Sundays in Busan and Landmines TOO!

Well....what better way to work off a Halloween Bash hangover than an entire afternoon of hiking!!! That's right. I met some fellow CDI teachers and we crawled our way up Jangsan (Jang Mountain) at the end of my street. It was a good time, nice to catch a dose of ole Mother Nature. I have to admit though, I can't wait to go camping when I get back to Canada next year^^

Jang Mountain and Kevin. I look so happy cause I'm amidst trees!

This is random! I found this tacked to the door of my apartment when I got home from work this evening. Looks like a flyer for a chicken take out joint. I'm sorry, but does this make you want to buy chicken??Take the GEEKIEST SPAZ in Asia and put him on a flyer, and people will buy the chicken.....hmmmmm...nope....I'm still not buyin!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is Haeundae New Town from the top of Jang Mountain. It's such a Lego Land! Everything looks the same. it's really depressing at times to see such a sea of uniformity. It makes me even more resolute in the fact that I need to own a house...not an apartment, but a single residence...a single dwelling!

Halloween Madness in Haeundae

Tomorrow is the official date for Halloween, but the boys and girls of Busan whooped it up last weekend. Big costume party Friday night at Courtney and Jake's and then the Hermit Kings played at U2's Halloween costume bash. We played almost a 2 hour set.....the place was packed. A good time was certainly had by all.

Sean, "aka. Sojuman" one "best costume" later on at The Vinyl Underground...a trip to Jeju Island. He certainly deserved it, much more work put into his costume than my "Michael Bolton" look!

"Count Gino" and "Mike the Hulk" strike a pose before going on stage.

Hermit Kings on stage. Not sure what Travis's mask was.

"Mai the Witch", "Kevin...Michael Bolton (circa. 1989)" with "Agent Tom" watching over in the background.

The motley Hermit-like crew before the show. U2 was fully decked out...it was a great gig. My new crash cymbol, purchased the same afternoon, sounded great!

That's one scary singer!!!

That's an even scarier drummer. I wanted to look like Michael Bolton, but ended up looking like some sort of psycho-clown from Hell!

I'm A Dancing Pervert!

Well....I'm not, BUT, this guy is!!! What's the deal with this pic?? This is the sign advertising a trendy clothing store close to my girlfriend's apartment.

Pervert (English), Pyuntae(Korean), Hentai(Japanese)...this critter looks like all of the above!

I'm a happy cat tonight. Well...I discovered a new little piece of software called TVUnetworks that now allows me to watch all the big U.S. networks live...and for free!! YES.....the thing I love the most are the commercials. Finally, TV adverts I understand. With Korean ads(CF's as they call them...Commercial Films), it's not even so much a language barrier, it's the cultural one. Korean humour makes no sense to Westerners. Even when done in English...it's just not funny. Foreigners just sit there, staring at the TV, either blankly or with a cocked eyebrow.

Back to watching more stupid American TV....and lovin it!

I really have nothing of substance to write tonight...probably because I'm watching NBC! This evening, I may not be wise, but I certainly am happy.

Pumping Iron with Korean Celebrities

I've never had the opprotunity to meet celebrities or any sort of famous person while living in Canada, especially since my hometown of Louisbourg has a population of about 1000. Well, there seems to be no shortage of Korean celebrities living in my neighborhood in Busan. There are also a few famous Korean athletes who pump iron at the health club I go to. There are two who train there at the moment. The most noteable for me would have to be the Korean K1 (professional mixed martial arts) star, Choi Hong-man, aka "Techno Goliath".

Choi Hong-man. This dude is 218cm tall and weighs in at 164kg. He's a freak show. When he's at the gym moving weights, the 20kg plates look like little toys in his hands.

Choi Hong-man smashing some poor opponent's face into mush. He'll appparently be fighting New Zealand's Ray Sefo in his next match in Tokyo. He'll be a tough opponent.

Choo Shin-soo is a right fielder for the Cleveland Indians. He's from Busan and it being the off-season he's back in his hometown and working out at Sydney Fitness, the gym I go to.

Completely unrelated to everything I've been writing about today is this must read article about Korean middle-aged women, aka "ajumma".....very interesting.

Oh yeah...the gig at Ol'55 went well last night. Travis was in Seoul for the weekend so Gino stepped in on bass. It was the original 4 Hermit Kings. We'll be rockin it out next Saturday night. October 28th will be the big Halloween bash at U2 in Haeundae. Mojo will kick things off at 10pm and we'll go onstage around 11:30pm.

How to Save the Environment...some easy steps!

Well, the Pusan International Film Festival has wrapped up and apparently it was a big success. It was nice to see a big infusion of people and money into the local area. At least now, the "artsy-fartsy" set will be leaving town and I'll be able to get a seat outside the local Starbucks. recently there have been so many visitors in my neighborhood because of the film festival that some of my favorite lunch-time haunts have been packed.

A unified Korea. Well, this is what you can see if you look at the map I have hanging in my classroom. I didn't notice it until this week whe a student pointed it out to me. Korea is one country and Seoul is the capital. I bet Kim Jong-il has a different copy hanging in his office! (sorry about the blur factor).

Ok...I had some extra time the other day so I asked my students (lower level) to come up with ways to make Korea more beautiful! Here are a few of their ideas.

How Can We Make Korea More Beautiful???

1. Take a means of public transportation.

2. don't smoking

3. don't drink soju.

4. cigarette is put the garbage can.

5. when brush your teeth, don't open the city water.

6. when use your pencil, don't use that, put garbage can.

7. we don't lots of shampoo.

8. we walk short street.

9. don't spit

10. don't throw soju bottle in ocean and beach.

This is he advice of some of the wisest minds Busan has to offer! Follow these 10 easy steps and you can help contribute to a cleaner and more beautiful Korea.

Decapitated Kevin and Whatnot!!!!

So....what's new....hmmm....North Korea are still rattling their sabres and it looks like they'll be testing another nuke sooner than later. People around the world are going crazy, but life goes on as usual here in Korea. I suppose there's a sense of ambivalence among Korean people....they're used to this sort of thing. I suppose after 4 plus years here, I'm used to it too. The Korean Peninsula is always referred to as one of the world's "Flashpoints", but when you actually live here, everyday is just a regular day.

I decided to just throw some random pictures on the site tonight. I was going through pics on my cellphone while on the commute back home this evening and wanted to make a compilation of some of stranger moments recently!

"Saving Private Kim"??? Ok...this is a poster from the movie Saving Private Ryan. I recognize Matt Damon and Edward Burns, but who the hell are these two middle-aged Korean men. By the way...wasn't Tom Hank's character a Captain??? This Korean guy airbrushed himself in as a 4 star general!!!! This was an advertisement for a restaurant.

"Teacher!!!! I'm COLDDDDDD!!!!" Why are my students always cold? Even when it's 25c in my classroom they shiver!

The frigid effects of a 25c classroom! Oh the humanity!!!!! CDI should open a Branch on the Sun...that way the kids could be comfortable and warm.

I've lost my head. CDI is normally a very academic place. We don't play games and we never draw, but this summer was slighlty different. We had a special summer class in the morning and we wanted to do a few creative things. We were studying an R.L. Stine "Goosebumps" book and we were storyboarding. In this one....poor ole me was the victim...I lost my head!

Smokin for Terry Fox!

Yesterday was the 1st Terry Fox Run in Busan. They've been holding it for 15 years in Seoul, but this was the big one for Busan...naturally I was excited. Unfortunately I heard that there was a half marathon in Busan the same day so the turn out wasn't as good as one may have hoped. It was especially disappointing to see the poor Canadian and foreigner turnout. Many teachers I know were aware, but apathetic. Regardless, I dragged my butt out of bed at 6:30am even though I got home just a few hours earlier. My band plaeyed at Moe's the night before. I didn't really drink, but it was rough getting up so early.

When the run was finished I was shocked to see a tent filled with Korean men cooling off in the shade and smoking!!!!! Yes....SMOKING CIGARETTES!!! I realize that a lot of guys enjoy smoking, but do they in any way realize the signifigance of the Terry Fox Run??? It's purpose is to raise money to combat cancer! If you are a smoker, at least have the good form to hold off until you've left the Terry Fox Run.

"Let's Fight Cancer By Smoking"....eeeeek...come on!


















Moi and Tom shortly after the run finished. It was a lot of fun. We ran along with Rafael. It was a refreshing way to spend a Sunday morning. Made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.


















Sheri, moi and Jenn representing Jangsan and Haeundae. It was a fun run!

PIFF meets LINKIN PARK...kinda...

It's another weekend, but not just any weekend in the city of Busan. It's October so it's time for the annual Pusan International Film Festival or PIFF. This year, the majority of movies are actually being viewed in my neighborhood where there are some very new and modern theatres. Loads of people have made their way to Haeundae to take in more than 300 movies from all over the world. The majority of public, "red carpet" type events are happening on Haeundae Beach where the PIFF Pavillion has been set up.

There will be loads of celebrities in Busan during the next 2 weeks, but mind you, I'll have no idea who most of them are. Today may have been an exception though. I walked to the beach this afternoon with Mai just to check out the scene along the beach. When we got there, I recieved a call from Gino, rythm guitar player of the "mildly famous among the expat community" Hermit King's. He informed me that there would be a celebrity of note....an American dude that I have definately heard of.

Tonight will be the world premiere of a movie called "The Seed" and it's also the directorial debute of Joseph Hahn. If that name sounds farmiliar to anyone it maybe because he is a member of the American rap/metal band Linkin Park. I thought that was so cool because I used to be a HUGE fan of Linkin Park. I still enjoy their music, but a few years ago I was obsessed!!!! It was cool to see an incredibely successful musician I admire, and just a few feet away.

I snapped some pics of him with my camera phone. I was pretty close so some aren't too bad....made for a cool day!

Is Joseph Hahn taking a picture of me?? Maybe he knows that I'm the drummer of Busan's very own Hermit Kings!!!

There he is, Joe Hahn. He was on Haeundae beach giving an interview on a big talk show. Thousands of fans were there. I wonder how many have ever hear of Linkin Park...I assume not many. One of Gino's friend's was his translator. He is Korean-American, but can't speak Korean.

Here's the scene from Haeundae Beach this evening as Joe Hahn was being interviewed during the "Red Carpet" special.

Joeseph Hahn and the star of his movie, Will Yun Lee, who played the evil North Korean in the 2002 James Bond movie, Die Another Day.

So.....it's time to get ready and play again. I'll be at Moe's tonight, close to Pusan National University. The Hermit Kings are playing there for there tonight around 11ish. It's our second gig there. We'll be at Ol'55 this coming Wednesday and Saturday. If you have time, check it out.

Dynamic Busan....I Don't Think So!

Dynamic Busan???? Really??

A striking thing one notices when they first arrive in Korea from another country isn’t necessarily the culture or history that Korean people are so proud of, but the heaps of garbage and refuse lying in the streets. It’s simply everywhere. Intersections, parks, parking lots, in front of markets and department stores all have a common and uniting theme; they are covered in trash.

I have always noticed it, but I suppose that after being here for so long I have become somewhat used to it. It wasn’t until I recently traveled to Shanghai that I came to an epiphany; “What are these things that look like trash cans on the sidewalks? Oh my God!!! They are trash cans!!! Real trash cans…..and people actually put their garbage in them and not on the street.”



Recently my girlfriend’s mother was visiting from Japan and was stunned at how dirty the streets were in Busan. I informed her that it is the same in Seoul. There is literally garbage everywhere that it shouldn’t be. What strikes me as the most disturbing thing is the fact that most Koreans simply do not seem to care. Korean men casually walk through the streets smoking cigarettes and then hacking up their lungs and discharging those lung contents all over the sidewalks and roads. People throw every form of trash where the see fit and simply couldn’t be bothered to stow it in a proper trash can. And here lies the major dilemma for all of us. WHERE ARE KOREA”S TRASH CANS???

How many times have I walked for an hour or more before spotting the “illusive Korean garbage can.” Some people think that it’s simply a myth, but it is true, they do exist. In more than 4 years in this country I have seen one or two. I normally just stow my trash in my backpack and take it home with me.

Several teachers I know recently cam back from Japan and were shocked at how clean it was compared to Korea. Clean streets and sidewalks with public garbage cans at regular intervals. I‘ve been to Japan a few times and I agree that it is simply a tidier country. As a teacher who taught Korean adults in Seoul, I will always remember that the lessons I prepared on the environment were always the ones that bored my students to tears. They told me that the environment was simply a topic they didn’t care about.

Sunday was the last day of the Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) weekend. I planned on doing very little, just kick around Haeundae New Town where I live. Now, Haeundae-gu is considered to be an “upscale” area of Busan. It’s an area where the rich and upper middle-class live and play. In that area is Haeundae Beach, the number one tourist destination among Koreans. I decided to take pics of garbage with my camera phone. It just took a few minutes to capture these photos!


Busan markets itself at “Dynamic Busan, City of Tomorrow.” If Busan and the rest of Korea hope to become international and “a city of tomorrow”, they should stop and look at today. Koreans are uber-nationalistic and proud of their country and culture. If that is the case, why do they treat their country like its one large garbage dump?

City of Tomorrow??? Not yet!

Thanksgiving Weekend...Korean Style

It's the Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) weekend here in Busan and it has been chilled. Many teachers recieved a 9 day vacation. Myself, four days, but I can't complain since I was in Shanghai last week. It's been a relatively cushy week for me and I've been loving it.

My girlfriend's mother visited from Osaka, Japan this weekend. They have been catching up, but yesterday the three of us went to one of the largest temples in the area. Boemosa Temple is in the north part of Busan and was quite nice. We kicked around there for awhile and then headed to Haeundae Beach to show her around.

Tonight, my friend's Tom and Amity came with us for some Korean BBQ (aka. galbi). We splurged and chose the beef which is a pricey thing here in Korea. It was Mai's mother's first trip to Korea so we wanted to make sure that she enjoyed herself!

Mai's mother and her at Boemosa Temple.

Boemosa Temple.

Boemosa Temple.

Here I am at Boemosa Temple with my girlfriend's mother. Mai had to act as a translator all weekend. I plan to begin studying Japanese this month so hopefully in the future I can communicate!

There Be Booze in Dem Dar Mountains!!!!!

I've been there, I've seen it and even smelled it. Yes, drunk on a mountain or hiking trail on a Sunday afternoon. I haven't actually done it myself, but I've seen many Korean men do it in the last few years.

Anyone who has lived in Korea for even a short amount of time quickly realizes that people here love hiking. Geographically speaking, 70% of South Korea is mountainous. Due to the lack of flat land, there is no way to breed grazing animals and have large scale farming (so all of the beef is imported from Australia and the U.S. and costs a bloody fortune). This also gives the people of Korea a great hobby; hiking.

Now, it's true, Korean people love hiking, but they also love the drink and often mix the two. Every year in the Republic of Korea there are more than a few alcohol related fatalities on mountains!!! That's why the gov't is trying to do something about it. I was out for a walk with my girlfriend on Sunday and we strolled to the local "elevation" close to my apartment. It's called Jangsan which basically means "Jang Mountain";...."san" meaning mountain. At the base of the mountain was a huge sign citing all of the things one musn't do (light fires, break branches off trees, litter, etc.). One was also a warning to not get drunk on the mountain and make too much noise. Obviously...There is a need.

The local municipal government (Haeundae-gu, Busan) kindly asks locals to not get hammered while hiking and bug the crap out of the rest of us!!!

Speaking of soju!!! I have a friend who is on a bit of a budget. He discovered that he can buy a 3L bottle of soju at the local supermarket for about $4.00....that's 30% alcohol as well. Bang for the boozey buck...and a BONUS...when you buy your 3L bottle of ethanol, you get a free bag of sugar!!!! Not sure why, but that is a bag of sugar taped to the booze.