take me to the border:
I realized today that I don't know the ingredients of 75% of the things that I eat.(The other 25% involves chocolate milk and cherry ice cream-safe) My life in Korea seems to be marked by some serious trial and error. I've gotten brave and began to eat at the ominous-looking street vendors called, P'ojangmacha (see pic). These dimly-lit tents where old women (ajjumas) prepare food bare-handed (appreciate every gloved food worker henceforth). Everyone triple and quadruple-dips in the soy sauce-not big on hygiene here. it's our equivalent to fast food. Mainly for the cheap eats, huge meal is less than $1.50. I'm not a fan of McDonald's but on the rare occasion that I'm craving Western food, it wipes me of at least $7. I eat various fried things of which i know the name, just not the make...some which i suspect to involve some sea life. i stray away from what i suspect to be tongue and intestine-involving food, but quite frankly i just dont know what i eat. but its cheap, and whatever it is, has grown to hit the Taco-bell-shaped-hole spot.

The sad thing is more than anything I miss good sushi. Not just any old sushi, but that made by my good Japanese friend Tom, at the Boonsboro Kroger grocery store in Lynchburg, Virginia. "Sushi from a grocery store in central Virginia?" you say. Touche, its amazing. If anyone can find a way to overnight me some, I'd take two spicy combo platters. Till then its gimbap, dokbooki, and this unnamed community soup i've joined the ranks with. Cheers to Korea.

travel breaks down a kind of inner structure we have. stripped of our props, deprived of our masks, we are completely on the surface of ourselves." -camus

most days i wander in the darkness of this so-called purposeful life. i'm not complaining, just offering that life is not always obviously apparent in aim. i have been blessed with brief epiphanies and rare moments when this all makes sense. but in the end my faith is not useful unless its the only thing apparent; so strip me down, bind my hands, and send me mute into an unknown land...if thats the destination which allows me to know my self.

She Got Game:
So I went to Japan; one word: amazing. Can't wait to go back. Who wants to join me??? I would just like to also announce that I will be traveling somewhere in Asia for the better part of December 2006...please, someone, anyone, start saving your pennies now so that you can join me for the adventure of a lifetime! That sounds like a travel brochure.
Anyways...onto blogbusiness. The only Japanese I know: "domo arigato" (thank you), "konichiwa" (hello) and "ichi, ni, sam, si" (1,2,3,4), courtesey of my high school soccer coach, Harvey Chun, who thought it was some brilliant strategy to call out plays in another language. So this realization made me realize something else...I've been living in Korea 2 months and I dont know how to count to 10, never less to 5. Quite frankly, I dont even know the number 1. Upon returning Korea-side I immediately sought a brief Korean lesson. So far my vocabulary includes: hello, thanks, poop, fart (i teach kindergarten), kiss, beef, and old woman. My nearest teacher was my perverted boss, Mr. Moon (see pic center); on a lengthly drive with him to get my alien card. All I wanted was 1,2,3,4,5. I got that and a hell of a lot more. For the next 1.5 hours he went through any phrase you could possibly ever use your entire life in Korea. It was like a bad dream. Let me recount:

Moon Pie (as we call him): "Can I have some water please? Mul chu sey oh? Mul chu sey oh?" (repeat 20 times) "Can I have some cola please? Cola chu sey oh? Cola chu sey oh?" (repeat 20 times in monotone voice) "Can I have some ramen please? Ramen chu sey oh? Ramen chu sey oh?" (alicia has stopped repeating after the 5th time) Can I have some oranges? Orange chu sey oh? Orange chu sey oh?" (i silently gaze into the distance) Continue with every possible word that is the same in Korean and English...you get it.
Dear Jesus may I not be that obnoxious of a teacher. I regret ever asking for help. But the good news is that I have come up to speed with my kindergarten class...I can now count to ten!!! ill, ee, sam, sal, o, you, chil, paul, uu, shet. (which I finally got out of him about an hour into the drive) I've got down "1,2,3,4" now all I need to learn is "get your woman on the floor." I am now on my way to bigger and better things...watch out Korea, she can count.