Today was a BLAST!
For a costume I dressed up like a Luchador and Devil girl made an octopus costume. We looked awesome ( Photos to come ). Usually we go to Mill Ave. near ASU for Halloween, for obvious reasons (6000 miles away...) I am unable to this year. Devil girl and I decided that the closest thing to Mill Ave. in Korea is Itaewon, so we decided to head down there for Halloween fun. On our way down there we called two of our friends to join us. We walked around for a bit and ended up in an Irish bar called Wolfhound where Devil girl and I had a yummy veggie burger and I got hit on by dudes twice. ( oh nooo! it was 3 in the afternoon and they were belligerently drunk. :-\ ) Devil girl was confused and I just said "i think you have me confused for some one else, what kind of wrestler do you think I am?" the guy was like "oh ! I hate when I do that." LOL.
Anyway, we walked around Itaewon and it was nothing like mill ave, so we got bored. We bought some Russian hats and got back on the subway and headed back to Uijeongbu. Now ever since I was a kid I ALWAYS wanted to scare people with my costume. I have to say- if I don't wake up tomorrow I will die happy. I had a lot of fun in Uijeongbu, we walked around downtown where I terrified many, many, MANY people. I have to say it is way fun and easy to scare people if 1) they have only heard of Halloween and 2) have NO idea when it is. I would quickly say "안녕하세요" (hello) and "happy Halloween". It was fun to see the "light bulb" go off as they realized why I was dressed up in costume. Then again I probably could have freaked out people dressed up as a crayon. I say crayon because Ive always thought that was the dumbest costume ever... O.k. not always, just since I was like 6 or 8; So a long time in other words. But I digress, Halloween was fun this year. Stay tuned for photos.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Playing Catchup
It is what I do when I ride bikes with E, also what I do when I don't post a daily photo for a week. This week I will try to post 2 photos per day (no promises.)
This photo is from 10-10-10. E and I rode our bikes into Seoul along this awesome bike path next to a small river that meets up with the Han River in the middle of Seoul. We didn't ride all the way to the Han River, however. Only to the next neighborhood south of Uijeongbu.
There is a part of the stream with these odd bridges. No railing or pavement, just cement slabs. I wonder if it is a left over from the war. Any ideas readers who have served in the military in Korea?
The only reason I was able to snap this picture is because E had to change the batteries in his GPS so I finally had a chance to get ahead and take out my camera- for once. I am always playing catchup.
This photo is from 10-10-10. E and I rode our bikes into Seoul along this awesome bike path next to a small river that meets up with the Han River in the middle of Seoul. We didn't ride all the way to the Han River, however. Only to the next neighborhood south of Uijeongbu.
There is a part of the stream with these odd bridges. No railing or pavement, just cement slabs. I wonder if it is a left over from the war. Any ideas readers who have served in the military in Korea?
The only reason I was able to snap this picture is because E had to change the batteries in his GPS so I finally had a chance to get ahead and take out my camera- for once. I am always playing catchup.
Bau
Finally! 2 weekends ago E and I went to the Bau House (Bauhaus! one of my favorite periods in art history.) Except it isn't the bauhaus, it is a cafe full of dogs. Big dogs and little dogs are welcomed and people are encouraged to bring their pet dogs along to join in the fun. In the US there are many regulations preventing dogs and coffee from coming together, but Korea doesn't care for hygiene and thank goodness they don't. We were in need of some good puppy play time! And good puppy play time is what we got! Until the baby walked in, because suddenly the puppies were no longer interested in the foreigners.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
K-Pop Friday - Miss A!
It is that time again! Time to revive K-Pop Friday with a burst of color, fun, and confusing English lyrics!
New to the K-Pop scene is the girl group Miss A. They are spunky and sassy. Pink hair! Combat boots with ballet skirts! Telling boys to shut up! Gas masks!?
First up is Bad Girl Good Girl. I was super impressed when one of my worst students started telling me "you don't know me!" I thought "WOW! Where did he learn to tell me off in English!? Impressive!" Then I discovered this song. And I realize he probably doesn't have a clue what it means. Oh well. This song is fun and SUPER sassy. The dance moves are hysterical, but that is why I love k-pop. How can you be grumpy when watching this video?
Next up is Miss A's follow up single Breathe. To me, this song sounds like it could be in a video game. Sonic the Hedgehog, perhaps? And the girls movement in this one sits in the uncanny valley- the place where things look almost real, but not real enough. They seem so strange. How do they move like this?
That is all for this week! Stay tuned for next week's K-Pop Friday to see what crazy new music from the Korean peninsula I have for you.
New to the K-Pop scene is the girl group Miss A. They are spunky and sassy. Pink hair! Combat boots with ballet skirts! Telling boys to shut up! Gas masks!?
First up is Bad Girl Good Girl. I was super impressed when one of my worst students started telling me "you don't know me!" I thought "WOW! Where did he learn to tell me off in English!? Impressive!" Then I discovered this song. And I realize he probably doesn't have a clue what it means. Oh well. This song is fun and SUPER sassy. The dance moves are hysterical, but that is why I love k-pop. How can you be grumpy when watching this video?
Next up is Miss A's follow up single Breathe. To me, this song sounds like it could be in a video game. Sonic the Hedgehog, perhaps? And the girls movement in this one sits in the uncanny valley- the place where things look almost real, but not real enough. They seem so strange. How do they move like this?
That is all for this week! Stay tuned for next week's K-Pop Friday to see what crazy new music from the Korean peninsula I have for you.
Cow Pasture
Today's photo of the day comes from the lovely island of Bali, Indonesia. I stayed in small remote villages on Bali. This cow pasture was on the southern tip of the island. I woke up early in the morning and decided to explore the neighborhood I was in. Walking past shacks and guest houses I realized there were cows EVERYWHERE! In the silence of the morning, I could hear their cowbells over the sound of the waves crashing on the cliffs. Bali is so beautiful, I understand why it is such a magnet for travelers- and people writing self righteous books about love, travel, spirituality, and ...top soil farming. For real.
On another note- the sky at this time wasn't grey, it was BRIGHT blue. Anyone have an idea about how to keep the sky from becoming so washed out in photographs? 2 exposures?
On another note- the sky at this time wasn't grey, it was BRIGHT blue. Anyone have an idea about how to keep the sky from becoming so washed out in photographs? 2 exposures?
Looking into the North
North Korea. I live with constant reminders that this dictatorship lies only a few miles north of me. Every day I take the number 7 bus north towards my school and pass under a tank trap- a concrete structure over the road (like a bridge) that is brimming with explosives, ready to explode and destroy the road so that tanks may not pass. My school is not far from a center for North Korean refugees. North Korea seems so close, I can almost touch it. Almost. But being at the DMZ, looking through these binoculars at the worlds tallest flag pole, I felt that no one from the west will ever be able to touch North Korea. This photo says what I am feeling. South Korea is real & solid, we watch from the South and hope something spectacular will happen; North Korea is faint, disappearing, and all pomp and circumstance but there is no real substance. Will North Korea and South Korea ever reunite? There certainly are enough cell phones in South Korea to supply the demand of North Koreans...
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Yarn Shop Keeper
I'm a horrible blogger. I say I am going to do a daily feature, then three days later I forget to post. I'm working on it...
I took this photo on Saturday. I met up with friends at a coffee shop and we sat around knitting and chatting. From the coffee shop we went on a walk along a stream in the middle of Seoul to Dongdaemun. Dongdaemun is the location of a gate from when Seoul was a walled city. Today, it is a capitalist paradise. If it is related to textiles, and you want to buy it, you will find it in an abundance of selection. Too much selection. At one point you have to say "Ok, I will buy from this store, from this bin." and find something you like. If you don't narrow down the choice, you could get lost in the labyrinth of shops. Dongdaemun extends for blocks. Clothing shops (really, more like booths) are housed in not one, not two, not three, but probably more like 5 or 6 buildings. All of which ate 9 or 10 stories. Each booth is about 10 feet by 10 feet, and jam packed with goods. Raw materials- fabric, buttons, zippers, yarn, trim, etc, etc, etc, are hosted in a HUGE building. And as I discovered on Sunday, they also extend down the road next to the stream.
In the photo is the woman I bought 10 skeins of yarn for 10,000 won (around 8 or 9 USD). Her store, like every store, was jammed full of yarn. Inside, 3 women were knitting in the cramped space.
After buying the yarn, I bought a huge fuzzy warm comforter that retails for 200,000 won. I paid 60,000 won. This is why I love dongdaemun. Even though it is crowded and anxiety inducing, anything you can possibly buy is on sale for much cheaper than you can get it anywhere else in the world (except maybe the Russian Markets in Cambodia, but that is a story for another day)
I can not even comprehend how much product is for sale at Dongdaemun. It makes my head spin.
I took this photo on Saturday. I met up with friends at a coffee shop and we sat around knitting and chatting. From the coffee shop we went on a walk along a stream in the middle of Seoul to Dongdaemun. Dongdaemun is the location of a gate from when Seoul was a walled city. Today, it is a capitalist paradise. If it is related to textiles, and you want to buy it, you will find it in an abundance of selection. Too much selection. At one point you have to say "Ok, I will buy from this store, from this bin." and find something you like. If you don't narrow down the choice, you could get lost in the labyrinth of shops. Dongdaemun extends for blocks. Clothing shops (really, more like booths) are housed in not one, not two, not three, but probably more like 5 or 6 buildings. All of which ate 9 or 10 stories. Each booth is about 10 feet by 10 feet, and jam packed with goods. Raw materials- fabric, buttons, zippers, yarn, trim, etc, etc, etc, are hosted in a HUGE building. And as I discovered on Sunday, they also extend down the road next to the stream.
In the photo is the woman I bought 10 skeins of yarn for 10,000 won (around 8 or 9 USD). Her store, like every store, was jammed full of yarn. Inside, 3 women were knitting in the cramped space.
After buying the yarn, I bought a huge fuzzy warm comforter that retails for 200,000 won. I paid 60,000 won. This is why I love dongdaemun. Even though it is crowded and anxiety inducing, anything you can possibly buy is on sale for much cheaper than you can get it anywhere else in the world (except maybe the Russian Markets in Cambodia, but that is a story for another day)
I can not even comprehend how much product is for sale at Dongdaemun. It makes my head spin.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Some cute things:
I am teaching my 5th graders about the rooms in the house and the
items they contain.
They said some cute things today enjoy...
items they contain.
They said some cute things today enjoy...
Me: "Who can tell me what a garage is? Raise your hand."
Student: "It is a car house."
Me: "Ok, good. In the Kitchen we have a cupboard and we store plates
and cups in it. What else?"
Students: "Knifes" [sic] "Fork" "Spoon"
Me: "Very good! What about Sporks? Who knows what a spork is" (Joking)
Student: "It is knife and spork fusion"
Me: (laughing) "very good"
Also some kid brought up teddy bears and I asked the class if they
knew the teddy bear was named after a US President.
Shockingly, one girl knew. Blew my socks off. told her she just earned
a candy bar on Friday.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Wool Wall
Yesterday I went shopping at Dongdaemun. I left with some yarn and a huge fluffy blanket for my bed. I managed to lug the blanket all the way home on the crowded subway. Trust me, it wasn't comfortable.
Anyway, Here is a very small peek at the amount of yarn being sold in Dongdaemun. Crowded little stalls filled floor to ceiling with bags of yarn. This stalled happened to only sell wool. I somehow managed to avoid buying it all and only came home with 10 skeins for 10,000 won (less than 10 USD!) Not that I need more yarn, but I couldn't pass up that offer!
Anyway, Here is a very small peek at the amount of yarn being sold in Dongdaemun. Crowded little stalls filled floor to ceiling with bags of yarn. This stalled happened to only sell wool. I somehow managed to avoid buying it all and only came home with 10 skeins for 10,000 won (less than 10 USD!) Not that I need more yarn, but I couldn't pass up that offer!
Photo of the Day- Yellow Jacket
This photo took guts to take. This wasp was HUGE and I wasn't going to stick my face near it. I set up my camera for proper exposure, white balance, and ISO then stuck it out in front of me as far as I could and as close to the wasp as possible without disturbing it. I am so pleased with the outcome. It is one of the photos that I can't believe I took.
This photo is really special to me. I took it in the very center and highest point of Angkor Wat. There are no plants growing inside the temple except this flower bush in the very center. Very striking.
Since going there 2 months ago, Cambodia has never left my thoughts. It is such a strange country. It is beautiful, stunning, out of this world amazing. I saw temples upon temples upon temples, red red mud, peaceful lakes. I ate amazing food. I saw an elephant walking down a city street. All these positive things are in stark contrast to the horrors I saw. Piles of skulls, tiny prison cells. I walked on top of teeth and clothes of those brutally killed, taking cautious steps as to not disturb the remains. I saw the photos of political prisoners who never had a chance to escape. Cambodia makes my heart sigh. I hope Cambodia will never be forgotten, and humanity can continue to learn and grow from the tragedies that happened there.
This photo is really special to me. I took it in the very center and highest point of Angkor Wat. There are no plants growing inside the temple except this flower bush in the very center. Very striking.
Since going there 2 months ago, Cambodia has never left my thoughts. It is such a strange country. It is beautiful, stunning, out of this world amazing. I saw temples upon temples upon temples, red red mud, peaceful lakes. I ate amazing food. I saw an elephant walking down a city street. All these positive things are in stark contrast to the horrors I saw. Piles of skulls, tiny prison cells. I walked on top of teeth and clothes of those brutally killed, taking cautious steps as to not disturb the remains. I saw the photos of political prisoners who never had a chance to escape. Cambodia makes my heart sigh. I hope Cambodia will never be forgotten, and humanity can continue to learn and grow from the tragedies that happened there.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Photo of the Day - Everland
Time to revive my blogging habits. I am starting a new feature on this blog, along with keeping up with K-Pop Friday (especially since so much good K-Pop has come out in the past few weeks!)
The new feature will be updated very often. Daily, in fact! I have a growing obsession with photography since I left my sewing machine behind in the desert. To hone my new skills I will focus on taking and editing one photo per day. Some days I may post a picture I've taken in the past and expand upon the story in the photo- like today's post. So lets get on with it!
This picture was taken at Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (just south of Seoul). Everland is called Korea's Disneyland. It is fun, but it sure isn't any Disneyland. The atmosphere of the park is all off. I never felt like I was in some magical place. However, we still had a ton of fun. The high point of our day at Everland was the Halloween parade. There were so many performers in awesome costumes. Then I spotted these two. They didn't fit in with any of the other performers. These masks are incredibly creepy, where as everyone else was made up to look cutesy. I was very startled to suddenly see Wednesday and Pugsly Addams!
Halloween is such a fun time of year. What will you be for Halloween? Devil boy has his costume all ready, but I am still undecided.
The new feature will be updated very often. Daily, in fact! I have a growing obsession with photography since I left my sewing machine behind in the desert. To hone my new skills I will focus on taking and editing one photo per day. Some days I may post a picture I've taken in the past and expand upon the story in the photo- like today's post. So lets get on with it!
This picture was taken at Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (just south of Seoul). Everland is called Korea's Disneyland. It is fun, but it sure isn't any Disneyland. The atmosphere of the park is all off. I never felt like I was in some magical place. However, we still had a ton of fun. The high point of our day at Everland was the Halloween parade. There were so many performers in awesome costumes. Then I spotted these two. They didn't fit in with any of the other performers. These masks are incredibly creepy, where as everyone else was made up to look cutesy. I was very startled to suddenly see Wednesday and Pugsly Addams!
Halloween is such a fun time of year. What will you be for Halloween? Devil boy has his costume all ready, but I am still undecided.
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