pensquare

This journal entry is halfway directed toward Corvus.

Many things to think about lately. Paradigm shifts are messy & inconvenient. I'm not trying to be especially vague, it's just working out that way. After writing & deleting this paragraph six or seven times, this is the best I can come up with.

For those of you who don't hang on my every word (all of you), I'll start by saying that mid September I go into training in leiu of employment by a very, very, VERY big American "company." We're talking Microsoft times fifty. This "company" has offered me free fluency in a language of my choice. It also stands to reason that the language I choose will heavily effect the global location of my "office."

Hardcore pensquare fans (nobody) will also recall my mentioning this before: Japan has played a huge part in my childhood, and I love it dearly. It would be my one wish to find some way to live there permanently. Which begs the question: why not aquire afore mentioned fluency in Japanese? While the language I learn heavily influences the location of my "office," the location of my "office" also heavily influences the type of work I'll be doing. Japan, being Japan, will most likely be little more than a desk job, where I'll have plenty of time to practice typing, if you catch my drift. My own personal hell.

Naturally, my mind drifted toward South Korea. The culture and language is similar enough to Japanese that I wouldn't feel completely out of place, and "business" is active enough that I wouldn't have to worry about being stuck in a cubicle for the length of my "employment." Plus, I'd be close enough that I could visit Tokyo on any three day vacation.

But here's the kicker. Quite a few people from the "company" I've talked to aren't as excited as I am at the possibility of being "employed" in Seoul. Why the hell not? Because apparently a favorite pasttime of the native teenagers is shanking American "businessmen" in the subway and poisoning their food in restaurants. Bombers, nukes, and upwards of 10,000 pieces of artillery hidden just across the DMZ is one thing, but unfriendly neighbors with knives and poison and being in the position to use both is quite another. After what I've been hearing, I'd almost rather work in the Baghdad "office." And I fucking HATE the desert.

Now, I'm the last person on the planet that would believe in fate, divine providence, destiny, or what ever you might call it, but just today, Corvus left a comment inviting me to join the SGSK group. Perhaps he's seen one of my posts on this topic. And perhaps he even read it. Though admittedly, that's a long shot.

Or maybe it's complete coincidence. Either way, I'm refreshed that South Korea isn't dangerous to visit, or suicide to live in. Probably.

So my question to Corvus is: what the hell?

And my question to you, dear reader: have you ever been to Seoul? What's right and what's wrong about the info I've recieved so far? And also, am I a pitiful, disgusting slug for stealing dogslife's "dear reader" bit? It just seems so natural now, you know.

I'd also like to point out that while I'm completely unable to join the SGLA group even though I live here, the SGSK group has actively solicited my membership. The irony. As if I needed another reason why Los Angeles sucks big sweaty donkey balls.