I have this girl I am crushing on. She is cute, funny, intelligent, Christian; Korean-American. She is perfect in the sense that I can bring her to my Korean friends or American friends, and we can enjoy fluent conversation either way.

She also studies hard and enjoys my band's music (she came to a show).

Even if I never get to be with her more than a friend, it is worthwhile as is.

I ask her to go and study or to go and drink or to go to a soccer game or to go to a concert and the reply is always "sure" with additional smiley faces.

Very good person.

She is coming to the soccer game tomorrow.

that is awesome.

 NOTE: this is a very disjointed, quickly written piece that is not meant to be a good read but is rather intended to chronicle what was the best week since 2006. There is a lot of name dropping because when I have a really good week in 2015 or 2020 I want to look back and reflect on these times and these people. The world changes fast -- people come, people go. 

I also realize that easily by this time next week I could be realizing that I am not cut out for University, have had a band blind date and wounded up getting blown off on the drinking; I do not count eggs before they hatch, but I do count blessings when they happen, and it is quite good to have received such as these. 

Friday I went to Mitch's birthday; it was awesome to see him and meet good people with positive vibes. Everything was great -- good food, good alcohol, good people. I then went and saw the Swindlers and First Round Heroes and Attacking Forces, etc. etc. all doing a great show. Oronzo came up from Gwangju, and we talked about things that you can only talk about with Jorge or Oronzo. It's like having a historian and a musical encyclopedia at your fingertips. 

Saturday we go and see Kohji Isle, Bydsu and others; it was my first show with an experimental genre. Lenny showed me some of his art work and I decided I want to put some of it on my left arm for life, and he is willing provided we can find the means. It is avant garde and well done. A cool guy made some awesome homemade beer I enjoyed.

I went home with a lot of people I consider new friends via Sarah; we met a guy named Thomas (but we call him Patrick) who still blows my mind. So many funny things happened.

Monday we open up for Strike Anywhere to top off the weekend at what was an amazing hardcore and punk fueled show. I never saw Things We Say play that good, I don't think, and every other band was totally on. 

I go home and my friend David and I have some great conversations and a terrific breakfast; I felt bonded. I felt fulfilled. Later Jay Traub and I watched a cool movie and shared a lot of laughs. He has that sneaky, cunning comedy marked with stark sarcasm.

I met Sanghwa and Hyopa, later, and we sat in a bar trying not to cry for 2 hours because both of them are leaving in two weeks, essentially for good. I walked with Hyopa to the giant cathedral on Kyunghee University, and then we spent some time trying to hold our emotions in on the way back. It is bitter but these are the sweet moments of your life. 

The next day I went to college.

People in class made me feel like a rock star and my Lutheran sense of humility made me want to disappear from the attention, but who cannot be happy getting the phone numbers of a dozen people who want help on their English metaphysics class and beg to help you with your own? Some of the Freshman asked if they could call me Jake Oppah. People fought to sit next to me. It was honestly embarrassing.

The best part was the look of concern they had in their eyes when they asked, 

"Do you like soju?" 

And then the look of excitement when my reply was "Yes." Promises were made to drink next week.

Then a junior high/high school friend arrived in Korea yesterday, contacted me today; we got plans to hang out and it will be utterly crazy to have two Fargonauts in Seoul. 

After I went and had a dinner with my old mate Bumby he gave me a sharp haircut and I went home to wade through a dozen Song dynasty philosophers. I felt intellectually charged. I felt the Power of the Ancient while listening to Leibach (an Oronzo recommendation).

And then, as I was writing this I get a phone call from Sean Anderson telling me he has made a blind date for me on Saturday with a Russian girl who is fluent in Korean (and apparently English unless Sean has not told me he speaks fluent Russian). 

I do not know what the deal is... When it rains, it pours. 

SECONDARY NOTE: the week in 2006 happened sometime in late May; it involved a punk rock tour throughout Korea and sharing new experiences with many friends. 

And just to let you know how quick the world changes:

Of the people who were there with me in 2006,  only one foreigner remains (Jon), and of those bands, only two of them have played more than one show in the last three years (Rux,  Suck Stuff).

Someone on politicsforum.org (nattering nabob) pointed this out:

"I just found out that today, 05-07-09, is the first of only six consecutively odd numerical dates this century..."

I drank too much yesterday and ended up staying out all night against my plans, through some crafty tale telling.

It was truly odd, but it happened.

이따가 저는 다시 outprocessing해야한다... 물론 난 하고 싶지않다. 오늘 참 이쁘고 난 생각이 많이 있으니까 난 그냥 여기서 계속 앉으고 싶은다.

씨팔.

인생이 이렇게 야. ㅋ.

top listenign 2008

1. 1		Pluton Svea		483
   2		Landser		460
   3		Drowning the Light		383
   4		Good Clean Fun		331
   5		Ultima Thule		198
   5		The Clash		198
   7		Billy Bragg		194
   8		Haggis		193
   9		Zillertaler Türkenjäger		177
   10		Rambo		172
   11		김용임		170
   12		Skrewdriver		163
   13		Lifelover		162
   14		Battle Scarred		134
   15		Absurd		120
   16		Sombre Chemin		117
   17		Hate Society		113
   18		J.M.K.E.		112
   19		Los Fastidios		110
   20		Angelic Upstarts		106
   21		Revolt BGD		104
   21		Hard Skin		104
   23		Mistreat		101
   24		Modern Life Is War		98
   25		이민숙		97
   26		Last Years Youth		95
   26		Johnny Rebel		95
   28		Ramones		94
   29		The Gonads		89
   29		xLooking Forwardx		89
   31		주현미		88
   32		Vanilla Muffins		86
   33		The Adicts		84
   34		Manowar		83
   34		The Business		83
   36		Pwa		82
   36		The Gits		82
   38		Pleaseeasaur		81
   39		PC Death Squad		80
   40		Cock Sparrer		79
   41		Blockhaus		78
   42		Misfits		75
   43		Saga		74
   44		Jesus Skins		73
   45		Dead Kennedys		72
   46		Aryanas		71
   46		Ethnic Cleansing		71
   46		7Teen		71
   46		The Macc Lads		71
   46		Legion of St. George		71
   46		Pornotarium		71
   52		Untergangskommando		70
   53		Faul		69
   54		Blue Max		68
   54		Antsy Pants		68
   54		Behemoth		68
   57		Command		67
   57		Tollschock		67
   59		Graveland		65
   60		Kill Baby, Kill!		62
   60		The Oppressed		62
   62		Hellking		61
   63		Skunx		60
   64		Kraftschlag		59
   65		Sniper		57
   65		Sturmwehr		57
   67		Nordglanz		56
   67		The Headhunters		56
   67		Kommando Freisler		56
   67		Niblick Henbane		56
   67		Curasbun		56
   72		Persiana Jones		55
   73		Satanic Warmaster		54
   73		Civico 88		54
   73		Andrew W.K.		54
   73		Bloodshot Hooligans		54
   73		Blackout		54
   78		NOFX		52
   78		Beatnik Termites		52
   78		Pitbullfarm		52
   81		Hassgesang		51
   81		Selbststeller		51
   81		Philippine Violators		51
   84		4 Promille		50
   84		The Pizdziores		50
   86		이미자		49
   86		Special Duties		49
   86		Morgan knockers		49
   89		Perkele		47
   90		Chefdenker		46
   91		Bonecrusher		45
   91		The Dick Spikie		45
   91		Goatmoon		45
   94		Pennywise		44
   94		Genocide Superstars		44
   94		Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players		44
   97		Wolfnacht		43
   97		Frank Rennicke		43
   97		Afrika Korps		43
   97		Badlands		43
   97		Seigneur Voland		43
   102		Gumbles		42
   102		Loikaemie		42
   102		Darkthrone		42
   102		Immortal		42
   102		The Beach Boys		42
   102		Conflict		42
   102		Aphex Twin		42
   102		Evil Conduct		42

(X) Loud, abrasive music.
(X) People getting the shit kicked out of them.
(X) People getting laid in semi-public places.
(X) Self-mutilation.
(X) Valuable items lost.
(X) Vomit.
(X) Broken friendships

It was a beautiful night -- I started drinking at about four PM; I was wretching in garbage cans by 9 PM.

Holy crap, man.

But I did nothing morally wrong and in the end life was preserved.

It is good to be back.

I noticed immediately that after 30 days nothing has changed but the entire streets had a yearning feeling -- yearning for my boots, for my drunken stagger; the paper cups of coffee never looked so good full of tobacco spit.

늙은 창녀도 아름답게 보였다.

I am excited to be back though I am not sure how the next few days will go in the office. I am not really even sure about anything going on. I am just going with the flow, so to speak, and hoping for things to fall in place.

It was kind of nice seeing all those old faces that make the workplace so bearable. It was a happy reunion.

They even inspected our rooms the very first day I was back. Needless to say, that was not a thrill. I am ready to be done with this Army life. It has been a fair amount of time.

Nearly six years of my posting on this xanga I have been in the Army. Isn't it crazy to think how this documents all of my activities.

Oh, alas, I am home.

But I do say... I loved being in Minneapolis. My other home. It was nice. I was just ready to returna nd tart the partying.

In 13 hours I will be on a plane to Seattle hten to south Korea to complete my Army time and learn freedom again. I look forward to seeing all of my friends again.

Minnesota Gophers won. So did the Minnesota wild. So did Brock Lesnar.

I feel ready to have a good time when I get back and to just... Be good.

I've been good now for thirty days.

Saw most of my relatives for the last time for several months to come today and just saw Matt, Ali and Grant for the last time... For an undefinable amount of time.

I do not really know what to say.

We went to Gustaf's and drank huge liter of beer each; relaxed. Took snuff in my nose for the first time. Discussed a lot of interesting things.

I do feel some melancholy.

Minnesota Vikings won 30 to 27 basically because our defense owned tonight... On several turnovers and other flukes.

I have had nothing to do but I have a chipotle burrito to eat tomorrow. I will miss the chipotle when I go back to Korea.

I think that I will end up moving to China. It seems like a good place and my Aunt Ti really gave me a lot of pro-China propaganda that I swallowed up wholeheartedly. She recommended several universities to me and the possibility of going to those are pretty high.

My xanga has been up a long time and I need to learn a new sense of loyalty to it.