HOMELY PLANET

Welcome back to any of you losers who get here via the blogroll over at http://www.pusanweb.com .  I was temporarily removed for having the word "FUCK" in one of my titles.  The site's owner is also unhappy that I post my blog titles in ALL CAPS.  He says it makes the page look "ugly."  He's a nice guy and this is the first time I've run afoul of his sensibilities, but it brings to mind the question:  Should I ever temper the look and/or content of this blog in order for more exposure?  That's selling out, right? 

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Koreans are busy people.  The only people who build faster are the Chinese, who literally sprint around the worksite.

I'm looking out my window at what six months ago was a giant dirt pit.  A small city of apartment blocks has since risen from the soil, thrown-up at alarming speed.  They're only about three quarters constructed, but still. Six massive cranes work around the clock on what no doubt can be viewed as a neighborhood beautification project.  My midtown locale, Yeonsan-dong, is kind of old and shithole-y, so this gleaming new cluster of high-tech shoeboxes will no doubt raise the real estate prices around here.  Let us hope it doesn't affect my rent, since I'm paying too much as it is.

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This is the first official week of summer break at the college, but I'm working as much as ever.  I was slated to work extra classes for the first month of the break, and picked up even more than expected.  Fuck it, though.  I could always use the money and don't mind working extra before my REAL vacation kicks in, even if I have to get up early every day.  It just makes the upcoming month off all the more sweeter.

Which brings me to vacation plans.  I was considering going back to the US, since my grandmother's health was up in the air (read: she almost died).  But she's since stabilized and doesn't appear to be in any imminent danger.  Of course this could change tomorrow, but after consulting with my sister and brothers, the consensus was that I continue with my original plans, so I'm doing that.  The China/Laos trip is on, only with one slight alteration.  Lucie gets a week of vacation during the first week of mine, so I want to do something with her.  She will either accompany me to China for the first week, or I may delay my arrival in China and spend the better part of a week with her on Jeju Island, here in Korea.  If I do that, I'll have to catch up with my comrades down in Yunnan, but that's fine.  They'll be fine without me for a few days, at least if Angry Steve is there to read the map.  Whatever the case, Lucie and I will discuss it tonight and make our choice. I leave in just a little over three weeks now, and am, of course, utterly stoked.

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In other news, Mr. John Bocskay got married last weekend.  I was priveleged to attend both the wedding and reception, and aside from congratulating Ae-ran and him, I must give the couple BIG RESPECT for hosting one of the BOOZIEST WEDDINGS I've had the pleasure of taking in.  The ceremony was at the Westin Chosin Hotel, where we all enjoyed an open bar of top shelf booze and beer.  The ceremony itself was short, sweet, and sincere, followed by a five-course meal in which the wine poured and more drinks were enjoyed.  The party then moved to Metro Bar in Kyungsungdae, where again alcohol was provided gratis, this time for about 100 of John and Ae-ran's closest friends.  This went on for several hours...  later several bands played at competing venues, vows were made, happy couples turned on each other, and general abandonment reigned.  All that I know is that I found myself wandering the sidestreets at four AM, still dressed in my best suit (Gulati, Bangkok), seeing in triplicate.  At one point I ran into to Kiwi Craig Nichol, who was sweating profusely and slurring into his cellphone.  He invited me to come drink further, but even my alcoholic ass knows when to call it quits.  Sometimes.

Anyway, the wedding was epic, and once again let me congratulate John on getting hooked up and hooking us all up.