Hello from Busan (Pusan)

After a difficult week, I thought I would get out of Changwon again.

Workwise, I have fallen out with a couple of co-workers this week in what has been a more stressful time. Misunderstanding of expectations has led to me to having outbursts at innocent colleagues. I am still not good with last minute changes to plans. Essentially, I got angry very quickly, a consequence of which was having to explain my
reactions as 'rushes of BLOOD to the head' - an expression Seoung-mi, for one, had not come across. It showed a different side to me, one I normally keep repressed... so in some ways it was healthy. I just don't want to upset others unintentionally. I had to chuckle when the TV screen had a simple message for me: Are you sure you wish to quit? Yes/No ?

On the plus side, some students have expressed a desire for me to teach them more often, and I have had some great lessons in which I feel I am really using my sociology degree, at last. I have resolved that you can't teach all of the kids all of the time, but that you can teach them something, some of the time. Jungchul, nevertheless, remains a factory, or ''hothouse'' as Andy likes to describe it.

On the plus side, my Hisani calendar arrived. Myself and Gary have, additionally, found a great place that serves unlimited barbeque samgopsal (pork strips) and all you can eat side dishes - all for 6,000 won. Incidentally, the making of the Christmas Day video is now playing on You Tube - it's getting quite a few hits.

Anyway, I had an unplanned themed day on Saturday. The theme drew on similarities between an early episode of The Simpsons, in which Bart is taught how
to shave, minimising blood flow. I took a 1 hr bus ride with Garry to Busan, where we took a walk from Hae-undae to Gwang-am Beach, passing the rustic Millak Town Raw Fish Centre (Sushi? Can you see where I'm going with this, yet?) and some amusements on the way. We naturally headed for a public bath and jimjilbang, on the 5th and 6th floor of Hotel Homer's. So I got to ''seymour butts" he he!!! This hotel is located next door to the Aqua Palace Hotel, where I visited with Eun-jung the last time I came here. I temporarily lost my travelling mate and co-worker, but we eventually found each other outside overlooking the beach, as we took adventage of the
outdoor hot tubs.

We later caught a subway train to Megabox Cinema, where we saw Tim Burton's brilliant and bloody musical, Sweeney Todd - which i believe is on general release from 25 Jan in the UK. I fully recommend it... Johnny Depp singing like David Bowie and a remorseless end of blood (gushing from just below the head) and black humour ("how about a little priest, poets don't know when they are demised''). There is a predictable slashing of local citizens, none of whom get to enjoy their last days on Earth....

Part of the story involves lovestruck Antony Hope, Todd's rescuer, searching for his beloved Johanna, a girl with (Simponsic) YELLOW hair, and the making of meat pies containing anything available - something Homer wouldn't say no to himself..... Johanna has to be rescued from an asylum, sent there by her ward (keeper), the pious judge Turpin.

I used my camcorder today for the first time. Similarly, Homer borrows Ned Flanders' camcorder to make a video for Maggie.

If I start making references to TODD Flanders then I might get accused of Brian Ingham-style co-incidental hysteria...

Anyway, before enjoying the film, we visited Geumsu Bokguk - a fish restaurant which serves blowfish (swellfish) and is popular amongst wealthy, drunken Japanese businessmen.

If anyone can remember the Simpson's episode from season 2 entitled 'One Fish Two Fish Blowfish, Blue Fish,' when Homer ate Fugu sushi and was told he had 24 hours to live then it's the exact same fish - it's poisionous. In reality, blowfish poision kills a lot quicker than that, so you do rely on the chef slicing
it up correctly - just as shown in the Simpsons'episode. Co-incidentally, Barney has to rescue Homer from prison. And their is a reference to drunken Japanese businessmen. Garry and myself also tried to get into a Norebang (Karaoke) - something that Bart and Lisa endulge in as Homer is waiting for his fugu!

Anyway, we survived... it tasted more like chicken anyway. So we get to live another day, just as Homer did.

We got the night bus (shim-ya) back to Changwon in the early hours of Sunday morning - and I stopped and did some night time shopping in an almost deserted Tescos at 1.30am.

Yours, co-incidentally driven,
Phil.

VIDEO NOW ONLINE!

(cf: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Fish,_Two_Fish,_Blowfish,_Blue_Fish)

Simpsons Plot Outlined Below:

Bored with having meatloaf for dinner, Lisa suggests that the family, instead of having pork chops the next night, go to the new sushi bar, "The Happy Sumo". Homer reluctantly accepts, and the family drives to the restaurant. When they arrive, Homer starts by ordering a few things, but when he discovers that "this fish is delish!", he eats everything on the menu, including a type of sushi called Fugu. The chef in charge is busy making out with Edna Krabappel in the parking lot, so his apprentice has to slice the fugu, of which certain parts are toxic. The apprentice tries to do it carefully, but Homer becomes very impatient, and the apprentice is forced to serve it. It goes down a treat with Homer but, unbeknown to everyone, it is poorly prepared and Homer is told that he may have been poisoned. Homer and Marge go to the hospital, where Dr. Hibbert informs Homer he is indeed going to die and has 24 hours left to live. He actually has 22 (since Hibbert left Homer waiting too long (in reality, blowfish poison kills far more swiftly). Homer is told that he is expected to go through five stages of grief, all of which he experiences as the doctor lists them for him. He eventually accepts his fate and makes a list of all the things he wants to do on his last day on Earth.

On his last day, the things Homer does are: have a man-to-man talk with Bart, in which he teaches him to shave. He then listens to Lisa play her saxophone. Then he borrows Ned Flanders's camcorder to make a video for Maggie, which she can look at when she is older (he also briefly considers attending the Flanders family's barbecue; accepting in the belief that he will be dead the next morning). He has to cross out "plant a memorial tree" so that he can reconcile with Grampa, until he is arrested for speeding. Homer calls Barney, who is asked to pay $50 to bail him out, because he doesn't want Marge to know that he is locked up. After he is bailed and with not much time left, he tells off Mr. Burns, has one last drink at Moe's with his friends, and then hurries home in time to say a good-bye to his family and be "intimate" with Marge. At midnight, Homer visits each family member, who are all asleep, and says goodbye. Feeling glum, he listens to Larry King read the Bible on tape, but falls asleep. Marge awakens the next morning and is panicked that her husband is not by her side. She runs downstairs and finds Homer, collapsed in his chair. As she mourns, she realises that his drool is still warm. She wakes him up and drums in the fact that he is alive. Homer then prances around in an overjoyed state and vows to live life to its fullest: which he does by watching a bowling tournament and eating (lite) pork rinds.