Korea

Currently listening to: Jenny Owen Youngs

Location: Dongduchon, Korea

Weight: 142 lbs

Here I am.

It's hot and muggy out. We've been lucky and have had clear days the last week. Before that, we had torrential rain followed by very hot days and then back to rain. A cycle that keeps this country very very green. I don't have much in the way of a job yet. At the moment, the command at 6th battalion 37th Artillery Regmt, headquarters battery, is trying to figure out what to do with me. While the number of supply guys at 2nd ID is low overall, for some reason in my unit we have a sudden plethora. There's talking of sending me to battalion headquarters to work, or making me the new armorer, or puting me in charge of the NBC (Nuclear, Bio, and Chemical prevention) room and equipment. I'm actually going to start in on that (the NBC one) on Monday, but we'll see if I stay there.

I have a room to myself, a first in my Army career. I like it. It's new, completely characterless, and has a fridge and a microwave. I've put up some photos of friends back home, and a dart board. I enjoy coffee provided to me by Empire Cafe from back home (Chico)

Check out the cool Korean mug. It was given to me by the govenor of the Gyonggi-doh province. Empire Coffee is excellent free trade organic stuff from my favorite cafe back home. I went there religously (only a little less often than I went to my pub, the Banshee) when I was on leave. It's a renovated old 40's dinner car from a train, and parked next to the refurbished old train station that's close to downtown. All the artsy people go there. It's co-owned by my good friend Merideth - one of my few friends who was actually around during my leave time and who always made time to chat.

My other two friends who were always around when I was on leave were Adam and Mike who are bartenders at the Banshee. I'd go to that place usually around lunch when business was slow, and just chill out with the guys. Oh and eat fabulous burgers while drinking great import beer.

Mike has a little duet group, which he told me about after we'd had a great conversation about politics, American production and resources, and vacume tubes in amplifiers (yes, in that order). He plays lead guitar and his buddy, Kenny, plays rythem guitar and sings. I went to two of their shows, and oh my gosh... rediculously good. I mean really, rediculously. If anyone at all reads this blog, you need to check them out at: http://www.myspace.com/kennywilliamsthe2nd

Hmmm. What else. Not much. We do a lot of PT, and it's very very hard. Twice a day, usually a three mile run in the morning, and upper body work in the afternoons. The Korean soldiers who work with us are the best - very smart, very bright, very nice. Much better than American soldiers, by far.