August 4th- In Korea, with a Canadian, poolside, well technically

Once again, teaching was strenuous like always today but a felicitous event was about to occur in the evening hours, long after the rigors of teaching were subsided. The persistent heat fettered us to anything with an air conditioner. The team had met this middle aged man named Stuart at Game Science High School, which was our first camp we taught. At five o'clock we were ushered to Stuarts apartment, or man cave, which just so happens to be a five minute drive from JeonJu Universities campus.


Staurts apartment is the defintion of what a man's, or rather, a wooer's apartment should entail. A piece of heaven was sliced from the husk of classy, and set in front of my eyes. There was a fish-tank gurgling and churning, filling the humble abode with an aquatic resonance. A 42' flat screen television glared out at the room with a vivid menace. Leather couches and sofas adorned the place, and traditional Korean decorations hung upon the walls.

As we were taken up onto the roof I heard a familiar splashing sound. This sound was not due to yet another grandiose fish-tank, but an inflatable pool situated on top of the apartment buildings roof. Apparently Stuart, who is Canadian, likes to go against the grain of what Korea is, and instead of using his space for an array of exotic plants, he instead chose to inflate a blue pool, buy an gas grill, and throw out some lawn chairs- to make it more like home. Along the horizon and adjacent to our building were rows, columns and more rows of colossal apartment complexes. I can just imagine a Korean family pressed up against their windows, looking like fishes, as nine Americans and a Canadian- possessing a pale white complexion- all splashed around in an already jumbo inflatable pool. Pink Floyd was blaring on tiny Ipod speakers, and the sizzling of meat was audible upon the entire roof. The afternoon was a bit ineffable, but this description will suffice.

As Stuart explained to me, Some times you must treat yourself, especially when you are in another culture, with the simple pleasures of home. This, as he further explained, is set in place in order for you to keep your sanity. It was a pleasant evening dinner on the rooftop, surrounded by insurmountable mountain ranges, dwarfed by the array of apartment towers. I love Home, and this trip is helping me to realize how truly amazing America is.

I direly miss home, and I am highly anticipating the moment I step off the plane, and breathe the air of my Home. America I miss thee.