Robert James Russell

After a distastefully long absence from posting on my own blog (it’s my namesake!), I’m back with a vengeance, and I plan, from now on, to update much more frequently.  Pinky swear.

SAINT JAMES – So, I started a comic book publishing company in January of 2009 (Saint James Comics LLC) with my good friend Jesse Young.  Things have picked up tremendously since then, as well.  We currently have two comics printed and available for purchase, as well as a series of webcomics offered free on our site.   Check it all out right here: www.WhoisSaintJames.com.

AUSTRALIA! – No, not the movie.  I took a trip Down Under in September of 2009 with my good friend E. Kula and had a blast. Check out pictures on my Facebook page here.  PS -kangaroos are delicious.

WRITING – I am currently hard at work trying to get my novel, Impossible Monsters, noticed by a literary agent (or two).  It’s a long, annoying process that I’m only now beginning to really pour myself into (I should hire an assistant for this part).  The synopsis, via me:

The novel, set in 2005, deals primarily with the escapades of two characters: Richard, a twenty-five-year-old American graduate student, a handsome writer-in-training who constantly worries about his troubled long-distance relationship while trying to impress his professors and colleagues, and Anthony, a nineteen-year-old American student, an outsider amongst outsiders who numbs himself with narcotics while struggling to fit in anywhere, even in his own skin. The story alternates between both protagonists’ perspectives over a month’s time during the fall semester at the fictional Wellington Ayers University in England. A plethora of secondary characters take their own turns at narration, thereby giving unique and varying perspectives of Richard and Anthony outside of their own egos as reminiscent of Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying.

I’m also researching like mad for my next book, a revenge story set in the world of outlaw bikers. Seriously. Couldn’t make this stuff up. I’m debating if I should job shadow a real motorcycle club here in Detroit. Only if I bring my brass knuckles, I suppose.

Anyway, that’s it for now.  I plan on making this a regular thing, updating about my life, writing, comics, whatever, so stay tuned, true believer! (Please don’t sue me, Stan Lee.)

Just some pics of my everyday life.  Nothing too special.Oh, and here’s a video of one of my classes, to give you an idea of how things run there.  Usually, I’m lecturing to the kids and Mr. Jang takes a backseat.  This day, though, he was playing a game with the kids in Korean that I didn’t fully understand, and thus…took over for me.  Good times.

Ciao.

I finally got to go to a Korean baseball game last weekend.  I was feeling better, so Jeff and Andrew and I decided to go see the Incheon SK Wyverns play.  They were the Korean league champions last year.

Baseball’s crazy in this country.  There are only 8 teams and they play 100 games a year – so really, they just keep playing the same teams over and over.  I imagine that gets a bit boring.

Like most professional sports in Korea, though, there’s so much energy there.  Group chants, team colors, loud noises – they got it all.  Really, really great.  While some people at a baseball game in America might stand up and cheer, here they have routines they go through.  It’s really something special.

So, we splurged and got the expensive tickets – six dollars. And there are no assigned seats, which is cool, so you can basically sit anywhere. At first we headed over to the visitors’ side, where it was a bit empty, and managed to sit right by the third base. Very, very cool. Oh, and they had some mega-good hot dogs and cheap beer. Can’t go wrong.

Some pics:And a video:

Ciao.

Last Saturday, after a self-imposed, week-long exile to battle this evil Korean cold I’ve had, I decided to go check out some scenery in Seoul with my buddy Jeff.  The target in question: Gyeongbok Palace.

It’s a very beautiful, remarkable place…I think.  We got to the grounds a bit late and couldn’t get in, and on top of that my camera died after about five minutes of being there, so I don’t have much in the way of photos.  I do have some, just not much.

Anyway, it appeared to be pretty fantastic.  I’d like to go back, I think, when I have more time and access.  That being said, enjoy the snaps I managed to get in before the battery went kaput:

Ciao.

Last week, my good friend Michael and I decided to explore Incheon – specifically, parts of the city neither of us had seen yet.  We basically just walked around, got some lunch, saw some sights, etc.  It was relaxing and great.

Enjoy the pics.

Ciao.

As promised (forever ago), here are some shots of my neighborhood.  Just really wanted to give you all a feel for my life in  Korea on a daily basis – the things I see, the people I pass, etc. Yes, the streets in Korea have names, but ask most Koreans and they couldn’t tell you them. They basically maneuver/give directions based on landmarks. Crazy, crazy stuff.

Also, there are captions with each photo, so enjoy!

Ciao.

I love museums. Great, great times. But, well…I’ve been in Korea for two months and haven’t been to one yet. Been a bit lazy, I guess. Last weekend, my friend Mike and I finally decided to go to what we heard was one of the best: the War Memorial Museum.

Now, this place was cool and was far from just a Korean War museum. In fact, it basically detailed the entire history of Korea from way-back-when up until right now. Unfortunately, as I learned touring the mammoth place, Korea has had a pretty tumultuous history – location, location, location! Seriously, all about the location. They are perched directly between the powerhouses that are Japan and China, as well as being directly south of what was the USSR. And, as it turns out, all of these guys at one point laid waste to the tiny, mountainous country which, eventually, lead to the Korea War.

Now, I didn’t know much about the Korean War, as we Americans have a tendency to focus more on the Vietnam War, but this thing was bad. Very, very bad. I won’t go into details here, but if you want to know more, here’s a great link.

So, the museum was set up nicely, taking you from the start of Korean civilization (showcasing some great stone tools and such) up to the present with tons of miniatures and models (my favorite parts), as well as a cache of real-life jets and tanks and things sitting outside. There was also a special exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls touring (my main reason for wanting to go). This was really, really cool, but unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take any pictures of the ancient documents. I actually missed (by like a week) seeing the scrolls while in England, so it was good to finally see them – and worth it, in my opinion, for any history buff.

Anyway, here’s some pics. They’re pretty self-explanatory.And there was also this really cool “chamber” that was actually a giant monument to every fallen Korean soldier…ever. It’s really grand and artsy and operatic and boy, oh boy does your voice echo in there. Here’s a vid:

Ciao.

Okay, so it wasn’t a “fight to the death,” but I was invited by Mr. Jang (and his wife and two kids) to go to the Korea vs. Jordan 2010 World Cup Asian qualifying match this past weekend. Wow, that’s a mouthful. It was held at Seoul World Cup Stadium, built in 2002 for the…uh…World Cup, and this place is massive.

Now, I like soccer, although I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know much about it and I’ve never seen a game live (besides high school). I had no idea what to expect but, like a lot of European countries, Koreans have soccer fever, so I knew it was going to be big.

And I wasn’t disappointed. The energy was great. The place was packed (I guess it was supposed to be a big game). It ended up being a tie, but it was fun, nonetheless. I learned a ton of the Korean chants and songs they sing during the game and everyone was getting into it. Really, really cool experience.

Enjoy the pics and a few vids:Here’s some sort of mid-field, pre-game extravaganza (with Mr. Jang on the phone):

And here’s some stadium-style chanting:

Ciao.

Yeah, well, that title is about as clever as I’m capable of being today.  Deal with it.

Not much to report, I’m afraid.  Been sticking close to Incheon/Seoul area to save some money – although, there are plenty of things to do in both.  As you can see from the above photo, visiting a sticker booth with some friends (albeit an older picture) is one of many things you can do to pass the time in Korea.  Woot!

Taekwondo is going well and I think it’s something I’d like to continue for a long time.  I want to stick with it and get better, unless my long legs get longer and more awkward, at which point I’ll hang up my white belt for good.

School is great.  I love making lesson plans and being in charge of what the students learn.  Some of my friends teach at schools where they must teach out of books, which can stifle creativity.  I’m glad this isn’t the case with mine and it’s cool already seeing some of the students get better at speaking English.

I’ve also been studying the Korean language and I now have the consonants and vowels memorized, which is a big, first step.  I don’t want to slack on learning the language, as it’s everywhere and I feel as if I owe it to my host-country to speak their native tongue (not just a few phrases).  It’s polite, after all.

It’s still odd to me, being in Asia instead of the USA.  Not in a bad way, but back home I’d hear so much about things going on here, but was always separated by such a vast ocean and many thousands of miles that it was easy to put it out of my mind.  Actually being on this side of the world, living here and interacting with the people here, has made me really start listening a whole lot better.  I want to get involved.

And, if you aren’t aware, Asia’s had some bad cards dealt lately. Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar (Burma) hard earlier this month and left nearly 130,000 dead. The already impoverished country is running out of food and resources and with the hot summer months coming, there’s a new fear of dengue fever spreading quickly. Check out some articles here and here if you’re not caught up to speed.

If that wasn’t bad enough, China experienced a massive earthquake a few weeks back (registering 7.9) that left over 60,ooo dead and displaced another 5 million from their homes.

There’s also been a lot of issues with South Korea importing beef from America. Supposedly Koreans run a higher risk of contracting Mad Cow disease, based on the parts of the animal they eat regularly, so this has been an ongoing thing for the past month or so. You can check out more about it here.

I don’t trust most donation sites, seeing as scam-artists aplenty can swindle anyone into thinking they are legit and it can be hard to tell the difference, but Google sponsors some donation links that are easy to follow and you know it’s the real thing. Here you go:

Here’s a great link to a Google-sponsored donation site for those affected by the Myanmar cyclone. You have your choice of UNICEF and Direct Relief International. Everything will help.

And here’s another Google-sponsored site for the China earthquake victims (Mercy Corps and Tsinghua Foundation). Check it out, do what you can.

Anyway, just some food for thought (no pun intended, Korea), and I’ll be updating again later this week. Promise.

Ciao.

So, all you die-hard blog readers have heard me mention (on more than one occasion) a “Mr. Jang” – my liaison to the world of Korea.  Mr. Jang is my main co-teacher at Jakjeon High School and he’s basically, as he refers to himself, a Korean James Bond (or Macgyver – he’s used both references). He helped me get settled on all accounts when I first arrived, picking out my stellar apartment and getting my bank account in order, and he’s always quick to help me navigate through the cultural taboos/miscommunications that I unfortunately stumble across on an all-too-consistent basis. Basically he’s just a really cool guy and I’m glad to have him on my side. He’s a great teacher with great policies and we work well together.

Anyway, I finally have photographic evidence proving his existence!

This past weekend, Mr. Jang was kind enough to invite me to his home in Seoul.  I met his family (two sons – ages 6 and 10, and his wife) and he gave me a tour of his neighborhood.

(Mr. Jang at a park near his home. Don’t worry, it’s a cultural thing for Koreans to
not smile in pictures. He actually does like me.)

He then took me to a really cool little neighborhood called Silim so we could have a local delicacy – sundae (pronounced soon-day). The food is basically noodles and vegetables and pork. It originated as a poor man’s food, and the portions are, even for Korea, humongous. Mr. Jang ordered and I went to town on it. 

(The sundae before I began to eat. Mmm…right?)

It wasn’t until a friend translated later (via phone) that I found out I was actually eating blood sausage and tripe and pig liver and basically anything internal from an oinker. Before I ate, I specifically asked Mr. Jang what the “sausage-shaped” things were, and he replied “noodles.”  I said, “these are noodles?” and he tried to explain to me that they were bunches of noodles with spices cooked and chopped up, like sausage.  Wrong – it was blood sausuage.  Apparently there are noodles in , along with blood and whatnot, so he was half-right…I guess.  Ugh…

I won’t probably ever eat sundae again (my mind likes to play tricks on me like that), but hey, it was good at the time.  Yet another case of me needing to learn to not ask questions about what I’m eating. I need to stick to my rule: If it tastes good, keep my mouth shut and just chew.

I break this rule all too often, though. ::sigh::

(My look of glee shortly before discovering what it was I was eating.
This expression quickly turned into a disheartening frown.)

Next, Mr. Jang and I met up with some other teachers and we went…wait for it…drinking!  He introduced me to a Korean liquor called jook soon ju – which is bamboo-flavored soju.  It was delicious, tasting a bit like apple juice, and wow…did it go down easy.

I had a great time and it was really cool hanging out Mr. Jang like this, as I’ve only seen him outside of school a few times. He loves explaining Korean culture to me and I love learning about it, so it’s a great combo.

(Good times with the Jang-meister.  I swear he really does like me!)

I look forward to many more adventures with Mr. Jang.

Ciao.