Pissing and Moaning, Take 52

It's been a week and since I didn't go to Seoul today and actually have time to write out this bad boy, I figured, "What the hell. Why not?". Not too much happening in the past week of note, so this message should be a brief one by my standards. I'm starting to get this creeping suspicion that I'm terribly long winded and rambly (is that a word?) with my posts. I of course can't be sure of this, as I've never actually read any of my writings (that punishment I reserve solely for you, my obviously strong willed and masochistic readers). I feel bad for Jason, as he just found the blog and will probably want to read it. Gonna need a damn big pot of coffee to get through this one. Sorry.

Nothing terribly out of the ordinary during the past week, so I'll focus on the weekend, where things did take place. Saturday marked a first, as I was caught fare dodging on the train for the first time. This wasn't the first time I've gotten onto the train without a ticket, just the first time being caught. Now why, you might ask, would I ever risk not purchasing a ticket that costs only 3,000 won (2 bucks, roughly)? Am I really that poor? To that I can only respond that cocaine and dirty women eat into the pocketbook no matter where in the world you go. Seriously though, I've taken to fare dodging on several occasions for two reasons: 1) I'm lazy and never get to terminal in time, so to ensure I actually make the train I just run on, without even stopping to buy a ticket 2) I wanted a little excitement in my life and I enjoy breaking rules for pure shits and giggles. It's my little sad and pathetic way of getting back at Korea for everything that it's done to me. "How does it taste Korea? Yeah, you took 7 months of my life, now I'm taking 2 bucks from you. How does it feel?" Petty, I know, but that's me. Anyways, I boarded the train and to my chagrin, the were actually checking tickets during the trip. Now what makes fare dodging so appealing is that they never actually check. All on the honors system in this country. No person checking you before you get on the train, etc. Just a guy that occasionally goes around when you are on the train. Cept in all the times I've taken the train, I've only been asked to show my ticket twice. We are talking like 1% or so. And just like the westerns of old, this bandit casually vamoosed out of the car to hide in the cafe car. I guess I could have hidden in the bathroom, but somehow that didn't seem like the honorable way to go. Honor amongst thieves, I guess. Anyways, the attendant did eventually catch up with me. I played dumb, claiming that I had lost my ticket and couldn't find it in my pocket (playing dumb is easy here, as the Koreans naturally assume you are stupid anyways since you can't speak their language). He was not to be deterred though. What horrible fate lay ahead of me when my crime was revealed? Being forcibly thrown off the train? Being sent to foreigner jail? The stocks? Nope, I just had to buy "another" ticket. Hmmmm, kinda anti-climatic I know. Sorry.

Once in Seoul, we met Amy's friend from Wisconsin. It was an interesting experience, as she had only been in Korea for 1 week and everything was still kittens and butterflies. Amy and I just looked at her and shook our heads. Course, her transition might be a little easier, given her location in Korea. My town: 80,000 people but nothing to do. Amy's town: 2 people and less than nothing to do. Amy's friend's town: over 1 million and plenty to do as Suwon is the capital of Gyeonggi province. It was funny to look at her, as it was like looking at ourselves 7 months ago. A little unsettling, I have to admit, to realize how naive we were about so many things back then. Although, in my defense, I don't think I was ever as starred eyed as she was, as I clearly remember that I knew within the week that Korea was not a place where I could stay forever. And that seems to have held up over time.

Now we come to the meat of this post and the sole reason for sitting down to write today. In the past few days, it has come to my attention that I might be giving a very slanted view of Korea through my posts. The common response from back home seems to be "Wow, Korea seems like a complete shithole. Is there anything remotely redeeming about it at all? Would I ever want to visit it?" That struck me as a bit harsh. I feel it is up to me to put things in prospective. Firstly, remember that it is me writing. I complain....a lot. It's what I do. I bitch and moan, and I bitch and moan, and bitch and moan. I am very (probably overly) critical of anything and everything I come into contact with. I cannot come in contact with any person, place, thing, idea, etc. for even the shortest span of time with judging it and sizing it up. That's just who I am. For those of you who knew me back in the States, you should clearly remember that I wasn't too pleased about how stuff was going in the States and spent most of my free time there whining about whatever stupid policy the government enacted or what stupid bullshit American organized religion pulled this week. Do I hate the U.S.? Certainly not. Certain aspects of it yes, but not so much as to completely swear off going back there in the future. I imagine, had I written about what was on my mind when back home, the reader would have gotten an impression that the US was a complete shithole as well. The same goes for Korea. Do I hate many aspects/beliefs here in Korea? Certainly, yes. Do I strongly despise some Koreans? Yes, probably. Do I hate Korea? Definitely no, otherwise I would have pulled a "midnight run" a long time ago. I simply dwell on the negative because that's what lingers in my mind the longest, at least with me. It's been a week since I read the article about sexual stereotypes that I linked to in my last post and I'm still fuming. Yet, when one of the teachers drove me all the way into Seoul back in my first weekend here, how long did that linger in my mind? Or when one of the teachers would routinely invite me out to dinner with her friends at quite pricey establishments at no charge to me, how long did that stick in my head? My concise take on Korea is this: Korea is great for visiting and living in (provided you live in a big city, the small homes are just as boring and lame as the small towns back home). The people are friendly, everything is fairly cheap and there is lots to do (not enough stuff to sustain you forever, mind you, as I've gotten a bit bored myself, but plenty for a vacation), the big cities are a blast (Busan and Seoul rock, no question), and the country is quite pretty. I wouldn't advise working in Korea however, if you have a low tolerance for bullshit, nonsense and stupidity. Come to think of it, one might say the same thing about teaching in the States as well. Hmmm. There are benefits to be had with working, which for some may be worth all the hassle. One can easily save a large portion of cash and we do have a large amount of vacation (you just have to fight for it sometimes). I've already traveled around Korea for 2 weeks and will be heading to the Philipines (fingers crossed) this summer for 2 weeks and hopefully will stop by Japan again to use up the last of my vacation days. You heard right, Stecker-san. Seems like I'll still have 5 vacation days left after both of my trips. Mark your calendar son.

The final issue that needs addressing is the question of why I'm deciding to stay in Korea for another year. Many have questioned why, for as much as Korea frustrates me, I would possibly stay for another year, especially when money and student loans are not an issue. Some have even suggested that I find a ESL job in South America since I clearly like Latin culture and Spanish much more than Korean, and also because of the desirable company I would find there. The blunt and simple answer is that I'm not finished with Korea. There are still things that I have to do before I leave. I've gotten it in my head that I'm going to learn Korean and there is no stopping it now. Plus, there are a great many things I can learn to develop my capoeira game, despite my complaints. Korea has only stoked the flame of my desire to see the world, and there is unlikely to be an easier way to see Southeast Asia than from Korea with a sufficient paying job. I get excited just thinking about the trip to the Philippines this summer, and the tickets haven't even been purchased. I'm already salivating at the idea of visiting Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos area next winter and I'm not even sure where I would go two summers from now, but the idea is intoxicating none the less. Sure, Korea has and will continue to bend me over and have its way with me from time to time, and yeah, my anus hurts a lot of the time from it, but its not a one way street. I plan on fucking Korea and pleasuring myself at its expense until I say I'm satisfied, until I've had enough, on my terms, not Korea's. At that point I will simply disregard the husk that remains and move on to ravage a more vibrant, energetic and youthful country. Don't worry, I'll make sure to use protection.