Okay, I ran out of time yesterday so I'll complete this now.
Why now you ask? Because after language classes this morning we have been absolutely free all day; no workshops, no tests, nothing!!! Okay, so this is actually only semi-free, since theoretically we are to spend these "free" hours preparing for our language class finals tomorrow.
I fell asleep and took a 2.5 hour nap. Wonderful. Gorgeous. Sensational. Needless to say, amount of studying I have gotten done as of 6:42PM remains at zero percent.
But back to the story.
1. Jeonju
Jeonju should be exciting. The school seems devoutly religious, and though that of course says little about the day-to-day lives of the students and/or teachers--and much less about their internal convictions and practices--it may be a telling sign for my home-stay situation. It also goes to show you just what a great sense of humor life has.
Some of you may know I am not very religious, and that I have my atheistic leanings. I am committed to deeper explorations of faith in its various manifestations, but aside from intellectualizing religion and its meaning I've never been able to find actual religious practice very rewarding. Actually, let me rephrase.
I've had a difficult time in Asian/Asian-American/Korean Christian worship services, which have been the only Christian services I've been to. Really, I've never enjoyed them. It's a strange primal, gut-instinct disinclination that I immediately feel when I'm in that setting. It's inexplicable and takes time for me to articulate that visceral fervor I feel. The one area of worship service that always gets to me is when all rise and begin singing to the glory of God. But I certainly think there will be more to say in the coming year on this topic, so let me not try to stray too far from the path.
A comedy of sorts it seems then that life would give me my most demanded preferences with flying colors but also give me the necessary evil (haha no pun intended). For all you politically-correct minded folk, I'm not saying religion is bad, Christianity is evil, etc. etc. I stated my religious preferences clearly on the form in hopes that I stay far away from a situation similar to that of last year's ETA, when a fellow had to meet a 6PM curfew each night and attend church services for several hours straight on each and every Sunday. Granted I know that's very unlikely to happen and there is a flood of my own unfair and unstated assumptions I am currently thriving off of, but let me write honestly and tell you that these are my concerns.
That said, I know I have it good knowing that these are my concerns.
2. Parents
This past weekend I visited the family in Seoul. The trip was great, and not so surreal this time since I got to see them in a more familiar setting.
I saw my grandmother who has been depressed for several years now and whom my mother is taking care of. I also saw the home-maker who has been with our family ever since I was a baby, and whose strength and fortitude knows no bounds (dirt poor, she raised her four adopted children alone and sent them to college while also saving her husband from a blood clot in the brain by cutting the back of his neck with a kitchen knife to prevent a clot from forming--sorry graphic, but the doctor said this saved his life; all this to say this woman is fearless). Afterward I went shopping for a backpack with my mom and haggled to get a good price on it, then had burgers (great) for lunch. I went to see my great-aunt and her cancer-ridden husband (whom I barely could recognize due to his weight loss but who recognized me immediately and with great elation), had dinner with my cousins and uncles and aunts, then passed out by 11PM. It was exhausting, really.
But I woke up at 10:30AM the next morning, which really all made up for it. Then my parents treated me to my first meal of the day: really good Mexican food with a Negra Modelo. The smells, sights, and tastes of that meal felt to me like what Beethoven's Third Symphony--perhaps the most revolutionary piece of music ever--might have sounded like for the first time. I was all smiles. Mind you, beer--and good beer--is not something of a trademark art in Korea. Even just a Negra Modelo tasted like wine from Dionysus.
Anyways.
So I'm back, and in a couple of days I'll be off to Seoul again for quite the weekend.
Friday: Pool party at Ambassador Steveson's crib (and/or the consulate? not sure)
Saturday: DMZ (+ evening "shenanigans" probably)
Sunday: uh...not sure?
Monday: "Graduation" from Korea University language classes, ceremonies held at Korea University.
Today is a Tuesady.
Tomorrow we have finals.
Thursday is my birthday.
I'll be drinking some much needed red wine that evening. My goodness.
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