Tuttle Goes to LotteWorld

With a twenty percent discount by bringing my passport to prove I am a foreigner (!), the regular one-day ticket to LotteWorld is 38,400 W. A one-day ticket today just for Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom is USD 110. Crunching the numbers, this means that LotteWorld is only 30% as expensive as the Magic Kingdom. Which is appropriate, because it's only 1/3 as good.

But I didn't really go around comparing the two--that wouldn't be fair. But there were definitely rides that invite comparison, about which more in a moment. The park is actually in parts, the "Magic Island", which is outdoors (as seen above), and "Adventure Land" which is indoors (as seen below):


Like at Disney, there are periodic parades. It seemed to me that many of the "cast members" are foreigners. Most guests, of course, are Koreans, including this couple on the walkway over the highway to Magic Island:


The first thing I did (because there were about three people in line) was a shooter called 3D Desperados, on an Old West theme where you wear 3D glasses, sit on a bucking saddle and pop the bad guys. I came in second out of about ten people.


This reminded me that I wanted to do some 3D stuff now that I don't have to fiddle with regular glasses. I did another shooter on a knights and dragons theme and the "dynamic theatre" experience, which was called "Dracula 4D", but should have been called "Dracula 4 minutes and thirty seconds" because that's how long it lasted. The story line was silly but the 3D graphics were very good. The best of the 3Ds was the Ghost House, in a stationary seat with an all-too-short but very good immersive exit. You the viewer are a cat exploring a really creepy haunted house with apparitions, Undead baby dolls and teddy bears, bats flying at you, scary spiders with glowing abdomens, etc. It was scary enough that two kids had to leave during the course of it--this one was twelve minutes or so (plus the exit). A much better return on the same 20 minute waiting time as Dracula.


Lines in the morning were pretty reasonable, but the park became much more crowded in the afternoon, and I didn't want to go on the really popular rides anyway. I'm pretty much over roller-coasters and I did the drop thing at Universal Studios where they call it The Tower of Terror. A couple of things were closed "for inspection" but I was disappointed that the Monorail, which goes all the way around the park, was shuttered. And for not a good reason considering the weather was utter perfection:


A children's ride called Fantasy Dream is essentially LotteWorld's "It's A Small World" ride. On the downside, it didn't have a catchy tune repeated over and over, but on the plus side, it didn't have a catchy tune repeated over and over. You enter through the clown's mouth.


The Adventure of Sinbad is LotteWorld's Pirates of the Caribbean, and it was pretty good. but nothing can hold a candle to the original.


There is, needless to say, a large number of shops and restaurants. But they offered a wider selection of goods and food than I was expecting. I had a slice of bacon cheddar and a beer (Kloud, Lotte's own brand) for 8,700 W. Later, I had another beer from a stall. The cup filled from the bottom!


The last thing I did, other than buying a delicious strawberry smoothie, was to visit the "trompe l'oeil" art gallery. It wasn't as good as others I've seen, but I got one pic:


So, that's my first day of "Spring Vacation". Depending on weather and other factors, I may not blog my other activities as quickly as I did today, but check back soon!

How's the Weather?

Effing cold, that's how the weather is in Seoul, Matey.  I realize one tends to say that every winter in a really cold climate, but the record book is backing me up here.  The Korea Times headline sums it up pretty well: Seoul records coldest January in 5 decades, and says in part:

In fact, the weather during January was the coldest in nearly five decades, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), Monday.

The average temperature during January in Seoul recorded minus 7.1 degrees Celsius, the lowest since 1963, when it hit minus 9.1 degrees. The lowest daily temperatures averaged minus 13.6 degrees, while the average of the highest was minus 5.7 degrees. [...]
According to the agency, there were 18 days when the mercury was below minus 10 degrees, which also followed a record of 25 days in 1963. “The cold has continued because of the so-called ‘blocking effect.’ With a northwestern air current pushing cold winds to Korea and warmer currents from the lower latitudes surrounding the peninsula, the cold front has had all its exits blocked,” said Kim Ji-young from the weather forecast department at the KMA.

The forecast high today was 0 C but I don't think it ever got there, since it started snowing again at about 1 PM.  So far, so good.  Then the article makes this mysterious, paradoxical claim: "The continuous cold spell has made it hard for those who are looking into taking trips and enjoy their time during the Lunar New Year holiday."

As one who was out in the very snow I just mentioned trying to find a bank where I could buy Thai baht, the cold has made it much easier to look into a trip, much easier in fact to overspend on my plane tickets, even easier to pay the bank a 4 freaking percent premium to acquire said baht.  I checked the forecast today before I set out--Koh Samui will have highs around 82 and lows around 75 (that's Fahrenheit, of course) for the forseeable future,

So, Dear Reader, it is official: Tuttle will kick around a deserted Seoul through the Seollal weekend, catch the Superbowl early Monday morning in Itaewon, then it's off to Thailand's southwestern gulf islands to find a quiet beach and catch up on his reading. 

Shopping for Seollal

Seollal, 설날, is the Korean lunar New Year Festival.  This is the time when Koreans return to their ancestral homes to see their relatives and tend the graves of their ancestors,  Since it's a lunar thing, the dates can vary considerably--this year it's Wed., Thur. and Fri. of next week.  Lots of Seoulites are taking two vacation days Mon. and Tues., so if you don't work Saturday it's a nine-day vacation--virtually unheard of here! 

Seollal really does tend to empty out the city, and the streets can be eerily quiet.  Not today or tomorrow, of course, at least not on the two main streets of my neighborhood: Yeomchang-no is a main connector to the Olympic Parkway and points west, and Gonghang-no is the direct route to Gimpo Airport; they are both bumper-to-bumper.

When Koreans travel home to visit their relatives, they take gifts.  Nice gifts.  Expensive gifts.  Like Spam.  And mushrooms.  Anf coffee.  But seriously, things like ... Spam, and mushrooms, and cofffee.  But for the purposes of gifting, these products are all wrapped up in nice cardboard gift boxes and exhorbitant pricetags attached.  And hawked by pretty ladies (도움이, doumi) in traditional hanbok.  To wit (from my local neighborhood E-Mart):



The whisky doumi

 

I'll have the Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam and Spam.  I like Spam.



If you don't want that much Spam, have the Spam--well, the Housewife brand of "luncheon meat" ,  mild (water-packed) tuna, and soybean oil



Or, the Spam with huge packs of laver, aka, dried seaweed

A gift box of soap, toothpaste and shampoo products sends your loved one a not-so-subtle message

Industrial size packages of instant coffee mixes, beloved by Koreans

Korean red ginseng extract, noted for its virility-enhancing propertes

Raw ginseng, noted for its money-extracting properties (those packs are roughly USD 200-400)

 

Assorted fungus and nut gift boxes

Some kind of mushroom

"King Crab Set", 3.6 kg of frozen King cab legs for about USD 95

Candy assortmets, presumably for the children

This blog post should not be considered an endorsement of E-Mart, Korean red ginseng or any of the other products pictured here, except King crab legs.  And maybe Spam.  Oh, and I do like whisky okay.  Further, this blog received no remuneration or other consideration from E-Mart, Shinsaegae corporation, its parent companies or subsidiaries, more's the pity.

Today's (Well, yesterday's) Caganer

Sorry, I was busy winning the trivia contest at 3AP tonight, and then slurping down the winnings, so I didn't post the Caganer-Of-The-Day as promised. Corrections are in order.  And apologies.

First, though, here is a photo of my winning trivia squad. Having won three of four times in succession now, I think it's pretty clear what the key is--let TUTTLE hold the pen and write down the answers: none of this "well, he's our biology guy" or "Tom lived in Portugal so he knows all about Brazil, where they speak Portuguese". No, it's clear--if I don't know the answer (which I quite possibly won't, after all) let me assess who probably does! Okay? Right, then, stop bitching and give me the answer sheet!

Not that I or my team can compare, but here--in honor of back-to-back wins--is the smartest caganer I could find, the veritable definition of genius, Al.  No, not Big Gay Al, or even the other Big Gay Al, but Mr. Einstein squatting:

The Twelve Caganer of Christmas

I was watching QI a while ago (I've mentioned it here) when they started talking about the caganer. I've been around, so I know when I'm being had.

According to Mr Fry, the caganer is a small figurine common in Catalonia, and Catalan segments of neighboring Spain and France, that is found in creche or Nativity scenes (you know, Baby Jesus in a Manger). Nothing unusual here, right? But, this figure is squatting in a corner, taking a dump. Right there, next to Baby Jesus, the lowing cattle, the Wise Men et al.

What utter crap, I said to myself, intending the pun. This must be the April Fools episode. So I went Googling and sure enough, Wiki has it--not proof in itself, but a little more looking found a whole industry devoted to the little figures.

So, I resolved then and there to post a different caganer each of the twelve days leading up to Christmas. Caganer #1 is the standard issue, a Catalan in a white shirt and red cap, taking care of business:

As they say in Catalonia,

Eat well, shit strong and don’t be afraid of death!

Some Co-teachers

Allow me to preface these comments by saying that I am pleased with my school situation--Young-il has been very supportive of me as their NSET, from the top level of administration to the dude who asks permission before he empties the trash in my classroom (or maybe he just thinks foreigners collect wastepaper, I don't know).

Still, some co-teachers ... are better than others.

I mentioned just recently my struggles with a "non-academic" second grade class and my hit-or-miss (let's face it, mostly miss) attempts to engage them. I am at the point where I don't even try to facilitate the curriculum--hell, neither do their other teachers, so I'm told.

Well, today, I had them eating out of the palm of my hand. My hand did have Mini-Twix bars in it, but that's, well, not exactly beside the point, but ... um, hmmm ...
Okay, first, go to this wonderful website and have a look at the part of today's lesson I'm going to talk about, the Halloween Bingo: http://bogglesworldesl. com/halloweenbingo.htm

I carefully explained to them, with PPT diagrams and everything, that to earn a BINGO you have to get FOUR-IN-A-ROW--horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Once you get FOUR-IN-A-ROW, you shout ... you guessed it, "BINGO!" They assured me they were quite familiar with how to play BINGO.

1) Nonetheless, Co interpreted this to the students as they must get ALL THREE four-in-a-rows: horizontal, vertical AND diagonal. Chrissakes! Well, after the game had gone on too long, I overheard a student say, "Oh! I've got one Bingo!" and I rushed over to him.

After checking his items, I said, "Congratulations! You got a Bingo!" Then, a few others said, "I got a Bingo, too!" "Me, also!" Etc... They were waiting to say "BINGO" until they had all three kinds. Chrissake, right?!

A heated discussion ensued but I was adamant that the very powerpoint slide on the screen at the moment made the objective clear. And whoever says BINGO first, and has a verified Bingo, is the winner. So he got his Mini-Twix. But what unnecessary drama!

2) Before we started the game, we reviewed the vocabulary of the Halloween Bingo game. The students' Bingo cards had images on them--like a robot, a skeleton, a vampire, an owl, etc. I put these same images in my PPT and went over each one, twice. They're high school juniors, who have had several Halloweens to learn these terms before now, anyway (alien, superhero, cobweb ...)

Part of the purpose of the game (hell, the only valid educational purpose) was to review then test the vocabulary. The deal was that I would pull an item from my plastic Jack-o'-lantern and call it out in English. Students had to remember the name of the objects on their Bingo card in order to make a match. So, what does Co do? Translate every term--graveyard, black cat, haunted house, et al--into Korean. God forbid they should be required to know a little English in the English classroom.

3) I gave Co my camera, and asked her to take some photos of the class. I did say to please get a good shot of me pulling a Bingo chit from the Jack-o'-lantern. At the back of my classroom is a seven-foot-wide bulletin board, nearly ONE-HALF of which is covered in photographs of various activities being done in my English class. Virtually EVERY photo is focused on a student or group of students doing some kind of activity. Just so you know.

I was pretty busy during Bingo: pulling chits, reading them out, and checking that the kids were on-task; but I glanced at Co to see her seemingly pointing the camera around. I was looking forward to making a collage of this class--weak in English but strong on personality--intently placing the Halloween stickers I bought last night at E-Mart (9000W total) over their Bingo squares. A good addition to the Photo board.

In twenty minutes of Bingo, she took five--count 'em, five--photos. Every damn one is of me, looking at or reading out one of the Bingo words.


Some are better than others.

Seollal and Snow

This weekend is the Seollal 설날 holiday, the Korean celebration of lunar new year. What is the lunar new year, exactly? I'm glad you asked. Usually, it begins on the second day of the second new moon after the winter solstice. At least in the Western or Gregorian calendar.

In the Chinese calendar, the solstice must occur in the eleventh lunar month. Now, since there are about twelve and one third lunar months in a solar year, the calendar has to add a thirteenth month now and then, like a leap month if you will, to straighten things out. Therefore, in such a year, the new year is actually the third new moon after the winter solstice. But that won't happen again until 2033, so I don't even know why I mentioned it.

2009 was the Year of the Ox, 2010 will be the Year of the Tiger.

Anyway. This is the most important holiday in Korea, and even more people go back to their hometowns now than do so during Chuseok. So naturally, the weather for the last two days has seen a combination of snow and sleet, which melts in the afternoon and then refreezes in the evening for a treacherous road/sidewalk surface just in time to mess with people's holiday travel plans.

School's Out!

... except for 25 days of so-called "Winter Camp" running from Jan. 4 to Feb. 3. It is only half-days, too. Which means I have the rest of this week, and the month of February, free. At this point, I'm hoping to plan a little jaunt to a sparsely populated beach in the Gulf of Siam to warm up in the sunshine and read a good book.

I finally got the details of camp, and my class rolls today--after being told class sizes would be no more than fifteen to twenty, first period has 25. Which is really just too big to have the kind of conversational tone and speaking activities I put together. Oh, well. On the other hand, if it's true to form, the student attendance will dwindle rapidly to reasonable numbers.

Second period has 16 English-enthused souls, since I am informed everyone voluntarily signed up to take English with me, third period is planning, and fourth period, just before lunch, has only eleven.

Today being the last day of school, we had a brief ceremony followed by a free lunch of galbitang--with makkuli and beer. For some reason or other, I was singled out by the principal to stand up and be applauded. I clarified later that no one was under the impression I was leaving anytime soon. I guess they just appreciate my diligence, enthusiasm and creativity. Hey, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Festival of Lights, 2009

While I was in Jong-ro yesterday, I decided I might as well have a gander at the Christmas festivities. There wasn't much going on at the Cheonggyechun, except for this laser light show playing on a cloud of mist.


Turns out, Gwanghwamun Plaza is where the action is. On arrival, I saw that the ship model that was previously displayed in front of Admiral Yi's statue (the inventor of the turtleship):


... has been replaced by an electronic installation titled "Fractal Turtleship" by Nam June Paik (1932-2006), considered the first "video artist".


Behind the Admiral's statue was a Chamber of Lights with several interactive artworks, including "Notation Theatre" by Jun Ga-young where participants sit on little blocks and thereby light up different parts of the installation, and "Touch the Light, Touch the Moon" by Lee Kyung-ho, which does a nifty fractalizing-thing to objects placed in the light. Here's me:


Part of the exterior of the chamber was decorated with something called "Zipper Pipe" by Woo Haemin:


Further along the plaza you could view the "Media Facade", in which images were projected onto the buildings surrounding the square as music from the Seoul Philharmonic fills the square. This was hard to capture with my mediocre camera:


Additionally, there were the more standard illuminations--Christmas lights--and the obligatory photo opportunities.



That says "Green Santa & Happy New Year" behind them, if you can't read it. There were also a few photo booths where you could pose with friends:


This year, they moved the ice skating rink from City Hall to Gwanghwamun (built over the Flower Carpet), and shrank it in size somewhat, in a section the brochure calls Light of Repose. Here is the Korean zamboni preparing the ice:


The small children's rink is limited to scooter boards:



Older kids and adults skated in the larger section:



Afterwards, I stopped in at Texas Ice Bar for a few really expensive imported beers before heading home with a full day of teaching ahead of me today.

Except, as I found out from Mr Hwang on the way to school, I didn't. The second grade was taking a practice exam, and the first grade was doing some kind of reading competition (these are the last few days of the school year, as well as the calendar year). So I ended up having no classes at all.