MA in East Asian Literatures and Languages / Korean for Career Professionals / PPT Presentations...

My diploma arrived in the mail today. So its official. I'm a Master of something--at least on paper. I feel like I've a long way to go with Korean yet, but then again, I've come a long way. Anyway, the best part is I can demand that people refer to me as Master Wiscombe now. wow, that has a nice ring to it.

Society!! Society!!!

Alright. This is a bit lame but I'm feeling double guilt. One for neglecting my blog. And two for neglecting my promise (recently inspired by a friend) to go on a partial digital fast. This is just a copy paste email. But its one of the better email's I've written recently so I'm publishing it.

I was walking and in Korea there are like 500 people in visiible-motion at any given second. And most of them are in groups of four or five or ten. Some of the groups have minds of their own--some are oblivious. Like a giant comet from space--noisy, firey (having just eaten kimchi) and full of yes, I admit brilliant light. Ok I'm stretching this analogy a bit. Anywho when they decide to move in a group like that you just have to get out of the way. Sometimes they'll conglomerate right at the narrow entrance you have to pass through to be to work on time. 20 of them at the entrance of the subway--like giant clogged artery. And you are just a skinny blood cell trying to squeeze through the mayhem without inhaling too much second hand smoke. Half way down the stares the tsunami hits. 1 minute and 30 seconds ago, 200 feet down a morning train arrived and 800 people poured out of its train carts and have now made their way to the last staircase which you just happen to be going down. It's 800 to 1 here. Yeah, its like swimming against the current in a really big river. Ah! If only I had come 1 minute 30 seconds sooner. You might take an elbow or knee here and there but more than that just the rush of people makes your head spin. But you make it.

about a minute after you get down to the platform a train arrives--except this one is city bound and no one in its sardine packed carts gets off. You turn your back to the mob as the doors slide open and wriggle yourself into the heap butt first. The doors close and almost clip your nose. If only I was an Asian! The old woman behind you has her hand on your butt now but there is nothing either of you can do about it because there is no where to go. So you just turn on your i-pod and try to forget about it. You fall asleep standing up with grannys hand on your bum and dream of a bus in alaska--and you can smell the fresh air off the stream below. All is quiet. You run down to the steam for a quick dip and just as you're taking the plunge the doors to the subway open and without even moving your legs you're carried forward on a wave of people moving toward an escalator. If you don't run with the crowd you'll be trampled first and then wait in a five minute line to ride up. So you run, dodging grandmas and business men and breifcases. And you're thanking God you're still under 30 and can beat the crowd. You get to the top of the stares and turn around and look at the mass of people down below. You point your finger at them and yell take that Society!! Society!! Society!!!!!!!!

(*reference: call of the wild)

If You Love--Dance! 사랑하면 춤을 추어라

This was a riot of a production. It is full of all the same zest that is so common to the b-boyishness of Korean television and popular music but with a little more class. It the first (and likely last) time I've seen conception portrayed through dance. I took a while to figure out what was going on and ended with quite an aha! moment! It was also the first dancical I've ever been to = same as musical but less singing and more dance. To those of you living in Korea who follow this blog, it would make a great Valentines date. A real visual aphrodisiac. (don't worry its clean!)

Putting on winters mufflers

Winter is breathing down our necks here now. The locals say fall in Korea has been getting shorter. That's too bad because it's the best season here. The winds have started to pick up, the sky is clear blue, and the air is fresh and crisp. The local grasshoppers have been sneaking in our bathroom to stay warm at night. It's nice to have that small piece of nature close. With the oncoming cold I've instinctively started growing out my hair. I've got a nicer set of mufflers this year than I've had for years.

New pad in Anam-dong Seoul

Living spaces in Korea are as hilly and small as I remember.

In the Heart of Seoul

I wrote a peom about this city a while ago. Now than I'm back it comes to mind again.

In Korea again
Back in the must of that sultry city
Back in the whiff of its kimchi-filled gutters
Fermenting the more
Back to the winter winds of Siberia
Brushing down city-street funnels
With no where else to go
Biting a long European nose
Two wickets in the middle of so much noise
Hello sir, are you in peace?
Busy
Hello sir, have you ever seen this book?
Go somewhere else
Are you in peace?
Ahh, Veywe goo Koereea.
Fighting the cold out of our knuckles
With morning study
With desire to fill up the time
Between breakfast and dwenjjang with love
Shall we try some hymns?
Then the story comes out.
We move to France for a moment
Where the brother used to sing hymns
Where the people’s hearts seemed colder
Than a Siberian winter
There they would find a missing link
In the warmth of those sacred notes.
The notes, on key and off, resonated
Resonated like a revolution waiting to break
Resonance is the magic of the moment
At a five-way interchange in downtown Seoul
Two wickets with a quiet, abiding resonance
In the middle of so much noise.