Downtown Seoul
With the end of September comes the final batch of photos from my trip to Seoul. These photos highlight the cultural aspects of the trip including a trip to Gyeongbokgung Palace where I witnessed a traditional ceremony which closely resembled a changing of the guard. I also stumbled upon Seodaemun Prison. It was a prison where Koreans were held during the Japanese occupation. I happened upon it as I spent the morning in a large park in the middle of Seoul. There are also a few snaps of Seoul which I took from the Seoul tower high above the city. Finally I ventured to one of the national museums and found a real wealth of history; I had to pull myself away from it as it was the last stop of my trip and I had to get to the train station to head back to Daegu. It really was a full weekend full of stark contrasts between these cultural aspects, the visit to the Joint Security Area and the International Noise Conference. These events combined with my wonderfully vibrant and seemingly alive hostel "Bong World" right downtown Seoul made for an adventure I won't soon forget.

                                                        Murder Bike
The words "true love" come to mind when I think about my new bicycle, promptly named Murder Bike. I picked it up (my first road bike) from a wonderful bike shop called Paramount Bikes last night. I've been weaving in and out of the Daegu traffic ever since. I was so excited that I biked all the way home from the shop; ten subway stops later and a little more than halfway across the city I reached my door happy as a lark. After the first ten minutes I got used to the way things are done and was quick to notice the bike lanes when they were available. It's really a dream come true to have a bike like this; I'm going to be biking everywhere and anywhere.

My six minute walk to work has been cut down to a two minute bike ride; half of which is spent walking down my stairs bike in hand to the street below. I plan on going out early in the mornings before school and riding until my knees give out in the morning calm. I have a flashing red light on the back too, so I'm going to make a point of going on relaxing evening rides in the cool autumn air. I'm looking forward to exploring the city and surrounding areas.

Daegu really is a great city. Two girls ran up to me on my walk home from the market today holding a couple of dollar bills and smiling and almost yelling in Korean. I was caught off guard and didn't know what was going on but as they acted it out I realized that the money had fallen out of my pocket and they had been kind enough to notice and chase after me with it when they could have easily pocketed it.

As my first month in South Korea comes to an end it seems like only yesterday that I was being greeted by Oh for the first time at the Daegu Bus Station. He remarked on it too as we were walking to the bank today; congratulating me on my first two months in Daegu. We both had a good laugh at the oversight. I feel like I've really adjusted to life here. It was very nice to receive my first pay cheque.

                                                                 DMZ
On Saturday September 20th 2008 I went on a tour of the United Nations Joint Security Area between The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (North Korea) and The Republic of Korea (South Korea). The JSA nestled within the Demilitarized Zone is located right on the border between the North and South. The slab of concrete you see in the middle of the two buildings marks the actual border between the two countries. The blue buildings are the conference rooms which are regularly used for negotiations between the two sides. The building in the distance is a North Korean building. The three visable soldiers are South Korean. Under military escort we were able to tour the facilities on the South Korean side. When we entered the conference building we were permitted to cross the negotiation table and physically be inside North Korea; though only by a few meters. We were required to sign waivers which plainly stated that if we were killed or injured as a result of 'enemy action' they would not be held responsible. The experience was surreal.

                                     International Noise Conference
I spent the weekend in Seoul, South Korea. I did many things and had a truly fantastic time. I'll be making posts throughout the week which will be specific to certain events. The first post, the one you are reading now, will feature my take on the International Noise Conference which I attended on the 20th of September 2008.

The INC featured about fifteen acts, though I was late getting to the party and missed about half of them. Regardless, those that I did see completely blew me away. The one man who seemingly stole the show was Justice Yeldham (pictured above). Hailing from Australia and armed with a pain of broken glass and a handful of pedals and other neat effects he bled and groaned the audience into loving him. I was particularly excited to see his performance because I had read a number of reviews of his shows and quite honestly didn't think they could be true; but I was pleasantly surprised. He made a real fan out of me.

There were also notable sets by NYC's Fuck You Pizza who literally demolished everything in sight and Miami's Laundry Room Squelchers featuring the one and only Rat Bastard who began putting on INC's in Miami about five years ago. This was the last stop on the INC world tour and boy oh boy it was a beauty. There were a number of mezmorizing Korean noise folks whose names escape me; though I can tell you that every single act that I saw delivered a passionate and much appreciated performance.

The Yogiga Gallery was the perfect spot for the event as its dreary dark setting was a great contrast to the artistic expirimentation that was to be held within its walls. Above all, it felt really good to go to a show where people really "got it".

                                          Exploring Seomun Market
The Seomun market is a circus. I was given the opportunity to check out the market with Oh's family yesterday. They have just about everything anyone could ever want; fresh vegetables, fish, as well as other things such as fabrics, clothing, house hold items and so on. We spent the better part of an hour wandering the crowded streets of the market and were only able to see roughly 20% of it. It was a very unique experience to say the least.

The Chuseok has been a great time; yesterday I spent the day with Oh and his family. Apart from exploring the market we had a delicious lunch of Sushi at his home and we just relaxed and watched the Korean baseball team beat the Cubans for the Olympic gold medal. Oh admitted that it was the fifth time that he had watched that game; it's been running virtually nonstop for over a week and a half. Oh is helping me in my search for a bicycle; we looked at many online and when I get my first pay cheque he'll be helping me buy it. He was pushing this weird looking model of bike that folds up and is convenient to carry just about anywhere; but I think I'm going to buy a sleek little road bike so I'll be able to travel long distances and see all there is to see. The prices are very low here and shipping is virtually non existent. I think the biggest difference; coming from Canada I'm very used to high shipping prices as it has to travel such a long distance but in Korea, a very small country geographically speaking shipping is free for items over $30 from within the country.

Later in the evening we went out for an amazing Mongolian style dinner. The primary course involved what was very similar to a stew but it was quite spicy. The table had a hot plate built right into it so you cooked your food right infront of you. There were many vegetables and side dishes of kimchi and onions; very nutricious. The second course included adding noodles to the stew after the meat had been eaten and finally the third course featured rice, eggs, peppers and other interesting things. The broth was drained and the rice and eggs were mixed into the pot and broiled. The end result was incredibly delicious, not to mention filling. It was a wonderful day with them; I really enjoy their company.

Next weekend I plan to make a trip to Seoul for the INC (International Noise Conference) and also to go on a tour of the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. It should make for a very exciting time. I'll be taking the KPX bullet train; it costs about $30 and gets you to Seoul in about ninety minutes compared to the bus which takes over five hours.

Today I found a very nice bookstore with a great selection of English classics. It was a small victory.

                                                          Fitness Day
I've included a few photos from the government sponsored yearly fitness test that took place at my school this morning. It was a very easy day as there were no classes and everyone was having fun; the school gave the teachers, myself included the biggest pears I've seen in my life along with other treats to celebrate the Cheosuk (Korean Thanksgiving). After the fitness test was completed and after we had enjoyed a very nice lunch the principal declared that it would only be a half day of work and sent everyone home. I'm very impressed with my school; they go the extra mile to make everyone happy. I enjoyed my afternoon off as I decided to travel to the Seomun market which is just about a five minute subway ride away. I was completely floored by how massive the market was and how many different foods were being sold. I didn't take my camera along but I surely will the next time I'm out; it's really something. Happy Cheosuk!

                                                Lunch with the Vice
I've been having the time of my life in Korea. It's day thirteen and today has been one of my best days so far; which is high praise considering I have yet to have a bad day. The photo above was snapped earlier today during an especially delicious traditional Korean lunch. I'm not exactly sure what everything was but I do know it was seafood. The lunch was a particularly important one with my fellow co-teachers and my vice principal. It was a fantastic time as we all took our shoes off, sat on the ground and laughed and ate throughout the lunch hour. There were many side dishes containing all kinds of things. I am thoroughly enjoying the food; it's all so tasty as well as healthy.

Oh and his wife Soo have invited me over to their home to celebrate Chuseok this weekend. Chuseok is a traditional holiday in Korea that follows the lunar Korean calendar. From what I've gathered it's a celebration of the good harvest and family ancestory. It's capped off by a feast of traditional Korean food. I can't wait to experience it. I'm also planning on hiking Palgonsan mountain this weekend. It's the largest of the mountains which surround Daegu and is home to the Donghwasa Buddhist temple. Needless to say I'm really looking forward to this four day long weekend.

I couldn't be happier with my school. I'm really coming alive in my teaching as I get to know the routine and how things are done here. I don't want to speak too soon as I've only been in the class room for a little over a week; but I'm absolutely loving it. The teaching atmosphere is very positive and the students are very eager to learn. I had to give a speech infront of the entire student body yesterday as a part of a general assembly that was taking place. It was a little unnerving considering I wasn't aware of the assembly or my role in it until ten minutes prior to going on. Regardless it was a very interesting experience and I rose to the occasion.

Life in Daegu is very nice. I feel very safe and comfortable. I've been enjoying the local markets near my home; I'm able to buy a large water melon for two dollars Canadian; and a large sack of apples for three dollars. The locally grown food is dirt cheap and very delicious. Last night my local grocer who speaks a little English asked me if I was a soldier. I couldn't be more proud to tell him that I was infact a teacher and a Canadian at that. He smiled widely at the news. Though the country is seemingly crawling with American soldiers due to all of the army bases I lucked out in Daegu as there are virtually none.

I'm constantly making travel plans as flights are very cheap throughout Asia. The biggest hurdle is getting here; but once you're here you're set. My first trip will be to Jeju Island for a long weekend. The little island is located just south of Korea and the whole place is a UNESCO world heritage site. It's beautifully preserved and flights to the island are as low as $150 return from Daegu. Roundtrip flights to Japan, China, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and beyond range from $200 to $400 respectively. I fully intend on taking advantage of this great opportunity to see the world!

                                                    First Day of Class
Ohh the madness. From class to class with a video camera and playing the shoe game to get to know everyone. What a whirlwind.