Flickr Never Stops

Flickr just keeps making things better. I was checking out my sisters pics the other day and clicked on "slide show". I was shocked to see a sleek new interface and photos being displayed at twice the size. Check it our for yourself HERE..

Veggies, Demolition and Chuck

I really only posted this one for Bryant and Will.



I just finished dealing with two apartments being built right next to my place in Gumi. I survived the endless noise of metal crashing on metal at 6am from Monday through Sunday. Now I arrive here and get to listen to two buildings being demolished... and I fear constriction will begin once demolition is over... :(



Korean vegetables scare me. Look at the size of those green onions and that celery compared to the red pepper, and not just any red pepper - that particular one has been in my fridge for over a month. I ate it the other day... it tasted fine.

Ministry of Sound Sessions 12 - Mark Knight .cue Files

He are the Ministry of Sound Sessions 12 - Mark Knight .cue Files

CD1
RightClick and Download

CD2
RightClick and Download

First on Google

Crazy... My Hyosung 250 Review now ranks first on Google... assaaa!

Disk Face

- All My Macography - This is about all this 40gb iBook drive is good for now. No photoshop on this one, just an aperture of 40!

Mac Books N Jazz

Keith came up to buy a Mac Book and his buddy Jin hooked up with us too.


Wanted to see what happened if we put a Sea Monkey in Haydon's aquarium. The poor bugger didn't last more than an eighth of a second. Yum yum! 


Chill'n at Haydon's pad


Where's the bar? 


Once in a Blue Moon Jazz Bar in 85-1 Cheongdam-Dong Kangnam-Gu Seoul. A very stylish place with groovy tunes and CLEAN AIR! (Yes, No-Smoking)However, a little pricey -- drinks start at 13,000w 


The beat 


Cheers! 


She was good! Liked the sound of Korean jazz. 








A little GimBop Goodness around midnight 


I'm gonna take one of these guys out to party before I leave Seoul 


Carl is running for the next election

Custom Suit Seoul

Had these threads custom made in Itaewan, Seoul. The tailor was surprisingly professional, he spoke excellent English and had tailored for some fairly prestigious cliental from around the world.

I subway-ed to the suit shop in my $700, Canadian, 'off the rack' suite so that Ben, my tailor, could use it as a starting point. Ben had me choose some fabrics and took a series of detailed measurements (much more thorough measurements than my Thai tailors took years ago).

One fitting later, my custom fit charcoal grey suite and five darted dress shirts were ready to go. The most unreal part of it all... I only walked out with $400 more debt.

Herb-Garden a la Windowsill

Day 1

Started a herb-garden last weekend. Hydon showed me a good spot to find garden supplies. Got six pots, two bags of dirt, one bag of substrate stuff and one chunk of styrofoam all for $21. Alice helped me sew the seeds I brought from Canada. It's almost as if the pots were designed for the windowsill - they snap right into place. I designed some fancy labels in Illustrator the other night and Claire, from work, helped me print and laminate them.

I love gardening - it seems to always bring people together.


Day 3

Comatosed in Gumi

I retuned to my old stomping grounds on the weekend. Mr Jason Jang and the staff at Psycho Bar invited me down to .... erm... 'spin'? My hard drive was spinning so I guess I can call it that.

A super-heavy, Korean death metal band called LUBE open the night up and were followed by Las Pistolas del Amor. Both bands rocked the the joint and when they were done Jang and I hit the decks pumping everything from old-school hip hop to deep, funky house.

I was wise that night and only drank JD on the rocks. I honestly believe, if you're going to drink, straight up hard liquor is the healthiest option: it only takes a little, there is no sugary mix involved and it does the job quickly and well.

When 5am rolled around I realized my cell phone was missing. Turns out Traci thought it would be a great idea to steal my phone and have Bryant fuck it up as much as possible. When my phone came back it was all in Korean, the banner said "yr mom called" and there was a picture of a urinal on the screen. So far I've only changed the language back :)

Finally, a few of us grabbed some early morning Sam Gyp Sal and sat wasted, falling in and out of sleep in the dingy, grease infested restaurant. All in all a wicked weekend!

To see more about Las Pistolas del Amor:
Jason's Blog
Angelo's Flickr Photos

To read more about those retards Bryant and Traci:
Bryant's Blog --> Posted a nice documentary-style story of what happened to his old home
Traci's Blog --> It's confronted with the grim reality that women are robots

Pillow Surgery

Name: Ms. Korean Pillow
Age: 21
Weight: 1kg
Height: 66cm

Condition:
Subject is roughly double the weight and body mass of an average pillow her hight. Subject suffers emotional and physical distress from both her owner and secret boyfriend (Mr. Thai Cushion) as a result of her obesity. The physical distress is primarily a result of her owner trying to beat and stomp her thin -- so that he may enjoy a comfortable nights' sleep. The emotional anguish is cased primarily by Mr. Thai Cushion who frequently cracks "fat jokes" about the subject to her face and is often found looking at thinner more "streamlined" pillows.

The subject wishes to proceed with Stuff-O-Suction so that she may enjoy the quality of life she feels she is entitled to.

Procedure:
One 20cm proximal incision will be to the subject's superior, posterior casing via a Box Cutter. Roughly 50% of the subject's stuffing will be extracted by hand and her casing re-alingned and secured using 3m Duct Tape. No sedation will be necessary and the subject should be able to return to regular activities immediately following the surgery.










Name: Mr. Thai Cushion
Age: 24
Weight: 4kg
Height: 200cm

Condition:
Subject feels he is inadequately endowed. While he is satisfied with his length he would enjoy a greater girth. The subject suffers no physical distress but does feel emotionally distraught. According to the subject his wife (Ms. Korean Pillow) often makes subtle emotionally damaging remarks about the state of his roll at which time the subject usually retorts with a fat joke.

The subject wishes to proceed with a risky operation which involves enlarging the girth of his roll by over 200%.

Procedure:
As the last surgeon never bothered to stitch the subject up after his previous procedure it will not be necessary to make any further incisions. The most inferior, supine section of the subjects body will be enlarged. The procedure with be done by hand using a large, long stick to push the stuffing into the three target rolls and to compact the stuffing. Conveniently, the stuffing extracted from Ms. Korean Pillow can be used to enhance Mr. Thai Cushion's rolls. No sedation will be necessary however, the subject will remain hospitalized until a stitching specialist is able to tend to him.

Google Earth Replapse

I was all set to upload some images of where I live. Then I asked myself: Is it really exciting or necessary to be posting satellite images of my apartment building and the path I take to work everyday? No one really needs to know, nor, I'm sure, does anyone really care.

It's not like I'm famous or have any (known) enemies... I just think my entire life doesn't really need to be online.

Rebel Falls 7 Feet and Lives

Apparently my Canon Rebel didn't latch into my tripod earlier this morning at work. The camera caught 7 vertical feet of free fall before ploughing lens first into the concrete floor.

The hood absorbed some of the shock as it broke and was forced halfway down the lens shaft. But the B&W UV+HAZE MRC Filter took the brunt of the blow. Amazingly, while fractured, the filter stayed completely intact. It it thanks to such a high quality, durable filter that my Sigma 18-200 lens remains in one piece - scratch free!

I was unable to remove the filter from the lens, even after trying with pliers for over an hour. My gracious new boss had one of the Korean staff take it to Techno Mart immediately. The camera came back within hours in perfect working order and my boss covered the $80 for labour, a new B&W UV+HAZE MRC Filter and Sigma hood!

What did I take away from all this? 1-Always make sure your camera is securely fastened into the tripod. 2-Thank my lucky stars because the damage COULD have been upwards of $1,400. 3-B&W make kick-ass filters. 4-Hoods and filters are worth every penny, leave them on at all times. 5-My school and boss freak'n rock!

Monitor Fun

- www.comatosed.ca - All my Macography - It'd be handy if customers could see through screens... would mean 50% less screens in most places :)


- www.comatosed.ca - All My Macography - Floating computers ROCK!


- www.comatosed.ca - All my Macography - Has this been done yet? ;)

Trip to Coex

The subway I took to Coex Mall in Seoul.



Now even less reason to interact when you have live TV on your cell phone.



It's a nice building but a window cleaners nightmare.



Apple has gone all out in Korea! Koreans are a tough crowd for Apple to sway but their latest advertising blitz in the country's biggest mall, COEX, will surely lure some people in. They probably had over 2000 banners hanging from the ceiling in addition to the pillars! 



Nike had an amusing display directly in front of Mega Box Movie Theatre. I feel sorry for the clerk who has to listen to the same 30 second ad blaring over the flat-screens again and again.



This is the car-park I walk trough on the cold / wet days.



I wondered why bees were swarming around this poor girls face and the I realized they were not bees but fish. Either way, I feel sorry for both parties. 

Featured Stuff

Out of the blue, I got two messages from complete strangers today notifying me they had used some of my work in their projects. Bill Dan appears to be a hardcore Cairn / Stone / Rock Pile-er and has started up a blog titled billdan.blogspot.com. He chose a pic I took of a cairn at Gumosan Mountain.



The other guy runs AnyKeyStudio and goes under the artist name of Alien Tripod. Alien Tripod copped up and edited a sound sample I recorded in Laos in one of his latest tracks 'Fragile'. The sample is of some Laotian kids laughing while playing on my drum. The original sample can be found at The Free Sound Project.The song is very cool, a sounds-cape of sorts. It's inspiring to listen to how creatively Alien Tripod uses the sound.

Sunday Lunch

My school gave me a Menu from the Gramercy Kitchen the other day. I was instructed to choose one item from each section for the company lunch on Sunday. Let's just say it ain't Sam Gyup Sal...



---

Gramercy Kitchen Lunch Fare

First Course

Asparagus Salad with Cajun Scallops and Mustard Vinaigrette
Caesar Salad with Romaine Lettuce
Warm Mushroom Salad with Frisee, Crisp Bacon, Gorgonzola Cheese and Sherry Vinaigrette
Gramercy Kitchen Chop Salad with Grilled Calamari
Carrot Soup with Ginger and Cilantro Pesto
Lentil and Barley Soup with Vegetables

Second Course

Open Steak Sandwich with Arugula Salad and Gorgonzola Fondue Sauce
Lobster Club Sandwich with Mixed Greens
Veal Scaloppini with Mushroom Sauce
Char - Grilled Green Tea Pork Chop with Potato Gnocchi, Watercress and Raisin Caponata
Grilled Salmon Steak with Balsamic Butter, Arugula and Sweet Corn
Home Made Pappardelle with Assorted Seafood in a Light Spicy Tomato Sauce
Home Made Tagliatelle with Morel Mushroom, Asparagus & Shaved Parmesan Cheese
Grilled Pizza Margarita with Tomato and Four Kinds of Cheese
Grilled Pizza Peking Duck

Sweet Ending

Chocolate Cake with Cream Fraiche and Earl Gray Tea Sherbet
Orange and Almond Tart with Peach and Basil Sherbet
Vanilla Bavarian Cream with Mixed Berries and Strawberry Gelato
Seasonal Fruit Tart Tatin with Valrohona Milk Chocolate Ice Cream
Homemade Sherbet or Ice Cream

Teaching English in Korea: An In-Depth Analysis of the Country, Job and Benefits of Teaching Overseas

Teaching English in Korea: An In-Depth Analysis of the Country, Job and Benefits of Teaching Overseas

This is a paper I wrote in my last year of Uni, maybe it will help anyone looking for more info on teaching it Korea.

http://www.comatosed.ca/Teaching_English_Korea_1.html

What's the Catch?

It's 10:00pm. I key in my combination on the numeric pad and hit *. The electronic box sings a happy little song as the bolt disengages from the lock momentarily. As I step through the door it trips the sensor on my entry way light. The apartment is beginning to smell normal again, all the vinegar, backing soda, Febreeze and strewn about apple is paying off.

But enough about the smell, how is my camera? Its had the tedious task of taking one shot every 5 minutes since the moment I awoke this morning. A warning window is active on my computer's screen. Apparently, my Cannon didn't have enough juice to shoot all day. Regardless, 75 pictures should be ample for creating my first time-laps composition.


Stupid lazy plant... :/

Where to being describing my day I don't know. I keep asking myself, "what's the catch?"

The day began with a $3 Americano at Quiznos, despite running low on cash I couldn't wait there empty handed for my manager to show up. When he did, we proceeded to the office. I'd spent so many hours on the companies website that I already knew my way around the office from the pictures. My new colleges mingled in the lounge, perched on Mac-white chairs exactly as the were online. I went through the usual motions, exchanging had shakes, determining country of origin and time spent in Korea. I'm relieved to say every one of them gave off a good vibe.

Prior to sharing 8 boxes of pizza for lunch we were summoned into a classroom to listen to a presentation. A young Korean girl, 19 I believe, stood nervously at the front of the group. As silence fell over the room she began to speak with astounding confidence and conviction. She was reciting Michael Douglas's Greed is Good monologue from the famous 1987 movie Wall Street. When she finished, the staff erupted into applause. Never before had I seen a Korean speak English like that.

The pizza was good but it made me thirsty. I headed to the lounge where I was forced to make a desiccation between water, tea, six types of fountain soda or a Swiss-made cappuccino maker dispensing freshly ground expressos, americanos, lattes, cappuccinos or regular coffees - all free. I opted for the classic Pepsi and Pizza combo.

As soon as lunch was over one of the koreans, Paul, took Carolina and I to downstairs to open a new bank account. Could this be true? Were we really going to open a bank account on my first day on the job? At my last job I finally had to go and open one on my own in a completely foreign country with a completely foreign language. In fact, Paul and I didn't open the account right away. First Paul bought me a cell phone, charger and protective case which would be deducted from my pay. For roughly $125 CDN I received the best cell phone / birth control I have ever owned in my life. Actually, this phone is so amazing I think it warrants a whole paragraph!

The cheapest, most bargain basement phone in Korea is the one I received. Yet the Cyon boasts a high resolution, 1000+ color display, sim card, web browser, camera, video camera, mp3 player, 50 megs of built in memory and even a flashlight! Maybe I fond this all so amazing because the the last cell phone I bought, in 2004, featured a liquid crystal blue screen with a black pixel-ated windmill - yes - that is all.



Aside from having a great phone I also have and excellent plan, I'm not signed into any contract and air time is billed by the second rather than the minute. One minute of airtime costs 160w or 16 cents. They even let me choose the last four digits of my phone number at no extra charge and somehow without any type of verification. Usually one gets a prefix and than can choose any sequence of numbers which aren't in use by someone else but in Korea you choose the suffix and then I assume they find a prefix to make it work!

After the phone and bank account were out of the way Carolina and I began training. Overall I have to say I'm very impressed with the school's methodology. Apparently their system yields results and having sat in on a few classes I can concur. We were provided with all the necessary materials and will have a full two weeks of intensive yet not too intense training. I say not too intense because we had plenty of time to mingle and re-hydrate in the lounge and shared a dinner on the school with our manager at Quiznos (TGI Fridays' line up was too long!). I guess what this all boils down to is the fact that I'm still in a state of shock having come from a job where the only thing you could count on was that nothing would follow any kind of logical or systemic reasoning, where routine could never be established, where there were few, if any, perks or extras.