I'm good people.
Every time you see the word "good" in this post, you need to read it like, "goood." You need to say it like the old-time surfer that looks at a glassy surface of ocean with a few decent waves coming in on a mellow dawn session at his local beach and says, "Dude, today is gonna be goood."
You need to read it and say it your head with a guttural, from the stomach, vibe driven and endless horizon in sight, "good."
Understand? Cool.
Well, life is good.
I have been in Seoul for six months now and it is really turning into a beautiful place for me. As the cherry blossoms bloomed last week, so did my realization that this move was totally the right one.
My job: Gooood.
My friends: Goooood.
My Little Lady: Gooood.
My money: Goooood.
Everything is good my friends.
Liz and I are in a really good place right now. We have joined a church out here, and I must say, it's simply a place of love, filled with really gracious people. It's been remarkably positive and has really allowed me direction in life. For the first time, I don't feel like a lofty idealized writer wondering what big break I can hope for.
No people, I'm good. And that is all that matters right now.
I just wanted to say thank you to all of the friends and family that send love. It's really needed and appreciated.
My blogging will pick up, don't worry, but all in good time.
...get Lost my friends.
4.23.2011
3.22.2011
The Elder Trash Talk
So I'm walking down the street and this guy yells at me. It's a out of the corner of my ear and I turn to get the full version.
"What?" I ask in English.
"Why you no shave it?" an elderly Korean man grumbles back.
"What?" I repeat, somewhat sharply.
He then proceeds to make a shaving motion with his hand on his face.
I chuckled. "Ehh, it's cold outside."
As I turned to continue my walk I realized this moment will forever standout in my beard bearing life. I've had the thing, on and off, since I was 17. I have plenty of stories about it's positives and negatives and this one my friends, is both.
He heckled me for one, and two, he looked terribly disappointed when I answered his question. I could practically hear him calling me dirty western hippie under his breath as he walked away in disgust.
Buuuut, I could also hear myself telling a story about the time got heckled in Korea for having a beard. And that makes me smile. A big, bushy, burly and untamed smile.
{Susan and me eating mandoo. I picked this photo because it looks like we are staring the guy down. Unfortunately, Susan was not there to stick up for me. This pic was taken about three weeks prior to the beard heckle.}
...get Lost my friends.
"What?" I ask in English.
"Why you no shave it?" an elderly Korean man grumbles back.
"What?" I repeat, somewhat sharply.
He then proceeds to make a shaving motion with his hand on his face.
I chuckled. "Ehh, it's cold outside."
As I turned to continue my walk I realized this moment will forever standout in my beard bearing life. I've had the thing, on and off, since I was 17. I have plenty of stories about it's positives and negatives and this one my friends, is both.
He heckled me for one, and two, he looked terribly disappointed when I answered his question. I could practically hear him calling me dirty western hippie under his breath as he walked away in disgust.
Buuuut, I could also hear myself telling a story about the time got heckled in Korea for having a beard. And that makes me smile. A big, bushy, burly and untamed smile.
{Susan and me eating mandoo. I picked this photo because it looks like we are staring the guy down. Unfortunately, Susan was not there to stick up for me. This pic was taken about three weeks prior to the beard heckle.}...get Lost my friends.
3.08.2011
Costco to Flee Market
A few Saturdays ago Liz and I ventured across Seoul and landed at Costco, then at a flee market. This type of endeavor happens often with us. I am fortunate to be paired up with a mover in life. Liz gets the shakes if inside when the sun is up and the day of the week starts with an 'S'.
I shot this footage with my Lumix GF1 in a very innovative style. I'm something of a pioneer on vimeo. If you look at other videos, they are shot with nice lighting, good angles, smooth transition moments and a general understanding of what pleases the eye.
Ha!...I went a different direction.
I'm using, and again this is my invention, the shaky-handed-frequent-focus-turn-the-camera-for-no-reason-mode. It's wildly entertaining.
The music's good though.
...get Lost my friends.
I shot this footage with my Lumix GF1 in a very innovative style. I'm something of a pioneer on vimeo. If you look at other videos, they are shot with nice lighting, good angles, smooth transition moments and a general understanding of what pleases the eye.
Ha!...I went a different direction.
I'm using, and again this is my invention, the shaky-handed-frequent-focus-turn-the-camera-for-no-reason-mode. It's wildly entertaining.
Untitled from Mark Ratto on Vimeo.
The music's good though.
...get Lost my friends.
3.05.2011
The Stand-off
Everyday I walk home from work and observe. I live in a very dense, old and family oriented part of Seoul which means people of all ages are constantly shuffling through and along the streets and alley ways.
But the most entertaining shufflers are the old guys.
Old guys in Korea are called "a-ja-shees". Considering respect in Korea is given to people older than you, some of these old guys experience nothing but respectful gestures all day because they are the oldest guys around.
But what happens when one old guy confronts another old guy? In my neighborhood, it turns into a good 'ol Mexican standoff.
A few weeks ago on my walk home I notice an ajashee ahead of me walking his bike. He was moving very slowly but with dignity. The kind of dignity that says, "I'm walking slowly because the place I need to be, can wait." However, not in front of him was another ajashee pulling a cart with some recyclables he must have picked up for some extra money.
Both of them were on the same side of the street, both walking fairly slowly and both looking about 86-years-old, or higher.
As I walked I noticed neither was making any move to avert the oncoming old guy. Both stayed the course. And both, with dead set sincerity, were looking the other one directly in the eye. They were headed on a collision course.
(Cart ajashee) (bike ajashee)
---------------> <-----------------
I slowed my walk. I wanted to see this. At ten feet apart, I thought for sure the bike guy would move. No move. At five feet apart I figured, without a doubt, the cart guy would at least pause. No pause.
I was almost caught up with them when they literally bumped into each other and stopped they're forward progress. A yelling match ensued. They're walks were morbidly slow, but the insults flew fast. I am not fluent in Korean, but my best guess at a translation goes as follows:
"Hey, you, get out of my way!"
"Your way? I've lived here for 50 YEARS!"
"Well, I'm older, so move."
"Ooohh no, I'm older. Get out of the way."
"You fool, look at my wrinkles, I have more."
"Don't be an idiot cart puller, my wrinkles are deeper."
"OK, what year were you born? I was born in '21."
"Ha! I was born in '19!"
And that is all it took.
When I passed them they were in full confrontation mode. But once I passed, I looked back and saw the gracious loser. The cart ajashee made the move around the oncoming elder. He even looked back with a smile and a wave.
This story made me laugh but also put many parts of this culture into perspective. It's all about respect and learning when or who to give it to or when and how to receive it graciously.
Cool, huh?
...get Lost my friends.
But the most entertaining shufflers are the old guys.
Old guys in Korea are called "a-ja-shees". Considering respect in Korea is given to people older than you, some of these old guys experience nothing but respectful gestures all day because they are the oldest guys around.
But what happens when one old guy confronts another old guy? In my neighborhood, it turns into a good 'ol Mexican standoff.
A few weeks ago on my walk home I notice an ajashee ahead of me walking his bike. He was moving very slowly but with dignity. The kind of dignity that says, "I'm walking slowly because the place I need to be, can wait." However, not in front of him was another ajashee pulling a cart with some recyclables he must have picked up for some extra money.
Both of them were on the same side of the street, both walking fairly slowly and both looking about 86-years-old, or higher.
As I walked I noticed neither was making any move to avert the oncoming old guy. Both stayed the course. And both, with dead set sincerity, were looking the other one directly in the eye. They were headed on a collision course.
(Cart ajashee) (bike ajashee)
---------------> <-----------------
I slowed my walk. I wanted to see this. At ten feet apart, I thought for sure the bike guy would move. No move. At five feet apart I figured, without a doubt, the cart guy would at least pause. No pause.
I was almost caught up with them when they literally bumped into each other and stopped they're forward progress. A yelling match ensued. They're walks were morbidly slow, but the insults flew fast. I am not fluent in Korean, but my best guess at a translation goes as follows:
"Hey, you, get out of my way!"
"Your way? I've lived here for 50 YEARS!"
"Well, I'm older, so move."
"Ooohh no, I'm older. Get out of the way."
"You fool, look at my wrinkles, I have more."
"Don't be an idiot cart puller, my wrinkles are deeper."
"OK, what year were you born? I was born in '21."
"Ha! I was born in '19!"
And that is all it took.
When I passed them they were in full confrontation mode. But once I passed, I looked back and saw the gracious loser. The cart ajashee made the move around the oncoming elder. He even looked back with a smile and a wave.
This story made me laugh but also put many parts of this culture into perspective. It's all about respect and learning when or who to give it to or when and how to receive it graciously.
Cool, huh?
...get Lost my friends.
2.26.2011
First Video
I have never really wanted this blog to be about me teaching English in Korea. The aim was always to give a little humor about whatever I was experiencing as I live, eat, breath--and--teach English in Korea. Well, I can't help writing about these kids. They're awesome.
I made my first video with my new Lumix cam and I am really excited about the quality I get with this thing. Thank you again my lovely family and friends that pitched in for the camera on my birthday two weeks ago.
...get Lost my friends.
I made my first video with my new Lumix cam and I am really excited about the quality I get with this thing. Thank you again my lovely family and friends that pitched in for the camera on my birthday two weeks ago.
Untitled from Mark Ratto on Vimeo.
...get Lost my friends.
2.25.2011
Cards From Koreans--In English
I'm a kindergarten teacher. And I really like it.
These kids are rad.
...get Lost my friends.
These kids are rad.
...get Lost my friends.
2.16.2011
Birthday Camera
My birthday came and went this past Saturday. I'm now 24-years-old but if you tack on the beard years, I can pass for 32. I'm cool with both.
Leading up to my birthday, I did not expect much gift wise. My only loved-one in Korea is my girlfriend Liz and even though she spends her nights on the radio, she has yet land a Laura Schlessinger type of pay check. She told me we were going to a really nice pizza place for dinner and then maybe some drinks after. Anything pizza related makes me giddy and I assumed she would give me a small gift, so I was set. To be honest, I anticipated a $40 hat from the "30's Italian gangsta era" we had seen a week earlier.
Well, what she got me just slightly surpassed my tacky expectations.
I opened a package on Saturday morning that will change my experience here in Seoul. Liz, with the help of my incredible family and friends (thank you guys so much), bought the perfect Digital SLR camera. The Lumix GF1. And trust me, it is a lot more expensive than that stupid hat.
I'm no photographer, but I hate bad pictures. This camera was something I started saving for 4 months ago. And now, I've got it.
The best presents are the one's you use on a daily basis. This present will make my daily basis look awesome. Here are a few.
{Happy B-Day toast.}
{This Korean dude can make pizza straight from my days in Rome.}
{New kicks. 25 bucks...Living close to China has it's perks.}
{Doesn't she have beautiful eyes?}
{As you most likely guessed, I am singing "We are the Champions" at the Karaoke joint.}
I need to thank my family once again. Without them this experience would feel much emptier than it has. If you have not spoken to your family in awhile, I highly suggest a group Skype session. They make the world feel right.
I love you guys.
...get Lost my friends.
Leading up to my birthday, I did not expect much gift wise. My only loved-one in Korea is my girlfriend Liz and even though she spends her nights on the radio, she has yet land a Laura Schlessinger type of pay check. She told me we were going to a really nice pizza place for dinner and then maybe some drinks after. Anything pizza related makes me giddy and I assumed she would give me a small gift, so I was set. To be honest, I anticipated a $40 hat from the "30's Italian gangsta era" we had seen a week earlier.
Well, what she got me just slightly surpassed my tacky expectations.
I opened a package on Saturday morning that will change my experience here in Seoul. Liz, with the help of my incredible family and friends (thank you guys so much), bought the perfect Digital SLR camera. The Lumix GF1. And trust me, it is a lot more expensive than that stupid hat.
I'm no photographer, but I hate bad pictures. This camera was something I started saving for 4 months ago. And now, I've got it.
The best presents are the one's you use on a daily basis. This present will make my daily basis look awesome. Here are a few.
{Happy B-Day toast.}
{This Korean dude can make pizza straight from my days in Rome.}
{New kicks. 25 bucks...Living close to China has it's perks.}
{Doesn't she have beautiful eyes?}
{As you most likely guessed, I am singing "We are the Champions" at the Karaoke joint.}I need to thank my family once again. Without them this experience would feel much emptier than it has. If you have not spoken to your family in awhile, I highly suggest a group Skype session. They make the world feel right.
I love you guys.
...get Lost my friends.
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