Writing from prisoners: my friend Tamie

My friend Tamie writes an awesome blog called "The Owls & The Angels" and these days she's teaching a writing class to inmates at a prison in the town where she lives.

She wrote a beautiful piece, brimming with respect and compassion, for the inmates she interacts with there. You should read it.

She also has a blog where she publishes (with permission) the writings of her students. You should read it, too, and write comments.

Go read, dear readers. This is important. Humanizing other people humanizes us.

Tamie writes:

My brother told me recently that he thinks someday future generations will look back on the US incarceration system as we now look on slavery or genocide: as something unthinkable and horrifying, something we cannot understand how humans could do to one another. The more I hear the full stories of the people in jail, the more I am convinced that my brother is right.

Random thoughts:

1. Instead of rating movies with stars, I think the new rating for a movies' quality should be:

(top)
Watch it in the cinema, then buy the DVD and watch all the special features.
Watch it in the cinema twice. Tell your friends about it.
Watch it in the cinema.
Download it and watch it fullscreen.
Download it and watch it while doing other stuff.
Download it and skip to the action/nude scenes.
Avoid it.
Watch it ironically so you can rip it in front of your friends later.
Watch it ironically, but be too embarrassed to talk about it later.
(bottom)

2. (My facebook friends will recognize this)

Little words count for a lot: a student dropped the 'with' and told me,
"Yesterday I ate out my wife at a restaurant."

3. I look dazzling in a suit. (last weekend, instead of 2S2, here's what I was up to)

Lecture on Freedom of Speech

In light of Michael Breen's recent situation, you might be interested to know there's a special lecture on freedom of expression in Korea going on tomorrow.  Information here, from Ben Wagner, in a comment on Brian's blog.

Opportunity to see the 4 Rivers Project in Person

Got this message earlier this week, than punted on posting it. Sorry. If it's not too late, here's a chance to go see the 4 Rivers Restoration Project - President Lee's hotly contested big project - in person.

To get an idea of what the 4 Rivers Project seems to be doing to the river ecosystems, look at this, from nanoomi.  (photo from link)



Here's the message I got from a contact:

Want to see what is happening to the rivers under the 4 River Restoration Project? Them come walk along the South Han River on May 15, 2010. This trip is brought to you by the Eco Horizon Institute of Korea. Don't miss the chance to get the tour in English!!!!!

Program: Walking along NamHanGang road, visiting Yeoju 4 river project construction sites, talking with SuGyeong Buddhist Monk

Who: Foreigners interested in learning about the 4 River Restoration Project

Cost: 20,000 won (have to wear comfortable shoes for a walk)

SCHEDULE:

9:30 Meeting at Gangbyun station exit 2, in front of Techno Mart

Get on a eco tour bus

11:30 Arrive at Yeoju

1130-130 Walking along 바위늪구비 BaweeNeupGubi

1:30-2:30 Lunch

2:30-4 Walking along DatDunRi - Sunrising mountain road

4-4:30 Gangcheobo(catch basin)-Construction site visit

4:30-5:30 생명평화여강마당 (신륵사) Visit Life Peace Garden at SinReuksa Temple

5:30-7 수경스님과의 대화 Discussion with SuGyeong Buddhist Monk

7-Departing for Seoul

RSVP: Vanessa Falco, mettaness@gmail.com 010-4694-4720

Jiyoung: happy_jiyoung_yun@yahoo.com

Large and Tall T-shirts: General Request

Hey there.  I have a few friends who are taller and/or larger than the average Korean, who need to buy a few new t-shirts for the summer.

So... especially these days, when there are more big and tall Koreans than ever before, there MUST be more big and tall shops where Korean folks can get the big and tall sizes they increasingly need...

Where are they?  Can any of my bigger-than-the-average-Korean readers - particularly the females - recommend a place where my friend could either buy, or have made, some summer wear?  She's looking either for a tailor where they actually know how to fit larger women (not just slapping an elastic waistband on a tent with feet holes), or a shop where they have sizes for her.  She's also a bit tired of digging around the big-and-large shops along "wanna buy a suit" street in Itaewon, where she's been all through the wringer with bad experiences.

So... help me out here, folks.  Directions are good, links to google maps are better, links to websites for shops and even online stores help, too.

I know someone will come through for me on this one.  My coworker is waiting on it.

Rob

All over the Korea Herald Today

Hello Readers.

I'm Roboseyo, or Rob Ouwehand. This is my personal blog. You may have found this blog because of the articles in today's Korea Herald, about ATEK's Legal Assurance Program, which is big news, and my new position as ATEK's National Communications Officer.

To find out more about me, go ahead and look around the blog; some of my best or most popular posts are on the right. However, I should be clear that these are all my own, personal opinions, and they don't represent ATEK.

To learn more about ATEK, visit ATEK's website. You can also check out ATEK's Twitter feed, to the right.

2S2 On Saturday: Gwangjang Market And All the Good Vittles

Remember: 2S2 Wonju is also a go.

So Amy and Chris, minor deities in their own rights, have offered to help me out by running the upcoming 2S2 by Tag-Team, so that I can go tuxedo shopping on Saturday with my fiance, and still get married in July. Thanks, you two.

The plan remains as stated: Meet at 2PM on the second floor of the Twosome Place coffee shop by Anguk Station (Anguk Station exit 1, turn right).

Look for either this handsome guy (stolen without permission from Chris's Blogger Profile), who answers to the name "Chris" or "Thou Austere Keeper of the Sword That Wails, And Curator of Awkward Silences"

Or this curly-haired young lady, who radiates "awesome" (picture stolen without permission from her facebook photo album... I didn't have time to check if the picture was a good one; it's late and I wrote this in a sleepy rush.  Sorry if it's not you at your best, Amy.)

She answers to the name Amy.  I think the picture might be old; she may have changed since it was taken.

Once the crew has gathered, there are two ways to get to Gwangjang Market. Either by following this path:

View 2S2 Saturday May 8 2010 in a larger map
(If the weather's awesome and everybody is healthy and mobile)

Or by subway, Anguk Station, transfer at Jongno 3-ga station, get off at Jongno 5-ga station, exit 8, and head for the center of the market, where all the best food awaits.

From there, on the other side of the market is the Chunggyecheon Stream, which is a nice walk, and if some of you want to go to the Seoul World DJ festival, you'll have to work that out. The facebook page is here. The google map is here.

If you really want to go to the DJ Festival (which is awesome, by the way, but'll cost ya), here's the map to catch the bus from World Cup Stadium Station;

View Seoul DJ Festival in a larger map

Wish I could be there, readers. I'll post pictures of me in my tuxedo when I can. Don't you know I look dazzling in a suit.

If I have the energy (clothing shopping tires me), and Girlfriendoseyo has the patience, and the store has one in stock, I'll be sure to get at least one picture of me in a ridiculous tuxedo for you. If all those things occur.  Have a good time eating food and walking around a market I wish I could join you for, readers.

-Rob

Great Jimjilbang... cleaning my desk

I've had the business cards of a great jimjilbang cluttering my desk for months now, so I'm just going to scan and post the info and let you know that this place is pretty sweet: the clay kilns out back are a wonder, and the coal roasters where you can buy rice cakes, potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn, and then roast them yourself, are AWESOME.

You should go there.

Here's the place.  hanbangland.co.kr.  No promises the website will be useful.

It's between the Shinchon/Hongdae area and the Jongno area, and the masseurs are hella strong.

Enjoy~

2S2 Saturday: Here's the Plan; Come Hungry; Here's what I Need

OK, readers...

Here's the problem.

I have a great idea for this Saturday's 2S2... except one thing.  I'm double-booked.

See, I'm getting married in July ... you might have heard about this ... and Fiancoseyo (no. That's not working) Girlfriendoseyo set the tuxedo shopping appointment for this Saturday, at 3pm.  Given that 2S2 meets at 2pm, it pretty much means that I could be there for about ten minutes before I had to split.

I love you all, my readers, and I care a lot that people get the connections they need... but I'm completely unavailable this Saturday.

So here's what I need: a friend who can fill in, and lead people around.  I'll even plan out the thing, as long as I have someone who can hold a map and keep a group together.

You can read about 2S2 Suwon here, or at the 2S2 blog, once it's posted there; I hope 2S2 Wonju will be putting something up soon, and 2S2 Yongin/Suji also has a facebook page.

Here's my idea: about a 20 minute walk from 2S2's Anguk Station meetup, there's a fantastic market called "Gwangjang Market" where you can get some of the best jeon (seafood pancake), bindaeddeok, kalguksu (Korean cut noodle soup), and a whole swack of other old-style Korean foods - the kind of stuff that reminds Koreans of their childhood, all served up in little food-stalls.  The prices are ridiculously low, the food's awesome soul-food - there's pig's feet, but there's also some awesome not-gross, cheap food like kimbap, chapchae, noodles, egg and fish-cakes -- all the best Korean cheap-foods you can think of.  And the market experience is as authentically "Korea" as you can get.  Read more here.

Here's Dan Gray, from Seoul Eats, my nemesis, describing some of the foods:


From there, right next to Kwangjang market is the Chunggyecheon stream, which is a nice stroll to work off all the food you ate, and if you're really ambitious, Kwangjang Market is not far from Jongno 3-ga station, where line 3 takes you to line 6, from which you can head down to the Seoul DJ Festival - I've gone before, and it was awesome.  (learn more here, or here, or here)

So... any takers?  Help a fella out!

Inwang Mountain and JjimDalk: Awesome Day

Given such fantastic weather, Girlfriendoseyo, Mom-in-law-oseyo, and I climbed Inwang-san, or Inwang Mountain, this Saturday.

The mountain was in fine form, with cherry blossoms and magnolias still in bloom.

The tree cover had pink peeking through.

The air was clear enough to see from Inwang Mountain, all the way to the 63 Building on Yeouido.

Girlfriendoseyo playing with her dog.  Cherry blossoms through the opening in the wood grove.

Mother-in-law-oseyo loves the mountain.

After a good climb on the mountain, we had a special treat in store: Andong JjimDalk.  Andong JjimDalk is so good, that it's just not worth eating it anywhere except in Andong... but Girlfriendoseyo heard that some of the JjimDalk restaurants in Andong will actually deliver their recipes to you in Seoul, if you order them a few days ahead of time.  Girlfriendoseyo did exactly that.  We'd been planning a jjimdalk party sometime, but before we ordered it to eat with a bunch of friends, we wanted to try it, and make sure it was the same stuff on deliveray, as it was in Andong.  After climbing the mountain, Mother-In-Law-oseyo warmed up the recipe that had been delivered, and readers... it was almost as good as making the trip to Andong.


A bit closer:

And this, readers, is a picture of a full, and happy Roboseyo.

Bravo my life!

And then, on the way home, I saw something amazing: on the subway, this old lady got on the subway, and fell into the most amazing kimchi squat I've ever seen. She curled into a tiny ball on her heels, fell just about asleep, and no matter which way the train pitched, rolled, accelerated, and decelerated, she stayed put. I've never seen a kimchi squat so stable. People were getting on and off near her, and bumping her, and she was unperturbed. Impressive.