Some things I did over the last four weeks

It has been almost exactly a month since my last update. I've been quite busy with various things and honestly, a bit lazy about updating my blog. One reason is that I've started using a Korean mobile phone app that works similar to Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram called Kakao Story. Since it is so much quicker to just take a photo with my phone, write a sentence or two, and post it with almost instantaneous feedback from my followers, it has admittedly given more gratification. One of the main reasons for this blog is for me to record my life, and jot down some of my thoughts about stuff - I have a bad memory and therefore I use this blog as a type of journal. I also started this blog as a way to keep my friends and families updated with my life, but I have found that they are fare more likely to follow me on other SNSs than come visit me at my blog.

Well, these other apps are achieving these goals much better and consumes less time. What I like about the blog though is that it gives me the room to write my thoughts out better. The problem is, however, that these days I'm so busy that I don't have much time to do much writing. I guess I'll have to rethink the value of my blog versus the other SNSs that I use. It would be great if I can update all of the SNSs at the same time, rather than having to update them individually, which is clearly not working well.

In any case, here is a selection of things I did these last couple of weeks.

In the middle of September I went to see the Broadway musical American Idiot based on Green Day's album by the same name. It was awesome.

I usually buy shoes whenever I go to South Africa because it is difficult to find shoes that fit me here in Korea, but since I have not been able to visit South Africa in a while I have not been able to buy any new shoes and I've been in serious need of some new shoes for work. Then the other day a new E-Mart opened very close to my house and there is a small shoe outlet with American stock. It was fantastic. I bought four pairs. I'm yet to wear the red shoes though. Obviously they were not bought for work purposes.

Over Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) my employer gave me a box of vegetarian meets. Speaking of my employer -- the last weekend in September the freshmen students had to go on a camp and us lecturers had to join them for a few hours -- about an hour and a half trip one way.

The South African Embassy in Korea initiated a new association for students studying in Korea. At the end of September the new South African Students in Korea (SASKOR) was founded, and I was chosen as chairperson. If you know of any South Africans studying in Korea, or if you know of anybody wanting to come and study in Korea, please get them in touch with me.  I'm standing next to the ambassador in the photo above.

The embassy also put the new leadership for SASKOR up in a hotel for one night during our conference. I had a very pleasant evening.

I won a one month membership to a private lounge (Roni Project) in Gangnam in Seoul, allowing me unlimited free drinks. I've been spending many hours there recently, working in various projects.

One of the main things I've been working on has been the page layout for the second edition of the South African literature and arts magazine Guillotine. The magazine is sold at Protea bookshops in South Africa. The launch for the second edition happened last week Friday in Hatfield, Pretoria. This edition of Guillotine focused on the city Pretoria, featuring articles on architecture, art, poets and writers that are connected with the capital city.

As always, I'm still constantly busy with martial arts training. The photo above shows some recent bruises from Taekwon-Do sparring. I also hosted and organised some martial arts workshops for my group The Seoul Martial Arts Circle. In September we had a Basic Grappling Self-Defence session that I taught, a Kicking and Counter-Kicking workshop taught by my friend Leo Snel and an Introduction to Dahn Mudo workshop. This coming Sunday I will teach a Basic Martial Arts Principles workshop. Speaking of martial arts, have I mentioned somewhere that I got my 3rd Dan in Hapkido?

I recently went to see a production of The Tempest by the Chekhov International Theatre Festival which is a Russian theatre company directed by Declan Donnellan. Even thought the production is in Russian and French, I still thought it was brilliant. Of course, it helps being an English Literature lecturer who is familiar with many Shakespeare plays. You can see a YouTube trailer of the production here.

Last weekend (or was it the weekend before last?) I went to the annual Seoul International Fireworks Festival at which time Korea and three other guest countries put on a fireworks display like nothing you have seen before. I try to go to it every year, but I missed it last year. Of course it is tremendously popular. The photo above shows thousands of people waiting at the subway station, trying to get onto the train to get closer to the Han River where the fireworks festival is held. I'm thinking of next year either renting a boat or hiking to a nearby mountain.

Well, these are some of the things I did recently. They are all I can remember because I took pictures of them. Of course there are more . . . I hanged out with friends, ate good food, found a new chocolate place (see the photo), did exercise, worked, studied (PhD still going strong), and did the regular household chores that I dislike doing such as laundry, dishes, and the like. During August and September I watched all three seasons of the funny show Bored to Death. I also finished watching the sci-fi series Farscape. I just watched the last episode (a movie) today. The first season started of very slow, but once it gained momentum it was great fun. Now I'm watching the second season of the brilliant show The Newsroom and after that I plan to start watching a Korean series, probably Iris 2.

Today I gave an exam in my Creative Writing class and tomorrow I'll give a poetry writing workshop in the same class.

Oh, and I caught a cold.

In Conversation with DiCaprio

This morning I dreamed I was having a conversation with Leo DiCaprio and I complimented him on his vintage jacket. "Never buy English designs," replies he. "They go out of style too quickly." (I understood him to mean that French or Italian styles have his blessing. "Well, I cannot afford what you are wearing," says I. "Not yet, at least." And then I woke up with a sense to buy things that are more expensive, but quality and which will last longer and not go out of style quickly.

I Want This Rick Owens Jacket

This is a jacket designed by fashion icon Rick Owens. And I want it! I'm not a fashion slave and will definitely not spend the exuberant price such a brand name item sells for -- I'm much too practical minded for that, but I cannot help craving for it. The jacket speaks to me. It resonates with my self-image. I love the colour(s). The design appeals to my sense of aesthetics. It is bold in its warpedness. It is not merely a piece of clothing. It is a construction and I want to don it. 

See what Owens has in mind for Men's Fashion in 2013.

Men in Skirts

In ages past men wore skirts, and I must confess that I like them. Was it not for my job at a conservative university, and were I to have been in a more creative career, I would definitely have enjoyed a much more artistic expression in my daily wardrobe, including some wrap-around skirts and kaftans. 

Artist and fashion designer Rick Owens sports interesting skirts and kaftans for his Summer 2012 Men Collection. 

Read more at 1883 Magazine about other designers that are putting men in skirts by Chad Burton, another blogger from Korea. 

Invention Idea: Clothing Database and Clothes Personificator

So I have a lot of clothes. Not ridiculous amounts of clothing, but enough so that I sometimes forget to where certain items, partly because I haven't truly looked at these items in a while and thought about wearing them.

So here is my invention idea: I want to invent a little microchip to embed in each clothing item, which will record the frequency with which I interact (i.e. take out of my closet and look at, and / or actually wear) each item. The information will then be stored in a database, which I'm sure will reveal certain trends. Obviously certain clothes will reveal to be seasonal--I'm unlikely to touch my winter clothes during high summer.

It will also show the clothes I hardly wear.The reason could be threefold. Some clothes are used for exclusive events. Take my suits, for instance. I have three. My black suit is something I'd only wear to a very formal night time event, or maybe a funeral. My other suits are also used for formal occasions such as banquets, when I give a special talk, when I attend ceremonies, etc. Secondly, it might be that the clothes don't fit me. I'm not speaking merely of size, but also of style. Finally, it could be merely that I've forgotten about certain clothing items and for that reason I do not wear them, or they have gotten too old, worn and tattered to wear. In all but the case of special event clothes, I ought to get rid of the other clothes--those that are too old, don't fit me, or don't fit my style.

Furthermore, the embedded chip could act to "personify" the clothes. Were I to look at the database I could see which clothing items I am neglecting. The neglected items could possibly show up in the database as feeling depressed, they may even send me a text message to my cellphone or a tweet enquiring why I'm neglecting them. Other clothing items could complain that I wear them too often. Certain pairs of socks that I wear often could, for instance, complain that they feel over used and that I will wear them out if I continue like this. They could do an online search and suggest me certain brands of socks that are similar in fabric and style.

The clothing items could also take note of which combinations (specific items or colours) I often wear together. Amongst themselves they could come up with possible other workable combinations that they could suggest I try. The yellow tie could possibly tell me that it would also be a good match with my navy blue shirt, so I don't always have to don the orange tie. The brown jersey could say that it would work equally well with that blue shirt, so I should give it a try, rather than always opting for the brown jacket.

So there is my invention idea. Anyone of you is welcome to take this idea from me on condition that you always supply me with a workable and updated version of the invention for personal use.

A Male Collection -- 2011 Gangnam Fashion Festival

I shot this at the 2011 Gangnam Fashion Festival on 2 October 2011.

Modern Hanboks @ 2011 Gangnam Fashion Festival

I saw this beautiful collection of modern female hanboks (traditional Korean dress) at the 2011 Gangnam Fashion Festival on Monday.

Manhunt International 2011 -- Seoul, Korea

Currently Gangnam, a district in Seoul where I used to live, is hosting their annual Gangnam Fashion Festival. Fashion shows ran this past weekend and will continue over next weekend. Part of last nights line-up was the peacock parade of "Manhunt International". I wasn't going to take pictures of this section, but the battery of my friend who went with me to the fashion show ran out, so she asked me to take photos for her. Well here are the pictures of the global male beauty stereotypes for your viewing pleasure. I wasn't able to snap a picture of all of them, but these are most of them. There are more photos at the official website, including mugshots of each contestant and an opportunity to vote for your favourite.

Honestly, some of these guys do not reflect the countries they are from at all. Take for instance the guy representing Kazakhstan--he is the one in the green jacket. He has blond hair and bright blue eyes. Not what I would think a representative of Kazakhstan's handsome dark haired and some what Asian looking men.

In the photos below the pageant contestants are seen in their national costumes. Honestly, some of these costumes were quite outrageous. I added captions for the countries that I can remember.

Australia

Angola

Costa Rica

China

England

France

Greece

Hawaii

Hong Kong

India

Japan

Kazakhstan

Macedonia

Mongolia

Pakistan

Singapore

South Africa

Thailand

Korea

The final pageant for Manhunt International 2011 will be held in Central City, Seoul, on 10 October.