Saturday, June 30, 2007

Highlight Reel - Post-mom to Pre-Music Party

I wish I could say that it had been an eventful month. It really wasn't. At all. First, I became a master of Skype. Oh yeah, I can now hold web-cam chats with the best of them, assuming that Vanessa is one of them, my one and only contact currently.
I had an article written in the Gwangju News about the music party, which was pretty exciting. It was by my new friend Rebecca Fairless, and she talked about the first music party on April 28th, why I was doing it, and encouraged people to come out. I've never had an article written about something that I organized before, so it made me feel a little bit famous, and perhaps more cool than I should have. haha. She invited me to a pancake party at her house, and it was a lot of fun. It was a bit intimidating... lots of new people, very few of whom I had met before. I still get pretty shy in new social situations like that... but luckily the fact that I brought a jar of maple syrup was a good ice-breaker. I also brought my guitar, but I didn't wind up playing, so I just awkwardly carried it to the bar after the party.
After a while at the Speakeasy, I realized that a) it was way too loud for me (Tinitis!) and b) Rebecca was gone, and I wanted to leave, but I wanted to say goodbye first. I figured that she and the rest of the gang had probably gone to the German Bar, so I headed down there. When I got there, the new Gwangju band "The Tent Pitchers" had just finished their set, and all their stuff was still set up. I asked if I could play a few tunes, and next thing I knew I was doing an impromptu (and obviously unrehearsed) set of about seven or ten songs. It went well, I made a good impression on the band, so maybe I have someone I can open for now. Then I headed back to the Speakeasy to say goodbye (for reals this time) got talking to Rebecca, then I got pulled into the hall by Smashlee, the new teacher and former co-worker of Darren's who will be taking my place at Munhwa at the expected end of my contract. We chatted for a bit about Munhwa, and all the last minute panic questions that she had about the place before she signed. We wound up talking for about an hour or so in the stairwell, which is admittedly strange.
Then, goodbye.
What else happened? umm... I bought a reverb-producing pre-amp, which was expensive. And exciting. It was necessary because I had gone cheap-o on my mixer, so I had no internal effects. My own fault, I guess. But it still sucked. It was a big misunderstanding between me and the salesman, but in the end it came down to me not having researched the product at all.
I also rode the subway... twice! Turns out that small city subways are SLOW. It might actually be just as fast to walk from say downtown to halfway home, the nearest stop to my apartment. But in this heat, I will gladly wait underground in air-conditioned comfort rather than out in the soupy humidity.
Vanessa is coming back early now, which is really good news. She was going to come back in August, but then that got bumped to late June, which was really exciting. Well, it's now late June, and she's still not here, and it's looking like it will be another three weeks now. But that's okay. Luckily, we are making good use of the internet-based communication possibilities available to us, and we talk for a few hours every day. Plus, who wants to be outside these days? I'd rather be chatting with a pretty lady, even if she is pixelly.
Speaking of not wanting to be outside, I moved my bedroom into my living room, and made my bedroom into a practice area/studio. The reason? My air conditioner was in the living room. Why would I not want that available to me at sleepy time? Answer: There is no reason, because I am not a clearly insane person. And it's actually made the apartment a little more hospitable, because now there is more sitting room if we employ the bed. everybody wins! Plus, it feels like a dorm room, which it turns out I really missed.
And, I almost forgot, but of course I have to document the most horrific thing I have ever witnessed... or, heard about. I guess I didn't really witness it, but I did almost shake a student to death after hearing it. Well, once again, not really.
Anyway, it was in one of my classes. This is the class that I have been told is not worth much worry, because most teachers have already given up on them. So, that's great. Actually, they are full of energy and they are wonderful and brave speakers for the most part, they're just unwilling to study, so they can't retain any new vocabulary. So I've taken the approach of just letting them direct conversation so that they can practice the words they do know, and I correct and make them repeat when I think it's a situation where they will understand why I am correcting them.
So the other day, I asked them if they wanted to talk about anything, and almost all the hands shot up. Oh man, I would take ALL low-level unteachable classes if they went like this all the time.
I eventually came to this cute little chubby guy who always chuckles at his own stories and is just a wonderful little guy to have in my class. His uncle has a husky, and this husky recently had puppies, so every week we are told a few puppy stories, which are always nice. So last Tuesday, he of course had some puppy stories left from the weekend.
He finished, and then this little girl, who I probably shouldn't name, shoots up her hand, because she is ready to talk. I know that I should choose her next, because she is a little spoiled princess, and if I don't choose her, she's liable to start crying and pout for the rest of the week.
Her face lights up, and she launches into a description of her new puppy, which sounds super cute. She's really happy, and manages to guide me into the breed "cocker spaniel". "Wow, a cute little cocker spaniel!" I say, "I have friends who have cocker spaniels, they are very cute and fun!" (using small word for the benefit of the class). Then she says "Yes, I was happy for new puppy! Old puppy died Friday..."
She looks a little distraught...
"Oh no! How did your puppy die?" I asked.
"He bad. Bark bark bark bark. I was tired, so (gestures punching) him."

and a cloud falls over the room...

I thought for sure that I had misunderstood. I mean, how could that possibly have been what happened?
"You killed your dog?" I asked.
"Yes teacher, but dog was bad."
Holy Shit.
I was honestly in such shock, I didn't know if I should hit her, start crying, or throw her out of the room. My head was instantly filled with visions of this poor puppy being beaten to death by this cute (looking) little fifth-grader. I mean, I've seen her get angry, and let me tell you, she did not just hit this dog once. If she killed this dog, it was not a punch, it was a beating. I can't look at her anymore... I'm trying to put it out of my head in class, but I keep having visions of this little girl beating up a puppy until it dies.
And I'm also shocked at her parents. She beat her puppy to death, so obviously the best course of action is to give her a second puppy to replace it. What is wrong with these people? Oh well, I mean the girl is a spoilt brat... so I guess it's no big shock that they would do something like this. Holy jeez, I can't believe it.

Provence's 5th Anniversary Party
There's a party tomorrow at Provence that is pretty exciting. I should say... it's now June 29th. I'm back at Starbucks sipping an iced Tazo chai tea latte, which is the longest-named beverage I have ever had. So anyways, this party is on June 30th and it's being held to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the cafe. As a member of the "Provence Family" (guilt over Starbucks visits increasing) I have been invited to perform and hang out with the rest of the regulars. It's pretty nice.
Unfortunately, this is on the same night as the Canada Day celebration at the Speakeasy. Dave asked if I wanted to come out and perform, and I said yes, then I had to cancel because the Provence party got moved to the same day, and I really want to play and hang out with the Provence Family. So anyway, a week or so later, I got news that Jeong Hyeon's grandmother had died, so he would not be able to come on the 30th, so it would be moved to another day.
sidebar - this guy just walked by Starbucks in leather pants with zippers all over them, long dyed-red hair, a black mesh shirt with a black wife beater under it, studded riding gloves and big black boots on. Did I mention that it's about +30 degrees and humid as a locker room out there? Oh, and he was carrying a gift bag that was pink. I love this country, if only for it's bizarro entertainment value.
anyways... the party was cancelled. Awesome, now I could play at the speakeasy. So I called Dave and put my name back in the hat there. Then I told Ee MeCha, and she told me that the party was back on. I can't cancel at the Speakeasy again, so I have to do both, which will involve a lot of very hot running.
It wouldn't normally be a big deal, but I told Ee MeCha that I would record the night at Provence to make her a CD. So I now have to leave a lot of my equipment unattended, which I'm not too pumped about. But... it'll be great to have a CD of that for her. It'll be a great souvenir form her party.

No comments: