there's a few things i completely dislike about the taiwanese service industry.  this applies to singapore as well.  the service industry here is an unexperienced high turnover work force that works for low wage salary.  in turn, this promotes robotic, faltering yet gracious service which frustrates me because, i really just want to find a solution as to how to fix the problem.  please do not tell me why and how this is not working, tell me how and how much u need to get this fixed.  please do not read me a script as to why things are not working, rather please put yourself in the shoes of the customer and realize that your memorized excuses are completely backwards.  don't try to refund me a portion of the days remaining, but just friggin refund me the full amount, cuz one, it's really not a lot of money.  and two.  FIX THE EFFING PROBLEM CUZ ITS YOUR FAULT.  GET ME BACK ONLINE DAMMNIT!

 

11:21 PM

remember a time when life was consumed only by school, sports, music and television?  i was on top of every new song that came on the radio, every new mtv.  there was even a point where we were into bootlegged live versions.  of course this predates the internet age.  and as internet outpaced orthodox mainstream and age hindered musical fervor, i too have succumbed to a set list during the nintendo era for both english, chinese, korean and japanese music.

"我點的每一首他都會唱。。。“

”我有年紀了。“

8:01 PM

11:10 PM

taiwan really has some good japanese food.  years of japanese imperialism and a modern day obsession with japanese pop culture has somehow turned into a mutual alliance that showed most apparent as taiwan donated more money than the US to Japans tsunami relief fund.  and with a little food blog searching, 高玉 had some rave reviews for a traditional japanese sushi meal worth blogging about.  omakase sushi.  eat, smile, chat with chef, ask for more.  

11:09 PM

"do we really have nothing to do?" - and that line turned into a night at JD.  i don't mind bringing girls to JD.  i've brought gf's.  my assistants.  it's just something of a cultural learning experience.  see it, understand it.  and let it be.  but last night was different.  we went with 5 girls.  they wanted to go cuz they had never been before.  and they were better looking than the ones coming in.  and well that just makes the night odd.  cuz i wanted to talk to j instead.  kkk.

best part of the night was eating nuggets and catching up with steve and patty at 5am.

11:06 PM

"do we really have nothing to do?" - and that line turned into a night at JD.  i don't mind bringing girls to JD.  i've brought gf's.  my assistants.  it's just something of a cultural learning experience.  see it, understand it.  and let it be.  but last night was different.  we went with 5 girls.  they wanted to go cuz they had never been before.  and they were better looking than the ones coming in.  and well that just makes the night odd.  cuz i wanted to talk to j instead.  kkk.

best part of the night was eating nuggets and catching up with steve and patty at 5am.

 

 

4:10 AM

taiwan really has some good japanese food.  years of japanese imperialism and a modern day obsession with japanese pop culture has somehow turned into a mutual alliance that showed most apparent as taiwan donated more money than the US to Japans tsunami relief fund.  and with a little food blog searching, 高玉 had some rave reviews for a traditional japanese sushi meal worth blogging about.  omakase sushi.  eat, smile, chat with chef, ask for more.  

2:11 AM

 

 

2:02 AM

not only are friends visiting....parents come to korea too.  

and even non korean parents are obsessed with gangnam style.

11:12 PM

not only are friends visiting....parents come to korea too.  

and even non korean parents are obsessed with gangnam style.

 

 

8:34 PM

its all culminated to this month.  there's about 10 people all coming into korea next weekend.  and through all the years i've known these friends, they've never really visited korea, raved about korea, or really even wanted to visit korea until now. that is until now, that the chinese guy is there.  and now they text weeks in advance about their excitement to have a chinese guy take them around.  i'm now "that guy".  and so when i say there's a lot of drinking in my life, i think im ready to say there's even more drinking in the weekends to come.  but before we talk about next weekend.  lets talk about last weekend.  janet came.  and it was so very refreshing to see familiarity.  yep.  we have a one year old kid together.  he's at home.  while we're at bamsa on monday.  and club maas on tuesday.

11:13 PM

its all culminated to this month.  there's about 10 people all coming into korea next weekend.  and through all the years i've known these friends, they've never really visited korea, raved about korea, or really even wanted to visit korea until now. that is until now, that the chinese guy is there.  and now they text weeks in advance about their excitement to have a chinese guy take them around.  i'm now "that guy".  and so when i say there's a lot of drinking in my life, i think im ready to say there's even more drinking in the weekends to come.  but before we talk about next weekend.  lets talk about last weekend.  janet came.  and it was so very refreshing to see familiarity.  yep.  we have a one year old kid together.  he's at home.  while we're at bamsa on monday.  and club maas on tuesday.

 

8:32 PM

"i went on a date tonight.  let me show you a picture"

"I KNOW HER!"

on tuesday we decided to have dinner.  i hadn't seen her in a while and so we caught up.  like 2 friends reconnecting, talking about the two month elapsed time since we last had dinner and last got completely obliterated together.  and it started with an ease of kinship, friends...one male & and one female discussing significant others that have come and gone in the interim.  obviously, this was over a span of 2 hours.  and obviously this was also over a span of 4 bottles of soju.  and as that soju buzz hit hard, the seats got closer and the body language reflected a certain comfort level.  and as her familiar face reconnected with my more western demeanor, the comfort of kinship automatically flipped for switch for the option of more...dot dot dot.

when i got home, the balcony door was open and there was hansem and friends.  and for the first time in a few, jT wanted to go out some more.  and so we went to talking bar.  kat and michelle met up.  other than leg touching.  i don't remember much after that.

 

11:15 PM

"i went on a date tonight.  let me show you a picture"

"I KNOW HER!"

on tuesday we decided to have dinner.  i hadn't seen her in a while and so we caught up.  like 2 friends reconnecting, talking about the two month elapsed time since we last had dinner and last got completely obliterated together.  and it started with an ease of kinship, friends...one male & and one female discussing significant others that have come and gone in the interim.  obviously, this was over a span of 2 hours.  and obviously this was also over a span of 4 bottles of soju.  and as that soju buzz hit hard, the seats got closer and the body language reflected a certain comfort level.  and as her familiar face reconnected with my more western demeanor, the comfort of kinship automatically flipped for switch for the option of more...dot dot dot.

when i got home, the balcony door was open and there was hansem and friends.  and for the first time in a few, jT wanted to go out some more.  and so we went to talking bar.  kat and michelle met up.  other than leg touching.  i don't remember much after that.

 

 

2:09 AM

it's been 5 months.  and im running into people i haven't seen since i first got here. again raises the question.  what the heck have i been doing?

"oh...i remember you.  jj's"

"oh yea...i met you my first weekend here...noryangjin"

"oh yea...we went to club i....in JANUARY...."

how old am i this year again?  this trip feels like so long ago

11:21 PM