Tea for Two

Ohhh yeah. There's some tea and rice snacks... for Charlie and I... Served variously on polystyrene and my journal... On the corner of my bed. I think it's clear from this picture that life can indeed be very sweet.

In other news, yesterday I saw a t-shit - black and red striped with big white messy letters - which said 'Free The West Memphis 3'. Intriguing.When I had a look-see on the intermenet, I learned that Eddie Vedder also sports this t-shit sometimes. The three are three guys who were convicted of killing three 8-year olds. There is a campaign to free them as it's reckoned there was a miscarriage of justice and the three are innocent. Hmmm.

FTA and DMZ

Last week Charlie and I went to North Korea... But didn't go in.
I really want to write a proper post but doubt I will.
Suffice to say it was one of the feckin weirdest days of my life, where parody was overlaid with irony all wrapped up in some old-skool propaganda. It's hard to imagine a more ridiculous situation, let alone a way I could feel good about paying US$40 for the experience.
Things I 'learnt' about on the tour - hosted by the USO ::

• The North are the baddies;
• We are free and safe in ROK;
• The North engage in brainwashing;
• PowerPoint presentations need to be timed perfectly;
• My illegible signature written in pencil is worthy;
• The North Koreans hack people to death with axes;
• There are North Koreans working in factories owned by South Koreans;
• In the very near future Korea will be reunified and the DMZ will be the bestest nature reserve.
• Oh, and this I found just now by accident. Erm?

Ok, and the FTA. At the moment ROK and their friends the USA are negotiating a Free Trade Agreement. Remember when Australia did the same? So I've seen anti-FTA protesters on the TV, but also protesters in my suburb. They had an amplifier and about 4 smartly-dressed people handing out well-produced fliers to passers-by. If only I could read it. Instead I looked at the cartoons, which showed a fat exploitative USA ripping apart ROK. Anyways, need to learn more on this cos I think it will be the topic for my next lesson with my boss' husband, Eric.

We had our first meeting tonight - at the Korean version of McDonald's, Lotteria. Didn't buy any food but just sat upstairs and talked. It's gonna be hard. His English is very very good - he has a senior position in a big (evil) multinational and does ALL his written work in English. Just wants to be able to argue his case to his CEO and field questions after his budget PowerPoints with aplomb. He came prepared with a topic - 9-11. Great. So I pressed him on the Korean attitudes on related topics such as: compulsory voting; risk management; invisible hands; single-term presidents; etc.

And.
Spoke to JC and Dad today, which was excellent...
Of course I miss Charlie, but the sweet love is making the separation easier to bear (not easy).
And of course I'll get on top of my emails soon.
And Britters had a baby! Again! She's a machine!

Time to Get Lonely

Ok so I feel like a definition of 'bereft'.
Think of Geoffrey Rush in Lantana when he uses the word.

But I can also be the live version of the Mountain Goats song 'Half Dead' ::

Can't get you
Out of my head
Lost without you
Half dead

Took my spot at the window
looked at the road
Dots and dashes of traffic
Like a message in code

But there is also so much more.
Charlie's flying high above us, flying home to Melbourne, and I'm here... Washing to do, classes to teach, life to get on with, new plans to make...



We had an unbelievable 10 daze together and did so much wonderful stuff. Yesterday I had the privilege of introducing Charlie to the work of Mark Rothko, one of the best Jews ever produced by Latvia. There was a small retrospective here in Seoul at a very beautiful gallery. It showed Rothko's final painting, and a few of his very large 'colour field abstractions'. Charlie said he felt giddy. Later I thought the feeling of falling in love is like the feeling of falling through/into the emotions in Rothko's best works.

Saturday it rained. Charlie had been so lucky and had fine but cooler weather. But he wanted it to rain so he could get the full Bladerunner effect of Seoul. Voila! And we had scheduled a walk up the hill near my house. So we ignored the rain and walked (apart from the stairs which Charlie had to sprint!). Amazing. We saw many scary spiders, some very cute critters scurrying about, and an old lady being piggybacked from a small farm by some ambulancemen. And I could show Charlie what I meant by 'outdoor gym'.

Friday and Sunday night we pretty much stayed in, but Saturday we had dinner with Ahri and Ahrong and then raced to FF to see Nunco for my 5th time. Again, so glad Charlie was there so he could witness the goodness first hand. Ethan came and he's blogged all about how great they played, and the other 2 bands on that night. I invited my new K-friends and they were a hit, loved the music and danced up a storm. I tried to stay off the dance floor (for obvious reasons) but had strangers asking me to dance with them so it was hard to stay cool.

Still Joyful

Hi everyone. Sorry I didn't reply to your emails. And thanks for your posts.
I've been really busy... And really really happy.
It's been the bestest week ever.
Really.
It's all about love. It's all about joy. It's all about Charlie.



Each day I've had to leave him in the mornings to go to work... Then have met him for my 2-hour break... Then had to leave him again for my afternoon elementary classes. Each time it kills me. So I dunno how I'll go on Monday when it's goodbye for who knows how long.

Anyways, a list-in-progress ::

• We went to the DMZ Tuesday, saw North Korea, and lots of Americans;
• Ate lots of barbequed meat and one little speckled egg;
• Listened to Paul Simon and my new CDs, the Shins and Mountain Goats;
• Saw the gorgeous Steph on her birthday and drank tasty white zinfandel;
• Drank rosemary wine in a huge weird bar called Cafe Orchard Mama;
• Got offered more work;
• Thought about the Macedonian flag;
• How small is Rwanda?
• I wanna go to those islands above Scandanavia;
• Stuff, kisses, more stuff, a lot more kisses.

She trails off....

It's All About Love

Hard to know where to start.
This is just a quick post to advise that all is well in paradise.

Oh Charlie.




We have actually left my apartment, thankyouverymuch.
And today - horror - we had to seperate so I could come to work.
Charlie has been pointed in the direction of an outdoor gym, and headed off with his asics on and an energy drink in hand.

Had the best. weekend. ever.
Oh my. We've done a fair bit of touristy stuff, yesterday went downtown, showed Charlie a statue of an impressive guy, however, more impressive was the fact that some important person was also looking at the statue so there was maybe 50 armoured trucks lining the street and hundreds of armed police around... great. We went to the World Press Photo show - amazing - heartbreaking - then went and sat by a stream and watched the kids play and the mums drop mobile phones in the water. Was truly happy. Walked to Insadong and saw some Joseon era re-enactments and drank delicious tea in the tea house with birds flying about (and loud yanks yakking).
Anyways, Charlie seems to like the place. Loves the food, is trying to speak as much Korean as me, loves the barely legals at bar nabi, likes the beer, likes the snacks, the subway...

My Conquest

He's flying to meet me.

I woke up at 6am... Excited. The sun had turned the villas on the hill pink.

Just 4 kinder classes and then a 90-minute bus ride... We'll be bumping teeth in no time!

Erm.

Lists

I see KP has started to list the things she wishes to blog about, a fascinating technique that I am wont to use from time to time.

Herewith my list ::

• CHARLIE TIME!
• Who orders the alphabet?
• I learnt 16 K-characters and read my first sign;
• Someone special told me they're 80% gay;
• Odyssey to the seamstress and my newly adjusted pants;
• Cool/cute/boring/late stuff in the mail;
• On July 1, 2004, more Australian children were born than on any other single date in the past thirty years;
• New K-friends as of last night;
• 'Hostile' architecture;
• My ongoing crush on the school photographer (female, Korean, 40, butch, hilarious);
• Trip to the science museum today;
• Thanks to the guardian angels/management/farewell committee who have facilitated my happiness in so many ways.

A Little Prayer

The moment I wake up
Before I put on my makeup
I say a little prayer for you
While combing my hair, now,
And wondering what dress to wear, now,
I say a little prayer for you

Thanks, Burt and Hal.
Thanks, LTR, for all my mix CDs. Especially the first one.

Well I found out yesterday what my boss' husband wants help with - I've been asked to give him private Engrish lessons on the down-low (it's illegal). Sweet. Pocket money.

Had an epic dream where my mum's cousin was tracing our family history back to the Mongols. Erm?

Hurt one of my students yesterday by acidently dragging a fingernail along the inside of her arm when I picked her up during a game of 'duck-duck-goose'... I'm waiting for the parents to turn up with a demand for cash. Shit.

Oh! And! 4636 minutes to go!

Marginally Better

Still in a bad mood but ::

• TLoh called me and was cute and funny last night;
• Charlie;
• Interesting stuff happens out my window;
• Spoke to Jack;
• Thinking about a poem by Sandon that is in my head always;
• "Oh my morning's coming back. The whole world's waking up." Thanks, Bright Eyes.

Also, the rain has returned to Seoul. Rained a bit here but in Central Seoul it was more serious ::

Bad Mood

In in a bad mood. Such a bad mood that the puter crashed.

There's a few reasons, including the fact that I promised myself I'd stay in this weekend. And that is so boring. Also I promised myself I'd study Korean. And that is so boring.

So, on my mind tonight ::

• Korean false messiahs, especially Jeong Myeong-Seok aka the Korean Sex Messiah
• Chaebols, especially Lotte
• Anomie as an economic force (which creates chaebols)
• The Beauty likes Pomegranate
• TLoh
• Toby's post on Kiva

Delegation

So yesterday I went home early, as I said, I napped, I talked on the phone, etc.
I planned to go into town and see Pix so I could get some books and stuff from her and say goodbye.
But my boss called, to check how I was. To get a list of my symptoms so she could go to the pharmacy for me. To ask what foods I wanted so she could bring me some after work. WTF?
I madly straightened my room up. Oganised someone to meet Pix as I couldn't call cos she's surendered her phone. Then received a delegation bearing porridge (with 4 side dishes) a huge cake, some pills (?) and some sachets of disgusting granuals. Sweet jesus. We all sat on the floor while they watched me eat. It was intense.

Today I'm still crook, though I've dragged myself to work to supervise some colouring-in. Very glad it's the weekend, and this weekend won't be crazy. No Pix, no Ethan. Want to save my won for Charlie's visit too.

First and Last

The birds they sang
at the break of day
Start again
I heard them say
Don't dwell on what
has passed away
or what is yet to be.

Today I woke feeling a bit deadly. I had an energy drink, two bananas and listened to OutKast. Tried to get myself together for work. I'd had a leeetle bit of a late night farewelling Pix, but I felt deadly. I think the kid's snots are contagious.
Made it to 12 then told my boss I was going home. Honestly couldn't face teaching Brown Class at 12.30 after crying on Tuesday when they were mean and then having my boss come in and whip them yesterday when they wouldn't shuddap.
So came home, spilt chocolate milk everywhere, read some more of Overland. Called Charlie. Called Mum. Mum leaves Turkey today to head back to our little house. I reminded her of Spicks and Specks and now she is excited about coming home. Ha ha.

First sick day.
Last day of Pix in Korea.

Thanks to my mate, Leonard, for the lyrics.

Blanket Confessions

Ok, admit it. You've stolen airline blankets before - pretended they were complimentary like the eye masks. Slipped it in your carry-on. I know I have. Two small blue blankets have adorned my bed at home for years - one stolen from United Airlines back in 2002, the other from British Airways back in 2003. I love them. Money couldn't buy them.
Anyways, some loser (aka 'repentant passenger') has returned a blanket he 'accidently' stole from Korean Air. With an apology note. And this made the news here. Sweet jesus. Read all about it then 'fess up and tell me which blankets you stole from which airlines. Yeahhh.

Morning Sadness

Last night I had an epic dream. Actually this morning. I pressed snooze for 20 minutes cos I wanted to find out what happened. It was full on. And the first thing I remembered was that it featured The Canaries. And Nicholson Street. I was trying to direct my boss from Melbourne to Toby's house. Dunno why. But we were getting lost - coming from North Fitzroy to North Carlton. I called the Boy Canary and he was telling me all sorts of useless stuff about the lie of the land in Carlton and how is is deceptively flat. It was very frustrating. We eventually parked out the front of some big old unfamilar house.
That was all I could remember for a while. But then it dawned on me that it also featured Otto. I've had a lot of dreams about him. It is so upsetting. It's so real and so heartbreaking. He was coming home to this house, we were parked out the front. I was in the back seat. I think now Jack was with me. Otto looked early teens, was wearing a schoolbag. I think Jack gave him a hug. We were very surprised to see him.

Anyways. I guess it's better to remember him, see what he looks like than not at all.

Forgot to say I saw the best ever rainbow. Truly. It was a huge arc, and as I watched, a second one appeared within it. I was standing on a roof at the beginning of a hill. It was so beautiful. The sky was really dark and the air was just right.

Curiously Uneven Blessings

I think I may use a paraphrasing of John Kenneth Galbraith's as much as possible. In my care package from KP was a copy of Overland, which looked strangely familiar... Then I remembered I had done something of a proof when sitting at Dante's. Ahhh. Anyways, it's about the Australian ugliness, and there's a bit of Boyd, a bit of Galbraith. I loved the idea of 'the curious unevenness of their blessings', which comes from this passage in The Affluent Society ::

"The family which takes its mauve and cerise, air-conditioned, power-steered, and power-braked car out for a tour passes through cities that are badly paved, made hideous by litter, blighted buildings, billboards, and posts for wires that should long since have been put underground. They pass on into a countryside which has been rendered largely invisible by commercial art... They picnic on exquisitely packaged food from a portable icebox by a polluted stream and go on to spend the night at a park which is menace to public health and morals. Just before dozing off on an air-mattress, benath a nylon tent, amid the stench of decaying refuse, they may reflect vaguely on the curious unevenness of their blessings."

I think my Zenit is a curiously uneven blessing. Oh the joy. So I've posted the most recent photos from it in my Zenit folder. And here's one for you, taken on the hill behind where I live.

Joy Post

Ok I'm hungover today but I'm not a bit melancholy. I have a joy post to write. That is, a post that's all about joy, all full of joy and goodness.
Yesterday I listed all the things that made me joyful - it's a long list that also has a couple of thank-yous. Then last night I went out and saw 3 really fun punk bands and I experienced EVEN MORE JOY. So good. We went to DGBD to see Nunco Cobein but they had 2 bands before then, Cool Age and Star Bow, both of which were SO CUTE and SO FUN. The club is really small but everyone was standing up, there was skankin' happenin' and it was all about love. Pix mobbed the lead singer of Nunco Cobein and I told him I was stalking him. Great.

I took a buncha photos, including ones of the great sunset over Hongik University, and some stencil art and Vilnius-style graffitti.

My joy list goes like this (in random, joyful order) ::

• * I received a care package from KP, completely brimming with kisses and cool thoughful wonderful stuff like books, postcards, magazines, clothes. Oh. My. Wonderful. Day. Thank-you!
• * I received a postcard from LTR in Turkey which appeared to be written by someone else - some relaxed and happy holiday boy. Wonderful. Thank-you. And I eagerly await my personalised 'Best of Rod' album.
• * Yesterday was a birthday party at work. We have them every month. It means I only teach 2 of my 5 kinder classes and I get to eat fried chicken and drink pepsi max all morning. Check out the table laden with treats, yum... So many rice cakes!
• * I have a little crush on the lesbian photographer who comes to shoot all the events at school. I asked her for copies of the photos which I am in - I have to pose with the birthday kids - and she said 'Ok, no chargie, service'. Excellent. I love her.
• * The kids were all ok yesterday and I didn't have to yell at all. Or stamp my feet - my usual method of getting their attention. This alone will make for a good day.
• * I made lots of jokes with my students about the silly ones drinking soju and we all thought this was hilarious.
• * Feckin. PERFECT WEATHER. Seriously, beautiful. From my window yesterday morning I could see someone was drying chilis in the street. Sun shining, blue sky, no humidity, a breeze. Best weather yet. Today is the same but I'm hungover. Shit.
• * My Ma was in the newspaper for her poetry reading in Turkey.
• * Z tells me Otta knows his alphabet. Genius beautiful child.
• * Thinking about Charlie and the most amazing 9 days.
• * Thinking about Charlie and our future memories. Joy.

History

I know there are some things more important - like language study and maths or whatever, but seriously - HISTORY! Is it possible to consider NOT making its' teaching compulsory? I'm so shocked. And don't people know that history is not History? School history studies were so inadequate when I was at school - particularly Australian and Asian history - I would just have assumed it was better now. It's critical that kids leave school knowing the history of their area, their culture, language, and their nation. Sweet jesus.

Also - rant over - here's a reason to walk home - two guys in a computer shop having a thumb war. So funny. They were laughing so hard. And I bumped into a Dad from my school. He is the only Dad I know - he wrote me a letter asking me to give special attention to his kid whose English (and Korean) is hopeless. His kid has a perm and frequently wears micro shorts to kinder. No kidding.

Thunder

Can't believe I forgot to say that I saw Thunder in Ilsan!
Thunder, which is 'chundung' in Korean, is the name of a horse that stars in a new Korean movie called 'Lump of Sugar'. I've seen the posters of a smiling girl and a horse around the place. Never could have dreamed I'd be lucky enough to see the horse for real. Thunder had a tiny jockey in silks atop it as it paraded through the Ilsan shopping mall and posed for photos.

There's a few changes to my working life. Basically, more work. Longer hours.
Next week I begin my extra teaching class which will comprise my colleagues here at the school, all the kinder and elementary teachers - who are themselves Engrish teachers. Twice a week I'm to facilitate an hour-long 'class' at 6.30pm where all us ladies will sit around and talk in Engrish... About what? I have no idea. I will need to come up with something. And snacks, too.

And - does anyone remember Pong Su?
I'm gonna read up on it so I don't get my facts wrong. But it was a North Korean boat that got busted bringing heaps of heroin to Australia - Lorne, actually. Twas extra contraversial cos they reckon one of the guys on the boat was part of the North Korean government. No-one was convicted, but the Australian military destroyed the boat by bombing it (what?!). The Koreans and others on the boat faced trial and were deported. It made me think - did they spend time in Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre? Probably.

Push Your Luck

Liberation Day's best t-shit was the above. But there were more. This one is just for Richard Watts.

Today I saw ::
Nature to
nearbysoon

Excellent.
So yesterday, I went to Ilsan, finished my book on the way. Looked out the windows one we left the underground and saw fields, horses, low-rise building and mountains galore. JD eventually met me and we drove to another lettuce restaurant. Strange thing - no kimchi - and that night, I had (pine nut) porridge and there was no kimchi either. It really felt wrong.
It was sooo hot yesterday and JD and I walked around the artificial lake in Ilsan and nearly expired. I was entertained by the masses of Dads on mini motorbikes giving their kids dinks around the park - HOONING! What a great way to celebrate Liberation Day.
Anyways, I was shit yesterday. Emotionally worn out and just walking in circles on Struggle Street. I should have gone home a lot earlier than I did. Sorry to all those who crossed my path. But then when I did get home JD spotted a couch abandoned in the street by my apartment.... We dragged it up and installed it in my *cubicle* of an apartment. So now HALF of my furniture are street refugees that I've dragged in. Must admit it looks more like a home now.

Took some photos on my camera but they're shitty (of course, cos I was shitty). But JD's camera has some gems on it... Need to get them.

Anyways, the last post I think I made one very brief statement about Australian politics and it generated quite a response. Notably from people perceiving the absence of alternative leaders as some sort of confirmation that Howard is the one and only for Australia. Erm? And from people who think that the results from the past 3 Federal election are somehow unarguable. Erm? It's clear that one of the greatest changes the Howard decade has affected is that of a shift of mindset, to a new culture where we don't imagine that a better life is possible, a life where we channel our energies into complaints about petrol prices, tax types, and interest rates, and into xenophobic negativity about asylum seekers, terrorists and muslims. But all of this is not seen/portrayed as within Howard's sphere of influence. Ahhh... I trail off.

And! Joy! 24323 minutes to go!

Liberation Day

Walking home today a truck caught my eye on the other side of the road. Two young guys were in the tray at the back, one standing, one sitting. They were hanging flags from the streetlights as tomorrow is Liberation Day in Korea. On 15 August 1945, Korea was liberated from Japan after 35 years of colonial rule. After the atomic bombs were dropped and World War II ended, the Japanese surrendered and Korea gained its independence. The Soviet Union and the U.S. agreed to oversee the Japanese surrender of forces in both the north and south, respectively, and the Republic of Korea was formed, also on August 15, in 1948.

Ok. So there's a lot on my mind but I thought that was worthy.
In my ignorance, it seems that lots of Koreans will still be eating in the plethora of Japanese restaurants this week, as every other week. And Korea will carry on living divorced from itself.

So other things on my mind.... I haven't done a wrap-up of my weekend... Let's just say I went to a medieval fish den, back to Jazz Story, argued about etymology of Barely Legal, played word games at the Camel place, passed the morning in the company of beautiful women who played the piano, went to a sauna and sat in a 44 degree pool, then powernapped on the floor along with 300 Koreans, went to a Filipino street market, a 6 storey romantic cafe with hosts of cinderella waitresses and all you can drink sweet teas.

Quote from the brilliant book (A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian) that I'm reading too fast and will finish tomorrow on the train to Ilsan ::
'But this is all in the past, Nadia. Why do you have such a bourgeois preoccupation with personal history?'
'Because it's important... it defines... it helps us understand... because we can learn... Oh, I don't know.'

Joy at the news that Howard dropped the bill that would have meant all asylum seekers arriving in Australia would be sent to other Pacific island countries for 'offshore' processing.

Some other Charlie, who said 'Let my armies be the rocks and the trees and the birds in the sky'.

The one and only Charlie, who tells me there's 26013 minutes left of the countdown. (Kisses)


PS. How to celebrate Liberation Day? How about taking to the streets with posters reading : “A curse on U.S. imperialism!” and chanting “Let us trust in the Korean people’s own virtues!”