Does anyone still read this little homing beacon from the depths of my mind?
Well, if you do you'll be pleased to know that my time in Korea is rapidly drawing to a close. Like a long operetta filled with excitement, tragedy, laughter, longing, several long boring parts where nothing happens, one door closing while another opens, and lots of weeping - the performance is almost complete and the curtain will soon drop on the epic play that was my time in Korea. I'm long gone from GnB and am currently floating around trying to catch the money that floats on the many sighs from other lost ESL teachers. I've managed to save a fair bit I guess - enough to take me around Asia for a bit and get me back home - only to be burned up a couple months later after I spend some time in Europe getting to know the ancestors that I don't have there.
I stumbled upon some old photos I took when I first arrived here Dec.21 2006. My cheeks still red from the last 'so long' kisses from Sophia and my mom, my shirt still wet from the hours of crying on the 14-hour flight, I was a wreck but still alive.
Look at me in the corner. This picture may have captured exactly how out of place and lonely I felt. I didn't even get to wear a pink shirt!
Having landed in Seoul weeping like a teenage girl after being humiliated at a school dance by the high school hunk I waited for 5 hours for my flight down South to Busan...my new city.
The first thing I'd learned was that my imagination was the General in charge and my common sense a mere foot solider. I had expected to see children with missing limbs running around after stray chickens, elephants decomposing on the road with vultures (capable of transmitting AIDS and the Avian Flu) feasting on its flesh, and human sacrifices........everywhere.
Instead, my recruiter found me, shoved a cigarette into my gaping mouth, asked me if I was hungry and then responded to my enthusiastic 'yes!!' by dropping me off at my new work without getting me any food. At GnB I smiled shyly at the dozen or so Korean teachers I'd soon be working with, who had gathered nearby to see the new recruit. I felt like a terrified monkey in a zoo. I knew I had to get used to being stared at though, and I did. I never fathomed growing as close to the teachers over the year as I eventually did. Getting to my temporary home (my old directors apartment) I found myself alone once again and had little trouble finding the tears of terror to keep me company.I even took a couple pictures of myself! Look at the baby cry!
It took a while for me to realize that laughing was far more fun than crying and provided the same release (but both are also necessary on their own too like farting and burping). Anywhoo - after ignoring the dried fish in the fridge and almost dying of thirst I eventually ventured out - taking several pictures of the area I was in so as not to get lost and end up like the poor, dead elephant in my imagination. I got a beer, some water, and some ramen. I felt elated for the first time since I had left Toronto (the happiness was quickly squashed though upon realizing that the stove was gas operated and I couldn't figure it out, so the ramen would have to wait).
Long story short, I spent the first couple of months dreadfully lonely and longing to be back home again - where I was just wasting away but could buy comfort food much easier (if I had the money). I put in little to no effort to make friends, had panic attacks before and after every class that I would teach (screaming at the kids provided the crutch I so desperately needed), continued to go on long walks by myself, and generally just sat on my butt doing nothing.
It took no time for my bad habits to travel the 10,000km from Canada to join me.
Oh yeah, and I got horrible food poisoning on Dec.24, 2006 (that lasted until late in the evening on boxing day) thanks to the first meal I'd bought by myself. It cost me about 50 cents and pounds of diarrhea and heartache. I also got a story out of the experience that I've retold dozens of times now about the dangers of sleeping in your bosses apartment with uncontrollable diarrhea. Maybe you'll hear it one day too!
My First day at GnB saw me terrified and near tears (as always) but putting on a strong face...moments before being told to dress up like Santa Claus.
Oct.29 2007 -the day Sophia broke up with me I arrived at work in a state of Deja-Vu - tears still streaming from me eyes but putting on yet another brave face....moments before being ordered to don the costume of GnB's beloved mascot Bobby.
The first 3 months saw me becoming more and more depressed as I found myself EXACTLY where I was back in Canada, albeit this time with no one to complain to. Sitting around, letting your mind do all the thinking spells disaster regardless of where you find yourself. Except if your a monk.
But slowly and surely things got easier and I became less afraid of my surroundings and more afraid of a night spent all alone in my new home with only my thoughts to keep me company . Like the venerable Chiun in the classic tale Remo Williams I soon adopted the mantra of having nothing to fear, but 'fear itself'. I began pointing to things on menus when I was hungry, pointing at maps to Koreans when I was lost, gesturing frantically inward towards my bumhole with a closed fist for a brief moment before quickly 'charading' an explosion outwards to indicate that I had explosive diarrhea and required some kind of buttplug in the form of Korean medicine. Like the cavemen who survived with no language but grunts, body language and charades - I was surviving in a world I had no knowledge of.
Yet I still wasted time blogging everyday to keep my mind busy, watched movies to escape (rather than live in the foreign-language movie I was currently starring in), and made disgusting meals utilizing kimchi everytime if I didn't want to experiment with my new-found pointing skills.
Slowly but surely I began to venture out even more. I became good friends with Blake and her friends and went on my first trip (organized by my great recruiters).
I was still lonely, but it was a step in the right direction (away from my bed and towards the outside world). Hey, without knowing it I was heeding the advice of Asia's most popular person - Buddha.“If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.”
I'm always surprised to find pictures on my computer where I see myself with drunk Korean men and have no recollection of ever meeting them. I am not alone in this.
I finally got to go on a vacation 6 months later, travelling to Japan with 3 girls I met through Blake - Liz, Leah, and Jenn. We landed in Osaka, spent a few days biking (and melting - NO pun intended) around Hiroshima, a few days in gorgeous Kyoto,
and had an incredible adventure climbing Mt. Fuji in a wicked storm (something I will eventually write about after some therapy).
Aside from some great pictures, and even better memories - Liz had come into my life. Asa! (the thing excited Korean children yell constantly).
After tanning at the beach for the remainder of the summer I played host to Courts mini-adventures in Korea.
Waking up with many a hangover we still had an awesome time.
From scouting Busans red light district and the scantily clothed prostitutes ("lets just walk by, say 'hello', and leave" - Court Jarrell-2007) to drinking tons of beer...
to singing in a Noraebahng....
.... to climbing the Great Wall of China (while drinking a beer)
fun times were had...we even managed a quick jump to Japan!
After China with the end drawing near I went to the Philippines with Liz and swam with an endangered turtle, got burnt as hell, saw a bunch of fish and just lazed around.
So with short times in China
, North Korea (for a few seconds)...
Japan,
South Korea,
and the Philippines
- next on the "rough" itinerary is Bangkok on Feb.15 into Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) to the Mekong Delta into Cambodia (Phenom Penh and Siem Riep) into Laos for a couple weeks an then down into Thailand before getting back to Korea on March.25 and back to Canada on March.26.
Asa! See you soon!
I'm always surprised to find pictures on my computer where I see myself with drunk Korean men and have no recollection of ever meeting them. I am not alone in this.
I finally got to go on a vacation 6 months later, travelling to Japan with 3 girls I met through Blake - Liz, Leah, and Jenn. We landed in Osaka, spent a few days biking (and melting - NO pun intended) around Hiroshima, a few days in gorgeous Kyoto,
and had an incredible adventure climbing Mt. Fuji in a wicked storm (something I will eventually write about after some therapy).
Aside from some great pictures, and even better memories - Liz had come into my life. Asa! (the thing excited Korean children yell constantly).
After tanning at the beach for the remainder of the summer I played host to Courts mini-adventures in Korea.
Waking up with many a hangover we still had an awesome time.
From scouting Busans red light district and the scantily clothed prostitutes ("lets just walk by, say 'hello', and leave" - Court Jarrell-2007) to drinking tons of beer...
to singing in a Noraebahng....
.... to climbing the Great Wall of China (while drinking a beer)
fun times were had...we even managed a quick jump to Japan!
After China with the end drawing near I went to the Philippines with Liz and swam with an endangered turtle, got burnt as hell, saw a bunch of fish and just lazed around.
So with short times in China
, North Korea (for a few seconds)...
Japan,
South Korea,
and the Philippines
- next on the "rough" itinerary is Bangkok on Feb.15 into Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) to the Mekong Delta into Cambodia (Phenom Penh and Siem Riep) into Laos for a couple weeks an then down into Thailand before getting back to Korea on March.25 and back to Canada on March.26.Asa! See you soon!
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