Let me just say this: Soju + Ice-cream (yes, the capital letter indicates that I have now officially deified the substance) = teh absolute win. Especially when the Ice-cream comes in cookies and cream form, and you are getting drunk with people who led protests twenty-years ago. Allrrrriiiightttt.
So we spent the week with rabid small children, who jumped at us, shouted in our ears, and with whom I exchanged translations of English for Korean to cartoon pictures of animals I drew on a whiteboard. Good times. Also: I have now learnt to say "Do you want to die?", which is perfect for those who dare to disobey. Which, y'know, is pretty much everyone below my shoulders at that study room. Those dastardly naughty but, unfortunately, charming children.
Also also: Korean kids = way cuter than white ones. Probably more delicious too.
Although the ajumma we stay most with at the moment is the one who owns the study room, there is also another really nice ajumma who cooks and helps out too. Her daughter and two twins (who are, by the way, real-life NINJAS) come to the study room every day to get a lift home with their Ma and also to hang out with the kids. So apparently the daughter (Song-ah) has taken a real shine to me, loving the fact that she can practise her already good English on a real-life foreigner - not Mintie though, he's a faker. We were both really surprised to find out that she's only in grade six, considering how tall she is, how old she acts, and how good she is at English and all things study. They are all real-life geniuses in that family. It's crazy. ANYWAY, Wednesday day we went to her Elementary School, at which I was inundated by a billion kids who were fascinated with my existence. And I feared for my life when kids literally fell over each other just to see me. *Blush* Totally random. On Wednesday night, after study room times, we went to go see Hairspray which was of fun and happy and had Christopher Walken dancing and singing like a mofo. That dude is such a Dude! What an awesome. We then went and had some chicken feet (eh, pretty good, but cartiledge is way disconcerting to eat), shared a good bottle of Soju (I'm so addicted), and bought, like, 3000 coloured-squares at a 24-hour place (think Officeworks + Coles), which I thought was an unnecessary number of hours to be open. You are unnecessary, sometimes, Korea.
In the morning we went to a Buddhist monastery up on the side of a freeeeezing cold mountain. It was small, but the monks chanting inside the main temple were mesmerising. Also, I made a coin stick to the side of a vertical rock face, and I am now extremely lucky. So, watch out!! After having some good Bibimbap for lunch, despite having breakfast only an hour before, we went and got our study room on.
Study room, I'mma gonna decorate your ass. Apparently being an Art History major makes me qualified to be creative. This logic does not work on me. However, I figured out how to make little Santa stockings using the magic of origami and the power of my brain to work backwards from one I found lying around. I photocopied pages of a stenciled tree I made the kids colour in, and then created a 3D stylez one out of two of the stencils. I got Mintie to get the kids to make colourful snowflakes. They look heaps pretty! And so after giving everyone something to do I sat for the whole day making a huge and colourful paper chain. I also employed cheap azn child labour to cut me strips of paper and hand me the colours I yelled at them in English. My 'teaching methods' are wonderful. Don't even deny. Also, on Christmas Eve I have somehow been relegated to being Santa. This is weird. Am I that old and fat?!
Today was good! Russian realism and abstract art. W00t! It was really damn good, most of the artworks made me want to really go to Russia. There is such a beautifully intense light in most of the paintings, the landscapes are bold and dark, almost with Gothic undertones, and the portraits are real enough to feel their gaze boring through your skull, but impressionistic enough to have an inner dynamism. The couple of Kandinsky pieces just made me want to conduct research on him. Cool dude, that one. We then got some really good hand-made noodles at Myeongdong, and then we headed off to Yongsan for some purchasing. Yerrr. I didn't realised how much buying things makes me feel good. Especially electronic things. I'm lookin' at you Nintendo DS *Bedroom eyes* I'm getting one when I get back duty free (cheaper, would you believe and also with Australian cable), but I bought a 2GB flash so I can download gamez like a h4x0r. Shit yes. Also got a headset. So I can call pplz from the internets. I also got fish-shaped bread with red bean insidey. Yum.
ALSO: WE HAVE PLANS FOR CHRISTMAS. I AM WAY WAY YAW YAW EXCITORORORORORED. Sunrise + Temple + (Snow-Sledding + Mountain-side) = Booyah! Details released soon!
NB: more photos!
ALSO ALSO ALSO: EVERYBODY HAS TO LOOK AT THIS. DO IT. BE AMAZED BY THE INTENSITY OF AWESOME.
Friday, 14 December 2007
BACK TO YONGSAN
OK, we saw Kandinsky today. Two of his paintings + two smaller ones. I can see how one could make an argument for perhaps that being the highlight of my day, considering that I had already been to Yongsan before, but come on. Kandinsky painted sounds on to Canvas, but Yongsan is really freakin big, full of electronics and we bought tonnes of stuff.
WOO!
After getting a Korean windows for my mother, and picking up the almighty PES for myself, we continued the spree by picking up 4 dollar headsets for Skype usage, 2gb R4 DS Ram drive thingies (Rishi, we got you a bigger one, because we got the dude to give us it for $100. Feel free to pay Mia at any time. They're also preloaded with all the awesome games! Unfortunately, the korean versions of the awesome games -_-), a 4gb USB stick , both Grindhouse movies, Battlestar Season 2 and a Korean film.
Good times. Everything is absurdly cheap here, and they have a suprisingly good range of DVDs. If anybody wants any burnt TV series or movies, I'm taking orders! Only skimming a little off the top! Seriously though, Mp3 players, Harddrives, anything that isn't too expensive or hard to carry over I'm happy to buy. The 4GB USB cost me 30 dollars, for instance! Woo! Thanks alot sam, forcing me to buy one ^_^
Before that, we headed to the Kandinsky exhibition that was in town. Although it turned out to be more a Russian Masters + Two Kandinskys in a seperate room, the paintings were awesome. I am definitely into shit like landscapes. Who knew? You can take something that you see on a day to day basis, subtly inject some passion, a point of view and pure artistic talent and produce something that makes you feel something inside when you look at it.
Also: I saw a portrait of Tolstoy. dude looks soft.
We went and had some radsome handmade noodles + hardcore Kimchi that burnt my mouth after, which was awesome though. Korea has the market PWNED on 6-10 dollar food that is good.
We've been fed really well on this trip. The people we've mostly been staying with, an old friend of my dads from his protesting days, eat awesome food at home, and they keep taking us out to nice places that they know. We've had some mountain weed fried rice + home made Doenjang soup (I know you don't get it, but it's rad.) and Bibimbap country styles. The after-school care we're at is similarly above average good food. The kids that they get are poorly fed at home, coming from poor or disadvantaged homes. As a consequence, the best food that they get is at the studyroom. Awesome bulgogi, Ton-kat-su and my favourite, Crab soup. I ate so much by my lonesome and I didn't even care.
We made christmas decorations for the kids. Correction: Mia made decorations. What a slave-labour coralling machine she is. Under the flimsy pretense of teaching a child english, she quickly had him slice and sort coloured pieces of paper and hand it to her so she could construct a chain of infinite beauty and seemingly length. With pretty snowflakes made by me, the room is the best it's ever been apparently! The kids are shits, but it's nice to make them happy for a couple of weeks. Even if they won't stop hitting me -_-
The teacher who also serves as the cook loves us though. She drove an hour to the nearest cinema, and we watched Hairspray! I was so suprised that it was huge amounts of fun. The two high school musical kids prove that they can do this type of movie for what, the third time? And all the Hollywood people there for a laugh provide exactly that. People lead such a hectic life here that it's easy to get caught up in the bustle. I forget how escapist the nature of Movies are in general. Also: She fed us chicken feet. I was impressed at the edibility.
She took us to a temple too. The serenity. Although it's pretty much old-hat now, it's still awesome.
Tomorrow, I think I'm not doing much but on Sunday I am climbing a mountain. I am not even joking.
WOO!
After getting a Korean windows for my mother, and picking up the almighty PES for myself, we continued the spree by picking up 4 dollar headsets for Skype usage, 2gb R4 DS Ram drive thingies (Rishi, we got you a bigger one, because we got the dude to give us it for $100. Feel free to pay Mia at any time. They're also preloaded with all the awesome games! Unfortunately, the korean versions of the awesome games -_-), a 4gb USB stick , both Grindhouse movies, Battlestar Season 2 and a Korean film.
Good times. Everything is absurdly cheap here, and they have a suprisingly good range of DVDs. If anybody wants any burnt TV series or movies, I'm taking orders! Only skimming a little off the top! Seriously though, Mp3 players, Harddrives, anything that isn't too expensive or hard to carry over I'm happy to buy. The 4GB USB cost me 30 dollars, for instance! Woo! Thanks alot sam, forcing me to buy one ^_^
Before that, we headed to the Kandinsky exhibition that was in town. Although it turned out to be more a Russian Masters + Two Kandinskys in a seperate room, the paintings were awesome. I am definitely into shit like landscapes. Who knew? You can take something that you see on a day to day basis, subtly inject some passion, a point of view and pure artistic talent and produce something that makes you feel something inside when you look at it.
Also: I saw a portrait of Tolstoy. dude looks soft.
We went and had some radsome handmade noodles + hardcore Kimchi that burnt my mouth after, which was awesome though. Korea has the market PWNED on 6-10 dollar food that is good.
We've been fed really well on this trip. The people we've mostly been staying with, an old friend of my dads from his protesting days, eat awesome food at home, and they keep taking us out to nice places that they know. We've had some mountain weed fried rice + home made Doenjang soup (I know you don't get it, but it's rad.) and Bibimbap country styles. The after-school care we're at is similarly above average good food. The kids that they get are poorly fed at home, coming from poor or disadvantaged homes. As a consequence, the best food that they get is at the studyroom. Awesome bulgogi, Ton-kat-su and my favourite, Crab soup. I ate so much by my lonesome and I didn't even care.
We made christmas decorations for the kids. Correction: Mia made decorations. What a slave-labour coralling machine she is. Under the flimsy pretense of teaching a child english, she quickly had him slice and sort coloured pieces of paper and hand it to her so she could construct a chain of infinite beauty and seemingly length. With pretty snowflakes made by me, the room is the best it's ever been apparently! The kids are shits, but it's nice to make them happy for a couple of weeks. Even if they won't stop hitting me -_-
The teacher who also serves as the cook loves us though. She drove an hour to the nearest cinema, and we watched Hairspray! I was so suprised that it was huge amounts of fun. The two high school musical kids prove that they can do this type of movie for what, the third time? And all the Hollywood people there for a laugh provide exactly that. People lead such a hectic life here that it's easy to get caught up in the bustle. I forget how escapist the nature of Movies are in general. Also: She fed us chicken feet. I was impressed at the edibility.
She took us to a temple too. The serenity. Although it's pretty much old-hat now, it's still awesome.
Tomorrow, I think I'm not doing much but on Sunday I am climbing a mountain. I am not even joking.
Tuesday, 11 December 2007
He's singing in KOREAN!!
What else is Korean?
'Twas to be, sir, a country lyfe for us this weekend past. We decided that a restalicious couple of days was deserved, after nearly a month of schooling high schoolers and rushing around Seoul. After being told that we are not to be teaching at the high school no more, though sadly we did not get a proper anyong (baiii) to the kids, we were picked up by awesome ajumma #2 and taken to her house. Her husband is this mad ecological hero of organic farming on this island - the dude is literally the *pimp* of Gangwha. I should have taken a photo; he wears traditional-style clothes and is nonchalent about everything and everyone. Except his wife. She treats him like he's five and basically incompetant. It's fantastic. Anyway, we were fed roasted sweet potato until we were capable only of watching The Host, an awesome Korean monster film by the way, on a laptop in front of a giant fire stove. That night we went to the bath-house again, the same one, which was as nice as ...I was going to put hell there but that doesn't really make sense. It's was just great, okay? There were less people this time, so I at least felt less stared at. We took the laptop with us to finish the movie off, and then we were so tired that we slept there. Seriously, EVERYWHERE needs to have a bath-house that is 24-hour and charges only 5000 won (~$AU 6.50) entry fee. Best Accommodation Ever. The sleep wasn't the greatest, I blame the noisy children running around that, only an hour before, fed me chocolate-filled snacks(Kangcho) while they practised their English on me. Nevertheless, sleeping in sauna = win + intense cleanliness.
After awakening, we got our old-skoool traditional feast for a breakfast on. It was literally in some grandmother's house, and we were served up an incredible array of panchan (side dishes), that were of both tasty and delicious. So much fewd. We then saw the mud flats we saw a couple of weeks ago, although this time the day was clear as we searched through huge binoculars for mud kips...mud skippers and crabs.
We then went to a Buddhist monastery. It was so incredibly peaceful. The grounds had such a stark beauty - particularly that it is getting extraordinarily cold now and those leaves which were once upon a time a canopy many metres above my head, do now crunch satisfyingly beneath my feet - I was almost at once converted. We explored the insanely intricate buildings, gazed in wonder at the millions of candles inside the temples, listened to rumbling of monk prayers that came from within a number of closed off buildings, and drank spring water sent from Buddha's own chalice or, more accurately, from a source deep within or somewhere nearby the mountain we were perched upon. I don't know how water can get so damn good, but it was incredible. So pure!! Nevertheless, we traipsed about the mountainside, stacking a rock, and a wish to go with, on top of many others and their own prayers. Little bits of snow freshly fallen the night before but had not yet melted with the sun's weak rays, gave everything a glisten that charmed the spirits out of me. As we left through a gorgeously big-stoned gate, I found a little dog that was of the utmost cute. So I patted it with glee and smiles.
I then did a very very bad thing. :s I agreed wholeheartedly to eat dog done in the traditional Korean style. Apparently it is only really had in this one dish, called Bosintang. Despite my guilt, however, I enjoyed it immensly. A good nine out of ten paws for me, actually. It is such a gamey meat, like lamb really, and very rich, much like duck. It was so tender, and went well with the delicious soup it came out bubbling in. Don't worry, I still have guilt. I keep reassuring myself, though, that the dogs used are specially bred to be eaten, and are basically 'pig dogs'. The place in which we consumed Bosintang looked to be of the non-dodgy kind, and I trust that the animals were dealt with ethically. I basically have no qualms if this is the case. Also, I still think that my own two dogs are the cutest things out, and I definitely don't think about them now as two delicious pieces of meat on legs. ...Or do I?
Also, I was made to eat soap. Sigh. During my time on this trip I have realised my insane sweet-toothedness. So much so that when the ajumma #1 we are currently staying with gave Mintie two palm-sized circular pieces of soap in a babble of Korean I didn't think to query the apparent label of 'biscuit' he gave them. I think I was pretty desperate for something sweet and, despite the strange smell my nose sensed, my teeth bit down. Laugh Out Loud. Although this action was greeted with a startled "What the hell are you doing?!", I still don't believe that it was unintentional. Also: that was hella amounts of trust right there in my buddy of travel ...now lost. Thanks a lot. Michin Nom (Crazy bastard).
Also: a megabox of photos have been put up. Although the temples and foodstuffs interest me the most, I think you may all be interested in the delightfully pretty photos of Mintie and the bow in his hair. Look out for it!!
'Twas to be, sir, a country lyfe for us this weekend past. We decided that a restalicious couple of days was deserved, after nearly a month of schooling high schoolers and rushing around Seoul. After being told that we are not to be teaching at the high school no more, though sadly we did not get a proper anyong (baiii) to the kids, we were picked up by awesome ajumma #2 and taken to her house. Her husband is this mad ecological hero of organic farming on this island - the dude is literally the *pimp* of Gangwha. I should have taken a photo; he wears traditional-style clothes and is nonchalent about everything and everyone. Except his wife. She treats him like he's five and basically incompetant. It's fantastic. Anyway, we were fed roasted sweet potato until we were capable only of watching The Host, an awesome Korean monster film by the way, on a laptop in front of a giant fire stove. That night we went to the bath-house again, the same one, which was as nice as ...I was going to put hell there but that doesn't really make sense. It's was just great, okay? There were less people this time, so I at least felt less stared at. We took the laptop with us to finish the movie off, and then we were so tired that we slept there. Seriously, EVERYWHERE needs to have a bath-house that is 24-hour and charges only 5000 won (~$AU 6.50) entry fee. Best Accommodation Ever. The sleep wasn't the greatest, I blame the noisy children running around that, only an hour before, fed me chocolate-filled snacks(Kangcho) while they practised their English on me. Nevertheless, sleeping in sauna = win + intense cleanliness.
After awakening, we got our old-skoool traditional feast for a breakfast on. It was literally in some grandmother's house, and we were served up an incredible array of panchan (side dishes), that were of both tasty and delicious. So much fewd. We then saw the mud flats we saw a couple of weeks ago, although this time the day was clear as we searched through huge binoculars for mud kips...mud skippers and crabs.
We then went to a Buddhist monastery. It was so incredibly peaceful. The grounds had such a stark beauty - particularly that it is getting extraordinarily cold now and those leaves which were once upon a time a canopy many metres above my head, do now crunch satisfyingly beneath my feet - I was almost at once converted. We explored the insanely intricate buildings, gazed in wonder at the millions of candles inside the temples, listened to rumbling of monk prayers that came from within a number of closed off buildings, and drank spring water sent from Buddha's own chalice or, more accurately, from a source deep within or somewhere nearby the mountain we were perched upon. I don't know how water can get so damn good, but it was incredible. So pure!! Nevertheless, we traipsed about the mountainside, stacking a rock, and a wish to go with, on top of many others and their own prayers. Little bits of snow freshly fallen the night before but had not yet melted with the sun's weak rays, gave everything a glisten that charmed the spirits out of me. As we left through a gorgeously big-stoned gate, I found a little dog that was of the utmost cute. So I patted it with glee and smiles.
I then did a very very bad thing. :s I agreed wholeheartedly to eat dog done in the traditional Korean style. Apparently it is only really had in this one dish, called Bosintang. Despite my guilt, however, I enjoyed it immensly. A good nine out of ten paws for me, actually. It is such a gamey meat, like lamb really, and very rich, much like duck. It was so tender, and went well with the delicious soup it came out bubbling in. Don't worry, I still have guilt. I keep reassuring myself, though, that the dogs used are specially bred to be eaten, and are basically 'pig dogs'. The place in which we consumed Bosintang looked to be of the non-dodgy kind, and I trust that the animals were dealt with ethically. I basically have no qualms if this is the case. Also, I still think that my own two dogs are the cutest things out, and I definitely don't think about them now as two delicious pieces of meat on legs. ...Or do I?
Also, I was made to eat soap. Sigh. During my time on this trip I have realised my insane sweet-toothedness. So much so that when the ajumma #1 we are currently staying with gave Mintie two palm-sized circular pieces of soap in a babble of Korean I didn't think to query the apparent label of 'biscuit' he gave them. I think I was pretty desperate for something sweet and, despite the strange smell my nose sensed, my teeth bit down. Laugh Out Loud. Although this action was greeted with a startled "What the hell are you doing?!", I still don't believe that it was unintentional. Also: that was hella amounts of trust right there in my buddy of travel ...now lost. Thanks a lot. Michin Nom (Crazy bastard).
Also: a megabox of photos have been put up. Although the temples and foodstuffs interest me the most, I think you may all be interested in the delightfully pretty photos of Mintie and the bow in his hair. Look out for it!!
Gangwha, the Happy Island!
After having such rollicking adventures in Seoul over the past few weekends, we decided to spend the weekend in Gangwha, the island off the coast of Korea that we've been living on. Despite being an Island, there are massive bridges connecting it to the mainland, so it's basically considered part of the mainland.
My dads friend who we stayed with is a minister, farmer and ecologist rolled into one. He's a dude of some note on this island, being the head of the organic farmers union on this island as well as active in the struggles for democracy in the 70s and 80s. I've heard him tell stories of being tortured that are so funny that I could barely breathe, but he's also kind of a dick. Regardless, he's pulled off shit that I could only dream of being able to do, so I guess he gets some respect.
But because my dads friends are hippy bastards, we saw the most random bunch of shit on this island. We went and saw the fifth biggest mudflats in the world, where it was basically just... flat plains of mud. With crabs, and gulls and spoonbills and things. It was like... man, I've eaten these things. I don't need to go to a poorly built mudflat centre/museum. Then we went to a temple, and it kicked ass.
It was old, and full of actual monks, and the grounds were beautiful. I hope Mia took some photos. We ate roasted chestnuts and wandered around looking at the crazy architecture. I even donated a little money to the monks, knowing that it would be inefficiently spent by those prude buddhist bastards. We drank some of the spring water, and I reaffirmed my belief that temples always have the best water. So fresh and so clean!
WE ATE DOG THOUGH, BITCHES.
It was so damned delicious. We were playing with the most adorable puppy at the temple, just before we left for our delicious dog stew known as Bosintang, so I must admit that I felt a tad queasy as I looked at the meal, but once I started eating my tastebuds overrode my bleeding heart. Gamey, tender with just enough fat, dogs are a delicious animal. Who knew? We then saw some big rocks that had been used as a tomb for about 3000 years. Sure its impressive that old korean dudes pushed 80 tonnes of rock on other rocks, but you know... whatevs ^__^
Having fun at the study room at the moment, we made greek biscuits and they turned out... edibly! it was a nice suprise. Being asked to go out for lunch for NOM NOM NOM NOM, so will keep you all posted more often from now on I hope!
My dads friend who we stayed with is a minister, farmer and ecologist rolled into one. He's a dude of some note on this island, being the head of the organic farmers union on this island as well as active in the struggles for democracy in the 70s and 80s. I've heard him tell stories of being tortured that are so funny that I could barely breathe, but he's also kind of a dick. Regardless, he's pulled off shit that I could only dream of being able to do, so I guess he gets some respect.
But because my dads friends are hippy bastards, we saw the most random bunch of shit on this island. We went and saw the fifth biggest mudflats in the world, where it was basically just... flat plains of mud. With crabs, and gulls and spoonbills and things. It was like... man, I've eaten these things. I don't need to go to a poorly built mudflat centre/museum. Then we went to a temple, and it kicked ass.
It was old, and full of actual monks, and the grounds were beautiful. I hope Mia took some photos. We ate roasted chestnuts and wandered around looking at the crazy architecture. I even donated a little money to the monks, knowing that it would be inefficiently spent by those prude buddhist bastards. We drank some of the spring water, and I reaffirmed my belief that temples always have the best water. So fresh and so clean!
WE ATE DOG THOUGH, BITCHES.
It was so damned delicious. We were playing with the most adorable puppy at the temple, just before we left for our delicious dog stew known as Bosintang, so I must admit that I felt a tad queasy as I looked at the meal, but once I started eating my tastebuds overrode my bleeding heart. Gamey, tender with just enough fat, dogs are a delicious animal. Who knew? We then saw some big rocks that had been used as a tomb for about 3000 years. Sure its impressive that old korean dudes pushed 80 tonnes of rock on other rocks, but you know... whatevs ^__^
Having fun at the study room at the moment, we made greek biscuits and they turned out... edibly! it was a nice suprise. Being asked to go out for lunch for NOM NOM NOM NOM, so will keep you all posted more often from now on I hope!
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