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Jim pulled on one leg of his trousers and stopped. His wallet had fallen out of the back pocket and dropped onto the locker room floor. Before slipping it back into his trousers, he opened it and looked at the top picture. It was still bright and clear except for the edges which had become a little faded from living in the tight, sweaty space between Jim’s butt and his chair. Jim looked at the picture of himself and his wife and kids. He hadn’t really given it much more than a fleeting glance over the past several months and now he really looked at it closely.
His wife looked the same. Despite being 36 and approaching middle aged, she still looked great and he thought she was incredibly sexy. He, however, had changed considerably since this picture was taken and he could barely imagine going back to that body.
“Who’s that fat guy with your wife and kids?”
Jim jerked his head to the right to see Arnie, grinning and peering over his shoulder at the picture. Arnie and he were workout buddies. They shared both the same time slot at the gym and division in the Company.
“I was pretty large back then, wasn’t I?” he said, adding his own wide grin. “This isn’t even that old. I think we had this taken less than two years old.”
“I remember when you looked like that. You’ve really slimmed down and toned up a lot since then.”
Just a little cross pollination here… I wrote an article on the details of Korea New Years rituals and customs on the столовеUlsanOnline site. I try to keep things separate from writing about me, my politics, my fiction and my Korean adventures, but there’s no harm in linking.
The new online magazine ulsanonline is out, replacing both the Ulsan Pear and the Korea Sun, two old-school paper magazines. It includes all back issues of the Pear in case one wished to see my old articles.
I also have a new article written on some Korean culture. Check it out here.
Behind Closed Doors…Or a curtain.
Despite the outwardly conservative nature of the Korean culture, some surprising paradoxes can be found. Public displays of affection between men and women are generally discouraged. Hugging and kissing your significant other in public is frowned upon and those engaged in it are considered immoral. However, a number of factors have led a portion of society to engage in sex in public places. DVD Rooms and coffeehouses have become places where having sex is routine.
Although not encouraging their patrons, the proprietors, wait staff and clerks simply accept it and look the other way. It is more an accommodation of needs when limitations, be they pocketbook or family situation, prevent couples from practicing sex in normal, more accepted locations.
Continue reading ‘Behind Closed Doors…Or a Curtain’
This was originally part of a point-counterpoint article in the Pear. Mine was how good is can be. The other guy’s was how bad it can be.
Dating a Korean
To pursue a relationship with a Korean woman using the same rules of engagement that we learned in our own cultures when dating western women would be a recipe for disaster. Similarly, to assume the entire code of conduct that Korean men deploy in their arsenal would have the same result. We are not Korean men, but neither are the objects our of pursuits western women. It seems obvious enough to state, but neglecting the subtleties can be dangerous, derailing any plans for amorous activities. Adaptation is the key.
The Wonders of Kimchi
0 Comments Published by martyr October 3rd, 2007 in Non-Fiction, Uncategorized.
Kimchi, Dog Stew and Ginseng: The Korean Method of Health Maintenance
Is there something that Koreans know that the World Health Organization should be told about? Is there a cure for SARS sitting right here in Korea while the rest of the world waits on edge for the next outbreak to occur? Last year’s SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) scares that hit China, Japan, the U.S and Canada had little impact on the lives of Koreans. Not a single person in Korea came down with the dreaded pneumonia-like disease, even though it was first diagnosed just a few hundred kilometers away in China. Multiple people in Japan have also contracted the disease. Why is it that countries on either side of the Korean peninsula have had a number of SARS outbreaks, but not a single case has been diagnosed here? Koreans know. It’s the kim-chi. Or, at least that’s what they believe.
I went scuba diving in Busan! There’s a great place where the sharks hang out. I saw a total of 24 sharks, two of them 10 footers. There were Sand Tigers, Gullies, Lemon, Gray Nurse, and White Tip Reef sharks. Also saw a plethora of other sea life such as mackerel, large groupers, trevali and a decent sized sea turtle. I even was able to bring home a couple of souvenirs – I have a couple of shark teeth I found on the bottom. The teeth aren’t very large, but they’re very sharp, and normally have dozens of friends when installed in with their original equipment.
I linked to the Ulsan Pear for a couple of articles I had previously written. That paper went under for lack of adverting and and overactive editing staff. My links therefore, no longer function. Rather than redo the original posts, I’ll just re-link my original stories shortly. Stay tuned.
I finally got off my butt and did something to get my first novel out there. Although I’m still working on my 2nd novel the first, Internal Strife, has yet to make it big. Maybe a little advertising will help. Some ads on Google should begin to appear soon.
I’ve been mulling over my next book for some time now. I’ve been writing for a while and thought I’d post the first chapter. As a teaser. Just to see if there might be some interest. I don’t think this blog gets read much, though.
I have a working title. I’m calling it At the End of the Road - check out the first chapter.