homeless
I still plan on doing a big Fui Rock Fest recap on here, but with the extra summer intensive courses I have been teaching, I spend a lot less time at home in front of a computer and frankly have a lot less energy once I do get there. Plus I've been drinking a lot lately.
Which brings me to a story I would like to share with you. I found myself in an interesting situation last Sunday night through Monday night. I went for bloody mary's last Sunday and got quite inebriated. I found myself in a cab with a few people and a few beers around 1:30 in the morning. I pulled my keys out of my pocket to use the bottle opener that clings to my key ring. We got to a girl's apartment and kept drinking and had some delicious pesto bagel concoction that was a beautiful early morning breakfast. Once the time came, I left the apartment and headed to the street to hail a cab home.
Once I got home, I stumbled up the four flights of stairs and got to my door. Swaying back and forth, I discovered that my keys were not in my pocket. This would be a problem for anyone in any country, but for me, in Korea, at 3am early on a Monday morning I was in a pretty desperate situation. I have no cell phone. No one that I know has a copy of my key. I was sweaty, drunk, alone and homeless in Asia.
I started knocking on doors of my co-workers and found one who, thankfully for me, had just come down with a bad case of tonsilitis. He was awake, unable to sleep and coughing. I pieced a few different pieces of furniture together to form an L-shaped "bed" and passed out for a five-hour nap before I had to go to work.
Since I couldn't get into my apartment, I figured I would go to work in the same clothes that I had been wearing the night before and then come home at lunch for a shower and a change of clothes. I splashed a little cold water on my face in my co-workers apartment, said thanks for the place to sleep and headed to Starbuck's. I bought a cup of coffee and got on the subway. I felt hungover, sweaty and gross. I was surrounded by Asian businessmen and businesswomen. They were wearing custom-tailored suits and fashionable dresses as they read today's newspaper and prepared for the workweek. Now, I feel out of place quite often in Korea, but this was a time where I felt like a vagrant homeless man that was ruining the professional ambiance of the morning subway commute. As I wallowed in my sorrows as a feral ex-pat in Korea, one of the nicely dressed businessmen stepped in front of me to queue up to get off the train. As nice as his black suit was it could not hide the gigantic stain of bird shit that had been dropped on his shoulder. I couldn't help but get a wide grin across my face. Never have a been happier about somebody else getting shit on. I usually don't enjoy other people's pain, but this was different. That bird shit really cheered me up. As stinky as I may have been, at least there was no feces on my clothes - I knew I had that going for me and I was looking for something positive to hold on to.
Once I got to work I asked my boss to call my landlord and see if he could unlock my door for me. As it turned out, he was out of town and on his way home. He said he would unlock my door, but he wouldn't be back in Seoul until around 7:00 pm. I had to work all day in the clothes I had worn to a luncheon with work on Sunday, at the bar that same night and while I slept in a warm, muggy apartment. I smelled like bar. Sweaty, smoky bar.
Needless to say, the shower I took once I got home that night was one of the best I have ever had in my life. After a long shower, I fell into bed thankful that I was finally home. It is still a strange concept to me that this apartment is my "home," but an experience like this really makes me appreciate this little corner of the world that I call my own.
I have learned my lesson. I have decided that it makes sense to copy my key and have somebody hold onto it for me in case of emergency. Also, I am never going to drink ever again.
Much love from Seoul
Which brings me to a story I would like to share with you. I found myself in an interesting situation last Sunday night through Monday night. I went for bloody mary's last Sunday and got quite inebriated. I found myself in a cab with a few people and a few beers around 1:30 in the morning. I pulled my keys out of my pocket to use the bottle opener that clings to my key ring. We got to a girl's apartment and kept drinking and had some delicious pesto bagel concoction that was a beautiful early morning breakfast. Once the time came, I left the apartment and headed to the street to hail a cab home.
Once I got home, I stumbled up the four flights of stairs and got to my door. Swaying back and forth, I discovered that my keys were not in my pocket. This would be a problem for anyone in any country, but for me, in Korea, at 3am early on a Monday morning I was in a pretty desperate situation. I have no cell phone. No one that I know has a copy of my key. I was sweaty, drunk, alone and homeless in Asia.
I started knocking on doors of my co-workers and found one who, thankfully for me, had just come down with a bad case of tonsilitis. He was awake, unable to sleep and coughing. I pieced a few different pieces of furniture together to form an L-shaped "bed" and passed out for a five-hour nap before I had to go to work.
Since I couldn't get into my apartment, I figured I would go to work in the same clothes that I had been wearing the night before and then come home at lunch for a shower and a change of clothes. I splashed a little cold water on my face in my co-workers apartment, said thanks for the place to sleep and headed to Starbuck's. I bought a cup of coffee and got on the subway. I felt hungover, sweaty and gross. I was surrounded by Asian businessmen and businesswomen. They were wearing custom-tailored suits and fashionable dresses as they read today's newspaper and prepared for the workweek. Now, I feel out of place quite often in Korea, but this was a time where I felt like a vagrant homeless man that was ruining the professional ambiance of the morning subway commute. As I wallowed in my sorrows as a feral ex-pat in Korea, one of the nicely dressed businessmen stepped in front of me to queue up to get off the train. As nice as his black suit was it could not hide the gigantic stain of bird shit that had been dropped on his shoulder. I couldn't help but get a wide grin across my face. Never have a been happier about somebody else getting shit on. I usually don't enjoy other people's pain, but this was different. That bird shit really cheered me up. As stinky as I may have been, at least there was no feces on my clothes - I knew I had that going for me and I was looking for something positive to hold on to.
Once I got to work I asked my boss to call my landlord and see if he could unlock my door for me. As it turned out, he was out of town and on his way home. He said he would unlock my door, but he wouldn't be back in Seoul until around 7:00 pm. I had to work all day in the clothes I had worn to a luncheon with work on Sunday, at the bar that same night and while I slept in a warm, muggy apartment. I smelled like bar. Sweaty, smoky bar.
Needless to say, the shower I took once I got home that night was one of the best I have ever had in my life. After a long shower, I fell into bed thankful that I was finally home. It is still a strange concept to me that this apartment is my "home," but an experience like this really makes me appreciate this little corner of the world that I call my own.
I have learned my lesson. I have decided that it makes sense to copy my key and have somebody hold onto it for me in case of emergency. Also, I am never going to drink ever again.
Much love from Seoul
posted by Kyle at 12:21 PM
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