Sunday, December 23, 2007

Catalyst

This year the holiday season has hit me really hard. Last year I don't really remember it effecting me strongly at all. Well, I barely made it through Thanksgiving this year, and now Christmas is just a few days away. Something happened that started the downward desention into Christmas Depression '07.

Thursday night, while walking in downtown a group of high school boys, maybe 7 of them, started to yell at me. They shouted "pig." Then they shouted "fuck you." They followed me around the street yelling "pig, fuck you" and making pig noises. These were the first people in Korea that I have ever sworn at in Korean. I told them "fuck off, bastards" but it didn't really do anything. They followed me around doing this for a while.

I'm sorry to say that this middle school kind of behavior really got to me. I know it shouldn't have, but add that to the general feeling of malaise due to the holiday season, and it really has started my emotional tailspin. I can't wait for the holidays to be over with. I know I'll be fine, and that the day after Christmas I will be back to my normal self, but I hate these times when I'm less than myself.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Daniel's Big Night Out

This last weekend was Toni's birthday. She and Sandra (the crazy Aussies) were up in Songtan for the weekend to see friends, drink, eat meat, and buy many things. Here are some pics of the weekend festivities.

The owner of the Bellagio bar, MJ, was having a barbeque for Toni's birthday. She forgot the beef at home, and put me in charge. I had to take a picture. The bar wasn't really opened yet, so I had no responsibilites.
Jennifer took the same position as well. It's a good photo op.Here is Toni wearing the coat that Victoria gave her. She loves it! It kept getting passed around to lots of people to try on. She called it her pimp coat, and kept telling people I was the number one bitch in her stable.Recouping after a night of drinking with a cup of tea, that I made from behind the bar. Notice the bracelet, it was my gift to her. By the way, she came up to get her hair done too. She goes to this Korean woman named Ms. Piggy (I don't know where they get these names) because she has 16 years of experience cutting non-Asian hair (there's a big difference). Well, Ms. Piggy uses about a whole can of hairspray and makes Toni look like an old lady here in Korea. Like a big football helmet. It doesn't move when Ms. Piggy is done with it.
Here is a picture of me making the tea behind the bar. The bar owner, MJ is molesting me. I feel so dirty.Jude and Jeff (MJ's boyfriend, and another birthday boy, it was a two-fer) doing some grilling up on the roof. Everyone looks good with the coat on.Sandra, she loves being loud and singing and dancing. Here she is with a very drunk retired military guy. She's so awesome.Jude ran out of the bar real quick to buy a birthday cake. He even spung for the fancy candles. Toni loved it, Jeff had to go home by this time (military guys have a 1a.m. curfew). MJ spreak chocolate icing on Toni's cheeks and licked it off. I don't know if that's a Korean thing or if MJ is just a crazy girl. Probably the latter.
Later, we were joined by three more of Toni's friends. They were great guys. We went to another bar called the Scorpion. Here are some random pics from that night. Also, we ran into drunk U.S. military guys wearing crazy winter hats. One had long blond hair attached to the hat. Enjoy the pictures!

Daniel: A Study

Here is a sketch that a friend of mine made of me. It started life as a doodle, and then he made it into me. He's not too fond of it, but I adore it and think it captures my cherub-like personality.