Plug

Running Music: Er, today we'll go with running Television. I watched No Limit Texas Hold 'Em. Several miles worth. Anyone want to lend me a few thousand dollars? Oh, wait...Lending implies repayment. Anyone want to give me a few thousand dollars?

And a pony...In fact, I'll take just the pony if you can't pony up the cash. (See what I did there?)

In all the years I asked for a pony, only Darince Wong ever gave me one. Hey Darice, I ran into Science and Math people in Seoul. They knew Karen. We enjoyed ourselves. The end. Postscript: I still have my pony around somewhere. It's keeping Linda's Pikachu company.

Can anyone give me the lowdown on SoongSil University? Come on folks...Gimme the dirt.

My Partners in Crime

This is DJ. He has a Korean name, but all the Koreans I know seem to call him DJ. Besides being fluent in English and Korean, he is probably the closest male friend I have. I've known him since high school, where we studied clarinet with the same teacher. We then both went to NEC and studied with a new, but also the same for each of us, teacher again. Oy vey. Our conversations are sprinkled with the kind of salty language you don't hear between worst enemies. It's all highly amusing. Since college, he's also been an officer in the ROK military. That means that, as much as I love annoying him, I have to at all times remember that he could kill me with a toothbrush.

I need to introduce him to more cute girls. He has helped me so much that I figured giving him a good woman might pay back part of it. Crap, now I've got to go out and purchase a good woman. I seem to only have enough money to purchase a crappy one.

This photo was taken in a coffee shop in Kyodae. This night, I was approached by the relative of an exgirlfriend from the States who just happened to be in town. Now, this guy was only in Korea on business and lives in CA. I had met and socialized with him twice, but several years ago. Jeez...I used to think that it was just the music world that was small, but it turns out that it's just the worl d in general. Either that, or I'm being tailed again.


Speaking of which: Last week, I met these three lovely young ladies (L to R: Hyun, JaeYeon, Yuri (That's two Yuri/Youri's now!)) at the Hyundai department store in Apkujong for a little lunch. Oh...lunch. Yum...The top level of the building has a number of high quality restaurants. We ate in a Korean-style Chinese place and then went to a bingsoo (shaved ice and red bean) place across the way. Holy crap...I'm telling you; the food alone in Korea is enough for me to start looking for immigration papers.




Just a little proof that these three ladies actually allowed me in their presence.

A few more photos

Those buildings in the background are awfully close. They're just a couple of blocks away. It's astounding that all of these buildings, beautiful as they are, are in a little time-warp envelope in the middle of Seoul.

The colors on this gate are fantastic. Apparently, most of these buildings have been rebuilt. Regardless, they're beautiful. What could be better? I'm glad you asked...Guys with knives and spears! You're damned right. Spears make any building better.

My companion didn't know what the Chinese characters on the gate meant. Can anyone enlighten me?

Blah blah...This is actually during a concert. I was hidden just offstage during a piece I didn't have to play.

Well, it looks as if the next month or two will be insanely busy. I'll be traveling more than your average migratory bird, apparently. I need to swing by Boston and take care of my apartment, but I'm not sure yet when I'll be leaving there. Blech...Too many things to take care of.

Perhaps next time I'll talk about Duo.

Penultimate Day

Mm...We had spicy pork. Soojung knows where to eat well. And for some reason, she keeps introducing me to cute girls. She's a keeper.

Daniel (maybe), Kris, and Hans...Oy vey.

Two girls who could certainly get me into trouble if they wanted. Yuri and Kris. Did I say "Oy vey" already? Thank God I know (and met) some classy girls here. Er...classy and beautiful. I would say that I should be practicing rather than hanging out with these too, but I'm afraid that we all know that's not true.

My Day at the Palace

I spent the afternoon eating fantastic food and walking around the royal palace with fantastic company. Here's Hyun in front of what is essentially a party hall. That's water in front of the building, but it's a little frozen right now.

Just a little proof that I'm still alive. Hair is getting out of control. Notice the guys with the big knives. Right on.

Two sweethearts who have been only a good influence on me during my trip: JaeYeon and Ms. Bae.

Oh yes...I kind of got offerred a job today. It's not exactly an offer, but that's kind of how things work here. It wouldn't start for a few months if at all, so don't anyone get their undies in a bunch. We're just starting to dance and we'll see what happens.

Yes, yes...I understand that I've done a horrid job of actually blogging of late. Instead, my new camera seems to be my stand-in. Things are busy and I'm sure I'll find a happy medium later.

Photo Dump

Some mensches: Jeff, trumpet; Hector, horn (and Noise Basement venturer), Marko, violin (and card shark); Jason, trombone (formerly pensive)

Duo Clarinet gentlemen. More on these guys later. Way more.

3/4ths of the clarinet section. These two are the total package. Good players and even better people.

Yuri and DJ. She's the only one not stuffing her face at the exact moment the pic was taken.

Yuri and Whitey.

Update

Right now, it looks as if I will be leaving Korea as planned in about a week and a half. There are some small leads in Japan and Macau, but they are small. My flight goes to Boston, I believe, but I'm not sure that's where I'll stay. I've got to hunker down over the next few days and figure things out.

Oh, and believe you me that I'll talk more about exactly what happened. First I'll wait and see if any situation is rectified.

There Can Be Only One

Tomorrow I go to war! Wahoo...Wish me luck. 아자! 아자!

Yes yes...more detail later, yo's. For now just know that I'm getting my chance to put things right and my foe in prior skirmishes will be my only enemy tomorrow. It's appropriate and I'll end it swiftly.

(Er...I threw in the Highlander reference to add a bit of levity so my relatives might not think I'm actually strapping on Kevlar, but it just occurred to me that they wouldn't get it anyway. Oh well...)

May I come back with or on my shield.

(&*

Yes, I'm alive. No, I've not had a great deal of time to spend on my blog. I've been spending an abnormal amount of time with my clarinet and with dealing with dumb political crap. I'll post more when I come up for air.

Oh, and I've been playing a number of concerts. We're to start playing a crazy amount of concerts next week, including a small tour of Korea.

Where should I go next, folks? Japan? Macau? Shanghai?

Oh, and you numbskulls who dragged me to Foxwoods: Hit a Korean Casino last night. Played the same game, won again. This time, not as much, but I made more than my compatriots. Between two of our group, a thousand US dollars was lost. Ouch...Thank God I'm much too afraid of being poor to pull that shit.

Okay, I've got to go sit next to a member of the Chicago Symphony in the morning, so bye.