Here is Dave Canterbury presenting, for The Pathfinder School, a practicum in crafting a formidable bow with rudimentary tools and materials from the eastern woodlands: The Osage Bow (pt.2,3,4,5,6) That man demonstrates that he knows what he's talking about, and, if you listen with a modicum of attention, you too might run the risk of being mistaken for a savant.
By way of contrast, here is the construction of the traditional Korean bow, the hwal, -- a sinew-backed bamboo core with oaken handle and water buffalo horn belly, spliced with black locust or mulberry siyahs, glued with fish bladder and wrapped in birch bark, according to Wikipedia and probably the narration, the latter, albeit, in Korean -- by Bowyer, Kwon Mu-seok, in three parts (pt.2,3). (sorry, i guess number three gets cut off short --ed.)
Barely tangentially related are ancient martial secrets revealed at last by this guy & this guy.
Showing posts with label arirang. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arirang. Show all posts
20130429
20111029
arirang
Some years ago, Dear Reader, I went to teach English as a second language in Korea, my first job upon graduating college. It was a very stimulating plunge into the unknown (I had studied Japan some, but was absolutely ignorant of Korea), and I wrote letters prolifically and kept somewhat of a journal.
There were some mild adventures over and above the constant challenging immersion in novelty -- the new language, job, relationships and culture -- which produced a fairly extensive paper record.
At some point between my somewhat hasty departure from that country and the present, I transcribed that journal, and, separately, fearful of losing either the shreds of paper or any of their individual contextual significance, I permanently affixed them across several pages of a sketchbook as a sort of hyper-collage. (I do not, at this time, have any images of said collage at hand, but may get around to making some).
But for the final chapter or so, which has seen some use, that journal has just sat inert in the archives. I recently found that transcript, and have posted each minimally-edited journal entry in its appropriate time.
This presented -- or, rather, expanded -- some issues I've had with the blog format. First there is the question of serial works: When you post them in order, the beginning constantly gets pushed down the page; if you post them in reverse-order (with an eye toward the final layout), then you risk undermining the development of your own narrative by exposing later passages before earlier ones. Second is the question of anonymity.
Anyway, in posting them, I was surprised and disappointed not to find some things I was sure that I had cleverly written, and suppose, if I really did write such as I remember, that it must have been in the letters. I was also pleasantly surprised to find accounts of things that I had either forgotten or suspected myself of embellishing over the years.
So, they're all filed under the label "arirang," which is the name of a traditional Korean song, back in 1995 and 1996. The journal begins with 8/11/95 entry "arriv'd" and ends with 2/27/96 entry "uninform'd" (though two related items follow that one).
You might be interested in such highlights as: kim'd, no-rae bang'd, grief'd, songpyeon'd, confront'd, punctur'd, wedding shop'd, bull-tiger-monkey-rat'd, negotiat'd, and, of course, bust'd.
There were some mild adventures over and above the constant challenging immersion in novelty -- the new language, job, relationships and culture -- which produced a fairly extensive paper record.
At some point between my somewhat hasty departure from that country and the present, I transcribed that journal, and, separately, fearful of losing either the shreds of paper or any of their individual contextual significance, I permanently affixed them across several pages of a sketchbook as a sort of hyper-collage. (I do not, at this time, have any images of said collage at hand, but may get around to making some).
But for the final chapter or so, which has seen some use, that journal has just sat inert in the archives. I recently found that transcript, and have posted each minimally-edited journal entry in its appropriate time.
This presented -- or, rather, expanded -- some issues I've had with the blog format. First there is the question of serial works: When you post them in order, the beginning constantly gets pushed down the page; if you post them in reverse-order (with an eye toward the final layout), then you risk undermining the development of your own narrative by exposing later passages before earlier ones. Second is the question of anonymity.
Anyway, in posting them, I was surprised and disappointed not to find some things I was sure that I had cleverly written, and suppose, if I really did write such as I remember, that it must have been in the letters. I was also pleasantly surprised to find accounts of things that I had either forgotten or suspected myself of embellishing over the years.
So, they're all filed under the label "arirang," which is the name of a traditional Korean song, back in 1995 and 1996. The journal begins with 8/11/95 entry "arriv'd" and ends with 2/27/96 entry "uninform'd" (though two related items follow that one).
You might be interested in such highlights as: kim'd, no-rae bang'd, grief'd, songpyeon'd, confront'd, punctur'd, wedding shop'd, bull-tiger-monkey-rat'd, negotiat'd, and, of course, bust'd.
19960306
negotiat'd
Director,
Our intention is to discuss with you rather than demand an appropriate settlement of our business with you. It is not what we want that is important, nor is it what you want that is important. What is important is what you and we together are able to agree upon as fair.
Since our arrival here, you and we have disagreed about the authority of our contracts. Where we are from, the contract is the definitive agreement between the employer and the employee. Here, the contract seems to be viewed as a formality, while the true bond is the verbal agreement between the employer and the employee. We are flexible. We are not determined to stick to the word of the contract--our very situation makes it impossible to stick to the word of the contract.
Had our contract and our employment with you remained without interruption, we would have received certain compensations at the end of the contract year. These compensations are detailed in the contract: Article IV, section ii - "Severance Pay;" Article IV, section viii - "Transportation;" Article IV, section ix - "Relocation Allowance."
As things stand we are unable to remain for the full year. Likewise, you are unable to employ us for the full year.
Were we being dismissed by you for failure to fulfill our duties, or were we voluntarily resigning, the course of action could be found in the contract, Article VI, section ii: "The employer will have no duty and will not be obligated to pay the cost of return transportation...or any amount of relocation allowance..." However, our case is not so clear as that.
The reasons for the termination of our employment with you do not appear to be voluntary, for employees or for employer. Nor is such a case covered in the contract.
We were invited by you to work as Native English teachers at Nam Inch'on Foreign Language Institute. We were not placed at Nam Inch'on Institute, but rather, at Segyero and Olympiad Hakwons according to your direction. We have, since our arrival, followed your direction and trusted that you would work in our best interests. Barring unforeseen difficulties we would have remained in your employ for the full contract term. Now, however, there is an unforeseen difficulty. This problem is one over which we have had no control since our arrival here. Likewise, it is a problem that could have been avoided if we had been employed at the institute with which we are under contract, and which invited us to Korea (Nam Inch'on).
Due to this problem, we are forced to leave jobs which we had planned to continue for the next five months. Likewise, we must leave a country where we had made plans to live for the next five months.
As we must leave the country quickly, the urgency of our situation is clear. It has taken priority in our lives, and we hope that you too will make it a priority. It is our hope to come to a fair agreement on the terms of the termination of our employ and to have this matter resolved as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
O____ and L____
Our intention is to discuss with you rather than demand an appropriate settlement of our business with you. It is not what we want that is important, nor is it what you want that is important. What is important is what you and we together are able to agree upon as fair.
Since our arrival here, you and we have disagreed about the authority of our contracts. Where we are from, the contract is the definitive agreement between the employer and the employee. Here, the contract seems to be viewed as a formality, while the true bond is the verbal agreement between the employer and the employee. We are flexible. We are not determined to stick to the word of the contract--our very situation makes it impossible to stick to the word of the contract.
Had our contract and our employment with you remained without interruption, we would have received certain compensations at the end of the contract year. These compensations are detailed in the contract: Article IV, section ii - "Severance Pay;" Article IV, section viii - "Transportation;" Article IV, section ix - "Relocation Allowance."
As things stand we are unable to remain for the full year. Likewise, you are unable to employ us for the full year.
Were we being dismissed by you for failure to fulfill our duties, or were we voluntarily resigning, the course of action could be found in the contract, Article VI, section ii: "The employer will have no duty and will not be obligated to pay the cost of return transportation...or any amount of relocation allowance..." However, our case is not so clear as that.
The reasons for the termination of our employment with you do not appear to be voluntary, for employees or for employer. Nor is such a case covered in the contract.
We were invited by you to work as Native English teachers at Nam Inch'on Foreign Language Institute. We were not placed at Nam Inch'on Institute, but rather, at Segyero and Olympiad Hakwons according to your direction. We have, since our arrival, followed your direction and trusted that you would work in our best interests. Barring unforeseen difficulties we would have remained in your employ for the full contract term. Now, however, there is an unforeseen difficulty. This problem is one over which we have had no control since our arrival here. Likewise, it is a problem that could have been avoided if we had been employed at the institute with which we are under contract, and which invited us to Korea (Nam Inch'on).
Due to this problem, we are forced to leave jobs which we had planned to continue for the next five months. Likewise, we must leave a country where we had made plans to live for the next five months.
As we must leave the country quickly, the urgency of our situation is clear. It has taken priority in our lives, and we hope that you too will make it a priority. It is our hope to come to a fair agreement on the terms of the termination of our employ and to have this matter resolved as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
O____ and L____
19960305
sitrep'd
Leap Day 1996
Dear __[everyone]__,
Forgive, please, the form-letterness of this communication. It is a form letter (actually, at the moment it is a file being created on HangeulWordPerfect). It is not intended as a devaluation of any correspondence we have thus far engaged upon (or, as the case may be, not engaged upon). It is for the sake of mass communication, and to avoid unnecessarily repeating myself, that I do this. That said, read on.
I do not yet know what will be the outcome of the situation herein to be presented. However, if you have received this letter, then know that the long wait for resolution has ended and I am most likely on my way (perhaps circuitously) home.
I may have to leave Korea. Last Friday (it is now Thursday), agents from the office of Immigration came to the school to question me. They did not really need any answers, as they had them all. The purpose of their visit was to serve me with a subpoena (?) and to take possession of my passport. Flashback: When I was invited to Korea and applied for a visa, it was with the aid of the contract that I had signed with one Oh Gui-ja, of Nam Inch'on Foreign Language Institute. Oh Gui-ja is the wife of the man you may have heard referred to, Mr. IM. She is also, apparently, the money behind his educatory empire. The Ims own four extracurricular schools (hakwons): Nam Inch'on, which neither I nor any of my American co-employees have even seen; Olympiad Hakwon, where I have worked since my arrival here; Kwangyo-Dong Olympiad, where Duke (whose visa is also for Nam Inch'on) has worked; and Segyero Hakwon, where Link (also, whose visa is for Nam Inch'on) works. I suppose the bosses thought that, as they owned all of the schools, it wouldn't be a problem to move us from one place to another.
Within our first 90 days in country, we went to the Immigration office to register for our green cards (here, they're actually blue booklets), as is required by law. On that day we (and the boss) discovered that we couldn't simply have our alien registration cards say we worked one place (where we actually did) when our contract said something else. So we registered for Nam Inch'on (and, so far, I've still got the blue card to prove it!). The boss was given the impression that it was simply a matter of forms and processing to get the place of employment changed. Accordingly, in the months that have followed, he has made repeated trips to the immigration office, and wined and dined with numerous officials there, in an effort to have us legally registered. We, the wide-eyed Americans, were told not to worry.
Thus it continued, until last Friday. Our first interpretation of the event was that more officials at immigration were hungry, but it was really too big an affair for that. I was "busted" by three agents, Duke by three, Link by two and Oh Gui-ja by three. That's eleven people, and those only underlings. As, according to law, once we had received green cards we were no longer required to carry passports, none of us were carrying our passports. At school I was given a summons to appear at the office of Immigration the following morning at 9:30 (Duke and Link received similar ones). But they couldn't take my passport. So, I was obliged to go with the men to my house (missing my class but not minding too much for the excitement) where I delivered my passport into their keeping. Link and his entourage were there at the same time, and Duke and his group of agents arrived shortly after I left. Once they had my passport, they took me back to school to finish my classes. My question: Why, if it is illegal for me to work at Olympiad Hakwon, are you taking me back there to finish my work?" Sympathetic agent: "I cannot make a decision on your case until tomorrow."
That night we had a war meeting. The boss, his sidekick and our liaison (as it were - though sometimes we wish it were not), and we three. We were told not to worry, that it would all have been taken care of before we even arrived at immigration the next morning. And, if it had not been taken care of, the boss would be happy to go to court to have the law overturned. So we slept.
Next morning, no word before we had to leave. So we went there. It was a long morning, mostly waiting, but the occasional interaction with The Man. Our group demeanor was pretty good: Duke joked with them; Link tried to draw them into pleasant conversation and I, true to form, pointed out logical flaws in their procedure and was generally recalcitrant. As I said, it was a long morning. The gist of it is this: We are guilty of violating two points of the immigration code. These violations carry a maximum penalty of one year in prison of 5 million won fine. The boss can face a maximum of three years in prison and 10 million for each of us. I found out later that if the fine is under 1 million, I can immediately apply for a new visa; if 1-2 mil., I cannot apply for two years; 2-5 million won and I cannot reapply for five years (so, in a worst case scenario I can still come back for the 2002 World Cup ;-). But nothing was decided that day. The officials said that they would decide and let us know on Monday. On Monday, Tuesday; Tuesday, Wednesday; and so on. The only clue we have to the continuing struggle is the fatigue and loss of spirit in our boss, with whom we try to meet often, and the continued absence of our passports.
In the meantime, we are all still working.
But a decision must come before long (unless it is all a clever ruse on the part of our boss to keep from giving us our vacations; but that I doubt). The boss has said that he can probably get jobs in Japan for Link and I. Link is into the idea. I'm not so much. I'd like to try some time in Japan, but at this moment, I'm not at all interested in signing another year contract for ESL teaching anywhere. My thoughts have turned to home. So, if a decision comes through, and if I have to leave the country, I'm hoping not to just go straight back to D.C., but, rather, to take advantage of my starting position, 1/2way 'round the world from where I've ever been before, and do some travelling on the way home. If I can afford it.
As for the fines... Well, I expect the boss to pay for that. And even if he doesn't, I don't mind too much, because that kind of money has never been real to me. Although I have enough, it still isn't really real. But I don't expect to be paying it myself. And the boss doesn't seem too fazed by the figure he's facing.
There is some doubt in the minds of Link, Duke and Roy (our fourth housemate, whose contract and therefore visa says where he actually works) as to our actual guilt in this affair. Duke keeps talking about getting a lawyer, and about the broken laws being a matter of interpretation. They are not. I read the laws (and a few others) in an English language book of the Immigration Law one official kept shaking in our faces. We have, indeed, broken the laws that they are telling us that we've broken. There's no question. Roy says, "but it's not your fault," and Duke, grasping for hope, agrees. That much is true. It's not our fault; but it is our responsibility. We did not have the necessary knowledge of the laws or the language to change it, but we did break the laws. That's my tale. See you soon.
-- oomph
Dear __[everyone]__,
Forgive, please, the form-letterness of this communication. It is a form letter (actually, at the moment it is a file being created on HangeulWordPerfect). It is not intended as a devaluation of any correspondence we have thus far engaged upon (or, as the case may be, not engaged upon). It is for the sake of mass communication, and to avoid unnecessarily repeating myself, that I do this. That said, read on.
I do not yet know what will be the outcome of the situation herein to be presented. However, if you have received this letter, then know that the long wait for resolution has ended and I am most likely on my way (perhaps circuitously) home.
I may have to leave Korea. Last Friday (it is now Thursday), agents from the office of Immigration came to the school to question me. They did not really need any answers, as they had them all. The purpose of their visit was to serve me with a subpoena (?) and to take possession of my passport. Flashback: When I was invited to Korea and applied for a visa, it was with the aid of the contract that I had signed with one Oh Gui-ja, of Nam Inch'on Foreign Language Institute. Oh Gui-ja is the wife of the man you may have heard referred to, Mr. IM. She is also, apparently, the money behind his educatory empire. The Ims own four extracurricular schools (hakwons): Nam Inch'on, which neither I nor any of my American co-employees have even seen; Olympiad Hakwon, where I have worked since my arrival here; Kwangyo-Dong Olympiad, where Duke (whose visa is also for Nam Inch'on) has worked; and Segyero Hakwon, where Link (also, whose visa is for Nam Inch'on) works. I suppose the bosses thought that, as they owned all of the schools, it wouldn't be a problem to move us from one place to another.
Within our first 90 days in country, we went to the Immigration office to register for our green cards (here, they're actually blue booklets), as is required by law. On that day we (and the boss) discovered that we couldn't simply have our alien registration cards say we worked one place (where we actually did) when our contract said something else. So we registered for Nam Inch'on (and, so far, I've still got the blue card to prove it!). The boss was given the impression that it was simply a matter of forms and processing to get the place of employment changed. Accordingly, in the months that have followed, he has made repeated trips to the immigration office, and wined and dined with numerous officials there, in an effort to have us legally registered. We, the wide-eyed Americans, were told not to worry.
Thus it continued, until last Friday. Our first interpretation of the event was that more officials at immigration were hungry, but it was really too big an affair for that. I was "busted" by three agents, Duke by three, Link by two and Oh Gui-ja by three. That's eleven people, and those only underlings. As, according to law, once we had received green cards we were no longer required to carry passports, none of us were carrying our passports. At school I was given a summons to appear at the office of Immigration the following morning at 9:30 (Duke and Link received similar ones). But they couldn't take my passport. So, I was obliged to go with the men to my house (missing my class but not minding too much for the excitement) where I delivered my passport into their keeping. Link and his entourage were there at the same time, and Duke and his group of agents arrived shortly after I left. Once they had my passport, they took me back to school to finish my classes. My question: Why, if it is illegal for me to work at Olympiad Hakwon, are you taking me back there to finish my work?" Sympathetic agent: "I cannot make a decision on your case until tomorrow."
That night we had a war meeting. The boss, his sidekick and our liaison (as it were - though sometimes we wish it were not), and we three. We were told not to worry, that it would all have been taken care of before we even arrived at immigration the next morning. And, if it had not been taken care of, the boss would be happy to go to court to have the law overturned. So we slept.
Next morning, no word before we had to leave. So we went there. It was a long morning, mostly waiting, but the occasional interaction with The Man. Our group demeanor was pretty good: Duke joked with them; Link tried to draw them into pleasant conversation and I, true to form, pointed out logical flaws in their procedure and was generally recalcitrant. As I said, it was a long morning. The gist of it is this: We are guilty of violating two points of the immigration code. These violations carry a maximum penalty of one year in prison of 5 million won fine. The boss can face a maximum of three years in prison and 10 million for each of us. I found out later that if the fine is under 1 million, I can immediately apply for a new visa; if 1-2 mil., I cannot apply for two years; 2-5 million won and I cannot reapply for five years (so, in a worst case scenario I can still come back for the 2002 World Cup ;-). But nothing was decided that day. The officials said that they would decide and let us know on Monday. On Monday, Tuesday; Tuesday, Wednesday; and so on. The only clue we have to the continuing struggle is the fatigue and loss of spirit in our boss, with whom we try to meet often, and the continued absence of our passports.
In the meantime, we are all still working.
But a decision must come before long (unless it is all a clever ruse on the part of our boss to keep from giving us our vacations; but that I doubt). The boss has said that he can probably get jobs in Japan for Link and I. Link is into the idea. I'm not so much. I'd like to try some time in Japan, but at this moment, I'm not at all interested in signing another year contract for ESL teaching anywhere. My thoughts have turned to home. So, if a decision comes through, and if I have to leave the country, I'm hoping not to just go straight back to D.C., but, rather, to take advantage of my starting position, 1/2way 'round the world from where I've ever been before, and do some travelling on the way home. If I can afford it.
As for the fines... Well, I expect the boss to pay for that. And even if he doesn't, I don't mind too much, because that kind of money has never been real to me. Although I have enough, it still isn't really real. But I don't expect to be paying it myself. And the boss doesn't seem too fazed by the figure he's facing.
There is some doubt in the minds of Link, Duke and Roy (our fourth housemate, whose contract and therefore visa says where he actually works) as to our actual guilt in this affair. Duke keeps talking about getting a lawyer, and about the broken laws being a matter of interpretation. They are not. I read the laws (and a few others) in an English language book of the Immigration Law one official kept shaking in our faces. We have, indeed, broken the laws that they are telling us that we've broken. There's no question. Roy says, "but it's not your fault," and Duke, grasping for hope, agrees. That much is true. It's not our fault; but it is our responsibility. We did not have the necessary knowledge of the laws or the language to change it, but we did break the laws. That's my tale. See you soon.
-- oomph
19960227
uninform'd
Well, there's really nothing concrete new. On Sunday Link and I went skiing with the brothers Hwang, In-hyo, Ji-hyo, and Myoung-hyo. It was great, although the resort (Yang-Ji Resort) had only five slopes. Anyway, for rental equipment and the first time skiing in four or five years, it was really great. We came home really tired and I went to bed quite early.
Monday we went (all three of us "crims" and Roy who bestowed that title upon us) to Segyero to meet Dr. Kim for lunch. I think we were all hoping that he would have some more recent information. I was. But I was quickly disillusioned: he knew less than we (and, it would seem, continues to). But we had a nice lunch anyway.
Work was as usual ~ no one seems to know anything (though I expect that Mr. Li, Mr. Kwan, and the vice president do) or are being quite tactful. Certainly no one has mentioned it but Mrs. Han, whose interest, curiosity and sympathy is not unwelcome.
After work yesterday Link and I went up to see Mr. Im. His bravado of Saturday was all gone. He seemed tired and down. He seemed to believe we would not be able to continue working for him, and certain that we would have to leave the country. He offered to secure us jobs in Japan. But nothing had been determined. Another day. Tonight we will go up again. I called my parents and told them what I know, and I called [redacted] last night. That's all.
Duke and Link both refuse to think about all of the concrete information we don't have, and realize the present futility of plans and worries. They'd rather jump to the worst conclusion and impotently worry.
Monday we went (all three of us "crims" and Roy who bestowed that title upon us) to Segyero to meet Dr. Kim for lunch. I think we were all hoping that he would have some more recent information. I was. But I was quickly disillusioned: he knew less than we (and, it would seem, continues to). But we had a nice lunch anyway.
Work was as usual ~ no one seems to know anything (though I expect that Mr. Li, Mr. Kwan, and the vice president do) or are being quite tactful. Certainly no one has mentioned it but Mrs. Han, whose interest, curiosity and sympathy is not unwelcome.
After work yesterday Link and I went up to see Mr. Im. His bravado of Saturday was all gone. He seemed tired and down. He seemed to believe we would not be able to continue working for him, and certain that we would have to leave the country. He offered to secure us jobs in Japan. But nothing had been determined. Another day. Tonight we will go up again. I called my parents and told them what I know, and I called [redacted] last night. That's all.
Duke and Link both refuse to think about all of the concrete information we don't have, and realize the present futility of plans and worries. They'd rather jump to the worst conclusion and impotently worry.
19960224
bust'd
Well, yesterday at school I arrived early. I was in the teachers' room. Miss Park came in to talk to me. Mrs. Park (the gossip) was there.
Miss Park started to talk to me: she said that officers from immigration were coming to the school to question me. If they did question me I was to answer their questions as follows: I do not teach any grade-school classes, and I work there only on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday are taught by Link.
After she had left, Mrs. Park asked me what she had said. I said to her that Miss Park told me that Immigration officials would come to question me and that I should lie. She laughed in response to this, with some comment along the lines of "Oh Oomph, you're such a kidder." With that the subject was dropped. And I headed off to class.
I guess I managed to get about one third of the way through my class- teaching that damn "next to - between - across from..." lesson. I set the kids to practicing the exercises and then went out to go to the bathroom. As I stepped out of the classroom (rm.205) door, I saw three business-suited men go into the office: one of them did a multiple-take - as though trying to decide whether to talk to me or not. He went into the office, and, realizing that the immigration men had come for me, I went to the bathroom and then back to my class.
After a few minutes the secretary lady who does not speak English came and fetched me: she reinforced (with sign language) the lies I had earlier been instructed to say. So I went to meet the men. They asked questions about my employment: when I arrived, where I have worked, where I lived. They never asked the questions about which I had been instructed to lie.
They asked me about my passport. I told them that I did not have it with me. So they asked to see my alien residence card. I gave it them. They gave me a receipt for it, and a summons to appear at the immigration office at 9:30 this morning. Then they asked where I lived. I told them it was about fifteen minutes away by foot. So they let me go back to class.
I had been teaching for about ten minutes when they decided they wanted to see me again. So in came Miss Park to fetch me. Remember, she said, Link: T,Th,S; You: M,W,F. Sure enough, they asked me about my housemates: "Brown. Where is Brown?" I said I didn't know where Duke was, 'cause he left the house before me. "Marks, Link Marks. Is he at your home now?" I said I didn't think he was at home because he had left before I did.
"Where is he?" "I don't know."
Then they asked me again how long it takes to get to my house. I gave them the same answer, "Fifteen minutes, walking."
"How about driving?"
"I don't know. I always walk. I suppose 5 to 10 minutes." So they invited me to go with them to my house.
I left the room to end my class (more wasted time and yet another erosion of my precarious authority), then went upstairs to leave my books and fetch my coat. Miss Park told me at this time that Link was at home. So, while in the teachers' room I called him --, it was busy at first, but upon a second try he answered it: "Ya' Bo Seyo?"
"Link, get out of the house."
"They're here."
"They busted me too, we're coming shortly. They told me here that my story is to be that you work at this Olympiad on Tues, Thurs. and Sat ~ and none of us teach lower than middle school."
"Okay."
"I guess we'll be there soon."
"OK, then I'll see you for skiing on Sunday."
I grabbed my coat and stepped into the hallway. There, about halfway down the corridor, as though searching for me, was the leader. He saw me coming, be-coated, and turned around to lead the way outside (this man's name was Li Teok-ryong). As we went down the stairs he said to me that Link was at my house. My cool reply, "Oh, is he?" We went. Four full grown men in this little Kia Pride car, with me giving directions from the back seat. We got to my house and climbed the stairs.
When I opened the door the first thing I saw was more official-looking Koreans coming to greet the new person. All four of us went in, making it 6 Han-gook sa-ram and two honkies. Everyone was standing around the common room ~ one man was sporadically on the phone. My three agents told me to fetch my passport, so I went to my room, closing the door but not latching it behind me. I went to the drawer where I keep my important papers and began to dig out my passport. By the time I had found it, one of the men had followed me into my room, and was in fact, all the way over to my desk. He took his time going out ~ obviously looking carefully around. This pissed me off.
So we went back out to the common area. We stood around for a few moments while my passport was passed from hand to hand. During this time the same man who had followed me into my room took it upon himself to open Duke's door and look inside his room. As soon as we saw this happening, Link and I both began to say, "Excuse me - you cannot do that," to him.
As I was closest, I pushed the door shut. Now I was becoming more angry. We told them that ours was a private home and they could not go around opening doors and looking wherever they wished. The leader of my group changed the subject. He told us we needed to give them a written statement. I went back to my room and fetched this very notebook, exited, closed my door, and repaired to the kitchen.
What would you like this statement to say? When you arrived in Korea and when/where you started to work. Link and I both sat down at the kitchen table, me giving him a piece of paper. I wrote two lines: "I arrived in Korea on July 27, 1995. I began to work at Olympiad Hakwon during the second week of August."
During the time that I was writing all but one of the men were out in the common room. While I was writing I heard the door to Roy's room close (presumably it had been opened with the stealth becoming of an immigration officer), and just as I finished I heard Duke's CD drawer being opened and closed. That was enough. Like a flash I went out into the common room. There, sure enough, was the agent I affectionately have dubbed "Snoop." Snoop was standing by the TV cabinet straightening from the crouch he would have had to adopt to open the drawer.
"What are you doing?" I must have bellowed. "If you want to see the whole place I can arrange a tour. You want to snoop around some?" I went to the CD drawer, opened it, and gesturing at the CDs said "Oh my! CDs! Are you happy now?" Some of the agents tried to calm me: "No, no." But then one of the men suggested to Snoop that he tell me he had been fixing the VCR cable which was caught in the drawer. (That's not implausible, but 1) Link told me later that the cord had not been caught in the drawer, and 2) even if it had been ~ housecleaning was neither this agent's responsibility nor his interest). So that's what Snoop said. This pissed me off more. "Oh, and was the cord caught in the door too?"
"No, no," said Snoop. But I wasn't satisfied. I went to Duke's door, opened it, mimed peering inside, moved his heated blanket out of the way as though it had been blocking the door, nodded and closed the door again. Then I turned to look Snoop in the eye. All he did was repeat "Do not misunderstand." I was sure I hadn't.
Next the lead officer interfered - "Your written statement, Mr. Oomph. We have to get you back too your classes."
"I've finished that. Here," I ran to the kitchen and grabbed my paper, then returned proffering it at Snoop and the leader, "Happy now?" They read it, decided that they were happy, and got ready to take me back to school.
Having made that clear, he turned to the "Punitive Provisions" section of the book, and had us read Article 94 (max 3 years prison or W10 mil. fine), which applied to the boss but not to us, and Article 95 (max one year prison or W5 mil. fine) which did apply to us. It was section 5 of this article that was relevant: we had violated XVIII ii, and XXI i.
I read fast so I got to scan through the book a little: I found that if charges are to be pressed, they will be issued in writing giving us seven days to pay (art.CII, I think) and that consideration will be given to the defendant's ability to pay and motive (CIII, I think). I stored these for possible use later.
After having tried to make the gravity of our situation clear to us, he left us to wait (perhaps thinking "anticipation of an evil is worse than an evil itself."). Whatever.
He said, "I say five days."
I tried again. This time I got the response, "You are in violation of Korean Immigration Law!"
Aha! I thought, and said (gesturing at that handy little book), "Right, Article XVIII and XXI, the same law which states that the violator will have seven days in which to pay."
This lively repartee lasted a little while, but at some point I found the passage I was referring to and recited it to him. He was upset. Over and over: "You are in violation of Korean Immigration Law!" He also said to forget the book and consider my position (...in violation...). Ah, I love a cool-headed logical gent!
Duke talked to him about calling Mr. Im (Cause Duke didn't have enough money to pay the fine and hoped that the boss could cover it), but didn't get that chance (Mr. Oh told Duke to ask the American embassy for the money).
So that's about how it was left. We were led by Oh to another waiting room and bade wait. I think it was during this time that we talked passports. We said to him, you must give us our passports.
Guess what he said.
Duke and Link were cool and apologetic, I was logical and recalcitrant. Nothing came of this but more success in getting him to raise his voice.
We tried the "Passports are the property of the U.S. Government" line, but to no avail. Finally I asked him his name. He told me and I tried to write it down, and then, as though it were the capping blow he said to me, "I'll give you my name card." (He never did.)
So we found ourselves stranded in an, as yet, unseen room. It had a bench, a desk, two chairs and a safe. And now it had the three Mi-gook-skateers. Here we waited for what seemed like (and probably actually were) hours. At one point Mr. Snoop from the night before offered us coffee. This is the place / time that I began this record (though now that I am nearing the end of my tale I am in class at 9:15 tonight). I made repeated trips to the bathroom for smokes and otherwise mostly paced and prowled around the room. It had a door which opened onto the hallway (the same hallway as the original waiting room), directly opposite the door was a large mirror. In the room, to the left of (provided you are facing) the door was a large window. This, with the mirror, was nice, because I could stand in the farthest left farthest hallward corner of the room, and see much of the activity in the next room. Unfortunately not much of interest was going on there. At one point two handcuffed men were led in, and after a while they went out free. As I was often going and coming from the bathroom I could get a fair view of the area. I saw Mr. Im and his wife when they came in ~ though I could not tell what was going on with them.
At one point Link was called into the room next door. He was interrogated, sort of, and we could hear it all. The interrogator asked Link over and over how long he had worked at Olympiad. Link, courageously, said over and over that the information about that was contained in the statement he had written. The man got angry ~ yelling that Link had, indeed, worked at Olympiad, and that his director said so. Link maintained as long (longer, in fact) as he reasonably could have, but in the end, said the fateful words, "I have never worked at Olympiad."
After that he was allowed to come back in. And a loud argument ensued in a nearby room, presumably over the information Link had at long last divulged. We waited more. We saw Mr. Im's lawyer and another man come in. Shortly thereafter, a voice called out, "Brown, Duke!" Duke went, and a moment later returned, saying that all of our presences were requested with the Director. So we went.
Mr. Im and his wife were there. The man who had interrogated Link was also there. We were told to sign forms which we were told we translations of our earlier-made statements. I think that we should really have been more careful - asking what we were signing more specifically, but we weren't, we didn't. We signed. They gave Duke a receipt for his passport, told us that the "Captain" would make his decision on Monday, and we all went to another waiting room.
Here Mr. Im was full of Optimistic Bravado ~ enough at least to make us laugh some. After his lawyer was done with whatever he was doing we all left. Mr. Im told us over and over that it wouldn't be a big problem. OK. Then he took us out to an extravagant lunch before delivering us to our respective places of employment.
Miss Park started to talk to me: she said that officers from immigration were coming to the school to question me. If they did question me I was to answer their questions as follows: I do not teach any grade-school classes, and I work there only on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday are taught by Link.
After she had left, Mrs. Park asked me what she had said. I said to her that Miss Park told me that Immigration officials would come to question me and that I should lie. She laughed in response to this, with some comment along the lines of "Oh Oomph, you're such a kidder." With that the subject was dropped. And I headed off to class.
I guess I managed to get about one third of the way through my class- teaching that damn "next to - between - across from..." lesson. I set the kids to practicing the exercises and then went out to go to the bathroom. As I stepped out of the classroom (rm.205) door, I saw three business-suited men go into the office: one of them did a multiple-take - as though trying to decide whether to talk to me or not. He went into the office, and, realizing that the immigration men had come for me, I went to the bathroom and then back to my class.
After a few minutes the secretary lady who does not speak English came and fetched me: she reinforced (with sign language) the lies I had earlier been instructed to say. So I went to meet the men. They asked questions about my employment: when I arrived, where I have worked, where I lived. They never asked the questions about which I had been instructed to lie.
They asked me about my passport. I told them that I did not have it with me. So they asked to see my alien residence card. I gave it them. They gave me a receipt for it, and a summons to appear at the immigration office at 9:30 this morning. Then they asked where I lived. I told them it was about fifteen minutes away by foot. So they let me go back to class.
I had been teaching for about ten minutes when they decided they wanted to see me again. So in came Miss Park to fetch me. Remember, she said, Link: T,Th,S; You: M,W,F. Sure enough, they asked me about my housemates: "Brown. Where is Brown?" I said I didn't know where Duke was, 'cause he left the house before me. "Marks, Link Marks. Is he at your home now?" I said I didn't think he was at home because he had left before I did.
"Where is he?" "I don't know."
Then they asked me again how long it takes to get to my house. I gave them the same answer, "Fifteen minutes, walking."
"How about driving?"
"I don't know. I always walk. I suppose 5 to 10 minutes." So they invited me to go with them to my house.
I left the room to end my class (more wasted time and yet another erosion of my precarious authority), then went upstairs to leave my books and fetch my coat. Miss Park told me at this time that Link was at home. So, while in the teachers' room I called him --, it was busy at first, but upon a second try he answered it: "Ya' Bo Seyo?"
"Link, get out of the house."
"They're here."
"They busted me too, we're coming shortly. They told me here that my story is to be that you work at this Olympiad on Tues, Thurs. and Sat ~ and none of us teach lower than middle school."
"Okay."
"I guess we'll be there soon."
"OK, then I'll see you for skiing on Sunday."
I grabbed my coat and stepped into the hallway. There, about halfway down the corridor, as though searching for me, was the leader. He saw me coming, be-coated, and turned around to lead the way outside (this man's name was Li Teok-ryong). As we went down the stairs he said to me that Link was at my house. My cool reply, "Oh, is he?" We went. Four full grown men in this little Kia Pride car, with me giving directions from the back seat. We got to my house and climbed the stairs.
When I opened the door the first thing I saw was more official-looking Koreans coming to greet the new person. All four of us went in, making it 6 Han-gook sa-ram and two honkies. Everyone was standing around the common room ~ one man was sporadically on the phone. My three agents told me to fetch my passport, so I went to my room, closing the door but not latching it behind me. I went to the drawer where I keep my important papers and began to dig out my passport. By the time I had found it, one of the men had followed me into my room, and was in fact, all the way over to my desk. He took his time going out ~ obviously looking carefully around. This pissed me off.
So we went back out to the common area. We stood around for a few moments while my passport was passed from hand to hand. During this time the same man who had followed me into my room took it upon himself to open Duke's door and look inside his room. As soon as we saw this happening, Link and I both began to say, "Excuse me - you cannot do that," to him.
As I was closest, I pushed the door shut. Now I was becoming more angry. We told them that ours was a private home and they could not go around opening doors and looking wherever they wished. The leader of my group changed the subject. He told us we needed to give them a written statement. I went back to my room and fetched this very notebook, exited, closed my door, and repaired to the kitchen.
What would you like this statement to say? When you arrived in Korea and when/where you started to work. Link and I both sat down at the kitchen table, me giving him a piece of paper. I wrote two lines: "I arrived in Korea on July 27, 1995. I began to work at Olympiad Hakwon during the second week of August."
During the time that I was writing all but one of the men were out in the common room. While I was writing I heard the door to Roy's room close (presumably it had been opened with the stealth becoming of an immigration officer), and just as I finished I heard Duke's CD drawer being opened and closed. That was enough. Like a flash I went out into the common room. There, sure enough, was the agent I affectionately have dubbed "Snoop." Snoop was standing by the TV cabinet straightening from the crouch he would have had to adopt to open the drawer.
"What are you doing?" I must have bellowed. "If you want to see the whole place I can arrange a tour. You want to snoop around some?" I went to the CD drawer, opened it, and gesturing at the CDs said "Oh my! CDs! Are you happy now?" Some of the agents tried to calm me: "No, no." But then one of the men suggested to Snoop that he tell me he had been fixing the VCR cable which was caught in the drawer. (That's not implausible, but 1) Link told me later that the cord had not been caught in the drawer, and 2) even if it had been ~ housecleaning was neither this agent's responsibility nor his interest). So that's what Snoop said. This pissed me off more. "Oh, and was the cord caught in the door too?"
"No, no," said Snoop. But I wasn't satisfied. I went to Duke's door, opened it, mimed peering inside, moved his heated blanket out of the way as though it had been blocking the door, nodded and closed the door again. Then I turned to look Snoop in the eye. All he did was repeat "Do not misunderstand." I was sure I hadn't.
Next the lead officer interfered - "Your written statement, Mr. Oomph. We have to get you back too your classes."
"I've finished that. Here," I ran to the kitchen and grabbed my paper, then returned proffering it at Snoop and the leader, "Happy now?" They read it, decided that they were happy, and got ready to take me back to school.
Aside --> Link says that during the confrontation with Snoop, someone backpedaled saying "You came in here so fast," as though apologetically. I can almost remember that, but not with any meaningful referents. <--
When we left the house Snoop and the others remained with Link's posse, and I rode with Li Teok-ryong only. He dropped me off across the street from the school and sped away. At school I went into the teachers' room for a smoke, then Miss Park came to ask me what had happened.
Aside --> in the car on the way back I asked Mr. Li why, if I could not work legally at Olympiad, he was taking me back there to finish my classes. He said that he could not make a decision until today.<--
I told her as much as I could, finished my smoke, and went to class. After a few minutes she came to fetch me from class. Duke was on the phone. The same thing had happened to him. He was calling from Coco's coffee shop and thought it would be a good idea to meet together after work. I told him basically, "No shit."
But while I was on the phone with him, Miss Park gave me the lie for him: As he had been sick, Duke did not teach at all. I told her that it was too late for that lie, so they came up with another creative lie, this one apparently the one Duke's Shil-jeong-nimh had told the Inspectors: that Duke did not teach the children - he only played with them during their free periods between classes. Pathetic. I finished work and went home.
At home Duke was entertaining Mr.Jeong (from the stand next to the Mandu Ladies'), but only for as long as it took me to make and start eating ramen. Then Dr. Kim and Mr. Im came down. Mr. Jeong left. We all sat and talked for a while about how to deal with the problem. The Koreans were very relaxed, and tried to tell us we had the right to not answer their questions, and, in fact, to not go in at the time we had been told to go. But we didn't buy it.
So, they bravadoed and briefed us for a while, and then we were left to arrange ourselves. At this point it looked like all would be resolved today (I keep allowing myself to believe in quick resolutions although such things seem not to happen in Korea). There seemed two possibilities: 1) Mr. Im said that he could appeal the decision of the immigration officials, thereby going to court for an indefinite period of time (but sounding like everyman's champion). Or 2) We (the honkeys) might have to leave the country for the amount of time that it takes to get a new visa. These were both, at the time, very vaguely formed ideas. I tried to crash - we had all agreed to get up at 7:30. I had trouble sleeping, though, my mind had been set in motion by the events of the day, and I lay in bed trying to put them to rest for hours, so that I could get some rest.
Today I got up at 7:30. It felt pretty good to be up that early ~ though by non I felt mostly like shit. I got up and went to the kitchen where Link was shivering, having just come from his shower/washing. Thinking to help him, I moved toward the heater, but he interrupted me, saying, "Gahseu eopseoyo." Shit. Actually, I wasn't yet particularly cold, so no problem. I sat and smoked a cigarette with a glass of orange juice, then went to do my own washing. I was pretty cold, but not miserable as I usually am of a morning. That done I got dressed - I saw that both Link and Duke were wearing ties and jackets - but I can't go quite so far, so I just dressed... well, Duke said I looked very scholarly. Whatever. I was warm. He offered espresso and I accepted ~ and while the pot was brewing I ran down to the cigarette machine for a pack of smokes.
Roy got up this morning to make fun of us. That was nice. It's always reassuring to make jokes in the face of an unknown danger, and Roy is certainly a good person for that. One cup of espresso and we left.
First we went upstairs, where we were to find Dr. Kim who was supposed to catch us a cab. He told us to wait a little while. How long? we asked. Maybe a half hour or more. (Mr. Im was to have gone to the Immigration office early this morning to work everything out, and then call to let us know.) We said we couldn't wait that long (Duke was due there at 9:00, I at 9:30, Link 10:00). So he finally came out and caught us a taxi - the driver didn't know where the office was, and had to ask for directions twice along the way. By 8:25 we were a-cab and going. We got there and went inside.
The people on the second floor knew who we were, and sent us to the "waiting room." Bars on the window; very reassuring. We were not there five minutes before we were fetched to another room. This one had five desks and a small plastic table in one corner with four chairs. There was a counter and a small computer table. We were sent to the plastic table. A few minutes waiting, then the man from the night before, Snoop, brought us papers and told us to write a detailed statement of our arrival in Korea and jobs, as well as to write our "working conditions." So we did.
I admit we were probably somewhat immature in our interpretation of which information "working conditions" referred to. But, dammit, the other teachers really are nice and supportive! We filled these out, and when asked to sign them did so with names other than our own. I signed Oomph Jason Cavilworthy. Our group demeanor was pretty good today: Duke joked with them, Link tried to engage them in genuine conversation, and I, well, I don't react well when confronted by authority. I pointed out logical flaws in their procedure and was generally recalcitrant. After giving these papers, we got to wait some more.
Finally, Mr. Oh Se-han came over to us with our statements and an English copy of the Immigration Law.
-->This whole fiasco is a result of our having been invited by and signed contracts with Nam Inch'on Foreign Language Institute, and actually working at Olympiad (Me and Duke) and Segyero (Link). It's stupid - they're owned by the same person: Oh Gui-ja.<--
So, we were told that we have acted in violation of Korean Immigration Law Article XVIII, sec.ii, and Article XXI, sec.i. These state basically that [we are allowed to work only for the institute for who's contract we were issued visas,] and [If we should work elsewhere, we are required to obtain the permission of the Ministry of Justice IN ADVANCE]. Well, it was my understanding that we had tried repeatedly to change the status of our Alien Registrations, with the boss cajoling official after official, but to no avail. But we did not mention this to them. We are in violation of Korean Immigration Law.
Having made that clear, he turned to the "Punitive Provisions" section of the book, and had us read Article 94 (max 3 years prison or W10 mil. fine), which applied to the boss but not to us, and Article 95 (max one year prison or W5 mil. fine) which did apply to us. It was section 5 of this article that was relevant: we had violated XVIII ii, and XXI i.
I read fast so I got to scan through the book a little: I found that if charges are to be pressed, they will be issued in writing giving us seven days to pay (art.CII, I think) and that consideration will be given to the defendant's ability to pay and motive (CIII, I think). I stored these for possible use later.
After having tried to make the gravity of our situation clear to us, he left us to wait (perhaps thinking "anticipation of an evil is worse than an evil itself."). Whatever.
--> the whole time we were in this room there were at least four people ~ sometimes as many as 8 or 10 ~ busy conferring and looking up things in the dictionary, and conferring, and making telephone calls, and conferring <--After some conference he came back and told us that we would be fined Five Million Won and then have to leave the country to apply for a new visa. He left again. We bitched and moaned a bit. Duke said he didn't have that much money, and I thought that the punishers had not given proper consideration to the defendants' abilities to pay and motives. Mostly Link and Duke talked; I tried to glean anything useful or illuminating from the bits of information I had and the shreds of conversation that I could hear and understand. At one point I heard Mr. Oh (who had been talking to us) and another man haggle over the amount we were to be fined,
||: Oh: 5million; other man: 2million :|| over and over.And we waited. Finally, Oh came back and told us that we would be fined three million, which we would have to pay at the bank within the next five days, and thereafter we would have to leave the country. "Five days?" I said, "In this book it says seven days."
He said, "I say five days."
I tried again. This time I got the response, "You are in violation of Korean Immigration Law!"
Aha! I thought, and said (gesturing at that handy little book), "Right, Article XVIII and XXI, the same law which states that the violator will have seven days in which to pay."
This lively repartee lasted a little while, but at some point I found the passage I was referring to and recited it to him. He was upset. Over and over: "You are in violation of Korean Immigration Law!" He also said to forget the book and consider my position (...in violation...). Ah, I love a cool-headed logical gent!
Duke talked to him about calling Mr. Im (Cause Duke didn't have enough money to pay the fine and hoped that the boss could cover it), but didn't get that chance (Mr. Oh told Duke to ask the American embassy for the money).
So that's about how it was left. We were led by Oh to another waiting room and bade wait. I think it was during this time that we talked passports. We said to him, you must give us our passports.
Guess what he said.
Duke and Link were cool and apologetic, I was logical and recalcitrant. Nothing came of this but more success in getting him to raise his voice.
We tried the "Passports are the property of the U.S. Government" line, but to no avail. Finally I asked him his name. He told me and I tried to write it down, and then, as though it were the capping blow he said to me, "I'll give you my name card." (He never did.)
So we found ourselves stranded in an, as yet, unseen room. It had a bench, a desk, two chairs and a safe. And now it had the three Mi-gook-skateers. Here we waited for what seemed like (and probably actually were) hours. At one point Mr. Snoop from the night before offered us coffee. This is the place / time that I began this record (though now that I am nearing the end of my tale I am in class at 9:15 tonight). I made repeated trips to the bathroom for smokes and otherwise mostly paced and prowled around the room. It had a door which opened onto the hallway (the same hallway as the original waiting room), directly opposite the door was a large mirror. In the room, to the left of (provided you are facing) the door was a large window. This, with the mirror, was nice, because I could stand in the farthest left farthest hallward corner of the room, and see much of the activity in the next room. Unfortunately not much of interest was going on there. At one point two handcuffed men were led in, and after a while they went out free. As I was often going and coming from the bathroom I could get a fair view of the area. I saw Mr. Im and his wife when they came in ~ though I could not tell what was going on with them.
At one point Link was called into the room next door. He was interrogated, sort of, and we could hear it all. The interrogator asked Link over and over how long he had worked at Olympiad. Link, courageously, said over and over that the information about that was contained in the statement he had written. The man got angry ~ yelling that Link had, indeed, worked at Olympiad, and that his director said so. Link maintained as long (longer, in fact) as he reasonably could have, but in the end, said the fateful words, "I have never worked at Olympiad."
After that he was allowed to come back in. And a loud argument ensued in a nearby room, presumably over the information Link had at long last divulged. We waited more. We saw Mr. Im's lawyer and another man come in. Shortly thereafter, a voice called out, "Brown, Duke!" Duke went, and a moment later returned, saying that all of our presences were requested with the Director. So we went.
Mr. Im and his wife were there. The man who had interrogated Link was also there. We were told to sign forms which we were told we translations of our earlier-made statements. I think that we should really have been more careful - asking what we were signing more specifically, but we weren't, we didn't. We signed. They gave Duke a receipt for his passport, told us that the "Captain" would make his decision on Monday, and we all went to another waiting room.
Here Mr. Im was full of Optimistic Bravado ~ enough at least to make us laugh some. After his lawyer was done with whatever he was doing we all left. Mr. Im told us over and over that it wouldn't be a big problem. OK. Then he took us out to an extravagant lunch before delivering us to our respective places of employment.
19951219
metaphysick'd
I've thought a few things.
(1) The Cabbalists cum numerologists have spent centuries praying and rearranging the order of the letters in the Torah ~ in search of the correct, the ultimate name of God! The I Ching is a comprehensive book of wisdom, which you approach by reading passages (somewhat) randomly. The Tarot is a similar fixed set of symbols which you rearrange and ask a question of. These are all holy books, the Book of Life in its many manifestations. The search is not for truth in an ontical sense ~ nor in a universal objective sense (for, of course, these views are incorrect). Rather, it is for the world of the reading individual. Only Dasein can read the Truth. And, the set of symbols which forms that Truth for Dasein A is likely to not be the same set of symbols in the Truth of Dasein B. Okay, this is obvious, but only because I'm articulating it.
(2) Nihilism. My letter to Mango about nihilism miscarried its message. But I know why. He looks at the world ontically. The nihilist is not transformed from Lion to Horus when he decided what he wants. It is when he realizes his (to paraphrase Crowley paraphrasing Nietzsche) one true Will. The Great Work begins then. It is the realization of the failure of its burden to explain / solve existence which transforms Camel into Lion. It can only be learning the "secret of the universe," the One True Will, attaining the "knowledge and conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel" which transforms the Lion into the Child. Om Mani Padme Hum.
(1) The Cabbalists cum numerologists have spent centuries praying and rearranging the order of the letters in the Torah ~ in search of the correct, the ultimate name of God! The I Ching is a comprehensive book of wisdom, which you approach by reading passages (somewhat) randomly. The Tarot is a similar fixed set of symbols which you rearrange and ask a question of. These are all holy books, the Book of Life in its many manifestations. The search is not for truth in an ontical sense ~ nor in a universal objective sense (for, of course, these views are incorrect). Rather, it is for the world of the reading individual. Only Dasein can read the Truth. And, the set of symbols which forms that Truth for Dasein A is likely to not be the same set of symbols in the Truth of Dasein B. Okay, this is obvious, but only because I'm articulating it.
(2) Nihilism. My letter to Mango about nihilism miscarried its message. But I know why. He looks at the world ontically. The nihilist is not transformed from Lion to Horus when he decided what he wants. It is when he realizes his (to paraphrase Crowley paraphrasing Nietzsche) one true Will. The Great Work begins then. It is the realization of the failure of its burden to explain / solve existence which transforms Camel into Lion. It can only be learning the "secret of the universe," the One True Will, attaining the "knowledge and conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel" which transforms the Lion into the Child. Om Mani Padme Hum.
19951218
nam'd
Well, when it rains, it pours. I went for (seemingly) weeks receiving no mail. Last week I did receive some. I got a package from my parents: Christmas presents (!), Act I of "Gotterdammerung," my Cure tapes and Rubber Soul, a turtleneck (black), a pair of Levis (black), earmuffs, and a Winnie-the-pooh figurine -- a pretty good haul. I read War of the Worlds last week and Book IV this weekend (though I'll have to read it some more). Then on Saturday I got four letters: [redacted], [redacted], [redacted], and [redacted]. These arrived while I was trying to write a letter to [redacted]. I haven't finished it yet, but must, in order to write more to others. I still haven't sent [redacted] or [redacted] their Christmas presents yet - and I need to write accompanying letters before I can send them.
On Friday, Kim Seong-oen told me that I should take the name Kim as my Korean name - I hadn't even thought of taking a Korean name. But he set me thinking and, in a short while I realized that the family name I have to take (its obvious, really): [[redacted]]. This name becomes [redacted] when speaking English, which is the name of my uncle. So, I've got to get him to assign me a name (of course in Chinese) which I will transliterate phonetically (probably, in that case, "transphoneticate," or "transphonate") into a Korean name. As he named his sons in English, perhaps he will be made happy to name his nephew in Chinese. More later.
On Friday, Kim Seong-oen told me that I should take the name Kim as my Korean name - I hadn't even thought of taking a Korean name. But he set me thinking and, in a short while I realized that the family name I have to take (its obvious, really): [[redacted]]. This name becomes [redacted] when speaking English, which is the name of my uncle. So, I've got to get him to assign me a name (of course in Chinese) which I will transliterate phonetically (probably, in that case, "transphoneticate," or "transphonate") into a Korean name. As he named his sons in English, perhaps he will be made happy to name his nephew in Chinese. More later.
19951212
chart'd
I was wrong - my chart gives me wood (4), fire (0), earth (1), gold (1), and water (2). Thus, I am (as I have supposed) governed primarily by air (which I am reading wood as) and water - though the water is half as plentiful as the wood. Perhaps I'll write more later.
19951211
bull-tiger-monkey-rat'd
Well its been a long time. As they say here, Oraigan manimnida. Time passes so seamlessly that I hardly notice the passage of weeks. Needless to say, (as I and you - intrepid reader - have no doubt already noticed) I don't write in this journal as often as I should (or could).
What have I done? I bought a bunch of Christmas cards and sent them (Mom & Dad, [redacted], [redacted], [redacted], [redacted], [redacted], [redacted] - and I think I'm forgetting - oh yes, the [redacted]s). The last went out today. I have also embarked upon my Christmas present ventures - I'm sending four presents (at least until such a time as I can find gifts for the family), all the same: [redacted], [redacted] (Whose went out today), [redacted] and [redacted] will all receive copies of Seo Taiji and Boys vol. iv and ii. Token gifts, but interesting nonetheless.
I'm expecting a letter from [redacted] and packages from my parents. I called [redacted] last night. It was great to hear her voice and talk with her, but somewhat difficult - the few second lag and the new problem of my voice echoing gave it a somewhat surreal feeling for me - as I talked, I stumbled about as though tripping. Odd.
I have finished reading all the books that I bought a scarce week and 1/2 ago - except the two from the bibliography that [redacted] sent me. Duke, when he's not using it lets me read his copy of Foucault's Pendulum - Umberto Eco is quickly (that is, this is the second book of his that I have really enjoyed) becoming an author whom I like. Although Duke's been reading it longer than I have, I am already 100 pages farther into it that he is. Hi Ego!
About Duke - Link and I received some intelligence to the effect that he is on his way out. That is, Won Jeong Nimh is trying to figure out how to fire him. The news was supposed to hit him yesterday when he collected his salary. He came back down saying that he needed to talk to me.
As it turns out Mr. Im made an offer (but Duke wasn't clear precisely that the offer was), which Duke rejected, making/offering a list of five possibilities to which he was open. Apparently an argument ensued - the result of which is that we are all (again!) left waiting.
I've been studying the Yoga book and try to do Yoga every day - I don't have too much trouble doing asanas, but I'm shy (and a bit self-deprecating) about the Pranayama. Some of the breathing exercises are a bit loud, and I'm not sure I'm doing them correctly. Nevertheless, I continue to try. The asanas have got me feeling (bodily) pretty strong and vigorous. There are a few postures that I cannot do - mostly the advanced ones, but, given that I stick with it, I will eventually be able to.
Chinese Horoscope: I am characterized according to the year, month, day, and time of my birth. The result is me being, respectively, Bull (diligent), tiger (brave/alone), monkey (dexterity), and rat (social/many friendships). From these I am judged (configured) according to the strengths of the five basic elements as represented in my birth: wood is plentiful, fire absent, water present, earth present, and gold present. From these my character is organized. I have too much wood - which means I have too many "wills" or interests. In plain English - my interests are many and disparate, I do not focus on just one thing. I am diligent, decisive, dexterous. I have good "leadership qualities." I have many friends and I am happy to be alone. I should wear warm colors (to balance the lack of fire in me), I have a tendency to wear a lot of (gold?) jewelry, I should live in a house (apartment is no good) and have a garden. I'm not sure whether that part's allegory of what. If I marry, my bride should be four years younger than I (that's snake); definitely not five years younger; or eight years younger (cock). That's all I remember. I plan to try to get the man who did my horoscope to do more calculations. Otherwise - next year is the year of the Bull - perhaps my year. I'll keep my tails crossed. All for now.
What have I done? I bought a bunch of Christmas cards and sent them (Mom & Dad, [redacted], [redacted], [redacted], [redacted], [redacted], [redacted] - and I think I'm forgetting - oh yes, the [redacted]s). The last went out today. I have also embarked upon my Christmas present ventures - I'm sending four presents (at least until such a time as I can find gifts for the family), all the same: [redacted], [redacted] (Whose went out today), [redacted] and [redacted] will all receive copies of Seo Taiji and Boys vol. iv and ii. Token gifts, but interesting nonetheless.
I'm expecting a letter from [redacted] and packages from my parents. I called [redacted] last night. It was great to hear her voice and talk with her, but somewhat difficult - the few second lag and the new problem of my voice echoing gave it a somewhat surreal feeling for me - as I talked, I stumbled about as though tripping. Odd.
I have finished reading all the books that I bought a scarce week and 1/2 ago - except the two from the bibliography that [redacted] sent me. Duke, when he's not using it lets me read his copy of Foucault's Pendulum - Umberto Eco is quickly (that is, this is the second book of his that I have really enjoyed) becoming an author whom I like. Although Duke's been reading it longer than I have, I am already 100 pages farther into it that he is. Hi Ego!
About Duke - Link and I received some intelligence to the effect that he is on his way out. That is, Won Jeong Nimh is trying to figure out how to fire him. The news was supposed to hit him yesterday when he collected his salary. He came back down saying that he needed to talk to me.
As it turns out Mr. Im made an offer (but Duke wasn't clear precisely that the offer was), which Duke rejected, making/offering a list of five possibilities to which he was open. Apparently an argument ensued - the result of which is that we are all (again!) left waiting.
I've been studying the Yoga book and try to do Yoga every day - I don't have too much trouble doing asanas, but I'm shy (and a bit self-deprecating) about the Pranayama. Some of the breathing exercises are a bit loud, and I'm not sure I'm doing them correctly. Nevertheless, I continue to try. The asanas have got me feeling (bodily) pretty strong and vigorous. There are a few postures that I cannot do - mostly the advanced ones, but, given that I stick with it, I will eventually be able to.
Chinese Horoscope: I am characterized according to the year, month, day, and time of my birth. The result is me being, respectively, Bull (diligent), tiger (brave/alone), monkey (dexterity), and rat (social/many friendships). From these I am judged (configured) according to the strengths of the five basic elements as represented in my birth: wood is plentiful, fire absent, water present, earth present, and gold present. From these my character is organized. I have too much wood - which means I have too many "wills" or interests. In plain English - my interests are many and disparate, I do not focus on just one thing. I am diligent, decisive, dexterous. I have good "leadership qualities." I have many friends and I am happy to be alone. I should wear warm colors (to balance the lack of fire in me), I have a tendency to wear a lot of (gold?) jewelry, I should live in a house (apartment is no good) and have a garden. I'm not sure whether that part's allegory of what. If I marry, my bride should be four years younger than I (that's snake); definitely not five years younger; or eight years younger (cock). That's all I remember. I plan to try to get the man who did my horoscope to do more calculations. Otherwise - next year is the year of the Bull - perhaps my year. I'll keep my tails crossed. All for now.
19951205
bill'd
Much later.
Well, the reason she wanted to talk to me is because she is worried about Duke. He has been, selon elle, unable to give any kind of clear answer, about anything. She asked me if I had noticed any change in him of late. I said that I thought his obliviousness characteristic ever since his arrival. So she proceeded to explain to me about a "non-convulsive seizure." These are more insidious than convulsive ones in that they are harder to detect: they are not as severe - that is, the brain activity is not interrupted enough to cause the body to shut down, but seizure activity is going on in the brain nevertheless. The subject is unable to answer questions - the most direct questions are the best to detect this sort of seizure: he will not know his name or birth date etc. These questions cannot be faked. Also, he will not move - adopt one position and maintain it for a very long time. In general, he will not track, and will be unable to interact meaningfully with the environment. She was worried that he had changed his medication.
So I got off the phone with her and went to question him. I questioned him for about fifty minutes - getting conflicting answers to many of the questions, and no answer to the rest. Finally I asked him to show me his medication. This got him up from his seat in the kitchen so we could go to his bedroom. A few minutes latter he "came to" as it were. He said he didn't remember the past fifty minutes and, after seeing his medicine (he's taking 1250mg of Primodone daily - though, even when lucid, he thought it was 1000mg) we decided to call his mother back. Probably she was more worried than before, we spoke (after they spoke). She really wants him to go to an American neurologist - or at least to see the one in Seoul whom his neurologist in D.C. referred him to. So far he hasn't. At the time of this writing, Duke has had one more seizure - last night - though there were no witnesses.
In the job field there have been no new developments: Duke dropped his suit - and has met with Mr. Im once or twice, but no progress has been made. No agreement reached. Im Won-jeong-nimh has let him sit for about a week - perhaps more meetings will be due soon.
Last week when Mr. Im came down to talk with Duke he brought 3 bills with him: 2 phone bills and an electricity bill. We all worked out what we owe and put it in an envelope - but we have done nothing with it yet. On Sat. (the bills were brought down on Wed.) "serving woman" came down and took both phone bills - but she left the electricity one. When they were given to us, all were overdue. --Don't know quite what will become of that.
My life is reasonably unchanged. I went to Kyobo bookcenter last Wednesday and spent W85,000 in one blow (this was earlier in the day than we received our bills). I got two books from the list sent to me by [redacted], the teachers book for the new book they want me to use at school, Ecce Homo, Kundera's Book of Laughter and Forgetting, Thich Nhat Hahn's Zen Keys, and a book on Yoga - which I have since started trying to practice. I guess that's it for now - I'll write more later - especially about my Chinese horoscope experience.
Well, the reason she wanted to talk to me is because she is worried about Duke. He has been, selon elle, unable to give any kind of clear answer, about anything. She asked me if I had noticed any change in him of late. I said that I thought his obliviousness characteristic ever since his arrival. So she proceeded to explain to me about a "non-convulsive seizure." These are more insidious than convulsive ones in that they are harder to detect: they are not as severe - that is, the brain activity is not interrupted enough to cause the body to shut down, but seizure activity is going on in the brain nevertheless. The subject is unable to answer questions - the most direct questions are the best to detect this sort of seizure: he will not know his name or birth date etc. These questions cannot be faked. Also, he will not move - adopt one position and maintain it for a very long time. In general, he will not track, and will be unable to interact meaningfully with the environment. She was worried that he had changed his medication.
So I got off the phone with her and went to question him. I questioned him for about fifty minutes - getting conflicting answers to many of the questions, and no answer to the rest. Finally I asked him to show me his medication. This got him up from his seat in the kitchen so we could go to his bedroom. A few minutes latter he "came to" as it were. He said he didn't remember the past fifty minutes and, after seeing his medicine (he's taking 1250mg of Primodone daily - though, even when lucid, he thought it was 1000mg) we decided to call his mother back. Probably she was more worried than before, we spoke (after they spoke). She really wants him to go to an American neurologist - or at least to see the one in Seoul whom his neurologist in D.C. referred him to. So far he hasn't. At the time of this writing, Duke has had one more seizure - last night - though there were no witnesses.
In the job field there have been no new developments: Duke dropped his suit - and has met with Mr. Im once or twice, but no progress has been made. No agreement reached. Im Won-jeong-nimh has let him sit for about a week - perhaps more meetings will be due soon.
Last week when Mr. Im came down to talk with Duke he brought 3 bills with him: 2 phone bills and an electricity bill. We all worked out what we owe and put it in an envelope - but we have done nothing with it yet. On Sat. (the bills were brought down on Wed.) "serving woman" came down and took both phone bills - but she left the electricity one. When they were given to us, all were overdue. --Don't know quite what will become of that.
My life is reasonably unchanged. I went to Kyobo bookcenter last Wednesday and spent W85,000 in one blow (this was earlier in the day than we received our bills). I got two books from the list sent to me by [redacted], the teachers book for the new book they want me to use at school, Ecce Homo, Kundera's Book of Laughter and Forgetting, Thich Nhat Hahn's Zen Keys, and a book on Yoga - which I have since started trying to practice. I guess that's it for now - I'll write more later - especially about my Chinese horoscope experience.
19951130
phon'd
Well, to pick up where I left off. Duke is no longer taking Mr. Im to court. It was, I think, Monday after I had got home from work, that Mr. Im and Mr. Kang came by. They talked to Duke in the kitchen - privately. Link and I sat talking (and I smoking) in my room. After a while Duke came in. He said that apparently he would get to keep his job. But he couldn't be more specific than that. Link and I exchanged surprised looks. Link went to bed, and I was about to, when Duke's mother called. She wanted to talk to me. More later.
at
5:14 PM
labels:
arirang,
edu,
lawbar,
vibrations
19951127
court'd
Well, I wrote back to [redacted]. [redacted] called me. I called [redacted]. Both are well and bored -- alas. I got a letter from [redacted]. And, I finally got a letter from [redacted]. I haven't yet responded to [redacted], but of course I wrote to [redacted]. I wrote one letter on my computer, hoping that I could print it at work. Alas that their computer will not read my disk. It was a beautiful love letter. Probably best that I didn't send it. So, I wrote another letter by hand. This one was less heady - though it mentioned the other letter in no uncertain terms. I anticipate her response - I hope it doesn't take as long as last time.
I read the book that Bea leant me: Nicolai Gogol's "Diary of a Madman" and other stories. There's a great one called "Taras Bulba" about Cossaks. I enjoyed it especially - it gave me some insight into what the makers of Star Trek were getting at when they made Klingons to represent Russians. Very Klingon, those Cossaks. I almost envy their lifestyle - courage and war and revelry - and no more. Fascinating. Now I have one book left which I have not yet read. But I'm hoping to go to Kyobo on Wednesday, after my acupuncture. [redacted] sent me a bunch of information on teaching abroad - along with some more Korea-specific book suggestions. So, I'll take a wad of money with me and see what I can come up with.
Duke is taking Mr. Im to labor court. Don't know precisely what the charge is - I don't think he knows. But they're scheduled to hit court on Thursday. I think Duke's stay here is about to be much abbreviated. Were I Mr. Im (and Duke should be thankful that I'm not) I would be horribly insensed at his (Duke's) audacity. Now, I don't think that either has treated the other fairly: Mr. Im is moved to aversion by the thought of Duke's epilepsy. This may just be the excuse: Duke is known by all as someone who doesn't try too hard and doesn't notice much around him. Duke, on the other hand, is a lazy, slovenly, bully. He makes no effort to communicate with Mr. Im, and when he does make an effort, is not observant enough to have a clue how to proceed. Both are in the wrong. Mr. Im knows it (though he doesn't know why). I wish Duke knew it. Alas.
I read the book that Bea leant me: Nicolai Gogol's "Diary of a Madman" and other stories. There's a great one called "Taras Bulba" about Cossaks. I enjoyed it especially - it gave me some insight into what the makers of Star Trek were getting at when they made Klingons to represent Russians. Very Klingon, those Cossaks. I almost envy their lifestyle - courage and war and revelry - and no more. Fascinating. Now I have one book left which I have not yet read. But I'm hoping to go to Kyobo on Wednesday, after my acupuncture. [redacted] sent me a bunch of information on teaching abroad - along with some more Korea-specific book suggestions. So, I'll take a wad of money with me and see what I can come up with.
Duke is taking Mr. Im to labor court. Don't know precisely what the charge is - I don't think he knows. But they're scheduled to hit court on Thursday. I think Duke's stay here is about to be much abbreviated. Were I Mr. Im (and Duke should be thankful that I'm not) I would be horribly insensed at his (Duke's) audacity. Now, I don't think that either has treated the other fairly: Mr. Im is moved to aversion by the thought of Duke's epilepsy. This may just be the excuse: Duke is known by all as someone who doesn't try too hard and doesn't notice much around him. Duke, on the other hand, is a lazy, slovenly, bully. He makes no effort to communicate with Mr. Im, and when he does make an effort, is not observant enough to have a clue how to proceed. Both are in the wrong. Mr. Im knows it (though he doesn't know why). I wish Duke knew it. Alas.
19951122
regress'd
I received a letter on Monday from [redacted]. Despite how quickly they tend to be read, I definitely like to receive typewritten letters- typing allows, I think, for a more immediate expression of thought than handwriting does. Anyway, [redacted] is in New York, and he doesn't sound particularly happy. He does, on the other hand, sound brilliant. His letter was very stream of conscience and surreal - it has mad me think some about my more journalistic style of correspondence. I wish I had a printer. Anyway, I now need to write him back, something good, and write to [redacted]. Alas. Today I finished reading Nietzsche. He's pretty great, quite tragic - but cheerful in his tragedy. He makes me think - and, moreover, reminds me that I must think with passion. Passion is a thing that I have been short on (at least it has appeared so) for quite a while - years perhaps. Every so often I'll have a spark of rage or loathing - something passionate, but it almost always fades back into a kind of stasis. I must think more, and think more passionately - it is not unforgivable to be wrong - it is unforgivable to lack the courage to err. I also read today Gogol's "Diary of a Madman." I'd read Dead Souls, but this was a bit more surrealistic - and he predated surrealism by (I think) 1 1/2 ~ 2 centuries. (ahem: more like a mere 90 years or so. -ed.) Ah madness! It seems it must take an excess of passion and no great capacity for thought to be mad as was Gogol's protagonist. Certainly he lacked the capacity for honest self-appraisal. The rest - who knows. I think he was doomed from the outset. Perhaps everyone is. Though doomed is a strong word - it certainly smells of tragedy - I find it fitting. Fate is too much bandied about - karma too esoteric - destiny too hopeful and irresponsibly star-eyed. Doom I think carries what I look for. It is fate and kismet, karma and destiny without all the frills. All stripped down - I am doomed to shape and be shaped by my experiences. And I can trace it back pretty far - though I lack the backbone to crawl through my pre-vertebrate whims. [redacted] said that his goal for the months to come was to regress as far back as he could - though I don't know what he's looking to do away with. I think that sounds good. I'm not sure how much I can regress - but it would doubtless do me well to - perhaps while meditating - trace my objectives and their origins: to perform a preparatory for a fundamental ontology of the apparent being of me as a phenomenon perceived by me. Or something like that. Let's see. Do I have a grounding objective? I shall think on this. And I shall leave myself only with the warning that that creature before you has a capacity for wily and fantastic rationalizing fabrications. And moreover - he is well trained in the art of not confronting... anything potentially disturbing. Watch your step. Bite your tongue. Lick your watch. Kick out your teeth. Till we meet again - hopefully a freer and less constrained will - Dasvadanya.
19951120
wedding shop'd
Last Thursday Sun-ja and I went to an "art film" theater to see "Stranger than Paradise." With that film was shown a short film: "Cigarettes and Coffee" starring Tom Waits and Iggy Pop. It was not the same "Cigarettes and Coffee" that [redacted] told me about all those years ago ~ but a new one: 1993. On Friday I cancelled my lesson with Mr. Kim and slept in. Sat. nothing new. I watched a film with Duke: Paul Newman in "The Mackintosh Man."
During the film [redacted] called. It was great to hear from him. He's en route to Bali. But he sent his regards ~ especially to Young-sook. He claims to be genuinely interested in working here - so if I decide to stay another year he may come do it too! Oh! [redacted] called. I think it was Friday morning. It was great to talk with her. She talked a lot about her lover, [redacted]. And She has quit working at Tower, she has taken incompletes in her classes. She talked a lot about Chi and healing, etc. I am a little worried - for she sounded somewhat hysterical - but I think / hope that she'll be okay. I must write to her.
Sunday was truly a surrealistic day. I woke up and showered. Then put on my Sunday clothes (oddly enough). Link and I, both dressed up as Mormans left the house to go to a wedding. All the way there we joked about being Mormans. With some difficulty (and in the rain) we found our way to the wedding place: I understood why Sun-ja calls them "wedding shops." Our wedding (it was the wedding of Sam's son) was in a room on the third floor. Each floor had many rooms, and many concurrent and consecutive weddings.
... More later...
We asked some guy where to go for the wedding we were meant to attend: third floor. We pushed through crowds of milling, rain-soaked, angry, smoking, bedraggled and bedecked-out Korean folk until we got to the third floor where we were just as lost and mobbed as we had been on the first floor, but closer anyway. We milled about like Mi-kooks at the wedding. Finally somebody found us. It wasn't Sam, but (I think) a cousin of Sam - he spoke English. We were taken to the right room and got to push our way wetly into seats.
After a while the ceremony began - not so's you-d notice it by a disruption of the many conversations of the mob - they just kept talking. But a very bright light came on - it belonged to the man with the video camera - and it looked like the piano girl was playing. The groom - all in white tux - strode to the front of the hall. There was scattered applause. Then a bubble machine started going ~ bubbles everywhere in the back of the room. As they dissipated, on of the chandeliers in the back began, slowly, to drop. Elvis wasn't on it. The bride was - she was pneumatically lowered to the floor and given a hand off the platform. Then her dad walked her to the front where she was greeted, respectively, by smoke from a smoke machine, and then hubby-to-be. Dad turned her over to him. There was scattered applause. Then some guy behind a podium / sectarian altar said something while innumerable camera men scampered around collecting photo-ops. Then it was over. The nuptial couple bowed to the bride's parents and then to the groom's. There was scattered applause. Then everyone went to eat.
Link and I stuck with our interpreter. And together we went into a buffet-style cafeteria where one had to walk carefully to avoid slipping upon the food & liquor on the floor. We got some food. We were gawked at by most. We ate standing up. Then, as people began to leave, we got to sit. Got a bottle of Soju. Our liaison told us that he's Mormon, "Jesus Christ the latter day saints." Both of us suppressed laughter. Eventually we finished the bottle and split. We found our way back to the train station. And came home. Link went to the Mok-yoek-tang.
I came home where Duke was moaning about how bad he felt. I told him to go to bed - he did. Then Bea called and demanded that she be entertained. I said "Come over." When she got here we sat around for a few minutes and then went out for food. The most interesting part of the conversation was when she asked if I would take her cat. I have to talk to my housemates, I said. We ate, talked about Yamanin! and tried to find something else to do. We went to her apt. so I could meet her cat. He was unwilling to meet me, but we are at least now acquainted. It was not as traumatic a meeting for my skin as, say, meeting Stinky. Then I walked home.
When I walked home, it was very windy and dark. The sky was clear and black (no stars - though it was clear) and there were odd purply-pink clouds racing around and back. The leaves blowing on the streets all seemed to be glowing or tripping.
I got home. Duke was in bed. Link was in bed. Roy was in his room. He told me that Duke had had some kind of seizure - breathing oddly and spitting / foaming at the mouth. Duke denied it. Roy went to bed. I sat in the kitchen reading for a little while. Duke came out complaining about how sick he was. I went to my room, turned on the heater, and lay down on my bed.
I was awoken by Roy yelling my name. I sat up - confused: I was dressed, something urgent was going on, my room was lit, the clock said 10:30 but it was dark outside. I ran to the voice which had summoned me. Duke's room: the light on, Roy standing in the doorway, Link crouching by Duke's head, holding it with both hands; Duke, arms and legs shaking, breathing like a hyperventilating asthmatic with bronchitis. He was foaming / spitting stringy bloody saliva. This lasted maybe three minutes. I didn't know what to do. His eyes were open but not seeing at all. I crouched beside him, and tied too think of something useful to do - I checked his pulse - fast but regular. Eventually it ended. He breathed semi-normally. Still he did not respond to his name or to touch -- and he was very feverish. Roy said that's the same thing that happened before.
We went to the kitchen where Roy and I had smokes and Link shook - he said from the pain of his headache, but probably also from adrenaline / fright. We decided that it probably was a seizure, but not positive. We all went to bed. This time I got undressed and turned off the light. At five in the morning it happened again - this time more shaking, less spit. No doubt that this was a seizure. We talked briefly - decided that there probably wasn't time for another one, and went to bed. I slept very soundly.
Today Duke said "maybe I did have a seizure." This was in the afternoon, when we were both awake. I said, "You definitely had at least one," then I explained the night's events.
He went to work. Sun-ja came over and we studied. Then we went out together to the Chinese restaurant on the way too work. She told me more about what Americans are like. I asked her how she knew. The only interesting thing she said was that sometimes / often she forgets that I am younger than she is. That was nice to hear - especially considering that I often forget that she is older than I. Finally, I got another letter from [redacted]. Hooray! I must write back. But not tonight. All for now.
During the film [redacted] called. It was great to hear from him. He's en route to Bali. But he sent his regards ~ especially to Young-sook. He claims to be genuinely interested in working here - so if I decide to stay another year he may come do it too! Oh! [redacted] called. I think it was Friday morning. It was great to talk with her. She talked a lot about her lover, [redacted]. And She has quit working at Tower, she has taken incompletes in her classes. She talked a lot about Chi and healing, etc. I am a little worried - for she sounded somewhat hysterical - but I think / hope that she'll be okay. I must write to her.
Sunday was truly a surrealistic day. I woke up and showered. Then put on my Sunday clothes (oddly enough). Link and I, both dressed up as Mormans left the house to go to a wedding. All the way there we joked about being Mormans. With some difficulty (and in the rain) we found our way to the wedding place: I understood why Sun-ja calls them "wedding shops." Our wedding (it was the wedding of Sam's son) was in a room on the third floor. Each floor had many rooms, and many concurrent and consecutive weddings.
... More later...
We asked some guy where to go for the wedding we were meant to attend: third floor. We pushed through crowds of milling, rain-soaked, angry, smoking, bedraggled and bedecked-out Korean folk until we got to the third floor where we were just as lost and mobbed as we had been on the first floor, but closer anyway. We milled about like Mi-kooks at the wedding. Finally somebody found us. It wasn't Sam, but (I think) a cousin of Sam - he spoke English. We were taken to the right room and got to push our way wetly into seats.
After a while the ceremony began - not so's you-d notice it by a disruption of the many conversations of the mob - they just kept talking. But a very bright light came on - it belonged to the man with the video camera - and it looked like the piano girl was playing. The groom - all in white tux - strode to the front of the hall. There was scattered applause. Then a bubble machine started going ~ bubbles everywhere in the back of the room. As they dissipated, on of the chandeliers in the back began, slowly, to drop. Elvis wasn't on it. The bride was - she was pneumatically lowered to the floor and given a hand off the platform. Then her dad walked her to the front where she was greeted, respectively, by smoke from a smoke machine, and then hubby-to-be. Dad turned her over to him. There was scattered applause. Then some guy behind a podium / sectarian altar said something while innumerable camera men scampered around collecting photo-ops. Then it was over. The nuptial couple bowed to the bride's parents and then to the groom's. There was scattered applause. Then everyone went to eat.
Link and I stuck with our interpreter. And together we went into a buffet-style cafeteria where one had to walk carefully to avoid slipping upon the food & liquor on the floor. We got some food. We were gawked at by most. We ate standing up. Then, as people began to leave, we got to sit. Got a bottle of Soju. Our liaison told us that he's Mormon, "Jesus Christ the latter day saints." Both of us suppressed laughter. Eventually we finished the bottle and split. We found our way back to the train station. And came home. Link went to the Mok-yoek-tang.
I came home where Duke was moaning about how bad he felt. I told him to go to bed - he did. Then Bea called and demanded that she be entertained. I said "Come over." When she got here we sat around for a few minutes and then went out for food. The most interesting part of the conversation was when she asked if I would take her cat. I have to talk to my housemates, I said. We ate, talked about Yamanin! and tried to find something else to do. We went to her apt. so I could meet her cat. He was unwilling to meet me, but we are at least now acquainted. It was not as traumatic a meeting for my skin as, say, meeting Stinky. Then I walked home.
When I walked home, it was very windy and dark. The sky was clear and black (no stars - though it was clear) and there were odd purply-pink clouds racing around and back. The leaves blowing on the streets all seemed to be glowing or tripping.
I got home. Duke was in bed. Link was in bed. Roy was in his room. He told me that Duke had had some kind of seizure - breathing oddly and spitting / foaming at the mouth. Duke denied it. Roy went to bed. I sat in the kitchen reading for a little while. Duke came out complaining about how sick he was. I went to my room, turned on the heater, and lay down on my bed.
I was awoken by Roy yelling my name. I sat up - confused: I was dressed, something urgent was going on, my room was lit, the clock said 10:30 but it was dark outside. I ran to the voice which had summoned me. Duke's room: the light on, Roy standing in the doorway, Link crouching by Duke's head, holding it with both hands; Duke, arms and legs shaking, breathing like a hyperventilating asthmatic with bronchitis. He was foaming / spitting stringy bloody saliva. This lasted maybe three minutes. I didn't know what to do. His eyes were open but not seeing at all. I crouched beside him, and tied too think of something useful to do - I checked his pulse - fast but regular. Eventually it ended. He breathed semi-normally. Still he did not respond to his name or to touch -- and he was very feverish. Roy said that's the same thing that happened before.
We went to the kitchen where Roy and I had smokes and Link shook - he said from the pain of his headache, but probably also from adrenaline / fright. We decided that it probably was a seizure, but not positive. We all went to bed. This time I got undressed and turned off the light. At five in the morning it happened again - this time more shaking, less spit. No doubt that this was a seizure. We talked briefly - decided that there probably wasn't time for another one, and went to bed. I slept very soundly.
Today Duke said "maybe I did have a seizure." This was in the afternoon, when we were both awake. I said, "You definitely had at least one," then I explained the night's events.
He went to work. Sun-ja came over and we studied. Then we went out together to the Chinese restaurant on the way too work. She told me more about what Americans are like. I asked her how she knew. The only interesting thing she said was that sometimes / often she forgets that I am younger than she is. That was nice to hear - especially considering that I often forget that she is older than I. Finally, I got another letter from [redacted]. Hooray! I must write back. But not tonight. All for now.
at
9:25 PM
labels:
arirang,
edu,
letters,
morning,
suspicious activities,
vibrations
19951111
punctur'd
The Contract Gambit remains unresolved ~ but some progress has been made. On Monday I talked to Mr. Kwon - telling him effectively the same thing that I told Mr. Kim. He said that he didn't think it inappropriate for me to speak directly to Mr. Im. So that became my plan. On Tuesday we got a new math teacher at Olympiad. I don't know whether he was the only reason, but Mr. Im was at my school all day. Before class I asked him if he was free that evening so that Link and I could talk to him. I got sort of a vague reply. But after work he came by while only Duke and I were home. His stay was brief: he seems always to receive an "emergency" phone call about five minutes after he has arrived. Anyway - he was here long enough to tell me that Link and I would receive our insurance cards next month (when I asked when he said I should ask Mrs. Han). It was brief and vague, but it seemed that we'll at least receive insurance... Then the conversation turned to Duke. Unfortunately, nothing came of it, for as soon as the conversation turned the phone call came. Link and I still expect to talk with him about a few other issues. We shall see. We shall see.
Um. I got some bad news. I called home on Sat. to tell Mom and Dad about my negotiations. They were not surprised. But they gave me bad news: Psilopsybone has been missing for three weeks. I don't know really how to react to the news. It is unconfrontable. I've had two recurring thoughts about it: 1) that it was about this time two years ago that Nastia ran away; and 2) that he is perhaps trying to get to Oberlin.
Yesterday [redacted] and [redacted] called me from London. I talked to [redacted] for a very short time (the call was on [redacted]), and [redacted] for somewhat longer. It was good to hear both of them: I thought that they'd call me. I'm glad that they did.
Finally - today I started acupuncture. Link and I left early in the morning to meet Sam (Link's Korean friend), who took us to an acupuncture clinic run by the son of a friend of his. I did my best to explain my migraines to him. I'm fairly sure that my explanation was not clear. Anyway, the doctor took my pulse (and felt the energy in my wrists), took my blood pressure, asked my about my diet and sleep habits. Then he set to puncturing me. He put three needles in my left ear (they stay until next week, when the same thing will be done to the other ear). Then we went to a little room (like the rooms where you lie under the heat lamp at the chiropractor), where he got out more needles: one in the top of my head, one in each temple, and one on each side of the back of my neck (you know, the soft place where you massage). Oh yeah, he also put one in each hand - in the headache nerve. These all stayed for five minutes, then they were taken out. And we left. I have to go back every week for an indeterminate length of time. But if it gets rid of my migraines, it will be well worth it. And, because Sam took us there, the treatment is free ~ Sam says that when its over I should give him a gift. That seems the least I could do. Anyway, that's all for now.
Um. I got some bad news. I called home on Sat. to tell Mom and Dad about my negotiations. They were not surprised. But they gave me bad news: Psilopsybone has been missing for three weeks. I don't know really how to react to the news. It is unconfrontable. I've had two recurring thoughts about it: 1) that it was about this time two years ago that Nastia ran away; and 2) that he is perhaps trying to get to Oberlin.
Yesterday [redacted] and [redacted] called me from London. I talked to [redacted] for a very short time (the call was on [redacted]), and [redacted] for somewhat longer. It was good to hear both of them: I thought that they'd call me. I'm glad that they did.
Finally - today I started acupuncture. Link and I left early in the morning to meet Sam (Link's Korean friend), who took us to an acupuncture clinic run by the son of a friend of his. I did my best to explain my migraines to him. I'm fairly sure that my explanation was not clear. Anyway, the doctor took my pulse (and felt the energy in my wrists), took my blood pressure, asked my about my diet and sleep habits. Then he set to puncturing me. He put three needles in my left ear (they stay until next week, when the same thing will be done to the other ear). Then we went to a little room (like the rooms where you lie under the heat lamp at the chiropractor), where he got out more needles: one in the top of my head, one in each temple, and one on each side of the back of my neck (you know, the soft place where you massage). Oh yeah, he also put one in each hand - in the headache nerve. These all stayed for five minutes, then they were taken out. And we left. I have to go back every week for an indeterminate length of time. But if it gets rid of my migraines, it will be well worth it. And, because Sam took us there, the treatment is free ~ Sam says that when its over I should give him a gift. That seems the least I could do. Anyway, that's all for now.
19951110
determin'd
I don't have much time to write. But there are some things that have happened.
As it turned out, Young-sook was somewhat smitten with G-cups. I don't know that she's cured of Duke, but she's on her way.
Today I took the first step upon a decision that I made while G-cups was here. I have decided that if, at the end of November, I still have no health insurance, I will leave.
As it is not appropriate in Korea for an employee to take his grievances directly tot he boss, I told Kim Seong-eon this today. We shall see what will become of it. There are, however, some very tempting prospects to this: I believe that I can afford a ticket to Singapore and from there to London, perhaps from London home. Once home I can look forward to getting a shitty job, but the company of my friends. Not to mention a visit to Oberlin and all that that entails.
Anyway, I do not expect to have to make good on the threat. When I get a chance I'll talk to Mr. Im and express that plus a couple of other things: thanks for the hot water heater and please, I'll pay my own phone bills.
Finally, yesterday I received my trial package from home. It arrived unopened on Nov. 9.
As it turned out, Young-sook was somewhat smitten with G-cups. I don't know that she's cured of Duke, but she's on her way.
Today I took the first step upon a decision that I made while G-cups was here. I have decided that if, at the end of November, I still have no health insurance, I will leave.
As it is not appropriate in Korea for an employee to take his grievances directly tot he boss, I told Kim Seong-eon this today. We shall see what will become of it. There are, however, some very tempting prospects to this: I believe that I can afford a ticket to Singapore and from there to London, perhaps from London home. Once home I can look forward to getting a shitty job, but the company of my friends. Not to mention a visit to Oberlin and all that that entails.
Anyway, I do not expect to have to make good on the threat. When I get a chance I'll talk to Mr. Im and express that plus a couple of other things: thanks for the hot water heater and please, I'll pay my own phone bills.
Finally, yesterday I received my trial package from home. It arrived unopened on Nov. 9.
19951109
charm'd
I was trying to discuss people and people's perceptions of people. It started because person Duke is considered by some to be "charming."
As it turns out person A believes that evaluative judgements like "charming" or "interesting" are subjective, while things like "handsome" or "ugly" are objective. I disagree on the latter point - all evaluations are subjective. But that's not my point.
Person A says that she likes people to be charming. And she also likes them to be honest. This struck me as odd. Upon some thought, the apparent weirdness of these two concepts became clear - thought they are not explicitly contradictory, they are (almost always) practically contradictory: A person who is, at all times honest, will be thought charming by few (if any); likewise, a person who is at all times charming will seldom turn out to have been honest.
Now as I write another difference becomes clear to me. A person may be honest in a world devoid of other people. However, a solitary person can never be found to be charming, for there are no others to find him charming. Both can exist in a social world, but honesty does not rely upon society for existence.
There is, moreover, some doubt in my pen as to whether either, exclusively, is possible. I think not. Nor do I think either is desirable.
As it turns out person A believes that evaluative judgements like "charming" or "interesting" are subjective, while things like "handsome" or "ugly" are objective. I disagree on the latter point - all evaluations are subjective. But that's not my point.
Person A says that she likes people to be charming. And she also likes them to be honest. This struck me as odd. Upon some thought, the apparent weirdness of these two concepts became clear - thought they are not explicitly contradictory, they are (almost always) practically contradictory: A person who is, at all times honest, will be thought charming by few (if any); likewise, a person who is at all times charming will seldom turn out to have been honest.
Now as I write another difference becomes clear to me. A person may be honest in a world devoid of other people. However, a solitary person can never be found to be charming, for there are no others to find him charming. Both can exist in a social world, but honesty does not rely upon society for existence.
There is, moreover, some doubt in my pen as to whether either, exclusively, is possible. I think not. Nor do I think either is desirable.
at
11:17 PM
labels:
arirang,
syntax error
19951107
visit'd
G-cups came last Monday and stayed until today.
Although we didn't do much, we rocked. We drank a lot every night - Whiskey, Scotch, Soju and beer (minus cocktails that we had when we were out). We listened to music a lot. Talked forever (the upshot of this being that each has begun to know the other much better), philosophy, sociology, politics, girls, drinking, jokes, and of course, numerous anecdotes.
We went out with Sun-ja and Young-sook on Saturday (to "Flowing Water" and Shimpo) and Sunday (to Seoul - the national museum - and then the other "Flowing Water"). That was much fun - he macked just the slightest bit (I think he cured Young-sook of her crush on Duke - at least I hope so!) and he played never-ending assist to my mack tactics (or lack thereof). We climbed a mountain with Mr. Kim. Did I mention that we drank? Also we made phone calls: [redacted]. Each of these deserves its own paragraph - but suffice it to say that it was great hearing all these voices and actually talking with them.
Today we got up early and went to Kimp'o where we parted: he says he'll be back (cause he has another free trip). So, for now, its back to the grind. Back to same shit. Back to no drinking during the day (and substantially less at night). But, I have been reminded that I have friends, and that I have a life. I will try to carry this souvenir as I continue, as Kim Ch'eol-won has just said of me, alone.
Also during the week I received books 2 & 3 from sis, a letter from [redacted], sis, [redacted] (plus a short story), [redacted], 2 from [redacted] and a postcard from Mom. And we got a hot water heater!
Although we didn't do much, we rocked. We drank a lot every night - Whiskey, Scotch, Soju and beer (minus cocktails that we had when we were out). We listened to music a lot. Talked forever (the upshot of this being that each has begun to know the other much better), philosophy, sociology, politics, girls, drinking, jokes, and of course, numerous anecdotes.
We went out with Sun-ja and Young-sook on Saturday (to "Flowing Water" and Shimpo) and Sunday (to Seoul - the national museum - and then the other "Flowing Water"). That was much fun - he macked just the slightest bit (I think he cured Young-sook of her crush on Duke - at least I hope so!) and he played never-ending assist to my mack tactics (or lack thereof). We climbed a mountain with Mr. Kim. Did I mention that we drank? Also we made phone calls: [redacted]. Each of these deserves its own paragraph - but suffice it to say that it was great hearing all these voices and actually talking with them.
Today we got up early and went to Kimp'o where we parted: he says he'll be back (cause he has another free trip). So, for now, its back to the grind. Back to same shit. Back to no drinking during the day (and substantially less at night). But, I have been reminded that I have friends, and that I have a life. I will try to carry this souvenir as I continue, as Kim Ch'eol-won has just said of me, alone.
Also during the week I received books 2 & 3 from sis, a letter from [redacted], sis, [redacted] (plus a short story), [redacted], 2 from [redacted] and a postcard from Mom. And we got a hot water heater!
19951026
confront'd
The experiment begins.
Today a variety of things have happened and I expect a variety of things will continue to happen. Sun-ja came over for our lessons and hanging out. We studied from 12:00 - 2:00.
As Roy was cooking bulgogi for the family, we invited her to stay. Duke was out with Ji-suk in the morning, and expected Mr. Choi to arrive around two. So, we all sat down to eat and Choi arrived. I introduced him to Sun-ja. Then I told Link that the experiment had begun - to see how quickly the news would travel the grapevine. Then, as we were eating, another variable introduced itself: Mr. Im came by. He did not (except for a few quick glances) even acknowledge Sun-ja's presence. He told Roy to go to Segyero and split. Then Link, Roy and I tried to explain the "experiment" to her. I think she understood somewhat - and she called again later to say that she wasn't worried and I shouldn't be. Anyway, I showed her to the door.
When I returned Duke and Choi were in the kitchen. Choi said, "Oomph, you are fast to make a girlfriend." I, of course, denied that she is a girlfriend, and a conversation ensued between the two of us about he difference between Korean and American use of "girlfriend."
The whole time, Duke, shaving at the mirror, was heckling and undermining me, saying "Bullshit, liar" etc.
I had naturally assumed that he would understand that nothing should be said. But, joking or not, he was casting aspersions upon what I had portrayed (and have been treating) as a platonic relationship.
So, I said to him, in Choi's presence, "Duke, I expect you to appreciate the value of discretion; if you fuck with me I'll fuck back," but pronouncing "back" like Jisuk's surname. As he immediately ceased talking, I believe he got the point.
I'm pissed at Duke. Depending how he acts during the next few times we interact, I'll vary my treatment of him. But it is important that he understand that I want - no, I expect- the same consideration and discretion from him that he receives from me.
I hate stupidity.
Today a variety of things have happened and I expect a variety of things will continue to happen. Sun-ja came over for our lessons and hanging out. We studied from 12:00 - 2:00.
As Roy was cooking bulgogi for the family, we invited her to stay. Duke was out with Ji-suk in the morning, and expected Mr. Choi to arrive around two. So, we all sat down to eat and Choi arrived. I introduced him to Sun-ja. Then I told Link that the experiment had begun - to see how quickly the news would travel the grapevine. Then, as we were eating, another variable introduced itself: Mr. Im came by. He did not (except for a few quick glances) even acknowledge Sun-ja's presence. He told Roy to go to Segyero and split. Then Link, Roy and I tried to explain the "experiment" to her. I think she understood somewhat - and she called again later to say that she wasn't worried and I shouldn't be. Anyway, I showed her to the door.
When I returned Duke and Choi were in the kitchen. Choi said, "Oomph, you are fast to make a girlfriend." I, of course, denied that she is a girlfriend, and a conversation ensued between the two of us about he difference between Korean and American use of "girlfriend."
The whole time, Duke, shaving at the mirror, was heckling and undermining me, saying "Bullshit, liar" etc.
I had naturally assumed that he would understand that nothing should be said. But, joking or not, he was casting aspersions upon what I had portrayed (and have been treating) as a platonic relationship.
So, I said to him, in Choi's presence, "Duke, I expect you to appreciate the value of discretion; if you fuck with me I'll fuck back," but pronouncing "back" like Jisuk's surname. As he immediately ceased talking, I believe he got the point.
I'm pissed at Duke. Depending how he acts during the next few times we interact, I'll vary my treatment of him. But it is important that he understand that I want - no, I expect- the same consideration and discretion from him that he receives from me.
I hate stupidity.
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