Borderline Ambivalent

Beware Fan Death

2010-08-19T09:06:00.000+09:00

For those of you that haven't had the ~~pleasure~~ opportunity to live and work in South Korea I will enlighten you on a little phenomenon known as Fan Death. For those of you that know about Fan Death, scroll passed the description to: **).

Fan death is an apparently a legitimate cause of death in South Korea, but really only accepted and believed here (as far as I know). The idea that leaving a fan on while in an enclosed room can cause suffocation and hypothermia (the latter only being remotely possible if the room is as hot as body temperature). A 교포 (gyopo ) friend has even told me me that when she was young, her mother warned her that leaving a fan on can suck the oxygen right out of the room.

Sidebar: her parents recently came to visit (for the 3rd time in 11 months, this time during the piping hot Korean summer), and consistently turned her fan off in the middle of the night, after she'd turn it back on, refusing to also allow her to leave her air conditioning on (in her own apartment). Parents, pffft.

*** I digress. The purpose of this post is to explain my work situation.
Today I came arrived at work, a reluctant ten minutes early as usual to a note on the door in broken English reading:

Deer Lyon Teacher,

Yesterday night class fans left on. Very danger. Please watch students very careful today. I turned fans off because it dangerous for students. Please no turn fans on today. Air con also no. Fan on all night so classroom will be okay. I worry about Fan Death. Please watch students to not die.
Thankyou Lyon Teacher,
Miss Choi

Gee, my bad. It's a wonder I haven't died yet, sitting in this room without any oxygen. You know what is a possibility though, passing out from heat exhaustion. It's going to be 40°C (105°F) today and I'm not allowed to ask for the air conditioning to be turned on nor risk student suffocation by turning the fans on. Today's going to be fun.

Post Script: Doing it anyway.

Foreigner, Yes. Aaron, No.

2010-08-16T14:29:00.000+09:00

My name is not Aaron.
(curious? more).

You Smell Like my Dad

2010-07-08T13:01:00.001+09:00

Peeling the crust from my sodden eyelids, I begrudgingly dropped one foot to the floor. I sat up -- yawning and stretching like an old dog. Cracking my neck, I looked at the alarm clock that had been buzzing for the last forty minutes. It flashed 8:15. I had to be at work in fifteen minutes. I shrugged and couldn’t have cared less. I threw on a pair of shorts and an old T-shirt. It’s too hot for nice clothes and I knew my co-teacher would be wearing sweats so I thought why not dress a schluppy today. I was too hung-over to even make an excuse up as to why I was going to be 5 minutes late so I planned to just stroll in and hope no one said anything.

Someone did. I walked into my office and my coworker said: “Ohh, your hair is berry, berry messy and you dressed like street person.” (In her defense, I did look like shit warmed over).

I smiled, laughed, and said: “Yeah, I know.” As I walked back to my desk to mentally prepare for the apocalypse that I was about to face, all I could think about was how bad I wanted McDonald’s breakfast. Gutted.

I sat in my office, dreading the sounding of the ear-piercing bell. It was coming and there was nothing I can do to stop it. It’s almost a Pavlonian now. I hear it and immediately I am filled with anger and frustration.

35 kids running down the hallway is almost as bad as the electric shock the dogs got. They’re here. It’s worse than the electric shock.

Me: “Hello students (I sigh). How are you doing today?”

Sophie: “Teacher, you smell like my dad.” (lifting her hand and pretending to drink from an imaginary bottle)

Me: “Does that make you happy or sad?”

Shit.

Standing in your B-Boy stance

2010-07-05T09:57:00.003+09:00

This past weekend (July 3-4) I went to the R-16 Urban Arts Festival in Olympic Park, Seoul. Artists and dancers came from all over the world to compete in both visual art and some badass break-dancing competitions. The graffiti was amazing and the B-Boy competition was very entertaining. Here are some shots from the Semi-Final Singles competition.

A little gutted I missed the finale and the crews but still a wicked night all together.

Technorati Tags: Korea R16 World Urban Arts Festival Seoul Olympic Park

Major Lazer

2010-06-23T17:55:00.002+09:00

For my birthday, my friends and I gathered our crew and took off to Ax Hall in Seoul to see Major Lazer for a measly 10,000 won. I was told I wasn't allowed to bring in an DSLR so I grabbed my Lomo with a terribly fitted roll of film. Of the 36 shots I took, these were the best, and that's saying a lot.

The majority of them were just plain black or had half of 2 photos on one frame. Reference 2nd last picture.

Gutted.

친구

Party people

Soo-Hon

We party everyday, we party everyday.

Frontman.

A happy birthday

phot-ohs

2010-06-21T20:58:00.000+09:00

Beaches of Busan

Babes of busan

Bodies of Busan

BPPs in Busan

work is like a party now

2010-06-21T14:43:00.003+09:00

I have spent far too much time on this site today.

Happy (not a) Father's Day

2010-06-21T08:39:00.001+09:00

A big shout out to my dad but to all the other dude's out there without kin,

Happy NOT A Father's Day.

Thanks for buying cheap condoms Dad, because right now, my life is pretty sweet.

Say wha?

2010-06-18T15:24:00.001+09:00

I woke up groggy this morning. I managed to convince myself it was okay to stay up enjoying what Tumblr had to offer until the wee hours of the morning. Around 3:30 AM I fell asleep, the only thought on my mind was how terrible the morning is going to be when I would have to get up in 4 hours. Lucky for me, my expectations didn’t let me down.

I walked to the bus stop. I smoked a cigarette and waited patiently. The bus pulled up, though I was the first in line, I made a motion for the people behind me to go first because (let’s be real) they would have anyway, and at least this way I look like a nice guy. So there we go. I’m on the bus. I reach into my pocket and drop 1,000 won into the token/change receptacle. 1,000 won being the correct amount, I began my walk down the aisles to an empty seat. For once one of my co-workers was not on the same bus – had she been, what I’m about to explain could have been avoided, I’m sure.

I sat down in empty seat and the driver began to drive. I heard the coins I dropped in go down and the brakes slammed. He started yelling. I assumed it was directed towards the high school student that ran in front of the bus. I was wrong.

He kept yelling. Because I don’t understand Korean I didn’t really care to know what he was yelling about. I put my headphones on. It was at this point that 8 or 9 heads turned and looked at me awkwardly. I popped one bud out and pointed at myself.

“Me?”

The bus driver kept yelling.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand Korean well.”

Bus driver: continues yelling.

Me: looking confused. I looked around for the slightest sign of someone that spoke English on the bus.

A high school girl perked up and asked me how much money I gave him. I said 1,000 won (also in Korean). She told the bus driver. He wasn’t satisfied.

I stood up and walked to the front of the bus to give him MORE money even though I had paid the proper fare. If it was going to get him to declare a ‘cease fire,’ I was prepared to give him an extra 5,000. I just wanted to get to work. I tried to give him more money but he slapped my hand away.

My eyes widened and my anger surfaced. He started yelling again; this time too fast for me to understand anything but words that really stood out to me. I heard something about ‘white man’ followed by something about ‘stupid foreigner’ and then told me to ‘fuck off,’ motioning for me to get off the bus. When I asked him if he was serious and he said yes and once again motioned for me to 'fuck off.' This is apparently when my race started to be a problem as well.

At this point, my tolerance plateaued. I looked around the bus and everyone pretended like this wasn’t even happening. I don’t know what the hell his problem was with me but he clearly had one. Now really angry I told him I wasn’t getting off the bus and that I was only going 4 stops. He kept yelling, “GET OFF!” I hadn’t even done anything wrong.

I said the first thing I could think of that I could say to show this old ahjussi that I was angry, the word 개새끼 (Geseki) flew out of my mouth before I could even censor myself. His head spun around and his jaw dropped. At that time I didn’t care (I regret it now, but can’t live in the past). I got off the bus and he shut the doors staring me down.

I flipped the bird and walked away.

I’m ready to get out of this country. Korea is an amazing place to live, but sometimes you run into some real douchebags here.

Twenty-Four

2010-06-18T00:21:00.000+09:00

'Twas my birthday on Wednesday and I ate cake. A lot of cake.

Thank you for helping celebrate another year without dying.

24 and goin' strong.

Lights and Lasers

2010-06-01T13:24:00.003+09:00

This past weekend I decided that I wanted to really get acquainted with the Cheongycheon stream and all of its surrounding urban sprawl. On Saturday, after leaving Gwanghwamun, my friend and I wandered down to the stream. We people watched and walked too far in shitty shoes. Worth it though because we caught a sign regarding some laser art show that happens on a nightly basis from April – August. There are two shows; one laser show that is performed atop the stream and the second is a light show called “Fractal Flowers,” that is projected onto the stream’s walls.
It was really cool to see. The laser show lasts for 8 minutes and is performed every 40 minutes from 8pm onwards. The Fractal Flowers instillation runs from 8 o’clock onwards until midnight I believe.

A definite recommendation if you are in the area at night.

And stop by Dongdaemun market as well. You won’t be disappointed. (Pictures to follow)

I hate birds

2010-05-26T16:25:00.001+09:00

What's a Dusty Muffin?

2010-05-19T23:08:00.001+09:00

In reference to my facebook status:

My dad just sent me a message asking: "Ryan, what's a 'Dusty Muffin?"

I had a good laugh.

Thanks Dad, for ending my night on a high-note.

Here's what I'm referencing. If you haven't seen this episode of SNL, I highly suggest watching it.

NOW!

Welp

2010-05-18T21:26:00.001+09:00

I got home from work toady at 5PM. I laid down in bed with my ~~girlfriend~~ computer. My eyes felt heavy and my body lethargic. I somehow allowed my subconscious to justify a nap, something I've been very adamant about putting a stop to after work.

I felt my blinking slow and experienced intermittent periods of consciousness. I even mentally reassured myself that I was just 'resting my eyes.'

Well, I wasn't just resting my eyes. I was facing a full fledged REM sleep brought on by severe drinking induced insomnia during the weekend (and monday) past.

My dream, which now escapes me due to my haste and clumsy, hurried excuse making, ended and I opened my eyes. I was face-to-~~face-~~screen with my ~~girlfriend~~ computer and the Twitstori screen saver was the only light in the room. I casually made a wiping motion across my mouse pad.

The "I feel, I hate, I blah blah blah...'s" all disappeared and I was left staring at the time. 8:19.

"8:19!!!???" I actually yelled. "FUCK, I'm late for work again!"

I rolled over to make sure my eyes weren't playing a trick on me. My windows were darkened and my phone no where to be found. My phone is also my alarm clock. I yelled, scolded, and cursed myself.

YOU IDIOT! You knew you were tired. Why the fuck didn't you at least show a little responsibility and set the alarm before "just resting your eyes!! " Now you have to call and make some stupid excuse and explain to your co-teacher why you'll be late for morning class and most likely not even catch the first Grade 3 class today.

SIDEBAR: This wasn't my first time being late for school. It's about my 5th. Every time I call in the morning they now know it's because I slept in. Nothing would be different this time.

I aggressively ripped through my apartment, cursing out loud, in search for my damned cell-phone. I found it. I flipped it open and searched for "Hye Sook," my co-teacher. I took a deep breath and my brain started formulating excuses. It would have been wiser to wait until I had a plan before calling, but that's just the way I work. I sound more panicked when I'm flying by the seat of my pants. And BOOOOOY, did I ever sound panicked.

Huffing and puffing, barely speaking clear enough for someone who speaks English as their first language to understand, I blurted out an excuse.

"I was really sick when I got home last night and I fell asleep right away, in my clothes. I am so sorry that I'm late (cough, again). Please forgive me! I am going to shower and I will take a cab in. Please tell 'Bella' that I will be too late to do morning announcements today! I'm so sorrry!"

I quickly showered, dressed, and blended a smoothie (because, let's be real -- everybody's gotta eat) in less than 15 minutes. Enough time for me to REALLY wake up from the half-dazed-zombie-state I was 15 minutes prior. I checked my phone for my time again and it read: 8:49. I sighed and rolled my eyes. I felt so irresponsible.

That feeling of irresponsibility and failure quickly turned into a feeling of aberration and embarrassment when I noticed left hand corner of my phone screen. Why did I not register this crucial formation of pixels earlier? In distinct, dark letters the abbreviation "PM" jumped out at me.
I slowly shut my phone and counted to 10, in hopes to avoid the furious outrage that was bubbling under the surface. I lied down and looked at my ~~girlfriend~~.

"This is your fault," I said.

I'm really not looking forward to explaining why the hell I was calling my co-teacher at 8:20 in the evening. Her husband already thinks we're having an affair. How am I going to face her tomorrow and explain that I can't even tell time properly and was about to rush into work 12-hours EARLY!

fuck.

A Happy Breakup

2010-05-18T13:21:00.001+09:00

They put on a fun show. It's a shame they're taking a break from each other. Leaving us with one last song, Drive In, Thunderheist bids adieu. Not their catchiest song, but a nice "breakup song" as quoted by Spinner. I'll miss their dirty beats.

I hiked a mountain in Vans -- again.

2010-05-18T00:24:00.002+09:00

Teacher's trip to Mui Island off the coast of Incheon, South Korea

My Co-teachers: Bella and HyeSook

Grade 3 Teachers

The VP and the Head Teacher

Banessa (not Vanessa) and Ms. Park

Climbed to the top of another mountain in Vans.

The VP accepts me "as his son"

I'm told this is a big deal.

Staff

"I'm a good job ^^"

Mountain dogs

Then we ate live octopus and got really drunk

"sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry"

Too much soju.

So how old is Buddha exactly?

2010-05-17T22:53:00.000+09:00

This past weekend in Seoul marked the beginning of an annual celebration here in Korea, Buddha's Birthday. This Friday is the big day but to hype everyone in the country up a parade and lantern festival is was held in my favourite area of Seoul, Insadong.

Foreigners especially like this birthday celebration because we get a long weekend. Very stoked to be heading to a beach given the latent heat moving this way.

The end.

Le Village Français dans Séoul

2010-05-17T15:45:00.002+09:00

I ventured into the heart of French culture in Seoul this past Saturday afternoon. A little French area tucked into Seocho-gu, a small neighborhood in South east Seoul. From From Express Bus Terminal Stop (Line 3), from there, start wandering around or grab a cab and ask to go to Seorae Maul. You know you’re there when you see all of the wineries, cafes, and France flags you
After wandering the dust and mud laden ~~sidewalks,~~ dirt paths, we finally came across Momartre Park. The influence of French culture was obvious but it wasn’t until I got to Momartre Park that I really felt like I was no longer in the heart of Seoul. The sounds of children playing and parents scolding in a language I understood was refreshing and long over-due. It was really nice to have to wonder what the people around me were saying.
We staked out the park, dropped our bottles of wine and kicked off our shoes, claiming the hill as our area. It was a stellar choice on our part. It offered great views of the French families playing games with their kids, a birthday scavenger hunt, and a glimpse at an area that seemed to hold the Korean people at bay. It was strange. Apart from one group of exercisers, they didn’t really venture in, or mix with the French. I digress. The area was an ideal look-out for people watching.
We sat and indulged in some overly priced, mediocre wine (from the bottle, obviously) and watched people and time pass. I will most definitely be spending a lot of time there this summer.

North Korea is coming!?

2010-05-13T14:06:00.004+09:00

Walking into a Korean elementary school everyday always provides me with hours of stories to tell and too many tasteless jokes to make. Today was no exception.

I stumbled in, still half diluted from last night's soju-induced Teacher's ~~Drinking~~ Bonding Trip to a notice on my classroom door, written in Korean of course. I pulled it down and grabbed a kid running through the hall;

"Sky Walker (yes, that's his name), what does this say?"

"Teacher, it says North Korea coming blah blah blah. I'm late fore home-room. Goodbye!"

"Superb!" I thought to myself. Of course they are. Two days after a conversation with my father about not knowing where the Canadian Embassy is, if North Korea ever attacks.

The sirens began to sound, kids were running through the halls and frantic voices were exploding from the PA System had enveloped my auditory system. This was it. Though, as I'm sure you must think if I'm writing this then I survived, well then by golly, you're right. I did. The attack didn't happen.

Canada and Korea bare many differences, this is just another example. In Korea, they really like to role-play during emergency preparedness drills. To the point of blaring the sirens for extended periods of time, yelling and "crying" on the announcements and teachers rushing through the halls, herding their students to the basement of the school.

All the while, no one bothers to inform the stupid foreigner who doesn't speak Korean past understanding "North Korea is coming" that it's all just a DRILL! Kids were crying for Christ's sake! I stood their stunned, clutching my MacBook (because obviously I'm saving that if Kim Jong-Il attacks), waiting for my co-teacher to simply shoot me a wink and say, "Lyon Teacher, it's pretend, go back to office."

Turns out that notice on my door was just talking about practicing drills IN CASE North Korea ever attacks. Sometimes this country just confuses me so much.

4th Annual World DJ Festival

2010-05-10T01:02:00.003+09:00

This past weekend the crew headed to Namji camp site (30 minutes from World Cup Stadium) to enjoy some dirty beats and partake in a ridiculous party also known as the 4th Annual World DJ Festival. I didn't bring my SLR for fear of having it soaked in sweat and Jägermeister and in hindsight was a very good idea. The quality of the photos is less than desirable but the memories that I can actually remember are quite enjoyable.

I'm not one to dance but pump enough Jager into me and it's a totally different story. Let me tell you -- about 4 consecutive straight hours I was the most aggressive dancer sans friends as they napped to recover. I was on stage twice and wasn't kicked off right away like the other people that got on so I must have been doing something right...or really wrong. We'll never know.

If you are ever in Seoul when this party goes down, drop everything you're doing and get there for the next one.

Pregame wardrobe change. Dez changes from pants to shorts in front of children and the elderly while wrapped in a blanket, and was successful.

Upon reflections of the day before while looking at pictures:

"Oh, THAT'S why I did that. Look how cute I look!"

"ummm, you have a cat face on your face."

Off-duty and loving life

Taken while on stage, the 1st time

Things to note: The face of the dude in the right-hand corner

and the greased up weigook to the left -- both equally funny.

The young and the reckless

It seemed as though this man was God when he came on. Pure insanity.

The day after - my shirt stained with all the free Jager poured on me by the DJs.

They were generous.

Such a strange dream

2010-05-01T01:25:00.003+09:00

It was the kind of dream that felt so real - I had just lied down waiting for a call to go for dinner and it felt like the dream took place that very night, the second I hung up the phone.

First I should introduce the cast of said dream: Soo-hon, Veronica, Lori, Dez and I were in Hongdae, wandering the streets as per usual, looking for a decent bar to go to. Soo and I had ventured into a store and upon exiting, we were confronted by the awkward fact that the girls had stolen a Home Plus (Grocery Store) truck and demanded we drive it back to Ilsan. Once back home it felt like I had not even been in Hongdae and that whole experience happened without me there; almost like a dream inside a dream.

Arriving home I realized how late it was and rushed upstairs to get ready. All my friends were screaming like first year girls in the hallway so I opened the door to tell them to be quiet and found a group of foreigners in my building that I had never met. I went across the hall to join their predrink and Jay Baruchel was casually sitting in their kitchen. Their apartment by the way, was epic - 14 sizes (at least) bigger than mine. No one seemed to be as in shock by the immaculate size of this apartment or because the dude from PMK was there.

After that I decided I needed to shower and get dressed to actually go back to Hongdae (whether it be my first or second trip there I had no idea). I was getting into the shower and I heard two strangely familiar voices. I opened the door to find 2 girls I had gone to elementary school with in my living-room ALONG with a stolen Home Plus truck that was now parked in my bedroom. They were here visiting for someone from Ottawa, which made sense because they both went to university there.

All of a sudden my co-teachers showed up at my door. I slyly shut the sliding doors to my bedroom before answering the door -- as to avoid awkward questions about the truck in my apartment. After some drinks on the living room floor my co-teachers asked to join us in Hongdae. I told them "sure'' but ONLY if they helped us get the Home Plus truck back to where it needs to be, or at LEAST out of my apartment.

I made a sarcastic comment about 'low-jack' not existing in Korea and all of a sudden my doorbell rang. I looked at my video display screen and every police officer and immigration officers in Korea was at my door waiting to deport me.

I wonder if this was a sign for me not to sign up for a second year.

Stop Motion Graffiti

2010-04-21T22:51:00.000+09:00

Broken Fingaz -Graffiti Stop Motion from Broken Fingaz on Vimeo.

Introducing: Mason Jenna Madeline Alexander Fitzpatrick

2010-04-10T11:35:00.002+09:00

This is Mason for his Show And Tell he decided to sing a song. He said he realky likes Avril Lavigne. Mason Jenna Madeline Alexander Fitzpatrick sings: "Sk8r Boi."

Enjoy

똥침 Dddong Chim

2010-03-24T16:26:00.003+09:00

Kancho カンチョ is a game kids (and weirdly enough, adults too) play that originated in Japan. This game is played by clasping one’s hands together and pint the two index fingers out, the same way you use to pretend when playing cops and robbers as children or maybe when you were in college, posing for “sexy” Charlie’s Angel-esque photos. This game is nothing like Cops and Robbers, nor is it remotely sexy. I suppose you could say it’s the Asian Wedgie, given its popularity in Japan and Korea. The goal of this game is anal penetration. How fucked up is that. To me, the words game and sodomy do not go hand-in-hand. In fact, they’re probably at complete opposite ends of the fun spectrum, but to each their own.

A bronzed 똥침 monument in Korea

How to Play:
When your victim is not looking, you sneak up behind them and poke them with your paired index fingers, square in the chocolate starfish (excuse the Limp Bizkit reference).
If your victim stops you, you lose. If you ‘score,’ you win.
If you think it’s funny, wait until you see the animated flash game someone has created for it. Click ‘start’ and move your mouse. Left-click to shoot the ddong chim, watch for the falling poop!
To you readers, this act may seem like quite an intimate experience but trust me, school children will do it to everyone and anyone – including teachers. I’ve been a victim of ddong chim as they call it in Korea. Korean school children are not intimidated by me at all. They think I’m funny and a very easy-going teacher (in comparison to my Korean co-workers). They treat me more like a friend than they do teacher. This was something I really liked up until the point they felt comfortable enough to poke my ass-hole.
Let me set a typical stage:
I’ll be bending over or crouching even while I help correct homework or listen for proper pronunciation, then, out of no where, my unguarded and definitely unsuspecting bum-hole gets poked. I whip around, scold the children and send them back to their seats. Depending on my mood, sometimes they’re punished a little more severely - wall squats. It sounds vicious to make a 12 year old do wall squats but take into consideration the inappropriateness of what just happened to me.
This would never be tolerated in Canada, but for some reason the Korean people just laugh. In fact, it’s like this joke never gets old. Old or young, it seems everyone here has either done it, does do it, or has at least heard of it.
Anyway, I just thought I’d share little bit of the weirdness that is Korea with you all. To all those people at home, consider yourself luck you don’t work will elementary Korean school children all day, everyday & to those ESL teachers reading this…protect yourself!
This has happened to me 4 times this week alone. Anyone else experience this at all while working in Korea or Japan for that matter?

Yellow Fever or Yellow Dust?

2010-03-23T23:15:00.002+09:00

Read the blog and the mask will make sense. Thank God I bought this in the Philippines.

This past Saturday was a big celebration for the people in Korea. Celebrating St. Patrick's Day at City Hall meant two things: Free Guinness Yellow Dust.

Being from Canada, I'm use to a few luxuries I took for granted until coming to Korea. Rights and Freedoms being number one, and clean air and water tie for second place. Clean air is what I would like to talk to you about now though. During the spring, the Republic of Korea experiences a couple weeks in which the air quality goes to complete shit.

The dust originates in Mongolia, northern China, and Kazakhstan where high-speed windstorms kick up the yellow sand of the dessert, combine it with carcinogens, toxins, pesticides, herbicides, and any other kind of 'cide' you can imagine and blow it down through Korea and into South East Asia. Because of the increased pollution and industrialization as of late the pollutants combing with the dust have been known to cause many problems for people; ME being one of them.

5pm Seoul
Photo cred: H.Miles

Let me give you an idea of how bad this is. In North America, air quality index of 200 is unhealthy and anything over 400 is 'dangerous,' well this past weekend, the AQI was over 500 and I, as well as many other naive foreigners were outside without masks. MISTAKE.

Around 6 PM (after being outdoors in what looked like the apocalypse for 7 hours) my co-teacher texted me and told me: "Today is very heavy yellow dust day. Please take careful." Awesome. By 6 o'clock the warning had been decreased to 300 (still bad, but not deathly). I ended up being very sick Sunday and Monday I had to go to the hospital. Picture severe environmental allergies coupled with back pain when you take a deep breath plus a cough that can rival an 80 year old smoker's. It wasn't pretty, and still isn't.

For further information on what we in Korea experienced, refer here.

Monday I went to the hospital to speak to a doctor about how I was feeling. My symptoms were punched into a computer and it spit out a response of what was supposedly ailing me. For some reason I don't have much faith in doctors here. I was given a couple pouches of pills (having no idea what they are) and instructed to take approximately 15 doses per day. Awesome right? The best part -- everything is written in Korean so I have no idea as to what I'm actually taking or what is actually wrong with me. Oh, Korea.

Vanilla Manila

2010-03-23T22:39:00.001+09:00

Our final 3 days in the Philippines were spent back in Manila in the city of Makati. Makati is the economic hub of the Philippines and has very distinct economic boundaries. The city is most known for its highly cosmopolitan culture and entertainment districts that incorporate a high-class lifestyle as well as budget. Our hotel exhibited this trait ten-fold as it was the most expensive place we stayed the entire trip. In fact, I believe the three days we spent there cost around the same as it did to stay in Palawan and Boracay combined. It was nice to be back in a city civilization though; Island Fever was starting to wear me down.

We got the chance to reconnect to the world, eat expensive dinners, do some shopping at Mall of Asia and Greenbelt (two huge malls in Manila) and go on a city tour courtesy of Romeo, our generous cabby. We met Romeo when he picked us up from City Gardens Hotel. We asked him to take us to the pick-up point for the City Tour which costs about 600 PHP per person. He offered to take us anywhere we wanted in Manila for 800 PHP total. We took him up on the offer and he showed us all over the city. We ended up giving him an extra 400 php as a tip which for us meant like 11 dollars but for him was like buying groceries for a month. His generosity and patience really helped us and I'm glad we could really help him in return.

We saw a lot more of Manila than we would have with the tour this way as well. We got to go to China Town, Intramuros, many cathedrals, Rizal Park, and Fort Santiago, among other monuments and national treasures.

St. Augustin Cathedral

Fort Santiago

in China Town

roaming the city

(the biggest mall in Asia)

Our final days were spent wandering and spending our remaining pesos. It was nice but I was ready to get back to Korea. We were definitely ready. On the second last night in the Philippines, we were watching CNN as we packed. We heard of the earthquake that happened in Chile and of the possible tsunami to hit Japan and the Philippines. The next day we waited anxiously to hear whether or not we were actually going to get off the island. Luckily for us the impact did not happen and we made it to the airport the following day, not without problems with cabbies trying to rip us off, but made it nonetheless (hours early). W In our excitement about getting home and talking about all the things we were anxious to do back in Korea we missed our boarding call and almost missed our flight. PURE stupidity and pure dumb luck we made it on.

Hookah, Hostels, and Heat

2010-03-23T16:22:00.000+09:00

Another Tailspin-esque plane took us from Peurto Princesa to the tourist island of Boracay. Our hopes were set high for the time of our lives. For the first few days, we were not let down. After getting ripped off by “customs officials” and getting dropped off at a dirt-bag hostel we thought hope was lost. Lucky for us we decided not to let those things get us down. We pushed forward, found a decently priced and clean hostel that overlooked a back-yard ghetto. We stayed there for a few days as we enjoyed what the island had to offer. Days were spent laying on the beach, walking around the island, saying ‘no’ to every “deal” we had offered to us, and eating amazing food and drinking excessively.

Unfortunately for us, the majority of our vacation was to be spent here and after five days I had island fever. I was ready to relocate and a possible trip to Malaysia was 86’d within days. Unfortunate. I just needed something more. I realized I can’t spend more than 5 days in one spot without going a little stir-crazy. Noted and next time I will do things differently. As I write this now, I remember how I felt 4 weeks ago, begging and pleading to go back to Korea. It wasn’t that bad. What I wouldn’t give for a couple more days in the sun now that I’ve returned to

Korea

and it’s still cold.

I miss Boracay.

I miss fire shows.

I miss hookah sessions on the beach

I miss baking in the sun

I miss amazing sunsets

Guava, Guano, and Good Times

2010-03-23T15:56:00.002+09:00

I suppose I should probably pump this post out so that I can get back to a regular blogging scheduled.

Okay, so we woke up 5 hours after the sun rose. We only went to bed at 6:30. I woke up to an empty hostel room and thought everyone had left (Oh wait, that happens three days later). I stumbled outside to find people already up and active, eating breakfast, running errands, and making friends. I reluctantly order eggs and coffee. After eating balut the previous night I was nervous the eggs would taste similar. They did. I couldn’t stomach them so I drank the black coffee and picked at someone else’s toast.

Aurora actually woke up and drove us. What a great person. Who takes a bunch of foreigners out for drinks until 6:30 then offers to drive them to the airport the next day at 11. A saint, that’s who.

Anyway so we took off to the Island of Palawan on a tiny airplane with less than desirable amounts of head room. Standing up, I had to hunch over in order to not smoke my head on the ceiling. We’re talking tiny plane here – something out of Tailspin. Remember that show?

If I can choose two things that I liked about Palawan it would be the food and the cheapness of relatively everything. I mean, the day trips aren’t that cheap but you really do get what you pay for in terms of seeing a lot of the island and experiencing the real, rural, natural beauty of the island. (I'll do an entire picture post of the amazing food I ate and link it back later)

We stayed at D’Lucky Garden in Peurto Princesa and they organized our day trips to the Underground River as well as the Island hopping and snorkeling boat cruise. It was a quaint little place with rustic cottages and semi-modern rooms, air-conditioning included, hot water – not so much. Waking up to a cold shower …and I mean really fucking cold. Every morning was traumatizing. I dreaded the moment when I’d pull the tap up, there’d be a split second where I’d hope and pray that the water that was about to erupt from the faucet would be hot but every time a jet of ice-cold water would smack that dream right out of my head and I’d jump to the back of the shower, barely letting the water touch me.

The Underground River

Puerto Princesa is trying very hard to have this declared as one of the newest “Natural Wonders of the World.” I mean, it is beautiful, but I wouldn’t put it up there with the Great Barrier Reef or the North’s Aurora Borealis. I mean there are other underground rivers elsewhere in the world. There’s even one in North America. It is however the second largest and THE largest in Asia. It’s 8.2 kilometers long and can be navigated through by river boats or canoes. The cave is filled with stalactites and stalagmites that have been dripped and dropped on to form many different shapes including: a nativity scene, a grocery store shelf, and even some nudes....oh, and bat shit too. mmmm guano.

Guano.

Island Hopping (Honda Bay)

Honda Bay is a group of small islands lined with fine white sand beaches. From the city to the east, we traveled approximately 30 kilometers from our hotel. We got to hope from island to island all day, snorkeling, feeding fish, drinking, and eating. Oh, and burning. I roasted my back and the back of my legs (probably the most uncomfortable). Spread some butter on me, powder me with flour and chives - I was rivaling Kramer’s butter-based sunburn.

Pandan Island had the best snorkeling hands down, at least in my opinion. Snake Island offered some good sights as well but the final destination, in the middle of the ocean was by far the worst. I got stung by multiple jellyfish and was forced to wear a life jacket. I know, safety is important but when I’m getting stung by jelly fish and cannot adequately swim away because I’m strapped into a floating vest I’m going to be a little peeved. By the end of the day I just wanted to go back to the hotel. I was burned, stung, and dehydrated. How did I remedy this situation? By buying a $1.73 bottle of rum of course! When in Rome, right?

The next day half our group decided to leave without notice, interrupting the flow we had all developed together. It was well, shitty and kind of underhanded. I mean, leaving without notice and just announcing it as we all woke up was a less than desirable way to start my day. The remainder of us were neither asked to join nor apologized to for just leaving. I guess that’s what happens when you travel with people you don’t know well. I get it, it was their vacation and they could do with it what they pleased, but a little notice or maybe even extending an invite goes a long way to decrease negative feelings towards someone.

Anyway, the three of us stayed at D’Lucky Garden Inn for another couple days then relocated for our last night at a “Bali inspired hotel,” with amazing service and top-notch food. . This was probably one of the best accommodations we stayed in, throughout the entire trip. The Ube ice-cream was cheap too.

Boracay was next so we took to bed early.

I left Korea and Ate a Fetus

2010-03-09T23:45:00.001+09:00

As I walked into Incheon Airport a sudden sense of reality finally smacked me in the face. After months of research, planning, and location changes my travel plans had finally been solidified and I was leaving Korea for almost a month. We checked our suitcases and Judy’s 8 pairs of shoes before taking off for a couple beers as we waited to leave the snowy, cold Seoul we had been drudging through for the last three months.

I was full of energy and actually couldn’t contain it. Bouts of spontaneous and most likely annoying laughter were escaping from my mouth before I could even attempt to hold it back...every five minutes. I’m sure my travel companions got a kick out of this.

Finally our time came to board the plane and took our seats preparing for an 32,000 kilometer high bender, a row of five friends in tow. After polishing off a couple bottles of wine, double the amount of beer and I had successfully drowned myself in alcohol -- the altitude only making the buzz that much sweeter.

Arriving in Manila and my face melting off made me regret the natural choice of wearing jeans, a sweater, and a winter hat pre-departure. We de-boarded, waded through customs, grabbed our bags, and caught a cab (metered, of course) to the Green Mango Hostel in what we thought wast the heart of Manila. We were wrong - we weren’t so close and we would later discover this on the way into the city.

We sat around a table, sipping San Miguel Pilsen and exchanging excited comments about finally getting out of Korea. A Filipino couple named Nietzsche and Aurora joined our table. At first they seemed apprehensive of us and spoke only in Tagolog but soon after constant attempts at conversation they joined in our debauchery, indulging in the Duty-Free Grey Goose and introducing us to some native delacacies, also known as Balut.

At first we were just asking questions about the food but then, out of nowhere, Nietzsche got up and disappeared. He came back with (what I thought were) 6 hard-boiled eggs wrapped in newspaper. He unfolded the paper and said:

“Balut. Try it!?”

We all apprehensively agreed to but only if he showed us the proper way of eating it first. He grabbed an egg, cracked the top and showed us the inside of what we were about to consume. From down the table I could smell what in a mere matter of seconds, I was also about to eat. He reminded us of how delicious he thought it was and how it is suppose to be really good for a man’s stamina, raising his eyebrows and nudging us with his elbows. He touched the egg to his lips and slurped back the embryonic fluid of the soon-to-be hatched egg. He then removed the remaining bits of shell and chewed the quarter-of-the-way-formed baby duck inside. After swallowing it all, motioned for us to do the same. I am one of the world’s pickiest eaters but I knew that was not and adequate excuse any more. I knew I had to take the chance as I’d most likely never have the opportunity to do this again. So I did it. I gagged immediately. After-all, I was slurping embryonic fluid through a tiny cracked egg. The smell is FAR worse than the taste but I got it down and knew that I would never do it again.

There it is! I named mine, then ate it.

See, I did it!

After that bonding experience we continued in our debauchery and polished off the remaining beers while making a serious dent in the 40 ounces of vodka.

Aurora was bored with our antics and suggested we relocate to the bar. We did exactly what you weren’t suppose to do after being in a foreign country for a mere hour, and all of us crammed into her car and took off for a bar called Nirvana. We piled out of the car and drunkenly stumbled past the hordes of children (may I remind you it was 4 AM) who were selling beads and bracelets, calling the guys Daddy and the ladies, Ma'am. Creepy . It sounded like the most inappropriate thing I have ever heard, a 8 year old girl calling a 20-something man “daddy.” Unlucky for us, we were not permitted entry into the bar based on our arrival time and relocated to a bar open much later.

The second bar had a very distinct western feel as all of the staff were dressed up like cowboys. The live band there could play any song and make it sound like they were playing it off a CD. It was crazy. I had a really unlucky and awkward experience with the lady, lead-singer. My friends put in a request for “Summer of ’69” and said it was for my birthday, it was not. So when they got the request they made a huge deal about it and the lead singer offered me a chance to come up on stage and ‘69’ with her. Yeah, right there in the bar, on stage. She cat-called me, and made extremely lewd sexual references. It was hilarious. My face was definitely red though - especially when 200 people turn and looked at me.

(They played everything from Bryan Adams to K-Pop)

We drank there for an hour and a bit and then piled back into Aurora’s car for our sunrise drive home. Our plane was leaving in a little over six hours. Our first night in the Philippines was deemed a brilliant success by everyone involved. The best part, Aurora drove us to the airport the following day! It was an outstanding welcoming party and we were so lucky to have met them. They started our trip off in the best way possible!

Palawan was our next stop.

You talkin' to me?

2010-03-03T22:44:00.001+09:00

I am the last person you should be asking about any form of manual labour. I'll be the first to admit it. I'd hire someone to fix anything for me before picking up a hammer. That being said, someone asking me to fix something for them makes me laugh.

I am well aware this was clearly sent to the wrong Ryan but I replied anyway.

The above pictures are from an email I received today.

My response:

"It looks like a great window design. I like the improvements made. I'd be more than happy to accommodate any changes you have in mind but I will have to charge an extra 700 dollars to facilitate any of these changes. My time is very costly and a change like this would take me a really long time to fix. If you feel that this is unreasonable, please propose an alternative deisgn."

My Little Humans

2010-02-08T16:33:00.000+09:00

School holidays in Korea confuse me. I arrived in Korea in September, which I thought was the beginning of the term. I was wrong. I taught regularly scheduled classes from September until December 23rd which marked the beginning of winter break – for most kids. The kids that were a little less than lucky were forced by their parents to come in and join me for Winter Camp. A project my principal hoped would be an intensive training week for each grade. My winter camp wasn’t too intense though, it was much more fun than the parents had probably hoped for. Here’s a little glimpse at some of the kids I got to babysit for the month of January. For the most part, they were pretty funny and were always ready to study, play, and most importantly have fun. It really made me a lot happier with my decision to take part in this adventure.

NB: Kids come back February 2nd for 2 weeks then get Spring Break until March 2nd. The school holiday break-up here confuses me.

This is Andrew, he's in the 5th Grade. He likes the military and guns... :S

This is James, he is also in the 5th Grade and originally from NY, NY.

This is Ji Hwan. He didn't talk much. Also 5th Grade

Diane, 6th Grade. Wasn't happy to hear her name is the same as my Grandmother's

Sean, 6th Grade. His shirt says: "Bride"

Side Note: not even the funniest shirt I've seen on a student yet. That same week he wore a sweater that said 'Princess.' Bet he wishes he didn't have an older sister.

The Third Grade Boys - One word: Hilarious!

The Third Grade Girls

Third Grade Winter Camp Class - Best class ever.

*Note the twins on the left and the hilarious little human in the front*

This isn't like the camp I went to

2010-02-08T13:47:00.002+09:00

A couple weeks go I posted about “Desk Warming.” Now, if you are unfamiliar with the concept of ‘desk warming,’ allow me to enlighten you. Desk warming is what we ESL teachers affectionately call the waste of time we suffer through on a daily basis for hours after the students have left for the day.

Firstly, I should explain that "Winter Camp" isn't actually camp. It's special English lessons for kids who have pushy and demanding parents. While all other students are out playing in the snow with their friends, these kids have to come to school everyday during winter vacation and study.

Before Winter-camp started and I was introduced to desk-warming I dreaded it. I was not looking forward to just finding things to do to fill my time like spending hours in front of a computer. Then I got to experience it first hand.

There are two sides to desk-warming, positive and negative.

Negatives:

• If you work at a school that pinches every penny and looks for anyway to save money Desk-warming is not that great because your school turns the heat off the second the students leave. At noon everyday, I’d plug my space heater into the only outlet available in my office, which happens to be about 14 feet from my desk. Often times this left me quite cold, especially because Korea experienced their coldest and snowiest winter in over 70 years this year.

• The second negative aspect of Winter-camp and desk-(not-so)-warming is the endless hours you spend in front of the computer. Though some would be thankful that they have an excuse to sit, reading the interwbez all afternoon but trust me, it gets old and it gets old quick. I had 5 weeks of desk-warming so by week three I had been exposed to enough memes, viral videos, RSS feeds, and “today’s featured article” on Wikipedia. This is where the MOST positive aspect comes into play.

Positives:

• First and foremost, the biggest positive I experienced in my 5 weeks of Winter camp was when I discovered I could nap on the bench/”bed” in the English Zone. I set my laptop up on a little table beside the bench and relaxed. Rarely did I get past the first twenty minutes until I dozed off into a 2-3 hour power nap.

• The second best moments of Winter Camp were the moments that I worked sans co-teacher. I know understand the reasons people like teaching in Hagwons (private schools) as they teach alone and not with a co-teacher that stifles any attempts at creativity while teaching and force you to stick to a boring and far-too-easy curriculum. In the down time I had between lessons we watched ~~educational~~movies. Korean kids LOVE Mr. Bean and Harry Potter.

• Other positives include: extended breaks playing games and reliving my childhood as a 23 year old, going out for lunch and escaping the prison that is my school for one hour per day, and making sandwiches on Fridays.

I just realized that no one wants to read this tripe so if you made it through the entirety of this post, I’m sorry.

Dear Lyan King

2010-01-30T19:02:00.002+09:00

This is an e-mail from one of my students from Winter Camp 2010. His name is Kevin, he's in the sixth grade and has a mustache. He's pretty cool.

(I should note that R's and L's in Korea translate to the same sound so I'm not RYAN here, I'm Lyan. Yes, I do see the humor in the fact my name is now Lyan King).

Hello Lyan King. I`m kevin.

Thank you for sandwhich and teach us. I`m always remenber about you and our English camp. If I want to visit you , then can I visit you? I`ll visit you with ice cream.
Take good travel in hong kong. ( Do you go hong kong with your girl friend? )
I wish you will not go hong kong with your mother or friends mother. Because When I went to U.S.E. With my friend`s family , I feel so travel to my friend`s mother.  But It is good memory to me.
Did you have a girl friend? I think you have because!!!  Your very handsome and funny!!!
Any way I say "How he are handsome and good!!!" to my family , and my sister say "oh your lucky please Introduce me to him!".
And my middle school is Back chin middle school!
In back to camp , I feel little unfair to you because you order us one chance and one chance... But I can do better than other people but It just past.  I will miss you like your favorit music... ( you like lock music and dancelike lunning muscin dance )
Don`t get a lot of beer  X.
Now see you later and please answer my latter
Bye!!!

You Eat That?

2010-01-29T15:03:00.001+09:00

The food thing has been another obstacle I had to overcome. For the most part, I have tried many things I never would have at home – Octopus, Squid, Hagfish (also known as Nature's Vampire), I guess mostly seafood. It’s quite popular here. I’m still adamant about not trying some things though - chicken feet and dog meat (woof) for the most part.

The smell of some things though is really hard to get over. For instance – the potato chips fried in fish oil, the dried squid and wretched fish dried and displayed in markets and la piece du resistance: Bun Dae Gee, silk worm larvae roasting in pots on every other corner.

One of my favourite things to laugh about is the attempt made at making “Americanized food” in Korean style. I’m usually fed copious amounts of Korean food at lunch care of my school but during January, students are on vacation and I’m forced to fend for myself when it comes to lunch. Since I don’t have the ability to order in Korean, I have given in to the only other option I have close to my school – cafes and convenience stores. At home I would never in a million years buy a convenience store sandwich or slice of pizza but here I often succumb to such purchases.

I have found some very odd combinations of food in attempts to mimic Americanized ‘cuisine.’
So far my list goes as follows:

Spicy BBQ Chicken flatbread from Loha’s Café. Sautéed BBQ chicken with lettuce, tomatoes, kernels of corn and banana slices. That’s right folks, corn kernels and banana slices.
Another gem from Loha’s Café: Ham, cheese, tomato, lettuce, mayonnaise and raspberry jam on Rye.
Pizza here is another iffy choice for one who’s missing home. Cheese here is relatively non-existent apart from the extremely expensive bricks from Costco so the cheap, processed abomination of “cheese” used on pizza tends to sit like a rock in your stomach for up to a week. The interesting pizza choices you have at places like Pizza Hut (the WORST place for pizza) include shrimp, crab, radish, sweet potatoes, and mayonnaise dripped over the top of each slice. So weird.

Beware the Snow

2010-01-29T14:39:00.001+09:00

Please allow me to enlighten you on one major difference between Canadians and Koreans…or just Canada and Korea in general: that difference is SNOW and I suppose how one deals with it. I guess going to school for 4 years on the snow belt of South-Western Ontario has taught me a thing or two about snow.

The first of which is upon snowfall, the ploughs must be brought out, the salt must be sprinkled, and the shovels picked up. This normally wasn’t a problem in Canada; sidewalks, bridges, and roads all ploughed and salted at the first sign of major snowfall. Here, not so much. At first sight of snowfall, people rush inside or take cover under an umbrella. The latter still confuses me.

(PHOTO: NPR)
Humorous sidebar: On New Years Eve, while walking through Jongo-ro, my friend Judy got really excited when she saw a snowflake fall from the sky. She shouted:

“Oh my gosh! SNOW!!!!!”

Immediately, the Korean couple besides stopped in their tracks, jolted their gaze up, and screamed in synchronized horror. Snow is apparently terrifying for some of the people in Korea.

Like I said, ploughs are relatively non-existent. I have seen ONE plough in my winter here. It was brought out the day after the largest snowfall Korea has experienced over the last 70 years. Not only are ploughs not used to clear walkways and sidewalks but they’re not shoveled either. It’s up to the citizens of the city to stomp the snow down into a slick, icy rink. The make-shift ice rink seemed to last for about a month, give or take. This didn’t really pose a problem for me, or my fellow Canucks that I spoke to. The majority of us have no problem walking through the snow or across icy patches. It’s normal, we do it all the time back in Canada as we walk home to our igloos (according to some Americans , haha).

(PHOTO: NPR)

The worst part about this ice problem is the fact that NO ONE walks at a decent pace. Everyone walks with such caution that it takes so much extra travel time to get anywhere given the slow walking and driving speeds. Normally I can get to work in 5 minutes by bus, after the first snowfall it took almost 25 minutes to get to work. There’s no such thing as snow-tires here either. People actually go old school on their cars and wrap their wheels in steel chains. It’s quite an anomaly to see.

Not only does the ice pose a problem for most of the drivers, the Korean women in particular have an odd way of dealing, or not dealing with the ice. Most logical people will choose winter/snow-sensible shoes. Not Korean women though – they’re still running through the iced over streets and sidewalks, slipping, sliding, and yes—even falling all over the place. I asked a Korean friend and she explained: “fashion over comfort”…and apparently safety too.

Desk Warming

2009-12-29T17:20:00.004+09:00

And so begins the month of desk warming. For the next couple weeks my job consists of coming into school to teach English for three hours to students who barely have a grasp on even the most basic components of the language. You might think this is going to be just like every other day but in my typical day-to-day routine I have a co-teacher that is ALSO there in order to translate words and expressions the students don’t understand. This time I will have no one to translate so I can only imagine how frustrating the next 4 weeks are going to be.

Not only that, my principal wants to “keep tabs” on me so I have to stay at school after the kids are gone while many other foreigner teachers get to go home and sit in their heated apartments. Did I mention my school doesn’t turn the heat on in the winter when the kids leave in order to save money. It doesn’t matter that I’M still there, sitting on a frozen chair, motoring around my computer with a winter coat, gloves, and a hat on. If that doesn’t spell fun I don’t know what does.

Here’s looking at a cold 4 weeks. On the plus side: 7 weeks until I’m laying on a beach in Boracay, sipping drinks and soaking up the South Eastern Asia sun. Huzzah!

Boracay, The Philippines

"He's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse!"

2009-12-24T12:01:00.012+09:00

My first holiday season away from my family is almost nearing an end. The month of December was kind of a tough one – lights going up, annoying Christmas songs played on the busses, schools, and restaurants, and happy families shopping for gifts no one actually wants. It makes me miss home, just a bit.

Well, today is 24^th of December and I’m at work; sitting in an empty classroom listening, headphones in and Home Alone playing on my desktop. I can hear the faint sound of the Vice Principal wishing a happy holiday and a safe vacation but really it just sounds like a the students are being yelled at. I know they’re not because after every other sentence they cheer. Guess it’s just me being a typical foreigner, not understanding Korean – all I can do is make assumptions.

Tonight is Christmas Eve. I am heading down to visit some friends in Anyang for a night of Christmas cheer and debauchery followed by a potluck Christmas dinner and gift exchange on Friday evening. My gift: a bottle of wine and a SARS mask. Creative, no? Not in the least. I’m bad with giving gifts that people enjoy so I figured booze and humor was the best option. Fingers crossed my Secret Santa enjoys a good drunken laugh.

Anyway, just wanted to wish you all a very happy holiday and the inebriated of New Years!

I will leave you with clip from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Clark Griswald is the man.

“We’re going to have the hap hap happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap danced with Danny fucking Kaye.”

메리 크리스마스 잘 지내고 새해 복 많이 받으세요
(Google tells me this says):
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Attractions and Distractions: Namsan Tower

2009-12-01T20:48:00.015+09:00

There are Seoul many (get it...seoul...so...fine it's lame) things to do in Korea, whether they are attractions you go to for fun or places that you go to distract yourself from boredom (like the museum featured in another post.

Namsan Tower (N. Seoul Tower)

Atop Namsan Mountain lives a tower that tries to, but fails to give Toronto's own CN Tower a run for it's money. It's own of Seoul's most known landmarks and the only way to get to to it is via a 5-minute cable car ride up the steep slope of the mountain for a mere 4,000 won.

Upon reaching the summit there's the token Pagoda, which loo

ks like every other Pagoda to me but apparently it was important or different because of it's octagonal structure. I was told that the 8 pillars signify

8 evils or..something like that? I don't really know the specifics nor do I really...well, care. Is that bad? I can appreciate it for what it is without the history so I think that means something. Maybe I'm wrong.

Before actually going up the tower there's an

area called "The Locks of Love" This is actually a

pretty cool area. Couples come from all over the world to this lower deck area and sign a lock, whether it be bike lock or a paddy-lock signed by the couple and locked to the fence. The

concept originated in Tokyo Tower in Japa

n but has really taken off here in South Korea. The locks symbolize the promise they the couple will not separate from each other. This gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'the old ball and chain.' The keys for that lock are then thrown over the fence and down the mountain, never to be found

again. Personalized locks can be purchased and even engraved at Namsan Tower but you c

an also bring your own. Some people choose oth

er types of locks as well...like handcuffs, featured below.

I unlocked the cuffs - guess that couple is doomed.

Because we didn't have a lock to contribute my friends and I decided we would just do a little amateur graffiti.

My friend Judy jotted down the first ink, she's from Seattle and thinks the

Space Needle > Namsan Tower...She left too much room and I added a taste of Canada.

Further up the tower there are 4 observation decks. You can see all of Seoul from any direction. One of the decks also has some vinyl window decals of major cities in the 365 degrees around the tower. I got a little homesick when I found mine.

This way to Toronto...If only it were that easy

The deck below this one is a very expensive revolving restaurant. I'll try it out when family comes and wants to take me out for some expensive eats, fingers crossed.

Anyway - it was a good day. We hit up the Seoul Lantern Festival that evening too. That post up next!

Annyeong!!

The National Museum of Seoul - boring when beautiful outside

2009-11-30T21:37:00.018+09:00

I figured it's probably time to give this ol' blog an update. I've been in Korea longer than two months now and there have most definitely been some highs and lows but even though I still miss being back in Canada, I'm most definitely feeling more comfortable here and on a daily basis, and a lot less homesick. That does have a lot to do with keeping busy -- I try to do something interesting or at least distracting every weekend. Not feeling trapped in my apartment and meeting 'real' people has helped tenfold.

One ~~highlight~~ distraction included:

The National Museum of Seoul

I made the mistake of going to the National Museum on a nice day. A friend told me that I should always save museums for rainy or snowy days. I found out why -- museums are kiiiiinda boring when you would rather be outside doing something fun like climbing a mountain or drinking on a patio.

On the plus side, admission to the museum is free and there is a lot to learn, as long as you leave the archaeology floor and maybe go up a couple stories to modern art or traditional Korean sculptures. Unfortunately, we didn't make it up past the first floor (Archaeology). The boredom I experienced on the primary floor prompted me to race through the remaining areas of the exhibition and get out as soon as I could for some Gimbap and Cass only wetting my pallet for a further night of debauchery and drunkenness at the Frog and Toad (yes, a bar named after the popular children's book) followed reluctantly by Bar Boom, a bar with similar aesthetic to The London Tap House, just with many more Korean patrons.

I think that I'm going to have to return to the National Museum once the snow starts falling and the weather gets too cold to chill (mind the pun) outside. I think that if I'm taking cover inside the museum I'll be able to learn more and devote more patience to the boring aspects of it instead of rushing out to smoke a cigarette and chug a beer. I ooze class.

Check back again in January after the first snow to see if I've returned and learned anything.

Such is life

2009-10-23T21:11:00.005+09:00

If you read my Tumblr blog you’ll know that this week was rough. First I was diagnosed with bronchitis and my Co-Teacher was very adamant about be coming back before I was healthy. She told me that I was disappointing the children and aggravating the Vice Principal--both fallacies. The thing I’ve noticed about my co-workers, especially my immediate co-teachers is that they either lie, hide the truth, or just purposely omit it.

According to fellow GEPIK English teachers, I’m not the only one to have noticed such behaviour. Many times English teachers are tricked into doing things or asked to sign things without even an explanation or assurance that there are not further stipulations to the agreements we are agreeing to. We are often left in the dark. It’s the most frustrating thing ever. Once again this seems to be the “Korean way.”

Speaking of the “Korean way,” you may know that another aspect of this so-called way is leaving things to the last minute. On multiple occasions I’ve been told I need to have something prepared for the following day at the end of the current day. For instance, this past Thursday I had to stay late and teach a Teacher’s Class. It lasted until 4:45 when my work day usually ends at 4:30.

Now don’t get me wrong, 15 minutes late is not a big deal...what IS a big deal is another teacher (not my co-teacher) coming up to me afterward and informing me of an English Club I am expected to teach the next day. Once again, not a huge deal BUT they expected me to pump out a 2-hour lesson. Normally a 40 minute lesson takes up to an hour to plan, a 2-hour lesson took me almost 3.5 hours at home. Then I get to work today prepared to do my 2 hour lesson for English Club and the teacher says: “Oh, don’t worry about it. Your lesson is too difficult. We will just watch a movie. You can make a new lesson for next time.” I could feel my eyes glare and my jaw clench, but all I could do was plaster a big smile across my face, grin, and bear it.

*NB: I wasn’t told what kind of lesson to do NOR the level of English fluency for the kids in the class.

Such is a typical week in my shoes. Last minute bullshit, lack of information, and an utter disrespect and lack of courtesy. It’s getting harder every week. If things don’t turn around soon, I’m strongly thinking about jumping ship.

1 Month Down, 11 to Go.

2009-10-12T15:49:00.013+09:00

One month eh? Can you believe it?
Actually, technically speaking it's been one month and one week. I actually cannot believe I've lived on a different continent, let alone a different country for this long. It seems like such a mind-fuck every day I wake up. I always forget that I'm actually in Korea...that is until I wander to Starbucks before work to get my morning coffee and realize it's not open until 10:30..."Oh yeah, I'm in Korea." - There are more opportunities to realize my current location that I experience on a daily basis:

I have my photograph taken on a daily basis..."Oh yeah, I'm in Korea."
I'm called handsome at least five times a day...."Oh yeah, I'm in Korea."
I work at a school and all of my students are Asian...Oh yeah, I'm in Korea"
I buy a pack of cigarettes and it's only $2.50..."FUCK YA, I'm in Korea."

Anyway...my mind wanders and my fingers just go along typing - I should work on that.

So life in Ilsan is different but so much the same as it would be in Canada. I go out for dinner, I go out for drinks, I watch a lot of movies (with Korean subtitles), I read books (ROUGHLY translated from Korean to English), I go to work, work all day, come home from work and smoke cigarettes out my window of my swanky apartment. See, just like Canada. It's not until I start traveling I'll really be able to appreciate the opportunity I've been given.
I suppose I should also touch on some other key aspects of my life in Korea
My Apartment:
It use to feel like a prison, but now that I leave once in a while, it's starting to feel like a more comfortable safe-haven. I do still need to do some organization and move around some of the furniture, but eventually this will be home. A home that includes: kitchen, bathroom (with a giant shower), copious amounts of closet space, a leather couch in my living room, flat screen tv (though it doesn't work...), a bedroom with a queen sized bed and a cozy window bench, where I smoke cigarettes and drink my morning coffee.
My only complaint - my neighbors wireless sucks...haha, yes I am stealing it so I really can't complain. The picture shows the view from my rooftop overlooking Lake Park. A really nice place to go walking, a great spot for pictures (many wedding photos are taken here apparently), and to watch and listen to the musical fountain.

Work:
This is where things get kinda negative. Don't get me wrong, my job is relatively easy...my working conditions, not so much. My Vice Principal and co-teacher have a running list of "Rules for Ryan" that they don't hesitate to add more restrictions to on a daily basis. There's also a severe gap in their English abilities. My VP barely speaks English and knows it whereas my co-teacher barely speaks English and thinks she's fluent. The latter is more annoying. At least the VP owns up to his lack of ability. The kids though...the kids are great! The picture is of my after-school class on a FUN-Class day. We played dodgeball outside then had ice cream. It was sweet. The kid in the front, that's Mickey. He's probably my favourite.

My 'hood:Ilsan, South Korea. A suburb of Goyang City which is just on the edge of Seoul's border.

Technically I'm living in Seoul...crraaaazy. LaFesta and Western Dom are where I usually hangout. I frequent LaFesta for it's plethora of things to offer from shopping, food, co

ffee, and great opportunities for people-watching. There are also some "foreigner bars" here too. I saw a Canadian 5 dollar bill on the wall the other day w

hile there -- made me feel a bit

homesick but I survived.

Travel:

The promise I made myself of traveling South East Asia has kind of flopped. I assumed (because I was told by my recruiters) I wouldn't be the only foreign English teacher and as such could take holidays whenever I wanted to. Not the case. I have 20 days of paid vacation (sweet. p

aid to travel). I can only ta

ke a vacation while school is out of session, so during Winter break from December 24-February 1st, and then during summer vacation from mid July to the end of August. I'm hoping and planning for a trip to Thailand with a December 24th departure so that I can wake up in an

tropical paradise on Christmas morning. How nice would that be, eh? Perhaps a week there, then a week in Vietnam...maybe Cambodia, or Laos? See me some Jenny Philadeng look-a-likes. I do plan to do some more touristy SoKo traveling on my weekends though. I just got back from a trip to Suwon to visit their infamous fortress and gigantic surrounding w

all. We walked for over five hours that day. It was amazing.

Food And Drink:

I'll start this section off with the fact that I DO NOT LIKE KIMCHI and I DOUBT it will grow on me like everyone says. There's something about rotten fermented cabbage that ju

st doesn't do it for me. Kimchi pizza on the other hand, was decent up on first try. Then again I had eaten anything besides granola for the first two days here. that might have something to do with how "good" it tasted. I really enjoy Korean Street Meat. Quite tasty and very cheap. Galbi is also delicious as is traditional Korean BBQ. Marinated beef wrapped in leaves of lettuce with roasted garlic cloves. Delicious. For the non-healthy eaters out there, they also have some phenomenal fried chicken places. I enjoyed some Canadian thanksgiving (not-so-much turkey) there.

Beer is pretty cheap here. Two bucks Canadian for a tall can and 2-3 dollars at a bar. Then there's SOJU. Diluted vodka with a distinct after-burn. Apparently there are different flavours but I've not managed to find them. You can tell the strength of the Soju but the amount of leaves on the label apparently. Needless to say, drink one bottle (which is completely possible) and you're good for the night. You do (well at least, I do) have the shakes the next morning accompanied by a wicked hangover though.

That's pretty much all the important updates I have for now though. I've been so bad at keeping people updated and blogging on a regular basis like I promised I would. Here's hoping that changes. I've also stumbled upon Tumblr and use it now too. It's so easy to use and I make little updates using it, often so check that out too for some more less than exciting news about my Asian Invasion.

Welcome to Ilsan, prepare to be photographed

2009-09-15T20:40:00.012+09:00

Today was my one week mark as an alien of South Korea. I can't even begin to put into words how this week has felt but I'm going to try.

After a 3.5 hour flight to Vancouver I walked through the airport and found Gate 67 to Seoul. As I waited in the departure area I felt my first sense of anxiety. As I sat there, I felt the burning stares of about 65 sets of Korean eyes on me - yes, I was the ONLY white person on my flight as well as in the waiting area and by God did I stand out like a sore thumb. After arriving in Seoul and waiting anxiously at the airport for my co-teacher (Hyesook) to pick me up I started to sweat. I saw a number of signs with "white names" on it and many other co-teachers waiting for their English-speaking counterparts but none with "Ryan King." My recruiters, as nice as they are, are very unorganized and didn't even provide me with a contact number in case of emergencies. 45-minutes passed and finally a lady walked up to me and asked:

"You Ryan King?"

Needless to say an immediate sense of relief was bestowed upon me.

Unfortunately that relief did not last. As Hyesook drove me to Ilsan (my new 'hood), I could only stare out the window longingly in hopes to see something familiar. Alas, nothing stuck out - I remember thinking "WOAH, I'm actually here..." - after months of turning my brain off and not thinking about the feelings I would most definitely be feeling they finally crept up on me from nowhere which felt legitimately like a slap in the back of the head.

My first couple days here were the epitome of overwhelming feelings of angst, nervousness, excitement, and yes, even nausea -- I puked twice on my first night here. Also - Jet lag RAPED my sleep schedule. I was waking up at 4:30 AM every morning regardless of when I went to sleep. It SUCKED. To add to that: utter loneliness. You see, my first week here as a foreigner, I was in quarantine in hopes to avoid H1N1 (apparently). Moving to a strange country alone and not being able to jump right into a routine was the hardest. Many nights...who am I kidding - almost every hour of the day I wanted to come home (and still feel that way once in a while). But they days were also filled with gigglish laughs from girls who covered their mouths to hide their smile and blushing cheeks, hostile stares from older men, and lots "secretly" snapped of me. I'm slowly starting to get use to that. The pictures that is, the stares not so much -- very unnerving.

Today was my first day of class. A incredibly long day consisting of introducing myself over a television to the entire school, signing my "autograph" numerous times, and saying "excuse me, can you repeat that," even more times. I've started to adopt the typical Korean physical response used when they don't understand - a curious head tilt, awkward smile, and confused look. I can see myself adopting quite a few of these funny idiosyncrasies while here.

My co-teachers also took me out for dinner and holy shit, Koreans can EAT!...and eat and eat and eat. It was like an eight course meal and I was full after half an hour...to my absolute shock, they ate for another hour and a half! How do they stay so small? I don't get it. Where does it all go?!

Anyway, that's all for Week. More to come -- hopefully some posts about the specifics of things.

OH, and Happy Birthday to Adam and my little Sister!
Hope your birthdays were out of this world!

annyeonghi gyeseyo!

FML

2009-09-07T07:49:00.005+09:00

If you don't know me well and have just stumbled upon this blog -- first off, welcome. Secondly, you should know that I'm one of THE most absent-minded, forgetful, and all around detail-neglecting person.

So here's my story. Over the last few months, I have been actively preparing for the next year of my life in GoYang City, South Korea. I am lucky enough to have been provided with an apartment (rent free), a grade 5 class, and most importantly a free plane ticket (well kinda).

The deal with the ticket:

First of all, I should preface this with the fact that my departure date changed over 10 times this summer. Frustrating? Yes. But also a big relief because I had so much to do before I took off. Anyway, what I was told would be the final departure change had me leaving Toronto at 10:30 PM on Sunday and arriving in Seoul at 2:30 in the morning on Tuesday. Because of this ridiculously late/early arrival time there wouldn't be anyone to meet me at the airport. So I had the airline change it to get me there at a time that was more reasonable. So my ticket was booked...FINALLY I was going to get out of Canada. I couldn't have been more excited.

LET ME TELL YOU, I was sorely mistaken. After a long night of goodbye phone calls, I finally crawled into bed at 3 AM, only to crawl back out of bed two hours later and into a car packed with my copious amount of luggage as well as both my parents and my siblings. We hit the road at 6 AM for my 10AM flight.

As I pulled my luggage across the terminal to get my boarding pass, I was immediately rejected by the ticket machine...why? WELL - I neglected to look at the date change that accompanied that time change. That epic fail was followed by a very loud, and very public F#UCK MY LIFE!

My family and I ruefully re-boarded our car and made the drive back home. I immediately went back to sleep as I had only slept for 2-hours and I woke back up at 6PM. Before I opened my eyes, I convinced myself it was all a bad dream and that when I opened my eyes I would be on a plane. Needless to say when I opened my eyes, I was was in my basement.

Now, I have to do it all over again -- the excitement has been stomped and my nerves are no longer. The dry run to the airport helped that a lot, now I just want to get outta dodge.

Ready yourself for my next post -- straight from Van City.

Today's Notable Elmira Sighting

2009-07-06T08:44:00.007+09:00

So I’ve lived in Elmira, Ontario all my life. I’ve seen it all (and I’m using ‘all’ loosely), or at least that’s what I thought up until yesterday evening.

I’ll just give a little back story before I get into it.

Mennonite \ˈme-nə-ˌnīt\ n.
a member of any of various Protestant groups derived from the Anabaptist movement in Holland and characterized by living a simple life and rejection of military service.

Mennonites tend to wear dark colours like navy blue and black, but often times you can catch the women in dresses that slightly resemble my mom’s couch at our old house from back in the 80’s. For the most part they wear their bonnets, floral dresses, and white socks with black running shoes for every and all occasions. They really enjoy Friday night baseball, farming/cooking/baking, cream soda, and awkwardly staring at non-Mennonite civilians they find overly attractive.

Anyway long story short, as offensive as it might sound they’re just not exciting people. I don’t really get why tourists come here and ogle them but they do. They’ve just never shocked me; that is until last night.

I joined two friends at our favourite park. We sat on some blankets and had what I’m sure sounded like a brilliant discussion until our attention was stolen away by a rabbit; a rabbit and an elderly Mennonite lady. We watched the rabbit taunt the woman as she gardened. He would run up, sample her vegetables and then run away when she’d chase him. Things got serious when he got a hold of something tasty. The lady grabbed her shovel and took off with her husband and his rake in tow. The two chased the rabbit around the parking lot but the rabbit was just too quick. I had thought they gave up and left the rabbit alone until I realized how wrong I was. I caught a glimpse of the husband and his bride moving in on both sides of the rabbit so slow it was like they weren’t moving at all. We lost visual contact with the woman as she disappeared behind a Porta-Potty. Next thing we saw was her shovel as it came crashing down on the rabbit. We could only gasp in shock. I get it -- it’s their lively hood they were protecting, and I respect that but holy shit! I will never look at a nice old Mennonite lady the same...ever again.

On the positive side; the husband had a garden rake, so I’m thankful his 5 pronged soil smasher didn’t get him before her shovel.

Back....but not yet better than ever

2009-05-28T09:53:00.002+09:00

So it’s been a while since I’ve been active in the blogosphere and figure that why not jump back in full force - especially given my surplus of free-time, living unemployed for the third summer in a row, this time: Elmira, living in my parents basement.

Life of a university graduate isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be just yet, still waiting for that hopeful moment when someone (ANYONE) will call me and offer me that ~~perfect~~ job...any job...no time to be picky.

Like every summer before, I have applied to all of the “dream jobs”t but I’ve also been desperate enough to apply to all of those other summer jobs like restaurants, bars, cafes, and yes, even grocery stores.

The unfortunate circumstances attached to this lengthy procedure is the fact that I live in a town of less than 10 thousand people. There aren’t even jobs for people who have lived here all their lives, let alone a recent return of desperate graduates. I've kept my eyes peeled for help wanted signs and classified ads, molested the job bank and all other online databases for jobs in the area - but nothing yet.

Tomorrow is another day though - I’m discouraged but have not yet given up. It’s only been a month and I swear I’m employable.

My departure for South Korea could not come soon enough.

I promise better posts in the near future...I just figured it was time to jump back on the blog with hopes it will lull some of my unemployment woes.

An Environmentalist and a Hypocrite

2009-04-08T02:39:00.007+09:00

Yesterday, in Victoria Park there was a registration and a protest. People trickled into Vic Park to sign up to become one of the potential torch-bearers for the 2010 Olympic Games. Dr. Kellie Leitch, a world renowned pediatric surgeon was chosen as one of the runners. But like I said, there were also protesters.

Members of the Olympic Resistance Network of Ontario were there, lead by Mark Corbiere, someone whom I thought I saw the last of at the Kitchener Bus Terminal.
Corbiere spoke about the environmental fallout to come:

“10-15 years down he road is when we’re going to find out how much of an environmental effect these Olympics will have"

Well, the purpose of this post wasn’t necessarily to explain Carry the Flame initiative or to shed light on how London is involved with the 2010 games...it’s to draw attention to public hypocrisy and to make people aware that even if you don’t know the people around you, they notice your actions.

Let me outline what I saw on April 5th from 12:50-1:20pm. Mark Corbiere (orange shirt) and his friend from the “Insane Clown Posse” smoked cigarettes (non-stop) not only in a public line but they also didn’t dispose of the cigarette butts properly. What did they do?

Well, like any smoker, they threw them on the ground. Well - I shouldn’t say any smoker because some take the initiative to dispose of their butts properly. When I smoked cigarettes I did usually just flick them when I was done but if a “Butt Out/Stop” was available, I would always use it. I won't lie - I did it, but I'm also not spear-heading a campaign to protest one of the largest international events based on its negative environmental impacts.

I like the environment as much as the next guy, and I’m trying my hardest to make right by it but I still fall short. Maybe that was Mark’s problem too. Maybe he didn’t see the cigarette repository RIGHT BESIDE HIM, maybe he was just lazy.

Anyway, I’m not saying Mark Corbiere isn’t human - all humans make mistakes; but for someone who is leading a protest on the future state of the environment, he should be a little more cautious and caring in how he is currently treating the Earth.

For more information this, click the here.

The End?

2009-04-07T19:49:00.006+09:00

This past term I was enrolled in a class at the University of Western Ontario called:

"Blogging For Passion, Politics, and Profit."

Though I have not spoke about politics nor made a profit, I have discovered a new passion in blogging and I guess that is one of the main reasons for posting so regularly.

I recall how nervous I was to start my blog - from choosing a title, topics to babble on about, even to how many times a week we were expected to post (5!!!). My instructor suggested just blogging about what you’re passionate about. Well, 3 months ago I had no idea what my passion was and though “Blogger” didn’t help me find my life’s passion, it moved me in new direction and best of all, it made me comfortable sharing my thoughts and opinions.

This class has now ended, our final projects are due this week, and we are no longer expected post 5x per week. Though the class has finished I do plan to continue to post regularly (but not more than 5 posts per week - which a lot harder than I thought it would be.

Anyway, thank you to those that have been reading, I really do appreciate it. The comments have been great and the tips and pointers have been more than helpful. I encourage those of you readers interested in doing so to continue to follow my blog as I "wander down this road we call life." - Boy Meets World, anyone? Ahhhh, the 90's.

PICK UP THE GAZETTE TODAY!

2009-04-04T01:58:00.004+09:00

Check out the UWO Gazette today!

Myself and a handful of my friends were asked to be in the "Stereotype/spoof Issue." This edition of the paper mocks Western's "View Book" and is available today.

Even though it's Friday, try to grab an issue if you hit campus today or if you're around on the weekend. It has something for everyone, especially my Mom - there are a lot of pictures of me haha. I look like a fool, but it was a lot of fun!

Spring weather promotes childish behaviour

2009-04-01T04:16:00.003+09:00

The weather is amazing today. So much so that I actually "played outside." Hahah! While exploring the backyard of a friends house, something we haven't done since our unemployed summer in London, we came across a whip in their sun-room.

I know what you're thinking because we thought the same things too. After narrowing down our list of possibilities of previous use, we decided to risk using it. We quickly figured out how to make that thing crack! like Indiana Jones but it didn't stop there. We also attempted whipping it around tree branches and swinging from them like monkeys. Unsuccessful but hilarious. The neighbors were probably watching from their kitchen windows thinking we were on drugs. Didn't matter - it was fun.

Little did we know it would be the highlight of our days. It was like we were kids again, and that was great. With the busy life of a students these days, we are forced to grow up quite quickly. I say, REVOLT! Rebel against maturity and deny responsibility as long as you can. You only live once, so don't rush yourselves. Act foolish, play childish games, and enjoy your life.

Take the day off studying - you've worked hard. Go outside and enjoy the weather.

I wonder...

2009-03-30T23:37:00.008+09:00

So, I've decided that I'm going to leave for Korea a little earlier than originally planned. Most likely before August. I want the opportunity to really be able to travel and familiarize myself the culture, food, and obviously entertainment options.

A trillion questions are running through my mind right now -

I wonder what’s going to happen when I land, where/what do I go/do?
I wonder if I should bring my iPhone or buy one over there
I wonder what it will be like to be completely on my own
I wonder what it will be like living with a stranger
I wonder what it will be like to not “pirate” music
I wonder what it will be like to work full-time
I wonder how many times I’ll be homesick
I wonder how many times I’ll get lost
I wonder how I will change
I wonder who I’ll meet

I wonder about everything x 1000.

SO many questions! If anyone has done something like this, please suggest things I need to remember, prepare for, and do/buy before I leave.

I’m a total n00b when it comes to things like this. I’m not a very independent person but I’m ready to make that change.

Taste the Tradition

2009-03-29T23:26:00.006+09:00

6 Days from now I'm going to wake up, probably around this time...maybe a little later and be the most hungover and full individual in the world....well, at least in Ontario.

You see, next Sunday when I wake up from my maple-syrup-induced coma, I will have experienced my 21st Elmira Maple Syrup Festival.

A tradition that I hold dear to my heart and pancreas - The Elmira Maple Syrup Festival is the world's largest, one-day Maple Syrup Festival. I've missed it only once in my 22 years on earth. A strong tradition, held by all of the residents of Elmira, Ontario. Though one of the "hickest" things I enjoy, at this time of year it is impossible for me to deny my small-town heritage.

The Elmira Maple Syrup Festival originated in 1965, and has been held every year on the first weekend of April since then. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the small town of Elmira has experienced a boom in popularity and in 2000, there were 66, 529 visitors, dubbing it the day of the most maple syrup consumption in the world. Common out of country visitors are from Australia, all over Europe, Mexico, and the United States, plus all of the out of province visitors from around Canada.

According to the Chairperson (my friend’s grandma haha), there have been over 500,000 pancakes flipped and served along with thousands of apple fritters, homemade toffee, giant pickles, and may more tasty treats drizzled with maple syrup. The festival is also (and hilariously) known for their log-sawing competitions, sugar bush tours and most notably the Mennonite craft show. (I’m laughing as I write this as I can imagine you’re laughing as you read it).

Anyway, I can’t wait until April 4th this year. I plan on doing the typical Friday night party, early Saturday morning wake up and gorging on delicious food all day to subdue the inevitable hangover. I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures and update all of you as to how much small-town fun you are missing out on. It’s quite a site and if you haven’t been able to experience it yet, take the day off work, make the trek to Elmira, and come “taste the tradition.”

Children in the workplace

2009-03-29T02:59:00.005+09:00

So right now I'm sitting in Coffee Culture at Richmond and Kent St, I believe - the one by Jacks. Anyway, I ordered a smoothie about 20 minuets ago and three people have already had their orders taken an most of them had their food...not only coffees but sandwiches.

Now, I've spent a lot of time at Coffee Culture lately and there's one employe I really don't like.

He was working today. (I'm going to refer to him as Dbag)

So, takes my order:

Dbag: "What do you want"

Ryan: "uhhh??? I guess I want a smoothie, what flavours do you have?"

Dbag: "I dunno, like, strawberry, peach, passion fruit and some orange flavour."

Ryan: "I'll take peach please."

Dbag takes my money (I gave him a five and told him to keep the change...I even gave this kid a tip and what ensues? The worst service, obviously.

Anyway, a couple and a young girl walks in shortly after. Dbag obviously disregarded serving people in the proper order and served the attractive female first. Not only did she get served first, but she also received a huge slice of cake and her coffee for free. Couldn't believe it. I had paid for this mediocre smoothie 15 minutes ago by this point. I was very frustrated.

The couple was serviced - two lattes and a shared sandwich. It had now been almost 20 minutes. Now, I don't normally say anything when situations like this arise but I made an exception this time...mostly because my roommate Adam, and classmate Jess suggested I do.

I slipped over to the counter, past the growing line of new customers and said: Excuse me, I don't normally say anything, but I've been waiting for a smoothie for about 20 minutes now.

The Dbags response: "Yes you have."

jfklajlfkajfjkfj!?!??!! Really!?

I stood there awkwardly for a while until the manager walked over to the ~~employee~~ child.

The manager apologized but the Dbag had to be told to. To all of you CHILDREN with a job, pull your head out of your ass and DO your job. I've worked in the food industry (not fast-food but still), I know how to treat a customer and making them wait almost a half hour for a smoothie is ludicrous. It didn't even get 'comp'd.' I was a little shocked.

Oh well, I guess I'll give CC another chance but this teenage moron is in for a rude awakening if he continues to treat customers the way he does.

This message was read and approved by Michael Kovacs.

Last Night at Brass Door...

2009-03-27T22:21:00.009+09:00

And everything comes full circle.

Arriving at Western on September 5th in 2005, I had the opportunity to not only make many long-lasting friendships, I have also had the opportunity to create some pleasant traditions and hopefully long-lasting memories; one tradition created was our belligerent Thursday nights at The Brass Door. Can't say many memories were created there but many were also blacked-out.

Realistically, I can say that missing a Thursday first year to third year was VERY rare. It was just expected we would go; no one would ever ask what we were doing on Thursdays we would just finish dinner, have a couple drinks, and take off to Brass Door. We've spent many o' Thursday nights there, and even a couple random Saturdays in the summer. Our favourite part about Brass though, besides the lax ID check and relatively cheap pitchers, was the live music by Black Belt Jones.

Black Belt wasn't what you would expect any our favourite bands to be but damn did they know how to make us move from our underage hide-out to the dance floor. With songs like, "Cecilia, Brick House, the Fresh Prince theme song, to Crazy, by Gnarles Barkley - Black Belt was (in our minds) the best cover band in London; Thursday nights were always more fun with Dan, Nole, and Graham (BBJ). They call their music Soul-Fu...and man, does it make you dance. Even myself, the worst dancer of all will unfortunately hit the floor to sweat (and I do mean sweat) to some dirty old-school music. Black Belt lost a member earlier last year but once in a while surprises us and rejoins his band. Last night was one of those nights.

It seemed only fitting that last night the band was reunited and all three members took the stage of B-door as we rallied our first year spirit and hoped for "1st-year livers." It's unfortunate we had to wait in line so long, giving dirty looks to all the people in "our bar" but once again, a most enjoyable time.

My favourite part to a Brass Door night though - the morning after. I'm really looking forward to today's installment of "Last Night at Brass Door."

Thanks again to all my friends who have been able to create and maintain this great tradition. It was (as always) a great night with you all.

No More Pancakes...for now

2009-03-26T08:59:00.003+09:00

Today I woke up and had the urge for pancakes. I fought it because in less than two weeks I'm going to gorge on the most Maple-syrup saturated food of all time.

Check back soon for details as to what I'm talking about..

I'll give you a hint - It has to do with Elmira, Ontario.

It's about that time of the year again

2009-03-25T02:07:00.005+09:00

This weekend I finished my last formal essay of university. It feels great for now...I'm still waiting for the shock of reality to set in though.

I don't mean to brag, but I'm just so stoked my workload is almost completed.

~~Essay: Sensationalism in the Media~~
~~Essay: Democracy and the Internet~~
~~Essay: Internet Polling: Yay or Nay~~
~~Essay: The Effects of Uniforms in Public Education~~
~~Essay: Legalization of Marijuana in Canada~~
Assignment: Remaining required blogs (April 6)
Assignment: Blogging project (When is this due?)
Final Exam: Public Opinion (April 18)
Final Exam: Educational Psychology (April 19)

Parents and Pleasant Surprises

2009-03-24T12:08:00.009+09:00

If you don't already know, I'm from a small town outside of Waterloo called Elmira. This weekend my parents were nice enough to let me borrow their car and take it back to London for the weekend to run a bunch of errands and help a couple friends out with things they needed done as well.

Very unlike my parents but I was very stoked to experience this generosity. After my weekend with the car, I took it home and was surprised again with (way too many) groceries. My Dad said it's my last month so I should just enjoy it. wow. Couldn't believe it but very much a pleasant surprise. On the way home to London with my ride, courtesy of my dad and brother, we even stopped for dinner. I felt way too spoiled, but wasn't about to say anything haha. Free food - students don't get the opportunity too often so we need to take advantage of it when it's available.

Sometimes I don't give my parents near enough credit. So Mom, Dad...if you are actually reading this like you say you are, You guys are pretty chill. Thanks for everything.

Eh Pee Kay.

2009-03-22T23:17:00.006+09:00

After a last minute trip to the LCBO and an argument as to what bus we were going to take downtown, we arrived at the corner of Talbot and Albert for our final night at the Alex P. Keaton.

Unfortunately that argument I mentioned above ended with us taking the 10:15 bus instead of the 9:45 in hopes of missing the large line that was so inevitable. Anyway, guess what happened. SMACK. Back of a line that actually curved around the patio. Many of the people in line, eager for obscure beers and low lighting hoped the dinner crowd would pick up their pace and finish up, but alas - the majority of them stayed and began drinking as we stood outside in the cold.

Slowly but surely, the line progressed. We were about 10 people from the front of the line. That’s when IT happened.

A black van drove around the corner. It was like it was in slow motion - the window rolled down as a body emerged. He screamed:

“F@CK YOU, YOU HIPSTER SCUM!!!!!”

AND proceeded to take aim at the people in line - their ammunition...eggs. The dude behind me got one right in the neck and Nate almost got one to the back. Luckily no one was injured. What kind of person eggs people waiting in line at a bar, especially their favourite bar on its last night. It’s a shame people are such douchebags.

We didn't got in to APK that night but were lucky enough to spend sometime in Victoria Park, watching drunk people stumble down Richmond Street and finished the evening off with some midnight dinner at Prince Al’s.

Overall, pretty hilarious night...all things considered.

MIT 2412 Required Post: It's Not the End, It's Evolution

2009-03-21T23:57:00.003+09:00

This week, in my Blogging Class at UWO, we watched “The End,” a 3-part mini documentary on the end of mainstream media including television, radio, and print media. The way the video was portrayed made it seem as though the Internet was replacing our mainstream media; the Internet is causing it to evolve. David Moore, of the Participatory Culture Foundation states that there is a”sharp rising trend towards digital media and that is quite evident when it comes to our generation in particular.

The way television shows are scheduled are based on an out-dated and uber-structured organization. People no longer structure or organize their television-watching based on when their favourite programs are - they can access their favourite shows via downloading and streaming content from a vast list of hosting sites like Surfthechannel and dailymotion or technologies like “Sling Box” or TIVO.

In terms of radio, it still exists - it’s just in a different form. XM Radio, digital radio, and even personalized radio stations built by users all add to the global collaborative efforts of the current generation and the new generation of web. These podcasts and digital recordings are of CD quality and gives users the option to share and build communities based on similar interests.

The same can be said for how our generation and how we access and present our information. Look at the people in the blogosphere - there are no longer real citations; whether it’s works-cited or reference lists just hyperlinks and small quoted blocks. Lately, it’s all about “convenience.” Things have changed and our generation is at the head of the new wave. Twitter is just another example of how we access our information. Instead of flicking through channels, trying to find a station talking about breaking news, users can log onto Twitter and search for specific things. Imagine if it had been as popular as it is now back then - up to the second updates could have changed the way the world found out and dealt with repercussions.

I don’t think that the Internet and all of the new technologies available to our generation are putting an end to typical mainstream media like newspapers and television but it has provoked an evolution of the interface and methods we use to access our information.

This makes me think of an email my dad has sent me entitled: “The Under-30 Spoiled Generation.” I won’t rehash the entire email but the point of it was to demonstrate that “this generation don’t have it have it as tough as we say we do.” We use the internet to research instead of going to card-catalogs at libraries and downloading music from sites like “Napsters” (haha, this is what they were called in the email). Granted, technology has made our lives easier but it’s not like we don’t have it just as tough as previous generations.

The world is changing quickly and people need to adapt to these evolutions in order to survive. Granted, the Internet has changed the way we access information and media but it does not mean traditional forms are going to die off. There will always be a niche for these regardless how much the Internet changes things.

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T21:57:00.007+09:00

Unlike many of you, today belongs to starting my final university paper...instead of basking in the mid-afternoon sun, drinking green beer, and smiling like a fool. The smell of beer and pancakes is in the air this morning. I'm preparing myself mentally for the big day.

So today, as you slug back that red cup full of green beer, I'll be knocking back large coffees at Coffee Culture, working on this damned essay.....then festivities? Perhaps visit the Alex P. Keaton a couple more times before closes its' doors. That will be a sad day in London Pub History.

To those that live for this holiday,

Happy St. Patrick's Day, play safe.

Feek - the Cat.

2009-03-15T05:07:00.007+09:00

Looking for: Cat Sitter

Feek is a healthy black house cat with updated vaccinations. He enjoys basking in the sun and wandering aimlessly through the "Student Ghetto." At the ripe young age of 6 years, he is one of the plumpest and "chillest" cat around. Weighing in at 10 pounds and a native of Leamington, Ontario, he also enjoys chilling outside for more than the majority of the day.

Feek first arrived at my house on September 15th. After a night of birthday celebrations my housemates and friends ended up back at our house on Huron Street. Hanging out on the porch, enjoying some post-bar indulgences, Feek waddled up and just never left. I think after feeding him some tuna, we signed off on an adoption form because Feek has been with us since.

Like the responsible people we are (haha), we took Feek to London Cat Hosptial, they scanned an RFID and we were informed he belonged to a lady named Olga who originally adopted him from a Veterinary Training Institute. Olga got too sick to take care of him and gave him to another family. That family let him go because they no longer wanted to care for him - then he ended up in London, Ontario, a resident of the streets. So gangster.

Anyway, as you may know - I’m moving to Korea upon graduation. I plan to leave in August/September but if I cannot find a summer job in Ontario, I’m going to take off in June. The purpose of this blog was to see if there is anyone out there who would be willing to house Feek for a year while I’m across the world.
If you know anyone, or you, yourself have an affinity for cats and wouldn’t mind helping me out, I would be very appreciative! I don’t feel comfortable leaving him in an animal hostel or giving him up to the Humane Society. He’s too chill to go there. My parents are allergic and can't help me either...I'm in quite the jam.

If you would like to get to know Feek, follow him on Twitter...yes, my cat has twitter.

All work and no play

2009-03-12T04:00:00.004+09:00

In four years here, I've never felt like leaving - I use to imagine going to school here forever, never growing up. Unfortunately, living in this fantasy realm is ridiculous and the cold shock of the future tends to poke me once in a while, reminding me that it's still looming in the shadows of final papers.

Most years I have four - five finals plus at least three major papers - this year, not so much.
The work I have left until I'm free from formal education.

- Essay: Sensationalism in the Media (March 15)
- Essay: Democracy and the Internet (March 16)
- Essay: Internet Polls: Yay or Nay (March 16)
- Essay: The Effects of Uniforms on Public Education (March 19)
- Essay: The Legalization of Marijuana in Canada (March 21)
- Assignments: Remaining required blog posts (due by April 8)
- Assignments: Blogging project (TBA)? - people in my blogging class...When is this due?
- Final Exam: Public Opinion (April 18)
- Final Exam: Educational Psychology (April 19)

So my week has a lot in store for me - Let's hope I can get it a lot of it done before St. Patrick's Day and MIT formal.

Still so much other planning to take place for summer employment, student visas, Korea planning....yeesh.

ooops.

2009-03-11T01:02:00.006+09:00

So yesterday when I wrote about Jaydiohead I was originally going to write about an exciting activity I excel at....Napping.

I ended up writing about music instead because that album happened on repeat all day. Anyway, I think it's really funny that RSS Feeds and title on blogger still shows up as "Napping" because it was automatically saved as a draft - even though I changed it after I originally noticed. The most embarrassing part, Max Tannone, the creator of the album even commented on it. I hope he didn't see the original "napping" title.

So anyone that was expecting to read about napping, I'm sorry for tricking you.
And if you know how to change the way a title shows up in an RSS feed or on Blogger's "most commented post" I'd really like to hear from you because I want to change this).

Jaydiohead

2009-03-10T23:07:00.008+09:00

I’m a tad late discovering this but a friend of mine introduced me to Jaydiohead, an album of mashed-up Jay-Z and Radiohead hits mixed by DJ Minty Fresh Beats. My first thoughts were “another mash-up? Really? but it has actually kind of grown on me. It adds itself to and from my walks to campus almost seamlessly.

Minty Fresh (Max Tannone) started working on his creation in August ’08 as an alternative to just “sitting around and watching TV.” He had no intentions on becoming as well known as he’s become and insists that he uploaded it to MySpace simply to get some feedback. He doesn’t host his own website and thus has no idea how many times his album of mash-ups has been downloaded but knows there are French, Russian, and Spanish music blogs that have been talking about it.

He goes on to explain to James Montgomery of MTV News,

"I didn't want people to see it as a promotional vehicle, like, 'Oh, here's my résumé!' or something like that, but if they liked what they heard, and it led to more [music] production work, then I was all for it," he explained. "I knew the idea of a mash-up has been done to death, but I wanted to restructure these songs, to give them new choruses and make them sound like new songs. Plus, I think a lot of songs off Jay's American Gangster album are amazing, and I feel like it was kind of slept-on, so I wanted to give it some shine."

It’s obviously not for everyone but the tracks that shine for me are “Fall in Step, Dirt off your Android, and Change Order.”

Jaydiohead is available for download at Jaydiohead.com and streamable from sites like Last.fm and MySpace.

Your obnoxiousness is distracting me.

2009-03-09T07:53:00.005+09:00

Has anyone not noticed the “Library Etiquette” posters in libraries on campus? You know the ones that have those ridiculous pictures of people with a thought bubble saying something like: The smell of your food is distracting me." Well, I’ve decided to create my own list about appropriate overall campus etiquette.

Here is my list of 10 things you might do and should be made aware of:

1. Traffic Etiquette:

Walking in packs on the bridge. I won’t elaborate because it's been done, by Jess of Expand Your Addictions.

2. Traffic Etiquette B:

For those of you that have ever had to drive through that main intersection at the corner of Talbot and Delaware you know what I’m talking about. It’s 10 seconds - please pedestrians, don’t risk your life and my insurance rates because you can’t adhere to traffic rules like all other patience pedestrians. Just let the cars go on the advanced green and you chill!

3. Food Etiquette:

Since UWO’s Subway debut, the smell of fresh bread has drawn many students and creates lengthy lines. Well, I was working on a deadline today - had an exam at 4:30 and had been studying all morning long, paying no attention to the time. 3:45 catches my attention - I rush to the UCC, miraculously only 6 people in line, it looks like it’s moving quickly so I grab a spot in line and wait. Seconds after my arrival in line a group (and I do mean group - 7 of them) excitedly and cheerfully hopped in line with their friend two people ahead of me. WTF? I was too annoyed to say anything without really telling them what I thought about them, so I left it - but I regret it.

4. General Decency Etiquette:

A recent addition to my distaste for couples includes acts of public affection. I’m fine with people holding each other’s hands and giving a quick kiss goodbye but there’s no reason to make people feel uncomfortable by making out in the Spoke Lounge or the study rooms with big windows in Weldon. Love each other, but love each other at home, not while I’m trying to eat my lunch and study. (Once I was a big creep and took a picture and "twitpic'd" it).

5. Gym Etiquette:

When you are finished using a machine, please wipe it down. No one wants to sit down in a pool of your sweat or push buttons on a dripping treadmill touch screen. The anti-biotic sprays and wet-naps are all over the place, take a second and wipe the machine down. (Remember that episode of Seinfeld, "The Wife")

6. Gym Etiquette B:

Remember the second half of that episode - George peed in the showers. If you do this, please, please, please, please stop. Just plain nasty. Also - wear sandals.

7. Library Etiquette:

Just because you’ve walked away from where YOU are studying, doesn’t mean your conversation about what you made your boyfriend for dinner or listen to you whine about how he didn’t like it. Use a stairwell or call your friend back when you take your study break.

8. Library Etiquette B:

If you’re taking up an entire large table (especially during midterms/finals) and you see someone searching for a place to sit amidst the full cubicles, looking longingly at all the space you have to yourself, offer them a spot to sit. There’s no reason why you and your tiny laptop need a table for four. Be civil, be courteous, maybe you’ll make a new friend.

9. Library Etiquette C:

I get you like to be connected. I am crazy when I haven’t made contact with the world around me, via cell phone, Twitter, Facebook, MSN, etc..but taking up both outlets for your cell phone and laptop is a little ridiculous.

10. Multitasking Etiquette:

If you can’t manage to text-and-walk at a regular pace and at a regular trajectory, pull to the side of whatever sidewalk or hallway you’re in. You’re just causing problems for being who are capable of doing two things at once or just trying to get to class on time. Apparently this is becoming a big problem in the UK.

Keep in mind what you’re doing affects others too. By no means am I saying I’m perfect, I’m guilty of many things too but now that I’ve written these down I’m going to assess my own behaviour a little more critically from now on.

In case you were wondering (and I'm sure you all were)

2009-03-09T00:45:00.006+09:00

The Township of Woolwhich fought hard, decorated pretty much every house in town, put up banners in store windows and took out ad space in newspapers...unfortunately their battle was lost to Terrace, British Columbia for their bid for Hockeyville 2009.

I'm sure you're all really upset about this. Big loss right?

Well, not really, the top five towns still receive 25,000 dollars in arena upgrades, so all is not lost. Maybe next year Woolwhich can try again next year.

Sorry Mom! Your efforts did not go unnoticed!

In case you don't know what contest I'm talking about, check out my first blog on it from Reading Week 2009.

REMINDER!! Daylights Savings Time SUNDAY!

2009-03-08T08:25:00.005+09:00

"Flavor Flav!!!!!!!"

Remember to "Spring Forward" tonight.
Daylights Savings time begins Sunday!

We're losing an hour of sleep tonight, folks.

Not good.

Guest Blog: Adam Jacobs reviews MLB The Show '09

2009-03-07T06:20:00.006+09:00

My name is Adam Jacobs. I am a 21 years old starting pitcher for the Norfolk Tides, a triple-A team in the International League, part of the Baltimore Orioles organization. With a 1.97 ERA, a 6-1 record and 47 strike outs (mostly from a undetectable change up) I hopefully can move my way into the big leagues, and maybe demand a trade to play for another bird team (Let’s go blue jays!). I’m also graduating from University of Western Ontario in a couple month’s with a honors specialization degree in Media, Information and Technoculture, and live in the student ghetto. The latter of these descriptions explains my daily real life, while the former explains my daily virtual life… a life that takes place in SCEA Sports’ MLB 09: The Show “Road to the Show”.

Most fans of The Show are avid franchise players. Having the ability to control AA, AAA and your MLB team, stadium upgrades, contract negations, arbitration, practice, trades, line-up changes (and did I mention you also play the 9 innings of ball?) all makes the franchise mode the ultimate orgasm for baseball gamers. However, I recently was introduced to operationsports.com, a site where members upload complete rosters. Rosters which include minor league (AA, AAA) players with accurate names and stats. While the game’s fictitious characters suffice for the average player, those who demand an ultimate submersion into the shoes of the General Manager can await Full Minor roster to be released by Knight165 in about a month.

I, a self-proclaimed Toronto baseball fanatic, attempted to start a franchise with my beloved Jays, but it felt empty. Having unknown players fill the shoes for the likes of Kevin Millar, J.P. Arencibia and David Cooper (the last two are the future of the Blue Birds) just felt so wrong. So, following the advice of out-of-town friends who play the game, I signed myself up for the “Road to the Show” mode. Allowing me to create a Hispanic version of myself, I shaped my eyes (and eyebrows) nose and bridge, mouth, chin line, head shape and everything else you can imagine to craft my dream pitcher… funny… I think he still looks like me. But, after being drafted in the 4th round by the Cardinals organization, I stepped onto the field for my first pitch, as the graphic blew me away. Having the proper HDMI cables, my PS3 and TV are able to take full advantage of the 720p that is outputted by The Show 09, and it shows. It fucking shows. The fluidity of my pitcher’s delivery does NOT go unnoticed, as my delivery mimics Tim Lincecum to a T.

Having wicked graphics, awesome gameplay, and the realism that I don’t even find in real Jays game (Vernon hits more homers in The Show ’09 spring training than his entire career… because he should!) MLB The Show 09 is slowly stealing the TV from my roommates, one hour at a time… and to me, those hours feel like minutes.

On a side note, the Blue Jays will make the playoffs this year in REAL LIFE, so clear your October… we have a long year of baseball ahead!

I don't know anything about video games

2009-03-06T01:22:00.007+09:00

My roommate Adam just purchased MLB The Show '09 for PS3. Our television hasn't displayed anything but baseball for the last two full days, because obviously he bought it the morning it came out. By no means do I qualify to critique a video game of this caliber (let alone any video game - including Duck Hunt) so I'm not going to. He is - expect his guest blog sometime this weekend.

From what I gather, there's an a very entertaining feature of realistic play as you play/control a single specific player. So, say you choose the pitcher in a league that the pitcher does not bat, you do not play while your team is up. (You have the option of watching the action, but you can fast-forward through your game to the next time you're at the mound).

This seems interesting to me and I'm not even a video game player. My other roommate Mike, really, and I mean reeeeally likes the graphics.

I made a joke earlier today about a developer should create a RPG based on the life of one of the depressed fans, sitting alone in the stands, going up to get a beer, getting too drunk, fighting the other team's mascot in the parking lot...you know, all the typical fan-actions. I don't play video games, but I'd play that if someone made it. Ha ha.

Anyway - expect Adam's review of MLB The Show to hit your screen soon.

PS - SRSLYbanger tonight @ Up!

DirtyDisco this Thursday: SRSLYbanger

2009-03-05T09:55:00.010+09:00

While chilling at Clam Island today, my friends, Elli and Lulu, were offered a great opportunity to take their radio show to the indie ears of London's population this Thursday, March 5th, at UP on Carling.

The two co-host an indie-electro show called SRSLYbanger on CHRW (94.9FM) every Wednesday from 1:30-3:30 and have developed quite a following.

Anyway, come check them out. Lulu's stoked to drop some dirty beats and Elli well, according to her, she brings "dancing like a fool" to the team, so get ready for that.

SRLSYbanger @ Up On Carling

March 5th, 2009

Join the Facebook group for guest list.

You've won the chance to play again...or a medium coffee at Country Style

2009-03-05T04:42:00.006+09:00

Each year from late February to early March my love for coffee and intense consumption goes full throttle when Tim Hortons holds their Roll-Up-the-Rim campaign.

The campaign boasts over thirty million prizes being won each year ranging in value from a free coffee to an entertainment system or even cash prizes - and once someone’s taken their last sip, they roll up the rim of their cup to reveal their prize...or lack there of.

Unfortunately, for the most part of my own experience, I’ve only won once or twice in the last two years, and it was just another coffee. From the looks of my Twitter feed as well as the other blogs in the blogosphere it looks like many people, at least in the London area, also seem to be losing. It's unfortunate but do not lose hope....

To all of the Roll-Up losers, take your “Please play again tab” to Country Style. They reimburse you for a medium cup of their coffee for every loss with Tim Hortons. Smart business idea, for sure. From February 23rd - March 8th (which I believe is the end of the Roll-Up campaign), Country Style will accept used and losing tabs as legitimate payment for a medium cup of java. Even though I don’t like Country Style and it’s super far from where I live, but I may start saving those losing tabs now.

And please, if you don’t plan on taking your losing cups to Coffee Time, please dispose of the cups in an environmentally clean fashion...i.e NOT ON THE GROUND.

To Tube or not to Tube: A Response Post for Blogging Class

2009-03-04T03:53:00.006+09:00

This week in my blogging class, we were required to watch a video and discuss it: An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube (above). This is a video of a speech Professor Michael Wesch, a Digital Ethnography professor from Kansas State University, gave in 2007...and coincidentally someone I follow on Twitter.

In this video, Wesch goes on to explain the phenomenon YouTube has become. (I'm not going to explain YouTube to you because if you haven't heard of it, you live under a rock- Wikipedia, go, now!). I don’t know if it was originally seen to be as big as it is but YouTube has become more of a community than anything else. Most videos are posted with the intention of a less than 100 person audience but Wesch goes on to say that YouTube is now a "form of empowerment and celebration of new forms of community and types of community that we have never seen before,” as so many videos now receive many more than 1,000 unintentional hits.

Hosting a vast variety of videos from all over the world of almost anything you can possibly imagine; from talking animals to babies laughing, music videos, amazing video parodies, and even Obama’s inauguration and weekly presidential addresses are uploaded to the "tube."

Speaking as a YouTube community member, I know first hand the cultural mosaic of today’s Internet community, whether it be people watching funny Japanese culture as demonstrated by “Osaka Bang” (thank-you Rakhee for sharing) or an explanation of how the "Machine is Using Us" by digital anthropologists. YouTube has something for everyone - the serious and not-so-serious coexist in the digital community which is one of my favourite aspects of it. Everyone reacts to something differently and it’s amazing to see the involvement of many people on a single issue/video.

For the most part, Wesch’s video really solidifies the importance of such a digital community, stressing it’s ability to quickly change the world by raising awareness through a digital and collaborative medium - the epitome of Web 2.0. You create, You collaborate, You design, You...Tube!

As Wesch says, turn on your webcam today and start talking to the world, a potential million people are joining the vlogging (video blogging) community, so subscribe to channels, and click tags to find similar videos and enjoy getting lost in the Internet today!

Ohhhh, Mondays.

2009-03-03T13:56:00.006+09:00

Another stellar Monday.

12:45 pm.
Library & Educational Psychology
Intervention
"Crème [Liat] brûlée"
Austin Powers 3
and in 5 minutes: The New Harlem Shuffle.

Please VOTE Woolwhich... Because my mom really wants yout to

2009-02-28T13:02:00.006+09:00

So - Woolwhich Hockeyville...hope you haven't forgotten in case there is someone out there, actively reading this haha.

If we don't win, my mother will probably cry...do you really want that on your conscious? Probably not, she's a pretty nice lady.

Anyway, 2 easy steps: On the right side of the page, enter two words to prove you're human and then submit your vote. Very simple - takes less than ten seconds.

The link can be accessed here!

By the way - you can vote as many times as you wish...it's a very democratic process. The voting starts tomorrow (February 28) until March 4th, 2009. So maybe once a day if you have time...please?

Thanks for voting.

untitled

2009-02-28T04:24:00.012+09:00

Dearest Brass Door,

Thank you for hosting us last night. I had a really good time celebrating Mike's birthday. I lucked out big-time. I only bought one drink from your bartenders. My friends seemed preeeeettttty generous once the beer started flowing. A+

It's going to be tough not being able to depend on another bar to deliver the countless good times I have experienced with you over the last four years.

Brass Door, I guess you're still good in my books. I'll be back once or twice before I leave town.

Until then,

Ryan

Remember that time UWO campus looked good

2009-02-27T03:19:00.007+09:00

The spring melt came a little earlier than expected this year. It brought along with it a surprising amount of garbage and clutter. I know people that came to Western strictly because of how the campus looked. At one point, wasn’t Western the pinnacle of pristine campus environments?

To anyone that knows Ben Singer and Emily Rowe, please tell them to clean up their signage. The election has been over for weeks. Emily even won - she should be setting a strong example for how to treat campus and take pride in its aesthetic. It looks like crap. I know I've already spoke about this once but apparently it's still an issue (It's over, now clean up the hill).

It really is a shame how much students don’t care about the environment. I understand that the snow covers up the garbage - but snow melts. Even walking through the “student ghetto,” specifically Broughdale Ave and Huron St, there is a ridiculous amount of trash lingering in the streets.

There seems to be a general decline in the overall cleanliness of London and it has dooped us into this acceptance of an aesthetic that is less than par. I suppose in terms of campus cleanliness, the recession and budget cuts may have put some pressure on Physical Plant Staff leading to a general lack of clean-up, but it really does look unbecoming of an institution that prides itself on having “the best student experience, for the last 7 years.”

22 days

2009-02-26T03:48:00.003+09:00

Woah.

After reading a classmate's blog, I've been made aware of the ever-looming "undergrad finish line." Now only 37 days of classes remain.

But wait, I only have class on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday...I only have 22 more days of actual class. I'm shockingly unprepared for my future and I only have 22 more days to figure my life out.

I do know one thing though...I don't want to go to Convocation. Is that bad?

"So like, Communism is totally the bad one right?"

2009-02-25T06:48:00.011+09:00

"I have always depended on the kindness of strangers" - Blanche DuBois.

Blanche may have been able to depend on the kindness of strangers, but lately I've found that the kindness of strangers is sometimes overshadowed by their obnoxiousness.

Tonight I opted for an empty lecture hall instead of Weldon Library to do my studying. 3 second year female students walked in about an hour into my studying. I assumed that because I was in the room first the girls would be courteous to that fact and whisper if they needed to speak to one another.

Turns out, they space themselves around the room so they can not only NOT whisper to each other, they have to talk at a relatively loud volume. Normally, I wouldn't really have a problem with a couple comments here and there but these girls did NOTHING but talk the entire time they were "studying." Had it not been for some of their hilarious comments, I would have been very frustrated. Here are some of the highlights of their conversation....and yes, I was eavesdropping, but in my defense - it's not like I had much of a choice.

A) Girl 1: "So is liberalism similar to fascism then?"
Girl 2: "Yeah, I think so...but I failed Grade 10 History."

B) Sparing the graphic details, Girl 1 also went on to talk about her boyfriend's erectile difficulties.

C) Girl 2 has recently received a less-than-par Brazilian wax. Poor girl.

D) Girl 2: "I always wonder - how can Diet Coke have zero calories but still be sugary.
Girl 3 (clearly frustrated by her friend's lack of sense): Do you know what a calorie is?!
Girl 2: "No."
Girl 3: "Just stop talking then."

E) See title of blog. Girl 1 was also responsible for that gem.

Though the commentary was hilarious I couldn't believe they were comfortable having this conversation in public, especially with a stranger in the room. A little pointer for anyone who decides to discuss their sexual escapades (or lack thereof in Girl 1's position), make sure the strangers in the room can't hear you.

The Eagle(s) Have Landed...in London?!?

2009-02-25T06:30:00.005+09:00

An endangered species is a population of an organism at risk of becoming extinct due to: too few numbers, threatened or changing environmental parameters, etc. The International Union of the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is in charge of both education and conservation of the endangered and extinct species of the world. They would also be happy to know that the eagle population has begun to bounce back and repopulate in London, Ontario of all places.

According to the London Free Press’ article, Peter Read of McIlraith Field Naturalists states,

“We’re [London] probably the Ontario capital (of the two species).”

So far, there have been 6 nests sightings in London; 4-Osprey Eagle and 2-Bald Eagle. Locations of the nests are for the most part are confidential and the Ministry of Natural Resources is cautious about giving the addresses of the nests given the rarity of the birds.

So, keep your eyes peeled when crossing the Thames Bridge (or other areas of water)! I think I’ve spotted an Osprey flying overhead in the past while walking home from class.

For more information, see the article in The London Free Press.

Train Karma

2009-02-20T17:54:00.002+09:00

Day six has ended and day seven of Reading Week started seventeen minutes ago. And man, did it bring some treats.

The clock tells me it’s 12:17 right now.

This won’t get posted until probably 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning though. Right now, I’m stuck in Kitchener, Ontario at the seediest corner. I just saw someone get arrested across the street. The best part - I should be half way to London by now. My train was scheduled to leave at 11:30 PM but because I have the greatest karma, my train has once again (for the 3rd time this month), been delayed.

The culprit: A frozen switch...AGAIN!? Really?

The silver lining: my MacBook has 4.5 hours of battery remaining. Downside: computers are boring when you can’t access the Internet. They won’t even compensate my late train departure with some Wi-Fi access. iPhone 3G FTW though.

By the way, I’m the ONLY one in here. At one point there was another fellow, who chose to sit almost beside me when he had over 20 other seating choices. I found it weird, and found his stench foul. His putrid stink was compensated however, by the hilarious fact that he and I were wearing the same jeans AND shoes. Weird eh...Maybe that was future me...shit, I hope not.

I hope my cat doesn’t die from starvation. I was suppose to be back in London way earlier today.

3:50 AM - Enter: London, ON

FML.

Reading Week, Day 5 (technically): Last night in town

2009-02-19T16:36:00.006+09:00

Today did not play out the way I thought it would. First, I woke up mid-afternoon (praise Reading Week). I helped my brother with some homework and than took him to the movies.

He's 12 years old, but has the knowledge and (almost) the maturity of at least a 17 year old. So naturally, I took him to see the new Jason flick, Friday the 13th. The people at the theater looked at me just as strangely as you're probably staring at your screen right now. Apparently taking a 12-year old to a Jason movie is unacceptable. Whatever, he liked it and wasn't even scared. I think I even more nervous than he was.

After the movie ended, I took my brother home and decided to take a stroll. I ended up walking downtown and met some friends for drinks at the local (shady) bar in the middle of town, aptly named "Central Tavern." The aesthetic of the bar leaves nothing to the imagination and does nothing to try to convince you that you're anywhere else but Small-town, Ontario. I wouldn't want it any other way. We ended up getting kicked out at 1:00 AM, apparently last-call in Elmira is 12:50 AM. Didn't matter though, we weren't done yet.

We finished our night as we drunkenly stumbled to the 24-hr grocery store by my house. We gorged on junk food as we said our goodbyes. These people make my trips home so much more enjoyable. I'm actually looking forward to coming home for the summer now.

Anyway, I'm really happy with how my last night in town turned out but the ratio of blood to beer in my body right now is at a pinnacle so I'm going to put myself to bed. Back to London tomorrow.

Night all.

Reading Week, Day 4

2009-02-18T13:34:00.002+09:00

Today I was suppose to meet an old friend for coffee. Upon rolling into the parking lot, already 15 minutes late I found my friend anxiously searching the windows for a glimpse of me.

I walked inside and immediately apologized for my tardiness. After I apologized, she convinced me that Oreo-Bailey Milkshakes would be a far better snack than coffee and a bagel.

She was right.

A half up of ice
1.5 cups of French Vanilla ice cream
1/2 (we used 1) cup of Baileys
2 cups chocolate milk
4 Oreo cookies

Blend and enjoy.

A good snack to go along with a great "catch-up" conversation.