Resolutions, et cetera
~
2004.01.15 22:07 KST (EST + 14 hrs): Suwon, Republic of Korea
It's the start of another new year, and Seoul has seen its second snowfall, complete with icy sidewalks, bundled children and visible breath. Korea's winter is relatively tame compared to the Canadian ones in memory: no two-metre snow banks or iced, hanging branches. Regardless, people still drive their mopeds and sandals in the supermarket are not an uncommon sight. I've stopped asking questions.
Taking it easy on myself, I opted for simple resolutions for 2004 -- this year of lopsided symmetry. First, to finish the last remainder of this Korean professional and financial endeavour and second, to raise the gauge on my total countries visited to fifteen.
The former gets more manageable every day as my students have begun, in the words of a popular modern-day orator, to respect my authority. To be honest, it's more of an earned and balanced respect, which I prefer. This rise in personal job satisfaction is also partially attributable to my recent assignment to teach a specific "listening" module to four distinct groups of students, ranging from the cream to those from the back of the bus. You might be surprised to read that, for me, teaching these segments is truly an excellent challenge that I look forward to it whenever they befall the rotation. I confess: I actually enjoy teaching. As I lecture more and more from this new textbook that doesn't spoon-feed subject matter, seeing eyes open in interest and understanding, I glimpse -- albeit briefly -- at the possibilities of teaching as a career. The percentages are slim, but the thought is a fun one to entertain nonetheless. Thus far, teaching has proven to be a difficult, taxing and ambiguous process made worthwhile by the occasional, momentary flicker of student comprehension. It's truly a beautiful thing.
The latter self-promise of planetary meandering translates into visiting at least four new countries in the next eleven months. Thinking about it, I'll admit that, above the simple appetite of being a geographically global citizen, there's something narcissistic, inflated and overblown about having a sketchbook as a passport. Pasted with visas, scribbled with entry and exit stamps, noted from consulate drop-ins (see: Osaka, Japan: 57 Hours of Turbulence), I never tire of perusing the tattered contents of those twenty-four pages.
And so, in a move akin to an executive decision (a rarity for this Pisces), I opted to spend some hard-earned Won and visit a neighbouring city during none other than January 22nd's Chinese New Year. In one week's time, for three days and nights, I will be breathing in the history of a nation formed nearly 3000 years ago, home to the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City, the Opium Wars, the Boxer Rebellion and Tiananmen Square. From Marco Polo, Genghis Khan and the Ming dynasty to Chiang Kai-shek and General Mao, this Canuck brings his wanderlust to yet another foreign capital, country, and continent.
It was only a matter of time before the backpack saw daylight. Stay tuned for the usual spate of lucid and confused observations from a place called Beijing.
From here to there, Czech it.
S*
Fave current track(s): "The Rollercoaster Ride" - Belle and Sebastian, "Pacific Theme" - Broken Social Scene
Current read(s) in progress: "Beijing" - Lonely Planet, "Adbusters" magazine, "Q" magazine
2004.01.15 22:07 KST (EST + 14 hrs): Suwon, Republic of Korea
It's the start of another new year, and Seoul has seen its second snowfall, complete with icy sidewalks, bundled children and visible breath. Korea's winter is relatively tame compared to the Canadian ones in memory: no two-metre snow banks or iced, hanging branches. Regardless, people still drive their mopeds and sandals in the supermarket are not an uncommon sight. I've stopped asking questions.
Taking it easy on myself, I opted for simple resolutions for 2004 -- this year of lopsided symmetry. First, to finish the last remainder of this Korean professional and financial endeavour and second, to raise the gauge on my total countries visited to fifteen.
The former gets more manageable every day as my students have begun, in the words of a popular modern-day orator, to respect my authority. To be honest, it's more of an earned and balanced respect, which I prefer. This rise in personal job satisfaction is also partially attributable to my recent assignment to teach a specific "listening" module to four distinct groups of students, ranging from the cream to those from the back of the bus. You might be surprised to read that, for me, teaching these segments is truly an excellent challenge that I look forward to it whenever they befall the rotation. I confess: I actually enjoy teaching. As I lecture more and more from this new textbook that doesn't spoon-feed subject matter, seeing eyes open in interest and understanding, I glimpse -- albeit briefly -- at the possibilities of teaching as a career. The percentages are slim, but the thought is a fun one to entertain nonetheless. Thus far, teaching has proven to be a difficult, taxing and ambiguous process made worthwhile by the occasional, momentary flicker of student comprehension. It's truly a beautiful thing.
The latter self-promise of planetary meandering translates into visiting at least four new countries in the next eleven months. Thinking about it, I'll admit that, above the simple appetite of being a geographically global citizen, there's something narcissistic, inflated and overblown about having a sketchbook as a passport. Pasted with visas, scribbled with entry and exit stamps, noted from consulate drop-ins (see: Osaka, Japan: 57 Hours of Turbulence), I never tire of perusing the tattered contents of those twenty-four pages.
And so, in a move akin to an executive decision (a rarity for this Pisces), I opted to spend some hard-earned Won and visit a neighbouring city during none other than January 22nd's Chinese New Year. In one week's time, for three days and nights, I will be breathing in the history of a nation formed nearly 3000 years ago, home to the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City, the Opium Wars, the Boxer Rebellion and Tiananmen Square. From Marco Polo, Genghis Khan and the Ming dynasty to Chiang Kai-shek and General Mao, this Canuck brings his wanderlust to yet another foreign capital, country, and continent.
It was only a matter of time before the backpack saw daylight. Stay tuned for the usual spate of lucid and confused observations from a place called Beijing.
From here to there, Czech it.
S*
Fave current track(s): "The Rollercoaster Ride" - Belle and Sebastian, "Pacific Theme" - Broken Social Scene
Current read(s) in progress: "Beijing" - Lonely Planet, "Adbusters" magazine, "Q" magazine
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