Korean Kristmas

Had the Day off! Christmas Day that is. I worked on the Eve before until about 1030. Taught about symphonies, while concentrating mostly on Beethoven's Eroica. I mispronounced it each time I came across the term in class. Air-oyca. Air-o-ica. I think I may have even said Erotica at one point.

The subject material was difficult. Even for a master musician such as myself.

Piano for 6 years. Six excruciating years of my mom forcing me to tickle the ivories. I actually told my class that my mom would literally tie me to the piano for hours upon hours, forcing me to practice. Wish I stuck with the classical instrument. All I can play now is the intro to Satin Doll, the Jaws theme song (da-da...da-da...) and the C-scale.

Guitar for 1 year. I found it smashed in the basement one day. Guess somebody in my house didn't like hearing BB-Mack-Back Here, Baby 30 times a day. I think I really could've made a career as a guitarist. I was beginning to write my own music. Had a great tune about "Love in the Lunchroom," involving an overweight high school student and his undying, unrequited love for grilled cheese sandwiches.

Played the saxophone for a couple weeks and blew out thousands of ear-bleeding squeaks. I think I only took up the sax because of a girl I liked in 7th grade. Thought I could easily pick it up, throw on some shades and groove my smooth self right on into her life.

Could've been me. "We could have been so good together. We could've lived this dance forever."

Christmas in Korea was not at all like Xmas in the states. Only about 30% of Koreans are Christian. There is not the kind of hype that happens throughout the month of December in America. This is both a good and bad thing.

Good because I don't hear Christmas music, see Christmas movies non-stop everywhere I go. I can play both on my computer when I feel the need to. Downloaded some great songs from the Bad Santa soundtrack. Exceptional movie.

I did miss being with family, friends, decorating the Christmas tree with preschool art class creations and sitting around a warm fire on Avalon Circle. It was difficult to Skype my family Christmas Day. Not just because it was 8 am my time and the earliest I'd woken up in about 5 years, but also because I miss them.

I spent Christmas in Seoul with LW. It was nice to see him. He's always in such high spirits, especially around the holidays.

We had a great dinner in Itaewon. Turkey, mashed potatoes, apple pie. The Thanksgiving dinner I never ate. Nice change from Tuna and ketchup. My rice cooker broke the other night, so it is difficult to include that staple any longer.

We exited Itaewon soon after dinner. As you've learned from previous posts, it would probably not be a wise area to ring in Christmas cheer.

Caught a glimpse of this guy down an alley outside the restaurant. Kind of distressing.

The food was delicious and the night was eventful. But not quite as eventful as our next night in Hongkik University. Here are a few of the exciting and strange things that happened the night after Christmas:

1. Never Again Bennigan-

Went out to dinner at Bennigans in the City Hall area of Seoul, which is probably the most beautiful area I've seen during this holiday season. Amazing lights, horse drawn carriages, friendly people, Christmas trees. The type of Holiday Cheer I don't see in Chuncheon.

Anyway, I ordered a steak at Bennigans. Mushroom steak. Medium rare. I guess all the waitress heard was rare.

Bloody and extremely chewy. I couldn't even cut into it. I almost just grabbed it with my two hands and ripped the meat off with my teeth. By the time I told her to take it back, it looked like I had dissected and completely mutilated some poor animal.

She didn't seem to be too happy and brought my steak back without any sides. We then had a discussion about tapeworms and convinced Alex that he had one. We also debated whether tapeworms were still or should be used by obese people to lose weight.

2. I can be Jewish for a drink.

Conversation with a guy who graduated from Brown on Saturday night.

Me- Where did you go to school?

Him- Brown, baby!

Me- Wow. Great school. I have two cousins that graduated from there in '07.

Him- Really? Who? What are their names?

Me- Goldberg.

Him- Ahhh. So you're Jewish?! Me too! Shots?!

Me- ....N--heim!!

3. Cait Hall.

Had a Fordham Reunion in Korea. Cait Hall, Alex K and Matt Monagan together in Seoul. We all lived in Alumni South Freshman year and found ourselves posing in a picture in a South Korean bar very much the same way we would've posed for one in Jolly Tinkers in the BX.

It was great to see her and hear about her experience.

However, I think most of the night all I kept saying to her was, "Cait Hall...Korea!"

It was hard to really get into a deep conversation. Just couldn't stop dancin'.

4. Come on Eileen!

Come on Eileen. A classic college/bar song. Really gets people pumped up and out on the dance floor. I'd say it's up there with Shout and Return of the Mac. Even though nobody knows what the singer is saying in many points throughout the song. Guess thats what makes it great at bars. If you're drunk and unable to speak, you can't really mess up the lyrics to Eileen, because there aren't any actual words. Same with "Louie, Louie."

Anyway, I was getting into the song with a large group of people. Doo, ra, doo, ra, doo, rayaa! All of a sudden, I was lifted up into the air and carried across the bar. This happens many places Eileen is played. There should be a warning from the DJ.

As they carried me, they were also tossing me up and down, like I was some piece of plywood. No regard for human life. My head must've hit the ceiling at least 5 times.

Do I have brain damage? Possibly.

Will I crowdsurf to Come On Eileen again? Come onnn...Absolutely.

Good Movie, Great Soundtrack

There are many things I could choose to do with my free time in Korea:

I could read classic, world literature, write a novel, become fluent in Korean, take steroids/lift at the gym and come back to the U.S. breaking skulls, learn how to use chopsticks correctly, cook a real, filling meal or learn how to play the tuba.

But instead, I choose to read once in a while and, most of the time, watch endless hours of American movies online. Thank you OV-Guide.

I've watched classics like "Almost Famous," "American Beauty" and "The Never Ending Story."

I've also caught up on popular films I'd told people I'd seen to carry-on with a conversation and avoid explanations why I hadn't seen them. "Pulp Fiction," "The Usual Suspects," and "Being John Malchovich."

But what I love more than anything are great movies with even better soundtracks. "The Shawshank Redemption" is a prime example of a film with an amazing soundtrack.

The sharp rises and falls of Thomas Newman's orchestra flow perfectly with Morgan Freeman's poetic narrations throughout Redemption. Can there be hope? Should there be hope? The right soundtrack can sometimes make an entire movie for me. Here are a few recent examples I came across:

Groove Armada- Hands of Time (Collateral)

Awesome song to listen to at night. It's played in the movie when Jamie Foxx's character is driving Jada-Pinkett Smith's character along the LA Freeway at night. Most people I talk to hate LA. It's trash. It's so polluted. It smells like a porta-potty in a sewage dump.

But when you watch this scene in the movie, with Groove Armada in the background and Michael Mann's creative outlining of a warm, tempting LA night, the city looks magical.

La Vie en Rose- Louis Armstrong (Wall-E)

Doesn't seem like a good song for a Pixar-animated film about a robot? It's not good. It is perfect. The song is so simple and innocent, just like Wall-E's love for his foreign robot. Listening to him wheeling around to this slow, soft melody really captured the simplicity and uniqueness with which this film was made.

This song has also turned me on to listening to more Jazz music. DLin' a lot of Louie Armstrong.

Also: Other soundtracks done by Thomas Newman- (American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Most Sam Mendes movies)

Beauty:

Fordham Bball...Just a little less Whitty these days

He came, he screamed, he won, he danced with the fans. Then he lost. Then he lost again. Then he lost 94 times in six seasons.

Don't get me wrong. Derek Whittenburg was a great dancer. But even a Mono dance can't get somebody out of a 69-112 record.

It seemed that Coach Whitt was a great speaker, had high energy and superb relationships with administration. But was he a coach? Did he have the best facilities? And why didn't this guy get more quality P.T. during his reign?

LUUUUKKKEEEEE!!!

Coach Whitt:

What did he do?

He compiled a 135-162 record over 10 seasons and change. His best year came at Wagner where he led the Seahawks to the a 15th seed in the NCAA tournament in '03.

Wagner competes against powerhouses such as Central Connecticut State University and Farleigh Dickinson (Fairly Ridiculous) University in the NEC.

What does NEC stand for? That is not a rhetorical question. I actually have no idea.

He came into Fordham fresh off this NCAA tournament appearance/disappearance during a 20 point loss to Pitt. He was well-liked by the fans for his high energy and ability to recruit better talent than prior coaches.

After an 18-12 season my sophomore year and strong showing in the A-10 tournament, things looked good. Expectations were high for a team of returning seniors, including one Bryan Dunston, who is playing here in South Korea and doing quite well.

But, the next 2 years were atrocious. There seemed to be no set plays in his offense. It was run and gun, and miss.

It was like an Overlook game back at Kingsbury School in Waterbury. The days when it was ok to wear sweatpants and school shoes on the hardwood. Dads refereed and players ran back and forth faster than piano metronomes.

I was more inclined to go to the campus chapel or even the library.

His ability to coach and relate to his players came into question and ultimately, he was fired this past Thursday.

Gymnasium Archaism:

But was it all Whitt's fault?

Fordham University's Rose Hill Gymnasium is the oldest gym still in use in NCAA division I basketball...

How many times do you hear it if you're at Fordham? 15-20. How many times do you like hearing it? 2. I only liked hearing it when Hubert Davis said it during an ESPN game my junior year and when I heard myself telling other people that Hubert Davis said it during an ESPN game.

How many perspective players enjoy playing in it? 1. Matty Beck: walk-on, '10.

GREAT!! The Oldest Gym in America! That's like having the oldest version of the I-pod or oldest car in the high school parking lot.

You are constantly made fun of by others for your inability to measure up in size and style.

Who wants to play in the oldest gym in America? Does Fordham even have any kind of basketball history that would prevent Ram enthusiasts from tearing down the 3,740 seat arena?

Looked up Fordham Basketball History on Wikipedia:

At the time it was built, it was one of the largest on-campus facilities in the country, earning it the nickname "The Prairie." The Rose Hill Gymnasium has been the site of many legendary college and high school basketball games, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's final high school game. During World War II, it was also used as a barracks. New York City Mayor Ed Koch lived in these barracks for a time.

[edit]

Who cares? Can I get an A-1o Championship? Can I get a top 50 high-school player? We are in New York City. Let's build a new arena down by Lincoln Center and entice some talent from this huge NYC pool. Send a scout down to Rucker Park. Have Fat Joe "Make it Rain" basketball players on Eddies Parade. Prairie gots to go.

Key Winter Pick-ups

Sweet Egg Bread:

Although it is merely a cracked egg on top of a sweet biscuit, this korean delicacy has transformed my life. I've been going almost every night during my walk home from school. I usually get two. One for before dinner and one for after. Maybe I should mix it in with my tuna/rice combo? Add a little zip to the bap (rice in Korean).

I went late last night to the stand for round two of sweet egg bread and two drunk korean men were loading up on the dessert. Their faces were red and they laughed greedily, looking first at the stand, then back at me, then back at the stand, as the cook shoveled 5 into their bags.

I came up and asked for one bread. She crossed her hands. "No." No more.

I snapped a look at the 2 korean men and felt betrayed. I felt like somebody had just thrown out a brand new can of tuna fish or I was forced to work on Christmas Day. Wait, I do have to work on Christmas Day. That made me even angrier.

I looked at the egg bread, as they stuffed it into their mouths. I felt like pulling a Bilbo Baggins when he sees the ring around Frodo's neck for the first time.

But then I went to the corner store and bought a Snickers.

Winter Jacket:

A teacher who recently left passed this along to me. Much needed and much appreciated. Thank you Jonathan. Although my Botanical Garden jacket is comfortable and has been through a lot of ornamental conifer collections, holiday train shows and keg parties, I had to retire it to the closet for something warmer.

The black "Redface" (Not to be confused with Northface) has a hood and padded outer layers. Full-proof for the winter, I hope.

I didn't wash the jacket when it was given to me for two reasons. First, because I'm not too sure if you're supposed to wash this type of material. Will it shrink? Are you supposed to wash any clothing with zippers? I think I've washed my dress pants like twice since I've been here. No iron, no dryin'. I'm never too sure.

Second, I know jonathan would not wash it if I had given him my jacket (I don't know if he washes anything.) So, secondly, out of respect for Jonathan.

Blanket and Pillow:

I was cleaning up my apartment the other day and I found another heavy blanket that I can use for the winter! I've slept with it the past two nights. Very nice and very warm. Glad I found it before December. Probably would've had to sleep in Jonathan's jacket.

Also, found a bed pillow underneath my bed. I was kind of curious if I even had one for the past 3 months. I'd been using a small pillow that would usually be found on a couch or large chair. Very frustrating. But now I'm pretty much set at night. Just need to find one of these to complete my bedding experience. All the rage in Korea.

Toaster Oven:

Tuna Melts, Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwiches, bagels, BLTs, French Fries. Man. Sounds like a breakfast date between Louie Andersen and Rosie O'Donnell. And, yes. I can now make all of these foods using my toaster oven. I've only had a couple Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwiches and a few bagels. Really a quality pick-up.

However, I have nowhere to put the oven, so I use it from the floor next to my bathroom. Hopefully the chord doesn't get too wet.

Louie, Louie

Stay Kool Korea

As I was sitting inside a Dunkin' Donuts this morning, sipping a cappuccino with 6 packets of sugar and chewing on a cinnamon raisin bagel, I noticed something. (The cinnamon raisin bagel had cream cheese in it. But, that's not what I noticed. Thing is, I've always sworn to never eat this kind of bagel with c.c. because it's so good with butter. I just can't figure out how to ask for butter in Korean. I don't think this Dunkin Donuts has it. I asked the first day and it seems like they either have cream cheese or olive oil?? I don't know.)

Anyway, the thing I noticed was how differently Koreans treat their jobs than Americans.

Let's use a Dunkin' Donuts establishment and their employees as primary examples.

Establishment:

In America, most people don't even walk into Dunkin'. A drive-thru is much more convenient and cuts down on any awkward, social interactions. There's no pressure to ask anybody how their day is going or even mutter a simple "Hello." You yell a number into a machine and they give you a very muffled price number back. You yell again and hit the intercom with your hand. Eventually, the machine's static breaks up and you get your cash amount. You get to the window to pay and give them the money. They give you your coffee and donut. And you're off. You don't even have to look at the person if you don't want to. It's the food you want. Who cares about greeting the person who made it and gave it to you? They are inconsequential. A nameless hand that brings that donut ever closer to your drooling mouth.

In Korea, there are no drive-thrus. At least, here in Chuncheon there are none. Reasons could be because the city-setup does not allow for one, or for the fact that meal-time should not be rushed. It should be a time of rest and should be treated with both courtesy and time. You walk into the Donut shop, and are automatically greeted with a hello, service and a smile. You place an order and are given a tray with your coffee, donut or bagel promptly. The woman or man working hands you the tray with two hands and voices some more Korean phrases (I hope they are not cursing at me). I have also never really seen a customer take food to go. It's really frowned upon here. So, I generally sit and enjoy my food instead of eating it on the run or bringing it into my classroom. When I leave, the employees say goodbye and thank you.

Employees:

Dunkin' Donuts' employees in America can usually be found out by the back dumpster smoking a cigarette. Many times they are high school dropouts, young baby mamas or too cool to take their job too seriously. This last part is a characteristic true of many customer service jobs in America. I was like this when I worked at both Quassy Amusement Park in CT and the Botanical Gardens in Da Boogie Down. I had to pretend like I hated my job, because it just wasn't cool to like it. I'd forget my name tag on purpose, untuck my shirt or not wear part of my uniform. I had to pretend like I was above driving a tram or untangling fishing poles at the Frog Pond. It's the American way. These types of jobs are seen as low-class and bottom barrel to the general public and I, the guy who was actually working this job, thought of it in a similar fashion.

I was 15 years old at Quassy and 20 at the Gardens. Should I really have been working somewhere else? That's the age where you do that type of work. Why couldn't I just have

accepted that and done a good, conscientious job?

Taking my job seriously at NYBG :

In Korea, it seems to be an honor to work at one of these customer service shops or stores. The women at Dunkin' or Paris Baguette or E-Mart are all in the same uniform. At Dunkin' they all have name tags, small pink caps and matching blouses/shirts/pants. They also seem excited to be at their job and show respect to any individual that walks through the door. Pride is something taken very seriously in any job here in Korea. There is no complaining, groans when a new customer walks through the door (something I did constantly at Quassy) or excuses. This may be because the general public in Korea do not look down upon these jobs. Employees are employees. A job is a job. It is respected by both the worker and customer.

These employees are always rushing to help someone with an order, make a cup of cocoa or greet a new customer. Their jobs are important to them and they look important because of this strictly bidness attitude. This is refreshing to a US customer who is generally not given this type of service back home. Coolness is not really in the Korean lexicon when it comes to the workplace. It's about doing things with great consideration. It's about doing things with great dignity.

Shit. That's cooler than cool...Ice cold.

You gonna eat that?

Food in Korea. It's something I've mentioned but not really gone into detail about.

After not eating Korean food at all in America, I was preparing my body for the worst. I figured that after the first week, I'd probably be lying down in the bathroom, clutching the toilet seat, fighting down the golden retriever puppy I had just shared with my roommate.

But actually, it has been quite the opposite. The food in Chuncheon has been especially delicious.

There's food called dalkabi. It's flavored meat that you get raw and throw on a grill that's placed in the middle of your table. Really tasty and filling. We usually mix it with a slice of lettuce, some peppers and ketchup/honey mustard.

Side Note: Many of the Korean barbecue places have these grills in the middle of your table. The waiters/waitresses bring out different kinds of raw meat for you to cook. Don't get me wrong, the food is excellent once its cooked. Its seasoned and extremely flavorful.

But what is exactly the point of "going out to eat." Isn't it because you are too lazy to cook at home and want someone else to do all the work for you? I know that I go out because I'm a terrible cook and would like a pro to take care of the entire cooking process for me. I'm terrible at grilling and embarrass myself almost every time I go to one of these self-grill places. When I sit down, I try to maneuver myself so that the grilling tools aren't placed next to me. Sometimes, I'll even get up to use the bathroom when I think the waiter is coming or scrunch up my fingers up so he thinks I'm handicapped.

Restaurants should really do everything for you. They could even hire somebody to sit at your table and actually feed you the food off your plate. That would be the ultimate.

Anyways, there's another famous dish in Chuncheon called Gungjichun. It's an enormous amount of pork and potatoes seasoned in a spicy sauce. Really good, but very hot. You really work up a good sweat while eating it. Good alternative to the gym.

Donkas Kimbaps are also things I eat weekly. Pork, rice, and melon are wrapped tightly into a roll that is similar to the rolls sushi is wrapped in. Very filling. Also, a good, quick meal before class.

Rice is served with almost every meal. I've become a huge fan. It can go with anything. I bought a huge bag and eat it for almost every "meal" I cook at home. Chicken and rice, tuna and rice, pork and rice. Tuna and rice is a staple in my Korean diet. It's not that it's tasty or filling. Just easy to make.

I also throw scrambled eggs into almost all my meals. I don't know why. It doesn't really add anything. Probably just because it's the 4th (and last) thing I can make. That is, if you don't count cereal. Dumping some frosted flakes into the mix would combine all of my cooking abilities into one, disgusting bowl. I hope to learn how to cook someday.

There's one more food that is relatively new to my neighborhood. New to me anyway. Don't know what it's called, but it is delicious. Its a cracked egg on top of a piece of sweet bread. There seems to be some kind of cream in the middle of the bread, but I really can't put my finger on it. I just eat it. I usually grab one on my way back from work.

I actually grabbed one tonight before coming home, and had to make my way through a group of drunk, teenage Koreans. They immediately cleared a path and began saying hello, how are you? Very friendly.

They were excited to see a foreigner enjoying one of their local treats. Similar to how I would feel if a Korean came to Waterbury, CT and bought a container of Stop and Shop Chunky Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. Aint nothin' better.

Anyway, one of the girls was extremely excited and tried to feed me a spicy noodle that was next to the egg breads. I didn't want to be rude and opened my mouth, taking in the noodle. The spice shocked my tongue and I immediately spit it back out. It landed right on my shirt. They all laughed. Smoovin and groovin. Just like my days back in Alumni South.

The Royal Treatment (And a visit from my mama-dukes)

Think of how the Beatles were treated during one of their international tours. How each city embraced them, spent A-rod amounts of money to please them and made sure they were so comfortable that they felt uncomfortable being that comfortable in the first place.

That's how I felt this past weekend hanging out with my mom and a very rich, very generous Korean woman in Seoul.

Friday after school, a private car was arranged to pick me up and bring me to my mom's hotel in Seoul. I was of course late to the pick-up spot. Once I got to the car, I began to apologize to the man, but instead of being angry, he began apologizing to me. I didn't really know how to react. But he did seem extremely apologetic, bowing his head and muttering "I'm sorry" almost 10 times. He must've done something really bad, I thought. "Oh, Don't worry about it," I said to him. Maybe he hit somebody with his car on the way to Chuncheon.

The drive was extremely comfortable. And to make sure it was comfortable, the very rich and very generous woman who arranged the car called me to see if it was actually comfortable. Yes, I told her. It is very comfortable and very convenient. She asked me 5 more times if the car was good enough. Yes, I told her. Riding on the back of a motorbike would've been good enough. As long as it's door-door service. As long as I don't have to move or make any big decisions.

I arrived in Seoul a short while later and saw my MOM! It was very nice to see her after a few months. The hotel was amazing as well. JW Marriot. I had a great weekend with my mom. She had a lot of traveling to do throughout Asia for her job and I was glad she could spend a couple days with me. I love you mom. You are appreciated.

Saturday I saw more of Seoul than I'd ever and probably will ever see. I went to this beautiful palace downtown that once housed kings and queens from the Josean Dynasty. The Josean Dynasty ruled Korea from the late 1300s until Japanese takeover in 1910. The Japanese then attempted to eliminate every part of the Korean culture and enforce their own influences on to the Korean people. Koreans were forced to learn Japanese in school and substitute their nation's history for a foreign one. They were extremely oppressed. Coincidentally, this is also the time when Soju distillers switched the bottle's alcohol content from 20 to 25%.

After the palace, we went to Insadong and Itaewon. These are the major foreign areas in South Korea. My mom bought some traditional Korean items in Insadong and some Adidas sneaks for me in Itaewon. I almost picked out some purple, yellow and white adidas' but felt like those days were over. Can't pull it off anymore. Could I ever? Man, could I ever: #22 on white. Fresh to death.

I wanted to take her to the "I-taewon-der what I'm doing here" street, but thought better of it. It was Halloween night and things could've gotten a little strange. It was only 5 pm and I was already having trouble telling who was dressed up for Halloween or who was just wearing their everyday attire.

At the end of the night, we went to a traditional Korean dance performance. It started off slow, but by the end I was amazed. These performers were great dancers and showed extraordinary rhythm on the drums. It was also interesting to hear the musicians play traditional Korean instruments. We heard a pansori performance and Pungmul show. Pansori involves one Ajama(old korean woman) and a solo drummer. The Ajama narrates a story to the soft beat. Pungmul is much louder with dancing, multiple drums and yelling.

Pungmul performance:

They also brought up audience members near the end. An older Korean man, who looked like he had had about 4 bottles of soju, went up still holding his programs and began doing the twist. He looked like he had no idea where he was. Really funny. If I recall correctly, I think he was wearing pajamas.

We had a nice dinner that night and were all ready for bed soon after. Thank you to Mrs. Shin for a great day and rides to and from Seoul. I was uncomfortable with the level of comfortability. She was a great tour guide and a pleasure to be with. Also, great to see you Mom. Hope the rest of your Asian trip goes well. I will see you next year.

DMZ

This past Saturday, I headed up to the DMZ for a US military led tour. Seven other teachers and myself left at about 8 am and arrived in Seoul for the tour bus at around 10. The bus left Seoul City and drove along the Freedom Highway (the highway that leads up to North Korea) for about an hour. Once the Freedom Highway hits the North, it suddenly turns into a spiraling pit of quicksand. Jussst a joke. I don't know what it turns into. I wouldn't be here if I did.

Eventually we began seeing signs of border patrol. Barbed wire fences lined one side of the highway with military posts stationed periodically throughout.

The tour guide motioned to the left, across the Indian River, a body of water which separates parts of the South from the North. We saw our first North Korean territory. Honestly, the area looked like some distant planet. Completely lifeless. No trees, no people, no wildlife. No movement at all. Very strange. Our tour guide told us that Kim Jong Il uses all of the countries' trees for fuel. I think Lil' Kim from Junior Mafia would make for a more competent leader of North Korea. When male, world leaders got into arguments about North Korea's missile tests or their inability to function in the 21st century. She could offer up one of her famous quotes: “How can a man have beef with a woman? Whatever, that's just not cool.”

She would at least spruce up North Korea's strict dress code.

The rest of the tour was pretty long and drawn out. But the finale was worth the trip. We entered into a joint US/SK military base that was located directly on the border. The base is fairly large. Probably about 75 acres. Our American tour guide showed us a short powerpoint video and then brought outside the SK Freedom building. When the 40 of us stepped outside on to the terrace, a wall of deafening silence smacked us in the face. It was quieter than a mime in a library.

We were facing North Korea. The tension was unreal. It was about 20 feet away. About 10 feet away, directly on the border, there were three small buildings. Two of the buildings held negotiation rooms and the 3rd was known as the "monkey house." It was called the monkey house because North Korean commanders would send 10-15 NK soldiers into the building to make threatening gestures at South Korean generals as they were holding meetings. They would point the guns to their heads or move their hands across their throats. Very childish.

Also, there were two big buildings on either side of the line. They both face each other. We walked out of one; the Freedom Building. When both were first built, the Freedom was taller than the building on the NK side. Kim Jong Il would not be outdone. Quickly, he had a 3rd deck constructed on top of the 2nd. Now both structures are equal in size. Il also committed similar actions in a North Korean village. A 100 meter South Korean flagpole was given as a gift by SK officials to the small town. A nice gesture I think.

Il immediately ordered a North Korean flagpole to be constructed. 160 meters. The pole is enormous and the flag is so heavy it takes about 30-40 men to hoist it everyday. Talk about Napoleon complex.

There were also a couple other stories that our US tour guide told. While we were inside the negotiation room, he told us that once, during a meeting in this same room between Bush Jr. and a South Korean official, North Korean soldiers burst through a door thought to be locked. The soldiers grabbed the US and SK flags and stomped all over them. They also used them to blow their noses. I wonder what Bush said once they locked the doors back up?

Overall, the trip was a lot of fun. We went out into Seoul afterwards and enjoyed a nice night out in the Hongik University district. We danced in some western clubs, ate some Quiznos and had a Gwangju-esque return back to Chuncheon. Needless to say, I'm still exhausted and can't type anymore. Influenza is a real possibility. My mom is coming this weekend. Maybe she can put a warm cloth on my head and everything will be all right.

Here is a picture of me at the DMZ standing next to a South Korean soldier in North Korea.

I also have a video of me moon-walking in North Korea. I will post later.

My Block..Where everything is everything fashizi

Thought I'd let people know about the area surrounding my apartment. Although I can't actually talk to anybody, I still hear and see many things early in the afternoon and late into the night.

Directly across from my apartment window is another apartment building. Apartments in Chuncheon are like empty seats at a WNBA game. They're everywhere.

Anyway, next door, in early afternoons, I am serenaded by a young girl's voice. And she's not singing 2 pm or K-pop (Korean pop music). She sings American music. Her favorite is Alicia Keys, "I Keep On Fallin.' " Her voice is great and it sounds as if she is singing acapella. There have been a few times when I've considered dropping this English gig and referring her over to Tommy Mottola or some other big-time U.S. producer. Then I realized that its not only the voice that counts in America, but also the looks. Usually the looks more than the voice. Her window is about 6 feet up from mine, and sadly, I cannot see in. I'll probably never know what she looks like. Maybe she's American. Maybe she's 500 pounds.

I've also thought about singing along when she starts in on "Fallin'." I've actually turned up the song on my computer and considered pulling a Naked Gun sort of scene. Only without the breaking and entering part.

Directly below me is a restaurant that seems to never close. It's called Tudari. Kind of like a bar/cafe that mostly serves as a 24/7 house party.

At all Korean restaurants there are buttons at the table that customers can press when they are ready to order. The number of the table then lights up on a screen near the front and waiters/waitresses can make their way over to the table. It's a pretty useful tool. Better than yelling or snapping your fingers. Much more polite. Except at 3 am when I'm trying to sleep and all I hear is "ding!!...nayyy(yesss in Korean)" from the waiting staff.

I guess its better than the sounds I used to hear in the Bronx. "Ding!!...nayyy" is much safer than the sounds of car alarms, bottles smashing and gang wars. I do miss the latter sounds from college. Although violent, they really added some excitement to each and every night. These sounds coupled with the 4 am raucous return of fellow roommates from Mugzs, "Linger" by the Cranberries echoing quietly from Ha-Wises' room and Stop-1's metal doors crashing down into the pavement are all things I heard before I drifted off to sleep at 2426 Hoff. Guess I can't really complain about "Ding!!...nayyy" being loud. But I still like to complain about missing the sounds of senior year.

Also, my corner in Chuncheon seems to be a hotspot for fights. There was one such outbreak a couple of weeks ago that lasted from about 2:30-3:30 am. I couldn't really see too much from my window but it seemed like two guys were fighting over a girl. I actually stood up on my window sill and spider-manned along the wall to get a closer look. If the singing girl happened to look down out her window at that moment, she probably would've called 911 on me. I looked extremely suspicious. Size of Barry Bonds' head suspicious.

The way the girls were screaming you would've thought somebody was being murdered. I kind of wanted to do something to quiet them down. Maybe throw an egg into the middle of the quarrel. But then I realized I had nothing in my refrigerator.

The fight finally ended when the cops came and broke everyone up. The teacher who lives down the hall from me told me the next day that fights happen often on our corner. In American middle schools, fights happen in the parking lot. When someone wants to fight in Chuncheon they meet in front of Tudari. Guess they could use the "Ding!" from inside as a signal for a new round.

That's My Block.

Tuesdays Gone

That's right! No work this Tuesday. So instead of 2 holidays all year, I now have 3. Sadly, I only have one more after Tuesday. And its not Christmas. Not New Years Day. It is the Lunar New Year in February. Don't really know how to observe it. What exactly happens in the new lunar year? I guess I can stare at the moon for a couple minutes. Maybe say a Hail Mary? Eat some cheese?

Work at my Hagwon is cancelled Tuesday because ownership is going on strike. I guess there is an outcry from the public school system in Korea that Hagwons should be blamed for their bad reputations. Public school administrators are not getting enough productivity out of their students because they are up late going to class at or doing homework for their respective academies. Also, Hagwons cost a lot of money. Public school officials feel that this puts certain students at a disadvantage who cannot afford the extra attention and practice with English. The Korean government has taken the side of the public school. Hours must be cut and prices must be slashed.

I do feel that Hagwons are open too late. A 10:30 pm end to the day for 12 year old students is rough. But, the extra work and time is helpful. English is a very important commodity to these kids and their parents. Much of the time, Hagwons also provide a place for kids to go while their parents are working late into the evening. These institutions also need to make money..as do I. We'll see what happens. It doesn't sound too serious, but then again, I don't speak Korean.

Last time school students and government were involved in a protest:

Gangwon FC-Korean Futbol and ice skating

Went to a semi-pro soccer game in my town the other day. My city; Chuncheon (Gangwon FC), was playing against another city in Korea. Not sure of the name. I still cannot read Korean. But their colors were green and their fan section was amazingly jubilant. The only group I can compare it to would be the Sixth Man section at college basketball powerhouse: Fordham University. The faith and passion for their team was Jesuitic.

Gangwon FC turned out to be horrible. They lost 3-1. Their defense was non-existant and their strikers seemed to toe every ball that came their way. They needed some guidance. I think I noticed Coach Mick patrolling the sidelines. The other team also had two players from Central America who more or less took over the game.

I did get a hat though and finally have something to cover my poorly cut hair. Gangwon FC hat. Pretty nice. Green and white fitted. 15,000 won. Much better and more stylish than the 1988 New York Mets mesh hat I bought the first week I was here.

We all know that FC could probably defeat the Mets in baseball, but I have doubts over who would win in a soccer match. I think Gary Sheffield would be a tough guy to guard. Very dirty and probably very smelly. Probably spitting everywhere, too. He'd be kind of like that dinosaur who kills Wayne Knight (Newman) in Jurassic Park.

Santana could make a good goalie. He's very agile. Imagine his throws from the goal. Who would step in front of that? What if the Mets (as rumored) signed Milton Bradley and had a striking front line of Sheff, Bradley and maybe Ken Takahashi (to get some of that heated Asian rivalry into the situation). Intimidating. Fierce.

After the game, I went ice-skating. That's right. Ice-skating at an indoor rink down the street. I've never gone before, but after a couple beers at the game, felt it would be a great idea. So I went in with blue athletic shorts on and my new york botanical garden coat. First skate around, I fell flat on my back. A worker motioned for me to come over to him. He had me put on a bright yellow helmet.

So I returned to my free "skate" wearing bright blue athletic shorts, a green NYBG jacket and day-glow yellow helmet. Looked like a clown. I crept along the wall as groups of 6 year old boys and girls whizzed by me laughing. They weaved back and forth along the ice like seams on a baseball. I exited into the penalty box. Five minutes for humiliation.

By the end of the skate, I was actually doing a pretty good job. Very similar to roller-blading. When we left the rink, we took a cab back to our neighborhood feeling great. The day was over and we had done a lot. Went to chicken mania, ate some bbq food, had a couple more beers and headed to bed with a full stomach and happy outlook on life in Korea. Slept like King Tut (The Dead Version of course.)

I-taewon-der what I'm doing here?

Itaewon. Some believe it to be seedy. Some just say that it is an "experience." Not bad or good. Just "an experience." And that's exactly what it was for me. "An experience."

Itaewon has been around for years and is a major area for tourists. Lots of military personnel and civilians from America and Europe live in or visit the area. Home to about 22,000 people from all over the world. Place of trade, dining and entertainment.

Let me get to my experiences:

I experienced my first really good western meal at this place called "Helios." Hamburger, fries, wings. All delicious and needed after almost 2 months abroad. The restaurant also played western music. Heard some "Make Her Say" and "Killin' Me Softly(which unfortunately, as in America, always has a group of girls singing along and contrarily; killing bystanders quickly.)

But the food was great and our night seemed to be headed in the right direction.

Next we decided to head to a dance-club. Club Cancun. Seemed like a hit. We went in, but were very early. It was only 11 pm. It was here that I experienced my first White Russian. Why not do it while I'm in South Korea? It was pretty good. Although, I don't know how The Dude drank so many in Lebowski. A little bitter. Maybe my milk was just spoiled. Maybe it was milk from a cat.

Next, we headed down a road looking for something to do before the nightclub filled up. All of a sudden, I experienced my first African bazaar. Outdoor markets, African men and women selling jewelry and beads, kids running around barefoot waving empty beer bottles. It was very strange to see in the middle of Korea, but also pretty interesting.

After this, we headed down an alley. "...headed down an alley." Can't be good. And it was not. It felt like I was walking down Elm Street or into some Max Payne'd New York City scenario.

(Play video while reading bottom lines)

When the darkness fell, New York City (Itaewon) became something else, any old Sinatra(Moon Joon Ran) song notwithstanding. Bad things happened in the night, on the streets of that other city. Noir York City (Itaegone).Turn around, walk away, blow town. That would have been the smart thing to do. I guess I wasn't that smart-Max Payne (Me in Itaewon)

Broken windows, bad lighting, screams of terror, and scantily-clad women screaming at us to come into their dark, terrifying bars. Halloween had come one month early. I think I saw Lady Gaga peaking out one of the windows.

Once we had escaped this mistake, we came back out on to the main drag. We took a couple deep breaths and headed back towards Club Cancun. Guess you could say I experienced my first "weird alleyway."

The night was never really the same after that, and even in the club, we had some more troubles. It seemed difficult to distinguish a few of the women from men. This problem was handicapped even further by the 3rd and 4th white russian. We decided to leave this part of Seoul and head back home.

We got back around 2 am, picked up some tuna kimbaps (rice and tuna). I also grabbed a snickers bar and a gatorade to get some normalcy back into my situation. Went back to LW's and put on some Bob Marley- Three Little Birds. Felt much better.

Now, I'm not saying Itaewon is a bad place. But it's also not the best area to hang around late at night. It's got great food, good tunes and a mix of about 7 different cultures. Sometimes, you just feel like you walked on to a Tim Burton movie set and really don't understand what is going on or what is who. Let's just call it "an experience."

Here's to normal:

Chusoeka

Chusoek is the Korean harvest. It is a time when many Koreans return to their hometowns to pay respects to ancestors. There are many ways to celebrate. Drinking off course, is always encouraged, as it is 365 days a year in Korea. My students told me today that their families have rice-cakes, pork, listen to festive music and play games. It seems like a time to get together with relatives and be thankful for all that is and was. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuseok

I asked an 11 year old boy in one of my classes if I could come to his house to partake in the festivities. He quickly shook his head. "You not welcome."

Classes this week went pretty well. I've gone from that strict, Miss Trunchbull-esque teacher to a Ryan Gosling Half-nelson type guy in the classroom. Think the kids are taking it pretty well. I don't have the heart to be hard on them all the time. They are in school from 9 am-8 pm and are probably doing homework all night long. Education is all they really know and what their parents demand. Most do all this work now to get into a university in America, where they will do a quarter of the work, still get a 3.5 gpa and all the while, excel in the art of professional lounging. Wish I could explain this to them, but lounging is probably not a part of a Korean student's vocab. Although, I do see Koreans lounging in the oddest places. I went to buy milk the other day at the corner store and walked up to cashier lady, only to see an old woman lying down on the floor under the counter. She looked quite comfortable and matter-of-fact. I also see many older Koreans sitting cross-legged on the ground next to their food stands on sidewalks throughout Chuncheon. Whenever I see this, it makes me feel funny. An American would never sit on the ground outside for long periods of time. Here it is not only agreeable, but preferred and probably traditional. It's a little peculiar but nice to see.

We have this Friday off for Chuseok, which will be good. Not sure what I'll do yet. I would like to go to Seoul again but feel like everyone will be traveling. Wouldn't mind seeing L-dubbs, especially since it is Fordham's homecoming this weekend. It'd be nice to spend it with a fellow Ram. I'd probably also have an interesting story to tell on here. We'll see what happens.

Below is a little nod to Fordham's homecoming this weekend. You thought the Bronx was the home of Grandmaster Flash, Umberto's Clam Shop, Edgar Allan Poe, Yankee Stadium and the Bronx Zoo? Here's to DJ Double Click, Stop 1, Daniel Morse, Jack Coffey Field and Howl at the Moon. Enjoy the weekend up at Rose Hill. Full cup Flip cup baby. Make sure this song gets some air-time.

Secret Admirer

So for the past couple days, I thought I had a secret admirer in my midst. Somebody who wanted a taste of that English teaching, Cool Ranch Dorito eating, 12 minute mile running human specimen. I was excited. Excited about the secret admirer but not about the gifts she was leaving on my desk at school.

The first day it was a bottle of carrot juice and a small bag of brown rice carefully placed around a tiny bag of ice to keep the juice cold. It was a little odd. Usually secret admirers leave candies or a note or something romantic. Carrot juice didn't really get my heart pumping. But maybe in Korea it was the equivalent. Also, maybe this was nothing. Possibly a practical joke.

The next day I walked into the my classroom and found two juices in a bag. Carrot and

pomegranate. This time, I knew something was up and talked to 3 other teachers about it. They were excited by the mystery and offered their help in finding the mystery girl. Students were ruled out because they all left before I left at night and weren't allowed in the building untiltheir class actually started in the morning. Cleaning lady? Could be.

Cleaning man? Hope not.

There were also the Korean secretaries who worked in the office. But I had never really noticed any look of loves or batting of the eyelashes. So I went outside my classroom in front of the secretary desks and began drinking the carrot juice (which I hate). I gulped it down, hoping to get some laughs or looks. Nobody blinked. Not one woman flinched. All that carrot disgustingness for nothing. I felt sick and embarrassed but knew that my eyesight had just gotten about 10 times better.

After my first class, I went into the break room to chat with fellow teachers. My breath smelled of liquid carrot. I told one teacher about my secret admirer story. To my disappointment, he shut down the chance that I had one.

Turns out the carrot juice was something that was supposed to be in his room. He, along with another teacher, got juice delivered every morning to their rooms. Don't know why carrot juice is the go-to. Guess carrot juice breath would keep the kids far away from your desk.

So no admirer. It was tough news to take. Tougher than a fat birthday boy with no cake. Oh well. I'm better off. Probably would've blown it anyway. What would I leave her if she left me carrot juice? What is the equivalent vegetable juice that you never want to drink? Celery juice?

'Let's just stay up until the first bus back to Chuncheon"

After a night of bowling and bar-hopping (bar-stumbling), we were set off for Gwangju on Saturday morning. I actually ended up bowling pretty poorly. My skills could be placed somewhere between Donny from the Big Lebowski and Stephen Hawking.

We left at about 11:10 and arrived at Gwangju station at about 3pm. The seats were tiny on the bus and for some reason I was seated next to a fellow teacher who is about 6'6. So the two tallest people in Korea were seated next to each other on a tiny bus. It actually ended up not being too bad and I was able to sleep for a couple hours.

Once we arrived in Gwangju we took a cab to the mutual friends' apartment. There was a bald, Irish guy with a thick Irish accent and a Korean guy who seemed to be a lot younger than his actual age. I of course asked the Irish guy if he had heard of Monaghan County. He said he lived about 2 counties over from there. Said it was a beautiful place. Very green and very friendly. Kind of like the Monagan families' next home in America: Waterbury, CT, also known as Da Dirty Water.

Waterbury or Monaghan County?

Both guys very good hosts and seemed happy to have us for company. An example of their excitement could be seen as soon as we walked into the door. A poster read: Welcome you fucking Chuncheon guys!" Very nice. The only problem was that they taped the poster over the bathroom door, so when somebody opened the door to use the room, the poster ripped right through. Good idea. Bad execution.

After introductions and a short tour of the house, we realized that we would have trouble sleeping in this small apartment. So, we decided that we would take the first bus out of Gwangju the next morning. 8:10 am. We would stay up all night and all morning until that time. Once someone put this idea forward, there was no backing out. Nobody wanted to be that guy. It was stupid. It was bold. No, it was just stupid. But it was a challenge. It had to be met and realized.

First place we went to was a chicken restaurant on top of a high mountain. Once we arrived we looked down on the city of Gwangju and really enjoyed the nice view. Gwangju was a large city with many tall buildings and green mountains. About 2 million people. Really beautiful place, like everywhere I've been so far in Korea.

So, we asked for chicken. Minutes later, we see a man walking into the kitchen carrying 2 dead chickens. Fresher than Chinchilla at M&G. The actual meal was great. Really spicy chicken with a dark, flavorful sauce. But the appetizer was a little strange. They served us raw chicken in tiny slices. When they served it, we all looked at each other in disbelief. The Irish guy almost choked on his beer. But the Korean man simply picked up his chopsticks and began eating the chicken. The truth is, you can actually eat raw chicken as long as it is fresh. The packaging is what causes bacteria to get in and actually feed on the chicken. So, we all had a slice, but were really not into the idea at all. It's like walking across the street without looking both ways. Something we were always told not to do.

Raw Chicken in middle:

After dinner, we all headed to a Soju house in a university area of Gwangju. Lots of kids and lots of fun. We spent about 2 hours there, headed to Karaoke for about an hour and half and realized we still had another 8 hours before our bus departed for Chuncheon. It was only about 12:15. So we headed to a talking bar in downtown Gwangju. This is a place where lonely Korean men go to talk to Korean women, who get paid per conversation. Perfect place for 5 Americans and one Irishman. We ended up staying there for about 2 hours and talking to ourselves. I did speak to one Korean woman, but once I told her I went to school in NYC, all she wanted to talk about was Sex in the City. Not my favorite show. Kind of wish it had been.

After this experience we headed over to a nightclub in another university area in the city. Even during 4 years in New York, I had never been to a nightclub. I had a pretty good time. We all "danced" and got rejected by many Korean girls. They are very shy dancers. But I still enjoyed the scene and hearing some western music. Fat Man Scoop, some 'ye and Weezy baby y'all.

competent, important voices of my generation.

Fat Man Scoop:

When we walked out of the club, the sun was making its way up from the horizon. It was 6:30 am. We raced to a taxi, picked up our bags at the Irish-ish-Korean-like apartment and reached the bus station at 7 am. We were exhausted. But we had done it. We had accomplished what we had set out to do. Yes....we were morons, and felt like morons for most of Sunday. While we weren't sleeping of course. But it was worth it. We had done a lot, seen a lot of people and places and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

I liked being out of Chuncheon for a day. The food was great, the city was endless with activities and people, and the company was awesome. Hope to make many future trips around Korea but also make an attempt to rest my head at least for a short while.

Gwangju my dude

Heading down to Gwangju this weekend with 3 other teachers. Gwangju is about 4 hours south of Chuncheon by bus. It is the 6th largest city in Korea and close to Busan. I've been looking at pictures and it seems like a pretty cool area. Lots of history and lots of fun. Many museums and many nightclubs. No Nightclub Museums though. That would be too much to ask. The Gwangju NightClub Museum: The History of Drinking, Dancing and Dodging Stray Bullets.

We're staying with a couple other guys. NO GIRLS ALLOWED. One is Korean and speaks fluent English and another guy is Irish and drinks fluently. Should be an interesting time. I'm excited to see another part of Korea. I will update when I get back on Sunday or Monday.

The city also was the home to the Gwangju massacre: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwangju_Democratization_Movement

Happened in 1980. It was a call for Democracy in the face of a militarized, totalitarian government. Many students were killed.

Hopefully no massacres this time. Although, if we do end up in the night club, the dance floor may become a stage where we absolutely massacre the meaning of at least 10 songs.

"The Wackness"

Also, wanted to mention that I finally saw "The Wackness" the other day. Made me want to be back in New York eventually. The movie also included one of Ben Kingsley's greatest performances. Up there with Ghandi.

The movie was pretty decent and had an even better soundtrack. Most of the songs are rap from the early 90s except for this song called "All the Young Dudes." I think it was originally done by David Bowie but here it is sung by Mott the Hoople, whoever that is. Sounds like some character from a Dr. Seuss book. But the rendition is pretty good and the chorus is catchy.

Hearing "Can I Kick It?" by Tribe Called Quest while the lead character was walking through New York in the summertime was also pretty cool. I threw the song on my shuffle and listen to it as I'm walking to my class everyday. Although I'm not dealing drugs like Luke Shapiro, I can still kick it. Can't I?

Hectic Metric

Went to the gym for the first time on Tuesday with a fellow teacher. I actually was supposed to go on Monday but couldn't get up in time for the 10:30 am wake up call. Slept until noon. It was great.

So I met the other teacher on Tuesday morning and walked over to the gym (which actually turned into a pretty far walk itself. I almost just told him I could do this walk back and forth between my apartment and gym and call it a workout.) But once I got to the door, I knew I couldn't say this.

The gym was nice and pretty empty. Most people were on the treadmills. Nobody was squatting 250 pound weights and yelling into the mirror. My kind of gym. People weren't really worried about muscles but instead, needed to run off their escapades from the previous weekend.

I got on a machine and began running at a speed of 5. For about 11 minutes I thought I was running at 5 miles/hour but was actually running at 5 km/hr. Much slower pace. I pushed the button until I was up to 9. (Still pretty slow, although I had no idea). I looked at how far I'd run and it said 1600 meters. I had no idea how to convert meters to miles but felt confident that 1600 was a pretty high number in any measurement system. Should be good.

By the end I had run about 28 minutes and about 4000 meters. Very high time for me. I'm usually breathless at the end of 19 minutes. But I had been running outside the week before and felt that maybe I had bounced my body into shape with those two 20 minute runs out in the Chuncheon sunshine. Yeah.

So once I got home, I googled how far in miles 4,000 meters was. Turns out I ran less than 2.5 miles...in about 30 minutes. That's a 12 minute mile. Feeling like Donkey lips from Salute Your Shorts. Slow and miserable.

So, I will know for next time. Actually, for tomorrow. If I'm able to get up for the 10:15 alarm. Also, I saw these huge spiders hanging from the windows right outside the gym. Could see them while I was running on the treadmill. I like to think they were what distracted me from figuring out the metric conversions in my head, but probably not. Probably about the size of my fist.

Might need to buy a gun just in case one of these monsters gets in to my apartment.