2007-06-01 - 1:01 a.m.

2007 January 1
Pat just called; she wants to go with me to Ron's tonight, over near the COEX. I'm going to meet pat at Samgakji on the Blue Line (#4) platform at 5:15. That should give us enough time to find Ron's place. I've forgotten which line the COEX is on,- need to read the subway map, I guess.

Jan. 2

Made it to Ship Sam danji in Ha-an-dong from Carol's in one hour and 12 minutes, pretty quick for all the transfers. Got a good taxi driver in Cheolsan; he took me up to my place and waited while I got my books, then drove me straight to the Bokeshigwon (charity service center). So I gave him 5,000 won and told him to keep the change. The meter said 3,800 won. Next time, if I need a cab I need to climb the stairs at Exit 3. That's where the taxis gather, not down by the elevator, which I missed, so had to huff up the stairs. I wasn't sweet when I got to the top, very crabby and full of self-pity.

I've begun to notice those character defects a lot lately, so I hope it's a prelude to their getting weaker. Other long-timers say, "When a character defect really starts to bother you, it's on its way out." I don't think any personality flaw truly disappears; it's just lying in wait, like a cat watching a mouse hole. The price we pay for not being a slave to our flaws is constant vigilance and daily maintenance of our spiritual wellness, in my opinion.

Jan.3 (Wed., 11:45 a.m.)

Coffee and tea are ready; literature is laid out. The group sign is hanging from the "video seminar" sign outside our meeting room. I'm sitting out on the balcony looking at Geumsan (Cloudy Mountain). It's warm today, nearly 55 degrees F, pleasant in a long-sleeved shirt, vest and corduroy pants. This 4th floor balcony faces SSW, full sun, and it's set in (walls either side) so there is very little breeze. All the comforts, too: a coffee and soft-drink machine, padded seats.

12:21 p.m. Hummmmm..... No one's showed up and 3 fellows assured me last weekend that they would come today. Well, that's okay. I'm here. When no one comes, I think of that guy in Jackman, Maine, who opens the meeting faithfully. Sometimes he doesn't see another member for weeks on end. But the meeting is open, in case someone wanders through.
Louie and I took a carload of Waterville folks up there one lovely fall day. Rita was on that trip. I saw her last time I was in Waterville. She's coloured her hair lighter brown, but she's still earnest when telling her story and a sharp-witted conversationalist.
Heheheh, just met a kid in the hall, maybe 7 years old, who said "Hello." I smiled and said, "Hello." Whereupon, he said, "You're so pretty!" I chuckled and said, "Thank you." He said, "That's okay."
Kang and Cho walked in at 12:45 and 12:50 respectively. I chaired. We had a business meeting after, and elected Cho as GSR and voted to get a new electric coffee pot. The old one worked, but we couldn't open the lid to clean it out.

8:30 p.m. Got an e-mail from Eunji tonight, but my reply bounced. She wants me to work for her on Jan. 12. That means I'll have to cancel Hyouin's class Wed. and do the visa run Monday night through Wednesday night, rather than Wed-Fri p.m.
While surfing to find info on the development of the English language, I happened upon the Museum of London. They have dug up archaeological evidence back to 500,000 B. C.! Romans arrived in AD 43 and stayed till AD 410, built Londinium and constructed a network of roads to connect it with the rest of Britannia. The museum also has pages on Saxon & Medieval times (410-1485) and Tudor & Stuart eras (1485-1700)

Jan. 4, Thurs. 7 a.m.

Well, I did something very silly. Changed coats at my apartment in Gwangmyeong and forgot to put Carol's keys in my pocket before leaving. When I found I was locked out, it was too late to go back before the subway closed fof the night. So I spent the night in a PC bang near her house. Fortunately, I had a bag of dried persimmons bought to satisfy Hyouin who'd asked for persimmon yoghurt. I made some a week ago, and she just loved it.

Jan. 7, Sun.

I ended up trading the remaining persimmons to Kang for a dried squid Thurs. night. Dried squid is pretty good, a bit like seafood-flavoured jerky.
Oh, dear! My student has test-messaged me twice this morning, changing our class time. Yesterday, she said 12:30. Then, in the morning, I got one that said 12:50. Now, she changed it to 12:20. So, I will be late. I texted back that she'd said 12:50 earlier, so does she now mean 1:20? Heheh, no reply yet.
{after class...while I was at evening Alanon meeting}
7:35 p.m. She has started sending the alternating hate filled and complimentary text messages. Truly dreadful; I cringe reading them. I fear she is nuts and I know she's a stalker. She drove a fellow Alanon back to the states last year. Syll says, "Cut her off completely." Frankly, I'm scared to. Frustrated stalkers can be dangerous.

Jan. 16 (11:45 am, at Gwangmyeong Express Train station).
Got roundtrip KTX tickets, will leave here at 2:30, get to Pusan at 5:30....too late for the boat, most likely. Return ticket is too late to make the Thursday night meeting, Nuts! Bill U. says theres a Wed. night meeting at Fukufuku Plaza (in Japanese). It looks like I spend tonight in a PC bang or jjimjillbang.
I got here with 2 screwed-up pens,- cannabalized them to get one that writes. The only good thing so far is that I've got enough money for once,- started with 400,000won, about $400. Brought both my bank cards too, since there's a Shinhan branch in the Fukuoka ferry terminal. Darned pen flew apart again; I'm writing with the "innards" now. The ink reservour on the innards that work was too long to fit the pen-case that wasn't cracked. Good thing I brought my little scissors (the ones that fold up and look like reading glasses to pass security checkpoints). I hope this new "cannibal configuration" works better than the last one. Pens have been giving me fits lately; the last two gel-pens I bought didn't work when I got them home,- dried-up.
Airport security is another reason to travel by train and ferry. I started doing it to save money, and it does that, too, about $100 less. I'd still have to stay overnight because of the way the Korean Consulate processes applications.
I'm seated next to a young girl who is apparently an adjuma in training. She not only took my window seat and refused to give it up, she closed the shade so I can't peer across at the view. This is the first time in several years that I've been able to arrange to go in daylight. Fortunately, the people across the aisle are as interested in the scenery as I am, and I've been peeking over there.
3:49 East Daegu,- The twirp departs! I've got the window for the remaining hour of this trip!
Daegu is pretty big, about like Boston plus its suburbs. There are lots of grapevines in these more southerly mountains. Livestock, too. Saw a herd of goats and quite a crowd of free-range pigs in a pasture.

Jan. 17
I lucked out and got a berth on an overnight ferry. Arrived Hakata Harbour at 6 a.m. Currency rate: 10 manwon = 12,530 yen.
I slept like a log, was the only one in a room made to house 11 people. I took three of the foam sleeping pads. It was too hot, so I propped the door open with one of thos hard boxy pillows and put a rolled-up shirt under my head. Even though there were plenty of teenagers on board, they were well-behaved and all the folks hit the hay around 11 p.m., after watching the Korean historical drama. (The story was rough tonight. A major character was killed,- by her son!)

**********************************
Trip to Japan will be continued...

Happy Trails to You, and Thanks for reading,
~ Sil in Corea

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