It's been business as usual the past few days with one major exception - Mongshidi has had puppies and they are absolutely beautiful.
I have forgotten how nice puppies are I love them soo much they are very cute and very small. A day or two ago they started moving about a bit and they opened their eyes. Have I mentioned I love them!!!
Here's some photos and a vid - enjoy. There is also some interesting banter from Emo to listen to. She clucks away like this all the time, its very endearing.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Summer Soccer
Yes, thats right summer has finally hit and I am suffering through 28 deg days and cool nights, a sea breeze and sunshine.
Last weekend I played in a soccer tournament which was fun albeit a bit of a shock to my rapidly aging body. In true Korean form we had a crash course of training administered two days before the comp. This took place by way of a "friendly" game against a team of second years in a pair of slightly small borrowed boots on a gravel track.
I finished the game a little worse for wear suffering a light groin strain and general shock to the system after running around for the best part of two hours on hard packed gravel that the Queenstown Crows would salivate over.
So Saturday dawned and being the second day after the game my body had well and truly tightened up. I suffered through some stretches and a long hot shower but I couldn't escape the thought that as soon as I put any extra effort on my body it would start to break.
Anyway, Mr Moon picked me up and we went to Cheju Tourism College, the venue for this auspicious clash of the minnows. We arrived to see our team already striped and ready to go. We hastily joined them and the fun and games commenced. The whole soccer set up was thoroughly professional with uniforms for all teams, registered umpires and the pomp and ceremony of bowing to each team and the "royal box" before and after each game. The royal box housed various Jeju education officials and leaders, mostly ajoshis who were doing a good job taking on a self-set soju challenge.
Well I must say that I was very impressed with the display of teamwork, commitment and skill that was displayed by all of our team. We scored twice in the first game. Once from a free kick taken outside the box and the other a direct strike from a corner kick that David Beckham would be proud of. The other team scored once so we were through to the second round.
Personally, I did raise the odd eyebrow or two being the only waygook at the competition. I should also say that it was a knock-out tournament with ten other high-school teacher teams. And yes being a tall whitey I did create quite a stir.
I've never played soccer before and now I do realise why so many people around the world are in love with the game. The second game was won one nil, with PK also known as Uruguayan striker "Recoba" got onto the end of a pass and slotted home the finishing touch to a top piece of team play that started from midfield.
So, we won the first two games and drew the third and after an elaborate, culturally rich and swift game of "rock, scissors, paper" to decide who would go through to the semi final we were dispatched unceremoniously to the showers.
This was a piece of good fortune for us as we were dropping like flies all over the park from various ailments. Myself, I had aggravated Thursdays groin strain and had a little hammy pull on my right which scared me a little, as continuing to play would be folly, also by this stage we didn't have any sub's.
In the wash-up, three games were fun and a fourth, in the fading light, wouldn't be. I was happy to become a spectator for the remainder of the day. In another part of the college, female teams of teachers were assembling to take part in yet another jump rope challenge. Some of the teams were good, uniformed and coached and had to be told to stop after some time. Others such as our motley crew didn't trouble the leaders.
There was also a singing contest and a raffle with many prizes. I won an exercise stepper machine which was ironic as my hammy and groin tightened up again as I made my way down stairs to applause to receive my prize. We soon all adjourned to a restaurant downtown for a feed and a few of us continued on until the wee hours. I woke the next day... but didn't do too much more.
The week just gone was uneventful although we had a public holiday on Wednesday for Memorial Day, their version of Rememberence Day. I was still too sore to do too much.
It's now 8;30 on Saturday morning and I'm starting to finally feel a little more energetic. I'm well rested after crashing out at 8:00 last night and Emo served up the regular fare at seven this morning so I've plenty of fuel in the tank but I'm not sure what to do.
The scarcity of other English speakers is starting to impact on my social life. The few I've met are pretty random sorts but next week there is a function on the Saturday for all foreign teachers (apparently there is about forty) on the island to attend. So with luck I may meet some good sorts. The Korean friends I have here are excellent but mentally they can be hard work for various reasons. I'm sure this is true for them with me too.
So, nothing exciting today on the agenda, I've probably been a bit spoilt lately anyway.
Cheers
Last weekend I played in a soccer tournament which was fun albeit a bit of a shock to my rapidly aging body. In true Korean form we had a crash course of training administered two days before the comp. This took place by way of a "friendly" game against a team of second years in a pair of slightly small borrowed boots on a gravel track.
I finished the game a little worse for wear suffering a light groin strain and general shock to the system after running around for the best part of two hours on hard packed gravel that the Queenstown Crows would salivate over.
So Saturday dawned and being the second day after the game my body had well and truly tightened up. I suffered through some stretches and a long hot shower but I couldn't escape the thought that as soon as I put any extra effort on my body it would start to break.
Anyway, Mr Moon picked me up and we went to Cheju Tourism College, the venue for this auspicious clash of the minnows. We arrived to see our team already striped and ready to go. We hastily joined them and the fun and games commenced. The whole soccer set up was thoroughly professional with uniforms for all teams, registered umpires and the pomp and ceremony of bowing to each team and the "royal box" before and after each game. The royal box housed various Jeju education officials and leaders, mostly ajoshis who were doing a good job taking on a self-set soju challenge.
Well I must say that I was very impressed with the display of teamwork, commitment and skill that was displayed by all of our team. We scored twice in the first game. Once from a free kick taken outside the box and the other a direct strike from a corner kick that David Beckham would be proud of. The other team scored once so we were through to the second round.
Personally, I did raise the odd eyebrow or two being the only waygook at the competition. I should also say that it was a knock-out tournament with ten other high-school teacher teams. And yes being a tall whitey I did create quite a stir.
I've never played soccer before and now I do realise why so many people around the world are in love with the game. The second game was won one nil, with PK also known as Uruguayan striker "Recoba" got onto the end of a pass and slotted home the finishing touch to a top piece of team play that started from midfield.
So, we won the first two games and drew the third and after an elaborate, culturally rich and swift game of "rock, scissors, paper" to decide who would go through to the semi final we were dispatched unceremoniously to the showers.
This was a piece of good fortune for us as we were dropping like flies all over the park from various ailments. Myself, I had aggravated Thursdays groin strain and had a little hammy pull on my right which scared me a little, as continuing to play would be folly, also by this stage we didn't have any sub's.
In the wash-up, three games were fun and a fourth, in the fading light, wouldn't be. I was happy to become a spectator for the remainder of the day. In another part of the college, female teams of teachers were assembling to take part in yet another jump rope challenge. Some of the teams were good, uniformed and coached and had to be told to stop after some time. Others such as our motley crew didn't trouble the leaders.
There was also a singing contest and a raffle with many prizes. I won an exercise stepper machine which was ironic as my hammy and groin tightened up again as I made my way down stairs to applause to receive my prize. We soon all adjourned to a restaurant downtown for a feed and a few of us continued on until the wee hours. I woke the next day... but didn't do too much more.
The week just gone was uneventful although we had a public holiday on Wednesday for Memorial Day, their version of Rememberence Day. I was still too sore to do too much.
It's now 8;30 on Saturday morning and I'm starting to finally feel a little more energetic. I'm well rested after crashing out at 8:00 last night and Emo served up the regular fare at seven this morning so I've plenty of fuel in the tank but I'm not sure what to do.
The scarcity of other English speakers is starting to impact on my social life. The few I've met are pretty random sorts but next week there is a function on the Saturday for all foreign teachers (apparently there is about forty) on the island to attend. So with luck I may meet some good sorts. The Korean friends I have here are excellent but mentally they can be hard work for various reasons. I'm sure this is true for them with me too.
So, nothing exciting today on the agenda, I've probably been a bit spoilt lately anyway.
Cheers
Friday, June 01, 2007
Buddha's Birthday with Emo & Donam Halmony.
This finely tuned group of athletes are taking a well deserved spell at half time...
The student team we practiced against having their spell at half time.Result: Students 3 Def. Teachers 0
Reports: Nil, although the teachers were warned several times for deliberate slow play.
Injuries: To be advised.
The four day weekend was good last weekend and although I didn't get up to too much I did go and check out the Buddha's day celebrations at Cheonwangsa Temple. www.cheonwangsa.co.kr
It was quite good but the constant rain put a damper on things. I went with Emo and her mother who I call Donam Halmony. Literally, Grandmother from Donam. Not to be confused with the halmony on Sumtunes side of the family who Emo still has skirmishes with, apparently they are usually over Emo's cooking and food that she sends around to her. My guess is that Emo and the other halmony love a good ol bicker now and again.
So, I spent the day 'driving Miss Daisy' x2. Donam Halmony loves me and wants me to get married to Nana. She calls me 'Ham' and just like Emo, if she says something to me in Korean and I don't understand it she repeats it at increased volume and frequency to me until I understand. Usually I don't but if I said I didn't understand they would keep on until I did,or think I was a simpleton. Bless their hearts!
Both ladies are super sort's and I felt privileged to be able to spend the day with them both at the temple. Most of my time was spent holding an umbrella for Donam Halmony and I enjoyed every minute of it, listening to them cluck away like a couple of old hens.
I didn't do too much else of note for the rest of the weekend other than go to the pictures to see; I'm sure, the Korean version of "Pirates of the Caribbean" as it went for 2 hour and 48 minutes. I also took sick pleasure in listening to the Koreans in the audience struggle with the translation into Hangul, nice to have them walk a mile in my shoes! On Sunday I had a well deserved massage and everything was put back into position for the week ahead.
This week was back to normal other than a soccer game on Thursday night from which I still have a few aches and pains as it was played on gravel and I had only a pair of slightly small, borrowed, soccer boots to play in. I paid the price today, and tomorrow, Saturday, I'm in a teachers team which is taking on some other teams of teachers, in some form of a tournament. Strangely, I'm actually getting paid to play, free lunch and complementary full uniform. As I've said before, these folks don't do anything by halves and tomorrow I'm sure to find out why the lunch is free!
Phew, I've finally caught up on this blog. Hopefully tomorrow is dull, boring and I have no photo's so I don't have to write. Just kidding this blog was one of the best spur of the moment decisions I have made and I'm quite proud looking back that I have managed to continue and improve upon it. I only hope that the dial-up connections back home can cope with the slideshows and video's. Also, very soon I will celebrate my 1000th visitor to sammyssouthernsojourn bye bye.
Sehwa School Festival Day 3
Well by day three the horse was well and truly beaten and thankfully the sports day began, but not without a few twists.
The games included:
The soccer and basketball finals for the boys.
Dodge ball and Soccer style baseball for the girls.
The boys competed in traditional wrestling
and both the girls and boys competed in the blue ribbon event-"Chicken Fighting".
Truly this has to be seen to be believed.
The basketball was played at a high standard but the highlight for me was the way the students in the crowd sang and cheered all day long in support of their team.
At three in the afternoon things wound up in the gymnasium and we ventured out to the athletic field. Three o'clock's always a good time to start a school athletic carnival...
The Athletics was mostly in the form of relays with most teachers stepping up to assist each team. I ran in a relay and I'm happy to report I showed glimpses of past glory days as I strode past a couple of other runners.
The games included:
The soccer and basketball finals for the boys.
Dodge ball and Soccer style baseball for the girls.
The boys competed in traditional wrestling
and both the girls and boys competed in the blue ribbon event-"Chicken Fighting".
Truly this has to be seen to be believed.
The basketball was played at a high standard but the highlight for me was the way the students in the crowd sang and cheered all day long in support of their team.
At three in the afternoon things wound up in the gymnasium and we ventured out to the athletic field. Three o'clock's always a good time to start a school athletic carnival...
The Athletics was mostly in the form of relays with most teachers stepping up to assist each team. I ran in a relay and I'm happy to report I showed glimpses of past glory days as I strode past a couple of other runners.
Sehwa Festival Day 2 and Jeju University Concert
A new day dawned at school however to my surprise the revelry continued in the same vein as the previous day. I thought day two would be a sports day as I had been seconded to a third year soccer team. The school rules stating that all athletic pursuits competed by the students must have a teacher on each team. After initial confusion as to what the students were up to I realised the first game was actually underway. I t was a game show style competition in which the whole student population was culled, question and answer style until a single winner was found. Just when it was getting interesting the skipping ropes came out and the teachers formed teams to see how many jumps we could complete together. We managed two complete revolutions and the winning team managed about fifteen. After this time and no clear winner in sight for the quiz game I made a stealthy exit back to my office. I came down intermittently to check on things but it was time for the students to endure some more long winded speeches which seemed to be getting shouted "at" them at increasing volume. Many of the kids were asleep where they sat, but on and on the speakers went , beating that dead horse...
At a little after three in the afternoon the soccer teams finally played and the result in my game was decided on penalties after we finished two all after full time. Soccer is their national passion and most of the boys can really play well. I was very surprised at the skill and power the young bucks had. We ended up losing the penalty shootout but it was a good game and lots of fun was had by all.
I headed home to Oodi house and joined Emo and Nana who were going to a concert being held at the university. It was quite entertaining in parts however we had to endure another two hours of speeches, shouted at us before the warm up act, a b-boy style dance group started to perform. They were really good but during the course of the next hour and a half they only performed to about five songs! Making speeches all the other time. What is it with some people and their love affair with the sound of their own voices?
Finally the main event came on and they were brilliant for about half an hour. Then things came to an abrupt halt and I learned afterwards that this was due to someone in the crowd getting trampled, bit harsh. Any way It had been a good day and I was ready for bed. Lets not forget that the festival at school still has another day to run and the next one must be a sports day. They couldn't have more speeches.. could they???
At a little after three in the afternoon the soccer teams finally played and the result in my game was decided on penalties after we finished two all after full time. Soccer is their national passion and most of the boys can really play well. I was very surprised at the skill and power the young bucks had. We ended up losing the penalty shootout but it was a good game and lots of fun was had by all.
I headed home to Oodi house and joined Emo and Nana who were going to a concert being held at the university. It was quite entertaining in parts however we had to endure another two hours of speeches, shouted at us before the warm up act, a b-boy style dance group started to perform. They were really good but during the course of the next hour and a half they only performed to about five songs! Making speeches all the other time. What is it with some people and their love affair with the sound of their own voices?
Finally the main event came on and they were brilliant for about half an hour. Then things came to an abrupt halt and I learned afterwards that this was due to someone in the crowd getting trampled, bit harsh. Any way It had been a good day and I was ready for bed. Lets not forget that the festival at school still has another day to run and the next one must be a sports day. They couldn't have more speeches.. could they???
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