Graham's Blog

They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To

2011-09-30T23:55:00.000-06:00

Test

2011-09-21T10:48:00.000-06:00

Concept 19 Sept 2011 by g_emde

Foods

2011-09-15T01:25:00.000-06:00

I've been busy in the kitchen since moving to Denver. Three pizzas (one bbqed), oreo ice cream, dark rye bread, cappuccinos, French onion soup (unpictured), and giant gourmet burgers that sadly weren't from scratch.

The Lorax

2011-09-12T12:26:00.000-06:00

My first assigned "reading" of my International Development program. I think I'm going to enjoy being back in school.

Revival

2011-05-07T18:45:00.004-06:00

By the way, my faithful followers may have noticed that I took a 6 month break from posting. I apologize. It must have been disappointing when you came to my blog every day.
In celebration of me becoming a regular blogger again (don't hedge your bets), I'm posting what might be one of my favorite photos ever. And Jenni will kill me if I take credit for it. It was all her.

Whats Up With This

2011-05-07T18:37:00.003-06:00

I'm not sure which is more surprising ... the fact that Osama bin Laden was actually found or this page.

Big Fan

2010-11-03T22:06:00.001-06:00

Fish Heads

2010-11-03T07:46:00.006-06:00

Jen and friends and I went to Salmon Festival on the coast. (They really have a festival for everything here.) They ask you if you want the head when they gut it for you.

Birthday Chicken

2010-11-03T07:15:00.009-06:00

I made this for Jen for her birthday last week. I'll admit, I'm proud of how it turned out.

I'm also proud to be with such a wonderful woman.

How to Get Your Cat to Stop Scooting Its Butt

2010-08-10T05:47:00.003-06:00

Lola has a scooting problem. She scooted her butt on Jenni's bed sheets today. Pretty gross.

Upon Jenni's request, I began to search "how to get your cat to stop scooting its butt" in the google search toolbar, but before I got there, I noticed some of the suggestions that google offered.

Here are the top 10 "how to" google searches

1. tie a tie
2. train your dragon
3. kiss
4. destroy angels
5. lose weight fast
6. draw
7. write a resume
8. get a passport
9. write a cover letter
10. lose weight

And here are the top 10 "how to get your cat" searches

1. high
2. lose weight
3. stop biting
4. eat
5. love you
6. like you
7. stop meowing
8. use the litter box
9. fat
10. drink more water

People are funny.

Memory Tapes

2010-05-30T21:58:00.001-06:00

Standing Cat

2010-05-30T21:50:00.000-06:00

Dog Art

2010-05-02T21:38:00.001-06:00

This artist's name is Tillamook Cheddar and he is a dog.

Delorean

2010-05-02T21:35:00.002-06:00

Great new band from Spain.

I Can Hear Music

2010-04-02T21:33:00.000-06:00

Talking Heads

2010-04-02T20:01:00.004-06:00

Ok, this video is completely crazy, but I can't get enough of this song. Loving Talking Heads these days.

Suzanne

2010-03-15T17:26:00.000-06:00

Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night beside her
And you know that she's half crazy
But that's why you want to be there
And she feeds you tea and oranges
That come all the way from China
And just when you mean to tell her
That you have no love to give her
Then she gets you on her wavelength
And she lets the river answer
That you've always been her lover
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that she will trust you
For you've touched her perfect body with your mind.

And Jesus was a sailor
When he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching
From his lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain
Only drowning men could see him
He said "All men will be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them"
But he himself was broken
Long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone
And you want to travel with him
And you want to travel blind
And you think maybe you'll trust him
For he's touched your perfect body with his mind.

Now Suzanne takes your hand
And she leads you to the river
She is wearing rags and feathers
From Salvation Army counters
And the sun pours down like honey
On our lady of the harbour
And she shows you where to look
Among the garbage and the flowers
There are heroes in the seaweed
There are children in the morning
They are leaning out for love
And they will lean that way forever
While Suzanne holds the mirror
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that you can trust her
For she's touched your perfect body with her mind.

Am I going up in smoke

2010-03-14T01:45:00.002-07:00

Silo Song

Dreaming of a silver silo burning in the light
Venus de Milo soldered in the side
Thought I caught her smile

Am I going, am I going up in smoke
Am I going, am I going up in smoke

Dreaming of birds of prey at battle
On a burning saddle, a rider lost in flames
What of all the games she played with beauty and love
Have I gone up in smoke

Have I come up, have I come up in smoke
Have I come up, have I come up in smoke

Venus de Milo calls
Venus de Milo falls

Searchlight strong

2010-03-14T01:44:00.002-07:00

Little Deschutes

It sure is hard to dance across
The room when you've got
One foot on the floor
And one foot outside the door

I want nothing more
Than to dance with you

The peace I've known, floating along
The deep green river with you and a song
Is something like the peace I hope
To make with you my whole life long

I want nothing more
Than to float with you

Paddling through the hail storm
Clothes ravaged, the leaves all torn
A part of me was born

Why care about yesterday's haze
When the stars above are all ablaze
Why care about the coming dawn
When the moon pours now searchlight strong

I want nothing more
Than to dance with you
I want nothing more
Than to float with you

I wanted to make something good

2010-03-14T01:33:00.005-07:00

Make Something Good

I wanted to make something sweet
The blood inside the maple tree
The sunlight trapped inside the wood
Make something good

I wanted to make something strong
An organ pipe in a cathedral
That stays in tune through a thousand blooms
Make something good

It's gonna take a long, long time
But we're gonna make something so fine

I wanted to make something pure
An emerald field from steer manure
A wild-eyed child in a moonlit room
Make something good

I wanted to make something built to last
A bottled ship with a golden mast
And through the squall the course stays true
Make something good
Make something good

It's gonna take a long, long time
But we're gonna make something so fine

by Laura Veirs

Boulet

2010-03-01T16:23:00.000-07:00

big fan

Top 10 Foods

2010-02-11T03:41:00.004-07:00

I'm about to cook dinner. I enjoy cooking, but sometimes it's a chore. On my walk home tonight, I had the sudden realization that I should be cooking the food I want to eat most. Before Christmas, I compiled this list. I've adjusted it now, in an attempt to express the top foods I'd like to eat at this moment. Some of these recipes I'll never be able to reproduce, especially in Seoul, but I believe I could make a pretty good attempt at many of them. So that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to make my way through this list.

This blog may turn into a food blog for a while.

Top 10 Foods

1) pesto fettuccine from a little restaurant in Rome
2) Pork Medallions with Smokey Cheese and Creamy Dill Sauce from Zelen, Itaewon, Seoul
3) Filet Minion steak from The Keg
4) red Indian curry
5) pretty much any well-made gourmet burger
6) pancakes from Grainfields, Saskatoon
7) Mom's stuffing
8) Dad's popcorn
9) green Thai curry
10) Chicken Coconut Curry soup from The Yard and Flagon, Saskatoon

notable mentions
11) Elk Burger with Brie from the Yard and Flagon, Saskatoon
12) the salmon sandwich from Buchella, Sinsa, Seoul
13) Greek Ribs from Mano's
14) Falafel Wrap from Extreme Pita, Saskatoon
15) a peppercorn cheese that I forgot the name of
16) Turkey Bacon sub from California Subs (no longer in existence - tear)
17) 5-year-old cheddar
18) mutton pita from Opa, Saskatoon
19) chicken with rosemary and bacon
20) the duck from Oktoberfest, Gangnam, Seoul
21) the ham hock from Oktoberfest, Gangnam, Seoul
22) Cream-crab ravioli from Grande, Sinsa, Seoul
23) Pork and Rice Burrito from Dos Tacos, Gangnam, Seoul
24) broccoli-cheese soup in a bread bowl from Quiznos (the best I had was in Langley, BC)
25) broccoli and cheese
26) NY pizza (Costco's pizza is a pretty good substitute since I don't live in NY)
27) lasagna
28) grilled cheese sandwich (with real cheddar)
29) turkey buns
30) Mom's scones with jam and whipped cream
31) Mom's apple crisp with ice cream (Janessa's is super good too)
32) a creamy pastry from Au Bon Pain
33) chocolate truffles (Truffes Fantaisie)
34) Mom's Land of Nod buns
35) Mom's Christmas sugar cookies
36) Sausage Egg McMuffin from McDonald's

Lather Up

2010-02-09T22:24:00.000-07:00

so funny

Something that makes me happy

2010-02-09T03:59:00.004-07:00

This song gives me a feeling that comes close to pure joy.

Miike Snow

2010-01-25T18:19:00.001-07:00

Love this!

Lola

2010-01-11T06:41:00.004-07:00

Here she is. I caved and got a cat. She kind of looks menacing in this photo, but she is really very sweet and affectionate. She is kind of great.

Hundertwasser

2009-12-21T07:30:00.002-07:00

I decided I wanted a calender. Calenders are kind of like maps (but for days, not places), so if you've noticed my obsession with maps, then this should come as no surprise. I picked up a calender of paintings by Hundertwasser and was surprised, impressed, and mostly pleased. I don't know why I've never heard of him before. He also did some very interesting architecture.

TOMS shoes

2009-12-21T07:20:00.007-07:00

I just got a pair of TOMS shoes. The shoes not only look great, but for every pair of shoes sold, a pair is donated to a poor child somewhere in the world. That was actually the reason the owner (whose name is not Tom) created the company. I thought that was a really cool idea.
http://www.tomsshoes.com

Karabo

2009-12-17T07:11:00.002-07:00

For those who haven't seen my little nephew yet...

Collection

2009-12-17T06:21:00.001-07:00

I also have a collection of scarves, each one for a different occasion and temperature.

My Routine

2009-12-17T04:57:00.005-07:00

I just realized that I have seven pairs of pants and a routine for wearing them. It occasionally varies, but this is generally it.

Acrylic on Cardboard

2009-12-17T04:51:00.002-07:00

The Go! Team

2009-12-15T01:26:00.002-07:00

This is funny. Sorry, I know, too many videos.

Caribou

2009-12-11T18:22:00.001-07:00

Me

2009-12-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

Four Walls and Adobe Slats

2009-11-22T06:39:00.003-07:00

I can't get enough of these guys right now.

School of Seven Bells

2009-10-26T09:00:00.006-06:00

I like this song.

My dreams of domestic bliss are shattered

2009-10-12T10:18:00.003-06:00

What is the purpose of having a dryer if it does this to your clothes? Ironing doesn't even get this stuff out.

My Baby and Me

2009-10-12T09:45:00.003-06:00

Meet Shadow

2009-10-02T10:51:00.007-06:00

This is Justine's cat, Shadow. Justine worked in my office, but left before I arrived. Shadow then went to my coworker and her boyfriend, Ji. Ji just finished his contract and left the country, so Shadow went to Becky, another friend from work. Becky just flew home for a wedding over the long weekend (Korean Thanksgiving), so I am cat sitting for six days.

This is a picture of shadow climbing my leg. She is just a kitten and has lots of energy. When she is not attacking me or tearing the place apart, she can be very affectionate and cute.

If things go well this weekend I may adopt a cat of my own. At this point I'm leaning toward "cat" not "kitten."

Little Bit

2009-09-13T07:23:00.000-06:00

I like this.

Bike Tour

2009-09-13T06:57:00.006-06:00

View Bike Tour in a larger map
I bought Evan's motorbike a couple weeks ago. (I will get a photo soon). Yesterday I drove across the city to meet up with him. Then I drove to my old neighbourhood to meet up with ex-coworkers. Then I drove home. In total, approximately 53 km. And it only cost me about $3 in gas.

My Girls

2009-09-13T06:04:00.006-06:00

I miss these two. Elin is on the right and Sally is on the left. They were the girls in my kindergarten class for about six months. Sally made me this card.

Elin made me a card too, but what I appreciated more was that in the last month she got over her shyness and started giving me hugs.

My New Neighbourhood

2009-09-09T17:58:00.002-06:00

View Gangdong in a larger map

Let Me Count the Ways

2009-09-04T22:17:00.013-06:00

My new apartment is a vast improvement on my old one.

This is my new built-in closet.

This is my washer/dryer combo.

This is my shower with its glass divider that keeps the rest of my bathroom dry.
Also, I have two shower heads - one is hand-held, the other has a massage feature - plus a third option that shoots water straight out at body-level.

This is my favorite upgrade - my air conditioner.

These are my two entryway closets for my shoes, winter clothes, and various items that need to be stored.

Here are a few more things that make my place better:

- about twice as much usable space
- a bigger, more comfortable toilet with a toilet seat that stays up
- a kitchen table (with four chairs)
- a nicer kitchen
- a tv
- a bigger softer bed that my sheets fit perfectly
- real wood floors
- its a 5 minute walk to the subway

All in all, I'd say I've upgraded my living arrangement.

Kids Love the Camera

2009-09-04T03:53:00.005-06:00

I started a new job, not teaching. I'm not exaggerating when I say that, over the past year, the children made every day a pleasure.

Van She

2009-08-20T06:17:00.003-06:00

I like this band.
They are yet another Australian electro-pop-rock band that has grabbed my attention lately.

Strawberry Swing

2009-08-02T08:09:00.002-06:00

This is an incredible video that must have taken forever to make.

Elektrisk Insekt Fanger

2009-07-30T10:37:00.003-06:00

This new toy is improving my life immeasurably.

I Love Linen

2009-07-21T06:50:00.006-06:00

My new pants rock in this summer heat.

Forgotten Technology

2009-07-16T08:39:00.005-06:00

This guy figured out how they made Stonehenge.

On his website he says he figures he could build the Great Pyramid of Giza in 25 years with a crew of 720.

Flood

2009-07-14T08:02:00.007-06:00

Apparently Korea has monsoons. I don't remember it being this bad last year; or maybe I was just smart enough to stay indoors.

I got caught in it tonight, but when it let up I decided to squish over to the park next to my apartment to check out the "stream."

If you look closely at the daytime picture you can see the stream at it's normal size. I took the other picture at 11 tonight. Two hours before this it was about 8 feet higher and rushing. All the trees in the middle of the park were covered.

I thought it was pretty cool.

Teaching and Learning

2009-06-10T06:46:00.001-06:00

Tonight I came home with a stack of papers to correct. I was not very excited about it, to say the least. I often feel overworked and underpaid, but I suppose I'm not unique in feeling that way.

As much as I dreaded "giving up" my evening to do this marking, by the time I finished (almost two hours later) my spirits were surprisingly lifted. Here are a few of my kids most inspired work from today:

Q. How much money do you think you need every year to live happily?
A. I think I need a lot of money because I want to help poor people. When I was eight I went to New York City. There were many poor people on the streets. I think I have to help those people now. I want to give them food and love.

Q. Make a sentence using the word "Everybody".
A. Everybody dance now.

And today one of my students spelled cookie, "coooky". The third 'o' was just too much. I couldn't help but laugh.

Isabel

2009-05-22T20:13:00.003-06:00

This is my cat Isabel. She died this week. She was only nine, but she got really sick, really fast. I wish I could have been home to see her.

I remember when we first got her and she hated to be held. I think she didn't really trust us for the first few years. Then in the last few years you couldn't have asked for a more affectionate cat. I really loved her and am sad to see her go.

These Kids Rock

2009-05-17T18:22:00.004-06:00

Thanks Leah for sharing the link!

Transformers

2009-05-04T19:14:00.011-06:00

The white building is Prada's Transformer here in Seoul. It was designed by the famous designer Rem Koolhaus, and inside is a fashion gallery called "Below the Waist" featuring Prada skirts (photos of which will come later). After a couple months they will bring a crane in to flip the building on its side transforming it into a movie theatre. Later they will flip it again and it will become a fashion runway.

The blue buildings are Samsung's headquarters, also here in Seoul. They also remind me transformers.

Bigger Blogging

2009-05-03T09:41:00.005-06:00

As you can see from my recent posts, I figured out how to make my photos much larger.

And for anyone out there who is wondering how to do it, this is how:

First you click on Layout and then Edit HTML
Then you scroll down and look for this:

/* Outer-Wrapper
----------------------------------------------- */
#outer-wrapper {
width: 660px;
margin:0 auto;
padding:10px;
text-align:$startSide;
font: $bodyfont;
}

#main-wrapper {
width: 410px;
float: $startSide;
word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in IE */
overflow: hidden; /* fix for long non-text content breaking IE sidebar float */
}

Just increase those widths to whatever you want. I made my outer-wrapper 800px and my main wrapper 550px.

Next, you'll have to do this, and you'll have to do it for each photo you upload:

After you upload it, make sure you're on the "Edit Html" tab, and you'll see the code for the image. Towards the end of code it looks something like this,

width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Jw_pjMXW0is/Sf2216oPGMI/AAAAAAAAAl0/gLA1OgvrdZk/s400/3445032114_f9e8f1157f_o.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331618571263875266" />

This is for a portrait photo. Just double everything in red. 268px becomes 536px, 400px becomes 800px, and s400 becomes s800.

For a landscape photo I've gone with these dimensions:
width: 536px, height: 360px and still s800.

That's just what I did, but you can do whatever you want to make it fit however you want.

And that's it.

Now I really should be going to bed.

Last Show: Im Seon Oc - IMSEONOC

2009-04-15T09:05:00.009-06:00

(flickr)

Lee Doii - Doii

2009-04-14T07:15:00.008-06:00

(flickr)

Cho Sung Kyong - latulle by cho sung kyong

2009-04-13T08:38:00.003-06:00

(flickr)

Jeong Hee Suck - Jaison Couture

2009-04-12T08:28:00.005-06:00

(flickr)

Kwak Hyun Joo - Gissen by Kwak Hyun Joo

2009-04-11T08:16:00.005-06:00

(flickr)

Ha Sang Beg - Ha:Sang;Beg

2009-04-10T07:05:00.013-06:00

This show had a military theme (though you can't tell from this photo). Apparently he is a pretty high-profile designer. (flicker)

Third Show: Hong Eun Ju - ENZUVAN

2009-04-09T08:45:00.006-06:00

A lot of the shows had great shoes. (Check flickr)

Actual First Show: Chang Kwang Hyo - CARUSO

2009-04-08T10:43:00.008-06:00

This is actually the first show I shot. I didn't get a lot of good pictures. There were lots of suits and a big spotlight. (Check the flickr page)

First Show: Jung Hee Jung - HEE JEONG

2009-04-07T09:02:00.008-06:00

I've started putting up my favourite photos from Seoul Fashion Week onto my Flickr page (check the link on the sidebar). I made it to ten of the thirty-nine shows, and I'm putting up photos from nine of those shows. I'm going to put up one show at a time so that you don't feel inundated with photos.

(Please forgive the blurriness on some of these early images. I was still figuring out how to shoot a fashion show.)

Fashion Weekend

2009-03-29T09:46:00.005-06:00

It's really late here but I wanted to let everyone in on what I've been up to this weekend. I shot photos for Seoul Fashion Week. I got a lot of good photos, but these two are my (early) favorites. Everything else will hopefully get on flickr before the end of the week.

Weather Report

2009-03-17T09:13:00.006-06:00

Today it reached a high of 16 degrees. Back in Saskatoon it is -22 right now. I don't need to do the math to know that I'm glad to be living here in Seoul in the middle of March.

Plumbing

2009-03-16T06:26:00.004-06:00

My bathroom sink was plugged so I bought a wrench and decided to fix it good and proper (like a young man nearing his 30s should). I was excited when everything came apart beautifully and I was able to pull all the nasty black hairy grimy (I'll stop there) gunk out of the drain. It all went back together very nicely too, until I decided to apply one last quarter-turn with the wrench. The pipe broke clean in two. My dreams of plumbing glory came crashing down in that instant, like the pipe to the cold tile.

Now I have to wait for someone from my workplace to buy a new pipe and fix it for me. In the meantime my sink drains onto the floor, which isn't such a big deal here in Asia, since the bathroom floor doubles as my shower and everything easily washes down the floor/shower drain.

To my credit, that pipe was really old and needed replacing anyway.

Cut Copy

2009-02-21T09:27:00.006-07:00

I can't get enough of these guys right now. I could (and do) listen to them day and night.

My Myspace

2009-02-04T07:59:00.002-07:00

I made a new myspace page for the songs I've been working on. I wanted to put up more, but it only allows 6 at a time. Have a listen.

www.myspace.com/grahamemde

배설만두

2009-01-21T04:55:00.010-07:00

These are the dumplings I had for dinner tonight. I've got to say, I've been really into Korean dumplings (mandu) lately. They are basically Korea's version of the perogy, which is a staple for any Canadian bachelor.

So, any Korean reading this post is likely already shocked and appalled by the title. The thing is, the mandu package says 백설만두 (baegsul mandu) which means snow-white dumplings. However, when I checked the Korean-English dictionary on my phone for the meaning of 백설 (baegsul) I mistakenly typed 배설 (baesul). Imagine my horror to read the words "excrement" in the definition.

And I was worried that it would mean sea slug or dog or something.

First Single

2009-01-14T05:39:00.004-07:00

Just to prove that I am actually working on my music I've posted one of my songs in the sidebar. Click on the link to listen to the song and feel free to download it.

I'm actually pretty close to having a comprehensive album together!

McDonald's Home Service

2009-01-11T07:29:00.009-07:00

I wish I had a picture of the guys that deliver this stuff on their scooters. It's -10 outside but that doesn't stop them from bringing a Big Mac to my door in 10 minutes. They are the true heroes of this story.

Snow and Lights

2009-01-09T19:35:00.004-07:00

Celestial Stair

2009-01-09T19:00:00.003-07:00

Window Shopping

2009-01-06T07:47:00.013-07:00

Everyday on the way to and from work I pass a garage that specializes in exotic imports.

I took these photos the other week,

This is a Lambourghini Gallardo. And below is a Rolls Royce Phantom.

Behind the Rolls was this Ferrari, in red,

I've seen this most-expensive-of-Mercedes limo on numerous occasions,

And this Mercedes supercar was in the display window for a while.

Today they brought in this beautiful new Audi,

It's really different from my last job, where the fanciest things on my street were a fried chicken shop and a video rental store.

Korea's Melting Pot

2009-01-04T21:55:00.010-07:00

This home decorating shop near my apartment caught my attention.

Spanish name, Japanese products, French designs, English sign...here in Korea.

It's almost more cosmopolitan than I can bear!

A Tale of Two Toilet Seats

2009-01-02T10:04:00.007-07:00

For the past three months I have put up with an awful toilet seat. How can a toilet seat be awful, you might ask? I'll tell you.

Firstly, it was one of those cushiony grandma seats that just plain feels wrong.

Secondly, the base broke away from one of the bolts, which allowed it to slide freely and frighteningly from side to side when you most needed it to support you firmly.

Thirdly, one of the "arms" broke so that sitting was often uncomfortable. What is more, it would pinch you if you shifted much, which was inevitable because it was so uncomfortable in the first place.

Then, all the slipping and breaking and pinching eventually ripped a seam somewhere so that the seat began to take on water, making it squish sickeningly when you sat down.

Such was my plight.

But now my trails are over. I present my new toilet seat! It is simple and plastic and I couldn't care less that it is white and doesn't match my off-white toilet. And it only cost $5. I couldn't be happier.

To those of you who may ask why I didn't replace my toilet seat sooner, I would say in my defence that I have been looking for three months and until today was only able to find $300 seats with bides or ones with floral patterns or Finding Nemo prints.

Embarrassingly, the shop where I eventually found my new toilet seat was on the corner of my little street, only about fifty steps from my front door. Moral of the story? The thing you need is often right in front of your nose.

Graham Claus

2008-12-27T08:00:00.008-07:00

I had the honour of being Santa at school this Wednesday. My new kid Danny (top right) barely speaks English, but he obviously understands a lot. When I asked him what he wants for Christmas he whispered in my ear "Spiderman". My other favourite was when Sharon (unpictured) said for Christmas she wanted to have a snowball fight with her older brother. These kids are so sweet.

Word to the Wise

2008-12-18T17:31:00.004-07:00

If, when you feel the irresistible urge to sneeze, you happen to find yourself with a mouthful of Listerine, do the smart thing and spit the Listerine out first. This is probably self-evident to most people. I, on the other hand, had to learn the hard way.

Foods With Moods

2008-12-01T07:10:00.012-07:00

The faces are made out of cloves. Otherwise, I'll let this speak for itself. It is what it is. No more, no less.

Low-light is Beautiful

2008-11-29T09:39:00.006-07:00

Tonight I put on Christmas music and set up my tree. I thought the picture turned out really cool.

I also like how my newly-hung scarves look like Ringwraiths.

Day to Day

2008-11-23T05:53:00.004-07:00

View Larger Map
This map shows all the places I might go on my average day in Seoul.

Christmas in Apgujeong

2008-11-22T03:28:00.006-07:00

These photos make me think of a song I've been listening to lately, "Street Lights" by Kanye West.

This will be my first Christmas away from family.

I'm glad for close friends.

And Skype.

Water is Good!

2008-11-18T11:56:00.011-07:00

I love it when my students give me notes. This one is a goodbye note - slash - anti-pollution poster from a student at my previous school. I promptly put it up on my fridge. The photo shows the front and back.

I think that is a pink narwhal.

Mosquitoes

2008-11-16T07:18:00.004-07:00

Today I commented to L that sometimes I wish I had an over-sized thumb so I could squish certain students like a bug. That's not the sort of thing you should think as a teacher, let alone say aloud, but I guarantee you, every teacher has thoughts like that at times. It's just that, particular students can be real pests sometimes. They are kind of like mosquitoes that buzz around your ear at night when you are trying to get to sleep.

Last night I spent half an hour trying to kill a mosquito that just kept getting away. By the third time it eluded me, I was so mad, I was convinced the dirty little thing was laughing at me. It knew I would eventually have to go to bed and that it could suck my blood freely like the evil little vampire it is.

Sometimes I feel like my students are conniving, sinister vampires that want to suck the life from me. In actuality, I suppose mosquitoes and children are actually very alike. Neither is sinister at all, but both are completely dependent. That mosquito the other night didn't hate me. It just hoped to stay alive till dinnertime. My problem kids aren't out to get me either. They just want my love and attention. I know that even my worst kids have pure motives. Children have an amazing ability to be perfectly genuine, and there is nothing evil about just wanting to be loved.

I'm really glad I'm working with kids. They really are special, even when you want to squish them.

Curtains

2008-11-14T07:15:00.007-07:00

These are my new curtains. I thought they might be a bit too bold, but now that they are up I'm pretty stoked on them. Many thanks to Leah (my coworker and friend) who spent her free time this week sewing them by hand!

Thank you Leah! I didn't say it enough today at work, and I'll buy you lunch next week!

Great Stuff

2008-11-10T22:05:00.008-07:00

This album is great.

And this album is great.

I can't say I like My Morning Jacket's album art though.

Plans

2008-11-10T08:33:00.004-07:00

This is my schedule for the week. (I'm posting this to help solidify my plans)

Retreat

2008-11-07T03:51:00.004-07:00

I'm going away on a retreat this weekend. In fact, I have to leave in the next ten minutes to go catch my ride at the nearest 7-11. The retreat is for those involved in worship ministry at my church. I have been involved for several months now, and it has been good. I'm getting used to ministering in a church again. Churches can be strange places. Christians can be strange people, but no stranger than everyone else.

I'm involved in worship ministry because I want to serve. Also, I want to be a true worshiper. Sometimes I think the responsibility of worshiping in front of others keeps me accountable. I know people can see through me. It is obvious whether I truly love God or not. I want to love God. I want to be a true worshiper. I think that's what it means to be a Christian.

Half of My Apartment

2008-10-28T07:22:00.005-06:00

I tried to make this a collage of my whole apartment but my computer is way too slow. That's what I get for trying to edit one hundred RAW images together with only about 1GB left on my 80GB hard drive.

Time for an upgrade??

Possible Album Art

2008-10-18T07:33:00.005-06:00

In other news, I'm considering doing the entire album through the microphone on my laptop. It will be super low-fi but at least I will finish it sometime this century.

Doppelgangers

2008-10-03T09:20:00.004-06:00

I keep seeing Korean versions of westerners.

Evan and I saw Korea's William DaFoe a couple weeks ago at our favourite hangout Oktoberfest.

I walked past a Korean Dustin Hoffman on the way to work last week.

Korea's Kirsten Dunst lives in my building.

Tonight I walked past a girl who was the spitting image of an ex-girlfriend.

I wonder if I have a Korean look-alike and if I'll ever cross his path.

Yearbook

2008-09-23T07:56:00.009-06:00

These are the kids from my last school. Although it was my choice to leave, it wasn't easy. I really grew to love those kids.
This is my own little yearbook I guess.

Top Left - Honors 1

(left to right) Kate, Maya, Alice, Joe, Carol, (absent: Julianna, Helen)

Top Right - EI4

Gloria, Hans, Sandy, Amy, Rey Mysterio (Allen), Lisa, CM Punk (John)

Bottom Left - Honors 2

Jimmy, Shu Shu, Me, Max, Edward, Dennis

Bottom Middle - Honors 3

Maria, Amy, Julia, James (originally Lion), Jenny

Bottom Right - Kindergarten

I didn't teach this class, but everyday they were the first kids I would see as I walked through the front door. They would all yell out "Hello, Graham teacher!" Even on days I dreaded coming to work the most, those children always managed to make things at least a little bit better. I wish I knew all their names.

far left - Jenny (?), my co-worker Audrey (Oki), and far right - June

I really wish I had a picture of my Crystal 4 class. They were the class that every teacher dreaded and that nearly broke me. That class made me feel like I just wasn't cut out to be a teacher. In the end it was one of my hardest classes to leave. In our final class we played bingo and Grace and Janice fought to sit closest to me. In the end Janice sat on my left knee while Grace sat on my right. The other kids were Pearl, Sarah, Luke, Mike, and Christine. Ken 1 and his brother Mike 2 were also there on occasion and Brian was taking a month off. I hope the new teacher learns to love them too.

My new school is going really well. I'm only a few weeks in, but I already feel myself growing very fond of the students. I think that is an important place to start if you want to be a good teacher.

Japan vs. Korea

2008-09-20T10:16:00.010-06:00

Many English teachers here say that Japan is better than Korea. Personally, I think it is a bit of an absurd statement to make, because, although Japan may be better in some ways, it is likely worse in others. After my four-day get-away to Japan I can say one thing for sure - Japan's standard of living is much higher. It felt a bit like Europe. Also, Japan has better architecture. The homogeneous gray apartment blocks that dominate Korea's urban landscapes sometimes make me think that, deep down, South Koreans have an affinity for communism.

It was really nice to get away for the extra-long weekend and I really enjoyed Japan, but I have to admit, as the plane flew over Seoul on my return trip I had the strangely warm feeling that I was coming home. I never would have expected to feel nostalgia, but it happened - I felt it. I am becoming very comfortable here.

Updates

2008-09-17T07:20:00.007-06:00

This is my new visa. That's my old iPod. Beneath both are my bed which I recently discovered is infested with mites.

I just got back from my "visa run" to Fukuoka, Japan. I will try to post more about that soon.

The Face

2008-09-12T10:01:00.010-06:00

Evan has blogged about this in the past, but I think it deserves repeating. "The Face" is what we English teachers call it when your emotional reserves are entirely depleted and beneath your feeble smile your soul is nearly comatose.

Pasting on a smile everyday for work can really numb your insides, but I suspect it also makes you stronger.

This painting isn't meant to be "The Face". It is just "A Face".

I've Got Gas

2008-09-11T05:01:00.008-06:00

Yesterday I got the gas hooked up in my new apartment and celebrated by frying up a fully-loaded omelette.

I was pretty excited.

One Year Anniversary

2008-09-10T09:51:00.002-06:00

It is a bit more than a year since my band's CD Release concert. Things have changed a lot in a year. I designed this poster and I'm still pretty proud of it.