I just spent the entire weekend in Seoul and had a lot of time to read on the bus and waiting for friends. I’ve been reading the hefty 2666, but decided I didn’t want to lug a 906 page book around Seoul for three days, so I brought my nook (which I love and recommend).
I started Anne Tyler’s The Accidental Tourist because I’d never read Tyler before and it had good reviews. I had high hopes, but it did not meet them.
As I read, I kept thinking it would get better; that something would earn my interest — it never did. To me it felt like Tyler wanted to write this cute story with idiosyncratic caricatures of people, but it seems like she didn’t really know what she was doing. So in the end, it felt like an awful mixture of people who made no sense whatsoever. The worst was when the characters would suddenly have wonderful insights into life (i.e., when Macon felt Muriel’s cesarian scar)… not that the characters couldn’t (or shouldn’t) have wonderful insights, it’s just that they never had them until these weird moments that make you think “that seems out of character.”
I felt like I was watching a really bad Kate-centric episode of Lost (like the one where she’s already a convict-on-the-run and marries a cop anyway… okay, all Kate-centric episodes are bad) in which I have to put up with Kate just to get some glimpses of the other characters… but The Accidental Tourist doesn’t even provide any good supporting characters.
Ultimately, the characters were so poorly written that I couldn’t even gain interest in the story, which had a lot of potential in my opinion.
It felt like a poor-man’s version of Annie Proulx’s The Shipping News, which is remarkably better on all fronts. Perhaps I shouldn’t compare because they are slightly different, but that was all I could think about the entire time I read this book.
Well, it’s officially been six months since I moved to Korea. I know it’s trite, but it really has gone by fast.
There were several moments I didn’t think I would make it, but that was mostly due to some work issues and receiving “anonymous” hate mail from someone who accessed my Facebook account. Those things have passed for the most part.
And, there were many more moments of fun and (if I can be completely un-Adam for a moment) happiness.
I’m so glad I came to Korea. Every day is interesting. And most importantly, I’m constantly learning.
When I came here I told myself I would wait until the six month mark to make a decision about my future. Having gone back and forth approximately 283 times, I think I’ve decided to stay in Korea for at least another year while I prepare for graduate school. It would be dumb to ignore how good my life is here, no matter how much I miss hamburgers and grandparents.
I often complain about the quality of music in my adopted home of Korea. It tends to be a distant cousin of Hilary Duff-style pop. However (and perhaps I’ve been here too long), I’m embarrassed to admit that I kind of like Girls Generation’s new song, “Oh!”.
[I have always been brutal to Girls Generation... even when my ex kind of liked them I would start yelling.]
BUT! The main thing you should do right now is sit down and watch the video. It’s kind of impossible to describe, and/but it’s so bad I can’t stop watching it.
When I play it on YouTube while the class is working on an assignment I slyly stand behind the computer so I can sneak glimpses of it.
The iMac (circa 1999)… the Western hairstyles… the 438 hands-to-the-face gestures… the whole American football theme… it’s all just so overwhelming.
This is one of my younger classes — 제우스 (translated Jeuseu, which means “Zeus”). Last Friday we played a few games and and I brought in some dduk filled with bean paste (dduk is a kind of dumpling made with rice flour). They really liked it and were quite cute about it.
What confused me the most was that they didn’t use their hands to eat the dduk. I have no idea why… but then again, I don’t have an idea about most things that happen around me these days.
When I moved to Korea, one thing that stood out for me was the fact that there were a very large number of lingerie/underwear stores.
There are more small businesses everywhere given that they don’t purchase everything at Wal-Mart and Target… but there are A LOT of lingerie shops ranging from the simple to the bedazzling.
As a Fruit of the Loom kind of guy, I’ve never understood spending disposable income on underwear… but well, here you go.
I went hiking this weekend. Well, hiking is not a good word to use… it was more like a long walk. However, the lack of hills and strenuous terrain did not stop everyone else from donning their Gore-Tex jump suits and trekking poles.
I also love the, quite large, amount of pink and red jackets
Ever since I turned 16, I’ve been looking forward to my 30th birthday. I just wanted to be grown up. I wanted to skip dating. I wanted to skip first days of jobs. I wanted to skip high school and college and land in a time when I would be old enough to like people my own age, and have the freedom to do what I wanted.
30th Birthday Dukk
So today, as I turn over a new decade, I am excited. But, I am also thankful for the many experiences I was able to have during the last 10 years of my life.
When I got my first job as an organizer for a gubernatorial race in Connecticut, I would have never guessed that it would then take me to the far reaches of Tennessee (places I had never seen, i.e. Wartburg), Oklahoma, New Hampshire, back to Connecticut, and off to Korea.
A lot of it was impossibly difficult (e.g. working with a sociopath who is now in jail, dating people who probably should be in jail, etc.), but I know I was also impossibly lucky to be able to spend time with some really amazing people.
I am so proud that I was able to be a part of so many causes that I believe in… electing a governor (lost), electing a couple of state Senators (won-won), electing a Presidential candidate (lost), campaigning for marriage equality in Connecticut (won), and bidding for universal health care in Connecticut (won — at least part one).
Politically, I think I’ve accomplished all that I can imagine. And while the allure of politics will probably never die, I’m happy with my current resume.
And now I’m in Korea. I’m away from politics. I’m away from family and friends. I’m 30. I’m trying to figure things out.
One thing I think I have figured out is that I need to enjoy the present. I need to stop trying to skip ahead and just enjoy what I have in front of me. I can’t imagine my life if I had skipped my twenties.
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And while I could never thank everyone, I did want to mention a few names (randomized by random.org of course) of people who have helped me grow personally, spiritually, and intellectually throughout the last 10 years…
Justine F., Shomari, Karl W., Dr. Atwill., Angie, Sarah R., Amy M., Lynnette G., Anne S., Maureen M., Prof. Hammontree, Dr. Hirschfeld, Anthony G., Tom S., Dave C., Beverley B., Dell, Han, Sarah Rose S., Mom, Carol B., Kate G., John M., Yam, Jerimarie L., Debbie S., Phil S., Emily, Jason M., Charles F., Jim & Gary, Betty G., Johnny R., Ron A., Sarahi, Majune & Big Daddy, Paul W., Lynne, Dan H., Jack, Dad, Annalise S., Bob S., Karen B., Neil F., Jeremy W., Sam S., Dave F.
In the 3rd month of Adam’s stay in Korea during his 29th year of life, he visited Dosan Seowon. (I’m sorry, I’m sorry; I couldn’t resist… I’ve read so many Korean history markers.)
Lee Hwang was born in 1501 and is considered to be one of the two most prominent Confucian scholars of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
Dosan Seowon is actually located in the town I’m living in now. It’s one of the reasons Andong’s tagline is the “Capitol of the Korean Spirit.” And while I won’t pass judgment on said tagline, I do find it cool that this little town has so much history.
Here’s the photos (full set here)… click on the picture to get more information.
the path to the academy
the river that flows in front of the academy
student dormitories
from the front of the student dorms
the two rooves on the right are the two libraries; the building on the left is another dormitory
from the central walkway
one of the libraries
walkway up to the servants quarters
a stele commemorating the place for civil service examinations
I just spent the entire weekend in Seoul and had a lot of time to read on the bus and waiting for friends. I’ve been reading the hefty 2666, but decided I didn’t want to lug a 906 page book around Seoul for three days, so I brought my nook (which I love and recommend).
