Friday, February 29, 2008

"Sum-Sang-Nim" Party

A "Sum-sang-Nim" is teacher in Korean. Last night us teachers said good bye to one by throwing a pot luck party at the home of two teachers. There was cheap red wine, light beer and lots of food as we said our goodbyes to Charlene (number 1). Charlene is being replaced by another Charlene! The Director brought some sugar and lime flavored Cool Aid which was mixed with the Korean drink, Soju. (Pronounced "So Jew"). I think Woody Allen would be rightlyfully paranoid about that name!

I got drunk. We all got drunk. The great think about Korea, you can take a taxi anytime, anywhere for cheap. There's no excuse driving drunk. Lisa, a tall lanky teacher, told me she has dibs on several items in my apartment which will be vacated in a few days. I hope my bed and table will be intact before I move in!! She has a great sense of humor and we bonded that night including a new secret Team B (our team) hand sign. Vato!

The booze flowed and a cute teacher from Pimbo was there and i chatted her up for a bit until John, the Director, "cock blocked" me. She was definitely attracted to him but he blew it big time b/c she left for her friend's apartment w/o him! John talked and talked and missed his opportunity and my teacher buddies saved me from his talking wrath as they pulled me away to the kitchen for conversation. All that lubricant and condoms I had back at the Love Hotel...

Jay the Jack of all trades showed up and finished off the last of the lime green Cool Aid mixed w/ Soju. I heard some amazing gossip about him that night which I don't think I'll post. In any case, booze was involved as is most late night transactions here.

You can already see who is friends with who now. And the new teachers bonding with each other and little friendships developing. I already know who annoys me but will give her a few more chances b/c it is early in my stay here and it could be her feeling of insecurity and fears that make her act a certain way. I have developed a rigourous scientific test that will eliminate bias in judging one's actions until all the facts are in: after three outings w/ said person in three different places including one where he or she feels relaxed, then the facts are in and I can rightly say that this person is a jackass, etc. I have two more to go, if that ever happens!

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

The Chicken bus and One Hour Lovers

When I went to Guatemala some years ago, I took the local bus to a town. It was a converted diesel school bus, the yellow bird kind we see in every US city. Along the way we picked up farmers, their wives and of course, their hens. I called it the chicken bus and for good reason. Lots of local chickens crammed into a coop. Today when I flew from LAX to Seoul, I felt like the chicken in a coop! Economy class chickens that we were but we had choices of movies, lots of movies. I couldn't sleep on the plane. Who can? Only the lucky ones!

Suwon, South Korea is about 40 degrees. Light snow and a nice wind chill. My hotel room is warm. they have floor heating. the owner placed me in the hotel until the other teacher moves out of his apt. The hotel i'm staying in is for "one hour lovers."

The Chess Hotel in Suwon has all the amenties for quick sex. Lubricants, lots of TP, tissues, a big TV, shaving cream, toothpaste and something called "Aragon" for men. It's from the Kingdom of Aragon and is supposed to make your skin supple and silky. The one hour love hotel has a heavy, cloth drape in front of the entry way so your cheating spouse won't be seen entering or leaving this din of inequity.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Leaving Anderson...

Some didn't say but I know they thought this was a hasty decision to leave Anderson and go to Korea, the Land of the Morning Calm. There isn't anything calm about 45 million people inside a country half the size of California...

Anyway, my plan is to teach for one year at a private institute in Suwon City for one year and come back to L.A. to start graduate school. I can save a lot of money, travel, meet interesting people, learn Korean (finally) and make a large change in my life; where I was going I wasn't liking and this "sudden" change of packing and moving to a foreign country will do the job of implementing some major changes in my life. I was stuck and it was time to take action.