Possible!

I have come to realize that Korean people are very persistent; even when dialing a wrong phone number. This morning my Canadian co-worker got several calls from a Korean man that had the wrong number. He started calling her at 8:00AM and kept calling her and speaking in Korean in spite of the fact that she told him ten times that she does not know Korean. She gets to the office and he calls again, this time I answer... I exhausted all of my Korean vocabulary (excluding all the curse words) in random order with random English words, that most Koreans know because of marketing advertisements, in between. "Possible" is one of those words that my Korean friend Alex over uses and abuses. As soon as I said "possible" my Canadian co-worker burst into laughter and frustration. Primarily because he just did not get the fact that I had no idea what he was saying. I talked his arm off and even had the phone handed to some woman and talked her arm off too. After about three minutes I broke into Bislama, and the laughter of my co-workers continued. I still have no idea what we talked about and don't know what half of the things I said in Korean were, but it was a pleasant 5 minute conversation. I pray that I did not just agree to buy a Ronco Pocket Fisherman or something random like that. ;-)

Would you believe that he called back two more times! The next call was passed to one of the Korean staff that told him that he had the wrong number. Unfortunately he called again. I answered and pretended to be a pizza delivery restaurant and took his order. He hung up and did not call back. That was hilarious!

Picture Day!

So yesterday was picture day for the morning Kindergarten classes. They try to arrange it so there is one Korean teacher and one foreign teacher in every picture. I got to be in two of my morning classes Oxford and MIT. Oxford, initially, was a very messy class. On my first day they pretty much chewed me up and spit me out and the Korean teacher ended the misery 10 minutes early for me as she saw that I had enough. Now that the culture shock is over and I am more relaxed that class has turned into a favorite of mine. The class is just wild and I can't change that, so I don't. I don't challenge them too much, make things easy, and just laugh at them for a half an hour four days a week.

That easy going spirit, that has needed to return, backfired on me today as I was left unsupervised with them for a half and hour and they went nuts and had me backed into a corner praying for the time to be finished. I think my paranoia is a remnant of my days volunteering with a local church youth group where the parents wondered why an unmarried male in his thirties would want to work with youth. I remember on one outing an overly concerned mother cornered me in Utah on an outing and questioning me in private about how I interacted with a girl that splashed me in the river...I only did what every other good leader of the youth group did... Splash back (regardless of gender)! Fortunately for me several of my best friends had kids in that youth group that I had been with on several outings so I could say to her that she needed to speak to them BEFORE accusing me of wrongdoing. She did and apologized.

So to get back to the point, Oxford pretty much had me backed into a corner calling me "Daddy" and dog piling me. There was no lesson planning as it was picture day so I was told to wing it. That class is pretty rough... Four boys and eight girls; you can imagine why I'd be paranoid. Perhaps I need to work on that.

Work and Life Update

It's time to give an update on things going on here. The culture shock is getting better and this is putting me in a better mood. Being in a better mood is helping things out at work too. Most of the challenges I have been having in the classroom are gradually going away. This is in part because I have lowered my expectations and am motivating the students with rewards. This has resulted in significant changes in some of my worst classes.

Surprisingly, I only have one class where the girls are worse than my boys. They started out being a good class then just decided that they wanted to be bad and disrespectful. There will be tears from them on Tuesday. Conversely, one of my former bad classes has transformed into one of my favorite afternoon classes. This is a class that did not start well as my first day the boys decided not to like me as they were rude and I made them stand in the corner with their books over their head. It got so bad in that class that their Korean teacher and I put our heads together and told the director that if they did not change we don't want to teach them anymore.

The director talked to them and they got a bit better. Well that change in them relaxed me a bit so I could have some fun with them instead of managing the challenges. This created a snowball effect where they behaved better and I made the classes more fun. Now all I have to tell them is that we sometimes need to push through some hard and miserable "work" so we can get to the fun part, and the hard and miserable "work" is equally as unpleasant for me as it is for them so let's just get through it together. Yesterday everyone passed their weekly test. The highest grade was 100% and the lowest was one point lower.

On the personal side I understand now why I am here. "The plan," you can say, is coming together. I have learned a lot about myself in the last four months and am now putting a contingency plan together to resolve some things that need urgent attention. For me this journey is about becoming a better person and learning how to feel comfortable in my own skin. I was doing good for a while, but slipped once I got out of my comfort zone. Things are getting better now. Everyday that I implement the contingency plans I begin to feel better and more relaxed.

My leg is doing much better. I have been doing exercises and even go bowling on a regular basis. I walk a lot and that has caused some serious pain; so I have had to do some exercises to strengthen the muscles. Now I can at least live without pain killers most of the week. I was told early on that it would take at least a year to recover, assuming my chances of a full recovery land in the 20% range. I can live with a short leg as long as I can walk and run with a lift in my shoe with no pain. I am hoping that as the anniversary date of the surgery comes closer (February 1) the pain will abide. For now, I remain positive that this will happen.

TV who needs it?

Living so close to the other country with the same name in the North you would think that the military would have a little class. Unfortunately, a friend of mine that did an internship at an embassy in the Pacific was subjected to military tv; he held the same opinion.

I find it funny that the US military attempts to prove to the world that they are the best and baddest military in the world, yet they subject their troops with such stupid basic Kindergarten level propaganda.

Americans must really be stupid if they can be trained to operate ships, planes, submarines, and weapons of mass destruction, but can't buckle their freaking safety belts when driving down the road in their minivans.

OK, in all fairness I have been living overseas for several years and have received some training on cross cultural integration, but some of the propaganda they show is scandalous. Who watches this shit? It is demeaning! OK, in all fairness, it's a carrot and stick routine... I get to watch some favorite tv shows providing I can endure the propaganda... I think I am gonna cancel cable tv. Why have 27 channels when there are only 2.5 you can understand as they are in English; besides I have been living without tv for so long I guess it's the notion of tv that is irritating... Perhaps life without tv is much better?

It's #@$king Cold!!!

Wow! This is the first time I have lived in a place where there are a FULL four seasons and it is not fun. OK, Fall was cool and the colors were very pretty, but we got a cold snap over the weekend and it is now snowing outside. We don't like snow. Thank heavens for the ondol.

There is not much to say on this end. I went to the Techno-mart in Seoul to buy a wireless router; that was cool. I bought that and a hard drive enclosure for about USD$40. One of my laptops died on me so I needed the enclosure to get my data off of it before I formatted the hard drive. Fortunately I had already backed up the data so it wasn't too much trouble to retrieve the new data.

With the wireless router I will now be able to watch my media (news podcasts, movies, ect.) on one computer and surf the web on the other. So far setting it up wasn't too bad. My old Dell laptop is sill kicking, but the WIFI card is an 802.11B card so if I use it with web access I have to reconfigure the setup with a WEP key instead of using WPA to secure the access point.

Namsan Park (#15 Seoul's Best 100)

This picture was taken from the Seoul Tower on my birthday, and goes out to all of my friends from London and Paris, and my relatives from Germany. I went there with my counterpart from Canada. We had a good time, but man it was hot that day and I lost about a pound from sweating so much.

To get there one must scale Mount Namsan which is 480 meters above sea level. The tower offers a panorama view of the Han River. The Seoul Tower is a landmark that can be seen from pretty much anywhere in Seoul. It is visited by thousands of people every year and accommodates a revolving restaurant, video room, observation platform, and other facilities.

The place was freaking packed and took a lot of time to get to the top and back down. It kind of makes me wonder what the evacuation plan would be in the event of a disaster? Oh well, I have done far more life threatening things navigating the seas on trading boats in the South Pacific. I survived both so I guess it isn't that bad is it?

Traveling to Jeonju by Bus

Jeonju is literally in the sticks. It's very close to Busan and only a 2.5 hour bus ride from Singal Station to Jeonju World Cup Stadium. Instead of getting off the bus at the Jeonju Intercity Bus Terminal, I opted to get dropped off at the stadium, but that was a challenge. In fact everything was a challenge and required the help of locals and lots of charades. The trip went something like this...

Mid Day Saturday
I was originally supposed to make this trip last weekend, but Alex did not get back to me with the itinerary until late Friday evening so I decided that I'd go this weekend so I could figure out the route, and I wasn't feeling well either last weekend. After a few phone calls I worked it out that I catch the express bus from Singal Station near my house (5 min. bus ride).

As I left my house I thought that the local bus I needed to catch was outside my house, but after a brief conversation with a student at the bus stop, I walked 4 blocks to another on a different road. One thing that I discovered is that most younger people know English and are eager to practice. Granted, I will talk to anyone to get directions, but students in uniforms help the best. Four teen age girls were sitting at the bus stop near the sign I was trying to decipher to see what bus I need and they just started talking to me much to the amusement of myself and the two old ladies waiting for the bus too. After the usual pleasantries of being told I am handsome, being asked where I am from, being told that they are 14 years old, being asked what I am doing here, am I married, etc. I was escorted to the bus they were taking as it would take me to Singal Station. "OK, get off here please...We hope to see you again..." It was cute and funny.

Finally at Singal Station, I ask a man standing at the bus stop where I could buy a ticket and was ignored... Not willing to give up easily I find a woman my age waiting and attempt to get her attention in Korean; it worked. A little more broken English and charades and I am directed to a ticket booth. The advantage of getting help from Alex is that he just works it out. The problem is that I don't learn or feel comfortable, but dependent on his help all the time and that can make things a bit stressful. This time I did work it out and with limited help from him, other than one phone call to translate and explain to me why the ticket agent wouldn't sell me a ticket, I was able to secure a ticket. Turned out I was at the wrong window, but when asked the only response I got was "anyo" or "no" in English. After speaking to Alex, another agent guided me to the right window... Now I needed to find the bus stop.

After securing the ticket I walk back to what I thought was the bus stop and an older student makes eye contact with me and says, "Hi. Where are you from?" I tell her I am from America and ask if she knew where the bus stop was to go to Jeonju... We exchange a few more pleasantries then I walk 50 more feet to the stop, 20 minutes to wait. The first bus came up and I tried to get on, but it was the wrong bus... Having seen this error, she, the student that gave me directions rushed over and said that she was going home, but would wait with me until the bus comes. I actually learned something from our conversation. Koreans consider themselves one year old at birth; so if a Korean tells you that they are 18 years old, they are really 17 in western terms. In addition to this I learned that I was the first American she got to practice English with and this made her very happy. We also talked about foods like dokboki, kimbap, bibimbap, galbi, and a few others. I can't say for sure as the English was a bit awkward, but I think she asked me to have lunch with her next Saturday, but considering she is way too young it seemed better to just play dumb lost foreigner and change the subject. It worked, then the bus showed up. I shook her hand, thanked her for the help. She waited for the bus to leave and waved at me through the window as it departed... That was another cute and funny experience.

This post was more about the adventure of getting to Jeonju than anything else. I was able to see my friend from Australia that lives on the 7th floor of an apartment near the stadium. Attached is a photo of the stadium that I took from the balcony last night.

I hope all is well with you my valued readers. Please send me an email every now and then letting me know how your doing.

I AM ON A BUS

I AM ON A BUS HEADED BACK HOME FROM AN OVERNIGHT TRIP TO JEONJU. THE COUNTRYSIDE IS VERY PRETTY THIS TIME OF YEAR. I WILL SHARE MORE THOUGHTS ONCE I AM HOME.

Nothing to say

I'd write more, but honestly there is nothing to write about. Things are getting better in increments. I am learning how to teach the students what respect is and they are getting it. Often though, it comes in the form of punishment which they, for the most part, are responding to. I have to be careful though because their is a delicate balance between needing students and discipline. Let's face it private language schools need students to survive. If one disciplines the students too much the students run away. There must be balance to keep the money flowing in. So this means I need to learn to endure some nastiness.

I am going to do some traveling south to see an old friend. Will update you on that later.

The Ondol...

I can't believe that fall is already here. It is getting down into the 40's F at night and I have had to turn the ondol on. The "ondol" is the Korean traditional underfloor heating system and is renowned as one of Korea's greatest developments in architectural design. Although the modern ondol has been altered much from its traditional roots, current ondol's consist of a network of hot water pipes flowing under the floor for indoor climate control. It is widely believed that the ondol dates back to the Three Kingdoms (37 B.C-A.D. 668) era where the hot smoke and exhaust of stoves in cooking rooms under the living quarters were used for warmth. The traditional ondol consisted of utilizing the smoke coming out of the wood or coal burning stove by sending it through a series of smoke passages under the floor with a vertical chimney on the opposite end of the home to provide draft. This type of heating system was used with concrete and wooden floors, with all types of floor covering (e.g., stone, tile, wood, vinyl, and carpet), and at ground level or upstairs. Choice of floor finishing requires careful consideration, because changes of floor finish may affect performance. My floor is mainly cement with a very thin vinyl floor covering.

I turned my ondol on a few days ago and am continually adjusting the temperature, but can say that it is a pleasure to remove my shoes and walk on a nice and warm floor. It also helps me understand Korean's obsession with sitting and sleeping on the floor. If it ever gets too cold in my house this winter I know already where I am headed.

Seoul 2007 International Fireworks Festival

Yesterday approximately 2 million people found there way to Yoido Island in Seoul to attend the 2007 International Fireworks Festival. I confess that I am not one for capturing pictures of fire- works, but I did get this one that I am fond of. There is a tree in the picture that is silhouetted by the fireworks on the other side. I met a friend in front of the worlds largest church, Yoido Full Gospel Church, and we walked from there to the Han River Park to attend the festival. There were three sets of fireworks each with a different corporate sponsor. One sponsor was an American firm, I could not hear the name said, but they lit the fireworks to the sounds of Joan Jet and the Black Hearts' "I Love Rock'n Roll" and Dave Mathews' "Two Step." I have fond memories of both songs so it made for the fireworks to be even more stimulating. One of the things that Even I fell victim to was the obsession with using a camera phone to take pictures with for uploading to a web blog or do whatever with... I recal at on point getting a picture of nothing but the back-lit screens of cell phones with a rapidly dimming plume of fireworks in the sky. In my case I submit to you my the results of my obsession. The only justification that I can give is that I forgot to put the SD card back into my camera and had no memory so taking pictures with my 2.0 megapixel camera phone was, dare I say, a lifesaver.

There are two impressions I have from this event. The first is that I have never seen that many people in one place for a festival. Second, seeing that many people in one place and trying to navigate the crowds made me dizzy. My friend let me hold her hand so we could stay together. At one point the pushing and shoving got so intense I almost lost my grip of her hand. We were trying to go in the opposite direction of the crowd, but had to go with the flow because we just could not fight it anymore. Had it happened I it would have made me feel very uncomfortable. Let's just say that being in a crowd of TWO FREAKING MILLION PEOPLE was crazier than the fireworks show, which was cool too.

I picked up a program from the Yoido Full Gospel Church and think I will need to check that one out. I have heard about this church when I was in the US. There are something like over 800,000 members, that is crazy. My understanding is that they restructured the leadership into smaller cell type home groups. I don't know much about it, but when I do I will send an update here.

Interesting...

OK, This one appears to identify how I feel... But regardless of what it says, I'll bet it says the same thing for everyone...

Your Score: A Bit Of Both

You are 40% Calvin and 60% Hobbes

Calvin & Hobbes, like a scruffy yin and yang, are in perfect balance within you. Like Calvin, you're weird, a bit insecure, and can be a trouble-maker. But like Hobbes, you're down to earth and sensitive. It's a risk to say it here, after just a ten question test, but I'll bet you're smarter than most. Both Calvin and Hobbes are crafty, clever characters, and any one made from equal parts of each is a force to be reckoned with.

Link: The Calvin Or Hobbes Test written by gwendolynbooks on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Sex, Drugs, and Norebang

Korea is lacking in nothing. I finally can recognize a drug store when I see one. The picture is of the hangul writing that is displayed on every pharmacy. I still don't know what it means in English, but if I need aspirin or something for my bellyache I can find it here.

I came very close to going to a Norebang (karaoke) last night, but the crowd got weird so I went home early to get some sleep. I cant recognize their sign either so I'd have to rely on friends to help me find one.

I chose the title of this post for no reason. Perhaps I wanted to get your attention? Did it work? ;-)

Sorry, no yellow machine mayhem...

Just a boring dinner and sleep at home.

More yellow machine mayhem coming soon...

Whew, I survived today and now it is tonight! Yeah! I have always worn my profession on my sleeve and that is a nasty habit that I had to break. I am happy to say that I am no longer a work-aholic. I love me time and can't get enough of it. I really need to make a career out of fun, maybe become a funologist, but then that would become work then I'd fall off the wagon and become a work-aholic again... Argh... Why the vicious circles... OK, I got the phone call... It's yellow machine mayhem time. 8-) I love Thursday nights!

Sleep is a good thing and so are three hour lunches

Why? Because even fretful sleep is still sleep--And when life gets in the way of a good nights sleep, any sleep at all is better than none. The challenge is fitting the other more, appropriate need in the same amount of time... Food. Time for it. I am afraid to tell as it is not exotic enough to be mentionable on this blog... I gotta eat... Later.

Silence is a timewarp and mimes are freaks

I know, I am being quirky and philosophical right now, but I gotta get this out of my system. I have never been content with pregnant pauses... Ever. And even far less patient when reduced to the likeness of a mime in Paris that only knows Greek. Which just reminded me of Bastile day 2006 in Paris when my step dad walked up to a French Police officer inquiring why the bridge over the Seine river was closed [for fireworks] and exclaimed in frustration, "Doesn't anyone speak English in this country?" It's OK, it was his first trip outside the US and a big culture shock for him. I give him credit, and loved every minute of our time together in Paris. But I digress...

I am in Korea and I hear language all around me, but feel as though I am talking to myself all day long. At work I even have resorted to answering my own questions or arranging the limited vocabulary of my students into a comprehensible sentence while guessing about 99.9% of what they might be wanting to communicate. I have been wrong on so many occasions it makes me sick. Now I am regretting ever playing hooky for my theater class at university... Wait a minute, I am a business major. No wonder I su'huck at miming.

Seriously I want to learn the language and I want to learn it now!!! I am dying to have a conversation with the locals in my current locale because I have an insatiable appetite for connecting with others. I don't know if it is because I crave approval, attention, or just really want to appreciate the people and place where I am at right now. For the record, I don't care, I just need intelligent conversation in any language but without the charades. If I ever get a Pictionary game for a birthday or Christmas present I think I will self destruct.

I have been reading a dogeared copy of Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost for His Highest." I am still contemplating todays musings and the thought that "God's silences are His answers." If this is a gift from above than I am in a timewarp and I'm not receiving the message. What's missing here? I'd try miming it out, but I'm afraid I'd get that answer wrong too because we all know I su'huck at miming.

The world is my oyster, but I like sushi. Why can't the world be my sushi?

Flashback 2003. When I made the decision to move to the South Pacific to do some development work on an archipelagan paradise, and decompress from the madness of life in Southern California I thought that things would be the same when I returned. Because I was from Southern California I thought I would be able just drop back into my scene, my life as I knew it, just two years later. I never expected to experience all that I did and be able to sort things out to the point of having life make sense. Seeing the world has been mind blowing, and living in another is culture a real trip. It has been four years now since I left the US and in the last 4 years I have only existed in the US for 7 months for short periods on four separate occasions. 9 October 2007 was the anniversary of my departure from the normal, the routine, the glib, and all other things I took for granted. If my travels broaden my perspective anymore there will be a canyon where my head once was. I do know one thing and that is that I do not cherish the good memories enough and I let the head splitting ones get into the way...Not anymore...

I am gonna let go of the notion that my life is anything but normal and routine. I kind of do mis that little place where I had goals, thought about what was next, knew the path I was on, where I was going, and what I was doing. Life abroad has had some of those moments, but they have been all to brief. The Pacific Islands were everything I expected and more. When I arrived the first time it scared the hell out of me, when I arrived the second time it was like I never left. I recall saying on many occasions that I was privileged to say "I get to call this work." There were difficult times and times it seemed like the sweetest dream that I did not want to wake up from--I guess adaptation to ones environment is possible. When I went back the second time to my idyllic world in the Pacific I was on a two week holiday that turned into a one year adventure I will never forget.

Now I find myself in Korea and another environment to adjust to and everything is just dandy... Sorry, old habits are hard to break. ;-) Seriously, I have good days and bad ones and the last 24 hours have been a kind of hellish. I am not a good sick person, I live on rushes of adrenaline that come from experiences and when something robs me of my fix of it, like a stomach ache (or the pit in ones stomach that one gets when they just did something stupid), then I just need down time, then the down time turns into an introspective acid trip (Not that I have ever tried acid mom, Honest.) that makes me want to crawl into bed and pull the covers over my head and turn the world around me off.

The sun is rising and in about an hour I'll get to get my morning cup of goodness from Dunkin Donuts. It is other ritual in my life that I fear the day will come when I will arrive in a foreign country only to find that I forgot to pack emergency rations and Juan Valdez is nowhere to be found. About two minutes ago a thought hit me, things can change in a day. I am a writer, but I usually write my updates in email form and force them on unsuspecting readers whose address was in my contact database, but blogging is different. It's is my world, my oyster, my sushi and you have a choice as to when and if you peek into the window of my world so excuse me if I say what's on my mind, this is my world after all. ;-) Just be gentle with me if you respond cause I am not in my comfort zone yet here.

Thank you for reading though, no seriously, thanks for reading. Tonight is Thursday and I am gonna go out with some of my Korean friends and have some fun that might include increasing my collection of random things that come out of the yellow machine. Seriously, I am not so sure it is the yellow machine as much as it is the fun of loitering outside a seven eleven while playing the yellow machine that is the bigger rush. I think it takes me back to a nostalgic place in high school in a bygone era where one could loiter outside a seven eleven in Southern California, up until the cops came. In Korea loitering anywheres but at home is a national pastime, houses are for sleeping and ones dong is for loitering. I know if I stay any longer in here without some good loitering time I am gonna go ballistic or is it postal? No, that is not it... It's, "I am gonna get cabin fever."

Over the weekend I will be all over Seoul like a bad habit. It has become a scene that I am liking more and more. I need to take more pictures of all the stuff that happens when I am there, but in this too I try to capture moments in some sort of facade and need to get to the brass tacks, and just be bold and take pictures with reckless abandonment.

The Trash Fairy - Revealed!

Last night we had a cold snap that caused me to turn on the heater. I am still trying to get the hang of the controls and over heated my apartment and nearly burnt my feet when I got out of bed (more on the heating system later). So I decided to open a window and get some fresh air and when I did I heard the clinging of glass outside my apartment. I was relieved because I knew the Trash Fairy was paying my building a visit in spite of me snapping a picture of her the day before. You see, it's bad luck if you get caught taking a picture of the Trash Fairy. She has been known to avoid her duties as punishment to anyone snapping a picture of her; if that happened I'd freak out. So, nonetheless this picture was taken while walking down the street on my way back from lunch. There they were, two of them filling up their carts with the cardboard from the local supermarket.

Seafood delivery truck

It doesn't get any fresher than this. It is a Seafood delivery truck. The tank on the back is an aquarium and inside are fish, squid, and other shellfish that will become someones dinner tonight. I spotted this find in Seoul the day I got lost in Seoul before my first date with my new Korean girlfriend. Basically the truck comes and empties its tanks with a net into a host of tanks outside the restaurant where the diner chooses the fish they want to eat. I have never seen a truck like this, perhaps it is the first time, or maybe it is just a Korean thing. I do not know, but it did peak my curiosity so I thought I'd share it here.

To prove that there really are fish in the tanks, I am including another picture here where they can be seen kind of clearly. I really have no idea why I am amused by this, but this is my blog so just deal with it already. See the little fish in the window of the truck? There are half dead fish in that window and you could be eating them for dinner at a Korean restaurant near you. 8-) If you are a vegetarian, I am sorry.

Mmmm... Yellow Machine Fun?

When in Rome, do as the Romans... This is a testimony to the random things that I have experienced. It is funny, stupid, and one of the many random and stupid things I will do in Korea that I probably would not do elsewhere. It is a claw machine with prizes in the bottom and the players challenge is to locate the claw above the prize of their choosing and hope for the best. My average cost per win is USD$0.75 per prize. Now I have a collection of random lighters, watches, stuffed animals, and vitamins. The funny part is I don't know why I continue to play, but most Korean's out after 10:30PM at night can be found using one of these machines. Have too much soju? This machine becomes a challenge that must be met to prove that you are a better drinker than your mates. Bored around 9:30PM when the kids leaving school are met by their parents? Play the yellow machine to an audience of kids in front of the the local 7-11 and you will be a hero if you give your prize to them.

Sauna, Massage Rooms, and Beauty Shops (Seoul's Best #32)

Saunas in Korea are known as public bath houses where the women and men each have their own areas and are given a key for a locker for their clothes. They cost anywheres from around USD$4.00 to USD$14.00 and most include a Jimjilbang (sleeping room) where after a shower and soak one can sleep overnight on the floor of the sleeping room on a thin mat with a block for a pillow. There really isn't a way to describe the demographic of the customer base because Koreans of all ages go to public bath houses. They offer a wide range of services including massage, haircuts, and shoe cleaning and repair.

The one in my area is a real family affair. Father and son, youngsters out on the piss wanting to soak and sleep of the liquor before heading home, even the teenager wanting to relax after a long night of playing online video games at the local PC Room all frequent public baths. The hard part is finding one as Saunas, Massage Rooms, and Beauty Shops all use the same sign, a spinning cylindrical barbershop pole.

For the foreigner it can be quite intimidating if you're modest because, well, once inside clothes are not allowed. I was ushered to a locker told to take my clothes off while the usher watched, and was not given a towel. Once the clothes were inside he locked the locker and walked off with the key and pointed to the shower room where I was told to take a shower before getting in the hot tub. Once in the hot tub I relaxed and soaked away my aches and pains. I never noticed how much good a hot tub could be with my bum leg; it loosened up all the muscles in my lower back and improved my stride. After the soak I showered again, and went on a search for a towel; I found a stack of tea towels and proceed to the sleeping room to check that out.

Inside the sleeping room there are vinyl covered foam exercise mats and a vinyl covered brick for a pillow. On the right there is a rack of hospital gowns hanging in the corner, just grab one of those short and thin gowns put it on and grab a blanket and lay down on a mat and sleep. It is not the most comfortable accommodation, but it is cheap at USD$4.00 per night. Prices range from USD$4.00 to USD$14.00. The best scenario for using one is when you go to Seoul to see a movie and miss the last bus and can't afford the taxi home.

Massage rooms are similar to Saunas as you can sleep overnight and usually have a masseuse of the opposite sex. It is hard to tell where to find them because they too use the mysterious spinning cylindrical barbershop pole for a sign. I have been told that if they have two spinning barbershop poles, like in the picture above, it is a designated massage parlor, but times have changed so now it is a bit random. Many places do not provide service to foreigners and I do not know why, they just don't. Prices range from USD$55.00 to USD$80.00.

I haven't had a haircut in almost two months and I am scared. Why you ask? Well, because the beauty shops here use the mysterious spinning cylindrical barbershop pole for a sign. I went into one for a hair cut and walked out with a foot massage and shorter toenails. I am not going to give up on getting a good haircut, it is just taking longer than I would like, or perhaps I am too picky.

The random things I say...

cause people to laugh at me and I don't know why. In Vanuatu it was my clever way of explaining to my village that I needed to leave church early because the manioc laplap I ate the night before has given me gas and I was too embarrassed to pass it on a wooden pew in an echoey church. Hey, I did not know that there was a word in Bislama for flatulation. I looked all the possibilities up in the dictionary and found none so I went back to my training; in the anatomy lesson I learned that everything has an ass and it means the bottom or backside of something. So I simply told my village that I had to leave church early because my ass was singing out ["Mi aot long joij from se as blong me i wantem sing aot bigwan."].

Here it is a bit different. My new Korean girlfriend laughs at the strangest things I say. On our second date she drove me home and paid the toll to get from Seoul to the city where I am which is south of Seoul. As she was paying for the toll I noticed at the toll booth that they had a T-Money RFID payment pad. So upon noticing this I pulled out my prepaid transportation card and say, "Oh, T-money! Can I use this to pay for the toll?" After she paid the bill at the toll both she burst into laughter, and kept laughing all the way to my house occasionally asking me to say it again... "T-money." Now she just grunts and says, "Your so cute! Say T-money again."

Yesterday, on our third date we went for a walk around my dong, and I was explaining to her that I wanted to go a certain way because earlier in the week I noticed that a business shut down and they were doing some renovations on the store front and I wanted to see what the new business was going to be. She did not understand my fascination with the speed in which one business can shut down and another open; so I told her the story about TwoTwo's Chicken. That store used to be a shoe repair shop. My co-worker spotted a pair of shoes he really wanted from there on a Monday and on Thursday it was transformed into TwoTwo's Chicken. He walked in scratching his head and asked if they had a pair of shoes he could buy and the people working there said, "Yes. Chicken? Beer?" The shoes were gone forever. To this my new Korean girlfriend laughed and said, "T-money and TwoTwo's. Ughhh.... You are so cute!" And then proceeded to laugh at me.

As she departed she gave me a hug and kiss on the cheek. I put her in her car and she asked me to call her so she could show me that my number comes up on her phone as "T-money." I don't get it, but I can take comfort in the fact that if the locals are laughing at me I must be doing something right.

Geek Paradise - Yongsan Electronics Mart (Seoul's Best # 94)

This is the place that will make a true geek drool. It's the largest electronics market in Asia with over 7,000 shops housed in 20 buildings. I got lost wandering the 10 floors of one of the buildings, and all the choices were way too much for a guy that has been living for over three years in a small South Pacific Island nation where choices are limited to either the supplier that sells what you need, a friend making a brief trip to Australia, or doing without.

I have made the trip twice to Seoul to window shop there, and once I figure out what they have I will be doing some shopping. The surprising part is that the prices there are way cheap! I say this without knowing if that statement is true because I have been living abroad for over three and a half years, but so far the choices are plentiful and the prices seem reasonable enough compared to both Vanuatu and America. The funny thing was even here I had vendors ask me where I was from and on discovering that I am an American they wanted to know if the prices were cheap. To answer this question I had to give my standard answer of, "Sorry, it's hard to say because I have been living abroad too long and am not sure, but they do appear to be cheaper. They are definitely cheaper than in the South Pacific, where I lived for the last three and a half years."

Wherever I travel in the world there is the perception that prices are cheaper in America. I have been asked if aspirin, milk, electronics, iPods, and Big Macs are cheaper in America vs Korea. The difference between here and Vanuatu is that here they just want to know for the sake of knowing, in Vanuatu it is a reality that everyone including the expatriates know is true and seeks to sneak away to a larger country to go on a shopping spree and indulge themselves on things that cannot be found in the Pacific.

"Yes" is the new "No"

I recall in Vanuatu that "no" is the universal answer to almost any question or comment to avoid misunderstandings and maintain a bit of privacy. In these situations it is mostly used to stop the conversation from going further. Every question has to have an answer even when one does not want to answer very personal questions to complete strangers outside the village or on the street. When this happens, "no" is the polite way to extricate oneself from the conversation.

Here "Yes" is used often to avoid temporary misunderstandings and keep the peace. Its a path of least resistance that allows relationships to move forward. I have seen many people, both Korean and foreign, use this masterfully. My date this evening came over to my house and needed to buy me a gift, because it is customary, so we went to the 7-11 down the street from my house. The lady behind the counter began a conversation with her. When I asked what that was all about she said that the lady behind the counter was asking her for something but she did not understand what or why she was asking for something from her so she just said "Yes, but I have to go because the 12 liters of water I am holding is heavy." After that we left.

One needs to understand that there will be times when they need to say it, mean it, and deliver and times when it is just easier to say it to avoid further discussion. In many ways I said "yes" to the gas sniffing lady just to get her to stop yelling at me in a foreign language I do not understand. It was fairly painless and now I know how to avoid her, just like the rest of my apartment building does, with the exception of the other sucker downstairs from me--I expect he will learn to not answer his door also.

The Trash Fairy

It took about two weeks and a pile of full trash bags near my door before I discovered the Trash Fairy. I search diligently outside to find a trash bin with no luck at all. So I decided to walk up the street and just see if my apartment building shared one with another or just figure out what to do with my trash. One thing I noticed is that outside every apartment building are three mesh bags or other kind of 22 gallon receptacle each containing plastic, glass, and paper recycled goods. So I figured that out and separated my rubbish accordingly into the mesh receptacles I found outside, but still did not know what to do with the real trash that can't be recycled... I think for a bit and decide to just leave it by the road and see what happens. When I come home from dinner I noticed another bag of someone else's refuse so I figure I am doing it right, and in the morning the mesh receptacles were emptied and the two bags of garbage by the road were gone. My street is so quiet that I can hear my neighbor across the street's tv so if a vehicle was used to haul it away I'd notice, but nothing was heard. That's when I decided that trash fairies do exist. Just leave your trash on the road and kindly separate your recyclables and the trash fairy whisks them away. I have yet to spot one, but when I do I'll take a picture and post it here.

Why I will never answer my door

The obvious answer in the states is to avoid door-to-door sales people that pedal anything and everything from encyclopedias to religion. However, in Korea we have the door-to-door "gas sniffing lady." No, its not a joke, it is for real. Normally everyday my door is plastered with advertising stickers selling everything from food to women; I ignore them and the "Trash Fairy" comes and makes them disappear in the morning. I can't read the advertising and don't try. I come home one night after work and notice five post it notices that show the date and time she had come to my house to sniff my gas. I ignore these too because I was sure the good Trash Fairy would make these too disappear. Then at 9:30PM the door bell rings and spontaneously I answer the door. There she is yelling at me and waving a wand at me trying to push her way into my house to do something. I smile and say thank you hoping that she will go away and as I go to close the door she grabs for the handle. More yelling... Then I give in. She waves this wand at me, no, no gas there today; then proceeds to run it around every wall in my house and in every drain and pipe. Upon completion she has me print my name, sign, and write my phone number on this form. Now she calls me once a week. I say "English" and hang up.

There were two other instances that happened with different people when I answered my door. The last one was someone I think trying to proselytize. I again answered the door and did not understand a word that was said so again I bowed and said thanks and closed the door. They knock again and kept screaming something. Eventually they left. It took three times for me to figure out that if I don't answer the door they will go away. I even asked my co-workers if they answer their door and they said "nope, what's the point if I don't understand."

The gas sniffing lady did come back today. I just quietly peered through my peep hole and watched her move on knocking at all the other doors, waiting three seconds before moving on to the next until she found a sucker that answers the door. Today my neighbor downstairs was her victim.

My head is going to explode

I don't think I will ever get used to culture shock. After living close to four years over seas, it still gets the best of me. It is compounded by some very challenging stuff at work that has me reeling right now. There is one thing that everyone should know about me is if one challenges my integrity, they better be right... If you are wrong be careful in the future... The culture here was supposed to be one where respect, honor, integrity are revered... I am not seeing this. Of course I was dropped off here and not given any cultural training like in Vanuatu, but at least I know that the reverence for respect, honor, and integrity are do-able. If I am wronged in Vanuatu, I know that the custom chief system will eventually bring about a sorry ceremony. I am not seeing this here.

OK, enough venting on this blog. Tomorrow will earmark my 2 month anniversary here. I am not sure what I am doing to celebrate it, but I need to have some fun... Time to make some phone calls...

Happy Birthday to me!

I got this text message from my friend Alex tonight at midnight. I did not get it and had to call him to ask what it says... He told me that it says, "Happy Birthday!"

I get it now.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Date: Sep 26, 2007 12:13 AM
Subject: ¢½ iiii ¢½
To: Nam Tasa

♡ iiii ♡ 생일
┏━━┓너무
┏♥+*+*♡┓너무
┃~☆∼★~┃추카
┻━━━━┻

SMS Dating

It all happened so fast. A chance meeting on a confusing bus ride resulted in a girl asking for my mobile phone number. Since then we have been sending text messages to each other everyday then yesterday this string of text messages ensues:

Her: where r u? seoul or home?
Me: lost. seoul i think. near singil station.
Her: singal or singil. u in yongin now?
Her: any tall buildings near u?
Me: yes. singil stn off line 5 in seoul
Her: u come kimpo? me bored. wanting meeting.
Me: u no come singil stn 4 meeting?
Me: kimpo 2 far 2 late no bus no train
Her: please i will drive you home
Me: ok. I will sent text when on train.
Her: thanks u come
Me: OK on line 5 be there in 15 to 20 minutes
Her: ok meet me at emart at kimpo stn

Woah, what just happened here? I know you are all thinking that I must be nuts, but some of my friends here are not because this is how things work here. In the US I'd never do this because well, first of all it would never happen, and second it is and was an innocent and wonderful evening. There are no false expectations here.

So I met her at Kimpo Station. We had dinner at a restaurant an hour north of Seoul. I confess, When I noticed that the sun was setting in the western horizon and that the tall buildings of Seoul were being replaced by empty space I knew we were going north so I asked, and she responded by stating that we were heading towards North Korea. I freak out inside thinking the worst of course, just like my mother is as she reads this....I ask again, "In North Korea?" She says, "No in Heyuri (pronounced Hey-Yu-dee)." It is an art village complete with restaurants, a school, and drive in theater. It is very much like Clairmont, California without the drive in.

restaurant in La Verne, California on the patio and Upon arrival in Heyuri we check movie times at the drive in and proceed to dinner at a very nice Galbi restaurant sitting outside. It reminds me of a mixture of eating at a Mediterraneanbbqing on my balcony in San Dimas. From here we head back to Seoul to a drive in theater there because she thought it had English movies playing there. I had been telling her here that I want to learn Korean so I'd be happy to see a Korean movie. So she asks if I wanted to see a comedy or love story. I ask her if I knew Korean and it was her choice which one would she choose? We saw the movie "A Love." It is a typical love story with a very small and easy to understand plot in any language. You know boy meets girl. Boy saves girl. The fall in love and commit suicide due to the every impending forces of evil that seek to destroy their relationship... Yeah right?

After the movie she drives me 1.5 hours back to my home, we shake hands and depart ways. The interesting part is she not only drove me home, but paid for the entire date and it wasn't cheap. We still talk every day either by text or phone. Will most likely see here this weekend in between some other dates I have arranged over the weekend. Korean women, when respected have a high need to treat their men like kings and I did that a lot! I will be playing things cool here until that happens. It probably will happen, I just don't know when. 8-)

That is it for me.

Saturday Night In Suwon

I went to see a movie in Suwon on Saturday night and this was the scene on the street at the beginning of Soju row. We found a Karaoke Bar that was decorated like a cave. Nice place and it was very entertaining to boot. We had three hours between the movie and dinner so we went there for a few drinks and to watch Koreans do what they do best... Sing and drink. I know that statement sounds harsh coming from someone that is not Korean, but when I was at the airport to drop a friend off I found an immigrations brochure on "living and working in Korea" and it said that "Koreans are happy people that like to sing and drink." The "cave" bar was a great example of the enjoyment Koreans get from singing.

Gyeongbokgung Palace (#1 Seoul's Best 100)

This is #1 on the Seoul's best 100 things to see and do list. It is also my second stop with my friend and former boss from the US that visited me within 3 weeks of my arrival in Korea.

This palace was established in 1395 as the residence for the founder of the dynasty at the time. It has the best representative example of the architecture during the Joseon Dynasty, and is a culmination of the finest techniques of the age. Inside the grounds one can find the National Museum of Korea, the nations largest, and the National Folk Village.

The funny part of this photo is the thought of just standing in front of these guards taking the picture. I think that my friend and I were diligently playing the part of tourist. If I recall correctly, I did a happy dance to see if I could make them flinch...But then quickly decided that I did not want to get "Taekwandoed." They looked fierce and magnificent standing at attention and were truly mesmerizing no matter how funny the moment was for us making fools of ourselves in front of them much in the same way that tourists do at Disneyland when looking and taking photos of Mickey Mouse. :-)

Next Saturday, September 29, 2007 I will be visiting Changdeokgung Palace (#2 Seoul's Best 100) on a date with a very attractive Korean gal I met... I am so thankful that I have a cell phone and Koreans have taken to 3G technology...It truly is the best way to get a date in Korea. ;-) Please keep your eyes peeled for that update!

Samsung SPH-W2500 WCDMA World Phone

OK, Here it is... A picture of my new Samsung SPH-W2500 WCDMA mobile phone. This baby comes with a 2.0 megapixel camera, video, 42MB internal storage, 1GB external Scandisk storage, MP3 Player, Movie Player, MS Word, MS Excel, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Operates on CDMA/HSDPA Broadband Service, and is compatible with GSM 900/1800/1900/850 SIM chips so it really is meant to be the last phone one will own. It is a slider too!

Korea Wired!

Korea is the world's most wired nation and to celebrate I am sending this update from my new Samsung SPH-W2500 WCDMA Global roaming mobile phone. It has everything and I like it! Pictures coming soon!

Literary Irony

Several comments have made my email box to inform me that I misspelled "newsreal" in the title of this blog, and the proper spelling should be n-e-w-s-r-e-e-l. My first thought is.... Hmmmm.... I am an English Teacher so I need to be able to convey the understanding of words and paronomasia, or puns. If you know me then you know that I love puns because I think they are "punny." 8-) In all seriousness though, 'The Namtasa Newsreal' is a blog where you can get the "real" news about what is going on in my life so the name fits, "punny" or not.

I perhaps have a new love...

Restaurant that is! This particular restaurant has been closed since I got here, but according to my sources in the last year has reopened four times. You can tell when it reopens as the street corner is a buzz with dancing beauties and bad loud music (by the beauties). I haven't eaten here yet, but
it looks like another Korean BBQ restaurant. Now if the waitresses look anything like this on the inside, I got a feeling it might become a place to frequent; as long as the price is right.

On another note, I have been told that having dancing girls on street corners began a several years ago and were called the bikini wars. Bikini clad Korean girls would dance and sing for customers of gas stations so they could steal business form their competitors. Unfortunately I got this from the 1995 edition of the LP and you all know how I feel about it's accuracy. Either way, this picture was a great source of entertainment on my walk back to work after lunch today.

Galbi (BBQ pork ribs)

The infamous Galbi (bbqed pork ribs). You get a bunch of plates of kimchi, cabbage salad, three different soups, pickled onions, lettuce, mushrooms, garlic, and some other stuff to throw on the grill and feast to your hearts desire. No need to worry about not finishing as you get more food than one person could possibly eat. Just cook at the table and enjoy. Mmmm..... Galbi!

Why all of the metal bowls and chopsticks you ask? It's a tradition dating back to the Joseon dynasty when the ever diligent kings, concerned about security, insisted on using silver bowls and chopsticks as silver tarnished in the presence of poisons used in those days. The custom was then passed down to the commoners and stuck. The problem is that the common people could only afford baser metals. I wonder if they tarnished in the presence of poisons too? It really doesn't matter now as most local restaurants use stainless steel dishes. Sanitized and chilled the water cups keep the water cold on a hot day and this is a bonus!

Gu Gong Tan Restaurant (Korean BBQ)

Here is a picture of the infamous Gu Gong Tan Restaurant around the corner from my house. This is where I first was introduced to Korean food on my first day of landing here in Korea. Since then I have eaten here with my two Canadian co-workers, now we eat here at least 3 to 4 times a week. They know us so well that they give us freebies. We also ate the crab and spicy noodle soup for breakfast the night that my friend Alex's chicken restaurant closed. If this place closes I'm gonna have to either have my ni-Van friends send me some kava or pack my bags and throw in the towel...Just kidding!

Spicy Noodles and Crab

Breakfast at 3:30AM on Saturday. The chicken was deflated and the restaurant closed so we wandered into the restaurant next door for some Spicy noodles and crab. A good breakfast, but the heartburn is killing me. The spices come from the mass amounts of red chili pepper they cook with. It goes on pretty much everything except the breaded pork cutlet, which has a sweet and sour type sauce on it.

No More Tandori Chicken

This is my friend Alex. I met him by walking in his restaurant on my third day here. He was the owner of this nice little Tandoori Chicken franchise that recently shut down the entire chain putting him out of business. On Friday night I attended the after/closing party with some of his other Korean friends. We stayed until the inflatable chicken was deflated. Fun was had by all, but the place will be missed. At around 3:30AM we ate "breakfast"of crab and spicy noodle soup at the restaurant next door then deflated the chicken, packed up, and shut the doors. Without this place my neighborhood just went downhill a notch.

Socks, trucks, mobile market

While there are some nice outdoor market houses in Seoul, one cannot get away from the random street vendors that sell anything from tasty deep fried mandu to socks. Most have some kind of tape they play on the stereo in the vehicle, and others drive around with ice cream truck music playing loudly until they find a good corner to park on.

This guy just quietly sells socks. Plain ones cost about USD 50 cents and designer (Nike, Addidas, Ping) socks sell for USD one dollar. I now have two pair of designer socks and two pair of plain socks. I pass this truck every day on my way to work.

Korean Celadon Earthenware

Korean pottery has been around for over 10,000 years, but the 12th Century is when skilled artisans developed and churned out celadon earthenware with the infamous green tint. In later years as artisans in China played with the temperatures of the kilns and the materials used they developed blue tints and colors that rapidly spread across Asia and eventually found there way to Europe.

Ìnsadong Traditional Crafts

This a picture of the facinating traditional sculptures dating back hundreds of years and are now on sale in this very trendy and artsy suburb of Seoul. As I walked through the maze of street vendors and shops I found this one to be one of the most well displayed. To bring out the definition of each piece the shop owner sprays them with a water bottle. Eventhough China is well known for their porcelean pottrey, it can be found here too. It gives one a clear picture of the melding of local and Chinese influences.

Jogyesa Temple

While on my way to Insadong I found this temple just a few short blocks away. The outside was very interesting, but I had to peer on the inside to get a glimpse of what everyone else was kneeling to. If I understood a local who gave me some insight correctly, there are murals painted on the outside depicting the many different gods one can pray to; one for prosperity, one for luck, health, etc. When someone is praying to these gods it is to address an issue or concern in their life at the moment. I only wish he would have explained the big golden dude inside the temple...

Buddhism came to Korea from China around the fourth Century. The temple was built in 1937. In 1954 the Buddhist Purification movement started at Jogyesa Temple with the intent on eliminating residual Japanese influence and preventing further invasions. There are influences of indigenous shamanist beliefs. Many of the mountain temples have sections dedicated to shamanist dieties that date back over a thousand years.

Tasty Goodness...

One may find it hard to believe, but I do eat pretty healthy here. The day usually begins with eggs, toast, and coffee. Lunch consists of either Korean BBQ, cold noodles, or some other Korean type dish I can't spell yet. Dinner is more of the aforementioned. So on this particular Sunday I decided to take a friends advice and head into Insadong (famous for it's traditional crafts and pottery) to do some window shopping. Of course I found golden arches before the porcelain. I am not sure what the sign says, but I want it supersized!

I am an Alien!

OK, it's official. I am a Certified Alien... In Korea that is. This really is good news as it means that I can officially get a mobile phone, use it for social networking purposes, and can even use the camera to make sure that my hair looks good!*

*Whilst on a subway I saw a girl using her camera phone to put make up on. Now I can have a camera phone too! All this from one simple little Certified Alien Registration Card; wonders never cease!

In Honor/Horror of Thursday's

This one goes out to a friend in Vanuatu. Today is Thursday. Tomorrow is a special event at school and as a result I don't have to go to work until 4:30PM. More than likely I will find myself here with my Canadian friends. This is a picture of Samsung Plaza just above Seohyeong Station. It is a 10 minute bus ride from my house to Ori Station then a 5 minute Subway ride to Seohyeong Station. On the left you should see what looks like a smiley face (it's really a smiling monkey) inbetween a red and white PC sign and a black and white one. It is a club called Monkey Beach. I will most likely head there after work tonight. I was dragged there three days after I got here with my predecessor and counterparts; we had a great time. It really reminded me of my days in Vanuatu with a mate that was dubbed It's Thursday.... This one is for you! ;-)

In Rememberance of 9/11

In remembrance of September 11, 2001....The day most of the world mourned. I remember being on a business trip and woke up to this. I was scheduled to depart a few days later for Kentucky to visit the CEO of the company I worked for to receive an award for working as a volunteer to give teens life skills. I missed the flight and left when the ban on air travel was lifted a day later.

I felt uneasy receiving that award after this...

The Switch...

For a great parody on the annoying phone companies that call and try to get you to switch long distance phone carriers click HERE. Thanks to Ace for the heads up on this one. Personally I would have gone with the mobile....home, but then again I am in Asia and not Europe. Now if they did that here I would definitely not want the mobile home. 8-)

My First Visitor from the US

While I was waiting in Sydney, Australia for the Korean Consulate to approve my visa I got a return email from a friend in that other business that I used to work in. It was my former boss. He told me that he would be in Seoul on business two weeks after my arrival in Korea and it was my job to show him a good time. Well, if memory serves him correctly, I think we did succeed in the fun department. I only say this because one of his staff members and I had a phone conversation before he got here and she threatened to fly out and beat me up if he did not come back to the office with a smile on his face. Now of course I had to seriously consider my options, and while there were no down sides in the scenario, I chose to show him a good time here in Seoul... And succeeded... I think because, well I did not get beat up. :-0

So I worked a little magic and got Friday off because there was some sort of a contest at the school and they did not need that many foreigners. ;-) This means that I met up with my friend on Thursday evening after work. By the time I got off work at 6:30PM and got a lift from my current boss to the bus stop (foreigners can't do anything without a local) it was already 7:10PM; the next bus came at 7:50PM (I know It's_Thursday... It's a numbers thing!) I arrive at 9:30PM, check in to the hotel (nice room by the way...very nice shower/sauna thing), change clothes, and catch a taxi it is past 10:00PM. We meet shortly after that. Neither he nor I thought that we would have company, but the people he was meeting with were there to show their Korean hospitality. It was cool. It reminded me that I was working in that industry at one time and that I hadn't forgotten too much; I even kept up in the conversation and even participated.

A little food, drinks, and great conversation later and it was off to bed. A good time had by all. Then comes Friday. Both he and I sleep in until late morning. He is at a hotel two blocks away, so I get up, shower (Awoah, for the second time!), get coffee and two bagels from Starbucks from across the street, and leave him to tidy up some business stuff so he can shut his darn cell phone off, loose the diaper bag full of soccer dad stuff, and have some fun. We are off! First stop is the Doeksugung Palace.

Doeksugung Palace is # 3 on the Seoul's Best 100 Things to See list. Following the heritage of the Joeson Dynasty we try to hit up the two other remaining palaces, Changdeokgung (#2) and Geyeonbokgung (#1) Palaces and only got to see Gyeongbokgung Palace, but it is a monster. I will be doing separate posts on the Top 25 Best Things to See and Do in Seoul so please stay tuned to this blog for those updates.

After the Gyeongbokgung Palace we took a brief rest then headed back to Yeouido Island (The Manhattan Island of Seoul) for a shower then it was off to see the sunset atop the observatory deck of the 63 Building one of the tallest structures in Seoul. It was dark by the time we got to the top, but the site was fantastic. Funny how there is a Seaworld at the base of the building, we did not go in though. After a cocktail from the observatory deck it was time to hit the nightlife in Itewon #4 of the Seoul Top 100. A quick dinner at Subway then it was clubs away! I found it strange seeing that many white people in the clubs there and on the streets, but then again, I have been gone for a while and the ratio of whites to Melanesians is significantly lower in Vanuatu.

OK enough jabbering from me. I have gotta shower and drag my leg to work. I will be visiting more of the Seoul's Best 100 and providing separate posts for those. Please keep your eyes peeled.

Ale, mi stap go nao. Lukim yufala afta!

Nam Tasa

Welcome to The Nam Tasa Newsreal

Welcome to my new blog. You might be wondering what is up with the name? "Nam Tasa" is the custom name that I was given by Chief Caspar of the Banks Islands in the Republic of Vanuatu. During my good-bye party Chief Casper and his clan performed a custom dance* for me and bestowed a custom name that means "man that can do anything he sets his mind to."

The name I was given honestly represents many of the challenges I have faced throughout my life and career. Now I find myself once again doing something that is new to me. There is a new language to learn, new culture to figure out, new environment to adjust to, and new food to learn to love. Korea has been fantastic so far. One month down 11 more to go.

Please stay tuned to this blog for updates on the happenings here in Korea and wherever I go in the world. It is the only place to receive "real news" on my travels and adventures. Hence the name, "The Nam Tasa Newsreal."