Tae Kwon Don't

So... I'm eating my words because there are no Tae Kwon Do academies that offer adult classes during the hours when I am available. What? The world doesn't revolve around my 1pm to 11pm schedule? You're kidding! So I'm back to the drawing board in trying to find a way to get myself off my sorry ass. It's growing bigger by the way. The pants I bought just before leaving no longer fit. I am deeply ashamed.

Productive Shmroductive!!

So here I thought I was going to come to Korea and begin getting all the things I've been meaning to do for so long done. I was going to begin by cracking the infamous "to-read list", I would follow that up with some soul-searching, and then I was going to round-out the whole experience with a bit of self enlightenment. Needless to say I've done nothing of the sort. I've started sleeping in until noon, going out for beers every night, and generally living my life in the brief periods of time which precede and follow my hours at work. It's rather depressing. I need to get out and bike some more. My general lack of activity has dulled my mood and deadened my senses. I haven't the desire to do anything, however I know that's only because I am not doing anything. This week I shall try to find a Tae Kwon Do academy. I miss it and I can't imagine why I should have any trouble finding a gym here.

To be or not to be ... social

It's a strange thing to be in living in a foreign country, away from all family, friends, loved ones and enemies. There is a need, on one hand, to forge instantaneous, informal and indistinct relationships with whomsoever crosses one's path; but there is also a desire to sideline oneself and find better uses for one's new-found solitude. It that depressive? I don't think so. How many of us have been silently wishing for some REAL free time over the past, say, 8 years? Well now I've got it, and I don't really want to waste it or spend it doing meaningless things. Doing so, however, is much easier said than done when it all comes down to it.

So here I am: about to lose the roommate that was here when I arrived -- about to be thrown into the real sink-or-swim society of Mokpo's English-speaking population. How do I feel? Resentful that I will have to start making an effort. Annoyed that I will start worrying about being "accepted" in this miniature village of misplaced persons. Concerned what will happen. What people will think if I don't make the effort to "get involved"? Sure this all sounds stupid and petty but in the grand scheme of things one year is not very long, and knowing me I will throw myself into "too much stuff" unless I really start thinking seriously about my choices. And in this microcosm that includes chosing or avoiding people. So I'm in inter-personal limbo. Self-inflicted, no doubt. But limbo nonetheless.

Warning: Special Day!

Just a reminder: Today is Annely's 24th birthday. She is wonderfabulous and deserves many calls, e-mails, drinks and gifts. Please show her some love on my behalf if you see her (we'll work out reimbursement at a later date). (Yes, I will pay in FULL).

YOU'RE ONE OF A KIND SHMANZ!
LOVE YOU TO BITS!

Online AT LAST!!!!

Yes, it's true. I am sitting in my Korean apartment, listening to CBC radio and drinking coffee. Paradise could not be sweeter.

I will be writing more often from now on. Consider yourself WARNED!!!

Technical Difficulties...

I have somehow managed to FRY my thumb drive less than 2 weeks into my Mokpo adventure. I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but I imagine sticking it in and out of various PC's in various Internet Cafe's didn't do it much good. It will be more difficult to make postings and reply to individual messages until I can find a suitable replacement (as I have been writing on my own machine at home and transporting my messages to the machines with access this whole time). It shouldn't be too difficult, however. It's just a pain in the ass I'd rather not have to deal with.

Just keeping you up-to-date.

A fabulous "Ingrish" Shirt found in Downtown Mokpo

What do the Pig and Bicycle have to do with anything...?

Perspective...

Perhaps I should have learned this lesson years ago, but if I didn't take it to heart way-back-when the lesson was definitely reinforced ten-fold this weekend in Mokpo. Perhaps I mentioned to a few of you that I was not too impressed with my surroundings here in South Korea. "It's not what I expected, but I'm not quite sure what it was I expecting," was my mantra this past week when meeting all the ex-pats and other english-speaking people in my midst. It's a bit gloomy here: there is an unending haze that hangs in the air, the buildings are not very dense and alternate jarringly between tall utilitarian apartment buildings and low-rise commercial blocks, there are not many parks, no grass to speak of and very few trees. But following a 3-hour bike ride which took me all the way around Mokpo's peninsula, I discovered that there is much more to Mokpo than I had imagined.

Let's think in terms we can all understand: If Mokpo were Toronto I would be living in Scarborough -- but not in the nice area by the bluffs. I'm talking Markham Rd. and the 401. It's still part of Toronto, just not the part that anyone wants to live in. So that's where I am. But the bright side is that the rest of Mokpo is BEAUTIFUL with miniature mountains erupting amidst the city's boroughs, small temples situated here and there amidst the inner-city vegetable fields, a beautiful harbour that wraps around the city filling the already water-laden air with the smell of the sea. Yes, my ambitions to live next to the ocean for a year will have been fulfilled by the time I leave here. Vancouver: eat your heart out!

Birthday Abroad

So another year has come and gone. In Korea one's age is an essential indicator of their social rank and level of respectability. They also calculate their age such that day 1 = 1 yr, which means that I am ALREADY 25 in Korea. Scary thought, I know! But this is definitely not the worst place I've celebrated my "big day" (think Dec. 2001....). Although I did not inform any of my Korean compatriots as to the significance of Dec. 1st, I had a good day at work which ended with a glass of wine, some ice cream, and a good Korean flick ("Oldboy") back at my apartment. Not too shabby if I do say so myself. Although the surprise party of 2003 at 23 Major will go down in hisotry as one of the best b-day's EVER!!! Thanks to all those who wrote and remembered. It means a lot -- even if I don't say it.

The roomies...

Craig and Candy
holding Korean pizza
(i.e.: it's served to you in a paper cup)