This complex puzzle box that is the Republic of Korea has begun to share it's secrets and well-layered chasm to this wayward traveler. It's been two weeks since last I typed... Probably because my head has been spinning too far off its charted axis to be able to sit down and think straight for even a matter of minutes.
I think this place and this life is making me more honest. I can feel my unneeded layers of cool and defense peeling off of me seamlessly like leaves of kimchi as I further delve into a world that's both highly logical and creepily dualistic.
In essence, I think I'm having a good time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's What I've Learned:
A) NOTABLE TV CHANNELS( out of 76):
1. One channel has two Korean women trying to sell spicy crab in a jar.
2. There are two golf channels, three soccer channels and FOUR video game channels.
3. There's the “Hot Korean Girls on Exercise Bikes” channel.
4. The Algebra Channel… for kids who just CAN’T get enough.
5. ...And I swear there’s a channel that just shows pictures of bowls.
B) ODDITIES:
1. "Claw" prize game for over-the-counter medication.( see above)
2. The catastrophic and daily orchestra of vomit can be heard each Spring Morning, the deafening and consistent reminder of the night before.
3. Oprah Restaurant.
4. Two versions of Frosted Flakes. One has a Lion and has less sugar.( see below)
C) FUN SPOTS:
1. CHILGOK: Where I live. A small Borough of Buk-gu Daegu. We've got a 7-floor shopping mall with a movie theater and a "Home Plus" all-purpose store as well as some really nice people.
2. DAEGU( downtown): Still very new to me. Millions of fascinating and multi-fathomed stores and restaurants packed tightly into countless streets and alleys that seem to come out of nowhere. Beautiful girls dressed like they're Anime characters and wearing cat ears solicit for political hopefuls and cell-phones and toothpaste. Really pretty neat.
3. BUSAN: The world's 3rd largest port and home of Haeundae Beach, a nice spot for relaxing and taking a dip after a long week of teaching young Koreans about the endless plight of Big Bird and how "He DOESN'T like yams!!!"... I got to enjoy a well-spirited performance of four very beautiful and talented Korean string players do renditions of Ricky Martin and Eagles songs in risqué outfits to help raise money for the local orphanage... I was moved.
Sadly, I've only been to this one area of the city but I look forward to spending a three-day weekend there in a couple of weeks and giving old Buddha the birthday he rightly deserves.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACHTUNG, BABY!: This country is heavily accomodating of foreigners. I think it's both a blessing and a curse. I suppose I come from a city that's rather proud of it's reputation for being the cold and distant loner... The "Aberforth Dumbledore" to New York's respective "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian"( one might say). And I guess the whole system of privilege enjoyed by foreigners here just kinda wierds me out.
At the same time, I definitely like the idea of people trying to learn more about each other's cultures. So often, I find that it's rather a case of one culture trying to consume the other... And that's the type of thing I'll have to be careful about during my tenure in noblest Han Guk.
But, all in all, it's going pretty well. I've made some friends and am looking forward to seeing some more beautiful mountains and countryside( they DO exist). Teaching is a challenge and one which I believe I am in the process of overcoming. I like having fresh groceries and my own apartment and a time and place to clear my head. I'm really hoping some good'll come out of all of this.
In any case, I'm here.
No comments:
Post a Comment