It's Hot. It's Cold.

November 18. 2009

I’m sorry I haven’t blogged in a while. I was distracted by Ms. Ayn Rand’s “The Fountainhead” which I finished on Saturday, and felt ever so melancholy for having done… what an experience that book turned out to be. I’m not sure if I understood every rambling drawn out character’s rationale, like crazy ole Ellsworth Toohey, but basically I gather that her Objectivism standpoint is that of Mr. Howard Roark’s character, to gain happiness through whatever it is for yourself. I’d like to think I live that life, by treating others how I want to be treated, or rather to do what makes me happy as long as it’s not hurting myself or others... granted all the characters did it in a 1930’s way of speaking, it being the 1930’s-ish and all, and on a higher plane of intellect than I just summarized, but that’s what my mind took away as the jist. But now, I’m rambling just as much as Ayn Rand, and without the delicious descriptiveness. There is no sign of Howard Roark’s creativity in Korea, except maybe in Kyung Hee University’s campus, but that would be more on the scale of Peter Keating or some other smuck like him since the campus is in Greco-Roman architecture. Really, I digress. Because I came to tell you about things I’ve been doing in Korea, and why I haven’t written lately is because I recently – after finishing “The Fountainhead” – became addicted to Showtime’s “Dexter.” My! That is some good television. And stuff here is starting to seem so normal, as much as it’s like, “Whoa. This is Korea. I live here.” I’m also feeling pretty comfortable. Sure, I can’t really speak the language, but for 50 hours out of the week it isn’t really necessary, and then I have my guide book, and I can order food and drinks, otherwise, or I’ll just mumble my “hello”s “goodbye”s and “thank you”s. Really, it’s all working out.

This Saturday, I even went into Seoul on my own to get a cell phone. I had to take the bus to Gangnam, then I took the subway to Gangbyeon Station (just North of the Han River) “slash” Techno Mart. The guy spoke pretty much perfect English. Techno Mart was crazy! Huge! I should’ve taken pictures, I suppose. But I didn’t. The elevated (over the river) station descended down and connected to Techno Mart underneath the street. There was a shopping mall on the lower levels and then it all turned into appliances. The sixth floor was full of cell phone booths and my co-teachers had already purchased from this guy, so I knew exactly where to go, B-29 something or other. I was in there for a while, but I didn’t take my coat off because I didn’t expect to be there for that long… and it was warm. Very warm. Places here are warm. Public places. Not my school so much. They like to open windows when they clean, to freshen the air(?) and get the dust out(?), and yeah, it’s around 30 outside right now, but there’s dust and the windows need to be open. I wore my coat in class on Monday. Again, digressing. So, Techno Mart was warm, and the movie theater was crazy warm on Friday. For some reason or another, I went to go see 2012 with Andrea, Jennie and Morganne (well, I did want to see it, because you know, 2012… possibility? and I love Woody Harrelson). My! It was awful; really, really bad! Three bad movies in three consecutive weekends: Paranormal Activity (creepy for maybe three minutes, and the rest I wanted the demon to end Katie and Micah for just talking all the time and being lame and trying to be like Blair Witch Project, but not even that good – yikes!), Where The Wild Things Are (Max was a jerk the entire time, never changed, and the whole dream adventure seemed to be a crystal meth/crack induced haze where he was riding the rails with hobos who were the Wild Things – did any conversation make sense at all? No.), and 2012… (something that could legitimately happen, so the ancient world prophesized, was so Hollywood-ized that now it just seems so fictionalized that it could never happen and is a huge joke… we’ll all be laughing on 12.22.12, yes?)

Oh, also. In Gangnam Station, a Korean man stopped me to take a survey about living in Seoul. “Uh. Well, I don’t live in Seoul. I live in Suwon.” “That’s okay. You’re here now.” And he shoved the paper and pen in my face. So, I filled out his survey, saying how awesome Korea is and the people are and how I don’t think the water is safe to drink and then I handed it back to him, and as a thank you, he gave me a box of band-aids. Stay safe! But if you can’t, here are these. Thanks? Okay. And then he directed me which side to take so I’d get to Gangbyeon, and not the other side of Korea. I do love Korea. I do.