Korean Job Discussion Forums

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

It's a cold, clear night here in Incheon. Orion is in the southern sky. There are a few neon crosses on the sky line but none of them are the reddish color of the ones I remember when I first looked out at the roof tops in Taejon on my first night here.

Tomorrow I'll be catching a flight home, two months short of 11 years (not counting the 9 months I was kicked out and lived in exile in Taiwan). I arrived on March 13, 1994. There was a nuke crisis then and nothing much seems to have changed in that department.

I had a sandwich and some soju in my hotel room. I prefer to keep last week's dinner with former students as my memory of my last Korean dinner. Sentimental, I suppose. So sue me.

So many things have changed since I arrived. So many other things have not changed at all. In my opinion, no matter how much changes, Korea will always be Korea. And that is right and good.

There is one of those long, narrow parks just across the street from the hotel. I took a long walk tonight while I thought back about this portion of my life. One of the things that came to mind is that I would never ever dare take a walk alone at night in a big Western city. That is one of the really nice things about this place. Earlier in the afternoon I stopped in at Baskin Robbins for some ice cream and asked about the location of a restaurant. One of the girls put on her coat and walked me 3 blocks to show me. That doesn't often happen at home either.

But of all the memories that came to mind during my walk, I remember the good times I had sitting on the floor in a restaurant, eating and drinking and talking. I've become an expert at Konglish. I take pride in it. Unlike some of the posters here, the students I meet are not potential sexual conquests, so I have a great time chatting with the guys. I've learned so much about people and Koreans in particular. It's been a rewarding experience for me.

I remember being insulted early on when someone said Western mothers don't really love thier kids. Then a few weeks later I had a drunk conversation with KB who said his uncles let their father die because they didn't want to pay for his operation. I remember the tears when JH said good bye. He called me 'ajosshi' but said he thought 'father' since he can't talk to his but he can talk to me. Another JH said he'd never met his father. I had a fascinating conversation with DH. He told me about watching the World Cup soccer game when the alert came that the North had attacked a ship. He said he was pissed at having to miss the game. He then said he was furious when he had to pull a 'junior's' body out of the West Sea. There was a hilarious story of a Mr. Kim who couldn't recognize faces when he drank soju. He ended up toppling off a bridge with a girl he'd picked up in a soju tent. Another guy told me about spending two days searching for a dog in the mountains because he'd tried to kill it for bo-shin-tang and it had escaped. Another guy told me his sister had hanged herself because her father wouldn't let her go to college.

It's been a great run. In some ways I wish it weren't over. But it is.

I know when I get home it will be hard to disconnect. It will take a few weeks. Maybe longer. I don't know. So I will be checking in here at Dave's for a while after I get hooked up to the internet.

A new year has started and I'll be starting a new chapter in my life tomorrow. When your time to leave comes, I hope you have as many good memories of Koreans as I do. Try to turn the bad memories into funny stories or else forget them. I intend to. If I can forget the two times I was investigated by the KCIA for industrial espionage, then you should be able to forget the time you were paid two days late by your hog won.

fandeath · Joined: 01 Nov 2004

Nice post. Like a true vet, you balanced the postive with the negative.

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

Well, I'll listen to anyone who's been here 11 years!!

Good luck.

canuckistan · Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2005 7:05 am Post subject:

Great post Ya-ta-boy.
I've only been here 3 years and so far I have great memories of my time in Korea. Have met some absolutely mint Koreans and I know we'll always be friends. Have always been treated very well here.
Good luck to you on the road/adventure ahead, please keep posting!

seoulunitarian · Joined: 06 Jul 2004

Thanks for a great, moving post Yata-boy. I wish you well in your future endeavors:)

Peace,
Daniel

Cthulhu · Joined: 02 Feb 2003

Good job, Ya-ta boy. Enjoy the change and treasure the memories.

Kim Jong Jordan · Joined: 13 Mar 2004 Location: The Internet

Absolutely the best!
So what's next for you?

SuperFly · Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Location: In the doghouse

[quote]I know when I get home it will be hard to disconnect. It will take a few weeks. Maybe longer. [quote]

Longer.

kangnam mafioso · Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Location: Teheranno

what's next?

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

11 years! Holy crap!
Beautiful post, the best of luck to you on your latest adventure, and I hope we continue to see you round this part of the internet.

just because · Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Location: Changwon - 4964

All I can say is good luck.

I hope I have the same attitude as you if i finish 11 years here.

Do you think you will eve get it out of your system????

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

The States is going to be a shocker when you get back. Particularly compared to 11 years ago.

chronicpride · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

I wish departing posters did send-offs like this more often, regardless if it's been 1 year or 11 years.

Zyzyfer · Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2005 10:05 pm Post subject:

Good luck. That was a great post.

Kim Jong Jordan · Joined: 13 Mar 2004 Location: The Internet