Expiration Date: never

I find myself in unfamiliar territory. And the curiosity lies in finding this unfamiliarity familiar.

a) Unlike the extensive militaristic history experienced by the Japanese, Korean interests and identity lie strongly rooted in the very recent past and even moreso in the present. It is not unlike Hawthorne desiring to create an authentically American novel in the face of such notable historic pasts such as Germany or Britannia's, or the earnest of Tolkien in envisioning an ostensibly British narrative of heroism and mythology before writing Lord of the Rings: Korean ideology remains focused on progress, translating to mean the relentless pursuit of sometimes questionable education and repetitive instruction. My students have avowed to me that they love Korea but sometimes hate living here. And they hate Japan. Because Japanese people live there. Because the Japanese are murderous, adulterous psychopaths who seek domination and conquest over all good and noble and pure and perfect things. Like Korea.

b) For most Korean professionals, the act of drinking is not merely a social indulgence but an occupational necessity; indeed many business relationships are fosted under the guise of several bottles of soju, which I routinely experience the tail end of on my home from work, watching nameless suits embrace and prop each other up while making vain attempts to simultaneously hail a bus, get inside a cab or walk home. Sometimes I greet them with a friendly 'hello', causing them to carouse and jabber in my general direction, although often not near to where I am actually standing. A man fell out of the bus on my way home the other day. The door opened and instead of walking, he firmly planted his feet and leaned out the door. Nobody moved or laughed or aroused themselves in any way. He smiled. I think he was happy because he knew that he had tricked that sneaky bus and escaped through a bout of unintentional imbalance.

c) Learning Korean is a tricky beast.
example -
infidel: 'Annyong haseyo. E-mart-uh ka chuseyo (Hello. Please take me to Emart-uh. [always need to add the 'uh' just as Japanese add the 'oh' to everything])'
driver: 'mumble...kajus...waigoo..........mollayo...'
infidel: 'E-M-A-R-T-UH??'
driver: *shakes head
infidel: '...ack!'
*signs furiously and gesticulates wildy, pointing
*writes in Korean 'e-mart-uh'
driver: 'oh, E-mart-uh?'
infidel: 'i hate my life.'