Memory burn turns to experience

I recently had one of the most dumbfounding cases of amnesia concerning the combination to my electronic door lock. I've been pressing those little buttons for months now and it seems that imputing the code became a matter of muscle memory rather than memory memory. I credit my buddy with the blame for asking me to run up to his room, use his combination, and read a series of passport numbers for getting my head in the wrong place. When I returned I tried pressing the code, but it was like I just shut down and the memory of what was right was gone. I had just bought a new classical guitar and I was in the middle of recalling an old tune by Mr. Bach and was eager to get back to it. What was worse is that since I was doing a ''solid'' for a friend and planned to return shortly, I left my wallet and money in the room. I was starving. I was about to take a shower. I knew I would be cranky as a result. After making all the phone calls I could in English and exhausting every possible resource for the code, I accepted the situation and climbed a mountain with my buddy Mike.

It was a cool day, so the hike was quite nice. I was waiting to get any info I could about the code. I knew the last source would be the person who lived in the room before me. I ''facebooked'' her, but since she was in Paris on a sunday noon, I didnt expect much. The mountain was nice and green. We could see a very good distance that day across the river and the vast streches of the city limits. I tried to think what it might have looked like 500 years ago and my guess was that it would still have been an amazing sight.

Back at my buddy's spot, I just passed the time as I could, trying to think of ways of getting that damn code. Evan suggested I stay at a Jjimjilbang over night. Since it's only 8,000 won (5-7 US $ ) to stay, it was actually a brilliant idea. After sneaking around my workplace for a way into the office, which is one place I could have scored the code, I just hung out with the boys for a while. I made my way to the public bath house, for the first time.

I can't say it's the best thing since sliced bread, but a public sauna Korean style isn't so bad. I could use the relaxation after a day of low stress. I took a dip in the hottest of hot tubs, frigid cold water pool, and almost a 200 degree sauna. The hot to cold is quite theraputic. They have sleeping rooms there with mats on the floor and what I would call a block for your head. For a sauna, the sleep is not so hot. Between old men snoring, farting, and cell phones twinkling, I had on and off sleep. But I dig. I was hungry after being in the sauna, so I bought three hard boiled eggs, but not really. When I cracked them, they were nasty brown. I thought they had to be purely rotten, but the guy who sold them to me was saying in Korean that it was "ok" while waving his hand at them as if I shouldnt eat it? But I braved it after a Korean pasta chef came over and said they were simply cooked a different way, almost like in a stove with heat. How about that for a midnight snack.

Being locked out of my room stinks, but I probably wouldn't have gone to the jjimjilbang otherwise, so I have to submit that it was a good experience produced by bad luck. I finally got back into my room today after coming back to work and getting the code. It seems like all circumstances lined up so that I couldn't have done it any other way. Now I need some groceries...Kims Club baby.

When routine returns.

I finally got my camera to start working again. I think by chance, I figured out the battery needs to be re-insterted from time to time. I've been adjusting to life in Korea for a good three months now. I kept saying in the beginning "I wonder when culture shock is going to hit me?" Well, even though I was an anthropology major, I don't think I fully grasped the concept. I can't say with certainty, but I think I may have a touch of cultural distaste. I think this has a lot to do with the three month period and having a solid schedule set in place. The first two months were very exciting and busy. Everything was so new and interesting. Things are still very interesting, I even know enough Korean to get around ok now, but not enough to have a basic conversation, unfortunatly. I have this Idea in my head about what I want to do with my days and my time, but it seems like I don't actually get around to doing it. I dont have to be at work until 3 everyday, so it is an aweful temptation to sleep in. After losing a lot of my fitness gains I finally made a stand to get back in the gym. I actually really love working out and doing hard physical challenges. So that was a missing piece of the puzzle for a while. Another thing is that I now eat much better than I did when I first arrived. When you travel, some adjustments and sacrifices have to be made, and for me they came in the form of unhealthy eating and loss of fitness in order to maximize time for adventure. So even though I have a healthy appetite for travel, I now believe that periods of rest are essential for mental health.

On a lighter note, I've been doing some hiking with my boys up in here. I have a few pictures to put up. Hopefully they testify better than I.

The Olympus pose as Evan deemed it was a nice touch upon the rock. I think I will throw a few random pictures into the mix. I believe they are, not with respect, me walking with my hitman gloves on through Hongdae, me looking out over a quiet night street, and some stuff.

I've also been feeling the need to set goals. I need to write it down. I think that helps me not sit around. A year is actually a long time and I have about 9 more months here. It gives me a lot of time to think about what I might want to do in the future. I also dislike smog.