Resuscitation

Sorry guys, I was going to post some new picts but there seems to be a problem, I'll try to get that worked out soon.

Well, the box is gone, as in the box that our stove came in a couple months ago that has been doubling as our table since we moved in. Today it was replaced by a real cafe table (the biggest thing we could realistically fit into our a little place. I'll post some new picts of our apartment soon to give everyone an idea of how we are constrictively living. But it is working out.

I've started working regularly, usually 6 days a week and after long avail, I am now legal. I jaunted over to Seoul last weekend and got my visa along with a little cold. Anyway, as to be expected it feels good to be working again. Even though I'm tallying up 7 day weeks, I"m usually not teaching more than 4 classes a day, I have 3 one day a week and 5 a couple, it varies a bit depending on who cancels out but lately it's been pretty steady. These aren't my permanent classes yet, I'm picking up for teachers on vacation and I'll have a review in a couple weeks and then will hopefully get my regular schedule. For all those I owe a bit of money to, not to worry, my first real paycheck comes in in a few weeks and I'll be starting that long period of paying back all those who have helped me out so much.

In other news, I've met one person and his girlfriend who is cool but because of the dynamic of the city haven't gotten the chance to hang out very much. He did let me know about a rock show last Saturday that was refreshing. The problem with the shows here is that, like this one, it started at 6 in the evening and cost 30 bucks for local bands. Even though only one of the bands was very good the experiences was worth it and I'll try to make it back to some similar events in the near future, money allowing. I've been spending a lot of time at the house, in general getting out even less than I did before. This is the first time I've visited the coffee shop with internet access in almost a month. School demands a bit of time and I've never been the best person to get much done before work even if that time is 6 hours. What I have been doing a lot lately is reading.

Books I need to suggest:
Yukio Mishima Spring Snow: Dickens done through a Japanese lens with a thick knowledge of Japanese history. But, more than that, beautiful writing that is preserved even though translation. I was talking about this book with one of my older students and he regretted that I couldn't read it in Japanese. I understand why, but I was still amazed at how fluid the images were and being far from an expert I think I got a bit of a sense of the how beauty is constructed in Japanese writing with some of the clearest pictures painted to illustrate the smallest details. Eyes are open at all times for this author and he sees so much. This is the first of four books chronicling Japan over the period of about 70 years (from @1900- 1970) before the author killed himself in public, hours after handing in the final copy of the last manuscript. I'm planning on finishing the series out soon but the books here are a bit pricey and trying to find used copies at the stores here is like trying to find Marquez at Half Price, every one in a while you get lucky but usually the staff just laughs. I might pick this up a second time before I even read the next in the series.

Jeffrey Eugenides Middlesex - I picked this up in Korea now knowing quite what to expect. Although I had seen The Virgin Suicides I had never read the book despite countless devotee friends. There was a a 20% discount on all paperbacks and it won the Pulitzer Prize, at almost 600 pages a good bang for the buck. I finished this in just over four days. I've been out of the loop understandably and I guess I missed the hype, my reading selection has bee random at best over the last couple years but I have to say that hands down this stands next to The Corrections as the best book dealing with the real America I have read published in the last decade. Never mind that the story centers around a hermaphrodite outing his/herself, in fact if it wasn't for just one more theme the author was trying to wedge in it isn't even necessary. The book could easily stand on it's own as a novel about confusion coming of age in modern America, negotiating the cultures from which we have come and the reality around us that never sits still. My only minor criticism may be center around the rather energetic ending which I'm not sure if needed although on a second read I might not mind so much. The first half of the book, dealing with Greek immigrants to Detroit after the Turkish/Greek incident over Cyprus could easily stand as its own novel and to me gives us the best characters. Regardless, this is a great book. Jeff, you need to read this, it deals with your city in its former beauty and it's current dilapidation. Teddy, Sam, do yourself a favor and pick this up.

Not sure what else to say as my battery is about to go again. The world seems to be falling to pieces and there doesn't seem that my country has been able to do much to stop it, actually is seems that we're more like confused cheerleaders unknowingly rooting for the wrong team, maybe that is the point. Any solutions anyone? My hope tank sprang a leak a while back and it seems to be growing, plugging it seems as likely as thinking it will all be fixed by the time Bush is out of office. London hit a second time, albeit with no causalities aside from the innocent man who was chased down and gunned down point blank (Sign of the times?) Things are rough in Egypt and Iraq news is rarely anything but expanding body counts. The can't even keep the leaders alive who are supposed to be able to help guide us out of this all. And what do the great leaders back home have to say against this all? As far as I have read, not much of consequence. We can't cut and run, we know that, the bomb we built has a higher chance of going out if we do that. But hope, guidance, leadership? I still haven't been impressed by much. If any of you know something I don't let me know. I don't want to become the typical American with my head in the sand, pretending it will all fix itself if we ignore it, but lately, out of ideas myself and not hearing much of consequence from back home (criticism yes, but I got myself for that. Leadership and original alternatives? Not much) I have a lot of books and a relationship to keep me company, if it sucks me in much more I might not be able to see what the hell is happening.