Harmony

How to completely stop everything in a Bar, Part1.

Local Korean woman, foreign man. Lots of beer. Man says something, Korean women not impressed, Korean woman starts to lose her temper and starts raising her voice. People in the bar notice a womans voice, look over and see that she is shouting at a foreign guy.
Everything stops. People stand up to have a better look. Korean woman and foreign guy keep 'bickering'. Crowd in the bar keep staring. Finally, Korean woman and foreign guy leave the bar, still bickering. The crowd do back to what they were doing before.

Doesn't 'look' good especially with all the suspicion associated with foreign men. Apparantly they are only interested in drinking and getting girls. Period.
Anyway, the foreign man was not me but some other bloke fighting with his wife.

If a Korean husband and wife begin at it in the middle of the bar would there be a similiar 'stopping of time'.

Snooze

Our Dear Leader Mr. Tony Blair speaks to god in much the same way as Mr. Bush. That's worrying. I wonder if he got an answer.
No doubt the 'militants' whoever they are will whip up a politicial storm by suggesting that he is and Mr. Bush are starting a new round of the crusades.

Yawn yawn yawn.
Keep politics and religion separate please. Dearest Leader, your job is to lead, not talk to some 'bloke' about what you might or might not do. Facts, that is what should guide you, not some ficitional voice in your head.

Steal

Impressions and all that jazz. Certainly Korea is full of 'impressions' and this week inparticular has it's fair share with new student's coming into class and making a snap judgement on you before you've even opened your mouth or even started the class. During the course of the class though, snap judgements are made by yours truly. I guess it's human nature. Sizing up the opposition if you like. Threat alert.

Not only that but it seems that colleagues also have 'impressions'. 2people have both called me up to ask where the best place to go out in Cheonan is. In the past, that was a no-brainer - 'yeah, zedrock, behind Baskin Robbins, can't miss it' - however, it's not that easy now. But i'm wondering whether or not these colleagues have the impression that i'm out all the time, drinking and fraternising the locals. Hate to break up the party or blow up the myth but i'm not and the 'place' to go out in Cheonan is not something I can completely answer. Perhaps MBar, perhaps not. Perhaps BarNana, again perhaps not. And that's it. I'm not sure anymore. The days of boozing twice a week are becoming increasingly distant yet the 'impression' is that i'm in the know. How wrong. I wonder if I wore minging clothes, didn't shower and had long, greasy hair if I would be asked out 'the place to go'.
I guess people help to cultivate such impressions whether it be intentional or not. Perhaps their impression is based on the fact I could be arsed living out in the middle of the countryside devoid of anything but strange smells and isolation. I'm a city boy, that's why I moved back to 'civilisation' and not because I want to be out drinking in bars all day long.

anyway, for future reference, where is 'the place'?

Slip

Is this is. Is this what it's all about. Eating, drinking, fucking, sucking, snoring. Then what. You're 50. You've got a bag for a belly. You got tits, you need a bra, you got hair on them. You got a liver with spots on them and you're eating all this fucking shit. Is this what is all about. Is this what I work for../you know why. Because you need people like me so you can point your fucking fingers and say 'that's the bad guy'../ Say goodnight to the bad guy. It's the last time you're going to see a bad guy like me. You'd better get out of the way, there's a bad guy coming through.

Way

the puking didn't happen, the reverse of puking did. All very natural but with extra velocity and odour. the stomach rumbled and made all kinds of pained noise and sleep just didn't happen. in the morning, i could hardly move. my body was aching all over. only one thing could be done - a visit to the doctor. i knew what would happen. the doctor would push my stomach and ask me it it was sore. 'eh, yeah that's why i'm here' and then type something into his computer. 2 minutes, i would be ushered into a secret room to get the mandatory injection. and it happened just like that but with an added twist. i was ushered into another room to become attached to a drip. fun and games. an hour later, i was 'discharged'.
no class today, instead hours of sleep and later a terrible rumbling noise in my gut. things are not good down there.
the joys of eating.

i-5

the joys of a sore stomach and a fuzzy head.
all without the presence of sex and drugs and rock n roll.
would quite like to puke my guts up. perhaps 'quite like' is too strong a phrase. it's not something that i like. this time, it's more of a 'think it would be a good idea because i'd feel better after it' kind of thing.
as for the head, well it's where it should be but not really. meeting 3 new classes tomorrow. would like to be relatively healthy for it. it's not fun being unhealthy infront of 40+students.

Name

Word of the Week: 'Travel'

It seems like i've been all over Korea this week. It's because I have been. Was hoping for a nice calm week before the day job starts taking over, however Passport and Immigration issues have meant that I've been down to Daejeon then back up to the U.K. Embassy in Seoul just to get it all sorted out. The result:a nice new Passport in 10 days. The question is will Immigration extend my 1 year VISA with the new Passport. If not, I'll be home at the end of March!

Phrase of the Week: 'Get that right up ya'

That'll be the Rugby then.

Sight of the Week: 'The sight of Student's'

Really unexcited about teaching. Perhaps it's the end of the holidays blues but I'm not feeling that *____________*. I am for the Degree classes but the 1st years, no. Probably because I know what's likely to happen and conversely, not happen.

*all new* Rant:Abusive Tirade of the Week:


Could well be linked to the point above re:students or perhaps just a case of being tired and somewhat fed up.

Song of the Week: 'Sympathy for the Devil' by the Rolling Stones

Purely for it's submissiveness. Probably quite revolutionary when it orginally came out. The 'whooo hooo's' are a masterstroke along with the funky bongo drums. And the line 'please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste'. I am neither but Mr. Jagger was, and still is, both.

*ALL new** Hidden message of the Week: 'The empty page has ripped'.

oh and a HAPPY Birthday to my grumpy brother. 25 years young today.