Ketai Vyuun!!!
BEST INVENTION EVER? It's pretty close. Simple genius, man.
I've gone and done it...I've fallen for a Korean Drama.
It was bound to happen. I was fresh off of two novelas on Telemundo, in a new country with lots of time on my hands, and,well, this one is so cute!!!
쾌걸춘향(roughly translated by me as "Carefree Girl, Chun Hyang") is a teen-oriented drama loosely based on the traditional Korean historical story, Chunhyang. In the original story there's a guy and a girl who fall in love but the guy's parents move or something and he goes off to take the exam to become an official. His girl stays true to him, even though the governor has his sights on her. When he realizes he can't have her, he really punishes her--to the point of sentencing her to be executed. Her suitor returns as a peasant, she professes her love to him from prison, and he saves her from death on her execution day (he actually passed the exam with flying colors and became an undercover corruption-buster for the emperor). They get together, happy ending.
I had heard about the show but hadn't seen it until they aired a rerun yesterday. Frulwinn and I liked it so much, that when she told me it was on today, I was there. In this modern day tale, Myong Lyong and Chun Yang are hip kids in Seoul, where she works in a jewelry shop and designs pieces as a passion. The bad governor is now a media bigshot who has his eyes set on her and won't take no. Again, it's LOOSELY based, but just enough to make it work without you knowing exactly what's going to happen.
Tonight was the episode where they part ways. Instead of Myong Long leaving for educational reasons, he and Chun Hyang are pitted against each other by the bad dude and end up breaking on bad terms. She goes to leave with bad dude while her beau drinks away his sorrows. His friend does him a good deed and she softens her heart to him, but only while he's passed out. By the time they both seek out each other, they've crossed paths and actually are in two buses to two different towns sitting right next to each other at a traffic light (only in Korean drama). They miss each other even then, and so the story stays true to the original tale.
They also do this silly thing at the end of each episode where the story reverts back to the old-fashioned one, but there's always something to throw it off. Yesterday they're in old traditional clothes in an old traditional setting talking when one guy's cellphone goes off; this week Myong Lyong's making a emperial seal--but instead of chiseling the features he just uses a marker. =o]
So as you can see, I'm hooked. I think there's a way to watch the episodes online, but all the info is in Korean (obviously) so seek out your friendly Korean friend and ask them if they know about 쾌걸춘향!!!
I've decided to approach my web findings a little differently.
In my world, I drop interesting links into my bookmark folder to be reviewed and sorted at a later date(usually Mondays and Fridays). Then, I periodically go through and read, sort and/or drop them. Tangentally, I've got a bookmarks folder that you wouldn't believe. Not in the least bit cluttered, either.
In Leftsider, as a direct result of this new schedule, I'll probably post most web findings in groups rather than individual entries. The only exception is if there's something exceptional(duh) or if I'd like to comment/wax philosophical.
Well it's Monday, so here goes:
BBC NEWS: Released Palestinians return home
Quite possibly the most boring headline I've read this year. Luckily I heard the news elsewhere; there's no way that title would have piqued my interest enough to merit a click.
Baby stable after second head removed
Now here's the exact opposite; I couldn't click fast enough. I'm having a moral crises right now whether to feel sad for the other head; it had no body, lungs, stomach....but was "...capable of smiling and blinking..."OMG!!!
Wired News: Office Sweeties Have No Secrets
Tell me something I don't know. I know people on both sides of that story, so it's not an exception, people; it's a fact. Save it for home...
Gizmodo: Paris Hilton's Sidekick II Hacked (AGAIN)
I have a soft spot for this girl. She's enviously rich, spoiled rotten, and seemingly clueless to everyday reality. Yet I find something about her sweet, kind and charming. Plus I totally stole my current word "hot" from her a la Simple Life Season 1. Still, fool me twice....? All said, her mobile pics gallery is 35x better than anyone else's I've seen...NSFW BOOBIES!!!
Got any info? let a brother know.
QUEEN MARGIE OF HARRINGTON says: Hey DudeLeftsider says:
hey dudetteQUEEN MARGIE OF HARRINGTON says:
I have not caught up with you latelyLeftsider says:
i know. i'm a busy man full of mystery and intrigue.QUEEN MARGIE OF HARRINGTON says:
I know what you are full ofLeftsider says:
hahaha
The fact that my 75-year old grandma is instant messaging with me everyday is reason enough. She still hasn't figured out how to change the screenname I gave her, though. Heh.
...I just know it's all so sad.
The View from Nowhere: Re: i will have insane sex with the smartest man on this thing - 23
Last weekend I found out that 명호 (english name: Onyx), the institute's junior pastor, was graduating this week. This surprised me, mostly because prior to this announcement I never even knew he was attending school. Apparently, he finished his studies in December.
For me, a graduation is a very big thing. It's a major accomplishment, and it's the end of one era and the start of a new (and completely insipid) one.
More importantly, I've started to have a different view of graduations in the last few years. At first I thought they were long and boring. As I grew, they were a great opportunity to people-watch ("people" often meaning "females"). But more recently, as I now have turned the 4-year bachelor program into an 8-year debacle, I look longingly at the caps and gowns, tassels, and diplomas--wondering if, ever, I will experience in the first person.
Anyway, when I asked 명호 when and where his graduation was, he looked surprised. I didn't think it was that big of a deal, but he was really floored that I was interested, so I decided to follow through.
명호 went to Sahm Yook University, one of the largest Adventist schools in the world and a well-known college in Korea. It's in Seoul area (northern, I think), so I had to take a train to get up there.
To be honest, I didn't really have the money to take the trip to start out with. But I looked at my options: spend a little extra to make someone's day, or spend nothing and sit at home AGAIN. I got up early and headed off to Dongdaegu Station to catch the mugunghwa train to Seoul.
The plan was to catch the mugungwha train that left closest to 8am. Since it's a 4-hour train ride, I'd get to Seoul Station around noon--giving me plenty of time to get to Sahm Yook U by 2pm, when the ceremony started. Unfortunately, when I arrived at the station to buy a ticket, the 7:40 train was fully booked. Same for the 8:39. the next available mugungwha train departed at 9:35.
I had dragged my lazy but out of bed and to a train station practically before the sun had come up, so I was determined not to be undermined by a late train. I whipped out the American Express (a secret joy--you should see the double-takes I get sometimes) and bought a KTX ticket to depart at 8:02.
Now the KTX is the shizzlee my nizzlee. I rode it back from Seoul last week and that sucker moves. There are little TVs that show in-flight(ha) programming--with a little indicator of how fast you're going in the upper corner. This morning I happened to glance up at that see a whopping 301.5km/hr. That's hovering in the 200mph range, according to my shoddy conversion. Bad math or not, I that train turned a 4-hour commute into a 98-minute nap. BAM! I'm in Seoul, baby. 9:40am.
Well, I still had the key from the guest house that I had used during the botched Thailand trip, so I decided to drop that off and pay the tab. It just so happened that they would know exactly where SYU was--and I hadn't the foggiest.
Took care of business, headed out. They told me by the bus I took it would be about 45 minutes. Thank goodness half the bus was getting off at Sahm Yook when we got there 20 munites later or I would have ended up in the boonies somewhere.
By 11 the entrance was already packed with visitors, cars and people selling flowers, balloons and gifts. I walked through the gate and immediately heard my name--It was Onyx! Freakishly, he had come by early to check on his cap and gown and just happened to see me on his way back home. He invited me over, so I obliged.
When in Seoul, he stays with his sister and her husband. They live on the fourth floor of an older apartment building, to say it nicely. Granted, the pad was probably right in my budget range even though in the US the building probably wouldn't even pass inspection. Still I cherished it, and told them so, because this was the first time I had been to someone's house in Korea (excepting Dean of Academics Randy Barlow's, but he's from the states so his house isn't Korean). They were probably mortified by this, but I was honored.
명호's mom arrived shortly after, with goodies and kisses for her baby boy. Everyone talked to me with Onyx as translator, even though everyone but his mom spoke some English. We enjoyed each other's company for a bit, then headed to the graduation.
Man, there were a lot of people there. Probably the largest event I've been to here. I wanted so badly to take pictures, but I didn't want to be led into temptation. You see, my natural modus operandi is to take pictures of the things that catch my eye, and maybe take pictures with them too. Well, when on a college campus, the things that catch your eyes aren't foliage. And so, get thee behind me satan get thee away.....I can't have anything to do with your after Oct 2004.
I did take some pics of Onyx and his family, though. And one with his girl hahaha(hey she asked, not me.) They'll be up on Flickr soon.
Well the program was pretty boring, but mostly because it was 110% in Korean. At least I could sing along with the songs. It wasn't that long anyway.
Afterwards, his family went out to eat and we had a good time. Shortly after it was time to head back to Daegu--work tomorrow, for Onyx at least. heh.
I'm actually writing this on the mugunghwa train back to Dongdaegu, which is the next stop. 명호 is next to me reading. All said it was a good trip. Now it's time to call it a night. Later!
The New York Times reviews Sony's 3-chip, HD camera that costs $3,000. While not the definitive source on rating production gear, I felt the Times gave enough of the tech specs to answer the initial questions of the budding filmmakers to whom Sony is marketing to while cracking enough bad jokes and explaining enough jargon to demystify the parents of budding film
guys who are asking for three grand.
My biggest interest in this camera is wondering whether it will make the PD150 obsolete--or at least cheaper (since I still want one).
Not often that I find something that no one else has mentioned....especially when it comes to web. Well, hopefully Google translator can help me out so I can be the first one on the block to have my very own blog pet.
A beautiful collection of amazing art worth noting, especailly since in comes from one of the most beautiful places that I've ever been that you never hear beautiful things about.
I'm feeling a wave of creativity and ingenuity cresting, so I'm absorbing all the beautifully unique thinking that I can these days. This one is thanks to Fru. Be nice to her; she's a new blogger. heh.
About two months ago I sold my DJ equipment. But apparently, two months isn't enough for closure.
I put them up on Ebay. I hadn't used Ebay previously so I was pretty pensive about the whole thing. I was super-clear in all my descriptions, very literal in the shipping process and a really cool guy won the auction for a VERY nice price.
The first problem was that the guy was from Canada. Unbeknownst to me, Paypal can't easily verify Canadian checks, so the money took 15 days to be cleared. That was December 30, and I was already in Korea. I had talked to Joey and he said he'd send them for me when he got back from Georgia, also on the 30th.
Joey died on the 2nd. His parents came up and cleared out all his stuff, my dad picked up what they had salvaged of mine, and my neighbor held the gear until someone could get it for me.
First friend was willing but we played phone tag and then he was away for a week on business. Second friend wanted to help but had a phobia of being near places where people died. Missed connections, no pickup. Third dude owed me a favor, so I called it in. He said sure, but didn't get them. I reminded him, and he promised in a few days. Then he got them, but didn't send them.
We're well into January at this point. The buyer has been extremely nice and is patiently waiting, however, Paypal's 45-day (yes that long) claim deadline was looming and he didn't want to be screwed out of his cash. He sent me an apologetic letter on the day he filed the claim and said if the stuff got sent he'd withdraw it.
I'm now calling to the states rather than relying upon email. Get a hold of sender #3, who informs me that the cheapest price that he can find is three times the quote I received from UPS. Also, the tables are at a friend's warehouse so that they can be shipped the next day. A few hours later he gives me a confirmation code, which I pass on to the buyer.
Then silence. No word from anyone if anything has been received. Paypal claim is still active, I have no equipment, I've paid extra for shipping, and if it continues in this vein, I'll lose the money in paypal that purchased the gear. So essentially I've given my stuff for free and paid someone to ship it.
Finally, this is one of the last two things that is a constant reminder of losing Joey. The other thing is mail, which still needs to be sorted out. I'm hoping to be done with it all so that I can move on. It's taking life energy from me constantly worrying about these things.
Budding cyber love ends in divorce
Wow. What are the chances of that happening?
Whenever I go to Seoul I hit up the Cyberria near Hoegi Station. It was my first PC방 in Korea, and it's currently still my favorite. Whenever I go, I'm usually there enough that the staff has a good time trying a few english words on me, helps me with some korean tech isues, and mercilessly watches me wonder how to play all of the fantastic games that everyone else is playing around me.
This time it was like my second home, and a lot less lonely. The guest housing I was provided with was a small spartan room in a quite large 4-bedroom bi-level apartment with no other guests, no tv or radio. So naturally, I probably spent more time at Cyberria than normal.
This time, though, I gathered enough courage to pester the staff slightly more than usual, which they seemed to rather enjoy. At first, I wanted to try and get a login ID for a korean gaming site. One of the guys stopped when he saw me struggling through the hangul and helped me fill out the registration. Unfortunately, you have to put your civilian number in (is this like a SSN? Because I find this unbelievable that they would need this so i can play online go-kart racing....) and the number on my alien registration card wasn't accepted. Man, I knew Koreans looked out for their own, but this is ridiculous!
After that, they gave me a little more license. I was able to do a little more, like a regular would, and they'd come around periodically to see if I was ok. Last night, a girl helped me with yet another attempt at making an ID for a game--this time one that I found on the PC's desktop. I asked her what I needed to put in a certain textbox and within a few clicks she had me up an running.
That's right folks, for the first time I've actually played a Korean online game. It was way cheesy but, ultimately, fun. The game (whose name I have forgotten) involves picking a chibi-styled character to drop water balloons. The impending splash breaks nearby blocks, which sometimes reveals special items. While you're doing this, the computer (or other online players) are doing the same thing, clearing the board to face you armed with item-enhanced balloons. First one hit, loses.
I was initially disappointed with the simple mission, but ultimately was sucked in to the online play and the cuteness of the thing. I ended up wasting an hour or two on it. Plus, I was so happy to have an actual game going I didn't want to close it. =o]
I think there's a Cyberria near here in Siji; maybe I'll have to make a trip and see if they're as cool.
So I'm back in Daegu. That's South Korea, not some coincidentally-named place in Thailand. I ended up having a pretty lame time in Seoul, and, as a result, not going after all. Details after the hump.
When a client asks you to come out and meet with them, you always say yes. It's really important to get a feel for their likes and dislikes, their wants and their idiosyncracies. Far too many freelancers learned this the hard way, present company included.
When a client asks you to come out and meet with them, you have two options: They bring you in, or you come in and they reimburse you. If they don't like your price, they may chose to make their own travel plans for you--which is fine since you don't have to worry about paying off the ticket you just put on a card somewhere.
Thing is, you really need to nail down both of these things. I, foolishly, didn't. So I went to Seoul for other business and stayed around to catch a flight. I called the client to let them know my ticket price and they balked. They offered to find me a better package, which I allowed. The package was a little sneaky, but I've probably arranged close to a half-million in travel plans so I was wise to the deal and willing to follow through.
Shortly after I got the package, I got a cancellation of the package. It came with a request to find my own ticket using the same travel agent hodge-podgery. Unfortunately, the time, day, and season were not favorable for their hopes. The cheapest ticket I could find was the one that I had originally planned to buy--and time was quickly running out. They suggested I wait a few days to get another flight. I suggested I go home to my wife and other business and they contact me when a travel plan is more certain.
All in all, no biggie. I'll probably still work with the client--although a little more formally. And, if the fates have it, I may still go to Thailand. But for now, I'm just glad to be home and relaxing with highspeed wireless internet.
4 year old drives car to video store and back!
Cute story. If you've got high-speed, check out the news clip linked at the bottom for a good chuckle.
Online gaming in Korea is like nothing else I've ever seen. I was trying to come up with a witty comparison to something in the US or another country but it's just not possible. There's nowhere else where you can have so many people--men, women, children, seniors--involved in one thing with so much fervor.
I've been trying to get "an in" into the scene since, say, the second day I got here. Unfortunately, most programs here are entirely in Korean, making it difficult for me to make my own way.
Then, after a month of searching I found this site. I nearly wet myself with joy, even though they only offer four games converted into english for FREE online play.
Imagine my disappointment when I couldn't download the games! Some type of FTP error....I can't tell since I'm not that fluent in Korean yet. But rest assured. I won't stop trying. If anyone out there has "an in" on the Korean gaming world, let a brother know.
Currently in Seoul....alone and in my favorite PCbaang.
I got a call last week from someone kvetching about the horrible job a drifting freelance web guy did in creating a website for an organization. Long story short, I'm waiting now to buy a ticket to Bangkok and fix the problem in person. That's right, I got a freelance job in Thailand.
I should be there no more than a week. And hopefully the laptop will have a nice little connection to plug into so there'll be no shortage on posts. Fru's kinda bummed since this is the first time I'll be away from her for this long since we've been married--she always gets like this the first time I do something, but she'll be fine.
Anyway, be checking Flickr for pics of Bangkok in the next few days.
Most of the people who are familiar with Korea that I've spoken with invariably ask me if I've been to the public bath (aka: sauna, 찜질방). There are many reasons for this, but it's mostly because it requires being completely naked around complete strangers (who are also naked). Read my experience after the hump.
I originally wasn't planning to go to the sauna--a new acquantaince offered to take me out sightseeing. We went to Donghwa-sa on Palgong mountain. The cable cars to the top of the mountains was closed that day, so our plans were cut short. On the way back, we noticed a hotel/hot springs sauna so we decided to go.
Everyone's big on the fact that you're naked around other people, but if you've roughed it or were (un?)fortunate enough to go to camp/gym/boarding school early enough or in another country, you've done that before and it's no big deal. I wasn't worried about being naked at all; hey, we're all naked under our clothes.
The first thing that I have to say is that everything we say comes back to haunt us. I've often scolded family and associates for mentioning that a certain group of people all look the same, arguing that each person has unique features that make them easily recognizeable. I was certain of this principle until my friend disrobed and walked around the corner of the lockerroom. I finished undressing and went around to meet him--only to find that without his clothes and glasses, I had no clue who he was among the dozen Koreans also there.
I took my time walking through in hopes that he would catch me before I passed him. I saw someone squint in my direction and then head towards me....he looked vaugely like the guy I came in with so I headed towards him. Match! We headed out to the showers.
I mentioned that he squinted for a reason. It will become clear later.
First, you shower. They give you some soap and this rag that's rather rough to exfoliate loose skin, I suppose. I was staying close to my companion now, as to not lose him again, and as soon as we finished we hopped into the hot pool.
This is good. It's like what it would feel like if your tub was the size of a swimming pool. I can't remember the last time I was able to have my knees and my shoulders in the water at the same time, so this was a treasure. And supposedly this was 100% pure hot springs water being pumped in.
After a few minutes there we walked outside (yes out of the building, but in an walled area) to a little building that looked like an igloo. On the contrary, it was a stone oven where we sat and baked in temperatures of 70C (158F)! It was not so comfortable since I had no towel; they had a thatch mat across the floor to sit/lay on but my butt was on fire the whole time. after just a few minutes we headed out.
Here comes the good part. Ouside where was a rock-lined pool which I thought was decoration. We got in! Unbelievably nice, a little warmer than the first pool with more massaging pressure from the water pumping in. This was maybe the highlight of the trip--sitting in unbelievable comfortable hot water while breathing in the cold, crisp fresh air of the mountains. Absolutely amazing.
By this time I was completely digging the place, so when my associate headed for the next passage way I was right behind him. At each place was a sign, in Korean, that explained what each area was. Since he had taken off his glasses, his vision was quite bad and so he would be inches away from the sign to see what it was. I wasn't trying to stand in the cold and lose my warmth so I started ahead of him as he read. Suddenly he shouted, "Wait! Come back!"
I turned back through the serpentine passageway. "What is it?"
"We can't go there."
"Oh really?" I wondered.
"No. It is men and women together--clothed only!"
Well thank goodness he figured that out in time. Otherwise, I was about to give the ladies a little show!
Instead, we went to a cool-water pool with water that fell from the ceiling, really massaging my shoulder muscles. Then to another hot pool, followed by a shower, the outdoor pool again, another shower, an actual sauna a charcoal room, and a power shower that I must have in my house I build someday.
Finally it was time to go home. Even though there was snow and ice in the parking lot I felt so warm. For about 4-5 hours afterwards I was warm like I was sitting in Costa Rica. Finally it wore off and I had to turn the heat up.
Altogether, a wonderful experience. Very relaxing, Very theraputic. I hear that it's common for Korean families to go to the public bath once a week? Maybe I might find a way to fit that into the schedule.
...and it comes back to bite you. This week I checked my bank account and found that my old job had paid me. Well, the 17th of December was my last physical day, followed by a week's vacation. I got paid just before we left, and when I got another paycheck, that seemed enough. This extra check was an apparent oversight.
Late last night I called the office, which apparently holds me in high regard, and talked with some old associates for a bit before dropping the news. After being transferred to the accounting department, I repeated my story and sat pensively through a long pause.
"....You are SO honest!" The accounting lady finally replied. "You could've just taken the money, and--let me check here--you would have continued getting paid, too."
Well I was kinda proud by this point, but then she continued to investigate. After looking up my termination date, she concluded, "Actually, you got TWO extra checks." Apparently, my last day was halfway through a pay period, which meant that the other week of vacation filled the first check and there was no need for another payment--all the checks I received this month were extraneous.
This put me in a pickle, because most of the previous check was already gone. Taking both back now would leave me rubbing pennies until the end of the month. I explained to the accounting lady that I was a poor college student abroad with no real income so she was graceful enough to work with me on the earliest check. I'll probably pay in installments or something.
So now, instead of just honestly returning money, I acquired a lender who I have to pay back. Great. Owing a couple grand was exactly how I wanted to wake up this morning.
I don't know what it is, but if a software company makes it a part of their website, I gotta laugh--and share!
USA vs. JAPAN Food Review Battle
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