Bon Voyage

Posted on 08/January/2015 by John McCrarey

My good friend Dennis (who values his privacy, hence no last name here) is retiring tomorrow after some forty-odd years of government service. We went out for drinks and dinner last night to say our goodbyes, but I also wanted to pay him tribute here on my humble blog.

Now, Dennis is one of those unique individuals some of us have the good fortune to encounter during this journey we call life. I consider him something of a renaissance man with a passion for learning and adventure. He’s an accomplished musician (took voice lessons houston to play guitar and mandolin), an avid bicyclist (he’s done the week-long Ride the Rockies tour several times), and an experienced world traveler. He’s brilliant, but also one of the most unassuming, down to earth individuals you could hope to meet. I can say without equivocation that he was the most hardworking, dedicated, and loyal employee I ever had the pleasure to employ. And more importantly, he has been a steadfast friend for more than twenty years now.

Dennis began his service to our nation as a foot soldier on the front lines in Vietnam. Like most combat veterans, he rarely spoke of his experiences there. He did tell me once that the battle scenes in the movie Forrest Gump brought back memories that left him shaken for awhile. He came back from the war, earned his degree as an English major, and briefly taught in the public schools. Then he went to work as a clerk for the Postal Service in Minneapolis, later transferring to Asheville, NC and eventually joining the management ranks as a Labor Relations Specialist.

Our paths first crossed in 1993 at a meeting in Greensboro, NC. I had taken a labor relations job with the newly created Mid-Atlantic Area office, although I was still domiciled in Columbia. The purpose of the meeting was to establish how the Area office would manage working relationships with the field offices. Prior to the start of the meeting (and introductions) I was sitting near Dennis and he was holding court about “the big shots coming down from the Area office to try and tell us how to do our jobs”. Did I mention he could be a bit of a smart-ass? Anyway, the look on his face when I introduced myself as one of the Area big shots was priceless. Over the course of the meeting though Dennis impressed me with his candor and intelligence. When I returned to Columbia I told the Human Resources Director that I had the perfect candidate for his vacant Manager, Labor Relations position. Dennis got the job and our long professional relationship began, as did our friendship.

Several years later I was promoted and moved to Arlington, VA and I was looking for someone to fill my old job. Dennis applied, and prior to the start of his interview I made him stand, raise his right hand, and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I could tell he was taken aback by this tactic, but of course he gave the oath. During the course of the interview I asked why he thought he was the best candidate for the job. He responded that his winning record as an arbitration advocate was second to none. I then asked “are you saying your record is better than mine? And remember, you are under oath”. It should come as no surprise that I can be a bit of a dick myself. Of course, I hired him and moved him up to Arlington to join me.

In those days, we traveled quite a bit and on occasion we’d be in the same city. Now, what happens on the road, stays on the road so I can’t reveal how Dennis earned the nickname “Deacon” in Philadelphia. Or the incident involving a bottle of champagne. And of course, he could retaliate with stories about me (like the time I played the part of “asshole boss” and made him carry my bags in the Columbus airport). Suffice to say, we worked hard and played hard and made us some nice memories.

Dennis eventually got promoted and became my peer at the Area office in Windsor, CT. And I had a nice time visiting him there. Later on he moved to a position at Postal Service Headquarters and we got to hang out more frequently. Then I left USPS for the Education Department and shortly thereafter Dennis signed on with the Department of Agriculture and moved to Fort Collins, CO. Another great place to visit!

Dennis continued to establish his reputation throughout the government as the go to expert in labor and employee relations. Which led him to be hired by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in DC, the folks in charge of the entire Federal workforce! Yep, my protege done good and I felt a sense of vicarious pride in his accomplishments.

Meanwhile, I had moved to Korea and when the time came to fill a labor relations vacancy on my staff, I immediately thought of Dennis. The problem was Dennis was big time now and I couldn’t match his DC salary. But I called him up anyway. I said “Dennis, how would you like the adventure of living and working in Korea?” He thought that sounded pretty exciting. I said “would you be wiling to work here for less pay?” That wasn’t as appealing to him. Then I asked him how long his daily commute was and he told me at least an hour a day. I asked what was he paying in rent and he responded over $2000. a month. So I told him what if I were to say if you come to Korea I can give you back one hour of your life everyday and give you a nicer place to live for free? And that’s how I scored the best labor relations guy in the USA to work for me in Seoul. Oh yeah, I also told Dennis I’d give him 10,000 for coming. True to my word, when I met him at the airport in Incheon I handed him a crisp W10,000 bank note. Well, he professes that he is still glad he came.

I retired and Dennis stayed on. I’m back and now he’s ready to move on to the next chapter of his life. And what a chapter it’s going to be! He closes out his career tomorrow and is on a plane bound for the Philippines Saturday morning. He sold or gave away everything he owns except one suitcase of clothes and his guitar. Dennis has chosen to spend his retirement years as a nomad.

After two weeks in the PI, he’ll fly to Cambodia, then Vietnam, then Thailand. After that, it’s off to Australia, then a two week cruise to various ports-of-call in New Zealand. That gets him through February. “Where then?” I asked and he said wherever I feel like going.

Damn, I envy that. Even though I know I wouldn’t have the balls to live that lifestyle. Dennis did promise to respond to my emails asking “where in the world are you?” and I promised to meet up with him for a few days now and again in whatever exotic location he finds himself.

Enjoy the rest of your life my friend. You’ve earned it.

The silence of the lambs

Posted on 08/January/2015 by John McCrarey

I was drunk when I came home last night and read about the terrorist attack in Paris. It pissed me off and I reacted in anger. I intentionally mocked and disparaged the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) by calling him a pedophile.

This morning upon sober reflection I have to say I was wrong. Because the fact that the Prophet had sex with children way back when is really not relevant to the issues we face here in the 21st century. What is relevant is that a bunch of ignorant thugs have systematically engaged in murder, rape, torture, and brutal warfare, all in the name of the “Religion of Peace”. They have made their message to non-believers abundantly clear: submit or die.

To which I can only respond:

Vive la France!

Posted on 07/January/2015 by John McCrarey

Cowardly bastards. Bring it on bitches!

Worship a pedophile if you wish, but kiss my ass if you can’t tolerate being mocked for your ignorance.

Poor boy

Posted on 06/January/2015 by John McCrarey

In a fit of boredom I broke down and watched the American version of Old Boy. Pretty disappointing really. No where near as good as the Korean original, but I guess remakes rarely are.

I did kill 108 minutes though.

WWBS?

Posted on 06/January/2015 by John McCrarey

Stuff about things

Posted on 04/January/2015 by John McCrarey

There’s a full moon over Gireum-dong tonight. Probably in your town too I reckon…

Tonight’s meal was fit for an American…

Ventured out to the commissary this afternoon. Without a vehicle the whole experience is an exercise in logistics.
Took the subway to Noksapyeong station, and hiked over to the gate in closest proximity to grocery store. I have to limit my shopping to the amount I can carry back home.
I did purchase these two bags to supplement the two backpacks I brought along. The orange one purports to keep cold foods cold.
Spent $150 and was able to carry my treasures to the bus stop, but I was pushing the limits of my pack mule abilities.

While waiting for the 143 bus, I encountered this dangerous looking hombre…

Noticed this new dining? establishment in Itaewon. I assume they serve Rocky Mountain oysters….

Attended a birthday party/darts tourney last night at Dolce Vita…

And Jee Yeun came along. Having her there to cheer me on was like old times. It may be no coincidence that I threw some outstanding darts and my partner and I took home 1st place money…

Saw this billboard in the Samgakji subway station and thought to myself “Dude, what are you staring at?” My proposed caption: I’ve never seen any that small before…”

In yesterday’s post regarding the screening of “The Interview” I mentioned there was a panel discussion after the movie. I was drinking and not taking notes, so if you are interested in hearing all that was said here’s the YouTube video:

The event also generated a fair amount of news coverage. Yahoo News, The Korea Times, and the Wall Street freaking Journal.

Also in the news (still) is the sad case of my friend Jeremy. KBS offers this report:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi–lu9jFdM

I don’t speak Korean well enough to know what they are saying, but the illustration showing the deceased grabbing the girls arm isn’t the story I’ve heard–it was her crotch. Anyway, it doesn’t matter in the eyes of the law I suppose. In other Korean language media reports I understand Jeremy is being portrayed unsympathetically. I heard the deceased’s father is not happy that the expat community has engaged in fundraising efforts on Jeremy’s behalf. If you have an interest you can read them here, here, here, and here.

On a lighter note, my blog buddy Kevin Kim made mention of bad jokes “that old men tend to let slip like random flatulence…” Now, you can see why I might take that personally, but he was not in fact speaking of yours truly. Even if I am an old fart, so are you!

And yes, I do tend to be a little gassier than I’d like, but fortunately my farts don’t stink!

Alrighty then, what else? Well, there’s this:

This was a painful little reminder. Not just of the uncertainty of my current situation. It brought to mind the Korean ex-GF who broke up with me after more than a year of dating– by email! While we were living together! And then she asked if she could stay in my guest room for a few months until she moved to the USA. And I let her!

So, that’s good to know I suppose…

Anyway, things are surprisingly good on the home front. The wife has been joining me on my expeditions to Itaewon and taking care of me just like the good ol’ days. Some of my friends have been confused by this, and frankly so have I. When I asked what was happening she just told me she wants to spend as much time with me as she can before she, well, leaves. In that regard she asked me not to move out until she is ready to move to the countryside. Hell, I ain’t in no hurry to go anywhere. I don’t know if she is having second thoughts or if this is just the sweetest break-up in the history of relationships. I’m not getting my hopes up, but then again, hope springs eternal. I’ve got her until she’s gone and I’m content to live day-to-day. I’ve got the rest of my life to be sad and lonely.

Reviewing “The Interview”

Posted on 03/January/2015 by John McCrarey

I’ve only seen “The Interview” once and I have no immediate plans to see it again, so I’m not technically reviewing the film. *ahem*

However, lots of other folks have put forth the time and effort to do a proper review of the movie. I’ll share the best of those and add a few thoughts of my own along the way.

As I made my morning rounds of the internets I found this gem of a review from James Taranto at The Wall Street Journal entitled “Escape from You Nork” (if the link doesn’t get you past the WSJ paywall, just do a Google search of the title). It starts with one of those “Un” puns that may make Kevin Kim’s head explode. Regardless, it’s a worthwhile read, not so much as a review of the film but as a review of some reviews of the film. Plus, a little inside baseball on the controversies surrounding its release.

Speaking of Kevin Kim, almost immediately after reading Taranto’s piece, I came upon his excellent review on his Hairy Chasms blog. I pretty much share his overall impressions and conclusion, upon which I will elaborate later in this post. Definitely go give it a read.

Kevin helpfully shared the third review I read this morning, from Barbara Demick in The New Yorker. Ms. Demick is a noted authority on the madness that is the DPRK and I found myself nodding in agreement with her points throughout the review. I think you’ll enjoy it too.

Now, the circumstances of my seeing “The Interview” may be of some interest. I happened to show up at Bull and Barrel for an impromptu game of darts.

Whilst there I made the acquaintance of a guy named Philip Iglauer who I later learned is a journalist who writes for The Diplomat. He wasn’t there for the darts however, instead he was making final arrangements for a New Year’s Day showing of “The Interview” to be followed by a panel discussion. I scored an invite and showed up at the appointed time.

BnB was packed with around 100 moviegoers.

The screen was bigger than most I suppose. You can even see the back of the ol’ Walrus’ head in the right rear corner of this photo…

I enjoyed the movie for what it was and was not put off by what it wasn’t (and frankly, what it wasn’t was not what it intended to be). It was a Seth Rogen lightweight/low brow comedy farce for crissakes. I really grow weary of the overly-sensitive types who take offense at every perceived slight or unflattering stereotype. When did we lose the ability to laugh at ourselves? Anyway, I found the film moderately funny, but not as funny or scathing as Team America: World Police (one of my all-time favorites).

My political philosophy summed up in two minutes. Does that make me a dick, pussy, or asshole? You decide.

But back to the movie at hand. After our viewing at BnB (I estimate the audience was maybe 20% Korean), the panel discussion ensued.

The panel: (Left to Right):
Lee Han-byeol is North Korean defector. She is also a Korean Unification master’s student at Yonsei University and Chief of Administration at “Justice For North Korea.”
Park Sokeel is Director of Research & Strategy for Liberty in North Korea, an international NGO that works with North Korean refugees.
Nemo Kim is a film critic & journalist specializing in Asian cinema. Currently the Korea correspondent for Variety, she writes for Sight & Sound and teaches Korean cinema and Korean Wave classes at the Hanguk University of Foreign Studies.
Peter Jung is Director & Founder of “Justice For North Korea,” a North Korean Human Rights NGO.
Kurt Achin is a Seoul-based freelance journalist with years of experience working in media.

To be honest, I was moderately disappointed with the panel, and with just a couple of exceptions I didn’t agree with much of what they had to say. Of course, Ms. Lee (the NK refugee) was so damn pretty I didn’t care what she said. What she said was in Korean anyway. The poor interpreter did her best, but Ms. Lee talked fast and at length. The gist of her comments seemed to be that she liked the film and thought people viewing it in the north would perhaps benefit from seeing the regime portrayed in a negative light.

Mr. Park saw it differently. He thought the film didn’t go far enough in showing the abuses taking place and indicated the comedic approach was somehow counterproductive. He also said that he thought balooning the film into the North was a mistake as it would damage the possibility of improved relations between the countries.

Ms. Kim came off as the snooty Brit she was raised to be. She made note of the fact that she was an actual movie reviewer for Variety (as if that made her opinions more valuable). She was the one who took the most offense at the “stereotypical” depictions of Asians. She also faulted the film for being “unrealistic”, noting that the real Kim Jong-Un spoke near perfect English. She also didn’t like the fake grocery store, saying that such stores do not in fact exist in Pyongyang. Whatever was my response.

Mr. Jung did not like the movie much either. He thought it fed into the ugly American stereotype that is ingrained into the North Korean citizenry. He didn’t think the criticisms of the regime would set well with the general populace up north. That might be a valid point, considering how the average American reacts to criticisms coming from foreigners.

Mr. Achin was the only American on the panel and he’s the one who seemed to make the most sense. He dismissed the minor discrepancies as a natural “comedic license” and noted that the film did not shy away from pointing out the most egregious human rights violations perpetuated by the past and present Kim regimes. He also mentioned that the stereotypes cut both ways, with the “dumb American” mindset on prominent display throughout the movie.

The microphone never got around to me before I lost patience with the whole endeavor. Had it reached me, this is what I would have tried to say:

It’s only a movie, a non-serious one at that. It was never intended to be used as a propaganda piece to win the hearts and minds of the North Korean populace. What it does accomplish though is to get people thinking and talking about what is happening in a country that most Americans never seriously consider. That’s a good thing. And the fact that the Kim regime went to extraordinary lengths to try and keep this film from being viewed says a lot. If nothing else, it provided us all an excellent opportunity to offer Mr. Kim Jong-un a heartfelt “fuck you very much” just by watching.

Isn’t that enough?

For all these years

Posted on 02/January/2015 by John McCrarey

(In celebration of ten years of blogging here at LTG, each week for the next 52 51 50 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.)

On January 1, 2005 I found myself thinking (and blogging) about my life in Oklahoma in a post called “Journey through the past”. Ten years later I’m thinking the more things change, the more they remain the same.

And that I guess leads to my current insight on this New Years morning. I never really had a plan for life, I just reacted to it. Whenever I reached a crossroad, I chose a direction and followed the road without a clue as to where it might take me. I guess it is natural to wonder about the paths that would have led to a different life, but you only get to live the life you chose. No mulligans. But I have been extremely fortunate and blessed. Good people got hurt along the way, and for that I am truly sorry. But the roads I have taken have led to some great adventures and life-altering experiences. A fool’s luck perhaps, but even though I could never have imagined what my life would turn out to be, it has been a very nice ride.

So it is time to look forward again. This year brings a new road in Seoul, Korea. And it will be an adventure with an uncertain outcome for sure. My point (if there is one) is just to say I have discovered that it is important to take the time to enjoy the life you are living even as you chase rainbows. I think I missed the best part of Oklahoma and it is only in looking back that I realize that I should have allowed myself to be happy there.

The last dance

Posted on 01/January/2015 by John McCrarey

We danced to the song we always do as a duet at the norebang–“It’s the end of the world”….

On Christmas morning Jee Yeun told me she was unhappy in our marriage. I asked her if she was willing to work on making things better. She told me “no, not really”.

For the next few days things seemed fine and I was thinking maybe she had reconsidered. But on Tuesday she said “I’ll help you find an apartment in Itaewon if you want”. I asked her what her plans were and she said she wants to move to the “countryside”.* Apparently, she already has a house in mind there.

It’s all very surreal. She professes to still love me and I believe her. I think she knows how much I truly love her as well. She just wants a different life and in her pragmatic way she has chosen to pursue it without me.

She told me she wanted to be with me for New Year’s Eve last night. And so for the first time in several months she joined me in Itaewon at Dolce Vita Pub. We had spent many happy nights there during our courtship.

The picture in this picture was taking six years ago or so...

The picture in this picture was taken six years ago or so…

It was an enjoyable, but bittersweet, evening. I just can’t imagine what my life is going to be without her in it. And I have a good imagination.

* “countryside” means somewhere some three hours south near where her Aunt lives. Jee Yeun says she’s happy there.

Show me the money

Posted on 27/December/2014 by John McCrarey

I mentioned in a post prior to leaving the states that Blue Cross was dicking with me over reimbursement for a physical I had at Soonchunhwang hospital way back in April. This is the standard, albeit comprehensive, battery of tests that most Koreans do on an annual basis. Apparently the adjusters at Blue Cross don’t see the value of preventative medicine. I’m $1300+ out of pocket, so I’m not going to take it up the ass (which coincidentally was one the tests for which they have thus far refused to pay).

Anyway, I went to see the hilarious Dr. Yu who graciously provided me 8 pages of doctor’s notes/medical justification for the tests that were administered. He did charge me W85,000 for the service. I’m submitting a claim for reimbursement of that bill as well as a special fuck you to Blue Cross.

The next challenge was getting the documentation to Blue Cross in an expeditious manner. I talked to a Customer Service Rep who suggested I FAX the records. I asked if I could scan them as well and she said that would be acceptable. I was unable to find a working scanner though, so I went to the PX on base which offers a FAX service for one dollar per page. I followed up with a email to Blue Cross asking for confirmation that the documents did in fact arrive. And I also berated them again for putting me through all this unnecessary hassle. We’ll see what happens next.

There were lots of folks doing returns of unwanted Christmas gifts at the PX, so I had a goodly wait to be served. A guy a couple of numbers ahead of me had the unique issue of having been undercharged for some items. I was pretty impressed that he endured a long wait in line to do the right thing. Of course, the clerk at the window didn’t have a clue about how to do a reverse refund, but a manager was called to the scene and the money did eventually change hands.

As a nice bookend to the story above, the next woman in line had a whole shopping cart of items which made me fear for my wait. Fortunately, her problem was only with three items: white boards of various sizes. It seems she had been charged twice for the large one, twice for the medium one, and not at all for the small one. That took some time to sort out, but the takeaway for me was to check your receipt, something I rarely do.

Afterwards, I bought a 12-pack of Diet Coke which filled my backpack. Then I hoofed it into Itaewon where I had a key made for a hefty W10,000. Then I played darts and took first place prize money of W30,000. Bought a round of drinks for my vanquished opponents which brought my bar tab to around W50,000. Which is why it is hard to make a living playing darts.

It’s the inevitable let down at the end of a great adventure

Posted on 26/December/2014 by John McCrarey

(In celebration of ten years of blogging here at LTG, each week for the next 52 51 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.)

On December 30, 2010 I took note of my final day at work in “That about sums it up”. I ended that post on this hopeful note:

But I’m going to make sure this is merely the transition time between adventures. Or go crazy. One of those.

Maybe I am crazy, but it occurs to me now that life is always just one big transition. I suppose that state of perpetual transition might on occasion include adventure. More often it just hurts.

Now at last I have come to see what life is,
Nothing is ever ended, everything only begun,
And the brave victories that seem so splendid
Are never really won.

Even love that I built my spirit’s house for,
Comes like a brooding and a baffled guest,
And music and men’s praise and even laughter
Are not so good as rest.”
― Sara Teasdale,

An update of sorts on the sad case of Jeremy Frye

Posted on 20/December/2014 by John McCrarey

For those of you who have been following the story of the expat teacher being held in the death of a Korean man after a bar room brawl, here’s a pretty comprehensive account from The Korea Observer. I’m not sure how reliable a source they are (I’ve never heard of them at least), but the facts as reported do square with the stories I’ve been hearing around town.

Folks are donating to a legal defense fund with some regularity through the Facebook page set up for that purpose. I’m hoping to get to visit Jeremy at the Nambu prison soon. I also plan to help organize a benefit darts tournament early next year as well. And that’s all I can think to do for him at this point.

Last night during a darts match two guys (an American and a Canadian) went after each other. It didn’t get physical , but it certainly easily could have. It actually pissed me off because I had just been talking to one of the guys about Jeremy’s situation earlier in the evening. I just don’t understand why anyone would even think about getting in a bar fight knowing what the consequence could be. Stupidity reins.

A film only Sony could love…

Posted on 20/December/2014 by John McCrarey

This week in (blog) history

Posted on 19/December/2014 by John McCrarey

(In celebration of ten years of blogging here at LTG, each week for the next 52 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.)

Travel with me to December 19, 2012 for “A yen for something different”.

My first ever visa run to Osaka, Japan found me staying in the Hotel Monterey.

The Monterey had it’s own unique wedding chapel built right into the middle of the building…

Osaka’s shopping district reminded me a little of Times Square…

Most everyone was nice, although I did encounter this Creap…

Took the train to Kyoto and observed some traditional architecture.

Found a nice pub and played some darts with locals...

Found a nice pub and played some darts with the locals…

The smart way to get around town. We weren’t smart though.

We hiked over to the tallest building in Osaka and ventured up to the top.

When you wish upon a star…

…you hang it in the window. Apparently.

The highest, freakiest, and scariest escalator I ever did ride.

Like riding the stairway to heaven…

Ain’t she sweet?

A view from the top.

On our final day, Jee Yeun went shopping whilst I enjoyed a tall, cold brewsky. You gotta do what you do best, right?

On our final day, Jee Yeun went shopping whilst I enjoyed a tall, cold brewsky. Er, come to think of it, maybe more than one. You gotta do what you do best, right?

Hope you enjoyed the visit. Y’all come back now, hear?

Bummin’

Posted on 18/December/2014 by John McCrarey

It’s been cold. And I’ve come down with one as well. My efforts at dressing to keep warm met with derision from Jee Yeun. She suggested I take a can and sit outside for awhile. Hell, I’d probably make as much that way as I’m earning at the new job. ‘

Which reminds me, after my first day of work yesterday I rewarded myself with a couple of hours of beer drinking in Itaewon. Now, my motives were pure–I simply wanted to let the rush hour subway crowds dissipate a tad before I ventured home. When I did make it back to Gireum, Jee Yeun accused me of spending my entire day’s wages at the bar. She was only half-right.

Brother, can you spare a dime?

Hi-ho, hi-ho…

Posted on 17/December/2014 by John McCrarey

…it’s off to work I go! It’s been four years since I’ve been paid for my time but hopefully I’ll remember how to “git-er-done”.

I’m up early this morning. I intend to catch the subway from Gireum to Samgakji station at 0600. That’ll leave me a ten minute or so walk to the on-base post office where I’m scheduled to meet my co-worker (also a John) at 0700. We will then walk the block over to the bus station to catch the military shuttle going to K-16 Air Base in Seongnam. In all the years I previously worked in Korea I never had occasion to visit K-16. It’s been called the “most insignificant military base in Korea”. Since I’m probably the most insignificant employee in Korea, it ought to be a good fit.

I’m still a little fuzzy on what my precise duties will be. I think I’m supposed to keep track of the folks who come to use our computer lab. That task will be made a little more difficult as I won’t have access to the database used for that purpose today or for the near future. There was a little hiccup with my security clearance. Although my past clearance had been “archived”, when it was resurrected all my pertinent data was missing. Which means I need to complete a raft of documents, get fingerprinted, and have my background investigated. The security office is going to try and have that process started by Monday. Until it’s done there is not much I can do on the USFK computer network. Well, co-worker John is going to be there today to show me the ropes and I guess we’ll devise a work around.

Anyhoo, it should be interesting. Especially when my body tells me it’s nap time this afternoon. Ah well, one of the sacrifices a working man must make, right?

Consequences

Posted on 16/December/2014 by John McCrarey

In a world of hurt

So my friend Jeremy is behind bars. He’s being transferred today to a prison in Incheon where he will stay until his trial date, presumably in a month or so. He’s been charged with “violence resulting in death”, which I understand is the Korean equivalent of manslaughter.

Several weeks ago Jeremy was at the Old Town Tavern in Itaewon. He observed a young Korean man verbally and physically harassing a female friend of his. Jeremy intervened, and a shoving match ensued (some accounts say Jeremy punched the guy). The Korean man subsequently fell to the pavement, struck his head, went into a coma, and later died from his injuries. ~~He was 20 years old~~. I’m hearing in his 30’s now, see update below.

I’m not sure how you say “screwed” in Korean, but that most certainly describes what Jeremy is. The altercation has been reported in the Korean media in terms much less favorable than those I’ve described above. An attorney Jeremy has consulted advises that he is facing 7-10 years in prison, although that might be reduced to as little as two years, provided he makes some restitution to the deceased’s family. The victims medical bills alone are fifty million Won.

Like many expat teachers in Korea, Jeremy is basically broke. He was fired immediately after the incident hit the news. He will have difficulty funding a competent lawyer, I see no possibility of him being able to pay off the family. The Go Fund Me campaign started on his behalf had only generated several hundred dollars before it was pulled. Go Fund Me doesn’t allow people to donate to the legal fees for individuals accused of a violent crime. So, like I said, he’s pretty much screwed.

I’ve known Jeremy for several years and I’ve never seen him be violent or aggressive. But I knew he had been in fights before, mostly because he’s a stand-up guy who won’t back down. As another mutual friend put it, Jeremy is a smart man who does some really stupid shit. Now two lives have been destroyed and their ain’t a fucking thing anyone can do to change that. It’s a nightmare for all involved.

So I offer this sad story as a cautionary tale. Just walk away. It’s not worth it.

UPDATE: A friend of Jeremy’s has created a Facebook page in an effort to generate some financial support for legal expenses. I wanted to post the account of the events outlined there for clarification. I wasn’t there and neither was he, but this is probably as close to accurate as we are going to get.

A good friend of mine, Jeremy Frye, was recently arrested on charges that could put him in prison for a long time. Because I wasn’t there at the time of the incident I can only relay the story according to Jeremy and a couple of other friends who were at the scene. I will try to simplify it. Here goes:

On Nov. 30th, Jeremy was at a local bar with his friends in the early morning. A Korean man in his 30’s sexually assaulted one of Jeremy’s Korean female friends by grabbing her inappropriately. The Korean man was removed from the bar by the security later to come back inside. The Korean guy pursued to apologize but instead tried to become physical with one of Jeremy’s mates. The Korean guy then left the building only to harass another one of Jeremy’s female friends and physically trying to harm her. Jeremy stepped in and removed the Korean guy which resulted in a scuffle. When this happened, he was almost immediately pulled away by the bar owner and security guard and went back inside. Several minutes later the paramedics arrived on scene because the Korean guy fell unconscious. When the police came, the Korean guy’s friend pointed at Jeremy. They questioned him and then let him go home. Later in the day, the police arrived at Jeremy’s apartment and arrested him for more questioning. He was held overnight and released again. The police told him the Korean guy was in a coma. About a week later the Korean guy died in the hospital. Jeremy is now in prison and awaiting his trial, which could be in a month.

If you feel like giving Jeremy the proper legal assistance, you can transfer funds to a bank account I have set up for him. I will try my best to keep everyone updated on his situation on this page. It will be difficult to contact individually.

KEB
620-237511-243
Murphy

The Walrus is back

Posted on 15/December/2014 by John McCrarey

Or should I say the Walrus’ back?

Either way, the Walrus was spotted in Itaewon for the first time in too long this weekend. As one wag put it, the photographer captured my good side in this pic.

Friday night darts at Dolce Vita featured a round robin format which I rather enjoyed. You throw a lot more darts than in the typical double elimination tournament. I failed to make the cut into the championship round, which I blame on my inability to properly adjust to 16 ounce Korean beers after months of drinking 12 ounce ultra light beers in the USA. Or maybe I just threw crappy.

Saturday was the end-of-season tournament for the Seoul International Dart League. I threw better there, but not good enough to actually win anything.

Got lots of heartfelt welcome backs which made me feel good. Indeed, it is good to be back.

Ten years after

Posted on 12/December/2014 by John McCrarey

Still crazy after all these years…

One long ago winter’s day in Stafford, Virginia I sat down and crafted the first ever post here at Long Time Gone. Looking back from the perspective of half a score of years, I can’t help but cringe a little at the naivete and cluelessness of the person I was back then.

I’m moving to Seoul, Korea. Although the general consensus among family and friends is that I’ve lost my mind (which I don’t necessarily deny), this is something of a calling for me.

I went on and on about duty and honor and serving those who served, which was perhaps the truth on some level, but as is usually the case with me, my motivations were at their core driven by my own selfishness.

I have lived a very comfortable life. Too comfortable perhaps. The chance to live and work overseas in a totally alien culture seems to be an exciting opportunity to get out of my box and experience a new lifestyle.

Now, what I meant to say here is that I hate my fucking white bread suburban life, I’m bored and miserable, and if I don’t find a way to get out of here I’m going to go batshit crazy. Although I guess maybe you can read that between the lines.

I have made a two-year commitment to the Army, and if I am miserable and lost and lonely, well I will deal with it and learn what I can from the experience. Going in, I have a positive attitude and believe that I have the power to determine what I gain and how I grow as I live this new life.

Oh my, but I was full of myself back then, wasn’t I? That two years became six and carried me right up to retirement. I did in fact find myself more than occasionally “miserable, lost and lonely”, as often as not from the sometimes cruel hearts of Korean women. For example, a Korean woman I dated for almost two years broke up with me via email. While we were living together! Still, the good times outweighed the bad and in my ignorance I came to love Korea, even if I didn’t (and don’t) always understand her. It is pretty funny that I actually believed I had the “power” to determine what I gained from the experience. I still feel the pain of the things I lost by being here over the years. What have I gained? Well, I get to be the person I have become. And I like that better than the person I was.

So, this blog will serve as a diary of my life in Korea. It will be a place where I share my thoughts on what I am seeing, doing, and learning.

I guess I got that part right. Mostly.

I’m going to cut that guy from tens years ago a little slack though. He wasn’t happy with his life and so he changed it. There was a price to be paid for that, but I think it was worth it in the end. And ten years later finds that guy back in Korea still pursuing his happiness. Hope springs eternal.

“Though half a score of years are gone,
Spring comes as sharply now as then—
But if we had it all to do
It would be done the same again.

It was a spring that never came;
But we have lived enough to know
That what we never have, remains;
It is the things we have that go.”

–Sara Teasdale

Access granted

Posted on 11/December/2014 by John McCrarey

Today I successfully completed all the requirements necessary for issuance of an identification card that allows me access to the various facilities on U.S. military installations in the Republic of Korea.

Tomorrow I’ll head over to the Korean Immigration Service to secure a SOFA visa.

Tonight I dined on galbi.

Life is good in Korea. And so is the galbi.

Went to bed at 0600 hundred this morning and woke up at 0900. I’m running on fumes right now but I’m trying my hardest to stay awake until at least 2200. Hopefully a full night’s sleep will get me back on a more normal sleep cycle.

Stay tuned. More news tomorrow!

“Though half a score of years are gone, Spring comes as sharply now as then— But if we had it all to do It would be done the same again.

“Though half a score of years are gone,
Spring comes as sharply now as then—
But if we had it all to do
It would be done the same again.