Tall Tales From A Short Canadian

Greetings from Fishtown,

Been awhile, been a long while. It’s been a long while since I been a supa chile. Well, what’s new? From what I heard, the Habs kicked the big, dumb Leafs around the rink again! I think the leafs may be eyeing their golf bags by now. Check out the news here. Alongside the typical North Korea talk haunting all of the news broadcasts here, this headline caught my eye: 35 Injured in Lotte World Stampede. I’m sorry. It’s never funny when someone gets hurt. But this story just seemed so fitting for a place like this, I had to laugh a bit. Lotte World, as a way of apologizing to the public for having a man die on its roller coaster, offered free admission last weekend. The place, at maximum, entertains up to 35,000 people at one time. About 110,000 people showed up both days to get in to the place. Man, I’ve seen dangerous stampedes centered around noodle stands here, never mind free entry into one of Korea’s most popular family theme parks. I’m actually really surprised that more people aren’t injured or killed in stampedes here more often. Settle down, people! As you may have guessed, that’s what the picture below is all about. I think that’s what the beach in front of my apartment looks like in July, give or take a few garments.

Anyway, Nic and I are doing well, aside from my ongoing health roller coaster, which right now has me racing through a black tunnel at a steep incline, clumsily smearing bubble-gum ice-cream all over my clean shirt as I yack and urinate. Nah, just some ongoing digestive difficulties. A new grab-bag of enigmatic horse-pills. More medical bills. I think it might be all the spice… which brings me to my next subject: Korean Food.

All things said, I’d have to say that Korean food is among the best food in the world. I like it nearly as much as Greek food, and about the same as Japanese… and way more than your standard North American fare. The variety here is unbelievable, and the prices are usually quite reasonable. For example, we went out with some friends and colleagues on Friday to an Octopus BBQ. We ate Seom Gyup Sal, which is essentially bacon, as well as extremely spicy, extremely fresh baby octopus, called Nakkji here. I loved it (although my stomach had a few complaints… I poured beer on it until it shut up!). We had a huge feed, drank several bottles of both beer and soju, and in the end, we had spent $10 each! Not bad, eh? Anything from the ocean makes me drool. Unfortunately, vegetables aren’t that common here. I think Koreans believe that a pack of cigarettes covers the body’s daily required vegetable intake. Nicole and I have been walking the traditional market behind our apartment quite frequently. It’s this long, narrow alley filled with street vendors selling all kinds of fresh produce, monster zucchinis, a variety of living and dead sea creatures, as well as tons of unrecognisible stuff. It has become a handy way to save money and look after our bodies. Also, it’s kind of fun. But damn, I love Korean food! Here’s a small list of some common dishes that we regularly eat:

Donkass- Don’t let the name fool you. This is basically a breaded pork cutlet smothered in a deep red sweet sauce, served with salad and rice. A staple for nearly everyone. Tastes good.

Tcheegae- A soup variety, generally made with soy bean paste, tofu, veg, mushrooms, and often with seafood. Cheap, spicy, healthy, and delicious.

Dukk Bokki- This is kind of like the kraft dinner of Korea. Fat rice noodles, with boiled eggs, kimchi, and processed cheese, covered in a rich, spicy, sweet chili sauce. We love having it for breakfast.

Bibim Mandu- Basically, a Korean-style salad served with chili sauce and fresh perogy-like pastries. Roll the veg into the pastry and eat. Awwwwwwwwesome.

Pajjeon- Korean pancakes (or pizza) made with potato flour, and usually containing squid, green onions, and a handful of other stuff. Dip it in soy sauce. Unreal, if it’s made right. Nicole makes it occasionally.

Fuck, I’m getting really hungry. I had a ton more I wanted to write about, but the thought of food has drawn my intelligence south. More later… Maybe a critique on Korean music or something. Spring is here. The temperature is approaching the 20’s and the beach is gggreat. The cherry blossoms are coming out now. Beautiful! Expect some photos. Or not…

Love,

Su Tee Bun

Annyoung Haseyo,

I finally have the resources (money, at last!) to develop some of the old film rolls I had kicking around in my photo bag! So I developed two rolls containing pictures of my brief sojourn in London, Ontario. Again, as with my other photos featured here, I seem to focus on the beautiful and natural, and exclude or ignore the ugly face of things. Well, let me tell you, London has it’s ugly face, as does Busan (which I hope to capture some of as soon as I have a functioning camera). But aside from the weirdos that inhabit downtown London, and the drab brick and desolate factories everywhere, London does have a fair bit to look at, especially in the way of trees. I had the great fortune to be there during the fall, and it was, to be honest, the nicest fall foliage I’ve ever seen to date. So since I have no more to show here in the way of recent photographs of Korea, I thought I’d share some pics of London, Ontario, home of Nicole’s enormous (and wonderful) family, gigantic black squirrels that rumage like rats, and some big-ass, beautiful trees. These particular pictures were taken on a day trip to Fanshawe Lake, during an unbelievably windy autumn day downtown (which I tried so hard to capture artistically… and failed to do), and during a walk along the Thames River downtown. Some people had trouble viewing the album, so I posted the photos below:

Su Tee Bun, Kimchi Cowboy and Kindergarten Kid Roper 

Greetings, 

Well, I finished all of my antibiotics yesterday, so to celebrate, Nicole and I went and saw a movie (see below), had a bite to eat, and then followed some friends to a soju bar with a fantastic view of the beach below. Fruit flavoured soju came to the table in multicoloured carbonated vessels that shot the poisonous substance into our glasses, or open mouths. While we had fun, we both feel we’re getting a little old for the bar scene. There were plenty of party poppers going off into the air, which was thick with smoke and gossip, and plenty of $won$ going down the drains. Hell, it was fun! Too much fun, maybe. Nic and I both really want to get involved with stuff on weekends… non-intoxicating stuff. I have jam opportunities at two local pubs-one is on a Wednesday night, the other a Friday-but have yet to make it out. We are also tentatively signed up for beach volleyball on the weekends, which takes place for eight hours or so every Saturday and Sunday, right across the road from our place. I meditate about an hour everyday. Fun! Nicole might join a girl’s soccer team (if she has any energy left after her now stacked teaching schedule). And we both still really want to give the surf scene a whirl here. So hopefully we can get ourselves into some kind of healthy routines. I’ll be honest, though. After a long week of intense classroom management, at least one night of drunken oblivion is tough to avoid! Only the recollection of past weekends wasted on dirty hang-overs can save me from myself, sometimes. Anyway, below are a few movie and book reviews for anyone who is currently bored enough to take the time.

Movies 

Brokeback Mountain: Yep. You heard right, partner. Gay cowboys. Everyone is talking about the two gay cowboys who fall in love on Brokeback Mountain. When Nicole first mentioned the movie, I thought she was kidding. Then when I heard about the talented cast and rave reviews, I thought it must be just a little gay, like maybe the gay thing was kind of a side order for the main story. But when I saw the movie for myself last night, I immediately realized that this wasn’t a movie which happened to contain a little gayness. It was a gay love story! So after the initial discomfort at seeing two actors kissing and frollicking in front of mountains I recognized from back home (Kaninaskis), I fell into the story, and what can I say…. for a love story, it was excellent. And very sad. I would not have wanted to be a gay cowboy in the sixties or seventies. So in the end, it was really a story about longing that is never really satisfied. Frustrating. The soundtrack was a perfect blend of hick ambience, and the scenery was… HOME! I became instantly homesick for the mountains. Nic and I recognized a mountain scene as soon as it appeared on the screen. It featured a peak that looks like an angel wing, one which we had once taken pictures of. (Those of you in Canada: You’re lucky.) Go see Brokeback Mountain, I say. But be warned. The hype is true. It really is a love story about gay cowboys. And it really is that good. I give it 5 stars. 

Memoirs of a Geisha: Beautiful to watch, albeit a bit corny and contrived. It was peculiar to watch a very American Hollywood film interpreting Japanese culture with the use of a Chinese actress in a Korean movie theater! I give it 4 stars.

Grizzly Man: This was one of those movies that stayed in my head for about 2 weeks. It really disturbed me. It was intelligently done, although I think the film-maker made a few bad decisions, and over-dramatized when on screen. But the grizzly bear footage alone is worth the video rental cost, and the psychological landscape you traverse while watching is gripping and, well, quite depressing. See it for sure. 5 stars for the emotional impact. 4 stars for the film-maker’s handling of the subject. Rent it.

Constantine: This ranks up there with Stephen King’s Dreamcatcher as one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. Not only does it feature the worst hollywood actor of all time (we can all act better than that guy), but it moved along with the grace and pacing of a wretching skateboarder on gravel. No stars for you, Keanu!

Books

Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey Into Christian Hermeticism

This is now one of the most important books I’ve ever read. It certainly isn’t for everyone. If you are interested in comparative religion, in practical mysticism, gnosis, in the perennial philosophy, and especially in Western Mystery Traditions, then you’ll find an encyclopedia of knowledge and inspiration in this book. The author is Catholic, but not any ordinary Catholic. He spent some 45 years exploring the occult, hermetic wisdom, and Christianity, in practice. His opening thesis is that the only truly sacred magic is that of the three vows: poverty, obedience, and chastity, and then he writes about about the three stages of all mystical paths: purification, illumination, and union. He also writes about everything arcane, from a refreshingly western perspective, including the lotus flowers (chakras), the three bodies (physical, astral, etheric), the notion of reincarnation (and the Church’s choosing to keep it out of their doctrines, and why), the creating of demons (psychological complexes with independent wills, as well as other kinds), the angelic hierarchies, the profound myth of the Fall from Genesis, the horizantal evolution of the Serpent as opposed to the vertical ascent of mysticism, and more, more, more. He doesn’t write these things to titillate, seduce, or route one away from the important work of spiritual practice. He is helplessly a hermetic, one who seeks to know the totality of things, and who is a master of synthesis. He demonstrates how Jewish Cabbala and Egyptian Hermeticism are the parents of Christianity, and are not its enemies. There is just so much in this book that I couldn’t possibly recommend it highly enough. It has replaced Huxley’s The Perennial Philosophy as the most important book in my collection. If you find yourself looking always eastward for things of an esoteric nature (finding most of the spirituality of the West about as deep as Keanu Reeves’ acting), then try reading this book. I’m reading it (studying it) right now for the third time.

Annyoung,

Ssup?! Hey, it’s been awhile. Been a long while. Well, sadly, I’ve been so sick for the last 2 and 1/2 weeks that I’ve had very little of interest to write about. This has been perhaps the most hellish bug I’ve ever played host to. It is kicking my honky ass all over the penninsula. It started right around the time of my girlfriend’s arrival… maybe two days prior. I felt a bit off-colour, a bit wobbly in the knees. I puked a few times, inexplicably. Nicole got sick, too. Slowly, her symptoms went away, and my symptoms morphed into new ones altogether. My nausea continued for sometime, but eventually, it was totally outshone by newly arrived head-cold symptoms. I’ve been to two doctors. The first one had a look down my throat, and I watched him grab a steel instrument to push on my tongue with. I then watched him throw the used instrument back into the container he had just obtained it from! And people wonder why they get colds here! I’ve taken more pills in the last month than in the last two years combined, much to the displeasure of my ailing liver. Currently, three times a day, I am taking a bulky cocktail of seven multi-coloured pills and capsules of mysterious content. I happen to know it includes antibiotics. This bug has seriously dragged me down.

You ever have mono? This illness feels like that, minus the swollen throat. But just standing up a week ago felt like lifting a car after fasting for a week. And we all know how that feels! Well, we did venture out a few times regardless of my pale, worn appearance, listlessness, and incessant moaning. We went again to Nampo-dong, the shit-smelling shopping district. We walked for several hours in a place called Gukje Market, a fairly famous spot for buying anything from knock-off clothes to digital cameras, from live eels to freshly liberated pig’s heads. No shit. And of course, I had my camera, but it wouldn’t work for me (it’s okay… I’ve got my eyes on the new Nikon D50, and am hoping to buy it in the next few months). But yeah, this one narrow alleyway was lined with monstrous pig heads, all staring out and looking rather miserable. It was morbid, and kind of cool to see. I had photo opps jumping out at me at every turn (not to mention over-zealous sales people), but I have nothing to show for it because of my fudged camera (leaving me with nothing but memories made sloppy and warped by too many cold tablets).

Nicole is here, as many of you know, and she is teaching at my school. She has her own kindergarten class, and is picking up extra work at night. Within a week or two, we’ll be dragging in a solid 6 ‘G’z a month. It’ll all be worth it. All the vomit and stomach cramps. And the salsa (Korea’s actual word for ‘the shits’). And the month long flu bugs I’ve been privaleged enough to become intimate with… twice now, in my mere 2 and 1/2 month stay here. And the spoiled brats. And the bad instant coffee. And the… !

No, it’s all good. For example, on the Nampo-dong outing, we were helped at least three times by overly helpful Korean people. There are so many nice people here that the tough old ladies which push you out of line or the grumpy, spitting, staring business men are easily forgotten. We occasionally order food in. We can get a great spread of assorted sushi (called cho-bap here) delivered to our apartment for about $14. And last weekend, Nicole and I sat in bed drinking coffee on Saturday morning and watching people surfing across the street! So, yeah, while the surfing is not nearly epic here, it is here, and as soon as I get a lot healthier and a little wealthier, and one of those little storms blows in off the East Sea, I’m going down to the surf shop to rent me a drysuit and a longboard. Kite surfing is taking off here, too. It looks like a blast. But I can’t afford a start-up like that. No, I’m focused: two or three books a month, a laptop, a digital SLR, semi-retirement starting, well, about 10 years ago, and a little piece of land in paradise…. and maybe a week in the Phillippines somewhere along the way, too. 

As far as teaching goes, I am definitely getting much better at it. I also have a great deal of respect fo teachers now, because it really is difficult, and certainly is a noble craft. It is like surfing waves of chaos. It’s always precarious. You’re constantly dealing with so many dynamics at once, in one little room, namely with children, little volcanic or egg-shell egos, and the possibility for complete disorder is always very close. Hats off to all the teachers of the world. I think when I come back to Canada, I will continue to teach. I’d have to say that I really like it, as exhausting as it can be.

Anyway, unfortunately, I will be posting no new pictures of Korea for awhile. Hopefully, shortly, I’ll have more riveting things to write about than kindergarten kids or the colour of my cold pills. I miss you Rocky Mountains, Starlight Challenge, family, friends, NHL hockey, hot wings, good beer, English book stores, etc, etc. Until we’re all drinking soju and dark Canadian draft by a fire in a ski chalet together somewhere next Christmas,

Cheers!

Su Tee Bun

PS. Most importantly: Say no to Jumbo Resort! Go here: http://www.keepitwild.ca/ . Or vote NO (question of the week, far right-hand column) here: http://www.kootenayadvertiser.com/ . Thanks for keeping me up to date, Jim and Christy.