And now... Back to the Show!

We've been on a little bit of a hiatus the past week or so because we've been on a fabulous week long vacation in beautiful Hawaii. It was incredible and we've got plenty of pictures and things to talk about, but that's for a later post. Today I have to clean out some old stuff that I've been procrastinating on.

Many of you have probably seen the news about the Muslim outcry about the Danish cartoon depicting Muhammad. All over the world, angry Muslims are rioting and protesting outside Danish embassies, showing their capacity for forgiveness and understanding that is the hallmark of the Islamic faith.

Well, we happen to live about a block from embassy row here in Seoul. There's embassies from all over the world there, including our friends the Danes. Check it.



And the Seoul Police department, in an attempt to be proactive, have stationed riot police outside the Danish ambassador's house to keep protect the guy and avoid an international incident. Here's the riot police outside the house with full riot gear.


Notice anything different about this picture than the images that you've seen on the news from around the world? Maybe a complete lack of angry, rioting Muslims? Notice that the cops are smiling and waving. One of them is even giving the ubiquitous Korean peace sign. These guys have been outside the Danish embassy for weeks, with nary a protestor in sight. Jessica and I drive by these guys every day, and the only thing I see them doing is trying to keep warm.

I think this is really interesting for a couple of reasons. First off, I think it shows that there are virtually no Muslims in Seoul. This in itself is noteworthy because the Iranian embassy is two doors down on the other side of the street. Second, this shows a little insight into the Korean reaction to riots and protests.

We'll keep an eye out on these riot cops and let you know how long they stand out there. Brrrrr!

I almost forgot. Please do yourself a favor and check out some of the funniest videos I've seen in a long time. Tourettes Guy. If you're easily offended by profanity, you might want to avoid it. Enjoy.

Available at your local mall

...Provided you live in Seoul, that is. All of these pictures are from one visit to COEX mall. It is hard to believe so much is packed into one building, even if it is "the largest underground shopping complex in Asia." At the arcade, we found this nice children's game called, "Poka Poka Satan":

Or, you could take a "Magical Truck Adventure" by pumping an old-time railroad trolley. I call the Elvis character!!!

Once you've spent all the quarters you've earned raking leaves and mowing lawns, you can enjoy some free fun by playing on the interactive light-up floor, in the middle of the walkway through the mall, where you are certainly NOT in everyone's way.

You can get some help from an information booth attendant who just came from a production of The Great Gatsby. (By the way, this is the uniform they ALL wear, at ALL the malls, not just one wierdo.)
Or, you can talk to a monkey, bear, or any of the other fuzzy-costumed characters wandering around.

Unfortunately, we couldn't get a good picture of the dance contest that was being held in center court, but just picture the nerdy Asian guy from your college math class doing some bad hip-hop moves. We've heard rumors that malls not only hold daily dance contests, but also fights on the weekends, so we'll have to check that out and let you know.

What, Harry Connick, Jr is busy this year??

I was surprised to find that Mardi Gras is being held right now, from February 11-28. Judging from the parade schedule, it's not a scaled-down version this year, but a big event just like before. In fact, it is the 150th year of Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, which is kind of sad- I'm sure it would have been an even bigger deal this year to mark the anniversary.
However, the most disappointing aspect of the parade season to the locals is not that parts of the town are still so damaged, or that many friends and family members have died, moved, or been dislocated, or that there will be many fewer tourists to support the economy this year, or that the fate of the city is in the hands of a man who is asking the world for financial support of a chocolate city, but that Jim Belushi & Dan Aykroyd are the "celebrity riders" for Endymion this year. Haven't New Orleanians suffered enough, without another hackneyed Blues Brothers preprisal?? Give the poor people a break. I think it's asking a lot of them to drum up all that fake enthusiasm when putting on cheap black plastic glasses and hearing "Soul Man" for the hundreth time.
Left: Two of the two people who will enjoy the Aykroyd/Belushi appearance.


The picture at the very top is a Willy Wonka/Ray Nagin chocolate factory themed float. Many of the themes this year are Katrina-related, like "C'est Levee," "Buy us back, Chirac," "New Orleans Culture (as in mold)," and the one above, "Willy Nagin and the Chocolate Factory."

This is NC-17 material in the states

When ever someone moves to a foreign country, you always hear that its "the little things" that are the most different, that really make you feel like you are away from home. At other times, it's the huge, glaring differences that make you stop and stare and think, "where am I and who are these people?" This is one of he latter times- check this out:

There are so many things to say about this... I don't even know where to start. I guess the first thing to point out is that these are not being sold in a "Spenser's"-type place; this is (unbelievably) a nicer home furnishings store in one of the big underground malls, although I know the suspended chihuahua in the sweater and the disco ball imply otherwise. I'm sure that Cameron is a paid spokesmodel for these, too, judging from the cut-from-a-magazine picture that is serving as a floating head. Also note the surprising racial equality shown by the "pillow" manufacturers- nipples are available in petal pink, fuschia, or mahogany, all on very pale chocolate-chip shaped breasts, just like in real life. Check out Beyonce's:

Nice!
Finally, who are these for? They were sort of in a Valentine's Day display; I certainly hope no Korean woman opens one of these up on the fourteenth and is happy about it.