It's Wednesday, the sun struggles to play the dominate role in the skies above Gumi & we're experiencing intermittent thunderstorms....as of right now, however, the sun has poked back out, my short session workout is complete & I just killed a nice batch of scrambled eggs before getting ready to jump in the shower and head off to work.
It's another, mostly typical, day for me but my Wed's at school are def the longest & most exhausting as I call it my energizer days - my first three classes are really young, extraordinarily hyperactive & all together funny kids (24 boys in all) followed by the upper elementary & middle school versions of the little dudes but it makes for a long day going straight from 2 - 9 w/no real break to speak of.
Regardless, I was thinking as I scrambled up the eggy-goodness that it's June 1st, which basically means I'm nearly half way through this little adventure of teaching abroad for a year....having said that, I'm really having a good time & am certainly considering doing multiple years over here but am planning on heading stateside (after a nice 4 -6 week trek through SE Asia w/my good buddy Daniel) upon completion of my contract to take care of a few things & see some peeps I know I need to catch up with.
That is all....be well & hope everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day festivities. Over here, we will be celebrating in the same manner this weekend, which means my long awaited trip to Seoul is finally coming to fruition - three days in one of the largest & most culturally divers city on the globe should be awesome....can't wait!
In case anyone needs a smile or maybe contemplating all the hatred in this world, this should change that perspective a bit, just a simple but enlightening video reminding me that, for the most part, people across the world are genuinely good, fun loving folks who could care less about religion, war, money and the like:
So I was getting ready to hit the sack last night & heading across the room to close the window so as not to be disrupted by late night train traffic that occasionally has interrupted some seriously quality slumbers over the past couple months. About then, I thought I heard some rustling around below my window, which seems pretty customary, especially on the weekends, for Korean men to relieve themselves just about anywhere they feel the urge as they stumble back to their abodes. As I looked around, I noticed a guy dressed in dark blue jeans and a black fleece making his was around the backside of the apartment next to mine.
Admittedly, curiosity got the best of me & I watched to see if he would go inside the building.....which I thought was peculiar he decided to pee that close to home but after walking about 10 feet, he crouched down & attempted some ridiculous little climbing maneuver like he was about to scale a sheer granite cliff; either that or he was getting into position for a superhero type leap over the building - regardless, I had to see how it played out.
As he grabbed onto the brick wall and tiny ledge directly under the bathroom window of the first floor apartment across the way, he prepared to hoist himself up in order to view what I can only assume was a late night shower by the occupant of said apartment (I could hear the water running so the conclusion seems pretty legit). Realizing what he was up to, I felt it my civic duty to give a pleasant little guttural throat clearing, just loud enough to be heard by the pervy peeper below.
Upon hearing the noise, he released his grip of the bricks, cautiously looked around to see where the noise came from & finally, his eyes locked on mine for a seconds or two. Having been found out, he abruptly hid his face, turned and hurried back the direction he'd come from, behind the building.
I pondered contacting the authorities but opted against it as my interactions w/the local johnny law's have been relatively fruitless in the conversation/understanding department & my description of the perp would have likely been pretty lousy....uh, yeah, hi, police - I just saw a shortish, maybe 5'7" or 5'8", middle aged Asian guy, black hair, dressed in dark colors & appeared to be peeking in a bathroom window & lurking around my apartment about 1 A.M. - that pretty much narrows it down, right guys? Oh, how tall was he in metric units, gimme a minute, I've gotta convert it. Where do I live? Sure, I'm in Sangmodong, near the train tracks (all of Sangmodong is near the train tracks)....oh, the street name, not really sure, sorry. What building? Uh, the three story brick one on the street full of three story brick ones....hmmm, want me to stand outside while you guys drive around trying to find me?
Anyway, thought it was pretty funny & who knows, he may have had plans to scale up to the second floor of my building & get a peek at the American goods next weekend & we certainly can't have that now, can we?
Ever have one of those days when maybe you don't get up as early as you'd like; you didn't get all the things done you were hoping before going to work (remember, I start at 1pm); there might not have been exactly what you had been craving for breakfast; it's also a Tuesday, which means the week is still on the uphill crawl but despite these insurmountable odds stacked against you, you're grinning like an idiot from ear to ear? Nothing can go wrong, it's destined to be a great day, regardless of what might be in store right around the corner!
Well, you can't quite put your finger on the reasoning for such karmic blessings but whatever it is, keep it coming. These are the days it's great to be alive & you can't really explain why - sometimes you just feel great & nothing can stop you. I'm still steadfast in my thought it's ALWAYS mind over matter. Sure, good things happen to good people but seriously, most of our happiness is a state of being, tucked somewhere deep in the recesses of our mind. Positive vibes, bra, it's that easy.
Alright, so enough quasi-philosophical mumbo jumbo, back to justifying the incessant ramblings; although I'm not 100% sure where I'm going w/this one. I do know it revolves around songs triggering memories & emotions, feel-good Tuesdays & the karmic universe deciding 'Yeah, you've been a pretty good dude, enjoy the day, buddy!'
I suppose it started off like most any other day for me here in Korea - contemplate rising early but default to the snooze button a couple times. The well laid plans of getting a good workout in, loading up on protein (eggs), doing a little reading, checking the state of things on the web, attempting some prep work for my classes, showering & finally meeting James so he could take me to the Otaedong school.
As is often the case, I turned on the laptop & surfed around a bit. Things seem to be going well, for the most part - the Rays are in first place in the AL East, Iowa State picked up commitments from a couple really quality recruits (one BB & one FB) & the war on terror seems to be motoring right along. Not to be outdone a good friend of mine had a birthday a few days ago & his wife posted an extraordinary video clip of the scavenger hunt his co-workers put together for him - priceless, Tyson!
So I found myself upwards of 40 minutes into perusing the days latest offerings on the internet when I decided to head up to the roof of my apartment & do a little reading. The book of choice this week is called Teacher Man (picked it up in a used English language bookshop in Daegu), written by a cleverly amusing author most well known for Angela's Ashes. Clocking in another 40 minutes on the roof soaking up a gorgeous late spring day w/tremendous weather & a blue sky full of sunshine, I decided it was probably time to get back downstairs, grab a bite & get ready for school. Although, I did still have time for a quick jaunt on the bike with an eclectic mix of calisthenics thrown in for good measure. Hmm, decisions, decisions. Ultimately, I opted to keep my nose in the book for a while longer.
McCourt was born in New York, found himself shipped off to Ireland after his father deserted the family & then basically tells the story of how he wound up back in the states trudging through life and 30+ years as a High School English teacher. I find myself relating greatly to his experience in so many ways I'm really having trouble putting it down. Not because it's some sort of literary masterpiece but rather I just see so many parallels to my own teaching career in his words (aside from getting shipped to Ireland or joining the army).
Still overcome by this zesty feeling towards the day, I found myself in a great mood but wasn't sure if it was the pages I'd read, how gorgeous a day it was turning into or something else entirely but it started as one of those days when it would be impossible to knock me down from this pedestal of sheer exhilaration.
Breakfast was simple enough, a delightful bowl of cereal & some toast. Definitely not the protein load up I had planned but not working out probably helped the decision making.
Things just kept getting better. James & I had a nice conversation on the way to the other school, nothing mind blowing but there also weren't any warnings of treacherous dust particles or nuclear rain, so I was sitting pretty good. As I headed across the street I peered down toward where the street met the sidewalk & saw a Korean won tucked nicely b/w a board & the concrete. Looking around for someone running frantically for their lost loot & seeing none, I proceeded to bend over, retrieve said money & slide it in my pocket, no one the wiser. It wasn't much but, hey, when karma smiles, pick it up, stuff it in your pocket & roll w/it!
At school, Tuesdays can be a little annoying, if only for two students. One is in my very first class - a first grader that's simply put, an obnoxious little shit. The second is in my very last class - a middle school girl who, w/the exception of maybe a handful of days, is wanting nothing to do w/class, English, learning or even slightly paying attention - not to mention, she's always in a lousy mood. Start & end the day w/headaches!
As luck would have it, Terry was nowhere to be found. We had an absolute blast in class & the other kids not only learned something but seemed to make progress in their 45 minutes of Phonics adventures w/me, which is always a good thing. To end the day, Linda, the terribly distraught middle schooler was, for reasons unknown, in a good mood - one might even say she seemed giddy. Either way, I'll chalk it up to more karmic goodness & leave it at that.
It certainly feels much better leaving school w/a goofy grin from ear to ear & telling my fellow teachers to 'behave' themselves - they just learned what that meant a couple weeks ago, so throw that into the conversation from time to time. This usually leads to them giggling like a couple schoolgirls.
They did mention, before I left, that the director who was supposedly getting fired is actually going to still work their. More good news, she's a really great lady, has been overly generous the whole time & seems to really like me. I realize this isn't always the case so I'm feeling fortunate to have great directors at both schools.
As if that weren't enough, the director treated us to a whole slew of yummy pork/veggie dumplings. Which happen to be one of my favorite Korean foods. As we all piled into the van for the scenic tour home, I realized the director was taking me home first, which has never happened but I'll take it. This means I'll be home w/daylight hovering on the horizon & I can spend a little more time soaking up the sunny goodness of a great day!
Making my way home, still grinning like an idiot, the ladies at the Sushi joint down the street saw me strolling along, poked their heads out & in their best English gave me a cheerful 'Hi Mark Teacher.' I returned the favor w/a cordial anyon-haseo, a wave & that damn cheesy grin. It was enough to arouse the suspicions of a few neighborhood kids running amok in the wild back alleys of Gumi. Their curiousity fully peeked, they fell in line behind me, giggling. Finally turning around, I surprised them a little & they anxiously said hello, asked my name, where I was from & continued w/the adorable giggling. Another block & I was home, w/the children back to their games of kick the can or chase the Asian, I was feeling more than ready to conquer the final hours of a simply awesome day. Oh, what else could go right?
I'm becoming a creature of habit (possibly due to a ridiculously limited availability of habits), which means I come home, flip open the laptop & press play on ITunes as I head the seven steps across the living room/bedroom/office to the kitchen/laundry room to grab a little dinner. There's just something about music that makes me smile & remember why these songs remain important to me.
One of my priorities tonight, was to backtracking my steps over the past couple days in an effort to figure out where my phone could be hiding. I knew I may have to make my way to the store and see if I could figure out who & how to ask where the 'lost and found' would be located.
About the same time I bent over to pick up something & put it in the trash, I noticed my phone sitting patiently on a shelf, awaiting my arrival. I suppose that tells you everything about how infrequently my phone rings if it hadn't made a single sound the last couple days.
It was then I noticed the song 'In A Daydream' playing in the background. This is probably one of my top-20 favorite songs of all time & it's likely most people out there have never heard of them unless you were lucky enough to roam around the Midwest in the mid-90's listening to college bands. There's just something about a 7+ minute live version of a spectacular song that keeps the grin going. I've heard the lyrics on countless occasions but I really started listening & found them to be eerily similar to the day I just had.
The Freddy Jones Band in '96 'In A Daydream'
Basically, everything makes this guy smile today, maybe it was all in a daydream, maybe not. Regardless, it's days like this when a guy can realize how great it is to be alive....and a Tuesday none the less.
Keep kickin ass & being awesome, people! <---- Daniel & Jackie P, that's for you guys!
I expected life in Korea to be a different & unique experience & I've yet to be disappointed, even w/out the many comforts of home.
Food was certainly something I was skeptically intrigued by but overall, it has been a decent transition. I can certainly see why there isn't much obesity based on eating habits - lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, a minimal amount of meat & plenty of roots, 'shrooms, innards and the like. I've discovered most everything is edible in one capacity or another, just depends how hungry you really are!
There was some reservation about my limited abilities in speaking Hangul but I was convinced my ability to quickly assimilate w/a wide array of people as well as utilize my innate gift of gestures would get me through the first few weeks/months until I was able to properly order cocktail, challenge the neighborhood kids to a game of 'footie,' summon a cabbie to deliver me to my desired destination or even request the company of a lovely Korean 'lady friend' (not to worry, I haven't done it, but I now know how if I ever needed to)!
Smiles & Hand Gestures Are Easy To Understand
See, It Worked!
There are certainly a couple things I wasn't planning on....and I suppose that's part of the whole adventure but still seems a tad unsettling. I don't think anybody saw the catastrophe from the nuclear disaster coming until the earthquake actually hit & subsequently put the reactors in a serious state of 'oh shit!' The warning of radiation fallout from Japan was a definite surprise but I have always liked a good challenge.
As it was explained to me, wind carried the radiation to various parts of the world but it was mostly contained to immediate areas surrounding Japan - i.e. Korea & China. Thinking to myself, great, Gumi is one of the most significantly windy places I've ever been. Nearly every day there's a substantially healthy breeze whipping it's way through the concrete canyons of my fair little neighborhood....even Forest City, IA & Chi-town pale in comparison to gusty little Gumi! So the warning was a slight possibility some harm could come from contact with the rain....alright, no big deal. I'd definitely know if I was in trouble when my face started melting off or my clothes mysteriously deteriorated before my eyes - an umbrella seemed like a ridiculous option as it would simply stave off the inevitable for only so long. Plus, I haven't seen any of these guys cruising around, so I suppose I'm OK for now.
Haven't Witnessed This Yet, So I Think I'm Good
Recently, James warned me about the latest Korean villain - Asian Dust, Yellow Dust, Yellow Sand, Yellow Wind, or China Dust Storms (take your pick, although I've heard it mostly called Yellow Dust, so I'm gonna stick w/that for the remainder of my little excerpt). Alright, no big deal, I was ready for this. Nearly a decade in the swirling vortex of Florida had prepared me for most anything what w/it's Yellow Pollen, love bugs, hurricanes & the like. Little did I know, though, the prep time was all for not. It seems neighbors on all sides have their own little ways of messing w/this seemingly peaceful (well, South Korea anyway) little peninsula I'm fortunate enough to call home for another seven months.
Yellow Dust Clouds From '08, Nice!
This fantastic opportunity to fully participate in a seasonal meteorological phenomenon that pretty much hits all of East Asia (see satellite image above) is delightfully brought to me all the way from the Gobi Desert in Central Asia (see map below); basically southeast Mongolia & Northern China.
**For those geography deficient or academically curious readers, my recommendation would be to simply Google 'Gobi Desert' - I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the amount of information & exciting visuals you will be immediately inundated with! I've also included links at the bottom of the page for further perusal & knowledge gathering....The More You Know, right?
Alright, back on topic....I've been told the real dilemma stems from some serious Yak packs stirring up massive amounts of sand in their travels through the desert along the Yellow River, hence the name. It just so happens that while the Yaks venture on their little journey, the spring winds really start howling & picking up steam as they whip through the desert basin. As the power of the wind intensifies, it captures huge amounts of sand being kicked around and carries it whichever direction it happens to be blowing. Seeing how this lasts for nearly a month, the sheer area effected can be huge. It has even made it's way across the pacific to the interior states/provinces of Western North America on occasion.
Working Up A Mess Of Goodness!
As this incessant little beasts furious journey meanders across the Far East, out into the Pacific Ocean, Yellow & China Sea, its nice enough to gather a few delightfully harmful friends to accompany the sand. After a bit of research, I discovered sulfur, soot, ash, carbon monoxide and other toxic pollutants, metals (mercury, cadmium, chromium, arsenic, lead, zinc, copper) and carcinogens all join in. Not to be left out, various bacteria, viruses, fungi, pesticides, antibiotics, herbicides, asbestos hitch their goodness onto the party. I was certainly not comforted by the fact the sun's UV ray's DO NOT sterilize our little dust cloud contaminants.
Kinda Like The View I Had In LA
James said some of the acid and high alkaline content being good for the soil & maybe some crops but overall, the remainder of the crap whipping its way southeast, isn't a particularly good situation for anyone or anything. It can usually end up resulting in sore throats, asthmatic symptoms and generally lousy respiratory issues....not to mention the visibility becomes a funky yellowish green haze & basically everything is covered in a lovely brownish yellow layer of muck.
Yellow Dust Does Wonders For A Paint Job
Fortunately, it seems, I've survived the Yellow Dust & stand steadfast in my ability to fight another day or simply await the next Asian perpetrator. I'm beginning to think there might be something to the sanitary face masks that seem so popular amongst the general populous of Asian folk over here.
Every year, Korean's celebrate Children's Day & it's usually cause for revelry at their schools & academies on the day leading up to it. I've included a few video clips from the festivities. It seemed like a better way to get a glimpse of the kiddo's & a first hand look at the activities rather than attempting to paint a picture of the days events through words.
As I was in charge of Games & Entertainment, I went w/a couple of the simplest games I knew they could play while subconsciously preparing them for the glorious days of college - although, I'm quite certain the college experience for a Korean is drastically different than that of their American counterparts.
They also didn't think rock, paper scissors would be enough to sustain the kids interest throughout the day, even though they love playing it w/me after class! So, by default, I was left w/a more sobering version of beer pong, a carnival staple in ring toss & finally chum, chum, chum (basically, I say chum twice & on the third time I point right or left....if the kid turns their head the opposite direction I pointed, they win).
Most of the videos are of the kids either getting instructions on what they will be doing during the day or learning very simple phrases to negotiate w/the teachers as they buy food, drinks & 'trinkets' that seem to be the greatest things ever to a bunch of elementary aged kids. They also had to pay me to play games. The 'money' is what they earn over the course of three or four months for doing their homework, doing well on tests, or basically doing what they're supposed to do.
There are a few of the kids playing the games, too, which was funny to see how serious they became when things got competitive. It was almost devastating for them, at times but in the end it seemed everyone had a blast.
The 'games' for the kids
Glen & his little brother Ryen
Martin asking 'How Much Is It?'
The Phonics kids getting instructions
Danny, Sally & Grace playing 'pong'
A & B Level kids getting instructions
C Level kids getting instructions
A few Booster Level girls getting serious about pong
Booster girls using Ping Pong balls for, gasp, Ping Pong!
It appears Mista A has worked his magic & charm once again. The kiddo's are buyin what he's selling in the education game. This is obviously a huge factor in getting them to pay attention, do their work & have fun as they learn a ridiculously complicated language!
Best of all, I even have a few kids who are incessant about giving me a hug first thing they see me everyday. It ALMOST (ALMOST) makes me think about having kids someday but we'll have to see how things play out over here, first ;) I mean, I'm sure I'd be an awesome father & all but I have my reservations about bringing a kid into this dangerous, selfish, ego-driven world we all call home but who knows, right?
As I was checking my email, facebook, sports updates & other seemingly necessary websites that tend mostly to consume more time than I'd sometimes like them to, I peered across my desk & noticed a collection of various candies nearly overflowing a coffee mug & it got me thinking about how funny the kids are....not to mention, how grateful most of them seem to be & their numerous ways of showing their gratitude in the simplest of ways.
It's nice to see a heaping stash of suckers, carmel, assorted candies, gum, an orange & a plastic spoon (not really sure why it was given to me but it's the thought that counts, right). I remember reading somewhere that it's the little things in life that have the biggest impact & I'm starting to think there might be some truth to it. None of these kids are poverty stricken but they're far from wealthy as well - mostly your typical middle class families. It is nice, though, to see they've been raised properly & taught to be selfless rather than selfish, which is a quality I see less frequently from 'kids' of all ages - adults & children alike.
The kids really like to learn & make sure their teachers know it; plus their little random acts of kindness & sharing can quickly ones faith in humanity....it's not till later, it seems, these same innocent, fun loving kids become the adults who lose sight of what was truly great about being a child - the ability to live in the here & now w/out holding a grudge or doing something spiteful to gain an advantage but instead, having a good time & making sure everyone is involved. You ever notice kids seem to be the happiest of all humans? Think about it....a short life & memory not necessarily clouded by the things grown ups have consumed themselves with.
I was told before arriving in Gumi if you are fair, kind, fun & helpful as a teacher, they will show you inordinate amounts of love, affection & appreciation. This has definitely been the case so far. Some of you may know, I'm a big proponent of the high five & I started the 'blow-it-up fist bump' w/my golf girls well before every idiot in an Ed Hardy Skin-Fit T-shirt was doing it for no good reason. Language barriers aside, everyone can understand & appreciate a solid high five for a job well done....many of them even try to see if they can slap my hand so hard it hurts me (it never does) but they usually walk away rubbing their sore hand & saying ouch in Korean, vowing next time they'll make me regret wanting to high five them.
I suppose I should get to work on that pile of goodies but I'm not a candy or junk food guy. I'm sure I'll be able to find a good home for most of it, though!
Stay young, my friends, enjoy the little things & don't lose sight of what made being a kid so special....life shouldn't be so complicated & difficult!
I've realized & have certainly come to grips w/the fact Koreans absolutely love bright, flashing, scrolling lights & neon signs - they're everywhere, advertising everything from munchy morsels, low low prices on peculiar & equally flashy clothing, to the more adult-themed points of interest.
As I've meandered my way around various parts of Gumi & Daegu (3rd largest city in Korea about 30 minutes by train to the south), I am continually inundated w/eye-gasms at the sight of all the advertisements & signs. I have gotten a wee bit better at reading (or at least guessing) what many of them say but still pay less attention to what the establishment is actually in business for & more time devoted to a near trance-like state with my eyes fixed on all the colors of the rainbow dancing & racing around the signs & on occasionally even the advertisement or logo itself.
The pictures certainly don't do it justice in terms of the eye spectacle it becomes first hand but regardless, it got me thinking of the silly Skittles commercials I used to see on TV at the bar from time to time - conclusion of the commercial w/the 'Taste the Rainbow' line, followed by the fade away shot of some spectacularly colorful rainbow of fruit flavors. It makes me wonder if maybe the good folks in the Skittles marketing department hired a Korean ad firm to head up their latest campaign in hopes of reaching that ever elusive Asian consumer demographic.
Either way, I can understand a bit of the appeal to entice future customers by offering near seizure inducing, gimmicky signs in an effort to raise profits while clearly saying 'We might well be the most gay friendly establishment you can choose to spend your hard earned Won!' It also makes sense during the cold, dull, gloomy winter months when a simple splash of color could help raise morale of the local populous while subtly coaxing them in to buy stuff. Just in case the flashing lights aren't able to do the trick, many places also have ridiculously corny
inflatable characters that flail about or else it's an extraordinarily oversized inflatable beer can looking thing - which is actually pretty funny watching some of these things get thrown around when the wind really kicks up (there is enough weight in the bottom to keep them from completely running amok or tipping over & doing significant damage to items or patrons w/in close proximity). You can see a couple of the 'beer can' inflatables near the center of the pic to the left.
It reminds me of a more chaotic, geeked out version of standing in Times Square w/shiny lights enamoring folks day in and day out for no apparent reason other than selling mostly unnecessary wares. Given most Koreans fascination & desire to visit the NYC & specifically stand in Times Square, perhaps their over the top advertising antics is an homage to the eye candy offered up in New York!
