Now if that's not worthy to ponder about then what is?
You get one shot to live this life,
and your soul's gotta live with the result forever.
The existentialist would agree.
Certainly, the "go-get-em" attitude,
"Carpe diem" applicable,
and by "living with the results" you reap everything that you sow
and everything that you don't.
but...
Why am I here?
A question that can only be fulfilled with never-ending details.
An answer that is devoid of any complete logical sense.
In essence, an immortalized zeitgeist.
The Irony of it all.
Well, that shows you how much I know about existentialism. And thats not a whole lot. I should probably read some more Nietzsche and Heidegger then re-make this post. Or, perhaps by then I would have found the meaning of life and... (al-righty, moving right along...)
When I made the decision to expatriate myself to Korea, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into, or where I would be headed. I had a vague memory of what Korea was like in '96. Aside from that, I couldn't possibly fathom this life I've had for the past 8 months. It's hard to believe how fast the time has gone by, yet everyday I think about that realization another minute passes by unopposed. Time, Life, and Death. All of which have a thing or two in common: their inevitability.
After reading jungle's blog, I felt like I was reading a story about myself. I've gone from completely knowing how everything works, where everything was, who everyone was, and what I was. The past 8 months have been dedicated to shrewdly deconstructing all of that. Not to say that I am a completely new me... but when you're out in a semi-foreign land, in a completely different environment with an inexplainable culture... it's kinda like... being a caramel popcorn inside a bucket full of butter popcorn. Errr.. that made more sense in my head.
Anyways, Korea's been interesting to say the least. First off, when the weather decides that it wants to get hot, it gets hot, and humid. I can deal with the heat, but the humidity may very well drive me out of sanity. I mean I can't really complain about the weather... let's just say that I have never seen so many legs+heels combo in my life. Not like one or two, but like twenty five, thirty, maybe even a hundred, in a span of 30 seconds! It's absolutely mind-blowing.
Next, I recently got a used road bike. I went biking alongside the Han River a few times already, and it's so relaxing! Then I ate pavement when I tried to "ride my bike with no handlebars." Luckily, an aging, 70+ year, should be retired, old bike mechanic fixed my bike for 2,000 won, or $2. Well.. I guess it's like $1.89 or something like that. On that note, Korean food here is very affordable. But the minute you want something gourmet, or "non-Korean," the price goes up 500%. Okay that was a bit of an exaggeration, but I [hope] you know what I mean. I definitely miss the variety of food back home.
Third, I'm finally feeling settled into my place and Korea. It's weird having a place completely all to yourself. Normally, you have some roommates, parents, or someone else to keep you company but I'm finally feeling ridiculously independent. It's a good feeling to have I suppose (until the day of reckoning arrives, ie. parenthood). In doing so, I am understanding more and more each day the consequences of my actions. If I stay out all weekend, and get home when the sun comes up, then the following day will not be as productive as it normally could be. My only complaint is that I live so close to where I work that I only venture out during the weekends. Therefore, I feel trapped like a recluse sometimes.
Fourth, I feel like a baby out here. I'm generally the youngest one at the table. I get called "aegi" (baby in Korean) at work. I can't drink like I used to. My milk and cereal diet has exploded since I've gotten here. Generally rotating between Frosted Flakes, and Chocolate Chex. Korea definitely lacks good cereal selection. On that note, my ramen intake as also exceeded optimal levels.
Fifth, my sleeping schedule all all out of whack. One day I'll sleep at midnight, and then the next day I'll sleep at like 3 am. I guess it doesn't really help when I'm getting home at 6 am sometimes. Usually, I'll flip a coin and see if I should sleep or not. I'm like a pseudo-night-owl, cause I mean I do still have work when there's daylight.
Also, this is becoming a rant/tirade/charade, so I'll stop here and let the pictures do the talking.
this set is from Jason's re-visit to the Motherland
biking on the Han.
enjoi!
she
keeps
me
sane.
bike-by shooting
fixie central
it feels damn good to be back.
1 comments:
hahaha i definitely feel ya, especially both coming here pretty much right after graduating and going from all those people to just yourself. what you said about korea's lack of cereal is TRUTH my friend and same with the ramen intake. you should read the comments left on my post they're pretty nice (about the whole "who am i what am i doing here" thing)
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