Action speaks louder than thoughts

Not much can be said in the last few days. It has been quite relaxing since my return to Tianjin from Seoul. For the first few days back, the weather wasn't very encouraging with the continuous, albeit intermittent, rain. However, the rain did give me time to reflect, catch up on sleep and chill.

I slept quite a bit this past weekend, making up for some of the sleepless nights in Korea. Although I had only been in South Korea for just a week, I quickly got used to the college lifestyle once again; a lifestyle of going out late at night, drinking, not returning until the early morning, and just living a silly daydream.

I think part of me feels disappointed for having to leave so soon. Though China is hardly my turf, I have to admit that I have become accustomed to the city and the lifestyle already. With that said, Korea sort of brought me fresh air once again - quite literally - and I wasn't finished breathing.

That's when I got to thinking, what if I could make my way back again one day? Hell, why not just make it more than a simple visit? As Eileen and many others have said, I'm "young" and have a lot of time to explore myself, to explore the world and to learn more about life. I guess I'm trying to say that I've caught the "bug."

No, really, I'm thinking about making Korea my next destination once I've completed my year of teaching in China. And, I don't want to do it alone this time... *smiles* yeah, I want Lily to go with me this time around.

I know it won't be an easy goal to achieve, but since when have lofty goals been easy to reach? The biggest "obstacle" at this point is that she's a Chinese citizen, and I am not sure how the process works with non-American citizens. For the most part, Americans are gladly accepted into many countries and cultures. Of course, you would never know this according to what the news tells you at home. My time outside of America has highlighted some of the many freedoms we Americans take for granted.

I'm sure a lot of you know how dreamy I can be at times, neglecting to see the reality of things. But, for me, the best part of life is dreaming. Moreover, chasing that dream makes life worthwhile.

I'm thinking, walks on the beach, holding Lily's hand. Hikes into the mountains, where we can both get lost in nature. Perhaps we can make an occasional bullet train shot to Seoul, or a ferry trip or two to Japan. Japan is not the only place within one's grasp from Busan. At your feet, you've got Jeju Island - a supposed beautiful island of Korea - and at arm's length, you've got Lily's homeland, China.

The pay is also considerably better than what I am making in China. As a "developed" country, Korea's economy is on par with Japan and the US, making the Korean won fairly strong. Not only is this attractive, but Korea's relative position below the Japanese and US economy makes the cost of living in Korea lower. For example, you can get a 2 floor apartment loft for about US $450 a month. If you're lucky enough, the school for which you work will subsidize this expense. In a nutshell, those who go to Korea to teach English will leave with a nice sum in their pocket. After China, I’m not so sure how much I’ll be “worth.”

With all of that said, perhaps you can all appreciate the excitement I have for next year. Either way, I will be with Lily, whether in America, or someplace else in the world. However, to think that we could be setting sail down a highway that winds the mountains and overlooks the beach... I'm just in the sky right now with my thoughts...

As any man would do, the next step would be to consult the parents. Now, in America, it seems to be perfectly fine to voice one's opinions and ideas, whether they seem potential or otherwise. You know, you just talk out your ideas and have others contribute to the thought. Before I made the decision to go to China to teach, I had all the wise men sit at the table and discuss the issue - a few beers at Stone Werks with Valdo and Brian.

With this in mind, and my excitement at its peak, I thought I could discuss the idea of teaching in Busan with Lily's parents. Well, as it turned out, Lily's parents weren't so upset as much as Lily. Actually, Lily's father thought it was a really good idea, said I was smart, and Lily's mother also had a nod to give. I really did make all the pieces fit; location, pay, quality of life, it all fits nicely into my scheme.

However, I learned from Lily that thoughts are just thoughts, and one needs to have a sure understanding that the thought will become action before it is talked about before one's family. This, Lily told me, is another one of those unwritten rules, if not guidelines, in Chinese culture.

I admit, I have no idea if my plan will fly or sink to the bottom of the ocean. And, as Valdo once said, with which I agree, it's not so good to blow hot air; you should know what you're doing before you begin to tell others.

Right now though, my "hot air" is keeping me afloat in the sky and I haven't come down from it just yet. I thought China was a crazy idea, but it has turned out to be perfectly sound. My confidence is now creating another path in life for me to follow, but my maturity/experience needs to catch up.

Although I have seen some ugly sides to life, I have also been exposed to life's beauty and wonder.

The wonderful point here is that Lily and I give each other room for mistake and we learn from each other. The beautiful aspect of our differing cultural origins is that we are learning more about ourselves just as much as we are learning more about each other.

The next step for me is to grab Lily by the arm and take her on this ride before the dream is over...