"Happy New Year 2011!"

Happy New Year everyone!

Let's ring in 2011 with a look back at 2010...

Enjoy!

"Merry Christmas 2010"

I held my 2nd Annual Christmas Potluck this year, and it turned out great. Last year we had about 10-15 people, almost all of whom were other foreign teachers I had met within the past 3 months and didn't know that well. This year, I had about 18-20, about two-thirds were foreign teachers, and the others were mostly Korean boyfriends/girlfriends of friends of  mine.

We enjoyed plenty of food - including homemade hummus, clam chowder, homemade stuffing, chicken, pulled pork, pizza, and plenty of wine and beer.

Here are some photos from the evening 

(taken by my friend Melissa)

 We even made s'mores over the gas stove...

 Many of the Koreans had never had it before - but loved it!

 Wine, beer, Amaretto, rice cake and Christmas cake -- what a combination!

 About half of us crammed into my apartment

 Steve, Me, and Sean

 Hwayoung's brother Jae-hoon, and his wife

 Danelle and Heecheol

 Jordan and Aeyong

 Melissa, Angela, and Danelle

 Chang and the ladies...

And for your further enjoyment: 

A video of Sean showing off his dancing skills to Aqua's - Cartoon Heroes.

"All I want for Christmas is...Nanta!"

Merry Christmas everyone!

On Christmas Eve, I met up with my girlfriend who took me to Myeongdong for my Christmas gift. She brought me to a very famous show called "Nanta"

Basically, Nanta is the Broadway show "Stomp!" but set in a kitchen.

The show was combines percussion precision, hilarity, and audience engagement in an intriguing and fascinating way, leaving you smiling, laughing, and clapping along until the very end.

Nanta - which means "crazy beat", is a small ensemble cast consisting of a Restaurant Owner, his Nephew, a Head Chef, Female Chef, and Sexy Male Chef - all very talented and funny.

 

The story is simple: The chef's have until 6pm to complete the menu - including dishes of bulgogi and mandu (2 of my favorites).

Hwayoung and I were chosen to participate in the show, we went on stage and donned our blue chef hats. While she made mandu with the Female Chef, I worked with the Sexy Chef to keep the beat and stack the steamed mandu in a race against the red team. We won, and they gave us coupons to pick up a Christmas card and a Polaroid of us on stage...it's a very bad picture so I won't post it.


But here is a YouTube video of basically the exact same thing I did -- but with less finesse.

It was such a great show that I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Seoul - and would love to go again. Perhaps it could come to a city near you - check out their webpage here:

If you want a better idea of what they do, take a look at the videos below!

Some more photos:

 

"Looming Threat"

Yes, it is true that North Korea is a looming threat against the South - but must we hear about it constantly in the U.S. media?

The issues are serious. North Korea is belligerent enough to attack at any time - they have been for decades. The shelling of Yeonpyeong Island was only the latest of many incidents in the past that has irked the South into taking a more aggressive stance, and having the U.S. step in and actually have to talk with the North -- gives them mainly what they want the most -- attention.

A look at the major incidents in the just the last 10 years:

(from Wikipedia)

• n2001: On twelve separate occasions, North Korean vessels cross the Northern Limit Line and then withdraw.
• nNovember 27, 2001: North and South Korean forces exchange fire without injuries.
• nJune 29, 2002: Renewed naval clashes near the Northern Limit Line lead to the deaths of four South Korean sailors and the sinking of a North Korean vessel. The number of North Koreans killed is unknown.
• nNovember 16, 2002: South Korean forces fire warning shots on a Northern boat crossing the Northern Limit Line. The boat withdraws. The similar incident is repeated on November 20.
• nFebruary 19, 2003: A North Korean fighter plane crosses seven miles (11 km) south of the Northern Limit Line, and returns north after being intercepted by six South Korean planes.
• nMarch 2, 2003: Four North Korean fighter jets intercept a US reconnaissance plane over the Sea of Japan.
• nJuly 17, 2003: North and South Korean forces exchange fire at the DMZ around 6 AM. The South Korean army reports four rounds fired from the North and seventeen from the South. No injuries are reported.
• nNovember 1, 2004: North Korean vessels, claiming to be in pursuit of illegal fishing craft, cross the Northern Limit Line and are fired upon by the South. The vessels withdraw 3 hours later.
• nJuly 30, 2006: Several rounds are exchanged near a South Korean post in Yanggu, Gangwon.
• nNovember 10, 2009: Naval vessels from the two Koreas exchanged fire in the area of the NLL, reportedly causing serious damage to a North Korean patrol ship.
• nMarch 26, 2010: A South Korean naval vessel, the ROKS Cheonan, was sunk by an explosion near Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea. A rescue operation recovered 58 survivors but 46 sailors were killed.
• nNovember 23, 2010: North Korea fired artillery at South Korea's Big Yeonpyeong island in the Yellow Sea and South Korea returned fire. Two South Korean marines and two South Korean civilians were killed.

The media in the South hasn't shyed away from discussing the incident at Yeonpyeong-do, or the 2 training exercises that followed - the most recent being yesterday (and both in undisputed South Korean territory). Obviously is it newsworthy, however, I feel that the way the U.S. media portrays the events are decieving. Most of the news I have seen seems aimed at scaring people - and fear brings in ratings.

Look at these U.S headlines:

"North Korea threatens 'sacred war' with the South"

"Seoul endures life under the gun"

"War rhetoric rises between North and South Korea"

"N. Korea: Exercises bring war 'closer'" 

"North Korea threatens nuclear 'holy war'"

They all pertain to violence and war and most have photos or video of military equipment and personnel in action.....scary yet strangly cool. I wish I knew more about psychology in the media.

On most of these news stations, this sort of thing plays in the background while the commentators and pundits rattle off how dire things are 

(The video is eerie if you ask me - but fascinating at the same time)

The South Korean media is less dramatic in it's stories, but still tries to make the situation seem moreso.

 

 

Remarkably, the latest headlines in South Korea haven't been as much about the military drills that took place this week, as they have been about the outbreak of FMD (Foot and Mouth Disease - "Mad Cow Disease") in Gangwon province.

I suppose war is scary - but eating tainted meat is even more so.

(Koreans are very proud of their beef!)

"What To Do With Myself"

This week we are holding our final exams. This is great for me because I only teach one day this entire week, and the rest of the days I can leave early. Yesterday,  however, I was told I shouldn't leave around 2pm, to which I inquired why.


"We are having an alarm today" she said.
"An alarm?" I questioned. "You mean a fire drill?"
"No, it's a drill for if we are attacked by North Korea." 
"Oh, so what do we do?" 
"People all over the area are supposed to go to shelters and subways." 
"Ok - but what do WE do?" 
"Since we don't have students after lunch today, we don't have to do anything."

Remind you of anything?

Some of my friends even pointed out that at their schools, all the students had to stand outside in the blistering cold during the 15 minute drill - because outside in the middle of a soccer field is the safest place to be if bombs are landing around you!

South Korea held it's 15 minute civil-defense drill yesterday. According to CNN this was "to prepare the public for a potential military attack from North Korea after Pyongyang shelled a South Korean island less than a month ago."

"After the bombing, we believed it was important for the public to know where to take shelter since the South is within five-minute-distance from a North Korean air raid," Kim Kwang-hee, the director of civil defense said."

"The drill involved 12 fighter jets which flew over the airs of Seoul and the country to mock an enemy air drill. More than 250,000 public workers helped civilians take shelter in underground facilities and subway stations, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)."

Here is what I don't understand. This country has been living with the threat of attack for 60 years, and had stopped these drills a decade ago. Ever since the most recent attack a few weeks ago when the North fired artillery on Yeonpyeong-do have people been taking things a little more seriously. I fear that the South is ill-prepared for any serious attack, and if for some reason they are prepared, the people (especially us foreigners) will have no clue what to do besides what our embassies tell us (which is minimal at best).
 

I feel as though the South Korean government doesn't take things too seriously at times, and is more focused on rhetoric and maintaining an image than actually being effective and prepared for these eventualities. If this was to happen in the US we would have drills, evacuation plans by town, the media would be warning us what to do for weeks in advance, and we would all live in fear hunkered down in our homes watching Glenn Beck while cleaning our guns.

"SantaCon Seoul 2010"

This weekend I attended a large event in Seoul called "SantaCon" otherwise known as "Santarchy". This event is held in major cities worldwide and incorporates many people dressing up like Santa and creating chaos while spreading holiday cheer. You can check out the facebook page here where over 560 Santa's had signed up to attend.

We gathered in Sinchon at a popular bar and headed out on a half-mile parade through the city to Hongdae (a popular area known for its young university students, clubs, restaurants and bars)

Along the route we sang Christmas songs (some dirty), danced in the streets, and gave candy to strangers wishing them a Merry Christmas. The looks on peoples faces was priceless as they stared at the 300+ foreigners dressed as Santa parading through the street.

Most people get a little drunk and meet up at one of the many HO bars in Hongdae (Ho bar is a franchise that is appropriately named for this event!).

It was a fun (albeit it COLD) time, and I look forward to doing it again!

Photos:

 

 

 

 

 

"On the doorstep"

I saw these graphics on the Yonhap News website today. Graphics about war and weapons are never comforting to me - but they are usually informative. It's also not comforting to know that Gunpo is right on the range limit of North Korea's multiple-launch rockets.....but informative.

 

 

But if that's not bad enough, you get to look at pictures these lovely weapons that could obliterate me...

 

 

 

At least South Korea has deployed these bad boys as a deterrent....

"Gobble Gobble Gickel"

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ok, so we celebrate it about a day before everyone in the U.S. due to the time zones, but I suppose that just means I get 2 days to celebrate it.

There is so much to be thankful for, that I decided to make a list: (I was inspired my a friend of mine.)

1. I'm thankful for family and friends, and I know that's a huge cliche, but it's true.
2. I'm thankful for my family that, even though I'm half-way across the world, they still support my decision to live away from them. 
3. . ...and that they put up with the fact that I've missed almost every holiday and family function the past year and a half.
4. I'm thankful for my friends who call me just to know how my day went, who miss having me around, and even though they desperately want to see me on a semi-regular basis, allow Skype chats, photo uploads, and random Facebook messages to replace me.
5. I'm thankful for my girlfriend - who cares for me, loves me, and supports me, and is one of the most amazing people. 
6. I'm thankful for my job, which I enjoy on most days.
7. ...and even when I'm having a bad day, I may complain, but it's better than working a job I hate, being unemployed, suffering depression, or dealing with bankruptcy.
8. I'm thankful for kimchi - food of the Gods. (and a good food to help you lose weight)
9. I'm thankful for my health - even though I have visited doctors more this year than any other, at least it's not because of anything serious.
10. I'm thankful for being happy - the happiest I've been in a long time.
11. I'm thankful for Korean friends and co-workers - who even though we have our misunderstandings and miscommunications, are some of the most incredible and kind people I've met.
12. I'm thankful for mandu - because I need to eat it at least once a week.
13. I'm thankful for Apple Computers - because my MacBook and iPod make my life so much easier and entertaining!
14. I'm thankful for a roof over my head - especially one that the school pays for
15. I'm thankful for clothing that fits me - not just because losing 30lbs feels amazing, but NOT feeling ginormous compared to Asians feels AWESOME!
16. I'm thankful for Seoul - because it's one of the biggest cities with a plethora to experience every weekend.
17. I'm thankful for SNSD (Girls' Generation) because --- well---have you seen them? 
18. I'm thankful for being able to travel and see the world: Korea, Japan - next Thailand?
19. I'm thankful for freedom - something I take for granted at times, but something I'm thankful to the people in the past and present who protect and defend it.
20. I'm thankful for laughter - because without it, the world would be a dark and boring place.

My Thanksgiving took place in Ansan (about 20 min south-west of Gunpo) where I met up with friends at a bar that serves smoked turkey legs. Turkey is pretty uncommon to find, and very expensive. Also, not many people have ovens to cook it!

It was a decent meal and we all ate and drank a lot. 

Some more than others...

 

I hope everyone had a great Turkey Day!