It's slow going!

Since October the 8th time has slowed to an absolute crawl. I cannot wait for next month, I think I'm desperately in need of visiting home and my friends. The people who were here in Gwangju last year are slowly but surely fizzling out as they finish their contracts and return home. For most people teaching in Korea is just a little one year adventure. Louise and I renewed our contract for another year but are now realising perhaps we should have done something new.

The reason's for re-signing include the pay increase, 10% in a recession is good! The great people we've met and hang around with (even though they are dwindling or moving into Seoul). Just experiencing Korea for one more year and the bleak prospects in England right now.

However the negatives are starting to mount up. First it's bloody cold all of a sudden, that's not a great reason in its self but coupled with darker days it adds to the depressed mood. Obviously people leaving or moving away. We've also lost out on a good 6 months honey moon period. We've been in Korea over a full year, can read and speak a little, whereas this time last year everything we stumbled upon was so new and fresh.

I'm sure once I get back to INGERLUND for a few weeks I'll realise that there's no reason to sulk and that my situation is pretty good compared to most. Yet until I have that feeling I'm going to feel a little glum and ponder if staying in the same job was a good idea.

I'm also going to buy a Playstation3 so I've got that to look forward to, it's cheaper in Korea by about 20quid but i'm mainly thinking about the warranty.

Here's to December 17th!

Ten pin bowling

I've been bowling in Korea a handful of times and always really enjoyed it. I went this Saturday night because we wanted a break from Hongdae and Seoul, both real money sinks. The previous time before Saturday I got a five bagger, which is five strikes in a row. It was total and utter fluke, I really don't know how I did it.

This time though we were next to a group of Koreans that were taking it pretty seriously, they had custom balls, custom shoes and wrist braces. After a while of just throwing the ball down the middle and getting boring mediocre scores I decided to imitate the Koreans. For anyone that doesn't know most people that are good at bowling spin the ball, or curl it to be more precise. This gives you better odds at getting a strike and most importantly looks great. After a game of practising I really started to get into it, I'd learnt how to spin at previous visits but this was the first time I was using it seriously.

To cut a long story short I actually managed to get a strike and a plus 100 score. While that's nothing to be amazed at it's a good start to my spinning career. One day when I go back to England and go to some lame social gathering at the shambolic places we allow to be called bowling alleys I'll amaze everyone with my spin. That's the only reason I'm going to go every week, just to show off at Hollywood Bowling.

Next on my list of sports to master is screen golf and billiards. I'm already pretty good at darts (real darts not the electric crap). I'll be pretty happy if I can get up to average on all these Korean style bar games. The real problem is that we always seem to take a few cans of beer in with us which is never going to help us improve anything past average. However that's a price I'm well prepared to pay.

The second beginning

I suppose if you're new new to keeping a blog you will inevitably forget to use it. It's only been 4 months since my first post, this time I'll try and keep it updated.

Loads has happened in 4 months, a well earned 3 weeks in Thailand is one of them. While I thoroughly enjoyed myself I didn't quite get that paradise feeling that makes people want to become a new age born again hippy type. I loved riding around on a scooter though doing whatever I wanted. I can't really be bothered to talk about Thailand though because it'll just become some travel essay. One thing I will say is avoid the pigeon women in Bangkok like the plague, they are robbing hags.

It's good old Friday night again and we're all off to the local western pub in Bundang. Well it's not strictly a western bar but it's an Irish pub called Dublin so it's pretty well known in the expat community.

From now on I promise to update this blog at least once a week, or when someone interesting happens or I want to say something. I might even start giving out the address for it!

Where to begin? An introduction.

I've been in Korea for just over 8 months now and decided to create a blog just as the weather outside is getting all sticky and humid.

We've (that is Louise and I) decided that we will stay in Korea for one more year. So what way to document our thoughts and feelings than creating a blog (yes I know I could keep a diary but...). It's taken us about 8 months to settle down and get to grips with everything, so it would have been such a shame to pack up and go home. Hopefully this will be read by friends and family back home. I apologise in advance to my family, you might not like what you read. Yes mother your son occasionally smokes, swears and drinks.

The title of the blog is courtesy of Darren and Danny, both from some small village up north somewhere. Soju is the ubiquitous alcohol that we tend to get smashed on, condensed in their northern groan to Soj. Gwangju suffers the same fate. So, usually on a Friday after work we all "sup soj in t'gwangj". After that it's any ones guess what happens, so detailing those kind of events won't be my focus.

I'm going to talk about our fair city, from the Bangladeshis to the Thais, the Koreans to the waygooks. From Norae bang(노래방) to PC bang, from hair salon to the type of salon where it's not your hair being seen to. I apologise I had to just get in at least a little bit of Korean, just for posterity.

Let's go for it.