You're Going To Love This

I just made a "smart playlist." It's restricted to songs I've rated five-stars but have only listened to five or fewer times. There are 1,371 songs in the playlist. I'm going to listen to this playlist on shuffle exclusively until I've eliminated at least half the songs. I'm so excited I've been listening to it for the past two hours already. So far, three songs have been eliminated. There aren't very many remaining that are on the brink with five plays, so it may take a month or more to reach the goal. I highly recommend everyone else to do this as well or go on a week long music fast. I love music fasts!

Since you've been pining for a blogpost, Jeff Milburn.

I've pretty much stopped taking pictures. Feel like I don't have the right, sort of. But here are some documenting what's been going on in the Wangshimni area.

Kitchen window.



bedroom view.



Where I run.



What I wear to class.



Easter eggs from a grandma in my class.



Where I like to walk.



Army base?



Seoul from above.



Downtown in the distance.



The secretary, 미친 원숭이.



Adoring fans, I think.



V for victory.



Coffee giggles.



Movie director and dental hygienist.



I'm a giant.



Candid!



There's one on every hill.

My Sunday minus the meals

Skyped with my parents, bought trash-bags at the local grocery, walked to Caffe Bene, wrote poetry in Caffe Benne, rode subway home, watched Jack White on youtube for a couple hours, did a laundry, Modest Mouse marathon while playing Japanese Mahjong.

I'm a beggar riding, so far

First day of 2011 is my first day in a new apartment. That's pretty good. Upgrades: water pressure, much closer proximity to subway/institute, kitchen/refrigerator clean and in working condition, washing machine location (not in the bathroom), efficient heating system, front door that closes all the way, convenience store 30 seconds away. Downgrade: smaller bedroom. I'm happy about moving. Hopefully, the good fortune will continue with my schedule for next term... If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

Wheel-weel seat strategy

I went outside today after spending 90 straight hours in my apartment. I took out the trash and then I walked to a big grocery store - maybe two miles away. I bought cereal, soymilk, tortilla chips, and salsa. I loaded them into my basket in that order. I rode a bus back home because it was too cold to carry a bag bare-handed. The grocery store was quite crowded, but the buss had 10 or 15 empty seats. I was stoked about that. I sat in the seat closest to the driver; that's my favorite seat on a bus. Old people never sit in that seat because they have to step up too high to get there; the seat's over the wheel-well, you see. So, I don't have to worry when I see old ladies getting on the bus that I need to give up my seat to them. I was very happy on the bus today.

Today

My new trick for avoiding head-phone fatigue: wear the hadphones on the outside of a jacket hood.

Today I didn't see any people. I stayed in my apartment all day, and for the 30 seconds I looked out my bedroom window, there were no people in the parking lot. Tomorrow will be the same.

Today I discovered the band Chavez. I'm enamored.

Today I sung some vocals for an alternate version of an old song. I though it came out alright. Of course, whenever I record anything, one thing leads to another and I start wishing I had a drum-set.

Today I finished the last two packets of instant oatmeal. The good news is that I still have some cold cereal and raisins left.

December 5

I got a cold recently. So, one of my students was really eager to give me this stuff Yonggaksan. It looks suspiciously like cocaine and comes with a small spoon. It's pretty effective. My voice comes back really quickly. I couldn't find any information about it on the internet in English... but I started taking it anyway. I'm living on the edge - using traditional Korean medicine. One step closer to voodoo - or cocaine. I couldn't be happier about it.

Headphone fatigue

One advantage to living alone is all the time you can devote to recording music. I've devoted a lot of time to recording music recently. I wish I had an electric guitar and drums, but I've just got my new acoustic. So, I'm manipulating acoustic recordings with computer software. I'm not too pleased with the results. One disadvantage of spending five hours recording with headphones on is that I don't ever feel like listening to real music.

The washing machine here drains all over the bathroom floor. Of course, I always desire to brush my teeth in the middle of a load of laundry. It's not possible unless I want to get my feet wet or wear rubber boots. I don't have rubber boots.

I have a lot of oatmeal. I've been eating a lot of instant oatmeal. I really like instant oatmeal these days.

I need to kill 'Hummer'

In the beginning, the best artist name I could come up with for myself was 'Epiphender.' When I tried to do vocals, I started labeling all my music 'Peter Pan.' When I switched from a 4-track cassette recorder to computer-based recording, I also switched my pseudonym to 'Hummer.' Everything I've recorded since 2006 has been by 'Hummer.' However, I really don't care for the name anymore. Problem is, I've decided there's no good name to be had, and now I've got a big identity crisis going on. I mean, think about the concert poster situation... I guess I don't play any concerts, but I'd still like to have an interesting name.

Happy X-mas (War is over)

The music in this coffee shop is a mix of Frank Sinatra, John Lennon, Sting and artists who idolize Frank Sinatra. I don't think I've ever heard "Happy X-mas (war is over)" on a public sound system. I've just heard it twice in the past hour, though. I guess you can't go wrong if it's a Christmas song by John Lennon. Famous AND seasonal. "Woman Is The N***** Of The World" next? Sure hope so! Think about it. Think about it. Wait, am I the only person among my acquaintances that knows that song? Maybe not - good thing I know Jeff Milburn. Elvis? Gross. I guess I better put my computer away and get out of here.

I can't perform in the subway

Sometimes when I leave class and go to get on the subway I find one of the students that just left my class is waiting for the same train as me. It's not my favorite situation. I don't like trying to force a friendly conversation amidst train noise. I'm not good at faking smiles. The only time I can get into performance/teacher mode is in a classroom in front of at least five people. I just can't perform in the subway. I wonder if I would feel worse about it if my students tried to avoid me at the station. Depends on the student, I guess. Depends on whether they tried to talk about the mountain climbing gear they were about to buy or if they had something interesting on their mind.

I've settled in Incheon - in the Jemulpo neighborhood. I'm connected to Seoul by subway, but there is nothing in Jemulpo that resembles Seoul. Actually, there is nothing in Jemulpo. Right now it's a real 'tower of isolation' situation at my apartment. I'm on top of a hill with no roommate and no internet. Also, no water pressure. It's not all famine though; I have three different colognes from my previous students in Sangdo. They smell pretty good.

Looking for a raisin stain solution

I like the food situation on Singapore Airlines. After looking at the menu, I always choose the "Indian Selection." I haven't been let down by any of their meals - apart from accidentally sitting on a raisin and squishing it into my pants.

I like the entertainment situation on Singapore Airlines. They have Radiohead, Yeasayer, and Them Crooked Vultures albums. Also, lots of boring movies. I guess I don't really like the movie part but am impressed by it.

I like Incheon airport. It only takes about 10 minutes to get out of there. I've never arrived there and had to wait more than 5 minutes for my things at the baggage check. Most efficient and clean airport I've seen.

"Oh... Halloween is so awful."

That last blog was total boreballs so I edited it. Flying out of Spokane at 6 a.m. tomorrow. I'd love anyone to come say farewell at the airport, but my parents might treat you like an interloper. Nobody likes an interloper at 5 a.m. Nobody likes being an interloper at 5 a.m. either. I know all about that.

boreballs

Christmas in Beijing

I went to Beijing, China over Christmas break. They have a lot of gaudy Christmas trees in public places, and every store has a loop of about 10 well known Christmas songs playing. Christmas songs like 'Last Christmas,' 'Frosty the Snowman,' and 'White Christmas.' I've never been very fond of those songs, but I really grew to loathe them in China. Probably because I hadn't anticipated being bombarded with trite American sentiment in China, and it was worse than the malls in Spokane.

The Hostel where I stayed put on a Christmas Eve party for all its guests. They did manage to work in one traditional-ish Chinese dance; however, the majority of the time was given over to karaoke renditions of the same songs I mentioned before. As the only Americans who dared to show up to the event, my friends and I were paraded to the front and continually asked to get up and do something - anything at all. Of course, nobody else in the audience was under pressure to leave their seats.

Thankfully, I spent most of my time in China at historical places or trying to get to historical places... So, the trip was far from a disappointment. I did have my fill of authentic Chinese food - which in contrast to Korean food is VERY greasy but not as fishy.

Well, I think that's all I have to say about that.

Feel free to question my dedication to this bog.

That aside, I thought everyone would love to get a good look at some every day pictures. I hope you're going to come away from this feeling like you've just spent a day in the life of Peter Lacey. Five pictures should be sufficient.

First, the view from my apartment a month or so ago... It looks the same now, just without leaves.

Here are some old persimmons rotting on barren branches!

I strive for a friendly classroom environment.

My students like to keep it stereotypical in the classroom.

Ramyeon: the cheap and easy meal.

There you have it. Happy Christmas.

Peter

I play gospel guitar despite the subway

I went to a gospel choir practice this evening. Yes, I am a part of the choir - sort of. I'm there to play the guitar, of course. I'm Peter Lacey, right? I play the guitar, right? Of course! Where ever I go, the guitar becomes my identity no matter whether anyone has ever heard me play one. Nevermind, though; the interesting part is that I only have a massive, heavy hard-shell case over here for my guitar. It's a real burden to get around Seoul with it.

The subway lines are absolutely packed on Saturday evenings. Negotiating blind corners and long staircases while carrying the guitar case is a bit tiring in the weekend crowd (a disaster against the crowd if you get caught on the wrong side of a corridor or flight of stairs). Trying to get through the narrow turnstiles with that guitar case after scanning my T-money card is even more tricky. This evening I had to jump the gate because I pushed the case through the rotating bar instead of lifting it over and got locked with my case on one side of the bar and me on the other. Of course, 500 people were watching thinking I was blatantly breaking rules and not paying to get through. Once on the train, it's too packed to move and trying to maneuver to get out of the doors at the right stop is difficult enough without the case. With the case, I feel like I'm plowing people over. My dedication to this choir practice is tried every time I try to get there.

Anyway, there are three main ways to get around Seoul. The subway is the best. You can get anywhere on the subway and it is very cheap and easy if you're not carrying something heavy and cumbersome. The problem with the subway is that most of the lines run east and west and to move diagonally across Seoul you have to make two or three line transfers which means a couple miles of walking up and down crowded stairs and corridors. Besides the subway, there is also a multitude of busses. I've only figured out the routes of the busses that pass directly past my school, but those busses are much faster and cheaper than the subway - but only go to a few places. Thankfully, I can get to the center of town on the closest route. Taxis are the other option. Taxis are horrible. The drivers are untrustworthy. They're not scary, but they always take the longest way possible to your destination and the herky-jerky driving makes me very sick. Taxis usually cost ten times as much as the subway to get to the same place, but they are much faster.

If I had a bike, that would be a good way to get around. It would be just as fast as the subway since I could take direct routes, and Seoul is easy to navigate since there's a hill with a big tower in the north and a huge river that cuts the city in half. You can always tell what part of town you are in when those landmarks are visible. I may just buy a bike... too bad the temperature is dropping below freezing now.

Bring in that tasty, tasty kimbap

Recently, I was getting frustrated with Kerry Brown for not updating his blog about the Smashing Pumpkins recording sessions. Then I realized I was also neglecting my blog. However, I think a big difference is that my blog doesn't contain exciting information about the equipment for the next Smashing Pumpkins album or a report on the progress of Billy Corgan's recording. Those are the only things I want to read about in a blog, anyway.

A lot of wild and amazing things have happened since my last blog. I'm in Korea after all. Be content knowing I'm still the same person despite these powerful adventures. That's all a joke, actually.

I think I'd like to dedicate the rest of this blog to Korean food. I only know the names of a few Korean dishes: Kimchi - which is horrible, slimy, fermented, fishy sludge; Kimbap, which is basically sushi; and Bipbimbap, which is various things mixed into rice. Most other Korean dishes I've experienced are a variation of kimchi or some sort of cold stir-fry situation.

Most Korean food, with the notable exception of kimbap, is a mixed heap of something. There are a lot of vegetables, and you see a lot of stringy mushrooms, sesame seeds, and bean sprouts in the food. Also, a lot of sweet & spicy sauces which are generally enjoyable. Unfortunately, a lot of the food also has a distinct fish taste to it even if it is vegetarian. I'm not sure what produces that taste - but it's part of some sort of dressing I think.

Of course, I don't usually eat these traditional Korean dishes unless somebody else has made them. I eat ramyeon most often, which is ramen noodles. There are many varieties of ramyeon, but most are pretty spicy. My students also have given my songpyeon which is a cold, sticky rice dumpling filled with semi-sweet bean/nut/sesame seed mash (much like a sweet ravioli). It's tolerable but not great.

On the 1-14 scale, I guess I would give Korean food an 8. The inclusion of kimchi at nearly every meal brings the score down quite a bit, as does the popularity of dried squid. Riding the train to Daejeon last week, the passenger beside my was chewing on a dried tentacle for a half-hour. It was highly unpleasant but not surprising. Anyway, those are all my thoughts on Korean food at the moment.

Fashion Show

Went to a fashion show at a Kyung Hee University today, the first fashion show I've been to as far as I know. It was outdoors in front of building that looked like a cathedral, but was acutally a massive theatre. I have to say I was impressed with the show's production. The outfits were crazy, the models looked like models, and the light effects/music show was great. These fashions were apparently all designed by students at the university. There's another show on the 24th, and I may have to go again.

The venue.

Models on the runway.

Pretend you hear loud club music while looking at this.

Theme: Intersexion. I'm not sure what that means or how this model defines it.

You can't smile in a fashion show.

Theme: Cozy. Seoul's really on edge about the swine flu and airborne viruses.

Traffic Jam.

Theme: Lolipop.