I haven't blogged in a while, so now is the perfect time to set the record straight WHY I like living in Korea.

I'm asked this on a perpetual basis.  So now, after living here more than 1 1/2 years, I have my definitive answers ready to go.

Here Are The Top Ten Reasons Why I Like Living in Korea.

1.  Table Tennis.  I am an international umpire, twice-a-week player, and started a table tennis club of foreigners (see below).  Forget China - this is the mecca of table tennis.  Ping pong has kept me sane by giving me a social base, recreational outlet, and a fun platform to make conversations.  In the States, I'd still be getting weird looks.


2.  Toastmasters.  This is largest social network I've ever been part of, and it gives me an opportunity to give back to the organization that has always given back to me.  With over 500 Toastmasters in Korea, I am one of less than 10 Distinguished Toastmasters, which means that people come to me with questions, and I'm happy to hear them.  I've helped with speech contests (see below), as well as being one of many that has helped increase Korea's Toastmasters clubs from 16 to 34 in just over 1 year.  Last year I was a national officer, and this year I've taken a little bit of a step back, serving on a committee, as well as being the webmaster.  Oh, and it's fun, too!


3.  Collectivist Culture.  It's about the group, not the individual here, which is quite Biblical if you think about it.  Food sharing is normal, one bathroom for an entire floor of offices is quite usual, and people easily rally around the same cause.  This life is not about me, and the culture here helps remind me of this. 

4.  Passionate People.  People don't do 6 hobbies here.  They do 1 or 2 and kick butt and dedicate themselves to their hobbies.  This is a country full of specialists, not Renaissance people.  I'm the table tennis and Toastmasters guy, and people "get" that.  Both of these groups are passionate and spend time perfecting the craft, not just dilly-dallying around.

5.  Perpetual Litmus.  I'm not ADD, but my parents are still probably wondering about my test results! (haha)  I have a short attention span, and because it is an entirely different surrounding then what I grew up with, I'm always entertained.  Whether it is ordering food, taking pictures of funny or crazy signs (see below:  Anti-Calculus toothpaste!  Proven to help you like math even less!), or listening to Korean pop, I'm never bored and am always on my toes.


6.  Speaking Many Languages.  네.  지금 한국어학원에서 한국말로 배워요.  그리고, 재 한국좋아있기 때문에 많은 친구를 있어요.  He ying wei 2009 wo zhu zai le beijing, wo ye shuo zhongwen yi dian yi dian, he tai duo de hanguoren shuo zhongwen, he tai duo zhongguorens zhu zai hanguo.  Wo shuo zhongwen he hanyu zai hanguo tai duo!  Ming bai ma?  (If not, use Google Translate.)

7.  Asian People.  They are super-friendly, hospitable, open-minded, and less "Oh, woe is me" attitude.  Enough said.

8.  Karaoke.  Karaoke places, called noraebangs, are EVERYWHERE.  I can go with one friend or a big group, have our own private room, and sing the songs we miss singing in the States for a few hours.  Jason Mraz "I'm Yours" has definitely come in handy, as well as Green Day's "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)."  I might have to open one up in Hillsboro when I get back.


9.  It's Fun to Be Different.  Period.

10. I'm in a Movie!  If you've been in a cave, I made my Korean movie debut this past July, and the movie will premiere here in Korea in February 2012.  The movie "Korea" is a drama about South Korea and North Korea combining to win the Women's 1991 World Team Table Tennis Championships.  I play the role of head umpire of the final match (which I'm told could take as long as the last 20 minutes of the movie, since the team "match" consists of four singles matches and 1 doubles match).  I got my resume completed (see below), and I'm working on getting an agent.  



All that being said, I miss my family, miss my niece and nephews, and miss cheap Mexican food.  If the right opportunity comes along to come back to the States, then yeah, I'll definitely look into it.  But for now, life is good.^^

I went back to the States in April and May, before coming back to Korea in June.  The entire time I was home I sprained BOTH of my ankles and was doing my best to do a whole lot of nothing to resuscitate them.

However, between Korea and the 'Boro, I did a layover in San Francisco.  It was my first time, and wow, was I impressed.  I look forward to going again and do a little more exploring, as well as just enjoying how green and lively it is.

Here's a short video from my visit:

I haven't blogged in almost two months!  Sorry! 

Sometimes I forget there are people in this world that don't use Facebook to communicate, and therefore are outside of my regular communication channel.  I'll do my best to make up for that right now.

So, if I hadn't told you personally yet, I was in a movie here in Korea, ironically titled "Korea."  It is based on the true story of the South Korean and North Korean women’s table tennis teams combining forces at the World Table Tennis Championships in Chiba, Japan. 

The story is shown through the eyes of Hyun Jung Hwa, the 1988 Olympic Gold Medalist, former South Korea National Team head coach, as well as national hero and celebrity.

And what part did I play in the movie?  A foreign table tennis umpire, of course! 

I think I was type-casted, but you won't hear me complaining!  Going in, I thought I was just going to be an extra in the background.  Then when I got their, the assistant director told me I had lines...MANY lines! 

I don't want to spoil the movie for you (which comes out in February 2012), but let's just say I have to play hardball with a few people! 

The movie is going to be a pretty big deal from what I'm told.  The two main actresses, Ha Ji Won and Bae Doona are among the top 20 most famous actresses in Korea, according to my Korean friends.  This past weekend, Ha Ji Won's newest movie, "Sector 7", was #1 at the box office for its opening.  That movie will be shown in 46 countries, which says something about its popularity.  Bae Doona will star in "Cloud Atlas" with Susan Sarandon and Tom Hanks, which will come out later next year.

With the blessing of the producer, I wrote an article for the movie that was published in three publications.  Here are the links:

International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)
http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf_full_story1.asp?ID=25080&Competition_ID=&Category=&Competition_ID=&

USA Table Tennis (USATT.org)
http://tabletennis.teamusa.org/news/2011/07/28/new-table-tennis-movie-hits-theaters-next-year/43820

Paddle Palace 
http://blog.paddlepalace.com/2011/07/1991-korean-womens-world-championship-team-subject-of-2012-movie/

Also, if you didn't hear about this either, I was also a table tennis umpire for a reality TV show this past January.  The show is called "Let's Go Dream Team Season 2", and I was in episode #66 - the ping pong episode.  The show is in Korean, but was also televised with subtitles in Hong Kong and Paris.  Here are some clips from the show.  Don't ask me what they're saying about me!

 

A friend of mine recently traveled on vacation to South Korea and made a funny video about all of his interesting experiences.

That reminded me I haven't written a blog entry in a long time!

So here are two quick stories about two of my favorite hobbies:  table tennis and saunas.

I recently moved to a new area of Seoul where there are many small, family-owned restaurants.  One owner in particular who I met was an avid ping pong fan, so he invited to take me to his club.

He never mentioned our mode of transportation.

No we didn't walk, take the subway, or even take his care.  We biked it, as in old-school bicycle biking.

I borrowed one of his friend's bikes, and we took off for this table tennis club.  This was my first time riding a bike in Seoul, and geez, probably the first time in eight years that I can remember I rode a bike at all!  It was probably a 10-15 minute trip, but boy, was it a trip!  Most of the time we were riding against the traffic on the wrong side of the road, then going on and off the sidewalks as needed.  I won't tell you how many times I had to give up the right of way to a car, or how many times I had to steal it, but it kept me on my toes to say the least.

As for saunas, I've been to various saunas throughout Korea, and they are all very similar.  But the one I went to today was worth a special mention.  In the sauna's cold pool was a function where you'd press a button and two big spouts would shoot out water hard and fast like a fire hose.  If you got too close, it hurt like a fire hose as well. 

But there has to be some sort of therapeutic advantage of this, right?

There are many famous places, tourist attractions, and sites in Seoul that can take your breath away.  However, here are two that you maybe didn't know about...and I find them quite humorous.



Yes, this marble piece of art sits in front of the first ever Krispie Kreme not just in Seoul, but Asia, too!.  Breathtaking, isn't it?  Or is it maybe clogging your arteries...(Location:  uh...I forgot.  I was just walking around one day and stumbled upon it!)



This is a restaurant dedicated to Manchester United.  It is co-owned by Park Ji Sung, who plays for the team, and is Korea's most famous footballer of all time.  This place, I'm sure, is already preparing for the next World Cup.  (Location  near Eujiro 3-Ga).

If' I'm ever having a bad day, one funny sign will cheer me up.  No descriptions needed. I think they speak for themselves!

    

When I was in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, I visited China Town for some grub. A block away I found Korean Town!

It was more like Korea "block" than Korea "town", but it was quite ironic since that is where I live now. I talked to the manager of "Kim Chi House" and she said she was from Seoul, but was about to become a Canadian citizen. Different strokes for different folks.

1.    Seoul

    

It's the biggest city in the country, the large majority of my friends live here, and there are countless things to do since more than 12 million people live within the city limits alone.

2.    Jeju

    

This is the "Hawaii of Korea", but much less expensive. It is also one of most quiet, peaceful places I have ever traveled.

3.    Cheonan

    

My friends in Seoul would say I am crazy for even ranking Cheonan.  However, it's only a 30-minute KTX speed train from Seoul, a KTX hub to everywhere else in Korea, and has 570,000 people, so it is not a village. People are laid back and friendly, so much that I have people I can count on at a drop of a hat.  Oh, and it's a table tennis training mecca (which can be dangerous as you can see!).

4.    Pohang

    

This is a beac town east of Daegu, with WAY less people than Busan. That means more beach for me. They have a really cool gauntlet shopping area seemingly a half mile long, right across the street from the train station.  Proximity is my friend.

5.    Incheon

    

Thank you SO much for your airport. Without it being such a major hub, my plane tickets would be more expensive and have less opportunity to connect elsewhere. Incheon is building like no other and hopes to be a trading powerhouse in the near future. Also, the city is the official China Town of Korea, so I get to indulge myself in so many foods I miss from Beijing.

6.    Busan

    

This is the most popular beach town in the country, and on the southern coast. The beachside aquarium is amazing.

August 11-15 I umpired my first international table tennis tournament,the Incheon KRA Korea Open.  The tournament was an International TableTennis Federation (ITTF) Pro Tour Event with $122,000 in prize money. Even with my hard work, the winners refused to share with me! hehe




The tournament was in a stadium that probably had a capacity of 5,000. I think we probably had around 2,000 attend the finals.


Yes, this my official table tennis uniform - even in sweltering, sweating August. Halfway through the tournament, I ran out of shirts! Thankfully, I was able to purchase some new ones across the street from my hotel at a Walmart-type store.



This was the entire officiating crew, with 36 Korean umpires, and others from Thailand, Taiwan, Japan.  Our racket controller was from  Australia, and the umpire evaluator was from Luxembourg.




This was the highlight of my tournament, and thankfully someone took a photo!  At 1-0 of the first game, both defensive players agreed to continue with the Expedite System.  If the server does not finish the point in 13 shots, the receiver gets a point.  Expedite System is so rare I'd never seen it in USA or Canada, and that includes several tournaments and umpiring 100+ matches.

           

I spoke at a Toastmasters club when I visited Calgary, Alberta, Canada, July 11-19.  Just like USA. 

 

Then I stumbled upon some frozen aliens in a park. I pray they don't thaw.

    

These are two of the most memorable signs I found. Dad, I ate at your restaurant (kind of pricey for your taste). Then, I found a store selling "Pharmacy Souveneirs."  What exactly is a pharmacy souveneir? Is that like used bottles of medication from Canadian celebs Celine Dion or Jim Carrey?  I was so amused by the sign I forgot to go inside...

    

The city of Calgary pretty much shuts down for the Calgary Stampede. I never knew so many cowboys lived outside Texas. I got to see barrel racing, bull riding, and kids trying to jump on ponies to ride them.   And I didn't even hear anyone say, "Eh."