I've had a lot of unusual conversations since I moved to Korea and many of them have been in taxis. The fact that the stand-out conversation was with a guy who spoke flawless English because he came from the US should be telling. If that conversation was the weird one, what's normal?
One stand out "normal" conversation occurred when I returned from my Christmas break a few years ago, before I met my wife. It was December 31, and I arrived at the airport after the last bus had left. I took a taxi, and the driver listened intently to the radio which counted down to midnight. "In one minute," he explained, "Happy New Year." We counted down as he drove,and soon he turned to me and said "Happy New Year." I said it back, and hoped he didn't know about the tradition of kissing after the countdown. Thankfully, he either didn't know or pretended not to.
I thought of these conversations as I recently had another to add to the list. I was up early on a Saturday which either is a sin listed in the Bible or should be. I took a taxi, named my location, and we were on our way. The driver had a television which showed the news. As I tried to piece together what little Korean I knew to make sense, he helped with "Did you hear the breaking news?"
"No," I replied.
He nodded and continued to drive.
I continued to watch, but I read and hear Korean too slow and only saw boats in the ocean. The news switched to the weather, and curiosity got the better of me.
"What happened?" I asked.
"Last night, Korea, big problem."
I waited, but that was it. He watched the weather and continued on.
I waited as the news anchor came back, then the boats again. I ventured a guess.
"North Korea?"
"No," he shook his head. "Maybe."
Maybe?
I smiled and called it a day as far as my interview was concerned. I'd find out later.
Thanks to BBC news I later found out an explosion caused a South Korean boat to sink. Who or what caused the explosion remains to be seen. Hence the "No, maybe."
All this to say, when we get to the US, I have got to find a Korea town.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Revenge What?
The use of the word porn as a pejorative is understandable, due to its nature,which leads into the recent and gradual trend of giving the label to pretty much anything. Romantic comedies and vampire movies are emotional porn (not that I disagree, but others have spoken better on this subject). Closeups of food related carnage earned the label as well. Who knows? Maybe the first, wordy sentence of this post will earn the label of "redundant sentence porn". If so, I'm denying all credibility of such nasty and unfounded falsehoods in advance. Well I never.
All this to say, I've avoided revenge porn like the plague. It's popular, and usually involves watching horrible people get what they deserve. It's just what feeds a person with anger issues and therefore needs to be avoided by such a person like the plague. Somewhere between Punisher and Man on Fire I got the point. Redemption was scarce or absent, leaving me with no hope but to forget about it. Punisher? No problem. Denzel's movie? Not so easy. He's just that good.
Recently I rewatched Memento and remembered what makes it so good, beyond the suspense and subtle dark humor. It's a story (SPOILER! DANGER!) about making a case for revenge, even when the only person left to blame may be yourself. It's good for people like me to ponder.
I also watched Tarentino's latest flick which can only be described as the ultimate revenge porn. On a human level, who doesn't want to watch Nazis get what they deserve? This is exactly why I tried to avoid it until I heard a fun fact--the director notes the irony. The title would be a hint, but beyond that the setting of the final battle is a bloody propoganda film. Not my observation, by the way. I read it in a review. I wish I was that smart, but no.
Several times the director causes the viewer to laugh at the pain of cruel men and then say "Shame on you." And I laugh harder, because it reminds me that this is just a movie. And real life people like me, we don't thrive on revenge, because that's not how it works. Maybe for fictional heroes and villains, but not for us. We've got better things to do. After the movie, of course.
All this to say, I've avoided revenge porn like the plague. It's popular, and usually involves watching horrible people get what they deserve. It's just what feeds a person with anger issues and therefore needs to be avoided by such a person like the plague. Somewhere between Punisher and Man on Fire I got the point. Redemption was scarce or absent, leaving me with no hope but to forget about it. Punisher? No problem. Denzel's movie? Not so easy. He's just that good.
Recently I rewatched Memento and remembered what makes it so good, beyond the suspense and subtle dark humor. It's a story (SPOILER! DANGER!) about making a case for revenge, even when the only person left to blame may be yourself. It's good for people like me to ponder.
I also watched Tarentino's latest flick which can only be described as the ultimate revenge porn. On a human level, who doesn't want to watch Nazis get what they deserve? This is exactly why I tried to avoid it until I heard a fun fact--the director notes the irony. The title would be a hint, but beyond that the setting of the final battle is a bloody propoganda film. Not my observation, by the way. I read it in a review. I wish I was that smart, but no.
Several times the director causes the viewer to laugh at the pain of cruel men and then say "Shame on you." And I laugh harder, because it reminds me that this is just a movie. And real life people like me, we don't thrive on revenge, because that's not how it works. Maybe for fictional heroes and villains, but not for us. We've got better things to do. After the movie, of course.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Reality Check and Music Review
Haven't written about much non-fictional lately, (unless you count reality TV, which I don't) so I'm writing a list of stuff I actually did lately to make me feel better. Cause that's what matters, me feeling better.
1. I started reading a lot of books about education, and recently a book and material about ESL. I still give others/myself a hard time when they say I'm going to study ESL ("Study 'teaching ESL!'" I speak English good), but the truth is I love it, and God's used some good books to reinforce its value. I might have to work on my bar tending skills while I save up some cash for my classes, but whatever it takes, it's nice to know it's toward something worthwhile. Unless I start to like bar tending, which is possible. Or Barnes and Noble. Or whatever.
2. I had a student get so loud he set off his own hearing aid. He hollered, it rang, then he said "Oh" and adjusted it accordingly. He settled down a bit after that.
3. I bought fair trade coffee again. It's expensive even for fair trade, but isn't showing everyone at the cashier counter you're a good person worth it? I think so.
4. I realized I'm a bad, bad man. Those of you who know me well may think I'm being sarcastic, but behind this calm exterior lies a boiling pot of rage. I made it a goal to never yell, which I usually do quite well with. But the result is like that movie character who congratulates himself for walking into a bar, fighting, and not drinking anything. Sure, he didn't get drunk, but that wasn't the problem. That's me and cynicism. Or verbal knives in any shape and form. But I don't yell.
However it reveals itself, my default emotion is anger. I admitted it's a problem and made apologies where necessary. That may be skipping a few steps here and there, but oh well. I'm not sure I'll ever know what that verse about calling someone fool and being in danger of hellfire really means, but I know angry words have hurt a hell of a lot of people and that at least is motivation enough. It'll stop.
5. I had a great weekend going on a series of dates with my wife. We need to do this more often. Married couples out there, do this more often. If you don't, bad things will happen. Or you'll get bored, which is actually one of those bad things. Enjoy (your beverage of choice) together.
6. I also met up with good, like minded friends around that time. I feel clique-ish saying words like like-minded, but in the midst of diverse friendships I do enjoy having friends who understand what I'm talking about. Thanks, friends.
7. We're packing up boxes and thinking about reverse culture shock. US, please be kind.
8. I made something delicious using mushrooms, rice, cut up garlic and butter. Yes, I'm bragging. It was good.
9. I got a couple of CDs after I thought of how much I enjoyed select songs from them. Marvin Gaye's What's Going On was definitely worth more than just the title song. A few of the songs in places blended together like one long song, which made for a good effect in driving home his themes. It sounds good without being shallow or gimmicky. This is pop I can listen to.
I also got a greatest hits CD of David Bowie from the late 70s, or pre-Labyrinth era. I could still hear the Goblin King in some of the songs growing up in the 80s, but the original version of "Heroes" was worth it. I've talked about how that defines a lot of my feelings this year in a previous post, so I won't blabber about it now. But it's still reminding me of a lot of good things, and that's needed as ever.
Are Bowie's other songs worth it? "Golden Years" is still fun, as are a few others, like "Fame" (if you listen to it every once and a while) but dated numbers like 1984 (Disco? Worse. Wannabe disco. Yikes) make one cringe if one isn't a disco-loving cartoon character. Or maybe especially if one is. One of those.
Whatever the case, my wife and I are following Him towards a gradual goal and the rest is just soundtrack.
1. I started reading a lot of books about education, and recently a book and material about ESL. I still give others/myself a hard time when they say I'm going to study ESL ("Study 'teaching ESL!'" I speak English good), but the truth is I love it, and God's used some good books to reinforce its value. I might have to work on my bar tending skills while I save up some cash for my classes, but whatever it takes, it's nice to know it's toward something worthwhile. Unless I start to like bar tending, which is possible. Or Barnes and Noble. Or whatever.
2. I had a student get so loud he set off his own hearing aid. He hollered, it rang, then he said "Oh" and adjusted it accordingly. He settled down a bit after that.
3. I bought fair trade coffee again. It's expensive even for fair trade, but isn't showing everyone at the cashier counter you're a good person worth it? I think so.
4. I realized I'm a bad, bad man. Those of you who know me well may think I'm being sarcastic, but behind this calm exterior lies a boiling pot of rage. I made it a goal to never yell, which I usually do quite well with. But the result is like that movie character who congratulates himself for walking into a bar, fighting, and not drinking anything. Sure, he didn't get drunk, but that wasn't the problem. That's me and cynicism. Or verbal knives in any shape and form. But I don't yell.
However it reveals itself, my default emotion is anger. I admitted it's a problem and made apologies where necessary. That may be skipping a few steps here and there, but oh well. I'm not sure I'll ever know what that verse about calling someone fool and being in danger of hellfire really means, but I know angry words have hurt a hell of a lot of people and that at least is motivation enough. It'll stop.
5. I had a great weekend going on a series of dates with my wife. We need to do this more often. Married couples out there, do this more often. If you don't, bad things will happen. Or you'll get bored, which is actually one of those bad things. Enjoy (your beverage of choice) together.
6. I also met up with good, like minded friends around that time. I feel clique-ish saying words like like-minded, but in the midst of diverse friendships I do enjoy having friends who understand what I'm talking about. Thanks, friends.
7. We're packing up boxes and thinking about reverse culture shock. US, please be kind.
8. I made something delicious using mushrooms, rice, cut up garlic and butter. Yes, I'm bragging. It was good.
9. I got a couple of CDs after I thought of how much I enjoyed select songs from them. Marvin Gaye's What's Going On was definitely worth more than just the title song. A few of the songs in places blended together like one long song, which made for a good effect in driving home his themes. It sounds good without being shallow or gimmicky. This is pop I can listen to.
I also got a greatest hits CD of David Bowie from the late 70s, or pre-Labyrinth era. I could still hear the Goblin King in some of the songs growing up in the 80s, but the original version of "Heroes" was worth it. I've talked about how that defines a lot of my feelings this year in a previous post, so I won't blabber about it now. But it's still reminding me of a lot of good things, and that's needed as ever.
Are Bowie's other songs worth it? "Golden Years" is still fun, as are a few others, like "Fame" (if you listen to it every once and a while) but dated numbers like 1984 (Disco? Worse. Wannabe disco. Yikes) make one cringe if one isn't a disco-loving cartoon character. Or maybe especially if one is. One of those.
Whatever the case, my wife and I are following Him towards a gradual goal and the rest is just soundtrack.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
The Oscar Grouch
The Academy Awards usually make me cranky or at least disappointed, but this time while some of their nominations seemed insanely weak, the winners make sense. I haven't seen the Hurt Locker, but I know it has its reputation for a reason and look forward to seeing it. I think Up should have won because Pixar movies (with one or two exceptions) are that good, but the US hasn't reached that level of security yet. Yes, in the age of Simpsons people still see cartoons as kids stuff. Still, a nomination says a lot; this is a great victory for animated rights. Maybe in a decade or so we'll see Buzz Lightyear stepping up to recieve a big kids award. Or even get invited. Baby steps, though. (poignant pause) Baby steps.
Actually, I want to see most of the movies on the list,The Blind Side included. Stupid work. Why do you have to be so important?
Actually, I want to see most of the movies on the list,The Blind Side included. Stupid work. Why do you have to be so important?
Monday, March 1, 2010
Fun with Plagerism
Shame on you, James Cameron. So, does Disney's Pocahontas win a retro Oscar? Is there no justice?
http://failblog.org/2010/01/10/avatar-plot-fail/
http://failblog.org/2010/01/10/avatar-plot-fail/
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