Rubber Dali in Korea

Results from my Tokyo wrestling vaction

2011-01-07T18:27:00.001-08:00

In the reverse order of how I saw them, day by day:

Wrestle Kingdom V results are at:

http://www.pwponderings.com/puroresuspirit/2011/01/03/njpw-wrestle-kingdom-v-card-for-jan-4th-2011/

DDT/Union 1富士、2鷹、3ユニオン全席2000円興行!! (Mon) 18:30
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,955 Spectators

(1) Seiya Morohashi & Hiro Tsumaki vs. Ryuji Ito & Shigehiro Irie
Winner: Ito (12:49) with the Dragon Splash on Tsumaki.
(2) Cherry, Hiroyo Matsumoto & Misaki Ohata vs. Black Cherry #1, Black Cherry #2 & Black Cherry #3
Winner: Cherry (12:49) over #2.
(3) DDT EXTREAM Championship Match: Kim Nanpun, Ryu Choun & Cao Zhang vs. Isami Kodaka, Keita Yano & Survival Tobitaa
Winner: Kodaka (7:23) with a Diving Knee Drop to Nanpun.
~ Kodaka becomes 15th Generation Champion.
(4) Bread Eating Deathmatch: Ken Ohka vs. Tsuyoshi Kikuchi
Winner: Kikuchi (10:00) 2.5 pans of bread eatin.
(5) Tomunori Debut Match: Makotorou Tomunori vs. El Generico
~ P.S. not 100% on his name, but I looked elsewhere and they are even worse off than me…
Winner: Generico (16:11) following the Brainbustaaaaahhhhh!!!!
(6) Sanshiro Takagi & Munenori Sawa vs. Kengo Takai & Madoka
Winner: Takagi (19:43) with a Sitdown HIMAWARI-BOMB to Madoka.
(7) Shuji Ishikawa vs. Manabu Nakanishi (NJPW)
Winner: Nakanishi (13:22) following the Hercules Cutter.

AJPW “Shining New Years Series 2011″, 1/3/2011 (Mon) 12:00
Tokyo Karakuen Hall
1,900 Spectators

(1) Osamu Nishimura vs. Hiroshi Yamato
Winner: Nishimura (6:11) with a Backslide.
(2) Kaz Hayashi, Shuji Kondo, NOSAWA Rongai & BUSHI vs. TARU, Minoru, MAZADA & Super Hate
Winner: Minoru (7:46) with the Minoru Special on NOSAWA.
(3) Ryota Hama & Yasufumi Nakanoue vs. Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi
Winner: Sekimoto (9:41) with a German Suplex to Nakanoue.
(4) Suwama vs. KAI
Winner: Suwama (8:46) following the Last Ride.
(5) Keiji Mutoh & Minoru Suzuki vs. Masakatsu Funaki & AKIRA
Winner: Funaki (16:32) with a Backdrop on Mutoh.
(6) All Asia Tag Team Title Match: Seiya Sanada & Manabu Soya [c] vs. Tsuyoshi Kikuchi & Tamon Honda
Winner: Soya (12:32) following a Death Valley Bomb. ~ Second Successful Defense.
(7) World Tag Team Championship Match: Taiyo Kea & Akebono [c] vs. KENSO & KONO
Winner: Akebono (13:20) with a Diving Body Press on KENSO.
(8) Junior Heavyweight Battle Royal: Kaz Hayashi, Shuji Kondo, Keiji Mutoh, Minoru, MAZADA, Super Hate, Tsuyoshi Kikuchi, BUSHI, Masanobu Fuchi, AKIRA, KAI, Hiroshi Yamato, NOSAWA Rongai
Winner: Mutoh (10:22) following a Shining Wizard to Yamato.

Big Japan Pro-Wrestling, 1/2/2011 (Sun) 18:30
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
(1) Daikokubo Benkei & Kazuki Hashimoto vs. Yuichi Taniguchi & Masato Inaba
(2) MEN’s Teioh, Onryo & Shiori Asahi vs. Tsutomu Oosugi, Hercules Senga & Atsushi Ohashi
(3) Yoshihito Sasaki & Shiya Ishikawa vs. Takakazu Kawakami & Takumi Tsukamoto
(4) Hardcore Tag Team Match: Shadow WX, Kei & Shu Brahman vs. Kankuro Hoshino, Motosugu Shimizu & Shinobu
(5) Barbwire Board Tag Team Deathmatch: Jun Kasai & “Black Angel” Jaki Nakazawa vs. Takashi Sasaki & Kamui
(6) New Year’s Special Match: Daisuke Sekimoto vs. Yuji Okabayashi
(7) Tag Team Florescent Deathmatch: Ryuji Ito, Abdullah Kobayashi & Yuko Miyamoto vs. Masashi Takeda, Isami Kodaka & Takashi Minamito

All Japan “New Year Shining Series 2011″, 1/2/2011 (Sun) 12:00
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
2,100 Spectators

(1) Manabu Soya vs. Takumi Soya
Winner: Manabu (8:19) with an Elevated Wrench-back Boston Crab
(2) Masanobu Fuchi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs. NOSAWA Rongai & BUSHI
Winner: Kikuchi (6:38) with a German Suplex.
(3) Ryota Hama vs. Yasufumi Nakanoue
Winner: Hama (5:08) with an Elbow Drop Pin.
(4) Shuji Kondo & Hiroshi Yamato vs. MAZADA & Super Hate
Winner: Kondo (5:40) following the King Kong Lariat to Super Hate.
(5) Osamu Nishimura, Taiyo Kea & Akebono vs. TARU, KENSO & KONO
Winner: Nishimura (9:12) with a Jacknife Foot Hold on TARU.
(6) Keiji Mutoh, Masakatsu Funaki & Minoru Suzuki vs. Suwama, Seiya Sanada & KAI
Winner: Suzuki (16:45) following a Gotch Style Piledriver to KAI.
~ There is some tension brewing between Mutoh and Suzuki. Suzuki was acting very arrogant with Mutoh and even picked up the pinfall while Mutoh had the Figure Four locked on Suwama. So definitely this is match that will becoming within the month I bet.
(7) World Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Kaz Hayashi vs. Minoru
Winner: Minoru (22:08) with the Minoru Special.
~ Minoru becomes the 28th Generation Champion, and finally the reign of Hayashi has been stopped!
~ Following the match Kondo came out and challenged Minoru to be his first challenger.
(8) Heavyweight Battle Royal: Takumi Soya, Yasufumi Nakanoue, Masakatsu Funaki, Keiji Mutoh, Osamu Nishimura, TARU, Akebono, Ryota Hama, KENSO, Suwama, Taiyo Kea, Minoru Suzuki, Manabu Soya and Seiya Sanada
Winner: Mutoh (13:53) following a Shining Wizard to Hama.

Sometimes the longest dreams are the best ones

2010-12-31T05:22:00.000-08:00

Twenty-one years ago, I was just a "kid" (actually, I had just had a kid --- well, not literally, but you know what I mean) with a crazy dream. I had recently discovered the incredible world of Japanese professional wrestling, and at that point my dream vacation became a trip to Tokyo to see amazing athletes like Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Mitsuhara Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, Jumbo Tsuruta, Tiger Mask III, and other greats in live action. (Even before discovering puroresu, as the locals call it, I was a lifelong Japanese pop culture fan who dreamed of visiting there.) But life got in the way, as it is often wont to do, and that trip was put on the back burner and though I never turned that burner off, I did have to put it on its lowest setting.

When I moved to Korea in April 2008, I felt one step closer to realizing my dream trip. However, as fellow foreign English teacher friends frequently traveled to Japan and other places in Asia, I found myself staying put, paying off bills, student loans, and such. I had a great time traveling within Korea, seeing places many foreigners don't normally visit, and happily fulfilling my second dream vacation --- film festivals --- many times over. (I haven't been outside Korea since landing here!) I knew that one day I would finally make it to Japan, but I had no idea when.

Then, in early December, I decided that the time was finally right --- financially and otherwise --- to realize my dream. On January 1, 2011 --- the first day of the new year and the new decade --- not only am I going to Tokyo to see Japanese professional wrestling, but I am going during the sport's busiest time of the year there! If I can score tickets to everything, I will see two shows each day on January 2, 3, and 4.

I said this about moving to Asia to teach English after wanting to do so for 23 years, and I will say it again now regarding my puroresu trip: Dreams can come true. Maybe not as soon as we'd like them to, but I have learned that having patience and keeping hopes alive can pay off.

Of the wrestlers I've mentioned above, only two are still alive. (Liger [that's him above in the red and white costume] has been one of my all-time favorites since I first discovered puroresu, and I am thrilled that I get to see him in action.) Though I never had the opportunity to see them in person, I am grateful for the wrestlers and shows I am about to see, for the trip I am only hours away from taking, and for the life I so happily live.

The year 2010 was another great one for me --- I got to spend another fun summer in Korea with my amazing son; my fantastic girlfriend and I had our one-year anniversary on December 16; I met some wonderful new Korean friends; and I went to no less than six great film festivals, among other things. There were a couple of speed bumps this year, including my first hospital stay since I was a baby (great friends and my girlfriend helped get me through that), my mom's passing away and learning at that same time of my dad's prior passing, as well, and goodbyes to some very dear friends who moved back home after working in Korea --- but compared with the challenges that some of my friends went through, I count myself very fortunate.

So I bid sweet adieu to 2010 and eagerly welcome 2011. By kicking off with my dream vacation, it is bound to be another fantabulous year! Happy new year to you all --- and may your dreams come true!

2010-11-30T05:48:00.000-08:00

The final paragraph of my previous post was not supposed to be the final paragraph of my previous post, but Blogger goofed up, or I did. Anyway, this photo was meant to be posted with that final paragraph. It's of Trees, Rich, Cohen, my girlfriend NaYoung, her daughter, and me. It was at an Italian restaurant in the city of Uijeongbu on the night before Trees and Rich left Korea.

The photo of Cohen and me was taken by NaYoung's daughter at the same Italian restaurant. Good job! ^^

NaYoung, her daughter, and I went to the same restaurant again shortly thereafter, and here is a cute photo from that visit, too. Just for the record, her daughter likes to make silly faces in photos.

Catching up again, finally . . .

2010-11-30T05:02:00.000-08:00

With the final month of 2010 here, and Christmas and the new year fast approaching, it's time for my first update since April. April!

I'll let pictures speak thousands of words here . . .

In my previous post, I talked about the Jeonju film festival. The films were great and the atmosphere was wonderful. Unfortunately I cut my leg on a concrete post meant to keep traffic off the sidewalk and wound up with cellulitis (not related to cellulite, thank you) that was rather dormant until June, when, of course, my first visitors from the States other than Cohen came to visit me! Thanks, Jody and Wendy! I was hospitalized for 13 days. The doctors expected me to be there between four and six weeks, and I'm of course thrilled that I wasn't.

A huge cultural difference between American and Korean hospitals is that in Korea, there are no visiting hours --- that is, it is always visiting hour! I was in an economy room with five other patients, all Korean. There are rolling beds beneath each hospital bed for family members or friends to sleep on if they want to spend the night. I received three shots in the tush each day, but the best part isn't being able to say that six pretty young Korean women saw my naked rear end during those 13 days (those gals of course being the nurses); it's that the whole hospital bill --- for treatment, medications, everything --- was just under USD $200!

Cohen came for his third visit this summer. We went to three film festivals, two soccer games, and had many other fun times together. We went for the second time together to the Pucheon International Fantastic film Festival, which specializes in horror, science fiction, and fantasy films. This year we went with two friends from New Zealand, Rich and Trees (who have moved to Taiwan to teach English --- I really miss them). The four of us also went to a sort of rideless amusement park called Ainns World, where the theme is miniaturized models of many of the world's great landmarks.

Cohen wrote a marvelous letter/essay about his experiences in Korea this summer. I'll ask him if I can post it here.

Every year in Korea, I say goodbye to good friends and meet new ones. But I know that even though I may only know some folks for a year or so here, we will be good friends for life, wherever our lives and travel may take us.

Jeonju International Film Festival

2010-04-25T22:03:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to be attending the Jeonju International Film Festival on Sunday and Monday, May 2 and 3. Jeonju is about an 88-minute subway ride plus another 3.5-hour train ride from my city, and for that reason, I couldn't attend last year. That is, going up late on a Friday, seeing one day of films, and then coming home on Sunday seemed a bit much for even a film fanatic like me.

This year, though, our school is closing for three days during the festival, so I am happily taking advantage of that free time and going for a three-night stay. Jeonju is probably the third-largest film festival in Korea, and I have attended the top two in 2008 and 2009, and am all set to attend again this year.

Here are the films that I will see in Jeonju:

"Around a Small Mountain"

"King of Thorn"

"Bare Essence of Life"

To be honest, I had no idea I could go to this festival until last week, and most films were sold out by then. But I was fortunate to find tickets for the above movies, and many would have been my first choices for their given time slots even if other shows had tickets available.

One year later . . .

2010-04-01T05:39:00.001-07:00

Wow, it is hard to believe I have not updated this blog in exactly one year. I've had plenty to say, but little time to write it in blog format. One reason I kept holding off is that there was so much to write about, and I didn't want to leave things out. Then I decided that, if I am ever going to start updating regularly again, I just need to start again, and not worry about catching you up on the past.

So here we are!

I have signed my contract for a third year at good old Saengyeon Elementary School, and that third term begins on Monday. I had my visa renewed on Tuesday, and it really started sinking in today that next week is (a) two full years in Korea (b) without visiting the States and (c) without yet even leaving Korea! I'll see if I can't rectify situation (c) this summer, and --- no promises, friends back home --- see if I can figure out a visit to some old stomping grounds next winter to remedy situation (b), as well.

My life here is fantastic. Everything tells me that I made the right choice by moving to Korea to teach, including the upcoming opening of a Taco Bell in Seoul. I'm in the best financial shape I've been in many years, I've made great friends, I've been able to live out my dream of going to film festivals for vacations, Cohen has been over here twice to visit me and returns again this summer, my school staff and students love me, and, as of December, I have a wonderful girlfriend, NaYoung.

Suffice it to say that I am happy. I miss the heck out of all of you back home, and I hope to see you again sooner rather than later. But interestingly, I don't miss too many of the amenities back home. I can see most films that I'd want to see, and thanks to Cinematheque, some that have never never been released Stateside by filmmakers I love, and I also get to see classics on the big screen on a regular basis. Now that the Taco Bell puzzle piece is in place, and now that a Canadian friend showed me where to buy black market Pop Tarts and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese last Saturday, the thing I miss most in this department is the variety of concerts by bands I love. As you can read from older posts, I've gotten into Korean indie rock and have gone to many of those shows, and I saw Judas Priest and Sonny Rollins in Seoul (while passing on Bob Dylan and Tom Jones this week). But on the semi-rare occasions when bands I'm interested in do pass through these parts, ticket prices are often prohibitive. Anyway, it is a small sacrifice when everything else is going so well.

I'm probably going to see former Thin Lizzy guitarist Gary Moore (here he is playing "Bad for You Baby") later this month, and allegedly Deep Purple will be in Seoul next month. So the rock comes, but not as often as I'd like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCHYvAf35yI&feature=PlayList&p=52B2BFA1ED170515&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=10

Thanks for checking here. Granted, there isn't much in this post that you haven't read about already on my Facebook page, but hey, not everyone reading this is on Facebook. It's time for bed now, so I'm going to sign off, but I'll do my best to update this on a regular basis, with fresh, non-Facebook material. Happy April, one and all!

Oh, and if you haven't yet seen "A Simple Man," please try to do so toute de suite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FYtprwg1As

W & Whale

2009-03-31T07:47:00.000-07:00

I discovered W &Whale about two weeks ago when I saw a poster for their concerts in Seoul this weekend. I looked them up on youTube, and they instantly became my favorite Korean band! I am extremely excited to see them this weekend.

Here are a few videos to get you started. "RPG Shine" ("RPG" stands for "Rocket Punch Generation") was their first single:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juA0Hw5EgaA

and "High School Sensation" is their latest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mP8mdZiJBk

Their cover of Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head" (which sealed the deal for me):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NR7n9ElaMU

and Destiny's Child's "Say My Name" (which I had never heard until this version; I think I can pass on the original):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhVNYqj-Lpw

Enjoy!

Hellos and goodbyes, part two

2009-03-31T07:32:00.000-07:00

Despite all of the recent goodbyes, there is one big hello, as Schuyler arrived last month to teach in nearby Uijeongbu for a year. He and Val teach at the same school, but their school is so big that they are in different buildings.

Schuyler hit the ground running when he arrived, as less than 48 hours after landing, he went to Seoul with me to Becky, Nicki, and Amy's farewell party. He has also started Korean lessons, and is making friends rapidly. Welcome, and congratulations, Schuyler!

Top to bottom:

1. My first successful attempt at picking up a Korean gal!
2. Charlie Brown and my Linus impersonation.
3. Me, Lucy, Schuyler, and some new friends.
4. Schuyler, me, and YuJin at Sharon's going away party at The Ice Bar.
5. American-style breakfast with Heather, Ryan, and Schuyler.

Hellos and goodbyes, part one

2009-03-31T06:17:00.000-07:00

I have made many, many wonderful friends here, and I am sure that I will meet more great folks, but it was really tough for me when Becky and Nicki left last month. They had been friends with each other for many years, but when I met them last May, they instantly welcomed me into their circle and we have been great friends ever since. I can't imagine what life would have been like during my first year in Korea without those two (cue Leonard Cohen's "Sisters of Mercy"). They are traveling around Asia for the next three months or so, and then Nicki is starting grad school, and Becky has some plans/schemes/ideas up her sleeve. I miss them a lot, but I know that we will see each other again in various places over the coming years.

Also saying goodbye recently were the very hilarious Heather (who, like Nicki, will move back to Chicago, where I will surely see them again), Sarah and Amy (both in Canada), and Sharon (from Scotland). Sharon's goodbye party was on Saturday, and I hope it is the final one I have to go to for 11 months or so.

Top to bottom:

1. Val, DooHee, and I at Nicki and Becky's going away party.
2. Nicki, her parents, and I.
3. Me (and DooHee), smiling even though the gals are leaving soon . . .
4. and 5. Becky and I.

A lot has happened since my birthday

2009-03-31T04:35:00.000-07:00

. . . which is about when I last posted.

The news today is that I renewed my visa this afternoon, after signing a contract for a second year at my school. So it is official: I will be at my school until April 4, 2010.

It seems as if I just recently arrived, even though I have been here just a few days short of a year (April 7 will be my one-year anniversary).

Here are some highlights from the past two months.

BIRTHDAY WEEKEND

I had two fun celebrations with different groups of friends. First, a bunch of us went to Our Place for Italian dinner and cocktails. Marysol, Valerie, Dana, Nicki (who is not in the photo because she took it, if memory serves), and her very cool parents helped me have a wonderful, wonderful time!

The following day some other folks went to a Korean Basketball League game and/or Mexican dinner at On the Border with me. Kathleen took those photos (thanks, K) and because of my formatting issues, you might not know who is who, but Kathleen, Lia, Heather, Sarah, Ryan, Val, Kimmy, HeeWon, and Deon were all there to make this a fun-tacular day.

By the way, I shared my birthday with Lunar New Year this year --- January 26, 2009.

Okay, Blogger won't let me add any more photos to this post, so I will start a new one . . .

Top to bottom:

1. Thanks for the puzzle-rifficness, Kathleen and Liam!
2. Val, Kimmy, and me
3. Me with Heewon and Deon
4. Me with Val, Heather, Sarah, and Ryan
5. Me with Kathleen and Liam
6. Marysol, Valerie, Dana, and Christina are in the back row, and Mary and Becky are in the front.

Birthday rawk

2009-01-25T19:29:00.000-08:00

For those friends who enjoy overinterpretation, subtext, and psychoanalysis as much as I do, I offer you the first song that came to mind when I woke up this birthday morning, "Someone's Looking at You" by The Boomtown Rats: http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=w7WCsDWsv8E

And for the second song that came to mind, it was the same group's "Diamond Smiles," at http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=8J3fhiDXBuA&feature=channel

Enjoy!

Christmas and New Year (two New Year's, actually)

2009-01-23T04:16:00.001-08:00

As most of you know, Cohen was here from December 14 to January 4, and what a time we had! Naturally, it was fantastic just to see him and spend time with him again for the first time since I came to Korea in April. But add to that Korean Basketball League games; a Korean pop concert by the country's reigning pop icon and my cultural icon hearthrob, Lee Hyori ("Perry teacher! You love Hyori? You marry her?" my fifth and sixth grade girl students ask me quite often) ; lots of culinary delights such as military stew, king mandu (giant dumplings), and dessert pancakes stuffed with honey and nuts; video game arcades with NBA games featuring a Blazers starting line-up of Briant Grant, Arvydas Sabonis, and Scottie Pippen, along with Asian awesomeness such as a taiko drum equivalent of "Guitar Hero"; the amazing little jazz club La Cle; and lots of other sightseeing and everyday fun, and you can see that we had a blast. Of course, I am most happy that he could meet almost all of my wonderful friends here!

Christmas is much different here than what we Americans are used to. Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) and Lunar New Year are the two huge family holidays, and Christmas is one of the many "couples holidays" in Korea. They have the world's cutest ice cream cakes, dating opportunities galore, and kitschy stuff like fuzzy combination headphones and ear muffs that come with a n MP3 player filled with Christmas songs --- and this device was sold at, of all places, Dunkin' Donuts. In one of the photos, you will see Cohen sporting a white Christmas hat sold out at Paris Baguette. You should have seen the winter hats sold at BaskinRobbins --- a plush snowman eating an ice cream cone! At midnight when the 24th becomes the 25th, hundreds of couples gather at Myeongdong, a posh shopping district, to observe "kiss time" --- the lights in the businesses and on the streets are all turned of so that couples can kiss to celelbrate Christmas. This phenomenon occurs for only about 15 seconds or so, I am told, because, after all, this is conservative Korea, and usually kissing for 15 seconds in public would get a girl grounded for quite a spell. By "girl," I mean any female of any age still living at home with her parents, which most Koreans of both sexes do until they get married. See? I told you it was conservative here!

This Monday, January 26, is my birthday, and it is also Lunar New Year's Day. A few Korean folks have told me that this means very good fortune for the new year. I know some of my friends had a bit of a rough 2008, but for other friends, opportunity knocked, and they answered. It was an amazing year for me, and I feel strongly that 2009 will continue that trend. Happy Lunar New Year to all of my friends, family, and loved ones, near and far --- may 2009 be the best year ever for all of you!

2009-01-23T04:01:00.000-08:00

2008-10-29T22:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been able to post more. Things are crazy around here, but at least they are simply lots-of-different-things happening crazy, and not so-much-work-it's-driving-me-insane crazy!

On Tuesday I had what should be my final open class of the year, which is where we rehearse a class to the point of absurdity and then teachers from all around my part of Korea --- sometimes more than two hours away by train --- come to observe. Preparation can be very stressful, and the formality behind the proceedings is unlike anything you would see in the States. It all went well, though.

The hilarious part is that I am the non-Korean face of the pilot program for Digital Textbook Afterschool English, in which my school is taking part. I seriously had three 40-minute photo sessions last week, mostly with children from grades 3-6, and that was after having already had multiple photo sessions and a slide show for open classes just three weeks ago. This time, however, our master teacher (third in command, just under the vice principal) made a fully professional looking multimedia presentation that included such things as a still photo of me holding hands with several children, which was put over a background of foggy hills, with dramatic music playing. A Korean historical figure --- don't ask me who --- then shared the screen with us, and I think he was talking about the importance of Koreans learning English. Suddenly, a flock of black birds flew into the scene over our heads (think of the animated opening titles to Hitchcock's "The Birds") and were then replaced by white doves! Unbelievable.

Then, no less than two dozen photos of me and the kids were shown, with dramatic music and an equally dramatic live lecture in Korean. Many teachers from my school and visiting teachers complimented me afterward about how I was a wonderful model for my school. And before and after the photo sessions --- two of which naturally occurred at the drop of a hat --- teachers were cheering me on because "you are our school's official model. We appreciate your hard work and handsome photos!" Ha ha ha --- I heart Korea!

Yesterday my city hosted an English Festival for schools in my city and neighboring cities. About 500 students and their English teachers attended. It was a lot of fun. Each school had a booth, and the students rotated every 20 minutes. Our booth hosted Aboriginal dot painting, and the kids loved it.

On Friday I finally get to visit the kindergarteners for the first time since arriving, to have a Halloween party with them. This will be a lot of fun. They are so cute! They have only seen me once before, when I came into their room to laminate some stuff. They were amazed, and two of them said "Hi" about 20 times, because it is the only English word they knew, ha ha! But some know more English than many of our sixth graders.

I am going to my first Korean Basketball League game this Sunday, and it should be a blast. I watched the playoffs when I arrived in April, and there were all sorts of breakaway layups (as opposed to breakaway dunks), a game in which both teams at one point had shooting percentages of .97, and another lopsided game that was like 72-24. In the "it's a small world" department, a former Portland Trailblazer for two years, Ha Seung-jin, is the league's #1 draft pick this season. I have a front-row courtside seat that set me back a total of 20,000 won --- just under $15. That gets you a seat in the last four rows of the Rose Garden for a Blazers game. Sure, the quality of play is different, but I have a feeling the overall entertainment factor won't differ that much.

The fifth graders --- about 200 of them --- and I went to Lotte World this month for a field trip. Lotte World is like a miniature indoor/outdoor Disneyland, one of three near Seoul. I need to go back, because the long lines and our tight schedule prohibited me from going on more than two rides. But it was a fun day, as you can tell from the picture.

Ending my two-week vacation in style

2008-08-16T19:09:00.000-07:00

I'm having Indian lunch with one group of friends today, and then it's dinner and an art museum at one of Seoul's historical palaces with others.

I only left the Seoul are for one day during my break, when I went to Suwon, but I had a great, relaxing vacation, did almost exactly what I wanted to each day, ha ha ha, and spent lots of time with friends I have known here for a few months, and new friends, as well. So to me it feels like a very fun vacation, without traveling far.

At least two friends and I are planning on going to the the large port city of Pusan (also spelled Busan) in October for its annual film festival. Others might join us. When I meet some new friends of friends, they are amazed at how much I know about museums, plays, films, music, etc. in and around Seoul, and some have called me a "culture guru," ha ha ha. It isn't as easy to research information like that here, because of the language barrier, so when I find out about something that excites me (like, say Judas Priest and Michael Schenker Group concerts, or "Chicago: The Musical" and "Evil Dead: The Musical") , I am doubly happy.

A week or so ago, I saw what looked like a fun jazz club one evening in a "quiet" (if there can be such a thing in Seoul), historical-section-meets-European-artsy-section called Samcheon-dong. Some friends and I went to it on Friday night, and wow, it was everything I hoped it would be! It is called La Cle; it's in a basement, and looks just like an old jazz club from the 1950s in Paris or San Francisco (because, let's face it, there were very likely no cool jazz clubs in Korea in the 1950s). The atmosphere is excellent, the piano/drums/upright bass trio that played that night was great, and I loved the dank, musty, old-basement smell. I told my friends who I went with that when I am in Seoul, if they don't know where I am, I am probably at La Cle, ha ha ha.

Later that night, I went out with some newer Korean friends to a restaurant that serves ramuyen (spicy ramen) in old, beat-up, dented, metal bowls with scorched bottoms. One of them told me that Koreans occasionally like to order ramuyen in this style of bowl because it reminds them nostalgically of the tougher economic climates here. There is a special name for this style of ramen. When I find the napkin that she wrote that name on, I will post it here. Anyway, it looked great, and I really wanted to try it, and I did, the next day. By the way, maybe you already know about this, but I had never heard of it before coming to Korea: cheesy ramuyen. It's simply putting a slice or two of American cheese on your ramen, letting it melt a bit, and then stirring it all together. Not the healthiest meal option, I know, but though it sounds strange, it tastes great.

More soon. I have been wanting to update this blog more often, but haven't been around computers a lot during my vacation. It's back to my office tomorrow, so I will have both a computer and air conditioning, both of which make blogging easier.

Noraebang Nuttiness

2008-07-28T00:59:00.000-07:00

I heart noraebang.

Noraebang is the cooler twin sister of karaoke. Why cooler? Firstly, because you get to sing in your own private room, with friends, which eliminates (a) random drunkards ruining your evening of singing, and (2) atrociously long waits for not just your turn to sing, but your friends' turns, as well.

Secondly, the noraebang machine gives you a percentage score for how well you did. Sure, sometimes it scores a bit generously, but other times it can be pretty honest. Which was it on Saturday night when I saw, and sang, for the first time ever in my karaoke/noraebang years, a song by UFO? (UFO, a British hard rock band whose heyday was in the '70s and '80s [but please note that they are still putting out very good albums and touring] is one of my all-time favorite bands, and the song was a slow ballad called "Try Me.") It doesn't matter, my friends, because I scored 100%.

Thirdly, there are tambourines for your beat-keeping pleasure at most every noraebang. But on Saturday, at Kathleen's birthday party, the ante was officially upped. The noraebang she booked had a genuine, full Pearl drum kit! Amazing. And a pair of bongo drums right next to the kit.

A few things that I have done in south Korea that I would never do back home in the States

2008-07-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

1. Use toilet tissue for a napkin. (Or my hand, a plastic wrapper, a lettuce leaf, or anything else handy and suitable to the task.) Napkins seem like a precious commodity here. The first day that I was offered toilet paper to use instead, a co-worker said, "Foreigners think that it is very strange that Koreans use this instead of napkins." Hmm, possibly because --- what with it being called toilet tissue, and all --- the product is manufactured with the intention of it being used during the elimination of food, and not as part of the food intake process.

2. Wear sandals. Anyone who has ever talked fashion with me knows that I am vehemently against men wearing shoes that expose the bare foot. Not because mine are particularly unsightly, but because, generally speaking, men's feet are less than pleasant looking. And a double no-no is the wearing of socks with sandals, no matter what your sex. I have seen enough pairs of wool toe-socks with Birkenstocks to last me a lifetime.

But here, wearing sandals --- with socks, mind you --- is pretty much mandatory at work. So I caved in.

3. Held a conversation with a man I have just met, as he either holds my hand or places his hand high on my thigh. This is considered normal behavior here. I swear.

4. Eaten vegetables that I have never seen before in my life, usually without asking what they are. No, I don't do the same with meat.

5. Had random groups of high school girls walk up to me and initiate conversations that include them telling me, "Oh, you're so handsome!" and I stay and talk, rather than running the other way to avoid a misunderstanding and possible jail time. Students of all ages, from kindergarten through college, walk up to me and happily speak English with me. Sometimes all they know is the classic exchange, "Hello, how are you?" and "I'm fine thank you, and you?" Sometimes they know more than many of the teachers I work with seem to know. (That's not a knock; learning English at a young age in Korea has been emphasized much more recently than ever before.) And then there is the ever-popular "I love you!" being blurted out as the second or third sentence, because this tends to be one of the first English phrases Koreans learn.

6. Watched an American movie that I have never had any desire to see, simply because it was on the TV, and in English. I rarely watch TV here, but this phenomenon has occurred a few times. I couldn't even tell you what films they were, and I usually came in during the middle.

7. Gone to the cinema without knowing what films were playing, or at what times. As a matter of fact, I might do this tonight.

This list will grow as I spend more time here, and as I remember the many zany things that have happened to me that I am blanking out on right now.

There are some social norms here that I just cannot adapt to, the foremost of these being --- sorry, there is no way to sugar coat it --- dispensing used toilet paper into a wastebasket rather than directly into the toilet. Even if I clog every non-squatty potty in this country because of my foul deeds, I can't make that transition. Plus, this country is hot and humid in the summer --- do I really need to add to the discomforts of the season?