bruce and i didn't want to risk bringing our own cameras. . . but this is a shot of the concert we saw from the nin website. we are a couple of lights somewhere on the left of reznor.
8.17.2009
wave goodbye
so a couple of weeks ago one of my friends asked me if i liked nine inch nails.
i started shaking a little bit. yeah, i like nine inch nails.
he said they were playing a concert in a couple of weeks in seoul and would i like to go.
yeah. . . hell yeah.
i’ve missed them any other time the opportunity arose. . . i’ve been busy, been broke. . . never got to see them and only heard from others about how amazing the shows are.
it was a festival, so the tickets were ridiculously priced. . . but bruce (the friend) and i started looking into it, and realized that they were planning on not touring much anymore. . . this may be their last tour for a while.
neither of us had seen them live, so we buckled down and forked over the cash.
during the few weeks in between bruce helped me get up to date on their albums. . . seems i was lacking a few. i do like them, but i really hadn’t listened to them much since college, when i listened almost non stop (downward spiral and pretty hate machine was so great to work to on late night work calls. . . or just on paperwork when i needed to stay awake). . . but that was 10 years ago. . . there has been a lot of music in the meantime.
now that i’ve listened to a bunch of it, i’m not sure how i survived without ‘the fragile’ in my life. i’m still catching up, and really enjoying getting back into them.
so saturday rolled around. i thought maybe a month ago that the hottest part of summer would be over by mid august. i was wrong. it wasn’t terribly humid- good news-. . . but it was the hottest day so far. at least that’s what my teaching partner told me today at work when i talked to her about the concert. maybe in the mid to high 90’s.
the numbers don’t matter at a certain point. . . all you need to know is. . . it was fuckity fucking hot.
sweat was pouring from my head. . .but i wasn’t alone. . . everyone there was soaked. it started at 11am. . . since we didn’t know the earlier bands, we decided to go a little later in the day. so we rolled in around 1:30pm. we got to walk through the olympic stadium on the way to the festival field. kinda cool.
the tunnels between the olympic stadium and the field were mobbed with people trying to stay out of the heat. everyone went there for cover in between sets. luckily cold drinks weren’t overpriced, like i remember in the US. and there was lots of little carts with water, beer, kimbap. . . etc. they even set up a couple of water spray areas where people could douse themselves with water whenever. smart. i walked through about 3 times. i don’t think my sunscreen stayed on long. . . luckily i didn’t burn too much.
limp bizkit went on before nine inch nails, which you may find surprising and odd if you know anything about their past feud. both bruce and i were worried that durst might say something stupid and insight sometime further. but we lucked out. . . both kept their mouths shut. we really were only checking out limp bizkit to see wes borland’s get up. he didn’t disappoint. painted black and red chest with a mexican ‘day of the dead’ type skull painted on his face, and a wild red and black mohawk.
we both expected to see some more foreigners- like maybe the army base would unload to see limp bizkit.- not so much i guess. there were a couple of guys who i pinned as limp bizkit fans before i even saw their fan shirts. later bruce and i saw them up on stage when fred durst brought a number of fans up- pretty cool. in between sets we saw them and asked how they felt. limp bizkit was their favorite band, they were over the moon about it. way amusing.
we took regular water/ beer breaks in the tunnel. . . but came out early to scope a spot for nine inch nails. we didn’t get all the way to the front, but it wouldn’t have been too hard. where we were we had a good view of the stage and the video screens.
two problems with festival concerts. . . sometimes the sun isn’t down when you’d really like it to be, and sometimes your favorite band doesn’t get to play their encore. it didn’t get dark till half way through nine inch nails’ set. . . and they didn’t get to play their encore, since a korean band was actually the headliner.
however, all that aside. i am in awe. bruce told me that live they really ramp up the guitar. i thought that it sounded amazing, and that it sounded fuller. . .it wasn’t till after i came home and started listening to a live album vs. a studio that i realized how different. man, i thought the studio albums were edgy. . . . the live stuff blows it away.
they played 18 songs:
1-somewhat damaged
2-terrible lies
3- heresy
4- march of the pigs
5- reptile
6- I’m afraid of americans (david bowie cover)
7- the becoming
8- burn
9- gave up
10- la mer
11- the fragile
12- non-entity
13- the downward spiral
14- wish
15- survivalism
16- the hand that feeds
17- head like a hole
18- hurt
reznor didn’t say much, in fact, he just walked up to the mike and started to sing which almost caught the crowd off guard. the whole band was amazing. . . . and all of them were pouring sweat. it was a little before the last song that reznor thanked the crowd and announced that that would be their last concert as nine inch nails in asia.
my heart sank. to finally get to see them live, and then find out it would be the last time most likely. then they played hurt. . . and i started crying enough to match the sweat pouring off me.
i really didn’t expect them to sound better live. . . i was blown away. now i’m a little depressed. but man, i was lucky to get it in.
the korean guy who i guess is really big here had a whole lot more pyro and bells and whistles going on. we really only stayed to see, if by some chance, nine inch nails would play an encore. no such luck. both of us really only missed hearing ‘closer’ and ‘starfucker’. . . other than that. . . i can’t complain. . . and even with that, i’m not complaining.
if they really are calling it quits, i’m sad to see them go. . .
i started shaking a little bit. yeah, i like nine inch nails.
he said they were playing a concert in a couple of weeks in seoul and would i like to go.
yeah. . . hell yeah.
i’ve missed them any other time the opportunity arose. . . i’ve been busy, been broke. . . never got to see them and only heard from others about how amazing the shows are.
it was a festival, so the tickets were ridiculously priced. . . but bruce (the friend) and i started looking into it, and realized that they were planning on not touring much anymore. . . this may be their last tour for a while.
neither of us had seen them live, so we buckled down and forked over the cash.
during the few weeks in between bruce helped me get up to date on their albums. . . seems i was lacking a few. i do like them, but i really hadn’t listened to them much since college, when i listened almost non stop (downward spiral and pretty hate machine was so great to work to on late night work calls. . . or just on paperwork when i needed to stay awake). . . but that was 10 years ago. . . there has been a lot of music in the meantime.
now that i’ve listened to a bunch of it, i’m not sure how i survived without ‘the fragile’ in my life. i’m still catching up, and really enjoying getting back into them.
so saturday rolled around. i thought maybe a month ago that the hottest part of summer would be over by mid august. i was wrong. it wasn’t terribly humid- good news-. . . but it was the hottest day so far. at least that’s what my teaching partner told me today at work when i talked to her about the concert. maybe in the mid to high 90’s.
the numbers don’t matter at a certain point. . . all you need to know is. . . it was fuckity fucking hot.
sweat was pouring from my head. . .but i wasn’t alone. . . everyone there was soaked. it started at 11am. . . since we didn’t know the earlier bands, we decided to go a little later in the day. so we rolled in around 1:30pm. we got to walk through the olympic stadium on the way to the festival field. kinda cool.
the tunnels between the olympic stadium and the field were mobbed with people trying to stay out of the heat. everyone went there for cover in between sets. luckily cold drinks weren’t overpriced, like i remember in the US. and there was lots of little carts with water, beer, kimbap. . . etc. they even set up a couple of water spray areas where people could douse themselves with water whenever. smart. i walked through about 3 times. i don’t think my sunscreen stayed on long. . . luckily i didn’t burn too much.
limp bizkit went on before nine inch nails, which you may find surprising and odd if you know anything about their past feud. both bruce and i were worried that durst might say something stupid and insight sometime further. but we lucked out. . . both kept their mouths shut. we really were only checking out limp bizkit to see wes borland’s get up. he didn’t disappoint. painted black and red chest with a mexican ‘day of the dead’ type skull painted on his face, and a wild red and black mohawk.
we both expected to see some more foreigners- like maybe the army base would unload to see limp bizkit.- not so much i guess. there were a couple of guys who i pinned as limp bizkit fans before i even saw their fan shirts. later bruce and i saw them up on stage when fred durst brought a number of fans up- pretty cool. in between sets we saw them and asked how they felt. limp bizkit was their favorite band, they were over the moon about it. way amusing.
we took regular water/ beer breaks in the tunnel. . . but came out early to scope a spot for nine inch nails. we didn’t get all the way to the front, but it wouldn’t have been too hard. where we were we had a good view of the stage and the video screens.
two problems with festival concerts. . . sometimes the sun isn’t down when you’d really like it to be, and sometimes your favorite band doesn’t get to play their encore. it didn’t get dark till half way through nine inch nails’ set. . . and they didn’t get to play their encore, since a korean band was actually the headliner.
however, all that aside. i am in awe. bruce told me that live they really ramp up the guitar. i thought that it sounded amazing, and that it sounded fuller. . .it wasn’t till after i came home and started listening to a live album vs. a studio that i realized how different. man, i thought the studio albums were edgy. . . . the live stuff blows it away.
they played 18 songs:
1-somewhat damaged
2-terrible lies
3- heresy
4- march of the pigs
5- reptile
6- I’m afraid of americans (david bowie cover)
7- the becoming
8- burn
9- gave up
10- la mer
11- the fragile
12- non-entity
13- the downward spiral
14- wish
15- survivalism
16- the hand that feeds
17- head like a hole
18- hurt
reznor didn’t say much, in fact, he just walked up to the mike and started to sing which almost caught the crowd off guard. the whole band was amazing. . . . and all of them were pouring sweat. it was a little before the last song that reznor thanked the crowd and announced that that would be their last concert as nine inch nails in asia.
my heart sank. to finally get to see them live, and then find out it would be the last time most likely. then they played hurt. . . and i started crying enough to match the sweat pouring off me.
i really didn’t expect them to sound better live. . . i was blown away. now i’m a little depressed. but man, i was lucky to get it in.
the korean guy who i guess is really big here had a whole lot more pyro and bells and whistles going on. we really only stayed to see, if by some chance, nine inch nails would play an encore. no such luck. both of us really only missed hearing ‘closer’ and ‘starfucker’. . . other than that. . . i can’t complain. . . and even with that, i’m not complaining.
if they really are calling it quits, i’m sad to see them go. . .
8.01.2009
7.31.vaca.1
so we hung out in hongdae last night.
i've been reluctant to leave my AC cooled apartment with this heat. . . but an ice bar sounded promising.
oh. . . it was nice. it's something every town should have.
it would've been nice if there was a little more to do, but we were soon entertained by a group of korean college students who came in and started to play a form of strip rock/ scissors/ paper. first they lost the parka, then the shoes, then the socks. . .
7.31.vaca.3
i didn't get to see the rodin sculptures the other day. . . so i guess this will do for now.
7.31.vaca.5
i'm enjoying the drink. . . and the cold.
i would've liked to have kept the parka as well.
7.31.vaca.6
there's always something about an interesting bathroom.
this is at castle praha, a prague inspired restaurant and microbrew.
nifty looking. . . but not my fav as far as functionality goes.
7.31.vaca.7
looking up the stairs of castle praha. i had no idea from the churchy/ castley exterior that this place was so huge. two basements. . . a couple of floors up. . . very cool place to grab a bite and a drink.
7.30.2009
7.29.vaca.1
i tried to get to a gallery of rodin sculptures at seoul plaza. . . but the gallery was closed for some special cleaning.
i headed to a palace but just missed a tour, so i walked up the street to this, the korean museum of buddhist art. i was the only one there. the caretaker turned on the lights for me.
i was expecting something closer to some tibetan sand mandalas. . . but this was mostly statuary. not my favorite, but honestly i couldn't have been happier at the moment. it was cool, and quiet.
7.29.vaca.3
i caught an afternoon tour of the changdeokgung palace.
there were maybe 50 people in the tour. . . everyone of us soaked from sweating and fanning ourselves with whatever we could get our hands on.
the changdeokgung palace is a unesco heritage site. sounds like there are quite a few in south korea. i might have to try to visit a handful. :)
the main palace and courtyard of changdeokgung.
(ps, this place was huge. . . i wish my shots showed a little more of the scope. . . )
7.29.vaca.5
each time we walked by another building, i felt a cool rush of air from inside.
guess they might have done ok without ac back in the day.
7.29.vaca.6
a nice break. walking through the shaded cooler area on our way to the secret garden.
i don't know what the context was. . . but i did hear a woman with a proper southern drawl explain to the person next to her,
"I have seen the Last Emperor."
7.29.vaca.7
inside the secret garden is where you would find me if i lived in this palace.
really quiet, much cooler than the rest of the palace. . . and really beautiful surroundings.
apparently this area was mostly used as a retreat (from the palace which is a five minute walk away?- and on the same grounds) and an area of study.
7.29.vaca.9
inside the gates of longevity is a pond and pavilion area dedicated to the love of the lotus flower.
7.29.vaca.10
a shot from the male side of the servants quarters. much more modest than the palace area. . . not nearly as colorful. pretty much the end of the tour.
after the refreshing train ride home i met up with camille, kirsty, our boss, shon, and the new teacher jessica, for dinner.
jessica was pretty tired and turned in early, understandably. we stayed outside drinking and chatting. shon called a buddy of his to share in the festivities, a guy that owns a nearby restaurant. . . and what do you think would happen as the night got later?
yep, we all ended up at noraebong. singing the night away.
7.28.vaca.1
the US plaque inside the two brothers statue at the war memorial.
we spent much of the after noon here. there was one exhibit that i really hoped to see. it was a gray day and the exhibit's brilliance relies heavily on sunlight. . . so it wasn't working. it's a pool of water with a stream of sunlight striking it and hitting a crystal that lights up the pool.
i might have to go back on a sunny (but not so hot) day to check it out.
there was some really interesting statues and monuments around the outside. . . and a military vehicle graveyard of sorts. the inside was mostly video, dioramas, and more small monuments.
7.28.vaca.3
the two brothers statue and 'tomb' at the war memorial. the two brothers representing north and south korean soldiers.
7.28.vaca.9
the war memorial is located across the street from the air force base. . . seeing all the military personnel made this vehicle graveyard a little creepier.
7.28.vaca.11
a memorial to the UN troops that aided. it's called the teardrop and is made from the dog tags of the fallen soldiers.
i was impressed at how much space was given to thanking and remembering all the foreign troops that helped south korea.
7.28.vaca.13
so after all that intriguing artwork outside, and some interesting stuff inside. . . there were a couple of things that bugged us about the war memorial.
A- a laser guided pretend shooting range right next to the 'pistols through history' exhibit.
B- the inflatable playground for kids on the right side of the first floor. . . because when i think war memorial. . . i think bright colors and playtime?!
i might be mistaken, but it seems like they have a different relationship with war than i am used to.
7.27.vaca.1
my vacation plans of hanging out with swon kinda fell through, no thanks to the president who decided to unveil a new helicopter a week earlier than anticipated. . . necessitating hours and hours of meetings to plan the event. . . hope she's having fun in the south with all that.
with no swon, i'm hanging out with a co-worker and her friend that flew in for a vacation from new zealand.
looking forward to a week of some touristy type outtings. . . but it's really hot. . . errr.
saturday night we were in itaewon for dinner. . .and while we were there, why not hang in for a midnight showing of the rugby match between new zealand and south africa?
sunday was all about insa-dong.
here's where we had delicious hand made noodles for lunch.
7.27.vaca.2
i'm so glad it's too difficult for me to carry these home. i would have a hard time not buying up the store. though the woman who makes them says she'll ship worldwide. . . and made the right electrical connectors for whatever country. . .
mom, dad. . . want a really cute paper lantern?
7.27.vaca.7
how to end a long day of walking and shopping through insa-dong?
how about harry potter at the CGV in yongsan? oh, yeah, and some crepes for the movies. she's making my chocolate and almond one here in this pic.
character.conv.1
my first official full day of vacation. i met up with my partner teacher and she took me to a character convention at COEX. (massive shopping mall/ convention center- i think there was an aquarium as well. . . and i saw a bon marche!)
anyway
hazel used to work for this animation company in seoul that created pucca. visiting the pucca booth at the character convention was a little reunion for her. we walked around to look at all the other booths a bit, and then came back for the pucca fashion show.
i scored some sweet swag as well- a 2G pucca flash drive. . . whoo hoo.
after the convention i met with camille and her friend, kirsty, in itaewon for dinner and drinks.
character.conv.7
lots of fuzzy dolls, inflatable playgrounds, bright colors, and twinkling music around.
character.conv.8
i only took a picture of this because it completely reminds me of one of my students.
7.23.work.dinner.1
thursday evening, with the arrival of a former teacher, the brighton staff headed out for some gobi dinner.
7.23.work.dinner.3
so a peruvian band started playing down the mall a bit. i guess we will be protected from the giant gerbils. . . . however, i was wondering why a peruvian band was wearing a typically north american native head-dress?
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