Good-bye Gwangyang – Korea

14 Jun

Bay of Gwangyang from my balcony - Korea

City of Gwangyang from my balcony - Korea

1:10AM: I have refrained from visiting a massage parlor – at least til tomorrow – even thru this is the end of my time in Gwangyang; rather, I now drink red wine alone, and reflect.

It’s been weird. It’s been great. It was quiet. It was nice. It was sometimes rather lonely. BUT it was quite okay … And now, within days, my last day of teaching is tomorrow, I hit the road proper again (first a 4-day stopover in Tokyo before hitting Central America, starting in Mexico City.)

My experience of Gwangyang was foremost as a teacher of English at two elementary schools – and one group of students and teachers I’ve already said, Good-bye. The final act is on Monday, at my main host school. The experience taught me, much.

How loving and wonderful, funny and crazy and cute, and a few times – quite-maddening,  children can be and as a single man, approaching 43, and with no family or partner or kids it was such a wonderful insight into parenthood and the simple beauty of life, growing, and existence.

Mostly, the children, age 9 – 12, were very into my classes and were always greeting me either in the school grounds or the streets. Calling out “Myyy Call”. I was popular. And it was good to teach the kids and have some fun as I had no other constant social contacts the entire year (small chats with  Korean teachers, shop assistants, massage women, and the odd stranger, aside).

It was a very quiet year. The year I proved to myself I could be a monk, a recluse, or a content loner.

But I did set out to follow …  this path.

I wanted to be mostly alone, to rest from the road and the world, to try and sort out my monster backlog of 20+ years of travel archive – stories, photos, videos, and art all digitally stored, but largely, this blog / website aside, I have failed. Simply, there is too much to do and one year on it part-time  was  insufficient (even if I was a mad, workaholic recluse) .

Essentially, I was in a bubble.

Few emails. No friends. No women – sex with massage women aside, not even any laughter or chat over most of the year. The entire winter months, furthered by the fact that I didn’t see, talk, or even leave the apartment for a crazy 2 weeks over the January school break. I was totally alone; and the few foreigners here I had no connection with. So I drank heavily, worked on my travel / art projects, and later traveled the winter insanity away.

It was a fine time starting in Fall last year when I met and kinda-fell-in-love, via my YouTube site, for she contacted me as a commenter, with a wonderful, intelligent, very beautiful – she sent me pics – and independent-thinking, young Yemeni cyber-woman: Maha, 23, working in Oman, university-educated in Jordan.

Over  the months we spent many hours cyber-chatting about, nearly everything. It was one of the highlights of my year (and we are still good friends). Another high was more great travels around Korea ( Andong, Heinsa, the East Coast – Sinnan, and then Tongyeong and hopping around the amazing southern islands of Yokjido, Yeonhwado, etc ). The other highlight was my happy, energetic students (who often lifted me from dark moods … my post here was amid such a patch … but since then, over 8 months ago, I’ve moved apartments and life has picked up as my sense of purpose and solitude became clear and accepted and it helped having a new apartment with such an awesome view – EG: this post’s city-bay vista photo, taken from my balcony).

Simply, the experience has been weird and wonderful … but not to be repeated too soon as I’m always looking for new experiences as a wanderer, a traveler, a free man, a recluse, sometimes a party animal; someone who’s always seeking the crazy freedoms of the endless road …

So to you, my sunny, tranquil Gwangyang, especially my happy students and nice Korean co-teachers and off course, the kind massage ladies, I say Gamsa Hamnida – Thank you & Good-bye – Annyeong-he kay-say-yo.

[ PS:  In a recent, regional school English-speaking contest of 48 participants, students from my schools were placed 1st & 4th. It was solely their talent, but a nice kick-back for me and the schools. ]

[ PPS: It's now Monday evening - 7:51pm, and I've said Good-bye to everyone at my other school ... I have Soju, in my hand, the view outside is darkening ... Good-bye - Gwangyang ! ]

 

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6 Responses to “Good-bye Gwangyang – Korea”

  1. Steve 29. Jun, 2009 at 1:01 am #

    So long ole’ buddy! Too bad I didn’t get to see you much. I was on the road a lot.

  2. thecandytrail 13. Jul, 2009 at 2:57 am #

    Hola Steve.

    Greetings from the beaches of the Pacific coast here in Mexico, where it´s baking hot like Gwangyang in Summer; time for yet more beer (and tequila).

    Enjoy Korea – Regards MRP

  3. Eric 28. Jul, 2009 at 3:15 pm #

    Your writing is insperational. I have dreamed of giving up my material possesions and starting a new life, meeting new people and being introduced to new ways of living and thinking. I honestly think that if it wasnt for your website I wouldnt have the courage to pack my shit and travel to were the road takes me.

    Thank you for your great site and art.

  4. thecandytrail 08. Aug, 2009 at 2:49 am #

    Hola Eric

    Greetings from Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.

    Thanks for the kind words; glad I have inspired you … I hope the road takes you everywhere you please … ENJOY

    Regards – Michael

  5. RICK 05. Sep, 2009 at 10:08 pm #

    Hi, I am in Gwang Yang, how much does it normally cost to get a massage in Gwang Yang… not done it yet in korea… thanks!

  6. thecandytrail 06. Sep, 2009 at 12:14 am #

    Hi, Greetings from Guatemala

    Costs of massage about 60 – 70,000 won for an hour, usually including some sexy extras. Read about it here: http://www.thecandytrail.com/blog/2008/12/25/sexy-massage-korea/

    Enjoy !!!

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