Living a Personal Legend

Well it would appear that I dont write as much as I should anymore....
I have been here for almost 6 months come December 16th. Time is flying by.

I used to write everyday when I first go here. I was so relaxed and open for anything.

Steadily month by month my writing has decreased....

I am reading a new book "the Alchemist" its pretty good. Reading is one of my favorite things to do here when I am actually able to relax or when I am on my own.

I have always believed in omens and have also started seeing the signs of what exactly my destiny/purpose is. It is important to live your dream and follow it to the maximum. Success is right around the corner.

Our life is largely dictated by chance. The decisions and people that i have met have lead me to here.

Why did I pick Korea of all places? I know it was originally a way for me to be able to see my friends again. I also saw it as an opportunity to explore new possibilities.

for the first time in my life I am a foreigner and I understand the implications. I still hold true to the one world view that sometimes makes me think I will get myself killed for holding onto this idealogy.

Life is Surreal and the Duality of everything is overwhelming and something that I choose to fight each day.

This is a part 1 of 2 blogs

Its now December and other than being burned out with work.. I anxiously look and await what this month will give me in my korean Adventure.

They Call Him Shogo

Well its been awhile since I last wrote. Almost two weeks.



I have had a lot of momentary realizations during my teaching hours. I have had glimmers of my past suddenly seige me at the oddest moments. I literally am seeing my entire life from the past flash before my eyes. Its an interesting feeling just like sleep deprivation.



My best friend came and visited me this week. I needed it so badly. ...A Walk down memory lane if you will.



before I talk about the trip let me sum up work. Its a job it gets me money and as long as I do it as well as I can everyone's happy. Unfortunately I dont feel a reward from it. At times my boss scares me simply because he can't see my struggles as a foreigner. I am also not like any other foreigner here I have my own style and way of looking at things.



I am begining to think my boss is unhappy about my work performance and his choice in hiring me. This is because when we had our conversation last time he startd it by saying "When I invest 2,000 dollars into something I expect it to work properly. ...I dont think he has any idea what he is doing sometimes. Although he does care a lot (too much?) about my happenings.

So Shogo came on Wednesday and that were this grand adventure goes full throttle.
First night: Pearl and Christina treated us to a nice meal of Galbei...my favorite. It was a great meal and a good way to start off the korean Experience.

We ended up staying up until 3 am just goofing around. We went to Mcdonalds and had coffee with some random Korean who will be known from now on as "samsung"....he was a very nice and drunk Korean.

The next day I had to work but I spent most of my time not caring about work. After work we went Downtown (Christina, Shogo and I) went and shopped a little and then Shogo and I went to a dinner place and had Bulgogi. This is the Gumi experience.

Friday we went to Ra Cha Cha the Chicken Bar.

This whole time it felt like I was back in College. Ra Cha Cha was nice... we had my typcial fried chicken and beer....
I put in a lot of late nights but these were nothing to what awaited me in Seoul. I left after work on Saturday. Shogo came a good weekend because I am always unhappy when Christina doesnt work with me on Saturday~its not as fun.

After work we ate at Mr. Pizza and did our dash to Seoul. Arriving at 10 we went shopping were I later bought a jacket. WE spend most of the time just walking around and drinking coffee and some beer.

I felt guilty about going to some clubs so I decided to take it easy on the alcohol and I didnt dance. I missed my babe so much.

I LOVE SEOUL SO MUCH! Its much more fun than Gumi.

Shogo and I stayed up all day and night. NO SLEEP. WE saw some interesting sites and met interesting people: saw a fight and literally froze our asses off. It was so cold.

It was a trip for the ages....

Back in Gumi on Sunday later that day.... We met Christina who cooked us a wonderful meal Ma She ta. We relaxed that night because I had work tomorrow (Monday)

Monday was Shogo's last day so I treated him to a 50 dollar meal Drank more beer there and had some chicken again...different place though (Downtown CLASSY>? ) WE decided to stay up all night so we went to Mcdonalds again had a lot of coffee and breakfast later at 8 where we unfortunately had to part company.


This has been one of the greatest times of my life and definitely Korean life.

HAving my girlfriend and my best friend in the same place is Ju wa seo. Perfect.

There's more later but I have to eat dinner as I promised my girl.

Here are some pictures

A Retrospective Jaunt

Im a Viking Warrior look at my helmet hair....

One of the best scenery I have seen
here's me looking at my babe.. . I wish she would be in the pic with me :(

Escalading the mountain last week with Christina evoked all kinds of emotions. On top of the mountain is a rare glimpse of the turmoil going on down below. Very similar to climbing the M in Motown. The city sleeps from above but in reality it never really does. There is something always happening in Gumi whether I am awake or not. Seeing Cars from above has been compared to seeing "ants marching" in my opinion it is easy for one to get easily lost in the wake of the moment going on. Its at times like these when the pending future of "work tomorrow etc" isn't a concern. These moments are few and far in between and I can be lost in them for all of eternity. too poetic?

actions that I am going through whether at work in my lessons or in my personal life are taking me back to childhood memories of times that are gone. Sometimes good sometimes bad but the truth be known it is sad to me that a fleeting moment passes and will never be so again.

Seeing the leaves change and wither unnerves me. I seek for perfection and capture the essence of truth and the omniscience of the event before it can fall to ruin. This isnt meant to sound depressive because I stand resolved.

I am known to many of my students as fighting teacher. These kids are very introspective but at the same time they dont realize the implications and variances as to why I am dubbed a fighting teacher and to why I seek truth in my struggle or journey, whatever.

So as November continues to develop and the season changes from fall into a cold winter with no snow I am also changing. My house is frigid unfortunately right now and I am going to need to talk to my boss about this because my friend is coming from Japan later this week! It wll be nice to see someone finally.

I need to work hard this week and push myself in order to achieve my dreams.

I am not going to go to Mcdonalds so much anymore. Christina doesnt like it so much -__- and so therefore I will try to eat healthier. I have a collection of 4 mugs from the Happy Meal in the morning.

I dont like supporting Mcdonalds the evil axis of American capital and greed but its nice to kill an hour before work.

So with the closure of another week behind me I will write about my harrowing escape in my next post as well as the fact that I am steadily approaching 6 months in this rock. I can't believe it. I have worked every single day except Sundays and the hoiday vacations I have had: Japan, Taiwan and 2 days off extra to boot. Not much time off truthfully. I live to work it would seem.

Things are changing though as the wind continues to howl I seek constant improvement! That being said its time for a break.

I will talk about some of the childhood memories at a later post as well as future agenda's and thoughts. I am waiting for my babe and also Law and Order I am addicted.

Maybe another phase. ..

Phases

Well I am fast approaching 5 months of my time in Korea. It seems like just yesterday I was arriving.


the Early days seem so distant nowadays. The morning was my own. I ate Gim Chee and rice bowls and I would watch a lot of baseball since Minnesota was on the television. I would go to work earlier because I was bored and thought it would make for a good time. Especially because I liked to talk to Christina and learn about Korea. I made calls at the office until I got a phone.


The weather was so hot a sheet was too much and I would sweat walking up the stairs The rain was unbelievably hot. I am now bundled in2 sweatshirts and my thumb feels half frozen.

I was full of energy and ale to try everything at least once. I hiked the Mountain alone and ran it like I used to do in the olden days when I was a kid.

Going to work early was a norm for me. I wasn't expecting so many harsh demand and definitely not outlandish.

I went through a lets get reconnected with old childhood activities. Watching friends and Fresh Prince. These only lasted a week. MASH as well.

I am now involved in a long phase....Watching Law and Order if it ever comes on again. Its a great show...probably my favorite.

Food I went through a Fried Pork Dongas Stage, I went through a lets try anything phase and now I am stuck in 2 of them.
1). The evil arch M Mcdonalds.
2). Fried Chicken
I am pretty sure I am going to die due to problems with the heart.


I enjoy shopping too much even though I seldom do it.

Right now I am also focusing on just doing what I need to do.

I will continue this blog at later time....

Phases I and Phases II later....
I like to write so that's another phase.

Palmer Report

Well its officially the end of the month. Life in Gumi continues to run as normal. Or as close to normal as possible. Its Halloween back home but in the grand scheme of things Halloween doesn't mean anything to people in Korea. In my opinion it also means nothing to me.





I couldnt post the pictures last time so here are some pictures. These are the "Jack o lanterns I carved for class, my darling and a few of the students. more later about those.






So teaching continues to roll. I work 6 days a week 40 +/- hours a week and teach 29 classes. I email kids who never write me back. I make 4 tests which are unfortunately difficult. The kids always cheat and there really is no stopping them. Truth be known-the kids are for money I think. There are 150 kids I see. I see kids come and go faster than anything. Its hard to have a clear cut path or method of teaching when kids are "dropping like flies on honey" Somehow I get through it. Its not great when D is lurking around either. Eavesdropping on my classes doesnt help me out.


I have prepared supplimentary material for the kids to understand and participate and rarely does this help. My kids are from kindergarten to nearly high school. I have a favorite class and always love teaching them. Unfortunately I no longer can have them 3 times a week.

I have no realized the problems existing at work need to change soon or its going to get worse. My friend is quitting at the end of the month...this will cause some indefinite change. I can't wait to see. I hope it isn't bad. End all be all...Work is work no matter where it is and what I am doing ...The good the bad and the Ugly.


I am looking forward to the coming of the weekend...my one day off and I am not going to do much of anything other than relax and reflect on the happenings of the week.

Halloween party, Pizza Hut, Mcdonalds everyday(pretty much) and working around the clock highlight this month.

November is going to be more promising I am sure.



Other aspects of my life. Seeing my baby's face Smile turns a awful day into bliss.

I have to get ready for work but I will write more later to anyone who cares to read.

Halloween Special

Welcome to the 5th Floor of the Yale Hagwan. Its apparently a second mini Yale Academy. All this week Christina, Myself and the secretary a.k.a Librarian decorated my house. I was really angry because Mr. Jeong didnt even ask me if I wanted to have a party. This is a work party simply for the kids. To make it worse my boss didnt even show up.
This just meant a lot of extra work for Christina and I on Saturday after work. I was tired and truthfully dont want to be around kids unless I absolutely have to. 6 days of work and 8 hours a day is plenty. I like my privacy.

Maybe its a Korean custom but I am not the neatest person in the world. I live for the time being and sometimes clean when I get around to it. I dont have the work ethic of Koreans and personally its going to kill me if I dont slow down.

My attitude about work is going to get easier. As my friends (who never read this) would say: That's Nick Palmer and he does things his way. The theory of getting eaten alive by the "real World" doesnt exist. There is no real world.

Here are some pictures of the crazy twirps. oh how am I going to explain twirps. ?? oh well.
how about dippy dutzes?

Dealing with The Arch M

Mcdonalds has become my lifestyle for the Month of September-October. This isnt very good. Its my new Food For Thought. I dont think I should do this but its the only place I know which gives me coffee.

The cofee is too strong though for me nowadays. What would Gommy Say?

Anyways, I saw a few foreigners. Its so strange for me to say and even admit this but I can't see Foreigners in the same light that I did before I came here. I dont interact much because my influence is limited to a small area.

Its always a shock to me to see foreigners because I dont see many people. They all know my place though~ oh, Kat's old job I get you. I dont throw any wild parties though unlike Kat.


My house is completely different. Apparently other parties can take place though even though I want to enjoy the weekend.

Well I am discovering I have a crazy habit of always wanting to write. I shouldn't write so much because I need to focus on other things and do as people have said and try to "soak up this Korean experience" I have a huge problem. I am addicted to the infamous Arch M. Every morning I fraternize myself with the people at Mcdonalds and eat a hearty meal of Egg Mcmuffin. I swore an oath I would never sell myself to a Corporate and now I have. Its becoming my new Food For Thought. Its quite a shame actually. I get free food though sometimes. Mcdonalds girl is really nice to me. Koreans either really like me, strongly dislike me or are indifferent. Unfortunately in my experience the hate is stronger. I have resolved myself not to eat at Mcdonalds in November as much anyways. I need to expand my horizons and seek out new places. My attitude has taken a new adjustment as well. I am not to fond of Gumi. It is too small and its too conservative for me. People are entitled to thier beliefs about how they feel about a foreigner. However, I am changing to accept this for what it is. I am believing that I have only looked at the negatives and I am not realizing that there is much more that I am capable of doing or can do later. I am here to teach Korea English and I am wanting to take away as much from Korea as they take from me. Teaching is a giving and taking relationship. I am not seeing that much. This weekend I am having a Halloween party at my house. Its not my idea. Its for work. The truth of the matter was that I wasn't even asked about it and its just a business scam. My boss will post pictures in the newsletter in order to promote the Academy. "If I cover the blood soaked walls, does that mean the blood is gone?" When will people think about people first and money second. I have seen so many kids come and go from this Hagwan or school that its a joke. I want to teach the kids not spoon feed them. I have to get ready for work now. Its my easy day and I am going to finish and have my special dinner of Chicken "all you can eat" and some beer for a party of 1...or I guess I will do that tomorrow...