US Army in Korea

I first and foremost want to thank the constituents in the US Army for serving for my country. I don't get too many chances to say this in person. In Korea, there are a few army bases in the country. I happened to stumble upon some men and women serving in the Army when I visited Daegu, a city 2.5 hours north of me in the province of Gyeongbuk.

My first encounter from a distance made me want to physically beat up the idiots in the army and then denounce my country for supporting this type of behavior. Violence tends to bring about violence. I read a lot about how Koreans don't like the US military men and women stationed in their country. My initial thought for this disliking was due to the fact that perhaps many Korean people don't see it necessary to have foreigners in their country anymore. The Korean war was from 1950-53. Having a US military presence 50 years after the fact even though North Korea is a threat could seem like a huge nuisance to some Koreans. After I got a glimpse of the ridiculousness that goes on from our troops I had an idea why. Seeing what I saw really caused me to well up with anger and disgust.

A group of military men and women, or I should refer to them as ignorant boys and girls, were yelling at this old Korean man on a bike. On the back of his bike was a small plastic crate that held some of his personal belongings. I am not sure what set this groups of idiots off, but like I said, they were yelling at this old Korean man riding his bike. Then it escalated. Some of the boys started kicking the guy's bike and then aiming for his plastic basket. After having enough, the Korean man got off his bike and put down his kick stand. Then I saw him take out his cane. He had a walking stick since he was that old. The screaming match continued with the group of 5 boys and 3 girls and this old man. One boy took a swing at the old man (I am not 100% sure if he was just trying to scare him or actually hit him). He missed. Then the old man started poking that boy with his cane. At that moment, another boy kicked over his bike causing his personal belongings to spill out into a pile of garbage near a light pole. The boy who got poked in the stomach pushed the old man down on top of his bike. Some of the girls were screaming for them to stop and a few other guys were trying to hold their violent friend back. The old man got up limping. He had a slight limp before (hence the cane) and after he was knocked down it looked a bit worse. He went into a rage and some of the guys were walking away still screaming obscenities. If there isn't a picture in your mind already, let me just describe the scene in one sentence. A US solider was fighting an old Korean man riding his bike! Are you serious? Is it really any wonder why there are multiple posts in multiple blogs about why are troops are retarded?

At this point some younger Korean men were trying to break up the fight between the one out-of-control soldier and the old man. Someone else called the police and there were many people standing around just watching this unfold. My initial reaction was to get up and take a swing at this guy. I didn't and I feel so cowardly in a sense. I also know that I stood a chance of getting hurt since most, if not all, of the soldiers were super drunk. I hated feeling helpless while witnessing one of the biggest injustices I have ever seen. I wanted to spit as some of the people in the group walked past me.

Another group of soldiers walked past myself and my friend, Antoine, and stopped to chat. They were obnoxious also, but at least they weren't hurting anyone. I am not advocating that everyone should be straight-edge all the time. I will never understand what goes on in the army. I give people credit for going because the truly care for their country. Even as a volunteer since the US does not have a draft, you cannot grasp what you will go through until you do it. One soldier from Philly said, "What people forget is that we are human too." Yes, understood. Humans act silly sometimes, but it doesn't help the cause when most people in the army act the same way; with complete disregard for their surrounding area.

Korea is a country where drinking is more than acceptable, it is almost required in order to be social. I have seen all people act foolish. That said, it does not excuse the behavior of violence toward another culture. I spoke with another person about the matter and he said this, "It's not just the US army. It's army people in general, regardless of the country." This put things in perspective. At the same time, because I was born in the US and live(d) in the US, this really hit home. I know understand why, as a country, we are hated. The army is supposed to represent our ideals and our people. What I witnessed was disgusting.

Feel free to post your opinions. I am obviously biased in this instance. If you feel strongly one way or the other, I would love some input.

Hyojin wanting to be Leonardo DiCaprio

We were at a Lover's Lane spot in Jinju. (Relax, it was purely a site-seeing activity). It was nighttime. The air was crisp, the stars were bright, my nose was runny. Hyojin and I drove here because I had not really been site-seeing at all in Jinju. After we got out of the car he went over to, what looked like a big stone top hat. The first round level was rocky about 3 feet high. The second round level was a large smooth cylinder with stairs carved in it to get to the top. I would say it was over 5 feet. Hyojin said that you would light a fire on top to send a signal to another mountain top and then another and another until it reached Seoul. How cool is that! I saw a real-life Mulan-esque fire tower. You know in the beginning of movie when one huge beefy Hun is on the great wall and the guard lights a fire and says, "Now, all of China knows you're here." And then the huge beefy Hun says, "Perfect!" That went through my mind when I realized that this was the Korean version. I couldn't describe this to Hyojin. So, like many things I just had to replay it in my mind and smile to myself (while jumping up and down a bit).

I see a path that goes further up. I say to Hyojin, "come on let's go" and he replies, "whaaaa. I have never been up there."

>> "never been up there? How is that possible?"

> "I have lived in Jinju for 30 years and I have never been up there."

>> "What!? Are you nuts? Well, come on Hyojin, let me teach you about Korea."

> "haha. Do you really want to go?"

No answer from me as I start my ascension up the mountain.

> "Samanda! Wait I come."

How could someone live here for 30 years and not climb to the top after visiting more than once?

We reach the top and there is exercise equipment! Are you serious? But what fun! I got on an apparatus that looked like it would work my stomach standing up. I hopped on and there was one area to stand on with two bars on either side of me. I swung back and forth like a human pendulum. The bars were freezing and lets not forget, my nose was still runny. My attention span was very short when I saw a little outpost I darted over. It's for a fire ranger to chill when he has nothing to do. I peered through the window and I spotted a roll of tissue. When you get close to a bathroom if you have to pee the urge intensifies 100x. Weirdly, the same thing happened to my nose. It was so embarrassing. I tried to break in, but the door was locked. I had to settle with a few crunchy leaves...guess how that turned out.

I told Hyojin we should go back into the car. I found some real tissues and we sat listening to Korean pop. The conversation eventually led to Titanic. Hyojin related to me that he really likes the movie because he likes Leonard DiCaprio's character. I asked why even though I knew the answer. He said it is because Leonardo DiCaprio's character is so different from him. This complex of having to stay in one 'role' has been a preoccupation of mine for a while. I saw it in Hyojin at this moment. He said that Jack is brave in the movie. I told Hyojin that he is brave for learning English with a foreigner. It takes a special person to really want to learn a language when they know they will make mistakes. He shook his head and said, "I am not like Jack."

I feel like many Koreans feel like they should stick to one role. Both the education system and the language itself dictates a strong sense of hierarchy. The students are told, more or less, what to think. Questioning a teacher is not really commonplace here. The Korean language has many levels of politeness too in order to demonstate verbally what position someone is compared to you. I must say Annonishimnikka to someone older than me, Annonghaseyo to someone I don't know well, and Annong to friends. [please excuse my romanization to all those native Korean speakers]. My point is this, and Hyojin told it all through his tone of voice and expression, I feel many Korean people feel stuck; that they have only one role in life. It is a sadness that affected me deeply that day. It is the reason why movies like Titanic moved Hyojin. When you feel stuck you must find solace in something. For Hyojin, it is Jack. For me, it is Mulan and really funny, awkward moments. What do you find solace in?

Lunch-e time

This is my lunch. Everyday it looks different and everyday it is delicious! The portions are just right and so are the variety of flavors. On the right, you have bibimbap. It is a mix of vegetables and lettuce over rice. This one had meat and you take your spoon and mix everything together. Jinju (where I live) is famous for it's bibimbap. In restaurants it comes in a hot bowl with a raw egg on top. As you mix everything together, the egg fries against the hot walls of the bowl. It makes my mouth water thinking about it. There is a little spiciness to it, but you can tone it down. Just ask the waiter or waitress not to put too much red sauce. As you can see, I also have soup with my meal. No meal in Korea is right without some sort of soup. Today was a delicate soybean and scallion soup. The brother is slightly cloudy (with a chance of rain) and the flavor isn't biting at all. There is a sweetness to it; a sweetness due partially to the simpleness of it. So I have my spicy (bibimbap) and my sweet (soup). The top left is half of a sweet potato. What I love about this is that there is no need to be shy. You pick up the potato with your hands and you choose weather you want to peel the outside off. And viola! You eat it with your hands. I feel so close to my food when I don't have to use any utensils.

Next is the juice. This was my first time seeing this. I was looking for the straw, but there was none. Apparently, you just have to rip the top open a little and drink. I recalled doing this only a few times when I didn't have my straw to my CapriSun sippie. I hope you remember these wonderful delights. But if you ever lost your straw, you will know how much of a savage you felt like squeezing the juice into your mouth. Not wanting you waste anything, you ended up crushing the sippie to something beyond recognition while the juice was all over the place. Then again, maybe I am the only savage and you have never experienced this. Lastly, my huge bowl of bibimbap was covering the classic addition to any Korean meal- KIMCHI. The first day I took some, I took a lot and my co-teacher said not to take as much next time. She was right. I didn't need all of it.

No, this is not my lunch lady. I have yet to put them on the spot for a close up. This is my principal! I teach her English every Thursday and Friday from 3:30 - 4:00. We had a good conversation today. It went like this:

Me: ummm. Do you like bibimbap?Principal: (with a confused look) Do you like bibimbap?
Me: Do you like kimchi? (pointing to kimchi)
Principal: Do you like kimchi? (pointing to kimchi)
Me: No, no. Do you like kimchi?
Principal: No, no. Do you like kimchi?
Me: (laughing to myself I just continue) Do you like sweet potato?
Principal: Oh, potato. I like potato

(Yes, success!)

Me: Do you like soup?
Principal: Yes, I like soup.
(the distant screams of students vibrates through the lunchroom. Next, the hard steps of the mob grow louder and louder. Now, the teachers are trying to get in before the students.)
To the other teachers
Principal: Do you like bibimbap?
Other teachers: hahaha. Hanguelmal? (Korean language)
Principal: Do you like potato?
Me: (just nodding and smiling. what I do best)

Finally, I got in good.

Thanksgiving

Can you just take a look at what I am missing this year in Brooklyn!!!!
This was an email my Uncle Willy wrote. He likes to refer to himself in third person...

Samantha,

Uncle Willy is making corn on the cob and providing 2 pies (coconut and cherry)
Aunt Juliana is bring a turkey (to be cooked and 2 already-cooked hams
Aunt Betty is bring over shrimp scamp iand 2 pies (lemon meringue and blueberry).
Niece Mei-Ling is bringing over mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes
Uncle Eddy may be bringing over already-cooked turkey.
Niece Tricia is not sure what she is bring over.
No idea what Aunt Judy is bringing over.
Pau-pau is making the 3 racks large pork spare-ribs.
Uncle Henry always provides the chips, chip dips, beer and soda.
Aunt Laura is making turkey legs.
Haven't heard from your niece Judy.
Nephew Tony is bringing himself.
My friend Edgardo is coming over.
Ryan won't be here until Friday (we have to make sure we leave some leftovers for him).

This Thanksgiving will be very depressing. No Samantha!!!!!!
I'm contemplating a moment of silence for everyone in the middle of the day.
Uncle Willy

I second that motion for a moment of silence! It is most appropriate.
This is the second year I will be missing Turkey day. At least in Argentina I got to eat Turkey with mashed potatoes and stuffing. My friend, Paz, also made great cranberry sauce. Today I will have a French meal, compliments of Remi, an engineer from France working at KAI (Korean Airspace Industry) in Korea for the time being. He is hosting myself, a few Canadian girls, and perhaps someone from Spain will stop by for a drink later in the evening.

Wish me luck. I miss everyone and try to enjoy Thanksgiving without me. I know...I know... It's so difficult. But keep your heads up. Just keep giving me thanks even though I am not around :)

Love,
Samantha
(a letter within a letter, how Borgian!)

A Hairy Mess

Since I haven't shaved my legs in so long when went into a bath tub at the sauna I found that I don't even have to touch my legs to feel my hairs sway in the water (sexy, I know). It is a really strange sensation. I'm guessing that most guys feel this. The feeling is new to me though and was a lot of fun even though at the same time, a bit unnerving. Like all things, I got over it and decided to embrace it. I don't need to be one of these picture perfect models! Or do I?

I was showering and I got the idea to use my foot loofa, which is a pumice stone to rub the hairs off my legs. I had seen something on TV that used the same concept. It is basically a pad of low grade sandpaper that is attached to a mitt. The idea is so 'sand paper' off your hair when rubbing the hairy areas in circles. I needed to up the ante a bit, which is why I thought of using my foot pumice stone. I started on the bottom; I was scrubbing and scrubbing in circular motions. It was working! I felt like a mad scientist when an experiment actually works. I felt a little pain, but nothing I couldn't handle. Then I moved to the knee area. Whoa, what a challenge. It got to the point where I wanted to stop since the pain was more intense due to the thickness of the hairs and the awkward location. I just could though! I was almost there. I decided to endure. Then when the water stopped I saw that my leg was bleeding. Oh no! I rubbed a lot of skin off along with my hair. Fail!!! I can't even tell you how bad it stung. I actually had trouble sleeping at night. For now, I just have one hairy leg and one not-so-hairy leg with many scabs. Beauty is pain so I have decided not to be beautiful. I hope that brightened you day! :)

"Hiking" Sam style

When I am on a path in a forest I always pretend I am in Lord of the Rings. I'm not sure if this really changes your perception of me, but I can't keep it inside any longer. I am really Sam Gangi...ever in search of my Frodo (Nebi). Except I change the story; I would not be Frodo's gardener. I would be the one in the lead (Sorry, Nebs you have to slow your role). And so it goes...

I had to meet a fellow hobbit, Antoine. He traveled 2 hours and 40 minutes from a province up north. Our destination was Waryongsan Mountain in between Sacheon (where I work) and Samcheonpo (which means the equivalent of 'East Bumblefuck'-excuse my French even though it's English). Because of the meaning of Samcheonpo the Korean government is trying to incorporate the city into Sacheon in order to change the name.

Anyway, that's besides the point. I was telling you about myself, Sam Gangi and my fellow hobbit, Antoine. We met and then had to travel another 20 minutes by bus to get to Sacheon. There I met a few more hobbits from the US and Canada and one wizard, John. John had magical powers and a car. We were set. We squished into the car and headed toward Waryongsan with a map and our wits. I also had a hat and gloves :) This is the modern day Lord of the Rings if you hadn't caught on yet. (John the White is really tall and wizardlike. Look!)

The vista was beautiful. We arrived at a Temple first and had a look around before embarking on the treacherous paths that snaked up the mountain side. I want you to see what I saw...

If you look carefully you will see Gandolf the white. We bypassed Gandolf the Grey.
I was so excited when I saw him! Look at the majestic staff he carries in his right hand. The power of it entrapped all of us for the time being. I had to climb up to get a better look. The best part of it all was when I was about to jump a rock to get on the same platform as him. He turned and said to me, "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" Dark clouds engulfed the sky and the earth started to move. That's when I backed away and politely asked if I could take a picture from this angle. He agreed that it would be fine. And so here it is!!!! How jealous are you guys? I got to see Gandolf.

In the Budda's lap is my fellow hobbit friend Brigitte Filion from Canada. The statue was massive, but perhaps a farce. As she stepped on the base she said she felt like she was going to fall through, like it was hollow. Like many things in life she realized that from far away it might look as if it were there many hundreds of years. In reality, it was probably manufactured somewhere and then dropped in that spot. We tried but could look on the bottom for the bar code. Either way it looked pretty cool.

And there we sat together as one taking in the beauty. We saw it all: land, water, and sky all coming together at one point far off into the horizon. Each of our vanishing points were different. Each one of us hobbits (and Gandolf) taking from the scene what we wanted. I am not sure what Brigitte saw, but I filled my lungs with the sweet, cold air and looked up at the sky. I don't know what drew me to it. Perhaps you see nothing, but it was so relaxing. The numbness in my fingers disappeared for a few minutes. I couldn't hear anything except for the sound of my own breath. I couldn't really think of anything. It was just so blue...

Letters from Fans

This email really made my day. I was getting frustrated with some of the classes:

Hello. teacher~~I'm your student in 2th grade.I don't know what I can call you. 'Teacher' looks... a little mean.I hope you don't feel like that.. I was moved by my homework paper you gave back.You commented all of students' paper. To me, it was not just sentence. Then I feel I have been loved.. I really want to study in foreign university. Maybe the reason why I respect you is that you are living in another country, and doing your best here.Um.. I know it is too big for me... But when i think about it, i am very happy and nervous! First I must be a good english speaker so as to accomplish my dream. And first first of all, I have to find what i really want to do. I don't know what i like to do, so It is getting hard to studying even in korean recently.I'm so worry about that. Final exam is after 3 weeks..! Oh... it's too messy to read. Maybe there must be sentence which hard to understand or is crude. Then please say to me. And please (I believe of course you don't) don't say to other students or teachers about this e-mail. Thank you and I'm sorry i didn't hand you homework today.--;;

This is the second email
Hello teacher! Thank you for your kind email.In frankly speaking, I was worried a lot because I was afraid that I got hurt if you don't answer my email(for any reasons).So when I found your email, I felt very very happy like walking on the clouds! Yesterday I found 'so as to' and 'in order to' in dictionary, It looks same. Why 'in order to' isn't fitted in this sentence? 'I must be a good english speaker in order to accomplish my dream.'
And here's one thing i want to tell you.In korea, calling with no family name looks more friendly.Like 'Shin Da-young' ----> 'Da young' I was surprised when you write and read korean for the first time. Then I was proud of me as other students were. Because this mean we have one thing better than teacher! ...;;And I also found you like to study something. Teacher before you didn't try to communicate with us. At the first time he had passion, but the longer time flies, the lower his volition. I know there must be student's fault, and you may be in agony because of students. Even so, I hope you endure your passion. And I will do my best than now. If I have something to ask you of the class I will say to you. I'm still confused about preposition! The thick letter is confusing words. Is it correct? While I am writing english letter, I can feel my english is getting full. Thank you teacher!! Your student, _________

Being able to communicate is so good. If you want to thank anyone you should! These emails gave me motivation to do a better job.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

This age old adage really says so much. I remember a story my father told me. He was explaining that he went out to eat Chinese food with some co-workers. Since he was the only Chinese-looking guy he was automatically the 'go to man' on eating etiquette. Since many of his co-workers didn't know how to finish the rice that was left over in their bowls with chopsticks they looked at him. What did my dad do? He lifted the bowl to his face and shoveled the rest of his rice in his mouth with his chopsticks. So, what did his co-workers do? You guessed it, they lifted their bowls and shoveled rice in their mouths too.

When I saw half of a crab floating in my soy bean paste soup, I didn't know how to approach it. Should I use my hands? I figured that was out of the question since I didn't see anyone else doing that. I wanted to eat the meat inside soooo bad. I love crab. I was just itching to get at it. I looked around and saw my co-workers take the crab with their chopsticks and stick the body in their mouth. They gnawed and sucked at the meat. I suppose they were trying to create a sort of vacuum sucking environment, but I found that you couldn't get all the meat out without eating some of the shell. Some people spit out the shell, some did not... So, what did I do? Well, of course I followed suit! I wanted that damn crab and I wanted it then! Between slurping and chewing and spitting I successfully ate the crab. Cheers for me.

I haven't put any pictures of food because I have been hesitant to just whip out my camera and start clicking away. I just feel this would change the atmosphere while I eat with my co-workers. "Excuse me, could you pick that up again with your chopsticks and put the crab half in your mouth so I can get a good shot?" I don't think they would respond to that...well they wouldn't since most of them don't understand my English. Soon enough though I will build up a good rapport and start snapping. Just you wait. My agenda is always on my mind; it will come to fruition soon.

Teaching at my tennis coach's house

Every time I come back to my apartment my bag is heavier than when I set out. I was burdened with sweet potatoes and persimmons. These people want me to have back and shoulder problems, I swear. They don't understand how hard it is for me to take their food and carry it back. I just have to put my foot down next time. Enough is enough. (I write this as my stomach is more than satisfied after eating some of the persimmons and half of a sweet potato. The two different types of sweets go rather well together, not to mention the harmony of hot and cold. mmm) Like I was saying...enough is enough sometimes.

As soon as the door opened to Kim Kyu-min's apartment, both of his kids said "Hi!" with a nice little wave. Then I had a shooting match with them. I wasn't strapped this evening with my usual nine piece for all 'dem suckas in the streets. Instead, I had to settle with my hand gun-- my two fingers pointed straight out with the rest of my fingers linked together (it reduces the kick back this way for those who are unfamiliar with the different hand guns). First I shot Gab-in. Then, Dae-hyun. Both were on the ground, but my shots only wounded them. Those little ones were fierce I tell ya. They got to their feet despite their wounds; they really had heart.

Then Dae-hyun switched to the killer weapon--an English/Korean picture dictionary. I was in for it. I didn't know how tricky these kids were. I had to lay down my weapon. I unfolded my hands and sat down at the kitchen table, while Dae-hyun went through the entire dictionary and shouted at me the words he knew in English. 'Blue! Red! Airplane! Fox! Three! Sweet Potato (with help from his dad)! ... and it went on like this the entire time. Like I said, I was a gonner.

Next time I won't be unprepared! moo hahahahahahhaah

Men and their cars...

Hyojin has agreed to teach me Korean and I teach him English, but the relation is more than just business. We have become good friends. I went out to eat with him at a bulgogi restaurant (where you cook the meat yourself at a grill inside the table. A fantastic business ploy since the cooks don't have to do anything). He related to me earlier when we were driving that he was a bit depressed because someone hit his car. Hyojin said he loves his car in a monotone voice with little expression or body movement. It was a simple fact.

To try to make him laugh I told him the stereotypes about Asian drivers in the US. I told him that the stereotype is that Asians are terrible drivers! I can see why too. In Korea, people don't always stop for the red lights. When crossing the street you have to be careful. People also pull U-turns out of no where and cut in front of buses and large vehicles. They are crazy! I told him that woman drivers are said to be terrible as well. This is when he turned to me and said, "Yes, I think so. A woman hit my car."

We talked about various things during the meal. I tried to explain to him the phrase, "The girls sitting over there are smoking." The two 'ing' endings confuse him. So I told him that in order to be more specific when describing the girls, you say 'the girls sitting over there' and that the verb is smoking. He seemed to get it after a while. As we were about to go, he turns to me and says, "Thank you for the pleasant conversation. It makes me forget about my car."

I couldn't help but laugh realizing the enormity of his love for his vehicle. I just said, "Yea, sure." I suppose the stereotype about men caring for their cars as much (or more) their own children is true across all countries...

Fellas, do you agree? Ladies, how do you feel about this?

Yes, I am still creepy

I was asking around to find the Outback steakhouse in Jinju. I found it, but had some time to kill so I decided to walk around. Then I saw this exhilarating fight between a boy and someone I couldn't see! I caught him at the tail end of his battle. I whipped out my camera and tried to be incognito from a pillar across the street. Unfortunately, I think he saw me and you'll see it when he walks away. In the mean time, check it out. I call this Modern day Ninja Style:

Now what occurred next was a bit bizarre. I think what transpired was this- the kid told his grandmother that someone foreign was video tapping him. She, in turn, told someone inside the shop he was fighting in front of. The man inside the shop tried to casually walk out and spy on me! The nerve of him. Needless to say, it was a tense situation. Normally, in tense situations I play with my phone and pretend I am lost. This was one of those situations. I pulled out my iTouch and placed it where I originally held my camera, by my stomach. I was fumbling around and trying to look out of the corner of my eye at the man spying on me (Two can play at that game buddy!). I then held the phone to my ear and started saying, "Where? I don't know where the Outback Steakhouse is." The man yelled something across the street to the lady and then crossed back over. Phew...that was close. But his audacity struck a nerve with me. So I walked across the street and tried to ask the woman where the Outback Steakhouse was in Korean. I heard the boy say to her , "wow she can speak hanguel mal (or Korean)." Here's the twist: Now, she tried to play it off like she didn't understand me. I thanked her and walked away. I proceeded to ask someone else where Outback was and he understood me. I knew she was faking! The lies, the circles!

The rest of the day went well. No lying or pretending. I simply enjoyed brunch with good company. We had potatoes, eggs with cheese, bacon (yes Nebi I had it!), an assortment of fruits including persimmons, Asians pears, apples and bananas, and fresh honey from the region compliments of Remy. The juice was nice and thick, the coffee was nice and instant, and the wine was nice and red. You will also note the wonderful napkins we had. It was quite wonderful. Just not as cool as the previous showdown.

Yes, I am creepy

In line with being creepy, I admit that I filmed these kids without their knowledge or permission. If you don't care to watch, fine. But let me explain...
I went to an old fort and was able to listen to some traditional Korean music, but that isn't what caught me eye. There were there adorable kids sitting next to me and the music came alive before my eyes. The scene was set; a fort on a small hill overlooking the river. The plot; a little boy vying for a girl's attention (this is the oldest story there is). Little did he know she was a princess. The background music suited the pursuit. Let's see how the story unfolds.
Man, she didn't even give him the time of day. You go girl!

Also, I wanted to share this other video:
No, it's not Godzilla or some Korean mythical creature they are running from. You guessed it, they are running from me! I live such a hard life, persecuted because I am an English teacher...

But on the flip side, I had two girls from my school play rock, paper, scissors to sit next to me on the bus. It was hilarious. One girl comes and sits down next to me and her friend walks back and grabs her and says something to the effect of, "Let's sit together in the back." As soon as her friend gets up she swipes her seat and is next to me. That is when rock, paper, scissors came into play. The girl who swiped her friend's seat won. There is no arguing with rock, paper, scissors. So she sat next to me and I showed her a Korean comic I found in the paper. I told her I went to the sauna in Samcheonpo and was naked with people I didn't know. Then we shared headphones and I played some music from my iTouch. I thought she hated my music because she ran away. This seems to happen ALL THE TIME!!! Then I see her other friend and she comes to sit next to me. What good friends, they share.
:)

The beauty of marketing: November 11

I started to notice that many convenient store began putting Pocky sticks (thin cookie sticks covered in chocolate) outside of their stores for purchase. There were little baskets with bears and pocky sticks of all shapes, sizes and flavors. It seemed like it was Valentine's day, but it's November. Today, I get to work and I see some teachers handing out these yummy snacks. Man, I need to get in with that teacher, but I don't know her. I was left in the dark...

Then a student after class hands me two Pocky sticks. "Why?" I asked myself as I ate them immediately. Then a teacher comes over to my desk with a full box of Pocky sticks, but he says Pepero. Guys, today is Pepero day! November 11, 2009. The 11, resembles two Pepero sticks placed together. I felt this rush of understanding and the world made sense. If you have ever seen V for Vendetta I felt like I was going through the ending of the movie where all strange coincidences were not coincidences at all. They were all part of some plan.

The plan in Korea was created by marketing these stick cookies to make a seemingly ordinary day, and extraordinary one. It works for me as I am now munching on some.

Oh yea, I went out to lunch with some co-workers and this was the question that someone asked me, "Samanda, what is your blood type?" To be honest, I don't know. I just said it's O. I asked why he asked. The teacher said, "I think you're blood type has a lot to do with personality. Being outgoing." I replied with a smile, "Are you sure it's not just because they start with the same letter?" I'm not sure how he took it, but that's how we ended the conversation.

A Study: How Gangsta Rap Affects Koreans

I was told my class was a bit too boring; I needed to make class fun. Since my students respond well to music, I decided to give them a few words in order to properly talk about music. I described to them what the lyrics are and what the beat of a song is. To demonstrate the beat I chose an instrumental of my liking. Click here to listen to it.

More than half of the kids liked it. With the oldest students I also talked about layering a beat. I asked them to count how many layers were in the rap beat. Next, I asked them to tell me when the 'beat dropped' in a pop song they like. Click to listen to Shinee.
0:17 is when the beat drops

The girls in middle school went crazy over this song! They said they liked the beat and the dancing. They also liked the song because the boys are "so handsome". Who else thinks that the guy in the feathery white vest has a similar appearance to that of the boy in Peter Pan, Rufio, Ruf-I-O, Ruf-I-O? Or is it just me?

At the end of class, Kim Shin-suk, who is over 40, grabs my arm and says that she likes music. I asked if she liked the rap beat. She said she really liked it, but that her "age does not match the music". I told her that's crap. I said, "If the beat moves you inside, then listen to it." She asked, "Moves you inside?". I replied with hand gestures and said, "Yea, if it moves you here (and I pointed to my chest) then you should listen to it." Her response with a smile of understand, "Yes, it does move me inside." So, Kim Shin-suk likes rap.

My main mission was accomplished: indoctrinate young and formidable Koreans with music that at times degrades women and employs terrible metaphors, but makes you want to dance. And my added bonus: indoctrinating middle-aged women. I think the latter is 10 times better.

Messages from Fans

I wanted to share another message from a 19 year old girl that I met. I'll give you the pretense under which we met, as I think this is a typical Korean Saturday. I met Kwon Ji-Na around 9pm on a Saturday. I entered into a friend of a friend's house. I saw this other little girl running around, Ji-Ni, not to be confused with Ji-Na. Ji-Na was studying for her college entrance exam. I thought this was her house, but no. She was studying at 9pm with her tutor. Her tutor told me she also has a piano exam in January and forced her to play Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata and a Korean written song. She was very good. I jumped around with the tutor's real daughter, Ji-Na on a mattress and looked at a nice rock collection. In the typical Asian fashion fruit was being cut up and shoved in my face to my delight. This is my favorite part; sweet persimmons and a nice, crisp Asian pear.
Anyway, here is what Ji-Na had to say after our meeting. Look at how rich in text language Ji-Na's email is. And I must say, she described me down to a T ^_^. I swear this should be under the 'missed connections' label on craigslist:

Hi Samantha!

I'm Kown Ji Na

Now, I'm very happy because I known you and I be write for you. Please understand to my english conversation. I can do read but conversation is so difficult to me. When I talk, I'm not think word. So I embarrassed each time. And I don't know difficult english word. T_T

When I saw you, you very looks like kind and stylish. You so pretty.^^* I feel as sister to you. I want to be friendly together. An, I can see that you are smart, bright and your effort. ^-^ You speak korean is surprise to me. very good^^ Just three week.... You excellent !!

I want to keep meeting and connection. Thankyou read this letter and write letter to me ago.(Jiny is not my sister of the same parent. Jiny is Sunhee's daugther. I'm just student.. ^^;)

Have a good night~!^^

Naked Sam I Am

On my journey to becoming Korean, I decided the only way I could really do it is to be naked with my Korean female counterparts. Really put it all out there in the most basic form. I had heard about the bathhouses here and they intrigued me. I wanted to visit a Russian bathhouse in Brooklyn, but never got around to it. There was a Japanese bathhouse not too far from my cousin, Chris, in San Francisco that I also did not get the chance to visit. Part of the reason though, was because I didn't know the proto-call. I wanted someone to go with me who had previously been there to show me the ropes. I don't mind being creepy with my clothes on. Without your clothes, it's a whole different ball game. What if I did something that was considered rude and improper? I admit it! I didn't go in the states because I was scared!

But now I found someone that had been there and was willing to take me, John Mensing. He was originally from the Midwest and started a huge squatters movement in Williamsburg, Brooklyn before it became hipster central. He was also ran for council representing Williamsburg and Fort Greene. Pretty cool stuff. I went to visit his house (this is the soup I made at his place after we went shopping. The kimchi was a gift from his friend) and have him show me around Samcheonpo. Below is part of my ride on the bus. It took me about 45 minutes from Jinju to get to Samcheonpo.


To the good stuff...
The place we went to was beautiful. It was right on the coast where I could see Namhae, which is part of a small island chain. Time had passed so quickly. By the time we arrived it was already midnight. I walked in and took off my shoes and put them in locker, 333. I didn't see any naked people at this point. I admit I was a little disappointed, but again, this was also just the check-in counter.
I took the clothes they gave me. If you look in the picture you will see people in orange and red. I was wearing the red outfit. No, it is not like a prison jumpsuit, it's more comfortable and stylish. I was told that the saunas and baths close at midnight. Since I arrived so late, I would have to wait until morning to see naked people. I was a little disheartened as you can imagine. But I went to the 3rd floor to change into my "spa clothes". I met John down in the main Zzimzilbang, which is the common room where men, women, and children sleep on the floor in one big room. Sound crazy? It was. There were also about 8 upside U-shaped domes in the wall where people could sleep. It looked like a mini catacomb.

They also had saunas on the Zzimzilbang floor. I took a book in one of them and read for a bit. It was hot and I was sweaty, but it was so relaxing just lying on the warm stone floor. There was a tiny pillow the size of a brick that I rested my head on. The ceiling and walls were made of stone. Breathing was truly a pleasure. Anyone can enter these rooms, but I think because John and I looked so foreign, people would peer in through the window and then decide to go to a different sauna. There were four saunas that anyone could go into, but everyone had to have their clothes on on this floor. You could even sleep in the sauna if you could stand the heat.

Drifting in and out of sleep at 1am I went to take a walk outside. My body welcomed the cool night air on my skin happily. The view was spectacular and to top it off, no lie, someone was playing the flute in that little cabana in the picture. I took my ponytail out and felt like Mulan. I just needed a sword to cut off my hair and join the army to save my father from having to fight the Huns. I didn't have one, but I did have a sweet potato and a knife to peel a persimmon. I had to settle with that. The persimmon became my hair and I peeled off the skin in one fell swoop. I split it with John and continued to take in the view. The moonlight was shimmering on the water. The guy with the flute was on his break and just as I bit into my sweet potato (of course I had to bring lots of food on this little excursion) he started again. The explosion of flavour and sound made the moment unforgettable.

I counted the number of bodies lying in the Zzimzilbang, 52. There were women and children and babies, fathers and couples and singles. It was a beautiful thing to see. They were all sleeping on a brick-sized and shaped pillow with a thin (and I mean 1/4 of an inch thin) mat underneath their bodies. The room was warm, so there was no need for a blanket, although some did wrap one around themselves I think out of habit. The same way some people sleep with a sheet even when it's sweltering outside. I used to do it because I was afraid monsters would attack me if I didn't have that protective covering. My body had a really hard time adapting to this sleeping style, but eventually I feel into a sleep looking forward to bathing naked with Koreans.

My goal was realized at 9:07am. I took off all my clothes and stepped past the point of no return. I was in the bathing room. Naked people were everywhere! To the left, to the right, on the ceiling, on the floor. There were older women, babies and mothers and teens. It was so nice to see all walks of life. The mothers with their babies were especially beautiful to me. There was no pointing or snickering or bashfulness. It was just beautiful. I even was able to go outside naked and sit in a bath that was facing the water. Here I was, the naked Sam I Am.

There was a cold bath when I first walked in (20 C). Then the sauna that was (77 C). Just a tip, never ever, ever jump in a cold bath and then go into a wood sauna that is 77 degrees Celsius (that's 170.6 degrees Fahrenheit)! I could not breathe. The air was being forced out of my body and with each inhale I felt a warm, burning sensation in my throat. I exited in a hurry after 15 seconds. There were 5 other baths, each with varying temperatures. My favorite was the salt water bath at 44 degrees Celsius or 111.2 F. There was a wormwood bath opposite of the salt water bath and next to it was a heated bath with jets. The window were fogged, but I saw that if you just splash a bit of water on them, they clear up and you can see the island chain and the beach below. Literally breathtaking. After getting out of that salt water bath, I almost fell down because I was so dizzy. I hobbled over to an area of warm stone you can lie on. Ooohh did that feel nice. I saw a few girls staring at me and when we caught eyes they jumped into the bath next to me. The mothers weren't scared to let their kids run around. There was none of this hide your child from other's eyes. I just can't see this working in the States. It's too crazy of a concept for people to wrap their minds around. Although the comical thing is even though there are no stones left unturned in this room full of women, outside of the walls, men and women alike do not show any type of cleavage or their shoulders. It is an interesting change of scene.

After an hour of splashing, watching, relaxing, breathing, and walking my fear and insecurities I had about my body went out the window, if I may speak figuratively. It was the first time I really felt comfortable in my own skin. But I do have to say...naked, naked, naked, naked, naked, naked, naked. haha!

I kissed a Korean baby...and I liked iiittt

Katy Perry thank you for your inspiration. After this, I wanted to sing and this song came up:

I kissed a Korean baby and I liked it

The taste of her baby formula
I kissed a Korean baby just to try it
I hope my boyfriend don't mind

It felt so wrong

It felt so right

Don't mean I'm in love tonight

I kissed a Korean baby and I liked it

I liked it

My goal was to hold a Korean baby. It was attained last night. I went to a teacher's house, Bae Hyo-jin. This was the same guy who wrote the email to me in my previous post "Messages from Fans." He picked me up from my school and invited me to meet his wife and baby girl. I thought my cousin Thomas was chunky when he was a baby (which he definitely was), but this little girl had the biggest cheeks I have ever seen. Since Koreans count the 9 months in the mothers stomach as 1 year, she is 1 year and 4 months. By western standards, she is just 4 months old. We were all sitting on the floor after dinner drinking strawberry smoothies and eating hard persimmons. Bae Hyo-jin's wife was feeding the baby and she farted. He pointed at his wife and said jokingly, "It was you, wasn't it? Get out." Everyone lauged, except for the baby of course, because she couldn't understand. She is a baby! Hyo-jin asked how to say fart in English, so I told him it was fart.

His wife put the baby in the crib and started one of those things that hangs above and spins while playing a song. It was funny because the song tune that was playing was "How much is that doggie in the window?". Do you guess remember this song? "How much is that doggie in the window? The one with the waggily tail. How much is that doggie in the window? I do hope that doggie's for sale." Look at how America is subliminally trying to cultivate everyone from infancy into English-speaking monsters! Just kidding...

We ordered food for dinner and Hyo-jin and his wife apologized for being rude. They said they should have had a meal prepared for me. I said, "You're so right. What's up with the poor hospitality? You pick me up from school and you are going to drive me to my house without a home-cooked meal in my tummy! My goodness if you think I am ever going to step foot in this lovely apartment with a clear view of the mountains and moon at night, SIR, you are sadly mistaken!" After that they understood that next time they better have cooked. I don't care that Hyo-jin's wife has to tend to the baby and clean the house. She should have a pipping hot meal on the table. Korean people are so barbaric! :)

I was sleepy, so I ordered Hyo-jin to drive me home. His loving wife gave me rice that was freshly harvested by her parents. Their gift appeased my hostile nature after my poor treatment at their home. I'm going to try to meet with them next week. I want to make some red-bean soup for them and show them how it should be done.

*disclaimer: I hope no one takes me seriously! If they do that's hilarious.

Combating stereotypes

The New York Times came out with an article about racism in South Korea. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/world/asia/02race.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

If you don't have the time to read the whole thing. I will just give you a brief summary:

Korean society is changing rapidly. Learning English is a national obsession. South Koreans supply the third largest group of foreign students in the United States after the Indians and the Chinese. Yet, the nation that has been proud to say that there people are homogenous, is not so homogenous anymore. Because of this, the subject of race has evoked malicious sentiments by some. Korean men who see Korean women with foreign men tend to shun them. Racial slurs are thrown around when mixed couples are seen. And while South Korea is obsessed with learning English, these prejudices remain despite the fact that many foreigners are partly responsible for boosting The S. Korean ecomony. Good thing there is little to no racism in the US nor are sterotypes applied since we are the melting pot of the world... or is there?

Me: Hi Sonny, it's Sam. Texting from the future. This is my google number. You can text me here :) send me your email address
Sonny Uppal: Sam who?
Me: What! I leave the country and I'm forgotten that quick!
Sonny Uppal: I figured you'd be trapped in a POW camp by now. The kind without internet
Me: haha! I like Korea. I the one in charge of all these little mongrols.
Sonny Uppal: Good to hear. How's Kim Jong-il doing? Has he made you his love slave yet?
Me: you are just ridiculous!

Messages from Fans

This is a real email from someone I work with. I am so surprised at the level of English he has:

im Hyo-jin do you realize me? ^^; i work at the administration office of Gon-myoung middle school. i want to be your friend. if you mind i want to teach Korean to you. and i want to learn English ^^. so . after school, shall we have study time? with me about at pm 7:30 on wednesday(november 4) in this week. im want to talk with you.it is not serious talk but easy pleasant talk. if you want i will go any place that you want to have lesson with me by my car. if you not have time or are busy in this week. im alright in next week or other day. and i nearly finish my work at pm 6 so after that time i have free time everday except tuesday everweek. because i play volleyball on tuesday.^^: please send me your answer by e-mail or my cell phone or phone text.

Have a nice day! see you~

I am posting this not as a joke or to make fun. I did find this hilarious, but in it's own right I find that this is amazing. I can understand everything he is trying to say. "Do you realize me?" Isn't it funny how direct translations work? It just goes to show how you really have to work at another language to understand the context. Memorizing individual words only goes so far. My students told me that ^^ is text language that means-"I'm happy". It's like our smiley face :) Wow, just look at how different symbols are used in text language from culture to culture. Fantastic!

I am meeting him today for "not serious talk but easy pleasant talk ". :) or ^^

Size does matter!

If you visit Korea, bring your own towel. The blue towel is the one that was given to me. It's supposed to be a shower towel. And yes, if you were wondering what that tiny object was on top of my shirt, it is an iron. Nevertheless, it is a steam iron. I have yet to use it for fear of the length of time it will take to do one shirt. I'll let you know how it goes in the near future.

A few other quirky and interesting things I have noticed about the Korean people is that they brush their teeth after lunch. It doesn't sound that weird, but seeing all of the tooth brushes and cups in the school bathroom threw me for a loop. I just rinse my mouth with water and call it a day after lunch. I don't know what they think.

And ladies, although this may not look like a toilet you want to use, it less strain on the legs! Most of us are taught to squat above the toilet in public places. What I have found from doing that besides stronger thigh muscles is that it is uncomfortable. Having the toilet on the floor is actually not that bad. Admittedly though, I still opt for the regular toilet. I guess habit has gotten the best of me.

The last image I wanted to leave you with is not a spoof on the phone company commercials about raising the bar. I just wanted to leave you with this image and say, size does matter. Which product is from the US? Any guess as to why more Americans are obese and have the highest rates of Type II diabetes than any other country in the world?

Ah, the land of mass and over-consumption. Gotta love it.

Visiting my tennis coach's house

I felt like a foreign monster. I got into the backseat of my tennis coach's wife's minivan. Bak Hang-suk's (coach's wife) two kids immediately went to the front. I mean really! It was 5 degrees (C) outside so I had legwarmers, shorts on top of them, three shirts, a sweatshirt, a blue, gray, and red scarf wrapped tight around my neck, and a large black headband. So what I got into the minivan with my racket preventing me from getting in the door the first time around? Is that really a cause for her two small kids, Kim Dae-hyun and Kim Gab-bin, to run into the front seat with a look of terror on their face like I was going to kill them?

Bak Hang-suk had to sooth her daughters' cries by saying, "Son saeng nim" "She is a teacher". Her efforts were futile. I just looked scary and ridiculous to these two little tykes. Oh my goodness, they were both so cute though. I just wanted to eat them, just not in a monster-ish way.

I took off my shoes before stepping on their floor when I got to their house. Bak Hang-suk had tea boiling as soon as we got in. She is such a good wife. I'm trying to find myself a husband that will do the same. Nebi, get working. She gave myself and the coach, Kim Kyu-min a cup. *Just a side note: In Korea, the woman does not take the family of the husband (Kim being the man's family name). Instead they keep separate names. The kids are the ones that take the father's family name. Hence, Kim Gab-in and Kim Dae-hyun, while the wife's name is Bak Hang-suk.

So, where was I? Good husband hunting, tea. Oh yes! We began the lesson. I just wanted to go over some basic phrases. I started off with formal phrases then went to informal expressions like, "It's a pleasure to meet you." "It's nice to meet you." "What's up?". Then Kim Kyu-min repeated me. We went on like this, but the real learning starts with getting used to the different sounds. We have the ability to hold a conversation and I told him even if his grammar is not 100% correct, do not be afraid to speak. It is the only way you will learn.

Time was nearing an end. I heard the kids splashing around in the bathtub. Right before I was about to go Gab-in runs out of the bathroom decidedly I guess to confront the monster, me. She is about 4 years old. What bravery, what courage, WHAT! a naked little girl. She runs over to the table with her towel around her and then she says, "O pa", and rips her towel off for the world to see. I started laughing. Kim Kyu-min told his daughter in a nice voice to go put some clothes on. I said, "It's ok to be naked." He got embarrassed and his cheeks turned red.

Gab-in wasn't done yet! She comes out of her room this time dressed and has the towel over her head. She heads straight towards me. I was wondering if she was going to try to headbutt me. So I got ready to take her down if need be. I have to look out for number one. Haha, she stopped right in front of me and takes the towel off her head. Then she puts it on and this time I take it off. She starts cracking up. I put the towel on my head and she reaches for it. We both had a nice laugh at this silly game. It reminds me of the pillow game I played once. Pillow game you ask? Yes, I asked too. You sit in a room and close your eyes, only one person has their eyes open. That person is the one with the pillow. The point is to throw the pillow at the unsuspecting people who have their eyes shut and watch their reaction. Sounds ridiculous right? It is, but so fun and scary.

I get ready to leave and finally the two kids show me their acceptance. They say, "AnnongheKaseyo" or "leave in peace (the literal translation)" and they bow their tiny little heads. I can't wait to go back tonight.

Soccer

Sean Linford, you are so right. Soccer is so much fun. The Americans have it all wrong. This is not a "foot fairy" game. It's AMAZING! I got the opportunity to play with some other expats in the area; Kevin from New Castle, England, Mark from Northern England as well, John from Ireland, Oscar from Texas, a different John from Scotland, and Sinan from Turkey. Right when I got to the field, Kevin gave me a pair of cleats and said if they fit I can have them. They were a bit big, but I'll just wear two pairs of socks. Keep the presents coming!

Ladies and gents, this was my first organized game and I rocked, or so my teammates said. I had no idea what offsides meant nor that I had to throw the ball over my head, but my mistakes were quickly corrected and I was a good defender. Some of the players, Korean and non-Korean were so good. I wish I could move the ball like they did. My shining moment was when I used my head to stop a ball from going out of bounds that the opposing keeper kicked. It didn't hurt as bad as I thought. This is probably how Mario feels when he breaks the blocks with the question marks on them in Super Mario. For those non-Mario gamers, let me explain. Mario's most basic power-up doubles his size and grants him the strength to smash through blocks. It also allows him to survive a single enemy hit. THIS WAS ME! I never knew until today that I had this power inside of me.

Inside I wanted to say RAARRRR. On the outside I did a fist pump and said, "Oh thanks." to those who congratulated me on my power up. To all of you soccer haters, find the power-up within and get to a field.

The scary side of technology

Before I went to bed last night, I was going through the ridiculous things in my head and I can't believe I forgot this one. At the French restaurant I went to with a few expats at one point in the meal I excused myself to go to the bathroom. I get in there and I see that there are buttons next to the toilet seat. My curious nature got the best of me. I started to push them. The first push revealed nothing interesting. Then I saw a button that looked like a butt. Nebi told me in Japan they have toilet seats that you can adjust the temperature. I figured that Korea started to adopt this too in order to create a more relaxing atmosphere when you pee or ... Makes sense right? People can spend a good amount of time in the bathroom.

Well, I wanted to be up on the cutting edge technology so I pushed the button with the butt on it. OH MY GOODNESS! Water shot right up. I got so scared I jumped up and the water still kept squirting. First I was holding the walls for leverage to get out of the line of fire. Then, I was pushing other buttons in dire hope that I would find the off switch. Finally, I found the right one and exhaled with relief. When I looked up my mouth opened. I saw that the entire door in front of me was wet and then I looked down. The back of my pants were wet too! I wiped the door down so the next user wouldn't be shocked. Of course there was no automatic hand dryer. I had to do what 11-13 year old middle school girls have to do when they first get their period in class; tie my sweatshirt around my waist.

I don't think anyone noticed. My pants dried in time before we had to leave. Whew close one! I wish you could have seen the door.

I'm slowly becoming Korean

Ok, 1:00pm I will meet Brigitte and Amy in front of E-mart in downtown Jinju. After asking many people which bus to take to get to E-mart, I learned I could just take the local 26 bus that is right in front of my apartment. Emart-eh is the only Korean word the bus driver understands as he motions for me to put my 1,000won bill in the slot. 40 minutes later he motions what stop to get off to get to E-mart.

What a shopping center! It even has it's own cafeteria where I succumbed to pressure to eat McDonalds. I know, I know, I know. How could I? I was trying to take a stand against America's biggest fast food chain. But, I just wanted to see if it was up to par, is that such a crime? They even had the big mac meal as Number 1. I couldn't deny myself the ubiquitous Number 1 meal. I was plunged into childhood reverence with the first bite, not because this was the last time I had a big mac. It was because I remembered how I used to be able to finish two big mac meals when I was in middle school right before softball practice. I distinctly remembered timing myself (and using Jeff's logic-trying to race myself) to see if I could finish two meals before my mom drove me to the field. The second bite was just as magical. Oh, how the big mac is ingrained in my memory.

The cafeteria was filled with middle school students. They didn't know it at the time how the big mac grease was actually fusing with their blood system as it once did with mine. Those tricky bastards. Someone should sue McDonalds...again! This time for systematically brainwashing young and formidable minds!

Luckily, dinner was a bit better. I went to a French wine bar called Au chemir de la vigne (The path to the vine: as Jean-Guy and Remy told me. They are French). Conversation led to the topic of remembering people's names. It was great to hear that Jean-Guy writes down peoples' names in an excel spreadsheet and writes something that stands out about them. He is an engineer along with Remy (such an engineer thing to do). We decided to go on a virtual Halloween ride and then Nori-banging. No, this not what you think. It's karaoke!

Those cool shades are 3D glasses. This was after we left our 3D experience of Halloween. What ensues next was so much fun! I suggest to all those karaoke haters to get off their high horse and go for it. Look at how great it is:


I really enjoyed myself. Briggitte, Amy, Remy, and Jean-Guy really rocked out for an hour. I ended with R.Kelly's "I believe I can fly". It was a good song because we needed a break from dancing and shouting. Just a tip: Never play Brittany Spear's "Womanizer". I couldn't even get the chorus down.