La Taj Mahal

I suppose this thing was supposed to die a fiery death at the conclusion of my contract in Korea.  I have treated it thusly, though I thought I'd dust it off one more time considering the gravity of my surroundings.  After making my way through Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand (and now into India), I have countless anecdotes of joy and misery alike.  From destitution to hand grenades, paradise to Viet Cong tunnels, there and back again, I can touch on most any topic.  However, the one that really counts is the Taj Mahal, and I couldn't help but write a lil' somethin-somethin while I was there! I also figured that this was the best way to simultaneously email my mother and the other two people who follow my life, and I am still holding on to the chance that I rename this blog "Letters home to Mom".

September 25th, 2010

I write this, not coincidentally, sitting under an arch at the back side of the splendid Taj Mahal. Ground zero is not the best place for a snapshot but all that seems arbitrary when put into greater context.  When you make your way, finally, to the beautiful Taj, and make contact (in bare feet) with the pure, smoothly white marble, a force seems to hold you in place. It is like stepping into a most gorgeous spider web.  You can't get away; nor would you want to (though maybe in a spider web, gorgeous and all, you still might wanna get away - no copyright infractions intended). Lest I digress!

After combing the inner halls, the best way to experience the Taj, me thinks, is to lie down.  Putting as much of yourself against the building as possible (you have to do this on the marble floors outside the dome rather than inside, that might be a problem!) allows you to hope, and at times with a bit of success, to be infused with the same genius that inspired and created it.  I feel an urge to reach out and constantly have my hands against some part of it the same way young lovers can't resist each others embrace.  I feel that if I push hard enough against it I might permeate its seemingly nonexistent cracks.  How could this structure have been built piece by piece?  How could one imagine that it existed in anything other than its whole?  I can't.  It seems as though it dropped from the heavens, instantaneously complete.  The pesky fact that it wasn't is a true testament to the best of man's virtue.

Anything I write, read or think (Bridge of Sighs, very good so far!, thanks Steve) here seems that much more important.  I believe that is called true inspiration.  The generous Taj Mahal offers this bond to anyone who seeks it.  I've long considered a solo journey to India the Everest of my travels, and if this is indeed the case, the Taj Mahal is the sweet summit.

The Last (& Greatest) Update from Korea

My last address to my closest friends in Korea:

i figured that if I had one last chance to make a cheesy, overly sentimental speech, i might as well write it down and make it count.  

In a year where we lived in a place where we never really knew what was going to happen next; whether it be exciting or scary, or frustrating, you guys were always HQ, home base.  While people came into our respective lives, and sometimes left just as quickly, you were always there, and it was comforting to know that you had to be there contractually as well because we all have been fiscally tied to Korea.

But really, what I'd compare it to is familiarity, and with that theme in mind I like to think of us in the context of noraebang (Korean karaoke).  I think about our lives in Korea as a drunken stay at noraebang, singing along to a foreign song we've only heard once or twice but now must recite, very much unlike "Total Eclipse of the Heart." That's the one joke I wrote into this speech.  *pause for laughter*  .. In that foreign song, however, where we dont really know that many of the words, the A-team is the chorus, always familiar and ever present.  Even when the singing got hard, and the lines before made us feel out of place, out of tune, or altogether lost, whenever the chorus comes around you can hit every note and drunkenly bust out every line verbatim.  i love you guys, a lot, and i'm just thankful you were there to sing with me into the late hours of the night.

Any changes listed in oh-rhan-gee

Pastiche`

It has been a while since I have last posted with any kind of regularity.  My journal & blog have largely gone neglected throughout this past June and for that I offer my apologies.  However, the 4th of July is upon us and this is a time to make resolutions and change the way we live our lives; that or fool about with low-powered explosives (I might be mixing up my holidays).

Reading, as it turns out, is what has kept me from consistent writing.  I've gone through some Nick Hornby, which I have really enjoyed, and I just finished up The Hobbit yesterday.  When I am not reading, I can probably be found watching "Breaking Bad" (almost done with season 3 and I'd highly recommend it to anyone).

There are three weeks left in the school calendar before the kids go on summer break.  I am trying to just enjoy my last remaining classes, which is not out of the ordinary for me,  so I guess I am trying to especially enjoy my last classes and soak it all in.  Inevitably, life abroad has had its up's and down's, but the happiness I got from my seeing my kids never wavered.  They make me smile and laugh every single day.  With their examinations coming up, even the 3rd graders are involved in some form of school and/or studying from about 6 AM - 11 PM every day with relatively few breaks.  Be thankful you grew up in the US of A -- I'd trade in the smarts for enjoying my childhood 7 days outta the week.

I, along with several rag tag individuals with a can-do attitude, started a short lived dance group coined "The Nicholas Cage Experience."  We had two practices, both held at a public train station with many-a-passerby, before we decided that this venture must be retired.  We will not sacrifice the namesake though.  I was "iced" three times last night, which has made for a lazy Saturday afternoon.  If you are not privy to "icing", worry not.



The NCE's routine -- picture 5 guys doing this at a train station in front of a mirror.  Our thoughts at the 1 minute mark (right before we gave up): "This gets really hard."

I have kept my eye on the calendar and am tackling the great adventure home (Vietnam/Cambodia/Thailand to India, to Egypt, through Italy and France, then into Spain).  Save today, I've kept myself relatively busy with all that goes with these plans.


Lastly, I've been listening to "Oh, Sweet Nothin'" by The Velvet Underground a lot lately before I go to sleep:

the WC Experience

How American am I that I can sum up my World Cup experience before it's all said and done. I'll keep an eye on the games but my rooting interest has come to its conclusion.

Both the US & Korea have been eliminated from the tournament. The only silver lining is that I don't have to watch them play each other after all. Notable places where I watched the games:

• Korea vs. Argentina - Munhak Stadium (my prior blog post)

• USA vs. England - Rio's Bar in Incheon, with an equal mix of Americans on one side of the bar and Brits on the other
• USA vs. Algeria - The Americans packed into a bar called Red Dog, or Three Dog's, or something with a "Dog" in it that was next door to Rio's where all the Brits were watching England vs. Slovenia
• Korea vs. Uruguay - Joseph, Carmine and myself watched this game at midnight or so outside a TV shop along with one Korean man who was standing by himself in the rain before we arrived. This guy was awesome and we shared our umbrella.

The rest of the games were fairly in the norm as far as where I watched them. I saw the Donovan reaction video. It was pretty exhilarating and it seems as tho we took our soccer a little bit more seriously this go around.

How intense are Koreans about the World Cup? My favorite Korean fan was at a bar, watching the game in a hospital gown, in a wheelchair, and connected to an IV. As far as I could tell he was not drinking that night

South Korea vs. Argentina

Whelp, we lost..

caught the game at Munhak Stadium with about 30 friends or so (including mothers, coteachers & Joe's students). Obviously, being in a soccer nation, things are a little crazier here than compared to the US of A. People cheer as if we scored a goal just for crossing midfield, though through the first half of the game crossing midfield happened so few times I can see the point of cheering.

I took some photos but haven't done anything with them yet. I did, however, steal a photo from Joe of my friend's, coteacher's son who came to watch the game with us -- so adorable.

Reason 1 Billion I love Elementary Schools

Walking back to my classroom, peeked into violin practice-- saw a girl playing the violin (poorly, as elementary school muscial-talents dictate) standing up with rollerblades on.  I found this awesome.

Birthday & GRE -- Jai Ho!

Mea maxima culpa for going MIA on any updates!

First of all, thank you to anyone who had me in their thoughts on my birthday!! I was quite the facebook celebrity yesterday, and enjoyed opening my email to find 38 unread messages or something like that. The celebration was relatively muted considering that tomorrow morning (the 12th) I take the verbal/math portion of the GRE. It was a good day though and I am happy I got to spend a great portion of it at school around the kids I love. I was able to eat Indian with Steve & Nara too which made me quite happy!!

So now I find myself going to sleep at 8:30 on a Friday night so I can get to Seoul by 8:30 AM.

I am really hoping, almost expecting in fact, that my GRE test-taking experience will mirror that of Jamal Malik's in Slumdog Millionaire. I'll get a perfect score by being asked questions that each link to a poignant story in my past.

Hope that my test results will be described as "a buoyant hymn to life."