livin' with seoul

by the numbers

2009-12-07T15:33:00.013+09:00

this entry, however it turns out, is going 2 be an attempt 2 recap the goings on of the last 6 weeks of ‘livin’ with seoul,’ & i’m gonna do it by the numbers.

18: day’s since the last entry.

74: day’s until i finish my latest, & possibly last ck contract.

83: day’s since my latest return 2 seoul.

86: day’s until my next departure from korea (unless my ailing ear says otherwise it'll be on march 4th 2010).

18: day’s until christmas day.

5: years since i’ve last been @ home for christmas (2004).

27: day’s until the latest camp starts.

22: number of teachers recruited for that camp.

0: the number of those 22 who are irish (9 -yawn -canadians, 3 aussies, 4 yanks, 4 brits, 1 south african & 1 new zealander).

27: teachers i’ve had 2 cancel, so far, for camp (that swine of a flu).

71: day’s now i’ve been on my latest round of korean antibiotics for an ear infection, an infection that now seems 2 be more than just an infection. great.

19: day’s since irelands ‘hand of gaul, we-wus-robbed’ exit from the world cup.

how 2 say “we’re sorry… but not really,” french style.

'We were stunned and were not able to develop our game - I understand that the Irish are frustrated. They must forget this evening and use it for the future. You have to take a philosophical approach to this match. Football is played on small details, however, qualification is still beautiful.'

- french football federation president jean-pierre escalettes speaking to l'equipe, admitted he understood the Irish frustrations… but didn’t really care 2 much about them.

9: date, in september 2011, that the rugby world cup begins, the only world cup worth following.

61: day’s until the start of the 2010 6 nations.

20: years of age dual kim, one of koreas top models, was when she committed suicide a few weeks ago.

13: people killed by jeong nam-kyu, one of south korea’s most prolific serial killers. he also committed suicide a few weeks ago... while on death row... but, unlike dual kim, people didn’t really seem 2 care all that much about him. even less spoke about the …

2: …year suspended sentence one-time national hero hwang-woo-suk received for cooking his stem cell research books.

215: the retail price, in us dollars, for a pair of north-korean produced, nook branded jeans that were due 2 go on sale recently in sweden. it didn’t happen; the store where the jeans were 2 be sold pulled the plug on the deal, citing that it didn’t want 2 be associated with a ‘political issue.’

950: attempts this lady needed 2 pass the theory section of the korean drving test. when i read this i sent the link of the story 2 all my ck colleagues accompanied by a definition of the word 'perseverance.'

32: days since pat became a dad. congrats lad.

32: day’s since i won a tbs radio drive time competition for texting the answer 2 the following question:

what, in 2007, lost its title, reducing 9 2 8?

for those who don't get it the answer is @ the bottom of the entry.

20,000: the amount, in korean won (₩), of pizza school vouchers i won.

0: the amount, also in korean won (₩), of the vouchers i have thus far cashed in. keepin’ them for a special occasion you see.

33: day’s since the yankees won their 27^th world series.

7: conn iggulden books i’ve read since i started reading this back in june (all of the emperor & conqueror series... read them; they are amazing).

10,376: songs, according to itunes, in my itunes library.

29.7: day’s of continuous music playing those 10,376 would equate 2 (again thanks to itunes).

64: days since i last bothered 2 update my twitter account.

20: people i’m following on twitter.

15: people following me on twitter (for what i’ve no idea).

420: the number of pictures @ present in the ‘livin with seoul’ photo album.

483: the number of views of the most viewed picture in the album (this is 2^nd with 343 views, & this 3^rd with 339 views… & no, i’ve no idea why these in particular are viewed so much more than others).

128: the number of views of the most viewed picture in the ‘livin’ with seoul’ blog photo album that features roopa. she’s a beacon of self-centeredness & is always looking for a mention in my blog. so there you go troops.

0: the number of the ‘worst 100 movies of the decade’ i’ve actually seen. mel made me - yep, made me - sit through ‘love actually’ the other day & i’m shocked it’s not on the list. what tripe.

-2: temperature, in degrees celsius, in seoul right now. yep, the winter is finally here.

8: temperature, in degrees celsius, in dublin right now.

south korean volunteers wearing santa claus outfits prepare for a street march in seoul, 1 december 2009. the march followed a ceremony 2 launch a charity campaign for the poor .

from the bbc’s ‘big picture,’ december 1^st 2009

what i'm listening 2 right now

mumford & sons - the cave

here is the answer 2 the question posed above. if you got it right well done; you’re as smart as me (although not smarter)... & i'll gladly share my pizza vouchers with you.

failure

2009-11-19T10:43:00.017+09:00

haven’t had an entry in a while. been busy. honest. will get back 2 ‘livin' with seoul’ soon, but just felt the need 2 comment on the latest irish letdown. now i don’t mean 2 kick a country when it’s down, least of all my own country, & especially not when i’m sitting on the other side of the world avoiding its issues. but what the hell, i’m going 2. ireland just failed. failed again. the irish soccer team failed 2 qualify for the 2010 soccer world cup finals. now, i’m not blaming the irish soccer team; i accept that they gave it their all (even i could see that, watching the game as i was on-line via an intermittent connection @ 5am this morning in my apartment). & i also accept that they, all being said, just weren’t good enough. but what i don’t accept is the tolerance of failure that is inherent in irish society. we react 2 failure as if it were a success, & react 2 rare bouts of over achievement as if we won the competition we’re competing in, even when we invariably exit the event. italia '90, where we didn’t even win a (read one) game (officially @ least... penalties don't count), is the classic example. back then failure was expected, & any sort of achievement was anything but (expected, that is). so, the perceived 'success' of getting 2 the quarter finals of italia '90 without even winning a game (yes it's possible 2 do, as ireland proved) & the euphoria it created amongst the irish public ensured it was a once-in-a-lifetime, 'where-were-you-when?' kind of experience for those who were lucky enough 2 have lived through it, myself included. but that’s not the point here; the point is that italia '90 was probably the first time i realised how good, & tolerant, we as a nation are @ embracing failure, something we’ve done on a regular basis ever since. harsh? na, i don't think so. the latest failure has just materialised (the game has literally just finished) so as yet the media - that’s you rte - hasn’t as yet gotten around 2 posting its reports or pundit feedback, all of which i’ve no doubt will spin the same old lines: that we were ‘unlucky’ (which of course on this instance we were, but again that's not the point here), that we ‘deserved 2 win', that we all should 'be proud' & that we 'did well considering we’re such a small country’. maybe it’s because we’re so used 2 failure. i dunno. one thing is for sure; how ireland go about accumulating failures seems 2 make them all the more acceptable. how we failed this latest time - by beating france over 90 minutes in paris, something nobody predicted, & only loosing out on a world cup place thanks 2 an extra-time goal that shouldn't have even been allowed - will of course please those who are happy 2 settle for second best. but what about the rest, the minority? roy keane is/was one of them. he was chastised for saying this years ago, in the midst of another failure. but why? because he’s a winner? & because he wanted nothing more than 2 be just that - a winner - with his country? of course. on both counts. but he got nowhere. sounds familiar.

robbie keane. a legend. just like his team-mates.

legal alien

2009-10-30T16:44:00.010+09:00

noun: alien eyleeun

1. 1 1) a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country

22 2) anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found

if nothing else the timing is ironic. one day shy of the date that marks my 1-year anniversary of coming 2 seoul full-time & i finally receive my alien registration card. (oh oh, i’m an alien,i’m a legal alien). every westerner issued with a 1-year visa is supposed 2 register their visa within 90 days of arrival in the country. doing so means you're doing what you're supposed 2 do & of course keeps you on the right side of the authorities. doing so also gets you a nice alien registration card. easy, right? well seemingly no, not for me @ least.

i arrived 364 days ago with a fresh visa in my passport, my first yearlong visa. i knew i had 90 days 2 register it. i even took the medical test that is part of the registration process. but then i forgot; forgot 2 do anything else. forgot 2 do anything else within what was left of the the 90 days i had 2 do everything (you with me?). as a result they – the nice ‘just-doing-our-job’ koreans in the immigration office – cancelled my visa. it caused problems. big problems. they - the same 'we're-just-doing-our-job' koreans - were even going 2 audit the ck office (for what i've no idea). hell, i was almost deported (honest). of course questions were asked. in korean. serious questions i was led 2 believe. the boss had 2 go bat for me @ the immigration office. he had 2 call some “friends” in high places & get some strings pulled. it worked. i wasn’t deported, which was good. what was even better was that they agreed 2 give me a second yearlong visa. … but only if i 1) went 2 japan first 2 get a temporary ‘filler’ visa (done), & 2) registered my second e2 visa within the required 90 days of receiving it (done). so now i’m officially an alien, & a legal one @ that. about time 2.

‘livin’ with seoul’ fridays

friday is easily the best day 2 be here in the ck office. there's an altogether different mood in the office compared 2 other days of the week not called friday (as i’ve noted previously here & here). on fridays the koreans here seem 2 make less of an effort 2 hide the fact that they are actually doing nothing. yes they still sit @ their desks frantically typing, staring intently @ their computer screens, & generally giving off an air of busyness. but they aren’t foolin’ anyone, least of all me (i know a idler when i see one). but other things, not just the idleness, make friday the best day of the week. yes, come 5pm (or 8pm if you’re korean) it’s the weekend but that’s not it. its the friday freebies we seem 2 get 2 ‘ease’ us through the day, 2 entice one last big effort - of concealment - out of us as we approach the weekend. a few minutes ago someone i’ve never seen before walked into the office with a big bag of ice-cream, with one for everyone in the audience (of course as a westerner i get/got first dibs). so right now we’re all sitting around on our desks, eating ice-cream & blatantly doing nothing. it’s a reprieve from having 2 pretend 2 be doing nothing.

‘livin’ with seoul’ teaser

moon daddy is trying 2 get me 2 go drinking tonight. i'm resisting... so far (although i don't know why... work tomorrow maybe?).

he's referring 2 this night.

‘livin’ with seoul’ world series watch

the yankees lost yesterday but won today. so now it’s 1-1 (first 2 4 wins).

‘livin’ with seoul’ this & that

big changes are afoot for the internet & the decision 2 implement them was made here in seoul. another, slightly less popular decision was also recently made here.

‘livin’ with seoul’ texting & driving video

hard hitting. one of those video that leaves an impression on you… just like it’s designed 2 do

‘livin’ with seoul’ legend watch

ladies & gentlemen, paul burrows.

what i’m listening 2 right now

u2, dancing barefoot

irish potato

2009-10-29T12:00:00.020+09:00

last night mel took me 2 experience a little bit of home in a fancy seoul shopping centre. she said nothing other than the fact that we were going 2 “irish potato,” her frugalness with the details leaving me free 2 dream up a vision of utopia; a sit-down restaurant with a menu dedicated 2 everything potato: boiled potato, diced potato, mashed potato, steamed potato, roasted potato, scalloped potato, chipped potato, sliced potato, fried potato, grated potato, potato skins, potato wedges, sweet potato, seasoned potatoes, baby potatoes, potato salad, hash-brown potatoes, sour-crème & chive potato, potato latkes, potato pancakes. oh boy, it was going 2 be good & certainly a night 2 remember. so good in fact that even before i’d laid my eyes on the nirvana of starchy goodness that i, being the optimist i am, assumed we were approaching, was cursing myself for never having graced its door previously (& i was anticipating 'irish potato' surpassing nuri (dirty) bar as my new favourite place in seoul).

well, rarely before have i experienced the magnitude of let-down that i experienced upon seeing/experiencing ‘irish potato,’ somewhere only irish in name. if 'irish' is chips/french-fries served in a tub, doused with overly sweet chilli sauce (my choice; there were other topping options, none of them overly irish) & consumed on a bench, albeit a nice bench, in a shopping centre hallway (the door i was so looking forward 2 gracing didn't actually exist), with a stellar view of an indoor car park then... then... then i’m mr. tayto himself. was i expecting 2 much? obviously. will i be back gracing irish potato’s counter any time soon? not likely. but i do know where 2 go if i ever need cheap beer; cafri sells for ₩1,020 (€0.57) in the same shopping centre. so the night wasn’t a total loss after all.

‘livin' with seoul’ anniversary

this saturday, the 31^st, marks my 1-year anniversary of arriving 2 work full-time in seoul. 1 whole year. the fact that it - the anniversary - falls on a saturday is convenient. the fact that i’m working on the same day isn’t. oh well.

‘livin' with seoul’ photo album

check out the latest pics, including those taken on the ck team-building/drinking ‘workshop’ last weekend & that of an irish proverb i’d never before heard of.

speaking of photo albums. mel has her own on-line photo album (she actually has 2 albums... the 2nd one, a picture from which is shown above, is mel's "mucking around with photoshop album" to use her words). both albums showcase her growing photographic skills. she’s keen -very keen - & even has plans 2 buy a dslr. all this coming from someone who doesn't, yet (as i said she's keen) know iso from f-stops from depth of field. hell, she didn’t even own a digital camera of any kind until earlier in the year. on-line photo albums & a dslr. & they say imitation is the highest form of flattery.

what I’m listening 2 right now

i'm actually watching, & thus listening 2 commentary, of an on-line feed of the 1^st game of the world series. you gotta love the internet. go yankees!

time 2 bond

2009-10-23T12:52:00.004+09:00

it's 1pm on friday. i'm just about 2 leave the ck office with the rest of the crew 2 embark on an overnight 'team-building workshop.' yep, that's what they - the korean's - are calling it. everyone here seems pumped for what lays ahead, going so far as 2 break with the norm by wearing casual attire for the day (i do every day) & even, get this, consuming some bijo with our lunch @ the chinese restaurant earlier (a definite 1st). but then they probably know what lays ahead. me? well, i haven't been briefed fully - stress fully - but i can probably guess based on a few things: i was told we'll be overnighting (that mean we'll be drinking late tonight), i was told 2 bring 'sports' clothing, & i was told we'll been broken up into teams 2 do 'events.' so i can decipher from that that there will be 1) plenty of competition (typically korean), 2) plenty of alcohol consumed (also typically korean), & 3) little sleep garnered. i've been told i've been assigned 2 team 1 &, apart from being, obviously, the lone westerner in the team i'm also, i might joyously add, the lone male. so bring it on. we'll all be piling into a few cars for a 2 hour drive 2 some location where we'll do... do... do 'events,' in teams, wearing sports clothes after which we'll drink. all of this will bring us closer as a unit, or so it's thought. i can't wait. not that i need 2. cos we're off. now.

welfare

2009-10-19T17:33:00.009+09:00

i got 2 talkin’ 2 a few of the guys in the office over lunch today about state welfare. don’t ask me how, it just happened (we normally talk man stuff like beer, baseball & girls). i didn’t learn anything by virtue of the fact that i already knew that korean society has, financially @ least, little tolerance for the unemployed or the old; there is no such thing as dole & once retired it’s the responsibility of the oldest son 2 fend for & financially support his parents for their remaining days, one of the main reasons male births are still favoured over female births (that is slowly changing however… slowly). the conversation got exciting when i dropped the bombshell that one can sit on their arse @ home in ireland & the government will give them the €200 a week 2 do so, the equivalent of ₩350,000, quite a tidy sum over here (that little ₩ is the symbol for the korean unit of currency won, pronounced ‘one’). there followed a lot of korean banter, a bit of number crunching, counting on fingers, exasperated sighs, & glances at yours truly 2 confirm that what i was telling them was accurate/true.

"seriously guys… yep,” with an accompanying affirmative nod of the head.

“taxes?” they then asked.

“yep, pretty high… higher than here.”

still though, that didn’t take the gloss off the revelation. the impression i took from the conversation was that they now think i’m mad 2 be in seoul, 8 time zones from home & spending my days in an office with them, which is strange considering i’m employed here & we were talking dole payment amounts. i’m sure it would have been lost in translation had i attempted 2 explain 2 them that, a free ₩350,000 per week aside, ireland is crippled, hasn’t a penny 2 rub together, & anyone who can is getting out. i wonder what they’d have thought of that revelation.

‘livin with seoul’ photo album

spent a bit of the work day today updating the blog album covering the events of the last 3 weeks. oh the fun i’ve had with culture & nature.

from the 'living with seoul' photo album, october 2nd 2009

‘livin with seoul’ video

I like this.

what I’m listening 2 right now

david gray, everytime

another celebration

2009-10-09T16:38:00.004+09:00

it almost, just almost, seems like we’re in celebration day season here in korea. following hot on the heels of armed forces day & the chuseok holiday last weekend, today – friday - is hangul day, the day that celebrates the creation by some king way back of the korean hangul script. i have been told more time than i care 2 remember/admit since 1^st coming 2 korea in 2003 that it’s quite an easy script 2 decipher; all you need 2 do is put a bit of effort into it. which is why it’s kind of shameful that, 2 me, the script still just looks like an ordered grouping of lines, circles & curves…which i guess is exactly what it is, except 2 koreans it actually means something. anyway, 2 celebrate this day the koreans are unveiling some statue of the aforementioned king – sejong was his name, sejong the great no less – later this evening in the middle of a big-ass road here in central seoul (& about time 2; the poor chap has been dead for some 560 years). me? well i’m heading south for the weekend 2 take in the green tea fields of somewhere called boseong. yep, i have an 8:10pm reservation on the ktx, koreas version of the french tgv & the newest feather in the korean public transport cap. the weekend should be fun. it always is.

‘living’ with seoul’ week of firsts

some firsts that occurred this week (& keep in mind that I’ve been living here fulltime now for almost a year

signed up for & went 2 the gym.
bought & cooked (2 firsts) potatoes in my apartment.
actually did a full, honest day’s work for the 1^st time since my latest return a few weeks ago (3 actually). it’s not my fault; it’s the nature of the business that things are slack around here @ this time of year. if i recall last tuesday was the day in question, a day when i was reminded once again that it’s actually less work 2 actually work as apposed 2 pretending 2 work… if you know what I mean?

not 2 belittle armed forced day, the chuseok holiday, or even hangul day, but maybe the koreans will dedicate a day 2 any one of the above.

‘livin’ with seoul’ video

check out this video. i like it. you might 2. the korean connection? samsung of course.

what I’m listen 2 right now

the murmer of office work, korean style.

happy chuseok

2009-10-01T13:11:00.005+09:00

there’s a lot happening over the next few days. today, thursday, is korean armed forces day, tomorrow, friday, is lisbon treaty day, & saturday is chuseok. chu-wha? chuseok, korea’s version of thanksgiving & one of the year’s biggest holidays. it’s a 3-day event that sees major cities empty as koreans clog roads & hog every available bus & train seat 2 head home 2 the country or 2 visit rural relations. it’s a big deal for koreans (& an excuse 2 distribute gifts) but basically all it means for us westerners is time off, meaning work wise today is actually tomorrow, if you know what i mean? no. well, it means we’ve tomorrow off, something that has everyone here in the ck office in a festive mood, even the boss who has just announced that we’re good 2 go today @ 3pm (that even got a round of applause). more time off, less time 2 plan the weekend. best get back 2 it.

special army soldiers flip simultaneously as they demonstrate their martial arts skills during a rehearsal for the 61st anniversary of armed forces day @ the gyeryong military headquarters, south sorea. south korea will celebrate the 61st armed forces day on october 1^st.

from the bbc's 'the big picture,' september 29th 2009

‘livin’ with seoul’ music appreciation video

prepare 2 cringe. a visit 2 a noribang (karaoke room) with this guy would be fun.

what I’m listening 2 right now

'the last word' podcast for september 30th

back on the meds

2009-09-29T10:04:00.009+09:00

I went 2 the hospital again yesterday as part of the newest attempt 2 rid myself of what is proving 2 be a stubborn ear infection. repetition breeds familiarity so there are no surprises any more with regard 2 my all 2 frequent visits 2 the ent clinic of sinchon severance hospital. i knew whatever ent doctor i found myself in front of would, in typical korean style, & once i had professed 2 not being able 2 speak korean,

1) do himself - it's always a male doctor - an injustice by proclaiming 2 speak "a little," english,

2) after takin' a look @ my ear, grimace, inhale through closed teeth & utter any combination of the words "infection," "bad," "severe," or, for those doctors with a comfortable grasp of english, words like "chronic," or "acute," &

3) throw excessive amounts of pills @ me (just like last time).

so once again i'm back on the meds... & hoping they work this time.

south korean mother kim won-sook, left, hugs her north korean son during a rare reunion of seperated families in the diamond mountains in north korea.

from the bbc's day in pictures, september 28th 2009

'livin with seoul' season watch

this is a great time of the year 2 be in korea. it's not 2 warm (24 degrees today) & not 2 cold; it's just about right. it's quite a change from this time last month; there's no need for air-conditioners & it's probably a little 2 cold most days, even for me, 2 be donning shorts & flip-flops. the air is clear & autumn proper is just around the corner... which is good because korea starts 2 look like this. of course that means winter, with its bitter cold, dry air, isn't 2 far off.

'livin' with seoul' nationalism watch

the koreans are loving themselves stupid these days. there's a real 'we're-the-best-country-in- asia' joviality about them, something normal foreigners might not pick up on. so how do i know about this? well because i work in an office full of them - koreans that is (oh & i listen 2 korean english news services/chat shows thanks 2 my new multimedia player). so what accounts for this recent upsurge in nationalism? well recent events of course, namely y.e. yang's win in the pga championship, beating the ozzies 3-1 in soccer, the launch of its 1st indigenously produced space rocket, & being selected 2 host the g20 summit next year (& being members of the g20 hasn't hurt either). of course they will never mention the fact that the rocket failed 2 do what it was supposed 2 do (launch a satellite) & that they have 2 share the 2010 g20 summit duties with the cheating canadians but hey... who am i 2 rain on their parade? i'm but a simple man from an even simpler country on the fringes of europe, a country that, 2 the few koreans who have even heard of it, believe it's "beside england" and/or that it's part of the u.k. i gave up correcting them on the latter a long, long time ago. trust me, it's easier that way... easier for me & them.

'livin with seoul' freaky math trick

check this out. it works, or @ least it did for me.

what i'm listening 2 right now

david guetta, memories

preoccupied

2009-09-28T14:26:00.014+09:00

momentous events in history on dates gone by

- july 16th

july 16^th 1945

world war ii allied leaders meet in the german city of potsdam 2 decide the future of recently defeated germany.

july 16^th 1969

apollo 11 takes off from cape kennedy on the ultimately successful mission 2 put a man on the surface of the moon.

july 16^th 2009

my last blog entry.

no I haven’t forgotten about my blog; neglected it yes, forgotten about it no. while the rest of the world has been preoccupied - still - with economic crises & swine flu i’ve been preoccupied with other way more important stuff: preoccupied with, in chronological order, work (another camp has come &, thankfully, gone), not being here (i escaped home for the guts of 3 weeks), turning a year older (& wiser), preparing for my latest ‘last’ stint in seoul, reading (i'm makin’ my way nicely through anything conn iggulden may have written & published) & settling back into life ‘livin’ with seoul,’ which included having 2 wait over a week 2 access my apartment thanks 2 the need for the landlord 2 kango the bathroom floor 2 pieces 2 access a troublesome water pipe (@ least I got a new tiled floor out of it).

but that was then & this, as time would have it, is now. i’m almost 2 weeks back & right about now i’m in the ck office preoccupied with wondering what 2 do, just like i seem 2 be every time i don’t have a camp on the horizon 2 preoccupy myself organising. there is stuff 2 do. there always is. it’s just that the absence of urgency that wafts around the office tends 2 account for ‘stuff’ getting put on the long finger. that & the quietness. yep, the office is awfully quiet these days… 2 quiet for my liking. & the few unfamiliar faces occupying seats that used 2 be occupied - when I was last in the office some 2 months ago - by familiar faces have done nothing 2 raise the excitement levels… not yet @ least. but that’ll change. it always does. i’ll just have 2 preoccupy myself until then.

‘livin’ with seoul’ blog album

you can catch up with the latest goings-on, minus the 3 weeks i spent @ home, by checkin' out the pics uploaded 2 the blog album since the last entry, way back when (click the picture above 2 do just that).

an employee @ the korea exchange bank in seoul displays stacks of $100 bank notes

from the bbc's 'day in pictures,' september 2nd 2009

'living with seoul' recruitment assistance

considering the present dire employment situation this website might come in handy. while it offers some good, practical advice regarding the do's & don'ts of interviews it really is just a piss take. check out the videos even if you don't read the text.

what i'm listening 2 right now

david gray, gutters full of rain

there. it has been said

2009-07-16T11:25:00.002+09:00

i just want 2 say that i'm busy - almost 2 busy 2 breath - tired, it's bloody hot today (bring back the rain), & that it's great 2 have my 'kind and gracious and wonderful and amazing' girlfriend back. there, it has been said.

funny as

2009-07-09T14:46:00.010+09:00

just uploading this picture because i think it's as funny as. sorry, got nothing else (except that i'm 1 day from being, according 2 some court in canada, officially 'released', aka divorced); 2 busy & suspect i will be for a while. how long before the latest utterance of the words 'this is definitely my last camp'?

more of the same can be found @ www.failblog.org

a weekend wrap

2009-07-06T16:35:00.007+09:00

running on fumes today. i was up until 4am watching fed become the greatest (no more questions already; it’s settled). it capped another good weekend, one which mel monopolised thanks 2 that rule: we saw a very irish move in a very korean way, we spent saturday evening having delusions of grandeur, a psychotic belief in our own status if you will, courtesy of an all 2 brief stay in fraser place, one of seouls many serviced residences (think hotel with apartment facilities), the lions finally won a match , i did a spot of shopping, took some photos, & had a few beers (that brought an end 2 my 13 day self-prescribed prohibition). i’m gearing up for the coming weekend. friday is liberation day… but i got 2 get through the week first. with that 2 look forward 2 it shouldn't be hard.

the (s)hite gets it. a member of the south korean special forces breaks bottles by hand during an anti-terrorism drill at a training camp in seoul

from the bbc's day in pictures, july 3^rd 2009

what i'm listening 2 right now

the blizzards, postcards

a product of boredom

2009-07-03T16:49:00.010+09:00

this is an entry comprising purely of mundane points. only read this if you’re terminally bored, or about at the same level of boredom that drove me 2 type this in the first place (i fully understand that you’ve no way of gauging how bored i am right now so just bear with me please). i do have stuff 2 do, stuff i assume the boss assumes i’m doing. but right now, 3 hours from the latest weekend, i have a inert desire 2 create an entry, even though i have nothing of substance 2 craft it with (which is normally the case i guess). mel says blogs are for those who are egoistic. well, based on this entry she just might have a point.

genghis, part ii

after a delay in acquiring it, a delay which added 2 the recent frustrations as reported in the last entry, i finally started reading my new book yesterday. here’s hoping it’s as good as the last one. so far so good.

commute observation

my daily quotidian commute (a 5 minute walk 2 the metro station, a 3 minute metro ride, & a 15-20 minute bus ride) is only slightly less unremarkable when i’m not travelling during regular rush hour (double negative there folks). one would think the opposite.

no-fi

i haven’t had internet access in my apartment for a few days now. & of course i can’t call the isp (haven’t learnt korean, & even if i had of i don’t know their number or any account details) so i don’t know why. non-payment of the bill? maybe. actually, probably. the problem is i’ve never seen an internet/cable bill so i can’t say for sure. one thing i can say for sure is that my apartment sucks without internet access (& i’m ashamed 2 say so does life in general).

rainy

when it rains here during the rainy season (basically the hot sticky summer months of july & august) it really rains. unless you see it for yourself it’s hard 2 believe that a seoul street, in the space of 2-3 minutes of torrential rain, can turn into a small river. it’s even harder 2 believe, again unless you’ve borne witness 2 it, that that same street is as dry as a bone within a few minutes of the scorching sun reappearing, which it invariably does. it’s extremes, in minutes.

binned

a mundane point if ever ther was one - there is a new bin by the office water cooler. it’s smaller than the old bin but unlike the old bin it has a flip-top, meaning the corner by the water cooler now isn’t looking as unsightly as it used 2. the girls in the office seem 2 like the new bin better than the old one. i couldn’t care less either way (but did care enough 2 find myself wondering where exactly the old bin is these days… i liked that bin).

all aboard

speaking of the office, it’s more of a train station these days than an office. there are new people passing through, koreans of course, on a daily basis. they don’t hang around for very long; they enter, greet everyone, bow, smile, chat, seem 2 get what they came for (information, an envelope, a box, whatever) & are gone. everyone here seems 2 know all the visitors, & all the visitors seem 2 know everyone here, including me. it’s a bit unnerving that as yet i haven’t recognised any of our visitors, but then again after a while one unfamiliar korean looks like the next. i’m assuming their visits have something 2 do with the upcoming camps, but i can’t say for sure because nobody tells me anything (it must be 2 do with the air of neutrality that i give off). but that’s fine with me because they do @ least tell me things i need 2 know about, meaning they don’t bother me with things i don’t need 2 know about. is it any wonder i like working here.

princess the 2^nd

it’s princess mel’s fake birthday this weekend. guess i’ll be busy.

safe hands

i’m pleased 2 report that korean doctors are on the ball, their penchant for dishing out copious amounts of pills for routine aliments aside. i went 2 the hospital yesterday for a hearing test (it was a follow-up 2 my visit last week after which i, unknowns 2 myself, robbed a pharmacy). after the requisite stint in the soundproof box with headphones on listening 2 myself breath, beeps of various pitches & tones, & the sound of the wind, it was revealed 2 me that the hearing in my right ear was “good” whereas the hearing in my left ear was “bad.”

“really?” i said.

“you mean the ear i had a mastoidectomy on when I was 15... that ear?”

i wanted 2 say, & in a tone suiting my present mood, that i could have told them that for free, as apposed 2 being charging 380,000 korean won (€215) for them 2 tell me, but i resisted. i feared the sarcasm would have been lost on them and that i would have came across as a dick foreigner. there are enough of them here already & i like 2 think i, & anyone i socialise with, don't/doesn’t fall into that category.

the cull

i’m still trying 2 cull 10 teachers, teacher who i’ve no doubt are busy preparing for their imminent departure 2 korea.

it’s okay, really

i’ve just received another e-mail from a teacher – unfortunately not one of the ones on the chopping block – querying the current status of the north/south ‘crisis’ & if it was ‘safe’ over here. one of the aspects of my job that i don't like is the fact that i have 2 make myself available 2 these people... & have 2 answer this sort of question. i’ve lost count of the times i’ve e-mailed some tormented soul 2 inform them that there ‘really isn’t anything 2 worry about,’ that ‘the whole north/south thing is getting more coverage overseas than it is in korea’ (that is, i do confess, a bold assumption on my part), & that ‘the south has been listening 2 the north’s heavy breathing since the late 1950’s.’

following hot on the heels of the north/south issue is, of course, swine flu. for that i appease them by stating, correctly i might add, that 1) it is having a minimal impact on korea, that 2) thus far there has only been one case of 15+ foreign teachers being put into quarantine (yeah, don’t I know all about it), & 3) that no one has died… yet. of course i put it in a much more eloquent way; eloquent & reassuring. if this job has taught me anything - & it has - it's that you can get away with anything if you use the right/appropriate words, in the appropriate way.

improving

mel's photographic skills are improving. she’s slowly making more of an impression on my blog photo album. i've told her numerous times that if the product she delivers is good enough then it'll make the blog. she seems 2 be up to the challenge. oh, & her drawing skills are improving too.

the end of sobriety

ryno gets back 2 korea next week a day earlier than planned. that’s only newsworthy due 2 the fact that i haven’t had a beer in 12 days, & am unlikely 2 indulge again until such time as an influence of the stature of ryno presents itself in front of me.

chop chop

i finally got a haircut. with my hairline one tends 2 shy away from haircuts but enough was enough; i had had my fill of looking homeless. it needed 2 be done & i’m please 2 note that thus far the reviews have mainly been positive. horray for a more younger looking me.

bills

i seem 2 be getting bills for my apartment on an almost daily basis. gas, electricity, water. they've been like busses recently; you wait forever for one & then they all come @ once.

16 twits

gototennis has just started following me on twitter. that's 16 sados & counting.

comon' fed!

speaking of tennis. it would make my weekend if i got 2 see the wimbledon final on sunday, especially if fed makes it (of course he will). it wouldn’t make my weekend if murray won. would the brits ever shut up if that happened? i’m guessing not.

members of the south korean coastguard's special sea attack team abseil down a building during a training exercise in incheon, west of seoul

from the bbc's day in pictures, june 30^th 2009

what I’m listening 2 right now

oka, music makes me happy

(saw these guys live @ buskerfest in canada. awesome)

fustrations

2009-07-01T10:53:00.030+09:00

seoul seems 2 be a more frustrating place 2 be these days, & i don’t know why. little things have started 2 bug me somewhat over the last few weeks. little things like people, mostly koreans funnily enough, getting in my way (it’s their city i know) & even busier than normal busses & metro trains seemingly running less regular schedules. these are little things that i’m assuming have always been there as an integral part of life in seoul but until now they never registered themselves in my consciousness, & certainly not in an irritable way. again, i don’t know why. maybe it’s the hot weather. maybe i’m in a rut (as in the noun 'rut' meaning 2 settle into a monotonous routine that is hard 2 escape, as opposed 2 the verb 'rut' meaning 2 be in a state of sexual excitement). maybe it’s a sign that i need 2 get away from seoul for a bit. no wait, i did that last weekend, & all because i recognised a need 2 do so (that & the fact that bran & i, both of us on pills for various ailments, needed an escape from a normal seoul weekend & the temptations it invariably throws up... not 2 mention the fact that we were still smarting from hanstock '09). maybe i just need 2 get away from korea. no wait, i did that recently 2. shit, i dunno. today sees the start of a new month, camp month, & there’s plenty going on. let’s see if it brings any relief.

a south korean soldier stands guard near a barbed-wire fence in the demilitarized zone between the 2 koreas in yanggu, south korea
from the bbc's day in pictures, june 24^th 2009

‘livin’ with seoul' part ii by the numbers – an update

18 - days until the 1^st of the summer camps begin.

53 - days until all camps end.

120 – number of foreign teachers i initially had 2 hire for summer camps.

88 – number of foreign teachers i now need. economic crisis you see.

98 – number of foreign teachers i have @ my disposal (even after a cull of 15+).

18 - days i have 2 find a use for those 10 extra teachers. ideas would be much appreciated.

55 - days until my next trip home.

56 - days until my present visa expires.

64 – days until my present contract expires.

63 – days until my bday.

13 – days until mel’s bday.

3 – days until we, mel & i, celebrate her bday. she won’t be here-yah for her bday you see as she’ll be in england being a bridesmaid.

8 - days since hans left korea for london (innit) & ryno left korea for japan.

8 – days since i last had a beer. coincidence? i think not.

6 - days until ryno gets back from japan for his last night in kool-rea (a non-sobering thought).

7 – hours myself & bran walked 2 reach the top of seoraksan national park @ the weekend.

281 – pictures in the ‘livin with seoul’ photo album.

6 – days i’ve been on all kinds of medication for my latest ear infection.

12 – pills a day i have 2 pop.

17 - number of people i'm following on twitter.

15 - number of people following me on twitter. sados.

109 - number of days since i joined twitter.

20 - number of times i've twitted in those 109 days. it's just not floating my boat... yet.

6 – days since mj died.

22 - days until my sister arrives in korea.

27 – until troopa arrives back in kool-rea.

26 – temperature, in degrees celsius, in seoul right now. feels hotter.

19 – temperature, in degrees celsius, in dublin right now. heat wave or what.

& leaving the best for last…

27 - days until my 2^nd wedding anniversary.

9 – number of days until i’m liberated. hell yeah. thanks bitch.

‘livin’ with seoul’ this & that

new vegemite. what? how could they? it’ll never work. & check out this video. funny as, right girls?

‘livin’ with seoul’ music appreciation video

especially for mel who commented that i added ‘some county dude’ 2 my fb page when i recently became an fb fan of ricky skaggs & kentucky thunder. if you don’t appreciate this then you don’t appreciate music, @ least instrumental music.

what I’m listening 2 right now

the presets, steamworks (a memory from hanstock '09)

quiet 4 now

2009-06-18T17:08:00.010+09:00

all told it has been a pretty quiet week, especially on the ck front; a spot of recruiting here, a spot of recruiting there but nothing really blog worthy. last night however was a little different, as i found myself in a local chicken & hof (fried chicken & draft beer) establishment cheering on the south korean soccer team with some ck colleagues. but alas even that turned into a little bit of a non-event. from past experiences i was expecting it 2 turn into a typical ck-esq session, complete with thursday morning hangover, but now i’m thinking such events are only appropriate when someone is leaving the company, something that hasn’t happened in a ck eternity (7 weeks). when the final whistle blew on the soccer match it ended 3 things: the game itself (it finished a 1:1 draw), south koreas successful qualification campaign for the 2010 world cup (@ least i can cheer them on when ireland fail 2 make it), &, after only a pathetic 2 hours, my consumption of beer for the night. yep, after a few post final-whistle calls of ‘ka-ja!’ (let’s go!) i found myself on the street waiting for the 147 bus home, bowing 2 my colleagues in appreciation for the beers (& mustn't forget the chicken) they bought me (of course they wouldn’t let me pay) & wishing them all a good night. 15 hours later & i'm sitting here in the ck office thankful that it was a quiet night, especially with the 3-day weekend i’ve comin’ up. quiet. it’ll be anything but.

the return of han’s (& all it implies)

this is an excerpt from the e-mail bran sent me this morning, ahead of this weekend.

‘i'm nervous man. i think we might die this weekend.’

why the concern? well, cos hans is in town. for 4 days. 4 whole days (actually, nearly 5). bran might be right. 4 days might just be enough 2 kill us, especially with ryno added 2 the mix on sunday (now that’s just asking for t-r-o-u-b-l-e). but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right? yeah, thought so. apart from a perpetual hangover i don’t really know what 2 expect from this weekend, but i do know what not 2 expect, namely much sobriety or much sleep.

‘livin’ with seoul’ this & that

so the north koreans will also be @ the world cup next summer. that’s cool. i think. & check out this story where 400 eligible koreans threw their hat into the ring, so 2 speak, in a bid 2 wed a rich korean business women (maybe she works around here?). if she’s half as hot as the majority of korean women half her age then i’ll marry her… for free. oh wait, i’m already married. i almost forgot.

a visitor lingers @ an image symbolising the korean war @ a peace museum near the border village of panmunjon that separates the 2 koreas.
from the bbc's day in pictures, june 17th 2009

‘livin’ with seoul’ video

this isn’t korea, or alcohol related (it's not even in english), but it’s funny nonetheless.

what i’m listening 2 right now

oasis, shock of the lightening

swine flu cuteness

2009-06-12T11:52:00.011+09:00

i saw this picture on the bbc website (yep, i'm very busy today) & felt it deserved a place on my blog. i haven't seen anything as cute in a long while. it's a picture of kindergarten children in hong kong, where authorities have decided 2 close all nursery & primary schools for a 2 week period in a bid 2 curb the spread of swine flu.

adjective: cute (cuter, cutest) kyoot

1. attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness

2. obviously contrived to charm

ps: the weekend is 5 hours away.

embarassed in the rain

2009-06-11T16:45:00.014+09:00

the strangest thing happened 2 me the other day, an event i feel worthy of a blog entry. i was walking 2 the subway station in a light drizzle... actually, it was less than a drizzle; just a drop here, a drop there, but nothing worse… akin 2 an irish summers day if you will. anyway, this little korean man runs up behind me (i realise i’m quite often guilty of referring 2 them - koreans - as ‘little’ when in fact most of them are on par, in stature of course, with yours truly). i heard & sensed him approaching, 2 close for comfort even by no-privacy-of-space korean standards, & for a split second i thought that he was going 2 run into me. that was until i reminded myself that no sober korean would ever let that scenario transpire, one that sees them coming into physical contact with a foreigner in broad daylight. anyway, the next thing i know he’s walking beside me, holding his umbrella over me, all the while bowing/nodding his head unnecessarily & smiling from ear 2 ear, all of which conspired clearly 2 say ‘you’re oh so welcome, you dumbass out-in-the-lashing-rain-without-an-umbrella foreigner’. for the 20 seconds or so that he shadowed me 2 the shelter of the subway station canopy i felt a mixture of unabated embarrassment & ignominy, ignominy stemming from the fact that i had caused this man 2 feel obliged 2 do what he did, by the simple virtue of not conforming 2 the korean standard of walking under an umbrella @ the slightest hint of rain. that ignominious feeling didn’t last long however; once i had returned his bows in a pitiful & wholly inadequate show of gratitude & we’d parted I realised there was nothing 2 be ashamed of. after all he was korean & that’s what they do, even the ‘little’ ones.

‘livin’ with seoul' part ii by the numbers – an update

2 - days since the last entry.

2 – entries created in the last 80 days.

15 – days since i got back from japan.

8 – upcoming summer camps i have 2 prepare for.

120 – number of foreign teachers i have 2 hire 2 staff those 8 camps.

102 - number of teaches i’ve hired so far.

89 - number of koreans i’ve interviewed for the camps.

38 - days until the 1^st of those camps begin.

72 - days until all camps end.

74 - days until my next trip home.

75 - days until my present visa expires.

83 – days until my present contract expires.

82 – days until my birthday.

19 - number of people working in the ck office these days.

12 – number of those 19 who are women (63%... i’ll take that percentage anyday).

248 - number of pictures in the ‘livin’ with seoul’ photo album.

11 - days until ‘lords of the bow’ arrives, the next novel in the conqueror series of novels by conn iggulden based on the life & times of genghis khan. no bookshop in seoul had it so i had no choice but 2 order it... & wait. tick tock.

7 - days until hans arrives back in korea for what will no doubt be 4 days of nothing less than debauchery.

9 - days until the 1^st lions test in south africa.

47 - days until my 2^nd wedding anniversary.

41 - days before my sister arrives in korea. yep, camp will be a family affair this summer.

9 - days until the next payday.

26 - days since my last hard drive crash, meaning another one is probably due any day now.

2 – number of defective hard drives sitting on the desk beside me waiting 2 be returned under warranty.

9 – age, in months, of the oldest of those 2 hard drives.

570 – size, in gigabites, of those 2 hard drives combined.

6 – mosquito bites i woke up with a few days ago. summer is definitely here.

26 – temperature, in degrees celsius, in seoul right now.

8 – temperature, in degrees celsius, in dublin right now.

‘livin’ with seoul’ video

check this out. i discovered this a little over a week ago & it had a few hundred hits; it now has almost 1,500,000 (& no doubt more by the time you view it). if you don’t like this you don’t like music.

what I’m listening 2 right now

the waterboys, a bang on the ear

77 days later

2009-06-09T20:03:00.007+09:00

it has been 77 days since my last blog entry, the crafting of which I’ve no doubt is 2 blame for the subsequent end of my then blissful, reposeful existence, & the reason why i haven’t been able 2 create a single blog entry since. well my 77-day, self-induced blogging jinx is over, & i’m back. that’s not 2 say the reasons it – my blog – has been kept quiet for the past 11 weeks won’t also be the same reasons that keep it quiet for another 11 weeks; they very well could, but here’s hoping they don’t (‘they’ can roughly be encompassed as time sapping, work related duties, so numerous in quantity that there is no way i could ever again claim, as i foolishly did 77 days ago, 2 be an ‘expensive luxury’). anyway, regardless of how many days have passed since my last entry the irrefutable fact is that i’m still here. yep, i’m still living, working &, most importantly, playing with seoul. except these days something’s are a little different. while i’ve gone from having seemingly nothing 2 do 2 having everything 2 do, the temperatures have increased such that i’ve gone from turning the heating off 2 turning the air-conditioning on (the mosquitoes aren’t here yet but they are on the way). i’ve also gone from being illegal 2 be very much legal (thanks 2 a recent 2-day hop, skip & a jump over 2 japan 2 resolve visa issues), & i’ve gone from sharing my apartment with bill 2 sharing it with nobody. what else? well, in what seems 2 be the revolving door that is ck, 4 people have left, 5 have come on board & 2 have gotten married, i’ve come closer to get unmarried (i prefer that word 2 ‘divorced’), an ex-korean president decided 2 kill himself, the 1^st camp of the summer started, i spent 24 hours in a van being transported 400km for 8 hours of drinking, susan boyle - you know her, right? - became an international superstar (even in korea), swine flu has done the rounds, i’ve got through 2 books (1 of them the best book i've ever read), & i’ve sampled luxury, korean style.

of course some things haven’t changed. bran & mel (& a few other oft-thirsty socialites) are still here (although not troopa) meaning i’m still guilty of having 2 good a time, i still haven’t joined a gym (although i have played squash just long enough 2 remind me how much i love it, & how much i miss playing sports), everyone in the ck office, even a few nameless newbie’s, still unashamedly fuss over me, my laptop hard drives still continue 2 fail (2 in the last 2 months alone, taking as many months worth of pictures & work with them), economies around the world are still in a shambles (that said the south korean one seems 2 be bucking the trend), korean girls on the street are still smoking hot (& getting hotter as the days do the same), & the north koreans are still pissing everyone in the region off (but realistically not scaring anyone).

so there you have it. the last 77 days of in a preverbal nutshell. 77 days from now is august 24^th, the day I take my latest flight home. here’s hoping i get 2 say hello before that, or @ least get 2 explain why i’ve been ignoring my blog.

an expensive luxury

2009-03-24T11:45:00.023+09:00

i'm just creating this entry 2 give me something 2 do... cos i’m pretty bored today, now that i’ve finished watching, reading & listening 2 every bit of post-match analysis of ireland’s oh so grand grand slam win that i could find on the net (a big go raibh maith agat - that's irish for thank you, if you don't mind - 2 rte). i probably shouldn’t be admitting that i'm bored, much less writing about it, especially seen as i’m in work & seen as i do have 'stuff' 2 do. 'stuff' roughly translates 2 maybe an hours work - okay maybe 2 hours - with a deadline of the end of the month 2 get it done by. even me, the procrastinator extraordinaire that i am, is gonna have difficulties stretching 2 hours of work out over 5 days. i suppose i’ll continue 2 pass the days by drinking coffee, sitting on fb, listening 2 the albums i’m downloading, taking extended lunch breaks, & sauntering around the office having jovial banter with the koreans, the same koreans who aren’t fooling me by pretending 2 be busy. yep, 2 months after the end of one camp, & 4 months before the start of the next, it’s a quiet time for all – not just me - in mellowville, a.k.a. the ck office. i guess @ the moment i’m just getting paid 2 be here... getting paid just 2 be a western presence in the office, an expensive luxury in a time of economic crisis (yes, they are suffering over here 2... go out & buy a few samsung tv's or hyundai cars please). i’m here 2 be a human thesaurus... i'm here in case someone wants 2 know what this word is & that word means... & i'm here in case someone needs a document 2 be checked for grammatical errors . i’m also here just in case, as happened last week, it is desirable 2 have a western face in some official photograph... & finally, i’m here in case the koreans get curious as 2 what a westerners opinion is on some pressing korean issue (will there be a war?... do i think the koreans will win the wbc? etc). yep, these days i'm just your regular johnny-on-the-spot, go-2 ck westerner... & that's fine with me.

right, speaking of the wbc, the game starts in an hour. best get the feed 2 my desktop sorted. nothing else 2 do. not today anyway. comon' korea!

** upade, 4 hours later - they lost. so, no beers tonight then i guess. myself & the rest of the korean males in the office have just spent most of the afternoon huddled around a computer monitor watching the game. the boys are still grumbling & cursing the damn japanese. nothing new there. **

‘livin' with seoul’ laugh

i like this, an actual question given on a university of washington chemistry mid-term. the answer by one student was so 'profound' that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which, of course, meant he shared it with the world.

*bonus question: is hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?*

most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using boyle's law (gas cools when it expands & heats when it’s compressed) or some variant. one student, however, wrote the following, for which he received a well deserved a+.

first, we need 2 know how the mass of hell is changing in time. so we need 2 know the rate @ which souls are moving into hell & the rate @ which they are leaving. i think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets 2 hell, it will not leave. therefore, no souls are leaving. as for how many souls are entering hell, let's look @ the different religions that exist in the world today.

most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go 2 hell. since there is more than one of these religions & since people do not belong 2 more than one religion, we can project that all souls go 2 hell. with birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in hell 2 increase exponentially.

now, we look @ the rate of change of the volume in hell because boyle's law states that in order for the temperature & pressure in hell 2 stay the same, the volume of hell has 2 expand proportionately as souls are added.

this gives 2 possibilities:

1. if hell is expanding @ a slower rate than the rate @ which souls enter hell, then the temperature & pressure in hell will increase until all hell breaks loose.

2. if hell is expanding @ a rate faster than the increase of souls in hell, then the temperature & pressure will drop until hell freezes over.

so which is it?

if we accept the postulate given 2 me by teresa during my freshman year that, "it will be a cold day in hell before i sleep with you," & take into account the fact that i slept with her last night, then number 2 must be true, & thus i am sure that hell is exothermic & has already frozen over. the corollary of this theory is that since hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls & is therefore extinct...leaving only heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, teresa kept shouting 'oh my god!'

‘livin’ with seoul’ overreaction video

a lady misses her flight @ hong kong airport... & she’s gets a tad upset.

what i’m listening 2 right now

the fratellis, old black ‘n’ blue eyes

worth the wait

2009-03-22T16:19:00.036+09:00

not much 2 say today. i have a hangover... & for good reason. regardless, i just wanna pay homage 2 the irish rugby team. so often the nearly men... but not this year. it was a good week 2 be irish. relive the magic here & here. slainte.

worth the wait

poc. lions captain?

sláinte

rog & bod

in bod we trust

this makes for good reading.... but not as good as this.

from the 'livin' with seoul' photo album

ireland's biggest rugby fans

& finally, the celebrations @ the wolfhound.

"knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad."

- bod, giving his opinion on england manager, martin johnson, ahead of the ireland england game. feb 2009.

spring?

2009-03-19T16:07:00.023+09:00

according 2 lifeinkorea.com ‘korea has four distinct seasons’. distinct, meaning ‘not alike; different in nature or quality.’ well, you could have fooled me. this year korea seems 2 have gone straight from winter 2 summer, bypassing spring altogether. it’s 15 degrees today & it was 18 on tuesday (paddies day). you can put that into context when you consider it was -2 last sunday. 18 degrees people... that’s a good irish summers day right there. with a week of those temperatures @ home in july or august we’d have dermatologists warning of the dangers of skin cancer, the environmentalists harping on about the scourge that is global warming, & the authorities screaming of water shortages (on a small island surrounded by the stuff). maybe korea this year did actually have a spring, a 2 week spring that i missed when i was @ home hearing all about the recession. or maybe this is a korean spring (for all the time i’ve spent here i’ve never actually been in korea for the months march through june), one that just happens 2 remind me of an irish summer. whatever it is i’m lovin’ it – summer smells (melting tar on the roads, cooking smells, body odour on the crammed busses, & sewer blowback, something the warmer air exposes in most overdeveloped asian cities) are wafting in the air, the ladies are wearing less, outdoor patios are getting busy & generally everyone seems in a more upbeat mood... with more of a spring in their step, if you’ll pardon the lame-ass pun. last night, for the first time since i got here last october, i even turned off the heating in my apartment, the same heating-challenged apartment that, with its rooftop terrace, is clearly a place that was built for the summer, not winter... & certaintly not a korean one. aggh yes, something tells me this summer could be even better than last years.

'livin’ with seoul’ paddies day wrap

so paddies day in seoul (march 14th) was unique, just like i knew it would be. from a sober beginning 2 a forgotten end it went something like this.

i spent the afternoon in a park full of plastic paddies (“yeah, my great, great, great grandmothers best friends second cousin was from somewhere like gall-way... or kill-kenny.. or somewhere... somewhere in, you know, in eye-er-land... where is that anyway?... is it near like, texas? .. & do you guys have, like, real pet leprechauns?”) drinking a combination of free guinness (from a can & poured into small plastic glasses) & shit korean beer (from cans & paper cups) in the company of an aussie (mel) & an american (bran), watching koreans in o’neills jerseys knocking a sliotar about & listening 2 a korean quartette playing traditional irish music. all this was mc’ed by a guy who, although he spoke fluent korean, did so in an irish accent thick enough 2 cut turf. only i was sober, @ that stage, i wouldn’t have beleieved what i was seeing/hearing.

the evenings festivities in seoul’s newest irish bar, the dublin terrace, followed a more familiar, less surreal, course. the fact that the festivites kicked off/resumed @ 8pm & included access 2 unlimited pints of guinness (& unfortunately more plastic paddies) meant that no, i didn’t get 2 see the ireland scotland rugby game later that night (that was wishful thinking from the sober outset).

paddies day wraped up on tuesday evening, the real paddies day, with a few quite beers (it was a work night you see) with uno & bran in the wolfhound irish bar where the same trad quartette from saturday (plus a few guests) made an encore appearance 2 add a touch of ‘authenticity’ 2 the night (the wolfhound is where i’ll find myself @ 2:30am seoul time this coming sunday morning 2 see ireland win the grand slam... comon’ ireland).

check out the pics from paddies day in seoul here (if you’ve seen these pics before it’s cos mel pilfered them on me & published them 2 her fb profile). & i’ll end with a challenge... check out the video below of the wolfhound on paddies night & try 2 convince yourself i wasn’t in doolin instead. good luck... & then learn the meaning of the word sarcasm.

‘livin’ with seoul’ war watch

the north koreans have set a date for the launch of their missil... sorry, communications satellite. armageddon here we come. the daily war siren drills i can hear from the office haven’t started 2 worry me just yet, but only cos it doesn’t seem 2 bother the koreans i share the office with either... & plus i’m still of the impression that this is still largely theater.

what i’m listening 2 right now

keane, a bad dream

lá fhéile pádraig. slainte!

2009-03-14T09:39:00.007+09:00

happy paddies day!

i hinted a while back that i wanted 2 be in seoul for this most irish of days & here i am. yes, i know it’s only march 14th & yes i know, of course, that paddies day is march 17th. but, & here’s the catch, march 17th is a tuesday &, while it should be, that date is not as yet a public holiday in korea, meaning people will be working on the real paddies day, me included (blasphemy, i know). so the powers that be have organised paddies day celebrations for today, a saturday, instead. hey, that’s okay with me because what it means is that everybody, although mainly the numrous plastic paddies i’m bound 2 want 2 throw a pint of guinness over @ some stage today, gets the oppertunity 2 pretend 2 be irish for the day... & the rest of us, the real irish, get the chance 2 do it all again tuesday evening when it really counts. so what exactly is on tap for today? well, things kickoff later this afternoon with a ‘traditional irish concert & fair’ which will, of course, include a paddies day parade (how ‘traditional’ it’ll be remains 2 be seen). the festivities then move 2 a bar – irish, of course – where a ‘hooley’ is planned. it’s billed as a celebration of all things irish with the help of ‘live bands, caleigh dancers, pipers, guinness & a whole lot of craic’ (god i hate that word). i’ll be hoping 2 stay sober enough 2 watch (read remember) the ireland scotland rugby game later tonight (2am kickoff)... but i’m not liking my chances.

so there you have it, improvised paddies day in seoul. it could be one of the best ever... or it could be as bad as last years paddies day. my guess is it’ll rest somewhere in between.

right, i’m off 2 find some shamrock... & 2 work on my irish accent.

slainte!

'livin' with seoul' leprechaun watch

this is one of the funniest videos i’ve seen in ages. & just in case you’re wondering, from what i can discern this is real (which is why it’s so funny). oh, & some of the comments posted about it are damn funny 2. slainte!

another mildly humorous video is this one i’m gonna call ‘potatoes.’ aggh yes, us irish are champions @ takin’ the piss out of ourselves. slainte!

5 things... i knew.

here's an article that clains 2 inform the reader 5 things about ireland that they didn't already know (now there's an assumption). i like how they reference south korea (kind of appropriate) & how they tweak the stats 2 protray us as an island of beer guzzling alcoholics (personally i never touch the stuff). oh, & with rising unemployment & an ecomomy about as healthy as a leper with heart disease i doubt very much if we're sitting atop of any 'highest quality of life' tables. but hey, on today of all days who cares? slainte!

my pad

2009-03-12T14:13:00.014+09:00

so i was planning on, @ some stage, uploading video 2 this blog showing my apartment (i’ve already uploaded a few piss-poor pictures). i guess if i’m being honest the reasons i haven’t done so yet is because 1) i don’t like the sound of my own voice (& nobody, save for those acoustically challenged, likes a mute video), & 2) i really couldn’t be bothered. but that’s fine, because now i don’t need 2. why? well, a few years ago, right about the time i started the ball rolling on my divorce - by getting married - someone else working for ck lived in the very same apartment. yep, & while doing so decided 2 do me a favour by posting 2 video clips of the apartment, my pad thank you very much, 2 youtube. steven was his name, he was/is an aussie & by all accounts he sounds like a nice chap... & that’s why i don’t mind the fact that he stayed in my room. anyway, check out the videos below. take it away steven....

video 1 - inside

video 2 - outside

living vicariously through me yet? yes, no. anyway, u can check out the comments people have bothered 2 leave on the youtube website regarding the first of the videos here & if you want 2 read of steven’s time in korea as a ck school english teacher then you can do so here (this is where i actually found the videos originally, not on youtube). btw, the ck school steven worked @ back then, engko, has since moved & changed its name 2 jess island... & i’ve shown you that before here, here (you remember santa, right?) &, most recently, here.

same same but different

2009-03-11T11:28:00.033+09:00

ok, time 2 get this show back on the road. my absence has been inexcusable, so i won’t offer up any. suffice 2 say a lot has happened in the... counting days on the calandar ... in the 48 days since my last real entry - camp ended... i went back 2 work in the ck office... i procrastinated for as long as i possibly could before eventually deciding not 2 come back 2 korea (only 2 change my mind mere hours before getting on the plane 2 leave)... i spent 2 & a bit weeks @ home not catching up with as many people as i would have liked 2 & counting myself lucky i had a job @ all (albeit one in korea)... & i have spent the last 12 days back in seoul, starting this - whatever 'this' is - all over again. yes i’m back ‘livin’ with seoul’... part ii, if you like. it is, 2 coin a well know tinglish phrase, the 'same same but different.'

'livin’ with seoul, part ii’ by the numbers

12 - days i’ve been back.

175 - days until my present contract ends (september 2nd).

177 - days until my next trip home (september 4th).

100 - days until the next camp begins (july 19th). yep, yet another camp.

6 - days until paddies day.

3 – days until seoul celebrates paddies day.

10 – days until ireland wins their first grand slam since 1948 (& only their 2nd ever). the table, as of now, makes for pleasant reading. comon' ireland!

6 – months worth of supplies i brought with me from home (toothpaste, multivitimins, deodorant... but inexplicably no tea).

24 - time, in hours, that the south korean army reserves (which includes pretty much every korean male i know under the age of 40) have 2 assemble for battle in the event of the north ever attacking. it could be all over by then guys. whoops.

66 - distance, in kilometers, the 1.1 million battle-ready north korean soldiers are from my apartment in seoul (that's how far away/close the north korean border is).

600,000 - the number of troops the combined armies of south korea & the u.s. could, @ a push, pit against the aforementioned 1.1 million crazed north koreans.

‘livin’ with seoul’ war watch

yep, those last 3 points above are real. but it's okay, cos the north koreans haven’t attacked yet. which is good... obviously. i personally think, for what it’s worth, that they are all balls & no trousers. i was asked by ken, uno & bill one night last week what i would do if war broke out.

“ohh, i dunno guys. haven’t really thought about it,” i replied.

i guess they have.

‘livin’ with seoul’ photo album

i was told when i was home that there are, get this, 2 many pictures of drunken revelry in the ‘livin’ with seoul’ photo album. umm. with that in mind i’ll be trying 2 post more ... more... struggling for a word here... more ‘suitable’ pictures.... pictures of culture, pictures in daylight, & pictures of actual koreans not named uno, bill or ken. but bear with me, ok. it could be a struggle. just a heads up.

‘livin’ with seoul’ paddies day primer

the objective of this website is cool, but i especially like how they - yanks, i'm assuming - recognise paddies day for exactly what it is - the ‘greatest holiday of the year.’

‘livin’ with seoul’ laugh

as a sure sign of the times, let me present noah’s ark, the 2009 edition.

in the year of our lord 2009, the man himself came unto noah, who was now living in the united states, & said:

'once again, the earth has become wicked and over-populated, & i see the end of all flesh before me. build another ark & save 2 of every living thing along with a few good humans.'

he gave noah the blueprints, saying:

'you have 6 months 2 build the ark before I will start the unending rain for 40 days & 40 nights.'

6 months later, the lord looked down & saw noah weeping in his yard... but no ark.

'noah!' he roared, 'i'm about 2 start the rain! where is the ark?'

'forgive me, oh lord’, begged noah, 'but things have changed!

'i needed a building permit. i've been arguing with the inspectors about it for months. my neighbours claim that i've violated the neighbourhood zoning laws by building the ark in my yard & exceeding the height limitations. we had 2 go 2 the development appeal board for a decision. it’s pending.

then the department of transportation demanded a bond be posted for the future costs of moving power lines & other overhead obstructions... you know, 2 clear the passage for the ark's move 2 the sea. i told them that the sea would be coming 2 us, but they would hear nothing of it!

getting the wood was another problem! there's a ban on cutting local trees in order 2 save the spotted owl. i tried 2 convince the environmentalists that i needed the wood 2 save the owls - but no go.

& when i started gathering the animals, an animal rights group sued me. they insisted that i was confining wild animals against their will. they argued the accommodations were 2 restrictive, & it was cruel & inhumane 2 put so many animals in a confined space.

then the epa ruled that i couldn't build the ark until they'd conducted an environmental impact study on your proposed flood!

i'm still trying 2 resolve a complaint with the human rights commission on how many minorities I'm supposed 2 hire for my building crew. immigration & naturalization are checking the green-card status of most of the people who want 2 work.... & the trades unions say I can't use my sons! they insist i have 2 hire only union workers with ark-building experience!

& 2 cap it all, the irs seized all my assets, claiming i'm trying 2 leave the country illegally with endangered species!

so, please forgive me, oh lord, but it would take @ least 10 years for me 2 finish this ark’.

suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began 2 shine, & a rainbow stretched across the sky.

noah looked up in wonder & asked,

'you mean you're not going 2 destroy the world?'

'no,' said the lord.

'the government beat me 2 it!'

‘livin’ with seoul’ wtf? video

this video of bricklayers in bangladesh, apart from being cool, shows one of the reasons why i love asia. things just get done, regardless of resources. no unions here screaming blue murder. in saying that however i still wouldn’t like 2 call a place like bangladesh home. i doubt paddies day is a holiday there.

'livin' with seoul' look back in time

this day last year i was high as a kite (not really)... & was lovin' it (really).

what i’m listening 2 right now

creature, who’s hot who’s not

a filler

2009-02-14T03:08:00.010+09:00

so sorry i've neglected my blog recently... i'll be back soon... back here & back in seoul. i have kept the blog album ticking over however. enjoy.

ps: i'm only posting this cos so many people have expressed dissatisfaction @ my absence. honest. it's tough being loved. honest. oh, & happy valentines day everyone. dave loves you all... but some more than others. you know who you are. xo

celebrate, this party's over

2009-01-21T16:11:00.010+09:00

i’m outta here tomorrow. yep, & it can’t come soon enough. but you know that already. my desire 2 leave here is not solely because i’ve had it with camp, which, of course, i have, but also because i’m looking forward 2 getting back 2 the somewhat normality of seoul, namely my apartment & the strangely addictive life of a seoulite. i’m saying goodbye 2 jochiwon today because tomorrow i won’t be able 2. why? well, i’m assuming i’ll be 2 busy 2 do so... busy with the formalities of the 3rd, & final, ck closing day (“bye bye students”)... busy packing... busy sitting on the bus back into seoul... busy proclaiming i’ll never do it again... & busy settling back into my apartment. & beyond tomorrow i’ve also plans 2 be busy. busy drinking... drinking 2 the end of camp... drinking 2 having 5 days off (maybe more)... drinking 2 the chinese new year... drinking 2 australia day (hey, any excuse)... & drinking 2 drinking. the days in seoul after a camp are always a blurry affair, & this time will be no different. there’s just 2 much 2 celebrate.

a few things i will miss about this camp

being served 3 meals a day... or 2 if, like me, you’re never up early enough for breakfast.

10,000 won (€5.50) 3-litre pitchers of beer in city pop.

city pop. it's no prada but it's a fine replacement.

the banter with the university cafeteria chef who, although not having a word of english, is a legend.

the good teachers. yes, there were some... thank god.

the on-site gym. so i didn’t utilise it very often (5 times over the 4 weeks i estimate) but @ least it was there.

the part-time/hired-only-for-camp korean staff members, especially the cute females, who venerated me. i interviewed them all months ago & they still, even after working & joking around with them for a month, treat me like a pop star. so what, i like the attention. you would 2. trust me.

not spending money. camp life limits your spending, something seoul takes 2 extremes.

being answerable 2 no one & being able 2 do what i want 2 do, when i want 2 do it. okay, so there is a korean here, ozi, higher up in the pecking order than me but she wouldn’t dream of ordering me around. not because i’m liable 2 react in an undesired way 2 orders or anything like that... it’s just that i know what 2 do & when 2 do it... & the koreans know that & so leave me 2 it.

a few of the things i won’t miss about this camp

the questions. oh my... the questions.

wonder girls, big bang, abba, lemon tree, cartoon heroes... if i hear any one of these bands/songs while i’m celebrating the end of camp over the coming days i’ll probably react in a very violent way.

having the urge 2 strangle fellow human beings who, @ first glance, appeared capable of doing their job sufficiently... but failed miserably. sufficiency... that’s all i ask... not proficiency.

the 3-4 meetings i attended each & every day 2 remind me of stuff i already knew.

having 2 rely on koreans 2 do their shit so i can do mine. it is, always has, & always will be, the biggest frustration of camp (unless, of course, i could get rid of the koreans... now there’s an idea).

receiving dozens of e-mails a day, the majority of them in korean.

the cold. i’ve a high tolerance of the cold but i’d take a summer camp over a winter camp every time. teachers are generally in a better mood in the heat of a korean summer, meaning they don’t complain as much.

old teachers. every camp has them. this camp, unfortunately, had more than most. okay, call me ageist... i don’t care. but i’ve done enough camps now 2 know that it’s a young man’s, or women’s, game. if you have kids old enough 2 teach @ ck then please don’t apply 2 teach yourself (& if you do come please don't complain so much).

the photocopiers that were unable 2 produce 3 copies without jamming. okay, maybe 4.

the printers that wouldn't print.

the teachers who hovered around said printers/photocopiers & who turned 2 me as if i was some sort of printer/photocopier engineer. i can’t believe i got though camp without shrugging my shoulders & saying something along the lines of “well, what do you want me 2 do?”... especially considering how often i was tempted 2 do just that.

the 12 midnight curfew.

chairing early morning meetings with my teachers the morning after we dodged said curfew.

mc’ing in a hall of 200+ koreans. i do it a lot... & i’m well used 2 it. but i still hate it... & i gotta do it 4 more times before i leave here in 24 hours... “students... are you ready?!”

correcting reports. i’m paid 2, amongst other things, proofread reports writen by qualified teachers... ‘cept reading them you’d never think they were qualified teachers.

counting down the days until the end of camp.

‘livin’ with seoul’ inauguration watch

okay... no more about camp. i couldn’t file a entry today without mentioning the us presidential inauguration. there’s a lot expected of this obama chap, with some expecting him 2 do nothing less than change the world itself. whether he does or not remains 2 be seen. i’m just a tad upset that poor auld unemployed george ‘dubya’ won’t be prominent in the public eye anymore... because it probably means that 8 solid years of ‘bushisms’ has come 2 an end. aggh yes, say what you want about him but he was always good for a laugh.

& you can read the best 'bushisms', according to the bbc, here... oh, & check out this video of the man of the moment, obama, claiming he has been 2 no less than 57 states. how’s that now? say noting, but maybe we’ll get a few 'obamaisms' over the coming years.

‘livin’ with seoul’ funny label/sign watch

'Exfeel-s - The Stylish Beer with Fibre. Smooth and light premium beer exclusively designed for well-being of young generation'

– exfeel-s beer label

what i’m listening 2 right now

an emotional fish, celebrate

2 & a half days

2009-01-19T20:01:00.009+09:00

i’m on self-imposed easy street... & it’s about time. i’ve done practically nothing today (or for the last 2 days come 2 think of it) ‘cept walk around all boss like ‘monitoring’ as my remaining/week 4 teachers welcomed some 90 new students 2 camp, students who will barely be here before they have 2 go home again. & i intend 2 do even less between now & thursday afternoon, when camp finally ends... & those aforementioned students do actually go home. most of the teachers, whose antics over the past 3 weeks made this the testing camp it was, left over the weekend & from now until thursday i have a grand total of 15 teachers 2... 2, emm, well ‘monitor.’ not that i intend 2 do much monitoring of course. nope, i’ve just about had it with this camp. 2 lines... don’t care. sticking 2 the schedule... what schedule? shitty presentations ... bring them on. yep... i don’t care anymore... & i only have 2 not care for another 2 & a half days. needless 2 say i won’t be as relieved 2 leave ck this winter as i was this time last year, but i’ll be relieved nonetheless. so, not caring for another 2 & a half days. if that’s all i gotta do between now & thursday then i should be okay. watch out seoul after that.

'livin' with seoul' photo album

'livin’ with seoul’ by the numbers – an update

81 - days i’ve been 'livin' with seoul.'

22 - days since camp began.

2.5 - days until camp ends.

21 - days until i go home (monday february 9th).

15 - days until my contract ends (tuesday february 3rd).

5 - days until the chinese/lunar new year holiday begins (saturday the 24th). it’s a big deal over here & i should be sufficienlty removed from camp by the time it begins, & not 2 mention in good company, 2 do it justice.

9 – days until i return 2 work in the ck office (wednesday the 28th). that'll be weird.

5 – days work i have left in the ck office, assuming i don’t extend my contract. i've still 2 decide.

1 - days until ck payday. i’ll probably have 2 remind someone – a korean in the ck office – that i’m 2 get paid like all the rest of the koreans. they seem 2 have forgotten last time.

23 – number of teachers who left over the weekend, either side of saturday’s farewell party.

15 – teachers left here until thursday.

28 - business cards i’ve gotten rid of in the past week. i still have way 2 many of them.

4 - nights i've missed curfew this camp. the fact that i can remember all those nights is an indication as 2 how ‘quiet’ a camp it was.

10,000 – price, in korean won, of a 3-litre pitcher of beer in the new ck local, city pop, (about €5.50). yep, €5.50 for 3 litres of beer. ck – alcoholics need not/should not apply.

3 – hours i slept during the afternoon today when i was supposed 2 be working. i’m exhausted.

96 – friends i now have on fb.

‘livin’ with seoul’ ck idol

as if camp wasn’t bad enough, i had 2 stand through 18 ck idol song/dance performances the other day. it bordered on torturous... but @ least it reminded me of this... & that has 2 be a good thing, right?

& check out this delusional eminem wannabe. classic stuff.

what i'm listening 2 right now

stereophonics, traffic

it's my blog & i'll moan if i want 2

2009-01-13T17:29:00.019+09:00

it’s day 2, week 3 of ck, part vii... & i haven’t really much 2 say. well, i haven't really many positive things 2 say. things haven’t changed all that much since i last reported – okay so i might just have hinted - on how a lot of my teachers (but thankfully not all of them) don’t seem 2 know their arse from their elbow... what 2 lines are... how 2 read a clock... manage less than a dozen korean kids... stick 2 straightforward schedules... pass me without the need 2 ask a question... & where they left their common sense (i’m being kind 2 them by assuming they had it @ some stage previous 2 coming 2 kool-rea). & no, i’m not being over critical. remember, i haven’t always been the boss. nope, i 2 have been a ck teacher... 4 times before... so i know better than most how easy a gig being a ck teacher is. but not even that helps me understand how seemingly mature adults – the majority of them with vast amounts of teaching experience – struggle with a ck stint. i guess i shouldn’t complain 2 much. i mean, it could be worse... every teacher could be a retard, not just most of them.

'livin’ with seoul’ by the numbers – an update

75 - days i’ve been 'livin' with seoul.'

9 - days until camp ends.

0 – days off i’ll have in those 9 days.

5 – days i will have off after those 9 days.

27 - days until i go home.

7– days since i rejected my first contract extension offer.

4 – days since a renewed contract offer was put 2 me. i still have a decision 2 make.

2 – amount of times i’ve been 2 the onsite gym.

27 – hours i had away from ck this past wekeend.

8 – amount of times since camp began, i estimate, that one of my teachers as made a comment along the lines of “i dunno how you do this job.” yeah, i sometimes wonder 2.

75 – a rough approximation of the amount of questions i get asked on a daily basis. for the purposes of this blog i’ve actually tried 2 keep a tally of the figure... as if i don't already have enough 2 do.

80 – another rough approximation, in percentage, of those 75 questions that i would have answered previously.

5 - another rough approximation, again in percentage, of those 75 questions that are actually good/sensible questions.

70 – number of pictures presently in the ‘livin' with seoul’ photo album.

34 – number of those 70 pictures taken in a bar, outside a bar or are in some way alcohol related.

25 - minutes i've spent so far working on this entry in my room... hiding away from my teachers, & their questions.

14 - entries so far in this ’livin’ with seoul’ blog.

2 – days it has snowed this week.

-4 - temperature, in degrees celsius, in seoul right now (5:30pm on tuesday).

3 - temperature, in degrees celsius, in dublin right now (8:30am on tuesday)

'livin’ with seoul’ revelations

i’m not sure what it is about today in particular but people, including a few koreans, have made a few comments about me... & koreans being koreans means they are far from shy about sharing their revelations with me. this is what i’ve heard or been told today alone (not all comments pertain 2 me... it may be my blog but i'm still not that egocentric) –

that i’m handsome... by a korean. well of course.

that i’ve lost weight... by a teacher. well of course... it’s ck... losing weight is par for the course.

that i look like bruce willis... by a korean. THE bruce willis? i’ve heard kiefer sutherland a few times before alright but bruce willis! wtf?

that i look busy... by a teacher who approched me 2 ask a dumbass question. i guess i didn't look busy enough because she still asked me the god damn question.

that i need a haircut... by a korean. very true.

that materials haven’t arrived yet... by moaning teachers. “i know guys... i’ve ordered them but... well, it’s them koreans... tut tut.” i always blame the koreans... bless them.

that i’m a "free spirit"... by a teacher, the most recent one 2 utter the “i dunno how you do this job” comment.

that everyone is going out tonight for beers... by numerous thirsty teachers. fuck yeah... me 2.

‘livin’ with seoul’ beer advertisment watch

speaking of beer – which i tend 2 do a lot - check out the new heineken add below. if only the beer itself was as good as the adds.

& this amstel add is just as good, maybe even better.

‘livin’ with seoul’ yank ribbing

the video below isn’t a joke. honest. it can be explained solely by the fact that this guy is american... & if you're terminally bored you can find him on “them internets” here.

what i’m listenting 2 right now

mercury rev , opus 40

c-ck

2009-01-09T22:09:00.012+09:00

i can’t wait, although i’m gonna have 2, for tomorrow. you see tomorrow is saturday – the 2nd saturday of camp - meaning i get 2 ‘escape’ c-ck (concentration-camp korea) for a night. one night. it’s not much, but i’ll take it. this camp already feels long, even though it’s only 2 weeks old. i’m not quite sure exactly why this is proving 2 be a hard camp, although i could hazard a guess... a few guesses even... guesses i won’t elaborate on here for fear of this entry turning into one big bitch & moan. instead, if you don’t mind, i’ll just reiterate how i’m looking forward 2 getting back 2 seoul tomorrow, back 2 the familiarity & comfort of my ice-box apartment (galaxies are formed quicker than it takes the ondol under floor heating in my room 2 warm up) & away from all things ck. before that however i gotta look & act all professional in front of ck students & parents, the same parents who are coming here tomorrow 2 remove the same students from camp. with a bit of luck they’ll take all the first 2 week hassles, frustrations & complaints with them... but i’m suspecting that’s way 2 much 2 hope for.

‘livin’ with seoul’ counter offer

so the boss offered 2 extend my contract the other day. yep, for some reason he sees me as an asset 2 ck. honest. he said so himself. anyway i said no. that was on tuesday. today is friday, the day he hit me with a more tempting offer. yep, it’s tempting alright... & now i’ve another decision 2 make. watch this space.

'livin' with seoul' yank ribbing

it has been a while, 2 long actually, since i ribbed the yanks. so without any further adieu... oh, & if you’re wondering how i know the dumb ass making this 911 call is a yank.... well, it has 2 be. no other race is this stupid.

http://view.break.com/574603

‘livin’ with seoul’ funny label/sign watch

‘our handmade sandwiches are kept delicious with daily freshness delivery’

- buy the way sandwiches

oh, & check out the blog album below for another ‘unfortunate’ korean signage spelling mistake. that would be 'coke' guys.

‘livin with seoul’ gay ref watch

i love this video. if this isn’t the gayest ref in the world then i’m the pope. amen.

what i’m listenting 2 right now

michael learns to rock , 25 minutes

busy being busy

2009-01-06T13:57:00.015+09:00

a belated happy new year 2 you all. if i wasn’t so busy being busy over the past 2 weeks then i suspect i might have gotten around 2 wishing you all a happy new year sooner. but i have been busy being busy. very busy. i’m always busy @ ck but for some reason this time around i’m especially busy (okay, that’s 7 times i’ve used the word busy – there’s 8 – already in this entry). the last 12 days have been spent drinking 2 the birth, some 2009 years & a bit ago, of one jc ... preaching all jc like 2 my small army of teachers about where 2 be, when 2 be there & what 2 do once there... drinking 2 excess, especially on new year’s eve (but only cos the gregorian calendar says 2 do so)... answering a silly amount of questions on a daily basis (the majority of them of the common sense kind)... advising ‘real’ teachers, some of them 30+ years my senior, how 2 teach obedient korean children... dealing with sick/retarded/inept teachers/koreans, piss-poor communication, disorganisation & the failure of certain people, koreans & westerners alike, 2 follow the schedules i’ve spent the previous weeks & months drafting. this is my third (pronounced ‘turd’) ck being ‘the boss’ & while my teaching staff may be different each time there are some things about a ck camp that i suspect will never change – for as long as i do this i’ll always wonder why the koreans, with years of experience doing this gig, always seem content with reinventing the wheel camp after camp... & spending the 4 weeks of camp seemingly making it up as they go along, day by day. not that any of that really bothers me all that much, regardless of how much i may bitch & moan about it. i learnt a long time ago 2 just roll with ck, whatever your position may be & whatever that position throws @ you. so i'm treating this latest ck experience like i have done all the others - with a fair degree of laid-backness (i love inventing words)... & a fair degree of alcohol. all of which probably explains why this is my turd ck as boss... & my 7th overall. that said however, i'm still thinking that i should be tired of it all by now.

'livin’ with seoul’ by the numbers – an update

68 - days i’ve been 'livin' with seoul.'

9 - days ago camp began.

19 - days until camp ends.

34 - days until i go home.

1 – day since i was offered a contract extension. i’ve a decision 2 make.

2 – days i’ve been single.

3 – days until the weekend.

3 – days i had off over christmas.

1 – number of kindergarten students i made cry as bad santa on christmas eve.

190,000 – amount, in korean won, i spent on christmas goodies (crisps, beer, wine, crackers etc) on christmas eve (about €110).

3 – christmas cards i received from home. those who sent them... you know who you are... thanks.

80 – number of lyons teabags i received on christmas day... thanks 2 the floodgates.

0 – number of toasters i owned when i woke up on december 24th.

2 – number of toasters i owned when i woke up on december 25th. i bought myself a toaster... hours before i received another one as a present. wtf.

1 – amount of times i’ve been paid.

5,850,000 – amount, in korean won, of my first pay (about €3,250).

7 – number of business cards i’ve gotten rid of. they’ll find a cure for cancer before i get rid of them all.

6 – days i went last week without a beer (christmas day until new years eve).

5 – consecutive days i drank thereafter. had some catching up 2 do.

3440 – my room number in camp.

34 – number of teachers i get 2 boss around on a daily basis.

2 – number of those 34 that i’ve wanted 2 stab in the eye with a blunt instrument (a chopstick maybe) over the past 9 days.

0 – amount of times i’ve been 2 the onsite gym. busy being busy.

-1 - temperature, in degrees celsius, in seoul right now. unusually warm for this time of year.

2 - temperature, in degrees celsius, in dublin right now.

wrapping up christmas

so, what kind of santa was i on christmas eve? well, you’d really have 2 ask the kids (although i’d appreciate if you didn’t ask the one who cried) but i doubt if i, or any other skinny white irish guy dressed up in a santa costume (not 2 mention one with an accent & the acting ability of a stone), will be asked back next year. given this list i definitely resembled a cross between ‘shitty fake beard santa’ & ‘skinny santa’, despite the coats used in an attempt 2 give me a belly... one ‘like a bowl full of jelly’. oh, & if you happen 2 remember your office party (assuming the economic crisis didn’t kill it altogether) then you might appreciate this article.

nori bang here we come

i’ve yet to make it 2 a korean nori bang (karaoke room) during this latest trip 2 korea but after seeing this i’ll probably be making efforts 2 get 2 one this weekend.

easy boys

good oul koreans. a bit of this in dial eireann might make irish politics a tad more interesting. loosing face is a huge no-no in korean culture, although you wouldn't think so looking @ this.

‘livin’ with seoul’ photo album

check out the blog album. it 2 has finally been updated.

what i’m listenting 2 right now

coldplay, strawberry swing

ho ho ho

2008-12-24T09:52:00.013+09:00

this is gonna be a quick one. i’ve barely time 2 scratch myself, let alone sit here & type an entry. but i have 2. i have 2 say hi for christmas. i’d hate myself if i didn’t. it has been a crazy last few days. i had just about recovered from last weekend’s unplanned (honest) & way over the top socialising (see the pictures) when i had 2 head back 2 jochiwon 2 get ready for the latest, but not the greatest (not so far anyway... r.i.p. prada) instalment of camp korea. i spent the last 2 days locked away in front of my computer in a university dorm room planning, scheduling, e-mailing, ordering koreans around & realising that i haven’t a hope of getting everything that needs 2 be done done in time. & that bothers me. i don't like being unprepared, even if it isn't my fault... which of course it isn't. it never is. it's always the koreans fault. always. why am i unprepared? well, half of my 50+ complement of teachers for camp are arriving on sunday night. that's a slight problem considering camp begins on sunday morning. yep. whose screw up was that? i dunno... & i don't care. i just gotta deal with it. & i am. just not now. cos now it's christmas eve & i'm back on familiar ground in seoul, forgetting all about camp for a few days. why? cos it's christmas of course... & i have a few days off. well, i'll be officially off in a few hours. before that i have 2, get this, don a santa costume & dish out presents 2 32 jes island kindergarten students who might just be old enough 2 know who santa is... & young enough 2 believe i'm the real deal. which, of course, i'm not. even if i could "ho ho ho" with the best of the wannabe santas out there my lack of girth, a real white beard &, most important of all, motivation should show me up for the fraud i am. as for the rest of my christmas. well, i have plans, just not very original plans. i'll relax, mingle with friends, & open presents with mel. oh & i will of course drink & be merry... just like i do every weekend. except it won't be every weekend. it'll be christmas. ahhh yes, another christmas in korea. one would swear i plan this.

right, i've just been handed my made-in-china santa costume, complete with itchy, acrylic beard, black plastic belt and large red sack. best go & get ready. i’ve a show 2 put on... but i doubt i’ll be fooling anyone.... not even 5 year old koreans. "ho ho ho"

what i’m listenting 2 right now

koreans telling me 2 put on my santa costume.... & the pogues, fairytale of new york... what else? only the best christmas song ever... & reason enough 2 love this time of year.

‘livin' with seoul’ christmas cheer

merry christmas 2 you all. hope you all have a good one. 2 everyone @ villa maria & in fermoy... i love you guys. you’re being missed... as always. i promise i’ll be home for a christmas soon.

3 down

2008-12-18T17:25:00.007+09:00

i finally got rid of some of my ck business cards yesterday afternoon. yep, 3 down... over 200, i estimate, 2 go. thanks 2 those aforementioned cards a few privliged ls holdings executives are now fully aware that the red-faced foreginer who sat opposite them smiling for over an hour, & not knowing wtf was going down, was the foreign section coordinator for ck. their business cards, the ones i received as part of the ritual bowing, handshakes & business card exchange that precedes every korean business meeting, told me i was in a confrence room on the 21st floor of the asem tower in seoul’s world trade centre in the flashy gangnam business district of the city. all in attendance were sitting around a teak/mahogany/oak/some-sort-of-expensive-hardwood boardroom table, eyeing each other intently & sipping water @ regular intervals from expensive feeling ls holdings branded glasses. 2 of my ck collegues, who were sitting either side me, spent the meeting trying 2 convince the executives that it would be in ls holdings best interest 2 give ck loads of money 2 run an english orientiation session for over 100 of their new employees. i was there because the session was my baby - i drafted the teambuilding schedule for the 4-hour event - & my collegues where there cos i can’t speak korean & someone had 2 explain my proposal 2 those we were hoping would be signing the cheque. of course i didn’t have any idea what was being said during the meeting but the tone of the converstion & the executives body language told me they liked the proposal, something that was confirmed 2 me post-meeting by my oh-so happy collegues over an office-dodging baskin robbins ice-cream. cool. might hit up the boss for a bonus... but i probably should organise getting paid first.

‘livin with seoul’ wedding update

so what did i get for my 30,000 korean won (€16) ‘contribution’ @ the korean wedding i went 2 last saturday? not much... & certainly not an experience that can be deemed in any way ‘traditional.’ the ceremony took part in a lavish wedding hall crammed, funnily enough, with contributing koreans & was over almost as quick as it takes one 2 utter the words “i do” in korean. posing for a few photos, being in the presence of tons of hot korean girls & a buffet-style cafeteria lunch did nothing 2 improve the feeling of emptyness i had over having spent 30,000 korean won for the privilege of loosing 1 whole hour - 55 minutes actually - of my life. the biggest disappointment of the whole experience? there was free beer @ the lunch & i didn’t have any of it... & i still dunno why.

whoops!

the last 2 weddings i’ve been 2, 1 of which was my own, have been farcical. actually, that’s not true... my wedding, per say, wasn’t farcical... it was the union it created that turned out 2 farcical. so with that said i don’t think i’d ever find a more appropriate time 2 show you this hilarious video (i’m making the assumption that i won’t be keeping a blog @ such time as my d-i-v-o-r-c-e comes through). turn up your speakers.

‘livin with seoul’ infidelity watch

it seems anything the canadians can do the south korean's can do 2, even the famous ones amongst the 50 million them.

‘livin with seoul’ ‘the medical’ update

impeccable timing i say. literally in the last few minutes i’ve been handed a form, stamped by the hospital where i had my medical check-up last week, verifying my good health. i’ve also been told that i have 2 take the form 2 the immigration office 2 validate my visa. i’m sensing another prolonged, office-dodging afternoon trip 2 either baskin robbins, dunkin’ donuts, the coffee bean & tea leaf or starbucks. i know a few korean who’d be up for that.

‘livin with seoul’ time killer

isn't the internet great? becasue of it you don't need 2 go all the way 2 iraq 2 be able 2 throw shoes @ soon-2-be-unemployed george "dubya." all you gotta do is go here instead.

what i’m listenting 2 right now

scissors sisters, return to oz

feeling good

2008-12-13T12:36:00.011+09:00

i’m feeling good today. so what you say. well, it’s big news, thank you very much, ‘cause it’s 11:50 on a seoul saturday morning & i’m normally death warmed up @ this stage of the week. & i’m also normally working. but nope, not today. i decided earlier in the week that i was going 2 be a good boy this weekend & take it easy on myself for a change.... well, for friday night @ least. i’ve no doubt i’ll undo all my good work later tonight (& probably tomorrow night 2) but for now i’m wallowing in my newfound, & all 2 infrequent ability 2 say ‘no’ 2 friday night beers & saturday morning hangovers. so what did i do last night instead? i went 2 somewhere i love going 2 but for some reason haven’t been there yet on this latest visit 2 kool-rea... the jim jil bang, the korean bath house. it’s somewhere korean’s go 2 sweat & wash... it’s somewhere foreigners go 2 sweat, wash... & get incessantly stared @. the sweating part sees you laying around in various communal straw-matted saunas of a set temperature while the washing part sees you walking around butt naked jumping into large, segregated hot tubs, again of set temperature. of course most of the staring takes place in the washing areas but my, or any foreigners presence in any area of the jim jil bang seems 2 be a source of great amusement & surprise 2 the koreans (bless them), especially the children. i’ve commented on my experiences in the jim jil bang in a previous blog so & you can read that here if you want. & take a look at this if you want to know more about the whole jim jil bang experience. i’m sorry i can't hang around 2 elaborate... i’ve a wedding 2 go 2.

‘livin’ with seoul’ weekend of celebration

5 reasons 2 celebrate this weekend:

1 - the she-male/she-ra/sheils/sheila is back in town... one night only,

2 - nkuli is back in town 2,

3 - it’s the ranga.... sorry, amy’s birthday,

4 - a korean collegue is getting married (& i’m going 2 the wedding),

5 - it’s saturday, i’m not working & i don’t have a staurday hangover.

‘livin’ with seoul’ funny label/sign watch

prime max beer markets itself as being as a,

'delicious idea,'

going on 2 inform anyone who actually reads the screwed up english on its label that it is a,

'rich and full-bodied taste beer made from all malt and fine cascade hop'

but that’s not all. no sir. it also claims that,

'delicious beer max gives rich taste and citrus flavour with all malt and cascade hop,'

before making the boldest claim of all, that drinking the beer will,

'please your taste and drinking atmosphere.'

i mean, who wouldn’t wanna drink the stuff?

livin’ with seoul’ by the numbers – an update

43 - days i’ve been 'livin' with seoul.'

12 - days until christmas day. jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way.

16 - days until camp begins.

8 - days until i leave seoul for jochiwon, the location for camp.

58 - days until i go home.

18 - days until i learn if my contract will be extended beyond february.

0 - the amount of times i’ve cooked for myself.

45 - days since i’ve worked out. i’ve yet 2 get 2 the gym. of course if i knew where the gym was it might be a different story.

72 - weight, in kilograms, the bath house weighing scales told me i weighed (11.3 stone).

9 - entries so far in ’livin’ with seoul’

30,000 – amount, in Korean won, one is expected 2 ‘contribute’ @ a korean wedding (about €16). i'll report on what i get for that in my next entry.

12 - time, in minutes, i managed 2 stick it out in the hottest of the jim jil bang saunas, the 95° one. it's not a test of endurance or anything but just as an observation the average korean lasts about 4-5 minutes.

2 - weeks that mel has now been sick.

3 - amount of times i've been asked by different koreans why my face is "so red". without elaborating on the fact that it's 'casue the dry korean winter air tends 2 play havoc on the skin of fair-haired caucasians, i tell them it's becasue i'm irish... & that seems 2 pacify them.

1 - temperature, in degrees celsius, in seoul right now.

2 - temperature, in degrees celsius, in dublin right now. dublin wins.

whoops!

one has 2 assume this guy wasn’t watching where he was going. either that or he was just desperate 2 get on youtube.

what i’m listenting 2 right now

54-40, casual viewin’

the meeting

2008-12-11T17:56:00.010+09:00

the last entry was all about ‘the medical.’ today’s entry is all about ‘the meeting,’ the latest total waste of time experience. actually, that’s proabbly a bit harsh. no, it is a bit harsh. i realise i’m probably loosing sight of the fact that these korean experiences are just that – experiences, & cool ones @ that... & they have got 2 be in some way, on some level, beneficial 2 me... i mean, how could they not be? anyway, i digress. meetings. ‘the meeting,’ 2 be specific. my job sees me sitting in on many of them ... meetings about schedules, meetings about teachers, meetings about issues... & of course meetings about meetings. becasue i’m always the lone native english speaker in the room, the meetings i attend – on average 6 a week – are either chaired by me or conducted in english 2 faciliate me. but not today. today’s meeting was such an experience that i decided 10 minutes into it that i was going 2 waste more of the companies time after the meeting telling my blog audience all about it. so here i am.

it’s all speculation on my part as 2 what was being said in the meeting... & that’s what makes it so much fun 2 report on. 2 me the 90 minute meeting was all about head nodding, sighs of agreement/disagreement, hand waving (but no pointing... it’s rude you see), scribbling in notepads, agitated stares when something serious was going down & forceful point making. @ times my curiosity as 2 what they may have been talking about was aroused thanks 2 the dropping into the conversation of english words that have no obvious translation into korean... words like ‘curriculum’, ‘schedule’, ‘elt’ (english language teacher), ‘kindergarten’ & ‘elementary.’ every so often the 5 koreans sitting around the table with me would notice me sitting there staring blindly into the distance... & they would give me a collective “we’re sorry dave” smile before getting back into it. & every so often there would be a silence, followed by lots of collective contemplating, obviously @ times when a concensious needed 2 be reached. other times the silence would be broken by someone coming up with an idea or opinion on the topic under discussion... normally just before everyone else piked in with their opinion on the opinion. sometimes the opinion thrown out there was collectivily welcomed by synchronised head nodding, scribbling in notepads & a chorus of "neigh"s (yes in korean). other times it was just more silence, agitated stares, uncomfortable body language & polite smiles of obvious disagreement, signs that everyone thought the opinion thrown out there was retarded. @ all other times it was more hand waving, more "mi-da"s, more scribbling in notepads, more "chiggim"s, more "umm"s, more shifting in chairs, more "ao"s, more gestures with pens, more blank stares & more "neigh"s.

i still don’t know what the meeting was about... or why i was actually there. i gotta assume the meeting got sidetracked... sort of went off on a tangent... & that the topics of relevance 2 me – the ones i was there 2 discuss – were simply forgotten about, lost somewhere in all the debate. whatever the reason i don’t really care. it was one of the strangest 90 minutes i've experienced & i just wish i could have captured a video of the banter... of the scene... for posterity reasons. but i guess that wouldn’t have been appropriate... or maybe it would have been just as appropriate as me being there in the first place.

'livin’ with seoul’ funny label/sign watch

‘Fresh sandwiches are great anywhere. Anytime and give you a variety of delicious to choose from’

- a convenience store sandwich label

‘livin' with seoul’ weather watch

i wish the weather would make its mind up. last week there was a double-digit change in the temperatures as it plummeted from 7/8 degrees to -5/-6 degrees. oh & it snowed 2. that’s normal for this time of year so everyone expected once the temperatures dropped that they would keep dropping (-10 to -15 is the typical dec-feb temperatures). but no. now the temperatures have gone back up to 4/5 degrees. wtf.

whoops!

i can’t believe this guy actually got up after his ‘altercation’ with the... the... the whatever it was got in his way. he didn't get up for long but he got up nonetheless... so kudos for that. nutted indeed.

what i’m listening 2 right now

third eye blind, how’s it gonna be

the medical

2008-12-10T00:06:00.018+09:00

i went 2 the hospital again today (don’t fret, i’m okay... i think... i’ll know for sure on friday when ‘the results’ come back). i was there, dodging work, ‘cause the korean government said i had 2 be there... something about having 2 ‘legitimise’ (my word, not theirs) my visa - i think - by way of proving i’m healthy. i'm assuming the koreans don't want me, or any other long-term visa holder for that matter, 2 end up being a burden 2 the korean taxpayer in hospital due 2 some pre-existing condition, & 2 that end they make you have 'the medical'. for the 90 minutes i was @ the hospital i was measured, examined, prodded, injected, x-rayed & relieved of bodily fluids. it was a comical, almost surreal experience being led around various stations/departments of a korea hospital, accumulating hangul charts, smiling @ cute nurses & dodging koreans in wheelchairs, zimmer frames, & agony, as i went. the little student nurse who manned the 1st of the 5 stations i was led 2 was my favourite.

“weight normal... height normal... hearing right ear good, left ear borderline... eyes good... contact lens, yes?”

an affirmative nod from me, 2 accompany my grin induced by her use of the word ‘borderline’. she continued.

“ blood pressure normal... thank you. sit down please... wait,” as she pointed all bossy like 2 a nearby seat.

station 2 was the easiest of the lot. no examining, no prodding, no injections. all i had 2 do was answer questions.

“allergic 2 any drugs?” nope.

“hepatitis, tuberculosis... history?” emmm, no.

“family... hepatitis, tuberculosis... history?” same answer as above.

“hospital time...operations?” yep. mastoidectomy, a word that, in my experience, every doctor in korea, thankfully, seems 2 understand (it's the ear operation i had when i was 15... & it explains the ‘borderline’ hearing rating i received minutes earlier... not 2 mention the ear infection i had a few weeks ago).

“personal health?” grand. fit as a fiddle me, love. i hope.

“alcohol... drink much?” socially, i assured her... although i sensed she could see i was clearly lying.

“smoke?” nope, i proclaimed proudly.

station 3 was the bodily fluid extraction station. i gave blood & had 2 pee into a test tube. well, pee into a paper cup & then transfer it into a test tube. 2 test tubes actually. no bother.

station 4. chest x-ray. over in a flash... pardon the pun.

station 5. dentist. a quick look. easy peasy.

i was told the results will be ready friday, by which time i hope 2 know, for certain, why i need them & what i've 2 do with them.

‘livin’ with seoul’ highlights of the last 8 days

okay, so i’ve been neglecting my blog of late. another large gap between entries. i blame work... the fact that i actually have quite a bit of it 2 do these days. so with that oft-used excuse out of the way let me sumarise some of the last 8 days events.

- monday, december 1st

i had a day off & i went shopping. well, not really shopping... more like a walk around a shopping district. it was cool ‘cause it was different – it wasn’t the office, jes island, my apartment, or any of the familiar areas of seoul connecting the 3 of them. the day off was a reward for working on 2 hours sleep, & through a hangover that just wanted 2 shut me down, the previous saturday (i should have gotten the week off for that). btw, i didn’t buy anything... i know you were wondering.

- thursday, december 4th

received a parcel from home with, amongst other things, a supply of tea bags & a christmas card of rurairi, my nephew who was cute enough a few months ago 2 win a cute baby competition 2 get himself featured on christmas cards. if you wait for this page 2 download you’ll see him, all roly-poly cute, donning a santa hat & with his tongue stickin’ out. awwwwww.

- friday, december 5th

was supposed 2 take the night off (meaning a night of no alcohol consumption) but that didn’t happen. instead myself & brandon tried 2 beat the bitterly cold temperatures by consuming more soju than any 2 people should consume in one sitting. one of the many things i can't remember about the end of the night was whether i was cold or not, so i guess our plan worked. bravo.

- saturday, december 6th

spent the mornig in bed cursing soju. spent the afternoon working - again - lecturing 85 koreans on the rights & wrongs of students management, student motivation & effective communication... & wondering who ever deemed me qualified 2 do this sort of shit. i’ve done it before, not hungover & 2 a bigger, altogether more important, audience... so i guess i should give myself some credit.

- sunday, december 7th

for the 1st time this year it 'really' snowed... meaning what fell actually stuck for a few hours. it didn't snow much, just enough 2 enable mel, my favourite snow-starved aussie, 2 think the urban, concrete & steel setting of oksu station had been transformed into lapland.

- monday, december 8th

took delivery of my business cards that, in typical korean style, are of the shiny kind. they will tell everyone that i've yet 2 give them 2 that my name is david m byrne, that i work in the domestic department of ck & that my title is that of ‘foreign section coordinator.’ there are a lot of them so i’m gonna have 2 come up with ways 2 get rid of them. suggestions would be appreciated.

- tuesday, december 9th - today

went 2 the hospital, but i’ve covered this.

‘livin’ with seoul’ ailment watch

i’m okay but everyone else is sick. it sucks. most of my seoulmates, including mel (boo hoo), are either on antiboitics or fighting something or other... something or other that’s preventing them from drinking. come on guys... i can’t do this on my own (although i’m certaintly up for trying). even the koreans in the office are suffering... sniffling here, coughing & sneezing there. when they aren’t popping pills they are consuming ginseng, chestnut, black garlic, or vitimin c drinks. what’s the point i say?... i drink beer & i’m the healthiest one in the office. i hope... i'll know friday.

what i’m listening 2 right now

mgmt, kids

rambling

2008-11-30T17:46:00.011+09:00

a heads up... I’m just gonna ramble here, k? not that there ever is any kind of structure, coherency or subject matter 2 any of my entries but still... a heads up nonetheless. it’s 4:38 on sunday afternoon & i’m 2 things – not hungover & bored. no, i did go out last night... i'm just not hungover. i am however in one of those moods, on one of those days. i’ve just loaded every song on my laptop into media player, set it on shuffle & i’m sitting here typing whatever comes 2 mind... all because i can’t think of anything better 2 do. yes, i’ve weighed up the options. do laundry? na... tomorrow. clean my room? na... some other time (& it’s not that dirty anyway). go grocery shopping? na... don’t really need anything (& i’m kinda fed up spending money). go out somewhere & do something/anything? na... couldn’t be bothered... couldn’t be arsed. not just right now. maybe later. i’ve even contemplated doing some work, the work i try 2 avoid doing on work days. it was when contemplating doing some work that the realisation of how bored i am hit. i’m not holding out much hope but maybe by the time i finish this entry i’ll have thought of something 2 do that i actually want 2 do... or someone will have contacted me with a plan. of course i could initiate contact with that same someone armed with a plan of my own but i 1) don’t have a plan, or a desire to fabricate one, & 2) just couldn’t be arsed. yep, i’m in one of those moods, on one of those days. & it’s now only 4:52pm... tick tock.

‘livin’ with seoul’ by the numbers – an update

31 – days i’ve been 'livin' with seoul.' wow... time really does fly when having fun.

25 – days until christmas day. jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way.

29 – days until camp begins

71 – days until i go home

1,500,000 – amount, in korean won, i’ve spent since getting here, most of it on socialising (about €800)

0 – amount, in korean won, i’ve received in pay 2 date (about €0). i probably should get on that

2 – christmas trees seen so far

3 – number of cups of tea i’ve drank since getting here

8 – tea bags i have left from the box of 10 i bought yesterday

308 – the number of koreans i’ve interviewed since starting work

0 – christmas songs i've heard 2 date

1 – saturdays i’ve had off since getting here

8 – days it took me 2 complete my 5 day course of antibiotics

147 – the number of the bus i take 2 & from the ck office

7 – degrees in seoul right now (5:12pm)

2 – degrees in dublin right now (8:12am)

my ‘livin with seoul’ seoulmates

check out the pictures i uploaded yesterday 2 the blog album for more. you know you want 2.

'livin' with seoul' gift watch

in my opinion everyone should listen 2 this & this, although only my beautiful fellow countrymen & women will truely appreciate them for what they are... pure comic genius (everyone else will probably be lost... sorry).

whoops!

i love this. how 2 flunk a breathalyser test without actually taking the test.

hans & roopa 2 the rescue

“dinner sounds like a plan. roopa suggested korean bbq – there’s a good one near her place. Anyone else got a good local?”

looks like something 2 do did crop up. i shouldn’t have been so skeptical. time 2 round up the troops. it’s now 5:37pm.

what i’m listening 2 right now

duffy, warwick avenue

rolein' along

2008-11-28T09:29:00.023+09:00

it has been 9 days since my last entry. whoops. & it’s not like i don’t have anything 2 ramble on about ‘cause i do. & now that i have 9 days of stuff 2 ramble on about i fear i’m not gonna be able 2 do it. why? well, ‘cause i don’t have the time. honest. i’ve been kinda busy recently. yep, the koreans seem 2 have found stuff for me 2 do. bless them. btw, i’ve given up wondering when they are going 2 stop fussing over me ‘cause @ this stage i don’t think they are. anyway, yeah... i have stuff 2 do on these getting-colder, late november days. the preparing-for-camp intensity level has ramped up quite a bit over the last week, although i’m spending most of my time in the office reminding the new camp director – numero uno on the camp pecking order - that i’ve done this shiz not once, but twice before & that “i’m all over it... boss.” my reputation for being shit hot @ this stuff aside (that is why i'm here after all), i think my laid back style in the office might be worrying her a bit. yep, i still haven’t mastered the skill of looking like i’m as busy as the koreans, even though these days i surely am.

but work for me isn’t, & never was, all just about the ck office, even though i realise my posts 2 date would indicate otherwise. so on that note let me introduce you 2 my 2nd, non-camp related ck role, jes island. sounds almost tropical... almost idyllic, eh? well, it definitely isn't either of those. what it most definitely is is a noisy, colourful, glass-walled, pokey, alice in wonderland-esque private kindergarten & elementary school (known @ home as a ‘primary school’) that is jointly owned by the ck boss (he of the still-woeful golf swing). the fact that i don’t really have a lot 2 say about the place is an indication as 2 what i do there, which doesn't amount 2 much (although as with the ck office i’m getting busier). i spend a bit of time there each week being a sort of (unofficial) union official/rant sponge for the 10 (slightly) aggrieved foreign - like me - school teachers, mediating between them & the next-2-useless korean school managers (next-2-useless when dealing with foreigners that is). although i seem 2 have a knack for that sort of thing (that thing being striking the right chord with foreigners & koreans alike) it’s still a thankless role considering i’m pretty much powerless 2 implement any kind of changes that would make any difference 2 the teachers present lot (trust me.. koreans are allergic 2 change, however trivial... which makes me question why they gave me this task in the first place). i'm not 2 sure what the teachers think of me just walking around on the other side of those glass walls pretending 2 look all important, or how they feel about me wasting their time by chairing meetings that deliver no good news @ all. i do like 2 think that, @ the very least, i provide them something they didn't have before, that being a foreign face for them 2 moan @. hey, an oh so wise sage once said that a problem shared is a problem halved, right? right. anyway, halving problems in jes leaves me ample opportunity 2 witness this sort of stuff. i challenge you 2 watch the video below, a video of some jes island kindergarten students getting ready 2 go home after a hard day of abc's, without saying awwww. go on, try. you haven't a hope... & you have been warned.

‘livin' with seoul’ ailment update... & more

i stretched my 5 day course of antibiotics out 2 8 days, taking a break for the weekend (yes my weekends tend 2 span 3 days.. & they would span 7 days if i could handle/afford it... i couldn't on both counts). & while i feel super now, i’m fully aware that the latest weekend is only 9 hours away (7pm on a Friday marks the weekend), meaning in 24 hours i’ll be battling the latest, all 2 frequent ailment... the saturday hangover. & i’ll have 2 battle it, & not 2 mention sleep deprivation, while interviewing another excessive number of koreans for the upcoming camp. omg.... if i’d have know not working last saturday was going 2 be such a rarity then i might have gotten out of bed before mid-late afternoon 2 savour a seoul saturday. but that’s easier said than done, especially when there is an all 2 good reason for staying in bed.

what i’m listening 2 right now

collective soul, december