The end...

Summer is long since gone, weeks ago I bought a jacket that I am now forced to don everytime I leave 'home'(I insert the quotations as I have had no home of my own for months now). The temperature has dropped and a biting, cold wind sweeps up and down the crowded streets. The previously hazy green mountain tops that press skyward shedding the cement trappings of the city have yellowed anad brazened in the brisk autumn air. The beach is now less the massing point for the hordes that it was in August. For the most part the sand lies undisturbed by human feet and the tracks of pigeons and gulls criss-cross the pale sands. This is when the beach is its most beautiful, when the crowds are content to pass by but gazing into the ocean and the whole strech of pale sand and white-crested waves is admired by romantic gazers and casual strollers. The skies darken in the early afternoon (South Korea does not participate in daylight savings time) and the purple air of the night is cold. Reddened cheeks are brightened by the fluourescent glow of city streets, the buildings serving as little more than a frame for the thousands of signs that hang over the street, creating the impression of earlier afternoon for the hundreds that line the streets outside shops, restaraunts, bars and carts hawking food, clothes, toys, souvenirs, drinks, female companionship, anything and everything that will sell, calling out in dozens of languages at the tens of thousands squeezing down the streets. Shuffling patiently between them and the cars vigourously using horns to keep the crowds huddled towards the sides of the streets, as they thread their way at break-neck speeds down crowded single lane alleys across town. Everything is clear and the nighttime is beautiful like intermittent the explosion of fireworks along the beach; scratching colour violently in contrast to the dark sky and grey concrete. Nighttime is ideal for traversing the gwangalli bridge: the signs and fireworks along gwangan beach reflecting, shimmering on the black bay; and the ferris wheel at the amusement park alit with bright moving light. The chill of the night provides a convenient excuse for warming yourself with korean hospitality; gathering with friends around a table (and not a few bottles of soju) in a galbi restaraunt. I will miss the galbi experience: the sizzle of meat and vegetables; the clink of shot glasses; the cheers; the laughter of friends and the warm feeling in my chest that isn't just the soju.

I finally got one.

I have been in korea for 3 months now, it took me forever to get one but I finally did. I have my first korean ... vegeta action figure. He is a McDonalds happy meal toy. I went after the bar on a very slow saturday night with Katie, and she got a happy meal and then said she didn't want the toy, I convinced her otherwise, especially after I noticed the dragonball Z toys.
In all seriousness I should be getting paid today or I will be finding myself a new job, on the plus side I would have all of next week off to spend with Lauren when she visits. I'm excited to see her, and since she is landing at incheon I may make a trip to seoul next weekend. Tim has a pretty good chance of getting a job fairly close to here, so that's exciting too, although the job doesn't start until mid-December. He is excited though, I'm sure he is sick of waiting for a job and anxious to come over. Honestly I was starting to think he wouldn't make it at all, let alone before Lauren. It's kind of a bummer that Tim won't be here while Lauren is, but I'm willing to sacrifice a few weeknights to show her a good time. I should get to work now. Wish me luck and by luck I mean money, wish me money.

Did you hear me singing that song I wrote for you?

I guess I'm starting to get a little homesick... I don't really know what its supposed to feel like, but I am thinking more and more about going home, being in Canada after this. My job has become a little, hmm, well boring I suppose, I mean the excitement is gone, its not necessarily boring though.
I was awake early this morning, or rather I was awakened early this morning. Frankie jumped on me at six am after we were out most of the night. Drowsy with sleep and hearing her say 'lets go' I dragged myself out of bed and threw on a shirt. I unwittingly followed her out the apartment and drank the wine she handed me. Suddenly aware that I was outside in my pajamas, and that it was light outside, I questioned her ' Where are we going? ' ,' to the beach to watch the sunrise ' she said ever so matter-of-factly, as though she were accustomed to doing this often.
'Oh. Wicked. '
The sun was bright pink and orange. The air was cool, and soft against my face.
As we stood there watching the sun rise over dalmaji hill, I recalled the sunday morning of Lauren's cottage party. I was awake early then too. I sat alone on the beach staring out towards the west and Korea, before anyone was up. Silently drinking and thinking of the other side of the planet. Now, I stood here, on the other side of the world staring back to the other side drinking and watching the sunrise. I was thinking about Canada, and thought it was funny to be here mirroring what I was doing there. I guess its just a testament to the fact that I haven't changed much. Even perhaps of my refusal to let the world change me. A testament to my aristotlean incontinence.
Shawn's computer took a turn for the worse so I probably won't be posting picture for awhile, but I will be taking some good ones. Catriona is coming next weekend, and I think we're gonna go to the aquarium, it also happens to be Hallowe'en. I'm excited.

The point's that there isn’t no romance around there

well its happened again, the promise, the lure of comfortable life has lead me into near disaster. I fall back into my same old escapes, hiding from my same old problems. Here I sit, trying to ignore the problems of real life waiting for them to resolve themselves. I really haven't changed at all. 'Let the world change you; and you can change the world'. I just seem incapable of change, incontinent in the face of adversity. I cannot find my Aristotlean catalyst, no matter where I look. I'm hoping, praying I get paid tomorrow, or Lord knows what i'll have to do. All this grand adventure may come to an abrupt and unpleasant end. Cross your fingers for me.

Anticipation has the habit to set you up...

The local bar, U2 bar, had a movie party last night. I should probably preface this with some information. The Pusan International Film Festival (hereafter referred to as PIFF ) runs from october 12th to the 20th. It is, allegedly, the eighth biggest film festival in the world. They are showing 245 films from 63 countries this year. It is a pretty big deal. The hotels are all booked up with international film stars, of the independent variety not the Hollywood variety. Of course most of them are asians, and I don't know any of them. They built stages and tents and even a temporary building on Haeundae beach, the most popular beach in Korea and conveniently located mere seconds away from Shawn's apartment. There are photographers, TV cameras and foreigners wearing badges and passes roaming the streets. Tickets sold fast. It is nigh impossible to get into a movie, the tickets were gone like hours after they went on sale. A few of my friends managed to get some, and to an english movie with Robbin Williams. So at the U2 bar last night there was a movie party, My Friend and His Wife, or something along those lines, I don't remember the Korean title. There were cast members and crew apparently all over the bar. It was packed. I ran into some people I met in Seoul. They had pictures of me on their camera. They remembered me thanks to my Kitchen Centre hat, they admitted. They were in Busan to go swimming with the sharks at Busan Aquarium, which is something I may consider doing at some point. So i hung out and talked with them for a while. I saw someone that looked familiar, tall caucasian guy. You know how sometimes you see someone you think you recognise, but your brain starts to rationalise saying why would they be here? what are the odds of that? That's what I was doing. I met a girl from Cherry Valley last week at U2 that knew the Tottles, and this week I think I see Jessie Denison from Wellington, Ontario in a bar in Busan South Korea. We were never in the same class but we both went to St. Gregory's elementary school and Nicholson Catholic College. I put it out of my head for a few minutes then as he is passing by I turn to him and say Jessie. He stops and says yeah holding out his hand. I say his full name to confirm that it is really him, and now he is looking a little confused. I shake his hand and tell him who I am. He's a bit blown away we're both laughing and he introduces me to his friend. He tells me that he was talking about my family today. Now I'm a bit blown away. He was talking to his brother Aidan and his friend Luke, and for some reason the story of how my younger brother threw up on him years ago comes up. I laugh. He's been in Korea for a month now, he is teaching in Daegu a city an hour or so north of Busan he and his friend were down for the weekend. Things just got more random. Even though its such a big world, its kinda small too. It's always nice to see faces that remember my own.