during my visit to Samal Island. Unlike this unfortunate Canadian.
At least I kept my head about me…
4
Category Archives: Asst. Misc.
Have a dream and hope!
At least that’s what this sign told me:
Lately, I just hope my dreams aren’t nightmares…
Best compliment yet on my new look– Bartender at Srooge Pub said ” I used to call you ajussi (uncle) but now I call you oppa (brother).” Should have shaved years ago!
Speaking of being not quite as invisible as I once was, while waiting to cross the street in Itaewon I caught this group of young ladies staring at me.
I’m not a piece of meat girls. I am a human being! Alright, so it was a bus stop advertisement. I can hope and dream!
With some of that free time I mentioned in my previous post I peruse the reader submissions at a Thai-centric website called Stickman Bangkok. As is common with this type internet venue, the quality of writing runs the gamut of truly awful to “this guy should be making money as a wordsmith”.
I’ve never been to Thailand (yet) but I do enjoy visiting vicariously through the submissions by those who have experienced the Thai life up close and personal. And my favorite writer who frequently posts at Stickman is Steve Rosse.
This story is a good example of his work. It’s a quick read and entertaining. Go now, I’ll wait here for you.
Good stuff, huh? I’m not all that interested in girly bars and whoring around these days, and neither is Steve. Although quite honestly, I’m never quite sure where truth and fiction reside within his work. That doesn’t lessen the genuine pleasure I get from his stories though.
Anyway, a few months back I read this story by Steve called “Cellies” and it was like being hit upside the head with a brick. He had artfully expressed in words something I had been doing frequently in the last few months of my ill-fated marriage–escaping to a better life in a world that existed only in my mind.
I was so moved I felt compelled to send him an email and thank him for his effort. I was a little surprised when Steve wrote me back. In his email he mentioned that if I enjoyed his writing I might consider purchasing some of his published work on Amazon. I told him I most certainly would. But then I went of my six month bender life intruded and I never got around to it. I did use one of his quotes in a blog post though.
Well fast forward to a week or so ago when I was catching up with StickmanBangkok where I read a submission by Steve called “The List”. And a couple of days later some anonymous asshole wrote a post that started off by attacking Steve and then went off on a rant delving deep into the sewers of misogyny. I was pissed and was working on an appropriate response in my head. I needn’t have bothered, because before I could put words on paper (or pixels in Word if you will) Steve came back with perhaps one of the top ten take downs in internet history.
I sent Steve a congratulatory email and told him his evisceration of “Anus Moony” had finally provided the motivation for me to keep my promise to buy some books. I guess for a writer that’s about the best thank you of all, right?
I’m quite certain these will provide excellent beach side reading entertainment next week.
And what beach might that be you ask? Why, lovely Samal island in the Philippines. Never been to that particular part of the PI, but it looks nice in the pictures.
My friend Maria will be my host and tour guide during my visit…
And that’s about where things stand at this particular moment in time.
Except for this:
I’ve been studiously avoiding engaging in Facebook banter with my friends on the left who all want to talk gun control while ignoring the hulking elephant in the room–Islamic terrorism.
Liberal logic. Now there’s an oxymoron for you.
In remembrance
Here dead we lie
Because we did not choose
To live and shame the land
From which we sprung.
Life, to be sure,
Is nothing much to lose,
But young men think it is,
And we were young.
–Alfred Edward Housman
My great uncle Frank is the only family member I’m aware of who gave his life in the service of our nation. So I honor him today.
Korean War memorial–Washington, DC.
Definitively speaking
Definition of optimism…
…making your bed before you go out on Saturday night. Just in case.
Definition of disappointment…
…sleeping in it alone.
Oh well.
Taking the long way home
I’m doing my best to keep up with that Walking Fool Kevin Kim.
That required going the round about way home from work.
you gotta do what you gotta do….
At least I was rewarded with this lovely vista.
Keep on keepin’ on!
The banality of evil
Down the Seven Bridges Road
Sometimes there’s a part of me
Has to turn from here and go
Running like a child from these warm stars
Down the Seven Bridges Road.
well, if you walk far enough there are seven bridges anyway…
This morning I had my follow-up visit with the cardiologist at Soonchunhwang hospital. I walked over. Afterwards I walked on in to work. Given that I was on sick leave, I took the long way there. Via the river route.
And then I did another hour at lunch. 17,757 steps all told. Just over 10K in 2 hours 45 minutes. The highlight of my day. Gotta take pleasure where you find it I suppose.
Laundry, a steak dinner, and dart league stats after work. Finished the night with several gin and sodas at Shenanigans.
And so it goes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hufU6MIS2vw
.
There’s a new sheriff in town…
so you can dispense with your usual Shenanigans…
This is an artistic post
Even if you say it’s not.
As observed on today’s hike up, over, and around Namsam…
Other shit I saw:
Magnolia in blossom…
I’m no horticulturist, but I know what I like.
My Saturday companion.
Enjoying the fresh air.
Where I were…
The gaenalee is always the first bush to blossom and I find it quite lovely.
Two hours on the road. And hours yet to kill before the bar opens. Guess I’ll go to Amazon and see if I might purchase a life…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kh09MuIfIU
No more trash talk
Some people say I have a dirty mouth. Fuck that shit.
I did get a dental cleaning today from my dentist. Except for a cracked filling and my gums needing a little TLC I’m doing fine. She said I could get the filling fixed soon or come back for a root canal later. Hmm, decisions, decisions…
For the record, I think she is a great dentist and a female. I recommend her highly.
Just call me Randall Flagg
As in walked to work. And walked for a full hour at lunch. Then walked home. Then I walked to the bar.
A ham and cheese omelette for breakfast. Tuna, a boiled egg, and a pickle for lunch. And a salad for dinner. I’m all in baby!
How long till I’m handsome again? Don’t answer that!
The barkeep at Shenanigans gave me this advice: “You’ve got to love yourself, no one else is going to”. I responded “ouch” and she professed that is not the way she meant it.
Still, she could be right. But I’m feeling better regardless…
And today I got a call at work and the person on the other end said “first of all, I really enjoy your blog…:”
I am always pleased to discover random readers. And also glad I rarely blog about my working life. Anyway, good to know you are out there Jerry!
And that’s about it for now. Stay with me. Things are on the upswing!
What the hell?
I’d toyed with the idea of turning my fascinating posts into a book someday. And now someone has stolen the obvious title.
I was here first damn it…
Let’s dance!
Salsa anyone?
Salsa was on sale today at the commissary. I bought two. And dropped them coming through the door when I got home. That’s what being broke looks like I suppose.
Between a rock and a hard place
In celebration of ten years of blogging here at LTG, each week for the next 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 313029 28 27 26 25 2423 22 21 weeks I will delve deep into the sewer archives of past posts to bring you a tidbit of blog history. I had originally planned to call this series “The best of LTG”, but damn, there just wasn’t much “best” to be found. And mediocre is too hard to spell.)
Two years ago found me being disappointed yet again by the incompetent fucks at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service. I wrote about it in a post called “Good news, bad news”.
I had been waiting as patiently as I am able for news of the green card (permanent residency) for Jee Yeun for which I had applied back in April. The letter I got in the mail that day wasn’t the news I was hoping for. Granted, the letter started out by saying that Jee Yeun wouldn’t have to sit for an interview. But it went on to advise that “due to workload factors not related to your case, USCIS anticipates a delay in completing your case.” A six month delay in fact. See, USCIS was working hard to process the kids of illegals first, American citizens be damned. Do I still sound pissed about that?
Ah well, now I live and work in Korea. How that will impact the green card Jee Yeun received remains to be seen. Since I’m working for Uncle Sam here I understand that Jee Yeun will still be considered a resident of the USA. But those USCIS bureaucrats are tricky bastards. Unless you are coming in from Mexico. We’ll see.
What he said
Most men and women lead lives at the worst so painful, at the best so monotonous, poor and limited that the urge to escape, the longing to transcend themselves if only for a few moments, is and has always been one of the principal appetites of the soul.”
–Aldous Huxley
I have to admit this resonates.
Saving a legacy
A fascinating story: “A stranger e-mailed saying he planned to kill himself. What was I supposed to do?”
The guy walked across the country in his twenties in order to have his story heard. Forty plus years later he’s teaching English in Japan, blogging and still writing books no one reads.
And then the day came when he had said everything he wanted to say.
Worth the read.
Things that suck
A broken plane. A three hour delay. Keeping it in perspective–better to have mechanical problems on the ground than over the Pacific. Still sucks though.
Urination from Uranus
Not a good condition to be in when you’re fixing to spend the next 14 hours in a metal tube. Ah well.
Long layover this morning in Atlanta, but my flight to Seoul will board in an hour or so. I’ll keep holding on.
Channeling Martin Luther
The stuff you find on the internet these days. Some wag took quotes from Martin Luther and turned them into motivational posters. It actually worked quite well. This one was my favorite:
If Martin Luther were alive today I can almost imagine him leaving this as a comment on my blog…
15 six word stories
Some of these are pretty nice. Been awhile since I’ve seen you write in this genre Mr. Kim. Hint, hint.