Mr. Sandman....

So, I have been having trouble sleeping lately. Actually, I'm not having trouble I just don't sleep lately. I'm a side sleeper and the bed in my room does not allow side sleepers to sleep. I have decided that I need to learn the ways of the back sleeper or the tummy sleeper. How do you people do it? I've tried...it's so unnatural. I feel like Blackula if I sleep on my back. I also can't seem to breath right that way. If I try to sleep on my stomach my neck hurts. Any suggestions that don't involve heavy drugs? I think it's starting to affect my health. I have yet another cold. This one is nothing like the other one which put me on my ass. This one just kind of hangs off to the side making itself known every so often but still having respect for my personal space. The other one didn't respect anything about me. The other played loud music at all hours of the night and threw its trash all over the place. People keep telling me my body is just getting used to all the different viruses out there. I used to think I had a really healthy immune system but I come to Korea and it's like starting all over again. I've decided to visit every single continent on the planet and get sick on each of them. I will build up super immunities to everything. I might not be able to speak foreign languages but my body will be able to fight off foreign viruses. Oh yes, when the final outbreak comes and people are dropping like flies all over the planet Chris will be here. Chris will be right here feeling fine because he thought outside of the box. Ebola you say? Ha! I laugh at you! Already been there and done that!

OK. You see what happens when I don't sleep? I start talking nonsense. I went to the gym this morning and got on the treadmill for a while before working out (yes I work out even when I'm sick). I don't have TV here so I only really watch it when I'm at the gym. Can I just tell you that Korean television is the coolest television in the world. I might not understand what these folks are saying but it's highly entertaining. First of all, every single Korean show is like watching an old school batman episode. They love love love their sound effects. They will even through up words in english sometimes. I was watching this show and this one guy hit this other guy and the word "Bonk" popped up in a red bubble. That's how the Korean do man. They also love limbo. I don't know why and I don't care, but believe me you have not seen good tv until you watch 200 Korean senior citizens do the limbo. You know how we have public access tv back in the states. You'll be flipping though a channel looking for Seinfeld or what have you and then you come across really bad camera work and a dude sitting behind a desk saying or doing really odd stuff. Well that's how all shows are here in Korea. I thought I was watching a news program when all of the sudden this Korean dude with dreadlocks walks onto the screen and starts dancing. The man and women who I thought were talking about the weather get up and start clapping (off beat mind you) and this guys just starts break dancing. Before I knew it I had been on the treadmill for half an hour and I was just trying to warm up for 5 minutes.

Dont' even get me started about the show which stars all mannequin's....that's right, it's a show that stars all mannequin's. ALL MANNEQUIN'S!!!! It's an hour long show. I don't know what it's called and again I don't know what they are saying. All I know is that it's a family of creepy ass looking Mannequins and they speak in Korean. They don't move, the camera just zooms in on their face sometimes and you hear the Korean voice over. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I have watched 40 minutes straight of this show. I can't explain the hold it has on me.

So far Korea for me has been like the TV shows I've seen. I never know what I'm going to get when I go out but it's always entertaining. The people are colorful and they have been very kind to me. Apparently I look like some famous soccer player called Ang Leigh or something like that. He's from France I guess. I have yet to see a picture of him but I'm assuming he's a bald black man. Kids at my school love to yell that at me. They also tell me and other teachers that we have very big eyes. Sometimes when they say this I'll squint and then start to clap. If I wear a T-Shirt it's only a matter of time before I have some student touching the hair on my arms in amazement. Being somewhat of a personal bubble person back in the states I had to get used to this but I'm fine with it now. You kind of have to be fine with touching people to live here. There is no "your" space "my" space here. It's just space and we all use it. I was walking to the store with one of the Korean teachers and she was talking about being sad that her husband hurt his shoulder and he won't be able to snowboard with her this winter. As we were walking I realized we were shoulder to shoulder so I tried to move over some thinking I would give her more space. The more I moved over the more she moved over and then I realized that she was more comfortable being close then being apart. There is something really beautiful about that. I have a lot to learn.