Sometimes the longest dreams are the best ones

Twenty-one years ago, I was just a "kid" (actually, I had just had a kid --- well, not literally, but you know what I mean) with a crazy dream. I had recently discovered the incredible world of Japanese professional wrestling, and at that point my dream vacation became a trip to Tokyo to see amazing athletes like Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Mitsuhara Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, Jumbo Tsuruta, Tiger Mask III, and other greats in live action. (Even before discovering puroresu, as the locals call it, I was a lifelong Japanese pop culture fan who dreamed of visiting there.) But life got in the way, as it is often wont to do, and that trip was put on the back burner and though I never turned that burner off, I did have to put it on its lowest setting.

When I moved to Korea in April 2008, I felt one step closer to realizing my dream trip. However, as fellow foreign English teacher friends frequently traveled to Japan and other places in Asia, I found myself staying put, paying off bills, student loans, and such. I had a great time traveling within Korea, seeing places many foreigners don't normally visit, and happily fulfilling my second dream vacation --- film festivals --- many times over. (I haven't been outside Korea since landing here!) I knew that one day I would finally make it to Japan, but I had no idea when.

Then, in early December, I decided that the time was finally right --- financially and otherwise --- to realize my dream. On January 1, 2011 --- the first day of the new year and the new decade --- not only am I going to Tokyo to see Japanese professional wrestling, but I am going during the sport's busiest time of the year there! If I can score tickets to everything, I will see two shows each day on January 2, 3, and 4.

I said this about moving to Asia to teach English after wanting to do so for 23 years, and I will say it again now regarding my puroresu trip: Dreams can come true. Maybe not as soon as we'd like them to, but I have learned that having patience and keeping hopes alive can pay off.

Of the wrestlers I've mentioned above, only two are still alive. (Liger [that's him above in the red and white costume] has been one of my all-time favorites since I first discovered puroresu, and I am thrilled that I get to see him in action.) Though I never had the opportunity to see them in person, I am grateful for the wrestlers and shows I am about to see, for the trip I am only hours away from taking, and for the life I so happily live.

The year 2010 was another great one for me --- I got to spend another fun summer in Korea with my amazing son; my fantastic girlfriend and I had our one-year anniversary on December 16; I met some wonderful new Korean friends; and I went to no less than six great film festivals, among other things. There were a couple of speed bumps this year, including my first hospital stay since I was a baby (great friends and my girlfriend helped get me through that), my mom's passing away and learning at that same time of my dad's prior passing, as well, and goodbyes to some very dear friends who moved back home after working in Korea --- but compared with the challenges that some of my friends went through, I count myself very fortunate.

So I bid sweet adieu to 2010 and eagerly welcome 2011. By kicking off with my dream vacation, it is bound to be another fantabulous year! Happy new year to you all --- and may your dreams come true!

The final paragraph of my previous post was not supposed to be the final paragraph of my previous post, but Blogger goofed up, or I did. Anyway, this photo was meant to be posted with that final paragraph. It's of Trees, Rich, Cohen, my girlfriend NaYoung, her daughter, and me. It was at an Italian restaurant in the city of Uijeongbu on the night before Trees and Rich left Korea.

The photo of Cohen and me was taken by NaYoung's daughter at the same Italian restaurant. Good job! ^^

NaYoung, her daughter, and I went to the same restaurant again shortly thereafter, and here is a cute photo from that visit, too. Just for the record, her daughter likes to make silly faces in photos.

Catching up again, finally . . .

With the final month of 2010 here, and Christmas and the new year fast approaching, it's time for my first update since April. April!

I'll let pictures speak thousands of words here . . .

In my previous post, I talked about the Jeonju film festival. The films were great and the atmosphere was wonderful. Unfortunately I cut my leg on a concrete post meant to keep traffic off the sidewalk and wound up with cellulitis (not related to cellulite, thank you) that was rather dormant until June, when, of course, my first visitors from the States other than Cohen came to visit me! Thanks, Jody and Wendy! I was hospitalized for 13 days. The doctors expected me to be there between four and six weeks, and I'm of course thrilled that I wasn't.

A huge cultural difference between American and Korean hospitals is that in Korea, there are no visiting hours --- that is, it is always visiting hour! I was in an economy room with five other patients, all Korean. There are rolling beds beneath each hospital bed for family members or friends to sleep on if they want to spend the night. I received three shots in the tush each day, but the best part isn't being able to say that six pretty young Korean women saw my naked rear end during those 13 days (those gals of course being the nurses); it's that the whole hospital bill --- for treatment, medications, everything --- was just under USD $200!



Cohen came for his third visit this summer. We went to three film festivals, two soccer games, and had many other fun times together. We went for the second time together to the Pucheon International Fantastic film Festival, which specializes in horror, science fiction, and fantasy films. This year we went with two friends from New Zealand, Rich and Trees (who have moved to Taiwan to teach English --- I really miss them). The four of us also went to a sort of rideless amusement park called Ainns World, where the theme is miniaturized models of many of the world's great landmarks.

Cohen wrote a marvelous letter/essay about his experiences in Korea this summer. I'll ask him if I can post it here.

Every year in Korea, I say goodbye to good friends and meet new ones. But I know that even though I may only know some folks for a year or so here, we will be good friends for life, wherever our lives and travel may take us.

Jeonju International Film Festival

I am very excited to be attending the Jeonju International Film Festival on Sunday and Monday, May 2 and 3. Jeonju is about an 88-minute subway ride plus another 3.5-hour train ride from my city, and for that reason, I couldn't attend last year. That is, going up late on a Friday, seeing one day of films, and then coming home on Sunday seemed a bit much for even a film fanatic like me.

This year, though, our school is closing for three days during the festival, so I am happily taking advantage of that free time and going for a three-night stay. Jeonju is probably the third-largest film festival in Korea, and I have attended the top two in 2008 and 2009, and am all set to attend again this year.

Here are the films that I will see in Jeonju:

"Around a Small Mountain"

"King of Thorn"

"Bare Essence of Life"

"Animal Town"

"In the Shadows"

"The Deathmaker"

"A Triangular Trap"

To be honest, I had no idea I could go to this festival until last week, and most films were sold out by then. But I was fortunate to find tickets for the above movies, and many would have been my first choices for their given time slots even if other shows had tickets available.

One year later . . .

Wow, it is hard to believe I have not updated this blog in exactly one year. I've had plenty to say, but little time to write it in blog format. One reason I kept holding off is that there was so much to write about, and I didn't want to leave things out. Then I decided that, if I am ever going to start updating regularly again, I just need to start again, and not worry about catching you up on the past.

So here we are!

I have signed my contract for a third year at good old Saengyeon Elementary School, and that third term begins on Monday. I had my visa renewed on Tuesday, and it really started sinking in today that next week is (a) two full years in Korea (b) without visiting the States and (c) without yet even leaving Korea! I'll see if I can't rectify situation (c) this summer, and --- no promises, friends back home --- see if I can figure out a visit to some old stomping grounds next winter to remedy situation (b), as well.

My life here is fantastic. Everything tells me that I made the right choice by moving to Korea to teach, including the upcoming opening of a Taco Bell in Seoul. I'm in the best financial shape I've been in many years, I've made great friends, I've been able to live out my dream of going to film festivals for vacations, Cohen has been over here twice to visit me and returns again this summer, my school staff and students love me, and, as of December, I have a wonderful girlfriend, NaYoung.

Suffice it to say that I am happy. I miss the heck out of all of you back home, and I hope to see you again sooner rather than later. But interestingly, I don't miss too many of the amenities back home. I can see most films that I'd want to see, and thanks to Cinematheque, some that have never never been released Stateside by filmmakers I love, and I also get to see classics on the big screen on a regular basis. Now that the Taco Bell puzzle piece is in place, and now that a Canadian friend showed me where to buy black market Pop Tarts and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese last Saturday, the thing I miss most in this department is the variety of concerts by bands I love. As you can read from older posts, I've gotten into Korean indie rock and have gone to many of those shows, and I saw Judas Priest and Sonny Rollins in Seoul (while passing on Bob Dylan and Tom Jones this week). But on the semi-rare occasions when bands I'm interested in do pass through these parts, ticket prices are often prohibitive. Anyway, it is a small sacrifice when everything else is going so well.

I'm probably going to see former Thin Lizzy guitarist Gary Moore (here he is playing "Bad for You Baby") later this month, and allegedly Deep Purple will be in Seoul next month. So the rock comes, but not as often as I'd like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCHYvAf35yI&feature=PlayList&p=52B2BFA1ED170515&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=10

Thanks for checking here. Granted, there isn't much in this post that you haven't read about already on my Facebook page, but hey, not everyone reading this is on Facebook. It's time for bed now, so I'm going to sign off, but I'll do my best to update this on a regular basis, with fresh, non-Facebook material. Happy April, one and all!

Oh, and if you haven't yet seen "A Simple Man," please try to do so toute de suite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FYtprwg1As