wonjujournal Introductory Page
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actually this is not a proper introduction. however, i love chiak mountain so much. the horizon is filled with these solemn peaks on almost every side of wonju. the following pictures were taken by a man, mr. park, whom met the first time i climbed to pirobong, the highest peak of all in chiak mountain chain. the day was saturday, february 20th, 1999. it was off to the greatest start as you can read for yourself (a letter i sent out later on that night, the same day):
feb. 20, 1999 saturday hey folks,
today i climbed up to pirobong the highest peak on chiak mountain. i went from the buddhist temples of kuryongsa to ibsoksa.
i left my house some time after 9am determined to get to the top. mariko, my girlfriend wanted to go with me. i was impatient but waited for her.
it was a bad move.
i should have just left on my own like i wanted to. she ended up turning back near the bottom of pirobong peak. she tried to stop me from going up. we wrestled to the ground. i got free and bolted up the stone steps. she screamed at me to stop. i kept going.
then she asked me to give her money so she could go back home. she said she left the house with no money.
i kept climbing and told her to come and get it. i didn't want to get close enough for her to grab me again. she came after me, but couldn't catch me.
maybe three minutes up she screamed up to me that she stopped and that i should turn back and give her money to go back. i screamed back for her to keep following me. we kept going back and forth like that for 5 or more minutes.
even though i covered alot of ground and didn't want to go back i decided to go back. i stopped short of going all the way to where she was resting. i put 10,000 won under a rock and told her she could come and get. i didn't want her to jump on me again and try to force me back down the mountain.
she was furious. she got up and started down the mountain screaming that she hated me. she said she would borrow/get the money [from someone else].
i turned around and conntinued up on my own.
(to be continued)
good night folks
i must go home and face and angry girlfriend
peace and love
fitzcarl
...note: 4/24/1999 saturday, 1:35pm (gamedory internetcafe-wonju city), Dear folks,
Sorry for the delay. The story after mariko and I went our separate ways goes something like this:
On the way to the top I met another a man from Seoul who was also climbing to the top. I bet you are wondering, 'If Mariko left me, then who took this wonderful photos?' (that you now see). It was this man, Mr. Park.
His english was non-existent, my Korean maybe just a little better, but we managed to communicate.
Mr. Park brought along an excellent camera. I took pictures of him and in return he took pictures of me. I gave him my address. (I received the photos some weeks later.) We reached the top after alot of ass-busting ice and snow trekking. For the first time ever, I drank some soju, a korean potato vodka, which Mr. Park offered me. I have rarely consumed alcohol throughout my 27 plus on the planet. I felt that this was a very special, maybe never-in-my-life-time-again ocassion. Also, I felt that I should be polite and accept his offering (although I immediately turned it down at first).
Besides the soju we had lunch. I brought a kind of trail mix. Mr. Park had ramyon, korean/japanese noodles, which he also offered me. He had a thermos of hot water to boot. It was a welcomed change to the icy temperature blowing at us on the peak.
After eating we trekked away down the trail on the other side leading to Ibsoksa. We were joined by other men that made it to the top while we were sitting down to lunch. Actually, one other man joined our duo to make us a trio.
On lower peak below we encountered a somewhat drunken park ranger and his little white dog in a large stand-up-inside army-style tent. God help anyone if they needed that man's help. But I guess God was good that day. He invited us in for a little warmth, company, libation, smoke and conversation. I found myself thinking that I would love to spend the night with the guy just to see the sun rise the next morning. I decided not to bother asking since Mariko and I had plans the next day with our friends YoungJun and DongMee to go to another mountain.
After saying goodbye to our host our trio took off. Mr. Park although the oldest in the groupk, was in the lead keeping a quick pace and kept outdistancing myself and the other young man (who, I noticed in the tent, fingered/had on one of his wrists, prayer beads-perhaps on a spiritual journey). I saw numerous stacked rocks along the trail that I learned are a kind of natural buddhist pagoda.
Also, at the top of pirobong, are three massive stone-stacked pagoda structures (which I stood next to in some of the photos).
note: perhaps I will reflect more on this day later, now, I want to finish up other work...but...long story-short..after we got down...we took a bus back to the center of town...I left my fellow mountaineers getting off the bus early...I wandered down a main road...when it occured to me to see a movie...specifically jackie chan's new feature, "BIG TIME"..in chinese of course, subtitled in Korean..after asking directions..to the mun hwa theater...i enjoyed one of my kung fu heroes, loner style...alone but not alone with the other movie goers scattered throughout the spacious hall...
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 09:33:21 -0400
From: allison
Subject: Re: my pusan adventures
To: Fitzcarl Reid
>i thought i had lost contact with you. how's your
>life. tell me what's going on with you and nettrice.
>and what do you exactly mean about my into page?
it just seemed as if when i read the entry about the mountain fiasco,
(4
lack of a better word, really) it was like reading some "fairytale with
a
moral".
U wanted to REALLY climb this mountain.
She didnt want you to.
U ran past her 2 climb farther, she begged u 2 come down.
She baited u.
You came down a little.
She went after u 2 pull u down the rest of the way.
U raced past her again, to go higher & higher, etc.
It was like some weird personal challenge story, with Mariko as the
villain, or some Dark Force trying to bring u down. And hey, i don't
know
the relache between u & Mariko, but while reading it, I almost yelled,
LEAVE HIM ALONE ALREADY, AND LET HIM CLIMB THE DAMN MOUNTAIN. haha.
Seems like a weird relationship based on what i read so far.
But, in my Bensonhurt, Brooklyn accent that jumps outta me now & then,
"whattaya gonna friggin do, ay?"
As far as everything else, I'm ok. Still workin full time in Jersey
City as
a graphic designer for New Jersey City University. Been in my own weird
relationship for 2 3/4 years. Into desktop video now, and exploring the
WWW. Tryin 2 keep these long locs up & outta my face, (u can donate
fabric
wraps! haha!). Living just enuf for the city. (not really, but i like
sayin
that.)
Nettrice doesnt live far from me, which is cool. She works with East
Harlem
Tutorial Program, with a new computer techie title position she created
&
implemented there. (yea Trice!). We both miss Brooklyn sumptin FIERCE,
but
know with Guilliani there, we can't go back. I'm sure Brooklyn misses
u.
The stretching techniques on the C train platform were classic. Haha!
Peace & hairgrease, (if u can get that there....)
Allison.
-------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 22:19:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: Fitzcarl Reid
Subject: Re: my pusan adventures
To: allison
monday, april 19th, 1999
thanks allison,
i thought i had lost contact with you. how's your
life. tell me what's going on with you and nettrice.
and what do you exactly mean about my into page?
love
fitz:)
--- allison wrote:
> >check out the details on my updated web
> >journal.
> >
>
> Fitz i like your site alot. Well thought out &
> nicely laid out. And cute
> photos. This is my first time seeing Mariko.
> I can't hold my tongue, I think there is some
> symbolism in that intro page
> text about Mariko & yourself climbing a mountain,
> but I am not the type to
> "go there". (yeah right).
> I was wondering what had happened 2 u. Glad to see u
> are still enjoying
> your time overseas. I look forward to updates &
> journal entries.
> Thanks for sharing.
>
> Allison Thornton.
>
> PS: Hey, put Nettrice on your list, she talks about
> u sometimes.(its all
> good. hahah) nettrice@rocketmail.com
>
>
>
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Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1999 22:18:34 -0700 (PDT)
From: Fitzcarl Reid
Add to Address Book
Block address
Subject: Re: my pusan adventures, dear ally
To: allison
friday, april 23,,1999, wonju college, wonju city,
south korea
dear allison baby!!
what a great letter!!!
with your permission i would like to put it on my
intro page after my corny story.
can i? huh? please? please? pleassseee?
actually you are not the only one to note the
weirdness between mario and i. i have written to many
folks in the past about the constant shinanigans
between mariko and myself. so often in fact that a few
of my friends like Aisha (Hakim-Dyce) have publicly
lambasted me for my excessive whining via email.
it's nice to hear you and nettrice are stronging it
black woman stylie. which makes want to say, KICK the
shit out of mr. Gooliani.
i just checked nettrice's page and sent her a few
words.
actually i better high tail it outta here. i must
teach a class in the next town in about an hour. it
takes that long to get there.
love
from your bro on the asian peninsula known as korea
peace
fitzcarl
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Date: Fri, 23 Apr 1999 09:33:36 -0400
From: allison
Subject: Re: my pusan adventures, dear ally
To: Fitzcarl Reid
sure sweety u can use my letter if u like.
peace & love 2 u.
ally.
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