2011 in Retrospect

It is time to take inventory of the past year. (See summaries of 2008, 2009 and 2010.)

January / February

The year started somewhat traumatically as I was involved in a car accident while I was in South Africa; thankfully nobody was seriously injured. During my time in South Africa I enjoyed spending time with many family and friends, some of whom I hda not seen in many years. The fruitful quest in search of my grandfather's grave in an old cemetery in Johannesburg was especially memorable.

March

In March there was a terrible earthquake that caused the terrible tsunami that destroyed large areas of Japan's eastern coast and resulted in the explosion of nuclear reactors. Japan took the brunt of the tsunami, saving Korea from any ill-effects. At a personal level, March was much less volatile. After working on the day of my birthday, I went to an excellent bakery and enjoyed exquisite pastries and deserts.

April

In April I started my Afrikaans poetry blog, Ingelegde Lywe, with focus on love and erotic poems.

Nothing else much happened. I did do some touristy things in April, such as visiting Seoul Tower, watching the theatre performance Jump! (for the fourth or fifth time), and hanging out in Insadong.

May

A most memorable thing in May was the Lantern Festival Parade (which coincides with Buddha's birthday) that I went to see with some friends whom I hadn't seen in years. Another memorable random day was when I went with my Taekwon-Do instructor and another friend to meet some high level Taekwon-Do people. That wasn't the memorable thing; the memorable thing happened later when we went to the Han River and found this strange bridge with a glass floor on which you can stand (or lie) and look at the river below.

Because of the car accident earlier the year I started going to a chiropractor again on account of acute back ache. It helped a lot—it also forced me to practise more Korean as the doctor is even worse at English than I am in Korean.

June

June was a much more active month for me. I went paragliding, went to the port city Mokpo where I had some of the best vegetarian food I've ever had at a little place called “Waltz Vegetarian Buffet” and also went for a weekend to Jeju Island.

I was also asked to give a speech on poetry and Christianity; I focussed on the value of Mythos and the Numinous.

In June this blog reached its 1000th post.

July

I travelled to three countries: Thailand, Laos and China. From Thailand I flew to Laos, crossed the border by bus into China, back again by bus to Laos and then by plain back to Thailand. During the Laos-China trip I had a wonderful experience meeting with Sabbath keeping Hmong Christians. It was an enriching and humbling experience. For my second journey in Thailand I just relaxed, first in Bangkok, then on an island (Koh Samui) where I hanged around and went scuba-diving, and back in Bangkok again, exploring Thailand's jazz spots.

August

In August I went to the Taekwondo Hall of Fame ceremony to support my instructor and other acquaintances as they receive awards. I was very surprised when I was also awarded with a citation.

September

It may not sound particularly noteworthy, but it was a life enhancing discovery for me: I started making nut milks.

October

With the cooler, more pleasant weather I enjoyed more trips around Seoul, enjoying the Gangnam Fashion Festival, a trip at some of the palaces, and a trip to the Blue House, the Korean presidential residence. I also went to a Fantasy Festival where I ended up being a model to be sketched with two other French models for one of the live-drawing sessions.

Not to be forgotten is my backpack that I lost, with nothing inside missing. This was soon to be followed by another miracle.

November

Early in November my car in South Africa got stolen. Miraculously it was retrieved, and with value added. The thieves actually spray painted my car, so that when the police got it back, it is now worth more than when it got stolen! I can only praise God for this.

December

Friends from South Africa came to visit me. This has been the first time for people from my South Africa life to enter my Korea life. For some reason, it feels like something important. Since they have been here I've been all around Seoul, doing and seeing a myriad of things and enjoying Korea again with “new eyes.”

...ooOoo...

This year it felt as if I really settled into living in Korea. I remember at the beginning of the year how I seriously considered leaving Korea by the middle of next year, maybe relocating to Europe, but as the year progressed I became more and more comfortable in my life here. My work has been a good blend of stress and enjoyment. I truly enjoy most of what I'm doing. I definitely do not think that I will want to stay here indefinitely, but for now I am happy. For much of the year I've been contemplating about my future plans—what will I do when my contract expires at the middle of next year? Will I renew? It's still too early to answer that question. I do know, however, that I would not mind staying on in Korea. At the beginning of this year, shortly after I arrived back in Korea after my trip to South Africa, I caught myself calling my apartment here in Korea “home”. I do feel it.

In 2011 I've made some new friends, learned some new lessons, and reminded myself of some old ones.

What will 2012 involve? The world economy will continue it's uncertain downward spiral. There is likely to be a war (between America and allies with Iran and allies) with the potential to escalate to global proportions. But before WWIII occurs, I'll be teaching new subjects that I'm looking forward to teach. Next semester will be a hard semester because I'll be teaching extra hours, but I look forward to the new classes and expanding my knowledge and skill set. I hope the global elite's plans for world domination will not hinder me to see the next Batman film (a little shallow, I know), and afterwards I will join the millions and millions of people that will resist their psychopathic ambitions. I haven't decided what my involvement in the protest movement will be just yet; in the meantime I'll use my vocation as a teacher to get my students to think for themselves, to question the status quo, and to value the great principles: Love, Hope, Liberty!

Vyf dinge wat ek by my ma geleer het

'n Mens is nie aldag bewus van die waardevolle lesse wat jy deur die jare by jou ouers geleer het nie. En om eerlik te wees, die trauma-geïnduseerde amnesia wat met my ouers gepaard gaan maak dat ek nie juis veel van my ma kan onthou nie. Gevolglik is ek opgewonde wanneer ek wel 'n paar positiewe herinneringe kan onthou. In elk geval, hier volg vyf dinge waarin my ma geglo het en wat ek as waardevolle lesse by my ma geleer het:

“Vra is vry, en wyer daarby”

Dit was een van my ma se gunsteling spraakwendings. Ek is seker dat die idioom “vra is vry, en wyer daarby” selfverduidelikend is: Daar is geen skade om te vra vir, oor, omtrent, of na iets nie. Die ergste wat die ander party kan doen is om jou versoek te wyer, so daar is nie veel te verloor deur te vra nie, maar daar is altyd die potensiaal om iets te win. Selfs die Bybel por ons aan om te vra (Markus 11:24).

Veg gravitasie

Wanneer jy gesigroom aanwend, vryf dit op, nie af nie. Gravitasie trek die heeldag alles af, moet jy nie nou ook dinge begin afwaarts vryf nie. Soos ek ouer word kom ek agter dag dinge begin sak en het ek nou besluit om die beginsel ook in my daaglikse afdroog roetine toe te pas na ek gestort of bad het. In plaas daarvan dat ek “afdroog”, met ander woorde die handoek afwaarts oor my liggaam vryf, maak ek nou gebruik van “opdroog”—ek vryf die handdoek opwaarts oor my lyf.

Iets anders wat my ma ook vir my genoem het en waaruit ek as 'n man nou nie juis persoonlik veel baat vind nie, maar dalk van my vrouelesers wel kan, is dat “borste moet ondersteun word”. My ma het sterk geglo in bras wat die borste behoorlik ondersteun en die effek van gravitasie teenwerk. Klink sinvol.

Worry nie oor wat ander van jou dink nie en wees proaktief

My ma was nie 'n skaam mens nie en het glad nie omgegee om uit te staan of in die kollig te wees nie. Sy het kanse gevat, haar stem laat hoor, en was nooit bang vir verkeerd wees nie. Om aksie te neem is beter as om te kwyn voor die vrees van wat ander mense van jou mag dink. Sy was proaktief. Uit die krygskunste kan ek die beginsel beaam: aksie is inherent vinniger as reaksie. Wees 'n aksie mens, nie 'n reaksie mens nie.

Musiek het voedingswaarde

My pa hou nie van musiek nie. Ek vind dit uitermatig weird dat 'n mens nie van musiek kan hou nie. My ma, aan die anderkant, was 'n groot musiekliefhebber. Om haar was daar nooit nie musiek nie. My ma het van alle musiek gehou: Country musiek, rock-en-roll, klassieke musiek, boeremusiek, koortjies en lofliedere, popmusiek, selfs die metal-goth waarna ek as laattiener geluister het, het sy saam met my geluister. Sy't gesing, klavier en orrelgespeel en ons kinders aangemoedig om ook musiek deel van ons lewens te maak, want musiek is so nodig soos kos. En nes kos, het sekere kos meer voedingswaarde as ander. So luister na 'n gesonde verskeidenheid!

Waarde word nie net in geld gemeet nie

My ma het waarde gesien in enige iets wat handgemaak is, waaraan iemand tyd spandeer het. Massageproduseerde, masjien gekoekiedrukte produkte het min waarde in haar estimasie gehad. Iets wat die produk is van iemand se persoonlike swoeg-en-sweet, se bloed-en-trane, was outomaties meer werd vir haar. 'n Kranklike houtgekerfde stoeltjie was vir haar van meer waarde as iets wat dubbeld soveel werd is in geldelike terme. Daar's baie waarde in die “personal touch.” Tyd voeg ook waarde by tot iets. Natuurlik was enige oudhede en antieke dinge van hoë waarde vir haar.

Goeie lesse, dink jy nie?

What's in a Name?

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One of the first Korean friends I made was a student of mine that I taught English at a language institute in 2006. His name, Jun Hyun-Jin. Recently Jun Hyun-Jin suddenly became Jun I-Sum. Why? Well apparently the Korean Sound Wave Name Institute convinced him that his name Jun Hyun-Jin is full of bad luck. If he kept his name, they told him something to the effect that he will suffer from serious ill health later in life, he'll get a terrible wife, have weakly children, and never advance his career. They suggested he change his name to avert these travesties and proposed the name Jun I-Sum, which he did. I don't know how much he paid for their services, but he paid over $1000 to have his name officially changed.

Personally I think it is all hogwash and suspect that it is not much different from numerology or other such superstitions.

Then again, there is much to be said for a name. Would Oprah have been the success she is today were her name Mary-Sue? Would Madonna have been equally iconic if she was known by her middle Louise instead? Or if she hused her family name and was known as Madonna Ciccone?

In the Bible, names often carry meaning, usually describing the character of the person. Bible characters would sometimes undergo a name change. Abram became Abraham. Jacob became Isaac. Simon became Peter. Saul became Paul. The name change often signalled a character change.

I once had a friend who were verbally and physically abused by her father. As an adult she decided that the negative associations with her name--her father always shouting her name--disturbed her, so she took up another name. She wanted a unisex name so we decided on Toni. With her new name, signifying a new start and a strong character, Toni was able to commence her journey of recovery after years of abuse.

Similarly, my younger brother who has a four syllable first name that people always mispronounce decided to shorten his name to a two syllable name. Later still, his friends adopted a one syllable nickname, Nate, which most people now use. While I liked the two syllable name, Nethan, I also like the name Nate. These days I see that he use different versions of his name, the original four syllable one, the two syllable one, and the one syllable one, in different situations, to good effect.

I'm sure that my own name also had an influence on who I am today. My real names are proper English names. However, our nanny gave me a Sesotho / Tswana name, which ended up becoming the name my family used. I grew up with an African name, which always made me stand out within white contexts. I'm sure this must have had an influence on how people treated me, and how I interacted with people. (If you want to know my name, you can see it on my poetry blog: Ingelegde Lywe.) In Korea my name is very similar to a common Korean name 상국, so that Koreans always ask me after I introduced myself to them if it is my Korean name, then I always have to explain to them, no, it is an African name, I am from South Africa. It has become such a trite routine, that I am shocked when it doesn't happen. Since my name sounds Korean I have opted to use 이상구 Lee Sang-Goo as my Korean name.

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While I still think that the Korean Sound Name Wave Institute is a sham, I agree, that there is much to be said for a name.

3 dinge

Ek het die onderstaande vrae op 'n ander blog gesien en is toe sommer lus om ook die speletjie te speel.

Noem 3 dinge waaroor jy mal is op die oomblik:

• Antony and the Johnsons' "Hope There's Someone"
• Okkerneutmelk
• Mohisme

Noem 3 dinge wat jy vir jou 20 jarige self sou wou sê as jy kon terugreis in tyd:

Oor 'n jaar gaan jy deur die slegste tyd in jou lewe gaan wat jy jouself kan indink. Jou pa gaan in 'n rooftog in die kopgeskiet word. Jou ma gaan uiteindelik aan haar terminale siekte sterf. Jou beste vriend gaan te verlief wees om jou te ondersteun. Al jou finansiële ondersteuning gaan eensklaps verdwyn. Jy gaan bottels by die kafee moet ingee om 'n brood te koop. Jou meisie gaan die daaropvolgende jaar in 'n motorongeluk sterf. Jou ander beste vriend gaan in 'n koma wees. Jy gaan aan intense depressie lei. Ondanks dit alles gaan jy van die waardevolste lewenslesse leer wat jy moontlik ooit sal leer. God gaan 'n werklikheid vir jou word.

(Okay, dis meer as drie dinge . . . ek kan dit seker afkort tot: daar lê groot stront vir jou voor; jy gaan daaruit leer; God gaan wesenlik word.)

Wat is die 3 (of meer) dinge wat jy voor jou siel weet jy eintlik behoort aan te werk wat jouself aanbetref:

• Gaan slaap om hemelsnaam vroeër!
• Luister met belangstelling na jou broer.
• Maak flippen tyd vir Koreaanselesse.

Waarvoor is jy bang:

Rotte. Hulle kan 60cm hoog spring—hoog genoeg om jou aan jou knaters te byt. Hulle kan deur rioolpype swem tot in jou toilet en jou knaters byt terwyl jy op die toilet sit. Hulle het lang tande.

Wat maak jou kinderlik opgewonde:

Poësie en 'n mooi metafoor.

Watter 3 films wat jy onlangs gesien het, het 'n impak op jou gemaak:

• Warrior
• In Time
• The Help

Noem 3 goeie gewoontes:

• Drink water.
• Lees gereeld en wyd.
• Koop nie emosioneel nie.

Two Lies and a Truth

Following are ten sets of Two-Lies-and-a-Truth about me. Can you guess the Truths?

1. At a time as I child I considered becoming _______ when I grow up:
A. a policeman.
B. a porn star.
C. a horse trainer.

2. I dream of one day learning to:
A. fly a helicopter.
B. juggle.
C. cook Korean food.

3. I once considered studying:
A. Nano-engineering.
B. Biochemistry.
C. Criminology.

4. I'm sad when:
A. babies are born.
B. my baking flops.
C. my pens run out of ink.

5. I'm secretly a fan of:
A. Justin Bieber.
B. Robbie Williams.
C. Apple products.

6. An instrument I would like to own is:
A. a saxophone.
B. a theremin.
C. a xylophone.

7. A piano style I would like to master is:
A. jazz piano.
B. classical piano.
C. acoustic piano.

8. Poetry I wish I could write better is:
A. political poetry.
B. limericks.
C. psalms.

9. The fruit I consume the most is:
A. tangerines.
B. apples.
C. bananas.

10. My hair that bothers me the most is my:
A. grey hair.
B. nose hair.
C. shoulder hair.

Seoul Tube & Gangnam Fashion Festival

Saturday I went to Seoul Tube and mingled with a great bunch of Korean and expat in Korea vloggers. On Sunday I went to the 2011 Gangnam Fashion Festival at COEX.

On both days I took videos with the intention of editing them into something to upload onto YouTube and then embed here. Unfortunately I recently had some serious hard drive problems, forcing me to format my computer and installed a new version of Windows. This resulted in me loosing some programs -- including the only video editing program that can handle my camcorder's file types.  

Hopefully I'll get a substitute soon enough.

I must be tired . . .

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Last night I fell asleep on my sofa around 11PM. This is quite unusual as I practically never fall asleep before midnight. In fact, I usually go to bed around 1AM and after my vacation in Thailand that is two hours ahead of Korea, I've been going to bed even later.

That I fell asleep at 11PM is not the strangest thing; the strangest thing is when I woke up. I didn't wake up until 1PM today! And I would have slept later had it not been for receiving a phone call. I guess I'm exhausted or something. It had been a busy week, but not in the way that I felt a conscious need to be comatose for 14+ hours. My body seems to think otherwise.

Clubbing

Yes, that's me caught in a pub. No, I'm sober.

I like to dance through the night, but it is something I very seldom do. The reason I tend to avoid going clubbing is because my incentive is different than most people's. Usually when people go clubbing they do so with the intend to pick someone up or to go and get drunk with their buddies. I'm teetotaler so that cancels out the latter. And as for picking someone up, a club is just not the place where I would like to pick someone up. I'd rather hook-up with someone based on more criteria than those you can profile in the noisy, flashy, senses-numbing environment of a night club. I'm looking for connections, not one-nightstands.

In South Africa I have some friends that would go clubbing with me. Particularly my "sister" Yolandi and I. (She's not really my sister, but we've known each other so long that it feels like it. She's my brother's ex, but after they split up the two of us were still good friends and we didn't see any reason for breaking up our friendship just because her and my brother's six-year relationship didn't work out.) Yolandi is also a teetotaler and like me she enjoys going out just for the fun of dancing, rather than hunting. We would go dancing through the night, especially on special occasions like New Year's Eve, and so on.

In any case, since I've been to Korea I've never gone clubbing. The main reason is that I am a university lecturer and the idea of meeting my students at a night club makes me uneasy. I'm very careful about keeping clear professional teacher-student boundaries. Since I'm a young unmarried guy, things can easily get messy, so keeping very clear and strict boundaries with students are important. One has to be careful about these things. A year back a (foreign) professor at my university was accused of sexual harassment and was sacked. That type of stigma is bound to follow him for the rest of his career and that's not something I want. For this reason I avoid dance clubs in Korea.

The past Saturday night that changed. A friend from Taekwon-Do returned to Belgium so the gym decided to have a farewell party. We went out for dinner. Afterwards we went to a noraebang. This is basically a Karaoke  literally noraebang translates as "singing room". Then we went to Hongdae, an area famous for its nightlife. Soon the subway had closed and there was no feasible way for me to get back home until the subway opened again the next morning at 5:30. Instead, I enjoyed the night dancing till 5am.

It was immensely enjoyable. I just hope none of my students saw me and took photos of me and published it on their blogs online. At least I know the photos cannot be too incriminating as I was sober and remember every part of the evening. I cannot say the same for some of my Taekwon-Do friends whose pictures are better kept offline.

Contentment

I have a pen-pal. I know that it seems strange in a day-and-age where people are constantly chatting through Facebook, tweeting, SMSing and the like, and although my pen-pal and I email each other, instead of traditional pen-and-paper letters, the tone of our letters are still actual letters, rather than truncated texts typical of the high-speed inter-connected social media communication.

Something we do in our letters is to end them with a word or two that we feel summarizes our current state of mind, or the theme for our lives at that moment. I think this tradition was inspired by Eat, Pray, Love. The word I ended my latest letter with was "contentment."

It is a great thing to be content. My life is not perfect and there are things that I long for at times (a significant other?), but I'm generally happy. The Apostle Paul's words echo in my mind: ". . . I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in. I know how to be humble, and I know how to prosper. In each and every situation I have learned the secret of being full and of going hungry, of having too much and of having too little. I can do all things through him who strengthens me" (Phillipians 4:11-13). Here is The Message's rendition of that text:

"I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am."

No, I cannot honestly say that I am where Paul is, in that I have completely mastered the secret of being "quite content whatever my circumstances." Although I have been seriously poor and do not doubt that if I were to be in such a situation again that I will be okay because of the "One". What I can say is that although my life is not perfect at present, that I am content with where I am now. Yes, there is room for (personal) improvement; nevertheless, I am happy with my life. That is not something many people can say. I can. And I feel very privileged, very blessed, that I can.

Gedagtes omtrent selfportrette

'n Vriendin stuur gister vir my 'n boodskap en sê dat Rembrandt se 1630 selfportret haar aan my eie selfportrette laat dink. Ek het nooit van te vore aktief my neiging tot selfportrette (gewoonlik in die vorm van digitale fotos, maar soms ook as sketse) vergelyk met die van ander (bekende) kunstenaars nie, maar die selfportret is 'n goedgevestigde tradisie onder kunstenaar.

Wat ek skielik besef het, is dat die selfportret nie ekshibisionisme nog narsisisme is nie. Vir 'n ekshibisionis is die primêre gehoor juis nie die self nie, maar die ander. Die ekshibisionis kry sy of haar prikkel daarin om sy of haar liggaam of persona te vertoon aan 'n gehoor. Vir die ekshibisionis is die kunsproses grootliks irrelevant. Daar is nie juis 'n selfbepeinsing nie. Nie 'n selfondersoeke nie. Bloot 'n selfvertoning. Die fokus is uitsluitelik uiterlik geprojekteer.

Die kunstenaar se selfportret verskil hierin omdat die primêre gehoor nie die ander is nie, maar die self. Die primêre fokus is nie uiterlik gerig nie, maar innerlik. En daar is klem op die kunsproses. Die kunsproses wat die genot bring, maar deur die proses vind ook introspeksie plaas. Die proses fasiliteer selfondersoeke, wat ek glo een van motiverings vir die selfportret is. Die selfondersoeke is tweedelig. Dit is inderdaad 'n selfondersoeke van die psigo-analitiese aard (of miskien in die ouer bygelowige tradisie dat 'n mens se karakter in sy gelaatstrekke bespeur kan word, byna soos die afmetings van jou skedel jou persoonlikheid kan ontbloot, of jou palmlyne jou fortuin kan verklap). Tweedens is die selfportret vir die kunstenaar 'n weerspieëling van sy of haar kunsvaardigheid. Weens die bekendheid van die tema kan die kunstenaar makliker die vlak van sy of haar kunsvaardigheid bepaal. Die selfportret is in baie gevalle 'n selfveroordelende aktiwiteit.

Narsisisme is ook selfondersoekend, maar narsisisme verskil daarin dat dit nie 'n (kuns)proses vereis nie. Die selfverliefde vind genoegsaam bevrediging bloot in sy of haar refleksie in 'n spieël. Dit lei nie na selfondersoekende selfveroordeling nie, eerder selfprysing. Omdat daar nie juis 'n "proses" is nie, is daar ook nie juis 'n "bepeinsing" nie. In hierdie opsig is daar 'n hedendaagse weergawe in die vorm van selfoon-selfportrette wat hier in Korea as "selca" bekendstaan--"self-camera". Terwyl ek glo dat party van hierdie selcas vir dieselfde redes gedoen word as my selfportrette en die selfportrette van ander kunstenaars (die kreatieweproses as medium tot selfondersoeke), is die meeste selcas eenvoudig die vervanging van die spieël met die selfoon.



Rembrandt het in sy lewe verskeie selfportrette geskilder sodat 'n mens duidelik die ouderdomsproses kan bespeur. En dit verstaan ek ook. Ek het lank terug begin om 'n selfportret-foto te neem, elke jaar op my verjaarsdag. Anders as ander verjaarsdagfotos wat geneem word om die dag te herdenk en te onthou, is hierdie verjaarsdagselfportrette se doel baie meer spesifiek. Ek wil sien hoe ek oud word. Hoe my gelaatstrekke verander. Hoe my neus en ore en plooie groei. In die opsig is dit die direkte inversie van die narsisis se obsessie met sy of haar ewigjeugdige skoonheid. Dis nie die vasvang van ewige jeug nie, maar eerder die vasvang (en betreuring?) van konstante veroudering. Dis duidelik 'n kunstenaarsaktiwiteit wat seker slegs gedeel word met filosowe en ontwikkelingspsigoloë.

Wasgoedgewoontes

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Genugtig, maar ek vlieg darem maar deur klere! Op die dae wat ek na die krygskunsklasse toe gaan, gaan ek maklik deur vier of vyf hempde. Vir werk dra ek 'n knopieshemp met 'n onderhemp onder. Dan wanneer ek krygskunsklas toe gaan hou ek die onderhemp aan maar trek die Taekwon-Do uniformbostuk bo-oor aan. Na Taekwon-Do doen ek Yusul--'n vorm van Koreaanse jujitsu of te wel, stoei. Hiervoor trek ek eers 'n stywe spoedhemp aan en dan bo-oor 'n ander hemp of uniformbostuk. Dan, na oefening, trek ek 'n skoon T-hemp aan omdat die ander hempde nat gesweet is van die oefening. Wanneer ek uiteindelik by die huis kom, neem ek 'n stort en trek dan 'n ander skoon hemp aan om in te slaap. Dan tel ek nie eers die ander kledingstukke (broeke, onderbroeke, kouse) nie.

Wat wasgoed betref, ek was klere in drie kleurgroepe. Een bondel slegs vir wit klere, een bondel slegs vir donker klere en een bondel slegs vir bont klere. Ek het dus nie 'n spesifieke wasdag nie, omdat my wasgoeddroograk nie groot genoeg is nie. Instede, wag ek vir een van die drie kleurbondels groot genoeg is, dan was ek daardie bondel.

En soms was ek ander goed. Gister het ek beddegoed gewas.

Nou-ja, ek is net een mens. Verbeel jou ek was getroud met kinders. Ek is seker die helfde van my water-en-elektrisiteit sou net aan wasgoed gewy gewees het!

Die slegste ding omtrent wasgoed vir my is klerestryk. Ek vermy dit ten alle koste. Een tyd terwyl ek in Potch gewoon het, het 'n vriend van my besluit genoeg is genoeg, en het hy begin om my klere te stryk. Ek weet nie of hy my jammer gekry het weens my gekrekelde klere nie en of die ongestrykte klere hom net so intens geïrriteer het nie. Hoe ookal, dit was 'n goeie "sharp-looking" era in my lewe. Omdat ek stryk so pes hou ek baie van die winter want dan kan ek truie en baadjies bo-oor my ongestrykte werkshempde aantrek en niemand vermoed dat my hemp soos 'n Johannesburgse straatkaart lyk nie.

Punctuation vs Memories of a Deceased Friend

Johnny Knoxville & Ryan Dunn
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So I was reading Jackass star Johnny Knoxville’s post on his blog about the loss of his friend and fellow Jackass celebrity Ryan Dunn who died on Sunday in a car accident and all I could think about while reading the post is: “Wow, this guy has excellent grammar and really knows how to use punctuation properly.” I think I’ve reached a level in my career as an English lecturer where I ought to become seriously concerned with my priorities. Surely someone’s use of punctuation is not as important as his memories of his deceased friend. Or is it the fact that I'm so used to seeing terrible grammar and use of punctuation amongst my students that when I see it applied properly it causes an endorphin rush in me? Either way, it's a cause for concern. What's happening to me?!

Knoxville's post is a touching tribute to his friend.

bygestaande selfmoord / "assisted suicide"

'n Opinie omtrent bygestaande selfmoord

Ek nes my lewe in klam rooigrond:

'n pêreltjie—oënskynlyk leweloos—skiet
skielik 'n harige stertjie suidwaarts,
'n kordadige nekkie priem noorde toe;
die gevuisde lentegroen koppie
vou oop soos twee palmpies na gebed
of voor applous en glimlag vlinderlik.

Natuurlik, figuurlikgesproke het ek my lewe
so geplant en met die selfde aanmatigheid
wil ek, wanneer die tyd ryp is,
die pêreltjie weer oes—sagkuns ontwortel,
die lewensare se konneksie met die klam
rooigrond kortknip, die vlinder laat verwelk
en die korreltjie wat aan my geleen is teruggee.

Want, toe ek ontkiem het,
was dit 'n deftige—tog toweragtige—affêre
en daarom wil ek ook op 'n betaamlike
manier sterf—sans towerkuns natuurlik—.

Ek's by die huis -- 'n skokkende ondekking

Oppad met die bus vanaf Incheon lughawe na my woonstel tweet ek die volgende:

"On a shuttle bus on my way home from the airport. Did I just now refer to "Korea" as home? . . . I guess I did."

Ondanks my byna twee maande se kuier in Suid-Afrika, verwys ek na my woonstelletjie, my lewe hier in Korea as "home". Is dit waar ek tuis is? 


Wanneer ek in Suid-Afrika is, is daar dinge van Korea wat ek mis. Terwyl ek in Korea is, is daar dinge van Suid-Afrika wat ek mis. Hierdie laaste twee weke in Suid-Afrika, nadat ek duisende kilometers rond gerits het van een provinsie na 'n ander, van een stad tot 'n ander, van een vreemde bed, vreemde stort, vreemde handoek, tot 'n volgende onbekende een, is ek verlig om terug te wees in my eie woonstel. Ek het my plekkie, my spasie baie gemis. My "home" met my eie bed en stort en hangkas en eie bekende kosse in die yskas. Ek's bly om my eie huisplante te sien en dit was 'n lekkerte om hulle water te gee. My woonstel is vuil. Dis stowwerig en deurmekaar. Maar dit is okay, want dis my stof en my gemors. Dinsdag is 'n vakansiedag in Korea, dan gaan ek bietjie aan die kant maak.

Ek's terug. Ek's by die huis.

Ek weet my verblyf in Korea is ook maar net 'n tydelike een. Nietemin, vir wat dit werd is, geniet ek my huidige nessie, al is dit vir geen ander rede as dat dit my nessie is nie. 

'n Vreemde aand by Taekwon-Do

Gisteraand het ek 'n vreemde aand by Taekwon-Do gehad. Gedurende die klas het ek probeer om met die kwangjangnim (hoofinstrukteer) te gesels oor bloed pH vlakke en die effek van kaas en alkahol op jou liggaam se pH. My gebrekkige Koreaans en sy gebrekkige Engels het nie ver gekom nie. Maar dit was nie die vreemde ding nie. Direk na die klas moes ek vinnig my Taekwon-do dobok uittrek en my Hapkido dobok aanttrek vir fotos. Een van die klas se studente is besig om 'n artikel te skryf oor verskillende krygskunste vir 'n tydskrif en het iemand nodig gehad om Hapkido dinge te illustreer. Ek moes 'n klomp keer die vooroor rol doen sodat hy verskillende fases van dieselfde tegniek bo-oor mekaar kan blootstel om sodoende 'n interesante dinamiese eindfoto te bekom. Dit was ook nie die vreemde ding van die aand nie. Na Taekwon-Do en ook na die grondwerkklas het ons volwassenes na 'n kroeg toe gegaan. Ek het soos gewoonlik niks gedrink nie, terwyl die ander soju (Koreaanse aartappelwyn) en makgeolli (melk-ryswys) geniet het. Ook niks vreemd hier nie. Die enigste vrou in die groep het so dronk geraak dat sy nie regop kon bly nie en ons moes haar vergesel na haar huis toe. Op 'n stadium het sy besluit dat ons nou ver genoeg saam met haar geloop het, en is ons aangesê om terug te draai, sy sal self verder gaan. Ons het toe maak so gemaak. Halfpad oppad na die moltrein toe, bel sy en vra dat ons haar asseblief moet kom help, sy kan nie haar woonstel kry nie. Okay, so hierdie deel was bietjie vreemd, maar steeds nie die vreemdste deel nie. Die vreemdste deel het gebeur in die moltrein oppad huis toe. My afrigter neem my nuwe slimfoon by my hoor en soek na iets op YouTube. Uiteindelik kry hy dit en speel dit vir my. Dis een van sy gunsteling liedjies.



'n Baie vreemde ervaring.

Another Year in Retrospect

This is the third end-of-the-year since I started this blog. I took inventory of the previous years both in 2008 and in 2009, and it seems like a good habit to keep up. So here is a summary of my life during 2010.

January

I started 2010 in Hong Kong where I stopped over for a couple of days on my way to South Africa. I experienced many different cultural highlights like doing Tai Chi on the harbour, attending a Cantonese opera appreciation class, experiencing the magnificent Symphony of Light show, attending a kung fu exhibit, and so on. One of the great highlights is the mango desert with coconut noodles. Undoubtedly the best desert I have had in my whole life and by itself worth visiting Hong Kong again.

In South Africa I spent some blessed time with many loved ones in the Vaal Triangle, North West Province, Gauteng Province, Limpopo Province

February

Still in South Africa I travelled from the Limpopo Province to the Western Cape, there to spent some time with my youngest brother, where I was also a guest in an episode of the television discussion program Consider This, produced by my brother. Exploring Cape Town a little bit as a "tourist" was also fun. There was also the exquisite Cinderella on Ice performance that I thoroughly enjoyed.

From the Cape I went to my "home" -- KwaZulu Natal Province, to visit Joa and other friends, spending time in Durban, Pinetown, and Mtunzini.

My last two weeks in South Africa was spent mostly in the Vaal Triangle and Potchefstroom areas -- particularly in Potchefstroom at my Alma Mater, spending time with my Taekwon-Do gym, my academic department, and friends. An old professor of mine complimented me; a compliment that touched the very centre of my being.

I returned to Korea to find my apartment full of evil rice weevils.

March

It snowed the most beautiful white landscapes I've ever witnessed. My first "white birthday," which I celebrated a week later with some friends, serving them bunny chows.

I took some of my students from my Literature & Visual Arts: Shakespeare Films class to "A Night of Shakespeare" performance.

I started up Pyp-Online.

I was interviewed by Master George Vitale and Mr Laun Van Le for the documentary film about Taekwon-Do, Our Moral Armor.

April

Attended Jamie Cullum's fantastic concert in Seoul.

Contemplated Hamlet. What an excellent play.

Saw a vampire slayer.


May

Went to David Choi's concert.

Was shocked at the death of Kakashi.

Saw Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake.

Discovered two new places in Korea. The beautiful Yeongsuri outside of Seoul, and the artsy Garosu-gil, in Seoul. 

June

Made the difficult decision to stop attending the Hapkido dojang and instead study Hapkido by myself and with the aid of Hapkido instructors outside of the formal dojang and started the arduous journey of finding my own "do" /도.

Attended Mika's concert in Seoul, followed up by the Korea vs Greece FIFA World Cup match, showed on the big screen. It was an excellent and highly memorable night out.

Started the Seoul Martial Art Circle.

Went to Cheongju(?) to visit a friend and took a ferry trip on the biggest lake in Korea.

July

Nothing much happened. Read some books, watched some movies, thought some thoughts.

August

Went to Thailand. What a wonderful experience. I definitely want to go back there as soon as possible. The food is great. The people are nice. The weather is tropical, just as I like it.

In Korea I travelled to Gyeongju Province. Went to the sea, Pohang and also went to see martial art sculptures from the Sylla Dynasty that I've always wanted to see in Gyeongju.

Attended a FC Seoul Soccer Game.

Went to Ocean World with the Taekwon-Do club gang. 

September

Took a First Aid course and a CPR ccourse.

Got a scuba diving open water license. Went to Jeju Island where I did sea dives. On Jeju-Do I also got lost in a maze.

October

Saw the best fireworks show ever.

Competed in a grappling tournament.

Hosted a Hapkido workshop.

Hosted a parkour workshop.

Went to a karaoke with friends to celebrate a friend's birthday.


Went zip-lining.

Attended a Back to the Future trilogy movie marathon session. Some of the best fun I've had in a long time.

November

Acted as father-of-the bride at a wedding, and also did a flower arrangement for the bride's table.

Hosted a parkour session.

Went to see Jump! for the fourth time.  That is now once for every year I've been in Korea.

December

Worked mostly, but had the opportunity to catch up with some friends whom I haven't seen in a very long time, like Young and Laura Soh.

..ooOoo...

Many other things happened. I worked A LOT, but admittedly enjoyed most of it. I love teaching, not to mention that I taught some fabulous classes like Romantic Poetry, Shakespeare Films, and the like. I started with Taekkyeon again. I read many excellent books that helped to mould my construct of the world and watched many films. I even started to feel in love again with someone I haven't seen in a very, very long time. I also started to write regular articles for the martial art website Totally Tae Kwon Do, which in turn inspired me to become very active on my Soo Shim Kwan blog. The mere fact that I've been to two new countries this year makes me feel very blessed. While I think that the world has gone from bad to worse this year, I think it was a mostly good year for me on a personal level.

An Atypical Christmas

I got up late this morning, but thought if I make haste I could get to the closest Sabbath keeping church on time, for they will surely have good food prepared for afterwards, seeing that it's Christmas and all. And then I got this impression: “So you just wanna go to church so you can get free food?” With my less than admirable motivation thus pointed out I decided not to go to church, but rather to listen to some sermons online. I like how the Holy Spirit convicts us — in a soft whisper.

Soon afterwards a friend of mine came over. He had had a terrible Christmas Eve. I guess his Korean wife doesn't get the Christmas thing or something for they had a fight and what not, and she gave him the silent treatment even after he gave her her Christmas gift—I'm not even sure if she gave him something in return. Be that as it may, he came over this morning in a bad mood. I kinda tried to tell him that I don't celebrate Christmas much, so I had a pretty normal Friday night. Being Sabbath evening I listened to some sermons (like this one) and watched an animal documentary called Eternal Enemies, about lions and hyenas.

That was my Christmas. A friend of mine is DJing at Lounge Purple Z in Itaewon tonight. The way she promoted it made it sound like quite a swell event. It goes by the name of 아싸! Assa!, which is the Korean equivalent of cool! Unfortunately the freez-your-butt-off-weather, with temperatures around -15° Celcius, is keeping me inside like a hermit with agoraphobia. No thank you. While I'm sure it will be an assa! event, I'd much rather stay inside where it's nice and warm. I'm planning to watch a nice movie like Crazy Heart or Detective Dee instead.

Well, to keep with the spirit of things, here is a Christmas song by Sheryl Crow:

My Korea -or- Why Am I in Korea?

 [Image Source]

I'm sometimes posed with the question, Why did I come to Korea? This question is not to be confused with why am I working abroad, but very specifically what made me choose this particularly country; why didn't I go to, say, Japan or Taiwan? Why Korea?

The answer is actually quite simple. Around 16 or so years ago I took up the martial art Taekwon-Do. My brother and I were actually searching for a kung-fu school—we were very much into kung-fu movies growing up. Quite accidentally we saw a flyer advertising Taekwon-Do and promoting it“as seen in Best of the Best.” We had seen the film and was impressed by the techniques we saw. Although it wasn't kung-fu, it was significantly different enough from Karate. We knew we were not interested in Karate. My brother and I attended a class and the rest, as far as me becoming a serious martial artist, is history.

In the version of Taekwon-Do that I do there are things called “teul,” translated into English as patterns. They are movements arranged into a sequences of attacks and defences against imaginary opponents. The purpose of teul is to teach you combinations of movements, certain ways of manoeuvring, fighting strategies, and so on. Each teul has a name with a special meaning somehow related to Korean culture and history. Some are named after historic figures like Korean kings, philosophers, scholars, freedom fighters; others are name after philosophical or ideological ideas that are part of Korean culture. It was inevitable, as I learned the teul and the people and things they represent, not to become enchanted by Korea.

Then one day my sister-in-law told me about the possibility of going to Korea. There were different options. One could go through a church organization as a teacher-missionary. Or you could go through an educational institute as a teacher—usually an English teacher. As soon as I had finished my master's degree I was on the plane to Korea.

[Image Source] It was nothing as I had imagined it. My imaginings were based on the Korean folk heroes I learned about in Taekwon-Do, media-based conceptions about the Far East, and readings of Oriental philosophy. After a year and a half in Korea, and with a black belt in another Korean martial art (Hapkido), I returned back to South Africa. Even while I sat on the aeroplane I knew that I was not yet finished with Korea. About a year later I returned to Korea once more.

In all, I have been in Korea for about four years now. The honeymoon phase is long over and I've been thoroughly disillusioned. I have an enigmatic love-hate relationship with this country. And while I think that my time here is slowly drawing to a close, I also know that as of yet, I am still not finished with it. Eventually, when I do depart, I know that I will always have strong ties with Korea. My Korea.

My Alter-Ego: Dash Snow

Het jy al ooit jouself in iemand gesien? Tot 'n skokkende insig gekom dat daardie persoon is wie jy kon gewees het, maar eintlik bly is dat dit nie is hoe jou lewe uitgedraai het nie?

My ander-ek is Dash Snow, 'n Amerikaanse kunstenaar wat in 2009 op die ouderdom van 27(?) gesterf het. Ek lees oor die lewe van Dash Snow en ek sien hoe klomp geleenthede daar was vir my lewe om soortgelyk aan syne te kon uitdraai. Het ek drie of vier ander keuses tydens kneloomblikke in my lewe gemaak, was ek ook dalk nou al dood nadat ek 'n uitspattige kunstenaarslewe geleef het. Ek probeer nie sê dat ek ook so bekend en opsprakend wekkend as Dash Snow sou gewees het. Dit is nie die punt wat ek probeer maak nie. Wat ek probeer sê is dat ek ook op 'n stadium daardie tipe lewe wou leef en dat ek die geleentheid gehad het om in soortgelyke destruktiewe (kunstenaars/dwelm/ens.) kringe te beweeg.

Om eerlik te wees, partykeer dink ek aan van daardie keuses—daardie “sensible” keuses wat ek gemaak het—en ek wonder of ek die regte keuses gemaak het. Soms wonder ek of ek uitgemis het op iets. Oor party keuses is ek soms spyt. Maar meestal dank ek God dat ek nie sekere paaie langs gestap het toe die opsies daarvoor oopgegaan het nie. Ek is oortuig daarvan dat sekere mense se gebede, veral die van my ouma en ma, gehelp het dat my lewenspad anders uitgedraai het. Ek leef dalk nou 'n minder “opwindende” lewe, maar dis 'n baie gesonder een.

Daar is steeds 'n bietjie Dash Snow in my; my ongesonde alter-ego is nie dood nie, net relatief getem. Dash Snow steek nog steeds kopuit by tye, maar hy's redelik onderbeheer. Die mense wat my ken sal weet van daardie kant van my. Daardie eksibisionistiese kant. Daardie kant wat so maklik verslaaf kan raak en wie ek van byna elke gewoontevormingde ding weerhou. (Ek vermy dwelms, alkohol, sigarette, kaffeïen en selfs videospeletjies!) Daar is steeds 'n rebel, 'n anti-establishment drang, bietjie van 'n anarchis, effense paranoïa. Alles onderbeheer, maar steeds daar. Krokkedille in die onderbewussyn, soos Steven King sou sê.

Beny ek Dash Snow? Nee. My lewe is opwindend genoeg en ryk aan ervaringe. Ek het 'n vrede wat Dash Snow nie het nie. Daar is 'n stabiliteit wat ek nou het, 'n fokus, wat ek nie wil verruil nie. Ek is bewus van my blekke, maar is ook bewus van God se goedheid.

Sondagkursusse

So paar weke gelede het ek twee Sondae in 'n ry die heeldag, vandaf 8:30 tot 17:30, deur gebring in 'n noodhulpkursus. Gister het ek my twee amptelike sertifikate gekry, een vir "First Aid" en die ander vir "CPR Course for Adult/Child/Infant," uitgereik deur Korea se Red Cross. Ek het op laerskool laas 'n noodhulpkursus gedoen en het gedink dat dit hoogtyd is om weer my vaardighede op te skerp.

'n Daaropvolgende Sondag het ek 'n inleidende kursus tot Hapkido gereël, wat 'n 5de Dan vriend van my aangebied het. Dit was 'n goeie werkswinkel en lekker om weer die basiese beginsels van Hapkido te verfris. In 'n onlangse skrywe op by Soo Shim Kwan-blog het ek terloops daarna verwys, maar het nog nie 'n kans gehad om werklik daaroor ter rapporteer nie. Ek het dele van die seminaar op video vasgelê en hoop om dit eventueel te redigeer en êrens beskikbaar te maak -- dalk op YouTube.

Verlede Sondag (gister) het ek die eerste deel van 'n skubaduikkursus gaan bywoon. Gedurende volgende week is Korea se Chuseok-vakansie. Chuseok is Korea se dankseggingsdag waartydens mense terugkeer na hulle tuisdorpe om daar tyd saam met die familie deur te bring en ere te bring aan hulle voorouers. Aangesien dit vir my byna 'n hele week van vakansie inhou het ek besluit om na Jeju-eiland, Korea se grootste eiland te gaan. Daar wil ek graag gaan skubaduik, en dus dan die rede vir die "Open Water Course" wat ek gister bygewoon het. Ons het in 'n swembad geoefen. Dit was lekker om myself soos 'n seeleeu te gedra. Volgende week sal ek die res van die kursus by Jeju-eiland gaan voltooi. Ek moet sê dat ek my tyd onder die water baie geniet het en kan byna nie wag om dit in die ope see te gaan doen.

Ek probeer my Sondae vul met verrykende ervaringe. Sabbatte spandeer ek gewoonlik rustig, maar Sondae is 'n aktiewe rekreasiedag vir my. Ten minste daardie Sondae waartydens ek die vorige aand nie te laat opgebly het nie. Twee Saterdagaande terug was so 'n aand. Ek het uitegegaan om 'n vriend te ontmoet wat oppad landuit was. Ons het so lekker gekuier dat ek my moltreinrit verpas het en het toe maar die hele aand opgebly en gewag vir die moltrein om weer die volgende oggend te begin hardloop rondom vyfuur die oggend. Sulke Sondae doen ek nie veel nie. Slaap maar laat en gaan kyk dalk 'n fliek in die agtermiddag.