summer of…tvs?

deery-lou.

picture if you will your average city neighborhood conveince store. image that in front of every 7-11, white hen, 24-7, handy way, wawa, etc. there are plastic chairs and a table with an umbrella. places for you to sit an savor whatever beverage you so desire and perhaps have a smoke or tv. now picture as you look at the store window there's a giant flat screen tv for you too watch. thats what summer is like here. however, the tvs don't stop at the conveince stores. the electronic shops and others all have tvs for you to view as you are walking by. this country is definitely focused on one thing…televisions. the other morning on my way to carrefour there were two men sitting as such a table having rice drinks. when i walked by one of them said hello. then asked me to join them for a drink. unfortunately i didn't have much time since i had to run to the store and then get ready for work. so i had to politely decline. summer…brings us the friendliness is one and all. that that same day as i'm in the elevator on my way to taekwondo a man got on at the 5th floor. he said hi and asked where i was from. we had a lite conversation. he handed me a magnet for the dry cleaners he works at. as we were exiting the building he asked my name. he then pulled out his "name card" told me his name was sun and to call him. hello random. thats what my days have been like lately. filled with random folks wanting to chat.

i'm sure you are all wondering "how did i do on my test?" well, i don't know. my kwanjangnim hasn't said anything about it. this week the kids in my class are all at camp so its just been me and the two sabomnims. the one that wanted me to teach him english is no longer at my school. we now have a new girl sabomnim who started this week. i realized tonight that i need to work on my kicking. i can't seem to get as high as they want me too. "practice makes perfect", thats what my kwanjangnim said tonight. as of today the magic straight look is now gone for good. i couldn't handle it anymore. or actually should i said i really didn't know what to do with it. no matter how much product went into my hair it always managed to just go limp. i guess i'm just not meant to have straight hair. plus as the guy who cut my hair today said, "magic straight has no volume." he did tell me that i was handsome and that i also had a handsome head which worked well with short hair. i'm now sporting a psuedo-ethan cut with a korean military twist. everyone from the teachers at school to my kwanjangnim remarked on my new military cut. they just don't like change here. most of my students screamed and freaked out. one said i looked like a monster, another called me gorilla ethan, and one said i looked like brad pitt. their answers are all so random it kills me. thursday night i have to miss taekwondo to go to a school dinner meeting. we have to discuss some ill well that has been floating around. luckily it doesn't really concern me but i still have to attend. should be interesting. hopefully there will be lots of soju to consume. i think i might need a bottle or two.

there's a need to celebrate too! after two plus years i have finally finished house of leaves. I KNOW!…i can't believe i've actually finished that book. it has haunted me for so long now that i didn't think i'd ever be done with it. although i must confess i really have no idea what really happened in that book. i'm still like…uh what? i even went to the website to read some of the discussion boards but it was all too much. books that make me think hurt my brain. i think i'll stay with the likes of the hardy boys instead. thats more my speed. actually i would love to take about house of leaves so if any of you out there have read it send me your thoughts. i'm sure theres a lot more to the book but i don't feel like reading the vast amount of posts about it. i've now moved onto the kelly slater autobiography. its not the best written book i've ever read but its still somewhat interesting. especially considering a surfer from florida was a six time world champion. plus he was on baywatch and dated pam anderson. it also seems to fit in with my favorite movie blue crush but in written form. i loved that movie. since i mentioned pam i must say did anyone else watch stacked. i must say i kind of liked it. it was no v.i.p but i sure do enjoy watching pam on tv. there's just something about her. now if they'd only release v.i.p on dvd. here's to wishful thinking. i hope everyone had a great 4th of july.

be well…