Sometimes science is ridiculously complex for little kids, other times it's just drawing on a bit of paper.
The confusing part is the mysterious rotating of the image above.
Showing posts with label May. Show all posts
Showing posts with label May. Show all posts
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Happening
Stephanie and I went to a concert last month. This concert, to be precise.
To be brief, it was awesome. My knees and eardrums may never be the same again.
Getting to our seats was a pain and a half though. I understand we were there to ritualistically worship the man but draping his iconography over the signs telling you what section you are in does make things difficult.
I heard once, that in Asia the success of a celebrity is measured by how many products they shill. Judging by this PSY must be the second coming of the merchant god.
On another note, all the ushers were dressed to a T in very nice suits and ties. Swank. You can see one standing on a barrier shouting instructions above.
As you can see, our seats were pretty great. It's a shame they weren't built with insane bouncing and crazy dancing in mind. I whalloped my knees off the seats in front so many times that I may have permanently damaged myself. (Worth it)
The screens were great, particularly as they made brilliant use of them. They were covered in vibrant animations, different for each song. It was a real spectacle performance.
This was the first livestream concert I'd ever attended. This meant that the concert started fairly close to on time and there was no warm-up act.
Instead PSY started immediately and took breaks where special guests came out to perform. He performed a duet with Lee Hi.
His 'warm-up acts' appeared while he was taking a breather.
There was the hilariously dressed girl group 2NE1 (I believe they're on the same label) who we're pretty sure had their music turned up a hell of a lot louder than the headliner. They weren't bad and we could boogie away to it but the band themselves was trying a bit too hard.
It was a little funny though, one of the girls stripped out of her jacket and from the look she was wearing I think it was she was jealous that another girl was dressed sexier than her.
Later on G-Dragon came on and we sort of flipped out. (Not for the first or last time that night) I should feel ashamed but I honestly can't.
I do feel sorry for the poor koreans next to us - trapped beside crazy waygooks.
Once you were in, the staff were pretty lax about people moving about. Some people left their seats and stood at the barrier of their seating section instead. A granny came and sat on the steps beside us.
We ended up leaving during the first encore. We had been dancing for at least three hours straight and were basically exhausted. Plus he was gone deep into his rave music at that stage.
Anyway, the entire concert was to celebrate the international release of his new song. First, they premiered the video on the screens, then he performed it, as below.
It was a great show, and pretty funny too. He displayed a sign telling about his next performance involving magic tricks, pigeons and world peace but he claims Peta vetoed it so he had to make do with giant inflatable wings instead.
The energy of the entire concert was incrdible and the party never stopped. Psy also flew over the crowd and came pretty close to us peons in the crowd which was pretty cool. (and hilarious.)
Worth every penny.
The best part, in my vastly amused opinion, was when he dedicated his performance to all sorts individuals worth respecting..........and Beyonce. (At this point, Stephanie and I were going "Please, tell me he is" He was.)
Funnily enough, unlike everyone around us, we did know every word to this song.
Brilliant concert. C:
To be brief, it was awesome. My knees and eardrums may never be the same again.
Getting to our seats was a pain and a half though. I understand we were there to ritualistically worship the man but draping his iconography over the signs telling you what section you are in does make things difficult.
I heard once, that in Asia the success of a celebrity is measured by how many products they shill. Judging by this PSY must be the second coming of the merchant god.
On another note, all the ushers were dressed to a T in very nice suits and ties. Swank. You can see one standing on a barrier shouting instructions above.
As you can see, our seats were pretty great. It's a shame they weren't built with insane bouncing and crazy dancing in mind. I whalloped my knees off the seats in front so many times that I may have permanently damaged myself. (Worth it)
The screens were great, particularly as they made brilliant use of them. They were covered in vibrant animations, different for each song. It was a real spectacle performance.
This was the first livestream concert I'd ever attended. This meant that the concert started fairly close to on time and there was no warm-up act.
Instead PSY started immediately and took breaks where special guests came out to perform. He performed a duet with Lee Hi.
His 'warm-up acts' appeared while he was taking a breather.
There was the hilariously dressed girl group 2NE1 (I believe they're on the same label) who we're pretty sure had their music turned up a hell of a lot louder than the headliner. They weren't bad and we could boogie away to it but the band themselves was trying a bit too hard.
It was a little funny though, one of the girls stripped out of her jacket and from the look she was wearing I think it was she was jealous that another girl was dressed sexier than her.
Later on G-Dragon came on and we sort of flipped out. (Not for the first or last time that night) I should feel ashamed but I honestly can't.
I do feel sorry for the poor koreans next to us - trapped beside crazy waygooks.
Once you were in, the staff were pretty lax about people moving about. Some people left their seats and stood at the barrier of their seating section instead. A granny came and sat on the steps beside us.
We ended up leaving during the first encore. We had been dancing for at least three hours straight and were basically exhausted. Plus he was gone deep into his rave music at that stage.
Anyway, the entire concert was to celebrate the international release of his new song. First, they premiered the video on the screens, then he performed it, as below.
It was a great show, and pretty funny too. He displayed a sign telling about his next performance involving magic tricks, pigeons and world peace but he claims Peta vetoed it so he had to make do with giant inflatable wings instead.
The energy of the entire concert was incrdible and the party never stopped. Psy also flew over the crowd and came pretty close to us peons in the crowd which was pretty cool. (and hilarious.)
Worth every penny.
The best part, in my vastly amused opinion, was when he dedicated his performance to all sorts individuals worth respecting..........and Beyonce. (At this point, Stephanie and I were going "Please, tell me he is" He was.)
Funnily enough, unlike everyone around us, we did know every word to this song.
Brilliant concert. C:
The Birkin bag lady
Helen invited me along to see Miss Birkin sing french songs.
It was really enjoyable actually.
The only problem was that I understood a fraction of the songs so I kept getting distracted by trying to work out the rest of the song. I enjoyed it a lot more when I stopped doing that and simply listened to the singing.
It was a pretty nice concert. What really made it fantastically brilliant was the music. Jane Birkin is not a bad singer and she is singing songs here that are very suitable for her but the musicians were really incredible.
There was a violinist, a drummer and a pianist who turned out to be a top-notch composer and one of the leading producers of the show.
Also, the venue was quite pimp.
Fried Chicken
Fried chicken is delicious.
People like to sell beer at the same time, it's kind of a thing here.
By that I mean there's a place like this on every corner.
But I cannot fault this delicious, tasty logic.
We also seriously underestimated the portion sizes. (and we only ordered one serving of boneless chicken.) It was huge.
Nevertheless I soldiered on. Afterall, it was a rare opportunity.
People like to sell beer at the same time, it's kind of a thing here.
By that I mean there's a place like this on every corner.
But I cannot fault this delicious, tasty logic.
We did think we were getting chips/french fries though not fresh cooked crisps.
Not that I'm complaining in any way.
We also seriously underestimated the portion sizes. (and we only ordered one serving of boneless chicken.) It was huge.
Nevertheless I soldiered on. Afterall, it was a rare opportunity.
Monday, 20 May 2013
Copyright infringement gone horribly wrong
I recognise the characters these statues are supposed to represent but I'm far too busy being traumatised.
Hell, look at those expressions. Even the statues themselves know they are an affront.
Found these in a children's museum.
Hail our feline overlords
Do you know what time it is?
Well, almost.
Okay, close enough. It's cat time.
A cat cafe is similar in concept to a dog cafe but much better.
I believe they started in Japan along with many other odd things and are spreading quite quickly. I know there's one in Vienna at any rate.
To understand the experience it's best to picture it like this.
It was pretty cheap in actuality. We got a free drink since it was our first visit and we could stay as long as we liked so we bummed out there for a couple of hours.
You have to exchange your shoes for a pair of slippers and wash/disinfect your hands before entering.
One of the workers gives you a well illustrated (and laminated) sheet of the rules which are simple enough for any adult. (Children and adults who treat animals like toys might have issues though.)
You are not allowed to pick up the cats or wake them up. You can't bring in outside food and you must be quiet. The cafe was very relaxing in truth. It was a kind of fur therapy.
The cats are free to do as they please. It's not exactly a burden as they're much cleaner than dogs. (I observed several kitties taking bathroom breaks through a door labelled for their exclusive use beside the 'hyoomans' toilet)
The walls and ceiling are lined with climbing frames for cats to enjoy at their leisure. The window sills are good sizes for them to have sunshine naps although they also do that on the chairs, tables, the cash register and the shoulders of the staff.
You can buy snacks to feed them and the staff provide toys for them to play with. All the cats are healthy and happy and perfectly content to receive adoration from lesser beings.
This cafe had a particularly good variety of cats. They had several tabbies, longhaired persians, a sphynx, some scottish folds and a very cheeky siamese cat that I nearly took home with me.
Before we left one of the staff came over and dropped a kitten in my lap for good behaviour. Our departure was stalled for some time.
Well, that was chill but I'm out. Later, cats.
Okay, close enough. It's cat time.
A cat cafe is similar in concept to a dog cafe but much better.
I believe they started in Japan along with many other odd things and are spreading quite quickly. I know there's one in Vienna at any rate.
To understand the experience it's best to picture it like this.
So...pretty much how my mother thinks I'm going to end up living. (At least I will be surrounded by intelligent and fluffy critters albeit ones that watch and silently judge me.)
(Photo from Helen.) This cafe was in Hondae and if you have trouble finding it my advice is to look up or just keep an eye out for the poor sod in the Garfield suit. (In fact, most cat cafes in Korea seem to be advertised thusly. I hope no one has actually passed out while wearing those things although it does seem very likely.)
It was pretty cheap in actuality. We got a free drink since it was our first visit and we could stay as long as we liked so we bummed out there for a couple of hours.
You have to exchange your shoes for a pair of slippers and wash/disinfect your hands before entering.
One of the workers gives you a well illustrated (and laminated) sheet of the rules which are simple enough for any adult. (Children and adults who treat animals like toys might have issues though.)
You are not allowed to pick up the cats or wake them up. You can't bring in outside food and you must be quiet. The cafe was very relaxing in truth. It was a kind of fur therapy.
The cats are free to do as they please. It's not exactly a burden as they're much cleaner than dogs. (I observed several kitties taking bathroom breaks through a door labelled for their exclusive use beside the 'hyoomans' toilet)
The walls and ceiling are lined with climbing frames for cats to enjoy at their leisure. The window sills are good sizes for them to have sunshine naps although they also do that on the chairs, tables, the cash register and the shoulders of the staff.
You can buy snacks to feed them and the staff provide toys for them to play with. All the cats are healthy and happy and perfectly content to receive adoration from lesser beings.
This cafe had a particularly good variety of cats. They had several tabbies, longhaired persians, a sphynx, some scottish folds and a very cheeky siamese cat that I nearly took home with me.
Before we left one of the staff came over and dropped a kitten in my lap for good behaviour. Our departure was stalled for some time.
Well, that was chill but I'm out. Later, cats.
Sunday, 19 May 2013
Temple Stay - Geumsansa
I went with Adventure Korea on a templestay to Geumsansa temple.
(Ironically on St. Patrick's weekend. I am a disgrace to my national stereotype.)
It's not just for idle foreigners either. Temple stays are open to all.
The object is to experience regular temple life, retreat from modern life and all that sort of thing.
(Despite the rules, we didn't seem to forsake our cameras or phones. I didn't take pictures inside any of the temples because that is just gauche.)
Personally, I would say the trip is worth it just for the fresh air. Geumsansa is on the slopes of Moaksan in Jeollabuk-do.
Hillwalking and mountain-climbing is Korea's favourite pastime (The first being co-ordinating your outfit with the rest of your walking group.) so while we were there there was an endless stream of hiking groups making their way through. They seemed to use the temple a their starting point before climbing the mountain. (or simply going for a nature ramble.) It can be arranged to have your dinner in the temple refectory if you want.
This is fairly common. Historically speaking temples were banned from city limits so a great many were built in the countryside among the mountains.
Geumsansa is a large complex with several smaller temples and shrines within it. It's notable for containing many significant historical artifacts. (Officially designated national treasures. One of the reasons for our strict curfew.) I recall one of the group complained about the protective covering over one burial site because their photos would be 'much better' if it wasn't there. =.= It's not as it there was a giant bilingual sign explaining the cover and the value of the monument right beside it...oh wait, yes there was.
Everything is also decorated in a very colorful manner.
We met in Seoul and took a bus down to Geumsamsa. (Stopping at a truckstop that I found quite expansive.)
We were issued with nametags and a schedule for our weekend. The workers at the temple were great. I think they were volunteers and 'parishioners' (For lack of an appropriate term). They helped organise us and served as assistants to the monks.
The first thing they did was dispense our temple gear which was a nice mixture of comfortable and durable even if the velcro ended up leaving a red mark on me later on. (I did like the little fastenings at the leg.)
We expected to be put into a 'dorm' but it ended up that Helen and I shared a room instead with neat little dual sliding doors (The extra set was a mosquito net.) I also had my first experience with what I reasonably assume to be a yo, which is just like a futon in concept except Korean. It was more comfortable than we expected although another night may have made it less so.
Then we were taught the proper ways to sit and bow.
At the end of the weekend I had crippling pain in my legs (Taekwondo was fun the next day I can tell you that much.) and a firm conviction that before spiritual fulfilment Buddhism is going to give you strong leg muscles.
We were also instructed when and where to bow and places that we were not allowed to go. We had to bow to monks we met on our way and they laughed at us silly foreigners.
After that, by consulting our handy-dandy timetable, we made lotus lanterns. Which is simple but fiddly and messy at the same time. The problem that struck me is that someone had to pre-make all of the 'petals' we used to stick onto the wire and paper base lantern. Sounds like a mild exercise in insanity. (Also someone used all the red 'petals' lickety-split and earned the silent buried wrath of about thirty people.)
Then we were instructed to write a 'wish'. I struggled with this. I don't actually believe in wishes so I just wrote something vague in Irish since it was the weekend of March 17th.
We ate lunch in the refectory where the rule seemed to be that if the monks appear you get out the way bitch. Oh and eat everything you take. (Another reason that Buddhism is good for your health.) There is no meat because they're vegetarian which is why I could not live the lifestyle in any form.
We had the evening ceremonies, where I learned that the monks of this sect have rhythm and mad drumming skills. We all got a chance to ring the bell to hell before sitting through evening ceremonies and walking meditation.
We ended the evening with a Q&A with the monk which was very interesting. I learned that nowadays monks must go to university much like priests at home. Unfortunately there were several stupid questions. The monk had unending patience but his opinion on some questions were apparant on his face. (The look basically said 'Give me strength')
Nothing to top the 'Hitler -reincarnation' question Stephanie heard on her temple stay. But a fair amount of silly questions. This monk was a young man and still in university pursuing an advanced qualification. He told us he liked soccer and later someone asked "What do you wear when you play soccer?" I think he wanted to leave when they asked that in all po-faced seriousness. (For the record, the answer was a soccer uniform.)
It was interesting to hear their concept of spiritual punishment (Hell is horrible, yes but you serve your time and you're out.), reincarnation and how the temple functions in general.
There was a 'dawn ceremony' which we could have opted out of. I did. The tour guide gushed about it being part of the experience but I couldn't wake up enough (at 3:00) to go there without tripping, falling, going back to sleep and/or gravely insulting the monks and the temple.
Also I had to get up before seven to reach the meeting point in time, I hadn't slept all day and this was after about two hours sleep.
At the regular meeting time we had morning meditation. (Where I learned how unflexible I still am. I get phantom pains just thinking about it.) Afterwards was a traditional formal monastic meal. We learned the special way to unstack the bowls, fold the cloth covers and serving the food. There are special movements to indicate you have enough too. It is strictly forbidden to take anything that you will not eat so I had a small breakfast, not caring much for radish.
This included a special way to wash the dishes. If you do it right then your water should be mostly clean. It's then used in a special ceremony to slack the thirst of those suffering in hell.
Then came the communal work. ("Woo! Free labour." shout the monks.) One group whose dish water was not sufficiently clean had to wash dishes. Our group was sent to sweep up the yards of leaves.
Pro tip: Watch out for hibernating frogs. I nearly killed one. Oops. Not the kind of karma I needed.
Afterall those splintery brooms we went for a walk in the mountains which was very nice indeed.A brief respite before the arduous task before us. We had to make a necklace of prayer beads - 108 to be precise.
To put one bead on your necklace you need to perform one full bow. This involves a half bow at the waist, kneeling down, placing your hands flat on the mat, placing your forehead flat on the mat, reversing your hands before raising them up while you remain face down. Then you have to reverse all of these movements to get back up. That is exactly one bow (and worth one bead) and you must kneel down and get up in a special manner.
To sum up this part: "Oh god, my legs."
That was pretty much everything we did. I enjoyed it despite my lack of leg strength. It was definitely an interesting experience.
(Ironically on St. Patrick's weekend. I am a disgrace to my national stereotype.)
It's not just for idle foreigners either. Temple stays are open to all.
The object is to experience regular temple life, retreat from modern life and all that sort of thing.
(Despite the rules, we didn't seem to forsake our cameras or phones. I didn't take pictures inside any of the temples because that is just gauche.)
Personally, I would say the trip is worth it just for the fresh air. Geumsansa is on the slopes of Moaksan in Jeollabuk-do.
Hillwalking and mountain-climbing is Korea's favourite pastime (The first being co-ordinating your outfit with the rest of your walking group.) so while we were there there was an endless stream of hiking groups making their way through. They seemed to use the temple a their starting point before climbing the mountain. (or simply going for a nature ramble.) It can be arranged to have your dinner in the temple refectory if you want.
This is fairly common. Historically speaking temples were banned from city limits so a great many were built in the countryside among the mountains.
Geumsansa is a large complex with several smaller temples and shrines within it. It's notable for containing many significant historical artifacts. (Officially designated national treasures. One of the reasons for our strict curfew.) I recall one of the group complained about the protective covering over one burial site because their photos would be 'much better' if it wasn't there. =.= It's not as it there was a giant bilingual sign explaining the cover and the value of the monument right beside it...oh wait, yes there was.
Everything is also decorated in a very colorful manner.
We met in Seoul and took a bus down to Geumsamsa. (Stopping at a truckstop that I found quite expansive.)
We were issued with nametags and a schedule for our weekend. The workers at the temple were great. I think they were volunteers and 'parishioners' (For lack of an appropriate term). They helped organise us and served as assistants to the monks.
The first thing they did was dispense our temple gear which was a nice mixture of comfortable and durable even if the velcro ended up leaving a red mark on me later on. (I did like the little fastenings at the leg.)
We expected to be put into a 'dorm' but it ended up that Helen and I shared a room instead with neat little dual sliding doors (The extra set was a mosquito net.) I also had my first experience with what I reasonably assume to be a yo, which is just like a futon in concept except Korean. It was more comfortable than we expected although another night may have made it less so.
Then we were taught the proper ways to sit and bow.
At the end of the weekend I had crippling pain in my legs (Taekwondo was fun the next day I can tell you that much.) and a firm conviction that before spiritual fulfilment Buddhism is going to give you strong leg muscles.
We were also instructed when and where to bow and places that we were not allowed to go. We had to bow to monks we met on our way and they laughed at us silly foreigners.
After that, by consulting our handy-dandy timetable, we made lotus lanterns. Which is simple but fiddly and messy at the same time. The problem that struck me is that someone had to pre-make all of the 'petals' we used to stick onto the wire and paper base lantern. Sounds like a mild exercise in insanity. (Also someone used all the red 'petals' lickety-split and earned the silent buried wrath of about thirty people.)
Then we were instructed to write a 'wish'. I struggled with this. I don't actually believe in wishes so I just wrote something vague in Irish since it was the weekend of March 17th.
We ate lunch in the refectory where the rule seemed to be that if the monks appear you get out the way bitch. Oh and eat everything you take. (Another reason that Buddhism is good for your health.) There is no meat because they're vegetarian which is why I could not live the lifestyle in any form.
We had the evening ceremonies, where I learned that the monks of this sect have rhythm and mad drumming skills. We all got a chance to ring the bell to hell before sitting through evening ceremonies and walking meditation.
We ended the evening with a Q&A with the monk which was very interesting. I learned that nowadays monks must go to university much like priests at home. Unfortunately there were several stupid questions. The monk had unending patience but his opinion on some questions were apparant on his face. (The look basically said 'Give me strength')
Nothing to top the 'Hitler -reincarnation' question Stephanie heard on her temple stay. But a fair amount of silly questions. This monk was a young man and still in university pursuing an advanced qualification. He told us he liked soccer and later someone asked "What do you wear when you play soccer?" I think he wanted to leave when they asked that in all po-faced seriousness. (For the record, the answer was a soccer uniform.)
It was interesting to hear their concept of spiritual punishment (Hell is horrible, yes but you serve your time and you're out.), reincarnation and how the temple functions in general.
There was a 'dawn ceremony' which we could have opted out of. I did. The tour guide gushed about it being part of the experience but I couldn't wake up enough (at 3:00) to go there without tripping, falling, going back to sleep and/or gravely insulting the monks and the temple.
Also I had to get up before seven to reach the meeting point in time, I hadn't slept all day and this was after about two hours sleep.
At the regular meeting time we had morning meditation. (Where I learned how unflexible I still am. I get phantom pains just thinking about it.) Afterwards was a traditional formal monastic meal. We learned the special way to unstack the bowls, fold the cloth covers and serving the food. There are special movements to indicate you have enough too. It is strictly forbidden to take anything that you will not eat so I had a small breakfast, not caring much for radish.
This included a special way to wash the dishes. If you do it right then your water should be mostly clean. It's then used in a special ceremony to slack the thirst of those suffering in hell.
Then came the communal work. ("Woo! Free labour." shout the monks.) One group whose dish water was not sufficiently clean had to wash dishes. Our group was sent to sweep up the yards of leaves.
Pro tip: Watch out for hibernating frogs. I nearly killed one. Oops. Not the kind of karma I needed.
Afterall those splintery brooms we went for a walk in the mountains which was very nice indeed.A brief respite before the arduous task before us. We had to make a necklace of prayer beads - 108 to be precise.
To put one bead on your necklace you need to perform one full bow. This involves a half bow at the waist, kneeling down, placing your hands flat on the mat, placing your forehead flat on the mat, reversing your hands before raising them up while you remain face down. Then you have to reverse all of these movements to get back up. That is exactly one bow (and worth one bead) and you must kneel down and get up in a special manner.
To sum up this part: "Oh god, my legs."
That was pretty much everything we did. I enjoyed it despite my lack of leg strength. It was definitely an interesting experience.
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