tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82963060776068027742024-03-05T15:04:13.760+09:00Cinder Block DiariesFormerly an American teaching ESL in Korea, I've completed 3 contracts, lots of Hapkido, and wifed up in a foreign land.
After moving back to N.Y w/ my wife, getting my masters and a teaching job, I'm breaking my 6 year hiatus in posting after a little bit of inspiration; the birth of my Son, Leon. I started this as a 20-something year old adventurer and am coming back as a 30-something year old teacher, currently learning the ins and outs of fatherhood. Welcome to the Cinder Block Diaries. Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-39578461276134599932016-12-09T05:41:00.002+09:002016-12-09T05:43:31.861+09:00Dude, where's my car?If you think you car was stolen for about 10 minutes after work, don't panic. Call your wife. You're probably baby tired and forgot that you took her car. Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-87774400023865294502016-11-15T08:51:00.001+09:002016-11-15T08:51:15.138+09:00Baby beats<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">It's really hard to take your son's crying seriously when he is farting at the same time...in rhythm.</span>Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-60943368063128332742016-11-14T12:36:00.000+09:002016-11-14T12:36:00.935+09:00Full Proof Plan...most of the time.<div class="_1dwg _1w_m" style="padding: 12px 12px 0px;">
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Could have sworn I had a fool proo system. </div>
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My plan:</div>
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Wait 5 minutes after a fart before changing him. Gives him time to work the rest out so we don't waste diapers or effort. It's brilliant really. So after a large wet one, we listen to him grunting and squeezing so loud you can hear him in the next room, for at least 5 minutes. Gotta listen closely too in case you miss a fart. If there is a fart, reset the clock. </div>
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Well, that doesn't always work. Changed his diaper, and luckily I got the other one on before a massive explosion. Not a bad success rate though. Perhaps make it 10 minutes next time?</div>
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Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-38412742631251366232016-11-10T10:19:00.003+09:002016-11-10T10:19:46.961+09:00Write this down: 3 week olds can flip over during tummy time. Especially if they used to be a ninja in their past life. Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-77355033773199609012016-10-22T07:32:00.001+09:002016-10-22T07:32:13.199+09:00Everybody poopsWhen people tell you baby poop doesn't smell until they start eating solid foods....they're lying to you. It smells. Good news is, you don't care. As a former guidance counselor and community center director wrote...You eagerly await it. When it happens it means their digestive tract works. Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-89978164613038839492016-10-22T07:05:00.002+09:002016-10-22T07:05:20.538+09:00Note to self:Note to self:<br />
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If you hold your infant at a decline...yes even a slight one...if he decides to pee....it's getting all over you.Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-38616526402458314842016-10-22T07:04:00.004+09:002016-10-22T07:04:51.998+09:00Note to selfNote to self:<br />
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Babies don't speak english. They also don't take visual cues. Sneezing WILL scare the shit out of them.Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-17703049487100656402016-10-22T06:51:00.000+09:002016-10-22T07:30:33.863+09:00Welcome to the world Leon. 10/4/16, weighing in at 5 lbs 15 oz & 19 inches long. Leo the Lion. <br />
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<br />Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-50930020999577128092010-12-07T22:39:00.000+09:002010-12-07T22:39:41.496+09:00Hapkido time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Just some Hapkido warm ups, kicks, and messing around.<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx3giG3ydx6bB8DS20gbhqPK35R8pw7DswAnaYrh3rix0Qw0n5hnjppeCb3NVOofiDXwwyICvb78OGFyzNScg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-89105959904198896812010-09-01T20:35:00.000+09:002010-09-01T20:35:18.803+09:00Bus Stop RidiculeI was standing at the bus stop outside of a Homeplus (a Walmart type place) after just finishing teaching. There was a mom and a 3 year old girl standing under the awning with me. The girl was jumping around and singing an English song, no doubt that she learned at her school. She was also looking at me while she was singing it. She is the same age and size of my students so I had to tell her good job. "Good job", I said to her. Of course she looks up at me with an unsure expression, as all Korea kids do after they try to get your attention and succeed.<br />
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I said to her "high five" and presented my hand for her to slap. My students love this very much...that and touching my arm "fur"...or as they say it "puh". The little girl of course didn't slap my hand...but instead did something MUCH better. She looked up at her mother, and then me, and said in Korean "pervert". I couldn't believe this little 3 year old girl called me that. I started laughing really hard because this little girl had some big balls. Her mother gasped, as if she couldn't believe that her little angel even knew that word. <br />
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I went back to reading my book but still standing next to them waiting for the bus. About a minute later the little girl turned to me and, again in Korea, demanded to know who I was. I told her "I'm Jake teacher." Then she said something else to her mother which I didn't understand, but it had to not be nice because her mother covered her mouth and whisked her onto the bus that came a little too late. <br />
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It was very very funny. Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-48677768181160312482010-08-13T16:10:00.000+09:002010-08-13T16:10:49.537+09:00LossWhen you lose someone, anyone, it's never an easy thing. My grandmother recently passed away and I have been stuck here in Korea. I tried to get home but even the earliest, most expensive flight, wouldn't have gotten me home in time for the funeral. I wished money didn't rule my choices as much as it does. It was really hard the first day I heard, but like any pain, it gets easier and less painful every day after. <br />
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She was a holocaust survivor. The last person in my family that bore that proud title. Losing a piece of history makes her passing even harder on the living. I would like to think she is somewhere better or more peaceful. We will all eventually find out.<br />
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The only thing that made me feel better is being able to write something for my father to read at her funeral. I'll end this post with that eulogy:<br />
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I regret that I've missed so much since I've been out here, but most of all I regret not being able to be in this room with all of you, for possibly the saddest reason. We tried to get a flight for me but there wasn't anything, and it pains me to even have to make an excuse. If you knew my grandma you know that she had one of the toughest lives possible. Tougher than any of us want to imagine. But, she found love after hate, and created her own family for her to play her part in. Two generations later she because the Jewish Grandmother. Her job description was simple. Be the target of my Poppi's jokes, make chicken soup and all our favorite foods, and all the while, do it with love and affection. No matter how mean the jokes got, or how messy the apartment was, or how much I played with her soft, saggy, old lady skin on the underside of her arm...when we caught her eye she smiled. She would never even sit down to eat the dinner she cooked because she worried that we wouldn't enjoy the food, or not have enough of it...which was never the case. <br />
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She had so much love and so much pride from her grandchildren. Even something as mundane as sitting at her old plexi glass table, she would always grab my hand and kiss it. She would grab my face and kiss my cheek if it was within her grasp. After my Poppi died she closed up. The phone calls got even shorter than the regular 1 minute "how are you, I'm fine, O.K I love you" ones, and she shrunk into herself and her grief. It was another dark chapter in her life. But the last few years, after my brother finished his book about my grandparents holocaust story, she brightened up. It's like her protective shell cracked and the light flooded through again. I remember the first phone call we had after that. We must have talked for 10 minutes. I think that was an all time record. She lived the last couple of years of her life as content as she could have been, and that thought makes me as content as I can be. <br />
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Some Memories:<br />
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I will miss her answering machine messages. Especially when they were first invented. My family and I would go on vacation and each time we came home there would be about 10 messages all starting the same way. "Sam??? Hello??? Are you there??? Noah??? Hello???" and then ending in various ways. My favorite ending was always "O.k, leave me alone god damn it." *click*. She just didn't get it.<br />
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I will miss her Leon necklace and the donation can on her plexi glass table. <br />
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I will miss being shtooped money for no reason other than being her grandson.<br />
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I will miss the family get-togethers at her apartment.<br />
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I will miss being asked if I want to eat again 10 minutes after we ate dinner, and then 10 minutes again after she asked me if I wanted to eat the last time.<br />
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I will miss being pined over and all the funny stories about what she did this time and who she offended.<br />
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I will miss her incredibly crooked signatures on my birthday cards because her hand wouldn't stop shaking when she signed them.<br />
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I will miss her strength.<br />
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I will miss her. <br />
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Her story has been written down and will live on in myself and my family. We all learned something from her in one way or another, and my family's future generations will learn too. That thought comforts me. Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-79551153491167085362010-07-20T22:25:00.003+09:002022-09-10T05:20:04.591+09:00Muddy BASTARDS 2010 MUDFESTEvery year, for the last 3 years, there is a festival in Boryeong, S. Korea called simpley "Mud Fest". I'm sure you can imagine what it's like, but just in case your imagination is currently lacking, I shall describe it a bit for you. <br />
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IMAGINE:<br />
A quiet beachfront city, with a nice long beach wheretwo rock bluffs stand on each side. The sand is made up of shells broken down over thousands of years, but still not experienced enough to be fine, soft sand. The wind blows from the cold sea over the hot land and cools those who stroll on the sea-view road. The sun sets over the water as the reflection of colors bounce up into your eyes and illuminate a serene and calming piece of the brain....then BAM! July 17th rolls around and buses roll in. The local Koreans line the street selling everything from rooms to suntan lotion to condoms. From the sand grows sculptures created by master artists. The giant inflatable pool and obstacle courses get filled with air and mud. The older crowd starts to lock their doors at night and sleep with earplugs in. The inflatable slide get's blown up just like the hopes of the Korean store owners, who can make their yearly quota in two weekends. <br />
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Mudfest begins. From the buses come Koreans and Foreigners alike. From cars come photographers and bystanders who hope just to watch. The cardboard clad floors of the beachfront convenience stores lay silent as the immense stock of alcohol waits to be imbibed. The air is about to erupt with amazingness. <br />
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Enough with the imagery. There are pools and pools of mud, mud prisons, mud slides, mud courses, mud jousting, mud art, colored mud for body painting, and most importantly, mud covered people. There is about 1/2 a mile of activities boarding the beach. On the beach is a stage with non-stop entertainment and a fireworks show later at night. On the obstacle courses, there are lines where people wait for hours for a 2 second ride. But I prefer the pools. There is a full contact mosh pit in constant motion. If you go in, be prepared to get tackled. As a former rugby player and wrestler, this is my zen garden of happiness. Boys and girls walk in and exchange tackles sans animosity. If you tackle someone, when you turn around expect one back. Hell, I personally run around the outside of the inside of the pool and tear people down. I even started outside the pool and did a flying jesus onto as many people I could grab inside the pool...more than once. Every once in a while I had to stop to bring my waterproof camera to the wash station and clean the tiny particles out of the lens cover. But I went right back in with spewing anticipation.<br />
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I was in heaven.<br />
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After I had my share of peaceful violence, I made my way to the beach to clean up. It's fun to walk around the hoards of people because you see people there you haven't seen for a while. You find them randomly in the crowd, covered in mud, and then you have a nice little reunion. It's cool to go down into the ocean after you are finished to wash off the mud. <br />
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Later that night there was a party thrown by the group I went with. I was on the way when I saw these 10 Korean dudes eating Sam Gyup Sal (basically pork strips) and drinking Soju. Naturally, I went over to them and introduced myself. I spent the next 1.5 hours drinking and eating with them, alst the while practicing my Korean, which has gotten pretty good since my lessons began (but not THAT good). Some friends saw me but didn't join because they couldn't keep up with the language. I eventually invited them to my party, but there weren't many other Koreans so they felt uncomfortable. They went back. I partied. After a while I remember thinking to myself "that's it, I've had ENOUGH", and I mosied on back to where I was sleeping. <br />
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The next morning I woke up and felt like I got hit by a truck (as you can see from the picture below, the guy was the size of a truck). I went to the beach, ate a yummy pork backbone stew, and went home by bus.<br />
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Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-67990112874164363292010-06-25T08:25:00.000+09:002010-06-25T08:25:49.807+09:00It's been a whileI have so much to write about, but even less time. Between play practice, work, the world cup, and all other small but numerous things that slip into my day to day, well you get the point. <br />
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World cup madness here is awesome. The whole downtown area is red (Korea's color), and swarming with people. Big screens set up, people cheering...it's quite entertaining. I'll get back to writing soon. Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-32603137727714787852010-06-10T21:51:00.001+09:002010-06-10T21:52:17.963+09:00The Life and the not so life.Oh boy I've got an easy month this June. Every single week the kids go on a field trip. That means I miss at least 2 of my 4 classes; sometimes I'll miss all 4 depending on where they go and when they go. Last week they actually went somewhere two days back to back. I've been catching up on my reading.<br />
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The book I'm reading now is book 3 of the "River World Saga". If you don't like science fiction books you won't enjoy it at all. If you do, I recommend you look them up and try out the first one. When I'm not reading I'm catching up on my t.v shows and movies...and also playing video games. I got two new ones; Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. I blame these for not letting me write in my blog as much.<br />
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I got an easy life for now. It's going to get a little more stressful once I re-start applying for visas and trying to find where my wife and I are going to go to school when back in the states (Yes I said wife. We got married on May 24th!). <br />
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Things are basically the same here besides the conflict between the North and South right now. If you haven't been reading, the North blew up a South Korean warship a couple weeks ago and 40 something S. Korean sailors died. The South doesn't want to attack the north with bombs and bullets because then the North would shoot off their thousands of artillery pieces aimed right at Seoul. War would ruin their economy and devastate their capital city. But, they are attacking N. Korea with propaganda. They are sending leaflets over by way of balloon telling the Northern citizens about the torpedo attack. They are using billboards on the S. side of the DMZ to urge troops to defect to the S. And, after years, they started to re-broadcast radio signals into the North all in an effort to persuade defection (word? now it is) and realization.<br />
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There won't be a warlike conflict now, but I have a bad feeling about all of this. The north is like a crazy little kid. If you pick on them too much they'll snap and so something stupid. The problem is they think everything is picking on them. Everything the South does causes the North to threaten war. Even when they officially asked the U.N to deal with the N. over the attack, they said something along the lines of "South Korea told on us, that is the same as declaring war." ...yeah I know.<br />
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Either way, if something happens, my city is far out of range of their artillery. I registered with the embassy so I should get evacuation plans and blah blah blah by email. Who knows, if something does happen it might even make it easier to get my wife back to America. Hmmmm...there could be a sweet side to all the sour. But that is incredibly selfish. As for now, like the rest of the country. I'm seeing where it goes.<br />
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If there are mistakes in this post, sorry. I typed it in one shot. I have to finish up The Deer Hunter. It's a long freaking movie and I want to get to sleep around midnight. Stay cool.Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-41602705039174705772010-05-09T17:28:00.001+09:002010-05-09T17:28:32.695+09:00The Jew<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6TDQ4X10ICsWwCo7s69cqJzw5RaOWBOo_lwiq09VXNSEtNei4LVk81P1_QKmnBDyE1DQE1OeR-fV344t4NPhCICD0o3uyxH4YIbGxByPKQ4erFlq0hkjbaf4oQf3ZlIvc_8Zy_wYgKdw/s1600/P4300226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6TDQ4X10ICsWwCo7s69cqJzw5RaOWBOo_lwiq09VXNSEtNei4LVk81P1_QKmnBDyE1DQE1OeR-fV344t4NPhCICD0o3uyxH4YIbGxByPKQ4erFlq0hkjbaf4oQf3ZlIvc_8Zy_wYgKdw/s320/P4300226.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>About a week ago my school took all the kids to the ZOO. Except most of the kids don't say 'zoo'...the other teachers too. They have a hard time with the Z sound so it comes out as Joo, or Jew. They were all saying stuff about the zoo such as "teacher today we are going to the Jew" and every time in my head I couldn't help but think 'guys...you go to the Jew everyday for English class'. Anyway, they were all wearing their assorted summer wear. Big sunglasses, ridiculous sun hats that their parents made them wear, and they all had these mats to sit on for lunch.<br />
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When we got there, there were many schools on field trips. It was busy busy busy. The kids sat down on the grass, which was difficult with 300 3-5 year olds, and left their bags where they were sitting. We split up into classes and walked around a little. This was kind of stupid because we went to maybe 5 different enclosures and spent about 5 minutes looking at each one. The teacher walked us right by a cool jaguar , wolf, and another big cat, that I saw only because I could see over the other schools kids heads, and completely skipped the bear cage. I even saw the elephant come out as the kids were walking past it. They couldn't see the elephant because it was up the stairs. But as the teaching was hurrying past it, I was lifting the kids up to see it quickly one by one as the line was still moving. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7cuCgrBC0kPJgcSDEeX1sgNloi1MoOgX1CY7cARRFTb-wmx0pkespWjRuGJR0jnejk9uyAP-ijIhO-jfEQ9YqNuxXQ7lldmOOOOegCxZRiHXiQRBSjRHzQwv1UxcKVK1ExUKnCY51K0W/s1600/P4300255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7cuCgrBC0kPJgcSDEeX1sgNloi1MoOgX1CY7cARRFTb-wmx0pkespWjRuGJR0jnejk9uyAP-ijIhO-jfEQ9YqNuxXQ7lldmOOOOegCxZRiHXiQRBSjRHzQwv1UxcKVK1ExUKnCY51K0W/s320/P4300255.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoJP3NN_lUMq6QkTvFgCxHKf0xWK2qJEyaNaN66HS3QFi0tLp_Edzncj1gQJ49rBuEOzLuokix4EsnUyZ99wNNvs4U0Lm7mEgxejyyIEgaUeqWXo1Pm3XVxYzN-36me6XK0NboH8Oe32f/s1600/P4300260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoJP3NN_lUMq6QkTvFgCxHKf0xWK2qJEyaNaN66HS3QFi0tLp_Edzncj1gQJ49rBuEOzLuokix4EsnUyZ99wNNvs4U0Lm7mEgxejyyIEgaUeqWXo1Pm3XVxYzN-36me6XK0NboH8Oe32f/s320/P4300260.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK489gB2yqHuugUFbi-Gr0DHoOv2-QbT8lMXTym5Xza5FXwdArUB9TprMedFIC8DmiFiOaba_1afr1KFdMurIpSq-DSlUZodFz4hdCW8Ov60eGjdFI8LkLpvugxc67_dBYaMJ9qYq3Ad5j/s1600/P4300232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK489gB2yqHuugUFbi-Gr0DHoOv2-QbT8lMXTym5Xza5FXwdArUB9TprMedFIC8DmiFiOaba_1afr1KFdMurIpSq-DSlUZodFz4hdCW8Ov60eGjdFI8LkLpvugxc67_dBYaMJ9qYq3Ad5j/s320/P4300232.JPG" width="320" /></a>After the 30 minutes of walking around and the pictures the teacher wanted instead of showing the kids other animals...we went back to the grass for lunch. I stuffed my face with KimBop (kinda like sushi but no fish) and Jap Chae (cold noodles) and Cho Bop (yummy mixed rice wrapped in tofu). I also had a BLT (minus the T cause I hate raw tomato). It was probably the best part of the day. After lunch we played with the kids which was basically running around and chasing them, then being chased, all the while dodging kicks and punches to the butt and groin. They can be vicious little kids sometimes.<br />
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All in all a good day, just wished we had more time to walk around and check out the animals. What was funny is that they had a HUGE enclosure for the rare and elusive goose....It was a little ridiculous.Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-48892699021106066562010-04-29T10:53:00.000+09:002010-04-29T10:53:08.636+09:00Pushin' TeaThere has recently been a crackdown on Marijuana in <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background: yellow;">Daegu</span>. Every once in a while the police will get wind of an operation run by a misc. foreigner, and this, to them, is just unacceptable. Foreigners already have a stereotype here for dealing drugs and spreading <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background: yellow;">STD's</span>. The fact that some foreigners really do that is bad for business, so to speak. I'm sure they bust Koreans sometimes, but the mobsters run that op usually so the 'old boys network' keeps them going. Plus, busting foreigners is bigger news and gets the police on the front page probably. They recently caught a Korean American guy with over 300 grams of pot growing in his apartment. After they bust him they look in his phone for all calls repeating to and from people. Those people get a surprise visit from the police, at school, and get drug tested on the spot. <br />
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A lot of people get kicked out of the country this way, but for the people who were just friends with the kid it sucks. It's quite embarrassing to get drug tested in school in the first place, especially if you fail, and get the boot. But if you pass and don't get kicked out, the suspicion alone is really bad AND you have to stay and deal with that. I am happy to say, I only knew of the kid in question (never called him), and I am as clean as a whistle anyway. But man, this kid is going to serve some serious time. <br />
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Also, on the tea front, I have been drinking it (and I mean real tea) hard core. Every morning I'll have a cup if it's not too hot outside. But about three times already I have felt like I was getting sick, or at least a cold. I immediately and indiscriminately start guzzling down whatever tea I can find at school. By lunch time I usually feel 100% better. It's quite amazing how amazing tea works. Mental, or physical...it does the job. Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-34917621381784511672010-04-21T11:57:00.000+09:002010-04-21T11:57:54.367+09:00Pre-firedrill post readingbefore you read what's below, you should look at this picture of my favorite student. Her name is Flora and she finds me every morning to say hi, or her version of hi, which is basically squeeking. She wants to be picked up so she can touch my face (usually my big nose). If you remember I mentioned a little girl who laughs at anything I say and thinks I'm the funniest person in the world...well this is her. <br />
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But back to the pre-fire drill reading. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj296dGUIe7FfZnUdkktTs8EzWU0zbIXU6U-ogKyQC9ubZdbcFbgzGCt2g8KapWOecwI9Zzp0M-H_wRmtrHoo2pOkQyORnfDdflOHNtEVejYvmpIz4RQJGr6kAzfjJXgUHEmVVjX6YDXbE9/s1600/Flora+cutie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj296dGUIe7FfZnUdkktTs8EzWU0zbIXU6U-ogKyQC9ubZdbcFbgzGCt2g8KapWOecwI9Zzp0M-H_wRmtrHoo2pOkQyORnfDdflOHNtEVejYvmpIz4RQJGr6kAzfjJXgUHEmVVjX6YDXbE9/s320/Flora+cutie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I can't tell you how happy I am that this school did a fire drill. My first year in Korea, at public school, there was not one fire drill. There never is because the government doesn't make it mandatory. I would guess there has never been a death from a fire at a school before, so this is the base line for not doing one....which is stupid. Of course it might happen one day. Knock on wood it doesn't, but if there was a death, that is what it would take for the government to force it upon schools. The excuse would be just as bad as the event. It would go something like this, "This never happened before, we didn't know it would, so it's not our fault." If you read my previous post about the parents who let their kid starved to death because they were raising a fake baby on the internet...their excuse was something along these lines. <br />
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It means a lot to me that this school has at least enough sense to practice an evacuation without being told to do so. As we all know, shit happens. And this little girl is one of the protected here at my school because of this preemptive strike. Stay healthy readers. Peace.Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-66650622093894036862010-04-21T11:47:00.001+09:002010-04-21T12:00:51.011+09:00FIIIIRRRRREEEEEEEEE....drillIt's been a recent trend lately to tell me something is going on and my classes are canceled. But then they'll come back and tell me 10 minutes before the class that it isn't canceled. So I stopped listening to everyone, and started to assume that they are always wrong. I even told them to stop telling me any cancellation stuff until just before the class to be canceled.<br />
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Today we had a fire drill. They of course, as per my request, didn't tell me. I didn't have class during the drill anyway. BUT it would have been nice to get a heads up so the damn fire bell didn't scare the shit out of me. I haven't heard one of those in a long long time, and it was painful. I was on my computer at school (like I am right now 10 mins after the drill) and I jumped in my chair. I guessed it was a drill. Correct.<br />
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I walked out of my office just in time to see all my 3 years olds walking in a line, bent over, low to the ground with their hands over their mouths. Very VERY cute. I followed them outside where the rest of them were sitting in lines, in the playground area. As soon as I walked out about 10 of them got up and ran to me to hug me, and the rest yelled my name. The teachers looked at me with disdain because they were trying to keep the kids quiet. I thought I better go behind the masses so they couldn't see me. The fire guys came out to do a lecture on fire extinguishers and other stuff. It was a little chilly so I wanted to go back inside but I was told to stay out. I didn't know why, but when I insisted on going inside my co-worker was sitting in the office almost in tears. She told me she got into a fight with our boss and she quit. Oh....woops. I left her alone for a little and went back outside.<br />
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As of now that same co-worker is sitting next to me working, so I'm guessing they worked it out? It would be a shame to lose her as a co-worker. She is cool, and really likes to work. She also has the most travel experience of any Korean person I have met, which naturally brings her near the top of my cool Korean person list. A cute drill, a small fight. Be good.Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-69831638567380969552010-04-19T23:09:00.000+09:002010-04-19T23:09:27.932+09:00Motivation in an awesome formI'll tell ya, after performing at that bar this last time I really want to get back out there again. I get complimented that night of course, but it was really nice to be recognized and complimented again the following weekend after. It's not much, but it's nice to make an impression, especially a positive one. I'm pretty damn motivated after this. I might even try to write my own songs! Who knows! <br />
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Just happy to be singing again. Also a girl recognized me from when I first performed there like 8 months ago. She is very big into acting and runs some acting groups. It was good to connect with her because I'll be starting acting again. An art I am VERY out of practice in. This year is both promising with a great job, and getting back into my passions. I'm excited to get back to practice. Comment on my videos, let me know if I should stop it!....or keep going????!??Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-52536082851849532142010-04-12T22:45:00.001+09:002010-04-12T22:47:16.858+09:00Overseas MarriageWow...an American trying to marry a Filipino in Korea...yeah confusing. Even more confusing is the paperwork that goes with it. My government really wants to deter people who are trying to marry just to get someone a green card. I can understand why, but it makes it so annoying for those of us who are getting married for all the right reasons. I printed out only half of the forms that we needed and I gasped. It was so heavy and thick. Good thing I got into reading in the last couple of years because I'm going to need those skills.<br />
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I SHALL NOT BE DETERED! SCREW YOU AMERICAN RULES OF ENGAGEMENT!Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-84756390323314591052010-04-09T18:18:00.000+09:002010-04-09T18:18:24.833+09:00A sad storyForgive me for ruining the mood of this whole blog, but as we enjoy humor and adventure, we also have to endure sadness. Someone said you can't appreciate the sweet without the sour, but as of this moment, there is very little sweet. <br />
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In my previous post, you might have read about my Hapkido family and the dinner we all had...I was walking into the subway today on my way to the gym when I was called by my ex-coworker. He told me that a friend of ours was killed in an accident. I called her Nu-Nim, which in Korean means 'elder sister'. Now that I am forced to think about it, I don't even know her real name, but she was always at dinner with us smiling, drinking (only a little because she was the responsible one) and joking. She was a very nice lady. She was the first Korean person ever to feed me. At dinner, when I first arrived, she was so excited to meet me that she picked up her chopsticks and shoved a piece of pork in my mouth even before I was settled into my seat. Back then, I didn't know that was a sign of respect and welcome, but she didn't let much get in the way of her personality.<br />
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Tonight I take off my Hapkido uniform and put on my suit. I'll be going a funeral service instead of practice. I haven't been hit with a death of a current friend in quite sometime. I feel sorry for her husband and son. I hope that there is at least a little bit of truth, if not a lot, in Heaven and God; or at least something similar to it. I can't call what I have faith, but definitely hope. It would be nice. Deaths always make people feel lucky to be alive, and love the ones you love that much more. So to honor her, I will live, and live well. So please grab your loved ones and give them a big smooch and a hug. Horrible things happen everyday. Stay healthy, happy, and safe everyone.Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-41052694643718505552010-04-06T21:29:00.002+09:002022-09-10T05:30:40.217+09:00Re-start squared<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgATePVywkCx07uezsdXKySO006xyFInqWfAXHFr-SWwbj5bXR_gZAgwg-kgwfcTWHRT0u8DNalF49KNqhdr-W8GvW6tXdlGJetjUMrv8JAK9zKYlzouNTC4qXWowlELXd3o29yH9MPJBz/s1600-h/n178400885_30168436_1664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kyou3abmV04/S7srOWh12yI/AAAAAAA_tr3OdXx2fA/s320/n178400885_30168436_1664.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>My first year in Korea I was very heavily into Hapkido. I took classes every day and sometimes twice a day. They were free so why wouldn't I? I also competed a bit, and succeeded in placing in the national competition, which was very very sweet. But when I returned for my second year it wasn't in the same city as my first year, and therefore nowhere near my Hapkido gym. I went from being a black belt to a bum. No gym, no practice...I felt like I forgot everything I learned.<br />
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The great thing about this year is that I AM BACK IN MY ORIGINAL CITY! By bus, I live about 1hr and 15 minutes away from where my gym is, but that won't stop me from going at least once a week. My first time seeing my "Hapkido family," as they proudly call themselves (and so do I), was the weekend before last. My Kwan Jang Nim (Hapkido Master) welcomed me back with a party. In attendance was everyone I knew and hung out with from my first year. The only person who speaks English in that group is my co-worker from year 1, who made the original introduction, but my Kwan Jang Nim and have developed an understanding. Between his really broken English and my really broken Korean we can talk about almost anything, and have a pretty good understanding of each other. The welcome back party was about 10 people, a lot of alcohol and food, and our lovely end of the night tradition, KARAOKE! It was a great way to ease back into all of it. It was like I never left.<br />
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So this last Friday I finally was able to put on my uniform and tie my black belt up again. It's a lovely one with my name on it. But because of my absence I had to look on the internet for the proper way to tie it because I forgot. I hopped on the bus excitedly and awaiting my arrival in Chil-Gok. My return was supposed to be a secret but my Kwan Jang Nim couldn't help himself, he told everybody. I saw all the kids I practiced with, but now they were almost double their height. It was nice to see them grown up a little...although still absent were their English skills. There was so much I forgot, and I was expected to teach my old co-workers' new foreign teacher, who attended, some basics. Things I forgot: Even though I looked up the belt knot, I still put the name on the wrong side. When I took the belt off to fix it, I forgot to turn away from the flag. I forgot the order of the stretches, the balance warm-up, the breathing warm up, and how to get to the ground properly when kneeling to bow. I gave my Kwan Jang Nim a heads up I was rusty, so he just laughed at me and kicked me in the butt. After doing it once I remembered immediately.<br />
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After teaching the new guy the basics, which my K.J.N was grateful for (because he admitted to me he couldn't communicate with the guy), I warmed up my kicks and had a sort of kicking test. I was worried that I would embarrass myself with the rust being chipped off my legs, but guess what...I STILL GOT IT. I impressed myself and my K.J.N. Side kicks, hook kicks, back kicks, spinning back kicks, jump kicks, spinning back jump kicks, 360 kicks taking off, kicking, and landing with the same foot (more gymnastics than martial arts, but still pretty cool to see)....All came back out of muscle memory. I even heard my K.J.N gasp with a mixture of satisfaction AND disbelief. "Better now, no last time" he said. That is about as clear as it gets.<br />
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I am going back for 2 classes this Friday and then sticking around for the after party so to speak. I got my Friday night planned out. If you are still with me here, this post is called 're-start squared' for a reason. Besides Hapkido, I started going back to the gym too. Joined for the year, gonna get back in shape. Went today, used a trainer for the first time since it's free....Didn't like it. Maybe do my own thing next time. Watch out ABS here I come.Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-21464957179260771222010-04-05T16:11:00.000+09:002010-04-05T16:11:31.377+09:00FINALLYFINALLY 70 DEGREES AND SUNNY! It's been raining for what seems an eternity. 80% of the days I've been here it's been peeing from the sky. Now finally it's freaking nice outside and I can use my bike! <br />
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The previous bike I bought was not exactly what I wanted so I got it fixed up and I'm giving it to my 'sister' for her birthday. I bought this nice one from my fiancee's bass player and now I'm rocking it out lovely.<br />
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In other news, I got an extra class, and next month another one added on... I'm not too happy about it but I'm hoping this class adding stops. Today one of the 2 kids in my after school class had an attitude attack after I told her should couldn't eat in the classroom. First day, first problem. She tried to make me feel bad by crying, but I told her it wouldn't work and if she needed she could go to the office. She stopped and started participating. I'm getting good at this. <br />
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In my last 5 year old class during the 'stand up sit down' chant, one of the cuter girls in the class kept standing up when she was suppose to, but then ran over to me and buried her head in my lap and cracked up. I hesitated too long to correct her and sit her down because I was laughing and she was so happy. It was cute but it started a domino effect. About 10 of the 15 kids stood up and charged. All the while tripping on each other to race for the closest spot. At this moment, the Korean teacher wasn't in the room (which is not usual for this class), and it took me a good 5 minutes to get them to sit down and not charge me every time they stood up. Some kids are lucky they are adorable...Kinda like Flora, who thinks everything I do is the funniest thing in the world. She cracks up constantly, and then stops when she realizes nobody else is laughing except her Korean teacher and I. Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-20675430219064905792010-04-01T14:08:00.002+09:002022-09-10T05:26:28.151+09:00A Beastly BurdenThis happened 2 days ago but I was singing at a bar last night and too busy to write yesterday. <br />
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The lady in charge of my side of the school (a.k.a my boss-ish) called me out into the hallway by the front doors. She was standing with a parent and she doesn't speak any English, so I thought that she wanted me to talk to him. I said hello and was about to go for the hand shake, when she pointed to the doors. I looked over and was taken aback a little bit because, laying there comfortably, were 3 beasts. One was a HUGE Alaskan Malamute, the other a pretty big Golden Retriever, and the last was a completely white Bull Terrier puppy. Since I am the only man in the whole building, I assumed she wanted me to get rid of them. <br />
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I went to open the doors and they were locked. The ladies got so scared they locked the doors so the dogs couldn't get in. You need to know that the normal size of a dog in Korea is something similar to a notebook. All Yorkies, or uglies, or shities. I don't know, but I hate small dogs. I unlocked the doors and walked out. They stood up and kinda looked at me. The puppy tried to get in but he was met with a shove from my foot. They were friendly enough so I tried to get rid of them. I got them half way down the block and then went back to my school. They followed me back. I knew this wasn't going to be easy. <br />
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The two big ones had collars on, but no tags for their owners. All three were expensive pure bred (from what I could see )dogs so they had to be owned. By this time all the free teachers and students were gathered by the door watching me. I had a hell of an audience. There is a police station across the street so I grabbed the collars, and a frightened co-worker and made my way across to the station. The puppy didn't have a collar but she followed everywhere the big ones went. I got to the station and the police, the "public servants", basically refused to help. They turned us away and said they saw them running around the parking lot. <br />
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Honestly, in this country, the police are a big joke. If they didn't carry guns, I would take them negatively serious, if that is even possible. They don't do shit, ever. Once I saw them drag a passed out drunk guy across the street, only to lay him on a bench and walk away. How serious can you be if you walk down the street in a group, 2 by 2, while holding hands. I even rode my motorcycle around the country for 2 years without a license plate and never even got stopped once, while giving them plenty of opportunities. BUT, for some reason the only thing they care about is when you cross the street when you don't have a light. really? <br />
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Anyway back to the story. After they shooed us away I walked around with these two monsters a little more, holding their collars by the metal D ring with one finger. They were pulling and it was hurting, but if I let them go they would either run back to my school or get hit by a car. I knew there was an animal hospital close by but it was 10 minutes walk, and the dogs were getting tired of me dragging them around. I had class in about 10 minutes and I had to get back. I had no choice but to let them go and hope they would run home using that 6th sense everyone keeps talking about. I let them go, and because they were probably angry at me, they ran into the parking lot and out of view...Better than the street. I didn't see them again, but hopefully they got home safe. <br />
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I was regarded as a hero for the rest of the day. Definitely brownie points with my boss...ish. <br />
I wanted that Bull Terrier puppy so badly.Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8296306077606802774.post-4992067339215230732010-03-29T21:10:00.000+09:002010-03-29T21:10:20.875+09:00Table PinballI just went out to eat with my adopted Korean "sister" to a kim-bop place. For those of you who don't know, a kim-bop place is a smallish restaurant that you can order many different Korean dishes. It's usually small and cheap, but very tastey. The food is also ready with-in 10 minutes if not sooner. There was this little girl who was about the right age to be a level 1 student walking around the place. He parents didn't seem to care much because they didn't call her back once. It was unlucky for her that her head was the same height as the tables. Even more unlucky...she wasn't a very good walker. <br />
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I was at the table farthest from the door, and she started from 4 tables away, the closest to the door. SHE'S OFF, SMACK! into the first table with the left side of her head. And then as if she was flicked away by some invisible pinball flipper she smacked into the second table also head first, but this time the right side of her head made contact. Then, almost like there was no other possible way this could happen, left side of the head on the 3rd table, and then into my table to finish the round. She stood there next to me wondering what just happened. I almost shot a noodle out of my nose (it has happened before) I was laughing so hard. Without crying, she hurried back to her mother. Tough little girl...or soft tables? <br />
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Besides the pinball wizard, the meal was very satisfying.Cinder Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02595434489379351733noreply@blogger.com0