That Homely Touch

So the water is back up and running.  Luckily I remembered to turn the taps off in my room, as one of my colleagues left a couple of his taps on, forgetting that the water was due to reconnect that night.  I can't wait to see his face when the water bill comes through - it might even cost him ten pounds!  (An unthinkable figure considering my last water bill totalled roughly four pounds for the month.)

I've also finally come round to furnishing my apartment a little better.  This trip essentially amounted to buying some kitchen roll, some soap and a cloth to wipe down kitchen surfaces.  The room is already feeling a little too feminine with these additions, so I'm thinking of strategically placing beer cans about the place.

Just to let everyone know, the debate about ghosts has finally been solved:

I managed to capture it unawares and snap it.  Presumably my room will now be haunted.

A small price to pay for gathering irrefutable evidence.

This is the town of Gohyun.  It's the largest on the island, and is pretty much the epicentre of all things Geoje.  It's rained for a couple of days now; it's safe to say we're finally entering the rainy season.  This will continue for a month or so, relentlessly if the foreigners on the island are to be believed.  Personally speaking I don't buy it, as English people often talk about constant rain despite spending only two thirds of our lives sodden.

On a side-note, the rain here is pretty impressive.  When I say it rained all day yesterday and all of today, it really did rain non-stop.  Not half-assed English rain that stops and starts, it really did not stop.  At times it was heavy, at times it was weak; but it never gave up.  Kudos to Korean rain, for making me wet through.

Kudos also to Korean heat, as I never felt cold.  Sure, I weighed an extra five kilogrammes, but not once did I feel cold.

This is Gohyun as seen from the top a local department store.  I say local, but it's the only one on the island.  This may not seem like a big deal to the sane world, but having only one department store per 250,000 people is like English people having a single for the same number of people.

The mere notion of only having one department store makes grown Koreans weep, and is a driving influence for migration away from the island, and towards large cities.

They love department stores here.

The lack of alternative venues mean the youth of the island congregate in the same places every weekend, staking their own spots inside on both Saturday and Sunday; until they leave for the university on the mainland.

So it's Like That, is it?

So yesterday was one of those days that turned on a sixpence.

We went to Gohyun in rush hour, which is a forty five minute bus ride, expecting to find an american football practice session.  We turned up expectantly, and so did four other people.  I'm no expert, but I think american football requires a few more than four people.

The complex we visited is enormous.  Samsung international, the people who own the complex (and the team, incidentally) are one of the biggest companies on the planet.  Their turnover would, if it were counted in world GDP, come in at number 35, ahead of Argentina.

Now that's a fact that blows my mind.  I sat there for five minutes, thinking of all the countries that have a lower GDP than this companies turnover.  It's a lot.  Samsung account for 20% of all Korean exports.  Just think about that for a second.  Koreas GDP is in the region of a trillion dollars a year, and Samsung turns over 200 billion of that.  My mind still can't quite understand it.

Anyway, these four guys turrned up and said there was no training because no one else had turned up.  I was thoroughly disheartened, and we all went to play basketball instead.  After ten minutes of me moping around being all depressed, the guys who were in the changing room came out and  started running about.  Naturally, I ran over there and started joining in; low and behold, they taught me how to play _______ .  I don't know what the position is called, but they taught me it.  It's an offensive position, and not just in nature - I have to be protected by a bodyguard, and I essentially just run forward and score touchdowns.  It's pretty restrictive as a position, because there are only a few avenues of attack, most of the pitch being taken up by fatties.  I was only in trainers, as my boots haven't arrived yet (another thing that hasn't arrived...) but I was able to skin all four of them.

One of them  was the quarter-back, one was his bodyguard, and the other was my bodyguard.  Their English wasn't great, but it seems like we're going to be a four-man unit on the pitch.  I don't know if this is how they treat all their new players, but they were extremely friendly, and were extremely positive about my chances of playing in the first game on July the third.  However, as I've realised many times before, it's important not to count your chickens.  Todays positive reception is tomorrow frosty farewell.

On a tangent, my finger is still broken, and it hurts like hell right now.  I'm going into the nurses office tomorrow to get it taped up, and when she's not looking I'm going to steal a few rolls.

I think the whole 'training' session started well, because they were jokingly try to tackle me, and I skinned all three (one had left at this point) in one attempt, and I think they realised I wasn't here just for a jolly kick around.  Remember folks, opportunity knocks around every corner, so be prepared to grab it when it comes.  The first real training session starts next Wednesday, as it will be full contact, fully padded nonsense.  I figure all I need do is score ten touchdowns to secure my place in the team.

No problem.

At least it's not as difficult as rugby.