96) Groove House

Last night I went to see a band that I really enjoy called Groove House, they are never disappointing. Chip and I were supposed to go together, but he never made it, so I ended up going with a different friend.










Groove house plays some great funky/disco/rockish music. Stuff like Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5, The Emotions, etc. They have a lot of energy, and everyone can bust out some great solo’s, and vocals are really great too.

95) Some good times

^ Me, Eric and Ji Young in Myeong-Dong

Last night was Eric’s last night, so Eric, Chip and I went out to Don-Day (a calbi restaurant) for about the fifth time this week, and had a nice meal and some cake. After that we went to a nori-bong (which is like a karaoke room). I usually hate these things, but Eric had to check it out, and it was pretty fun because it was just the three of us, and we didn’t have worry about trying to impress any one. And indeed, we sang pretty badly (although I will say I have heard and done worse in my day).


^ Eric stretching in the street and some guy helping him


The time Eric spent here seemed to go by really fast, and I can imagine it was even faster for him. I think it was a good chance for him to relax and see a little bit of a different country and not have much of the stress that can accompany traveling. The first couple of days he was here, I had him come into some of my classes with me, and a lot of the kids still ask about him. One class thought Eric looked like the actor from Spider Man, and he ended up signing a bunch of autographs!


^ at Changdeokgung (a palace in Seoul)


^ Ji Young and Eric at a great cafe by my place

All in all it was great to have Eric here, and we had some fun. It is nice to be with people you have a history with. It had been a year almost exactly since the last time I was with a friend from high school, or anyone who I had known for more than just one or two years. It brought back some good memories of those old days…and some of those crazy things we used to do (or the things Eric used to do…for example: just yesterday he came out of the shower and proceeded to lay on the bed completely naked and read while Chip and I minded our own business). If there is one memory I will always have of Eric, it is that he doesn’t much care for clothes.


^ Eric being a tourist

94) 7/06 to 7/07 in Pictures

These are just some photo highlights of the last year abroad.

93) The One Year Mark

It is crazy to think that it has been a year, almost exactly. I am pretty sure I came to Korea on July 3rd of ’06. I can’t even say what this year has felt like, but I suppose it feels like a first year abroad.

It is funny to look back and think about all the changes I imagined I would go through, and what I thought I would be like after a year here. I thought of all the possibilities of learning a new language, taking martial arts, etc. But the reality of the situation was I either didn’t have the time, or was just lazy. This is not to say I haven’t changed in countless other ways, and experienced many other things- it’s just to say it was not like I thought, and I guess it never is. Reality is always different than the imagined.

There are just so many things to think about- but it is hard to do that at this point, because I am still in the middle of this trip. I am still just living here, and not looking back on everything as one would do when a trip or stage of their life is coming to a close. But perhaps an appropriate illustration to what it has been like here are the living condition changes I have been through. I can clearly remember walking into the little cockroach filled rat box in Suji (and trying to convince myself it wasn’t so bad). I was living alone (minus the roaches) and didn’t really have any friends. Now I am living in an area I love, on a rooftop apartment with a sunroom and a balcony and I have two houseguests who are both good friends of mine. From countless corner brothels to countless trees. From the luxury of a two story house in rural Wisconsin to $2 a night hotel in rural Cambodia. Saunas and capsule hotels in Seoul and Osaka, and sharing a house with a family in Saigon. Surrounded by thousands if not millions of people in some of the worlds biggest cities, and being nearly alone in the jungle in Cambodia. It has been a wild and beautiful ride thus far.

92) Directing Traffic

The semester has just ended, so that last week was a little weird. Very tense for the Korean teachers, and pretty laid back most of the time for the foreign teachers. I played a lot of Scrabble and read a lot of Dr. Seuss.





By the looks of it, my schedule is supposed to get worse. I complained about it on Friday, so I guess we will see if they fixed it when I get back there on Monday. Hopefully it does change it for the better, or we hire a new teacher. It is an especially bad time to add to my schedule when I have a visitor!



As a joke, Eric and I were throwing around the idea of directing traffic while we had these nifty police uniforms on. I pulled out my camera, and Eric promptly turned that idea into a reality. More unexpected than that was when a taxi driver actually stopped and got out of his car. I think he knew it was a joke, and was just having fun too!

91) Hello and Goodbye

James and Eric at the hookah bar


Last night Eric, James and I went out to Hongdae. It was James’ last night and Eric’s second (but his first night out in Korea). So, Eric and I met James at one of my favorite jazz clubs, Moonglow. So we listened to some music and talked, then went out for some calbi (like a grilled meat). After that, we went to one of James and my favorite bar/ lounge. It has a really great atmosphere and you can get hookahs there, so that was a fun way to welcome Eric, and say good-bye to James.

Eric juggling peppers


...not exactly sure about this one


James and I at the resturaunt


Eric snorting a pepper at the restaurant


We didn’t stay out too late, as I had to work, and James had to get home and pack for his flight leaving the next day. I was sad to see James go, as we had spent a lot of time hanging out the past weeks and months, and he is good guy.

At the hookah bar


James blowing smoke

It is interesting how when you are leading a traveling life, people come and go from your life- and you come and go from others lives. It is nice in one way because you get to meet new people and experience new things. But it is hard in another way, because people are always coming and going, and it is hard to forge deep relationships. But in the end it is always fine.

At the hookah bar

The hookah


This is what happens when you sleep on the job...