But she came back to Gwangju the next weekend as well, a day early to attend my Live Music Party. We went out on Friday night, and we wound up at Provence (of course). The highlight of the night? Apparently Ee MeCha thought that there wasn't enough happening, just a lot of laughing, so she and SeungJong turned out the lights and then yelled "Kiss Time!".
I don't know if I have ever been so red.
As you will discover, the last few weeks have been very busy. This entry was started a few weeks ago... and will be finished now, on May 28th, as I am riding in an express bus on the way home from Incheon International Airport near Seoul. Busy busy!
Then we headed back to the Windmill, and we wound up watching bad movies and late night TV until about 5 or so in the morning (I can't believe I watched The Saint again. I mean, you know you're really into something good when two people are willing to sit through that just to be together)... it came to be decision time, ie, stay or go, and I wound up staying. No nearly enough sleep though, considering I had the live music party the next night. We walked around a bit that afternoon, and I did a sneaky sneak down the stairs to avoid meeting other people in the elevator. hahaha, but now I can write about it, and it's okay... somehow. But it seemed too risque at the time. Man, blogs are weird.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Music Party - April 28th
The live music party was a great success, I think.
Bikido played for about an hour and a half. There was, of course, documentation in the form of recordings (Darren and I are both huge nerds, so it's hard for us to set up without using about 7000 chords and half a dozen laptops. Nerds love to document!). Listening back, I'm really happy with how we did. I was supposed to break up the recordings into mp3s in the following week, but I became much too busy (as you will learn). It was such a good night, I couldn't believe how well it turned out. Throughout the night, we probably had about 40 or 50 people come in and pass through, and a lot stayed the whole night. Of course, the Bikido fanclub/groupies were out in full force, as were the photo nerds who flashed up the place.
The music went to about two thirty, and we had a number of guest performers as well. Mr C (Harley) was a highlight for me, he came out and jammed out a few tunes, some originals, some covers, including Gordon Lightfoot and Bob Dylan, and it was great. He has a great voice, it sounds perfect for the songs he was singing, very "experienced". haha. Noel from Boseong came out, which was really nice, because I have been hearing about his playing for months, so it was great to finally see him in action. He did some great covers, and I'm looking forward to the next time that I can hear him play. Darren got back up to do some solo stuff, as well as some accompaniment for some ladies from his hagwon who got up to sing. It was so good, and Darren's solo set was an awesome reminder of how lucky I was to meet someone with such similar musical tastes... he played all these classic pop songs that are so awesome... those tunes that everybody knows but hardly anyone plays.
I'll post some photos form the music party eventually.
That night Vanessa and I stayed up all night just talking again. I love meeting someone I can talk to so easily, and how conversation just seems to flow, and how most of it is just random funny stuff we say that we don't even remember an hour later. Or... minutes later.
Bikido played for about an hour and a half. There was, of course, documentation in the form of recordings (Darren and I are both huge nerds, so it's hard for us to set up without using about 7000 chords and half a dozen laptops. Nerds love to document!). Listening back, I'm really happy with how we did. I was supposed to break up the recordings into mp3s in the following week, but I became much too busy (as you will learn). It was such a good night, I couldn't believe how well it turned out. Throughout the night, we probably had about 40 or 50 people come in and pass through, and a lot stayed the whole night. Of course, the Bikido fanclub/groupies were out in full force, as were the photo nerds who flashed up the place.
The music went to about two thirty, and we had a number of guest performers as well. Mr C (Harley) was a highlight for me, he came out and jammed out a few tunes, some originals, some covers, including Gordon Lightfoot and Bob Dylan, and it was great. He has a great voice, it sounds perfect for the songs he was singing, very "experienced". haha. Noel from Boseong came out, which was really nice, because I have been hearing about his playing for months, so it was great to finally see him in action. He did some great covers, and I'm looking forward to the next time that I can hear him play. Darren got back up to do some solo stuff, as well as some accompaniment for some ladies from his hagwon who got up to sing. It was so good, and Darren's solo set was an awesome reminder of how lucky I was to meet someone with such similar musical tastes... he played all these classic pop songs that are so awesome... those tunes that everybody knows but hardly anyone plays.
I'll post some photos form the music party eventually.
That night Vanessa and I stayed up all night just talking again. I love meeting someone I can talk to so easily, and how conversation just seems to flow, and how most of it is just random funny stuff we say that we don't even remember an hour later. Or... minutes later.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
The Eighties Party - the day after
When I finally emerged from bed at ten am, I realized that I was not going to make it to Gwangju in time to meet the gang. I had a splitting headache, and the motel room looked like a murder scene. I'm not trying to be clever, it actually did.
You see, the copious amounts of red paint that I had applied to my Divo hat had never really dried. The room was covered with red streaks and hand prints. Including the white sheets. Thank God that the hotel did not require my passport number as did some others I have stayed in in the past. It was everywhere... the mirror, the toilet (interior), the bathtub, the TV, the keyboard and mouse, the bathroom faucets and mirrors. I figured I had probably fallen asleep with my contacts in, so after a few rather painful minutes of "looking for them", I saw the red paint all over the case, and found them in there, quite safe, but dry, because I had not put solution on them.
I drew myself a bath, which may not have been the best idea, because I was still a little drunk, and very exhausted.
I'm not saying this to brag, just being truthful. I'm actually pretty embarrassed, but what the hell, eh? Why keep it to myself? It's funny!
Another thing that I did in my lowered inhibition-state was ask this cute girl from the party out for lunch. She was online when I happened to sit at the computer, and I thought "This will be fun!". We had met a few times before at different parties, and she had always seemed really cool, and also has really great hair. haha.
Anyways, I packed up my gear, cleaned up as best I could, and headed out. I got one last chuckle at myself when I spotted huge red hand streaks on the elevator button panels.
So this girl and I, Vanessa Sweeney is her name, met for lunch at 12:30, and I immediately warned her that I was not going to be much for conversation.
At 6:00 (7:00?) we were still sitting in the same GimBap restaurant. We only left out of a want for coffee.
Then Holly's for a few hours more, and to her apartment after that for some music downloading/swapping.
I left at 11:00 for fear of missing the last bus to Gwangju. I didn't want to go, I'll be honest, it was the best day I had had in a really long time. We kept talking online all week, but I really thought that was the extent of it. Or would be...
You see, the copious amounts of red paint that I had applied to my Divo hat had never really dried. The room was covered with red streaks and hand prints. Including the white sheets. Thank God that the hotel did not require my passport number as did some others I have stayed in in the past. It was everywhere... the mirror, the toilet (interior), the bathtub, the TV, the keyboard and mouse, the bathroom faucets and mirrors. I figured I had probably fallen asleep with my contacts in, so after a few rather painful minutes of "looking for them", I saw the red paint all over the case, and found them in there, quite safe, but dry, because I had not put solution on them.
I drew myself a bath, which may not have been the best idea, because I was still a little drunk, and very exhausted.
I'm not saying this to brag, just being truthful. I'm actually pretty embarrassed, but what the hell, eh? Why keep it to myself? It's funny!
Another thing that I did in my lowered inhibition-state was ask this cute girl from the party out for lunch. She was online when I happened to sit at the computer, and I thought "This will be fun!". We had met a few times before at different parties, and she had always seemed really cool, and also has really great hair. haha.
Anyways, I packed up my gear, cleaned up as best I could, and headed out. I got one last chuckle at myself when I spotted huge red hand streaks on the elevator button panels.
So this girl and I, Vanessa Sweeney is her name, met for lunch at 12:30, and I immediately warned her that I was not going to be much for conversation.
At 6:00 (7:00?) we were still sitting in the same GimBap restaurant. We only left out of a want for coffee.
Then Holly's for a few hours more, and to her apartment after that for some music downloading/swapping.
I left at 11:00 for fear of missing the last bus to Gwangju. I didn't want to go, I'll be honest, it was the best day I had had in a really long time. We kept talking online all week, but I really thought that was the extent of it. Or would be...
Monday, April 23, 2007
old test funny.
I think I forgot to post this... but it's a winner for sure! I think the sentence was for the word "cheer"
Always I go to the sport ground to see a battle, so many cheerleaders cheer, and I go to next to the cheerleaders then I can be take a camera.
Always I go to the sport ground to see a battle, so many cheerleaders cheer, and I go to next to the cheerleaders then I can be take a camera.
The Eighties Party
Last weekend (THIS WAS WRITTEN BACK WHEN THIS WAS LAST WEEK, SO... Late April) was a big eighties party in Mokpo, in celebration of my friend Carol's birthday, and to say farewell to longtime Mokpo-ite Mary, who was heading too to live on a beach in Bali, I believe. Seems excessive to party before heading to live on a beach, but hey, I am hardly one to judge. haha.
So, I got home on Friday with a cardboard box in my hands, because the only thing I really know about the eighties was that they had rubics cubes. So, yeah, I was going to make a rubics cube hat and call it a costume. Brooke had also given me some advice about making loose jeans seem tighter. I wish I could say that that advice had been "Just cynch 'em!", but it wasn't.
I warmed up half a pizza that was leftover from that afternoon's little binge, and I looked at the box. And in that box, I saw a DIVO hat. Yes, divo.
Combining it with the other box I had brought from I created a perfect power dome, or whatever it was called, and with some handy red paint (a pun to be exposed later), I was ready to whip it, and whip it good, having also created a whip out of my Murder Mystery cigar and a patch cord.
I did some looking online, and found a few pictures, and sacrificed a black turtle neck to make the sleeveless, high collared shirt that was their trademark.
And with that, I was off to bed.
I woke up on Saturday, and spent the day scrambling to get my stuff ready, although I honestly don't remember just what I was doing... this all seems a lifetime away right now.
Anyways, the bottom line is that I arrived in Mokpo late for the afternoon barbecue that I had been invited to. Most of the food was already eaten, and the bananas and grapes I had brought just were not cutting it for "completeness". The bottom line is that I didn't really eat anything, But i was having fun, and a little too busy to notice.
Then there was a pre-party at Crystal's. It was mostly a rehashing of the barbecue, with eighties music, everyone in costume, and the leftover food, which I nibbled at.
So... that means that all the food I ate on Saturday was basically a crepe in the morning, a banana, some grapes, some crackers, and a sick amount of Doritos (more than three).
There was a guy there named Tony, who totally outdid everyone on the costume front, it was a hilarious DLR-style rock outfit with a stuffed animal in his leopard print tights with that tail sticking out so that he could comb it. Yeah, he was eye-catching.
We were, of course, the first to arrive at the party at the bar, so that meant that we were the most bizarre looking people, all done up like new-wave rockers or burned out rolling stones or Cindy Laupers...
Vanessa Reid and I started buying eachother round after round, just taking turns.
Now you see the significance of the count of what I ate all day. yeah, it was trouble.
I did okay for a few hours, and then I remember it just hitting me like a wall.
I was having a great time, and chatting it up, telling a guy named Phil what was apparently the funniest story he had ever heard (the one about dad in the Ewok costume and me shooting him in the hands at paintball. Yeah dad, it was on purpose. What can I say... teenage angst and all...). Apparently on finishing the story, I just said "I'm going!" and walked out. My friend Mel escorted me to a cab (thankfully) and I made my way to "Motel B***s" for the night. For those of you with even the slightest knowledge of Korean, I'll let you know it's "Hotel kisses" haha.
Oh, I just remembered something! I had been invited by the Provence Family to go to some river to play guitar and hang out for the day. I told them that I would catch the 7:00 am bus out of Mokpo so that I could be into Gwangju in time to go with them.
So, I got home on Friday with a cardboard box in my hands, because the only thing I really know about the eighties was that they had rubics cubes. So, yeah, I was going to make a rubics cube hat and call it a costume. Brooke had also given me some advice about making loose jeans seem tighter. I wish I could say that that advice had been "Just cynch 'em!", but it wasn't.
I warmed up half a pizza that was leftover from that afternoon's little binge, and I looked at the box. And in that box, I saw a DIVO hat. Yes, divo.
Combining it with the other box I had brought from I created a perfect power dome, or whatever it was called, and with some handy red paint (a pun to be exposed later), I was ready to whip it, and whip it good, having also created a whip out of my Murder Mystery cigar and a patch cord.
I did some looking online, and found a few pictures, and sacrificed a black turtle neck to make the sleeveless, high collared shirt that was their trademark.
And with that, I was off to bed.
I woke up on Saturday, and spent the day scrambling to get my stuff ready, although I honestly don't remember just what I was doing... this all seems a lifetime away right now.
Anyways, the bottom line is that I arrived in Mokpo late for the afternoon barbecue that I had been invited to. Most of the food was already eaten, and the bananas and grapes I had brought just were not cutting it for "completeness". The bottom line is that I didn't really eat anything, But i was having fun, and a little too busy to notice.
Then there was a pre-party at Crystal's. It was mostly a rehashing of the barbecue, with eighties music, everyone in costume, and the leftover food, which I nibbled at.
So... that means that all the food I ate on Saturday was basically a crepe in the morning, a banana, some grapes, some crackers, and a sick amount of Doritos (more than three).
There was a guy there named Tony, who totally outdid everyone on the costume front, it was a hilarious DLR-style rock outfit with a stuffed animal in his leopard print tights with that tail sticking out so that he could comb it. Yeah, he was eye-catching.
We were, of course, the first to arrive at the party at the bar, so that meant that we were the most bizarre looking people, all done up like new-wave rockers or burned out rolling stones or Cindy Laupers...
Vanessa Reid and I started buying eachother round after round, just taking turns.
Now you see the significance of the count of what I ate all day. yeah, it was trouble.
I did okay for a few hours, and then I remember it just hitting me like a wall.
I was having a great time, and chatting it up, telling a guy named Phil what was apparently the funniest story he had ever heard (the one about dad in the Ewok costume and me shooting him in the hands at paintball. Yeah dad, it was on purpose. What can I say... teenage angst and all...). Apparently on finishing the story, I just said "I'm going!" and walked out. My friend Mel escorted me to a cab (thankfully) and I made my way to "Motel B***s" for the night. For those of you with even the slightest knowledge of Korean, I'll let you know it's "Hotel kisses" haha.
Oh, I just remembered something! I had been invited by the Provence Family to go to some river to play guitar and hang out for the day. I told them that I would catch the 7:00 am bus out of Mokpo so that I could be into Gwangju in time to go with them.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Making an 80s costume...
First, get some round things... you'll need a few sizes, try the kitchen, there are lots of round things there.
Then you'll need that greasy old pizza box that you forgot to take to the recycling...
Now, the paper box that you stole from work...
You'll need some scissors, a sharp knife, and some red paint. Oh, and tape. Lots of tape...
Time passes... can you guess what it will be?!?!
Then you'll need that greasy old pizza box that you forgot to take to the recycling...
Now, the paper box that you stole from work...
You'll need some scissors, a sharp knife, and some red paint. Oh, and tape. Lots of tape...
Time passes... can you guess what it will be?!?!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Eventful Uneventful Weekend.
So... it's Saturday night. For the first time in weeks, I am at home with no plans, and I'm loving it!
I had a lazy day today... well, relatively. But I'll get to it.
Last night, after work, I headed to the Speakeasy for the acoustic jam night. Disappointingly, Dave was absent, apparently busy or sick or both. Which really sucks, because he's always fun to play with, and this has been the first time I've had a chance to play with him in a long time. I arrived to a crowd of strangers (not surprising, considering that I rarely go there anymore...) and got worried because Darren wasn't even there yet, and I didn't really want to play alone to a crowd I didn't know... not last night anyways. But I wanted to play, because OkYeon and SoHeoo and their comrade from the math school were coming (they're all the secretaries), eventually.
Darren showed after a bit, and we started setting up. We played for about an hour or so together, then went into trading solo stuff back and forth for maybe another hour. Darren also had some good covers... it's really odd how synchronous our knowledge is... We were running up to join eachother on solo stuff a lot, because we would know the harmony or another guitar part... I did mostly Hawksley covers, because that is mostly what I have been playing lately. We were pretty well received, and in particular an acoustic version of "Striptease". I mean... from the one girl in the audience who knew Hawksley it was particularly well received. The rest of the crowd was the usual Speakeasy crowd that only claps for songs they know. It's a tough crowd to crack if you're a folky/art-pop guy who doesn't like playing popular rocks songs...
I wound up staying out until three, then having a late night dinner at Gimbap Cheonguk when I realized that I had forgotten to eat dinner at a more reasonable hour.
As a result, I slept until almost one today, which has only happened once or twice since that bender I had on arriving here. haha. Darren and I had plans to do some live recording today, so I wanted to get the place cleaned up. I procrastinated a ton... wound up taking a trip to the street market just so that I could make myself some crepes. When I got back, I decided to make some pasta sauce. I thought "Hey, I've got the whole day, why not make it from scratch?" So I blanched the tomatoes, and pureed them, and peeled some other for chunks... anyways, it was going really well when Brooke phoned an hour or so later, so I invited her and Ryan over for dinner. Anyways, a while later I was walking by the pot, saw the wine, and thought "Hey, that could be a nice touch to this little sauce that is going so well."
Anyways, I poured some in. Mistake. I should have smelled it first. It's been open for a while, and it satrted to have that old wine taste. Soon that's all you could taste in the sauce.
I also cleaned and did laundry. Sweet day, no?
I wound up making some more sauce, because I had invitees!
Darren showed up around six or so, and we got things going with the recording. The amount of stuff he brought on his bike honestly boggled my mind. He has this way of rigging his guitar on his back with bungee cords over his backpack, with another bag strapped to his bike... and two mic stands!
Anyways, we got some pretty solid live recordings of five songs, which is good for an evening. After we finished, we wound up eating the pasta ourselves. Ryan and Brooke cancelled, they both got sick... somehow. Everyone is sick right now.
We actually ate home made noodles, because I was almost out (Ryan and Brooke were supposed to bring some with them). We went to the underground market, no pasta. Went to the market market, no pasta. So, I wound up making some. I am super full now...
I had a lazy day today... well, relatively. But I'll get to it.
Last night, after work, I headed to the Speakeasy for the acoustic jam night. Disappointingly, Dave was absent, apparently busy or sick or both. Which really sucks, because he's always fun to play with, and this has been the first time I've had a chance to play with him in a long time. I arrived to a crowd of strangers (not surprising, considering that I rarely go there anymore...) and got worried because Darren wasn't even there yet, and I didn't really want to play alone to a crowd I didn't know... not last night anyways. But I wanted to play, because OkYeon and SoHeoo and their comrade from the math school were coming (they're all the secretaries), eventually.
Darren showed after a bit, and we started setting up. We played for about an hour or so together, then went into trading solo stuff back and forth for maybe another hour. Darren also had some good covers... it's really odd how synchronous our knowledge is... We were running up to join eachother on solo stuff a lot, because we would know the harmony or another guitar part... I did mostly Hawksley covers, because that is mostly what I have been playing lately. We were pretty well received, and in particular an acoustic version of "Striptease". I mean... from the one girl in the audience who knew Hawksley it was particularly well received. The rest of the crowd was the usual Speakeasy crowd that only claps for songs they know. It's a tough crowd to crack if you're a folky/art-pop guy who doesn't like playing popular rocks songs...
I wound up staying out until three, then having a late night dinner at Gimbap Cheonguk when I realized that I had forgotten to eat dinner at a more reasonable hour.
As a result, I slept until almost one today, which has only happened once or twice since that bender I had on arriving here. haha. Darren and I had plans to do some live recording today, so I wanted to get the place cleaned up. I procrastinated a ton... wound up taking a trip to the street market just so that I could make myself some crepes. When I got back, I decided to make some pasta sauce. I thought "Hey, I've got the whole day, why not make it from scratch?" So I blanched the tomatoes, and pureed them, and peeled some other for chunks... anyways, it was going really well when Brooke phoned an hour or so later, so I invited her and Ryan over for dinner. Anyways, a while later I was walking by the pot, saw the wine, and thought "Hey, that could be a nice touch to this little sauce that is going so well."
Anyways, I poured some in. Mistake. I should have smelled it first. It's been open for a while, and it satrted to have that old wine taste. Soon that's all you could taste in the sauce.
I also cleaned and did laundry. Sweet day, no?
I wound up making some more sauce, because I had invitees!
Darren showed up around six or so, and we got things going with the recording. The amount of stuff he brought on his bike honestly boggled my mind. He has this way of rigging his guitar on his back with bungee cords over his backpack, with another bag strapped to his bike... and two mic stands!
Anyways, we got some pretty solid live recordings of five songs, which is good for an evening. After we finished, we wound up eating the pasta ourselves. Ryan and Brooke cancelled, they both got sick... somehow. Everyone is sick right now.
We actually ate home made noodles, because I was almost out (Ryan and Brooke were supposed to bring some with them). We went to the underground market, no pasta. Went to the market market, no pasta. So, I wound up making some. I am super full now...
Friday, April 13, 2007
Thanks for the sweet dating advice, guys.
I had the strangest day... work was WORK today, but Provence before and after made the day much more bearable.
Before work at Provence, I was given some advice to aid in "pursuits".
Here's what I need to do if I want to win over some of the young Korean ladies.
First:
They dig money, so I need to conspicuously count my wad at every opportunity, possibly dropping it on the floor as the subject fo interest passes.
Second:
Good looks. Well, I'm flashing the killer smile at every opportunity, so there's not really much more I can be doing here. If they don't like what they see, I'mma outta luck. I mena... I could shave... I guess...
Third:
I'm too happy. I was told I should be more broody. They suggested a black ensemble, and I added that a cigarette holder and a book on/by Kafka would add to the look. Much laughing ensued. Then they said "Seriously, stop dancing and wearing the red velour pants."
Fourth:
Most importantly, I must learn how to use dirty words well. I told them I could swear a blue streak in English, but this is not good enough.
Anyways, I demonstrated my ability to "sweep that grin" right off my face, which never fails to impress. Then I broke into laughter, as I always do. Luckily, they did too.
After work I went back over, and Ee MeCha and I had our usual language exchange. Except that instead of the planned hour, I was there for two and a half. She's funny! And we made fun of Korean men's love of stripes for a long time. It was divine.
Simple rules:
Only one plaid at a time.
If you wear a striped shirt, wear a plain tie.
If you wear a plain shirt, a striped tie is okay.
If you wear a striped shirt, avoid a striped pant.
Never, under any circumstance, wear several different stripes or plaids at once.
The same rules apply to floral patterns, except that you should never wear floral patterns, unless it's that cool shirt that you bought that time in Thailand.
I also have new code for things I don't like.
"That's stripe music."
"That's a stripe movie."
"That place is for stripes."
Before work at Provence, I was given some advice to aid in "pursuits".
Here's what I need to do if I want to win over some of the young Korean ladies.
First:
They dig money, so I need to conspicuously count my wad at every opportunity, possibly dropping it on the floor as the subject fo interest passes.
Second:
Good looks. Well, I'm flashing the killer smile at every opportunity, so there's not really much more I can be doing here. If they don't like what they see, I'mma outta luck. I mena... I could shave... I guess...
Third:
I'm too happy. I was told I should be more broody. They suggested a black ensemble, and I added that a cigarette holder and a book on/by Kafka would add to the look. Much laughing ensued. Then they said "Seriously, stop dancing and wearing the red velour pants."
Fourth:
Most importantly, I must learn how to use dirty words well. I told them I could swear a blue streak in English, but this is not good enough.
Anyways, I demonstrated my ability to "sweep that grin" right off my face, which never fails to impress. Then I broke into laughter, as I always do. Luckily, they did too.
After work I went back over, and Ee MeCha and I had our usual language exchange. Except that instead of the planned hour, I was there for two and a half. She's funny! And we made fun of Korean men's love of stripes for a long time. It was divine.
Simple rules:
Only one plaid at a time.
If you wear a striped shirt, wear a plain tie.
If you wear a plain shirt, a striped tie is okay.
If you wear a striped shirt, avoid a striped pant.
Never, under any circumstance, wear several different stripes or plaids at once.
The same rules apply to floral patterns, except that you should never wear floral patterns, unless it's that cool shirt that you bought that time in Thailand.
I also have new code for things I don't like.
"That's stripe music."
"That's a stripe movie."
"That place is for stripes."
Thursday, April 12, 2007
I pulled this off of Crystal Benjafield's facebook page.
So, I didn't last like this, I quickly changed the style, got a hair cut and shaved. Now the beard is back.
Jessie was right, I looked like a youth minister.
Photo links!
So, loading photos to my blog is a pain.
But loading photos to facebook is easy!
The drawback? Before, you had to have a facebook account to look at those photos.
Now, all you need are these links.
More to come soon!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1607&l=11f58&id=51569966
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1608&l=456a3&id=515699664
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1609&l=73c48&id=515699664
But loading photos to facebook is easy!
The drawback? Before, you had to have a facebook account to look at those photos.
Now, all you need are these links.
More to come soon!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1607&l=11f58&id=51569966
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1608&l=456a3&id=515699664
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1609&l=73c48&id=515699664
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Bawling
I just made a girl cry all class.
Here's what happened.
I was trying to get them to speak about restaurants.
"What makes a restaurant good? What makes a restaurant bad?" It was like pulling teeth. I've never had a class like this at Munhwa before.
There's a smart girl in the class who never speaks, so I called on her. She ignored me. I gave her a little tap on the head. She continued to ignore me, and decided instead to draw a tie onto her teddy-bear pencil case.
The obvious solution? Remove the distraction.
I took away the pencil case, and locked it in the drawer with all the rest of my confiscated stuff.
Then she started crying. She continued crying all class.
I told her not to worry she'd get it back tomorrow.
She left class and ran straight into the bathroom.
The funny thing? I don't feel bad at all. So rude! And like crying will make me just give it back, like she hadn't been rude. What a brat!
Here's what happened.
I was trying to get them to speak about restaurants.
"What makes a restaurant good? What makes a restaurant bad?" It was like pulling teeth. I've never had a class like this at Munhwa before.
There's a smart girl in the class who never speaks, so I called on her. She ignored me. I gave her a little tap on the head. She continued to ignore me, and decided instead to draw a tie onto her teddy-bear pencil case.
The obvious solution? Remove the distraction.
I took away the pencil case, and locked it in the drawer with all the rest of my confiscated stuff.
Then she started crying. She continued crying all class.
I told her not to worry she'd get it back tomorrow.
She left class and ran straight into the bathroom.
The funny thing? I don't feel bad at all. So rude! And like crying will make me just give it back, like she hadn't been rude. What a brat!
Random thoughts
So, my Korean class was cancelled today, a fact that I only remembered as I stepped out of the shower. Well, out of isn't really the right word. I mean... well, here's my bathroom:
As you can see, the bathroom tile just changes into "shower zone".
This means that I have the whole day free, so I'm going to clean up a bit, and leave the window open so that I can add thoughts as they come to me!
First: THE BEST CAB CONVERSATIONS OF MY LIFE!
Since taking Korean lessons, I have been having the best Korean converations of my life. They ask a question, I answer them. Somehow these lessons seem to be set up in order to give me the perfect responses to the very small set of questions that Korean cab drivers are interested in. Where are you from? Where are you going? How long have you been in Korea? Do you like Kimchi? Do you like Gwangju?
A COMMITMENT!
So, just so everyone knows, and they ask me about it in some years' time, here's the plan for vacations in the next few years.
1. India, Nepal, Tibet and China in the fall. Solo, for a month and a half or two months.
2. 2010, late spring to fall, hiking the Appalachian Trail. 3500 km from Georgia to Maine. It will take close to five months.
BEAUTY!
I walked to school yesterday (as I do almost everyday), and I was struck at the transformation that almost happened without me noticing. It's spring! The river is starting to look a little more... undisturbed... as grass and reeds grow up around it after the disturbance of a winter's worth of construction. And on the way home, I caught a whiff of lilacs blooming along the sidewalk. Oh, and did I mention that it was like fifteen degrees? It was. I walked home at 11 with no coat.
REDUCING MY CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION:
I've been conciously reducing my caffeine consumption. During intensives, I was drinking about six cups a day, and with all the work-related stress and personal goal-pursuit, I was stressed enough to actually develop an eye twitch that lasted about a month and a half. Now I'm not so stressed, and I'm cutting myself off after two cups a day. Although on most days it's only one. I noticed last week that the twitch was gone, and it was a really good day.
I LOVE SINGING
I've been singing more lately than I ever have in my life. Performance and personal, there's always sound escaping my lips. And I'm discovering new sounds that I can produce, and gaining new confidence and comfort every day. I'm starting to long for it. I'm starting to wish classes were over, and I could just close the door and enjoy the acoustics of my room.
BAD BREATH
I had a cabbie a few weeks ago with breath so bad that I had to open the window in the BACK SEAT.
CLEANUP DAY
So, I'm doing laundry... and I just ordered in some of the usual rib soup with a side of mandu... life here is so easy once you break through... I love it. And take-out comes in real dishes here! You just throw them in the hall when you're done, and they come back to pick them up!
MISSED WEEKENDS
So, I didn't blog about Busan. The reason? I was super drunk! And I was hungover... and I didn't feel like writing about it. But it'll be coming soon. Then, the JinHae weekend. I just got busy. But they're coming, I promise.
that's all for now... I really didn't write as much as I had thought that I would... oh well. little tidbits, little tidbits.
As you can see, the bathroom tile just changes into "shower zone".
This means that I have the whole day free, so I'm going to clean up a bit, and leave the window open so that I can add thoughts as they come to me!
First: THE BEST CAB CONVERSATIONS OF MY LIFE!
Since taking Korean lessons, I have been having the best Korean converations of my life. They ask a question, I answer them. Somehow these lessons seem to be set up in order to give me the perfect responses to the very small set of questions that Korean cab drivers are interested in. Where are you from? Where are you going? How long have you been in Korea? Do you like Kimchi? Do you like Gwangju?
A COMMITMENT!
So, just so everyone knows, and they ask me about it in some years' time, here's the plan for vacations in the next few years.
1. India, Nepal, Tibet and China in the fall. Solo, for a month and a half or two months.
2. 2010, late spring to fall, hiking the Appalachian Trail. 3500 km from Georgia to Maine. It will take close to five months.
BEAUTY!
I walked to school yesterday (as I do almost everyday), and I was struck at the transformation that almost happened without me noticing. It's spring! The river is starting to look a little more... undisturbed... as grass and reeds grow up around it after the disturbance of a winter's worth of construction. And on the way home, I caught a whiff of lilacs blooming along the sidewalk. Oh, and did I mention that it was like fifteen degrees? It was. I walked home at 11 with no coat.
REDUCING MY CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION:
I've been conciously reducing my caffeine consumption. During intensives, I was drinking about six cups a day, and with all the work-related stress and personal goal-pursuit, I was stressed enough to actually develop an eye twitch that lasted about a month and a half. Now I'm not so stressed, and I'm cutting myself off after two cups a day. Although on most days it's only one. I noticed last week that the twitch was gone, and it was a really good day.
I LOVE SINGING
I've been singing more lately than I ever have in my life. Performance and personal, there's always sound escaping my lips. And I'm discovering new sounds that I can produce, and gaining new confidence and comfort every day. I'm starting to long for it. I'm starting to wish classes were over, and I could just close the door and enjoy the acoustics of my room.
BAD BREATH
I had a cabbie a few weeks ago with breath so bad that I had to open the window in the BACK SEAT.
CLEANUP DAY
So, I'm doing laundry... and I just ordered in some of the usual rib soup with a side of mandu... life here is so easy once you break through... I love it. And take-out comes in real dishes here! You just throw them in the hall when you're done, and they come back to pick them up!
MISSED WEEKENDS
So, I didn't blog about Busan. The reason? I was super drunk! And I was hungover... and I didn't feel like writing about it. But it'll be coming soon. Then, the JinHae weekend. I just got busy. But they're coming, I promise.
that's all for now... I really didn't write as much as I had thought that I would... oh well. little tidbits, little tidbits.
A dose of shame
I've been thinking about my year in Yeongam a lot lately.
I mentioned it as something that came up over the weekend, but I actually have been thinking of it for a while now.
I am ashamed. Absolutely ashamed. I did so little last year. I barely connected to anyone in the community, except in the most superficial way. I didn't make any effort, and the nice people that I did meet did were held at arms length, if they were held at all.
I had some bad experiences, yes, but it was my outlook that meant that it affected my future interactions. I wasn't adventurous, I didn't peek my head in doors, and I didn't call even the few people that I did meet.
And I don't think that it is fair to blame the size of the community. Yeah, their English ability was nill, and communication was much more difficult, but the effort on my part to meet them halfway was minimal.
I think that the problem was that Yeongam was a place where I worked, and now I'm starting to see it as having been place where I should have lived, much as Gwangju has become for me now.
Anyways... it's funny how you get thinking about things.
I mentioned it as something that came up over the weekend, but I actually have been thinking of it for a while now.
I am ashamed. Absolutely ashamed. I did so little last year. I barely connected to anyone in the community, except in the most superficial way. I didn't make any effort, and the nice people that I did meet did were held at arms length, if they were held at all.
I had some bad experiences, yes, but it was my outlook that meant that it affected my future interactions. I wasn't adventurous, I didn't peek my head in doors, and I didn't call even the few people that I did meet.
And I don't think that it is fair to blame the size of the community. Yeah, their English ability was nill, and communication was much more difficult, but the effort on my part to meet them halfway was minimal.
I think that the problem was that Yeongam was a place where I worked, and now I'm starting to see it as having been place where I should have lived, much as Gwangju has become for me now.
Anyways... it's funny how you get thinking about things.
Monday, April 09, 2007
What a weekend!
ROUND TWO!!
Friday:
A long day of testing and yelling. I don't know when I started yelling, but all I know is that lately my fuse has been exceptionally short. It could be that I have been dedicating so much of my outside class time to studying Korea, and that I have been busy all the time... who knows? Anyways, I managed to finish most of my marking at school, which meant that when it was over, I actually felt like the day was over. I headed to Provence, where I had plans to meet up with Carol, Vanessa and HangBin. I had my guitar, and planned on play a few tunes.
Well, a Matt in need of some relaxation with no dinner and wine makes for a loud Matt who experiments in his performance, and that's how I found out that I can sing higher than I thought, right through high G and on to high A now. For those of you who don't know... that's really high. So, I feel good, and my confidence is way up now. I played for about an hour or an hour and a half, and drank a lot of wine... to much wine. There was some throwing of things across the cafe (some of which I picked up and ate), and Vanessa made me laugh and I spat wine out all over my lyrics... and the cabbie closed the window on my hand, but it didn't hurt. Or... I didn't feel pain anyways. It was a really good night, and just what I needed after a tough night at work.
Saturday:
Awoke at nine, and got ready, headed out to pick up some groceries for the day ahead, and some food for Sam. Forgot to buy eggs, so I had to make a second trip, because I wanted to make an omelette. haha, useless information. Had a nice breakfast with Carol, who had crashed for the night, and Bryce and Lana arrived from Gurye at around 11:30. The three of us headed over to Brooke's building, where the gang was meeting with a rented van and we set off on the Birthday Roadtrip Extraodinaire (soundtrack by Smashmouth) to DdangGgeut, the southern-most tip of Korea. We were on the road at around 12:00 or so, and I was surprisingly excited when we passed through Yeongam.
We stopped at the good ole E-Mart to pick up some wine. It has changed a lot since last year. I actually felt a little bit ashamed being back in Yeongam. Being there just reminded me of how isolated we had made ourselves last year, and how little I had done to be a part of the community. I don't really have any connections to the town, and I lived there for a year. Well, aside from the Ryus, and I haven't even seen them! I mean, I haven't even been back to visit since I got here.
anyhoo...
We got back on the road and wound up arriving at a small park on the beach at around 2 or 2:30. We all set out and gathered up armfuls of firewood, and built a small campfire. We had tons of food and a great little picnic in this beautiful little park. There were tall pines and leaf litter scattered all around the ground, and a great long beach that spread on for miles. Bryce and Lana brought devilled eggs, I brought a fruit loaf with cream cheese, Jon and Emily brought tons of snacks (they are the official snack supplier of every event), and Brooke and Ryan contributed chicken that we cooked on the coals of the campfire. Or... should have cooked on the coals. We got a little impatient, so we wound up cooking them on sticks and flames. Very quickly. haha. It was a little lunch, and we cracked a bottle of wine and everyone just hung out on the beach for a few hours.
After the beach, we headed to this little temple that the rest of the gang knew about, and had visited before. I've heard the story so many times... I was excited to see it finally, it always sounded amazing. but we'll get to that.
As they say, getting there is half the fun, and this was no exception. Brooke spotted the turn right away, which was good, because it was small, and looked to me like it might easily have been missed. However, once on the road, the backseast memories became less than confidence-inspiring. They started doubting themselves, so we asked for directions.
Asking for directions turned out to be another problem, because it didn't seem like anyone was really sure that the name that they had for the place was actually the name of THE place that we were going to. But people seemed to point us in the same direction as we had been going... so everyone was encouraged.
Finally, we reached a water-access, and Brooke recognized it, and there was much cheering. Then honking. From behind. From a police car. Waving us over. He came over to talk to us, and told us that we were going the wrong way for what we wanted to find. He offered to guide us out to the place whose name we gave him... but Brooke was sure we were on the right track now that she had seen the waterin' hole...
We wound up turning around and following the police officer... but then the debates started.
"I'm sure that that was the place"
"I can't just turn around, he's a cop!"
"Try to honk and wave him down"
"He's too far ahead now"
"Don't worry, maybe this is just a better way!"
"Turn around!"
And that's what we did. When the cop rounded a corner, Ryan pulled a maneuver that can only be properly described as "Wailin' 'er around!" and zoom zoom zoomed off in the opposite direction. We passed the water place and wound our way up the mountain side on a narrow one-lane road that gave me vertigo when I looked out the window. In a moment that almost made me believe in the power of "The Secret" (gag) I said "Man, it sure would suck to meet another car on this narrow road" seconds before one rounded the corner.
Good one universe!
When we got to the top, we all piled out and walked off down a really narrow little dirt path (a rarity on Korean hikes). It was beautiful. The cherry blossoms have passed their peak, but there are still a lot of them out there. And there are conveniently canary-yellow flowers called "kaenaree" (get it?) and lots of trees just beginning to sprout leaves. Not to mention that this was a beautiful fractured landscape, with sharp rocks jutting out of the trees and making strange silhouettes in the sunlight. We walked for about twenty minutes, and came to the temple. If you weren't looking for it, you might walk right by it without even noticing it. It was very very small, and built right into the rocks or the mountain. There was a tall stone staircase leading up to a mural framed by two tall stone pillars that looked like they must have been natural, and the temple just built to fit inside. It was beautiful. We stayed there for about half an hour or so, admiring the view and snapping photos, but left when we realized that we were really disturbing the woman trying to pray inside.
After we left the temple, we headed to another peak where we could see all three coasts of Korea. There was a lot of haze, but I could definitely make out the ocean in three directions! It was so beautiful there, and the sun was just starting to go down. I took a few pictures, and I'm pretty sure that the gang all sitting on rocks around this small mountain peak could be used to market any number of guidebooks or hiking products. I'll post it when it gets developed!
When we were heading back, we ran into a man who informed us that the police were looking for us.
Shit.
I got worried, but not too worried, because we hadn't really done anything wrong, we'd just been a little rude. But still... maybe the wailin' 'er around and zoom zoom zooming might have looked suspicious, and he might get worried about our cavities...
It turned out to be for nothing, because all there was was a a note tucked under the windshield wiper with a few phone numbers on it, and the name of where we were. So... problem pinesolved!
Then we went to this lookout in the small town nearby and visited this lookout station that looked like a mini space-needle from one side and a ship from a spy kids (starring Antonio Banderas) movie on the other side. We hung out there for about 40 minutes or so, enjoying the view, and then returned to the van to find that we had left the side door open the whole time. Thank God we were in Korea, where no-one steals (except through contractual loopholes).
Then we headed back to Gwangju. I played Dj in the car. I started aggressive and fun, but fell back on calm music because the mood definitely changed when everyone else fell asleep (nearly including Ryan up in the driver's seat a couple times too). I stayed awake the whole time though... I closed my eyes a few times, but I just couldn't fall asleep.
Everyone kind of petered out once we got back, with the exception of Bryce and I, even Lana, who I thought would require a wall made of six foot thick tempered steel to prevent her from reaching a Norae Bang. Bryce and I wound up catching up with Mel Carol and Stu at the Speakeasy. We sat in the new lounge area, which was pretty nice. The bartender up there was super friendly, and very concerned with making sure that the music was right up our alley. The night was good, but not really the vibe we were looking for, so we headed out. Highlights from that time included me being snubbed by a girl I recently met who came over to talk to Bryce, and a random middle-aged woman coming to sit with us who told us to grow a pair when we refused to do shots with her.
We headed out to a tea house and Bryce and the girls got strange float-ish things with neon red pop and fruit chunks layered with ice cream and cornflakes (that's right, cornflakes) and I got ginger tea. Listen up folks, ginger tea is spicy. If it goes down the wrong tube, you may well sneeze out your lung.
After that we headed home. On the way, we walked through Sajik Park, and stopped in at a live club there. It was very small inside. It was all wood inside, which is really rare, and all the tables had old sewing machine bases for legs. We shared a beer and listened to the people sing at the next table, as they passed a terribly out of tune guitar back and forth and all sang old folk songs together, eight or ten of them. It was wonderful, even with the guitar totally out of town. We left there and popped into another one that looked cool, but they were actually closed and we were quickly ushered out.
Then Bed.
Sunday:
Started with an early wake-up, shower and breakfast with Bryce and Lana (they spent the night, I love having a spare room). Unfortunately, Bryce took ill right after breakfast, but luckily Lana was here. I headed out and collected the last of the things that I needed for the big Easter lunch/brunch at Sajik Park that I had planned. I got there at one, figuring that I could get the food prep done and maybe hide some candies for a little easter hunt... but unfortunately there had been a miscommunication and Reo did not arrive to let me in until right at 2. I mean, that was the agreed upon time, but I had thought that the club would be open before then. Anyways, no hunt.
But, at two, everyone started arriving, and I got the food going. The rest is kind of a blur... there was a lot of photography, with Stu, Mel, and I showing off our fancy SLRs, and Carol getting special attention for her camera, a new Nikon D40 that she had just purchased. I cooked crepes, of course, Brooke made an awesome layered strata thing, Jon and Emily brought some home-made banana bread, and others brought... other stuff. Even SoHee, one of the secretaries from Munhwa came, with a friend, and brought some gimbap, mandu and some tempura-looking shrimp. Unfortunately OkYeon was absent from the affair, for reasons unknown.
After the eating, Stu and I picked up some guitars and plucked a few tunes. That petered out after maybe an hour or so, and everyone started heading for the door. It was a really fun afternoon. There was lots of laughing. And lots of good food.
Oh, I forgot to mention the mini motorcycle gang that accomplanied the Provence family because they had misunderstood that this was a concert, not a meal. haha.
Anyways... it was a great weekend.
The downside to all this hanging out is that I always get the blahs after everyone leaves. What a shitty way to finish an entry about a great weekend. oh well... I have a new editorial policy. No more post editing, unless it's a serious mistake.
Hmm... how to end positively... oh yeah, had a good dinner out with Ryan a couple hours ago, I still can't get over how much delicious meat I can eat for $6. And that's an expensive place! You can find places to get the same meal for as little at $3.50!
shazam!
Friday:
A long day of testing and yelling. I don't know when I started yelling, but all I know is that lately my fuse has been exceptionally short. It could be that I have been dedicating so much of my outside class time to studying Korea, and that I have been busy all the time... who knows? Anyways, I managed to finish most of my marking at school, which meant that when it was over, I actually felt like the day was over. I headed to Provence, where I had plans to meet up with Carol, Vanessa and HangBin. I had my guitar, and planned on play a few tunes.
Well, a Matt in need of some relaxation with no dinner and wine makes for a loud Matt who experiments in his performance, and that's how I found out that I can sing higher than I thought, right through high G and on to high A now. For those of you who don't know... that's really high. So, I feel good, and my confidence is way up now. I played for about an hour or an hour and a half, and drank a lot of wine... to much wine. There was some throwing of things across the cafe (some of which I picked up and ate), and Vanessa made me laugh and I spat wine out all over my lyrics... and the cabbie closed the window on my hand, but it didn't hurt. Or... I didn't feel pain anyways. It was a really good night, and just what I needed after a tough night at work.
Saturday:
Awoke at nine, and got ready, headed out to pick up some groceries for the day ahead, and some food for Sam. Forgot to buy eggs, so I had to make a second trip, because I wanted to make an omelette. haha, useless information. Had a nice breakfast with Carol, who had crashed for the night, and Bryce and Lana arrived from Gurye at around 11:30. The three of us headed over to Brooke's building, where the gang was meeting with a rented van and we set off on the Birthday Roadtrip Extraodinaire (soundtrack by Smashmouth) to DdangGgeut, the southern-most tip of Korea. We were on the road at around 12:00 or so, and I was surprisingly excited when we passed through Yeongam.
We stopped at the good ole E-Mart to pick up some wine. It has changed a lot since last year. I actually felt a little bit ashamed being back in Yeongam. Being there just reminded me of how isolated we had made ourselves last year, and how little I had done to be a part of the community. I don't really have any connections to the town, and I lived there for a year. Well, aside from the Ryus, and I haven't even seen them! I mean, I haven't even been back to visit since I got here.
anyhoo...
We got back on the road and wound up arriving at a small park on the beach at around 2 or 2:30. We all set out and gathered up armfuls of firewood, and built a small campfire. We had tons of food and a great little picnic in this beautiful little park. There were tall pines and leaf litter scattered all around the ground, and a great long beach that spread on for miles. Bryce and Lana brought devilled eggs, I brought a fruit loaf with cream cheese, Jon and Emily brought tons of snacks (they are the official snack supplier of every event), and Brooke and Ryan contributed chicken that we cooked on the coals of the campfire. Or... should have cooked on the coals. We got a little impatient, so we wound up cooking them on sticks and flames. Very quickly. haha. It was a little lunch, and we cracked a bottle of wine and everyone just hung out on the beach for a few hours.
After the beach, we headed to this little temple that the rest of the gang knew about, and had visited before. I've heard the story so many times... I was excited to see it finally, it always sounded amazing. but we'll get to that.
As they say, getting there is half the fun, and this was no exception. Brooke spotted the turn right away, which was good, because it was small, and looked to me like it might easily have been missed. However, once on the road, the backseast memories became less than confidence-inspiring. They started doubting themselves, so we asked for directions.
Asking for directions turned out to be another problem, because it didn't seem like anyone was really sure that the name that they had for the place was actually the name of THE place that we were going to. But people seemed to point us in the same direction as we had been going... so everyone was encouraged.
Finally, we reached a water-access, and Brooke recognized it, and there was much cheering. Then honking. From behind. From a police car. Waving us over. He came over to talk to us, and told us that we were going the wrong way for what we wanted to find. He offered to guide us out to the place whose name we gave him... but Brooke was sure we were on the right track now that she had seen the waterin' hole...
We wound up turning around and following the police officer... but then the debates started.
"I'm sure that that was the place"
"I can't just turn around, he's a cop!"
"Try to honk and wave him down"
"He's too far ahead now"
"Don't worry, maybe this is just a better way!"
"Turn around!"
And that's what we did. When the cop rounded a corner, Ryan pulled a maneuver that can only be properly described as "Wailin' 'er around!" and zoom zoom zoomed off in the opposite direction. We passed the water place and wound our way up the mountain side on a narrow one-lane road that gave me vertigo when I looked out the window. In a moment that almost made me believe in the power of "The Secret" (gag) I said "Man, it sure would suck to meet another car on this narrow road" seconds before one rounded the corner.
Good one universe!
When we got to the top, we all piled out and walked off down a really narrow little dirt path (a rarity on Korean hikes). It was beautiful. The cherry blossoms have passed their peak, but there are still a lot of them out there. And there are conveniently canary-yellow flowers called "kaenaree" (get it?) and lots of trees just beginning to sprout leaves. Not to mention that this was a beautiful fractured landscape, with sharp rocks jutting out of the trees and making strange silhouettes in the sunlight. We walked for about twenty minutes, and came to the temple. If you weren't looking for it, you might walk right by it without even noticing it. It was very very small, and built right into the rocks or the mountain. There was a tall stone staircase leading up to a mural framed by two tall stone pillars that looked like they must have been natural, and the temple just built to fit inside. It was beautiful. We stayed there for about half an hour or so, admiring the view and snapping photos, but left when we realized that we were really disturbing the woman trying to pray inside.
After we left the temple, we headed to another peak where we could see all three coasts of Korea. There was a lot of haze, but I could definitely make out the ocean in three directions! It was so beautiful there, and the sun was just starting to go down. I took a few pictures, and I'm pretty sure that the gang all sitting on rocks around this small mountain peak could be used to market any number of guidebooks or hiking products. I'll post it when it gets developed!
When we were heading back, we ran into a man who informed us that the police were looking for us.
Shit.
I got worried, but not too worried, because we hadn't really done anything wrong, we'd just been a little rude. But still... maybe the wailin' 'er around and zoom zoom zooming might have looked suspicious, and he might get worried about our cavities...
It turned out to be for nothing, because all there was was a a note tucked under the windshield wiper with a few phone numbers on it, and the name of where we were. So... problem pinesolved!
Then we went to this lookout in the small town nearby and visited this lookout station that looked like a mini space-needle from one side and a ship from a spy kids (starring Antonio Banderas) movie on the other side. We hung out there for about 40 minutes or so, enjoying the view, and then returned to the van to find that we had left the side door open the whole time. Thank God we were in Korea, where no-one steals (except through contractual loopholes).
Then we headed back to Gwangju. I played Dj in the car. I started aggressive and fun, but fell back on calm music because the mood definitely changed when everyone else fell asleep (nearly including Ryan up in the driver's seat a couple times too). I stayed awake the whole time though... I closed my eyes a few times, but I just couldn't fall asleep.
Everyone kind of petered out once we got back, with the exception of Bryce and I, even Lana, who I thought would require a wall made of six foot thick tempered steel to prevent her from reaching a Norae Bang. Bryce and I wound up catching up with Mel Carol and Stu at the Speakeasy. We sat in the new lounge area, which was pretty nice. The bartender up there was super friendly, and very concerned with making sure that the music was right up our alley. The night was good, but not really the vibe we were looking for, so we headed out. Highlights from that time included me being snubbed by a girl I recently met who came over to talk to Bryce, and a random middle-aged woman coming to sit with us who told us to grow a pair when we refused to do shots with her.
We headed out to a tea house and Bryce and the girls got strange float-ish things with neon red pop and fruit chunks layered with ice cream and cornflakes (that's right, cornflakes) and I got ginger tea. Listen up folks, ginger tea is spicy. If it goes down the wrong tube, you may well sneeze out your lung.
After that we headed home. On the way, we walked through Sajik Park, and stopped in at a live club there. It was very small inside. It was all wood inside, which is really rare, and all the tables had old sewing machine bases for legs. We shared a beer and listened to the people sing at the next table, as they passed a terribly out of tune guitar back and forth and all sang old folk songs together, eight or ten of them. It was wonderful, even with the guitar totally out of town. We left there and popped into another one that looked cool, but they were actually closed and we were quickly ushered out.
Then Bed.
Sunday:
Started with an early wake-up, shower and breakfast with Bryce and Lana (they spent the night, I love having a spare room). Unfortunately, Bryce took ill right after breakfast, but luckily Lana was here. I headed out and collected the last of the things that I needed for the big Easter lunch/brunch at Sajik Park that I had planned. I got there at one, figuring that I could get the food prep done and maybe hide some candies for a little easter hunt... but unfortunately there had been a miscommunication and Reo did not arrive to let me in until right at 2. I mean, that was the agreed upon time, but I had thought that the club would be open before then. Anyways, no hunt.
But, at two, everyone started arriving, and I got the food going. The rest is kind of a blur... there was a lot of photography, with Stu, Mel, and I showing off our fancy SLRs, and Carol getting special attention for her camera, a new Nikon D40 that she had just purchased. I cooked crepes, of course, Brooke made an awesome layered strata thing, Jon and Emily brought some home-made banana bread, and others brought... other stuff. Even SoHee, one of the secretaries from Munhwa came, with a friend, and brought some gimbap, mandu and some tempura-looking shrimp. Unfortunately OkYeon was absent from the affair, for reasons unknown.
After the eating, Stu and I picked up some guitars and plucked a few tunes. That petered out after maybe an hour or so, and everyone started heading for the door. It was a really fun afternoon. There was lots of laughing. And lots of good food.
Oh, I forgot to mention the mini motorcycle gang that accomplanied the Provence family because they had misunderstood that this was a concert, not a meal. haha.
Anyways... it was a great weekend.
The downside to all this hanging out is that I always get the blahs after everyone leaves. What a shitty way to finish an entry about a great weekend. oh well... I have a new editorial policy. No more post editing, unless it's a serious mistake.
Hmm... how to end positively... oh yeah, had a good dinner out with Ryan a couple hours ago, I still can't get over how much delicious meat I can eat for $6. And that's an expensive place! You can find places to get the same meal for as little at $3.50!
shazam!
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Good times
Hello everyone!
I just wanted to let you know that I am drunk in a hotel room in Jaenam (or something) at the cherry blossom festival and I am having a wicked time.
I mean, it's kind of like Chiang Mai was in Thailand. You come expecting a lot of new stuff, but then you realize that the night market is basically the same as the day market, except that it's darker. But it's all the same shit, just marked up a little higher because they know the tourists out.
But the city is beautiful and absolutely alive with blossoms on the sidewalks of every street, and the friends I am with mean that no matter what happens, the fact that soju only costs a dollar at the corner store means that good times are never too far away.
ANyways, I should get to bed. It's early, but the ones who were not oout drinking will want an early start.
And since the mood/alcohol level is just right, let me just say that I love everyone and that my life is awesome right now.
Morning after edit: We are in JiNam... I think. I didn't plan the trip, I just showed up and got on a bus. Still feelin' the love though.
Next day edit: I must have still been drunk, because I was actually in Jinhae. That's trouble.
I just wanted to let you know that I am drunk in a hotel room in Jaenam (or something) at the cherry blossom festival and I am having a wicked time.
I mean, it's kind of like Chiang Mai was in Thailand. You come expecting a lot of new stuff, but then you realize that the night market is basically the same as the day market, except that it's darker. But it's all the same shit, just marked up a little higher because they know the tourists out.
But the city is beautiful and absolutely alive with blossoms on the sidewalks of every street, and the friends I am with mean that no matter what happens, the fact that soju only costs a dollar at the corner store means that good times are never too far away.
ANyways, I should get to bed. It's early, but the ones who were not oout drinking will want an early start.
And since the mood/alcohol level is just right, let me just say that I love everyone and that my life is awesome right now.
Morning after edit: We are in JiNam... I think. I didn't plan the trip, I just showed up and got on a bus. Still feelin' the love though.
Next day edit: I must have still been drunk, because I was actually in Jinhae. That's trouble.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)