Don't Cross Your Chopsticks!

I'm in South Korea. The flight took a good long while. I was ready to explode at the halfway point, but managed to keep my cool by watching "The Departed" three times through. It was a pretty good movie. It made me want to act and be in movies, so that's saying something.

As for this very moment, I'm in the faculty office at Duksung University. Everyone is so kind and generous. There are folks from Canada, Arizona, New Zealand, you name it. They are all making me feel very much welcomed. I am glad about that. I am also glad Jim is here to guide me through everything. He has been so fantastic from my initial conception of this trip to the very present nitty gritty of how to move, be, and dance in the Korean culture.

Last night Jim and SY, his girl, took me to this nice place for Korean barbecue. It was very different from back home. I mean in L.A. you're lucky if you get a waiter to show up twice during your meal. But here in Korea, they are all about being personable and helping you do everything. It was great. As soon as we were seated the waiter was rushing over tray after tray of interesting little dishes.

"Don't cross your chopsticks," Jim told me. "You want to position them so that only one does the movement."

I laughed at Jim. So did his girl.

"I do it whatever way I want," she told us.

"It's better this way," Jim explained. "You get a freer range of motion."

I took Jim's advice and was able to get the mushrooms off the grill. I was very impressed. I also figured that Korea would be a breeze after that. I mean how difficult can it be. Just don't cross your chopsticks! That's all you need!

"I'm pretty sure I'll have Korea down in 2 weeks," I boasted.

Jim and SY just laughed me off. Then I got a kick out of my joke and started to giggle in my head. I can be funny like that. Especially after the jet lag. Something
Jim described as having a constant pressure on your head that'll make you feel funny for a while.

"It's going to take a week," he reassured me. "Then you'll be fine."

I'm sure I will be. I'll talk to you in a bit. Jim just got us some Papa John's.