Check this article out...

A Delayed Response: The Sequel

BY: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Not-Published: December 8, 2008, 2:47 A.M.

SEOUL (AP) -- Sadly, I have a feeling that this phrase will run like a decent trilogy gone greedy... As the dust settles after my ball-of-dust landing in Korea, the frequency of the new and mind-boggling has begun to slow. I have a few theories as to why: A) I would be going too far if i said that the "honeymoon period" is over, but I'm becoming less awestruck when I encounter something exciting about my culture, family, or self. 2) Alternate theory 1 is that a strong percentage of my experiences here have been foreign (go figure), and I'm just too overwhelmed to sort through my thoughts at times. It's going to take some time to get completely process them. And C)...

...So by now your realize that the publication is P or P. The reason for busting out the unpublished archives is to reveal more about the author. For further listening:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zIQlH60OEk

-Mirah, a Portland, Oregon-based songstress.

In other words, I thought for a moment that I was going to need a break from writing (which I technically already did) to commence an era of strictly private entries, but circumstances have changed. It will be a fly-by-my-seat adventure.

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No Luck: I do NOT have any real wood to knock in my apartment. This would have come in quite handy as I told people how fortunate I was for not catching any of the virus strains that have been running around, latched to a good number of my Mongolian rug rats, colleagues, and friends. With Luck: It was already Thursday by the time my diminutive, non-threatening cold-sore had matriculated, so I can't be too upset. I was able to take enough drugs and drink enough scalding water to lighten the blow today. And, this weekend's festivities are within grasp--I feel confident that I will actually get to see Anna Agnus Adeota Andahazy (another recent college grad teaching here) for the first time since we've both been K-side.

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The gossip crew, consisting of Matthew Teacher and the CC's, often remind me of the horror stories endured by fellow soul-searchers in Korea. Being fired a few months before contract completion, constant harassment from bosses, being lied to about vacation, etc. etc. Also, I've learned that some people work nearly as much as many of the natives here. After talking with "Quadruple A" (Anna Agnus Adeodata Andahazy), it is clear that some teachers are overworked and underpaid. Quad A works 12 hour shifts quite regularly for a wage that amounts to just over 6 and a half bucks/hour based on the Korean won to US dollar ratio.
(for the math, see below. I felt compelled, being in Asia and all. Check: one non-PC term for this blog)

I've always laughed at the following:

"Sorry I'm crampin your style."
-Richard Wheeler (my first GF's father to me on my first date)

But, this phrase hasn't seemed as humorous since starting at Dongtan Leadingtown. Being aware of the sort of messy situations I could've ended up in hasn't made it any easier. As many of you know, sharing any criticism, positive or otherwise, with anyone now affiliated with Leadingtown, is strictly prohibited. Thank God for the internet! *note: the "L" in the preceeding and following references to "Leadingtown" has changed its name to maintain anonymity. I've let my furrowed brow hide for too long, and many supporting anecdotes have escaped me because of their sheer number. Be that as it may, here goes:

Leadingtown seems to be a breeding ground for tension. It clouds the atmosphere. If it rained indoors, we would be burned alive on account of it desensitizing the smoke alarms. Though I've personally been able to avoid it, being in its midst doesn't do a whole lot for stress levels, especially while being sick and worrying about some other people I know.

For example, crying seems to be a popular activity here. The academic manager/director/i-don't-know-what-to-call her cries at least 3 times a week. Eating lunch in the break room hasn't been much of a treat as of late. It is a little uncomfortable when someone who I can't always understand, tries to explain how much she abhors the other admins and native teachers. And though at the time, it was joked about, said manager and another Korean-teacher has gone toe to larger toe in an all-out screaming match, that, obviously ended in tears--this has happened several times. Kleenex's are some of the most popular office supplies in the lounge.

Conversely, sometimes the confrontations aren't as conspicuous. On a separate occasion (just today), a seemingly harmless 5-minute b-day celebration turned into a battle of different proportions. Joseph Teacher (the name that haunts little Korean boys and girls everywhere), failed to make it to his brief cake ceremony, and a passive aggressive brawl ensued. For not attending, Jessica (the sweet 1st lady of Leadingtown, who's told me I have a nice voice), gave the entire cake away. Joseph, in response, turned a cold-shoulder to everyone. Not only that, he exploded at a fellow newbie, who, until today, was enjoying her safety from it all.

Morever, I have been witness to some pretty questionable shit that goes on, primarily, in the higher echelons of Leadingtown. Shady deals and hypocrisy are no strangers to theses halls.

I just recently found out that on some of our recent post-work outings, the receipt has been taken back to the big cheese, so that the buyer of the evening could be reimbursed. The catch is, the buyer hasn't been the one taking the receipt into Director San's office. The buyers (plural) happen to be everyone BUT the reimbursed.

Also, on one of these nights, I've been approached by an individual to leave the company to join a new Hagwan. The catch here is that the particular individual was precisely the person who, on my very first day, told me the biggest mistake I could make was merely associate myself with another foreign teacher not from Leadingtown (it was only insinuated what would happen if I were to consider leaving).

In my brief time, I've already seen a few victims of these circumstances. Chelsea (the woman without a definite title), Emma, Sunny, Sue, Oprah, and ??? have all either left or expressed their desire to do so. Who knows how far the collateral damage will spread.

The list could continue, but you get the picture. And ultimately, I DO realize things could be worse. I realize that I have been getting some preferential treatment for some reason (for example: I have a 4 less class sessions per week than other foreign teachers, I get to teach the more advanced classes, I haven't been approached for accidentally breaking the dress code, etc.)...I have my suspicions as to why, but that's another story. And after all, much of stress is relegated to Korean-only conversations and closed-door meetings. But, I sometimes just feel like saying, "YOU'RE JUST MAKING IT WORSE!" :) It's like I'm standing in front of Leni and Christine Wolf all over again; I can't help but wonder if they are talking about me.

the math
As of the 5th, the won traded at 1,475.75/dollar, according to Seoul Money Brokerage Services Ltd. It translates like this:

100 cents
-------------- = .067762
1,475.75 won

That means, for every 1000 won made here, we make around 68 cents. This is absolutely crazy considering that only four months ago, 1,000W gave you $1.

So, the 2,300,000W/month that was promised turns into approximately, 1,800,000W, after taxes and other expenses are taken out. This is equivalent to around 139716 pennies a month, or $1,397.16.

At the moment, it is safe to say she works 50 hours/week.
On average, each month has around 21 working days. (10 hours/week X 21 = 210 hours/month)

$1,397.16
------------ = $6.65/hour
210 hours
In The Next Issue:

-The Upside of Work














-Thanks for Sharing: Holidays with the Fam!

More Firsts

...my thoughts go out to "2 fiances" and "brother tom"...

I'm thinking that, now, a weekly meeting will probably be more realistic. This last weekend was another good one (more shopping and exploring)...a group of performers in Insadong--performing a Fr. John Drummy favorite: "Battle Hymn of the Republic"
view from the top of Choo-Yun's Office-Tel (apartment/shopping center)
...I've come to the conclusion that if I were to express all of my thoughts, unworthy of sharing as some of them are, via weblog, I would have less time to actually experience them as opposed to writing about them.

Like the phrase goes, "if you spend all your time cleaning before company comes, you'll have nothing to talk about with the company." I'll just have to settle for the highlights. This may be a cop-out for inefficiency.

Maybe when I finally start getting up a bit earlier, which I might be doing to start lap swimming with some co-workers and/or take language lessons, I'll be better at updating...

FIRST #1:
Last week, I had my first Korean-exclusive lunch at work. Though there is no specified time to break for lunch at my current place of employment, I managed to during the same time as some of the natives. I enjoy a good reminder of western culture and thought, don't get me wrong, but it was actually kind of a relief to experience Korea without having the constant reminder of my "yellow outsides and cream filling." Nor was I having to view my homeland within relative scope of my family--I must say again, my family here has more than gone out of its way to make sure I'm comfortable here, but--it was nice to be a free bird in the wild, at least for a spell.

FIRST #2:
The train of premiers kept rolling last Friday as I was able to do a 'lil socializing, post office hours, with "my people." I was fully indoctrinated in the art of soju, while simultaneously experiencing Japanese seafood pizza and the functions of my new phone. Good times indeed. And as I sat battling, archaically, to converse with some of the lesser-versed-in-English, I was overcome with the desire to REALLY learn Korean. Guilt, whom I often blame for many of my decisions or perceptions, has ironically been a back seat driver thus far in Korea. If I'm going to mingle with the Koreans, the least I could do is speak their language. The ease by which I've led my life so far in Korea has blinded me from truly pursuing the language that's eluded me for so many years. Being the spoiled baby isn't as glamorous as it always seems...

FIRST #3: ...taking that first step in testing my amateur Korean in the real world came with a price tag...a price tag named embarrassment. After FIRST # 2.5 (meeting another westerner besides my co-workers in suburban Byeongjeom), I went to a health club a few blocks from my studio, in the hopes of gaining a point of comparison with other places; a girl from work wanted me to buy her old membership from another gym near my school in Dongtan. And, though that place had some pretty neat distractions (in the form of video golf and numerous TVs), the thought of having to get all suit-and-tied at a gym wasn't very appealing.

After struggling through an Korean/English tour of the gym's offerings, I was satisfied and ready to sign a 6 month contract. I was a little too confident in my understanding of Korean, and unfortunately, thought that I caught the gist of the man pointing upstairs and muttering something in hangul. Assuming that I was to look at the locker rooms, I casually began to saunter my way up the 12-foot wide stair well. For a moment, I heard voices yelling, but thought nothing of it until it dawned on me that I was 2.2 from entering a world of nakee. Whoops! Talk about an introduction to Korean women!

...Consequently, though I had planned on cooling off my Korean in hopes of preventing potential scandalousness, I somehow managed to gather enough courage to "help" Molly pick up a few essentials later this last weekend. And, though my skills didn't serve the intended purpose, we shared some laughs; embarrassment doesn't sting nearly as bad when you're not going it alone.

===============================================================
While the economy worsens almost daily here, and the money I'm earning may not cover my debts in the US, there are a few upsides:
I hear dental work is extremely cheap! Matthew teacher has already taken advantage of this phenomena. He was just finishing treatments on his fifth root canal this weekend, which he paid a fraction of what the American procedure would've cost.
Also, glasses aren't too expensive either...I may have to get another pair of Asian glasses before I leave!
===============================================================

Slightly random: With the right marketing, I think this candy bar has American-Bar-Crowd-Success written all over it. What better way to wash down that late night Perkins, Silver Mine, or Micky D's with...

a dagger to the heart...

beware the fickle heart, the one who haunts at night
it's vessels spread throughout the soul, an ancient naval sight
beware the fickle heart, a cactus tree indeed
for those who oft share their blood, end up left to bleed.

(the preceding was NOT a poem about the packers radio network)

THE RED FACE

It was another good weekend in the South of Seoul. That is, minus an America's Funniest Home Videos-moment that involved a clock-obsessed brother, a wall, and a dust pan; it is a moment some of you may have been able to view in real-time via the wonders of the webcam. Plus, the Badgers won!

I've just finished reading my Korean-American cohort's blog. Mugs' sister's boyfriend's sibling's child (or the niece of Debbie's BF, for short) just arrived in Korea late last week after a journey that led her further down the path of jet-lagged-ness. After intermittent messaging over the past few months, we were finally able to meet face-to-face. For a much better account of Saturday's events, check out Molly's public prose at:

http://seiyoung1.blogspot.com/

--I truly share all of the sentiments in this, her latest entry (save for the anxious market experience, which my family's support has saved me from). It's a must read for any patron of P or P and much more interesting and detailed than what I would've written--big thanks to Molly! I apologize for my plagurism, but here is an excerpt which I must share..

"The best part of the trip was our discovery of an outdoor brand called The Redface. Oh yes, it's just a gift wrapped in hilarity. It's obviously ripping off The Northface, but i don't think they get the joke in the translation. Everyone that knows me has experienced my "redface" at one time or another as a result of alcohol consumption. Not all Asians are lucky enough to turn a shade of crimson but many do. Expect some photos of me suited up in some Redface gear...rockin my own "redface" as well...haha."

For some reason, she didn't feel comfortable subjecting herself to an affiliation with the brand just yet, so I did for the sake of all of your enjoyment.
<--- I've been learning a lot in the last few days. While my CC's (as i will, hereafter, refer to my Canadian colleagues) were busy exploring one of Seoul's many gu, or regional areas, I was catching up on a life that I was had been absent for. Saturday night, I was introduced to some new beer accompaniments while I learned some more about the history of the Suh's. The most shocking discovery was that the Korean name I had assumed for twenty-two years was mine, turned out to be the work of the orphanage I called home for a few months before I left for a life of more opportunity. My older sisters originally named me--sounds vaguely familiar don't it?--Sung Jie. Talk about not really knowing yourself.

If turning my world upside down (a bit of a dramatization) wasn't enough, more realizations followed. The social status that I found my family in when I first met them did nothing to unsettle my suspicions that they might have been capable of raising me. But, after learning of their struggles after I was gone, that feeling was more or less laid to rest.

Work ethic must not translate very directly between the western world and Korea. And I'm not speaking only for the slower-paced midwest US; the CC's and my "Carolinan...carolinanite" can back me up when I say that the definition is fairly different between two places for a majority of the population (I, by no means, intend to discredit the blood, sweat, and tears exhausted by many people close to me in the US--actually, the following sounds a lot like my family back home). Hae mi, for example, started saving money for her education at a young age. And when I say education, I'm not talking about the 500-seat lecture-halled institutions of higher learning...I'm talking about middle school!

(Most Korean elementary school students are at school ALL fricking day long, forgoing the hours of cartoon watching for a strict diet of school, school, and school. School can come in the form of an English academy [i.e. a hagwon like mine], a martial arts school, daily [as opposed to weekly] music lessons, Math School, Science School...you get the picture)

I have been asking many of my Korean co-workers what kind of after school-school they attended, and when posed with the same question, my sister sat quietly ashamed. Her thirst for knowledge is evidenced when I look at her book shelf filled with English books, a language she had never been able to afford classes for.

And, When I told her that I had been working since age 14 to fund my obsession with music and eventually offset a portion of the costs incurred from a college education, she told me the stories of La Go and Hye-Il. The 2nd and 4th oldest sons of my parents (for whom I don't have names for yet) didn't finish high school in hopes of maybe working, in a different approach, to eventually achieve a life of comfort or affluence. I would guess that their motivation was this: to leave a home where the man of the house--a man that was no more than a few years their senior--could not afford to provide rooms for everyone. La Go (whose name I learned literally means, "stand up", a distinction that they all seem to seem proud of), left before high school even began to begin making money. He was using his "weekend time" when he came to see me Sunday night after working 6 hours on Sunday. Hae-il, whose recent success as a music/movie producer came after years of jumping jobs, didn't even BEGIN middle school. My 12 different jobs seemed like child's play in contrast to the dozens of positions these two men have held.
Morever, this knowledge came while I already knew of Sunjin's absolutely insane work hours (8 am to 1 am, 6 days/week), and Sunjae's (8 am to 10pm, 6 days/week). It seems that the recent teetering economy Korea has seen can't be blamed on a lack of effort...I could go on, but I've belabored the point enough.

I'm tired...potential topics to follow:

-koreans' fascination with obama
-my first lunch with the koreans (at work)
-"hey look! a white guy! and, my embarrasing gym experience
-(proposed) teaching
-more sibling similarities
-the story of the clock

More views from the hood...












오늘 좋아해오 (excuse my korean):

i got a new phone today! my two youngest sibs came over this morning and hooked me up with a phone. not gonna lie, it's pretty bombalish. its a: touch screen, video phone, cable tv (yeah, i know...it's pretty ridiculous, right?), internet machine, refrigerator, and 2 ton jack all in one. okay, so the last 2 were a bit of an exaggeration, but you get my drift. it is my new favy gadget. now if i could just figure out how to text in hangul...

also, i was given a couple days off the last week of december...yaay! i'll actually get to see one of my super successful sibs for more than a couple days :) the penultimate parslow is coming to visit in t-minus 1 month!

furthermore, i finally found a gym and dry cleaner. after a few mishaps at the local watering hole--none of which, of course, could be attributed to me--the latter is a bit more pressing. however, a gym is equally important, but its much easier to hide my post-athlete bod behind some cleanly pressed threads.

exciting as well, is the possibility of another american teaching at my hagwon. i guess she's also a fellow korean-american uw alumn...what are the chances?

okay...if you haven't noticed by now, i usually don't stick with what i tell you i'm going to cover, that is, if you're keeping track. you can go ahead and call me a future politician ;)

There there...you're safe and sound on the McFly Farm

I hit the pavement one night last week by myself --the first time since i've been here, save for a few steps to and from bus stops before work. It reminded me, somehow, of the 4 hour jaunt from madison to river falls...and strangely enough, i had the same inexplicable comfort of being at home. Living in pre-land 'o bama, my P.O.S. malibu was my temporary asylum from the hustle 'n bustle of everyday life--i cherished those few hours of simplicity. And though i spent a notable moment pondering the big questions, keeping my eye on the "road ahead" didn't seem as imposing as making choices when facing the forks in the road i would have to make in, the then, future. Now that i'm in the land where the streets, sometimes literally, have no names, flashes of that sense of serenity returned. I was able to get lost in my iPod while i read and understood only a handful of the thousands of signs that paint the sides of buildings in byungjeom...(sigh. i miss my car. well, everything about it except the maintenance and cost)

===========================================================================

REPORT CARD

...a solid night of fun for me on FRIDAY. Sadly, the same could not be said for my still ailing co-workers. Apparently something that we ate or drank caused some erratic stomach behavior on saturday for everyone involved but me (SEE FIG. 1). Poor WA BAR. the "bing bong" noise that beckons the affirmative "ne" will be heard with less frequency after that 'lil incident. It's all good in the hood, though. Excluding the time spent with family, i'm excited to explore Korea outside the 5 block radius of my place of work and slumber.

The pay-off from my mini-course on korea (which included a handful of korean movies), came to fruition when i struck a chord with my boss when relating to Tae Guk Gi, an award winning film that followed the plight of a family torn apart by the Korean War. The overworked and mystical man came closer to earth as he described his father, as a police officer, being forced to join the red team while he watched his son go to the blue and the broken family that resulted.

SATURDAY I got to give my sis and her husband, sung jae (kinda ironic--i'm "sung jie" and my brother is "sung jin"--great names come in 3's), a taste of some americanized pseudo italian cuisine. The best ingredient to my version of spaghetti would probably have to be my new favorite vegetable: the korean baby pumpkin. This little green guy could be a cousin, if not an incestuous one at that, of zucchini. They seemed to enjoy it, or at least put on their best happy face while eating it.

I've pretty much gone back in time about a 20 years...every time I get in the car with my family, it takes about 20 minutes for me to pass out. After being entranced by the GPS's rendition of the Seoul City and succumbing to my inevitable nap, I got out of my sis' hyundae and boarded the sub system for the first time since i've landed in Korea. When I arrived at Sun Jin's in Ilsan, I once again stuffed my face with an enormous amount of korean side dishes, soups, and seafood--some of which i still fail to identify. This has been somewhat of a theme while I'm with the Suh's. Even though I've shared with them my misfortune/excuse of gaining 30 lbs in the last 18 mo.'s, and most everything they've had me try on* hasn't quite fit, I get the feeling that they don't believe that I was fed in the last 22 years. Boy, are they misled.

On SUNDAY, after another extensive Korean meal, I went to Incheon and got to see part of the western coast (SEE FIG 2). It was a windy day, and after walking a few planks of the boardwalk, we left to meet up with Hae Mi again; but, not before my mother, in whom I've seen flashes of "gramma" (one of my closest friend's grandmothers who is renowned for her ability to give you food when you don't need it), somehow convinced me that i needed some dak bok gi (think penne, but in rice form), a mysterious broth, and fruit. Funny enough, a few moments later we were all seated cross-legged on the floor around a traditional dinner table for a delicious meal of kal-bi (korean beef bbq, SEE FIG 3). Before leaving Seoul, I went to a man-made lake, played some badminton (SEE FIG 3b), and finally got my hands on another korean language book. For, in the haze that was the 48 hours before my big flight, I somehow couldn't find a way to sacrifice a few ties for this essential tool.

I finished the weekend off with a little party with my sis, her husband, and one of her high school friends (SEE FIG 4). I got to experience the Korean version of ramen...though the american version of the chinese dish seems like child's play compared this flamy salt water. Dizzam, I was mos' def in need of my new baller sweatbands. Luckily it wasn't a first date sichiashun. Then, after a few rounds of soju (korean headache water), mek-ju (beer), and Johnny Walker, Sung Jae had to retire from one of the card games we were exchanging.

OVERALL WEEKEND SCORE: A

*note: I'm often confused when they present me with clothes. without explanation, one of them will just hold up a jacket, shirt, etc. and say, "try on." The occassion of gift-giving has yet to be clearly indentified. It's actually kind of cute. On another interesting sidenote, I've already tried on the 2 largest sizes of the jacket that my Shin Hae (2nd oldest) bought me. Apparently I have monkey arms.
===========================================================================

FIG. 1


FIG. 2


FIG. 3


FIG. 3b


FIG. 4


Thanks for tuning into the latest installment of P or P. Join me next time, as I investigate some of the inner workings of Dongtan Readingtown. Until then, don't do anything your twice engaged grandmother wouldn't do ;)

Post Script: I've been trying to find north amidst the mass of buildings here, but never thought to look to the night sky. In the calm of 3am, I still can't find the north star...

untitled no. 1

inferiority complex aside...i've reached a new level of appreciation for simple, unassuming conversation that had recently dominated my personal life. in a sea of canadian conceitedness i wade and wallow...but i digress.

today was november 11th. seemingly unworthy of particular notice. however, in korea, it is assumed that you celebrate this tuesday with a box or bag of cacao sticks. specifically, 빼빼로, as it's known locally, is toted like hallmark on st. valentines day. i was furtunate enough to be on the receiving end of one of these tokens of appreciation to "lotte".



my family(s) is/are awesome. if i've failed at presenting it/them as, sincerely, my north star, i apologize. my life has been all the easier because of our blood and/or its/their presence.

midnight ramblings...

after meeting most of my family within 24 hours of landing in the hermit kingdom, i began my first day at work...at this point i'm am comfortable with resorting to lists. it's all starting to blur together...but we'll make sense of it all somehow:

1) teachers aren't addressed in the same manner as westerners. korean natives address their teachers as name + son sang nim which literally translates, for example, as "chad teacher"

2) matthew teacher is a thin thirty-something who has really been my guide, as far as adjusting to my new work environment...i feel like there's a mutual respect present due to our common interest in politics, even though our ideals lie on opposite sides of the political spectrum.

3) the other foreign teachers consist of 3 canadian females who, though at times may ere on the side of snootery, are well cultured and good-natured folk. i've already had the pleasure of breaking bread over some stimulating conversation: sharing lists of favorite movies, books, american/canadian pop-culture, etc...

4) any pre-conceived notions of my homeland as being a highly hierarchical society have been all but expelled. henceforth...#5

4.5) any pre-conceived notion of korea being an alcohol inspired country has been all but expelled. (ex. i have been drinking most frequently since i arrived).

5) it was a huge secret, that on my fourth night in korea, i was invited by my school's director to attend a dinner party of higher ups. (i have a sneaking suspicion that they were trying to hook me up with one of the korean teachers). henceforth...#6

6) as according to matthew teacher, a single korean female is an oxymoron.

7) life isn't fair...

8) "teach. your children well. your parents hell."

Estoy en Korea (part deux)

greetings ladies and dudes...

sorry for leaving you hanging for so long....


...okay, so the suspense will have to kill you a little longer because i just got done video messaging for the first time w/mugs and jimbo (mom and dad) for the greater portion of what used to be sleepy time for sunjie-my new/old korean nickname.

until then, i'll leave you with a few photos (go easy on me, i'm a photo-on-my-blog-virgin).

driving into/out? of the area of seoul wherever the zoo is...more on the weekend in ilsan later







i think this one has a shot at being the "album cover" of my little excursion
(what's down the road?)


...and yes, i took the photo of me drinking the milk by myself (c'mon, it's for effect)

Soy en Korea-yo

Hey all...

so i've finally made it. 2.5 months after deciding to make the jump, i'm sitting in the teacher's lounge at dongtan readingtown's (what a mouthful huh?) teacher lounge. i've yet to start teaching as of yet and won't for a few days, but observing the foreign (english) and native (korean) teachers has been interesting. the kids in korea seem almost as confused as the kids in america.

"han guk saram eeyayo?" -- are you korean?

i've already been distracted by the numerous dumbfounded glances i've received while the son sang nim is doling out the daily lesson.

so i just finished my self-paid physical...which was also interesting. i was escorted around by the school's equipment manager who had put on his translator hat for the morning. it's intriguing how much non-verbal communication can be effective.

now, the chief reason why my stay has been busy is my family. from the moment i stepped off the A330 in incheon airport until 12:30 am today, i was with family every free moment i had. i am surprisingly (maybe to some of you) the largest member. the night i arrived, i was greeting with warm, extensive, and fairly emotional embraces from my eldest (sung jin ,40) and 3rd eldest (hae jin, ?) brothers. the hour and half ride from incheon international to my place in byeongjeom was a little awkward at first, but funny enough, the ice was broken after we started talking about sports.

after staying with my sister (hae mi, 28) in her pretty plush new place--conveniently located 1o minutes from my numberless building--i woke up from the heated floor (very common and very efficient) to an american breakfast of spam and eggs ^^ . my sister and her husband, who works for samsung, were extremely great hosts. she also, shared with me some of her bands' songs--more on musical interests later.

to meet my 2nd oldest sister (crap i forgot my name list at home, 43?) and her pseudo famous daughter (ye seul, 16). my niece won 3rd place in all of the peninsula for ping pong...pretty sweet, huh? at one point, hae mi had to take a shower, and the two shy non-english speakers giggled as they snuck out so as to not be in the same room as me. when they returned, we shared pictures and took poloraids for a while. the pictures of my sister's korean wedding were gorgeous! "second oldest sister" is a hanbok model, and her portfolio was quite impressive as well. they all seemed very intrigued by a few particular pictures: 1) me and breeze on my citizenship-winning day, 2) me on my senior prom, and 3) of course, ms. holmes and mr. vanderbeek.

the day continued as my eldest brother returned with his/my mother. she made mugs look like a giant! for being 69, she is surprisingly very spry, and wouldn't let go of me for a solid 5 minutes. i had wondered how this particular meeting would turn out, and i found myself feeling a little detached (even though she wasn't), yet appreciative of her, and all of their, love. we sat some more and compared characteristics of me and my brothers. turns out many of my traits are not of my own creation! :

1- SLEEPING: my sister says that all of my brothers have a difficulty waking up.
2- DRY LIPS: they all have chapped lips most of the time
3- FACIAL FEATURES: the consensus is is that i have the lips/jaw of the youngest brother (hae-il) and the 3rd oldest/2nd youngest (hae jin).

well, i should probably run for now, but i will continue the story of my second day soon...

a delayed response...

YOU MAY WANT TO READ THE END FIRST. BEAR WITH ME...

So, it's taken me a while to get this thing started. Like many potential personal productive endeavors in my life, the ultimate product often sounds better than process...if this sounds a bit like the result of procrastination, maybe it is. Maybe it's a lack of motivation. Or maybe it just sounds like too much alliteration for the beginning of a blog. In any case--

INT. THEATER OUTSIDE STADIUM - DAY

HORNS are heard playing in the background. A stout man saunters onto stage, the background sparsely decorated to mimic a 12th century English royal ballroom. The crowd simmers, briefly.

JESTER

"Lords and ladies, your attention please! The most anticipated match in all of the land! A true test of endurance, fortitude, and...wit? Acquire the proper refreshments and prepare yourself for the the final meeting in the series between...Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain!

--Okay, I apologize for my brief, yet extensive detour. I should probably finish the treatment to my time-bending Shakespearean satire before venturing any further.

Anywho, while the Phillies were beating the metaphorical piss out of LA on their own turf, another clash of relative importance was taking place a little over 2400 miles away (yes, i googlemapped it). While I can only speculate that though some die-hards on the coasts were watching game 5 of that series, most of you were probably (fingers crossed) witness to the closing of another stage in a historic race to the White House--or at least TiVo'd it for a more convenient viewing ;) AND, while my perfectly flawed-yet-subjective opinion of the debate shall be omitted from the following for now, my efforts must be diverted elsewhere.
*(note: while the presidential debate may seem ordinary and and my commentary on broadcast media may seem unworthy of examination to some, for those of you who understand where I'm coming from--rock on!)

Rewind. After watching the publicly televised masturbation sessions, also known as the Republican and Democratic conventions, I swore that the only broadcasts worth watching that dealt with the Presidential race were the debates. Unlike the puffery involved in the aforementioned, the debates at least attempt to present us with what the issues actually are, or so I thought to some extent.

Play. Though I usually rely on other outlets, the idiot box comes in handy when you're just too tired to search for a reliable source. Like many working Americans, I many times resort to having my "input" spoon fed to me. In related and unfortunate news, I didn't even follow through with my pact with myself. This was the first debate I've seen in the '08 season. The 90 minute discussion went fairly smooth, with no new real earth-shattering positions being presented. But it wasn't necessarily the debate itself that lit a small fire under my ass.

Fast Forward. Enter the response to my initial, albeit somewhat self-reflexive, rhetorical question. I just needed to find my jumping off point--
Before the debate began, from the moment the news team filled the 1920 X 1080 pixels of Big Red's (Jimbo, or "Dad" for those not familiar with my father) new VISIO, the opening segments appeared not so dissimilar from watching the assemblage of former coaches and players who present FOX's NFL pre-game. Ironically, my comparison of the presidential debate/race to a sporting event is not as far-fetched as it may seem.
However, it was no more than five minutes into the "post-game" coverage of the debate that my discontent with the broadcast media was brought to a new level. It began with slew of "political" analysts slicing and dicing the "he said, (s)he said" of the debate. Instead of detailing proposals or shedding light on some of the issues on hand, we heard about Obama "sticking to his guns" and McCain "taking the gloves off." --

An aged white man circles his oponent in the boxing ring, upper scalp glistening with sweat. (OBAMA retreats then attacks with a series of jabs) A man chewing a cigar dawns a reporters hat while squawking out the play-by play.

ANNOUNCER

Another right just misses...Oh, boy! That one just caught Obama on the left cheek!

McCAIN

YEE-HAAW!

--It was less special-coverage-of-a-political-event as much as it was Entertainment Tonight covering the latest star-studded scandal.
We were even fortunate enough to hear the opinion of some Joe Schmo (not to be confused with Joe Plumber), an undecided voter. I don't want to completely discredit that particular type of segment, but I thought the "voice from the street" technique was somewhat reserved for mediums such as persuasive documentaries.

Skip Ahead. I couldn't take it anymore, so I had to sacrifice my comfortable place on the recliner.
Let's give the media the benefit of a doubt. Let's assume they were attempting to trigger a national dialogue on a specific issue. This has its merits, but this is a uni-directional conversation. Wouldn't it be more effective and valuable if we, the people, actually deliberated and interacted face-to-face (or at least via internet ;)? It seems the media assumes people aren't willing to participate in a civilized discussion of the issues themselves--which sadly might be the case. But, it is the practice of the media such as this that may have led us to this juncture in the first place--a culture of apathy, more fascinated with the race than the issues.
It is despicable, how the broadcast media handles not only politics, but of what is considered "newsworthy", which, by their definition, should really be called profitable and sensationalist.
That is where I will end my rant for the evening.

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THIS IS...WELL, EVENTUALLY WILL BE A BLOG ABOUT CHAD/CJ PARSLOW'S TRIP TO KOREA.

Okay, I know what you're thinking. This didn't turn out to be much of a delayed REsponse as much as it is as a "( )sponse". But, at least it might have become the catalyst for "a change I need." ;) Or maybe I just needed something to bitch about.

POSTSCRIPT
This should've been the "foreword" for this, the first entry, and perhaps to my entire blog thingy:

WARNING--the following contains content not suitable for certain demographics. Notably, conservatives and those offended by innuendos of various nature. Hopefully, I won't lose any friends, patrons of "Precipice or Penultimate", or the respect of my peers and superiors in the process.

BLOG IDEA
for good behavior/performance for my students...pose a question to one of my american friends about american culture? any volunteers for responding to cute little korean kids?