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
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
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
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