I've missed a few days. Pretty busy days. I guess I'll start where I left off.
Duke talked to Mr. Khan and got some more details on the no-rai bang women. Of course they weren't prostitutes. They were consorts: Their job is to be present (men should apparently not drink w/o mixed company in Korea), to talk to and serve the men, to be charming, and ultimately to make men spend more on food and drinks. Nothing illicit or coarse of course.
On Friday (when I made my last entry) I was told that Dr. Kim would pick me up and take all of us to Immigration to register our passports and get alien registration cards. The office was near Wolmi-Do, in the heavily industrial section of Inch’on. We got there and began to fill out forms, until Dr. Kim discovered that we couldn't register because our official invitations said that we would work at Nam Inch’on, when we actually work at Olympiad, Kwan-gyo, and Segaero. I am not sure what happens next, but I have been told by many people not to worry about it, and Mr. Im himself says that he can take care of it. We shall see what becomes of that. Anyway, I got away without working all afternoon (though the time was otherwise wasted).
In the evening Heon-Seong came over to hang out. He brought a guitar to loan me, and a Xiangqi board and pieces. These he also loaned to us. He played two games with Duke and won both of them. I only paid a little bit of attention, but hope that I can learn from Heon-Seong. It is similar to (though greatly different than) chess. Probably it is harder -- but only because the pieces are unfamiliar.
Heon-Seong and I planned to go to Yongsan station to look at (and maybe buy) stereo equipment on Saturday afternoon. As I understood it, I had to work from 10:00 'til noon, and then I was free until five, when I was to meet Mr. Kim and go to his home for dinner. When I arrived at work on Saturday morning, however, I discovered that there had been many changes, and I was expected to work all day. I called Heon-Seong and canceled our plans (though I felt bad about it) and spent the day working with Mr. Kim.
He invited all of us Mi-gooks to attend dinner, but Link claimed to not be free, so the fourth place was filled by (the other) Mr. Kim. It rained very hard all day. In the afternoon I became very sad, watching the rain and not understanding all of the Korean that I was hearing. I do not know precisely why, but I was gripped with the utmost melancholy, and wanted to just curl up and sleep. Ideally just curl up with another person and hold / be held. I think I felt like [redacted] when she is stressed. I understood, at least, her melancholy which drives her to only sleep. I had to struggle not to break down into tears, but five o'clock came, and the Mr. Kims and I left and trekked through the rain to my place, where we met Duke. We all took a cab to Mr. Kim's place, where we met his wife, his son (and later his mother and other son) and I got some glimpse into why he seems so calm and happy most of the time.
Dinner was fantastic and (perhaps) extravagant: Bulgoggi, and kimch'i, and a tossed salad, whipped potatoes w/ corn, radish kimch'i, chop choi, various fish dishes, and finally a stew of fish, mushrooms, vegetables and lots of spicy red pepper served with pap. It was without a doubt the finest meal I have eaten since I arrived in Korea (probably longer). We all drank beer, talked much, and finally I taught them hearts (I won, never getting positive points, and Mr. Kim the Buddhist lost). We all enjoyed it much.
When we arrived home Duke and Link soon went to bed, but I stayed up writing letters and trying to meditate. Consulted the cards; the reading was closer to a clear answer than usual (or, more likely, I am more ready to interpret the cards some way closer to definitive). My mind, or really, my conscious intellect, is in the way. My skepticism gives me a tendency to give up on the brink of "success." But, should I give up, I must work toward further balance anyway. This all sounds good. If I continue to try (working with the immediate rather than the results of doubt and intellect), I shall attain. This, of course, is common sense (as Crowley says magick is common sense) but reason does not speak easily in the language of common sense -- especially a reason so fully contaminated by philosophy. Try, try again.
I slept late yesterday and did little all day: some stretching, some attempt at meditation, a shower, a nap, some Crowley. Duke and I tried to play Chonggi but I cannot understand it. In the evening Heon-Seong came over (his mother came over too, bringing us much food) and we all sat around and talked. Now our plan is to go to Yongsan station on Wednesday during the day. He left and I wrote a letter to [redacted] (not a very good one, unfortunately) did some breathing exercises and began to meditate a bit, then went to bed.
I have a work schedule now: I work evenings during the week, usually three to five hours, and afternoon into evening on Saturday. So I am free during the day. Today I went to the post office, had a shower and lunch. And am now workin' on getting caught up on my journal. I do not need to be at work until 7:30, so I will leave after I eat some dinner.
That's all for now. I'll study some Korean, meditate a bit. And see how much time remains.
Mr. Kim the Buddhist told me that once I assume the Zen position I must think about the secret of the universe. Apparently, should I realize it I will know. He says that if a man does not realize the secret of the universe by the time he is thirty years old, he will not know it until after death. I think that this realization must be on a level other than intellectual but am not yet sure how to think on other levels. Try, try again.