It's Been...One Week...

So I've officially been at my new job for one week, and let me tell you, it feels like it's been much longer. I don't have tons of time to write this post, so I'll try to cover all the important parts quickly.

My new apartment is brand new, so it's very clean and shiny. The only problem is, it's so new that there's no furniture besides the bed. I was supposed to get some this weekend, but for whatever reason my boss wasn't able to get it to me. I'm sitting on the floor with my laptop propped up by a box as I write this. It's not comfortable. My clothes are still sitting in suitcases too, which makes them harder to sort through. I hope that whenever I do finally get furniture there's enough of it for my needs.

The kids at the new school love me, and the material I teach them is pretty basic. The only problem is that there seems to be a wider variety of English levels within the classes. In the youngest kindergarten class there's a really smart boy who answers every question as if it were too easy, and there's another who does nothing but try to play the whole time. As far as I can tell, he barely knows any English. At my old school there were definitely kids who were better than others, but for the most part they at least understood English.

Everyone here has an English name they go by rather than their real Korean name. I've got most of the kids' names down, but I still have to check with them sometimes.

Naju is a small town, so the atmosphere is much different than big-city Gwangju. I love how peaceful it is here. There's a main road outside my window, but there's still very little noise. The downside to being in a small town, however, is that I'm under more of a microscope. I'm not allowed to wear shorts outside the house because I have to present a good image for the school. I'm also required to interact more with people while I'm at school. I want to do the best I can, but it can be hard sometimes. Stores close earlier here too, which is a change I wasn't expecting.

I'm still learning how to teach here, because it requires a much different style than before. Instead of standing in front of a classroom with desks, I now spend most of my day sitting at a big table, and the classes come and go. Each class session is only half an hour long too, and I don't have to give them homework, so that's nice. By the end of the week I had already somewhat gotten the hang of it, so I think there's hope for me yet.

Tomorrow begins my second week, so hopefully, now that I'm more experienced, it'll be less stressful than the first one.

The End of a Chapter

Yesterday I officially worked my last day at my first school. It was an emotional day, as I said goodbye to the many students I love dearly and the best job I've had to date. I managed to get through the farewell party without crying, so that was a relief.

It was kind of disappointing when I tried to give certain students individual goodbyes and they were too busy ignoring me to listen. I guess we teachers are just a dime a dozen to them. I was successful with my oldest class though. I decided to give them all caricature-type drawings of themselves, which got plenty of laughs. I thought the pictures were pretty good, considering I had to give myself a crash course on caricature drawing through the internet during the week. Tom Richmond's blog was a big help.

I'll look back at my time here with fond memories, and I'm also excited about my next position. I'm told the kids are looking forward to meeting me, which I reciprocate.

I was supposed to go to my new job this morning, but I got a call saying the director was sick, and she wanted to know if I could wait until tomorrow to be picked up. I was OK with it, because it gave me some time to relax after the long day I had yesterday, plus more time to pack.

So anyway, here I am now, writing this blog post. To end on a fun note, here are my favorite quotes from my time at this school:

진수: Do you think I am handsome?
Me: Huh?
진수: Do you think I am handsome?
Me: You don't say "handsome" for girls, you say "pretty."
재경: Teacher, she's asking if you think you are handsome.
Me: Oh, me? Well, I don't know. I suppose I'm moderately good-looking. (to 진수) Do you think I'm handsome?
진수: No.

Me: What's the first thing you remember doing on the internet?
경진: Click click click.

Me: What do you think your life would've been like 100 years ago?
경은: Bad.
Me: Oh, because Japan would've been controlling your country?
경은: Yes, and no cell phone.

Me: Germany built six concentration camps in Poland. Do we all know what concentration camps are?
인학: Yes, death camps.
준성: Killing camp.
영민: Goodbye camp.

Me: Don't touch. 만지지마.
지우: You know Korean?
Me: Yes.
지우: Say "나는 바보."
Me: 지우는 바보.

Me: Quiet, Motormouth.
진우: Motormouth. Ha ha, I am Motormouth.

Me: Which countries have oil?
석: The United Kingdom!
Me: Yes!
석: And Norway!
Me: Yes! 석, you're good!
석: And Denmark!
Me: (Sigh) No, not Denmark. 석, you're bad again.
석: Why???

경민: Teacher, mouse is very ugly.

이삭: (picks the #10 card) Awww!
Me: Aw, well don't worry, 이삭. You get to be #1 next time.
이삭: Ha ha ha!

Me: A liter is a unit of measurement. You can have one liter, two liters, three liters...
재영: One liter, two liter, three liter Indians...

인하's pattern sheet: I can't wear a subway.

경민 and 지형's test sheets: Geese are my family.

다운's pattern sheet: My brother is not liked by his "girlfriends."

범창's sentence sheet: I deplore Ian-teacher.

상혁: Your name is... (writes "IIan tteacher")

진우 (with English accent): Will you please shut up?

범창's test notebook: Some people like lock music and others like rape.

준성 (to 인학): Your house is five floor.

진우: You raise me up, so I can kill you...

유빈: I don't like this book.

수아: I am not little puppy!

인하: You speak Korean! You lose points!

Me: Be quiet!
상원: No, this is echolocation!

진우: Can I have some hand appetizer?

다연: Your hair is crazy.

세린 (pointing to picture of a vampire bat): This is Ian-teacher!

동건: Democracy!

Me: Do you know Africa?
세린: Ah, the people are...(draws stick figure with filled-in head on the board)...this!

인하's journal: His mission is very hard to clear, but Hunt can clear it because he has a good body.

지민: Elephant jelly in hamburger!

경수: Go away! Forever!

상혁: Teacher! Her brother is Chinese people and her sister is Japanese people!
다연: No! They are Korean people!

인하: (to a baby crying outside the window): Excuse me! Will you please shut up?

A Life-Changing Year

On May 30, 2011 I got off a plane and stepped onto the ground of a continent I'd never previously trodden. I was optimistic about my future, but at the same time, I was bewildered. Here I was in a foreign country all by myself, set to do a job I had no previous experience in. Everything around me was strange, and there was a part of me that couldn't help but wonder "what am I doing here?" All I knew about Korea was from reading, which, while helpful, surely was no substitute for firsthand experience.

It's hard to believe how much has changed since that fateful first day. When I first started I had to absorb so much stuff at my new job that I could barely keep up with it all. A part of me wishes I could go back and relive those days, just so I could see all the stuff I missed in the whirlwind of events. During my first month a lot of stuff probably changed right before my eyes without my realizing it. I'm sure I'd be amazed at how different this place was when I first started.

After a year I feel I can truly say I've experienced a different culture (more so than the "cross-cultural experience" that was required of me in college allowed me to), and while I'm nowhere close to having a complete understanding of it, I think I'm learning how to observe it thoughtfully and gain a better feel for it.

One discovery I've made since I've been here is the writing of Theodore Dalrymple. Discovering a writer might seem minor by some people's standards, but for me, it's been deeply meaningful. In my lonely, often isolated existence here, his work has been at times a source of comfort, and in addition, it's so fascinating that it often leaves me awestruck. One piece that I found particularly spellbinding was How to Read a Society, from the Spring 2000 edition of City Journal. In it, he discusses the writings of two 19th Century Frenchmen: the Marquis de Custine and Alexis de Tocqueville, who traveled and analyzed foreign cultures. Custine's analysis of Russia in 1839 was particularly interesting, and it foreshadowed the Soviet Union remarkably. Dalrymple's commentary sums it up well:

Whether describing a building or a social institution, Custine never lost sight of, for him, the key question: what was its effect upon the minds of men? For Custine, man was above all a thinking, conscious being: not even despotism could negate that. Without understanding the thoughts of the population, you could understand nothing about Russia, and its future would remain inexplicable to you.

While my attempts to understand Korean society have always taken a psychological approach, this article made me think about how even seemingly trivial things can give clues. I don't feel I've made any mind-blowing discoveries, but I do feel that keeping my eyes open is helping me to make sense of what I see.

There was one thing that particularly stood out to me as an example of differing cultural outlooks, which I hadn't read about beforehand. To demonstrate, I think it might be good to first look at the movie Dead Poets Society. I'll assume my reader has seen it (because if he hasn't, he should), otherwise I'll include the standard warning of "spoilers ahead!"

Quick and dirty synopsis: The movie is about a group of boys attending a prestigious boarding school called Welton Academy, and how their lives are changed by an unconventional yet inspirational English teacher named John Keating. Several boys' stories are shown, but the one I want to focus on is Neil.

Neil, like the other boys in the group, is spurred to action by Keating's motto: Carpe diem! ("Seize the day"). When he hears about auditions for a stage production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, he decides to try out, as acting was something that had always interested him. There's only one problem: he has a strict father who doesn't approve of his son acting. He expects his son to become a doctor, and wants nothing distracting him from that goal. We learn that part of the reason for this is because Neil's father isn't a wealthy man, and he made a lot of sacrifices to send Neil to Welton. In that light, his father's actions are understandable, but we still feel bad for Neil.

Despite his father's disapproval, Neil continues ahead with the play, and when his father finds out, he's as furious as you would expect. He pulls Neil out of Welton in order to send him to military school, which leads a heartbroken Neil to commit suicide.

The message of this storyline (and really, the movie itself) is that people need to be able to follow the passions in their hearts, or they'll end up dead (either physically or internally). To a Western audience, such a message isn't terribly radical. After all, right or wrong, the values of individualism and personal happiness have become tenets of our cultural mentality. We understand why Neil's father was so tough on him, but when we see Neil's tragic fate, the message is clear: Neil should've been allowed to choose for himself what he wanted.

I'd like to contrast that with a work of fiction from Korea. Remember Spring Day? Yeah, I just reread my recap of it and I'd forgotten a lot of the things I mentioned in it. One of the plotlines in it is relevant to this discussion, so again, if you haven't seen it you're getting another spoiler warning (though truthfully, watching Spring Day shouldn't be high on anyone's priority list).

One of the characters in Spring Day is a young man named Eun-Seop. He's a doctor, but he hates his job. The only reason he became a doctor is because his father pushed him down that path. He has a passion though: jazz music. He would love to be a jazz musician, except he has that darn doctor job standing in his way.

Sounds similar to Neil's story, doesn't it? A father pushed his son to be a doctor, while his true passions were artistic in nature. When I first started watching the drama I just knew that he'd end up quitting his doctor job and finding true happiness with a syncopated rhythm. There was no doubt in my mind. After all, that was how it always went in America. If your current situation leaves you wanting, then you trade it for one that won't. It's either that or suicide ("it's such a strange strain on you..." Sorry, I had to throw in that Cheap Trick reference).

The only thing is...that wasn't how the story played out. Rather than ditching the stethoscope in favor of an upright bass, Eun-seop gradually applied himself more at his job and learned to make the best of his situation. In fact, his position as a doctor was what allowed him get the girl at the end (no, she wasn't a gold digger. Her small town needed a doctor, and he was able to fill the role).

To be fair, you can probably find Korean stories that follow the "American" pattern and vice versa, and it's possible that the writers of the drama originally intended for him to follow his jazz dreams (these dramas go through several rewrites over the course of their runs). It was surprising to me though, how the direction of the story belied my expectation.

Perhaps one factor is the high level of respect for the medical profession in Korea. Doctors are so revered here that it's possible they wouldn't want to portray the job as ultimately undesirable. It's commonly known that a high percentage of Korean-Americans become doctors or lawyers, and even in Korea many parents would love to see their kids go into those lines of work. Considering the country has only come out of poverty in the last 50 years or so, the older generations know how valuable financial security is, so they push their children into high-paying jobs like that.

Along those same lines though, I think, is perhaps a more important factor: Korea as a culture is less elevating of the individual's desires than the West. Let me illustrate.

At the kindergarten graduation ceremony last February, each kid gave an introduction saying "My name is __________ and I want to be a ___________." Three of the eight filled in the second blank with "doctor." Of course, it's more likely that their parents are the ones who want them to enter these careers, not they themselves. Two of my older students have talked about their futures as doctors as well. With one of them, he was talking about how good he was at soccer and I asked if he wanted to be a soccer player when he grew up. He said "No, my mother says I have to be a doctor."

Many Westerners might think that sounds cruel and spirit-crushing, but it almost seems as though these kids really feel like it's their destiny to follow the path their parents have set out for them. They seem resigned to it without any particular bitterness. If you're a Korean kid, your parents are going to force their will on you, and honoring it is just what you do.

This phenomenon has recently been dubbed "tiger parenting" thanks to a provocative excerpt published last year in the Wall Street Journal. The author, a Chinese-American woman named Amy Chua, discusses the parenting style she inherited from her own parents, which is common in Korea as well. It's a matter of pushing kids to be their best, and believing in them enough not to accept anything less. Some might criticize it, but it gets results, as Korea's rapid ascent can attest.

I see it myself with how my boss disciplines her two sons, and from hearing my students tell their stories. I read a journal entry from one girl where she talked about how her parents yelled at her for getting a bad score on a test. They claimed she didn't study hard enough, which made her want to cry. She also said in that entry that she hates studying with her father because he yells at her and she wants to hit him, but she can't because he's her father. I get the impression that her father is a tough man, because that girl's younger brother has suggested at various times that his father is scary.

While my native culture would side more with the Dead Poets Society view of personal autonomy, I don't think the Koreans' cultural outlook is wrong. After all, why do people have children? They want to contribute to the future. They want to know that after they're gone their genes will live on, and they hope that the great people of tomorrow will be connected to them in some way. A culture that understands that and honors it is a wise one.

In Confucian principles the concept of loyalty to family is called filial piety. That idea really resonated with me when I first read about it, because it seems to be in line with how I live my life. While perhaps I haven't always acted like it, I've always wanted to honor my parents and not be a failure in their eyes, because I can only imagine how heartbreaking it is to be the parent of a child who strays from the values he was raised with and disrespects the sacrifices that were made for him. The last thing I want to do is break my parents' hearts, and I'm always happy to know when they're proud of me. I don't know if I'll ever have children, but if I do, I hope they respect me in the same way.

Since I'm not Korean, I don't know what tiger parenting is like from an insider's perspective, and I can't really tell you what happens when the child fails to live up to expectations. I can only imagine that it's difficult for both parents and children (and most of us know about South Korea's high suicide rate, though I don't know that the rate among teens is significantly different than the U.S.'s). I am a bit concerned about one of the kindergarteners I mentioned above who expressed his desire to be a doctor. He's a really sweet kid, and really funny too, but if I'm being completely honest, I don't know if he has what it takes to be a doctor. He's always been one of the slower kids in class, though he does seem to try very hard. I think he'd make a great actor or comedian (shades of Neil again), but given the instability of show business, it's unlikely that many parents would choose that route for their child. I can only hope that if it becomes clear that he's not destined for a career as a doctor, this boy's parents will be understanding and help him find a more realistic path.

I guess a lot of what I've written here isn't about how the last year has impacted me, and more an opportunity to muse about culture. Perhaps I should wrap it up with some final thoughts.

I've spent most of my life wandering, too afraid to take any bold steps or go after opportunities. I don't know what life has in store for me, but whatever happens, I know that I can be proud of myself, because I've spent this last year doing something worthwhile that makes me feel like my existence is justified. Some people are cynical about what I do for a living, including many people who do it themselves. They think it's just an easy money job that most any minimally-qualified native English speaker could do. I don't look at it that way. I see it as an opportunity to help children have a better future, and I view that as a big responsibility.

Am I a good teacher? It depends on what you mean by "good." I think that as far as form and whatnot goes, I still need a lot of work. I'm not the best at controlling classrooms or communicating things clearly. I'll be the first to admit that my teaching is still a work in progress. If by "good" you mean dedicated and honest, then I believe I am. Even my coworkers have told me they think I have a good heart, which is certainly meaningful to me. I value my character, and while I can never be perfect, I want to strive to live the best I can. I hope that when my students sit in my class they can see that I really do care about them.

I've now spent one year doing a job that's given me tons of stress and frequent frustration. I put my heart and soul into it, and the decision was still made not to renew my contract once it expired. I've spent many moments lonely and isolated by both the country I'm a foreigner in and the differing attitudes of my fellow foreigners. On the surface it sounds like my year was ultimately a failure, but I can't see it as anything but a success. Here's to continued success in my next year.

Changes

It's been a while since I've updated this blog, so I guess I'm about due to throw something up here.

For starters, some of you may not have heard, but my current school decided not to renew my contract. Fortunately, I won't be unemployed for long, as I've lined up my next job. I won't be in Gwangju anymore, but a little bit south in a smaller town called Naju. There'll be more kindergarten teaching, which seems to be a strong point for me, and hopefully a better fit for my abilities. I'm starting as soon as I finish here in a month, so it looks like I won't be able to make a trip home this year. For all the family members missing me, believe me, I miss you too.

Second, my crappy old laptop finally gave out on me at the beginning of this month (seriously, it was on May 1), and I finally got around to buying a new one. I decided to get a brand new one here in Korea, as I'd be able to get service for it if I needed to, and it would be built for this country's specifications. So far I'm not regretting the choice, as this thing runs like a champ (it did act weird on me one time, but I'm hoping that was either a fluke or something that can be easily fixed). I was a little frustrated to find that I apparently hadn't backed up certain files from my old laptop, ones I could've sworn I had. Perhaps it's still possible to retrieve them from the old hard drive, but I don't need to worry myself with that right now.

Some of you may know that karaoke was something that always looked fun to me, but I never had the occasion to participate in it. In Korea their version of karaoke is called noraebang (노래방), which means "song room." It's literally a room where a group can hang out and sing karaoke songs, and I've been wanting to try it ever since I got here.

I still haven't been to one of those, but a friend of mine showed me an arcade where they have a long row of booths along the wall. It turns out that these are just small boxes that are big enough for only a few people. However, there's a karaoke machine in each one, and you can stay as long as you want. I've made it my weekend ritual to visit this arcade and sing some songs. It's quite addictive. Some people might be surprised that I manage to have so much fun by myself, but when you're a social misfit you learn how, and it's not really a big deal. I made my first song "Daydream Believer" in honor of Davy Jones, and I've performed it every time I've been there. The only other song I've done each time is "이젠 그랬으면 좋겠네." Jo Yong Pil (조용필) is such a great artist.

Work is stressful as always, but it's still something I love and take pride in. I was disappointed at first when I learned that my school didn't want to keep me, but now I'm looking forward to the new town and new teaching experience that awaits me. If this new job is better for me than my current one is, I have nothing to be sad about, except the fact that it'll be hard for me to say goodbye to the kids and co-workers I love so much.

Ballgame #2

Several years back I read a thread on a baseball message board where the members were talking about going to baseball games alone. Ever since then, I wondered what it would be like. Since I didn't have to go to work yesterday, I decided that the time was right for me to try it.

If you recall, last time I went I took three of my students with me. This time I didn't have to keep an eye on any kids, so I was able to do whatever I wanted. Quite frankly, it was freeing. I was able to take in the entire experience and pay close attention to the game. I also got a good seat because I arrived at the ballpark an hour before game time. I was in the seats above the home dugout, which is where all the cheers are led from. It was fun being part of a big, mad mass of KIA Tiger rooters.

I think the baseball experience in Korea is reminiscent of the early days of MLB. The fans are really into the game, and they even sing songs and do special cheers for every starter (though they do seem to have some generic cheers that can be appropriated for more obscure players). Many of the cheer songs use the melodies to other songs, such as "Smoke on the Water," "Mamma Mia," "Pretty Woman," "Saturday Night" (at least I think that's what it was. The Bay City Rollers classic has a very popular melody) and "La Bamba." Their second baseman's cheer is even done over the main synth riff to Jang Yoon-Jeong's "사랑아," which I recognized instantly.

Here's a video so you can get a feel for it yourself:

If you have a sharp ear you might catch my comments, including an imitation of the umpire from Ken Griffey Junior Presents Major League Baseball: "Foul!" The Tigers' first baseman was actually a former Cub, Choe Hui-Seop (as I prefer to romanize it), better known as Hee Seop Choi to America. You can see him get an RBI groundout in the above video (he's #23).

Both starting pitchers were actually American. The Tigers' starter was Anthony Lerew, formerly of the Braves and Royals, while the Lotte Giants' starter was a former San Francisco Giant, Ryan Sadowski. Neither one was particularly good, though the same could be said for pretty much any pitcher in yesterday's game.

Check out the final scoreboard:

Perhaps it's difficult to read, but the Giants scored 11 runs on 16 hits, one error and 7 walks. The Tigers scored 7 runs on 11 hits, one error and 16 walks. Besides poor run prevention, the thing that killed the Tigers was stranded baserunners. How do you get on base 25 times and only score 7 runs?

Some memorable moments? There were several in this slugfest:

Tigers' starting right fielder Shin Jong-Gil misplaying the first batter of the game's drive into a leadoff triple. He would be removed after striking out in his first at-bat.

Choe Hui-Seop getting casually tagged out by the catcher when trying to score from second on a bases-loaded single.

Back-to-back homers from Giants Bak Jong-Yoon and Gang Min-Ho.

Two middle-aged men sitting near me starting chants when a certain Giant player came up to bat (I'm not sure if I was hearing them correctly, as my understanding and comprehension of Korean is obviously limited, but I believe these chants were insulting in nature), eventually stopping when another man came over and hit them with one of his Thunderstix. It was all in good fun, but it seemed like things were getting nasty when the Giant player got hit with a pitch during their chant.

A Tiger batter coming up with the bases loaded and hitting a long drive to the right field corner that just barely landed foul. Everyone around me was cheering as if it had been fair, but I was confused, because it looked foul to me the second it hit the ground. I was wondering if my eyes had deceived me until everyone settled down and realized it had been called foul.

Every time it seemed like the Tigers were getting close, the Giants would open up the gap again. During the seventh and eight innings, a lot of people left. Being a true baseball fan though, I stuck it out to the end, along with many other diehards, and we were nearly rewarded.

As you can see by the line score above, the Tigers lost by four, but they scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs they actually had the bases loaded, meaning a home run would tie it. The Tigers sent up pinch-hitter Jeong Sang-Gyo, who hit a deep warning-track drive that looked like it was going to go for a few seconds before landing in the left-fielder's glove. Ah well. It was fun while it lasted.

Earlier today I watched highlights of the game on TV. I kept going "yeah, I remember that," except I was seeing it from a different angle. I have to say that watching baseball on TV is much different than watching it live. On TV everything seems to happen so quickly, but at the ballpark every time the bat makes contact with the ball is a moment of tension. Will it fall for a hit? Will it get through the infield? You just don't know. It's more exciting that way.

Even though my team lost, it was one of the best days at the ballpark I've ever had. It was fun to have a baseball outing all to myself. Maybe if I get the chance I'll do it again sometime.

My Day as Ron Santo

This Saturday I did a little traveling, and I also got to live out some athletic fantasies as well. All in all, it was one of the most eventful days I've had in Korea. Ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start from the beginning...

A few weeks ago I talked to this guy at church who told me he and some of his friends get together about once a month to play baseball in the city where he used to work. I told him I'd never been much of an athlete, and that my last several experiences playing sports had been bad, so I'd quit trying to pretend I belonged on a field. He in turn told me that their games were friendly and informal, and that no one cared if you weren't good. Second base was a beer cooler, and the ball was a tennis ball, so it was far from meeting any sort of official regulations. I told him if that was the case, then I'd be willing to announce my unretirement from all athletic endeavors.

Last week I talked to him again, and he told me that they were planning to play this weekend, so I told him I was in. I went for coffee with another friend of mine after church that same day, and he'd been asking me to play catch with him for some time. I went out and bought an inexpensive mitt so we could play catch, and it worked out well, because I was able to use it for the game on Saturday.

I had to wake up early on Saturday so that we could catch an 8:30 bus. It was my first trip to the bus terminal since I first arrived in town. I had no idea the terminal was right by a big shopping mart I frequently visit. Shows you how much I get around this city.

It turned out that my friends (the guy and his wife) had some friends whose young son was in the hospital, and we were going to have to make a detour to visit him first. I was cool with that, because after all, some things are more important than baseball. The boy is apparently doing better since he's been in the hospital, but his situation is still unpredictable. I hope the little guy gets back to full health. He seemed like a nice kid.

We thought we would miss the beginning of the game due to the detour we took, but fortunately, we didn't. After we got off the bus we ran into some other people who were on their way to the game, and about nine of us walked up the mountain together to the field, where they hadn't begun playing yet.

This field was actually a sand lot soccer field next to a school, and it had tons of wide open space for us to play on. As my friend told me, the ball was a tennis ball, and second base was a beer cooler. We had more than nine players per side, and the pitcher was actually a member of the batting team (who would let someone else pitch when his turn in the order came up).

You want to talk about a loose game? I'll give you loose. Some of the conditions we played under were as follows:

• Most of the people there were drinking, so their alertness and coordination weren't at 100%.
• Several of the players were girls or foreigners from non-baseball-playing countries, and they had only a basic knowledge of the rules.
• Running from second base was optional, and hence, there was no force at third. Yes, it was patently ridiculous.
• We frequently forgot the batting order, so for simplicity's sake we'd just decide who was batting right then and there.
• On many plays there was no catcher (because there were concrete steps right behind home plate to serve as a backstop, and the catchers would frequently take breaks), so runs would score because there was no one covering home.
• Breaks between side changes often lasted 10 minutes or so (which was kind of frustrating for a gamer like me, but I was a good sport about it, because it was only semi-competitive).
• A few players on each side wouldn't have gloves when their team was fielding.
• There were no pitches called for balls (since there was no umpire), so you couldn't draw a walk. You either hit the ball or struck out. A pitch could only be called a strike if you swung and missed.
• A ball hit off the school wall was an automatic homer.
• The ball had to be hit past the pitcher or it was basically counted the same as a foul ball. Of course, since the pitcher would be a member of the batting team, he wouldn't actually field his position.

Yes, this game would've made an umpire cry. How did I do? Surprisingly (or perhaps unsurprisingly, as I was one of the few not consuming alcohol), I played pretty well on both sides of the ball. My memories might be boring to those who weren't there or don't care about baseball, but doggone it, I had a great time, and I want to brag just a little.

Hitting:

I got several hits, and being a switch-hitter, I batted whichever way I felt like at the time. It was actually cool to realize I was one of the few people there who could bat reasonably well from both sides. Being a natural righty, I have a smoother swing from that side, but I was able to do OK lefty. I'm pretty sure my official batting record would've been 3-for-5, with one time reaching base on an error (there were tons of errors in this game, more on that later). For that error I actually made it to second on a dropped infield popup and later scored. I think the out I made was a flyout.

I batted lefty the first two times up, and I got singles both times. The second was actually a weak roller down the first base line that I beat out, but I was willing to get on base any way I could. The third time up I batted righty and hit a line drive through the infield for a single. Unfortunately, I was the only member of my team to reach base that inning.

While I would've liked to get some extra-base hits, I didn't embarrass myself, so I'm happy. After the game ended we all hung around the field for a while. Some of the guys had an informal soccer match, and some of us other guys took batting practice. I practiced hitting from both sides, and I drilled them a lot farther than I did in the game. Perhaps next time I'll send 'em deeper.

Fielding:

Honestly, I had more fun fielding than I did batting. I wasn't needed at catcher, as there were plenty of girls who were more suited for it, and I didn't want to play the outfield due to the fact that I've always found it boring. The truth was, I'd always wanted to be...a third baseman! I told them that in tribute to Ron Santo I wanted to play the hot corner (though I was wearing my Expos cap, so perhaps I was more like Tim Wallach).

As I came to find out, third base is one of the most important positions on the field under the rules we use. Most of the players batted righty, and double plays were practically unheard of, so the second baseman (or more accurately, the people playing in the vicinity of the second base cooler) didn't carry a heavy defensive burden. All the first baseman had to do usually was catch throws from the right side of the infield.

I should get it out of the way that I made more errors than I could count, but errors were so frequent in this game that it was no big deal. The other fielders made errors just as frequently as I did, so no one was pointing the finger at me. Tennis balls are actually pretty hard to field properly. A regular hardball is heavy, so you can feel it hitting your glove and grip it just the right way. The tennis ball, on the other hand, is so light that you can't always be sure it's in your glove. There was one play where I could've sworn I'd fielded the ball cleanly, but when I went to throw it I found my glove empty.

The first batter of the game hit the ball right through my legs, but I shook it off and kept playing. I believe it was later in the inning when another grounder came my way, and I threw out the runner at first base. I remembered what my father told me about focusing on the throw, not the runner, and I can honestly say it helped me not to botch the play. There was also a runner rounding third that I threw out at home on a relay from the outfield, which was pretty exciting. Some people called it the play of the game, though in a regular game it would've been pretty routine.

I also caught several pop-ups, including one where I had to go into foul territory to make it. Seemingly inconsequential, perhaps, but given how many pop-ups were dropped in this game, it made me useful. I made an unassisted double play too, because there was a girl on third who didn't understand the rule about tagging up, so I caught a pop-up and stepped on third to end the inning.

That "no-force-at-third" rule was another reason I had to be on my toes. I was in the middle of several controversies because the rule was so bizarre as to be alien to the average baseball thinker. When there were two men who'd stopped at third, I assumed that because running from second was optional, and you could have as many people on second as you wanted, that the same rule applied to third. Nope, it turned out they were messing with me. Since I'd assumed they were both safe, I didn't bother to tag either one, so when one of them broke for home (and no one was covering the plate,) there was nothing I could do but let him score.

On another play there was a girl who reached third safely, though they weren't sure if I'd tagged her before she reached the base (I'm nearly certain she was safe). Not paying attention though, she stepped off the bag when I still had the ball and I tagged her out. We settled it through rock-paper-scissors, which I won. It's nice to know I was credited with a putout for throwing paper.

My fielding went down the drain in the second half, probably because I was getting tired and my muscles were starting to ache, but like I said, everyone else was just as bad. Our team took a two-run lead in the top half of what we declared would be the last inning, but we blew it. We actually had the lead with two outs but were unable to hold it. There was a point in the inning where I caught the ball and tagged a guy, but he successfully knocked it out of my glove, which allowed him to score. It just wasn't our day, but hey, we all had fun.

The original plan was to take the bus home that evening, but my friends convinced me to spend the night, as one of their friends allowed them to crash at his apartment. We bought toothbrushes at a nearby convenience store for our dental needs. I didn't have a change of clothes though, so it didn't feel very nice to wear the same dirty clothes two days in a row. At least I was able to shower and change once I got back the next morning, right before heading out to church. Man, was I tired though. After church I spent the remainder of Sunday resting.

Overall, it was a great experience, and I hope I'll be able to do it again.

Life in My 30's

As my readers know, I had a birthday in the past week. If there's anyone who sent me a birthday wish that I didn't acknowledge, I'm thanking you now. I'm glad you had me on your mind on the day I turned 30. The question on everyone's mind now, I'm sure, is "did you have a good birthday?" I'm just going to be honest and say that my birthday wasn't anything special.

March 1 is a national holiday in Korea, so I didn't have to teach any classes. However, March 1 also marks the beginning of the new school year in Korea, so there was a special orientation for the small kids entering kindergarten. We foreign teachers were expected to come in at 3:00 just so that the parents could see us and we could briefly introduce ourselves. Since there was no need to wake up early though, I stayed up a little late the night before.

My decision to forgo my usual attempted bedtime sent me to my slumber with some sad news: Davy Jones was dead. Davy Jones! More than 45 years after they were put together, one of the Monkees had finally left this earth! I suppose it's more a testament to the band's good fortune than a tragedy, but still! This guy was a member of one of my all-time favorite music groups, and there's no reason he couldn't have given us many more good years! Though the odds of it ever happening were slim, the possibility of me ever meeting him were now zero. It's just a shame. The time has officially passed when all four Monkees are capable of appearing together. All the more reason we should reflect on the joy they gave us. Davy's talent and cheerful spirit will never be forgotten as long as we, his fans, are around to remember it.

On an interesting note, I had been watching some Monkee videos on YouTube just a few days earlier and had almost left a comment about how great it was that all four Monkees were still alive. That would've ended up as one of the most ill-timed comments in the history of the popular website.

Though this isn't related to my birthday, it's along the same lines as Davy Jones' death: In the middle of February I found out that Jani Lane, the lead singer of Warrant, had died in August. I'd missed the news completely, since I hadn't really been keeping up with his career in the last several years. I wasn't completely shocked, as I knew he'd battled drug and alcohol problems, but there's always a part of you that hopes the person's getting his life cleaned up, since you can't personally attest to it. I read a few retrospectives about notable people who'd died in the year 2011, and none of them mentioned Jani Lane. Anyone who knows his work well though (that is, beyond familiarity with the singles), knows he was an immensely talented singer and songwriter, and the only reason he never gets his due among the rock 'n roll "establishment" is because he's seen as some disposable '80s hair band guy. I don't know if he ever knew that his music touched people born a generation too late to be his target audience, but the fact remains that a kid like me, whose age wasn't yet in double digits when his fame peaked, was an admirer of his work. I even played one of his songs on the jukebox at the bowling alley the day before my brother's wedding.

I guess what I'm saying is, it's sad to learn that two of your musical heroes are dead within a month's time.

Anyway, back to my birthday. After we foreign teachers had introduced ourselves at the orientation, we were free to go. Because the next day's schedule hadn't been determined yet though, I felt a sense of duty to my job to stay and see if Mrs. Kim could tell me what I'd be teaching the next day. I ended up staying until the evening, and the schedule didn't get completely determined, but even so, I didn't feel bitter. Even though I was at the office, I didn't have to teach any classes, which is the hardest part of the job. I was able to get a little bit of work done too, so it wasn't a total loss.

Another downer for my birthday was that MLB officially announced that it was expanding the playoffs to 10 teams this year (as opposed to next year). I figured it would happen this year, since MLB is desperate to push through any changes as quickly as possible (shades of Obamacare), but as I've opposed playoff expansion from the beginning, it wasn't exactly something I wanted to think about.

Lest you think otherwise, the idea had entered my mind of doing something special for my birthday. I had mentioned to a girl I knew that my birthday was on March 1, and I was looking for people who might want to do something to celebrate. She didn't seem especially interested, and she said there was a possibility that she might be busy, so I didn't pursue it any further. So much for that plan. It might have been for the best anyway, as I had a slight cold last week, and the rest was probably good for me. I did treat myself to some chicken though.

After writing all this it must sound like I had a disappointing birthday. Don't worry about it. I wasn't really that disappointed. While it might've been fun to do something a little more recreational, I've grown accustomed to being alone, and it would've felt truly odd to spend some quality time with another person at my own initiation. There's always the future, and hopefully then I won't miss out on opportunities to enjoy myself with others.

It's still hard to believe I'm 30. I feel like I'm slowly losing the right to be considered a young person. I think back on how I've changed over the years, and how some of the changes I envisioned in my younger days haven't come to pass. While past versions of myself were vastly different in some ways, I suspect there are as many similarities as there are differences. After 30 years, I guess it's inevitable that I have some sense of who I am, and what qualities I possess that are all but set in stone. I'd like to think that every day I'm getting a little better at living life as myself.