Tires as Cheap as Shoes

Jae-Sa Ceremony

2008-07-14T10:38:00.000+09:00

Preparing for Jae-Sa

2008-07-14T10:24:00.000+09:00

Markets. A Good Thing.

2008-07-14T10:20:00.000+09:00

The Butcher, The Baker, the Fish Gut Hacker

2008-07-14T10:09:00.000+09:00

I Wore the Wrong Shoes

2008-07-14T02:53:00.001+09:00

Laid Back

2008-07-14T02:51:00.000+09:00

Sipp'n on Gin & Juice

2008-07-14T02:44:00.000+09:00

Can't Watch Enough TV at Home?

2008-07-14T02:40:00.000+09:00

2008-07-14T02:39:00.000+09:00

"Brain School" For Real?!

2008-07-14T02:37:00.000+09:00

New Set of Wheels

2008-07-14T02:33:00.000+09:00

Shy SooBin

2008-07-14T02:32:00.000+09:00

Post-Maham

2008-07-14T02:31:00.000+09:00

Cute to Crazy

2008-07-14T02:18:00.006+09:00

Dr. Tooth Fairy in Korea

2008-07-14T02:15:00.000+09:00

My Awesome Classmates!

2008-07-14T02:13:00.000+09:00

More KongBuing

2008-07-14T02:11:00.000+09:00

Even the Chinese Love "Couple Look"

2008-07-14T02:06:00.000+09:00

Fun in the ... Monsoon

2008-07-14T02:03:00.002+09:00

What Do You Mean I'm Running a Marathon?!!

2008-07-14T01:51:00.005+09:00

Old People Are Just Cute

2008-07-14T01:49:00.002+09:00

Thought I Might Die

2008-07-14T01:39:00.002+09:00

The Same...but with Women in Masks

2008-07-14T01:37:00.000+09:00

What it's All About

2008-07-14T01:34:00.002+09:00

Early Morning Studying

2008-07-14T01:14:00.000+09:00

Learning Korean...more or less

2008-07-14T01:12:00.000+09:00

My Korean Class!

2008-07-14T01:06:00.001+09:00

He's wearing an Elmer Fudd hat -- CUTE!

2008-07-14T01:04:00.000+09:00

These are my in-laws, precious.

Gangster's Lair

2008-07-14T01:00:00.000+09:00

Waking up

2008-07-14T00:58:00.000+09:00

Learning to Gamble

2008-07-14T00:56:00.000+09:00

Glimps of Seoul

2008-07-14T00:54:00.000+09:00

Downright Scary!

2008-07-14T00:49:00.000+09:00

Seoul Subway

2008-07-14T00:41:00.003+09:00

Nothing like a Mall Mascot

2008-07-14T00:39:00.001+09:00

Dude's Bringing that into the Street...

2008-07-14T00:31:00.003+09:00

Dude is really going to walk his scrap metal cart into one of the busiest streets in Seoul... that's already packed a CATlift, cars, motorbikes, buses, and since 'tis the protesting season' ... riot police buses... on a Saturday evening.

Let the luck of the Irish be with him.

G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S

2008-07-14T00:27:00.002+09:00

How about a Rolex?

2008-07-14T00:21:00.002+09:00

TOTALLY CLASSIC

2008-07-14T00:14:00.002+09:00

Hey, wanna grab something to eat?
Sure. Where you wanna go?

I don't know, how about Boobi Boobi?
Ya, I love the food at Boobi Boobi. Boobi Boobi sounds great!

Ok, it's a date then. Boobi Boobi it is.

This is the conversation I had in my head. I had to stop on the side of the street and laugh.

Ode to my Mother-in-Law

2008-07-14T00:09:00.002+09:00

What's Wrong w/ this Picture?

2008-07-14T00:06:00.000+09:00

Pumonim's Pad

2008-07-14T00:03:00.001+09:00

Tripp'n with my Nephew

2008-07-14T00:00:00.000+09:00

Setting Sun

2008-07-13T23:57:00.000+09:00

Sleeping Angel

2008-07-13T23:49:00.001+09:00

2008-07-13T23:48:00.000+09:00

Still Better than Seoul

2008-07-13T23:46:00.001+09:00

This is Why Korea NEEDS Me

2008-07-13T23:40:00.003+09:00

Notes from a Gangster Liar

2008-07-13T23:36:00.003+09:00

Here are the boys at my in-laws place, playing "Gostop," a game usually to be enjoyed with friends, booze, and any expendable won people might have tucked in their pockets. It's actually a gambling game that was brought over from Japan during Japan's occupation of Corea. For that reason, although many love to play the game, it can sometimes have a negative connotation with it. I guess not in this house. Thank goodness for sinners! P.S. Since I’m on the topic of Japanese Imperialism – a topic everyone LOVES to talk about!! You’ll probably see that I usually spell Korea with a C. Often this is seen at sporting events or in-and-around Seoul, lots of T-shirts and nationalistic merchandise. Well, way-back-when and throughout history, Corea has been spelled exactly as such, with a C. Early maps of European exploration all denote Corea as the peninsula hanging from Northeastern China, or Manchuria. Koreans are descendants from the Manchus and Mongols, not really Chinese. The peninsula, although unique in its history and culture, acted throughout history, especially during China’s enlightened Tang dynasty, as a stepping stone between China and Japan. I digress. Anyway, Corea had always been Corea, until Japanese imperialization in the early 20th century. The Japanese did not want Corea to be listed before its own country alphabetically. The Japanese are a little weird that way. Large scale mapmakers like Rand McNally use international labels supported by the U.S. government, which is of course a friend of Japan. The issue is not one to bring up at the dinner table in Corea, but prospect of change are unlikely anytime soon. The same goes for “The Sea of Japan,“ which was known for hundreds of years as the “Sea of Corea,” Coreans want to see it called the “East Sea.” Again, probably no time soon.

Cat in the Hat in Corea

2008-07-13T23:29:00.002+09:00

MinSoo and I hanging out & reading. What better literature than the Dr. Seuss series. I'm hoping to undo any "real" learning that he's already done. Cross your fingers and wish me luck.

Like Having Fish Hooks Through Your Skin

2008-07-13T23:27:00.004+09:00

I’m not sure that when trying to persuade someone to try something new, one should use the metaphor that it’s “like having fishing hooks pulled through your skin.” Not appropriate in all situations. Nonetheless, I had this fantastic traditional Korean suction healing ‘massage’ that truly is like having hooks pulled right through your skin, right through. I wouldn’t really call the lady who was working on me a masseuse, she was more of a technician, tightening and releasing the pressure of the octopus-like suction cups. Visions of a scientist gone mad were conjuring in my head as I lay bare, face down on the table. The only evidence that it was lady inflicting the pain was her wee feet size and soft steps. Petite she might have been, but she pulled the wind right out of me several times and left me with dozens of tennis ball sized bruises. At the end of the process, the bruises hurt surprisingly little, but my heart was bounding a foot lower in my stomach. “Bubump-bubump,” it cried. Bloody strange. The bruises, they stayed for few days, and although I’d still describe the experience like being bated, I’ll go back before I leave.

Not Venice, but It's a Start

2008-07-13T23:22:00.003+09:00

Hard to believe, but just over five years ago this was a highway. President "Lee" (really pronounced "E", Lee is not a Korean last name...surprise, surprise.) may not be popular now, but there are a few things he did as mayor that helped make Seoul a more livable city. Unearthing the Chung-GaChung is one of them.

50,000 Strong

2008-07-13T23:06:00.012+09:00

There is soooo much I want to write about the current geopolitical atmophere here now...but this is going to consume a lot of time, sooo. I'll do it a bit later :)

Trying Not to be a Total Hater

2008-07-13T22:50:00.004+09:00

Look carefully for a sign on the left side of this building. Familiar? It should be b/c it's the good ol' Starbucks sign. This is the only Starbucks in the world where the sign is not written in English. EVEN the store INSIDE Beijing's Forbidden City, THE Imperial Palace, is written in English, but nugh-ugh not here, not in K-town's traditional Isadong area. I love the sass of the Korea people, but I have found that inside this capitalist haven is the single best study ambiance in DaeJeon. Seeing that Koreans have clearly choosen the international coffee chains as their hangout place place of choice as well, there are many a selection if I need to escape the kiddies. Which I often do.

Rooftop Riding

2008-07-13T22:44:00.003+09:00

Practically speaking, it makes a lot of sense. You got this here bike and you’re living in nearly 20 Million strong Seoul. For those of you who have been to Seoul, there are obvious logistical reasons why bikes are rarely, if ever, seen in the city center. So instead of risking his life on the perilous street of the Seoul, my father-in-law has opted to haul his bike to the 16th story of his office building. I’m not sure how much riding is getting done there, but I don't ask questions. Actually, this was when I first got here...SOOO….I literally couldn't ask questions...or one question. I’m much better now ;)

I'm Gonna Hold Your Hand

2008-07-13T22:41:00.008+09:00

To be honest, the first time I walked down the bustling, fashion-forward Kangnam area of Seoul, and witnessed multiple lady-couples holding hands it was a little…weird. I wasn’t sure what the deal was. Were they couples? Dating? “Testing the waters?” It was all good with me, but why didn’t someone tell me Koreans were so progressive when it came to homosexuality. Well, progressiveness is less the case in this situation, and more one of culture acceptance of heterosexual friend contact. Thus, it’s not totally uncommon to see teenagers and 20 year old women holding hands and linking arms, or young men with their arms around each other. Much less “machismo” culture here. I like it.

I'm no poet

2008-07-13T22:30:00.004+09:00

Hmmm. Maybe this will work. Then again, maybe it won’t. Blogs. Me putting for the time and effort to actually write a blog, updating and all. Huh? Like I said, I’ll give it the ol’ Hoosier one-two try and we’ll see how it goes.

Sooo, I was thinking. What am I going to put in this BLOG?. What will it say? What mood will I be creating? What perspective will I be projecting? Who is my intended audience? And. Here’s how it’s going to go down. Due to my inability, or ineptitude, at telling stories, I usually go amazing places, meet amazing people, experience the wonders of the globalizing world and lock it away forever inside of only me. My closest of kin and bestest of friends can testify that they know little of my adventures and even less about my whereabouts while I’m away. Well, that’s not really gonna change, but I will try to shell out a few snippets of what I’m doing & what I'm thinking at the moment. Plus, I’m getting the sense that my father is the only lone ranger who truly believes that, “No news is good news.” Right Pops, until the police call, all is good.

I’m not really traveling and coming back to Korea is like cozying up with a new book --There’s familiarity and comfort in the act, but surprise and intrigue in the journey. Thus, this blog will be my attempt to slightly un-sequester myself from the here-and-now, and share the mundane with you in a way that hopefully will not totally bore. HOWEVER! The challenge lies in the fact that I do the same 10-15 hours of studying Korean a day. And. A lot of the nuances of first arriving in Korea were lost years ago. Therefore, the following will be my best effort in breathing new life into the ordinary and repetitive.

Tires as Cheap as Shoes

2008-07-13T22:16:00.007+09:00

Shoooot, isn't that what every auto driver wants. This was a sign that I saw today coming back from Seoul. The shop's name is

"Wow! Tires as Cheap as Shoes"

That's what I call marketing. If that doesn't reel'em in, Lord knows what will.