Music Monday - On Thursday

I love discovering new music, or even rediscovering old music. I was chattin' with my new bestie here in Korea (old bestie, if you're reading this, which I hope you are, I miss you. Don't leave this country without saying goodbye), and I realized her taste in music against mine is just phenomenal.

She introduced me to a bunch of new bands from Canada where the indie scene is quite prevalent. And I dig the indie scene, if done right. From City of Colour, to Bon Iver and Metric to Tegan & Sara...I'm in love with everything that flows to my ears. (Note : Bon Iver are from the U.S, not Canada) :)

While offering up some new bands/artists for my friend to check out, I rediscovered Lori McKenna for at least two hours last night. She's a local artist from Boston, who didn't start writing songs or even recording until the age of 27. So it just goes to show it's never too late to become great at something.

Her song "Make Every Word Hurt" literally reaches down to the depths of my soul. And that's pretty far down there. I think it's kind of ironic that she's from Boston, and almost every word in this song pertains to my life when I lived there. Check her out, all of her songs are nothing short of amazing.



Well don't waste your time
Don't allow him distractions
If you have to close your eyes
But don't wait for a reaction

Don't stop to breathe
And don't wipe your mouth
You won't be misperceived
I'll figure it out

But whatever you do
For whatever it's worth
If you're gonna tear my world apart
Then I'd prefer
Don't leave me confused
Don't let the lines blur
If you're gonna tell me
You don't love me anymore
Make every word hurt....

Don't walk away now
And don't second guess
You felt this way a moment ago
Why should my tears change any of this?

So whatever you do
For whatever it's worth
If you're gonna tear my world apart
Then I'd prefer
Don't leave me confused
Don't let the lines blur
If you're gonna tell me
You don't love me anymore
Make every word hurt....

Make every word sting
Make every word bleed
Until I'm not gonna wanna love you anymore
Until you're nothing I need
So when I wake up in the morning
For the next 20 years
I won't be wishing
For someone who just disappears

So whatever you do
For whatever it's worth
If you're gonna tear my world apart
Then I'd prefer
Don't leave me confused
Don't let the lines blur
If you're gonna tell me
You don't love me anymore
Make every word hurt....

Koreans and Their Nonsensical Ways : Part I

Koreans and Their Nonsensical Ways: Part I

This will be part one of I’m sure plenty of lists that will voice the perplexity that is Korea. Or Koreans themselves rather, and their perplexing ways. It’s just a fun list people, so don’t get your panties in a twist over some of the very stereotypical and some downright racist things this list might include. I’m American. And everybody hates Americans for some reason or another. And everyone is perplexed by the behaviors of Americans. So let me have my list.

1 – They eat with two sticks more commonly referred to as chopsticks. I’ve never spent so much time concentrating on getting the food to actually arrive in my mouth, and not in my lap.

2 – Koreans are completely nonsensical about temperature. Whether it’s 90 above and they refuse to put on the air-conditioner, or 90 below and they have all the windows wide open!

3 – Running like a bat outta hell…everywhere. Even if a Korean isn’t in a hurry, they’re running. Running for kimchi, running for a seat on the train, running for a few seconds…stopping…and running again. I always tell people, ‘Koreans are always running somewhere, but going no where.’

4 – The women wear heels ALL DAY EVERYDAY. Now I can strut my stuff in heels, not gonna lie, but I certainly couldn’t where them day in and day out. They also insist on wearing skin colored tights under everything, shorts, skirts, dresses, and pants.

5 – Need a refrigerator or washing machine? All you have to do is run down a passing van or truck with a loud speaker attached to it, and an old Korean man yelling the latest deal on a household appliance. Really? Why would I buy a buy a washing machine from a guy in a van zipping by me, yelling god knows what into his mega-phone. 

6 – When hiking even the smallest of hills in Korea, Koreans will wear a hiking outfit fit for Bear Grylls. In head to toe North Face, hiking boots, and a hiking poll…they mean business.

7 – Koreans don’t sweat. Bottom line. I just don’t get it. I show up to work, my face dripping in sweat and beet red to boot. The teachers look at me in bewilderment, like I just stepped off of Mars or something. “Kasserin! It's warm today huh?" Warm?! I'm damn near melting!

8 – Koreans hate foreigners, especially Americans. (At least in my opinion) Yet everywhere you look there are English signs, restaurants, and models on their advertisements. And more than 3/4 of the population sport t-shirts with grammatically incorrect English on them.

9 – It’s considered “inappropriate” to show your shoulders as a woman, or any part of your chest. But wearing a skirt or shorts so short you might as well not even be wearing them…seems to be tolerated.

10 – There are no public trashcans ANYWHERE. Basically people throw their litter in the middle of the streets.  It’s extremely dirty and polluted here. I suppose a Korean would argue it gives jobs to those who have to clean the streets at 3 am, but I think I’d rather be held socially responsible for throwing away my own rubbish rather than trudging along in a whole days worth on the side-walk. Yuck! 

Worlds Apart

I've recently become friends with a girl whom I have grown quite fond of the last few weeks. I think she might be the first genuine person I have met here in Korea thus far. I have learned that there are two types of people in Korea; those who are running away from something, and those who are running towards something. I think I'm a mix of the two. I suppose there could be a third type, those who come for the money, get comfortable with the life-style, and start dating a Korean. But that doesn't really count. Why? Just because I say so.

Today my friend and I were out and about, and we sat down for a moment before catching the train back to our neighborhood. She mentioned something so interesting to me that I'm still thinking of it five hours later. She grew up in Canada, in the same house, with the same friends, and living in a small town for most of her life. She did some traveling and lived in Turkey for a while. I on the other hand, have not lived in the same house for longer than two or three years, let alone state. I have lived in a total of seven states, and as of now three countries. I have also spent a lot of time traveling.

She said how amazing it seems that we came from such completely different backgrounds, the exact opposite almost, and we still both ended up here in Korea. Now. We are both still working, and anticipating the same thing. We are both eager to see the world, and want to spend a lot of our near future accumulating knowledge on other cultures and living abroad.

It's funny how strangers’ paths cross, and the people who seemed to be on the same path suddenly decide to choose a different one. Just these few months that I have been in Korea, have had such an impact on me. I used to think I had the worst luck in the world that I must have done something terrible in another life to have things turn out this way. I truly understand what it is to be independent, and to live every part of your life to your own being. I truly believe that what you put in is what you get, and will infinitely believe in karma.

Now I can understand why I felt like no matter how I tried the last five or six years, things just would not fall into place. I was not living for myself. I was making decisions based on something else, on someone else. I was struggling for approval from everyone, and not focusing on the approval from myself. I was convinced if I was making someone else happy, it would in return make me happy.

I not-so-quickly learned that I had gone about living in all the wrong ways. While I don't think that my life from here on out will be full of rainbows and unicorns, I do know that I feel better equipped to handle disappointment and defeat. And just learning that lesson makes everything before now worth it somehow. Although I miss things and people more than I should, and more than they will ever know, this is the place I should be. For the first time I can say this is the place I should be.

People ask me all the time if I get tired of moving around and traveling so much. And the answer is of course I do. I have done some amazing things, and will continue to do amazing things. Will I nest someday? Maybe. Will I continue to travel? Probably.

World Cup 2010

Yesterday marks the first official day of the World Cup 2010. The World Cup is the greatest sporting event in the world, in my opinion. Despite the fact that soccer is insanely fun to watch, the amount of patriotism that comes out during this event is amazing.  I don't usually like to boast that I'm from America, but during sporting events like this it's nice to represent. I spent last night painting a white polo I bought from Emart as an American flag. I also painted a smaller South African flag in the bottom left hand corner of the shirt, and the back says USA! 

If the U.S wins this game it would be an OUTRAGEOUS win, and bring back memories circa 1950 the last time U.S played against England. It's gonna be a great game. 

This World Cup I also have paraphernalia for South Korea (because that would be wrong to be living here and not support their team), and of course Spain. I honestly think Spain could do very well this year.  I have a jersey from Barcelona that I'll probably sport when they play. I'm rooting for USA, Spain and Italy...although Italy and Germany I think will go the farthest. 

So in anticipation of the game tonight, USA! USA! USA! Ole!

Ahhhh Reflection

Summer is here my friends. Summer's here, and he ain't messin' around. I find it's always good to reflect on the things we're thankful for in the evening time when it's cooler.  Because when I'm walking to school in 90 degree weather (and what feels like 1000% humidity) and there is so much sweat cumulating in my ass crack that I could collect it and live off of it for an entire year if I were stranded in the desert.....I'm not feelin' so thankful. 

Most of my days lately have been going a little something like this:

I wake up spread eagle style, drenched in sweat with my covers strewed about the room.  I get in the shower, revel at how amazing life seems under a shower, and fix myself a cup of coffee. Then I think to myself, " why in GODS name am I having HOT coffee right now?!" I spit my coffee out, and proceed to stand with my head halfway in the fridge for the next 40 minutes. I somehow manage to get myself ready without fainting, and make my way to school. On the 15-minute walk from the subway to the school, I'm cursing every non-sweaty, no-body hair Korean in sight. I'm also cursing every Korean woman in her mid-20's wearing what seems to be a very well put together clubbing outfit. Really ladies? It's Monday, and it's a million degrees. WHY are you wearing heels, tights, a mini-skirt, a t-shirt and a blazer?? It's rather absurd. 

I get to school and realize the gate is locked. AGAIN. "Oh Kasserin...press bell, press bell".  I press the "bell" for about 20 minutes because no one is near the office to hear the bell to buzz me in. Then inevitably a Korean teacher realizes that I'm not there.... you know teaching...and shuffles outside to let me in. "Kasserin! Kasserin! Late late! Teach teach!".  I usually smile and say sorry, but what I'm really thinking is no shit Sherlock. I've been standing outside for lord knows how long pushing that damn bell that none of you can hear. Sometimes I say things like "Oh! I'm so sorry! I was across the way, having myself an iced cafe latte, reading the morning newspaper. I completely lost track of time!" The teachers give me a strange look during these times of sarcasm, and just push me through to their classroom where the kids are waiting impatiently. 

I teach for 4 hours. But I'm convinced they've put me into some kind of time warp because it feels like I teach for about 10. I can just picture my Wongja (principal) sitting in her little office, turning back the time hour by hour, giggling to herself "He he he stupid American.... you think it's 5 o'clock somewhere? It's never 5 o'clock in Korea!"

During my teaching hours I consider two things. First, I think why in the hell haven't they turned on the air-conditioning. And secondly, I think how much damage I would really do if I just totally judo'd this kid and drop kicked him a good one to his face. Yeah, my students and I have a great relationship. But then there's Jin Bae. Who, no matter what has happened in class that day, says "Kasserin! I luuub you!" as I'm leaving. 

So the end of the teaching day is always a little better than the beginning. But then I leave again and come out into the vortex of heat hell. I walk down to the subway and hang around for an extra half hour trying to stay cool under-ground. I get back up to my apartment and gorge myself on pp & honeys, and usually pass out on my bed for an hour or two. Then I'll meet up with a friend for dinner or coffee, and we'll stroll down to Jeongja to walk along the river. 

When I arrive back at my apartment I realize this is exactly where I want to be right now. I realize when I meet a new friend that I know will be an asset to my life, it makes me appreciate the choices I've made to be here. And when I'm feeling anxious about waking up and doing it all over again, I think about these few moments of serenity I have before bed each night. I think about how calm it is, and how calm I am. I realize the kids are too cute to boot, the sun is shining, I have food in my fridge, coffee ready in the morning, and a paycheck coming soon. 

I realize I'm not waiting. I'm not waiting on anyone or anything. And that's a wonderful thing.