Where was I?

It's been quite some time since the last blog and with good reason. The reason is that after finishing the University of Oregon I moved to Phoenix, Arizona to live with my Brother, Paul. It was quite the polar opposite of my time in Eugene. Phoenix is a place lacking in real depth of human culture, the only sole drive in the populace is financial pursuits and status acquisition.
Though I will never live there again, I must say I learned so much about a new perspective and also about how to improve myself beyond the self deceptive philosophy of the extreme liberalism that I endured for so long at the University.

I became a better person and when it was time to move on, I did.

I moved to South Korea.

WHY? It's a question that caused quite a conflict between my father and myself. It was a simple answer - travel and money. After graduating from my University I entered the workforce during a horrible recession that is still continuing with a degree that did not allow me the opportunities that I desired, with the exception of being an ESL Teacher. I was in debt and I've wanted to Travel to Asia since I was a teenager.

I have been in Korea for a year and a half and it hasn't been too easy, I have been set back by challenges and tragedy. The challenge was how to communicate with Korean kids and develop their English ability and my effectiveness in the classroom. It was difficult as I believe I was given paltry support from my first school. They withheld books and other materials from me, and denied me government mandated teacher orientations. This hindered my progress with my teaching ability and the students class time.

The tragedy was that I almost died from a motorcycle accident. My first year in Korea I was living in Dongducheon, a horribly boring place 20 minutes from the DMZ populated by jaded Koreans and a major American Army base, Camp Casey, that seemed to house the biggest shitbags in the military. I bought the motorcycle as a way of transportation to get around the city and to get to work expeditiously as the Korean cab drivers were thick as thieves that would drive in the most misdirected manner to grind out the highest cost on the fare meter.

I had the motorcycle for only 3 months before I wrecked. It was late evening and I was riding towards old town for dinner when I was misdirected into turning into a back street which had no street lights or signs. I did not see the intersection of the single lane streets as the dark houses suffocated the area. Before I knew it, I was in the middle, just barely enough time to glance over to my right and see a bus coming right at me, no time to brake, just to flinch. I don't want to get into what happened really, just that the impact broke my right ankle, lower leg, and 1 rib. I spent 2 weeks in a Korean hospital, which is a horrible place to be, but I did get the care I needed and that's what matters.

I stayed for a second year in Korea as I needed to get a 2nd surgery for my leg to take out the metal pins. My current job isn't lasting entire year as the structure of the school is changing. I am happy with this as I have found a new job in a school in Seoul. I will finally become a Seoulite.

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