Contest Submissions
All right folks. 9pm Eastern on the 5th of July has come and gone, so we’re entering the final phase of the contest. I’ve taken a look at all the submissions to date and selected the finalists.
Those entries that included video were disqualified, since this was a slideshow competition. Thanks for entering, as I really did enjoy seeing where you live and what makes your corner of the world very special.
Please take a moment to take a gander at these videos and tell me who you think should win the bag-o-swag from Korea. Voting is open all week and I’ll announce the winner when I return from my trip next weekend.
The finalists are (in no particular order):
SarahhRUSH: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8UcoK…
Kirkin2112: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O4w_x…
Broetchen4me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjja4z…
TravMcTavish: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmHN5d…
MGSGeneral: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm3IrU…
Stuka87: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3uDjS…
Show them some love!!!
Happy 4th of July
Visit the Smithsonian Star-Spangled Banner on-line.
The Star-Spangled Banner
by Francis Scott Key
O say can you see, by the dawns early light, What so proudly we haild at the twilights last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight Oer the ramparts we watchd were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there, O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave Oer the land of the free and the home of the brave?
On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep Where the foes haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, oer the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the mornings first beam, In full glory reflected now shines in the stream, Tis the star-spangled banner – O long may it wave Oer the land of the free and the home of the brave!
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore, That the havoc of war and the battles confusion A home and a Country should leave us no more? Their blood has washd out their foul footsteps pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave, And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave Oer the land of the free and the home of the brave.
O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand Between their lovd home and the wars desolation! Blest with victry and peace may the heavn rescued land Praise the power that hath made and preservd us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto – In God is our trust, And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave Oer the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Music: This 19th century version of the Star-Spangled Banner was performed on original instruments from the National Museum of American History’s collection. Arranged by G. W. E. Friederich, the music is played as it would have been heard in 1854.
Images and music are used with the permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Time is running out!!!!!
Don’t forget there’s a contest going on!!! Entries are closed on Sunday, July 5th at 9pm Eastern US time.
Now on for our regular post!
Watch the Video!
Yesterday I had the opportunity to help another teacher out. You might first assume that this assistance revolved around the instruction of English, but you’d be wrong. A week or so ago, one of the teachers at school and I were talking and he mentioned that he had some back pain. In fact, even after surgery, he continued to have pain and was very limited in what he could do physically.
I mentioned that I ran a Chinese Medical Massage business for nearly six years in the US and if he’d like me to take a look at his back, I’d be happy to do so.
When he arrived, I had him lay on the bed and I instantly noticed that one leg was approximately one inch longer than the other and I thought to myself, “No wonder he has back pain.” After completing the Injury Recall Technique, I found positive responses at the adrenals, ascending colon, and lower back. These were all treated positively with International College of Applied Kinesiology (ICAK) procedures. Further investigation also found the ileocecal valve stuck open. Standard ICAK methods were used to return the valve to normal function. Finally, a category IIsi pelvic fault was wound. It too, was also corrected easily. The final thing I found that appeared to be contributing to his pain was that L4 was shifted and some lower back muscles were inhibited. ICAK methods successfully corrected these faults.
After correcting these issues, I gently massaged the affected region using myofascial techniques. When the therapy was over, I asked him to stand up. The first thing he said was, “Normally when I stand up, I feel electric shocks running down my leg and pain in my back. There’s nothing. No pain what-so-ever.” It was the first time in five years that he hasn’t had pain. Seeing the excitement in his eyes and the realization that he can have a pain-free life gave me great joy. It was truly an awesome form of payment.
Funny… good.
One of the more interesting things I’ve come across here in Korea is the use of English by emerging speakers. The one that often makes me chortle is the use of the word funny.
Often in conversations, I’ll hear something along the lines of, “That movie was very funny,” or, “That book is very funny.” While this may be appropriate if one was speaking about a comedy, but this is often used to describe an action movie or drama. What I’ve surmised is that the use funny to mean good stems from how English is taught in Korean Public Schools.
More often than not, an English word is only given with its Korean definition. Only in advanced studies are English Words paired with English definitions. So since people tend to associate good things with things that are also funny, the relationship sticks. Therefore, students only learning English in their youth may develop an improper use of the word. You’ll also hear people describe something as funny-good as a result. It’s something that I’m trying to correct by insisting in my classes that only English-English dictionaries be used and all vocabulary lists I provide will only definitions in English.
Two very different days…
The past two days have been very different. Friday saw most of the usual, withe me going to the gym and continuing to work out as I normally do in each day (I’m also contemplating on running in the Nike 10k this September). Then off to school for the last day of my work week. As with most days at work, it passes slowly until the last few minutes of class. during that 9.50-10pm section of class, I decided to reward my class by showing them one of my travel videos from the US.
The experience was something unique for them, since they had spent so much time reading about the US, but never really seeing it. I think the fact that I was appearing in large HD was also a factor. But none-the-less, it proved to be a great way to end the class, since they had several questions about Wupatki National Monument.
Following school, I went home to drop off the computer and head out to the Rose Cafe to see Kim See In perform. Now you may remember a little story about me sitting out in the quad using the Internet one morning with a man came up to me and gave me a ton of free food. Well, I finally made it to see him play. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but I still had a lot of fun. You see, he plays in a Hostess Club. This is a bar that employs young women to flirt and spend time with male patrons in an effort to get them to drink a lot. As a result, these young ladies get a percentage of the sales. Sometimes the evenings lead to sex and since there’s a Love Motel above the bar, easy enough to arrange. What Kim See In does at the bar is run the Karaoke Machine and play the piano. While I was there, I had the opportunity to sing a ton of songs and meet some really interesting characters. They welcomed me into their groups and allowed me to sample their food and drink… for free.
It was a late night and resulted me in getting a slow start today. As a result, I didn’t have a lot of time to talk with Jo via Skype before she headed home and I headed out to explore. Even though our time was short, it was a much needed shot in the arm, as I relish each time I get to see and speak to her.
The Main Gate
Then, after a good 90 minutes of traveling, I found myself at Inwangsan. It’s a small mountain located near the northern edge of Seoul (in close proximity to Gyeongbok and Changdok palaces. On this mountain are a collection of Buddhist and Shamanistic temples that have coexisted for hundreds of years.
The largest of the Buddhist temples is Bongwonsa. While it was closed during my visit, I was fortunate to see several ritual rites being performed in a smaller temple nearby. The other main attraction is Guksadang. This small Shamanistic Temple was originally built on Namsan, but when the Japanese destroyed it in 1925, it was rebuilt here. I felt very honored to go inside and see the interior.
Interior of Guksadang
I was really moved by the way that the people here paid respect to their elders and their faith. It really made me with more would do so throughout the world. For more sights of the trek, check out the album.
The Trio
I enjoy getting older. The amount of wisdom I’ve gained over the years has helped in more ways than I could ever relay through text or video. But one thing I don’t relish about getting older is the passing of icons from my youth. This week three prominent figures from my youth passed away.
The first was Ed McMahon. I’ve never been one to stay up until the wee hours of the night. In fact, I usually try to hit the sack before 10.30pm. so I never really watched The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. From time to time, I would catch the opening and would also see the skits on Carson Comedy Classics. In later years, I also saw him with Dick Clark hawking various products. When I last saw McMahon in an interview with his neck brace, I really felt for him, since I’ve experienced severe neck pain before and could relate. I hope his family is doing well and coming together in this time of loss.
Then the first thing that came actress my desk this morning was the death Farrah Fawcett. I look back to my youth and remember what a sex symbol she was. How the masses in America were mesmerized by her beauty. In fact, I think my favorite role of hers has to be the one she portrayed in 1981’s Cannonball Run (Pamela Glover). It was just perfect for her. In recent years, she changed her image and took on more dramatic and powerful roles that really challenged her. Fawcett’s battle with cancer showed her true inner beauty and strength. While we all knew this was coming, it still weighs heavy on many hearts and my condolences go out to her friends and family.
Finally we arrive at the big entertainment news story of the day: Michael Jackson. I’ve never been a fan of him or his music, but acknowledge that he was a very talented and influential member of the music community. It really saddens me that his life became fodder over the years. Regardless of how things played out, 50 is too young to die. Probably the greatest tragety in his life now, is that his young chrildren will only hear about their father through the skewed eyes of the media. I wish the Jackson family comfort in their time of grief.
Contest Time!!!!
Central Park
It’s no secret that one of my passions is to grab my camera and head outdoors and show people around. There is so much to see and do in the world, that I feel by showing you where I live does a little to make the world a smaller and cozier place. I hope it also brings us together as a whole.
It’s also true that over time YouTube has become a great medium for people to record videos and share a little about where they live and think. When YouTube first came on the scene, we were relegated to a short video of 10 minutes and not more than 100mb. Now we can upload videos in full HD and up to 20gb in size.
But not everyone has a fancy camera or feels they have the skill to make a fancy video. This often leads to people not fully participating in the experience.
I aim to change that.
You see, what I enjoy most about making videos is sharing a little about where I live. I want to see where you live, because we all have memories about where we live: our houses, playgrounds, schools, trees where we first kissed, etc. and I want to see them! But i don’t want to see them in some special video, I want to see them in a little slideshow. Furthermore, I want to see them as a slide show made up of pictures from your cell phone.
So go out and make a slide show showcasing where you live. Just make sure it doesn’t go longer than 2 minutes. Upload it to YouTube and post it as a video response to this video. The deadline for initial entries is July 5th at 9pm Eastern US time. I’ll then review the submissions and then choose what I think are the top five and showcase them on my channel. Then we’ll have the finals, with votes open to the public. I make the final decision on which video I think is the best and award a special prize.
A prize you say?
Yes a prize!
The winner be awarded a bag-o-swag from Korea. That’s right. I’m going to go out and get a box and fill it up with some very unique Korean items and ship it out to you! I’ve already started collecting the items and think the stuff is pretty cool! I might have to order some of the things for myself!
So let’s see those videos!
Cooking with Jolene!
In May, I had the opportunity to stop by and visit with Jolene Sugarbaker, The Trailer Park Queen! We shot a cooking video and I loved it!!!!
