Top 10 The Sequel

I'm a fair man. That's what SHE said. Heh heh. And that's what my teachers used to say about my grades and my effort. Fair. I have fair skin but I wouldn't say I was fair as in beautiful. The other day one of my co-workers said I have a radio voice. One of my OTHER friends, (and he norms who he is), said I also have a face for radio. With friends like those... sigh.

Be that as it may, I'm talking about fair as in calling a spade a spade; giving the benefit of the doubt; giving credit where credit is due; calling an even game; judging not lest I be judged; rendering unto Caesar that which is Caesar's; geez, I could go for a Caesar right now; you get the picture.

Last entry being about why Canada kicks Korea's ass, (and it SOOO does!), I thought it prudent of me to write a second top 10 list about the things that despite myself I am going to miss about that crazy country. I DID spend 10 years there. There must have been SOMETHING I liked about it. But TEN things, hmmmm... this could be tough. Oh well, if I don't end up changing this to a top 7 or 8 it will be the second installment on the new blog of Dave's Top Ten list. So here we go, these will be the top ten things I will miss about Korea.

10. The bonding expats feel that comes from collective suffering. Meaningful nods on crowded, sweaty buses or at the immigration offices that just mean something like, "We're all in this together, dude."

9. Fruit, vegetables, water, beer, Korean food, everything I put into my mouth in Korea is cheaper. Except for the meat. Having a giant pork roast tonight that woulda cost 30-40 bucks in Korea and here it was 10. And animals aren't hacked up willy nilly. We have pork chops, roasts, different kinds of steak cuts that are recognizable. So I'm going all Atkins here.

8. Visiting my friends in Seoul at I Tae Weon Woodstock.

7. Good beer, great music and always a good BS session with John and the soldier boys in Peng Sung at Shooters bar. Shout out!

6. Low or FREE rent! Can't beat that!

5. Not having blackouts on my computer. In Canada I can't watch Southpark, Daily Show, Colbert Report, or even Vancouver Canucks hockey on my computer! What a rip!

4. Teaching ESL. I LIKE teaching. Even though every place I worked in my 10 years in Korea had a slightly different version of jagoff to work for, I NEVER had a problem with the students or the work. I loved it and I will miss it.

3. Are you kidding? 50 bucks a year in taxes! Hello! Winning! lol

2. The Kia Tigers of the Korean Baseball Organization. I am doing my best to keep up with the Tigers since coming home but I don't know how long that will last. Games on naver.com are impossibly slow to watch here in Canada. Even highlights play for a second and stop for 10. But go Tigers anyway.

And the number one thing I will miss about Korea will be the long vacations. I often had 5 months a year paid vacation. That's pretty sweet, no doubt about it! So I usually tried to teach at a kids camp and make double money for a few weeks, then spend that money in one of the amazing vacation destinations in S.E. Asia. I had some really great times doing that!

Again, don't hesitate to post something you think I will miss or that you will miss when you leave Korea.