Some stillness in Thailand

My bed isnt soft and my view isnt serene. There is a dead bolt on my door and no airconditioning. Something about this busted town in this flop house is exactly what I was looking for. Today I sit inside... The room swelters at mid day, but the fan swirels fast a hard breeze. I am sprawled out on a bed that hours ago had me itching. The bed bugs must be sleeping in the day or have had their fill of my flesh. My window looks down on a busy courtyard where the receptionist, her Thai children and the new residents of the On and On hostel chatter on and on. I dont have to go out today. Things may happen out my window, on my walls, where dozens of travellers before me have left their markings, and in this old building that creeks a tale of being well used. It is the first hotel of Phuket, Thailand. Perhaps youve seen it in the movie "the beach."

I have a remarkable freedom. It is unpretentious and wants for nothing. I am not running a race, in fact time is non existent since I have been without a watch for little over a week. The days have even been forgotten. I dont have anywhere I want to be. The beaches are nice, the shops are plentiful, and the ocean has a beautiful teal shade. But, I am in Phuket town a 100k a way from beach towns, tourists, resorts, and suit sellers. There is no one I need to see and no one that need to see me. In these four dirty walls I am content to just Be... the serenity of stillness.

St. Elsewhere

Happy Holidays from St. Elsewhere!

Time is absolutely blazing by... It is really insane to me that Ive been in Korea going on 3 months. Every day is packed with ppl to see, places to go, and things to do.. its a whirl wind.

The first few weeks I spent trying to pack everything in, see all the sites, do way more than is possible in a day. The realization that Id actually be living here, not headed home after a weeks vacation, really took a long time to set in...

Firstly, let me say it has been very, very different. Silly comment, I know, but I'd read the lonely planets and talked to various travelers etc. to get an idea about what to expect, and I'd say that within 3 hours of being here, I was bewildered.

Surviving Seoul

Hello All!!

I arrived in South Korea a little over 3 weeks ago and am now settled into my apartment. It really doesn't feel like that long. There is so much to see and do in Seoul that I haven't sat still for very long to reflect on it all.

The first few days I stayed in another foreign teacher's apartment about 15 minutes away from the school. I didn't even realize how Jet Lag I was until after the first week, because I was running full steam off adrenaline. The very first weekend, I experienced the Itaewon night life, an area famously known as a foreigner hang-out. It is home to a huge US military base and attracts a large expat and tourist community. I checked out a number of western style bars, ate street food, danced, and didn't head home until after sunrise. Are you surprised?

About a week ago, the lack of sleep finally took its tole and I ended up with a cold and lost my voice. Try teaching kindy classes without talking. Yikes!

FYI: My camera broke the first day here so dont expect many pictures until I get paid and can buy a new camera!

Welcome to The Road to Seoul

The idea to move to Seoul South Korea was inspired by the return of a fantastic and fun loving college friend, Martin. Martin popped back in the US for a short 2 week period, after spending a few years in Seoul, South Korea teaching English. His recount of teaching English as a second language (ESL) was enthusiastic and intriguing. I suppose I never would have jumped on board for the trip, had he not come back for a visit. (Thanks Martin!)