Tuesday, December 23, 2008

My first FULL Korean conversation. Photos: WINTER is here)


A train whistles and roars through Oryudong Station (without stopping)

I had my first Korean conversation today. I have, of course, had many short, pre-planned conversations with work colleagues and Korean friends, in the aid of practicing the Korean that I’ve been studying. But today was my first experience in real life, on the road, out in the field, so to speak. I was in the hairdressers, umm, getting my hair cut. It’s the middle of winter here right now. It’s snowing outside, the temperatures are below freezing, but I’m going to Thailand tomorrow, so I need to get my haircut. (because it isn’t snowing in Thailand, it’s very hot, long hair, hot weather = nuisance)….

Anyway, back to my point. I had my first impromptu Korean conversation, in the hairdressers, today.

This is the conversation in English. I had this with the hairdresser (her name is yoo bin) ALL in Korean, yes, all of it. When I left the hairdressers I was VERY happy. My hard-work had paid off.


Yoo Bin: Can you speak Korean.

Toby: I can speak a little bit of Korea, sorry.

Yoo Bin: How long have you been in Korea?

Toby: (long pause, digesting the question), One year and 4 months.

Yoo Bin: Do you like Korea?

Toby: Yes, I like.

Yoo Bin: Why?

Toby: Umm, I like teacher. Sorry, I mean, I like my job. I like the food. I like people.

Yoo Bin: Good.

She carries on cutting my hair.

Toby: I’m British.

Yoo Bin: Oh, really? Wow. Very good. I like the British.

Toby: Notting Hill??

Yoo Bin: Yes (haha) (every Korean loves Notting Hill film)

She carries on cutting my hair.

Yoo Bin: Do you have any Korean friends?

Toby: Yes, I have lots of Korean friends.

Toby: I have about 10 Korean friends. Do you have any foreign friends?

Yoo Bin: No, I don’t have any foreign friends.

She carries on cutting my hair.

Yoo Bin: Where do you live?

Toby: I live in Oryudong. From here, to Oryudong, it takes 15 minutes by bus. (she was very impressed with this sentence – so was I)

Yoo Bin: I understand.

Toby: Where do you live?

Yoo Bin: I live in Bucheon. It’s two stops away. Do you know?

Toby: Yes, I know.

Toby: Tomorrow, I’m going to go to Thailand?

Yoo Bin: I don’t understand.

Toby: Thailand. Country. Tomorrow, I go. I don’t know.

Yoo Bin: I don’t know.

She carries on cutting my hair. She shows me my hair in the mirror.

Toby: Cut a little bit more please.

Yoo Bin: Little bit here?

Toby: Yes, please.

Yoo Bin: Do you like it?

Toby: Yes, I like. Thank you very much.

Toby: Goodbye.

Yoo Bin: Goodbye, have a good day.

Toby/Yoo Bin both nod, bow and smile. Haircut, first Korean conversation completed. Happy days…… Next stop, the madness of Bangkok and none other than Christopher Manski pants, one more stop will lead me to the golden beaches of Koh Lanta and none other than my father and step mother. Happy happy days……

MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone….. Love to all……..xxxxx



A chestnut cooker delicately exhausts some warmly smelling smoke into the crisp air.

Took the opportunity to get the camera out despite the below freezing temps.

Cold outside. Lets play with my camera indoors.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Confusion within seat heat


Have you ever visited the lavatory, opted to sit down and discovered that the seat is very warm? This obviously implies that some other man, or woman, but for the sake of this blog, I have to imagine that it’s man, has very recently been sitting there. Of course! This has happened to everyone. How does it make you feel? It makes me feel a little bit quirky. I don’t like it. Why would anyone want to feel the warmth of another mans behind, especially in the circumstance of him saying goodbye to his lunch.

I apologise if this blog, so far, isn’t particularly pleasant, but I do promise, with the deepest of warmth (warmth from the heart, not from, well, you know where), that there’s a happier, more tasteful ending.

Today, I experienced a new kind of toilet seat warmth. It was hot. If I had taken the seat outside, it would’ve steamed like a coal train whistling through the British countryside. I was at my private class’s house; just before the class started I took a trip to the toilet and sat down. The shock, to the intensity of the seat warmth, was significant. My face would’ve resembled shock, confusion, curiosity and disbelief, all in a split second. I felt my eyes penetrating the limitations of their sockets. I couldn’t quite work out what the hell had happened. Why on earth is this toilet seat so god darn hot? With a flash of wonder I then remembered that their toilet had an electronic self cleaning device, I then realised that it must be heated for the winter months. I carried on with my duties.

I had been thinking about writing a blog today, but I was stuck for ideas. I had resigned to the fact that I’d have to wait another day. It’s funny that simply going to the bathroom to pee, or whatever you may be doing in there, can inspire you to write a blog. Maybe I should have just kept all this to myself.

The image at the top of this blog, is a flashback to my blog about Korean taxis. I forgot to mention, I think, that getting a taxi between the hours of 11:30pm and 3:00am is very difficult, and on some occasions, impossible. It isn’t because there aren’t any, it isn’t because there are too many people getting taxis, it’s because the taxi will not take you unless you’re going on a healthy, money spinning distance. One night, I was so fed up with rejection after rejection that I lunged into the depths of my pocket, took out my camera and took a picture of the number plate and then asked my Korean friend to threaten the driver with the image, saying we would report him to his boss, or whoever we could. It’s an illegal offence to deny anyone a journey in a taxi. He replied with a shake of the head and a mumble. We walked onto the next taxi. So if you find yourself in Seoul, do not take this taxi, he doesn’t deserve your cash.


Thursday, December 11, 2008

I regret to tell you that.........................................

I have some rather sad news...... Umm, it's very hard to even type the following message. I hope this doesn't affect you all as badly as it has affected me. It has been a big part of my life for the last few months. A relationship that sparked off with instant love. The admiration I had was something I haven't experienced before, and probably won't ever again. I thought it would be something that would last forever, but I guess all good things come to an end, I'm just so sad it has happened now, so soon, just as things were getting, well you know, comfortable.
My fridge has died. The beautiful second hand fridge has passed away. No longer will she keep my apples cool. No longer will she serve me well and freeze my varieties of ice creams. She had died last week, but I managed to resuscitate her.... I brought her back from the dead, once again she was cold. It was a miracle. However, I feel this is the end, I feel she can longer function. She will sadly be replaced with a newer, more advanced and more efficient model of refrigerator. I have fond memories. The 4am Ice Cream is a memory that will stay close to my heart and will help me through these troubled waters. Please take this opportunity to hold your hands together, close your eyes and make a wishful wish to your own refrigerator, this kind of thing can happen to any fridge at any moment, of any day. My wish is for your fridge to remain happy, and keep your groceries cool.

R.I.P. Roseanne (The Fridge)



Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Chapter One

Something has been happening over the last year and four months that I neglected to tell you. I have always modeled myself on independence and seem to keep some things to myself for a while, and most things I keep locked away in a safe-box with no key to hand. Its easier that way.

My next little secret is something that I cant and wouldnt be able to keep a secret for much longer, even if I really wanted to. I would have to put myself into the safe-box; that would be the only way to keep it from you all.

The ability of my eyes has been deteriorating. On Sunday, 7th December, 2008, I went to the opticians. Ive been before, but only as a routine check at the tender age of ??teen. Now, Im 26, and getting on, some might say, my eyes arent what they used to be. The proof is that, Im now the proud owner of an additional pair of eyes. I believe the technical term is, Spectacles.

After deliberating for around 20 minutes and 20 different styles, colours and fits of glasses I chose these ones. I thought they sat nicely in-between non geeky and non fashion-y, theyre also comfortable and I think, kinda, ok. A new chapter begins. I blame this all down to reading too much. This is the first time that I have read books back to back and the first time that I have taken studying seriously, The Korean Language. Studying before was mostly practical and didnt include too many mountains of reading material. Im of course joking. Playing online Scrabble is clearly to blame for my new blurry disposition.

What do you think? I have chosen a series of pictures, to show you, with a series of emotions.







I wore them for the first time today. When I put them on I couldnt believe that I had been walking around for the past two months (thats the time span of my blurry realization) without them. I dont need to wear them 24/7, although they said I should, but they certainly offer a clearer outlook on books, TV screens and umm, people. My kids found it very entertaining. Theyre used to my pranks. Sometimes I wear their jackets, or put on some kind of comedy accessory as a form of entertainment. They thought this was another joke, so a couple of them carried on as usual. One kid, who goes by the name of Jeremy, did a double take and they said Booya, which vaguely translates to WHAT?. My afternoon kids pretty much all said the same thing. Teacher! You is ugly. I dont take them seriously. People close to me have referred to me as A Harvard student, even more handsome and Intellectual, oh sorry, I mean even more intellectual. (haha, I couldnt spell interlectual (luckily automatic spell checker is here to save me)

Regardless, and at the end of the day, theyre just a pair of spectacles right.