Word of the week: 'Pectin'
Apparantly, you need it. Why, i'm not sure but boy, do you need it.
Phrase of the week: 'Bloody University'
It's back. Am I looking forward to it. Am I bawes.
Sight of the week: 'Hair'
Yes, everyone has it - apart from complete baldies - but it's funny where people have it. I went to Korean waterpark over the weekend. I was surprised by the amount of flesh on show. But pleasantly surprised in some cases. However, hair should be discrete and where it should be. On men that is on the head, the face, perhaps the chest and arms and the legs. All other hair, i don't care about and have no desiring in seeing anyway. On women, it should be on the head. Only. It can also be in another place but and clearly that would be desirable but is usually always hidden. But...i do not what to see a clearly hairless (on the chest) man with hair pertruding from his micro-speedos. It's unsightly and mingin. And all these men who have about 4 hairs on their chests. Get them off. Why grow them to such fantastic lengths when you only have 4 of them. It's a mystery. Women, come on...get the hair off the legs and off the pit's - you'll never pull with it.
Song of the week: 'Deception' by Le Tigre
Stumbled across this by accident...initially, it sounds like a cross between the B-52's and some lo-fi, screaming mad-women but it is great. Lo-fi it is but completely tuneful with fantastic use of 'dang, dang, ding dong's' and even mention linoleum floors. And even re-mixed by DFA. What else do you need in a song?
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Helicopter
The recurring theme of swings and roundabouts is something that does continue and it can be acutely felt by the passing of one 'zedrock' here in Cheonan. It's not a classy place but it is by no means a dive, in fact, it's quite a respectable establishments, one with nice seats, a nice bar to sit at, some half decent toilets, interesting lighting combinations and music both live and recorded. It is the sort of place that is derided but it is a place that does exactly what it sets out to do and that is to entertain. Alcohol certainly plays it's part in that and in no way should one make excuses for that. It serves the purpose.
But, it is now closing. It's a place that has always been there in much the same way that Edinburgh Castle has been in Edinburgh or that my golf balls have always been in the gorse bushes at some point. It's in it's fabric.
My 1st visit was a bewildering experience in the same way that the previous 3 weeks in Korea had been. The evening had started with an aborted trip to Sizi Niteclub which saw us being knocked back for not being Korean...it was then suggested that we go to this 'other place'. This 'other place' was a live music bar in the bowels of some building. It was large but fairly busy with blue neon strips placed around the seating area, instead of the 'low' seats, we sat at the 'high seats'. It was then that we were introduced to all kinds of fellow non-koreans and Koreans alike. I recal Bill in his red patterned tie and the Belgian Jeff. An older women who smoked like a chimney and this bald guy who was wearing a Mac and a Korean women who made a point of sitting next to me. It was an experience. No question of that - particularly the miniature barrels that were the pitchers.
The evening continued well after theband had finished it's set. It was Zedrock.
Of course, in this business faces come and go but the zed was constant. Constant for seeing faces, regulars, fights, 'interesting' dances moves, drunk old Korean men, shy Korean women. Just an eclectic mix of Cheonan.
Highlights remain vague. I'm not sure pure, unadultered highlights are made it a place like the zed but hightlights in the sense of 'something to talk about' at a later time whether that be the foreigners getting into fights with each other - actually, there are always fights in the zed. boyfriends/girlfriends, girls/girls, boys/boys, co-workers/coworkers, ignorant fat blokes/wedding parties, all sorts - to the paying of the group bill at the end of the evening when some people would strangely disappear at the vital time or the time a certain co-worker of mine managed to obtain a certain amount of non-vacuum cleaner assisted suction on the emergency exit stairs and of course all the shenaningans that occur in certain toilet cubicles. Everything happened in the zed but at the same time nothing really did. An oddity. An oddity that will probably never be allowed to thrive in the future.the zed. we salute u.overand out.
But, it is now closing. It's a place that has always been there in much the same way that Edinburgh Castle has been in Edinburgh or that my golf balls have always been in the gorse bushes at some point. It's in it's fabric.
My 1st visit was a bewildering experience in the same way that the previous 3 weeks in Korea had been. The evening had started with an aborted trip to Sizi Niteclub which saw us being knocked back for not being Korean...it was then suggested that we go to this 'other place'. This 'other place' was a live music bar in the bowels of some building. It was large but fairly busy with blue neon strips placed around the seating area, instead of the 'low' seats, we sat at the 'high seats'. It was then that we were introduced to all kinds of fellow non-koreans and Koreans alike. I recal Bill in his red patterned tie and the Belgian Jeff. An older women who smoked like a chimney and this bald guy who was wearing a Mac and a Korean women who made a point of sitting next to me. It was an experience. No question of that - particularly the miniature barrels that were the pitchers.
The evening continued well after theband had finished it's set. It was Zedrock.
Of course, in this business faces come and go but the zed was constant. Constant for seeing faces, regulars, fights, 'interesting' dances moves, drunk old Korean men, shy Korean women. Just an eclectic mix of Cheonan.
Highlights remain vague. I'm not sure pure, unadultered highlights are made it a place like the zed but hightlights in the sense of 'something to talk about' at a later time whether that be the foreigners getting into fights with each other - actually, there are always fights in the zed. boyfriends/girlfriends, girls/girls, boys/boys, co-workers/coworkers, ignorant fat blokes/wedding parties, all sorts - to the paying of the group bill at the end of the evening when some people would strangely disappear at the vital time or the time a certain co-worker of mine managed to obtain a certain amount of non-vacuum cleaner assisted suction on the emergency exit stairs and of course all the shenaningans that occur in certain toilet cubicles. Everything happened in the zed but at the same time nothing really did. An oddity. An oddity that will probably never be allowed to thrive in the future.the zed. we salute u.overand out.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Forget
Theend of the holiday. Shocking. June18th seems like a long time ago. The day that classes ceased and the long summer started in earnest.All those plans of doing xyz were about to kick in. I nreality, did they?
__________________some of them did. Some are still 'work in progress' an example being the continuing tramua that is learning Korean and getting to a decent standard. It's easy to get disheartened and that has definitely has been in evidence. I think the reason is that you finally remember a particular vocab. piece or a sentence or something but then you never actually get round to needing it in any given situation. For me, that's the hard bit. If I learn something, I want to be able to whip it out, not store it for a time way in the future when I might actually need it. It's a problem.
In terms of trying to become a better,more effective teacher-well, maybe. I've tried to come upwith alt. ways of doing things and helping my student's. Creating a website for example. Next semester will tell me if I have succeeded. Also, the ongoing struggle to get to the gym has been sucessful although the phyiscal success still aludes me. I am certain that some people are more inclined to get fitter and obtain more muscle mass that others. I AM in the latter category. No question about that. But, one day...
Otherwise, it's been a holiday for contrasting moods, feelings and hangovers. Nothing unusual there. The thing that really has struck me is the passing of time. Not in a day by day, hour by hour sense but in a 'my god, doesn't he look older these days. A particular example escapes me at the moment but there certainly has been pictures or movies that i've thought they the person or persons have aged markedly but then we all have. Perhaps I just noticed it but it does scare me...which then took me to the mortally thing in which the fact that i'm 28years old is becoming a problem.I can no longer think, I can do 'that' in a year or two because i'm going to be well 'older'.Conversely, the thought that, for example Britpop kicked in 10 years ago or thinking, I quite liked that football strip - what, that was the 97-98 season?!? I spectre of death does actually mean something and it's not something that happens to other people. I suspect it's just my morbid 'what if' tendancy...i recall thinking about that on the plane back to Scotland. What if this plane has some problem, that would probably be it for me and then trying to think how that would be. Would it be freezing or lack of oxygen or would I still be alive until I finally reached land again. And alone. perhaps the thing, being alone. One of the 'survivors' from the Air France flight skidded through the runway said something along the lines of 'she wanted a hug for 1 last time before her time was up'. It scares me. If there was a way of preserving my current well being right now for infinity or there abouts, i would.
See what long holidays do.
__________________some of them did. Some are still 'work in progress' an example being the continuing tramua that is learning Korean and getting to a decent standard. It's easy to get disheartened and that has definitely has been in evidence. I think the reason is that you finally remember a particular vocab. piece or a sentence or something but then you never actually get round to needing it in any given situation. For me, that's the hard bit. If I learn something, I want to be able to whip it out, not store it for a time way in the future when I might actually need it. It's a problem.
In terms of trying to become a better,more effective teacher-well, maybe. I've tried to come upwith alt. ways of doing things and helping my student's. Creating a website for example. Next semester will tell me if I have succeeded. Also, the ongoing struggle to get to the gym has been sucessful although the phyiscal success still aludes me. I am certain that some people are more inclined to get fitter and obtain more muscle mass that others. I AM in the latter category. No question about that. But, one day...
Otherwise, it's been a holiday for contrasting moods, feelings and hangovers. Nothing unusual there. The thing that really has struck me is the passing of time. Not in a day by day, hour by hour sense but in a 'my god, doesn't he look older these days. A particular example escapes me at the moment but there certainly has been pictures or movies that i've thought they the person or persons have aged markedly but then we all have. Perhaps I just noticed it but it does scare me...which then took me to the mortally thing in which the fact that i'm 28years old is becoming a problem.I can no longer think, I can do 'that' in a year or two because i'm going to be well 'older'.Conversely, the thought that, for example Britpop kicked in 10 years ago or thinking, I quite liked that football strip - what, that was the 97-98 season?!? I spectre of death does actually mean something and it's not something that happens to other people. I suspect it's just my morbid 'what if' tendancy...i recall thinking about that on the plane back to Scotland. What if this plane has some problem, that would probably be it for me and then trying to think how that would be. Would it be freezing or lack of oxygen or would I still be alive until I finally reached land again. And alone. perhaps the thing, being alone. One of the 'survivors' from the Air France flight skidded through the runway said something along the lines of 'she wanted a hug for 1 last time before her time was up'. It scares me. If there was a way of preserving my current well being right now for infinity or there abouts, i would.
See what long holidays do.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Thingy
_Smug ALERT-
England - 'potential' World Cup winners lost 4-1 last night to Denmark and now for the best bit - Scotland didn't lose.
Fantastic.
Sorry, just had to get that out of my system. Feeling much better now.
Actually, i'm not feeling that great. Think that might have had something to do with a particular yellow coloured alcoholic drink that seemed like a good idea at the time.
Anyhow, swings and roundabouts seem to be very apparant currently, metaphorically speaking of course, given that I haven't been near either for quite some time and certainly none of the quality in evidence at a certain park not far from my home...______________with regular haunts closing or changing whilst new, unfamiliar ones are appearing. This also seems particularly true of people, with bonds broken and others gathering strength inspite of or because of circumstance. I could name names but i don't really feel upto it. It's just funny how things happen based on a sentence or a simple action or non-action.And in the whole make up of 'things' whereby, for example, you feel that your doing well in terms of integrating to the host country when something occurs which sets you back whether that be language or simply listening and appreciating what is happening. Perception alterations if you like.
anyway, can i just re-iterate that result from yesterday Denmark 4 - England 1. That's 4 - 1. To them.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Explorations
_could this be the mother of all cock-ups?
A leaked report suggests that the 'suicide' bomber who was shot and killed at Stockwell Tube Station did not resist arrest, did not runaway from the police, did not jump the barriers at the Tube Station and was not wearing an unseasonably large jacket. Furthermore, he was not 100% identified by the survellence team because a key member of that team was taking a leak at the time.
It certainly seems like a complete cock-up and one which my have been covered up at the highest level. However, as far as i can see, it's all heresay. We heard the eye-witness accounts at the time suggesting thisthat and the next thing. ThE Police didn't exactly say whether these accounts were true or not.Ultimately, one guy is dead. Mistakes were made and those involved need to learn from it. That's not to belittle the dead guy or to try to justify the actions of the police because I don't have the facts and I wasn't there...it's happened. Let's make sure that everything is out in the open and then make judgement so long as we are not subjected to the envitable 'spin' which will accompany any official report into it. cLEARLY, WE don't want anything like this to happen again...
A leaked report suggests that the 'suicide' bomber who was shot and killed at Stockwell Tube Station did not resist arrest, did not runaway from the police, did not jump the barriers at the Tube Station and was not wearing an unseasonably large jacket. Furthermore, he was not 100% identified by the survellence team because a key member of that team was taking a leak at the time.
It certainly seems like a complete cock-up and one which my have been covered up at the highest level. However, as far as i can see, it's all heresay. We heard the eye-witness accounts at the time suggesting thisthat and the next thing. ThE Police didn't exactly say whether these accounts were true or not.Ultimately, one guy is dead. Mistakes were made and those involved need to learn from it. That's not to belittle the dead guy or to try to justify the actions of the police because I don't have the facts and I wasn't there...it's happened. Let's make sure that everything is out in the open and then make judgement so long as we are not subjected to the envitable 'spin' which will accompany any official report into it. cLEARLY, WE don't want anything like this to happen again...
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Cryptic
Looks like we're back...comeon.Well, it's heads down and preparation for the start of the new semester next week. All boring stuff but it will make the semester run smoother plus trying to implement new books, websites and ideas with i'll us throughout the semester.THis semester we're going for a new slot at the send of each class in which a team of 4 can do anything that displays their English abilty whether that be a song or drama or play or even just sitting chatting about some topic. It's an attempt to get the student's doing instead of me telling them that we're goin gto be doing xyz. Also, a website outlining what wee did in class plus links that may /or may not/ help them with their English. Whether or not the student's actually use it is another matter but nothing ventured, nothing gained...
All of which makes me think that i'm way too 'teachering' - sorry, another made up word?-orientated.Not that that makes me a good teacher because i doubt that I am. Actually,as time continues it feels that the only reason for staying in Korea is because of the teaching and I think that the past few weeks back in Scotland has just confirmed that. That is in no way a slight on people here in Korea as I have meet some truly great people that I would hope to stay in contact with in the future but it's just a feeling that i get. Perhaps that feeling has always been there...certainly, during last semester Monday's were not seen as black entities that simply had to be gotten through, instead, they were the opposite with a strong feeling of happiness in evidence on monday mornings because i was back in the classroom with my students - or should that be 'audience'?
Thejob. only the job. Kind of pathetic. Perhaps, the best job i'm likely to have__but is it enough.
All of which makes me think that i'm way too 'teachering' - sorry, another made up word?-orientated.Not that that makes me a good teacher because i doubt that I am. Actually,as time continues it feels that the only reason for staying in Korea is because of the teaching and I think that the past few weeks back in Scotland has just confirmed that. That is in no way a slight on people here in Korea as I have meet some truly great people that I would hope to stay in contact with in the future but it's just a feeling that i get. Perhaps that feeling has always been there...certainly, during last semester Monday's were not seen as black entities that simply had to be gotten through, instead, they were the opposite with a strong feeling of happiness in evidence on monday mornings because i was back in the classroom with my students - or should that be 'audience'?
Thejob. only the job. Kind of pathetic. Perhaps, the best job i'm likely to have__but is it enough.
Monday, August 15, 2005
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