August 7th- Desert Day

This was the first free day we have had all trip. The personal assistants and our team went out on the town for twelve hours ad explored the downtown area. The Koreans are very outgoing people once they are comfortable around you. Getting them to respond to your humor and personality is an interesting ordeal, but after hearing the voracious laughter exuded today, I can only say that it was unequivocally worth it. We started the day taxing to the downtown district, and after arriving at the movie theater and finding that the movie Inception was sold out, we bought tickets for later in the night, and headed to the Korean barbershop.

We walked around the corn maze of the shopping district and found our destination. Strutting up the wooden steps onto the second floor of the building, we immediately noticed the wall full of glimmering mirrors and the swift snapping sounds of scissors chomping down on fresh follicles. Every guy on the team decided to get a Korean styled haircut. It was the most relaxing experience I have had on this trip to date. The young woman that cut my hair exercised scrutiny, and was deliberate with her detailing, and when the bulk of the cut was finished she washed my hair, and then styled it with wax. I looked about ten times better, and would consider myself, quite the Casanova- as the Korean PA’s like to term me.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent shopping, and I ended up picking up a couple trifles here and there. As we wafted between the shops to and fro, I began to notice that I was being sucked into consumerism quickly. Even though it was not my money I was using, but the cash we received for teaching the English camp, I still had to say to myself that enough was enough, and I pocketed my remaining money, and kept it there.

We then went to see Inception. It is now ranked among my all time favorite movies. The message of the movie is quite unclear, and my team mate and I had a genial discussion pertaining to the existentialism that permeated throughout. It is curious that I bought," The Plague" by Albert Camus tonight, the grandfather of existentialism. During the movie, the lead character seems to be dominated by guilt, and oftentimes justifies his actions with his insurmountable guilt. I would argue that as they explained in the movie, that dreaming is a result of emotion, and guilt is too. Now if existentialism if based on the ideals of the individual, and free will, wouldn't that mean that ones future is determined by emotions? I would argue that our futures are not. If reality is what we make of it, and everyones reality is different, then is there even such a condition as reality? Reality is not imagined as it was in Inception, so though there are different perspectives on reality, real and fraudulent are entirely opposite entities. We cannot confuse our emotions and justification with reality. Emotions are no means in determining reality from fantasy, but merely a gauge or barometer, if you will, on our individualistic traits.

We went to a Korean 'singing room', which essentially is a room with five televisions in it, the lights off, and a disco ball where a group of friends entertain themselves by singing karaoke. After an hour and a half, costing only 10,000 won- nearly ten dollars- to occupy the room with fifteen sweaty adults, was well worth it. I had an absolute blast, and I would love it if they opened some of these peculiar entertainment facilities in the United States.I found that my voice was a but sore from the persistent yelling, screaming, and occasional singing that occurred. It was most definitely a night to remember.

Oftentimes a day of rest is all that one needs to recuperate and restart ones mental faculties, to be a more cognizant being in the subsequent days. I feel rested, and look forward to the last week I have in Korea.