A Leap on Leap Year

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Well, I finally made it. The flight to Tokyo took so damn long, I began to think the plane was flying us directly into infinite and uncomfortable claustrophobia. Anywho, I made it to Narita just in time to catch the red sun setting, and now I'm here in Ilsan.

On the flight to Tokyo, I sat next to an American man who looked to be in his fifties. He had taught ESL over here for eight years and still didn't know the language. That gives me hope. I really didn't like the guy--he seemed to think his ticket included room for his elbow on my side of the arm rest--but he did give me a couple tips for living in Korea. 1: Never write a kid's (or anyone's) name in red marker. They will think you want them dead. I can't remember the reasoning behind this, just don't do it. 2: Never leave your chopsticks sticking straight up out of your bowl of rice. Means the same thing, don't know why.

I don't know what to do with myself in this place. It is as though I've moved into a janitor's closet in the biggest shopping mall in the universe. So much electricity and fashion. Buildings pile up all around me like stacks of first quarter profit reports. The foundations a mixture of coffee shops with seats hanging from the ceilings like plush front porch swings, boutiques, hair/nail salons, seafood shacks with giant crabs crawling over each other in aquariums on the sidewalk; then topped off with restaurants, fitness gyms, bars, churches, banks.

In a large open square close to my apartment, small motorcycles are rented to what look like eight year old children. The grown-up ride three-wheelers that look like bumper cars that broke free of the electric grid and which constantly beep out the beginning of Beethoven's Fifth. I've been turned on my head.

I met a lovely girl named Alison who works at the school as well. She was hungry for western food because of the hangover from the night before, so we hunted down a pizzeria and split a veggie pie--she doesn't do meat--with pastry crust. Never had corn on a pizza before, but it was good. She had been teaching in Thailand, but was making nada so she decided Korea to be a better financial option. I was wondering about teaching over in Thailand after my contract is up here, however, due to my loan situation, I might have to think twice about that.

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