Nakyoung had me help with more homework today. I'm a little bit bothered that all we do is her homework, and she's been asking for help later at night these days. She has apologized a few times for not hanging out with me, but I don't want her guilt. Maybe I'd be doing the best thing for our friendship if I stopped helping so it didn't appear that way, but she keeps asking, and I don't want to not help. Every time I say I'm going to go help her with homework, my roommate is like "Zac, she's using you. You're wasting your time." I can't help but think there's some merit to what he's saying, but also I'd like to refuse to believe that Nakyoung has that in her. Yeah, friendship should go both ways, but she *has* been really busy. I guess, worst case, I have to help her for two or three more weeks and then leave and see if she ever contacts me. She consistently says "thanks", so I think she's genuine.

My roommate has been listening to Rock Orchestras lately. hahahaha. It's kindof awesome and kindof like "ok, I'm gonna put on my headphones now and turn the volume up all the way". he just heated my knife and used it to burn a cold-sore off his lip. He says he's always gotten them, and it just happens when he gets stressed or loses sleep or doesn't eat right. I told him he had to wash my knife thoroughly when he's done.

It's interesting seeing the clear division between ideas about the war in South Korea. There are definitely two sides. One side hates the war and wants to find a peaceful solution and stop all the fighting (Gana), and the other side wants the war and seems even a bit eager to get to the fighting, especially because America is here (the vets in Seoul). The people who are for fighting say that they are realists, and that the reality is that war is the only way they will stop the insanity that is North Korea. The people who are against fighting say that they are the realists, and that if China gets involved, the survival rate for Koreans will be close to zero, and if China doesn't get involved, Seoul will still be obliterated and South Korea will still have to rebuild all the economic growth that they have so recently accomplished, so that they should continue waiting for a peaceful solution.

I think that North Korea will be able to go for a few hundred years or more before a peaceful solution is found, and it is possible that America will cease to exist in less than 500 years, but Korea has already lasted more than 3000 years, so if they wait then the conflict could outlive South Korea's allies. On top of that, this interchange of North Korean command could be either the best time or the worst time for South Korea to win the war. It's possible that Kim Jong-un, who hasn't had the same military experience and training as his father, will initially weaken the nation's defense. On the other hand, it's also possible that Kim Jong-il will realize that since he's dieing he's essentially got nothing to lose, and start firing nukes in every direction. I mean, if you're leaving the world, and all you've done for the past several years is hurt people, then why not take as much of the world with you as you can? Shoot, for that matter, he could nuke China and never see the repercussions.

South Korea has made it clear that one of their first targets will be North Korea's missile base, and rightfully so.

....

But enough of that. Tomorrow I've got nothing on my plate but R&R and maybe a little bit of Physics studying. The day after that, I'll be helping JiHye with an English assignment. It's the first time I've helped with her homework, because when I offered before she said that she wouldn't get my help because she's embarrassed by her English skill. I think it'll be a good time to pull out those tickets to the "Concerto Di Gala". She already knows I was gonna buy them, though, lol, so it's too bad it won't be a surprise.

My roommate just helped me buy a new peacoat. It was the cheapest one we could find that he thought was from a good enough brand....... $133!! DX DX DX DX
It'll be the most expensive piece of clothing I own, and you'd best believe I'll be taking care of it... and probably wearing it a lot.

I have 120$ left to blow on the next 2.5 weeks. I still need to crack two more gifts into existence (which might end up just being boxes of Yulmucha), go to a jimjaebang. (I can't believe I haven't done that yet!!!!), go to a night-club, and eat dog meat.

These things might seem rather essential, but they're actually pretty hard to accomplish here. Gift-shops are generally way too expensive. Jimjaebangs are a group thing, and most Koreans are taking 20+ credits so it's hard to get a group together for it (especially since most of my friends don't know each other, and I'm generally not with the intl. students). The only good night clubs are in Seoul, and it's hard to get even one person to go there with me for the sole purpose of clubbing. They are all up-for it, but Seoul is a two day trip *at least* -- and I don't want to go alone, because I'm not sure how well I could resist the girls if I have a few drinks, and people here say it's pretty easy to hook-up at the clubs. and~~~ the only dog-meat place in town closed down earlier in the year, so nobody knows where else to buy it.

Ahhh whatever. Such is life lol. I will just have to return here someday for those things.

This post is too long.

"Eat the baby? Never heard of it."

It's about 3:30AM tonight.

I'm up chatting with NK, helping her with an English presentation she'll give tomorrow. I think she'll do well. I should have been in bed about an hour and a half ago. I have class earlyish. Ugh, this is killing me. lol, but NK's been a good friend.

My friend from China who startled me with those questions about pain and suffering two months ago has accepted Christ. He told me yesterday. I grabbed his shoulder, and he looked like he was about to cry while he spoke. It was tender. I'm really happy for him. It was a new and unique experience for me, for a friend of mine to confide in me in that way specifically. I really felt like I had a new brother, and I had this deep warmth inside me that I've never had the pleasure of trying to express with words before. Based on his strict Confucionist background, and the way he used to talk about the value of wisdom, I think that if he can stick with it, he will make God very proud.

I'm almost ready to move up to computer level 5 in chess. I'm real excited about that. lolololol 5/10 it's really freaking hard.

Ah, NK just finished. She said that she cancelled a free dinner to come meet with me, which was nice of her.

The guys in my end of the hall have been really great friends all semester, too. Kamsa says he's gonna try to throw me a going away party lol. It's a nice thought, but I'd be surprised if he actually did it^^ :P

Well, time for bed! ~.~

I saw a dance performance today, and it was pretty cool^^ Those Koreans are really good dancers.

I've officially decided that when I'm sober, I'm the worst dancer under the sun, but I think I'm gonna start going to more dances. Even if I make myself look like kindof a copycat the first few times, I'll at least learn some moves so I can look original in the future. At this point, I'm past trying to impress anyone here. I'll be gone in like two weeks, and I imagine that very few of the people I've met here will keep in regular contact with me, and I'll probably stop coming to their mind before winter break ends.

Awww well that's not all true. I have made some really good friends here who I think I'll stay in touch with. 지혜 (I'm brushing off the Facebook issue as a miscommunication because our last meeting was a lot of fun. Even though I'm almost positive it wasn't a miscommunication.) Last time we met we took pictures of each other from across the coffee table using our phones. It was fun, and when I asked to see the pictures she wouldn't let me browse through the rest of the pics on her phone until she had deleted some. The pictures that I did get to see, though, were kindof incredible. She takes a really great picture when she wants to. My friend 호중 wants me to introduce him to her when I leave, and I told him I might, but I don't think I will...... He makes too many crude jokes. I love the guy and all, but I can't read his intentions. He'll just have to run into her on his own time. Then NK. Last time I hung out with her, for a split second I got that "ashamed of the person I'm with" vibe, just like I used to get with Hyewon. It kinda shocked me, so I told her I would leave (in a nice way. You'd have to have been there). When I said that her countenance changed entirely. The whole room around her got softer. After I left, she sent me a message apologizing for not hanging out with me more, saying she always has stuff to do. I told her it's alright, and just let me know when she wants to hang out. Since then she's texted me a couple times. I think she's being honest about not having time. She said that she wants me to try to meet her at the library when she's studying, so we can study together. and then there's Gana. She is the only person here who I am 100% sure will hold real conversations with me online if I contact her.

I think those have been my three most frequent friends here besides my roommates. I'm really blessed to know them.

Well, it's 2AM again, so time for bed.

"They shine on me."

O.O Holy crap!
http://www.uriminzokkiri.com/newspaper/english/reunification/Tong100.htm

North Korea's government-run newsblog. It talks a lot about America in there, and how we consider North Korean land to be the most important piece of land for our up and coming invasion of the entire world, and how we tried to conquer them a hundred or so years ago but it didn't work, so we're trying again. It seems to even imply that we're gonna doublecross South Korea when the war starts. If you Google "uriminzokkiri" then you can get the homepage. It's the first thing that comes up, and it says "English" somewhere on the side. The website was blocked in South Korea, but it's not blocked in America... land of the free, home of the proxies. X) kkkkkkk

They write it so good-naturedly. It's as if the government really believes all the crazy stuff they say about us.

Scary shit.

I might blog again tonight. I just thought I'd throw that out there.

Tomorrow is 지혜's birthday. While I was making her card, I felt really guilty that I didn't make one for NK this year. I had thought that NK's birthday was the day after the day it was, so I didn't prepare anything... but I had really great plans for the next day. Too bad she was opposed to meeting anyway. I feel like I kinda made a wreck out of her birthday... I'm definitely making a goodbye card for NK.

I'm meeting 지혜 for lunch tomorrow. I don't really have any plans except to give her the card and find out what showing of the school play is most convenient for her.

I've had a thank you card for Ms. Tina Yun sitting on my desk this entire semester, and it's not too late to give it to her. I'll be bringing that in sometime soon. Maybe on Friday.

It's 12:30. I've all but slept off the cold I had earlier. Thank goodness. My chest hurt during the Soccer game, but I felt kinda determined to do "something" while I was there. I think it showed on me pretty bad. Two people offered to relieve me. I wonder what I looked like out there.... ㅠㅠ
After the soccer game, a few people came back damaged. I have *no idea* how they got hurt. It was a really tame game. Well, "tame". The American/European team played against the Spanish team and got slaughtered. We lost 6-0. It was fun though, and we called it before the game.

I was thinking today about my previous insecurity about my situation with the other intl. students. I think I was just having a weird moment... They were all real nice to me for a few days, but after the meeting with Kate, I realized that I'm hella busy with friends, and it's not "all the international students except me". It's just Drew, Wim, and ... I can't help but think there's one other consistent person in their group. I guess it's between Wouter and Patrick... Maybe I just wasn't used to having no consistent group that I hang with every day. Here what I have is more like a massive social network, and over half my friends probably don't know each other. I need to schedule something with Songu. I've been saying I would do that all semester, but I haven't. I feel bad, because I really like him.

Someone came in earlier and asked me to write an email as if I were writing to clear up a bad grade with a professor who I thought was mistaken. He said that it was for an assignment, but I tried to write it as if his grade depended on it. It was so specific. The essay was to a foreign, Native English speaking professor who had given him a "C+", when he couldn't remember doing poorly on any assignments. And when I was done, he thanked me a lot and gave me some "Chamomile Meadow Tea"... delicious.

"No! You're having fun! Really!"

So, another "everything is beautiful" trip:
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Eye-Popping-Microscope-Images/ss/events/sc/111810bioscapesimage;_ylt=AnGO03zkLs.NB2a4PEGbRHT9xg8F;_ylu=X3oDMTBubW10OGo5BHBvcwMxOQRzZWMDZXAEc2xrA2ltYWdl#photoViewer=/ydownload/20101118/photos_net_web_sc/1290096617

Now, I was really shocked today to hear that tea-party-ists in America are saying we'd better stay out of the war in Korea. I mean, I can see where they're coming from, but that just seems so ignorant to me! We've been promising the Koreans that we would be "in" it for a long time now, and... well... Ecclesiastes 5:5. Besides sometimes, in a war, if you're allied with someone you should help defend them. Like, I don't condone most of America's wars, but if we don't help Korea out I'll be really ashamed of us. It'll be nothing short of lying and cowardice after all the help we've told them we'd give... ESPECIALLY if China gets involved.

China has so many secrets. It baffles me that a people would allow that kind of government to come into existence. I want to learn more about it, but I think I'd just make myself more mad at the world.

This morning in second period, this girl I was sitting next to put her foot on mine. I kinda awkward-laughed at her and looked down at our feet, like "hey, your foots on my foot". She kinda looked at me with a blank expression on her face. She looked down at our feet, and definitely saw it, but just left her foot there. Then, she started this thing where she would intermittently start tapping my foot, or just leave her foot there or something. I mean, she was making me really nervous. I'm sitting there, paying no attention to the lecture, and she's like half-massaging my foot under the desk. I looked over at her a couple times, but she didn't stop. Then, after class, she gets up and walks quickly right up to the front of the class and talks to the professor. I was like "whatever" and left, but I got caught reading some Korean chalk-writing on the road. When she came out, I asked her what it meant, and she told me. We walked a little ways together, and she said she had to go to one of the student buildings. I'm thinking "why not", so I ask her "hey, do you have plans for lunch today?" and she, hardly even looking back, says "yeah, I'm busy. Maybe next time", and walks quickly away. I couldn't even ask what next time meant. I'm stuck sitting next to this girl 2.5 hours a week for the next three weeks, so I hope I don't have to deal with that again unless she wants to talk more, so I can get an idea of her motives or personality.

Korean girls, man. wth

"Why does this weird stuff always happen to you?!"

Today I slept most of the day, trying to sleep off this cold. The highlight of my day was later in the evening. I went out to eat with this Russian Korean girl. She's real pretty, and we seem to have a lot in common, but it was our first time hanging out, and we didn't have other friends around to keep conversation going, so it was a little bit awkward sometimes. Luckily, during the meal, we were able to get a lively and interesting conversation going, which lasted from about 6:40 to 10:00. I remember most of what she said, but the only thing I can remember saying in the conversation was "why did we wait until the end of the semester to hang out like this?" or something like that. At the end, when we said goodbye, she did this thing that I catch myself doing a lot, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone else do. She stopped and said "I'll see you..... " and thought through her schedule and what was happening and then guessed at tomorrow "tomorrow?.. let me see.." etc.. Just based on that, and if she was doing it the same way I normally do, I think she's looking forward to meeting again. Not that there's anything there. We've got less than a month to get to know each other, and we'll be lucky if we keep in touch after that.

That's pretty much all that happened today...

Last night I watched a lamb get slaughtered Mongolian-style. They cut the suckers stomach open while it's alive, and this big bubble immediately appears. Then they reach in and grab a vein and yank it out. Once they've cut the lamb open completely, they pull out this massive pillowy sack of crap which makes up the majority of the lambs insides. The blood pools cleanly in the lamb's chest as they pull out the other organs. In fact, the only time the guys hand got dirty (besides when pulling the vein out) was when he cut the heart open and drained the blood into the blood pan, which would later be boiled with flour and poured into the lamb's intestines to make blood sausage. Just looking at it, I think I could do it. However, it would take some practice before I could get that vein quickly, and the lamb would suffer until then. It's a cleaner kill if you do it that way, I think.

Oh yeah, North Korea shelled a South Korean town today, and SK is drafting. The border is already the most heavily militarized border in the world, and in the next few months or maybe a year or two, we could watch WWIII begin. The USA has pledged to loyally defend SK. If anything goes down, we'll be right in the middle of it. Also, Nigerian police stopped the largest shipment of heroine and weapons in Nigerian history... Somehow, I can't place any value on the Nigerian incident, except that the shipments were from Iran, which means that NATO decisions have yet-again proved useless, because the only countries which follow the rules are the ones that make them and the ones that survive by the help of the ones that make them. Iran is pretty much un-tamable. Nobody controls them; they don't even control themselves. They can do whatever they want, and nobody can tell them anything about it. What will NATO do? Hold another meeting? Complain for a few more hours? Send another shipment of food to a country which isn't making enough food for itself? Even if they send troops to Iran, they will do about as much good as every other country which has sent troops there has done... and what little that was was temporary. Can any of their words stop the war in Korea, or just postpone it until North Korea is more powerful and more angry, and South Korea is biting at the bit.

Idk.

"너의 예쁜 두 눈과"