32/20

I have just got back from Ginhae, where I have been filming a K-Pop Video, with Garry. It is not yet quite in the style of a K-Pop Video, because I have yet to add a female element. But I can contact the model agency about that. Normally in K-Pop Video boy meets girl, girl gets kidnapped, loses her memory, boy has to find girl, they miss each other a lot, she falls into a coma, he gets depressed, they are reunited, but in a dream he has and are eventually reunited for real, just in time for a romantic kiss - except they never do.

Earlier on, we visited Seongjusa - Seongju Temple - in the southern part of Changwon, near the entrance to the Anmin Tunnel. It is Buddha's Birthday. Buddhism and Christianity are the biggest followed religious beliefs in Korea, together making up about half the nation's professed beliefs. The other 50% are uncommitted and possibly dabble in one or the other, or one of the lesser old-fashioned beliefs - Shamanism or Confucianism. The latter still infuses the Korean psyche - especially when it comes to women's place in society.

There is a national holiday for Buddha's alleged birthday - 12 May, just as there is for Jesus' alleged birthday. So that's fair enough, although it felt far more like a holiday today than Christmas Day did. Certainly warmer. We joined a massive pilgrimage up the small mountain today, to the temple and the thousands of lanterns, translucent in the gorgeous sunlight. Many came to pay their respects and bring gifts, many bringing minature Buddhas to lay down. We sensibly stayed out of the temples and let the serious advocates do their Idol worshipping. But, we did partake in not one but two helpings of free bibimap (rice and vegetable mix) and seaweed soup, a tradition for any Korean on their birthday. Everyone needed and appreciated far more than the one grain of rice Buddha would have chosen for lunch. To cater for all the non-spiritual requirements, plenty of street vendors lined the route up to the Temple Grounds. Ultimately, this was the popular thing to on this particular day, and a cultural experience, if not a spiritual one... I didn't go for my own peace of mind and the karmactic belief of 'what goes around comes around' only applied to the queues for food, as far as I could tell.


On Sunday it was great to catch up with everyone at the Whitehouse... first time to talk properly with Kirsty, Sara and to test Luke on his knowledge of where in the world I am. I also spoke to Connor and Pete for about 2 hours - about Doctor Who and Torchwood. We spoke about many aspects of the shows and ended with a few predictions about 'Jenny', the Doctor's Daughter. The predictions about Pete and Kirsty's daughter's name seem to be settled... even if does sound like a Michael Jackson song.

Not much to report from work, other than we didn't get paid on time this month. It still remains, however, what I want to do, although I am getting a little tired of some of the repetitive texts, so it is welcomed when I am asked to find another textbook, my choice, which I can use on some mid-range ability students.

At the Study Group, I gave my first planned speech centred around the verb 'to take' and the recent Liam Neeson movie, 'Taken', which I saw last weekend in Seoul.

Ho hum, another stressful 4-day week ahead! (Joke!) My acupuncture therapy seem to have worked - so I am now immortal, as Garry would say.



laterz
philz