tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198915092024-03-07T19:55:59.479+13:00D.W.J.RyanDo you want to take a picture? Cause I won't remember.Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-39272573166310633252007-10-23T21:26:00.000+13:002007-10-23T21:35:42.870+13:00My Weekend.I just had a pretty boozy weekend, It all started on Friday night when I had a bit of party to celebrate my birthday. So I told everyone to rock up to my favourite restaurant in South Korea, which thank Kurt Cobain is not Korean at all but is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">in fact</span> a Vietnamese place called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">PHO</span>. It's just around the corner from my flat, has a great beer called Saigon, Jangles this is highly <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">recommended</span> should you ever stumble across it in your travels buy two. The food is not Korean, not even cooked by Koreans, the only shit thing is that they cant speak English but I'm over that and am now fucking good at charades.<br /><br /> I manage to go there once a week or so and get <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">their</span> Vietnamese <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">sandwich</span> which is a bloody big baguette filled to the brim with a kind of pork stir fry with fresh <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">coriander</span> on top. The only problem is that they don't keep much of the bread in stock so most of the time when I roll up I'm just given an ashtray and a class of wheat water while I wait for the dude to race off on his push bike down to to the bakery to get my bread. That <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">fulla</span> sees me coming and with his best smile always makes me by two of them, I'm not complaining about this at all because I'm in a country where rotten spicy cabbage is the nations staple and they are simply superb.<br /><br />Shit, I've got 10 minutes to my next class and I want a smoke so I'll be back in a few hours.Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-22137545694703337572007-10-16T20:27:00.000+13:002007-10-16T20:42:53.729+13:00It's my Birthday.Today is my birthday and I have just turned 28 but in Korea I have turned 29 because the crazies over here add an extra 9 months to your age because they count from conception not birth and they add an extra 3 months to make it easy to count!<br /><br /> So far I got a cake at the coffee shop from the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Rotorua</span> and Keri Keri chicks, a chicken and cheese <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">toastie</span> from the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">fulla</span> from Christchurch and a cool black <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">hoodie</span> from my Korean <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">colleagues</span>, and another cake from my students and <span style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">also</span> some socks. Score for me! Tonight when I'm playing poker I will be bloody pissed off if I don't get a couple of beers out of EVERY player so be warned, and you all know I play a little weird when I mix <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Soju</span> and beer so I'm gonna bluff my way to victory with extremely bad cards.<br /><br /> I've lost my cell phone and my Foreign Residents Alien Registration Card. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Doh</span>. I cant get a phone till I get a new card and that means a trip to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Busan</span> during working hours which I just <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">don't</span> want to do cause then I'll have to get up early and catch <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">buses</span> and the Subway.<br /><br /> Rugby? What Rugby, I have no idea what your talking about.<br /><br />Now I remember, The mighty <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">HAWKES</span> BAY MAGPIES made the Semi Final! Those <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Dorklanders</span> are still a bunch of ㅃ쫗ㅎㄴ오ㅗ.<br /><br />Whats the difference between the All Blacks and Viagra?<br /><br />At least with Viagra you can crack a Semi.<br /><br />I just read about those mad people in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Urewera's</span>. Bloody Hell, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">that's</span> not on, Lock em up.<br /><br /> I'm off to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Daegu</span> this weekend with my mate from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Sth</span> Africa to watch this final that I've been told about but I have no idea what sport it is, probably <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Tae</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Kwon</span> Do, you know considering we are in the home of it, not sure really. But then why would a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Sth</span> African owned bar be watching that? More weird Korean craziness.<br /><br /> Most of my mates from when I first got here have left and a whole new bunch have turned up, that makes me happy and sad.<br /><br /> Bummer about the Cat and Fiddle, I liked that place.Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-17347828939464450472007-09-11T20:31:00.000+12:002007-09-11T20:40:26.499+12:00Yeah Baby.I turn up to work today after a late night out watching a movie (Stardust, good for an evenings entertainment and Michelle <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Phiefer</span> is still hot) to find that my schedule has been changed, 3 Classes today, YEAH BABY.<br /><br /> So I start at 2.45 and finish by 6.30 which means I can get drunk before the poker game tonight and not during it.<br /><br />Last night I ate pigs lungs. They were very good.<br /><br />World cup is all good, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Sux</span> to be French at the best of times but what were they thinking?<br /><br />A Nigerian bloke told me a joke.<br /><br />A man walks into a shop and asks for the time, the lady behind the counter looks at the clock and says<br /><br /> "It is 2 <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">O'clock</span>"<br /><br />He walks down the road to have a coffee and returns to the same shop and again asks for what the time is, The lady is on her lunch break and the young man behind the counter looks down at his watch and answers<br /><br />"It is 3 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">O'watch</span>"Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-76642705605611172692007-09-05T18:10:00.000+12:002007-09-05T18:26:39.576+12:00Summer Holiday Part Three.O.K, it's been a while since I've written and my holiday isn't <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">fresh</span> in my mind any more but I'll make it up. I'm sitting here eating a Ham and Cheese toasted sandwich which is delicious, it's from a shop called Issac and it is a big chain through out Korea but to own a franchise you have to be a christian! They love me and give me extra ham.<br /><br /> I do remember an incident with the police, we had been out all night and our hotel was next to the train station so we got a taxi there, it is impossible to not understand the letters K.T.X in Korea as it is their super fast train and everyone is proud of it so for the Taxi man to balls it up reeks of tacking advantage of the foreigners. Admittedly we had been on a brew called Ultra Super Dead but <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">that's</span> not the point. This bloody driver took us half an hour in the wrong direction before demanding that we pay him and get out in the whop wops. So we did what any one would do, told him to get fucked and take us to the train station. He got a little angry at that and threatened to call the police but we jumped the gun on him and we called them! That really pissed him off. So the coppers turn up, he shouts at them, we attempt to tell our side of the story in Korean. The cops say something to him and in sign language tell us to get in the cop car and that we did not have to pay the taxi man and that they would drive us to our <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">hotel</span> which was next to the Train station.<br /><br /> Foreigners 1 Racist M!##$%^^&*()_ Taxi drivers 0<br /><br />Last night I went and played poker and I won, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">yay</span> for me, and came second in the second game.<br /><br />A new bar has opened in town called the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Wa</span> Bar. So I have been hanging out there a little.<br /><br />I went to a pretty cool fancy dress party as a cowboy.<br /><br />Been offered a pretty sweet new contract with more cash, more holidays and a bigger apartment but dunno bout it.<br /><br />Got another work seminar on Saturday in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Daegu</span>.<br /><br />Was stoked that I remembered fathers day.<br /><br />New work <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">schedule</span> this month which is a piece of cake.<br /><br />Lots of my mates are leaving and a new group is arriving. That is good and bad.<br /><br />Kiwis are starting to overrun this town. 8 of us out of over half a million people.<br /><br />Just finished my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">toastie</span> so I'm off.Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-20018731991064581132007-08-07T15:38:00.000+12:002007-08-07T20:35:16.781+12:00Dave's Summer Holiday Part Two.So we all got to the Train Station at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Gupo</span> with some serious hangovers, it really is the best way to travel with our original; plan being to catch the train up the east Coast and hit the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Demilitarised</span> Zone which if your an idiot is the strip of land with heaps of mines on it between the North and South. (In one of those James Bond films, the one with the dude who changes his entire body from North Korean to Posh Englishmen and has some sort of ray gun <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">satellite</span> that harnesses the Suns energy and focuses it on this piece of land and blows up all the mines so that the North can attack!)<br /><br /><br /><br />However that train was not going for another couple of hours so we convinced the dude in charge to let us behind the ticket counter and look at all his maps and shit and just decided to take the next train out of the station. That was a brilliant move on our behalf as it make the entire trip trip random and we always just went to the next place on the next <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">available</span> transport.<br /><br /><br /><br />We ended up in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Suncheong</span> which due to our liquid diet I don't really <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">remember</span> much about it, and then we ended up in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Yeosul</span> which was amazing. Our first stop was this bar that had a Tenor there who sang lots of stuff I knew but could not name for you and he spoke a little English and was a top bloke. We were <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">sitting</span> on the balcony overlooking a dead person! We rambled around a little and watch a game of Soccer somewhere, Korea vs Japan in the 3rd/4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">th</span> playoff for the Asia Cup which Korea won on penalties so was all good before hitting a golden bar. We walked in, after deciphering the menu and realising only beer was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">available</span> we asked for whisky anyway and got directed <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">upstairs</span> to a bar we had not even seen and we treated like Kings! That place was so out of the way I don't think to many white people have been there before.<br /><br /><br /><br />I think that we were lucky that we had all been in Korea for around 7 months now and could hold a very basic conversation in Korean which is a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">tremendous</span> help in getting free drinks. Most Koreans have a smattering of extremely basic high school English so with our Korean and there English and the odd dictionary we managed to keep a conversation going for an entire bottle of scotch with the bar staff and the pissed guys next to us.<br /><br /><br /><br />After that we hit the beach, it was there <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">that</span> I discovered rice wine, which in phonetic <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">English</span> is called Dong Dong <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Ju</span>, we were on that beach for around 6 hours, I might of had a skinny dip and I might of bought over $60 of fire works and I may off quite deeply cut my left foot on a boats propeller but.....<br /><br /><br /><br />From there we decided to go to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Sado</span> Island because on the big sign outside the train <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">station</span> there was a picture of a dinosaur on it and I was intrigued. Bearing in mind that the sun is now up, we had been drinking for a nearly a day and a half we managed to find the ferry terminal, hopped on, and went.....to the wrong island. Not to Worry.<br /><br /><br /><br />That ferry was pretty cool, it was choc a block with people, produce and bloody squid, man I hate that stuff, it's everywhere, dried squid smells crap any way but when it is hot it is disgusting. So we got off on what we thought was the right island, as we disembarked I got a whisper in my ear daring me to jump off, so I did. When I finally managed to haul myself out of the water who was standing there? two coppers! I just started laughing, luckily my mates talked to them for me and we wandered off to explore this next place.<br /><br /><br /><br />Our taxi driver misunderstood us, we asked to go to the beach, over here the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Konglish</span> word for the beach is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">beachy</span>. The driver took us to a locals house who was called Mr <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Beachy</span>! Anyway we finally got there and spent the day drinking in the sun, swimming and generally <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">doing</span> nothing. That place was a little backward, not much of anything there but it was cool to see a very different side of Korea.<br /><br />I'll put the rest up later.Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-12867027606393368512007-08-06T15:22:00.000+12:002007-08-06T17:20:37.619+12:00Dave's Summer Holiday.Holidays are all good, I had a week off starting on the 25<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> July and back at work last Wednesday 1st August. I had to hang around <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Gimhae</span> for a few days waiting for my mates to finish their work, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">every one's</span> holidays were different to each other but a few overlapped. So I had a few nights out on the town.<br /><br />On Friday my racing buddy had his brother over so we went to the races, I was quite excited about it because I usually work on Fridays and as such never get there during the week. So we went to catch the bus there and it didn't show. That should have been our first warning but we just put it down to our lack of Korean language skills. So we took a cab there, once at the track we were wondering why it was so empty. People still at work I thought and not at the races? Well, wrong again, it turned out that the races had been called off due to the heat! It was bloody hot but who cares? I was on Holiday! So we hung around trying to get another cab home. We got a dude to ring us a cab but he called one from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Busan</span> not from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Gimhae</span> so it was really expensive and we refused it and managed to catch a lift to the highway where we figured we could flag a taxi or at least a bus. Next thing I know my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Pommie</span> mate had stuck out his thumb and a few cars later we were off to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Jangyu</span> which is next to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Gimhae</span>, better than nothing we thought.<br /><br />When we got back to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Gimhae</span> we went to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Home plus</span> where we discovered to our delight that rubber <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">dinghy's</span> were on sale, $20 down from $60. I'll have one of those I thought, but something was missing so we got a fishing rod and some bottles of Red wine as well and wandered down to the river in the middle of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Gimhae</span>.<br /><br />What a sight we made! 3 pissed white <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">fullas</span> in a one man rubber dinghy with a 10ft rod, slurping red wine. I have never had so many toots and cat calls come my way in all my life. We tried to buy some fish as bait but once the lady realised we were going to use it as bait and not eat it she refused to sell it to us. (It was my brilliant charades act that got this point across). Tart. So we bought a can of spam and used that only it was pretty crap and kept falling of the hook so we caught some grass hoppers but they were no good as well. So for a few hours we floated down the way, as twilight struck the dry shore based fishermen came out and they were not to happy when we floated by.<br /><br />Korea is a cool place, the taxi driver did not even flinch we hopped in dripping wet, half cut and with a semi deflated rubber dinghy.Not even when we payed with wet money did he blink his eyes! Sometimes I really wish I knew what is going through their minds when they see the antics foreigners get up to!<br /><br />So we then went to the pub and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Norebang</span> and met up with some mates who had completed their contract and were on their way outta here to greener pastures.<br /><br />Around 5 or 6am we decided to crack out the boat again and sail the vast waters of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Yungee</span> Park. This time I was too far gone to set up the rod so we left it behind. On this adventure <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">whilst</span> I was tipping my mates out we broke an oar. Don't worry this is Korea anything goes! So we marched back into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Homeplus</span>, still dripping wet, by this time we were all absolutely <a href="mailto:F!@#$%^ed">F!@#$%^ed</a> and managed to convince them that the boat only came with one oar and we needed another to make the pair as we were rowing around in circles. And you know what? It worked! Our language skills are coming along very nicely thank you very much.<br /><br />I get home sometime after sunup only to be awaken by a few phone calls around 12 reminding me that I had to met a different set off mates to do a wee bit of travelling around Korea. I hate forgetting things like that! So off to met the boys for the start of the travels... Numerous trains a couple of ferries, a floating Christian bookshop, two run <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">ins</span> with the coppers and a swollen foot coming up....Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-17133315268467223702007-08-01T17:14:00.000+12:002007-08-01T17:28:10.188+12:00Two weekends ago in Seoul.I had a good time in Seoul, We left very early and travelled for around 7 hours straight to find this theme park that we wanted to check out. It was called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Everland</span> and was pretty cool, it was a theme park and a Zoo! I saw 3 white Tigers, numerous monkeys (those always make me laugh) some camels, two polar bears who were in a tiny enclosure, got a bus ride through a paddock where there was 20 or so lions, heaps of animals. The theme park side of it was awesome, we went on loads of rides and I got some funny photos of me which were taken automatically by a machine on the Roller Coasters.<br /><br />Then we went to the Casino! It was at the Hilton Hotel and I had to prove that I was a bloody foreigner! cause Koreans can't gamble in Casinos. It was really expensive so I didn't play on the tables and I dropped a fair chunk of change in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">pokies</span> before going out in search of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Guinness</span>, which I found along with some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Jameson's</span>, I ruled the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">pool table</span> that night!<br /><br /> On Sunday I went to the races where I fell asleep for three of them and then to top it all off we stumbled past a 100% No bullshit Real Deal French Restaurant. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">FFFFOOOOOOOOODDDDDD</span>!<br />I had for starters a Salmon Salad thingy with balsamic vinegar, I know this sounds stupid but I really miss food from back home so when I saw the word balsamic I had to go change my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">undies</span>. Followed by the Scallops in a garlic sauce and washed down with my old mate Johnnie Red. And a chocolate thingy for desert. I paid a small fortune for it but I didn't care one bit!<br /><br />Caught the last train home and that was that.<br /><br />Korea is a cool place.Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-85408862957852442422007-07-20T20:22:00.000+12:002007-07-20T20:39:50.247+12:00Been Locked Out...Been Locked In.So the Major Typhoon that was meant to hit us turned out to be a wee bit of a storm, I had a feeling it was only bollocks and it was! A bit of wind, a bit of rain and still bloody hot! I can't understand why this is called the Typhoon season, it's only a bit of rain and the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Monsoon</span> season was also only a bit of rain, no flooding, no nothing, I couldn't even play in the gutters in my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">gummies</span> cause there was not enough water!<br /><br />BUT IT IS STILL BLOODY HUMID and summer hasn't kicked in yet!<br /><br />So last <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Friday</span> night I got invited to my mates bosses house for a meal, We had an awesome feed and numerous bottles of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Soju</span> followed by a bottle of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Ballentines</span>, good knows what I was doing but after I left their house and met some mates on the street I had some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">apologising</span> on Sunday and Monday to do. Enough Said.<br /><br />After that incident I ended up in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Shinaye</span> market, my mate reminded me off a story about a dude who had a paperclip and traded it up to a house in a year so we came up with a plan to do similar. I was eating some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Mangdu</span> (Kinda like a dumpling with veges inside) and we decided to start with that. We ended up with two shopping bags full of veges! It must of been our amazing Korean language skills! We even managed to catch a lift on the back of a rubbish truck for a while and had a few drinks with some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Ajumas</span> on the side of the road, apparently I also had a spider with me but I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">don't</span> recall that.<br /><br />Some where along the line I lost my bag with my keys in it. So I spent all weekend outta my apartment. I was pretty impressed with my Korean skills though, after talking to a mate who can speak a fair bit and with the aid of my dictionary I manged to find a locksmiths number, call them up, explain the situation and that I needed a guy to come and change my locks for me only to be told that it was the weekend and wait till Monday.<br /><br /> So on Monday I met the locksmith, got into my flat only to find that I did not have enough cash in my pocket and as my wallet was also in my bag I was in a spot of bother but again I managed to make myself understood and got the guy to give me a double on the back of his scooter (he was holding his tool box between his legs and I was waving his drill above my head hoping to spot a fellow foreigner) to my work where my Boss, a dam good lady, lent me some cash. That was after laughing at me for yet another strange drunken incident in Korea.<br /><br /> Any way all sorted now.<br /><br />Off to Seoul this weekend, tell ya all about it on Monday.<br /><br />Won poker on Tuesday.Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-40357311925573721012007-07-13T21:35:00.000+12:002007-07-13T21:51:26.836+12:00Weather.Man has it been busy here, I've picked up extra work and don't have as much time on the works net at the mo so haven't written for a while.<br /><br /> The follow up from the last story was that the cops turned up, they couldn't speak English and we couldn't speak Korean but it was very apparent that they only wanted the noise down, which we did and then decided to move on to another apartment to carry on the mayhem.<br /><br /> The Monsoon season has hit Korea, they predicted it right to the day when it would turn up and they were right, so it has been very wet here lately, everything is constantly damp and my apartment is smelling a little like washroom cause of the continuous wet, damp smell around. I don't really mind that when it is compared to the next problem. HUMIDITY HERE IS AT 99% AAAAHHHHRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH. As soon as you walk out the door you feel it, the moisture clings to you and in five minutes your sweating like a pig, there is no point in deodorant! I'm lucky that in my classroom I have my own air conditioning and can keep my room at a balmy 18C , at times I put all my energy into wishing for a good dose of proper rain to bring the temperature down a little. I'm kinda used to it now but have been feeling the effects.<br /><br /> Today Japan is being battered by a Typhoon and warnings have gone out that it is about to hit Korea, as the city I live in is only an hours flight from Japan it is expected to hit us shortly, even now the clouds have rolled in black and it is raining. I've heard the horror stories but really I think it's a lot of bollocks where Korean people are just exaggerating the effects of everything. I'm looking forward to it as there is nothing like a good storm to put you to sleep, which due to the night time humidity I have been struggling for 5 hours sleep a night.<br /><br /> So the Monsoon season has ended, Typhoon season has started, as soon as that finishes it will be the summer proper where I am told by my students that the temperature will rise to the mid thirties and the humidity will stay the same. Great, no sleeping for me.<br /><br /> Did I mention I had been to the Korean Cup? as well as the Derby and tomorrow am off to the races again?<br /><br /> Trip to the D.M.Z in three Weekends, that should be bloody interesting!Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-27653521061066897042007-07-02T20:28:00.000+12:002007-07-02T20:39:46.796+12:00More Korean Gun Stories...I've been a bit slack on the blog lately, two weeks ago I was quite crook, I couldn't eat or drink much and the beer was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">definitely</span> out of the question! I struggled through work only to find out on a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Friday</span> that I had to be in Seoul <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">for</span> a teaching conference by 10am the next morning so I was not very happy. I thought a free weekend in Seoul would be sweet but it wasn't. I spent all day listening to bollocks, found a hotel and for the first time <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">since</span> I don't know when I was in bed by 7pm! I had to go all the way to one of the largest cities in Asia to get some decent sleep! I woke up at 9 and was back at the conference by 10 and out of it by 6pm. They even gave us an exam at the end of it! More bollocks!<br /><br /> This week I was feeling much better and am now holding down food, I went out on Tuesday with my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">colleagues</span> which was very cool, ended up in a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">noribaan</span> singing my heart out, Wednesday I went to a leaving party for a mate who went back home to Australia. The bar was pretty cool and was known for it's flavoured <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">soju</span>. On <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Wednesday</span> I was in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Home plus</span> and Italian red wine was on special, so being me I bought the lot, 18 bottles for $55, not too bad a drop.<br /><br />Since I had all this wine at my house I decided to have a party, what a night, this time it wasn't security guards with guns but the actual police! I got a class in 5 minutes so I will write it another time. Don't worry, no one shed huge quantities of blood...Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-83223400610995714952007-06-08T18:43:00.000+12:002007-06-08T18:58:46.411+12:00Last weekend.The Beach Soccer <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">tournament</span> was a bit of a disaster, not for the team but for me. I played in the first game and that was that, cause I was hung over and couldn't be bothered. We managed to draw our first game 2-2, it was a shear fluke, the opposition were running rings around us, they <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">scored</span> two very quick goals and then started taking the mickey out of us by fooling around with all sorts of flash kicks and stuff. Buddha only knows how we did it but we scored twice in the final two minutes to level the game. We had Nate.com as our enforcer, he was also hung over which made him angry and as he is the only guy with any level of fitness he ran around charging into everyone and I reckon it was cause of him we didn't lose.<br /><br />Our second game we won! I sat on the bench praying not to go on, this game was a little nasty, lots of bollocks going on. For some reason we didn't play the third game, Sometimes you just can not work out what is actually happening over here but our captain was given a choice of two bags, one said win and one said lose, he chose the winning bag which gave us two wins and a draw from three which placed us in the final 8. Not bad considering we were all out at an all you can drink for $15 bar till 5 that morning and playing by 10am. Bloody Whisky.<br /><br />In our quarterfinal we got thrashed, then I went and ate at a nearby Indian Restaurant which was a tad disappointing.<br /><br />One cool thing was we all got on Korean T.V, the festival was televised and a bunch of white people playing soccer is apparently quite interesting to Koreans. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Busan</span> soccer team turned up and that got the dancing girls quite excited which did actually manage to get me interested.<br /><br />I had Wednesday off work cause it was Memorial Day (just like ANZAC Day), lots of apartments draped flags out their windows. I went to the movies and then got drunk.<br /><br />I'm off somewhere to an Island somewhere with some people somehow. Not too sure how I'm involved but I'm getting a sailing lesson out of it. I think it's around the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Busan</span> Area but I'm not sure. I'll tell you on Monday.Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-45159699457379064782007-06-01T18:10:00.000+12:002007-06-01T18:16:19.157+12:00My Debut.This Sunday I am making my Korean sporting debut, it <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ain't</span> cricket but I'll give it a shot. I'm in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Gimhae</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Foreigners</span> Beach Soccer team playing on Sunday.<br /><br />32 teams, 8 groups, top of each group goes through to the next round.<br /><br />12 minute <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">halves</span>, 5 minute break, 7 a side, as many reserves as you want, pitch 20m by 30m.<br /><br />Starts at 9.30am so staying the night at the beach.<br /><br />On Saturday going to my first ever Baseball game, the Lotte Giants are playing, they are the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Busan</span> team. All teams are owned by corporations and Lotte has it's capitalist fingers in every money making pie in Korea, from chocolate milk to live octopus. They are playing the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Kia</span> team who make cars. Dunno where they are from.<br />Should be good.Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-78258607361668940132007-05-30T18:20:00.000+12:002007-05-30T18:30:35.349+12:00Sheep ShaggingI heard a good joke, it appeals to me cause it is a little bit of self depreciating Kiwi humour followed by taking the piss of the Aussies.<br /><br /> An Aussie farmer came over to New Zealand to buy some ewes of his Kiwi farming mate, they were walking the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">boundary</span> of the farm, checking out the lie of the land, talking about crop rotation, water supplies and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">reminiscing</span> about driving their tractors up <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Parliaments</span> steps when they spot a ewe with her head well and truly stuck in the fence.<br /><br /> The Kiwi walks up to it first (after all it is his farm) drops his <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">mole skins</span>, to be absolutely sure she won't run away he carefully lifts up her hind legs and places them in his gum boots and shags the ewe like his life depended on it.<br /><br />After he is finished he asks his Aussie mate<br /><br />"Wanna piece of this?"<br /><br />In that <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">laconic</span> Aussie way he <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">replies</span><br /><br />"Sure, why not?"<br /><br />So he walks over, drops his <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">mole skins</span>, bends over and puts his head in the fence.Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-31237638529018985982007-05-28T18:12:00.000+12:002007-05-28T18:34:34.255+12:00Korean Derby.I went to the Korean Derby, run at The Seoul Race Park, the horse that won absolutely annihilated the others, in a Derby where the best 3 year old horses run it was amazing to see such a good horse. He was boxed in on the rails, about 400 out the jockey actually stood up, looked around him, slowed downed to get a gap pushed his way through to the outside, shot to the lead with about 200 to go, another horse tried to keep up but no one had to the class to even come close and waltzed away by 5 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">lenghts</span>.<br /><br />The race track, or park as they are called over here was huge, There was easily 80,000 people there, the noise was tremendous! You have to buy betting vouchers which you then place in an automatic betting machine along with your picks, it was very quick and efficient as you had to have written down on the betting slip exactly what you wanted before you got there so no body was pissing around talking to the TAB operator.<br /><br /> I was sitting in the foreigners lounge, it was very comfortable and classy but there is no drinking at any Korean tracks and they don't have any chips and hot dogs but that is the only complaint that I have about it. They even had two waterfalls there!<br /><br />I made a couple of bucks as well.<br /><br />The whole trip to Seoul was pretty cool, I finally got to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Itaewon</span> which is renown for<br />being full of foreigners, I gotta tell you It was like I was in a film made in New York, I have never seen so many black people in my life, people were gambling on street corners, blokes doing their best to look tough on other street corners and sluts <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">tryin</span> to look their best to everyone!<br />And it was in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Itaewon</span> where I struck gold, I went to the Aussie Shop and for the first time since December I ate 2 Sausage Rolls, 2 Steak Pies and some Fish and Chips! Those Aussies aren't that bad!<br /><br />Of course I got blind drunk and apparently I was carried home but I dispute that..if only I could remember.Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-20649117482026916242007-05-25T17:23:00.001+12:002007-05-25T18:33:39.757+12:00He Ain't Dead<a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/4072617a1860.html">http://www.stuff.co.nz/4072617a1860.html</a>Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-57846876457557872012007-05-21T16:58:00.000+12:002007-05-21T17:27:10.454+12:00I refuse to drink any more Bacardi 151I've just had another great weekend, Friday I went to a bar I have never been to before, it is called the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Wa</span> Bar and I started drinking <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">XXXX</span> before moving on to the Long Island Ice tea's. I think it was the first time a large group of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Whities</span> have ever turned up en <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">masse</span>, I thought the bar staff coped remarkably well, a few funny incidents took place which will be talked about for a while!<br /><br /> The first was our Aussie <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Ajuma</span>( A polite term of endearment for an older married woman). She normally has a bottle of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Soju</span> in her bag and buys coke to mix it with. Well, we were sitting around a bar that had about a hundred beers sitting on ice in the middle of it and you just grab whatever one you want, drink it and pay at the end. Unfortunately for her a bottle of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Soju</span> looks remarkably like a bottle of beer and when the bar staff saw her putting her <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Soju</span> back in her bag they thought she was pinching some beer (Some stories came out later of a crazy foreigner who made a habit of paying for his beer with his five finger discount card). So they confronted her, she has got a wee bit of a wild streak to her, after all she is from Tasmania! so she told them all to @#$% off until she realised what had actually happened so she pulled out the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Soju</span> and showed them and they were most apologetic and offered her a free drink, which she refused!<br /><br /> That had us all in hysterics but the other incident went too far and in my opinion was out of line. A mistake got made somewhere along the line with a chicks change. I've worked in bars and know that these things happen and who really cares about $9 anyway? I don't know if the mistake was made by the bar tender giving the wrong change or the chick not giving enough money in the first place but she thought she was owed nine bucks and became very irate and belligerent, charging up and down the bar yelling and screaming and giving all of us foreigners a bad name. Stage 2 culture shock my arse.<br /><br />I had a good time on Saturday <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">arvo</span>, I went and watch some of my mates do a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Kok</span> Sol Won <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">demonstration</span>, this a form of Martial arts and was pretty cool. Then I discovered a new Vietnamese restaurant which is amazing, just around the corner from my house and I even had lunch there a few hours ago. That night I went to another mates house to watch the F.A Cup final, I 'm not really that interested in it and most finals in all sports are pretty boring to watch but we did have many litres of beer, 4 bottles of Scotch and that bloody <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Bicardi</span> 151. That shit is 70% proof and it was the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Gimhae</span> Hat <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Committee's</span> punishment bottle. I can't even remember what my mistake was but down the hatch it went. No more. I thought Manchester United won the game but it turns out I was wrong.<br /><br />On Sunday I got woken up to go walking around the old town, it was pretty cool just wandering around buying stupid pointless stuff and weaning away the hang over, I got my self a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">camouflage</span> floppy hat, a C.D Muse: Origins of Symmetry and some Vanilla Custard from Pakistan. I found an Asian Food mart and a Foreign food mart where to my delight I discovered that you can buy a leg of lamb. Now I just need to find an oven to cook it in. Another good feed and home for an early night.<br /><br />I've got some cool stuff lined up this week, a trip to a Water Fall on Thursday (A day of work cause it's Buddha's Birthday) and a trip to Seoul on the weekend for the Korean Derby.Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-54414969624413851542007-05-18T18:35:00.000+12:002007-06-01T20:21:58.016+12:00Buddha's BirthdayNot much has been happening in my life for awhile, the usual antics are still going strong but nothing out of the ordinary. I did find out that it is not recommended to go swimming in the local park and last night went to the local University called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Inje</span> for their O week, the same stuff happens as at Massey.<br /><br />Tomorrow I'm off to the races again, and the following Sunday going to Seoul to watch the Korean Derby, they got a Foreigners Club there so it will be cool to wear my suit and pick many winners.<br /><br />Going to a Dinner Party on Saturday, I'll turn it into a party without the dinner.<br /><br />Next Thursday is a day off, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Thank's</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Buddha</span>, it's his birthday. I suppose it's a bit like Christmas with a birthday party and all but Koreans also have a day off for Christmas so I will write to Helen Clark and explain that N.Z should also have 25<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">th</span> May off cause <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Buddha</span> never did any harm to us Kiwi's.<br /><br />It's a good thing that we have Thursday off as on Wednesday night the Champions League Soccer Final is on so we can make a party out of it. Not that I understand too much about it but my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Pommie</span> mates are into it so I'll tag along.<br /><br />See Ya.Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-73724877416833120262007-05-15T22:11:00.000+12:002007-05-30T18:19:51.999+12:00Weird Korean ExperienceLast night I had yet another weird Korean experience, I was in the supermarket and I saw this foreigner staring at me, I checked her out and she wasn't just staring at me she was looking at me with an almost longing for something. I was a wee bit <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">creeped</span> out about it so walked away to the alcohol section. After browsing through the specials out of the corner of my eye I again caught a glimpse of her. It was as though she was penetrating right through me. By now I was a little bit worried I had never experienced this before so I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">graped</span> a dozen and headed to the check out.<br /><br />I had to get out of there and away from her.<br /><br />So I was in the queue and she came right up to me. This woman was in her 50's and as she was right in front of me I could see that she was actually quite upset and sad. She said to me<br /><br />"I'm sorry for staring at you like that , I didn't mean to offend you, it's just that you look a hell of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">a lot</span> like my dead son."<br /><br />By now I didn't know quite what to think and I just stood there feeling sorry for her. She pulled out a photo of him and I didn't look a thing like him, well apart from the ginger hair. as I was speechless she just continued talking and eventually I realised that she really had something to say but was beating around the bush. After a few minutes, (by now we had left the queue and were back inside the shop) she asks me a favour<br /><br />"I know this will sound weird but I would really appreciate it if when I leave you could say Bye Mom to me"<br /><br />She was Nth American so that's why I wrote Mom and not the correct Mum.<br /><br />I just wanted the situation to be over so I agreed. I was in two minds as to whether or not do it so pretended to read the Korean labels on the shelf nearby. I looked up and she was just about leaving, she looked at me, smiled in a depressed kind of way so I did it for her.<br /><br />She walked away with her bags and I went back into the queue with my beers, the check out chick says to me Chil Man Won. I'm thinking did I hear her right? she just asked for 70,000 won (About N.Z$90) for my dozen beers. I point to my beers, shrug, she says something in K<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">orean</span>, I catch the words <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">omma</span> (Mother) <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">adul</span> (Son) and ton (money).<br /><br />The bitch had told her that her son would pay!<br /><br />I throw down 10,000 won for my beers and charge out in the direction I saw her go. I was valiantly looking around when I see her get into a cab, I raced over, yanked open the door, scared the shit out of the driver and started to pull her out of the taxi by her leg.<br /><br />Just like I'm pulling yours now.Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-9496344613093524402007-05-01T00:30:00.000+12:002007-05-01T00:45:40.454+12:00Fireworks and Coconuts.I've just finished work, so I cleaned out my troublesome fish tank and thought I would write and say what's up. Got a new teacher at school today, she seems pretty cool, got a nice smile. My weekend was very similar to the last couple. Friday got drunk and went to a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Nori</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">bann</span>, got home in time for a few hours sleep before heading off to the races, where I won $30, came home, slept some more, went to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Jang</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Yu</span> for a bit of a house party followed by a trip to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Changwon</span> to see a band play at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">O'Briens</span>, followed by again getting home in the sunshine, sleeping till 5pm then getting up and being constructive.<br /><br /> On Sunday the opening ceremony of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Gaya</span> Festival was held. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Gaya</span> is the name of one of the Korean dynasties that was in power in the area where I live, basically the bottom third of the Korean Peninsula. It was pretty cool, there was traditional dancing and costumes and the normal boring <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">speaches</span> which are even worse when you can not understand them and an awesome Fireworks display. I also bought a nasty sling shot, an evil looking knife and a coconut. I drank the milk from the coconut and then remembered that I am <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">particularly</span> partial to the odd dose of Malibu. Went to the movies to see Double Target, over here t is called shooter for some reason, don't ask me why, I just live here. On the way to the movies I bought a litre of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Malibu</span>, my mate who also bought a slingshot and knife bought some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Johhnie</span> Red to fill his hip flask that he bought and off we went.<br /><br />Drinking Malibu out off a coconut that you had bought off a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Korean</span> shark outside the movie theatre while wearing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">jandals</span> with my jeans was quite a surreal experience. As if I don't get enough looks from the locals any way, but throw a coconut into the mix and your just asking for trouble. I just told the curious people that I was American.Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-18006518962655361542007-04-25T18:32:00.000+12:002007-04-25T18:38:41.764+12:00WorkAt school my students write a diary and it is my job to correct it, I kid turned in a set of stories that I gotta tell you as I inspired it, I'll write it down exactly as I recieved it. Its from a 9 year old writing in his second language.<br /><br />friday.<br />I fish pet<br />fish is cute.<br />I have a very many money.<br />I'll have fish.<br /><br />Monday<br />i pet a 3 Goldfish.<br />pet a fish is very excited.<br /><br />wednesday.<br />Today too, I feed a gold fish.<br />But fish can't moved!<br />I'm very surprised.<br />I touch a fish, but fish can't moved<br />Fish is Dead!<br />So, I'm sad.Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-75044754485773266932007-04-25T18:22:00.000+12:002007-04-25T18:25:45.866+12:00A Mate Sent Me This.MATES by Murray Hartin<br /><br />I've traveled down some dusty roads,<br />Both crooked tracks and straight,<br />And I have learnt life's noblest creed<br />Summed up in one word, "Mate".<br />I'm thinkin' back across the years,<br />A thing I do of late<br />And these words stick between me ears<br />"You gotta have a mate."<br />Someone who'll take you as you are<br />Regardless of your state<br />And stand as firm as Ayers Rock<br />Because he is your mate.<br />Me mind goes back to '43<br />To slavery and hate<br />When man's one chance to stay alive<br />Depended on his mate.<br />With bamboo for a billy-can<br />And bamboo for a plate,<br />A bamboo paradise for bugs<br />Was bed for me and mate.<br />You'd slip and slither through the mud<br />And curse your rotten fate<br />But then you'd hear a quiet word<br />"Don't drop your bundle, mate."<br />And though it's all so long ago<br />This truth I have to state,<br />A man don't know what lonely means<br />'til he has lost his mate.<br />If there's a life that follers this,<br />If there's a Golden Gate,<br />The welcome that I wanna hear<br />Is just "Goodonya mate".<br />And so to all who ask us why<br />We keep these special dates,<br />Like ANZAC Day,<br />I tell 'em "Why?!<br />We're thinkin' of our mates."<br />And when I've left the driver's seat<br />And 'anded in me plates<br />I'll tell Ol' Peter at the door<br />"I've come to join me mates."Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-49339584016231546712007-04-24T17:36:00.000+12:002007-04-24T18:03:51.166+12:00The Weekend that Was...I know that I blatantly stole this title off my brother (or is that bother?) but I know he won't care, On Friday night I was meant to go to to a party but that got canned and I ended up at the local followed by the ever present <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Nori</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">bann</span>, those places are really cool, I would never too it back home but the rules don't work when your in another country. Myself and My <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Pommie</span> mate belted out some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Emo</span> style Oasis (just kidding, Jangles CALM DOWN.)<br /><br />Just a thought, as I'm now teaching English i had better get this straight, does the full stop in the last sentence come before or after the closing bracket? I'm pretty sure it's inside but Mum, write and let me know.<br /><br />I had Mickey D's for breakfast before going home as the sun rose. Then I was up for the races at 11. I was in the shower when the phone rang so I jumped out, dripping wet, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">bollock</span> naked and slipped, slammed my knee into the corner of the step leading up to my bathroom, threw up (from the pain, not the from last nights efforts) , (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Hehe</span>, no full stop required there but do I have the comma in the correct position? Is it required but then can you have two sets of bracketed words next to each other without any thing in between?) answered the phone, limped to the bus stop to get to the track, discovered I had missed the bus, bought some chicken and beer and jumped in a cab. I was limping all day and night, pretty sweet now but still purple. It did also mean I couldn't dance all night, OH WELL, WHATEVER, NEVERMIND.<br /><br />Those bastards at the gate confiscated my beer! but don't worry I successfully held on to the chicken. This Rooster looks after his own. Today, I only lost 30 bucks which was a much better effort than last weeks $88 shocker. As I left I got my bevvies back which were promptly downed in the taxi ride to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Busan</span> where we went to Hyundai for all you can knock back for 15 smackers.<br /><br />Before going to the pub we had to wait a while for the dam thing to open so we bought some brews from a Dairy, sat outside on those ubiquitous white plastic tables and chairs which are most probably imported from the Hastings Warehouse and played cards for about an hour and a half. The pub rocked, had a good laugh, took my mate who was blind to eat, she fell asleep with her head on her plate, finally got her home, got home myself, slept till 5pm then went out for a nice polite conversation on Sunday evening. After staggering home on <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Monday</span> morning I reflected on what a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">pleasant</span> evening with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">scintillating</span> conversation it actually was.<br /><br />Poker tonight.<br /><br />Anzac Day tomorrow, I have organised for us Korean <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Anzacs</span> to go to the War Memorial (This memorial is for the Japan Occupation and the Korean War) in my city for some coffee and Rum. I dunno if we have to do it at 6am our local time or 6am Kiwi time. What are the rules?<br /><br />May All living Kiwis and Aussies give a thought to those <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">fullas</span> who went to war for the future of us all.Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-55429098193656686702007-04-20T20:19:00.000+12:002007-04-20T20:22:29.817+12:00Alcoholic Hepatitis?Is this just one of those new <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">fang'dangle</span> Buzzwords for a drunk?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/4032601a1823.html">http://www.stuff.co.nz/4032601a1823.html</a><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"></span>Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-52880690721093422062007-04-20T17:06:00.000+12:002007-04-20T17:09:33.184+12:00Modern Day Prince of Batsmen.Tonight I am going to my first Korean House Party. I'm sure they still don't understand what parties are all about but I've promised them some Kiwi drinking games in exchange for some Korean ones. This will be interesting...<br /><br />Off to the Gee Gee's again tomorrow followed by a night in Busan.<br /><br />Brian Lara, your a Legend.Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19891509.post-26905495152250808282007-04-17T12:13:00.000+12:002007-04-17T12:33:20.605+12:00The Saturday after the "Fish Incident."Well, I woke up with a bolt at a quarter past Eleven, normally this would be a natural time to wake up but as I mentioned in yesterdays blog I had been trying to work up a group to gamble with me at the races. The thing is a few people had said yeah sure, you explain it all and we will have a right old laugh. I had told them all that they had to be outside Home Plus, the K.F.C corner before 11 to catch the free bus to the races.<br /><br />I jumped out of bed and immediately threw up, I spent half a god damm hour dry retching before I could stomach some water and fuck off to the cab stand. I had no idea how to explain to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">cabbie</span> that I wanted to go the races so I thought I would take along the last weeks form guide in the hope that somewhere on the cover it said <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Busan</span> Race track. So I hail a cab, explain what I want, he nods and I thought I was home and hosed but oh no, never be too sure about anything in this country. We drove for 10 minutes and I got dropped off outside a Video Parlour that had a spanking new advertisement painted on the front window advertising a bloody horse racing game! I jumped out, not even bothering another attempt at explaining and got in the next cab I found. This time it worked out just fine. I walk onto the track, find my mates and promptly fell over an elderly woman from South Africa. Talk about first impressions, she has only been in the city a few weeks and had met some people who invited her to the races!<br /><br />Any way, saw a wicked little filly absolutely annihilate the field with an astonishing burst of power, it was just too bad that I could not figure out her name I'll have to get my Korean mates on to it.<br /><br />Went to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Busan</span> for a birthday that night, Sunday evening went to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Sasang</span> for an Indian meal, I had the lamb, then back home and went to the movies and saw Ghost Rider, a bit of a let down.<br /><br />Monday morning bought some "I'm sorry chocolates" for the boss, she had a good old laugh at my expense and made sure that everyone knew about it. She's a cool chick.Roosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435607471352051835noreply@blogger.com3