Keep On Rockin’ In the Free World.
One of the hardest parts about being away from home is not being able to play the guitar. At home I used to play almost everyday, avoiding countless hours of homework and chores in the process. Playing guitar and making up simple melodies has always been one of my favorite hobbies, not to mention an incredibly effective way to relax (although others within earshot might disagree). Being the music lover and hack songwriter that I am means I’ve been jonesin’ pretty bad for a six-string, so last week I headed down to the local music shop to change all that. The store, located on the main drag in Seosan, was pretty much a glorified closet. Dark and dusty and packed to the gills with guitars and keyboards and the odd wind instrument or two, I made my way to wall of hanging guitars. I picked up a guitar off a wall hanger and the owner invited me to sit down and play. Perhaps overly excited or just a little cramped, as I turned to adjust into the seat he provided, I slammed the back of the guitar into a metal counter. I was mortified. I quickly glanced down at the wood frame to make sure I hadn’t permanently damaged the instrument, and even gave it a quick rub with my hand hoping to make any possible blemishes magically disappear. Luckily I didn’t bust the guitar, but I could safely say that the prospects of any future discounts were officially out the window. Once that near fiasco subsided I got down to business and ended up purchasing a guitar by Sejong (I’ve never heard of it either) for $250. It’s not a great guitar by any means, but it has 6 strings and a sound hole so I guess that’s all I really need. My plan is to cover it with stickers by the time I leave. Lately I’ve been tinkering around on it quite a bit learning a few new songs, and probably annoying the hell out of my neighbors in the process. My boss has already requested that I learn Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven” and practically the entire Queen catalogue. That might take a while. Maybe she’ll settle for some Radiohead covers instead.
*Extra* Here’s a song of mine I recently rediscovered while organizing my iTunes. I wrote and recorded this a couple years ago during a long summer break. It’s called “Carolina“.
