konan

Dublin, Columbus, San Francisco, Korea, goddamn fucken China! Take your goddamn pick. My mother gave birth to me in Toledo, Ohio. U-S-A. As a child my parents love to tell me that I was picked out from a trash can, or a toilet bowl. Other things my parents love to tell me were, "It's easier to train a dog than to train you," or "If you marry an American, or if you're gay(whoops!) I'll have one less son (he still has 2 sons)".To most Americans, being born in America makes one American, well atleast to intelligent, non-inbred, non-racist, educated people (and that other small less official entity... what's it's called?.... Oh yea. The government). If you are a redneck then I'm Oriental, or just plain, "Chink", "Gook", or "Charlie" will suffice. If you're Asian, then I'm hands down Chinese, although my father's mother is Korean and he was born and raised in Korea, but it's his father that really counts (oh, and I look Korean too). Alas, I am traitor to the fatherland for I know not about the Chinese culture, and speak horrible Chinese.Finally, I think it's best to consider me an outcast. Disenfranchised and living on the fringe of society. I'm gay, but I hate diva queens (Britney Spears, Cher, Celine Dion, etc.), I'm American but I don't watch TV and I hate malls and I don't drive an SUV (or drive anything for that matter). I love wine but I'm not rich. I love cheese but I am lactose intolerate. I love hiking, finding great views and exploring the world, but I hate bugs, I'm scared of heights and I need air conditioning.I like to pretend that I am a well bred adult from San Francisco, but the truth is that I find it hard to ditch my ohio accent. Sometimes it comes out and I say "melk", instead of, "milk", or, "pellow" instead of, "pillow". I went fishing when I was little. And I used to bring home, and ma use ta cook 'em up for whole family.I read sci fi novels and I used to play a little gnome wizard character on the World of Warcraft, but I lack a cape, staff, spells, and a group of D&D buddies.A little Asian conundrum. If there's no good wine, I drink beer or worse, hard liquor.. then I'm that loud obnoxious American with my arm around everyone at the bar messing up their hair, even in Asia when they hate being touched, abhore being man handled and consider touching ones head rude and disrespectful (they reserve head patting for dogs or children).I eat my sushi upside down, so my rice doesn't break apart into the soy dish and I get to taste the raw fish first. I drink chilled Daiginjo sake when I can afford it, and slam down sake bombs if I'm with my friends from Ohio.My favorite cut of steak is ribeye, which probably explains why I've been trying to lose 8 pounds for the last 5 years of my life.I think the goals I have set are way out of my reach. Perhaps I should settle for something easier, like building a deathray from the moon.If I were to be stuck on island with crates of only kind of wine, I would definitely pick Red Burgundy (and yes, for everyone that has read Karen Macneilen's Wine Bible, I totally stole that from a line in that book).Right now I am in Thailand setting up a spa concept. I hope to expand and duplicate it, and one day it will like the Starbucks of Spas.Why Thailand? And why Spa?Thailand because I thought it would cheaper and easier to start here than in the USA. And if any of you were thinking, "Oh, why didn't he go back to Korea..." you've obviously completely lost the point.Most importantly, I thought I would be able to transfer my Thai Therapists back the to USA with me and offer massage at a cheaper rate(after talking with some immigration lawyers, I found this to be almost impossible and the few possibilities are not worthwhile).Why Spa? Well the first place that really turned me on to Spa and Massage was Kabuki Spring and Spas in Japantown, San Francisco. Going there was a true "Zen" experience and I would spend 5 hours there once a month, leaving renewed and ready for another work week. I wished that I could afford it on a weekly basis and I also wished that other hard working Americans could afford it too. I believe massage and relaxation should be an important part a heathly life. Stress is the highest contributor for heart disease and causes people to die an early life (I think. Anyway it's bad for you).After traveling to Southeast, I found massages at an affordable rate and that it was apart of most everyone's lifestyle. Unlike the USA, it's not reserved just the for rich. I thought it was about time to bring this idea to the USA.I am still planning on moving back and opening a spa concept. Although I cannot use my Thai staff, I still plan on figuring out a way to offer lower costs massages, although not as low as I orginally planned.This is the link to my travels I did last year in 2006. link: http://www.travelpod.com/z?u=konan_pi&t=nomad-06&p=t pod