4-29-2010
(Disclaimer: This particular blog entry is primarily geared toward comic fans, movie fans, fanboys, geeks, dorks, nerds, and Americans. If you're not at least one of these, then read my blog about waffles instead, because everybody loves waffles).
Sooo...I'm just gonna start off by making a simple statement: Iron Man 2 may be the hottest thing I've done in South Korea to date. I don't know what other people are saying; I haven't read any reviews. All I know is that I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish, and I didn't even think of checking my watch (something I do at every movie) until the final scene. There was more action than the first movie, the villain/villains were better, there were TWO Iron Men this time (War Machine), and oh yeah, Mickey freakin' Rourke! I'd go see it again just to hear him speak in Russian again. Put all these things together and I'm almost willing to say that this sequel was better than the original, and the original is arguably the second greatest comic book movie of all time after The Dark Knight. By successfully living up to it's predecessor, this movie falls into that rare category of sophomore efforts that don't suck. Thank you, Marvel Studios, for punching me in the face again with awesomeness.
Now that I've loved on the movie a little bit, I have to admit something to the world and to myself: there is no way that Korea deserves to have this movie released before the U.S. I'm calling this in because, originally, I was genuinely thrilled when I found out that we (Korean audiences, which I am now a part of) would be seeing IM2 before American audiences, if for no other reason than for me to hold it over you guys for a whole week. I now feel undeserving because tonight, which is opening night, there were only 30 people in the theater with me. I seriously don't get it; the first movie was a huge success, this is potentially the biggest blockbuster film of the year, and Asians like movies with big fighting robots...so I don't understand what went wrong. In America, box offices would be sold out on opening night with lines out the door. What's even more unforgivable is that, of the 30, I was the ONLY person in the theater who stayed until after the credits. Didn't you people learn from the first film?! Do you really have somewhere so important to be that you can't stick around? Stay all the way to the end! When the credits ended and I was rewarded with the fade-in of an extra scene, I literally exclaimed out loud to all the people who had vacated the theater 5 minutes earlier, "Suckerssss!!". And, upon the completion of said extra scene (which was sick), I yelled at the top of my lungs, "OH MY GEEZ!!". That's how it is when you get the theater all to yourself. So, for anybody who reads this, especially my fellow Marvel fans (you know who you are), I implore you to not be an ignorant Korean. Go see this movie and stay until after the credits. Your inner geek will thank you.
Grade: A
PS: Free Comic Book Day is on Saturday, May 1st! If you're reading this, go to your local comic shop, pick up a few, and think of me. :)
PPS: I bet you want waffles now.
4-27-2010
Day 51 of 365: So you know that I Love Lucy episode where Lucy is trying to thank Ricky's Uncle Alberto in Spanish and ends up calling him a big fat pig? Maybe I'm easily amused, but I like watching movies, such as Lost in Translation and Rush Hour, that poke fun at cultural miscues. Since I previously hadn't had much exposure to other cultures, I found many foreign customs strange and unfamiliar. I used to think that many of these crazy movie scenarios were beyond the realm of possibility, and that it took a somewhat clever writer to come up with the witty dialogue for these comedies. Anyway, I remember watching this particular Lucy re-run as a kid and thinking to myself, "This is dumb. That kind of stuff doesn't happen in real life.". Well I'm confirming today that it does indeed happen. Unfortunately, I was Lucy in this scene.
As you all know, I am taking classes at night in an attempt to learn Korean well enough to communicate with the people here who don't speak English. I've adjusted to the fact that the vast majority of Koreans here are not comfortable enough with their knowledge of English to even admit that they know any, so I've taken the initiative to break through the communications barrier. I don't expect to be fluent in one year, but I would at least like to know enough to have basic conversations with people. To do this, I often try to regurgitate newly learned vocabulary and phrases to friends and co-workers to make the material stick to my brain. Just last week, I had learned how to say "busy" in Korean, so I took the opportunity to comment to a group of co-workers on how "busy" they all were. After showing off what I thought was perfect Hangul (Korean language), one of them turned slowly to me and smiled, saying, "Yes, we are all very stupid.". At first I thought to myself, "Well that's a funny reaction. Maybe it's some kind of weird Korean humor that I don't get.". Then I asked him to tell me what I said. As it turns out, "busy" and "stupid" sound almost exactly alike, aaaand I'm very fortunate that this person was in an understanding mood. I guess I'm not quitting my day job any time soon.
In other news, I went to a 3 day orientation for new foreign English teachers last week. I didn't want to go because, in my short time here, I've already had bad experiences sleeping in places that weren't my bed. Example: Remember the heated floors I mentioned before? (blog entry - 10th Avenue Freeze Out) Imagine sleeping on one all night that was turned up full blast. Result? Sweat. Lots of sweat. Well the "business trip", as my school called it, turned out to be pretty fun. We had many sessions on how to teach the youngsters, and there were many opportunities to meet and trade notes with other English teachers in the area as well. Altogether, there were around 200 English teachers attending the event. Of that number, half were from the US, and the rest were from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland and the UK. Sessions ended in the early evening, so there was plenty of time for everyone to "mingle". "It was like college all over again", as one person put it. For me, I was just happy to be around a group of people where everyone spoke English. It's the "little things" these days...
4-23-2010
Korean culture is very different from American culture in many ways, especially when it comes to food. The most obvious difference is the use of chopsticks vs. the fork and knife. Chopsticks are a novelty in the U.S., but here they are a way of life. Another difference is that we sit on chairs and eat our meals at a table, while Koreans sit on the floor "Indian Style" (get it?) and eat at a...really short table. Americans also like to eat food with their hands (when applicable), while Koreans consider this dirty and improper. They eat pretty much everything with chopsticks, with the exception of soup of course, which they eat with a spoon. Genius. Many Asian cultures have mastered the use of chopsticks, and they can use them to pick up everything from a single grain of rice to a slice of bread or dinner role, which they also won't touch with their hands. While I take every opportunity to eat with my hands at home (because it saves me from doing dishes), I enjoy practicing my chopstick skills when dining in public or with friends. However, if you're eating a waffle in Korea, no silverware or plate is needed, unlike in the States. They've got us beat on that one.
When I first saw one being sold by a street vendor, I asked the woman what it was called and she responded, "Waffle". That works for me. Waffles aren't breakfast food here, they're more of just a sweet snack, and they're sold all over the place: on the street, at the mall, at the movie theater, etc. Waffles are pretty popular because they're cheap and delicious, which is a great combination. They're easy to make too. Once cooked, you just take a round waffle and fold it in half, spread assorted flavored creams on one side (strawberry, blueberry, etc.), and honey and syrup on the other side, then close it up. So I guess it's more of a waffle sandwich with delicious filling on the inside. Very quick and great on-the-go.
So that's the waffle. It's tasty. It's awesome. If you come to Korea I'll buy you one. I'm keeping this short because it's 1am and I'm waking up early in the morning to go to Seoul. This is the second weekend in a row that I'm going, but it's the NYC of South Korea, so every trip will be a new experience. Peace!
4-18-2010
Day 42 of 365: During the first half of the 20th century, Japan invaded and conquered Korea as part of it's 35 year imperialist expansion. Korea was ruled by Japan until the end of World War II, when both Japan and Hitler's mustache were beat down by Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks and Cuba Gooding Jr. During this time, Japan brought much of it's culture to Korea, including the mandatory teaching of the Japanese language in schools, walking on the left side of the street, and the import of the Cherry Blossom Tree.
The cultural significance of the 'Sakura' tree (as it's known in Japan) is too expansive for this blogger to even begin to recount. What I can tell you is that the Cherry Blossom is indigenous to East Asia, and there are over 200 varieties known to exist. What makes this tree special, aside from it's beauty, is that it only has a span of 1-2 weeks in full bloom, and then it's done for the year. This tiny window of opportunity, which is primarily between March and April, produces many festivals in China, Korea and Japan. I was fortunate this weekend to take part in the last festival of the year in Seoul. Many of the locals were worried that this year's unusually cold weather would affect the blooming of the Cherry Blossoms, but I think the only thing affected was the turn out of people to see them. It was chilly all day, but still very crowded, especially in the afternoon. Aside from tons of picture-taking, there were street-side artists, Korean mascots walking around to pose with, food vendors, and picnickers in the park. I'd met up with a group of newly-friended English teachers there, but since I hadn't brought my picnic basket, I took some pictures and bailed. We had other places to be...like COSTCO!!
There were many firsts for me this weekend: my first ride on the subway, my first trip to Seoul, my first time to haggle with a street vendor (I bought a smooth jacket for 4 bucks), aaaand...my first trip to Costco. As I followed my appointed tour guides, I knew we were getting close when I saw a guy walking the other way with an extra-large Kirkland's Brand (the Costco brand) pizza box in his hands. I'm happy to report that Costco is 95% the same on the other side of the pond, but it's even more crowded than the stores in the US. We had lunch at the food court, which has all the same favorites and they're just as cheap. I got my grub on with the standard hot dog + drink set, a bulgogi bake (Korean slant on the chicken bake) and a churro. As for the haul, I picked up some blueberry bagels, Special K with Red Berries, a 40-count bag of flour tortillas, a Costco-sized jar of Skippy peanut butter, and the score of the week: a two pound block of Kirkland Signature medium cheddar cheese. At this point you might be wondering what the big deal is, but these are all items I hadn't seen yet in Korea, so I'm pumped. An hour's ride home on the subway is a small price to pay for quesadillas.
And, since I don't know how else to fit them in, here are some final random tibdits of the week:
- I was told again this week that I look like Steve Jobs. I've never heard that from anybody in the states, but it's the second time somebody in Korea has compared me to the Mac genius. Kinda sucks, but I guess it's better than looking like Bill Gates.
- I signed autographs after class this week for my 3rd graders. I have no idea what brought it on, they just mobbed me out of nowhere (and no, it's not related to the Steve Jobs thing). Anyway, I started out with my full signature for the first few kids, but by the end, the last kids just got my rockstar signature.
-Mullets are cool here.
4-13-2010
For those who have actually been reading and keeping up with this thing (thanks btw), you may have noticed the overall lack of food commentary in my blog posts. The reason is that I realized early on that there would be enough food-related material to start a whole separate blog if I wanted, so I've just been gathering data and pics instead and will incorporate these little tidbits into my existing blog; I'll just add 'Food!' into the title to mark them. I know, it's very original, but it'll have to do until something inspires me enough to change it. Suggestions?
When speaking about Korean cuisine from an American point of view, there are a couple of items on the menu that are automatic. If I were allowed to make a broad, sweeping generalization about our nation's knowledge of Korean food, this is what I would say: Most Americans know very little about it, but you have a better chance if you live in California, since most Koreans who move to the U.S. stop there and don't go any further east. If an American knows about only one Korean dish, then that dish is Kim Chi (fermented cabbage essentially). Rice doesn't count as a dish. If an American knows 2 dishes, then it's Kim Chi and Bulgogi (thinly sliced marinated beef also known as Korean BBQ). And if you're from Texas, you've never heard of either one, because Texans only eat BBQ from Texas...and we don't eat cabbage.
One would think that for my inaugural food entry, I would start off with an in-depth critique of a more traditional local dish, even one of the "big 2" mentioned above. Instead I decided to start with something that everyone would recognize, but with a little twist: The McDonald's Happy Meal - Korean Style. You'll recognize a few familiar things right away; the toy...and...umm...the McDonald's logo? Actually it's very different from the standard Happy Meal that we all know and love. First off, there's no box with games and activities, just a small paper bag. Lame. Then there's the milk that tastes just different enough from U.S. milk that I can't stand drinking it unless it's in cereal, and I normally love milk more than anybody I know. We also have the corn salad in place of french fries. I expected it to be disgusting based on the way it looked, but I actually liked it and I'm pretty sure it's healthier than the fries. Finally there's the Bulgogi Burger itself. Korean style beef, mayo and lettuce make up this cultural favorite. Cheeseburgers, hamburgers and nuggets are also options just as in the U.S., but the Bulgogi Burger is the most expensive Happy Meal on the menu. They also have an adult sized version, which is equivalent to the Quarter Pounder with cheese, as well as the Big Bulgogi Burger...just picture a Big Mac and you've got the idea. They do sell Big Macs and they're delicious (blog entry - First Day On Mars), but I'm not quite ready to jump into the Big Bulgogi just yet. It almost feels wrong somehow. As for my meal, overall it was good, but a little pricey at 4200 Won, which is around the same price as the Big Mac set (set = value meal). On the bright side, at least I got Megatron.
4-11-2010
Day 35 of 365: I finally got out of Ansan for the first time last weekend, and it only took me a month to do so. I took a day trip with some church friends to the west coast county of Taean. It was nice to change up my weekend routine, and Korea does have some nice scenery once you get far enough away from the city. Much of the countryside that we drove through on the way there is farmland. It was difficult to tell what crops were being grown because the winter has barely ended, so they haven't come in yet (yes, Korea grows other things besides rice). There are several beaches in this area, occupied by merchants selling various kinds of food and jewelry among other things. The highlight was Kkotji beach, where this picture was taken. These two rock formations are known as Grandmother (Halmi) and Grandfather (Harabi). During the day, the tide pulls away, opening a beach path to these natural landmarks. Come noon, you better clear out or else you'll end up stranded on a deserted island...until tomorrow. In addition, the ever fluxuating tide also leaves behind many ocean dwelling creatures on shore. You can find hermit crabs carving paths in the sand, sea anemones attached to jagged rocks, and star fish just waiting for someone to throw them back in the water. The beaches in this area aren't necessarily the kind that would be ideal for surfing or to bring a towel and lay out for hours with a book, but for those who enjoy beautiful ocean scenery and have a curiosity for marine life, this is a nice place to check out.
So the other week when I had caught my cold (blog entry - Code Breaker), I slept pretty much the whole weekend. I woke up at 8pm on Sunday night feeling much better, but also wide awake. Not knowing what else to do, I went down and took a walk through my backyard of city streets and neon lights looking for anything that might interest me. That's when I wound up catching Solomon Kane at a mall about 2 miles from my house. The movie started at 10pm, which means it didn't end until midnight. I had heard in general about how safe Korea was, but I put it to a moderate test that night. Upon exiting the mall, I hit the street reminding myself that I was probably bigger, and faster if need be, than most anyone I would encounter. It was kind of exciting to feel like I was in danger; my spider-sense tingling at the hint of any threat. However, it was actually very peaceful. There's a lot of hustle and bustle during the day in the heart of the city, but at night it's very calm. I enjoyed the wide open avenues without traffic and the sidewalks void of obstacles. The only downside was that many of the bright lights that grab my attention and pull me in like human-sized bug zappers were shut off for the night, but there were still enough for me to enjoy my trek home. Thinking back, with my black leather jacket and hood pulled low, I was probably the most intimidating mug on the streets, and I didn't even have my boots on.
The first week of extra classes is finished. I survived. It wasn't so difficult as much as it just made me more tired at the end of each day. I'll adjust. I discovered a way to cheat in the extra class for the students: just bring candy and they'll do whatever I say. It could get expensive in the long run, so I'll have to find out how real teachers do it without bribery. The extra classes for the teachers are not so bad either. I don't need to bribe them with anything; they just want to talk to me and practice conversation for the most part. I give them 'assignments' to make it feel more official. This week's assignment was: What's your favorite American movie? Write a couple of paragraphs and we'll talk about it next week. They're totally into it.
Oh, and last thing, I got kidnapped by one of my 4th grade classes last week...yeah. After the bell rang, I left the classroom to get a drink of water when each of my hands was grabbed by a little girl, followed by a mob of kids pushing me from behind. They pulled and pushed me to their home classroom and, once inside, were all holding on to me to the point where it was actually difficult for me to move. I thought it would be funny once we got inside and their teacher saw what they were doing, but there was no teacher! It was total 4th grader chaos. The teacher never arrived the whole time I was in there, and I was almost made late for my next class before wrestling free. I ran back to my room and they followed me all the way there. It was super weird, but...cute at the same time? I better bring a bottle with me from now on. No more drinks of water between classes for me.
4-6-2010
Since they are becoming a regular part of my blog, I've decided to separate the movies into their own segment. Depending on my schedule and the number of quality films released in Korea, this 'Movies!' section may continue to appear weekly for the duration of my time here, or perhaps burn up and die out eventually sometime after I've seen all of the upcoming summer blockbusters. At this point I can't tell which it will be. In addition to loving movies, I also love movie posters, which is why I've already posted a handful as images for some of my blog entries. As cool as they normally are to me, I think they look even smoother when written in Korean. The Clash of the Titans poster is a great example. Here the movie is just called Titan. That's a cool piece of movie trivia for you.
As for the reason why I've broken my "one image per blog" rule today, it's because I watched the 1981 version on Sunday and then went to see the 2010 edition an hour later (and because they are two really cool posters). I wanted to re-watch the original because the last time I saw it was when I was around 8 years old, so it's been a while; plus I've always confused it with Jason and the Argonauts, so I wanted to straighten that out. I wasn't expecting much of the 1981 classic; even as a child I thought it was cheesy. In fact, I almost stopped watching after 10 minutes because I couldn't stand how bad it was. However, I forced myself to finish watching and by the end I actually enjoyed it a little. Having the original fresh in my memory made me slightly more excited to watch the re-make.
Since this was Titan's opening weekend, there were many more people at the theater than the previous times I'd gone. I had to choose my seat carefully this time since I would probably have to actually sit there, as opposed to the other times where I just picked my seat at the box office and then just sat wherever I wanted, wondering if an usher with a flashlight would come to check my stub and then yell at me in words I don't understand. I imagine getting yelled at in Korea could be a little scary. You don't know if a person is saying, "Move to your seat, sir" or "I'm going to beat you with my nightstick". I think it's probably better for foreigners in most cases to avoid confrontation if possible, just to be on the safe side. Anywho, I wanted to 'up the ante' on my movie experience in Korea, so I ordered a hot dog this time to go with my popcorn and bottled water routine (I haven't made it to the dried squid level yet). However, upon ordering, I peered into the glass counter and saw that the hot dog in the display was GREEN, which freaked me out. In my mind there were only 2 explanations: 1.) Hot dogs in South Korea are actually vegetarian, which is blasphemy, or 2.) The hot dog on display had been there so long that it was rotten, which was equally disturbing. Turns out it was answer #2, because my hot dog was red...ish. I wasn't so worried that i didn't eat the thing; I paid money for it after all. They only have two condiments for 'dogs at theaters; one is red and the other is yellow, but they're not ketchup and mustard. One is called sweet sauce and the other is called hot sauce. Upon saucing up and finally taking a bite, I have to say that I wasn't very impressed, and I probably won't order a hot dog again, but at least I didn't get sick and barf.
The theater was packed, and I had a good aisle seat on the left toward the back. The re-make stayed true to the original for the most part, with a few twists thrown in for the fans. There is a lot more action in this version, and it's faster paced. Sam Worthington, who plays the lead role of Perseus, is also just more of a tough guy, which is in stark contrast to Harry "Prettiest man I ever saw" Hamlin. What was wrong with the 80's? Actually, given the story, characters and year it was released, the original 'Clash' feels a lot like a Star Wars knockoff set in Greek mythology. It even has it's own version of R2-D2.
So, I enjoyed both movies. It was a good weekend. Many folks won't take the time to watch the first movie, in which case the re-make will be just another big action flick with great special effects, but nothing you haven't seen before. However, if you're going to watch both, I recommend that you definitely watch the original first; I think you'll be quite satisfied with the update.
Clash of the Titans (1981) B-
Clash of the Titans (2010) B
