The Road To Haman-Gun 

The Road To Haman-Gun

The Seed

The seed for my Korean adventure was planted a long, long time ago in the mid-seventies by my Korean friend, Harvey. Like a lot of young guys at the time I was very much into Bruce Lee and the whole martial arts thing; I took karate, but never could do anything like Harvey. He could jump so amazingly high and far...from a standing start he could jump almost 5 feet in the air! He was strong and seemingly had bones like a bird...I once saw him jump execute a flying sidekick on one side turn around in mid-air and do one on the other side. I helped Harvey with his english and he was helping me learn korean. I bought myself a korean phrasebook at a little bookstore in Montreal and Harvey gave me a teeny-tiny English/Korean dictionary. I unfortunately lost the latter, but seriously doubt that I would be able to make out it's miniscule typography anyway.

Harvey would often say to me, "Pierre, if you go to Korea you will be rich!" I don't remember how he figured that would happen, but I corresponded with someone at Yonsei University in Seoul who was kind enough to send me colourful brochures, and language books to help me with my studies. He said I could come to Yonsei University to teach English and be able to learn korean. I was 17 at the time and I chickened out. I wasn't ready to make that kind of blind leap.

Apart from some TaiChi now and then I'm no longer into the martial arts, and I'm sorry to say that I lost touch with Harvey. But, the idea of going to Korea has come back with a vengeance!

After graduating from Acadia University, getting married, having kids and establishing a career in government I had pretty much forgotten about the whole idea of going to Korea. That is until I realized that the time had come for some major changes in my life.

The first was to realize that my marriage was over. We had had a good life and the marriage wasn't by any means the horror story that one often hears from other people. It had never been "awful" by any means and that really just made it harder to leave. We had a nice house, two great sons and good jobs. But, although living in the same house we had become estranged and really had very little in common.

The Mountain Trip

By 2001 Horseback riding had become an important part of my life. Unfortunately it was yet another passion of mine that was not shared by my wife. In 2003 I went on a 4 day horseback riding/camping trip with an old friend. We had such a good time....laughing, singing, writing poetry, swimming, canoeing, photography, and reading. I saw that this was the kind of relationship I wanted and yes, deserved. she brought out a side of me that I hadn't seen for a long time. With her I was funny, creative, and very comfortable being at the center of things. It was refreshing!

I think it was on the last evening of the trip that one of the guides, James, mentioned that he was planning to go to China or Thailand for 6 months to teach English. As soon as I heard it, something clicked.

The seed had been replanted.

Fortunately, my job in the government allows me to take up to 15 months sabatical to pursue personal goals. I think the hope is that one will return with a new perspective, and renewed energy. I'm hoping that proves to be the case.

A few months ago I called my friend and former karate teacher Betty Hills, who told me that her son Chad and his girlfriend, Rebecca had been to Korea to teach English and that they now worked for a company that recruits for schools there. Well, you don't have to hit me over the head (too many times) before I get the message. I called Chad and told him that I needed to go to Korea. Why "needed"? To prove to myself that I'm free, that my life is my own and I can take it where I choose. He said that koreans generally prefer younger teachers - between 25 and 35. But, he also said that he and Rebecca will do whatever they can to get me there, and that someone over there owes them a favour and they would cash that in to help me.

It is now June 17, 2005. I should have a contract to teach english at a private school in Korea by
October or November.

1-2-3 GO!

On what would have been Denis' 74th birthday, on September 24, I called Chad and told him to go ahead and try to get me a contract in Korea. I received a note from Rebecca a few days later telling me that she had forwarded my application to Korea. We'll see! I'm hopeful about being able to get a contract. I'm still scared, but determined. Going to Korea will be good for me in many ways. Yes, I'll miss everyone, but I need some space to become who I am. What am I going to do when I get back? Who the fuck knows! I'm not going to think about that at this point...one step at a time, eh!

I now find myself hoping that I get the contract for Korea. I'm getting excited about it! It'll be hard, very hard to leave everyone, but I've been psyching myself up for this for months and months.

Adam is now a married man! I went to Edmonton on September 26. Betty picked me up at the airport and I stayed at her place in St. Albert. Nice house! It was nice to see her again. We talked a lot about our relationships. I got to meet her dogs...Polar, an Akita, and Tika, a border collie/ black lab mix.

It was cold there! The weather was like the weather we get in late October or early November. But, on Friday, the day of the wedding it was beautiful and a lot warmer. We arrived at 6pm at the Chateau Louis hotel and conference centre in Edmonton (near downtown airport). A mistake had been made on the sandwich board in the lobby of the hotel...it said that the wedding of Cyprian and Kashia was at 5pm and that the reception started at 6pm. My first thought was that Adam (Cyprian) had purposely given me the wrong time, and that for whatever reason he didn't want me at the wedding, but only at the reception. We saw Adam as we were coming in ... he looked wonderful in a black suit, white shirt and yellow tie. He explained that they made a mistake on the announcement in the lobby. I took his picture and then Betty took my picture with him. I saw Margie and she looked great! She was dressed in a beautiful long blue dress. The civil ceremony took place out doors under a gazeebo. There were perhaps 40 people present. Betty and I went and sat in the front row. Margie was acting as a witness and was on the podium under the gazeebo.

It was a beautiful ceremony! Afterwards people gathered to drink punch. Then, Adam and Kasia went to have pictures taken with Margie. While we were standing drinking punch, Margie introduced Betty to Samantha, Adam's aunt, but didn't bother to introduce or acknowledge me at all. If Betty had not been with me, I would have stayed for the wedding, made a cursory appearance at the reception and left. I'm so happy I didn't!

Adam wrote a very touching tribute to Margie and I. I couldn't hold back the tears as the MC read what he wrote about me and the contribution I've made to his life. I was referred to as "dad". That was very important to me!

"Dad: In younger years, he was always willing to find time to join me and my brother in whatever game or mini-adventure we concocted to fill the afternoons (from passing the football to playing ping-pong to playing Nintendo with us long after most anyone else would have gone to bed) and in later years served as a good provider and role model, giving both me and my brother a chance to choose from opportunities rather than wish for them. For me that idea, the freedom to choose my own path has made a real difference in my life. That idea of rediscovering and redefining yourself is something that he continues now in his own life as well. Painting, horseback riding, and realizing ambitions of overseas travel to South Asia are some of the hobbies he enjoys."

October 6, 2005

Work on the novel is progressing. I have a lot of notes on the period and have begun developing the characters. I'm going to see this through to the end. I'll work on it till I have a full fledged novel in my hands. Then, begins the job of finding a publisher. I'm hoping that besides sharing a birthday with Jack I also have a similar talent for self-expression. At very least holding onto the the belief in my innate talent, sharing Jack's birthday, and a lot of hard work will get me published. The good thing is that I can make this come true whether I go to Korea or not.

October 25, 2005

Rebecca has found a contract for me teaching at a public school in Haman-Gun, Korea. Joyce called from Korea to interview me, and by the end of the conversation had pretty much offered me the job. Yes!!!

So much to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

December 5, 2005

On November 19 (Adam's 25th birthday) Cam, Ryan, Michelle and Paul helped me move the stuff in my apartment to a storage locker in dowtown Ottawa. That's it! I'm homeless. What would I do without my friends!!? Cam, Michelle and I went to Captiva for the night to party with Hannah, Trevor and Craig. We drank beer, played "caps", and I smoked way too many little cigars!

I've been living here at Cam's since November 20. It's been great! The idea that soon I will be very, very far away from her and everyone else I love hasn't really hit home yet.

I bought a microphone for their computer, downloaded some software for recording, and recorded the tape of Adam and Ryan singing Christmas songs when Adam was 10 and Ryan was 3. I'm so happy I did that!!! Now I can put it on the laptop, and on my Zire and listen to it whenver I like. Those were truly wonderful times! Tomorrow I'll record my last conversation with my father. It's painful for me to listen to, but I'd hate to lose it when that old casette tape finally bites the dust! I recorded it in January of 1973 and dad died only about a month later on February 18.

Tomorrow Cam and I are meeting John, Manon and Lisette for supper at "La Casa Greque" in St. Eustache. I'll call Ryan on Wednesday evening to say one final goodbye to him before I leave early Thursday morning. At 8:00am I'll fly from P.E. Trudeau Airport in Dorval to Chicago. At 1:00pm I leave on a Japan Airlines flight from Chicago and go to Tokyo where I'll spend the night. Finally, at 11:00am on Saturday, December 10th I'll board a flight from Tokyo to Busan, Korea where I'll be met by someone who will drive me to Haman-Gun where I'll be living and working for one year.

I'm excited, but also scared. However, I'm leaning more to the excited side than the scared. This is a remarkable opportunity and I have no intention of wasting it by spending any time at all pining for what I have left behind. I'm going to dive into Korean language, culture etc. with both feet and eat it all up. I love being alive!!!!!!!!!!