Korean infrastructure

Coming from Brooklyn, New York, I've always thought that urban development was best exampled in neighborhoods like Fort Greene, Park Slope, and Brooklyn Heights. The even mix between old-school hardware and supply stores (although my old one was recently replaced with a beer garden, or bier garten...same difference), a variety of restaurants, nifty shops and clothing stores, and bars made those places pleasant to walk around, day and night. Sometimes, you could even count on the attention to urban planning with meticulously detailed lamp posts, or redone street signs. The little things tend to get noticed these days in the times of Blu-Ray flat screen TVs.

I was always comforted by tall buildings surrounding me, every square inch of land being used to build a new apartment building. Not many hospitals and libraries being built these days, but everyone always needs housing. They might be overpriced, but at least it will put a roof over someones head.

Coming here to Korea, specifically Technovalley, Daejon, things aren't quite the same. I'm used to the 3-and-4 story buildings on either side, and the "corner stores," or GS 25 as they are here, basically your 7-Eleven. I live in one of these small apartment buildings. They are quite common where I live.

But no further than 100 yards away lies one of several massive apartment complexes, each one 15 to 18 stories tall. And this isn't your average NYC red-brick project housing development. These buildings all have different styles of architecture. It's actually pleasant to look at. Each building has a number prominently displayed on either side, generally up towards the top of the building so everyone can see it. From my small window at work, I can see nearly 14 buildings, and of those 14, I can see 6 numbers. I would venture a guess that nearly every group has about 9 buildings, since the numbers I see all vary between 6 and 9. I've seen some in the teens in Seoul.

Back home, if you've seen one project, you've seen them all. The only difference is the name of the housing project (Marcy, Fort Greene, Stuy Town, etc.). Otherwise, every brick and fence is the same.

Here in Korea, this foresight to grow not only outwards but upwards avoids the current problem in America of urban sprawl. They are building train lines everywhere, streamlining transit from every corner of the country. Public buses run everywhere, and even though they stop at night, parking is still very easy to find here. Not only are parking lots not endangered yet in Korea, there is also something very unusual here.
My apartment building lies right next to a cabbage field. Across the street is another field growing something else, maybe potatoes. They are not as crazed about using land for some money-making scheme. I don't know yet if the cabbage is given to all the restaurants in the area, but if it is, I have moved to a farmer's paradise.

School is about to start now, so I must end this. I will try and add some pictures soon, when I find my camera cord.

Sitting in my apartment listening to Piebald, drinking beer, waiting for friends to arrive so we can go out on a Friday night. Life is swell!

My friend Luke just arrived. And right behind him is Kristyna Cailotto, whose name we all just spelled. You see, I am typing this on television. My very large television. I feel quite good about owning it. It is a first for me. Ha ha. Ha.

Okay, I just wanted to add this for real, but now that my friends is here, the idea of blogging is extremely antisocial. I will go.

I hope people read this! Someone, please comment. Otherwise...I don't know. I will write more boring things. I like to think that some of you read this. Let me know, yea? Nice.

One of my students scored a 5 today on his review test. JEEZ, that's really. bad. 5 points shy of an F. I gave him a C-. Ds don't exist here.

What's the best part of the week?

I've been pondering this question for many days now. I've never really liked the idea of getting out of work and going home to eat and do nothing before bed. It doesn't feel right. I won't lie, I like to go out often. That's why college was so darned perfect -starting your day at 2 PM with nothing to do but speak about a story you might not have read was easy as pie.

Now I wake up late still, yes, but I am on my toes all day long. These kids will eat you alive if you slip up!

Sure, it's still a cushy job by most standards. I'm certainly not complaining. More mourning the fact that in order to be able to function here, I have to calm myself down. I'm not ready for middle-age! I want to keep partying like a rock star. This whole partying-only-on-the-weekends is unnatural to me. Also, it means that Sunday is entirely wasted, and Monday I feel terrible. Although there is some logic in it, I suppose. Mostly that for the working week, I feel pretty good every day. A bit tired, but mostly fine.

I need to learn to control my temper. I flipped hard on a student the other day and gave him two penalty stamps at one time, which is a HUGE deal. About 15 seconds later, I regretted it. Although he was disobeying a direct rule by playing his Nintendo DS in class (for the second time), and when I asked for it, he tried to just put it in his pocket and tell me it was OK. It was not OK, but one penalty stamp should have been the punishment. I was so infuriated that he would just completely disregard me (the first time it has happened), that I went bananas on him. He;s a great kid, too! Very smart, almost always polite and well-behaved. Quiet, yes, but not to a fault. He became very somber immediately after, and I'm pretty sure he was cursing at me in Korean. But I was confident I shouldn't do any more to him. My co-teacher, Nathan, agreed that two penalty stamps was a bit much.

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I really enjoy my life here! Things are cheap, it's a good thing I'm an omnivore, soju and makkeoli are pretty tasty, and I like the Korean sense of humor. Those seem to be the things in life I care about. Also, if you like karaoke (noraebang), Korea is your place! I'm an occasional fan.

I really could see myself staying here for another year, maybe more. I would like to try and find a different school, where I get a break in the middle of the day, but I could keep working here if I needed to. We'll see how things go.

A List of Things I Do Every Day in Korea
- Drink green tea
- Play Xbox
- Watch Korean TV shows. I don't understand a word (a few here and there), but they must be funny as hell.
- Use the bathroom
- Mark workbooks and chunk books with red crayons
- Listen to my iPod in my classroom while grading review tests
- Grade review tests
- Write on the white board. Just yesterday, I explained what "wander" meant, and then tried to teach my students the synonym "meander." I think they learned it!
- Attempt to control rambunctious children
- Remind children that they only have 3 minutes before class, so if they have to use the bathroom or drink water, they must do so NOW.
- Count down from 10, 5, or 3 and watch them all scurry back into class.
- Play some silly story that typically deals with feeling alone and being hated by things (balloons, horses, ghosts, weird aliens, your parents, etc.)
- Eat a bagel with PB & J and drink a Double Americano.
- Go eat samkyopsal, which is Korean BBQ. It's cheap, filling, and delicious.
- Think about reading, and then just turn on my flat screen with my 7 speakers and watch some crazy TV show, or a movie. Shawshank Redemption with Korean subtitles, maybe?
- Turn on my computer, projector, air conditioner, monitor, and speakers.
- Take my shoes off before I sit on the floor of a restaurant, or before I enter my, or anyone's, apartment.
- Look on GMarket and think about what kind of small table I should purchase.
- Smoke
- Beat awayJunomamaes, chinese moths that fly like kamikazes and love to land on your clothing.
- Lend kids erasers or pencils
- Dole out hand sanitizer to one child who sneezed in their hands, and then suffer the begging voices of every other student who wants hand sanitizer. It's so strange...
- Tell certain children that their apathetic attitude will only do them a disservice in this classroom, as well as in life in general. Received with blank stares.
- Wake Jason up at least 4 times a class.
- Try and convince Junior Master students they should be trying to read more challenging books, like War of the Worlds, or The Red Badge of Courage. They prefer The Magic Schoolbus.
- Think about going to bed before 1, and fail.
- Unclog my toilet.
- Unclog it again.

You guys remember that "journalist" who threw his shoes at George Bush in Iraq? He's getting out of a 3-year jail sentence after only 9 months! Bonus!

I have a cold and am losing my voice, two things that definitely suck. I am pretty sure I've gotten sick from my students, one of whom coughed on my hand on Thursday. She can't be blamed, though. She's only about five, and I was handing her a pencil at the time. I can only hope she doesn't do it again.

And I am smoking too much. I am trying to quit as we speak, and some of you know that's not an easy thing to do. While cigarettes are about $2 a pack, and a 40 is roughly $4, I find myself really wanting to join a gym and get back in the shape I was in when I was in Ireland. Being taller than most Korean guys is one thing - being the body mass of two, or three of them is another entirely. Some of these guys are so thin it's god damned ridiculous. And some of the girls are so skinny that it's almost annoying. In a sad way.

I have been going out quite a bit. Korea sure is a fun place to go out at night, the bars and dancing are pretty fun. And, if you know me, you know I never pass up an opportunity to get some dancing in when the music is good. Sure, I look semi-retarded, but I don't give a poop. Some this K-music sure is catchy. I wish you lot could hear my ring tone. Here's a youtube link to what my ringtone is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MgAxMO1KD0&feature=fvsr

NOTE: "Yobseyo" is what you say when you answer the phone, so they're being hung up on by their boyfriends, or boys. And "chingu" means friend, so I imagine she's talking about her friends not liking him. The one in the vest is my favorite.

And my phone is sweet as fuck. Coincidentally, it is also called the Ice Cream. Vanilla flavor, I suppose.

Time to get ready for another sweet day of teaching kids.