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I just wanted to show you some pictures that I have come to treasure. These photos were taken while on one of my many hikes. I just didn't want to take these while walking on the streets because I felt like getting above the tree line and rewarding you with some Fall Foliage. Enjoy!







Thank you for checking me out. If you want to see the other photos go to the "Photo's Tab" and scroll through them. Sending Love from South Korea!

Joe - OUT!!

So yeah there is none! As the days in darker more quickly as Fall dashes toward Winter I was looking forward to Day Light Savings Time. When I was younger I always seemed to forget but that's what God made Mother's for, because she would always give an announcement to the family that we could either stay in bed for an extra hour or be forced to rise an extra hour earlier.

I feel really bad because I might have told some students that we DID have daylight savings time on Sunday and to set back their clocks. I am pretty sure my kids will have something to say about that this week in class (my bad!).

The funny thing is that I went online after the fact and "Googled" if South Korea had in fact participated in Day Light Savings. I was surprised to find that although they do not, they did some time ago. From the years 1948-1951, 1955-1960, and 1987-1988 South Korean observed the savings but now they do not. All in all it's really no big deal but I just have to get used to running all of my errands in the dark. Be that as it may I enjoyed learning something new today and I thought it would be cool to share it with you. The following image is an updated map from 2010 of all the countries that observe DST (courtesy of Wikipedia)


Blue Areas have DST
Orange Areas once had DST
Red Areas never had DST

Joe - OUT!!

The rules of disciplining students has extremely changed and many of Foreign teachers may not be aware of this. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has announced a decree issuing a Complete Halt of Student Corporal Punishment of Any Kind. Before I get into this topic I want give you a brief synopsis of South Korean schools and their previous disciplinary tactic's.

Before in South Korea Corporal punishment was seen as lawful and necessary tool to effectively teach students in high occupant classrooms. This act of South Korean school discipline usually took the form of smacking with a stick that was small, too rigid and too thick to be considered a cane.

The areas where disciplined was administered were: the buttocks (fully clothed),the calves, the soles of the feet, or the front and back of the thighs. The reasons why students are punished were for offences such as: failure to complete homework, speaking in class when the teacher has requested silence, when a student strikes another student, when a student disrespects a teacher, and failing to achieve a good exam score.

Now on the other side of this issue there are those that will make a stance around Human Rights. They feel that the extreme situations where students who are being hurt from overly forceful discipline needs to be halted. Also those who support Korean Educational Law feel that corporal punishment is not a legitimate way to discipline students. This sentiment I completely agree with namely because whoever gets enjoyment from beating up abusing little kids, without any intent to correct misbehavior for their individual betterment, should not be allowed to work with youth. However this Human Rights focuses on the extreme cases of abuse, not misbehavior. Thus it falls short of a pragmatic approach to addressing the growing stresses of the teachers responsibility to teach too many students with too little resources. So this now becomes an issue of shifting the dynamic of responsibility from all on the teacher to a mutual responsibility of the student and the teacher.


Coming back to my point about high occupant classrooms is where my attitude about discipline changes. When you have a classroom of ANY size, why should the education of the majority be slighted over the shenanigans of a few? This behavior, if not confronted, will translate into future time-consuming malfeasance in the workplace. For instance have you ever worked at a job where, even though you put your full earnest effort into a good days work, there was one or two employees who either slacked off or couldn't get their act together so everyone had to suffer and work harder? The same thing apply's here. At least with the latter situation you had a supervisor or a boss who had a list of protocol to follow in order to correct the employees behavior before terminating the individual. In the former situation is the reality of what many Foreign teachers have to deal with. There truly are little to none actions to take when dealing with students who are disrespectful of your authority or who are continuously noisy in class.

Unfortunately working in South Korea or any foreign country comes with a lot of hardships on top of teaching rowdy students. Since many expat teachers either work at Hagwons (private schools) or work without a Korean co-teacher there is very little recourse to keep your classroom quiet and keep your lesson plans effective. Just like any other student they fidget for a number of reasons:

- Students are often tired from attending school all day.
- Many are under motivated to learn your subject.
- The material may seem daunting and redundant,
- Honestly, some students love the attention from acting out
- They are Children!

There are many other reasons why kids slack off but many of them are so consumed with pre-adolescent thoughts and desires that it is hard to constantly break through the white noise and make sure that everyone learns something.


Because what this now means for foreign teachers, like myself, is that our hands are completely tied. Oftentimes school directors will say that in order to deal with a rowdy student is just to stand them up in the front of your class in continue teaching, because the child will feel shame standing in front of their peers. This, however, does not happen. Since many students act out to be recognized putting them in front of your class gives them the stage to make silly faces and distract the other students from your lesson.

Since the "Stand in front" idea never works I usually have them hold up one or two books over their head and tell them in a stern voice to "Be Quiet." It works for me because even my baddest of students can't hold a book forever. Now other teachers may yell at there students but it's not in my teaching style to yell at anyone. I don't even yell to get a taxi. I've never liked anyone yelling at me so I respectfully don't yell at others, especially my students. So the last thing to consider is to send little Mr. or Miss Trouble Maker to the Principles Office. But wait! We don't have one of those, oftentimes the Directors are conducting class themselves and don't have time to deal with students behaving badly.

So virtually all of my discipline options are null. Because something as small as a tap on the hand can end up in a lawsuit, a fine, and/or a trip back home. So with that being said don't ever say that I never warned you. Keep your hands to yourself and lets hope that your bad students will act better.

Joe - OUT!!

Now I know that we don't spend a lot of time together, baby I know that. But you know that I am out here trying to make things happen and get this money. I appreciate you staying here with me through it all and these silly escapades into my life in SK is the only way that I can connect with you anymore. So before I put on the Barry White album and I light you up like Christmas I wanted to slow it down and talk about the stupid little things that make me want...uhm...well...cut you!

All joking aside I truly respect South Korea but with everything else in life the good comes with some undesirable bads. Now I am the first to admit that my perception is limited but I will remain veracious as possible. And for those of you reading this before coming to South Korea keep a positive mindset and keep researching and reading. So let's get started with the least irritable things and we'll move our way up.



10) Limited Book Selection - Despite what many people might think, there are book stores out here that have books in English. Although if you're an avid reader than you are going to wish that you bought and iPad or a Kindle and packed it with tons of books before you came out here. Because I don't know how much longer I can reread Lord of the Flies.


9) Buying Clothes - When you get here you only have a limited selection of threads to choose from. So understand that your students will see you in the same several shirts A LOT! So if you lose weight, gain weight, or you get your favorite pair of jeans marked up in red crayon by a 4 year old(GAHH!! KEVIN) you will have to consider buying clothes from local outlets. If you are lucky you can find a no name thrift store that you can pick up some cheap, cheap hand-me-downs. But if you are fully figured you WILL have some trouble. I am going to stop there so as not to proliferate any stereotypes but I will say this: "Ladies I am not ashamed to say that where I come from, my ass is considered a piece of art ;)"


8) Where's the Rum? - This one is pretty self explanatory. Every E-Mart, Lotte Mart, and Rich Mart that I've been to doesn't sell Rum. There is also a selection of wine, vodka, soju, whiskey, gin and other spirits. To all the guys out there, I'm sorry but I'm a Cocktail Guy and proud of it. However it's hard trying to unwind properly without a nice glass of rum in hand.


7) Super Sweet Sweets - I have a notorious sweet tooth and I enjoy feeding it an array of cookies and candy from time to time. However the candy here in South Korea make you second guess your consumption habits. A lot of Korean sweets are REALLY sweet to a point where even a little is too much. Which is sad because now I have to add Candy to my list of fears; next to snakes, babies, bears, baby bears, and spiders.




6) Ambiguity Galore - For all of you who truly know me, you know that I am a huge fan of efficiency. When you ask me to do something I pride myself on my aptitude and showmanship on completing said task. While working here I have noticed a huge gap in our cultural conversation styles. Conversation here with Koreans is more implicit whereas English is way more explicit. There is a lot of guessing of the When's and Where's things need to be done. So just be ready to ask a lot of questions so just bring your patience in boat loads and not just for the students.


5) Stop Gawking Please - When you patiently and humbly accept that you are the new kid on the block and that you are different you still have to deal the staring. And I know this may just be my personal preference but I can't stand when people stare at me. I'm not self conscious but I will go rabid if you don't take your eyes off the back of my head!

Again I understand that the staring is motivated by innocent curiosity but don't eyeball me while the whole time I am sitting, eating, shopping, etc. And Yes, yes I completely forgot that I am black, I know that I am tall, and I know how to read Korean, so please tell the whole train car to STOP LOOKING AT ME!


4) Zero Personal Space - Again with the cultural differences. I enjoy a conversation as much as the next person but there are rules. If you can see the fillings in my mouth then please take a step back. I am Pro-Personal Space, I am so adamant about my personal space that I will stop an entire conversation if you are too close. How awkward is that? One minute we are talking and laughing then all of a sudden I stop talking and stare at you until you adjust yourself...haha..yeah.. Great Times...


3) Put the Phones Away! - Now this just bothers me from an ethical standpoint. Why is that students as young as 6 have cell phones? I understand that times changes and the importance of cultural paradigm shifts but c'mon! Who is my little student calling and texting during my class?! And when you ask about it to your director its always, "It's Okay." No, dumbass it's NOT okay. It's called an educational barrier. You want me to teach them English with limited resources, fine. But don't give them external stimuli to distract the students. A perfect example is this 7 year old student who texts his grandmother during class no matter how much I ask him not to. Despite my illogical request the mother and the grandmother have the nerve to call the school and complain why the student is not improving in English. My only reply to that is "I don't have time for this."


2) Over-the-Top Loudness - In the states we are known for our unique ability to tell you "Shut Up" or "Be Quiet." I can't tell you how much I have been told that I talk really low and too quietly. This is funny to me because I come back with "Yeah, that's weird because has anyone told you that you're just loud...I'm sorry did you hear me?"

Seriously, all the conversations seem to be miked here. We have big "Hello's" and "Goodbyes" which is exciting at times yet annoying at other times.


1) Other Foreigners - The number one annoyance on the list is observing other foreigners from my home country. If you are young, like myself, you can use this experience as a very good and positive platform. Some people use this experience to do some soul searching and find an inner strength while running into other like minded people that you can hang onto for a lifetime. Other people, however, use their time in South Korea as a launch pad to prolong their indecisiveness and prolong their college drunken stupor. It pains me not only to hear but also to see other fellow expats acting downright stupid. Now not everyone is fit to be an ambassador for their country but show some self-restraint and have some class.

Another thing that rubs me the wrong way is the heavy ethnocentric attitude that comes with Expat Expectations. When you go into a 7-11 in Korea don't just start rambling off in English and just expect the person to just know what you're talking about. You are in South Korea, it would take you all of 20 seconds to master how to ask a question in Korean. And don't get mad at other people because you don't understand and now your ego is shot. Get over it there is no "saving face" because you don't have one here. I'm sorry if you feel differently but let's put it into perspective. You are an English Teacher on a temporary stay in South Korea. You are a guest in their home, so don't be careless and wreck the place. Because you never know, one day they probably won't invite you back over...

Joe - OUT!!

This had to be one of the most awesome things that I've seen in my entire trip thus far. I was on my way to a big department store (Lotte Mart) to pick up some items that weren't carried in closer stores and learn a new bus route when I came across this couple.



Now I'm no stranger to love, but I will say that this simple display of cooperation really made look at relationships differently. I was just amazed at their level of casual while doing what seems to be a simple task. Trust me it's not! I had two bags about that size in both hands and it wasn't a fun trek home. These days, however, I will find any excuse to exercise since the cold weather is coming in. Good grief Charlie Brown is it winter already?



Although this picture was inspirational to me I wanted to throw some pictures up of my little country town while I was out. I hope you enjoy them!





Joe - OUT!!

Yep that's right, you read that correctly. I almost didn't believe it when I heard it myself but I assure you that YES such a place exists in South Korea. Oddly enough there is not a lot written on this place but I thought I'd do my readers a solid and give them the scoop.

Now why is GameStop so important? The reason that I felt that this place was blog-worthy is because if you're a foreigner and you are considering buying an XBox, PS3, Wii, etc. you do not want to make the mistake of buying a game console in a Korean store with the intent of taking it back home. This is especially important when it comes to buying additional games for your console while you are traveling away from home. If the words NTSC-J, NTSC-U/C, and PAL don't ring any bells you need to stop reading and Google these words. Trust me I am trying to help you save a lot of time, and keep you from disappointment.

In order to get to GameStop you need to go toward the Seoul area. Sorry guys if you don't live in Gyeonggi-do :( You need go to Songtan to get to GameStop. More specifically you will need to go to the Shinjang Shopping Mall, toward Osan Military Base. You can take the blue subway Line One to get there. When you come out of the station you want to hang a right and start your walk.






So if you the option of taking a nice 15-20 minute walk to get there or as you get out of the station you can get in a taxi and say "Main gate." Trust me, they are going to know what you are talking about.



Now if you do decide to walk make sure that you are going toward Shinjang Overpass. You will begin to see signs that will put you in the right direction.





Then after a few short minutes you should come up to a T-Section in the middle of the street. Once you pass that you should be able to Shinjang Shopping Center on your right.



Then on your left you will see the entrance to Osan Military Base.



You want to make sure that you take a right and go into the Shopping Center. Finally GameStop will be on the left hand side of the street. Congratulations! Here are a few more pictures of the inside.







Oh yeah one last thing. They take both USD and KRW won. So don't worry about taking out a bunch of cash before you go. Here are the phone numbers to GameStop in South Korea if you get lost or have questions 031-663-6898 and the cell number is 010-5198-1264. They're also open from 11AM - 8PM everyday!

Joe - OUT!!

Just the other day I went back to Yangju City Hall to go see live performance. If you can recall the last time I went to City Hall I was able to see the Janguu Drum Performance. This time however, I got to see a very talented group called NANTA. NANTA is a very popular Korean culinary themed percussion group (so think of STOMP but with pastry chef hats). And I have got to say, it was probably one of the coolest shows I have yet to see in South Korea. The concert opened with a decent 5 piece Jazz band playing some covers of some old American songs. The most interesting part was that there was a tap dancer that filled in all of the solos sections. I just remembered trying to think of the last time I saw someone tap dancing...ohh that's right SESAME STREET! All-in-all it was a nice addition even if it was a quirky gimmick.

After their set had finished the stage crew rolled a bunch of cooking equipment onto the stage. Unfortunately I took videos on my camera but they were erased but I managed to save some of the low quality stills from the video my camera "claimed" to have shot...ugh! Despite my cameras epic fail I found a couple videos of what NANTA is just for you:

Click Here for Video








As you can see they are a very talented and their show was awesome! It was like watching The Blue Men or STOMP back in the states. Being a fellow percussionists I was thoroughly pleased and I plan to see them again at the beginning of October. Also if your are interested in finding out when you can see them I have a link to their website with all of updated performance listings. If you have seen them or if you plan on seeing them leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Click Here for NANTA Info

Joe - OUT!!

It has been my primary concern to establish and maintain a good social network with living in South Korea. Namely because things happen well outside of my control on a daily basis and not having fully mastered the Korean language I am at the mercy of inference. And while I am wasting time playing the Guessing Game attempting to decipher a news clip or understand an imperative statement you can come up short even with your best "A-Game."

So in an effort to make lots of new friends to hang out with or meet really cool local Koreans who will show you around the area I have decided to share my secret. Keep in mind that while using these tools you can also develop a friendship with locals or different foreigners to do what's called a "Language Exchange." Where you meet for a coffee, lunch, etc. and you practice a target language. I have done this before and it has proven to be very effective. Plus the site is really fun to use. If you have ever used Facebook it operates similar to that. The best part is that in order for you to match you with other people you just answer quick personality questions. And for every question you answer the closer you get to meeting people that you share similar tests with. So get out there and make some friends; and don't say that I never gave you anything...because I am quick to slap an ungrateful SOB! ;)

Link: http://www.okcupid.com



Joe - OUT!!

As of August 29th I am officially the only English teacher at my employers hagwon (private school). I really don't know what to say about the recent change in the work schedule, namely because I saw it coming a mile away. While I stay fairly nonchalant about most things I will say that my next 6 months of work cut out for me. With the budget being tight and the potential of hiring new staff virtually zero it is turning out to be more and more of a challenge. Usually classes at hagwons have a small number of students to maximize the amount of efficient instruction. Now that there are only 3 teachers available our classes rival that of a public school.

Again no big deal, we would just agree to change our approach and teach in a more lecture type style instead of revolving one-on-one sessions. But with limited physical classroom space and no over head projectors, power points, or video equipment to aid in the mission the gauntlet seems to be quite a formidable one. Plus all the vacation time I have not used is completely null and void. For the reason that since I am the only English teacher present my classes would not be covered. So "Goodbye" to my dream of going to Busan, China and the Philippines.

If I have not depleted all of my good karma in my first months staying in South Korea, my only wish is that my last few months go by quickly :/
P.S. - I kind of wanted to wait for about a month to see if my attitude would change about the situation before I spoke on it. The verdict is out..Yep this is some Bull-ish!

Joe - OUT!!

I recently asked my employer how to get rid of some clothes and she immediately asked me "Why?" I told her that since I moved out here I have lost so much weight I am now not able to fit into a majority of my clothes anymore. Although this is a really great feeling; it is instantly capped when I think about shopping for new clothes at trendy Korean Outlets:





Yikes!!

Well while I try to figure out how to avoid this catastrophe I am going to show you how to properly get rid of some extra clothes. Below is a picture of a blue (sometimes they are green) receptacle that are pretty common around Korea. At first I couldn't find mine, but as soon as I knew what I was looking for I realized that I pass about two of these things a day...yeah I'm observant when I want to be ;)




Joe - OUT!!

Sometimes I forget that not all of my posts have to be of an Earth shattering magnitude. I was frantically weaving in and out a busy crowd while riding the subway when I felt really thirsty. By some clear stroke of luck I saw of the silhouette of a vending machine out of my peripheral. As I was taking out my wallet to purchase a drink I quickly began to realize what I was standing in front of.





It was a instant coffee machine. How awesome is that?! It figures that the nonstop hardworking Korean culture would adopt such an idea. What was even more amazing was the prices of cup of coffee (300 won is like .26 cents USD) A big Two Thumbs Up for SK and this cool little Pick Me Up Station.

Joe - OUT!!

So I wanted to apologize for my long hiatus from writing. I have been away learning the many lessons of life while traveling around South Korea. At first I didn't want to write because I didn't think that I could truly articulate the awesome magnitude of how I felt when I went to Gyeonggondo Beach and laid on the sand at night. And how I felt both Still and Calm while thinking of the many friends that I would have loved to have shared that moment with. To hear them laugh while I cracked a joke or two or take a moment to dream recklessly about our futures like I used to do as a freshmen in college. I held on to that fleeting memory for dear life because I wanted to remember what it felt like to not only think but BELIEVE that Anything and Everything was possible.


As I laid in the back in the sand I dug my toes deeper into the sand. "Have I become jaded or have I just accepted of the world's ills?" I would have loved to have had another person present with English as their first language to discuss that more in detail. Then one of the children's feet rippled my thoughts until the night sky returned to a solid navy blue. As he came near me to share his newfound fascination of playing with sparklers in the darkness I laughed loudly at the sight of their wide eyes.





Then at that moment I realized something; I was truly happy for the first time in a long time. Not because of the children themselves but seeing them outside of the classroom setting discovering life on their own was beautiful for them and it was the exact same thing that I am doing currently. Putting it into perspective I quickly thought of how my life WOULD have been had I not come to South Korea several months ago. I shuttered at the reality. I knew that I would have felt a deep emptiness inside of me that yearned for both answers and adventure.

So people can go their whole lives living in one area and be comfortable. When faced with the same scenario I have shortened breath and I clench my teeth at just the thought. Although I respect those who don't want to travel I am finding out that the path toward finding my Personal Solace had to be this way. I would not have been satisfied learning the same lesson close to home.

And as I left the beach to turn in for the night I realized that I had stumbled upon the true depth of my potential. I am at awe at how deep the well runs. That night I thanked the stars because I had finally found what I had lost as a child so long ago.

On the 5th of September I had my 24th birthday. Actually I know there is no cultural or custumary significance toward achieving this milestone but it served to be a very important day for me. Since the beginning of this year I set my New Years Resolutions pretty high and after I moved to South Korea I have completed the entire checklist:

2010 New Years Resolutions
- Read 10 new books
- Lose 20 pounds by December
- Start eating healthier
- Find a new job
- Move out of Las Cruces
- Brush up on your French
- Start studying a new Language

Thanks to the fact that I live in an isolated area within South Korea I have made great leaps and bounds toward achieving every goal on the list. So as to deter any regression in my behavior I wanted my birthday to signify the start of a new list. While I am still editing the list currently I won't post what I already have. Because if I did it would spoil the whole movie and you would stop reading ;) Seriously though, my new list focuses on honing my new resolve and making sure that I purge anything out of my life which will serve as a hindrance toward claiming my bright future. I used the word "purge" not to be abrasive but to show that I am committed to develop a positive environment around me at all times to let others feel the change that elusively dodges description.



I also had a chance to read "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. Why didn't anyone tell me how amazing this book was?! This book has changed my life PERIOD. I think that the reason that this book continues to be successful is because of the authors' ability to give relatable anecdotes throughout his writing. Honestly there is bound to be some part of the book that you will say "Oh man, I can totally relate to this character." Although the book is packed full of memorable quotes this was my favorite:

"You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursing his Personal Legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it's because it wasn't true love...the Love that speaks the Language of the World" Coelho 120).

All in all I thought this book came into my life at precisely the right time. I have always felt that I have been a focused and ambitious person. But that was nothing in comparison to how I feel after I read this piece of literature. It's like I went to bed when I was 23 and woke up to be 24 and suddenly Anything and Everything was possible. It's funny because I am constantly trying to shake this feeling to see if it's just a temporary state of mind but it's not going away. So I am happy to announce that my original plan of staying in South Korea has been cancelled. Instead I am making my way back home in March. Not because I don't want to be here anymore, but my heart is telling me that what I am looking for is back in the states.

I was going to write a more introspective blog today but ohhh no! Some crazy loose K-9 put an end to that. Normally I keep a pretty strict regiment of running outside several times a week. Yesterday I didn't really want to run but I had some aggro built up from work (A quick shout out to all the bad kids who make my job close to impossible Yay!)

I should have listened to my inside voice but I just thought I was being lazy so I forced myself to hit the streets. During my jog there is this one particular part that is tucked away in a back street and is void of any street lights before I come to main road. And of course it would be fitting for this particular incident to happen while I was in this shoddy little area.

As I was coming up this little "T-Section" I saw two things moving in front of me. The first thing I could make out was a woman, who had just walked into her house. And the second was the silhouette of a large dog. Now being that I am from Los Angeles, being chased by dogs was a part of my school curriculum.

So after I confirmed that it was a dog I immediately stopped running, took my headphones out of my ears, turned, and quietly walked in the other direction. Namely, because I wasn't interested in being filmed in the Korean version of "Cops" by proving this dog up and having it chase me. No as I walking back from the direction from whence I came, I turned my head to see if the dog was following me. Taking a hard swallow I said "Yep, it's right there."



To give this creature its proper respect I took the time do some research and find out more it. The dog that chased me a Jindo dog, this Korean breed of dog looks like a half wolf and half dog. The Jindo is known to be very fierce, strong, agile, loyal and ridiculously territorial. This would seem to be a perfect dog that I would honestly consider purchasing when I return to the states but I realized yesterday two big huge flaws in my inability to read dogs.

Mistake #1 - I forgot that these dogs have ears that rarely ever go down. So you can't really know how they feel until it is too late.

Mistake #2 - I also forgot that even if this dog enters YOUR immediate surroundings it is now THEIR surroundings and your new name is "Kibbles and Bits" - YIKES!

Back to the story...



While I was slowly retreating back down the alley I honestly wanted to give this little fella a chance. I slowed my pace down to a stop and put my hands out. With palms exposed I wanted the dog to understand I meant it no harm so he could smell me and be on its way. But as I extended my hands the dog quickly went from a playfully panting to snarling and growling. At this moment I could have kicked myself for letting this dog come even closer to me but now all I could to do was ease backwards and figure out what to do next.

My options were simple: Fight or Run. I hated the thought of running because I didn't want to be in a situation where I was slower than the dog and all my energy would be wasted from my frantic escape with nothing left to defend myself. However since I didn't see any rocks, large sticks, baseball bats or katanas lying around I resorted to my orginal plan of chancing a foot race with the Jindo. The first thing I thought while trying to set a new Olympic speed record was to try and lose the dog by running up some stairs. I quickly tossed the idea after thinking that the dog would be smart enough to chase me up the stairs and corner me.



I remember very vividly that the only thing that I wanted to do was yell for Help. But I thought that was stupid because I was in South Korea where they speak a different language. I might as well have screamed out "Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Sandwich!" while being chased by this super wolf-dog. So in a literal mad dash of desperation I jumped on top of a car and then jumped onto the roof of a house. After that I made my way to the next street via roof top and ran home.

Sorry Fido, but I am way too broke for Rabies Shots.

Granted that I am happy that I got away unscathed it is unfortunate that I didn't really learn anything from this. Because knowing myself I will probably get bored running a shorter track and end up meeting this dog again sometime in the near future. What I did learn, however, is never deplete yourself while working out because you never know when you'll need that last little bit to get you out of a jam!

Joe - OUT!!