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Early Mornings and Midweek Posts.

안녕하세요.

Hello readers. Well, it's Thursday, bright and early! And I'm up gazing out the window into a perfectly dreary morning. Cloudy, grey, and rainy it is on this 6th day of May, and I can only remember to be thankful that the weather wasn't like this yesterday on my day off.

Anyway. Not really a whole lot going on in particular. It's just 7:17am and I'm not ready to get down to any kind of business yet, so here I am on Blogger.

Lately I've been making a few lifestyle changes, and I'm proud to say that they're going rather well.

1.) Wake up early

Going to bed super late at night, and then waking up very late in the morning always had me feeling kind of sluggish. I'm not really a night person. I enjoy the daylight and the sunshine. I get very few things done at night, because I feel less motivated. So, I decided that it was about time to start setting my alarm clock back a few hours.

I set my alarm to 6:15am. At first, I couldn't get myself up out of bed on time, so I set two alarms. One at 6:15am to get me out of a sleep, and another at 7:00am to get me out of bed. It went that way for a while, but more recently I've been able to get out of bed at around 6:30am with little problem.

This morning, the alarm went off at 6:15am. I clamored out of bed and crossed the room to where my alarm was, turned it off, then skedaddled back into bed. 10 minutes later I was tossing off the covers, fully awake and ready to start the day. It felt really good!

2.) Exercising

I've always been very interested in exercise. Unfortunately I've never been much with sticking to a routine. The idea of exercise is always a pleasant one, but the actual practice was hard to get into. My family is very athletic/healthy so I've always felt a bit of the odd one out.

My father is a former black belt in Taekwando who is currently a gym junkie at the age of 62.

My older brother is a marathon runner/gym junkie with experience in kick boxing and other such interesting athletics. His wife, my sister-in-law, has 9 month post-baby abs and is also a marathon runner, former rugby player.

My little brother is a cross country runner/biker/marathon runner/gym junkie, with experience in Martial arts, MMA, and is now currently training for a half iron man competition.

My mom doesn't need exercise, she's always been small, petite, and cute. She can lose 10 lbs by just eating properly, no exercise needed.

My 33 year old older sister has the body of a 20 year old.

And then there's ME! I'm not tall and svelt, like my brothers or my dad, and I'm certainly not petite like my mom. I'm quite in between. Am I totally unhappy with myself? No way! Of course I complain from time to time, who doesn't? But I was always content enough to just let things be the way they were and not change them.

However, in the past year and half the tom-boy part of me has come out to play. I love being outside. Biking, hiking, frisbee, swimming... if it's an outdoor activity I'm game. But the hard-core exercise thing has eluded me still. Until now...

Picking up my life and moving to a foreign country has done a lot for my self confidence. I've learned how to function well in a new environment and thrive. So now, the idea of exercise has become more appealing. Routines are hard to get into, sure, but when you have confidence as a beginner it's easier to keep going. Do I feel TOTALLY embarrassed at the jogging track when I can't go more than twice around without having to stop and walk? Well, yeah. But it's not the crippling kind of humiliation that makes me not want to be there. I just keep reminding myself that with time, and dedication, I'll be able to run around that thing without having to stop every quarter mile to wallow in the dirt out of pure exhaustion (not that I do that now...).

A very dear friend of mine, her name is Kalyn (Cavalier Girl),has recently reached some of her fitness goals, and has really served as an inspiration to me! Thank you Kalyn!

Also, little things like... the fact that my jeans are fitting me better now... give me confidence and keep me going. I also continue to think about all of the cute clothes I'll be able to wear in a few months if I keep this exercise thing up! Hey! A big part of me is still a girly girl!!! Don't judge!

Maybe I'll even get brave enough to start a martial art.... hm. (One step at a time, Auggie. One step at a time).

3.) Study Habits

I'm horrible at studying. I never developed good study habits. If the class was one I enjoyed, it was easy for me to retain information and study for it. If it was a class I disliked or thought was boring, I hardly even opened the book and I CERTAINLY didn't listen in class. Not that I made bad grades. I did well. But, I believe now that I certainly could have done better. In all honesty I never really had any GOALS to achieve. Graduating was about it, everything else was kind of up in the air because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life. I knew that I wanted to go to Graduate school, but for what? My ambiguous future made it difficult for me to knuckle down and concentrate well because I didn't know what to knuckle down and concentrate ON.

Now that my desires and goals are a little clearer, It's almost fun to sit down and study. Even during the times when I'm not exactly feeling like it, I spread out my books and paper, get a pencil ready, and go to it. I'm getting better.

What am I studying now? Korean mostly. I've got some high reaching goals in mind, and it's going to take a lot of work.

Another study goal? TESOL. I want to be certified just for the heck of it. I think it'll help me a lot in the future. Though I'm not expecting TESOL to be anything that difficult to study for (watch me be totally wrong).

4.) Drink More Water

This might not seem like a big one, but let me tell you, I thoroughly dislike water when I'm not absolutely 100% thirsty. Drinking a healthy amount of it every day is a REAL task for me. BUT, at least I've been drinking it. Diet soda's certainly can't give me the hydration that water can. It's getting easier, little by little, but man... water is hard to drink.

Well, there's a little bit of that.

I actually feel pretty okay about making such a random post in the middle of the week like this. It might happen more often. Maybe. Possibly.

In other new, I think I've caught a cold. BIG surprise there considering I work with a bunch of kindergarten kids who don't cover their mouths when they sneeze or cough.

Well, here's to hoping a healthier life style will help me recover more quickly.

And here's to hoping that I can keep going strong with these goals and lifestyle changes I've set and made for myself.

Thank you readers for your continued interest in my blog. I have NO idea who you are, but I know you're there!!!! My daily counter tells me so!

Family and friends State side: Enjoy Cinco De Mayo! Have some Mexican food for me.

ROK peers: Children's day is over. Back to work! Have a great day!

Your blog host,

~Auggie.

Comédie!

Another weekend another festival. This time it was the Busan International Performing Arts Festival, or 'BIPAF'. Invariably all festivals in Busan are inexplicably 'International', but this one genuinely warrants the name in that it involved productions from France, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, as well as Korea. We travelled to the 'Busan Cultural Center' in Daeyeondong, Namgu, to see a performance unambiguously titled 'Comedy' by the - according to the announcer beforehand - 'world famous' Nasser Martin-Gousset Company otherwise known as 'La Maison'. I can't speak to the veracity of this claim, but Nasser Martin Gousset does at least have a page on the French version of Wikipedia.

I'm still at the stage in Korea where I'm not necessarily clear on exactly where we are going until I get there, so I was surprised to find that the Cultural Center was perched on a hill overlooking the U.N. Cemetery which I've seen in passing before, but have yet to actually visit despite it being on my list of places to go. On a clear day the views over the city must be good - but this wasn't quite one of them. Busan has very few perfectly clear days in my experience.

The complex itself seems impressive, though I had little time to look around. There's a small park on one side of the grounds, for once reminiscent of a proper English park rather than being a codeword for 'somewhere that hasn't been built on yet'. The large buildings and their positioning relative to the city suggest that this is a place where culture is taken seriously, so Busan did well there.

The production itself seemed to begin in the manner one might expect of a traditional farce. A theft is attempted before the stage gives way to a party, complete with live jazz musicians who play at various points through the performance. The performers do well to bring the supposed 1960's atmosphere to life, but there came a point at which I began to wonder whether it was really funny. Korean humour is not, in my experience, generally noted for its subtlety, and if I, coming from a country noted for its sometimes dark, dry and often odd sense of humour, didn't get it, I wondered how the Koreans were faring. It's tempting as an English person sat feet away from fifteen French people to feel some affinity towards them - we are geographical neighbours after all - but by the time proceedings drew to a close, I was questioning the cultural divide between us was larger than the narrowness of 'La Manche' suggested.

There was a question and answer session after the end, and my wife wondered whether we should stay. It had at least been interesting, and for an event subtitled 'Defining the Boundaries of Theatre', this goal had certainly been attained in the mixing of a stage-play and live jazz music in a performance with an apparently unapologetically disjointed narrative, titled and pitched as something it might not quite be. I'm not going to pretend though - sometimes you just have to call it - it didn't click for me. Maybe that's because it strayed into "L'art pour l'art" - Art for Art's Sake - and being from both a working class and science background I need to find meaning in what I see. Perhaps I'm just not qualified to offer a critique.

The first question was not so much a question as a statement - a man stood up and said that the performance was called 'Comedy' and it was pitched as a comedy, but it didn't seem funny. A horrific silence momentarily descended over the theatre as the translator faced the reality of having to translate that. I wondered whether the BIPAF organisers had been remiss in their descriptions, because they certainly had been when they told a friend of ours it was fine to bring her ten-year old daughter - possible drug-taking, nudity in obvious silhouette behind a lit screen, simulated sex in closets, questionable acts of intimacy in public, cigar smoke wafting over the audience, all mixed with alcohol abuse and stabbings with scissors, might not be what you would ordinary choose to expose your child to. Personally, most of that's more my level, and I always welcome public displays of suggested homosexuality in the hope it encourages greater tolerance. But the director stood his ground, and follow-up questions pressed the issue. Sat in the second row, I felt trapped in the middle of a cultural clash, the mood of which might well be dangerously deteriorating, and even though there were fifteen performers - the most foreigners I've ever seen together in my time in Korea - I comforted myself in the belief that if they rushed us the remaining audience could probably fight them off.

The truth is it must be hard to face the cultural divide after working so hard for ninety minutes, and I really felt for them. It seems the French just can't catch a break in this country. Still, there is one stereotype in which English people radically differ from their French neighbours - our supposed 'stiff-upper lip' forces us to hide our true feelings in the face of adversity - something I find to be an extremely important survival attribute in Korea. French people on the other hand, have a rather delightful if possibly misunderstood reputation for not always hiding their unhappiness. I noticed immediately once the questions began, but said nothing. The Koreans in our party noticed anyway. Somehow the photo I took of the question and answer session reminded me of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, and the mood was about as ominous.

5,600 miles is a long way to travel to be told you're not funny. I know.

The clash of cultures continued as Korea's hierarchical society next wanted each performer to state their age. One lady answered 'twelve'. Bravo!

Fortunately some less controversial questions and statements were made, and then the mood was somewhat salvaged by the Asian performer on the stage. She was asked via the translator if she was Korean. Logically, the chances of this were astronomically low despite the Korean-Wave belief that Koreans might in fact be secretly involved in every facet of society overseas. But she was. This was a major revelation for almost everyone concerned, including it seemed, our Korean translator who had seemed to struggle in her role. The Korean-French performer then largely took over the answering of questions, the mood warmed up, everyone left more placated and a fight was avoided.

—

Busanmike.blogspot.com

Twitter: @BusanMike
YouTube: /BusanMikeVideo
Flickr: /busanmike

Asocial

Not sure if it’s a word, but I’d describe myself as ‘asocial’ here. Meaning mainly that I avoid groups of people, be it Korean or cracker, like the plague. Well, more than I care to admit, I get stuck sitting/drinking/walking with such a group. Usually smoke twice as much, all my two pack days involved gatherings. My main problem with groups, I think, has to do with my generation’s general “I’m special, listen to me, look at me” insecure overcompensating. But I’m a pub person so that makes sense.

Maybe I just had enough of it in middle/high school and it’s becoming more clear to me that I’m in the minority. Most people love to chit chat about nothing for 10-15 minutes and then, hey! We’re friends. I loved the minibuses in Laos that were always packed. At least half the people would start out with the lame traveler’s banter and I’d patiently wait it out until the sweet, awkward silence overtook them. I’m a people watcher and that was some good gandering. Could see the discomfort at not being able to trade their “awesome stories” and rectify the imbalance of the overall quiet. They usually didn’t though. That’s when the Ipods came out.

So I will not go to the fucking beach today and sit around listening to verbal diaherria and those goddamn acoustic guitar guys. Heading to art shop for glue and scouring my localities abandoned wood/furniture, looking for chair parts. A chair that I will never, fucking ever make a point of telling everyone within 50 feet about because I’m not special. I’m asocial.

Wiki Rummage #2: Stress Management

This post is a summary of the information on the Wikipedia article, as well as some of my own advice that I've composed from over the past year. I hope that you might find at least some of it useful.

Workplace stress is the harmful physical and emotional response that arises when there is a poor match between job demands and the ability of the worker to cope with it. As well as the emotional strain involved, it takes a physical toll on the body that can be measured. During times of stress, levels of the hormone cortisol rise in your bloodstream and interfere with normal bodily processes. People living highly stressful lives can suffer from sleep disorders, mood disturbances and suppressed immune systems. If you work under stressful conditions for extended periods, you are also putting yourself at a greater risk of developing chronic cardiovascular disease.

Happy and motivated workers are more productive and less inclined to make mistakes. St Paul Marine and Fire Insurance Company has conducted several studies on the effects of stress prevention programs in hospital settings. In one study, the frequency of medication errors declined by 50% after prevention activities were implemented in a 700-bed hospital. Dealing with stress will not only make you a better worker, you also owe it to yourself to lead a more enjoyable and rewarding life.

Most of the stress management advice online describes what I think of as 'winding down' or distraction techniques. They're useful to know, but there are also some broader ideas that I want to note here. It can all be broken down into three main points:

Boost your ability to cope
Focus on non-material goals
Build close personal relationships

We'll talk about these more in a second, because first I want to talk about emotions.

Emotions are what make us human. They're not a bad thing in that sense. However, they often get us into trouble and it's quite possible that the deliberately emotionless Vulcan race from Star Trek have a good point. I think we shouldn't try to deny our feelings, but if we let our feelings override our logic, it can often be most detrimental to ourselves. We all feel angry at times, but you'll probably be hard pressed to remember the last time that a situation improved after you had an angry outburst.

I think the more primitive emotions are the ones we need to focus on getting under control. How many situations can you think of involve the best solution being for everyone to panic? Things like anger, panic or fear are primitive psychological responses emanating from our amygdala, an ancient part of the brain that we evolutionarily share with lizards. They're not often useful for your average homo sapien in a developed world. Another proof that they're primitive is that less neurologically complex organisms experience them. For example, you can make a snake, a spider or even an ant angry if you want to. Birds can be seen to panic when cornered, and the humble shrew has been known to die of fear at the sound of a thunderstorm.

Perhaps the better emotions to savour, as a more cultured entity, are the sophisticated and subtle ones, like mild amusement, melancholy or nostalgia.

Anyway, the main point I want to make here is that you can avoid making a lot of bad situations worse if you can learn to control your emotions.

So back to those three main points...

Boosting your ability to cope all comes down to what we were talking about when there is a 'poor match between work demands and your ability to cope'. If the boss wants you to submit three reports by Friday but you are only realistically capable of completing one, then you're going to be stressed. On the other hand, if you could churn out four experiments by next week, but you're only required to complete two, then you're going to be feeling pretty good about yourself. Therefore, you can tackle the stress by either lowering the demand (ie. negotiating with your boss for a more realistic deadline) or boosting your ability to cope. Because the former is often not a valid option due to the fickle mannerisms of the boss species, let's focus on the latter.

Most of the winding down and distraction techniques fall into this category. Listening to music, going for a walk, meditation, healthy food and regular exercise are all ways to energise yourself so that you can tackle your challenges with more bounce in your step. Getting a good sleep at night and eating a large breakfast in the morning can also work wonders. Heather and I have been dabbling with meditation for a few months now and it really helps to clear your mind. I'll post about it in a couple of weeks.

Focus on non-material goals. The monks have it right when they say that the root cause of all human suffering is desire. The more things you want, the more pain you put yourself through to get them and the more pain you feel when you lose them. Material goals are things like more money, a nicer house or getting that degree. It has been well documented that increasing amounts of money beyond the average income do not correspond to increasing happiness. Deep down we all know that becoming filthy rich would probably transform us into selfish, suspicious and reckless people, yet we can't help but fantasise about it. Sixty thousand dollar shoes might make you feel good for a week, but overindulgence numbs us to the things that really matter. Getting a title or a promotion is also a material goal, because it is something that can be taken away. Non-material goals on the other hand, are intangible. Working because you want to become a better person is a non-material goal. The pursuit of wisdom is another. Some PhD students are utterly fixated on getting their degree, which really is just a piece of paper. The non-material goal they should be focusing on is the life experience that one gains while doing the work. No one can take that away, and therefore the benefits are long lasting. Keep this in mind when you get up in the morning. Try to think of the reasons you work, apart from the paycheck.

Build close personal relationships. Being the social monkeys that we are, having meaningful relationships with others gives true meaning to life. If we evolved from snakes or stick insects, we'd probably be perfectly happy living everyday alone. But that wasn't the case. Friends gives us an avenue to vent our frustrations and a way to share our successes. People who are very stressed in the workplace may notice that their relationships with others aren't going too well. Conversely, if you get along magnificently with everyone at work, it's likely that your job will be enjoyable even if the workload is tough. True friends give us realistic feedback and emotional support when it's needed most. But not all of your personal relationships have to be good friends. Being polite and friendly to the security ajossi in your building can work wonders at a later date when you need his help to move out. Remembering someone's name with a friendly smile can also set the wheels in motion for a future working partnership. Simply put, building relationships is an investment in time and effort, but the dividends are long-lasting and good for everyone involved.

The American Psychological Association also reinforces these ideas with their "10 Ways to Build Resilience", which are:

maintain good relationships with close family members, friends and others
avoid seeing crises or stressful events as unbearable problems
accept circumstances that cannot be changed
develop realistic goals and move towards them
take decisive actions in adverse situations
look for opportunities of self-discovery after a struggle with loss
develop self-confidence
keep a long-term perspective and consider stressful events in a broader context
maintain a hopeful outlook, expecting good things and visualizing what is wished
take care of one's mind and body, exercise regularly, pay attention to one's own needs and feelings and engage in relaxing activities that one enjoys.

So along with these little pearls of wisdom, remember to Boost, Focus and Build. None of us can avoid stressful situations entirely, but we can always change the way deal with them.

Good luck!

the little wolves come out to play

Today the little wolves came out to play.

Children's Day, is a pretty important holiday in Korea. In all fairness, I think the wolves deserve it as they all go to too many schools the rest of the year, they should have one day off to act like kids and be spoiled rotten.

So we headed to the mountains ...

... and did some serious colouring ...

This is Kenny.

He is a strange looking little guy,

who speaks in the third person,

dances like a child possessed,

and knows the answer to every question.

Annie Teacher is a big fan.

.. and recently, so are the other girls ..

Then it was picture time.

Line up.

Group shot!

.. and back to school ...

Good Bye Honorable Class.

Hello Natural Class.

They are big Beatles fans.

"Lawrence, how are you today".

"I am happy."

"Why?"

"Because teacher is pretty."

"Andy, how are you today?"

"I am angry today teacher."

"Why?"

"Because teacher is not pretty."

He's also quite the photographer.

These two are his photos...

Zombie Attack!

Really, today a zombie took over my body and replaced bubbly, happy teacher with lethargic, dizzy, congested, coughing teacher. Oh wait, that was exactly how I've felt for the past week. Obviously, it's been a zombie all along and not just a cold. All I have to say is thank god for my co-teacher, who took over the bulk of the classes today while I alternately checked homework and swayed dizzily. Note to self: cold medicine and coffee really doesn't mix so well.

Why I am ending my sick hiatus if I still feel stuck in zombie land? Because I'm procrastinating doing my French homework I think I shall gorge myself on Swiss chocolate (I LOVE YOU MOM/DAD/KAREN!!!!), have another cup of ill advised coffee and get to work. I know, I know, I should be resting it's just that there is so much to do and only so many hours to do it in. Tomorrow I don't have any work (Children's Day!) so I plan on lounging on the beach, reading a book, and dozing in the sun. Next to my box of tissues, medicine, and sunblock of course!

—

http://aaaalexsadventuresinasia.blogspot.com/

Filipino Market, Hyewha-dong, Seoul

Operating between the hours of 10am – 5pm every Sunday, the Filipino market in Hyewha-dong is an essential part of Seoul’s Filipino community, many of whom attend services at the nearby Catholic Church.

The market sells a range of imported goods including super-strength San Miguel, tinned fish and even fresh papaya – the sort of small comforts that provide a connection to home for immigrant communities all over the world (kind of like costco without the massive trolleys)

Unsurprisingly, the busiest stalls (and the ones I was most interested in) were those selling hot food. Filipino sausages, fried rice, deep fried spring rolls and curries dominated. For 6000 won, Sarah and I got a plate with a few different types of curries and noodles to share.

This was my first experience of Filipino food, and although I have forgotten most of the names, I haven’t forgotten the sensation. The impression I got was of mellow, harmonious flavours acheived with a sparing use of chili, plenty of coconut milk and a touch of sugar to ever so slightly turn things up at the edges.

Standouts included a creamy curry made with whole boiled quails eggs, peas and cauliflower, and a dish made with chopped liver. There was also a samosa/cornish pastie style pastry snack that had been filled with potatos, paprika and empanada.

It would take a couple of visits to get through the lot, but unfortunately it looks like the market in it’s present state may not be there for much longer. Seoul Metropolitan Government recently decided to relocate the Filipino vendors to make room for a fountain or something equally banal.

A vendor there told us the market was currently under “observation” and that her pavement space had been cut down. Whether the ten or twelve buses full of riot police just down the street had anything to do with that “observation” I can’t say, but I do know that to lose the market would be a blow to any hopes the Government have of making Seoul a modern, vibrant tourist destination.

Filipino Market next to Hyewha Catholic Church: Exit 1, Hyewha Subway Station

Contemporary European Film at Busan Cinematheque

CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN CINEMA SERIES

Where: Busan Cinematheque

When: May 7-23

This month, the Busan Cinematheque is running a series of films by contemporary European directors. Unfortunately, it’s a pretty sad sample and most of the continent’s greatest working auteurs are conspicuously absent. Apart from the “Four Seasons” by Eric Rohmer (who, as of January, can sadly no longer be called a contemporary), the only film worth checking out is Bela Tarr’s “Werckmeister Harmonies.” Clocking in at a mere 2 hours and 25 minutes, it’s much less of a commitment than sitting down to watch Tarr’s other masterpiece, a 7 and a half hour beast of a movie appropriately entitled “Satantango.” Other than the obvious difference in length, both films share a unique vision of the world that translates on-screen into pure cinematic bliss. But unless you’re brave enough to gamble 8 hours of your time on one of my recommendations, I advise you to start with the considerably trimmer “Werckmeister Harmonies”.

Films With English Subtitles:

A Summer’s Tale (Eric Rohmer, 1996)

A Tale of Spring (Eric Rohmer, 1990)

Werckmeister Harmonies (Bela Tarr, 2000)

Smoking (Alain Resnais, 1993)

No Smoking (Alain Resnais, 1993)

The Secret of the Grain (Abdel Kechiche, 2007)

Games of Love and Chance (Abdel Kechiche, 2003)

Eccentricities of a Blond Hair Girl (Manoel de Oliveira, 2009)

Roofers new rooftop

Author's note: A version of this article was published in May 2010's issue of the Groove Magazine.With a name like Roofers, you'd think a rooftop would be a main attraction. I'm happy to report that the rooftop of Roofers is now open for business, brews, and good times.Once upon a time, the rooftop had only a few tables and a barbecue - not exactly a lot going on. Thankfully, the powers that be