My Korean Sojourn

I'm done

2009-06-24T09:40:00.002+09:00

From a major Korean newspaper...."English Teacher"

you too can have a small face

2009-06-19T21:33:00.001+09:00

Ggotta shake out them devils!

2009-06-17T10:52:00.003+09:00

Turn it all the way up!

An essential series

2009-06-16T10:24:00.001+09:00

i need me some tat sleeves

2009-06-15T09:40:00.000+09:00

Po' Chris

2009-06-14T23:20:00.006+09:00

smells good

love's pharmacy

yes

2009-06-13T23:59:00.001+09:00

the action is at 0:43

more stuff

2009-06-12T14:19:00.004+09:00

Taken from one of the best blogs ever. with the caption “Psssst, we’re in two wars right now.”

This is cool, and I hope it can actually start some change. However, it will most likely just lead to more of the same.

I can fix my defective apple products myself!

하!

2009-06-11T23:11:00.003+09:00

yes, those are no smoking signs and that is an ashtray.

sheesh

2009-06-10T15:30:00.003+09:00

Hojo

2009-06-09T16:12:00.005+09:00

I like this guy's style.

he's dead

2009-06-08T23:48:00.001+09:00

i already forgot

2009-06-07T23:03:00.002+09:00

for such an awesome performance, only 2,000+ views after being up for over a year. sheesh.....

noble

2009-06-05T10:08:00.000+09:00

i will blog at least once a day until i leave, even if it's just something like this........

2009-06-05T10:03:00.002+09:00

The inevitable mosquito season and Korean pesticide trucks

2009-06-04T09:59:00.002+09:00

I myself am not a chaser, but I do sleep with the windows open......maybe this can account for the crippling headaches over the last several weekends.......

These internets just keep getting funnier

2009-04-29T13:15:00.005+09:00

And a couple Korea-inspired ones...........

Brilliance

2009-04-24T14:13:00.001+09:00

i just fell over

2009-04-21T10:43:00.001+09:00

..............

2009-04-10T15:29:00.004+09:00

Chinese Bluegrass

2009-02-25T11:03:00.000+09:00

Thanks Bryan.

Republika Ng Pilipinas

2009-02-24T11:17:00.003+09:00

Tim Invades

2009-01-13T15:07:00.008+09:00

She looks right into your soul

2008-12-04T10:13:00.001+09:00

Stop what you're doing and watch this now. It's probably not safe for work though.

I have to stop reading crap online

2008-11-27T11:43:00.002+09:00

I came across a couple gems recently, and I thought that I'd share, not that anybody will notice anyway. I had a whopping 37 views over the last month, and I think that mostly came from Big J in the dirty south. Thanks for checking it out.

That pretty much says it. No, K-land is not a place full of scantily clad beauties having sprinkler hosedowns in their non-existant backyards, but it is a place where women certainly play a subordinate role exemplified here with the fake smiles and that zinger of a money shot towards the end.

And this shows just a few of the many huge problems with English education here, but I couldn't help chuckling a bit.

man oh man

2008-11-18T09:43:00.004+09:00

Yet another cool Korean gal I know has succumbed to an arranged marriage. Needless to say..........

You can read more about this tool here and here

YES!

2008-11-06T09:16:00.004+09:00

Thank you America

atonal apples and amplified heat

2008-10-16T22:07:00.001+09:00

The Dark Side

2008-10-09T09:11:00.002+09:00

This was taken last summer on a trip to the southwestern islands region of Korea. Shot by Chris and stolen from his blog,itwillbelikethisforever. You can find it linked to on the right.

There's a beauty shop in Korea called "Skin Food"

2008-10-01T08:59:00.003+09:00

My calves are on fire

2008-09-15T14:33:00.004+09:00

This weekend, Chris, Murray, and I went on a massive bike voyage to 설악산 (Seorak San) and hiked up to the third highest peak in Korea, 대청봉 (Dae Cheong Bong). Intense......

My man JC

2008-09-10T11:12:00.002+09:00

Maybe one of these days I'll actually get a decent photo or two. In the meantime, rock out with your cross out.

ummmm bread.....

2008-09-08T21:14:00.000+09:00

USA!

2008-08-13T11:01:00.001+09:00

Home at Last

2008-08-06T06:11:00.001+09:00

Steely Dan: making of Home at Last
Uploaded by GGG40

Oh Purdie.........

화성

2008-07-20T14:57:00.003+09:00

This weekend Leo and I saw the Hwaseong fortress. It's probably the coolest "cultural" thing that I've seen in Korea.

In the name of Freedom............

2008-07-05T17:46:00.003+09:00

That's 600 pounds of men!!!

2008-06-23T20:44:00.001+09:00

This is an actual call from the Jimmy Dean consumer complaint line.

골굴사

2008-06-09T19:58:00.007+09:00

Last weekend, Ian, Chris, and I went to 골굴사 (Gohlgoolsa) on our trusty iron steeds. This temple is known for it's monks that practice 선무도 (sunmoodo), a Zen martial art/active meditation. Visitors are welcome to stay and practice, so we did.

Some of us were more prepared than others.

Fierce guardian.

A few of the moves we did.

Buddha!

i do what i want!

2008-05-27T21:13:00.002+09:00

nobody gives sh@#

2008-05-13T12:08:00.001+09:00

........at a temple.........

와!

2008-05-10T12:45:00.000+09:00

Oh happy day...

2008-04-09T13:38:00.000+09:00

ummmm lice......

2008-04-03T19:58:00.000+09:00

추추!!!

2008-04-02T15:17:00.000+09:00

일본

2008-02-27T17:22:00.014+09:00

태국

2008-02-26T17:44:00.022+09:00

Sawadeekhap

2008-02-19T14:59:00.003+09:00

Just arrived back from Thailand today, off to Japan tomorrow......more photos to come.

Agnes, Queen of Sorrow

2008-01-18T14:26:00.000+09:00

I came across this again recently......so beautiful.

통영, 거제도, 외도

2008-01-11T13:04:00.001+09:00

Last weekend I went on a brief island tour to the south. Zodiac statues below.

겨울

2008-01-10T10:53:00.001+09:00

View from my roof, Woobang Tower in the distance

Sushi restaurant- conveyor belt style, pay for the number of plates at the end.

Election Time!

2007-12-17T15:25:00.001+09:00

The ROK will have their next presidential election this Wednesday! They have 12 dumbasses to choose from compared to our 2 or 3.

Knowing nothing of his politics, 전관 (Jeon Gwan) was my immediate favorite due to his friendly, likable appearance that subtly suggests global domination. I later found out that he's a war vet, and that's an old battered army helmet, not a globe.

Oh how everything changed when I found out about No. 8, 허경영 (Heo Gyeong yeong). A true visionary. A few translated excepts from a recent interview:

Like a light from the east, I have appeared for this era, and since I can see the future, I have planned my Internet strategy way back in the past. With my 430 IQ, I can also control the spiritual domain.

I have also read 35 religious scriptures from several religions, and concluded that they have no value. The religions have prepared for my coming and I’m the one who will complete them.

He also controls his political party with his spiritual abilities and plans on moving the UN headquarters to 판문점 (Panmunjeom), the small village that exists on the DMZ border.

And then there's this guy, 이명박 (Ee Myeong Bak), who's favored to win. He kind of looks like someone I knew in high school. He's surrounded in a huge financial cover-up scandal. You can kind of read about it here, but not really. We'll see what happens.

Afro in Daegu

2007-12-17T11:58:00.000+09:00

하!

2007-12-04T12:07:00.000+09:00

Music for One Apartment and Six Drummers

2007-11-26T14:55:00.000+09:00

Man I love that stache. I've gotta give a shout out to the fellas at sounds and pictures for first exposing me to this awesomeness.

hither and thither

2007-11-26T14:33:00.000+09:00

Culture!

A typical class

High Rollers

경주 (Gyeong Ju)-city of burial mounds and other ancient wonders

이상진 (Ee Sang Jin)-My co-teacher/caretaker/older brother-father figure/good friend

갓바위

2007-11-12T10:38:00.000+09:00

갓바위 (Gatbawi) is a hand carved Buddha dating back to the seventh century. A sole monk chiseled away at it by himself to cope with the pain and to appease the soul of his recently deceased mother. Legend has it that all of those who visit and pray from the bottom of their hearts will have their prayers answered. Needless to say, there were many parents this weekend praying that their children do well on exams and get into a good university.

What a Wonderful World

2007-11-05T11:04:00.000+09:00

I really enjoy living here. By and by, I'm treated very well. I'm not gonna piss and moan about things that I think are wrong, especially when there are ten times as many bad things happening back home. But this is really strange. They just don't know.

When in Rome

2007-11-02T08:22:00.001+09:00

화이팅!
(이사진은 크리스로)

deviating a bit

2007-10-26T09:08:00.000+09:00

To make a long story short..........There was a pedophile foreign English teacher in Korea. He recently got busted by Interpol when fleeing to Thailand. To retort, the Korean ministry of Education decreed that all foreign English teachers working in Korea's public and private schools could potentially be pederasts and/or frauds, so they must verify that they are legitimate college graduates from a legitamite university........oh, but they already did this when we were hired, right? Right. Could they be any more insulting? What do I think?

팔공산

2007-10-23T10:44:00.000+09:00

Another weekend, another temple and mountain. Our roughly 6 hour trek concluded with a delicious goose feast. A monk gave us Hershey's kisses on the bus.....that made my day.

bring on the night......

2007-10-22T16:28:00.000+09:00

ummmmm.........

2007-10-08T09:48:00.001+09:00

앞산

2007-10-04T11:21:00.000+09:00

Yesterday was spent pouncing around Ap Mountain.

My fierce companions intimidated even the mountain itself.

O'er yonder lies the heart of gold.

lost in translation

2007-10-04T10:55:00.001+09:00

Yikes!!!

Long time, no post.....

2007-09-20T10:52:00.001+09:00

I finally got to go to a Korean traditional music concert. I'm not sure which instrument I want to try to learn first.

Last week we had a 'sports day' at my school. The students race each other and play games and such. This was the morning warm-up. There was no way to fit all of the students in one photo.

wayfaring stranger

2007-08-26T11:42:00.001+09:00

I finally got a couple decent photos from my roof, just as I'm about to bid farewell to Nongong.

Rest assured ladies........

2007-08-22T10:24:00.000+09:00

In England they have the Yorkie chocolate bar. It's not for girls, please don't feed the birds, not allowed in handbags, etc.......

To counter, Korea has Choco Thin Thin cookies (pronounced Cho Ko Teen Teen).
"Slim style chocolate for girls.
The smile will make happy and joyful time."

Begum Do, Hooksan Do, Hong Do......

2007-08-21T21:51:00.000+09:00

For my brief vacation, my buddy Chris and I voyaged around the southwestern Korean coast and visited several islands. And of course my best photos are of Chris taking photos.

Playing badminton without a net is a Korean national pastime

Boryeong Mud Festival

2007-08-04T12:13:00.001+09:00

That was a blast. I want to start doing this regularly.

walks like bo diddley and don't need no crutch....

2007-07-23T21:04:00.000+09:00

greetings....muddy photos coming soon.......

we separate what can be recycled, and then the elder members of the community haul away their gatherings of a certain item for some change. they do a great job, but how long will this last?

Yongyeonsa

2007-07-22T16:06:00.000+09:00

We also went to a temple near my house. It's been recently repainted and looks pretty sharp.

Sky toliet and the Woobang of Tomorrow

2007-07-19T19:44:00.001+09:00

So my cousin Martin came in for the weekend from Tokyo. We headed over to Woobang Tower, the highest point and best view in town. Yes that is a person dangling from a cord.

We were held in awe. (L-R, Martin, Jim, Julie)

I was intrigued by the possibilities of the sky toilet.

I got to be part of a Korean art project!

It's a fundamentally good thing to pee from such great heights in foreign countries.

Seoul and the DMZ

2007-06-30T16:08:00.000+09:00

Upon arriving in Seoul, I was shocked at how well the traditional and modern architecture blended together. Of course most of my photos were crap and didn't capture it that well....but this statue was pretty sweet.

We started the DMZ tour and one of the first things we saw was a gate in front of a gate in front of a gate in front of a foot bridge to the North. The Southerners hung banners with hopes for peace and reuniting with long lost family members.

But there were also cute little things like this..............

And gift shops........

And an amusement park.........

We finally hopped on another bus and got right up to the border after signing waivers and going through multiple security checks. The ROK (Republic of Korea) soldiers stand in a defensive Tae Kwon Do stance and to the side of each building so they can take cover if needs be. The center building is where negotiations take place and is exactly halfway in each country.

This ROK guard straddles the border behind the meeting table.

This ROK guard stands in front of the door to the North. I was technically in North Korea for about 45 seconds.

He was watching us...........if I only had a monster zoom.

Supposedly this is the largest flag and flagpole in the world. From the Wiki:

"Within the DMZ there are two villages: one run by the North and the other by the South. Daeseong-dong, found on the southern side of the DMZ, is a traditional village and strictly controlled by the South Korean government. For instance, one must have ancestral connections to the village in order to live there. These restrictions serve to keep the population of the village very small. In the North, Gijeong-dong, or as it is called in North Korea, "Peace Village" has only a small caretaker population. Through the armistice agreement the North felt that it should be allowed a town within the borders of the DMZ since the South already had one. UN troops call this Propaganda Village because only a small group of people cleaning and turning on lights reside within the village. Although from afar it appears to be a modern village, one can tell with binoculars that there is no glass within the windows of the buildings. In the past, North Korean propaganda was sent out by loudspeaker across to Daeseong-dong for as much as 20 hours a day, and reciprocal pop music and South Korean exhortations blasted back. These broadcasts ceased by mutual agreement in 2004.

During the 1980s, the South Korean government built a 98.4 metre (328 ft) tall flagpole in Daeseong-dong. The North Korean government responded by building a taller one — the tallest in the world at 160 metres (525 ft) in Gijeong-dong^[1]."

You gotta love the wording, and the punctuation!

Back in Seoul, riot police wait for shit to break out. This is the third time in the three months that I've been in this country that I've seen cops waiting around to bust some heads.

yet another spitting animal fountain..........

Is there a better farewell than a dancing, drunken, shirtless bum?

With this trusty Kymco steed...........

2007-06-26T17:18:00.000+09:00

......I shall boldly go where no waygook has gone before.

speak no evil

2007-06-17T20:12:00.001+09:00

tryin' my best.....

Fly girls and my friends

2007-06-11T17:24:00.000+09:00

Short skirts sell things here or something. This time they had a synchronized dance. Also, my new friends who are one hip bunch. (gf not present)

Go Lions!

2007-06-11T17:13:00.001+09:00

What's your favorite corporation, I mean team? I'm a Samsung Lions man myself.

Well....

2007-06-11T12:09:00.000+09:00

We'll see how this goes. I'll apologize in advance for posting negligence.