Heroes vs Tigers, Baseball in Seoul

I've been to a half-dozen FC Seoul games this spring, and finally made it a baseball game on Friday night, along with friend Adam and new friend Ian. This is the Heroes third season in Gocheok Sky Dome and their first season under the corporate sponsorship of Kiwoom, a financial services company. Most Korean baseball teams are outright owned by a company, such as Hanhwa Eagles or Samsung Lions, but the Heroes are owned by a syndicate which sells the naming rights (though they remain Heroes). This game was against the KIA Tigers, from Gwangju, who are the most successful franchise with 11 titles.


The closest subway stop is Guil station on line 1, exit 2, but the pre- and post-game action is on the other side of the stadium, which in the last year has started to lay claim to the baseball fans:


This is where you'll find the hofs and restaurants.


The game was a barn-burner, with a final score putting the Heroes up 8 to 4, with an epic fifth inning of five runs capped by that most exciting of things in baseball, a slider at home called safe!

But not all the action is on the field at a Korean baseball game! The fans truly deserve the moniker "fanatics" and they are led by actual cheerleaders.


The Heroes mascot is 턱돌이, Mr. Stone Jaw, who is by turns funny and formidable. Here is a picture from last night, and below it one from around 2015 when they were still in Mok-dong stadium. I am wearing a rare Heroes "h" cap, only available back when they were between sponsors and known as the "Seoul Heroes". The only other head you ever see one on is 턱돌이's.


Heroes win!

Tuttle Roundup

Life here in the Land of the Morning Calm continues apace.

A couple Fridays ago I was roped into being a judge for the Annual Fifth Grade K-Pop Dance Battle. I tried to beg off, but the teacher in charge (my first coT when I came to this school, so I felt I kind of owed her) assured me it was not big deal. This, it turned out, was a bald-faced lie, as the winning teams got a fried chicken party! Not a big deal, my shiny white butt! Anyway, I know what you want--pictures:


I'm not going to complain too much, though, as the judges got to have a fried chicken party, too.

On the chilly, drizzly Sunday following, I went to the Seoul Museum of Art, which is behind Deoksugung in the city center, and popped 15K for the David Hockney exhibition, which is the first major installation of his work in Asia.


That was the best shot I could get; they had a great photo-op replicating a life-size portrait he did of his parents, where guests would sit in chairs on opposite side of the table, but because of the weather, it--or at least the chairs--was unavailable:


EDIT: I found this ad in a subway station:


This Sunday (Easter) I went to the FC Seoul match at Sangam World Cup Stadium vs Incheon United. The less said about the scoreless game, the better, but they've added a couple of nice fan inducements: this terrific poster, and this cardboard hat which replicates the 도깨비 (goblin) mascot. At bottom is a new subway graphic of the stadium.


More subway shots:


Flowers I took in the last week around my school:

2019 Yeouido Flower Festival

Winter has passed and spring has come, and with it the annual Yeouido Flower Festival, featuring the cherry blossoms, and my annual post about it. The weather has been slow to recognize that spring has sprung, and I was worried the flowers would be slow, too. Judge for yourself:


So, they were there in profusion, and so were the flower-lovers. And I was happy to see the Yeongdeungpo-gu officials have upgraded the trash receptacles--until a few years ago there were virtually none to be found. They also added a photo-op focused on the flowers.


There were the usual street performers and artists, but I did not see a single mascot offering photo-ops, and instead there was a display of children's books--I'm all about books, but I like a photo with a dragon or Lego samurai as well ...


A couple more flowers, these from my neighborhood when I got home, and a selfie.

FC Seoul & Me, 2019

The thirty-sixth season of the Korean professional soccer league began on March 2nd--FC Seoul played the next day, Sunday, and played pretty well, especially on defense, winning 2 - 0 vs. Pohang. While I was there, I did not take pictures. But for today's third game, against a strong Jeju United squad, I thought of you, Dear Reader, and snapped a few pix. Upon arriving at the venue, I saw this series of life-size cutouts of the team, and had to get a shot:


While I had the phone camera up, I got a photo with the new mascot. The mascot is a 도깨비 goblin from Korean mythology, though the new one seems to be a half-human one. I've reposted a pic from some years ago below it for comparison.


As has been the case for several years, the plaza next to the stadium has a play area, putatively for kids--although I suspect at least one part of the event is geared more for the dads:


(and I should point out the temperature was in the single digits!)

This pic is the kickoff, and both teams played pretty well, with Jeju gradually gaining the upper hand, at least in the first half, but neither team managed much in the way of real chances throughout. Seoul heated up toward the end but came away empty-handed and the result was a scoreless tie.


Next home game is March 30 against current #1 Sangmu. Stay tuned.

PS: click on "soccer" in the label cloud to see loads of FC Seoul posts through the years.

Baekseok Graduation 2019

Friday was Graduation Day at my school--sixth graders get a diploma before going off to middle school in about two weeks. Here are two of my fav students on the stage, where they bow and shake hands with the principal, come to the center and bow, then hug their homeroom teacher before exiting:


Their classmates look on, awaiting their turn:


This school only recognizes two groups of exceptional students, whereas Yangmyeong went through about six or so such groups, not sure what as my Korean skills aren't up to the task. But other than that, they get their certificate then bow to the audience.


At Baekseok, parents/family members get to sit with their graduates, and a nice moment is built into the ceremony when the kids and parents get a touching moment together.


Here's a graduation from Yangmyeong for comparison: http://seoulpatch.blogspot.com/2016/02/school-graduation.html

After the ceremony, everyone goes home … at everyplace else I've worked. BUT not at this school, where the teachers have to finish out the day--the principal seems to think that "being a strict principal" makes teachers better, rather than making them feel unappreciated and overworked. To be fair, I could have left, but it would have cost me vacation time (unlike any other school) so I got a free lunch and did a few minor tasks. After that, I watched the movie "Iron Man" on my computer for the first time--it actually was pretty fair.

Mainly, I just looked out at the blanket of snow coating Seoul and remembered that on Sunday I'm going to Cambodia for some R-n-R on the beach.