Worth reading

Over on Scribblings of the Metropolitician, a very insightful and well-delivered post on the Virginia Tech shootings, discussing cultural factors, the perennial blame game, the state of Korean society and potential implications. Check it out.

Hilltop hoods

I joined the guys on Saturday for a weekend of hiking and rock climbing with the good folks at Adventure Korea. The location for the fun and games was the central province of Chungcheongbuk-do (North Chungcheong). It's been absolutely ages since I've been on an AK trip and just over two years since I went rappelling with them the first time around (in the same area, nonetheless) so I was eager for another crack at it.

Climbing, rapelling, mingling, merriment and consumption of alcoholic beverages (after getting down in one piece) ensued.

Jared's posted a bunch of photos on his website. You can view them here.





As is a time honoured custom on these AK trips, Sunday morning was taken up with the traditional hangover cure of going on a 4 1/2 hour hike. Well, to be honest, it would have taken a bit less but we - Seokjin, anyways - were determined to leave no man behind. The hiking route covered the same ridgeline that I'd crossed last time we were in the area, this time minus the accompanying weather fluctuations.

Currently Reading:

Thomas L. Friedman's take on the seemingly unstoppable rise of globalisaton. Saw the title and couldn't resist.

Eggs-quisite?

I've come to the conclusion that it might be possible to fashion an Easter egg of sorts tonight - but do I have time to look for an egg cup, a gas burner and a bar of Australian Cadbury's?

Thou shalt not kill?

Cool song. Check out the lyrics below.

Thou shalt not steal if there is a direct victim.
Thou shalt not worship pop idols or follow lost prophets.
Thou shalt not take the names of Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer, Johnny Hartman, Desmond Decker, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix or Syd Barret in vain.
Thou shalt not think that any male over the age of 30 that plays with a child that is not their own is a peadophile. Some people are just nice.
Thou shalt not read NME.
Thall shalt not stop liking a band just because they’ve become popular.
Thou shalt not question Stephen Fry.
Thou shalt not judge a book by it’s cover.
Thou shalt not judge Lethal Weapon by Danny Glover.
Thall shalt not buy Coca-Cola products. Thou shalt not buy Nestle products.
Thou shalt not go into the woods with your boyfriend’s best friend, take drugs and cheat on him.
Thou shalt not fall in love so easily.
Thou shalt not use poetry, art or music to get into girls’ pants. Use it to get into their heads.
Thou shalt not watch Hollyoaks.
Thou shalt not attend an open mic and leave before it’s done just because you’ve finished your shitty little poem or song you self-righteous pr**k.
Thou shalt not return to the same club or bar week in, week out just ’cause you once saw a girl there that you fancied but you’re never gonna f**king talk to.

Thou shalt not put musicians and recording artists on ridiculous pedestals no matter how great they are or were.
The Beatles: Were just a band.
Led Zepplin: Just a band.
The Beach Boys: Just a band.
The Sex Pistols: Just a band.
The Clash: Just a band.
Crass: Just a band.
Minor Threat: Just a band.
The Cure: Just a band.
The Smiths: Just a band.
Nirvana: Just a band.
The Pixies: Just a band.
Oasis: Just a band.
Radiohead: Just a band.
Bloc Party: Just a band.
The Arctic Monkeys: Just a band.
The Next Big Thing.. JUST A BAND.

Thou shalt give equal worth to tragedies that occur in non-english speaking countries as to those that occur in english speaking countries.
Thou shalt remember that guns, bitches and bling were never part of the four elements and never will be.
Thou shalt not make repetitive generic music, thou shalt not make repetitive generic music, thou shalt not make repetitive generic music, thou shalt not make repetitive generic music.
Thou shalt not pimp my ride.
Thou shalt not scream if you wanna go faster.
Thou shalt not move to the sound of the wickedness.
Thou shalt not make some noise for Detroit.
When I say “Hey” thou shalt not say “Ho”.
When I say “Hip” thou shalt not say “Hop”.
When I say, he say, she say, we say, make some noise- kill me.
Thou shalt not quote me happy.
Thou shalt not shake it like a polaroid picture.
Thou shalt not wish you girlfriend was a freak like me.
Thou shalt spell the word “Pheonix” P-H-E-O-N-I-X not P-H-O-E-N-I-X, regardless of what the Oxford English Dictionary tells you.
Thou shalt not express your shock at the fact that Sharon got off with Bradley at the club last night by saying “Is it”.
Thou shalt think for yourselves.

And thou shalt always. Thou shalt always kill!

Here's sand in your eye

April's here at last and with it comes the traditional dosage of Gobi desert dust. This annual annoyance to your airways occurs for several days each year during the spring months. Strong prevailing winds pick up fine particles of sand from northeastern China and, as an added bonus to your respiratory system, collect a bunch of crap from the air between here and there.

- Hmm, what's between the Gobi desert and Seoul?
- It's on the tip of my tongue...
- Well, get it off, man! It's heavy metals from Chinese industry. [Sorry. Couldn't resist a crap pun.]

Here's the article from the Korea Times: "Worst Yellow Dust Blankets Peninsula"

Below is a graphical illustration from our good friends at the US base in Yongsan and here is the official USFK dust storm advisory. Yesterday, the dust concentration was so much higher than normal that it actually went right off their scale.


The USFK's 18th Medical Command: Protecting you against infiltration by communist dust particles since the 1950s.