Sunday, October 28, 2007
Random Korean T-Shirts
So one thing foreigners always notice is the copious amount of random, nonsensical t-shirts here in Korea. I found this shirt in Hongdae a little while ago and had to put up the picture. I thought it was hilarious, just not $30 hilarious (aka - I didn't buy it).
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Peace in the Far East
In response to (soon to be) Dr. Sam Negus' most recent comment, I'm not sure what the deal with with Asians making the peace sign almost every time a camera is pointed at them. I can't explain it, but it really does seem to happen. I don't question it. When in Rome......
Good times.....Good times.....
Good times.....Good times.....
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Uglidelphia, PA
A special thanks to my "friends" JoAnn and Lara for sending me the link to this article. They sure know how to make a guy feel special....
Looking for attractive people? Don't go to Philly
The city of more than 1.5 million people was also found to be among the least stylish, least active, least friendly and least worldly, according to the "America's Favorite Cities" survey by Travel & Leisure magazine and CNN Headline News.
About 60,000 people responded to the online survey -- at www.travelandleisure.com -- which ranked 25 cities in categories including shopping, food, culture, and cityscape, said Amy Farley, senior editor at the magazine.
For unattractiveness, Philadelphia just beat out Washington DC and Dallas/Fort Worth for the bottom spot. Miami and San Diego are home to the most attractive people, the poll found.
But Farley pointed out the results don't mean people in Philadelphia are ugly or the city is a bad place to visit.
"We were asking people to vote on attractiveness, not unattractiveness. Travel & Leisure editors believe there are a lot of attractive people in Philadelphia," she said.
"The relative attractiveness of its residents is only a minuscule factor in evaluating a city's merit."
Philadelphians' self-esteem has been undermined by national surveys showing they are among the fattest people in the United States. The American Obesity Association ranked the city in the top 10 for overweight people every year between 2000 and 2005.
And sporting pride in a city known for the fierce loyalty of its fans has been hurt by not having had a national champion in any of its four main sports since the 76ers won the National Basketball Association title in 1983.
© Reuters2007All rights reserved
Saturday, October 20, 2007
The Yonsei Soverance Hospital 10k
The Yonsei Soverance Hospital held a marathon today as a fund raiser. While I'm not in good enough shape to run a full marathon right now, I did run the 10k. It was fun. I was part of Team YAY! (I didn't pick the name, but I guess it suited us. haha) which consisted of Lara, JoAnne and me. Lara decided to keep an eye on the competition coming up behind us so she, very graciously, started walking after about a quarter mile. JoAnn and I jogged the whole time. We finished in just over an hour. It's not a crazy, fast time, but it's respectable, and we had a lot of fun. The Seoul Marathon is in March. I'm definitely going to participate. Worst case scenario, I'll run the half marathon (20k = 13.1mi). I'm in good enough shape to do that right now so hopefully I'll be able to run the full marathon by then.
Team YAY! - JoAnn, Me, Lara - We're a good lookin' bunch if I do say so myself.
Sporting our Completion Medals post race
Serious Runners....Serious Pose
No day of picture taking in Asia would be complete without this shot.
Team YAY! - JoAnn, Me, Lara - We're a good lookin' bunch if I do say so myself.
Sporting our Completion Medals post race
Serious Runners....Serious Pose
No day of picture taking in Asia would be complete without this shot.Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Santa had it Coming
The Eagles won this week. It may not have been very pretty, but they won. In honor of my weekly, near heart attack, I thought I'd put up this article from USAToday:
Santa snowball incident shrouded in myth
PHILADELPHIA — No surprise Philadelphia fans were rough on the Eagles at 0-2. After all, they once threw snowballs at ....
Hold it. In a new book titled The Great Philadelphia Fan Book, co-authors Glen Macnow and Anthony L. Gargano contend Philly fans get a bum rap in frequent mentions about that 1968 day when they hurled snowballs at Santa Claus. Not that they didn't do it.
"No event has been used to tar-and-feather Philadelphia fans as much. And no event has been as exaggerated, misconstrued and inaccurately recalled," they write.
Macnow, a talk show host along with Gargano on WIP radio in Philadelphia, says it's all about the circumstances.
"Everybody just thinks that people pelted Santa with snow balls for no reason other than we're mean people," he says.
A crowd of 54,535 showed in a snowstorm that Dec. 15 day at Franklin Field to watch the last-place Eagles finished off a 2-12 season with a loss to Minnesota.
The book says that team owner Jerry Wolman had "dismantled a strong, proud franchise" and hired Joe Kuharich as coach and general manager. Kuharich, who inspired the "Joe Must Go" slogan, traded Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen to Washington for Norm Snead.
At halftime, there was supposed to be a Christmas pageant. Then there was too much snow and muck for a float to parade around the field. Instead, according to the book, a 19-year-old fan wearing a Santa suit and fake beard in the stands was recruited to jog onto the field between two columns of cheerleaders.
The authors don't deny boos were heard and that snowballs were tossed. Are they saying Santa had it coming?
"Santa had it coming for a different reason actually," says Macnow. "Santa was a surrogate that day for Joe Kuharich and Jerry Wolman and Norm Snead. The poor kid just happened to be representing the frustrations."
The authors tracked down the Santa, Frank Olivo, who now lives in Ocean City, N.J. In the book, Olivo says he has no hard feelings. "I'm a Philadelphia fan, I knew what was what. I thought it was funny," he is quoted as saying.
But Olivo recalls that when he was asked if he might want to play Santa again the next season, he balked. "No way. If it doesn't snow, they'll probably throw beer bottles."
Fly Eagles Fly!
Santa snowball incident shrouded in myth
PHILADELPHIA — No surprise Philadelphia fans were rough on the Eagles at 0-2. After all, they once threw snowballs at ....
Hold it. In a new book titled The Great Philadelphia Fan Book, co-authors Glen Macnow and Anthony L. Gargano contend Philly fans get a bum rap in frequent mentions about that 1968 day when they hurled snowballs at Santa Claus. Not that they didn't do it.
"No event has been used to tar-and-feather Philadelphia fans as much. And no event has been as exaggerated, misconstrued and inaccurately recalled," they write.
Macnow, a talk show host along with Gargano on WIP radio in Philadelphia, says it's all about the circumstances.
"Everybody just thinks that people pelted Santa with snow balls for no reason other than we're mean people," he says.
A crowd of 54,535 showed in a snowstorm that Dec. 15 day at Franklin Field to watch the last-place Eagles finished off a 2-12 season with a loss to Minnesota.
The book says that team owner Jerry Wolman had "dismantled a strong, proud franchise" and hired Joe Kuharich as coach and general manager. Kuharich, who inspired the "Joe Must Go" slogan, traded Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen to Washington for Norm Snead.
At halftime, there was supposed to be a Christmas pageant. Then there was too much snow and muck for a float to parade around the field. Instead, according to the book, a 19-year-old fan wearing a Santa suit and fake beard in the stands was recruited to jog onto the field between two columns of cheerleaders.
The authors don't deny boos were heard and that snowballs were tossed. Are they saying Santa had it coming?
"Santa had it coming for a different reason actually," says Macnow. "Santa was a surrogate that day for Joe Kuharich and Jerry Wolman and Norm Snead. The poor kid just happened to be representing the frustrations."
The authors tracked down the Santa, Frank Olivo, who now lives in Ocean City, N.J. In the book, Olivo says he has no hard feelings. "I'm a Philadelphia fan, I knew what was what. I thought it was funny," he is quoted as saying.
But Olivo recalls that when he was asked if he might want to play Santa again the next season, he balked. "No way. If it doesn't snow, they'll probably throw beer bottles."
Fly Eagles Fly!
Monday, October 15, 2007
High and Low
Today had an obvious high point. I woke up early to go to Apgujeong (known as the Beverly Hills of Seoul) for a job interview. It went great, and I was offered a position at The Little School. Starting in March, I will have my own group of six year olds at a Christian Pre-School :) Yup. You heard it right folks. The guy who always pokes fun at Elementary Education majors and gave his former boss an especially hard time for being "so el. ed." is now a Kindergarten teacher. It's cool though. I'd never want to be El.Ed. at home, but it's great over here. Plus, I get a raise and am moving to the center of Downtown Seoul. I'll be working a normal 9-5 schedule too so I'll actually be able to have a normal life and hang out with people.
The obvious low came a few hours later when my middle school students came to academy. Ah, middle school students...how I loathe apathy is ways that words can simply not express. It'll all be over in less than 4 months, but it's gonna be hard to stay motivated knowing how much fun my new job is going to be.
On another note, I came awfully close to feeling a little of "it" today. For those of you who have never worked in the camping industry, campers are never "homesick." They merely have "it," "the sickness," or "the disease" because once you use the word "homesick" life is over and the condition spreads like wildfire. Now, I'm not homesick, but I got that unmistakable feeling that I wanted to be at Spruce Lake.
Many of you know the exact feeling I'm talking about and how hard it is to shake it. I left school tonight at 11pm in my heavy cargo pants and Millersville Univ. fleece listening to Ben Folds on my iPod. The moment I hit the cold air outside, I seriously had to stand still and look around. I just felt like I was walking home from Outdoor Ed.
Just the other day, I was telling JoAnn and Lara that while this weather makes them miss SoCal (because they're so flippin' cold), it makes me miss home for completely different reasons. Don't get me wrong. I love Wilderness Camp. I have always lived for the summers there, but there was something special about the fall. Camp would end, and I'd be so stressed out after a summer of dealing with everything. I'd go on vacation to unwind a little, but there was always a moment around the 1st or 2nd week of October that was so perfect. It usually involved me sitting on the roof of my apartment or on the step outside my door (which is basically the roof too) where I'd be sitting there in the cold staring at the brilliant stars. All of a sudden, I'd feel completely relaxed and realize that I wasn't stressed out anymore. I wouldn't be able to stop smiling and would feel more content that I ever remember feeling at any other time in my life. This is the first time in three years I'm not going to get to have that moment.
I made sitting on my roof for at least a few minutes, sometimes an hour or more, a nightly routine. I miss that apartment. I miss those stars. I know leaving camp was the right decision, but sometimes I really miss it. Tonight, I got done work stressed about my middle schoolers but thankful for the blessing of my new job, and all I wanted to do was go to the ball field, slide in my mummy bag, lay on my back, and stare at the milky way until I passed out. That would've been the perfect end to the day.
I miss checking my email in the Wilderness Camp Office after lunch and getting my daily updates/moments of wisdom from Kent. I miss hanging out with Richard and Jesse. I miss the smell of the Pavilion on a cold night after it rains. I miss those moments where you know that camp is, beyond a doubt, exactly where God wants you to be at that moment. I don't think I'll ever stop missing Spruce Lake. I lost a little bit of that "awe" living there for three years, but I know the next time I drive up that rocky road, I'll get the shiver up my spine that I haven't felt in years. THAT will be a moment I've been wanting to have for a long time.
The obvious low came a few hours later when my middle school students came to academy. Ah, middle school students...how I loathe apathy is ways that words can simply not express. It'll all be over in less than 4 months, but it's gonna be hard to stay motivated knowing how much fun my new job is going to be.
On another note, I came awfully close to feeling a little of "it" today. For those of you who have never worked in the camping industry, campers are never "homesick." They merely have "it," "the sickness," or "the disease" because once you use the word "homesick" life is over and the condition spreads like wildfire. Now, I'm not homesick, but I got that unmistakable feeling that I wanted to be at Spruce Lake.
Many of you know the exact feeling I'm talking about and how hard it is to shake it. I left school tonight at 11pm in my heavy cargo pants and Millersville Univ. fleece listening to Ben Folds on my iPod. The moment I hit the cold air outside, I seriously had to stand still and look around. I just felt like I was walking home from Outdoor Ed.
Just the other day, I was telling JoAnn and Lara that while this weather makes them miss SoCal (because they're so flippin' cold), it makes me miss home for completely different reasons. Don't get me wrong. I love Wilderness Camp. I have always lived for the summers there, but there was something special about the fall. Camp would end, and I'd be so stressed out after a summer of dealing with everything. I'd go on vacation to unwind a little, but there was always a moment around the 1st or 2nd week of October that was so perfect. It usually involved me sitting on the roof of my apartment or on the step outside my door (which is basically the roof too) where I'd be sitting there in the cold staring at the brilliant stars. All of a sudden, I'd feel completely relaxed and realize that I wasn't stressed out anymore. I wouldn't be able to stop smiling and would feel more content that I ever remember feeling at any other time in my life. This is the first time in three years I'm not going to get to have that moment.
I made sitting on my roof for at least a few minutes, sometimes an hour or more, a nightly routine. I miss that apartment. I miss those stars. I know leaving camp was the right decision, but sometimes I really miss it. Tonight, I got done work stressed about my middle schoolers but thankful for the blessing of my new job, and all I wanted to do was go to the ball field, slide in my mummy bag, lay on my back, and stare at the milky way until I passed out. That would've been the perfect end to the day.
I miss checking my email in the Wilderness Camp Office after lunch and getting my daily updates/moments of wisdom from Kent. I miss hanging out with Richard and Jesse. I miss the smell of the Pavilion on a cold night after it rains. I miss those moments where you know that camp is, beyond a doubt, exactly where God wants you to be at that moment. I don't think I'll ever stop missing Spruce Lake. I lost a little bit of that "awe" living there for three years, but I know the next time I drive up that rocky road, I'll get the shiver up my spine that I haven't felt in years. THAT will be a moment I've been wanting to have for a long time.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Koreanization
Yesterday was a pretty good Saturday. I knew I was going to be out all night so I forced myself to stay in bed until noon. I did some cleaning and got that, as Colin put it, "old sleeping bag," smell out of my apartment.
Then it was off to Hongdae. I was supposed to meet JoAnn and Lara at six so, being a guy, I got there at six. I was greeted by a phonecall. "Where are you? Oh snap! We're gonna leave in about 10 minutes...maybe 20." 45 minutes later, they arrived. Girls ;)
Apparently, when they got close, they were just going to start yelling, "We're looking for a white boy from Junggye! Has anybody seen a white boy from Junggye?!" but that idea got nixed at the last moment of the countdown by Lara. haha. They found me, and I was informed that I was about to be Koreanized. That included three basic parts. First, we went to Korean BBQ for Samgupsal (basically, thick cut bacon....it's delicious). That was nothing new for me, but next....oh next. We headed to the Noray Bong (translation: singing room). Basically, it's karaoke, but not in a bar in front of a room full of people. You pay to rent a room with your own personal karaoke machine. Koreans LOVE these things. Even in crappy, little Junggye, there are three of these JUST ON MY BLOCK! So we went to the Noray Bong, and I rocked it out with a little Johnny B. Goode, some Oasis, CCR, and the Beatles just to round it out a bit. JoAnn showed off her MAD rapping skills (does anyone know how to type sarcasm??).
After the noray bong, we walked around town for a little while searching for a sticker picture booth. Yup, it's just one of those photobooth things, but Koreans get so into it. Some girls will spend forever getting ready. We just kinda went for it, and they came out pretty good.
(left to right: Lara, JoAnn, Me)
Last was a trip to the Coffee Bean. I don't think this was so much being Koreanized as just hanging out for a while.
The girls left at midnight, and I headed off to Club Spot for the midnight show. My buddy Hwangyong's band, A Vicious Glare, was playing so I told him I'd come check them out. They put on a great show. Unfortunately though, since the subway shuts down at midnight, and I didn't want to spend $30 on a cab, we had to wait for the subway to start running again at 530am. It was a good night overall though, just long at some points when I started getting really tired.
I made it home around 630 in the morning. It was a good night.
Then it was off to Hongdae. I was supposed to meet JoAnn and Lara at six so, being a guy, I got there at six. I was greeted by a phonecall. "Where are you? Oh snap! We're gonna leave in about 10 minutes...maybe 20." 45 minutes later, they arrived. Girls ;)
Apparently, when they got close, they were just going to start yelling, "We're looking for a white boy from Junggye! Has anybody seen a white boy from Junggye?!" but that idea got nixed at the last moment of the countdown by Lara. haha. They found me, and I was informed that I was about to be Koreanized. That included three basic parts. First, we went to Korean BBQ for Samgupsal (basically, thick cut bacon....it's delicious). That was nothing new for me, but next....oh next. We headed to the Noray Bong (translation: singing room). Basically, it's karaoke, but not in a bar in front of a room full of people. You pay to rent a room with your own personal karaoke machine. Koreans LOVE these things. Even in crappy, little Junggye, there are three of these JUST ON MY BLOCK! So we went to the Noray Bong, and I rocked it out with a little Johnny B. Goode, some Oasis, CCR, and the Beatles just to round it out a bit. JoAnn showed off her MAD rapping skills (does anyone know how to type sarcasm??).
After the noray bong, we walked around town for a little while searching for a sticker picture booth. Yup, it's just one of those photobooth things, but Koreans get so into it. Some girls will spend forever getting ready. We just kinda went for it, and they came out pretty good.
(left to right: Lara, JoAnn, Me)
Last was a trip to the Coffee Bean. I don't think this was so much being Koreanized as just hanging out for a while.
The girls left at midnight, and I headed off to Club Spot for the midnight show. My buddy Hwangyong's band, A Vicious Glare, was playing so I told him I'd come check them out. They put on a great show. Unfortunately though, since the subway shuts down at midnight, and I didn't want to spend $30 on a cab, we had to wait for the subway to start running again at 530am. It was a good night overall though, just long at some points when I started getting really tired.
I made it home around 630 in the morning. It was a good night.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
It's OK. I'm Still Alive.
It's been over a week since I wrote anything. I tried to post earlier at school, but the internet was being stupid. The big news that I can share right now...my guitar is in Korea. I'll be getting it on Sunday. I'm pretty stoked about that. The amp shipped separately two days after the guitar so hopefully that'll show up by Saturday so I can get it too. I have some other things working in the mix that I'm sure will get posted on here sooner or later.
Other than that, life has been pretty run of the mill here in Korea. I work a lot during the week. I've been trying to be more disciplined and run a 5k at least three times a week. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it doesn't. Next weekend, I'm running a 10k with JoAnn and Lara, but apparently they think I'm in better shape than them. They're planning to walk a lot of it. That's fine by me. I'm not looking to set any kind of record. It'll just be fun to do it. I get a tshirt, medal, and certificate of completion as long as we finish within an hour and a half. That shouldn't be too hard for 6+ miles. I've been going to punk shows every weekend in Hongdae too. That's always a good time but makes for some late nights (or should I call them early mornings?).
I've started reading a lot again. I took a few weeks off. I'm reading Phillip Yancey's, "The Jesus I Never Knew," right now. It's pretty intense. Next is, "The Brother's Karamazov," by Dostoevsky. I'm pretty excited about that. Then it's on to Tolstoy. I'm actually really looking forward to that. I'm going to post an excerpt from Yancey's book about Dostoevsky/Tolstoy sometime soon. It really hit me pretty hard.
I've been pretty introspective lately. It helps to be in a completely new environment in some ways, in others, it doesn't. I've just been thinking about a lot of big things lately. My life, my future, my philosophy/theology. Overall, it's been good. We'll see what comes out on the other side. All things considered, those of you who are waiting for the same old Jeff to come home will probably be disappointed. I'm not sure who it'll be that heads home in a year and a half, but it won't be the same old guy you've always known, and I'm excited/scared about that.
Other than that, life has been pretty run of the mill here in Korea. I work a lot during the week. I've been trying to be more disciplined and run a 5k at least three times a week. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it doesn't. Next weekend, I'm running a 10k with JoAnn and Lara, but apparently they think I'm in better shape than them. They're planning to walk a lot of it. That's fine by me. I'm not looking to set any kind of record. It'll just be fun to do it. I get a tshirt, medal, and certificate of completion as long as we finish within an hour and a half. That shouldn't be too hard for 6+ miles. I've been going to punk shows every weekend in Hongdae too. That's always a good time but makes for some late nights (or should I call them early mornings?).
I've started reading a lot again. I took a few weeks off. I'm reading Phillip Yancey's, "The Jesus I Never Knew," right now. It's pretty intense. Next is, "The Brother's Karamazov," by Dostoevsky. I'm pretty excited about that. Then it's on to Tolstoy. I'm actually really looking forward to that. I'm going to post an excerpt from Yancey's book about Dostoevsky/Tolstoy sometime soon. It really hit me pretty hard.
I've been pretty introspective lately. It helps to be in a completely new environment in some ways, in others, it doesn't. I've just been thinking about a lot of big things lately. My life, my future, my philosophy/theology. Overall, it's been good. We'll see what comes out on the other side. All things considered, those of you who are waiting for the same old Jeff to come home will probably be disappointed. I'm not sure who it'll be that heads home in a year and a half, but it won't be the same old guy you've always known, and I'm excited/scared about that.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Do I Still Have a Job??
This last week and a half has been great. Obviously, last week was Chuseok, and I only work Friday. I had a pretty great weekend. Friday, I came home and Colin, Will and I watched the season premier of The Office. Saturday, we went down to Hongdae for another punk show. Again, the bands were pretty good, but this time the crowd was really small (there was an all day punk festival at another place by the river). At any point, there were never more than 20 people there. The lamest thing was that the bands didn't stick around. Any show I've ever been to, the bands all show up near the beginning and stay until the end. At this one, they would show up just before they played and leave right after they were done. After the show, the guys who run the club too us out. We had a pretty good time. One of them was a drummer from one of the local bands, and he wants to play with Will and I once we get our gear over here (I should have my new Strat and amp in about 2 weeks).
Monday was EG Sports Day. We canceled classes and several different branches of EG Learning Institute came together to have a sort of company picnic. They divided us into 4 teams and we spent all day playing soccer and basketball. We had lunch and finished the day with a tug-of-war and relay race. My team made me run anchor for the race and we won. Oh yeah! We actually got first place for the whole day and they gave us this really nice set of stainless steel, engraved chopsticks and spoons (last time they gave out hairdryers so we were all happy with the gift this time). Plus, each branch that came was given an envelope of money to go out to dinner so our boss took us to a nice Korean BBQ for food and a few drinks. All in all, it was a nice day. Too bad I had to come home to watch the Eagles play like a bunch of middle school girls.
I have to work today, but none of my middle school classes will be here because they have midterm testing in the public schools right now so they all skip our program. That's fine by me. I have a meeting at 2, my first class is at 4, and I'll be finished at 630.
Tomorrow is another National Holiday, and I'm actually going to a Korean wedding. That should be a really good time. Then Thursday I have to work again, but I have the same schedule as today, minus the meeting :) After this week, we'll be back to a more normal schedule but the middle school student won't be back until the week after next. This has been SUCH an easy month! It's great!
Monday was EG Sports Day. We canceled classes and several different branches of EG Learning Institute came together to have a sort of company picnic. They divided us into 4 teams and we spent all day playing soccer and basketball. We had lunch and finished the day with a tug-of-war and relay race. My team made me run anchor for the race and we won. Oh yeah! We actually got first place for the whole day and they gave us this really nice set of stainless steel, engraved chopsticks and spoons (last time they gave out hairdryers so we were all happy with the gift this time). Plus, each branch that came was given an envelope of money to go out to dinner so our boss took us to a nice Korean BBQ for food and a few drinks. All in all, it was a nice day. Too bad I had to come home to watch the Eagles play like a bunch of middle school girls.
I have to work today, but none of my middle school classes will be here because they have midterm testing in the public schools right now so they all skip our program. That's fine by me. I have a meeting at 2, my first class is at 4, and I'll be finished at 630.
Tomorrow is another National Holiday, and I'm actually going to a Korean wedding. That should be a really good time. Then Thursday I have to work again, but I have the same schedule as today, minus the meeting :) After this week, we'll be back to a more normal schedule but the middle school student won't be back until the week after next. This has been SUCH an easy month! It's great!
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