In the same vein as my Top Ten Things I Love about Korea post, I feel compelled to write about the parts of Texas that I adore. See, even though I'm planning to leave this great state, I leave with no bad blood. I consider myself a Texan first and an American second (but don't worry - I'm not one of those who support the idea of Texas becoming it's own country). Anyways, I just want to make a list celebrating the good things about the Lone Star State. But, to be fair, being raised in Texas also means that my memories are tied to my family and hometown. Therefore, my list will be personal to me and won't exactly be a "normal" list. With that said:

• It's freakin huge. Seriously. Second only to Alaska...but Alaska doesn't count.
• It's charming and isolated small towns
• the warm and inviting Texas dialect (텍사스 사투리)
• Southern Hospitality and good ol boy chivalry
• the glory that is Tex-Mex food and how no one can get it right outside of Texas
• it's history and diversity of the people who settled here
• the weather - nine months of summer is not that bad, actually
• the landscape - hills, forests, prairie, plains, desert, and coast line all in one state. take that Rhode Island.
• the shape of the state - it's just nice to look at...what? it is. Wyoming is just a square...
• the amount of pride Texans have about our state

Now, don't get me wrong. I can think of stuff that isn't so great about Texas, but I'm saving that for my Top Ten Things I Hate about... series. Stay tuned!

22 days to go and I don't really have a good short term goal schedule. Oh sure, I have long term plans that are looking like they need to be changed to reflect graduate school... and I'm still not sure exactly where that will fit (and more importantly, when it will happen). But that's not the pressing issue. First, I need to get through this first year, and then we can worry about annoying fellow grad students with incessant question asking. Until then, here's a look at my calendar:

- August 2009
attend morning classes (9am-1pm) (Mon-Fri) "Summer2" @ Ewha (Aug 4 - 20)
meet 영권의 가족 in 일산 Aug 8-9th
meet up with 정민, 순민, 지혜, living mirror
go to 부산, meet up with 상엽, 택규 Aug 14-16th
start work for SMOE Aug 23rd @ Hyundai Learning Center
get new apartment

- September 2009
weasel myself into languagecast.net crew
create self study schedule
create new exercise schedule
make sure to stay in contact with family
create bank account
buy some clothes
make plans for 추석

- October 2009
find a temple
stay busy with weekly volunteer @ undecided
maintain languagecast.net meetings
get korean credit card
get non-rental cell phone
meet with 순민

- November 2009
transfer money back to the states
start paying off student loans (aka stick a needle in my eye) Nov 16
stay busy with weekly volunteer @ undecided
maintain languagecast.net meetings
if not already, find language exchange partner

- December 2009
find information about graduate school @ Hawaii & Yonsei
be productive
don't get negative
be thankful you're in the most beautiful country on the planet

- January 2010
*i might have the whole month of january off from work. hallelujah holla back*
travel to Japan and meet up Ayumu, Rina, Ericka for a week
come back
go to 목포, 부산, or some other beautiful city
take a rest

future: attend evening classes (7pm-9pm) (Mon, Wed, Fri) "Spring" @ Ewha (April 1 - June 10)
future: visit Texas in the summer


And on a side note, I'm getting crazy fat. Damn it mother...stop feeding me like it's going out of style. This goes to you too, grandma. No, I don't want to eat half a pound of bacon every morning....but I guess I will if you cook it for me...oh, who am I kidding? I love eating with my family and it's totally worth it! Bring on the bacon!

...to do nothing and get away with it. I'm in my hometown for another month.

Like a renegade robot who has become self-aware, I know that this is my last chance to do nothing. I can sleep three times a day, work out like I'm trying out for GQ, and spend as much time with my family as possible. I can read books at my leisure. I can re-watch old Star Trek TNG episodes. I can read and reread notes. I can write messages. I can research my town's history. I can eat anything (and I do mean anything). I can watch 소녀시대 videos four times a day (too honest?).

This is it. From here on out, it's work. bills. stress. obligations. overtime. a house. the ocean. a family. kids. career. retirement. traveling. grandkids. death.

Like a lucid dream, I know that this is it. Not only that, but this time is precious because it also marks a time when my choices have huge repercussions. Do I stay in Texas? that has ramifications. Do I move to Korea? that has some serious responsibilities attached. Do I go to graduate school? that changes everything.

Okay. Permit me to be cheesy. Don't worry, it's only for a moment.

When I was in high school, there was this phenomenal male role model of a teacher named Charles Madison. Mr. Madison was a war veteran with no tolerance for mediocrity or well put together insecure high school sophomores. In his humanities class, he required that we study poetry and commit to memory a few poems such as Sonnet 29, Annabel Lee, and The Road Not Taken. It is the last poem that comes to mind most recently:

Ink isn't even dry on my undergrad diploma and I'm considering graduate school. I mean, I should of course, but with all that's on my plate right now, do I really need to be thinking about getting up and going for seconds?

I've got such a sizable student debt that it's baffling to think of doing anything other than working, but I know that I want to get as much formal education as quickly as possible while I'm young. But, looking at my tentative plans, it won't be for quite some time that I'm in a place to actually pursue a graduate degree. But, I need to keep my options open, right?

Needless to say, history is a passion. Korea is a passion. Korean history therefore is like chocolate covered pizza. So what are those sweet sweet options? A quick Google search yields:

미국에서
- University of Hawaii - Manoa has a Korean Studies program. The classes offered sound incredibly exciting.
- Another America-based university University of Washington has an enticing program.
- IIC seems to have a program, too. But California....come on... might as well just go to UCLA instead...

한국에서  
- Yonsei has a program that looks to be quite competitive. The classes offered are making my mind drool.
- Korea University has a program, but I can't find much information on it.
- Good ol' Ewha has a program. Interesting. Wonder if they'll let a foreign guy attend that program, too?

I've got a lot of time to think about it, but I need to be prepared for the future. For now, it's just spitballing.

...well, sort of. I have a week left in Denton, the town that I've lived in for three years. Then, it's a month in my hometown....and then what?

I'm definitely looking forward to the change, the job, the life. But there's a lot of baggage coming along with me (metaphorically speaking. My actual baggage is only two pieces plus a carry-on). When I get there, will I be okay? Like for real okay? When will the magic wear off? When will I start to set my mind to something? When will I start screaming the F word out of frustration? Exactly how many hearts will be broken?
Am I prepared for this insanely huge move? Do I have enough clothes? Will I forget to pack something important? Will I disappoint the people I meet in Korea? Will I make friends easily? Will I embarrass myself to no end? Will I be a good teacher? Will I find a good temple? Will I be a good student? Will I ever shake this bad pronunciation?

I guess a little bit more shortsighted, when will I miss this town? I've really grown to like Denton. I think I'll even miss this rat-hole of an apartment (expect the days of no A/C). I'll definitely miss my friends here (what's left of them - international students have a tendency to leave once you get friends with them).

I know that I'll miss my hometown. Hell, I'm not even in Killeen yet and I know I'll miss it. I've been apart from it long enough to know that I'm a country boy through and through. Thanks a lot Central Texas. You've produced yet another good ol' boy.

In the meantime, I'll be sure to make good use of my time (read: not at all).

So what have I done since graduation (May 16)?

A whole lot of nothing.

Not that I'm complaining. I am well aware that this is pretty much the last time in my life that I can do nothing and get away with it. Think about it: Come August, I'll be in Korea. I'll be away from my family, friends and life as I have known for the last 25 years. The future holds only more responsibility and goals. I have a colossal student debt looming over my head for the next ten years, prospects of a master's degree, and a face to take home to someone's mother. All of this and I still can't speak Korean like a champ.

What am I going to do? What should I do to prepare for this future of mine? Should I study more? Should I restrain my heart and vow to live in solitude until love finds me?

Well, no. I've been a busy little bee doing nothing. Just meeting up with friends, hanging out my my roommate 순, working out like it's going out of style, and playing plenty of Left4Dead. Oh sure, I've studied a little bit. I've made a few videos. I've visited my old school. I've slept at the 찜질방 in Dallas. So, no, nothing of particular importance.

But you know what? I'm okay with it. In keeping with the whole "no regrets" approach to life, I'm having fun. Sure, I still have nightmares of just exactly how I'm going to make all my student loan payments (read: November 16 2009 marks the end of happy times) but I just try to sit back and listen to my mother's voice telling me that so long as I do what I need to do, everything will work out in the end....of course, then I hear my brother's voice: "Two words, Matthew: Sugar. Momma."

Other than all that, I'll be in Chicago this weekend. Then, after one last run around in Denton, I'll be back in my hometown by the end of the month. I gotta say that I will miss this town and the people I've met. Although, most of everyone has already moved back to their home country - the downside with making friends with international students - they are only here just long enough to miss them when they leave.

P.S. Thanks Anya for trying to help a brother out :)

= Watch at your risk

 

= 1/5 - just terrible

I recently watched a great little documentary about Asian-American men's roles in American cinema. It's a 2006 production called The Slanted Screen and it delves into the silent era of Hollywood, as well as aims to debunk the stereotypes of Asian-American men on film. It's quite comprehensive but curiously leaves out the international success stories of George Takei, John Woo, and Jackie Chan.

Another series in the same vein is the BBC's Asian Invasion (2005). This three part series chronicles the history, development, and influence of Asian cinema. If you are looking for a primer for Asian cinema, each episode highlights the most infleuntial and notable players. Of particular note is the episode on Korean film, for obvious reasons. All in all, it's entertaining and the host does a good job of keeping the pace of the interviews interesting. Take a look:

• Episode 1 - Japan
• Episode 2 - Hong Kong
• Episode 3 - South Korea

For those that know me personally, you would know that I only pretend to be mean because I like to see my friends smile. Otherwise, I'm all talk. But, I must pause for a moment and do something culturally insensitive - "mean" if you will. If you would like to hear the absolute worst attempt at the standard greeting in Korean, then I would ask you to watch the third episode as linked above and wait just seven short seconds. You will be shocked and dismayed. Okay, mean rant over.

For more into South Korean cinema, look no further than Koreanfilm.org who continues to provide the most comprehensive English language resource for all things Korean film related. I especially like how films are broken into reviews by their year of production.

For present day listings of Korean movies shown with English subtitles, the Hub of Sparkle has weekly listings. Thanks Paul Ajosshi.

And of course, who can argue with wikipedia's article entry on Korean film? Take note of the all-time box office records chart.

For my own personal reviews of Korean movies, here are parts one and two as well as Korean drama reviews here. All three of which are screaming for an update. Give me the summer and they'll get updated - perhaps even migrated over to livejournal.

So here we are. The end of my long academic journey. This trek has taken me from my hometown Harker Heights to Temple for junior college. I picked up an associate's degree in Music there and swiftly moved on to Denton for the University for North Texas. Now I'm prepped and primed to graduate with my undergraduate. As with all things, I won't fully grasp what's really going on until after it's all done. Here's what I can remember since high school:

I graduated high school in 2002 but didn't go on to junior college for a while. I can't remember if it was a full year or a year and a half...I was living in a trailer in Eddy, Texas at the time working at a junkyard. Yep. That sounds pretty country, doesn't it? Well, I am from Texas. Ironically, I have incredibly fond memories of my life in Eddy. I was a young goofy-looking kid with new responsibilities living with my then-girlfriend and next door to her family. I had a job to do but I also had household stuff to do - always something to fix or repair. I liked being busy. I liked working outside building a fence in the scorching Texas heat. I miss our stray cats that we had adopted. I miss hearing the rain on the tin roof. I miss the dinners my ex would cook. But like all good things...

Started junior college and ended up really liking it. This is coming from a guy that had no desire whatsoever to go to college. I wanted to be a rockstar and that was that. Well, I eventually parted ways with the band and devoted my time and energy to studying at Temple College. In order to do this, I had to move back to my parents' house in Harker Heights and commute to Temple (30 minute drive). not bad.

In 2003, I studied Music with a focus on Jazz. I loved my small classes and teachers. I had a phenomenal music theory teacher who showed me that it's okay to see numbers backwards. I had a Jazz Choir instructor who had no classroom management skills but was an incredibly talented musician. I had a dedicated voice instructor who I hope is in good health these days. I ended up graduating with three other people in my theory class - all of whom I have lost touch with. I had planned to be a music teacher but realized that I had passions elsewhere. Plus musicians are cocky. And I can't sing.

I had a semester off until the move to Denton. My ex-fiance and I moved into a dinky little four-plex in Temple while she finished up her last semester. We both worked at the Texas Roadhouse which was no less than 400 feet from our front door. We were part of the opening crew - and experience I can't forget. Ever see the movie Waiting? Yeah. All I can say is that I respect my big brother all that much more for being good as his job.

Graduation came for both of us and we packed for the move to Denton. But first there was a trip to Korea. 2006 marked my deepened sense of fascination and admiration for the Korean culture. Keep in mind I had been dating a half-Korean girl since high school. I had spent arguably more time with her mother's side of the family (Korean) then my own family for more than a few years. I had a role in her family. I was the oldest "kid" in the house in that I played video games with all the kids. But I was also the youngest adult because of not only my age but also because of my relationship with my ex. She was the oldest of all the kids so we had a joint responsibility to take care of her little sister, two step-siblings and her nephew. Not to mention any and all cousins and visitors that came to the house - which was a lot.

This Korean family had taken me under their wing and treated me like a son. I learned basic Korean language and culture through them. I thought of them as my own family. I can't tell you every single detail because, simply, it would be too much. All I can say is - I miss every single one of them deeply. Short tangent: When I left my ex-fiance, the hardest part wasn't leaving behind the love or the friendship - it was her family. All I can say now is that I'm sorry but like all living things, I have to do what I need to do to be happy. Part of it eats me up still but the other part knows that what I did was the right thing. For reasons that I still have trouble articulating, I want to live and make a family in Korea.

Back on track, the summer of 2006 was an amazing trip. I saw 서울, 산본 (경기), 전주, and 제주도. I saw things I never thought possible. I experienced life as I never imagined. I felt a sense of love and family like never before. This longing would stick with me for years to come.

Coming home to the states, we moved to Denton and started university life at the University of North Texas. I liked Denton a lot - it reminded me of a less crime-filled Killeen. Nicer drivers on the street and more good-ol boys in the restaurants. Denton would end up making a nice home for three years.

I changed my major to be an ESL teacher for elementary school-aged kids. I had some great professors (and some not-so-great professors but such is life). The great ones left positive impacts in my life. They challenged me and pushed me to do better. Which brings me to my next point. Apparently no one liked me. Like, my classmates.

See, I'm a nerd. I love learning and I actively participate in classes. I ask a lot of questions and I write a lot. I never miss class and I sit up front. But apparently, this is really annoying. Keep in mind that although I see myself as getting the most out of my education, I think that the majority of students want to just show up, be quiet, and do what is minimally required to pass the class. To that I say: what's the point? When it's all said and done, no one gives a crap about your grades. People respect those who know what they are talking about. If a parent approaches a teacher and asks while their child is speech-delayed in their second language, the last thing you want to tell the parent is "oh, I don't know. I got an 'A' in Linguistics."

I mean, I sound like Dwight Schrute when I say that I didn't go to college to make friends. I mean, I don't really believe that. I wanted to go so I could get a good job one day and ultimately, learn a lot. I wanted to be challenged in such a way that would force me to think creatively and objectively. Oh well. Sorry that I bothered you guys. And by "you guys" I mean all my past classmates.

Of course, I'm also not telling the whole story. I'm a smartass. and I'm sarcastic. and I play around. a lot. Some people can't get past this. Truthfully, I like seeing people out of their element and it makes me smile to see people's reactions. So I guess, all in all, I don't really care that I didn't make a whole lot of friends. The friends I did make are good friends, which is what is important. Plus, a select few were able to see past my BS and to them I will say this: You will be a phenomenal teacher - don't take things at face value.

So now we're up to the end of my university classes but not yet started my internship. This was the summer of 2008. I took out yet another loan and headed for Korea to see the country, see my ex-fiance's family, and study the language formally at the best place for a young, single white guy - Ewha Women's University. Thank you 신촌. This trip was all by myself. I landed and my survival Korean instantly kicked in. Although I couldn't speak Korean well at the time, I tried at every opportunity to engage in conversation. Thankfully, my listening skills were much better than my speaking so I was able to understand more than I could communicate myself. Despite my shortcomings, I was at home. I felt so incredibly comfortable. Like being at grandma's house.

I got settled in the dorms and began an unforgettable experience. It was language crack - I was hooked. I loved studying Korean. I was green with envy for my roommate Regis, a great guy from France who speak Korean quite well - not to mention his English was awesome, too. But seriously - I looked at him and thought - "how is this guy - same age practically - able to leave his home (France) and study in Korea? How can he be so uninhibited? What was preventing me from doing the same?" Like a bad Lifetime movie, I strived for a lifestyle that I couldn't have. I had responsibilities back in Texas. I had promises - a proper marriage, kids, a life - all back in Texas. Oh the damage you did Regis. Throw into this mix a few unforgettable close friends who have since shown me unbridled generosity and compassion. It almost brings a tear to my eyes when I think of the kindness that my friends in Korea showed me. I fell in love with the country. Stars in my eyes? Not exactly.

My heart started fathoming life without my fiance. She had been all the life I had known since high school. We experienced grief, sadness, joy, pain - and came back stronger each time. How could I throw it away for 김밥 and 목욕탕? I hadn't thought of any other woman the entire time and this time was no different. How convenient it would have been to simply say that I was a jerk and I cheated. But this wasn't the problem. I was wanting to leave for the prospects for a better life. I dreamed of a life in Korea but not as an American. I want to integrate and become as Korean as possible. This is obviously unfair to someone who can't control their own culture or heritage. For this, I am deeply sorry for wanting this change but it would be unfair to deny it. It would end up becoming a blowup 10 years down the road at breakfast time - looking up at the family who adores each other but feeling distant and wondering "What the hell happened to my life?"

I really struggled with this decision. It even feels weird to write about it now. This happened just last August. not even a year. I still don't know what life will be like in Korea. I've never lived there. I'm a smart guy but I know when to shut up - I can't profess to know what life will be like living there after a year - or two - or twenty. I don't know.

So, I entered my internship after ending the most meaningful relationship I've ever known. I wasn't exactly in the best spirits. But, looking back, I got better. I got through it. I'm stronger since the experience. Even though I was immersed in my internship - surrounded by people who are working hard for one goal: becoming a teacher - I was dreaming away of a life that had nothing to do with TAKS, No Child Left Behind, or Livetext. I know I came off like a jerk. I know I came off as distant. There wasn't much I could do about it, though. I did my best and worked hard - I never half-assed my work because I still needed to graduate, right? But I made for boring conversation, I'm sure. It's hard not to bring up Korea, you know? It's my passion. My goal. My identification.

I ended up getting placed in an incredible elementary school for my student teaching. I was very fortunate to teach with some of the best educators I've ever met. Not to even mention the sweetest kids ever. This placement helped me move on but it took time away from my studying. I wanted to learn as much as humanly possible about Korea and the language before leaving. I studied everyday. I organized my thoughts. I pushed myself. I self-paced my learning. I set myself goals. I was not going to waste my time. I already felt like an old man - even though I'm far from it - but I wanted to get to Korea well-prepared.

This passion continues. I've finished my student teaching and now all I need to do basically is walk. May 16th 1:00pm. Be there or be ㅁ.

I still don't know what to expect in Korea. I mean, I kind of do. But remember, I want more than the foreigner experience. My current roommate is schooling me in things Korean as it is and it is getting me more and more prepared. I guess for I know I'm about as prepared as one can be. But, I can always look at one aspect as say "Damnit Smith, get your act together". Like, I'm proud that I've gotten better at Korean since last year. I left the program at 이대 entering level 2 (out of 6) so since then I have convinced myself that I am a level 2. I can be honest and say that if I'm still a level 2 despite all this self-paced studying, I'll be disappointed. However, proficiency is better than pride.

So hopefully, I can look to the future and see a blog post that talks about how happy I am that I studied so much, read so much, etc. However, if I know me (and I think I do) I'll probably never be satisfied. Until then, I'll be here in Texas soaking up as much as I can, spending time with my family as much as possible, and just getting ready for the big move - which looks like will be August 1.

I played a lot of video games as a kid. Like, an embarrassingly large amount of video games. We're talking like whole weekends wasted on beating a game. Me and video games go way back.

But apparently I wasn't the only one. Like other kids born in the early 80s, my generation is getting older. We are young professionals who have moved on from Saturday morning video game sessions lasting till dinner time. However, nostalgia and current interest in video games has created an entire industry that I'm pretty sure was a laughable concept 40 years ago. Despite my love/hate relationship with video games, it is especially interesting to find out that my birth year was not a good year for the gaming industry.

"Retro Gaming" is a term used by many to describe classic game consoles like the Commodore 64, Atari 2600, Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo (SNES), Nintendo 64, and even the Playstation 1 (PSone). This term also includes obscure and lesser known consoles such as the Atari 5200, Master System, CD-i, 3DO, Jaguar, and Saturn. All of these home console systems span the third, fourth, and fifth generation of home consoles. This is where the majority of my wasted youth was spent. Oh, and on the PS2.

I can even remember using a telnet browser to play an online MUD called Dimensions on an old PowerMac with a 56k dialup modem. It was all text-based but towards the end of the game's life, it started using ASCII art. Think of these non-graphical, text-only games as precursors to MMOs. I also have very fond memories of 1994 - often thought of as one of the best years for classic video game releases (including Final Fantasy III, Super Metroid, EarthBound, Sonic 3, and Doom II)

Other people who had similar experiences as myself have embraced their childhood nostalgia and modern technology to effectively bring back memories with a friendly and accessible interface. The youtube generation produce documentaries, commentaries, and reviews with minimal video editing knowledge. Many have discovered a market of consumers eagerly wishing to reminisce about a time past while others make videos for their own entertainment. These fond memories and first-hand knowledge have since coalesced with former industry experts to form online videos that make you think twice about what you were playing as a kid. There was a lot going on behind the scenes, apparently.

I enjoy watching and learning about the history of classic video games. It's kind of a guilty pleasure. I'm always shocked by the controversies and lawsuits that occured without mine or the general public's knowledge. Below are what I would consider the best online resources for retro gamers.

• Retrospectives
  
  • Summary: This is the closet thing to Ken Burns-style documentaries for video games. No one paralells the depth, level of detail, and production value. The only shame is that there aren't a whole lot of franchizes covered. However, it's definitely quality over quantity here. You will end up learning more than you possibly could imagine about these classic video games and what exactly was going on behind the scenes.
  • Highlights: multiple part Metal Gear series, Final Fantasy series, and Resident Evil series
• The Angry Video Game Nerd (Alt link) (Alt link)
  
  • Summary: James Rolfe is as cheesy as they come but his videos are entertaining and surprsingly informative. The premise of the show is based around reviewing horrible games. His AVGN persona is coarse, direct, and foul-mouthed but he does bring up some common frustrations that retro gamers can relate to. He's got enough content to keep you busy for a while.
  • Highlights: Bible games and their controversy parts one & two, the gimicky Power Glove, a look at the chronologically confusing naming system of some video game series, the Atari 5200, the Sega CD, the Sega 32x add-on, a look at adult-only Atari games, the Virtual Boy, the Intellivsion, the Colecovision, a collection of failed NES accesories
• The Gaming Historian
  
  • Summary: Now here's someone who knows what he's talking about. This guy has one of the best "history teacher voices". I know that sounds weird but he has a calm, composed approach to his topics. I hope to see more from Norm in the future.
  • Highlights: the top loading NES 2, the remade SNES 2, the video game industry crash of 1983, the Dreamcast, and the Universal v. Nintendo lawsuit
• ScrewAttack's Video Game Vault and Top Ten (Alt link) (Alt link)
  
  • Summary: ScrewAttack primarily focuses on modern gaming but they have produced some nice videos about classic games, too. It's also nice to think that their office is in Dallas.
  • Highlights: Top 10 OMGWTF moments, Top 20 Sega Genesis games parts one and two, Top 20 Super Nintendo games parts one and two, Top 10 NES games, Top 10 Best Mario games, Top 10 Worst Mario games, the Best and Worst Gaming Peripherals, Top 10 Big Names that Fell Off
• 2-Bit Gaming
  
  • Summary: a self-made series from a retro gamer with an extensive collection of video games and systems.
  • Highlights: history of the GameBoy parts one & two, life and death of Game.com
• The Happy Video Game Nerd -
  
  • Summary: a parody inspired by the work of the Angry Video Game Nerd, the HVGN does pretty much the same type of production as James Rolfe but with that RetrowareTV feel to it. Hard to describe but all in all, it's a solid show. A much better tribute than other imitators (see below)
  • Highlights: EarthBound

People who do these types of online videos are on the geeky side. No shame in that. Trust me - it makes me so much more of a nerd that I actually follow this stuff online. Anyways, some of the media produced is so campy and cheesy that it's more distracting than entertaining. Point in case, the Irate Gamer and the Nostalgia Critic.

Other points of interest related to video games include the 2007 documentary King of Kong and video game music parady writer/composer brentalfloss who cracks me up with his With Lyrics series. My favorites are Megaman3, Tetris, and Ducktales.

what is the deal? I've been reading like it's going out of style. I'm impressed with myself. When I was a kid, I never read for pleasure (or for school for that matter - thank you Cliff Notes)

In the last year, I have really been spending some quality time with my computer and a few select books. Granted, they have been in a fairly narrow scope: Korea. But keep in mind I plan. Remember?

Anyways, as technology continues to enrich my life, I've found a bunch of good reads online. Thanks FeedReader and Delicious for organzing everything.

• Jumping The Asymptote is a cultural comparative blog written by Tony Hellman of ATEK fame. It's a newer blog but he is well versed and brings a calm, organized perspective to the table. I especially like his pieces on expatriates, 애교, and Korean dating p.1 and p.2
• The Grand Narrative needs no introduction to fellow K-bloggers. James Turnbull is a smart mofo no doubt about it. His devotion and level of detail is daunting at first but extremely well placed. I applaud his efforts and follow his blog regularly. I'd recommend a starting point, but honestly, it'll just frustrate you. It's like "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie..." once you read one epic post, you'll be tempted to read another one. Do yourself a favor and check out his blog.
• Gusts of Popular Feeling gets down and dirty. The man knows how to delve into a subject and break it into a million pieces. His ability to summarize is impressive. In an otherwise normal personal blog, he chooses a few topics here and there to analyze. Peak at his pieces on objectification of foreigners, Korean youth, and foreigner images in the Korean media.
• White On Rice is an online gem. It's an uploaded personal diary with commentary from a former English teacher in Busan. From 1987. His story-telling ability is unparalled - when I read his posts, I am instantly transported some twenty plus years ago working a job for peanuts, living a lifestyle unable to sustain forever, and living ill-equipped for a job whose industry and policy has changed by leaps and bounds since the 80s. Cringe at his stories of nights out on the town, laugh about his boom box, giggle at his pink blanket, and smile because he's just so rad.
• Of course the rest is pretty standard (but good nonetheless) online reading material. Roboseyo, Marmot's Hole, Korea Beat, and the like.

Of course, a good book is hard to beat. Especially if it is about history :) Here's what I've been up to recently (courtesy of Living Social). I picked a few new books and I'm pretty excited to finish them.


The book I'm reading now is rocking all kinds of socks and I'm happy that it survived the summer of 2008 escape in the middle of night. It was raining the night I left Seoul and apparently I was in a hurry because in my haste, I was dragging my suitcase in the rain off the wheels. The book that was bearing the brunt of being drug all over Seoul (mixed with dirty rainwater) left a lovely almost scary four inch long corner of matted paper pulp which makes part of the book unreadable. All of the pages turn a little funny and many of the pages are stuck together but the book is totally worth the dirtiness.

Anyways, I seem to be reading a lot more than I did a year ago and I feel that the blog that I contribute to at KC101 is partially to blame. I like to read up on Korean news and I suppose that in a way for me to synthesize the information, I write a blog entry about it. It seems that the blog is more for my own understanding. Geez...now that I think about it, it's like I'm giving myself homework. Well, in order to write meaningful posts, I need to read up on various subjects - anything ranging from bling dating, getting a teaching job in Korea, Korean age, to quantity of water consumption. Even though my contribution is but a simple overview filled with overtly cheesy jokes, I like writing for the class. I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep up the momentum I've kept since this time last year. I can't believe I've written as much as I have now that I think about it...

Now that I look to the not-so-distant future of living in Korea, I sincerely hope I understand Korea better as time passes. At this point, I need all the help I can get. Don't get me wrong - I feel right at home and comfortable with Korean people in general (hence the big move). It's just that I'm trying to focus on the language when I get there and won't have as much time to explore cultural intricacies - seeing as how I'll be living them.

Here's to another year.

A recent Hub of Sparkle post has posed a challenge. Per the instructions, in no particular order, what are the ten things that I personally love about Korea? Enjoy:

• The most beautiful women on the planet. hands down.
• 정
• The vibrant and detailed history of the people and land
• The food (cost, quality, health, taste)
• 짐찔방/목욕탕 (public bath house/sauna)
• 한국말 (the language)
• The country itself (scenery, plant life, nature, ocean)
• Passion for the highest possible education
• Respect (elders, authority, family)
• High quality, low cost public transportation

Expect a top ten list of things I don't like about Korea once I get there. I could do one now but I'd like to get some more experience under my belt first - you know, some real dirt. Plus if I list my top ten least favorite things right now it kind of nulls out the things that I love about Korea, right?

UPDATE: how could I not include 노래방?! what was I thinking?! 노래방 is up on the list - it's a top 11 now.

well, I didn't exactly study as much as I wanted but I did get a few things done. List power activate!

• I finally finished that mammoth of a Korean history book which I've been hacking at for almost a year now.
• I saw my family which is always awesome (but ate way too much food - thanks grandma)
• Spent some time with my roommate and his friends in Dallas
• Sent in my application to SMOE/Footprints
• Started marathoning 꽃보다 남자 and it so far has lived up to the hype.
• Cleaned my room
• Slowly hammering out the details for the big move
• Studied only a little bit ㅜ.ㅜ
• Partied only a little bit ㅜ.ㅜ
• I'm getting older ㅜ.ㅜ

Here's to April 17 (and then, May 16). cheers.

i've been on a history bender recently. I mean, it's always a 24/7 interest but it seems that lately i've carved out more time to read and watch some truly compelling sources of history. i'll just mention my two favorites out of the four or five i've come across. these two sources are easy to swallow - less than 50 minutes each and both will freakin blow you away with their content.

1) the first one is as scandalous as it gets - one deals with 21 American POWs that after given the chance to come back to America at the end of the Korean war, they refuse repatriation and chose instead to live in China. Keep in mind that this took place during the height of McCarthyism. Watch They Chose China (2005) to see what exactly happened.

2) for an even more shocking documentary (which apparently is possible) watch this short on a few American soldiers who crossed the DMZ in the 1960s in order to live in North Korea. Most ended up starring in propaganda films portraying evil foreigners in the Unsung Heroes series. I really wish I had a copy of Crossing the Line (2006) to get an even closer look. In the meantime, here's a two part 60 Minutes episode from 2007 here and here. UPDATE: I think I found the documentary here.

that there's some good history.

I can't get anything done this weekend because of a writer over at OhMyNews. He has written some fascinating articles covering all things Korean history-related including several pieces on the old Joseon period, a story of the sole survivor of an Italian trading ship that eventually made its way from Nagasaki to Jeju, and a thoroughly interesting article titled "An early case of foriegn depravity in Asia" which has had me begging for the third and final part for months (!) come on already Neff - don't leave me hanging.

Here's a collection of his articles. Nicely done sir.

For some reason, in the past three months or so, I have come across several remarkably well done resources regarding North Korea. My fascination is steeped both in my interest in history and DPRK's relationship to the ROK. It seems the more I find out about North Korea, the more surprised I am. My history nerd sense is tingling!

Here are what I would consider mandatory viewing material for anyone interested in history and North Korea in general:

• National Geographic Magazine - Escaping North Korea - Feb 2009
  • read this article. It's compelling and tense enough to make you pause life for half an hour while you read it. it tells the story of three North Koreans and their escape. I can't remember the last time my attention was held like this.
• National Geographic Magazine - Escaping North Korea - Field Notes
  
  • curious as to what happened after the story was written? read this interview with the author to learn what happened to the escapees and what exactly the author got his remarkable story.
• National Geographic Explorer - Inside Undercover in North Korea - Alternative link
  
  • Lisa Ling goes undercover in this documentary under the guise of a humanitarian mission for blind people. however, she ends up getting much more than footage than what they plan. fifty minutes well spent.
• Don't Tell My Mother That I Am In North Korea - Alternative link
  
  • French-Canadian reporter Diego Bunuel gets a rather unique guided tour of North Korea. Nice to see cities and countryside outside of Pyongyang
• North Korea - A Day In The Life - 2004 Documentary - Alternative link - Alternative link
  
  • full-length documentary by Pieter Fleury (Netherlands) that has pretty much been the standard viewing material for life in North Korea. the only comment I have to make is a common one - this is sugar-coated a Pyongyang tour video but even at that it's still a hard pill to swallow. the DVD has a great Q&A session of the director and those filmed watching the finished movie together.

Well, I didn't complete my 100 pushup goal by the 13th. I also got a haircut last week which breaks my year year resolution of growing it out until April 17th (my last day as an intern). Fail.

In all fairness, my hair was getting pretty nasty. I mean, there's no nice way of saying it - I was starting to look homeless. I guess I'm doomed to stick with short hair. There goes my dreams of being a cover boy for GQ.

Now, as far as the exercise program goal, there's not much to say other than I'm coming home pretty much worthless after work. Those fifth graders are precious as they can be but it does drain me.

So is this a complete fail? Not really. I mean, success is determined by nature the opposite of failure. If everyone succeeded then success would be mediocre. Can't win'em all. So what's to look forward to in the future?

Keep with the program. The exercise program got tough as nails towards the end of the second week. I repeated one of the days five times because I simply couldn't complete it.

So, let's do a list. I like lists.

Pros since Jan 1st:

• Completed first Really Simple Conversation video with 현우 of KoreanClass101.
• Completed KLEAR (University of Hawaii Press) Korean Beginner 1 Textbook
• New apartment with awesome roomate(s)
• Learning a mess of new information about Korea daily from my roomie 순민
• Met a few new Korean friends that seem to think I'm not so bad after all
• Completed 1st rotation of student teaching (next week) with a very memorable class and mentor teacher
• Started a non-crazy diet program (What? I was getting doughy...)

Cons since Jan 1st:

• One roommate 택규 moved back to Korea
• Dropped the ball on my exercise program
• Haven't been jogging as much as I usually do (2-3 times/week vs. 5 times/week)
• Haven't been studying Korean as much as I would like to
• Haven't been able to really remember my new vocab or phrases for some reason
• Slow...internet...takes...forever...
• Financial aid denied due to over-hours. Lost approx $10,000 in federal funds
• Forced to take out more private loans
• Student debt now peaking at $80,000 (there's a number that keeps me awake at night)
• Economy is terrible 1USD = 1400원 (ㅜ.ㅜ)

So let's make Feb 15th and beyond better. Here's some things that would make March and April stellar:

• Became instantly proficient in Korea
• Won the lottery
• Lost the buddha belly
• Perfect evaluations of my professional ability

And here's what I can actually expect:

• Slow but steady progress of Korean speaking
• Student debt making me a little bit more emo every day
• Buddha belly here to stay
• Decent evaluations of my professional ability
• To shed a single tear over the students at the end of April

Here's the thing: I plan. It's just what I do. Don't tease. I plan like a crazy person. I plan for lunch, I plan for jogging, I plan for the shower - I plan for anything and everything. Thankfully, when my plans do awry I don't freak out. But just know this - I plan.

So, here's my five year plan for Korea (hey don't make fun! I gave you a warning didn't I?)

LAST UPDATED Mar 20 2009
changes made:
- added Public versus Private jobs (courtesy of Footprints)
- added hair-brained scheme Summer 2009
- thinking about changing school schedule to only two language classes a year (ㅜ.ㅜ)

UPDATE Mar 8 2009
changes made:
- added timetable
- added link to Footprints EPIK guidebook
- added link to ATEK online guidebook via Brian

UPDATE Feb 14 2009
changes made:
- Added monthly salary breakdown
- Added student debt breakdown
- Added job plans

• Summer 2009
  
  • Move to Korea before August 4th
  • Attend morning classes (9am-1pm) (Mon-Fri) "Summer1" @ Ewha (July 6 - 23) 2009 schedule of classes
  • Attend morning classes (9am-1pm) (Mon-Fri) "Summer2" @ Ewha (August 4 - 20)
  • Attend SMOE orientation August 20 (?)
• Fall 2009
  
  • Work during day (start late August/early September) (typical schedule)
  • Find part-time volunteer gig (special education)
  • Find good local Buddhist temple
• Winter 2009
  
  • Work at english winter camp (possibly)
  • Attend evening classes (7pm-9pm) (Mon, Wed, Fri) "Winter" @ Ewha (December 7 - February 24)
  • Meet 순민 and 택규 in Seoul for 설날
• Spring 2010
  
  • Work during day (start mid-February)
  • Attend evening classes (7pm-9pm) (Mon, Wed, Fri) "Spring" @ Ewha (April 1 - June 10)
• Summer 2010
  
  • Work ends (mid-July)
  • Work resumes for english camp (during day)
  • Attend evening classes (7pm-9pm) (Mon, Wed, Fri) "Summer" @ Ewha (June 22 - August 28)
• Fall 2010
  
  • Work during day (start late August/early September)
  • Volunteer part-time (special education)
• Winter 2010
  
  • Work at english winter camp (possibly)
  • Go back to Texas for Christmas (hopefully)
  • Save money, study at home
• Spring 2011
  
  • Work during day (start mid-February)
  • Attend evening classes (7pm-9pm) (Mon, Wed, Fri) "Spring" @ Ewha (April 1 - June 10)
• Summer 2011
  
  • Work ends (mid-July)
  • Work resumes for english camp (during day)
  • Attend evening classes (7pm-9pm) (Mon, Wed, Fri) "Summer" @ Ewha (June 22 - August 28)
• Fall 2011
  
  • Work during day (start late August/early September)
  • Attend evening classes (7pm) (Mon, Wed, Fri) "Fall" @ Ewha (September 16 - November 25)
• Winter 2011
  
  • Work at english winter camp (possibly)
  • Go back to Texas for Christmas (hopefully)
  • Save money, study at home
• Spring 2012
  
  • Work during day (start mid-February)
  • Attend evening classes (7pm-9pm) (Mon, Wed, Fri) "Spring" @ Ewha (April 1 - June 10)
• Summer 2012
  
  • Work ends (mid-July)
  • Work resumes for english camp (during day)
  • Attend evening classes (7pm-9pm) (Mon, Wed, Fri) "Summer" @ Ewha (June 22 - August 28)
• Fall 2012
  
  • Work during day (start late August/early September)
  • Attend evening classes (7pm) (Mon, Wed, Fri) "Fall" @ Ewha (September 16 - November 25)
• Winter 2012
  
  • Work at english winter camp (possibly)
  • Go back to Texas for Christmas (hopefully)
  • Save money, study at home
• Spring 2013
  
  • Work during day (start mid-February)
  • Attend evening classes (7pm-9pm) (Mon, Wed, Fri) "Spring" @ Ewha (April 1 - June 10)
• Summer 2014
  
  • Work ends (mid-July)
  • Work resumes for english camp (during day)
  • Attend evening classes (7pm-9pm) (Mon, Wed, Fri) "Summer" @ Ewha (June 22 - August 28)
• Fall 2014
  
  • Work during day (start late August/early September)
  • Attend evening classes (7pm) (Mon, Wed, Fri) "Fall" @ Ewha (September 16 - November 25)
• Winter 2014
  
  • Work at english winter camp (possibly)
  • Go back to Texas for Christmas (hopefully)
  • Save money, study at home
• Spring 2015
  
  • Work during day (start mid-February)
  • Attend evening classes (7pm-9pm) (Mon, Wed, Fri) "Spring" @ Ewha (April 1 - June 10)
• Summer 2015
  
  • Change visa status
  • Get on 미녀들의수다
  • Get married already you bum

So that's the tentative schedule as it is. Eventually I hope to beef it up a little with some more details but all things considered it just seems that there isn't enough time, is there? One of my overall goals to be functionally fluent and ingrained and it just seems that it will happen later than sooner. Lousy delayed gratification...

Speaking of delayed gratification, here's the math that I've come up with to solve my student debt problems. I know I'm fairly private but this type of information is readily available and doesn't really tell you anything super private about myself (other than the fact that I hardly work at all as an undergraduate and just took out loans to support my study habits)


Approximate monthly salary in Korea: 2.2 million 원 assuming:
- a decent job
- slight over-estimation in COL
- no splurging (or dating for that matter)
- no sugar momma
- no emergency fund savings (!)
- no yearly bonus check
- no additional help from family
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
+ 2 200 000/month
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- 450 000/food @ 15 000/day
- 150 000/transportation @ 5 000/day
- 25 000/fees (insurance, internet, cleaning, etc)
- 50 000/weekend stuff (drinks, fees, shopping, etc)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- 675 000 basic monthly living expense
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
+ 1 525 000 leftover
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- 125 000 monthly savings for Korean language classes (twice a year @ 600 000 a pop)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
+ 1 400 000 total monthly saving

Sallie Mae is bleeding me dry asking me to pay $650/month for loans without any special repayment plan. It's doable for sure but at the current exchange rate, I'm losing a lot in the 환율 (transfer process/exchange rate). At the current rate, we're talking about 1 000 000 just to cover the $650 and wire transfer fee. I'm going to cry.

Here's the biggest problem. I want to pay my debt back as soon as possible. But, I also want to study Korean as full-time as possible in an academic setting. In fact, I want the latter more than the former. But, if I default, it haunts me for life and it's essentially against my basic principles: I'm able to pay the money back. That option is no good.

However, I would like to apply for a one year deferment so I can get on my feet first and then comfortably make payments for life a long time starting the year after. Plus, hopefully the exchange rate will be closer to the "standard" 1 200.

Speaking of which, let's look at our basic repayment options:
$80 000 - total debt
suggested monthly payment $650
assuming approx $30 lost in wire transfer fee
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
   800 000 원/month = 145 months = 12.5 years (!)
1 000 000 원/month = 123 months = 10 years (!)
1 300 000 원/month =   88 months =  7.5 years (!)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

let this be a lesson kids: <rant> college is no good for people too dumb for scholarships and whose parents are too rich to qualify for grants. </rant> but hey, at least these loans supported my life for my six-year plan. I mean, at least I got to study Korean a little bit during all this - something that had absolutely nothing to do with my major. For that, I feel a little bit better.

Okay now I'm done feeling good. Back to feeling broke.

As far as job plans, I would like to essentially do this:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Year One - teach at a public elementary school @ Seoul
Year Two - teach at a specialized English kindergarten 학원 @ Ilsan
Year Three - teach at a private elementary school @ undecided
Year Four - teach at a university @ undecided
Year Five - undecided @ undecided
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Here's the likely timetable of getting my stuff together:

Starting first week of April -

- get criminal background check (CBC) from Denton PD, get 2 copies notarized
- FedEx CBC to Austin Sec of State for Apostille
- photocopy TExES results for EC-4 ESL, SPED, P.E.
- get three (3) sealed university transcripts
- get diploma (June?)
- photocopy diploma, have copy notarized
- send copy to Sec of State for Apostille
- get 8 passport size photos at CVS
- get letter of recommendation from Thompson, Webb, Tunks
- get letter from Tunks saying that I was a student teacher for 1 year
- fill out EPIK application
- make a resume

I also have plans to study for a whole little bit if I can. In which case, I need to talk to Footprints and see if something can be done where I can study before I start my work. The schedule works but the plane ticket is what is the snag.
- contact Footprints about plane ticket
- get the green light
- apply to ewha (for morning classes (9am-1pm) (Mon-Fri) "Summer2" @ Ewha (August 4 - 20)
- take an earlier flight

I found this estimated timetable from a personal blog and I can't for the life of me remember where I saw it...

Find a job, email scanned paperwork, phone interview, get job offer 2 weeks +
Collect paperwork including notarized degree, transcripts and CRC 2 weeks +
Mail paperwork to Korea 1 week
Receive Notice of Appointment + Contracts in mail 1 week
Drop off visa application at Toronto consulate, receive work visa 1 week +