people can be almost completely satisfied by relatively meaningless and wasteful struggle. Things here have been almost entirely an adventure in trial and error, an approach that I wasn't so keen on before, mostly because I had to reap the consequences of error. Then, though, I didn't understand the amazing trade-off of usually temporary consequence for the boon of unforgettable knowledge and wisdom. The questions are not 'why am I running up this hill and dodging falling boulders' or 'when does the hill end,' but rather 'what am I learning from this?' Trust me, after you spend $15 you don't necessarily have on soymilk that turns out to be dirt-water grey and sweet as sin, you never ever do it again.
People need this struggle. If they don't have it, they create it for themselves (See: Earthquake Button Theory). The primal instinct of man is to struggle for survival; in the civilized setting we find ourselves in these days, we don't enjoy the same adversity that we used to. Nothing is hunting us, we don't need to kill to eat, the human race will still be here whether we pass futilely or not. So, naturally, we've replaced these ancient problems with new ones. We've replaced it with utter absurdity. Illogical systems of reward, punishment and organization. "In the part of this universe that we know there is great injustice, and often the good suffer, and often the wicked prosper, and one hardly knows which of those is the more annoying," quote Bertrand Russell. Furthermore, "Life is nothing but a competition to be the criminal rather than the victim." Does this mean that we should play by these revised and become the criminal? Absolutely not. Camus reminds us that the only acceptable response to this absurdity is to rebel. Do everything you can to fix it. The boulder will be at the bottom of the hill when you wake up the next day, waiting for you to do it all over again. That is what will fulfill your primal instinct. That right there.
I've also rejected the premise that our generation, now as adults, have the responsibility to carry the rules of the old into the future. No, no. We're the adults now, and we get to decide what that means. If that means eating cereal and ice cream everyday, so be it... just mind the consequences. If that means knocking on your neighbour's door and greeting him with a number of BB gun rounds before walking to work, so be it! Just mind the consequences. We've been raised with this idea that adulthood is about no longer doing what you want to do in the name of being proper and responsible. This is ridiculous. People still do exactly what they want; the fact that the consequences of one's actions change, that's where the problem is. It's not that we don't do what we want, it's that we want different things than we did, at least to some extent. That is how it always has been. Arranged marriages were accepted to avoid the scrutiny of the public, people become business majors with the ultimate end of financial freedom in mind, so on and so forth. The interesting dilemma of our generation is that many of us still want the same things. Many of us want to spend an entire day sitting around drinking soda and playing Super Nintendo games. Many of us want adorable penguin trash cans and shirts that play MP3s. So do it, I say! Do it! Just be mindful of the potential consequences of your actions. That's how people have been living for thousands of years. Now is not the time to stop because of some bogus doctrine of expectations that has been handed down to us. In summation: do what you want, just don't be terribly short-sighted.
There are other lessons, but it's about time to get up, get going and teach some students how to use English appropriately. I may also need more coffee.
-토마스
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Let It Roll Off You. Like Water.
The end of this week is going to signify a lot of changes at work. It's the end of the semester so, naturally, things will change. For the first time in my time here, however, the line-up of Middle School teachers will also change. Joel, my colleague and good friend, will be headed back home to Australia on Friday. In response to this, one full-time Middle School teacher and one half-Middle, half-Elementary teacher have been added to the foreign Middle School roster.
Things aren't all rosy, though- I've asked for a new timetable and it hasn't been released yet. Today's Thursday and I really want to have all of my ducks in a row for Monday, but our head teacher is afraid because a number of the Korean Middle School teachers are leaving. Three, I believe, of ten or so. So yes, it's going to be difficult to get a schedule together, but in response to this, I raised my fist with confidence and said the above.
"We can do it! Never give up!"
In spite of everything, I'm starting to feel ready for the role of 'veteran foreign Middle School teacher.' What's 'everything,' you ask? Well, in the past few weeks, there's been a good amount of social fragmentation amongst the foreign teachers. I don't know why or what's behind it, but there's a definite feeling of clique-ishness both in the office and out. I'd go on and list examples, but I don't want to waste my (or your) time with details. Add this to the fact that I live on the other side of the Overpass and things become more isolating. Top it off with the fact that, at the moment, I'm the only person working the hours I do and there you have it. Utter alienation. It's tough to deal with, but I'm learning to using my new mantra: Let it roll off you. Like water.
What most people don't realize is that some people spend a painfully large amount of effort simply to be normal, socially acceptable, what not. The people who spend that effort, well, I think they're making a rather sizeable mistake; consider modern existance a river of sorts. Clearly, this river flows rather rapidly. It's going to take a miracle to push against the stream, so it's much better to go with it... not in the sense that one has to conform, but in the sense that one doesn't, actually. The idea is that many go through great effort to build a boat or raft, craft oars from God-knows-what and then dump it into the river in order to float merrily along. Some people start with rafts. Some people start with yachts, even. Myself, I don't have anything, and I'll be damned if I'm going to waste my time building something to ensure my safety. The approach I favor is flinging one's self directly into the river and braving the adventure.
"We can do it! Never give up!"
Won't one crack his head on a rock doing things this way? Yeah, sure, maybe so. So what, though? After the first few times, he'll learn to gracefully maneuver around the rocks. Broken femurs, tibulas, sternums... these aren't a jackhammer to the head, they're a chisel to the stone. Step out of the river, brush yourself off, and then toss yourself in again. After all, what else is there?
'Oh, but the river doesn't make any sense!' Of course, you'll hear these objections. You'll even bark them when you get caught on a hook during your river ride. 'This hook shouldn't be here!' It doesn't matter whether the hook should or shouldn't be there; what matters is that it's there, and you need to deal with it.
It's essentially a way of saying 'don't sweat the small stuff,' but I'm trying to redefine what the 'small stuff' really is. In the end, I think the 'small stuff' really might just be everything. People worry too much. Case in point: if you're waiting to cross the street at a crosswalk in Korea and there's no light, just go. You'll be fine. If you start going and then you stop because a car is coming, that's when you're in the most danger. I was once told 'don't hesitate ever, ever again,' and the advice seems to hold true.
I was also told that I 'dress live a suave motherfucker, and it's about time to start acting like one.' I'm trying, I really am. I'm so accustomed to worrying about every last little thing, and I'm starting to learn in a big way that it does nothing but cause a person trouble.
Changing one's mindset is hard, but...
"We can do it! Never give up!"
Things aren't all rosy, though- I've asked for a new timetable and it hasn't been released yet. Today's Thursday and I really want to have all of my ducks in a row for Monday, but our head teacher is afraid because a number of the Korean Middle School teachers are leaving. Three, I believe, of ten or so. So yes, it's going to be difficult to get a schedule together, but in response to this, I raised my fist with confidence and said the above.
"We can do it! Never give up!"
In spite of everything, I'm starting to feel ready for the role of 'veteran foreign Middle School teacher.' What's 'everything,' you ask? Well, in the past few weeks, there's been a good amount of social fragmentation amongst the foreign teachers. I don't know why or what's behind it, but there's a definite feeling of clique-ishness both in the office and out. I'd go on and list examples, but I don't want to waste my (or your) time with details. Add this to the fact that I live on the other side of the Overpass and things become more isolating. Top it off with the fact that, at the moment, I'm the only person working the hours I do and there you have it. Utter alienation. It's tough to deal with, but I'm learning to using my new mantra: Let it roll off you. Like water.
What most people don't realize is that some people spend a painfully large amount of effort simply to be normal, socially acceptable, what not. The people who spend that effort, well, I think they're making a rather sizeable mistake; consider modern existance a river of sorts. Clearly, this river flows rather rapidly. It's going to take a miracle to push against the stream, so it's much better to go with it... not in the sense that one has to conform, but in the sense that one doesn't, actually. The idea is that many go through great effort to build a boat or raft, craft oars from God-knows-what and then dump it into the river in order to float merrily along. Some people start with rafts. Some people start with yachts, even. Myself, I don't have anything, and I'll be damned if I'm going to waste my time building something to ensure my safety. The approach I favor is flinging one's self directly into the river and braving the adventure.
"We can do it! Never give up!"
Won't one crack his head on a rock doing things this way? Yeah, sure, maybe so. So what, though? After the first few times, he'll learn to gracefully maneuver around the rocks. Broken femurs, tibulas, sternums... these aren't a jackhammer to the head, they're a chisel to the stone. Step out of the river, brush yourself off, and then toss yourself in again. After all, what else is there?
'Oh, but the river doesn't make any sense!' Of course, you'll hear these objections. You'll even bark them when you get caught on a hook during your river ride. 'This hook shouldn't be here!' It doesn't matter whether the hook should or shouldn't be there; what matters is that it's there, and you need to deal with it.
It's essentially a way of saying 'don't sweat the small stuff,' but I'm trying to redefine what the 'small stuff' really is. In the end, I think the 'small stuff' really might just be everything. People worry too much. Case in point: if you're waiting to cross the street at a crosswalk in Korea and there's no light, just go. You'll be fine. If you start going and then you stop because a car is coming, that's when you're in the most danger. I was once told 'don't hesitate ever, ever again,' and the advice seems to hold true.
I was also told that I 'dress live a suave motherfucker, and it's about time to start acting like one.' I'm trying, I really am. I'm so accustomed to worrying about every last little thing, and I'm starting to learn in a big way that it does nothing but cause a person trouble.
Changing one's mindset is hard, but...
"We can do it! Never give up!"
Friday, December 4, 2009
Itaewon, Swagger and You.
So I'm in Itaewon, hanging out and waiting. For what? That's an entirely different story.
In eight minutes, I'll go and try to track down the owner of The Hive to talk about booking a show.
Itaewon is pretty interesting. It's the foreigner district of Seoul (unofficially, but you can do everything from smoke hookah to get Turkish kebabs to buy Djarum Blacks to track down Kraft Macaroni and Cheese).
Not too long ago I was hanging out at The Hive before hours and I was wondering, well, how did I get in here and why has nobody kicked me out? It's easy; just appear confident and self-assured at all times, and people will assume that you're exactly where you're meant to be. It's probably how those crazy Salahis got into the White House.
This is something I can apply to class. I didn't have any classes this week, so I spent time observing the newer teachers. I observed a teacher with prior Korea and teaching experience and, needless to say, I learned a Hell of a lot. Once again, it's all about appearing confident and self-assured at all times despite whatever else may be going on.
This is something I've known for a while now but I've never really seen it in action as clearly as I have in the past week or so. Moreover, it's not something I feel I've really done with a great deal of success until coming here. To think that I stepped off the plane with nothing but a job and some luggage... and now I'm starting to get shit together. It's like I've made a home for myself here, really. I find it impressive.
All in all, things are going well. It's still strange and difficult at times, and I still get those sudden 'Holy shit, I'm in Korea' moments... but, all in all, things are going well.
I should be off now- I'll rap at you lot later.
-토마스
In eight minutes, I'll go and try to track down the owner of The Hive to talk about booking a show.
Itaewon is pretty interesting. It's the foreigner district of Seoul (unofficially, but you can do everything from smoke hookah to get Turkish kebabs to buy Djarum Blacks to track down Kraft Macaroni and Cheese).
Not too long ago I was hanging out at The Hive before hours and I was wondering, well, how did I get in here and why has nobody kicked me out? It's easy; just appear confident and self-assured at all times, and people will assume that you're exactly where you're meant to be. It's probably how those crazy Salahis got into the White House.
This is something I can apply to class. I didn't have any classes this week, so I spent time observing the newer teachers. I observed a teacher with prior Korea and teaching experience and, needless to say, I learned a Hell of a lot. Once again, it's all about appearing confident and self-assured at all times despite whatever else may be going on.
This is something I've known for a while now but I've never really seen it in action as clearly as I have in the past week or so. Moreover, it's not something I feel I've really done with a great deal of success until coming here. To think that I stepped off the plane with nothing but a job and some luggage... and now I'm starting to get shit together. It's like I've made a home for myself here, really. I find it impressive.
All in all, things are going well. It's still strange and difficult at times, and I still get those sudden 'Holy shit, I'm in Korea' moments... but, all in all, things are going well.
I should be off now- I'll rap at you lot later.
-토마스
Monday, November 30, 2009
Revelations Arrive on a Foggy Day in Incheon.
Today was interesting. A bit of a rollercoaster ride.
I have the day off- I'm taking a few vacation days this week because our students won't have classes. I had plans for lunch today, but they fell through... as fuck. So instead I went up to work, retrieved my iPod, bought some cigarettes and went home.
And the cigarettes fell out of my pocket during my walk.
Regardless, I went up to E-Mart for the first time and found...
Margarine.
PEPPERJACK.
Bulk meat at a cheap price.
SPRAY-ON MOTHERFUCKING STARCH.
So that put me in a good mood. I also did a small bit of Christmas shopping!
Switched some files around with Joel, then had some time to think to myself.
I realized some things about the story I've lived so far... mostly the moral behind it.
Everything you do, say, type... it represents you. Everything. And is everything you do, say and type done, said or typed in a way that you would want to represent you? Think about your standards. Do you meet them? Be honest. Pick yourself apart. If a part of you doesn't meet those standards, then tear it up and start again. Do you want something that seems terribly out of reach? Become the person who deserves it. Don't wait for the final judgment... it happens every day. Do not hesitate. Do not second guess. But do treat your effort as a resource- though it may be intangible, it is valuable. Prioritize. Have a contingency plan together for when the time comes. Focus inward and you'll find that, in doing so, you've exerted pressure outward.
Okay. Going to work on tracks now.
I have the day off- I'm taking a few vacation days this week because our students won't have classes. I had plans for lunch today, but they fell through... as fuck. So instead I went up to work, retrieved my iPod, bought some cigarettes and went home.
And the cigarettes fell out of my pocket during my walk.
Regardless, I went up to E-Mart for the first time and found...
Margarine.
PEPPERJACK.
Bulk meat at a cheap price.
SPRAY-ON MOTHERFUCKING STARCH.
So that put me in a good mood. I also did a small bit of Christmas shopping!
Switched some files around with Joel, then had some time to think to myself.
I realized some things about the story I've lived so far... mostly the moral behind it.
Everything you do, say, type... it represents you. Everything. And is everything you do, say and type done, said or typed in a way that you would want to represent you? Think about your standards. Do you meet them? Be honest. Pick yourself apart. If a part of you doesn't meet those standards, then tear it up and start again. Do you want something that seems terribly out of reach? Become the person who deserves it. Don't wait for the final judgment... it happens every day. Do not hesitate. Do not second guess. But do treat your effort as a resource- though it may be intangible, it is valuable. Prioritize. Have a contingency plan together for when the time comes. Focus inward and you'll find that, in doing so, you've exerted pressure outward.
Okay. Going to work on tracks now.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Change, etc.
So.
The ranks are changing.
A lot of things are changing.
Winter's finally coming into full swing.
It's been warm for the past few days but there's no telling when the first snow will drop. I can feel it. It'll be soon.
As per usual, some of the seasonal effects have kicked in. It's not a big deal.
The ranks, they're changing.
People leaving, new people arriving.
And it feels like it took me a little while to settle into the crew that I came into.
Now that things are changing, I feel as though I have to do it all over again.
I'm not sure if I have it in me. I don't know. It's strange.
I don't know that I'm compatible with the new crew to the extent that I was with the old crew.
Maybe I'm just overanalyzing.
At the same time, I feel like I've been crankier recently.
Not in any seriousness, of course, because even when I'm serious I'm not really taken seriously. Not that I'm bitter, but I'm kind of bitter. Ahhhh, who knows- this may all be the aftereffects of the soju I had tonight at galbi.
It's not that I don't like the new crew. They're cool. Hell, they're even great. Great people, I like them a lot from what I've seen so far. I just worry that I won't be found as likable.
It's stupid, petty shit to consider in light of the fact that I'm six thousand miles from home but, in some way, I've already started to think of my apartment as home. And of Korea as a new home, despite the fact that I still have little knowledge of how to navigate Incheon's streets. Whatevs, though... it feels like home, at least to some extent. It's just weird to think that the remainder of my time here has been changed drastically by recent events. What could happen? Anything. That's usually liberating, but... I don't know. It doesn't feel liberating right about now.
I feel like it's a sign that I need to focus my efforts inward- I truly need to let that which does not truly matter slide and, for once, really focus on myself. Focus on improving my production techniques... take a risk and try producing in Ableton, maybe. I don't know. No idea at all.
There's a bit of baggage I'm carrying with me at the present but I'm trying to keep tight-lipped about it because I don't want to be reminded of it all the time, but it's kind of hard. My brain works overtime to spite me sometimes.
This is essentially just a long-winded, structureless ramble heavily influenced by alcohol and observation. Yeah. I'm signing off for now and maybe hopefully getting some sleep soon, considering the fact that it's five in the Gods damned morning.
Okay.
-토마스
The ranks are changing.
A lot of things are changing.
Winter's finally coming into full swing.
It's been warm for the past few days but there's no telling when the first snow will drop. I can feel it. It'll be soon.
As per usual, some of the seasonal effects have kicked in. It's not a big deal.
The ranks, they're changing.
People leaving, new people arriving.
And it feels like it took me a little while to settle into the crew that I came into.
Now that things are changing, I feel as though I have to do it all over again.
I'm not sure if I have it in me. I don't know. It's strange.
I don't know that I'm compatible with the new crew to the extent that I was with the old crew.
Maybe I'm just overanalyzing.
At the same time, I feel like I've been crankier recently.
Not in any seriousness, of course, because even when I'm serious I'm not really taken seriously. Not that I'm bitter, but I'm kind of bitter. Ahhhh, who knows- this may all be the aftereffects of the soju I had tonight at galbi.
It's not that I don't like the new crew. They're cool. Hell, they're even great. Great people, I like them a lot from what I've seen so far. I just worry that I won't be found as likable.
It's stupid, petty shit to consider in light of the fact that I'm six thousand miles from home but, in some way, I've already started to think of my apartment as home. And of Korea as a new home, despite the fact that I still have little knowledge of how to navigate Incheon's streets. Whatevs, though... it feels like home, at least to some extent. It's just weird to think that the remainder of my time here has been changed drastically by recent events. What could happen? Anything. That's usually liberating, but... I don't know. It doesn't feel liberating right about now.
I feel like it's a sign that I need to focus my efforts inward- I truly need to let that which does not truly matter slide and, for once, really focus on myself. Focus on improving my production techniques... take a risk and try producing in Ableton, maybe. I don't know. No idea at all.
There's a bit of baggage I'm carrying with me at the present but I'm trying to keep tight-lipped about it because I don't want to be reminded of it all the time, but it's kind of hard. My brain works overtime to spite me sometimes.
This is essentially just a long-winded, structureless ramble heavily influenced by alcohol and observation. Yeah. I'm signing off for now and maybe hopefully getting some sleep soon, considering the fact that it's five in the Gods damned morning.
Okay.
-토마스
Saturday, October 24, 2009
The first step is admitting you have a problem.
Hey, you lot.
It's been a while, but I'm back at PC Ghost.
Not out of necessity, though.
A lot has changed.
I have a new co-worker living in the Hambaek, so I'm showing him around.
He doesn't have internet yet, so we're at PC Ghost.
Wanted to show him around, show him how things here work.
Went to Itaewon today.
Evan and Wes helped me drop 80 fliers on the area.
Evan was posting them wherever he could, often times in rather creative places (there was graffiti reading 'boned your mom,' so Evan put one in the middle of the O in 'mom.') He also put them over fliers for other things.
Wes was handing them to people he thought might appreciate my music and gave them a quick rundown of what was happening.
We saw the venue, but we went relatively early so we didn't end up going inside. Most unfortunately. Regardless, I think it'll be pretty solid for my gig.
Speaking of which, I'm getting more and more excited for my first show in Seoul. I can already say with certainty that it won't be my last, though- my crew has a lot of interesting and pragmatic ideas for promotion, so I'm sure I'll get my foot in the door somewhere at some point. I've also been playing my music for a lot of different people to get opinions on which tracks are the best, etc. It's good times. Once I sink a few hundred thousand won into a good Logitech 2.1 speaker setup, I'll be cranking some sick shit out. This is a promise.
In other news, well, there really is no other news. Nothing really mindbending is happening here, to be honest. I mean, I live in a pretty neat part of Korea, but it could be busier and more interesting. Not complaining, though... not at all.
Money's been going a bit more quickly than I'd hoped- I had to pull some money out of my account from home today, unfortunately, because I still have until Nov 5th before I get paid again and, lo and behold, I ran out. It's crazy because I haven't even been going out, getting crunk and being a moron... Hell, I've been walking to work. I'm not sure where the money's gone, but that's the problem with money. On top of that, I pulled in significantly less this month because I didn't have overtime, etc.. I guess my first water bill payment came out, some other stuff. It doesn't much matter, though. I'll be okay. I just didn't want to dip into my savings this early in the game... though I'm sure I'll be able to more than make up for it in the future.
School has been a mix of good and bad. I had to kick a student out of the classroom yesterday for bringing a bunch of paper pouches from the water cooler to class. See, that sounds pretty innocent, but the students somehow find a way to blow air in them and pop them. Which, naturally, does not fly in Thomas Teacher's classes. They've done it before, I asked the Korean teacher to detentionerize them (which may or may not have happened), and they continued to bring the pouches to class. So I'm kicking them out for it. It's a last resort, but it has to happen. On the flipside, I had some extra time with one particular class (who is on a different schedule because of some circumstances) so I threw together a vocabulary review day involving an epic as Hell game of castle-conquering. Oddly enough, the girls in the class loved it to death. I tried to adapt it to a baseball game for a class of eighteen, but.. that's the class with the water pouch addiction. I couldn't get them to quiet down for long enough to start the game. It was a sad day.
What else... I tried to get some input from my students. I want to know what they like about my classes, what they don't like, what can be better, etc... the results were mostly predictable (boring, ditch the book, nothing is good about your class, etc) but I had a few that really stood out. Along the lines of 'Thomas Teacher is getting better but it is not finished yet. He shows us many fantastic picture.' Though nothing really trumps 'you need to smile more because if you smile we know you are not angry.' The adorable factor from that comment... oh man. So I've been trying to smile more, trying to be more of a goofball with my students... it makes them happy, it makes me happy.. it's good times.
I think I wasn't smiling in classes before because, well, I have a sneaking suspicion that one of my big problems is that I've lost a good deal of passion for life. I'm not depressed or anything, I'm just trying to self-analyze. I remember when things would make me jump out of my skin with excitement; not much does it these days though, I'm afraid. Not much has done it for a while. I've been a bit of a shell of a Thom, chasing skirts around because should something actually happen, well, that'd be a thrill of sorts. I don't know. Even in Korea, I've kind of being doing the same old shit... letting my relations with women dictate my mood.
The first step is admitting you have a problem.
I think I'm starting to get better about it, though, albeit rather slowly. I think I started to get better at it three sentences ago, actually. I need to remember that it's not the end-all, be-all... but considering how I spent my time in middle school and high school, I think it can be chalked up to a case of 'wanting what you never really had,' the thing in question being game. Though I might've had a bit of that in the past. Whatever, doesn't matter now- it can't be my first priority because it can't be my first priority. Other things matter more.
Other things like getting a studio together, getting my life started, all of that noise. My life isn't going to get started unless I start it; it's just a shame I didn't realize that until it seemed like it was too late. Though I doubt any other circumstance would've done it.
What else... Joel is in Malaysia this weekend for a wedding. He's bringing a carton of cloves back for me. I don't know what brand they'll be or if I'll even like them, but it's times like now that I can't help but say 'EAT IT, AMERICA, I WILL SOON HAVE WHAT YOU CONSIDER CONTRABAND THESE DAYS.'
And that's what I have. Also, I realized that I'd been spelling my name incorrectly in Korean- the letters I'd been using would be pronounced 'Toh-maht.' Not quite there.
-토마스
(Toh-mah-suh)
It's been a while, but I'm back at PC Ghost.
Not out of necessity, though.
A lot has changed.
I have a new co-worker living in the Hambaek, so I'm showing him around.
He doesn't have internet yet, so we're at PC Ghost.
Wanted to show him around, show him how things here work.
Went to Itaewon today.
Evan and Wes helped me drop 80 fliers on the area.
Evan was posting them wherever he could, often times in rather creative places (there was graffiti reading 'boned your mom,' so Evan put one in the middle of the O in 'mom.') He also put them over fliers for other things.
Wes was handing them to people he thought might appreciate my music and gave them a quick rundown of what was happening.
We saw the venue, but we went relatively early so we didn't end up going inside. Most unfortunately. Regardless, I think it'll be pretty solid for my gig.
Speaking of which, I'm getting more and more excited for my first show in Seoul. I can already say with certainty that it won't be my last, though- my crew has a lot of interesting and pragmatic ideas for promotion, so I'm sure I'll get my foot in the door somewhere at some point. I've also been playing my music for a lot of different people to get opinions on which tracks are the best, etc. It's good times. Once I sink a few hundred thousand won into a good Logitech 2.1 speaker setup, I'll be cranking some sick shit out. This is a promise.
In other news, well, there really is no other news. Nothing really mindbending is happening here, to be honest. I mean, I live in a pretty neat part of Korea, but it could be busier and more interesting. Not complaining, though... not at all.
Money's been going a bit more quickly than I'd hoped- I had to pull some money out of my account from home today, unfortunately, because I still have until Nov 5th before I get paid again and, lo and behold, I ran out. It's crazy because I haven't even been going out, getting crunk and being a moron... Hell, I've been walking to work. I'm not sure where the money's gone, but that's the problem with money. On top of that, I pulled in significantly less this month because I didn't have overtime, etc.. I guess my first water bill payment came out, some other stuff. It doesn't much matter, though. I'll be okay. I just didn't want to dip into my savings this early in the game... though I'm sure I'll be able to more than make up for it in the future.
School has been a mix of good and bad. I had to kick a student out of the classroom yesterday for bringing a bunch of paper pouches from the water cooler to class. See, that sounds pretty innocent, but the students somehow find a way to blow air in them and pop them. Which, naturally, does not fly in Thomas Teacher's classes. They've done it before, I asked the Korean teacher to detentionerize them (which may or may not have happened), and they continued to bring the pouches to class. So I'm kicking them out for it. It's a last resort, but it has to happen. On the flipside, I had some extra time with one particular class (who is on a different schedule because of some circumstances) so I threw together a vocabulary review day involving an epic as Hell game of castle-conquering. Oddly enough, the girls in the class loved it to death. I tried to adapt it to a baseball game for a class of eighteen, but.. that's the class with the water pouch addiction. I couldn't get them to quiet down for long enough to start the game. It was a sad day.
What else... I tried to get some input from my students. I want to know what they like about my classes, what they don't like, what can be better, etc... the results were mostly predictable (boring, ditch the book, nothing is good about your class, etc) but I had a few that really stood out. Along the lines of 'Thomas Teacher is getting better but it is not finished yet. He shows us many fantastic picture.' Though nothing really trumps 'you need to smile more because if you smile we know you are not angry.' The adorable factor from that comment... oh man. So I've been trying to smile more, trying to be more of a goofball with my students... it makes them happy, it makes me happy.. it's good times.
I think I wasn't smiling in classes before because, well, I have a sneaking suspicion that one of my big problems is that I've lost a good deal of passion for life. I'm not depressed or anything, I'm just trying to self-analyze. I remember when things would make me jump out of my skin with excitement; not much does it these days though, I'm afraid. Not much has done it for a while. I've been a bit of a shell of a Thom, chasing skirts around because should something actually happen, well, that'd be a thrill of sorts. I don't know. Even in Korea, I've kind of being doing the same old shit... letting my relations with women dictate my mood.
The first step is admitting you have a problem.
I think I'm starting to get better about it, though, albeit rather slowly. I think I started to get better at it three sentences ago, actually. I need to remember that it's not the end-all, be-all... but considering how I spent my time in middle school and high school, I think it can be chalked up to a case of 'wanting what you never really had,' the thing in question being game. Though I might've had a bit of that in the past. Whatever, doesn't matter now- it can't be my first priority because it can't be my first priority. Other things matter more.
Other things like getting a studio together, getting my life started, all of that noise. My life isn't going to get started unless I start it; it's just a shame I didn't realize that until it seemed like it was too late. Though I doubt any other circumstance would've done it.
What else... Joel is in Malaysia this weekend for a wedding. He's bringing a carton of cloves back for me. I don't know what brand they'll be or if I'll even like them, but it's times like now that I can't help but say 'EAT IT, AMERICA, I WILL SOON HAVE WHAT YOU CONSIDER CONTRABAND THESE DAYS.'
And that's what I have. Also, I realized that I'd been spelling my name incorrectly in Korean- the letters I'd been using would be pronounced 'Toh-maht.' Not quite there.
-토마스
(Toh-mah-suh)
Saturday, October 17, 2009
The Three Month Mark...
As of this coming Tuesday, October 20th, I will have been in Korea for three months.
Everyone says that time flies when you're overseas- it's true, but I do understand that this is just the beginning. Everyone also says that culture shock sets in around the three month mark, which may or may not be true. I've felt some uneasiness about being here, missing home and all of that, but... I think my experience may be somewhat unique. Somewhat. I don't know.
Yesterday night was a going-away shindig for one of my co-workers; a casualty to the stress of everything. Things are still rough at work... but it's all coming to a close, hopefully sooner than later. Anyway, we went up to Touchdown for drinks, pool, darts and witty banter. A lot of the Korean teachers came as well, which was nice because I don't ever really see them outside of work and our relationship seems to be mostly professional, so. It was definitely interesting, especially when they took us to...
DRINK BOOZE FROM BOWLS. Touchdown is primarily a foreigner bar. Granted, some Koreans go there quite often, but it definitely has a foreigner atmosphere. So the Korean teachers took us to a different place which serves rice alcohol in teapots, to be poured into small tin bowls for the sipping. There was soju and many, many a drinking game... followed by much ridiculous behavior that will make me see the teachers in a different light on Monday. It's that feeling when you have your first night out with co-workers.. you realize that they're quite different outside of the office and, maybe, not as different from you as you thought.
All of this talk about going home from my co-worker really made me miss home.. he showed me videos of himself and his friends back home, told me about his future plans.. and yeah, I missed home. A lot. Last night kind of solidified my belief that this is where I'm supposed to be right now, though; the two of us are pretty much polar opposites at face value but, again, in the end, we aren't so different. I just thought we were because I was taking things at face value.
Yesterday afternoon consisted mostly of preparing my set for Halloween. I'm at about the halfway point right now, but it did involve stemming out a remix that was done half in Ableton and half in Reason. It's already a pain in the ass stemming stuff out from Reason, and adding Ableton to the mix just made it more complicated... but I digress.
So, being two days removed from the three month mark, I can say that I've grown quite a bit: I can eat and enjoy spicy foods, though my tolerance still needs some work; my alcohol tolerance is going up so I won't have as many problems that come with being a lightweight in the future; I'm becoming more financially disciplined, insisting on saving the majority of my salary every month; I'm becoming more disciplined overall, forming a strong sense of duty; I'm becoming more socially adequate, able to assert myself when need be. The only thing I can see that I really need to work on at this point is state of mind and emotional maturity; I tend to let small things get me down for a while, and that needs to change because life never stops throwing punches... if you let the jabs bother you, then you're in trouble.
I'm one quarter of the way through with my contract (despite much adversity) and I'm still going strong. I don't expect the 'going strong' part to change anytime soon.
Be well, friends and family.
-Thomas
Everyone says that time flies when you're overseas- it's true, but I do understand that this is just the beginning. Everyone also says that culture shock sets in around the three month mark, which may or may not be true. I've felt some uneasiness about being here, missing home and all of that, but... I think my experience may be somewhat unique. Somewhat. I don't know.
Yesterday night was a going-away shindig for one of my co-workers; a casualty to the stress of everything. Things are still rough at work... but it's all coming to a close, hopefully sooner than later. Anyway, we went up to Touchdown for drinks, pool, darts and witty banter. A lot of the Korean teachers came as well, which was nice because I don't ever really see them outside of work and our relationship seems to be mostly professional, so. It was definitely interesting, especially when they took us to...
DRINK BOOZE FROM BOWLS. Touchdown is primarily a foreigner bar. Granted, some Koreans go there quite often, but it definitely has a foreigner atmosphere. So the Korean teachers took us to a different place which serves rice alcohol in teapots, to be poured into small tin bowls for the sipping. There was soju and many, many a drinking game... followed by much ridiculous behavior that will make me see the teachers in a different light on Monday. It's that feeling when you have your first night out with co-workers.. you realize that they're quite different outside of the office and, maybe, not as different from you as you thought.
All of this talk about going home from my co-worker really made me miss home.. he showed me videos of himself and his friends back home, told me about his future plans.. and yeah, I missed home. A lot. Last night kind of solidified my belief that this is where I'm supposed to be right now, though; the two of us are pretty much polar opposites at face value but, again, in the end, we aren't so different. I just thought we were because I was taking things at face value.
Yesterday afternoon consisted mostly of preparing my set for Halloween. I'm at about the halfway point right now, but it did involve stemming out a remix that was done half in Ableton and half in Reason. It's already a pain in the ass stemming stuff out from Reason, and adding Ableton to the mix just made it more complicated... but I digress.
So, being two days removed from the three month mark, I can say that I've grown quite a bit: I can eat and enjoy spicy foods, though my tolerance still needs some work; my alcohol tolerance is going up so I won't have as many problems that come with being a lightweight in the future; I'm becoming more financially disciplined, insisting on saving the majority of my salary every month; I'm becoming more disciplined overall, forming a strong sense of duty; I'm becoming more socially adequate, able to assert myself when need be. The only thing I can see that I really need to work on at this point is state of mind and emotional maturity; I tend to let small things get me down for a while, and that needs to change because life never stops throwing punches... if you let the jabs bother you, then you're in trouble.
I'm one quarter of the way through with my contract (despite much adversity) and I'm still going strong. I don't expect the 'going strong' part to change anytime soon.
Be well, friends and family.
-Thomas
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Rule #1 - No Dying
So, blog... it's been a while since I rapped at ya.
Life here has been a bit overwhelming at times.
Our office situation is tense, but that's all I'll say about it.
Weekends have consisted of drinking and dancing to get my mind off of it, for the most part.
Last weekend was pretty kick ass, though- went to Yongsan to assist with some headphone shopping (it was fun although we didn't find any headphones), played my second game of Settlers here (I'm 2-0 so far), and did some pretty good work on a new (legitimately) electro/fidget-house track. So I've been pretty productive, and it's a good thing.
My students are warming up to me. This week, the students have exams at public school. It's exhausting. They spent all last week at my school preparing for them, so I didn't have classes. Since the students are busy with their exams, the majority of them aren't coming to my school. This makes for smaller (and more manageable) classes of exhausted students. This sounds worse than it is- I've been able to get them to participate despite their situation, and I've even had a few students do special assignments and tell me that they came to my school even though they didn't have to because they want to study English. This brings a smile to my face.
I finally got my student survey scores from Summer semester, and they were terrible... so I'm trying to adapt my strategy to the students a bit more, to do things they'll enjoy.. to do things that will make them dread coming to my school less. I remember what it was like to be in middle school, and I can only imagine how much I would've hated going to a private school afterward.
Seriously, Korean students might be the hardest working students on Earth. This weekend is Chuseok, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving.. so I've asked students what they're doing for Chuseok. The majority have replied "Private school. Study. Go home. Sleep." It's kind of soul-crushing, honestly, that my students are being put through the wringer like that... it's a bloody holiday! Come on! Granted, Thanksgiving in 2006 and 2007 wasn't exactly a cakewalk for me... but these kids are 14 and 15. My situation was far more grave than they should have to deal with, and it was far different. I say give them their holiday... poor kids.
All in all, though, the students seem to be enjoying my classes a lot more. I blame Joel; he's taught me a few things about keeping students in line without making them hate me, and keeping students interested in the lesson.
Outside of school, I'm meeting quite a few new people and things are going pretty well. School takes up a lot of time, though, so 'outside of school' doesn't happen so much. I have tomorrow off for Chuseok, though, so that's a good thing.
Cashed in my coins today- had a staggering 44,000 Won in coins. They build up fast, especially when you don't use them intelligently. It's hard to use coins intelligently here because I'm still so used to American coins... furthermore, I'm used to using my debit card for everything back home. It doesn't really happen that much here. A lot of places don't accept cards and, if they do, it almost seems crass to use your card for a small purchase. I don't know why, it just does. If I'm going grocery shopping or something, sure, I'll bust my card out... but otherwise, no. I have to spend at least 20,000 Won to be okay with using my card and, honestly, that doesn't happen much.
I've been dreaming of buying an Akai APC40 (http://www.ableton.com/touch) when I get back home.
Oh! Also! There's a good chance that I'll be playing at Itaewon's Hae Bang Chon festival on Halloween. It's an all-day kind of thing that spans over a number of bar venues, which should be a lot of fun. I'm way excited. It reminds me, though, that I should put together a demo for a few of the clubs I've been to like Club FF (Hongdae) and Club Volume (Incheon)... I want to play more, damn it!
It's 2:00p- this means I should probably shower and get ready to go.
I promise, guys, that I'll keep you more updated in the future. You deserve better.
-Thom
Life here has been a bit overwhelming at times.
Our office situation is tense, but that's all I'll say about it.
Weekends have consisted of drinking and dancing to get my mind off of it, for the most part.
Last weekend was pretty kick ass, though- went to Yongsan to assist with some headphone shopping (it was fun although we didn't find any headphones), played my second game of Settlers here (I'm 2-0 so far), and did some pretty good work on a new (legitimately) electro/fidget-house track. So I've been pretty productive, and it's a good thing.
My students are warming up to me. This week, the students have exams at public school. It's exhausting. They spent all last week at my school preparing for them, so I didn't have classes. Since the students are busy with their exams, the majority of them aren't coming to my school. This makes for smaller (and more manageable) classes of exhausted students. This sounds worse than it is- I've been able to get them to participate despite their situation, and I've even had a few students do special assignments and tell me that they came to my school even though they didn't have to because they want to study English. This brings a smile to my face.
I finally got my student survey scores from Summer semester, and they were terrible... so I'm trying to adapt my strategy to the students a bit more, to do things they'll enjoy.. to do things that will make them dread coming to my school less. I remember what it was like to be in middle school, and I can only imagine how much I would've hated going to a private school afterward.
Seriously, Korean students might be the hardest working students on Earth. This weekend is Chuseok, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving.. so I've asked students what they're doing for Chuseok. The majority have replied "Private school. Study. Go home. Sleep." It's kind of soul-crushing, honestly, that my students are being put through the wringer like that... it's a bloody holiday! Come on! Granted, Thanksgiving in 2006 and 2007 wasn't exactly a cakewalk for me... but these kids are 14 and 15. My situation was far more grave than they should have to deal with, and it was far different. I say give them their holiday... poor kids.
All in all, though, the students seem to be enjoying my classes a lot more. I blame Joel; he's taught me a few things about keeping students in line without making them hate me, and keeping students interested in the lesson.
Outside of school, I'm meeting quite a few new people and things are going pretty well. School takes up a lot of time, though, so 'outside of school' doesn't happen so much. I have tomorrow off for Chuseok, though, so that's a good thing.
Cashed in my coins today- had a staggering 44,000 Won in coins. They build up fast, especially when you don't use them intelligently. It's hard to use coins intelligently here because I'm still so used to American coins... furthermore, I'm used to using my debit card for everything back home. It doesn't really happen that much here. A lot of places don't accept cards and, if they do, it almost seems crass to use your card for a small purchase. I don't know why, it just does. If I'm going grocery shopping or something, sure, I'll bust my card out... but otherwise, no. I have to spend at least 20,000 Won to be okay with using my card and, honestly, that doesn't happen much.
I've been dreaming of buying an Akai APC40 (http://www.ableton.com/touch) when I get back home.
Oh! Also! There's a good chance that I'll be playing at Itaewon's Hae Bang Chon festival on Halloween. It's an all-day kind of thing that spans over a number of bar venues, which should be a lot of fun. I'm way excited. It reminds me, though, that I should put together a demo for a few of the clubs I've been to like Club FF (Hongdae) and Club Volume (Incheon)... I want to play more, damn it!
It's 2:00p- this means I should probably shower and get ready to go.
I promise, guys, that I'll keep you more updated in the future. You deserve better.
-Thom
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Everything is Meaningless Without Music.
..thank God there's plenty of it here.
The bar that I frequent with co-workers, Touchdown, has a massive list of tracks to play on their jukebox. Everything from Portishead - Wandering Star to Wu-Tang - Gravel Pit to Lupe Fiasco - Gold Watch to DJ Shadow - Six Days (Soulwax remix).
Yesterday was payday. I celebrated by spending 16,000W (approximately $12.80 USD) on an awesome, awesome night. I went to downtown Incheon last night for the grand opening of Club Volume. The second to last DJ threw down some serious tracks including Fake Blood - Blood Splashing, Justice - DVNO (remix), MSTRKRFT - Bounce (remix), Ting Tings - Shut Up and Let Me Go (remix), Gossip - Standing In The Way of Control (Soulwax remix), etc etc etc... makes me wonder if I couldn't score a DJ/live PA gig somewhere around here. Guess it's a matter of experiencing the nightlife and getting to know the right people. Speaking of, I need to get some business cards together.
My music production has stalled a bit... my speakers are shit for it, and I simply don't have the time most days. I get sick beats/basslines stuck in my head at work, for all the good it does me, but I can't get a groove going when I'm home. It's okay, I'll get my groove back.
Back to payday- I'm really excited to have pulled in my first check... not because I'm going to spend it anytime soon, but because it's the first step to accomplishing the task at hand. The task, naturally, being to save up more money than I've ever had at one given time, come back home, ???, profit.
The ??? will either be starting up a studio or getting a record together. As I've meditated on it, though, these two things are not mutually exclusive. It would take a bit more money to do both, so we'll see how I feel about this place in a year. If I'm good here, I'll more than likely stay for another year and keep moving forward with my plan. I'm starting to see the benefits of a purpose-driven lifestyle already, though there are more purposes I'd like to add to this one.
Work has been okay. There's some tension and conflict going on. I just want it to end, honestly. I can tell that it's taking its toll on everyone.. I can just feel it. So I'm trying to do what I can to keep everyone's spirits up, but it's not exactly the easiest thing to do. I've spent most of my life being the negative one, but I'm starting to understand that it doesn't do anyone any good. It's okay to be a bit cynical and jaded, but ultimately I've adopted a new policy of positivity in all things. It's a lot more constructive, I think, to keep your head held high in even the worst of situations... because, at some point, they expire. Like everything does.
Things are starting to liven up a bit here in the ol' personal life. I'm doing more things more often, and it's been a little taxing to not have much downtime... but it's a nice kind of taxing. I slept for ten hours today, waking up at 4:00p... so I think I've had all the rest I need to keep it going keep it going keep it going full steam for the rest of the weekend. Although I think Sunday will be a rest day as well, at least to an extent- have a few cleaning things to do around the house, but the rest of that time can go into music, watching movies, lounging around, studying Korean, whatever I want.
Anyway, I'm off to Hongdae in about 45 minutes to party some more. Seems I didn't learn my lesson from staying up and out until about 6:30a... but it's really okay. All I do is party, ha ha ha ha.
Until next time,
-Thom
The bar that I frequent with co-workers, Touchdown, has a massive list of tracks to play on their jukebox. Everything from Portishead - Wandering Star to Wu-Tang - Gravel Pit to Lupe Fiasco - Gold Watch to DJ Shadow - Six Days (Soulwax remix).
Yesterday was payday. I celebrated by spending 16,000W (approximately $12.80 USD) on an awesome, awesome night. I went to downtown Incheon last night for the grand opening of Club Volume. The second to last DJ threw down some serious tracks including Fake Blood - Blood Splashing, Justice - DVNO (remix), MSTRKRFT - Bounce (remix), Ting Tings - Shut Up and Let Me Go (remix), Gossip - Standing In The Way of Control (Soulwax remix), etc etc etc... makes me wonder if I couldn't score a DJ/live PA gig somewhere around here. Guess it's a matter of experiencing the nightlife and getting to know the right people. Speaking of, I need to get some business cards together.
My music production has stalled a bit... my speakers are shit for it, and I simply don't have the time most days. I get sick beats/basslines stuck in my head at work, for all the good it does me, but I can't get a groove going when I'm home. It's okay, I'll get my groove back.
Back to payday- I'm really excited to have pulled in my first check... not because I'm going to spend it anytime soon, but because it's the first step to accomplishing the task at hand. The task, naturally, being to save up more money than I've ever had at one given time, come back home, ???, profit.
The ??? will either be starting up a studio or getting a record together. As I've meditated on it, though, these two things are not mutually exclusive. It would take a bit more money to do both, so we'll see how I feel about this place in a year. If I'm good here, I'll more than likely stay for another year and keep moving forward with my plan. I'm starting to see the benefits of a purpose-driven lifestyle already, though there are more purposes I'd like to add to this one.
Work has been okay. There's some tension and conflict going on. I just want it to end, honestly. I can tell that it's taking its toll on everyone.. I can just feel it. So I'm trying to do what I can to keep everyone's spirits up, but it's not exactly the easiest thing to do. I've spent most of my life being the negative one, but I'm starting to understand that it doesn't do anyone any good. It's okay to be a bit cynical and jaded, but ultimately I've adopted a new policy of positivity in all things. It's a lot more constructive, I think, to keep your head held high in even the worst of situations... because, at some point, they expire. Like everything does.
Things are starting to liven up a bit here in the ol' personal life. I'm doing more things more often, and it's been a little taxing to not have much downtime... but it's a nice kind of taxing. I slept for ten hours today, waking up at 4:00p... so I think I've had all the rest I need to keep it going keep it going keep it going full steam for the rest of the weekend. Although I think Sunday will be a rest day as well, at least to an extent- have a few cleaning things to do around the house, but the rest of that time can go into music, watching movies, lounging around, studying Korean, whatever I want.
Anyway, I'm off to Hongdae in about 45 minutes to party some more. Seems I didn't learn my lesson from staying up and out until about 6:30a... but it's really okay. All I do is party, ha ha ha ha.
Until next time,
-Thom
Monday, August 24, 2009
Sometimes You Learn By Losing.
So I had my second slew of Saturday students.
And by slew, I mean six.
Two of my classes no-showed entirely, so now I'm not getting paid overtime for those four hours.
That's a decent bit of money, but it's not too much.
And now I've learned exactly where they stand.
The solution? Never work on Saturday ever again.
I don't have to, and if they're going to decide that they don't want to pay me when ridiculous things happen (such as zero of fifty-four students showing up), then, well, that doesn't give me much incentive to do it now, does it?
That's not all that I've learned, though.
Never heard back from Julie even though I sent her a few texts here and there when I was in her neighborhood. It probably has something to do with the awkwardness of our conversation on Sunday. That's fine, it doesn't really bother me. But it's nice to know that, in the future, it's probably best to ask for a number in a context other than 'I'm leaving but I want your number'. On top of that, it's best to be less awkward during the first actual conversation you have with someone. So I've deleted her number. I'm really just happy that I was able to walk up to a complete stranger, ask her for her number, and end up getting it. That's enough for me. Now it's time to learn how to be less fucking weird.
I'm pretty sure my students from last semester were pretty annoyed with me. Let's see... I rushed through units, asked them to come in on Saturdays, and was totally authoritarian with them. I did everything that the worst of my teachers did. I didn't really have much of a choice, but could my students have possibly known that? Nah. I've learned from that too, though- my students have usually had about eight hours of public school before coming to my school, and then they have other schools they go to, etc etc etc. I heard about one student who had five private schools to attend outside of public school and had legitimately attempted suicide by the age of eleven- some of these kids have serious issues at this point in their lives because of the academic stress, it seems, so it really helps to try to level with them. At the same time, though, you have to get through the book- it's a delicate balance, it is. Today was the first day of the Fall semester, and it seems to have gone pretty well. Some students still acted out a bit, but they were awesome for the most part.
Y is Style are cigarettes for women. They're like Korean Capris. Aaaaand there goes 25,000 Won.
X-Tune speakers aren't very good. You can't hear sub-bass through them. There goes 30,000 Won.
The Eye-Fi hotspot feature only works in the States. Furthermore, the card only works with wireless networks. There goes some more money.
I'm covered in mosquito bites because I haven't been looking for the corpses of mosquitoes I thought I'd slain.
The list goes on and on, but I'm learning from it.
That's the important part.
Not much else to report. Putting new pictures up right now, though!
As always, be well.
-토맛
And by slew, I mean six.
Two of my classes no-showed entirely, so now I'm not getting paid overtime for those four hours.
That's a decent bit of money, but it's not too much.
And now I've learned exactly where they stand.
The solution? Never work on Saturday ever again.
I don't have to, and if they're going to decide that they don't want to pay me when ridiculous things happen (such as zero of fifty-four students showing up), then, well, that doesn't give me much incentive to do it now, does it?
That's not all that I've learned, though.
Never heard back from Julie even though I sent her a few texts here and there when I was in her neighborhood. It probably has something to do with the awkwardness of our conversation on Sunday. That's fine, it doesn't really bother me. But it's nice to know that, in the future, it's probably best to ask for a number in a context other than 'I'm leaving but I want your number'. On top of that, it's best to be less awkward during the first actual conversation you have with someone. So I've deleted her number. I'm really just happy that I was able to walk up to a complete stranger, ask her for her number, and end up getting it. That's enough for me. Now it's time to learn how to be less fucking weird.
I'm pretty sure my students from last semester were pretty annoyed with me. Let's see... I rushed through units, asked them to come in on Saturdays, and was totally authoritarian with them. I did everything that the worst of my teachers did. I didn't really have much of a choice, but could my students have possibly known that? Nah. I've learned from that too, though- my students have usually had about eight hours of public school before coming to my school, and then they have other schools they go to, etc etc etc. I heard about one student who had five private schools to attend outside of public school and had legitimately attempted suicide by the age of eleven- some of these kids have serious issues at this point in their lives because of the academic stress, it seems, so it really helps to try to level with them. At the same time, though, you have to get through the book- it's a delicate balance, it is. Today was the first day of the Fall semester, and it seems to have gone pretty well. Some students still acted out a bit, but they were awesome for the most part.
Y is Style are cigarettes for women. They're like Korean Capris. Aaaaand there goes 25,000 Won.
X-Tune speakers aren't very good. You can't hear sub-bass through them. There goes 30,000 Won.
The Eye-Fi hotspot feature only works in the States. Furthermore, the card only works with wireless networks. There goes some more money.
I'm covered in mosquito bites because I haven't been looking for the corpses of mosquitoes I thought I'd slain.
The list goes on and on, but I'm learning from it.
That's the important part.
Not much else to report. Putting new pictures up right now, though!
As always, be well.
-토맛
Saturday, August 15, 2009
I Win Won. Among Other Things.
So my day at work was pretty much bollocks.
It's because of this fact that I won't even get into it.
The Sex Pistols were right- Nevermind The Bollocks.
Met up with co-worker April after work to go bowling.
Bowled decently. Could've done better.
The tentative plan after bowling was to head up to Seoul with Tom and Joel after work, but those plans fell through. Instead I went up to Bupyeong with Jay, Evan and April. Went to a few bars, and eventually settled at N's. N's is where I went with Tom and Joel a few weeks ago, drank too much, was very quiet, etc etc etc. While I've been getting along with Tom and Joel quite well, I think they're pretty different from the people I'm used to and, thus, I'm not quite as comfortable and talkative with them as I am with this lot.
On our way to N's, April bought a deck of cards so we'd have something to do while drinking and chatting; we ended up playing some five-card draw, but found it less than fulfilling because we didn't have anything to bet. Long story short, we each entered with 1,000 Won- I left with 4,000 Won. I didn't expect it to happen because I'm usually pretty shit at card games, but I guess growing up with card and board games paid off.
Sometime during the poker game, someone caught my eye. I usually support what Mike Doughty has to say about brunettes being tremendous at all, but.. well. Gorgeous blonde hanging out with her friends, having a good time, etc etc etc. I unconsciously decide that I'm going to be a little fixated on her. By Guinness two, I'm convinced that it'll be a good idea to ask for her number. The shameless five-card draw slaughter is feeding my fire. She keeps walking past our table and I keep covertly declaring to my co-workers that this girl is fucking up my Christmas. By the end of Guinness three, everyone's ready to leave. I know it's my last chance. And considering the fact that the only time I've ever asked a girl for her number was when I was drunk as Hell at an afterparty in Denver, the nerves are hitting me. But that's par for the course? Part of my personal goal is to become one who is fearless yet not without emotion, so let's go for broke.
Nobody else seems to understand my motivation, but it's okay- I was talking music with Evan earlier on in the night and he openly declared that Justice is shit, so... different tastes for different people, s'all good. Regardless, my co-workers and friends give me their blessing as I prepare. I'd been there a hundred times before, but I'd also bitched out ninety-nine of those times.
So I find myself standing next to her while she's talking to her friend. I tell her that I didn't want to interrupt, but.. la la la la la. She asks my name, tells me hers, proceeds to... give me her number? Proceeds to make eye contract and not break it?
Joel told me about a week ago that the secret really is confidence; how many times have we seen drop-dead gorgeous women with mediocre (or worse) guys? Too many to count. But it happens, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that the guy is packing some serious courage.
Wise words well used, Joel. Well used indeed.
So I'll text her sometime tomorrow, probably between errands, and we'll see what happens. It's still hard to believe that anything remotely close to this happened; I'll be the first to say that she's completely out of my league and that I should've been laughed at, more than likely.. but. Well.
The fact that I'm about $2 richer is good. But the fact that I have Julie's number is better. And the fact that I'm learning to conquer the aspects of myself that I find unfavorable is best. Although something tells me that I won't use my night in Bupyeong to teach my students comparative and superlative language.
Be well,
-토맛
It's because of this fact that I won't even get into it.
The Sex Pistols were right- Nevermind The Bollocks.
Met up with co-worker April after work to go bowling.
Bowled decently. Could've done better.
The tentative plan after bowling was to head up to Seoul with Tom and Joel after work, but those plans fell through. Instead I went up to Bupyeong with Jay, Evan and April. Went to a few bars, and eventually settled at N's. N's is where I went with Tom and Joel a few weeks ago, drank too much, was very quiet, etc etc etc. While I've been getting along with Tom and Joel quite well, I think they're pretty different from the people I'm used to and, thus, I'm not quite as comfortable and talkative with them as I am with this lot.
On our way to N's, April bought a deck of cards so we'd have something to do while drinking and chatting; we ended up playing some five-card draw, but found it less than fulfilling because we didn't have anything to bet. Long story short, we each entered with 1,000 Won- I left with 4,000 Won. I didn't expect it to happen because I'm usually pretty shit at card games, but I guess growing up with card and board games paid off.
Sometime during the poker game, someone caught my eye. I usually support what Mike Doughty has to say about brunettes being tremendous at all, but.. well. Gorgeous blonde hanging out with her friends, having a good time, etc etc etc. I unconsciously decide that I'm going to be a little fixated on her. By Guinness two, I'm convinced that it'll be a good idea to ask for her number. The shameless five-card draw slaughter is feeding my fire. She keeps walking past our table and I keep covertly declaring to my co-workers that this girl is fucking up my Christmas. By the end of Guinness three, everyone's ready to leave. I know it's my last chance. And considering the fact that the only time I've ever asked a girl for her number was when I was drunk as Hell at an afterparty in Denver, the nerves are hitting me. But that's par for the course? Part of my personal goal is to become one who is fearless yet not without emotion, so let's go for broke.
Nobody else seems to understand my motivation, but it's okay- I was talking music with Evan earlier on in the night and he openly declared that Justice is shit, so... different tastes for different people, s'all good. Regardless, my co-workers and friends give me their blessing as I prepare. I'd been there a hundred times before, but I'd also bitched out ninety-nine of those times.
So I find myself standing next to her while she's talking to her friend. I tell her that I didn't want to interrupt, but.. la la la la la. She asks my name, tells me hers, proceeds to... give me her number? Proceeds to make eye contract and not break it?
Joel told me about a week ago that the secret really is confidence; how many times have we seen drop-dead gorgeous women with mediocre (or worse) guys? Too many to count. But it happens, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that the guy is packing some serious courage.
Wise words well used, Joel. Well used indeed.
So I'll text her sometime tomorrow, probably between errands, and we'll see what happens. It's still hard to believe that anything remotely close to this happened; I'll be the first to say that she's completely out of my league and that I should've been laughed at, more than likely.. but. Well.
The fact that I'm about $2 richer is good. But the fact that I have Julie's number is better. And the fact that I'm learning to conquer the aspects of myself that I find unfavorable is best. Although something tells me that I won't use my night in Bupyeong to teach my students comparative and superlative language.
Be well,
-토맛
Friday, August 14, 2009
Adventuring Through The Fires of Hell.
So I didn't realize what I was ordering for lunch today.
It's called jamppongbap, and I know that 'bap' means 'rice' so I thought I'd give it a try.
I was, naturally, expecting some sort of rice dish.
What I was given, however, was a seemingly endless bowl of delicious, delicious death.
Turns out that jamppongbap is a soup with the reddest of broth and tentacles floating in it.
What I'd ordered, it turns out, was maybe the spiciest soup I'll ever eat.
With what I can only guess was red pepper broth, jamppongbap is a painfully spicy rice/vegetable/seafood soup.
So today was the first day that I'd ever eaten oysters. There were all sorts of tentacles in there, along with a whole crab (!!!), some carrots and onions.
By the time I was finished, my eyes were watering and I felt light-headed. But it was so, so good.
Regarding other adventures in food, I went to Outback Steakhouse with Tom and Joel last night. It wasn't until the appetizers came that I realized the humor of going to Outback in Korea with two Australians. This is pretty bloody amusing.
I'm writing while drinking a delicious apple Demisoda (my new favorite soda, it's going to break my heart when I can't have them anymore) and eating some chips. The script on the bag is pronounced 'poh-tah-cheep'. I found that pretty amusing.
Things are honestly starting to settle down a bit here, partially due to the amount of time I've spent at work. My first full week was a little taxing at times with a few students acting out here and there and, of course, the stress of having a deadline, but I managed to get through and finish a good number of units. So I'm pretty pleased.
My plans for the weekend so far include bowling with April tomorrow after work- now that I have my bowling glove, I will not be stopped! Maybe. I don't know. The lanes here are slick as Hell, which makes it hard to throw an effective hook. And then, on Sunday, I'm having a few people over to check out Reason and what it's capable of- I'm working on a remix of The Crystal Method's 'Come Back Clean', a truly epic track that I just found stems for. Things are going alright regarding that so far, but it's pretty difficult to get a good and accurate mix on the speakers I bought so I've been using my headphones. It really makes me miss my speakers from back home- I'd look for a comparable set here, but that'd be pretty expensive. On top of that, the selection of computer speakers around these parts is a little lacking.
I'm starting to make a few friends outside of work here and there, which is nice. And quite exciting. It's really good because I'm meeting people even though I've decided to take it easy this weekend.
Still trying to find a place to get Won for my traveler's checks. It's rough because, for some reason, my bank (called Korean Exchange Bank, which sounds like a bank that would deal with currency exchange) won't cash them out for me. At least that's what one teller at a different branch told me. So who knows, maybe I'll head up to my branch on Monday and see if they'll do it. All I really want is to deposit them, so it shouldn't be as much of an issue as it's been made out to be. Internet banking has been a pain to set up as well... it just isn't going for one reason or another, and I don't have any good way to explain the problem to anybody. My bank has special foreigner branches in Seoul, so I might go over there sometime.
Work will start at 4:00p starting Monday, so I'll have more time to do day things like go to the bank and ship packages! While I don't mind the 12:00p-7:30p hours, it'll be really nice to start work as late as 4:00p. It's something I'm not at all used to, but have always wanted to try.
It's strange, but blogging isn't nearly as fascinating now that I have the internet at home. It's alright, though.
Oh, that reminds me- Underworld has been added to the already amazing line-up for Global Gathering: Seoul, meaning that I'm going and I'm bringing people from work. It's not until mid-September, but I'm stoked.
In short, everything is good. There are a few problems but I'm working on them. Nothing major to report.
Be well, everyone.
-토맛
It's called jamppongbap, and I know that 'bap' means 'rice' so I thought I'd give it a try.
I was, naturally, expecting some sort of rice dish.
What I was given, however, was a seemingly endless bowl of delicious, delicious death.
Turns out that jamppongbap is a soup with the reddest of broth and tentacles floating in it.
What I'd ordered, it turns out, was maybe the spiciest soup I'll ever eat.
With what I can only guess was red pepper broth, jamppongbap is a painfully spicy rice/vegetable/seafood soup.
So today was the first day that I'd ever eaten oysters. There were all sorts of tentacles in there, along with a whole crab (!!!), some carrots and onions.
By the time I was finished, my eyes were watering and I felt light-headed. But it was so, so good.
Regarding other adventures in food, I went to Outback Steakhouse with Tom and Joel last night. It wasn't until the appetizers came that I realized the humor of going to Outback in Korea with two Australians. This is pretty bloody amusing.
I'm writing while drinking a delicious apple Demisoda (my new favorite soda, it's going to break my heart when I can't have them anymore) and eating some chips. The script on the bag is pronounced 'poh-tah-cheep'. I found that pretty amusing.
Things are honestly starting to settle down a bit here, partially due to the amount of time I've spent at work. My first full week was a little taxing at times with a few students acting out here and there and, of course, the stress of having a deadline, but I managed to get through and finish a good number of units. So I'm pretty pleased.
My plans for the weekend so far include bowling with April tomorrow after work- now that I have my bowling glove, I will not be stopped! Maybe. I don't know. The lanes here are slick as Hell, which makes it hard to throw an effective hook. And then, on Sunday, I'm having a few people over to check out Reason and what it's capable of- I'm working on a remix of The Crystal Method's 'Come Back Clean', a truly epic track that I just found stems for. Things are going alright regarding that so far, but it's pretty difficult to get a good and accurate mix on the speakers I bought so I've been using my headphones. It really makes me miss my speakers from back home- I'd look for a comparable set here, but that'd be pretty expensive. On top of that, the selection of computer speakers around these parts is a little lacking.
I'm starting to make a few friends outside of work here and there, which is nice. And quite exciting. It's really good because I'm meeting people even though I've decided to take it easy this weekend.
Still trying to find a place to get Won for my traveler's checks. It's rough because, for some reason, my bank (called Korean Exchange Bank, which sounds like a bank that would deal with currency exchange) won't cash them out for me. At least that's what one teller at a different branch told me. So who knows, maybe I'll head up to my branch on Monday and see if they'll do it. All I really want is to deposit them, so it shouldn't be as much of an issue as it's been made out to be. Internet banking has been a pain to set up as well... it just isn't going for one reason or another, and I don't have any good way to explain the problem to anybody. My bank has special foreigner branches in Seoul, so I might go over there sometime.
Work will start at 4:00p starting Monday, so I'll have more time to do day things like go to the bank and ship packages! While I don't mind the 12:00p-7:30p hours, it'll be really nice to start work as late as 4:00p. It's something I'm not at all used to, but have always wanted to try.
It's strange, but blogging isn't nearly as fascinating now that I have the internet at home. It's alright, though.
Oh, that reminds me- Underworld has been added to the already amazing line-up for Global Gathering: Seoul, meaning that I'm going and I'm bringing people from work. It's not until mid-September, but I'm stoked.
In short, everything is good. There are a few problems but I'm working on them. Nothing major to report.
Be well, everyone.
-토맛
Monday, August 10, 2009
Gone Fomatose // The Earth Is, In Fact, A Cold Dead Place // Everything Zen
So I may've gone off the deep end maybe just a bit (hence the Vonnegut/Explosions in the Sky/Bush? references), but I think the things going through my head while I was walking home tonight make a creepy, perfect sort of sense.
[gone fomatose.]
I'm pretty sure I've landed myself three Saturdays of work this month. Yeah, I'm not supposed to have to work on Saturdays, blah blah blah... the idea is that the end of the term is coming up and the students I was given aren't even remotely close to being caught up to where they need to be. No surprise, the last foreign teacher in charge of them left two or three months ago. Naturally, they're going to need make-up classes. In fact, some of the classes seem like they won't be caught up by the time they need to be even if I work three Saturdays in a row, so I'm going to have to pull off some sort of bloody miracle because it has to be done. It's totally not my fault, but they still need make-up classes. I'm supposed to schedule said make-up classes myself. Upon hearing all of this, I wasn't in the least bit pleased. Can you blame me? No. It's bollocks and everyone knows it's bollocks; I'm not at all supposed to teach on Saturdays, and I'm certainly not supposed to teach for three Saturdays in a row. On top of that, I'd be teaching for four hours on each Saturday, which goes above and beyond the expectation in place for those who are supposed to work on Saturdays. What I was told about my position before I got here, well, it's all foma. Lies. Either malicious lies (which I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and say they're not) or lies born by a sudden policy change. There's no way that I should befall the consequences of anyone's inability to have gotten them to an at least reasonable place of progress by now... but note the key word in that last sentence: should.
[the earth is, in fact, a cold dead place]
No, I shouldn't have to. But what does "I shouldn't have to do this" make me sound like? An eight year-old. "But but but Jimmy's parents bought him a Nintendo, so why can't I have one?"
Life. Isn't. Fair. It's not about who's right, who's wrong, who's brilliant, who's slow, who's kind, who's a bastard, etc etc etc... it's about who's strong and who's weak. Who's holding the right cards. I have cards, sure, maybe, but I doubt they're really good ones. Who knows, I can't quite read them. Even if I were to try to strongarm anyone with any sort of anything I was given, would it really do anyone any good?
I'm starting to understand how power between people ebbs and flows- I've been on the losing end of numerous power struggles in my life. And you know what? It's okay. If anything it's made me realize that I'm pretty resilient and, if need be, I can take a punch to the soul. Maybe two. Or, fuck it... go nuts. Don't stop. It's not a jackhammer to the concrete, it's a chisel to the stone.
I want you to hit me as hard as you can.
[everything zen]
So how does a person become strong? In the professional world, it's sometimes by being weak for long enough- the reliable, dependable people get pushed up the ladder. Sometimes you have to strongarm a little to get pushed up the ladder, yeah, but that doesn't seem to be quite as common in my opinion. So perhaps by being weak, one can become strong.
A lot of power struggles, though, come down to whether or not the weaker really cares. Hope and caring, these things are vulnerabilities; but they do indeed keep us going and, to a greater degree, keep us human. But to show these things instead of cold indifference is to expose your weakness to others. So to that I say this: keep your fingers crossed, but only where no-one can see them. It's necessary, especially now, to portray an "image of success at all times."
There are a lot of facets of my personality that I wanted to overhaul while in Korea, and a good number of them will be difficult to overhaul should I find myself at work six days a week... but let's review: I have nothing here but a home, a job, and a handful of people who are basically acquaintances at the moment. I came here because I was offered work; I found the location to be quite nice, a fringe benefit, but I came here because I was offered work. Not only that, but I have a plan for the money; so what's it matter if I'm working a good amount of overtime each month? We're looking at anywhere from 12-18 hours of overtime this month for the three Saturdays, plus the regular 2 hours of overtime I can expect to work each week due to my overflowing-with-classes schedule. So 18-26 hours of overtime this month at the overtime wage would be... well, let's just say it'll be well worth my time.
Furthermore, I can really work on a specific facet of my personality that I really would like to- the talent to (and unfortunate habit of) fighting claw and tooth for what I believe in. My seemingly natural affection for this has gotten me into a fair amount of trouble. Now how exactly is it 'working on myself' if it's really just learning to roll over and play dead? It's 'working on myself' because it's not in my nature, that's how. And fighting against your own nature, well, that's a massive exercise in and of itself.
So let's do it. It's only after I learn to command this massively overclocked processing unit I call my mind on my own that I'll really be ready to venture into adulthood.
Keep your fingers crossed, but only where no-one can see them.
-토맛
[gone fomatose.]
I'm pretty sure I've landed myself three Saturdays of work this month. Yeah, I'm not supposed to have to work on Saturdays, blah blah blah... the idea is that the end of the term is coming up and the students I was given aren't even remotely close to being caught up to where they need to be. No surprise, the last foreign teacher in charge of them left two or three months ago. Naturally, they're going to need make-up classes. In fact, some of the classes seem like they won't be caught up by the time they need to be even if I work three Saturdays in a row, so I'm going to have to pull off some sort of bloody miracle because it has to be done. It's totally not my fault, but they still need make-up classes. I'm supposed to schedule said make-up classes myself. Upon hearing all of this, I wasn't in the least bit pleased. Can you blame me? No. It's bollocks and everyone knows it's bollocks; I'm not at all supposed to teach on Saturdays, and I'm certainly not supposed to teach for three Saturdays in a row. On top of that, I'd be teaching for four hours on each Saturday, which goes above and beyond the expectation in place for those who are supposed to work on Saturdays. What I was told about my position before I got here, well, it's all foma. Lies. Either malicious lies (which I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and say they're not) or lies born by a sudden policy change. There's no way that I should befall the consequences of anyone's inability to have gotten them to an at least reasonable place of progress by now... but note the key word in that last sentence: should.
[the earth is, in fact, a cold dead place]
No, I shouldn't have to. But what does "I shouldn't have to do this" make me sound like? An eight year-old. "But but but Jimmy's parents bought him a Nintendo, so why can't I have one?"
Life. Isn't. Fair. It's not about who's right, who's wrong, who's brilliant, who's slow, who's kind, who's a bastard, etc etc etc... it's about who's strong and who's weak. Who's holding the right cards. I have cards, sure, maybe, but I doubt they're really good ones. Who knows, I can't quite read them. Even if I were to try to strongarm anyone with any sort of anything I was given, would it really do anyone any good?
I'm starting to understand how power between people ebbs and flows- I've been on the losing end of numerous power struggles in my life. And you know what? It's okay. If anything it's made me realize that I'm pretty resilient and, if need be, I can take a punch to the soul. Maybe two. Or, fuck it... go nuts. Don't stop. It's not a jackhammer to the concrete, it's a chisel to the stone.
I want you to hit me as hard as you can.
[everything zen]
So how does a person become strong? In the professional world, it's sometimes by being weak for long enough- the reliable, dependable people get pushed up the ladder. Sometimes you have to strongarm a little to get pushed up the ladder, yeah, but that doesn't seem to be quite as common in my opinion. So perhaps by being weak, one can become strong.
A lot of power struggles, though, come down to whether or not the weaker really cares. Hope and caring, these things are vulnerabilities; but they do indeed keep us going and, to a greater degree, keep us human. But to show these things instead of cold indifference is to expose your weakness to others. So to that I say this: keep your fingers crossed, but only where no-one can see them. It's necessary, especially now, to portray an "image of success at all times."
There are a lot of facets of my personality that I wanted to overhaul while in Korea, and a good number of them will be difficult to overhaul should I find myself at work six days a week... but let's review: I have nothing here but a home, a job, and a handful of people who are basically acquaintances at the moment. I came here because I was offered work; I found the location to be quite nice, a fringe benefit, but I came here because I was offered work. Not only that, but I have a plan for the money; so what's it matter if I'm working a good amount of overtime each month? We're looking at anywhere from 12-18 hours of overtime this month for the three Saturdays, plus the regular 2 hours of overtime I can expect to work each week due to my overflowing-with-classes schedule. So 18-26 hours of overtime this month at the overtime wage would be... well, let's just say it'll be well worth my time.
Furthermore, I can really work on a specific facet of my personality that I really would like to- the talent to (and unfortunate habit of) fighting claw and tooth for what I believe in. My seemingly natural affection for this has gotten me into a fair amount of trouble. Now how exactly is it 'working on myself' if it's really just learning to roll over and play dead? It's 'working on myself' because it's not in my nature, that's how. And fighting against your own nature, well, that's a massive exercise in and of itself.
So let's do it. It's only after I learn to command this massively overclocked processing unit I call my mind on my own that I'll really be ready to venture into adulthood.
Keep your fingers crossed, but only where no-one can see them.
-토맛
Friday, August 7, 2009
My Inventory Is Full Of Many Things
So, yesterday was incredible. Let's do this in chronological order:
1. Work. Work was a bit rough. The students weren't responding to most of what I was doing, the stuff I'd thrown into the lesson despite massive time crunches simply for the purpose of engaging them and getting them into the lesson a little. It's bizarre because they're always so participative with their Korean teachers, and some even with the other foreign teachers. I think they're still getting used to me, but hopefully I'm not coming across as too stern or, even worse, boring. Also, my first two classes were moved, so that was a bit of a headache. A chaotic work day when I wasn't teaching, and a grind when I was teaching. It's a damn shame. I think it'll get easier with time, though. And at least I've learned that I'm a pretty flexible person. Sure, it's frustrating to have to deal with constant change and madness, but I can think of three things off the top of my head that are way, way worse: heartbreak, extreme feelings of alienation and cancer. In that order.
2. ARC. I got my Alien Registration Card yesterday, and now it's mine. Mine to do with what I want. So I can go to Hongdae and go to clubs and go crazy. I can get a cell phone, which I'm planning on doing today. I can hold a bank account, which I'm already doing. Basically, I have official Korean identification.
3. Subway Map. I'd made arrangements with a fellow foreigner, Richard, to purchase a rice cooker from him. Found him on Craigslist, which I find highly amusing. So on my way to Sindorim to meet with him, I went up to the subway map on the train to look at it and figure out what was going on just so I knew. While I was staring at all the multicolored lines, an older man sitting next to the map kept saying 'hello'. When I turned to look at him, he was holding a pocket-sized subway map towards me! How nice, right? The great thing is that all of the station names are in Hangul, so I get to practice it in a practical way with realia (real-life objects) while I'm on the train. It's great to realize that I've come far enough with my ability to read Hangul to know which stop is coming next well before the train gets there.
4. Rice Cooker. I met up with Richard in Sindorim and we chatted for a good bit, exchanging stories and discussing how we ended up in Korea. We also talked about how to find a few certain items; it was then that I realized I'd been asking the staff at Lotte Mart if they had any purses or backpacks I could put in my trash can. :X
It was really nice to meet another foreigner who isn't a co-worker; not that I dislike my co-workers at all, they're all really cool people, but it's nice to branch out a bit, you know? The ride from home to Sindorim was about fourty-five minutes one-way, which isn't bad at all. I really love riding the subway here because of all the sights you can see from inside the cars. Plus, it's interesting to see people from all walks of life in one place at the same time- just being on the subway can give a person some idea of the culture here. Anyway, this rice cooker isn't half bad. I got it for a third, maybe a fourth of the price I could get a new one for. I tried it out and, while the rice came out a bit chewy, I'm sure it's something more to do with me than with the cooker. I would've done more for a meal instead of just cooking some rice, but it'd been a long day and I really didn't feel like doing much else. Next time I'll throw some egg in there, maybe buy some vegetables and some chicken.. throw it all together.. and figure out how the Hell to prepare the sauce packets they sell at grocery stores here.
So I'm really starting to get things together not only here, but with myself. I've spent more time using public transportation here so far than I did in the past five years in Denver. Easily. Sure, I had a car in Denver... and the public transportation in Seoul is far better than that in Denver... but I've also been walking a lot more. Once again, sure, everything is closer here than in Denver, but still- it's nice to get the exercise and to feel a little more worldly. I do still miss driving, but it's probably a good thing to get away from for a while.
I'm also slowly starting to get into the whole cooking thing. Don't ask me why, but I never really figured out how to cook a proper meal. I mean, I tried here and there... but all of my attempts were half-hearted ones. I really want to get better at this so that I'm not spending all of my money eating out when I'm thirty. I want to be able to rely on myself and provide for others.
I'm also getting far better at rolling with the punches when necessary- I remember a time when I'd object to just about anything that bothered me in the slightest, being as stubborn as humanly possible. There are a number of things that have happened so far that would've set me off if I were the same person that I was then, but I'm not. Hell, they might've even set me off if I were the same person that I was when I left, but I don't think I am.
You really start to learn to appreciate things you'd long taken for granted after a bit of time in an environment where: you don't know how to get hot water for your shower, you don't understand your washing machine, attempts to find one particular item can take two or three hours and still be completely fruitless, finding a new place to eat involves arbitrarily walking around for twenty or thirty minutes as opposed to pulling up a website, 95 degree days in Denver sound like a bloody cake walk, you dry clothes by hanging them, you wash dishes with your hands and soap, you don't have a subwoofer, it takes you thirty seconds to read a sign and even then you have no idea what it means, you're not sure if you'll end up at your destination when you tell the cab driver where you're going, you wonder if members of the opposite sex are shyly looking at you because they think they're attractive or simply because you're different, you almost exclusively use utensils you're not at all used to for eating, you have to leave home to use the internet... you get the idea.
Don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm complaining. I'm not complaining at all- I'm simply appreciating the things I had in Denver that I'd previously taken for granted. Like Good Times and loyalty card websites in English. I really do like it here despite the demeanor of my previous posts- I've had a lot of time to search through my brain and start fitting things together, which I think is something I really needed. I had plenty of time to do this in Denver too, but it's easier when you feel as alone as you would if you moved to the other side of the world. Note that there's a difference between feeling alone and feeling lonely.
Also- if you're reading this, it means I have the internet at home.
If you haven't already received a call by this point, my 303 number is 303.719.8562
Just please remember that I live fifteen hours in the future and, thus, it might not be a great idea to call at three in the afternoon. Though you'll probably just get my voicemail.
I'll also probably be on Skype, AIM, MSN and Google Chat over the weekend. My weekend, I mean.
So feel free to hit me up there, too.
In fact, if I'm posting this, it means I'm on the internet at home. XD
Hope everything's going well back home.
Keep me posted if anything crazy happens, okay?
-토맛
1. Work. Work was a bit rough. The students weren't responding to most of what I was doing, the stuff I'd thrown into the lesson despite massive time crunches simply for the purpose of engaging them and getting them into the lesson a little. It's bizarre because they're always so participative with their Korean teachers, and some even with the other foreign teachers. I think they're still getting used to me, but hopefully I'm not coming across as too stern or, even worse, boring. Also, my first two classes were moved, so that was a bit of a headache. A chaotic work day when I wasn't teaching, and a grind when I was teaching. It's a damn shame. I think it'll get easier with time, though. And at least I've learned that I'm a pretty flexible person. Sure, it's frustrating to have to deal with constant change and madness, but I can think of three things off the top of my head that are way, way worse: heartbreak, extreme feelings of alienation and cancer. In that order.
2. ARC. I got my Alien Registration Card yesterday, and now it's mine. Mine to do with what I want. So I can go to Hongdae and go to clubs and go crazy. I can get a cell phone, which I'm planning on doing today. I can hold a bank account, which I'm already doing. Basically, I have official Korean identification.
3. Subway Map. I'd made arrangements with a fellow foreigner, Richard, to purchase a rice cooker from him. Found him on Craigslist, which I find highly amusing. So on my way to Sindorim to meet with him, I went up to the subway map on the train to look at it and figure out what was going on just so I knew. While I was staring at all the multicolored lines, an older man sitting next to the map kept saying 'hello'. When I turned to look at him, he was holding a pocket-sized subway map towards me! How nice, right? The great thing is that all of the station names are in Hangul, so I get to practice it in a practical way with realia (real-life objects) while I'm on the train. It's great to realize that I've come far enough with my ability to read Hangul to know which stop is coming next well before the train gets there.
4. Rice Cooker. I met up with Richard in Sindorim and we chatted for a good bit, exchanging stories and discussing how we ended up in Korea. We also talked about how to find a few certain items; it was then that I realized I'd been asking the staff at Lotte Mart if they had any purses or backpacks I could put in my trash can. :X
It was really nice to meet another foreigner who isn't a co-worker; not that I dislike my co-workers at all, they're all really cool people, but it's nice to branch out a bit, you know? The ride from home to Sindorim was about fourty-five minutes one-way, which isn't bad at all. I really love riding the subway here because of all the sights you can see from inside the cars. Plus, it's interesting to see people from all walks of life in one place at the same time- just being on the subway can give a person some idea of the culture here. Anyway, this rice cooker isn't half bad. I got it for a third, maybe a fourth of the price I could get a new one for. I tried it out and, while the rice came out a bit chewy, I'm sure it's something more to do with me than with the cooker. I would've done more for a meal instead of just cooking some rice, but it'd been a long day and I really didn't feel like doing much else. Next time I'll throw some egg in there, maybe buy some vegetables and some chicken.. throw it all together.. and figure out how the Hell to prepare the sauce packets they sell at grocery stores here.
So I'm really starting to get things together not only here, but with myself. I've spent more time using public transportation here so far than I did in the past five years in Denver. Easily. Sure, I had a car in Denver... and the public transportation in Seoul is far better than that in Denver... but I've also been walking a lot more. Once again, sure, everything is closer here than in Denver, but still- it's nice to get the exercise and to feel a little more worldly. I do still miss driving, but it's probably a good thing to get away from for a while.
I'm also slowly starting to get into the whole cooking thing. Don't ask me why, but I never really figured out how to cook a proper meal. I mean, I tried here and there... but all of my attempts were half-hearted ones. I really want to get better at this so that I'm not spending all of my money eating out when I'm thirty. I want to be able to rely on myself and provide for others.
I'm also getting far better at rolling with the punches when necessary- I remember a time when I'd object to just about anything that bothered me in the slightest, being as stubborn as humanly possible. There are a number of things that have happened so far that would've set me off if I were the same person that I was then, but I'm not. Hell, they might've even set me off if I were the same person that I was when I left, but I don't think I am.
You really start to learn to appreciate things you'd long taken for granted after a bit of time in an environment where: you don't know how to get hot water for your shower, you don't understand your washing machine, attempts to find one particular item can take two or three hours and still be completely fruitless, finding a new place to eat involves arbitrarily walking around for twenty or thirty minutes as opposed to pulling up a website, 95 degree days in Denver sound like a bloody cake walk, you dry clothes by hanging them, you wash dishes with your hands and soap, you don't have a subwoofer, it takes you thirty seconds to read a sign and even then you have no idea what it means, you're not sure if you'll end up at your destination when you tell the cab driver where you're going, you wonder if members of the opposite sex are shyly looking at you because they think they're attractive or simply because you're different, you almost exclusively use utensils you're not at all used to for eating, you have to leave home to use the internet... you get the idea.
Don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm complaining. I'm not complaining at all- I'm simply appreciating the things I had in Denver that I'd previously taken for granted. Like Good Times and loyalty card websites in English. I really do like it here despite the demeanor of my previous posts- I've had a lot of time to search through my brain and start fitting things together, which I think is something I really needed. I had plenty of time to do this in Denver too, but it's easier when you feel as alone as you would if you moved to the other side of the world. Note that there's a difference between feeling alone and feeling lonely.
Also- if you're reading this, it means I have the internet at home.
If you haven't already received a call by this point, my 303 number is 303.719.8562
Just please remember that I live fifteen hours in the future and, thus, it might not be a great idea to call at three in the afternoon. Though you'll probably just get my voicemail.
I'll also probably be on Skype, AIM, MSN and Google Chat over the weekend. My weekend, I mean.
So feel free to hit me up there, too.
In fact, if I'm posting this, it means I'm on the internet at home. XD
Hope everything's going well back home.
Keep me posted if anything crazy happens, okay?
-토맛
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Where To Go Once It All Comes Full Circle?
So once everything in your life comes to a head and everything makes a creepy sort of sense, where do you go?
Jjokki Jjokki, where you can get Fish and Chips with a Guinness in Hambakmaeul, Yeonsu-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, South Korea.
Tonight I ate Sweet and Sour Pork and Shrimp and drank Strawberry Soju.
And if you do that, it doesn't really matter what else is going on.
Work was lacking today.
A few less than ideal changes came about.
Might have to work every other Saturday- but it's so unlikely, honestly, that I shouldn't stress about it as much as I have. And if push comes to shove, I can always gracefully explain that the contract states that middle school teachers aren't required to. Hopefully it doesn't come to that.
What else? I was told that carrying a bag around made me look more like a student than a teacher. I'm not Korean and I'm wearing a shirt and tie- I figured that'd be enough, but okay. I'll carry my books in a cardboard box and rush back to the classroom when it turns out that the room I'm teaching in is actually a whiteboard room and not a chalkboard room. It's cool. Not a big deal, though I've been under a bit of stress over the past few days so I've made it a bigger deal in my head than it really is.
At least I got my bank account set up today. I get my ARC tomorrow after they do some fancy teacher registration stuff, which means I can get a phone. Thing is, I'm taking the subway up to Sindorim after school tomorrow so I can meet up with someone from Craigslist and come home with a fancy-pants rice cooker. All hail fancy-pants rice cooker, do not doubt its power!
I'm also getting the internet on Saturday morning between 11:00a and noon, which is 8:00-9:00p Friday night to the rest of you. Fight friends can expect calls regarding Friday night's bouts, friends with Skype can expect Skype action, all of that fun stuff... so as of then, my 303 number will be live, Skype will be go, and I'll be able to USE THE INTERNET FROM MY OWN COMPUTER AND MY OWN HOME AGAIN. So Saturday will more than likely be spent catching up with the world outside of Hambakmaeul- checking to see if any yellow dust storms are coming, reading more about BILL CLINTON SAVING THE AMERICAN JOURNALISTS, things like that. I'm so excited, I simply cannot, by any means, hide it.
Then on Sunday, I'm headed back to Yongsan, the place responsible for taking a good chunk of my money, to meet with a girl named Meghan for some delicious Red Mango action. At least that's what I believe the plan is. This'll be clarified once I have a cell phone. Which will hopefully be tomorrow or Saturday. I'll figure it out.
So the weekend approaches with recreation in one hand and relaxation in the other- and it does so with great intensity! I just need to get through tomorrow and we'll be good.
By 'get through tomorrow', I mean 'figure out a way to get my students to say a Gods damned word in class'. They've been pretty stubborn. I'll ask them the same question five times before one of them says anything, and even then it's hard to hear because the other students are making so friggin' much noise. Speaking of which, I gave two detentions out yesterday. I don't feel good about it, but it had to be done. They wouldn't stop talking, so they got detention. They know the score, I know the score, and they still persisted. Life is uneasy for detention-bound pancake.
People around me are playing this crazy awesome-looking FPS. I wish I had any idea how it worked, because it looks like a riot. Unfortunately, it's all in Korean so I've no idea where to start. Is k, I'm sure I'll give it a shot sometime.
Well, I'm full of food and soju... the only thing to do now is sleep.
Have a nice Thursday, Denver- mine's already come and gone. :D
-토맛
Jjokki Jjokki, where you can get Fish and Chips with a Guinness in Hambakmaeul, Yeonsu-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, South Korea.
Tonight I ate Sweet and Sour Pork and Shrimp and drank Strawberry Soju.
And if you do that, it doesn't really matter what else is going on.
Work was lacking today.
A few less than ideal changes came about.
Might have to work every other Saturday- but it's so unlikely, honestly, that I shouldn't stress about it as much as I have. And if push comes to shove, I can always gracefully explain that the contract states that middle school teachers aren't required to. Hopefully it doesn't come to that.
What else? I was told that carrying a bag around made me look more like a student than a teacher. I'm not Korean and I'm wearing a shirt and tie- I figured that'd be enough, but okay. I'll carry my books in a cardboard box and rush back to the classroom when it turns out that the room I'm teaching in is actually a whiteboard room and not a chalkboard room. It's cool. Not a big deal, though I've been under a bit of stress over the past few days so I've made it a bigger deal in my head than it really is.
At least I got my bank account set up today. I get my ARC tomorrow after they do some fancy teacher registration stuff, which means I can get a phone. Thing is, I'm taking the subway up to Sindorim after school tomorrow so I can meet up with someone from Craigslist and come home with a fancy-pants rice cooker. All hail fancy-pants rice cooker, do not doubt its power!
I'm also getting the internet on Saturday morning between 11:00a and noon, which is 8:00-9:00p Friday night to the rest of you. Fight friends can expect calls regarding Friday night's bouts, friends with Skype can expect Skype action, all of that fun stuff... so as of then, my 303 number will be live, Skype will be go, and I'll be able to USE THE INTERNET FROM MY OWN COMPUTER AND MY OWN HOME AGAIN. So Saturday will more than likely be spent catching up with the world outside of Hambakmaeul- checking to see if any yellow dust storms are coming, reading more about BILL CLINTON SAVING THE AMERICAN JOURNALISTS, things like that. I'm so excited, I simply cannot, by any means, hide it.
Then on Sunday, I'm headed back to Yongsan, the place responsible for taking a good chunk of my money, to meet with a girl named Meghan for some delicious Red Mango action. At least that's what I believe the plan is. This'll be clarified once I have a cell phone. Which will hopefully be tomorrow or Saturday. I'll figure it out.
So the weekend approaches with recreation in one hand and relaxation in the other- and it does so with great intensity! I just need to get through tomorrow and we'll be good.
By 'get through tomorrow', I mean 'figure out a way to get my students to say a Gods damned word in class'. They've been pretty stubborn. I'll ask them the same question five times before one of them says anything, and even then it's hard to hear because the other students are making so friggin' much noise. Speaking of which, I gave two detentions out yesterday. I don't feel good about it, but it had to be done. They wouldn't stop talking, so they got detention. They know the score, I know the score, and they still persisted. Life is uneasy for detention-bound pancake.
People around me are playing this crazy awesome-looking FPS. I wish I had any idea how it worked, because it looks like a riot. Unfortunately, it's all in Korean so I've no idea where to start. Is k, I'm sure I'll give it a shot sometime.
Well, I'm full of food and soju... the only thing to do now is sleep.
Have a nice Thursday, Denver- mine's already come and gone. :D
-토맛
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The Doubts, With the Waxing and the Waning and the...
It's been a sort of rough twenty-four, maybe twenty-eight hours.
I spent a lot of it wondering 'where am I, what the Hell is going on,' etc.
Feeling like I'd left my heart in Denver.
I think it was just a trademark bad day, which I'm known to have here and there.
It happens, and it doesn't matter which time zone, country or continent I'm in.
These phases come and go.
And luckily, this one's come and gone.
Today consisted mostly of working on music and ironing everything that got all wrinkled in my luggage... which means everything, down to my plaid awesomejacket. I was ironing in my laundry room, which proved to be quite a task- I didn't know it was possible to get so hot that your temples start hurting and your eyeballs feel like they're going to come out of your mouth, but it does happen. I bought an ironing board at the lovely Lotte Mart today, though, so I'm ironing in my room with A/C and a large, opened window. Add some Radiohead to the mix and it's perfect.
As for music, well, I started reading up on another issue of Computer Music that I grabbed before I left and, uh, it's really useful. Who'd have thought that not overloading effects devices would make such a difference? And who'd have thought that EQing out a little niche in the bass for the kick drum to rest in was really that important? I might've relocated to Korea, but the music isn't gonna stop. It's just on a very, very temporary hiatus as I'm still getting used to the speakers, the laptop setup and I don't have internet. Soon, though... soon I'll come back stronger than a powered up Pac Man. It don't matter to me.
Tried shipping things yesterday and forgot the addresses at home. Think I'll end up express shipping everything- it's only a 5,000 Won difference per package, and it's already a little pricey as is so I don't really understand the 'value' of sending parcel through regular mail.
Just got back home from 만구 with Joel. Mangu (as you'd romanize the characters there) are dumplings- mine were steamed and filled with meat. And I'm getting better with chopsticks, to the point that I can actually pick up a steamed dumpling and eat it with some degree of success. I can only imagine how many people are going to be like 'o man I showed you how to chopstick la la la' but it's really Meaghan's fault that I can use them at all. Trust me, guys... the 'no, look, it's really easy, you just go BOOM BOOM BOOM I'M USING CHOPSTICKS NOW' approach isn't a good approach to teaching anyone how to do anything. :P
I'm supposed to be to work at 10:00a tomorrow so I can get my ARC and get my bank account going. Supposed to have internet by Friday or Saturday. This means Skype, this means 303 number, this means a lot of stuff. So I'm really excited. I'll also have a Korean cellphone tomorrow, which is huge as well. Now I can call/text co-workers and new friends, which will help me ship my heart to Incheon. Nobody's anybody anywhere until they have the internet and a phone, damn it.
Not much else to report. Oh, I'm probably going to Yongsan for Red Mango on Sunday. Either that or it's coffee/tea time in Seoul (pronounced Suh-ool, by the way). I'll be meeting with a foreigner like myself in an attempt to broaden my social horizons 6,100 miles from home. It's gotta happen if I'm going to survive out here; otherwise I'll spend all my time thinking about Denver, etc. And doing that would defeat a large part of the purpose of this adventure now, wouldn't it?
So yeah, that'll be nice. I'm hoping for Red Mango, honestly. It's like Pinkberry in L.A. or Kuulture in Denver (which is, you know, a Pinkberry rip-off that nobody working there will ever admit to). Just have to figure out how to say 'strawberries' and 'bananas' in Korean before I go there. I guess the whole 'topped frozen yogurt' craze started with Red Mango, and Red Mango started in Seoul... so I hear. So that's pretty awesome.
Anyway, back to the point.
It's good to get a bad day out of the way.
Just to know how I'll react in such a situation.
And to start adapting to life here.
Because life isn't just sightseeing and soju.
I'm almost entirely sure that it was Denver stuff that triggered all of this, and that's okay.
Like I said, I'm working on shipping my heart to Incheon.
And once that happens, I can really start working towards one of my main reasons for being here: learning to master the orange fret button. Only by improving myself and becoming more self-sufficient and reliable can I do so.
So bring it on, life.
There's nothing I can't do.
-토맛
I spent a lot of it wondering 'where am I, what the Hell is going on,' etc.
Feeling like I'd left my heart in Denver.
I think it was just a trademark bad day, which I'm known to have here and there.
It happens, and it doesn't matter which time zone, country or continent I'm in.
These phases come and go.
And luckily, this one's come and gone.
Today consisted mostly of working on music and ironing everything that got all wrinkled in my luggage... which means everything, down to my plaid awesomejacket. I was ironing in my laundry room, which proved to be quite a task- I didn't know it was possible to get so hot that your temples start hurting and your eyeballs feel like they're going to come out of your mouth, but it does happen. I bought an ironing board at the lovely Lotte Mart today, though, so I'm ironing in my room with A/C and a large, opened window. Add some Radiohead to the mix and it's perfect.
As for music, well, I started reading up on another issue of Computer Music that I grabbed before I left and, uh, it's really useful. Who'd have thought that not overloading effects devices would make such a difference? And who'd have thought that EQing out a little niche in the bass for the kick drum to rest in was really that important? I might've relocated to Korea, but the music isn't gonna stop. It's just on a very, very temporary hiatus as I'm still getting used to the speakers, the laptop setup and I don't have internet. Soon, though... soon I'll come back stronger than a powered up Pac Man. It don't matter to me.
Tried shipping things yesterday and forgot the addresses at home. Think I'll end up express shipping everything- it's only a 5,000 Won difference per package, and it's already a little pricey as is so I don't really understand the 'value' of sending parcel through regular mail.
Just got back home from 만구 with Joel. Mangu (as you'd romanize the characters there) are dumplings- mine were steamed and filled with meat. And I'm getting better with chopsticks, to the point that I can actually pick up a steamed dumpling and eat it with some degree of success. I can only imagine how many people are going to be like 'o man I showed you how to chopstick la la la' but it's really Meaghan's fault that I can use them at all. Trust me, guys... the 'no, look, it's really easy, you just go BOOM BOOM BOOM I'M USING CHOPSTICKS NOW' approach isn't a good approach to teaching anyone how to do anything. :P
I'm supposed to be to work at 10:00a tomorrow so I can get my ARC and get my bank account going. Supposed to have internet by Friday or Saturday. This means Skype, this means 303 number, this means a lot of stuff. So I'm really excited. I'll also have a Korean cellphone tomorrow, which is huge as well. Now I can call/text co-workers and new friends, which will help me ship my heart to Incheon. Nobody's anybody anywhere until they have the internet and a phone, damn it.
Not much else to report. Oh, I'm probably going to Yongsan for Red Mango on Sunday. Either that or it's coffee/tea time in Seoul (pronounced Suh-ool, by the way). I'll be meeting with a foreigner like myself in an attempt to broaden my social horizons 6,100 miles from home. It's gotta happen if I'm going to survive out here; otherwise I'll spend all my time thinking about Denver, etc. And doing that would defeat a large part of the purpose of this adventure now, wouldn't it?
So yeah, that'll be nice. I'm hoping for Red Mango, honestly. It's like Pinkberry in L.A. or Kuulture in Denver (which is, you know, a Pinkberry rip-off that nobody working there will ever admit to). Just have to figure out how to say 'strawberries' and 'bananas' in Korean before I go there. I guess the whole 'topped frozen yogurt' craze started with Red Mango, and Red Mango started in Seoul... so I hear. So that's pretty awesome.
Anyway, back to the point.
It's good to get a bad day out of the way.
Just to know how I'll react in such a situation.
And to start adapting to life here.
Because life isn't just sightseeing and soju.
I'm almost entirely sure that it was Denver stuff that triggered all of this, and that's okay.
Like I said, I'm working on shipping my heart to Incheon.
And once that happens, I can really start working towards one of my main reasons for being here: learning to master the orange fret button. Only by improving myself and becoming more self-sufficient and reliable can I do so.
So bring it on, life.
There's nothing I can't do.
-토맛
Friday, July 31, 2009
I Love Malling.
Phewwwww. What a day yesterday was.
Joel took my to Seonhak Station, which is about a ten-fifteen minute walk from my place; he showed me how the reloadable T-Money transportation card works, then I was on the subway and off to Yongsan Station.
Yongsan is one stop West of Seoul on the 1 Line. But why stop in Yongsan instead of Seoul? I'm glad you asked. Yongsan Station is attached to the I-Mall, which has just about anything and everything you'd ever want. Really.
The signs for I-Mall all say 'I Love Malling,' which makes me wonder if they meant 'Mauling' or even realized the similarity. Regardless, it's funny stuff.
I ran into Jay and Evan at I-Mall! They were just looking around, but had big plans to scale a big mountain and wanted some food first, so we went to a Thai place- I had chicken fried rice which, to my surprise, included some yellow curry. Was pretty damn good! Cultural note: the phrase 'yuh-gi-oh' means 'you, over here' and is a perfectly acceptable way to summon a waiter/waitress.
After the fried rice adventure, I wandered around a good bit until I found the music section of I-Mall. Yeah, there's a music section. Complete with everything from violas and cellos to big, button-covered Ableton Live specific MIDI interfaces. I... had to drop a bit of money. I couldn't help it. But I came out with two Korg MIDI controllers, the nanoPad and nanoKontrol. The Pad has a Kaoss pad built in (YES YES YES) and ten drum buttons with roll/flam features- the Kontrol has nine channels, each with a fader, knob, and two buttons along with play/stop/rewind/ff/record/loop controls. The best part is that every button on either device is fully assignable through software, so I'm stoked as Hell.
Anyway, more about I-Mall. They have bloody everything. I've seen red and lime green PSPs, vending machines with Bomberman figurines in them, shirt/vest combinations that put American ones to shame, sick ass USB hubs... there was a really nice LG LCD TV on sale for some 300,000 won... marked down from 1,500,000 won. Uhm. They have two floors for computers! Some really amazing machines, too.
The place is amazing. I love malling. It wasn't too hard to get there, either. Just take the Incheon line North to Bupyeong, transfer to Eastbound Line 1, and boom.
The subway is really cool, I enjoyed it. A little crowded at times and I got my fair share of weird looks, being one of three foreigners in my car at best.. but it's neat. There are TVs in the Incheon Line subways, and they announce which stop you're coming to (along with a voice announcement). A neat experience.
Then, last night, I went out with Tom and Joel. We went to a foreigner bar in Bupyeong. The first song that played when I walked in the door was MGMT's 'Kids,' of course, because I can't escape that bloody song no matter how far I fly. Not that I hate it, it's a good song, but.. anyway. I drank a bit too much last night and got pretty quiet. Actually, I was kind of quiet the whole time. It's a damn shame because there were new people there, could've gotten to know them, la la la... but I'm still kind of humbled/overwhelmed by all the newness here. I still feel very much like a guest here, and it's hard to get into the swing of things socially under those circumstances. I think once I feel more at home here and really understand the length of my stay, I'll be better about it. What I need to do is realize that everything that's happened to me so far, my entire past, it's just a story. And once I'm able to crumple that up and start again, I'll really get into the swing of things. I've always had a problem with pushing myself to socialize; I never really do it. I think there's a sense of entitlement behind all of that- I'm used to being liked, so I feel like it should happen immediately without any effort on my part. This is something I noticed happening to me before I left, even, and I really need to get out of that rut.
I slept until about 11:30a today and I'm still a bit hungover. Jay and Evan are going island hopping today- there's an archipelago area not too terribly far from here, and the ferry that goes between the islands is pretty cheap. I woke up a bit too late, though, and I'm a bit wary of spending any more money after my adventure in Yongsan. I'm still doing alright, but I want to play it safe until Wednesday when I open my bank account and am able to exchange my traveler's checks.
I'll probably go on another picture quest sometime soon, and should be able to update picasaweb.google.com/thefinalthom relatively soon. Keep an eye out! :)
Wishing everyone back home the best,
-토맛
Joel took my to Seonhak Station, which is about a ten-fifteen minute walk from my place; he showed me how the reloadable T-Money transportation card works, then I was on the subway and off to Yongsan Station.
Yongsan is one stop West of Seoul on the 1 Line. But why stop in Yongsan instead of Seoul? I'm glad you asked. Yongsan Station is attached to the I-Mall, which has just about anything and everything you'd ever want. Really.
The signs for I-Mall all say 'I Love Malling,' which makes me wonder if they meant 'Mauling' or even realized the similarity. Regardless, it's funny stuff.
I ran into Jay and Evan at I-Mall! They were just looking around, but had big plans to scale a big mountain and wanted some food first, so we went to a Thai place- I had chicken fried rice which, to my surprise, included some yellow curry. Was pretty damn good! Cultural note: the phrase 'yuh-gi-oh' means 'you, over here' and is a perfectly acceptable way to summon a waiter/waitress.
After the fried rice adventure, I wandered around a good bit until I found the music section of I-Mall. Yeah, there's a music section. Complete with everything from violas and cellos to big, button-covered Ableton Live specific MIDI interfaces. I... had to drop a bit of money. I couldn't help it. But I came out with two Korg MIDI controllers, the nanoPad and nanoKontrol. The Pad has a Kaoss pad built in (YES YES YES) and ten drum buttons with roll/flam features- the Kontrol has nine channels, each with a fader, knob, and two buttons along with play/stop/rewind/ff/record/loop controls. The best part is that every button on either device is fully assignable through software, so I'm stoked as Hell.
Anyway, more about I-Mall. They have bloody everything. I've seen red and lime green PSPs, vending machines with Bomberman figurines in them, shirt/vest combinations that put American ones to shame, sick ass USB hubs... there was a really nice LG LCD TV on sale for some 300,000 won... marked down from 1,500,000 won. Uhm. They have two floors for computers! Some really amazing machines, too.
The place is amazing. I love malling. It wasn't too hard to get there, either. Just take the Incheon line North to Bupyeong, transfer to Eastbound Line 1, and boom.
The subway is really cool, I enjoyed it. A little crowded at times and I got my fair share of weird looks, being one of three foreigners in my car at best.. but it's neat. There are TVs in the Incheon Line subways, and they announce which stop you're coming to (along with a voice announcement). A neat experience.
Then, last night, I went out with Tom and Joel. We went to a foreigner bar in Bupyeong. The first song that played when I walked in the door was MGMT's 'Kids,' of course, because I can't escape that bloody song no matter how far I fly. Not that I hate it, it's a good song, but.. anyway. I drank a bit too much last night and got pretty quiet. Actually, I was kind of quiet the whole time. It's a damn shame because there were new people there, could've gotten to know them, la la la... but I'm still kind of humbled/overwhelmed by all the newness here. I still feel very much like a guest here, and it's hard to get into the swing of things socially under those circumstances. I think once I feel more at home here and really understand the length of my stay, I'll be better about it. What I need to do is realize that everything that's happened to me so far, my entire past, it's just a story. And once I'm able to crumple that up and start again, I'll really get into the swing of things. I've always had a problem with pushing myself to socialize; I never really do it. I think there's a sense of entitlement behind all of that- I'm used to being liked, so I feel like it should happen immediately without any effort on my part. This is something I noticed happening to me before I left, even, and I really need to get out of that rut.
I slept until about 11:30a today and I'm still a bit hungover. Jay and Evan are going island hopping today- there's an archipelago area not too terribly far from here, and the ferry that goes between the islands is pretty cheap. I woke up a bit too late, though, and I'm a bit wary of spending any more money after my adventure in Yongsan. I'm still doing alright, but I want to play it safe until Wednesday when I open my bank account and am able to exchange my traveler's checks.
I'll probably go on another picture quest sometime soon, and should be able to update picasaweb.google.com/thefinalthom relatively soon. Keep an eye out! :)
Wishing everyone back home the best,
-토맛
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
You'll Allllllways Be Way-yi-yayyyy-tinngggg
Cake got stuck in my head. It happens.
So! It turns out that I won't be getting my ARC until next Wednesday. Total bummer. Because of that, I can't get a bank account until probably Thursday. And because of that, I can't get internet until probably Friday morning. This, my friends, is no good. I won't be able to get a cell until then either, so contacting anyone will be a pain.
What else is going on... let's see. I didn't have classes today, and I don't have classes tomorrow. My day basically consisted of finding ways to look busy even though I have the majority of my work done. And that's even with the meeting that I had this evening... if that hadn't killed an hour, I'm not sure what I would've done. I did get to leave early though, mostly because there wasn't anything for me to do.
So tomorrow I'm sure I'll drop a few Won on another pretty little pink box of chocolates (they're essentially Koala Yummies, so don't front because you know they're delicious) and maybe a few shots of espresso. Then I'll sit around, maybe get a few lesson plans for next Friday done, do a few Powerpoint presentations for some of the Elem. School teachers, probably hit Facebook a few times, check my e-mail more often than necessary, and try to leave an hour before my shift would normally end so I can go bowling with the co-workers. Since I won't have any work to do.
The vacation sounds like it'll be interesting. I guess there's something going on in Seoul this weekend, so I may end up over there. Might stay the night there, too. Not sure what the details are on that yet, but... where I land, I don't really care. I don't need a plan.
Well, that's pretty much that for now. I'll try to find a good, reliable wi-fi spot that I can make calls from on Friday. Maybe try to Skype a bit. We'll see what happens.
Be well,
-토맛
So! It turns out that I won't be getting my ARC until next Wednesday. Total bummer. Because of that, I can't get a bank account until probably Thursday. And because of that, I can't get internet until probably Friday morning. This, my friends, is no good. I won't be able to get a cell until then either, so contacting anyone will be a pain.
What else is going on... let's see. I didn't have classes today, and I don't have classes tomorrow. My day basically consisted of finding ways to look busy even though I have the majority of my work done. And that's even with the meeting that I had this evening... if that hadn't killed an hour, I'm not sure what I would've done. I did get to leave early though, mostly because there wasn't anything for me to do.
So tomorrow I'm sure I'll drop a few Won on another pretty little pink box of chocolates (they're essentially Koala Yummies, so don't front because you know they're delicious) and maybe a few shots of espresso. Then I'll sit around, maybe get a few lesson plans for next Friday done, do a few Powerpoint presentations for some of the Elem. School teachers, probably hit Facebook a few times, check my e-mail more often than necessary, and try to leave an hour before my shift would normally end so I can go bowling with the co-workers. Since I won't have any work to do.
The vacation sounds like it'll be interesting. I guess there's something going on in Seoul this weekend, so I may end up over there. Might stay the night there, too. Not sure what the details are on that yet, but... where I land, I don't really care. I don't need a plan.
Well, that's pretty much that for now. I'll try to find a good, reliable wi-fi spot that I can make calls from on Friday. Maybe try to Skype a bit. We'll see what happens.
Be well,
-토맛
Monday, July 27, 2009
Won Rules Everything Around Me.
Hey, blog. It's been a bit since I rapped at ya.
So on Sunday I managed to find my way to a bowling alley. It was a long walk, about 30 minutes I'd guess, but it was totally worth it. Upon arrival, I decided that I wanted to buy my own ball. Korea is an incredibly competitive country (if you lot haven't already noticed, what with the professional Starcraft games and all), so I figured that I'd get a bit of my own equipment so I can at least try to reach that level. When in Korea... anyway. So the cheapest ball was 130,000 Won, so a bit over $100 USD. I didn't have that on me in cash, so I made the mistake of asking if they accepted American credit cards (because some larger establishments like Lotte Mart do). Well, the guy behind the counter told me 'no, this is Korea'. Maybe a little rude, but fair enough, right? I'd imagine the question in itself is maybe a little insulting. But I bowled three games with a few house balls; their house ball selection is insane. They had a Storm (nigh legendary hook ball) sitting on their house ball rack. If the finger holes were a bit bigger, I could've rocked that.. but I went for the Hammer instead. Still a good ball. I didn't have a glove, so I didn't bowl as well as I could've, though I was pretty into it by the third game. I went to buy a beverage from a vending machine and saw that they had Mountain Dew; the label said something about SAME GREAT AMERICAN TASTE and I realized something- as much as I rag on America and Denver in particular, I do love it. It's my home. Everything I love now, I discovered there. But I love it here, too. So it really comes down to this... don't hate where you are, and don't hate where you're from. Easier said than done, but coming here has already given me a bit of perspective... which is one of the things I'm looking for.
Either way, I was pretty proud of the fact that I managed to track down a bowling alley and get there- and now I have bus directions there from work and home, so I can go just about whenever I want. It'll be easy- the bowling alley has an oversized bowling pin out front on the street for easy identification. Pictures soon, I swear it. ;) The bowling alley sells balls and shoes but not gloves, so I have to find this place called N.B. Bowling- it's a bowling supply store in Yeonsu. I'll find it, worry not.
Yesterday I went to Lotte Mart with Tom and Joel after work. Lotte Mart has a KFC inside, kind of like Wal-Mart has McDonald's or Subway. Feeling a little adventurous and maybe a little crazy, I decided to order the TOWER BURGER. It was either that or the Shrimp Zinger Burger, but a coin toss decided on the TOWER BURGER. The thing's enormous, as you'd probably imagine. It's a chunk of fried chicken topped with a hash brown with some sauce on a bun. Okay, maybe it sounds gross, but get your ass over here and try one. It's pretty amazing.
Apartment is smelling a bit funny because the clothes I've hung out to dry are... still drying. I soaked everything when I tried to wash it- I guess I chose the setting that gives me five times the water I needed. Oops. So I went down to the GS25 convenience store and looked around at their selection of air fresheners. I knew the one I wanted when I saw it- it's called the Big Egg. Funny thing is, my dad would always ask my mom to make him a 'big egg', which is essentially a... well... fried egg. Or is it scrambled? Bah, I don't know. But it's funny nonetheless. The clerk there was the same guy I saw yesterday when I picked up my daily Doubleshot- he'd given me a point card and, upon recognizing me, asked me to present it. I guess I can go online and get some sort of crazy rewards with it? I don't know. But it's kind of neat that people recognize me and are being super helpful as a result.
Speaking of which! I also went to Lotte Mart on Sunday and bought a cushion for my bed because it's unnaturally hard, which has made sleeping chore-like. It set me back quite a bit, but that's okay. What was really nice is that the woman in the formalwear section (surprise, surprise) recognized me. I told her that I was looking for bedding in the most broken, basic Korean imaginable and she actually escorted me down the escalator and across the bottom floor to the bedding area. She left her post and walked across the whole store to help me get where I was going. Super nice! The only issue is that I'm having trouble getting out of bed now... it's much more comfortable than it was.
Oh, Placebo- they're playing not this coming Wednesday, but the next. I'm hoping to have my T-Money card for the subway all squared away by then so I can get to Olympic Hall in Seoul to see them after work that day. I'd assumed that this would be an impossibility because I was under the impression that I was working until 11:30p every day, but it looks like I'll actually be able to go now that work ends at 7:30p. The only issue I can see is getting back home... I'm pretty sure the subway will stop running before the concert's over, and it's already an hour and a half-ish subway ride into Seoul from where I am. Problem. If I catch a cab, it'll probably take a while too... and it'll be expensive. Considering that I've been getting to work at 11:30a every day, little sleep will be had.
Tonight is galbi night; every Tuesday night, everyone at work goes out for galbi. I don't think I'll have time to grab my camera today, but every Tuesday night is galbi night... so I'll be able to take pictures later. The crew mostly consists of Elementary School teachers, who leave the office an hour before Middle School teachers. But now that there are two foreign Middle School teachers, myself included, they might wait up. They might not. I'm not sure. I hope they do, though; our schedules are different to the point that I haven't had as much of an opportunity to get to know them, while Tom usually stays at school until Joel gets out. But yeah- I'm very excited about the prospect of more galbi.
Classes yesterday went pretty well. I taught my most advanced class yesterday- they're an advanced-level speaking class, and it's really amazing how good they are. They're a bit disruptive at times, but they participate to the point that I don't mind so much. I really would rather they come to class with a bit of extra energy and misuse some of it than having a classroom full of zombie students. But I will go Chicago Ted on them if need be.
Anxious to get my ARC- once I get that, I can open a bank account and exchange my traveler's checks. Pro Tip: Don't just bring traveler's checks, you'll pretty much be forced to exchange them at the airport; this'll land you a worse rate on your exchange. I've been able to use my American debit card just fine at the GS25 ATM with no fee on my end. Regardless, I really want a bank account here. It'll make me feel more at home, more at ease. I'll also be able to get a cell phone, meaning I can keep in touch with my co-workers and new people I meet. This'll be especially valuable during my vacation at the end of this week / start of next week. I don't want to be holed up at home or at Ghost for the entirety of it, though I might go subway hopping if I get my T-Money card. Lastly, though, I'll have internets at home- I'm like a superhero that draws his powers from internet connectivity. I can really do most anything and solve most any problem as long I have a good bitstream going. Plus, I'll feel a bit more comfortable at home and can hopefully start working on a few tracks with greater confidence; the internet is a great resource to have at your fingertips when you're making music.
I hope everything is going well at home. I've heard reports of Wheat Ridge tornadoes and other madness since I've left, which was just a bit over a week ago, so I really hope my presence wasn't keeping the Hellmouth from opening under Denver. Hah.
Be well,
-토맛
So on Sunday I managed to find my way to a bowling alley. It was a long walk, about 30 minutes I'd guess, but it was totally worth it. Upon arrival, I decided that I wanted to buy my own ball. Korea is an incredibly competitive country (if you lot haven't already noticed, what with the professional Starcraft games and all), so I figured that I'd get a bit of my own equipment so I can at least try to reach that level. When in Korea... anyway. So the cheapest ball was 130,000 Won, so a bit over $100 USD. I didn't have that on me in cash, so I made the mistake of asking if they accepted American credit cards (because some larger establishments like Lotte Mart do). Well, the guy behind the counter told me 'no, this is Korea'. Maybe a little rude, but fair enough, right? I'd imagine the question in itself is maybe a little insulting. But I bowled three games with a few house balls; their house ball selection is insane. They had a Storm (nigh legendary hook ball) sitting on their house ball rack. If the finger holes were a bit bigger, I could've rocked that.. but I went for the Hammer instead. Still a good ball. I didn't have a glove, so I didn't bowl as well as I could've, though I was pretty into it by the third game. I went to buy a beverage from a vending machine and saw that they had Mountain Dew; the label said something about SAME GREAT AMERICAN TASTE and I realized something- as much as I rag on America and Denver in particular, I do love it. It's my home. Everything I love now, I discovered there. But I love it here, too. So it really comes down to this... don't hate where you are, and don't hate where you're from. Easier said than done, but coming here has already given me a bit of perspective... which is one of the things I'm looking for.
Either way, I was pretty proud of the fact that I managed to track down a bowling alley and get there- and now I have bus directions there from work and home, so I can go just about whenever I want. It'll be easy- the bowling alley has an oversized bowling pin out front on the street for easy identification. Pictures soon, I swear it. ;) The bowling alley sells balls and shoes but not gloves, so I have to find this place called N.B. Bowling- it's a bowling supply store in Yeonsu. I'll find it, worry not.
Yesterday I went to Lotte Mart with Tom and Joel after work. Lotte Mart has a KFC inside, kind of like Wal-Mart has McDonald's or Subway. Feeling a little adventurous and maybe a little crazy, I decided to order the TOWER BURGER. It was either that or the Shrimp Zinger Burger, but a coin toss decided on the TOWER BURGER. The thing's enormous, as you'd probably imagine. It's a chunk of fried chicken topped with a hash brown with some sauce on a bun. Okay, maybe it sounds gross, but get your ass over here and try one. It's pretty amazing.
Apartment is smelling a bit funny because the clothes I've hung out to dry are... still drying. I soaked everything when I tried to wash it- I guess I chose the setting that gives me five times the water I needed. Oops. So I went down to the GS25 convenience store and looked around at their selection of air fresheners. I knew the one I wanted when I saw it- it's called the Big Egg. Funny thing is, my dad would always ask my mom to make him a 'big egg', which is essentially a... well... fried egg. Or is it scrambled? Bah, I don't know. But it's funny nonetheless. The clerk there was the same guy I saw yesterday when I picked up my daily Doubleshot- he'd given me a point card and, upon recognizing me, asked me to present it. I guess I can go online and get some sort of crazy rewards with it? I don't know. But it's kind of neat that people recognize me and are being super helpful as a result.
Speaking of which! I also went to Lotte Mart on Sunday and bought a cushion for my bed because it's unnaturally hard, which has made sleeping chore-like. It set me back quite a bit, but that's okay. What was really nice is that the woman in the formalwear section (surprise, surprise) recognized me. I told her that I was looking for bedding in the most broken, basic Korean imaginable and she actually escorted me down the escalator and across the bottom floor to the bedding area. She left her post and walked across the whole store to help me get where I was going. Super nice! The only issue is that I'm having trouble getting out of bed now... it's much more comfortable than it was.
Oh, Placebo- they're playing not this coming Wednesday, but the next. I'm hoping to have my T-Money card for the subway all squared away by then so I can get to Olympic Hall in Seoul to see them after work that day. I'd assumed that this would be an impossibility because I was under the impression that I was working until 11:30p every day, but it looks like I'll actually be able to go now that work ends at 7:30p. The only issue I can see is getting back home... I'm pretty sure the subway will stop running before the concert's over, and it's already an hour and a half-ish subway ride into Seoul from where I am. Problem. If I catch a cab, it'll probably take a while too... and it'll be expensive. Considering that I've been getting to work at 11:30a every day, little sleep will be had.
Tonight is galbi night; every Tuesday night, everyone at work goes out for galbi. I don't think I'll have time to grab my camera today, but every Tuesday night is galbi night... so I'll be able to take pictures later. The crew mostly consists of Elementary School teachers, who leave the office an hour before Middle School teachers. But now that there are two foreign Middle School teachers, myself included, they might wait up. They might not. I'm not sure. I hope they do, though; our schedules are different to the point that I haven't had as much of an opportunity to get to know them, while Tom usually stays at school until Joel gets out. But yeah- I'm very excited about the prospect of more galbi.
Classes yesterday went pretty well. I taught my most advanced class yesterday- they're an advanced-level speaking class, and it's really amazing how good they are. They're a bit disruptive at times, but they participate to the point that I don't mind so much. I really would rather they come to class with a bit of extra energy and misuse some of it than having a classroom full of zombie students. But I will go Chicago Ted on them if need be.
Anxious to get my ARC- once I get that, I can open a bank account and exchange my traveler's checks. Pro Tip: Don't just bring traveler's checks, you'll pretty much be forced to exchange them at the airport; this'll land you a worse rate on your exchange. I've been able to use my American debit card just fine at the GS25 ATM with no fee on my end. Regardless, I really want a bank account here. It'll make me feel more at home, more at ease. I'll also be able to get a cell phone, meaning I can keep in touch with my co-workers and new people I meet. This'll be especially valuable during my vacation at the end of this week / start of next week. I don't want to be holed up at home or at Ghost for the entirety of it, though I might go subway hopping if I get my T-Money card. Lastly, though, I'll have internets at home- I'm like a superhero that draws his powers from internet connectivity. I can really do most anything and solve most any problem as long I have a good bitstream going. Plus, I'll feel a bit more comfortable at home and can hopefully start working on a few tracks with greater confidence; the internet is a great resource to have at your fingertips when you're making music.
I hope everything is going well at home. I've heard reports of Wheat Ridge tornadoes and other madness since I've left, which was just a bit over a week ago, so I really hope my presence wasn't keeping the Hellmouth from opening under Denver. Hah.
Be well,
-토맛
Saturday, July 25, 2009
...and it's the effing weekend.
Weekends are exhausting. At least kind of.
Today I went to Lotte Mart on foot, walked around for a long while, and ended up leaving with all sorts of cool stuff. Including computer speakers and CD-Rs, excluding bedding.
I know, I know, I know. I went there for bedding. But anyone who knows me shouldn't be surprised by this at all.
The best thing was that they accepted my American credit card.
It's been pretty easy distributing my expenses over my different methods of bringing money so far; I brought traveler's checks, my debit card and my credit card. There's an ATM at a convenience store just down the street that will let me withdraw money from my bank account without a charge. There's still a bank charge, of course, but it's nice that the ATM doesn't double-dip. That was always a gripe of mine back home.
Joel and Tom came by this afternoon after my Lotte Mart adventure and we ordered a few pizzas from Domino's. Which is right by my place. Like, right next to it. To the point that I use it as a landmark if I'm venturing South of my place, around the Suribong intersection (large four-way intersection, lots of cars- I cross this to go to work or anywhere South of me, really). It was nice to kick it with them for a bit- we went back to Joel's to eat. Those two are characters, they really are... they picked up some toy guns from E-Mart and got into a few heated standoffs here and there, hilarious to watch. Joel's internet is hooked up, so he grabbed a subway map and threw it on my flash drive. We also watched Bruno from a streaming site and, oh man, anyone who hasn't seen it isn't missing much at all. We stopped about a fifth of the way through to save ourselves the headache.
Tom also showed me how to get hot water in my apartment. It's really easy- you just push the button to activate the thermostat and the hot water heater kicks on instantly. Everything's gas powered, so that's why there's just one button. No more frighteningly cold showers for me... now I have control over that aspect of my life once again. It's quite a nice thing to have control over. Trust me, you don't know what you got 'til it's gone.
What else... oh, I got my first lesson in Korean fashion today. When I went to Lotte Mart, I was immediately drawn to the men's formalwear department. It was easy to see because all of their ties are SHINY AS HELL. Seriously. Shiny. Glittery, almost. It's something else. I didn't buy one today, but I'm sure I'll end up back there at some point. Just don't laugh if you see me wearing a glittery, pastel pink tie. I know nobody will because I know I can pull it off. ;)
I also ran over to a local convenience store today. Went for more hangers, a clothes drying rack (because nobody really uses dryers over here) and a bunch of bottled water. That was fun to carry home. :P
Sounds like Tom and Joel will be stopping by tomorrow to take me to the nearest train station so I can buy a T-Money card for the public transit system. These cards are great- they're refillable transit cards that also give the bearer a discount on tickets, transfers and even taxi service. So if you ever forget to bring some money when you're heading out somewhere, it's no problem so long as you've brought your keys. Yeah, your keys. The card's really tiny to the point that it's an acceptable keychain or cell phone accessory.
Anyway, Joel tells me that there's a huge electronics store at the station two stops North of here. Huge. Keyboards, CD and Vinyl tables, guitars, speakers, you name it. I'd love to check it out tomorrow- I'm a little upset that I bought computer speakers today, but I do tend to jump the gun. I might just put them up on Craigslist - Seoul and see if I can get a decent bit back. I'll lose money, but so is the price of being reckless.
I'm also familiar with how to get to Seoul using the subway system thanks to Joel's map. North to Bupyeong (붑영), transfer to the Eastbound 1 line, take it to Seoul. No problem.
Now that I have a subway map, I'm really anxious for Global Gathering in September. Huge electronica festival held in multiple countries. And piss, I've missed the Jisan Valley Rock Festival which featured Basement Jaxx and Dieselboy... that was today. Son of the bitch. Best case scenario they both show at Global Gathering, I guess?
Damn it. I was excited about that. But it's probably more important that I get settled in and get everything together right now. By September I'll be more than prepared to venture off to wherever Global Gathering is being held. I'm way way way excited for it. You've no idea. Not only is it a huge electronica festival but I'm pretty certain that it'll be one of the most amazing days, if not the most amazing day, that I've ever lived. Excitement.
It's getting late here and I've had a long day. Going to poke around on Craigslist - Seoul for a bit, pay my Won and get to bed.
Bones.
-토맛
Today I went to Lotte Mart on foot, walked around for a long while, and ended up leaving with all sorts of cool stuff. Including computer speakers and CD-Rs, excluding bedding.
I know, I know, I know. I went there for bedding. But anyone who knows me shouldn't be surprised by this at all.
The best thing was that they accepted my American credit card.
It's been pretty easy distributing my expenses over my different methods of bringing money so far; I brought traveler's checks, my debit card and my credit card. There's an ATM at a convenience store just down the street that will let me withdraw money from my bank account without a charge. There's still a bank charge, of course, but it's nice that the ATM doesn't double-dip. That was always a gripe of mine back home.
Joel and Tom came by this afternoon after my Lotte Mart adventure and we ordered a few pizzas from Domino's. Which is right by my place. Like, right next to it. To the point that I use it as a landmark if I'm venturing South of my place, around the Suribong intersection (large four-way intersection, lots of cars- I cross this to go to work or anywhere South of me, really). It was nice to kick it with them for a bit- we went back to Joel's to eat. Those two are characters, they really are... they picked up some toy guns from E-Mart and got into a few heated standoffs here and there, hilarious to watch. Joel's internet is hooked up, so he grabbed a subway map and threw it on my flash drive. We also watched Bruno from a streaming site and, oh man, anyone who hasn't seen it isn't missing much at all. We stopped about a fifth of the way through to save ourselves the headache.
Tom also showed me how to get hot water in my apartment. It's really easy- you just push the button to activate the thermostat and the hot water heater kicks on instantly. Everything's gas powered, so that's why there's just one button. No more frighteningly cold showers for me... now I have control over that aspect of my life once again. It's quite a nice thing to have control over. Trust me, you don't know what you got 'til it's gone.
What else... oh, I got my first lesson in Korean fashion today. When I went to Lotte Mart, I was immediately drawn to the men's formalwear department. It was easy to see because all of their ties are SHINY AS HELL. Seriously. Shiny. Glittery, almost. It's something else. I didn't buy one today, but I'm sure I'll end up back there at some point. Just don't laugh if you see me wearing a glittery, pastel pink tie. I know nobody will because I know I can pull it off. ;)
I also ran over to a local convenience store today. Went for more hangers, a clothes drying rack (because nobody really uses dryers over here) and a bunch of bottled water. That was fun to carry home. :P
Sounds like Tom and Joel will be stopping by tomorrow to take me to the nearest train station so I can buy a T-Money card for the public transit system. These cards are great- they're refillable transit cards that also give the bearer a discount on tickets, transfers and even taxi service. So if you ever forget to bring some money when you're heading out somewhere, it's no problem so long as you've brought your keys. Yeah, your keys. The card's really tiny to the point that it's an acceptable keychain or cell phone accessory.
Anyway, Joel tells me that there's a huge electronics store at the station two stops North of here. Huge. Keyboards, CD and Vinyl tables, guitars, speakers, you name it. I'd love to check it out tomorrow- I'm a little upset that I bought computer speakers today, but I do tend to jump the gun. I might just put them up on Craigslist - Seoul and see if I can get a decent bit back. I'll lose money, but so is the price of being reckless.
I'm also familiar with how to get to Seoul using the subway system thanks to Joel's map. North to Bupyeong (붑영), transfer to the Eastbound 1 line, take it to Seoul. No problem.
Now that I have a subway map, I'm really anxious for Global Gathering in September. Huge electronica festival held in multiple countries. And piss, I've missed the Jisan Valley Rock Festival which featured Basement Jaxx and Dieselboy... that was today. Son of the bitch. Best case scenario they both show at Global Gathering, I guess?
Damn it. I was excited about that. But it's probably more important that I get settled in and get everything together right now. By September I'll be more than prepared to venture off to wherever Global Gathering is being held. I'm way way way excited for it. You've no idea. Not only is it a huge electronica festival but I'm pretty certain that it'll be one of the most amazing days, if not the most amazing day, that I've ever lived. Excitement.
It's getting late here and I've had a long day. Going to poke around on Craigslist - Seoul for a bit, pay my Won and get to bed.
Bones.
-토맛
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