Survivor

This is an attempt to document our time in South Korea (I say our because I am including my wife Sami in this, she being the one who came up with the crazy idea to teach here), with the idea being that I won't be able to remember much of this experience without writing it all down on (digital) paper.

This is something I wanted to do six months ago when we first arrived. But, not unlike the pile of laundry perpetually piled on my desk, I never got around to it.

So instead of starting by spouting off some of our more memorable experiences and travels thusfar, I am going to talk about Survivor.

Actually, when we first moved here we didn't have internet or tv for a week or so and it was a huge strain. It was bad enough feeling powerless outside, but to suddenly be without any distraction (and I say that in a good way meaning HD, Comcast with HBO, DVR, Tiger Woods PGA Tour on PS3- at that time he was still immortal-, cellphone etc.) inside was a nightmare. We had to go to a PC Bang (room) to e-mail our families and we were scared shitless not knowing how much anything would cost.

A few weeks in, out of desperation, I opened the sliding glass window to our apartment (we are on the second floor of a 20 story high-rise) and found a coaxial cable zip-tied to the side of our builing. I grabbed a tiny pair of scissors, cut the zip-ties and plugged the cable into the wall next to the tv. Miraculously the tv turned on to ESPN news. Yes, it was a simple act, and one I probably should have figured out much sooner, but I immediately felt like Tom Hanks in "Castaway" where he jumps around beating his chest shouting "Look at what I have created! FIRE!"

Later, we would discover that we only had one channel in English- Armed Forces Network, and they show a mish-mash of American shows. It is fantastic. And.....they just happen to show Survivor.

I don't really remember how Sami and I started watching Survivor, but it is one of the few shows that she actually watches. I on the other hand, am an addict and Mad Men, The Wire, Curb, Conan (that will be another post for sure), The Office (lately Parks and Recreation has been on AFN which is awesome) are my drugs of choice.

Now that I think about it, I am pretty sure that we watched Big Brother first and got into it and then Sami moved to Survivor and I swore I wouldn't watch it because I have some weird thing where if she suggests something is good then I think it must be lame, but eventually I got roped. It was way better with my sweet 42" plasma, but still...

So. Enough backstory. I love Russel. At least I did last season, but now it makes me a little angry that he seems to be smitten with Parvarti. I hope it is an act. Still Rusell is my fave. Second is Coach, a fact which causes Sami all sorts of grief. I just think he is good tv. I also like Jerri for some strange reason, I think it is because she just seems like a real person, and Boston Rob. I think I just like Boston Rob's voice.

"I miss Am-buh."

No one on the Heroes tribe interests me. I do think Tom is a good guy, but since he won everything in Palau, I kind of want to see him struggle real bad.