Saturday, June 27, 2009

Some Strange Some Glad

Greetings...

I'm officially 28 years old now but I remain 29 in Korea's eyes. I won't turn "30" until Jan.1. My birthday was on a Saturday but a few students were awesome enough to congratulate me on Friday. I even received a couple hand made birthday cards which was totally awesome. Here's a couple, transcribed faithfully:

"To...Dunham TEACHER. Hello Teacher. My name is Gyeong Lim. Happy birth day!...:) Vary thank you. English study vary English spiking do. Thank you. Teacher I love evry day smil" (Spelling mistakes and all...with a birthday cake and happy face drawn at the bottom)

"To: Dun-ham Teacher. My name is Jong Eun. Hello my name is Jong Eun (yes, twice). Today this is your birth day! You must be very happy. Me too. I happy I think. Your family is a nice. Bey-bey. See you---:) Happy Birth to you. Love."

"To Teacher. teacher HAPPY tommorrow teacher's HAPPY birthday present is monday give to you. Today hears about your birthday. Teacher come day. Some strange some glad. What do you want anything present? Teacher comes Korea. First Birthday. Happy birthday after read." (What the heck does "some strange some glad" mean??)

Two things are obvious from these letters: 1) I have awesome students and 2) (as Cari astutely pointed out) I'm apparently not very good at my job.

For my b-day, I went out with Rob, Ji-won and two of her friends (Young and Lisa) who are rapidly becoming staples on the hang out circuit. While waiting for Young to arrive, we played pocketball at our usual haunt (a very nice pool hall on the ELEVENTH FLOOR with an amazing view of the city at night). Then, the group eventually assembled, we went to dinner. Actually, we went to a bar, had some fruit flavored soju and exquisite apps (appetizers...apps was stolen from Michael Scott on The Office). If you know me, you know that I've never been one for bars. Lucky for me, bars in Korea are way cooler than our domestic locations. Sure, there's hammered college kids vomiting sometimes, and people talking way too loud and/or smoking and I'm sure there are actual bar fights (we've yet to see one), but I still prefer this version. Often there are awesome couches to sit on, we have our own semi-secluded booth, the flavored soju is AWESOME and since everyone's drinking it, there's a pleasant lack of "girly drink jokes." After dinner, we tried to go bowling but the place we went to was busy so...we played more pocketball...at the same place! The look on the guy's face was priceless: "Wow, you guys really like pocketball, eh?" (that's what his face said) And, can I can just say that I ruled that night? My team won every game! We've been playing so much that my skills are visibly improving...now I know why I'm here...my destiny as a professional billiardsman is unfolding.

Part of Rob's birthday gift was taking me to this incredible movie theatre. So, last Thursday, Rob, Ji-won, Lisa and I went to "Cine de Chef," the most luxurious movie going experience I've had. We ate dinner at their restaurant (great Italian food) while "Mamma Mia" played on mute across a ginormous screen (we guessed maybe 150 wide and 30 feet high). They've got classic movie stills as framed posters on the walls and classic film star biographies as coffee table books in the lobby. Then, we went into the theatre that had only 32 seats. "32 seats? Really?" "Yes." "Well, it must've been a very small auditorium." "Nope...it was normal size." You see, when I say "seats," what I really mean is chairs. Lounge chairs. Recliner chairs made of leather with YOUR OWN COUCH PILLOW TO SNUGGLE WITH! We get complimentary drinks and snacks...this means coke in a glass with ice and a bowl of biscotti-esque bread. Give me some popcorn and twice as much coke in a paper cup and I'm right as rain but this was cool too. So, with our shoes off, our legs elevated and our minds blown, we watched Transformers 2. I remember thinking the first film was too busy and spastic for it's own good...and as sequels go, this one didn't fall far from the tree. It's dumb, loud and everyone talks 200 words per minute. On paper, watching giant robots fight each other on our planet couldn't be cooler but, somehow, Michael Bay makes watching these scenes an exercise in frustration: "Wait, which one's the good guy? How many robots are actually fighting right now??"

Today, I found myself working on a Saturday as a volunteer. A week or so ago, a woman came to my school and had a chat with Mrs. Lee about this new Community Center opening up that holds one day camps for kids from low income families. The camps are based on English education which is how I got involved. They needed some volunteers as some other English teachers like myself had dropped out. Of course, I felt bad and said I'd help out. As today approached, especially this morning, I was regretting my decision. Not only is it a Saturday but I've started feeling slightly under the weather. But, as soon as I got there, my mood improved. There were probably a dozen students from my school there and seeing them was quite exciting. All the kids have balloons and everyone just seems in a great mood. I was in charge of one activity that was kinda like musical chairs with English. One kid would pick another kid and have a short dialogue...at the end of the dialogue, the kids would get up and switch seats leaving someone without a seat to lead the next dialogue. I also got to work with 3 attractive Korean college girls (wink wink).

And, finally, I've got a bit of news. Over the next year or so, I will be editing a collection of interviews by Danny Boyle for the University of Mississippi Press. Mr. Boyle (if you weren't aware) is a fantastic film director from England--he's done some great work (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later and Sunshine (my favs)) but things got a whole lot more interesting on Planet Boyle when his latest effort, Slumdog Millionaire, slam dunked the Oscars this year winning Best Picture and Best Director. My job will be to do a ton or research, looking for interviews he's already done, that I will then edit and put together as one book. I get to write an Introduction, Filmography and Chronology. AND! "Edited by Brent Dunham" on the cover! And, the cherry on top...it looks like I'll have the opportunity to interview Mr. Boyle myself specifically for the book. ALSO! In my first email to the press (I was responding to an ad they placed), I mentioned my plans to write a book on Woody Allen. When the woman wrote back, she asked me about it. I sent her a brief paragraph of my idea and she's interested in that book also! She wants me to keep her posted as it progresses. Writing my own book from scratch vs. copying/pasting other people's writings are two very different tasks but I think when there's a contract to honor and money being exchanged, my motivation will have no excuse but to kick it into gear.

I'm very excited about this project and it will be great to be productive again.

Stay tuned...

-Brent

p.s. If anyone happens across a Danny Boyle interview, you'll be my hero if you send it to me :) I might even thank you in the book!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Brent Dunham: VIP







Pics:
1-My first Mexican meal in 2+ months (in Seoul).
2-Hard-rockin' glasses for a hard-rockin' dude.
3-Food?
4-Adios Soo :(
5-I got her a bear cake so she'll know what one looks like and when to run away while in Canada.

Greetings...

I was just taking a nap when Rob "beeped" an IM letting me know that he posted a new blog that included the footage of him dancing. Ever since hearing about this infamous rug-cutting, I had been dying to see it...and it did not disappoint.

Check it out here.

After reading the blog, (and what a magnificently written entry it is) I suddenly realized that I haven't posting anything of my own since April 28th! This is no way to treat my fans! So, even though Rob efficiently covered the events of last weekend, I decided to cobble together a general report of what's been going on lately.

First of all, I'm very sad to say that our great friend Soo has transplanted herself to Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. You'll notice a couple pics above of her going away party. We've been here for over 3 months now and more than half that time was spent sight-seeing, adventuring and gallivanting with the one and only Soo. I can honestly say that the majority of happiness I've had living in Korea is anchored in the friends we've made and the times we've had. I don't meet new people very often and if you asked me before I left if I thought that would change along with my address, I would've laughed in your face. We still have our other great friend Ji-won to keep us going but there is an obvious hole shaped like Soo in our Korean landscape. The good news is that she'll be back in November to help us finish out the year! I've spoken with her since touching ground in the Great White North and the funniest thing is her culture shock which is a complete 180 from ours. She hates cheese and her first meal at her Canadian house was a cheese dish--we crave cheese all week and finally get our fix on the weekends. It's apparently very flat in Regina (which I can't believe is a problem) but it's maddeningly mountainous here. She's bored in the suburbs and sometimes the city gets to me. She needs a car to get anywhere and I've done enough walking for an entire lifetime.

Most people reading this know that I was back in the States for Dana's wedding. For those who were unaware, it's probably because I had zero free time. One thing that most of you didn't get was an official review of my first first-class experience. Either Dad's got an inoperable brain tumor and wanted to say "sorry" for all the fat jokes...or he was just feeling generous--either way, he pulled out the big guns, relieved himself of many, many airmiles and flew me first class BOTH WAYS from Tokyo to LA and back. I feel obligated to once again say "thank you, Dad!" I'll be thanking him constantly until I take my next Economy flight, at which point I'll most likely wish I had never been spoiled. So, anyway, let's get on with it.

The awesomeness actually began before I even got on a plane. When I checked in at the airport in Busan, (because I had an Economy seat from Busan to Tokyo) they gave me a free pass to their first class lounge to wait for the plane. Nice. So in walks me to their lounge wearing my sloppy hooded sweatshirt and cargo shorts and I'm greeted by THREE "concierges"(?) at the front desk. I can only imagine the confusion and discussion amongst them after I left. There were some fridges with cold drinks and little individually wrapped snacks and I had no trouble accepting. I actually didn't get lunch so I found myself going for a second round of "coke and mini-muffin."

When I eventually boarded the plane in Tokyo, I walked into the first class "area" and had the first of many "you've gotta be kidding" moments. I wouldn't even call these things seats...they were individual relaxation pods, or IRPs as I've come to call them. As you can see in the video, they're not even connected to each other and I had to almost stand up before I could even SEE another passenger. I was so giddy about this whole thing that I immediately took out my camera and started videoing my first experience aboard this alien spacecraft of luxury. I got about 20 seconds before the flight attendant, or Personal Robot of Courtesy (PRC), came over and politely reminded me that all electronic devices must be stowed until after takeoff. This little run-in made me feel a little foolish but I couldn't help myself. I was given an actual menu and WINE LIST in a hardcover folder along with my very own travel kit with mouthwash strips, toothbrush/paste and a sleeping eye mask. I was also given what's apparently called "Relaxing Wear"--I didn't even open this until I got back to Busan but it's a light sweater and lounge pants.

The food on this dream flight was out of this world. I don't mean to say that it was like the best food I've ever eaten--I mean, literally, it was like alien food. You can see in the picture above--a plate with three little dishes, each with a different example of exotic and rich cuisine. I don't remember what was in each one but they all contained food that tasted as foreign in my mouth as anything I've had here in Korea. I have a theory about why "rich people food" is usually given in such small quantities--it's not because they want to emphasize the "preciousness" of each dish by limiting it's amount, it's because the food is actually barely edible. The last thing I want to do is complain about anything with this experience but I can't see anyone over-indulging in steak tar-tar with caviar on top and a side of albino asparagus sleeping on a bed of almond mousse...hence the small portions.

The seat could be adjusted in any combination a weary passenger might desire including the oft-fantasized "fully horizontal" position. I told myself before boarding that I didn't want to sleep for fear that I'd miss ANYTHING about the experience. After a few hours, I noticed every other first-classer was asleep in their IRP--the PRC came over and asked me if I wanted her to "make my bed" but I politely declined. No joke, they literally make a bed--put the seat horizontal, put a "mattress cover" over it, give a duvet and an actual pillow (not just some Barbie pillow). As I finished my second movie of the night, I was feeling a bit tired and I considered sleeping. I came to the conclusion that getting to sleep like this on a plane is perhaps THE MOST AWESOME part of the first-class experience and I quickly made the request for turn-down service. I got about 3 hours of sleep and woke up just in time to enjoy some bread and fresh fruit for breakfast.

Basically, it was awesome. Oh yeah, and the first class bathroom is also an upgrade--imagine, if you can, a full 360 degree turn inside the stall without touching a wall...I know...I know.

I came back to work on Tuesday and thanked the Principal, Vice Principal, Mrs. Lee and Lucy with some authentic American Ghiradelli chocolates. They were concerned that I had also thanked them with the H1N1 virus as well. On Thursday, Mrs. Lee got a memo from the office of education about foreign teachers going home, contracting it and coming back to Korea. Of course, this was perfect timing for me to be considered one of the infected. The memo said that I should NOT come to school for 7 days after arriving for fear of contamination...it's a good thing I was at school for 3 full days!! I wouldn't have minded in the slightest if they wanted to me to take the whole week off. Mrs. Lee and I both kinda shrugged at the whole thing because the (potential) damage had already been done. Then, Friday morning, Mrs. Lee runs out of the class to meet the Vice Principal leaving me to start our 3rd class of the day alone. She came back 10 minutes later with another copy of the memo and pulled me into the other room. Apparently, the Vice Principal finally got his copy of the "dreaded foreign teacher" memo and wanted me to go home. Again, this would've been much cooler on Tuesday instead of Friday but I got off early so I can't complain.

I finally initiated my idea to make a movie with my students in our after-school class. Despite their initial, emphatically negative response, when I offered the suggestion to make a horror movie, they literally jumped out of their seats in excitement. This was last Thursday and today we had our first planning class. So, there's a Korean horror movie that came out last year called Gosa (Death Bell in English) that they want to remake it as a comedy. It's about a string of murders at a high school committed by their teacher who murders them in sequential order based on their test scores...is that perfect or what? I'm going to write the script and we're going to have one more "read through/rehearsal" on Thursday before the cameras roll next Tuesday. Of course, once this thing is in the can and edited, I'll be sure to host the world premiere here on the blog.

That's it for now.

Stay tuned...

-Brent