Just me - David... 그냥 나야 - 정태빈...

Jingle bells...♬

2005-12-19T07:36:00.000Z

Yes, it's that time again - time when everyone runs around buying expensive things to give to people who will never use them. Also the holidays from school/university and the like..

My semester's now finished, and a lot of things have happened. For those of you who don't know what sort of things I've been up to, I'll mention the most memorable ones (having mostly forgotten the rest...)

Firstly, since my last post, I have got internet installed at my home, and as of yet (almost three months on) I haven't received a single bill. This means I'm getting 100% free 4mb internet all to myself! Cool, huh?
Then, there was "Ko-Yeon-Jeon" which is the annual games between Korea Uni and Yonsei Unis. Much like the Oxford-Cambridge boat race, this is a university rivalry thing, though on a much larger scale - it took place in a very large stadium, and I believe there were over 40,000 students there in total. The atmosphere was amazing; I'm just a little sad there's nothing like it in England; the scale is much larger than anything back home...
Also, there was an amusing incident called the "Korea University Intenational Festival" which I took part in - it's an annual event at the university where people show off the culture of their native countries. So, I dressed up like a palace guard, and friends from my university in England (none of them actually 'British' unless you include the girl from HongKong) gave away tea, spoke with funny English accents and informed people about my country while I posed for pictures with hundreds of Korean guys&girls who really wanted a picture with me. A good day, all in all.
Then, next landmark event was when I broke up wih my girlfriend. It wasn't a painful break-up, so no need for the "I'm sorry to hear that, are you alright?"s.
And most recently, there was the end of semester. Some of the exchange students who've left I'm glad to see the back of, and others will be missed.

So, that's brought me fairly-much up to date. There have been several incidents where I've got incedibly drunk, and some where I've behaved in an inappropriate manner, though luckily the Koreans are fairly forgiving about that kind of thing.
I have also discovered that grape juice and soju mixes make women fall asleep. After one or two glasses. Which are only about 100 or 200ml in size. This is strange, as it doesn't seem to affect me in at all the same way - I'm going to have to remember that one, and be careful; I've already carried too many unconscious female friends back to their place (some of those repeatedly. I seem to share that with Koreans anyway - inability to know when to stop...)

Anyway, I'm muchly enjoying life here - I really don't want to go home. Ever. Though I need to graduate my university before I can get a job here - it's the law for foreigners, unfortunately. But anyway, definitely once I do graduate, I'll certainly come straight back, albeit on a one-year visa (strange how Englanders can only get 1-year at a time, but Americanish people can get 5-years...) and then come back again, and again, and again...

드디어 학기가 끝났다. 그게 좋은 것이다.
학기 동안에 잼있는 것들 몇가지였는데 방학 시간에서 더 잼있는 것들 하려고 한다. 그리고 다음 학기에는 놀기를 많게 하고 공부를 열심하게 하겠다.

내가 한국말로 가끔 브로그를 쓰지만 한국 사람들 이 것이 읽는지 모르겠어서 comment를 놓아주시지 않으면은 한국어로 쓰기를 그만 하겠다. 시간 아주 많이 걸려서 그렇다.

PSA

2005-10-14T03:49:00.000+01:00

This is a Public Service Announcement:

I would just like to let all the 'comment' spammers know that nobody ever visits your "cool website".

In addition, I would like to make it clear to the general universe that i do not tolerate spam posting of any kind on my blog and any such 'comments' will be removed and peranently deleted, so don't bother - find someone else's blog and leave it there.

Today's post was brought to you by A Very Fed Up David (AFUD㈜®)

hmmm..

2005-09-11T07:32:00.000+01:00

found my place a while back and moved in the saturday before school started.
still have no tv or internt at home tho -_-
hopefully that's gonna be sorted soon..
am tired, will end here..

Bollox...

2005-08-26T04:43:00.000+01:00

Well, I've looked around and found 2 places I'd be interested in living in, but unfortunately, neither of them accept credit card, so I'm unable to pay the (large) deposit... Also, as this means I have continued lack of internet access from my computer, I'm unable to find some clever way of transferring the right money...

Bollox...

Cold Shower...

2005-08-20T19:44:00.000+01:00

Well, I've now been in Korea for 6 days, and I'm lovin it!
I still haven't got a mobile, or a permanent place to stay, so for the now I'm using internet cafes, payphones and i'm staying in a small 'motel'.. The hotel's fine - it has a tv, comfortable bed, though no meals included.. and it 's 25000 won per night (approximately 12.50 in pounds) which seems a good deal as far as temporary places go. I think this is a very Korean thing, possibly due to the summer's ridiculous heat, but there's no hot water.

For me, this was a bit of a shock (literally) at first. However, knowing I may have to stay in the place for at least one week and possibly two, I did my best - it's a very interesting experience to shower cold, and one i may continue after I'm back in England (only in summer, of course).

I've also met 4 of my penpals, and 4 of my friends from England (one English, and 3 Koreans who were working/studying) and I've got fairly drunk the past 3 nights.. I think that last part is somewhat due to people wanting to welcome me to Korea, and I have to say I'm not particularly averse to it - it's best I test myself like that now rather than discover in 3 months that I can't read the subway map to get home. The biggest concern, though, is to make sure I don't get too plastered too far from home, as I know how bad I can get on occasions...

Thus far there aren't really any photos to show, but I'm sure there will be soon.. I'm just concentrating on getting myself settled, and over the culture shock, before I have too much fun or die of alcohol poisoning - they drink like fishes and for some reason they get more drunk on beer than on soju. That's somewhat odd, as soju is 5 times stronger than beer...

It's been very hot here - I don't know the temperature, but for most of the week it's a case of sweating copiously while lying down staying as still as a corpse - it's not uncommon for people to die because of this kind of heat.. Luckily it rained over the last couple of days and it seems to have cooled a little (to the point of being just stupidly hot). And when winter rolls around, I'll have sub-zero temperatures to look forward to...

There's just too much to say about it all, I'll leave it for another time.. Just thought I'd put this up for the now ^^

A few extras...

2005-08-01T10:46:00.000+01:00

Looks like you have failed and will be going to
Hell. v.v No worries, over half the people who
take this quiz will be getting this result. At
least you were honest to answer the questions
truthfully and you might stand a chance in
getting into Heaven. Oh well, look on the
bright side, at least you won't be cold!

Are you going to Heaven or Hell?
brought to you by Quizilla

You are a Samurai.
You are full of honour and value respect. You
are not really the stereotypical hero, but you
do fight for good. Just in your own way. For
you, it is most certainly okay to kill an evil
person, if it is for justice and peace. You
also don't belive in mourning all the time and
think that once you've hit a bad stage in life
you just have to get up again. It's pointless
to concentrate on emotional pain and better to
just get on with everything. You also are a
down to earth type of person and think before
you act. Impulsive people may annoy you
somewhat.

Main weapon: Sword
Quote: "Always do the right thing.
This will gratify some people and astonish the
rest" -Mark Twain
Facial expression: Small smile

What Type of Killer Are You? [cool pictures]
brought to you by Quizilla

you will be eaten alive by your parents after you
tell them you lost your virginity at age 5.
you're sick!

How will you die?
brought to you by Quizilla

Your wise quote is: "Reality bites with a
variety of sizes of teeth"(-Tony Follari)
As a person, you think life is just plain
painful, horrible and everything else you don't
like. Happy people confuse you. Alot. I mean,
why are they so happy anyway? You are depressed
and perhaps utterly alone and live life rather
montone. You feel there is no reason to really
be here and feel helpless.

What wise quote fits you?(pics) UPDATED
brought to you by Quizilla

YOU ARE A DOWN TO EARTH FLIRT!!!!!!! You definitely
don't use those cheesy pick up lines to get
what you want and you get it by being yourself
and that's what people like about you the most!
When you flirt you just like to keep it simple
and just tell the truth about how you feel
about that person!! You must be really
attractive to the guys/girls.

what kind of flirt are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Your element is Fire: Strong, hot tempered,
powerful, and passionate. Well now lets see,
being fire you are quite strong and powerful,
people look up to you greatly and often seek
your protection. You have the ability to gain
many friends and you are always one people can
count on to do what you say you will do. You
are extremely loyal be it friends or family
you'll stick up for them and you are never
willing to put them in a position that could
hurt them. You know what roll you play in life,
leader, and you intend to let people know it.
Not everyone is capable of leadership but you
certainly have the willpower and flare to do
it. You have quite a temper if it shows itself,
one that can often lead you into trouble. Once
your mind is made up there is no changing it
but no one said that was a bad thing.

.:-|What is your true element?|-:. -With Anime Pictures and detailed answers-
brought to you by Quizilla

~*~Result nr 1~*~

src="http://live.quizilla.com/user_images/P/PainfulBliss/1117239037_Power_Clairvoyance.JPG">
Your power is: Clairvoyance

Explanation: Your power is that you can
look into the future and see what is coming.
How far and long you can look is all depending
on your skill level. This can, as all powers,
be used in both evil and good. Even if it may
seem like a boring ability it is a huge
responsibility for the carrier, becase they are
constantly tempted with doing the wrongs deeds
(e.g. cheat on a test). It takes high morals to
not be brought down with it.

Therefor you fit with this power quite well.
You take responsibility and do what is the
right thing to do. This does not make you a
saint, since you're only human after all. But
it makes a trustworthy person and you are loyal
to camrades and/or team mates. In school you
were probably a good student. If you were
social varies from person to person, but most
clairvoyant people tend to prefer their own
company or that of close friends and family.
That is because you are wise and knows how to
treasure the reliable in your life, since you
know popularity can be a false element. You are
also not that big on taking risks and prefer
what is already explored. That is because you
don't like suprises, they can turn out bad and
then you won't be in control.
Negative aspects: Since you're always
doing the right thing and being trustworthy all
the time you can become frustrated. Also, all
that you carry on your shoulders may stress you
out. You need to relax to be in good mental
shape.

What Power is Compatible With You?
brought to you by Quizilla

YOU ARE EVIL!!!!!! EVIL!!!!please rate you evil son
of a bitch

How evil are you???
brought to you by Quizilla

Your personality is best represented by the
traditional Japanese Katana. You are brave
beyond words and rarely (if ever) act for your
own personal gain. Your honor is very
important to you, and you strive to better
yourself and help others. You try not to let
emotions get in the way of making a sound
decision, and are usually quite successful.

What sort of Weapon best Represents your Personality? (anime pics!)
brought to you by Quizilla

13 Days to go..

2005-08-01T10:26:00.000+01:00

Have my visa, flight is booked, know what I'm doing for insurance, know what's to be packed, know the words i've yet to learn, still don't know where I'm gonna sleep on me first night there..

I'm so excited ^^
13 days...
---
비자 있고 비행기표 샀고 포장할것들 뭐 있는지 알고 한국 가면 어디 잘수 있는 곳이 아직 모르겠습니다..

진짜 기대합니다~ ^^
13날 남습니다...

Moving on..

2005-07-27T01:51:00.000+01:00

Ah, a post people will not be able to dispute (though they will undoubtedly try :P)
Have finally got my ticket booked - leaving Heathrow at 21:30 on the 13th August, arriving at Incheon International Airport, ROK, at 16:20 on the 14th August, the flight lasting shortly over 10 hours.

Which, incidentally, is only 2 hours different to the return train my friend's taking from her holiday in Cornwall with b/f - they'll spend 8 hours on a night train... I think that's quite funny.. A sleeper ticket costs about £50, while my flight costs about £500, but still amusing to my mind...

A year in Korea beginnin in just over 2 weeks and I still have worked out neither where I'll stay, nor my insurance - minor issues easily solved.
It's gonna be so much fun!

비행기표가 예약을 했습니다 - LHR 8월 13일 21:30시부터 ICN 8월 14일 16:20까지 - 좋겠죠 ^^
집은 아직 못 찾았지만 한국친구 많아서 걔들 도와주시면 집을 찾기가 쉽겠습니다.
아이구.. 한국 진짜 진짜 빨리 가고 싶습니다...

오늘 blog을 끝! ㅋㅋㅋ

Ho humm...

2005-07-23T01:24:00.000+01:00

Shot 5 times, eh? I don't understand the impulse that makes anyone change the simple 'want' to kill that so many people harbour into action that causes so much distress... Both terrorists and governments are calling it a war, though almost everyone else realises it's little more than a farce destined to result in nothing more than death and hatred. Perhaps everyone should look to the natural disasters that struck south-east asia. Some radicals (as I recall) claimed it was Allah's retribution against the 'decadent infidels'. Look at the places the tsunami hit!? - Most of the people affected had very little anyway, and they're rebuilding their lives back to the scraps they had before. Look for any fairness in that, and you conclude it is nature's way.
In the end it all comes down to the fact we are people. Human nature, true, is inherently self-destructive, but at the same time there are some people who prefer to aid others. Maybe the rest of the people should take lessons from the selfless people...
Wars these days are never won with guns or bombs - in fact, they never have been. The only way to win a war like that is to slaughter everyone on the other side. No, it's words that win wars.
Also, you take the skin away and the only difference you can see between people is who's male and who's female.
You take away the books and the intricate tiny details and look at any religion with an appreciable following and you find that the main edict that people are meant to follow is first and foremost, to be nice to other people.

Please nobody attack any inaccuracies in the above, you can see my point, and I don't care if I'm technically wrong.

Anyway, the documentation of my inner monologue aside, I applied for my visa today. Funnily enough I got the questions I expected: "Why are you going to Korea?" "Oh, you're studying Korean at SOAS, what's the most interesting part?" "Isn't it difficult to learn Korean language?" etc.
It would be cute, but I've answered those questions so many times, and am expecting to be answering them well into my retirement. I have to say it's somewhat interesting, though, to know that I'm one of possibly 10 people in the country who's studying Korean BA as a single subject.. Looking at it that way, you can understand why people are interested - it's like having an entire room full of chocolate M&Ms with maybe 5 peanut M&Ms inside - when you finally come across one you're gonna look at it differently.
Anywayz.. Also spent time with new girlfriend - she was worried by the recent terror attacks so I went to hers - we'd both slept so little recently that we ended up napping more than talking.. (Please nobody read anything into that - when I say napping, I mean we slept for about an hour, maybe more - innocent, tired, and fully clothed :P)
Though it puzzles me - if she was worried about the terrorism, why'd she ask me not only to go into London, but also through the most heavily targeted area for her? I don't understand women sometimes...
Have to say, though, that the terrorism hasn't scared me - that's twice now that I've deliberately crossed the town on days I'd heard about incidents - and it was fun riding the DLR... It's like a rollercoaster; the trains don't have drivers, so you can sit right at the front, the carriages bend in the middle (like trams, or the bendy-buses) so they can go round tighter corners, and the track's suspended 20feet above the ground for large stretches - SO COOL!

Anyway... Am going to bed now - have eaten too much today, slept too little recently ('cept earlier at hers - that was relaxing) and am still swamped by things I have to do..

Ah well...
피곤해서 지금 잘게... 다음 post가 한국말로 쓸거다...
끝

2 weeks after london exploded...

2005-07-21T15:21:00.000+01:00

Well, maybe an overstatement, but that's how it feels for most of the people in london. I managed to cross London that day - went from Manor House down to Earls Court. Normally I'd take the picadilly line directly there, which would take about 30-40 minutes, but that day it took me 3 hours. And now, exactly 2 weeks afterwards, I find out that three more tube bombs and another bus bomb have been discovered/set off. Fortunately for me, I was once again too lazy to get up early and go into London...

As a random aside, I also had an extremely strange dream last night... And the most wierd thing is that I can only remember one sentence uttered within that dream, which, for the sake of decency, I won't mention here - suffice it to say it was a surprising comment from an interesting person.

Also, have noticed that a short while ago some random person came here and posted the link to their blog in the comments for my last post. Just letting people know that I don't like this - if you wanna post a link, I:
a) Need to already know you, or
b) Need to have given my permission
If I neither know you, nor give my permission, then any links I find will be removed..

Ah, and some of you may notice I removed a previous post as well - It's 'cos the person concerned quite upset me recently and while I'm still interested I don't think that having her photo plastered everywhere I look would be very beneficial..

Anyway, onto the 'real life' of me...
I still haven't sorted out my visa for Korea despite the fact that I've got to be going within the next 3-4 weeks, and nor have I sorted medical insurance or what I'd pack.
What else is going on? Not much - I'm spending more time in Central London now than when I actually lived in London, meeting (Korean) friends most days of the week.. It's very expensive to travel around London if you go in on the Silverlink...
Ah, but my hair - that's the most fun part of this tale. My hair is now mostly long enough to tie back, just about..
And I am going to collapse sometime soon - so much stress, so many things to do... Think I'll just sleep all day on monday...

Oh yeah...

2005-07-04T19:46:00.000+01:00

Just realised if there's people who don't actually know me at all (ie. have never spoken to me either online or in real life) who actually read ther people's blogs, then you won't have a clue what I look like...
And thus I decide to put up some photos of me. These images may scare and/or scar you, so if you dare not look, then don't. Baically I'm not that scary, but just in case I look it I'd best put up a disclaimer, yes? ^^

First post...

2005-07-01T03:00:00.000+01:00

Well, it's been a wierd year... In so many ways...
It all started with a letter from UCAS sccepting me to study Korean at SOAS. Then, after I quit work and headed down to London, within the "Freshers' Week" events I'd already broken up with my previous girlfriend, got a new one, met a British-Korean from a hometown about 3 miles from mine, met the son of my A-level maths teacher, and met the guy I was later to join a band with.
Beyond that things were fairly much uneventful except from one friend falling asleep on my next door's doorstep (and for the year I've been living in one of the more dangerous areas of London) and waking up without his phone, shoes of wallet (he got his wallet back after about a month).
Shortly before Christmas I heard that another friend had started a band. Being a pianist, I threw the suggestion "Does he need a keyboard player?" and after getting a definite yes for an answer I turned up to practise. The band's name is Matron. Click here, or have a look at http://www.fuckmatron.com to see what I'm talking about.
But after Christmas things got a bit wierd - Over a period of 3 months I got my wallet pickpocketed twice, and then about 2 months after that had my phone stolen out of my hand, and 2 days later was mugged at knifepoint. This last thing was only 2 days before my first 1st year exam, and in the melée that followed (liasing with police, replacing cards, driving license, feeling scared to leave the house, etc.) I misread the date of my exam, and as such ended up going through a long stressful period of talking to tutors and handing in letters to exam-boards. This was not fun, and after having been under much stress lately I finally spoke to my teacher, who has told me unofficially that I passed the exams I did take, and that the exam sub-board had looked favourably on my missing the exam (absent with 'good cause' - I think being threatened with a knife is enough to upset any normal civillian)

So, the way I see it is that I'm off to Korea in the summer and taking the missed exam when I get back - it's a relief, as I've had enough of England and want to be somewhere else for a while...

Humm...

2005-06-30T19:23:00.001+01:00

This blog's only existed for about half an hour and already I have problems with the links...
If it works not by the next time I update then I'm just gonna throw a tantrum and, once i've collected myself, I will resort to posting links in the blogs...