WORLD CUP FEVER

Once again, I suck. I do intend to write but when I get home it seems that I would simply rather watch the World Cup and all that it entails. For the most part I could give a shit about soccer but here people are absolutely nuts about it. The Koreans came in fourth during the 2002 cup and for some odd reason they had this misguided notion that they were going to repeat the feat. However, I will give them one thing - they had the fan support in spades.

Pohang is not a very large city by Korean standards. It is simply 500,000 people living on the coast - fishing folk whopp scored a steel mill. The matches were televised here at 4 am. Now ponder what it would take for you to get up in the morning at 4am - or simply stay out drinking until the match started - and then wander downtown to support a team which has little chance of winning? Don't forget, as the supporters are the Red Devils, little flashing horns are in order. Lots of red. It is crazy! I was told that during the Korea - Togo match (It was at midnight) there was 20,000 people at the beach (the big screens were there) and another 30,000 at the Pohang Steelers stadium. Thus, 10% of the population was out watching the match.

For the last two matches they set up a big screen at the front of the train station and people started to gather there around two am - young, old, drunk, sober . . . all in red and all VERY excited. The following pictures are from downtown Pohang and at Mindy's. The main reason to watch the matches at Mindy's is that at the train station there was no way to actaully see the game on the TV. To get close enough to actaully see it one would have had to set up camp at about 1 am or so. At least at Mindy's you could see what was going on and get excellent commentary by the Brits as they really know the game. I don't know that these pictures will actaully convey the degree of hysteria that occured but add to this the notion that in Seoul there were upwards of 800,000 downtown and one can see that the entire country was consumed by the fever:













It was really exciting that they beat the not-so-mighty TOGO and that because the refs missed an obvious goal the Koreans tied the French. There was total outrage accross the country when the Swiss won - to the point that I had to explain what a "Conspiracy Theory" was to my class of college students - turns out the head of FIFA is Swiss. Ah, everyone loves the dark side of human nature and everyone knows that the fix is in when there team gets out classed. Watching these matches was a life and death event and the country was crushed when it didn't make it to the knock-out round. Regardless it was a fun ride.






I have never experinced that degree of nationalism coupled with a sporting event before. I have no idea what it would take for Americans to get that excited about something. Shit, we are at war and no one seems to care much. Here was a soccer match and and the streets are filled like it was the fourth of July. In Seoul the Olympic stadium was packed with live music and fire works and all of the trimmings . . . yet it was at 4 am!!!

Needless to say my sleep patterns have been screwed up for a month as I have seen a lifetime of matches. It was fun and I wish that America was excited about this as the rest of the world . . . The main problem is that the net works can't make any money off of a sport that must be shown in two completely uninteruppted 45 minute halves. No comercials and the loot don't stack up like it should . . . The networks love thier loot!!







So it was fun and now I guess we all must wait until 2010 in South Africa . . . I think that will mean that my sleep will be screwed up again . . . Now I can go back to watching the mighty Pohang Steelers play in their unfilled stadium - they give free tickets to cops simply too make it look filled up!!

Hope all is well!!

sh

Photos and such

OK, so I know I suck. I had all of the intentions of keeping up with this damned blog and writing out deep thoughts and trying to convey what life was like in Korea and all of that jazz but like most things, life just gets in the way. It would be one thing if I was lying curled up in the fetal position wishing I was back home but I don’t. No, I am pleased where I am and for the most part things are going rather swimmingly. I can’t bitch at all. The job is good (it is still a job but it is good and occasionally fun). I bought a new bicycle. I have free time and the last thing that I have felt like doing is sitting around typing out blog type things. Now, I have been writing snail mail and that has been rewarding in its own way. But that takes time as it involves the post office and envelopes and the rest of it. So I hope that those who scored them enjoyed the read.

So I guess what I am going to do is put together a bit of a slide show and I hope you enjoy it. I will try to include captions and the like. It is simply that I am a bit tired . . .Turning 39 has made me feel very old (just kidding!!) and the children asking me why I am not married really makes me want to start a family (just kidding).

I guess we can start with the guy building my bike. He runs a little shop in the center of town and he gave me a very fair deal. He also is a total gem when it comes to helping me my rides in order. We call him Mr. Five Junction as that is where the shop is located.

One of the longer trips I took was back to Gyeongju to check out the cherry blossoms. I made the ride alone and without the aid of a map. Never a good idea.












Ending Dynasty village that is actaully inhabitated by up on sort of the wrong road I came to a village Yangdong. It is traditional Chosen period village with farmers and others who live and work in the community. From what I gather the oldest building there is around 450 years old and they often use the place as a movie set. Naturally, the day I showed up there was a photography club there and soon I had dozens of lenses pointed in my direction - as if they had never seen an scruffy American on a bicycle before!!







There were men and women in period costume and everyone was snapping photos like there was no tomorrow.



I joined in the fun as well. I really didn't want to feel left out.









There were guys doing calligraphy and everyone was crowding around them trying their best to get the perfect shot. Personally, I had no idea what they were going to do with all of the photos that they were taking. I guess they all had blogs too.


































In the end I left there and continued up the road to Gyeongju. I got there really late, had a bite to eat and then started back home. The entire trip was 50 miles and my ass really hurt. I am thinking about buying a new seat for my Fisher. I did see some cherry blossoms but I really didn't understand all of the fuss. It was pretty but not traffic jam pretty.

The bicycle that I rode to Gyeonju is my old bicycle. "Why in the hell does one need two bicycles?" Fair question. It has to do with my 'hood and the hills therein. Pohang is surrounded by these really cool hills and they are a joy to ride. The problem with my Fisher is that it is too big to play on those hills. I know this due to the spill that I took on it . . . Ah, I now have a rough idea of what it feels like to be hit in the side with a ball bat. So after biting the dust I bit the bullet. Here are picts from where we ride:


















































































































































































































The guy in the photo is a Canadian teacher by the name of Gordon. He is a very good rider and is a really nice guy. He has been riding in this area for about six months and he knows these trails really well. He and his wife, Joanne, have been teaching in Korea for about four years. Sorry to say, the both of them will be moving back to Seoul at the end of the summer.

As one can see, the terrain is varied to say the least. It is interesting, some times sort of spooky, but it is a great deal of fun and I love the fact that it takes only about five minutes for me to get to the mountain from where I live. Depending on how much time we have, we can ride anywhere from 1-3 hours. After that sponge leg sets in and it is time to hit the showers.



Since I am taking a yoga class my friends, ever freaked out by the fact that I am single, have decided that I should be dating my yoga instructor. I will grant that she is a very nice lady but there are some serious language/communication issues in the mix - like major league serious. But I go to class and we occasionally do hang out. A couple of weeks ago she thought it would be good for us to Gyeungju to see the blossoms. So I made the return trip, this time by bus. The Koreans are obsessed with these blossoms . . .I guess the whole nothern Michigan thing doesn't translate too well. They think it looks like snow when the wind blows through them . . . they haven't really figured out that snow is a pain in the ass either.

Well, it was also the opening of the Korean Rice Cake festival and it was rather amazing to say the least. Folks were getting real excited about their rice cakes. Seriously excited. The following are photos from that adventure.
















































Homeboy with the hammer is mashing rice into the paste that they use to make the rice cake which really isn't like a cake but more of a soft, chewy cookie. Some are better than others. The best ones are really good!!



















This is actually a Chinese rice cake and it kicked ass. But it turned out that this was not only about folks getting their eat on. It was also about getting their drink on with various kinds of traditional Korean beverages . . . Dat fire water will lay folks out!! The stuff in the big jars is ginseng mixed with God knows what. They were passing out shots of this stuff in little paper cups and everyone was simply slammin' the stuff. Mix and match, no one cared. They simply wanted to try as much as they could. Needless to say the crowd was rather wobbly . . .



























































































Even the yoga teacher likes to get her geek on!!







On the whole it was a lovely day and there was tons of walking and lots of eat and I am certain that I will return to that city over the summer as there are many temples that I want to see. Plus it is only a few hours ride now that I have a better map and a solid idea of what I want to see..


























The last two photos were on the way out of town. The one is of Bo near the water fall in the center of town. The other . . . well, for a society that really has no hand guns they sure seemed to want to practice their shooting skills . . . I simply liked the picture on the van. I am sure I have seen that guy swillin' at The Eastway . . .








































Well that will have to do it for the moment. I hope eveyone is doing well and that the spring is warming up things . . . looks like summer is going to be a real bitch if you need to buy gas. Sorry about that. Oh well, I guess that is what happens when you put a bunch of oil men at the helm . . . (Sorry Jim).

So things are going well here. I am keeping busy and entertained . . . for the moment, that is enough. Take care of yourselves and please play nice.

Peace,

sh