"May 09, 2005
CLIMBING THE WALLS
Just wrote a blog and the damn thing dissapeared on me. Very dissapointing. To recover the presious words is of course impossible, especially since they were driven by pure passion. I was pointing out some differences between climbing that I have been taught it Canada and that done here in Korea by some of the Korean climbing clubs here in Ulsan.
The way I was tought to tie up the rope is to first tie the figure eight with a loose end of the rope, which is then fed through the harness, followed through the figure eight again, and the loose end is tied up into a know on the other side. The korean way, the one that I have observed, not meaning that it is the only one, is to make a loope, which is then tied into the figure eight, with the loose loop remaining ready for it to be fed through a safety carabeener fastened to the harness. This seems to make a quick tie and untie for top rope leads. I was just curious about the safety on this particular way of roping in...but in the end that is pretty much how the ballayers rope is fed through.
This bit of info is provided for all those who actually give a shit about climbing, and my point in it really was just to point out another, however subtle, difference in cultures.
Thing about climbing. Whatever the reason is, for which people get into it, be it in order to overcome some fear or in order to impress someone, which I realized is not neccecarily a bad thing, trying to improve oneself for someone one cares about, or be it for the simple joy of climbing, the end result is the same. I forget what the end result is right now.
The koreans had a rather different approach to climbing. Their routine involved streching, which I guess is good in any situation, yelling, which can be understood if it is used for means of communication and safety keeping, and occasional breaking out into songs. Now as entertaining as that seemed at the moment, it simply is not something that turns my crank when climbing. I have read somewhere that climbing is a solitary experience, with which I agree. Once you get on the wall, all of the bullshit that may be going on in your life at the present time, all the stress you so dearly would like to shake off your shoulders, dissapears without a trace. Even if it is for just those few minutes while making your way up the wall. The rappalling down has its hidden tacticks as well. Once you get on the wall its just you and the holds. Where the next hand hold will be. Finding the perfect positioning of your feet. Moving your body in order to find the most comfortable position and ballance. Shifting your hips. Yes I can see the sex metaphors here.
Life is full of surprises and hidden treasures. Take it one day at a time or loose them forever, unless you can settle for the pictures, provided you brought your camera."
"May 10, 2005
TIME TO BUY A MAP
Had a hell of a day at work today. Things just kept on coming up and almost blowing up in my face. The kids were ok, but the burocratics, paper and assignment work was just building up. It seemed that every one was slightly stressed. Both myself and my co-worker Alice, have realized, well it was more of a confirmation than a realization, that a lot of the students are completly helpless without books and some kind of text in front of them. It was a little scary considering the fact that some of the students have somehow managed to progress throughout the books without really grasping or absorbing much of the material. What to do? In some cases, we'd have to go back all the way to the beginning. Like one of those zen things where you should not fill a half full glass of old watter with new watter, or 'is the glass half empty or half full'...
I went out on town today, making my way towards the bike shop who is very pleasantly positioned all the way across the city. He's a Korean mechanic and is preferred by most of the foreigners living in Ulsan due to his ability to speak English and his honesty. As it so often goes with mechanichs, they have a tendency to try and babmuzzle all kinds of things that may need repair onto you. This guy has a good thing going. He's estabilished himself a steady clientelle, so there is no way that he would try and scam anyone, since that kind of news would spread around quickly and could cause him a lot of business. So it is a win win situation. The bike riders get pretty cheap deals, sometimes even things done for free, and Mr. Go has a steady business.
I have not been out and about the city much since I arrived, since during the week prior to starting work at one o'clock, I usually spend time either at attmeps of studying Korean or venturing out on early morning climbs or doing the occasional log entry and some other writing. The city of Ulsan remains a mysterious place to me still. Full of turns, intersections, traffic lights and signs written in another language. Winding my way towards the shop I managed to get lost, in a severe way, that even after several minutes of intense direction giving from Jo. Same thing happened on the way back from the shop. I asked one random woman for directions, but after examining the tattered map, written in a language she obviously could not understand, she turned sideways and waved her hand at me dismisively.
Lucky for me a guy in a two ton track pulled up to the curb and seeing my pleading appearance with the map falling appart in my hands, I may also have had a fecial expression verging on despair, he calmly approached with a smile on his face and explained that I have to get my ass back down the road into the direction from which I came. I managed to find my way back in time for work, although upon arrival I got the queer eye from my boss saying "very late". I guess I should go out on more excurions and familiarise myself with the city a bit more if I want to make it down to the shop for the second oil change. The streets are great for cruising. Wide and multi laned, if that would be the proper term."