How Do You Say Goodbye?

I had to re-write the opening sentence like 10 times now. How am I supposed to write my opening for saying Goodbye? I have been considering this blog for quite some time now. This will be my very last one. There are so many words that I want to use to truly describe my experiences here in South Korea.

So here I go. One year ago I came to this country not knowing what to expect. The only thing I knew was that I was going to teach or try to teach English to people. There was no Honeymoon period for me. Korea started off very rocky. I had experienced things that I would not wish upon any new-comers here. I lied too and swindled into my position. I was caught in a catch 22 of life. I could not do anything about it. I had to make the difficult decision of staying in a bad situation. My feelings of course was to run home with my tail between my legs but with encouragement from my family I stayed.

You should know my story by now. I will tell you what I have learned on this journey.

Personal growth is something that I did not expect to happen. I also didn't expect to learn so much about myself. I found a long lost passion of mine and now I really want to nurture it. I found that people truly enjoy being around me. I found that I enjoy time to myself and with good friends. There were many times here in Gyeokpo that I went for a walk and really dove into my mind. I started to really meditate on me and my life. Though this place was lonely, I was able to use that to gain access to myself. People tell me that they admire me for staying in Gyeokpo for so long. They say that they would not be able to do what I do. I respond to them that they would be surprised at themselves. I believe that anyone has the same capacity to do what I did. They just have to have the same type of mindset or the will to stay. This place is hard to live in, especially alone, but one learns how to cope. This place had its ups and downs, but truly I will miss it. I had an opportunity to experience Korea in a different way. Most guest english teachers experience Korea with a hint of Western culture. I was able to experience Korea before all of that. Truly I think that was more valuable than anything else.

The culture itself is an oxymoron. I don't want to speak out of term nor talk down to another culture, but this is how I feel. This is a rich culture. They pride themselves on it, which is a good thing. This pride sometimes turns into arrogance. Some to many of the people seem to be shortsighted. Much of the fashion and thinking is in some type of box or cookie cutter. The good thing is that there is a small constituent that is trying to assert their independence. I have often compared their culture in terms of time. As of right now I believe they are going through the 1950 generation to the 1960s generation. The old guard is trying to maintain control and tradition while the youth is trying to break that mold. As far as being a foreigner goes, its a little bit of a up hill battle. Their people are still not used to seeing different faces. I was blessed with being able to blend into the society so that no one really bothered me too much. My friends on the other hand were treated as if they were Rock stars. That is a great feeling I would assume, but it would be quite frustrating after a while. Sometimes you just want to be left alone. There is also this underlying feeling of racism here in South Korea. There is a point in ones life where you know when you are being stared at for the wrong reasons. There also has been times where it was more obvious than that. I do understand where it comes from though. There are foreigners that give the good ones a bad name. So its no ones fault. All in all they are normal people.

To sum all of this up. My experience here wasn't great nor was it horrible. This adventure was like a normal year for me, just in a different country. I guess in the end all I can really say is thank you. Thank you to all the great people that I have met and befriended. Thanks to all the children that made teaching a pleasure. Thanks to all the Koreans that made this place feel comfortable. Thanks to my family that supported me with their words and love from home. Last but not least Thank you Gyeokpo for showing me that there is more to me than meets the eye.


___


The End


All roads must come to an end.


-Cezar-

How Do You Say Goodbye?

Lost in Transportation

The weekend was pretty interesting. I went down to Mokpo for another trail. The whole week I had been feeling a little down because of the recent departure of my friend, so going away seemed like a good idea. My friends in Mokpo invited the hashers to come and do a trail so I decided to go. The event wasn't going to happen until Saturday; so I decided to stay home on Friday and go in the morning. I had forgotten how boring it was in my town on a Friday night. I have been so used to going to Jeonju or Iksan on a Friday nights. So I sat around waiting until I was tired enough to go to sleep.

Saturday morning I had to wake up extremely early so that I could catch the morning bus down to Mokpo. It was easy enough, I had no real problems with it at all. I arrived in Mokpo about 2 hours later. I helped finish laying trail with my friends and what not. We grabbed a little lunch and waited for other people to show up. I thought that Gyeokpo was cold, but let me tell you Mokpo was freezing. It was actually snowing during trail. So I was happy that I had the smarts to wear several layers at a time, but that didn't stop me from being cold. So we finish up the trail. Then we proceed to go out into the town for some fun. It was nice being in a new town and just getting away from it all.

Sunday morning rolls around. I decided to sleep in. I knew that my trip shouldn't take too long so I had the luxury to sleep in that day. I started to move around and travel around 11am. So I take one bus to the big city Gwangju and into the terminal. I buy my ticket for Buan. I was told that the bus wasn't coming until 2pm; it was 1pm at the time. So I grabbed some lunch and waited for the bus. I see the bus pull in. As per my usual routine I ask the ticket receiver if the bus was going to Buan. She replies yes. I then proceed to ask the bus driver if the bus was going to Buan. He says yes. So I sit down and wait until I get to go home. I knew the ride was supposed to be an hour and a half. So I wasn't too worried. As we drove along, I started not to recognize anything. It had been already an hour into the bus ride, and there was nothing that I recognized. I thought to myself that he might be taking a different route. So I lay back and waited. As it approached the 2 hour mark; I knew that something was wrong. So I waited til the next stop. I walked up to the driver and asked the driver where he was going in Koren. He replied MUAN. I kindly tried to explain to him what had happened. He laughed a little bit and told the ticket officer what happened at the town he dropped me off at. So I had to get on another bus to go back to Gwangju. The bus driver and I had a conversation about what happened and he laughed too. So there I was in a town where I had no idea where it was. I had to wait. Then another 2 hour bus ride back to Gwangju. As I got off the bus, the bus driver was kind enough to help me get the right ticket. He literally held my hand the whole way. It was 5:45pm at the time. The very last bus to Buan didn't leave til 6:25. So I had some time to kill. So I waited some more. Then my bus finally came. I asked the ticket officer, the bus driver and several of the passengers if the bus was going to Buan. They all answered yes. So I lied back and waited some more.

I also had the issue of trying to make it to Buan in time. I live about 45min away from Buan. The last bus to my town leaves at 8pm sharp every night. Leaving Gwangju at 6:25 with a hour and forty minute ride; I feared the worse. I did not want to have to take a taxi home. So all I could do is sit patiently and wait. Luckily the bus pulled into the terminal at 7:45 leaving me with plenty of time to get on the bus. So again I waited. The bus pulls in at 7:59 and I jump in. I sit and relax cause I was on my way home. I got home and I was so relieved. All I did was go to my room and get into bed. I had been traveling for 9 hours for that one day. That was no fun at all.

I just wanted to touch on the feeling of being lost. It wasn't cool at all. That was the first time EVER in South Korea that I felt not only alone but lonely. I had no one to call or talk too. I had no one that spoke my language to tell me it was going to be alright. I found it to be a very weird experience all together. Once I realized that I was lost; I got that sinking feeling. I really wanted to panic and what not. I'm usually okay with not being in control, but that wasn't cool at all. Getting lost in that area really made me feel, for a lack of a better word, lost. I'm glad that I had the patience to get back and do what I needed to do. I contacted a couple of my friends. They were nice enough to laugh at me and help me through the situation. That made me feel a little better.


___


The End


Patience is a virtue.


-Cezar-

Lost in Transportation

Thanks?

So today is thanksgiving. It has been a while since I have actually appreciated things enough to be thankful for them. I am though. I am thankful for all the big and small things in my life.

I have been thinking about what my friends say to me all the time. They tell me that I have a lot of strength for staying in such an isolated area. I think that anyone could do the same. At some point in everyone's life they feel alone or lonely. I know my case is in the extreme, but is it that too hard to imagine being where I am. I understand it takes a certain type to deal with being alone, but it's also not too difficult. One would be able to first cope with it; then after manage it. The hardest part I think is finding motivation. I find it hard to dig deep now a days to do the simple things. My book is again fallen to the side because I lack focus and strength to pick it up. My supposed studies of Korean or even reading one of my several books has put aside. I keep trying to dig deep, but I find nothing.

On a happier note. I will be finished with work soon and vacation is around the corner. After vacation, I will work for a short time then wait to go home.


____


The End


We learn more in loss than in victory.


-Cezar-

Thanks?

We must endure

I have been writing one of my books for the past couple of days. I have really picked up where I left off from a couple months ago, but it seems like I have hit a little bit of writers block. So I decided to do some free writing here to start the cogs again and maybe stumble onto where the story should go.

I have been dealing with a couple different things the past weeks. One of my closest friends here in South Korea is leaving to go back home. He is one of the bigger reasons why I stayed in Korea. Now that he is leaving; I feel at a loss. I know that it will not be the last time I will be seeing my good friend, yet I am sad to see him leave. We shared many good laughs and some good times together. His departure makes me long for my own. I keep on thinking about when I get to go home. I keep on picturing my family and friends being there. Being away for so long has really taught me the value of being home.

There are so many things that I tend to take for granted when I was home. I think I will have a new appreciation when I get back. On the other side of the coin; I will really miss the freedom I have here. Seriously, the things that I get away with and have done here in South Korea is refreshing. The societal norms here let me have a type of freedom that I was not afforded back in America. I feel that I am more bound by society back in America, and in South Korea I am able to do what I please (to a certain extent).

Anyways; back to my book. As far as a writer goes, I don't think I am one. I was talking to a good friend of mine and she suggested that I am more of a story teller, it seemed to fit what I had in mind. It also seems to be the case with my book, as I write them it seems more like I am speaking then writing. I will finish the book soon and see what happens.

I actually had forgotten that I had started writing the story on paper. I pulled up the document on my computer and found it to be shorter than what I had remembered. I also realized that I lost the particular book in which I kept all my notes. So I literally had to back track on all my characters and stories. Where I am supposed to be at page 9 or so; I am now only on page 5. It has proven very frustrating having to try to recreate the story and characters. I am making progress but it's slow and difficult. I set a high goal of getting to page 20 by the end of the week, but it seems like I will only be able to get to page 10. The story itself is taking on a new life and path then what I had anticipated.

I also wanted to share a piece that I recently wrote. As most of you know I have been active with hiking and what not. They made me an officer for the group and put me in charge of doing some write ups. This was one of my most recent ones. I was actually surprised on how it came out. I think it is one of my better write ups.

A naming and a goodbye
It seems to me when a group of people congregate there is a high chance of bonding. That is what the house harriers is all about; we try to create a sense of connection with other people. When you are in a place where you have no one else but each other; joining a group like ours is easy to do. The hashers hold a long line of tradition near its heart and it welcomes you to join into it. We had a typical run last weekend. A few virgins joined the group and an old friend left it.
The trail was simple; it was an A to B this time. We decided to keep it light and short because of time restrictions. I proceeded to start all the festivities around 4:30ish; so that we don’t lose trail in the dark. It was all medium hills with no real obstacles in our way to finding the beer. The FRBs (front running bastards) helped make trail easier to follow with laying more chalk lines. The trail lasted about an hour, walking.
We ended at a local restaurant. We ate and drank for a couple of minutes and started the ceremonies. The virgins were put through their paces and I was not disappointed. They were more than willing to bear themselves to us and the world. It does me very well when I see virgins willing to disgrace themselves to entertain the pack.
We sang song and went through ceremonies. We said goodbye to a fellow hasher. He has been a big part of the hash both in Seoul and in Jeonju. His name was Dirty. He was the epitome of a hasher. He had one of the biggest hearts and kindest personalities that I knew. His presence was always welcome and enjoyed by all; truly a hasher through and through. On a more personal note, I will miss him very much. He was a great man and a fantastic hasher.
Once we dispatched with those pleasantries, we went onto a naming. NN Nancy had been hashing with us a couple of times. She hashed enough to earn her name in Jeonju. We had given her a questionnaire to help us in her naming. After much talking and reviewing and storytelling, we came upon a name only befitting a fellow hasher. NN Nancy was baptized under some beer; when she emerged she was to be known as Back Alley Cabby (BAC). She was welcomed into the fold. We finished with that and moved to close the hash. We continued to drink and eat into the night.
That was our trail and my tail of it. We shed a tear for the hasher that left but in rejoice for the new hashers gained and for the newly named. For our fellow brother and sister hashers; the trail will never end. The trail will always find a way to bring us together. It is our way of bonding and our way to form a brotherhood. So if you have time; come find us on trail and join us in song and drink. You will enjoy yourself.



___


The End


Have faith.


-Cezar-

We must endure

end game

So yeah. I have been away from this blog for a while and I have missed it. It seems, even though I have nothing where I am; that I have no time for anything. I have been so consumed with trying to do some work for school and looking forward to the weekends that I have no time to really do anything. I have made some real connections with some new people in Buan. I have eaten with them several times already and they seem to be good people. Last Sunday I was passing through Buan I sent a text message to them and they invited me to have brunch with them.

I have decided to try to make this a column that you would read in a newspaper. So I will try to write in this at least twice a week. I would like suggestions on what to write about.


___


The End


The shortest distance between two objects is a straight line.


-Cezar-

end game

Parents

On a side note. It was my parents anniversary yesterday. I called them last night to wish them happy anniversary. I just wanted to wish them a happy anniversary again. I love you both so very much. Words cannot express my gratitude and appreciation for all of your sacrifice and work you have done for me over the years. I couldn't of asked for better parents. I know we have our ups and downs, but at the end of the day I will always love you guys with all of my heart.

Parents

And the survey says

Okay. I know it has been a couple of days since I have last updated. So here I go.


Nothing really new has been happening. Hashing is hashing. Trails have been getting better and more interesting. Weekends have been going fast and weekdays even faster. I am counting the days until I am done with work and I go to the Philippines for vacation. Then I am counting the days until I go home. Until then I will be just going around doing the same thing everyday.

As far as new things going on. New friends in Buan have been more then accommodating to me. They have come to my town and broke bread with me. I have gone to their town and done the same. I will be going up there again this week for dinner.

I haven't made any head way with any one of my books. I don't know if its writer's block lack of motivations, it may be both.


That is it for now.


___


The End


Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna get. -Forrest Gump


-Cezar-

And the survey says

Rabble

I know it has been a couple of days since I have written in this thing. I have found myself less and less inclined to write in it. Even though I still find it a very nice outlet for me to voice my thoughts and actually practice my writing skills; I have grown tired of it. I am focusing on several things at the moment. I found out that my friend Stand is leaving South Korea early because he does not like his situation. He went to talk to his boss and they ended up agreeing to let him go early. He plans to leave December 1st. I am naturally not too happy about it, but he needs to do what makes him happy.

On a side note I have met a handful of foreigners in the town about 45 min away from me. I met them on my way up to Seoul. They were nice enough to invite me out to dinner one night. I enjoyed their company. They are a good group of kids; from what I learned there are about 9 of them in the town. It's a good thing I found them, but I will be leaving in a couple of months and I don't think I will be able to meet up with them much.

As far as the hash over the past weekend; it went extremely well. The GM left for japan for a vacation and put me in charge of the hash. So I made trail with another person. I also had to go through making sure accommodations, food, travel and drinks were together. I thought it would be an easy job, but it isn't. I was getting stressed over people, places, trail and everything that involved a hash. Honestly I didn't even do that great of a job. There were many aspects that I ignored or forgot about. Otherwise it was a great time; the people that came down and up from where they live had a great time. We had a large group of people, more than usual, about 17 people that did trail with us. I sang song with them and I had a great time making them act like fools.

As far as my week, it was relatively slow and boring. One of my co-workers decided to ask me to go and hangout with him and another co-teacher. Their English isn't too bad, so the night was pretty good conversation and what not. It was also nice to get out of my room and do something.


That has been the story for the past couple of days/weeks. I know that my posts have been getting less and less every time, but it takes a lot to try to find something out of nothing. I am making good use of my time I am reading more and starting to write my books.


___


The End


Idol hands are the Devil's playground.


-Cezar-

Rabble

Time well spent

The weekend jumped off in the same manner it usually does. I decided to jump into a bus heading to Seoul. It was Friday night once again and I wanted to see my friends. I take the bus headed up to Seoul like usual. The nice part about the ride was that I met some foreigners in Buan, the neighboring city to me. We chatted a bit and they told me that there were 9 foreigners in the city. We chatted and exchanged information with each other. It was a nice surprise to meet some foreigners in the area.

I eventually arrive in Seoul. I transit in between subways like usual. I end up going to a local bar that all the hashers we hanging out at. The week leading to the weekend was special. It was a hash-marathon in Seoul. All through out the week there was trail at least once a day. I was only able to catch the tail end because I live about 4 hours away. My friends were happy to see me anyways. Once I arrived in the bar, I hear the happy greetings. I go around making my hellos and introductions. I met Hashers that had came in from out of country just for the weekend events. It was a nice sight and experience all together.

Saturday rolls around. I had 2 trails that I wanted to take part of; so I did. Trail was regular. Up hills and down slopes; climbing up and jumping down obstacles. I had the Yeongsan Kimchi H3* trail first. Their trails are usually something that I look forward too. This time I had company as I walked the trail, which is a nice change of pace. Trail started at 11am ended at 1pm. I had another trail that started at 1; so I literally had no time to waste. It was a special event for the Seoul H3, it was their 2000th run. We took a bus to the start location, about an hour away. The trail was amazing. I took a trail that took me up a mountain. I saw beautiful landscape. I was also accompanied by another walker for the trail. We chatted for a while. The trail ended around 6pm. We ended the trail in their traditional way. We started a fire and ate and drank around it. This pack was consisted on only men. So we were just that. Men around a fire sharing stories and laughter. Later on that night we head back into Itaewon. We go to a couple bars meeting up with other hashers. We go onto the night until about 3 am. We have our fun.

At one of the bars, a stranger approaches us. He started asking questions about who we were. I kindly explain what the hash is about and who these people were. We talk about it for about an hour. I started pulling in other hashers to sell the case. We talk about brotherhood and the trail. One of the hashers got a little philosophical. I explained to him that the hash wasn't about getting drunk, finding girls or debauchery. The hash is about the people and the relationship that we build. One of the hashers chimed in and made a comparison to the band of brothers. I cannot fully recall it, but I knew what he said was true.

Sunday rolls around. I grab breakfast with the hashers. I have some great conversations and laughs. They leave for another trail that I can't take part of because of time restrictions. I walk around Itaewon and pick up a couple of things that I need for myself and head back home.



___


The End


Brotherhood isn't given it is earned.


-Cezar-

Time well spent

Clarity

I have been reading a book that my parents gave to me when they visited me. Basically this book is trying to help me become a better writer. It has given me some real insight into the mind of a writer. It has actually given me better ideas on how to write which I really like.

So yesterday I had the whole day off so I really started reading the book. I didn't get a chance to finish it, but I got many good tips. The biggest and most important tip I received was that it's a conversation. A conversation between me as a writer and you as a reader. I need to visualize you as a reader. I need to make sure that I am clear as if we are having a dialog.

It's really something when you realize something as significant as that. I always had the reader in mind when I write, but never considered it to that level. I really had one of those "AH HA!" moments. I am excited to read more into this book because it seems to have golden nuggets of information for me.


___


The End


Limitation is where you find your imagination.


-Cezar-

Clarity

New path Same road

The weekend was interesting to say the least. I spent it with a group of new friends. They are in a neighboring town called Iksan. I have known them for quite some time now, but rarely spent much time with them. I had focused my energies into hashing and Seoul and Jeonju that I let them slip through my fingers. This past weekend I decided to spend the weekend with them. It turned out to be a good idea all together. They were a good group of kids that I could really connect with and have fun with. We spent most of friday night and saturday night going around doing some shenanigans. I haven't laughed or connected with a group of kids like that in a very long time. Which made me sad because I know what is going to happen. The more time I spend with them; the more time I will really connect with them. That will make it extremely hard for me to leave. I have grown attached to many of the people here and that is causing me some problems. I know that I will be leaving in a short amount of time and that will make things harder for me. I am really torn between states of mind. I want company so that I don't get too lonely, but I also don't want to get too attached. I know how I get. I am an emotional man. I have an open heart. This will prove to be more difficult when time comes for me to say goodbye.


Just to mention. I had duties for the hash on saturday. I had to lead the group in ceremonies. The trail was decent, but I got lost of trail for a while. I was lucky to run into another hasher, she helped me by calling and getting directions for me. I often complain about shiggy, trails with rough terrain, but I saw the non-shiggy trail and I didn't like it too much. After taking part in trails with a lot of shiggy and interesting obstacles, I kind of long for hurdles. I complain about climbing hills and mountains and going through rough terrain, but in the long run, it just more interesting that way. I would like a happy medium of a trail, that would be the best solution.

I digress, the weekend was great. It was a real chance for me to connect with people that I am starting to care for. It was also a nice change of pace; it felt slower. It was wholesome fun; I actually spent some time playing jenga at a bar and it was amazing.




___


The End

New path Same road

Lack thereof

Ok. So Monday rolls around. I had another day off so I decided to take Manny on a tour of my town. We went to a local temple that I always show the visitors. He enjoyed seeing the history and oldness of the temple. I enjoy that area for its peacefulness. It is situated in a huge piece of land. There are trees and greenery everywhere. It is a peaceful 1km walk towards the temple itself. When you walk around the temple you will see the local mountains surrounding it. It is one of those sights that is best savored sitting on a bench taking in the scenery. There is chanting playing all through out the area which gives it more of a relaxing feeling.

After the temple I take him on a walking tour of my whole town. We share a couple of good laughs. Then we eat the local Chinese food in the area, which Manny instantly fell in love with. Then I try to take him to the top of a small look out point to watch the sunset, but we missed it. We just ended up having a beer and talking about life.

Manny had fell in love with Korea the instant that he arrived. I would like to think that I helped because I already knew the area and knew where to go. I also think that taking him to a Hash was a great idea. I made him a hasher, and I couldn't be happier.

Tuesday and Wednesday passed by rather quickly. Manny was still in town but he had to leave Wednesday morning. He planned to go back to Seoul to meet up with my friends and do some stuff. He really wanted to visit Harley again to acquire his shirt. My friends up there were kind enough to give him a place to crash and show him around town.


___


The End


The road split in two, right and left. I decided to go straight.


-Cezar-

Lack thereof

3 days

So I recently had a 4 day weekend. One of my closest friends came to South Korea to visit me. He needed an excuse to visit South Korea and I gave him one. These are the events that transpired.

Friday:

It was a Korean national holiday, it was their thanksgiving. I went to Seoul the night before because there was a special hash one of my friends asked me to go to. He was holding an event. The hash was going to happen on the 38th parallel. So for those who don't know, that means near the DMZ. There is a hashing group that does runs near the DMZ and it was his turn to make the run. So I gladly participated. I mean how many times can someone say that they hiked near North Korea. It was an interesting experience all together. I had a good time running it. I had a chance to laugh and share stories with my friends again. The run was around 1 ish and ended around 4ish. My friend Manny landed at 6pm, so I had decided to leave around 6 for the airport. I thought that security would take much longer then usual because there is a scare of Swine Flu and the Koreans are being super careful. So I jumped into a bus around 7ish and arrived around 8ish. I find Manny already sitting and waiting for me. Apparently it took him only about 30 minutes to clear security.

So I picked him up from the airport and I thought I could just take him to one of my favorite spots in South Korea. I assumed that we would be able to get a Hotel room in the area, but I was wrong. We walked around for 2 hours looking for a room. We found no open rooms at all. So I place a phone call to a Hashing buddy of mine and she made some calls for me. She found us a place to sleep with at one of the hasher's house. He was on his way in to throw some darts for the night. We head into the bar ahead of him. I find a handful of Hashers already there. I make introductions and start having some laughs. We head to his place to sleep around 12ish.

Saturday:

Manny and I wake up early. I promised him a great breakfast. We head back into town to get some food. We take a bit of a walk to the restaurant. We find out that it is closed because of the holiday. I was really pissed. This was one of my favorite spots to eat at and they were closed. So we had to settle for Mcdonald's. So we relaxed and ate the breakfast. We waited for one of the hashers to pick us up from eating and take us to the beginning spot for the hash. Manny got introduced to the pack. He goes through his paces as a virgin. The trail was nicely set up. We had to do some crawling under fences and climbing over fences and scaling high walls. I complained the whole way through the trail, but honestly that was one of the most entertaining trails I have been on. Manny got to see how a trail was set. He caught on to the lingo and how to spot trail quickly. He enjoyed it very much. One of the most surprising moments was when he got unofficially named. The pack liked him so much that they gave him a name. He was referred to as "Exit 164", because they asked him were in Jersey he was from he answered Exit 164. They all laughed and started referring to him as such.

Later on that day around 2ish. Manny and I and some hashers jump into a train heading to Osan. One of my friends was leaving Korea forever, so we all wanted to say good bye. As a hasher saying good-bye meant going on trail and having a nice party after wards. I am not going to bore you with the details, but fun was had by all. A lot of the trail actually involved garbage. The hashers thought it would be funny to turn me into the garbage man. So any chance they had they gave me garbage and we all laughed about it.

Then we went off to have fun in town.

Sunday:

There was another hash to be had, but Manny and I had enough for the weekend. I decided to show him around Seoul. Manny had hopes of getting to visit and see the Harley Davidson of South Korea. So we walked and walked for about 2 hours asking directions and we eventually find the store. Manny's eyes were filled with joy. Then we get closer only to see the gates shut and the lights off. Then I quickly saw a vein grow in Manny's head. It was funny and scary at the same time. I felt bad for the kid. It was one of his major things to do while in South Korea. So after cooling off a little we walked around town more. We stumble onto a couple of gems, but that didn't make him feel better. So we hop a train then a bus and then another bus to my town.


___


The End


Friends are just really good enemies.


-Cezar-

3 days

On on

So the weekend was interesting as usual. Instead of going to Jeonju on friday night, I ended up going to Iksan. I had a couple of friends that wanted to see me cause they haven't seen me in a while and sorely missed me, and I them. It was very interesting to say the least. Iksan is a smaller town then Jeonju and it has less foreigners in the area. They all pretty much know each other. Unlike jeonju, where the town is so big that foreigners don't really see or hangout with each other. When I was sitting down to drink some beer with my friends every person that passed by was greeted and they greeted back. It's one of those small towns that I could really picture myself working in.

Saturday:

There was the Hash event that my kennel was holding, it was called "the baboon circus". The event consisted of a couple main rules. First real rule was you come dressed an animal or at least some crazy socks. Surprisingly a good amount of people did dress up in at least some crazy socks. Since this was a relatively large event that we were holding, many people from Seoul came down to support us. Many of the hashers were from YKH3, SH3, and OBH3. They were nice enough to come down and make things interesting. We also had a couple of "virgins" take the run with us.

The trail was simple, it went up and down a mountain. The view at the top was simply spectacular. This also gave me an opportunity to talk with people and get to know them as usual. The trail was only a small part of the event. It was a scavenger hunt as well. We were formed into groups of 5 people, 4 walkers and 1 runner. That was the plan, but plans and people usually don't mix too well. We had some late comers and the runners out numbered the walkers. We did some impromptu moving around and it was set. The basic rule was run until you find a card with a monk sitting on a banana. On the back of these cards are questions. The teams were to collect said cards and try to solve them once they came back. This was the original plan, but it didn't work out as planned. By the time we got back to the end site, it was already dark-ish. The light was fading quickly and we still had to wait for many of the virgins to come back. Trying to organize and set the tone for a bunch of drunkards was difficult. The ceremonies had to be cut short and many things had to be ignored. It pained me, as acting GM, to do so, but I had to work with what I had. We finished circle and proceeded to head back to our relative motels.

on-after:
The on after was held at a local restaurant called Nasa. It was a relatively nice place to eat. It sat high above the ground, about 5 floors high. We ate enough food to satisfy anyone. An incident happened with paying for the bill, but it was all worked out. Then most of us headed to the local Karaoke place. We had reserved a room for all of us. We had enough beer to satisfy any thirst. It was an interesting night out. Even though we knew each other on many personal levels, we were still shy about singing in front of each other. It wasn't until someone, me, picked Bohemian rhapsody by Queen, then everyone started to really get into it. We started to pick songs that we all knew and would sing too in our cars. We all started to really let loose and have fun with it. When the beer ended some of us went to a local bar. At that little event we only had about 7 people, we originally stated with about 15 or 16. This is where we really just sat down and had some real fun. We talked and joked for most of the night. G.I. Hoe the all American zero, in his drunken stooper made us laugh through the night with his jokes. We all took turns making jokes and telling stories. We were all at this until about 3 am.


Sunday:

11 am trail with Southside Hash House Harriers. They ran a trail that started and ended in front of the motel. It was a relatively short trail, that not many people ran. I personally did not do the trail, I was too tired. From what I was told and heard at the circle it was a good trail. It was confusing, as any hash trail will be, but it was good. Some of us had a late lunch with each other when the hash was over.

This was just another prime example of how the hash has helped me expand my mind and circle of friends. I did truly enjoy the trail and everything that surrounded it. The hash gives you a great chance to really get to know yourself and people. I would highly recommend doing a trail in your local area if you can find one.




That was my weekend.



____


The End


"I'm too old for this shit." Danny Glover


-Cezar-

On on

The wheels on the bus

okay. So I was informed a couple of days ago that I will have a showcase of my teaching the children. This is naturally something I am worried about because I don't do much of anything in these classes. I basically come in and play games or sing songs with my children. I am the clown that comes in once a week to entertain my kids. Now for one or two days I have to actually try to teach them something. I have to come up with lesson plans and objectives like every other teacher. I am worried about what to do. The past months I have done nothing with these kids and now everyone will know it.


As far as my writing goes, I think I have narrowed it down to screenplays, short stories, and informational books. I had planned to write a short story here, but the story took a life on its own and I have to work on it. Now I am in the process of writing 4 different types of books. I am in the process of writing 2 short stories and 2 self help/informational books. I am jumping in between all 4 right now. It is not as difficult as it seems, my mind is always all over the place already. When I am writing one and get bored; I jump into the other books and start writing there. The funny thing is my mind is always working on all 4 things at one time, so I keep all 4 stories up and jump to the one that needs to be written. I would literally be writing one and suddenly I would have a eureka moment about the plot or events happening on another story. I think 4 will be good enough right now. I haven't really touched them in a while, but a sudden burst of energy and what not has inspired me to write. I think the flood gates have opened and I want to take advantage before the water runs out. I will have a couple snips of each one here. I would like your input on how it reads and what you think about it.

On a side note. I am also starting to read more. I am reading a novel and a informational book. I think that seeing the commonalities and differences will help me write better. I also guess that I am still looking for my "voice" so stay with me on this little journey of mine.

On a side side note. I know I started to write about "The Lost Boy" I have put that into one of my short stories. Like I said before, the story started to take on a life on it's own. So I wanted to finish it on my own.


___


The End


There is always room for improvement.


-Cezar-

The wheels on the bus

Waiting for you

OK. This was a little bit of a twist of fate. The past couple of weeks I have really been thinking about my past relationships and who is to come in my near future. I guess that is always on my mind. I have been doing what I have been doing for a while and I have really been considering my future. I was considering my future while taking into account of my past. I think we all do that at one point or another. The reason why I talk about this now is because life has a way to kind of remind you and focus you on what you want. So there I was at one of my schools. I was reading a book that my parents gave to me. It was a book on how to improve my writing style and what not. I guess while I was in class the vice principal saw my book. I was informed a couple of weeks ago that he was a well known and published writer. He wrote for children and poems. At the end of the day I get back to my desk. He had left me a signed copy of a book of his poems. So I opened it up. I start going through the poems and I wasn't surprised to see that it was all mostly in Korean. I stumble upon a poem in English titled "Waiting for you".

Waiting for you

I'm waiting for you.
Every day I'm waiting for you like a tree.
Every night I'm waiting for you like a flower.
Waiting for you.
Waiting for you.
If the sun won't rise.
I'll be waiting for you.
If the moon won't shine.
I'll be waiting for you.
Forever I'll be waiting for you.
Waiting for you.
Waiting for you.

-Namgu Baek

That was the poem that I read. It really hit close to home when I read it. I was actually almost distract the whole day about that topic and this found me. Like I said life has a funny way of reminding you about things. So I will take the advise and wait for her.


___


The End


I'll be waiting for you.



-Cezar

Waiting for you

A Taste of Home

OK. I know that I was supposed to update you guys on what has been happening the past couple of weeks. I have been so swamped with doing work and trying to relax that I really haven't had a chance to write anything down. I kinda feel bad about it, but here I am again. To the best of my abilities I will try to do a short update.

Within the past 3 weeks that I have been back, many things have happened that changed how I do things here in South Korea. First thing that was really a swift kick to the pants was that I lost all of my private students. As you may remember I took on some children to teach them English. Once I got back from America I was informed that I no longer was needed. The Koreans have become phobic of the Swine Flu. They assumed that I have it because I left Korea to go to America. I was pretty disappointed that I no longer had my students. That is a lot of money out of my pockets.

Changing the subject to the fear of Swine Flu here in Korea. I find it ridiculous how the media and everyone else here has made this swine flu out to be the next plague. The Koreans have such a fear of this flu it is almost funny in a sad way. I spoke to many of my students and my co-teachers, they feel that staying inside and away from everybody is a good way to prevent the spread of it. The swine flu is just that, a new flu. Yes, people died from this flu, but many more people die from the common cold then the Swine flu, especially here in Korea. They refuse to look at the bigger picture when it came down to it all. They only see what the media hypes it up to be. Apparently the Koreans believe everything the media says, which is a problem. I recently read a report that suicide takes about over 1000 South Koreans a year. These deaths are PREVENTABLE because many of them call out for help before they do it. Yet, they don't focus on something that is preventable and make a mountain out of a mole hill. Sometimes I sit back and chuckle a little bit on the oxymoron that is South Korea. They want to prevent the spread of the swine flu yet they still share cups, food, and still have the public bathing areas. I spoke to a couple of Koreans about that, their response was "we wash our hands." Yes, washing hands is good, but that is really not how the flu gets around. ANYWAYS, I am going to stop talking about this now and move on.


OK. The past couple of weeks have been relatively quiet. I have been traveling in and out of Seoul like 2 weeks straight. I went for a couple of Hashes and really just burnt my legs out. Basically the past 3 weeks I have been spending way too much money. Many of my friends also left the South Korea. Many of them were finishing up their contracts, it made me sad to see them go. Goodbye ToT and GYU, you were really good friends to me.


For the matter at hand, last week. My Parents decided to come and visit me for a week. They stayed in Gyeokpo for about 4 days. They toured the area and I showed them some sights. They also did a lot of nothing. They relaxed for the days they were here. I showed them the local foods, they seemed to enjoy that. We spent a lot of time together just bonding and what not. They also cleaned my room and bought me supplies. I had spent a week trying to clean my room, then my parents come in and show me what clean really meant. I quickly dispatched their work, because I am a slob. After a couple of days here, I sent them to Jeonju to enjoy that area. They visited the traditional village and then once I arrived we all went to dinner with some of my closer friends here in South Korea. I really enjoyed just sitting there watch as my parents were busting my balls with my friends. All in all it was good times had by everyone. The next day we went to Seoul together. It was really my first time going to Seoul with intentions of exploring it. My parents and I ended up catching a bus that did a city tour. We were able to hop on and off the bus, so we can just enjoy the area for a short time and hop back on. We saw a couple nice places, I discovered some really cool places that I intend to visit again. My last stop was Itaewon. I knew the area and I knew how to get to where I was going from there. So my parents and I ate lunch and a local Chinese food place, which was awesome. Then we walked around trying to find things to buy. It was generally a good time. When it came time for me to say goodbye I knew what to expect. My mom hugged me and wouldn't let go for a couple of minutes and my dad stayed silent. I said my goodbyes and as I walked down into the subway I turn around to wave and see my mom crying. It was definitely bitter sweet.



___


The End


"We love you" -Mom and Dad


-Cezar

A Taste of Home

Back on the Horse

I do apologize to those who read my blog on a semi-regular basis. I have fallen off the course because I fell into a deep rut that I could not really pull myself out of. I had some great weekends that I thought would help me find myself back. As great as those weekends were for me there was something wrong, it may have been a relapse of homesickness. Spending so much time with my family and friends effected me more then I had realized. The thing that really brought me out of my rut was unexpected. On Tuesdays I spend some teaching time on an island about an hour boat ride away. The trip there didn't seem too fruitful, it had some really rough waves. I feared that I would have to spend the night at the island again. I taught through the day. I heard some rumors that the boats were no longer sailing because of the weather. I asked my one of the teachers and they confirmed that there will be no boat back until the next day. I was instantly flustered. Then as I walked down the hall to get some air, one of the teachers runs after me and tells me that the boats are running again. I was pleased to hear the news. I finish out the day until about 3pm ish. I start leaving and saying goodbye to everyone. Then one of the teachers pops her head out and says in Korean, from what I could tell, "the boat isn't going anymore." I see my supervisor call the dock and looks at me and says that I have to spend the night. I was instantly angered. There was nothing I could do so I followed as asked. I stuck around playing on the internet and what not. I ate dinner with some of the other teachers and then went back to playing on the internet. I finished up playing about 11pm ish at night. I was walking back to the place I was sleeping and I see the teachers outside smoking. They pull me over and try very much so to communicate to me in English. They spent about 10 minutes try to ask me if I wanted to join them for a beer. Seeing that I had nothing else planned that night, I said yes. These men had very basic English skills, but through out the night they made jokes in English and tried to make conversation with me in English. This was a very heartwarming gesture. I tried to talk to hem in my very limited Korean, to help. We spent about an hour talking about the same things and laughing at the idea that we can't really talk to each other. That was what really brought me out of my funk. The being said I have much much to catch you up on.

Back in Korea
So I was officially back in Korea August 15th and I had to make my way back to my area. My flight had landed late in the afternoon and it would not be possible for me to actually get back into my town. I decided to make my way to Jeonju and spend the night at Stan's place again. I arrived into town about 12am ish because of travel time and what not. What I had feared the most was that I would have severe Jet-lag. The past 2 weeks at home I had a fight with jet-lag that lasted for about a week. I thought that would be the case once I got back in Korea, it wasn't. Once I was able to settle down at Stan's place, I was able to sleep like a baby. I also had learned that I would have an extra 2 days off from vacation. So I had a nice 4 day weekend.

Sunday I was able to get home pretty fast. I settled down and unpacked everything that I had brought with me to Korea. After a short unpacking party by myself, I headed down to the beach to relax. One of the hashers informed me that he will be stopping into my town on Tuesday and leaving Wenesday morning. So I had that to look forward too. I basically spent all of Monday preparing for their arrival and sleeping on the beach. Tuesday rolls around and they give me a call. I spend the day with them eating food and showing them my town. They were all really down to earth people. They really loved the town and what it had to offer. I was just glad to have company to talk too.

Wednesday rolls around and I had classes to teach on an island. I found out that I would have to travel to the island 3 days in a row via boat. I didn't mind because I did not want to spend the night on the island itself. Every time I spend the night there I appreciate my little town even more. The same thing happens on Thursday. Normal classes and what not but I have news that I may have Friday off because the school may close for some reason. Then later that day I find out that I do have work on Friday. Luckily the weather was getting bad and they preemptively closed school. So I was looking forward to a 3 day weekend. As things worked out my friend Stan had planned to come visit me at my place over the weekend. So he comes to my town around Saturday afternoon and we go off exploring the area and what not. I introduce him to the local foods and specialties.

Saturday rolls around. He and I had grown tired of just sitting on the beach. I told him that there was a local water wall that I wanted to visit. I had wanted to see it for a long time but never had the opportunity or the company to come with me. So we take a taxi to the base of where the waterfall is located. We get dropped off and start walking. We find a small temple with amazing art work in it.


So we continue hiking and run into a melody of great scenic quality. Here are a few just to drive the point.





So that is what we encountered on the way to the falls. I was excited to see the falls itself. I would always see pictures of the falls everywhere. It looked big and gushing and what not. We hiked to the falls about an hour from the base. We get up to where we need to see it and yeah.



That is what I got. I am not saying it wasn't beautiful. I enjoyed the sight of it and what not. I was just disappointed when I got there. Stan was amazed by it. So much that he jumped into the water and started swimming in it. After a while in the falls, we look at the map. We see that there is another temple in the area about 6 km away. I thought, OK the trail is probably the same as the rest of it. I thought it would be flat land straight to it. Again I was wrong, we had to travel up and down the local mountain to arrive at the temple. This was no easy task for me especially because I have a crippling fear of heights. So Stan had to help me through some of the rougher parts. Basically through it all, this was the best part.



That was taken at the top of the mountain. The greater the obstacle the greater the reward. We finish the mountain and the temple that was connected to the mountain. We looked around took more pictures and left. Another one of my friends had decided to come down to hang out with us. So by the time we grabbed a taxi and headed back to my town she was there. We all spent the rest of the day on the beach.

Monday rolls around. Stan and I decide to head out to a open air sculpture area in my town. We check it out and the it was pretty cool. Some of the statues were interesting and complex. It took the artist much skill and time to make all of those sculptures.


Just an example of some of the sculptures.


Well, that was a lot to talk about. There are a couple of weekends that I need to talk about. I will take a break for now.


____


The End




It's not the journey it's about the road that you take.


-Cezar-

Back on the Horse

In the End

OK. There is a lot to tell about my vacation. So much that I have decided not to tell it. There are way too many days and stories that I could and would tell, but I do not have the time nor the capacity to really tell it. I really enjoyed spending my time with my friends and family. Seeing some of my best friends; Tom, Brian, Olysar, Chris, Holly, Kate, Jon and Manny. Those people made my visit very special. They made me see why I should come back home in a couple of months. Lets not forget my relatives. My cousins, Aunts and Uncles; they reminded me that being with my family really is the most important thing in my life. Last, but not least, My Mother, Father, Brother and Sister-in-law to be; they are the ones that make everyday special. They make me feel like, even though we have problems sometimes, that blood ties will last forever. Everyone at home has a special place in my life and in my heart. They have made me who I am today. I always look to their examples when I need guidance in my life. If I lost all my money in the world, I would be thankful that I had my health and my family. They have taught me so much about the world and how I should be as a person.



___


The End



Home is where the heart is.



-Cezar-

In the End

Seriously?!?

OK. The past post was about my first day which was Saturday. Sunday is now the topic. My friend Holly had found out that I was home. She was sneaky enough to find out that I was coming home. She and I had conspired to surprise her husband, one of my best friends, with me being home. When I spoke to her before I left she and I agreed to 6pm on Sunday night. So I had the whole day to kinda mess around. I told my brother to help me surprise my cousins. He told them that he was going to drop off something to them around 2:30ish. So that was set into motion. My parents and I spent the morning together. We had breakfast, went to church and then went to eat lunch together. It was nice family time together. 2pm-ish rolls around and I head off to my cousins house. I pull up and prepare myself. I walk up to the door and ring the bell. I hear some commotion inside and the door slowly opens. My cousin Erika opens the door. She looks at me with a blank stare. There was a long pause and a big grin on her face. The first words out of her mouth was "no way!" She kept on repeating those words over and over, for what seemed to be 5 minutes. Everyone was in separate rooms so no one knew what was going on. Eventually everyone started to come to see what was all the fuss. Their reactions were the same as my parents. A lot of crying, hugging and disbelief. I sat down with them and had a late lunch. I told stories and accounts of my experiences in South Korea. I spent a couple of hours just talking and having fun with them. Then I was was off to Holly's house. She had called me to see where I was. I informed her of my status and she told me to rush over asap. I leave my cousin's house and drive off to my friend's house. The husband had dropped them off from the shore back to their house so that he can get some groceries. So I ring the door bell and she answered the door. Once the door opened she jumped out and hugged me and welcomed me back. I walk into the house and say hello to some of the members of family who were visiting. So I waited until the husband came home. Then she received a phone call that one of our mutual friends was coming over. I told him several times over of my fake plans, so he was also under the assumption that I was not home. He rings the bell and I answer the door. All I see is a smirk on his face and disbelieve in his eyes. The first words were "I thought you were supposed to be in the Philippines." I told him that I lied. We laugh about it for a little bit. He comes in and we all wait for Chris. Then it happened. He called to say that he was going to be home soon. I run to get a light saber that he and I have. I wait behind the door. He walks in and I jump out with the light saber. His first words were "oh, hey." Then he proceeds to bring the groceries into the house. He gives me a quick hug and laughs it off. We spend the night laughing and telling tale. My jet lag was getting the better of me so I had to leave the place a little early.


That was my Sunday, there is much more to come.



___


The End



Liar liar pants on fire.


-Cezar-

Seriously?!?