Friday, February 29, 2008

The Sex And The City Movie Preview....Yeahhhhhhhh!

I heard about it from PopSugar.

Ohmygod! I'm so excited! (Yes, I do sound like that in real life.)

My fear is censors will hack it to bits here in Korea (but maybe they won't...we'll see.) The show is on late at night here, but since I have all the episodes I don't bother to watch it on TV.






Also, here is a nice blog about it from Jezebel: OMG! It's The Sex And The City Movie Trailer!

However, I'm really disappointed in this from the Jezebel blog - Because female genital mutilation is funny (how disappointing)

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Only In Korea 2: When Nature Calls

Maybe in Korea I just have a trustworthy face.

If you remember a few weeks ago I was on my way to work. I took a taxi from a nearby bus stop to my job and the taxi driver left me in the car while he jumped out to buy cigarettes.

Well, that happened again yesterday. However, this time it was while I was on the maul bus, the mini or neighborhood bus. We were at a stop. The bus driver looked back. It was me and one other woman on the bus. I guess we looked safe. He opened the door and ran into a building.


I figure it was probably to go to the restroom, but the terminus of this bus' route is at the Grand Hyatt hotel and that was maybe 10 to 15 minutes away. However, I guess when you gotta go, you gotta go.


This is actually quite funny because when I was in L.A. I had a SuperShuttle driver that just refused to believe that I'd paid for my reservation in advance in NYC via computer. He was an idiot and new. Good I had a cell phone and the sense to just call their main office; driver boy was just ready to argue with me about it. To their credit, SuperShuttle gave me a refund for the inconvenience of having to bicker with their driver at around 1am after a red-eye flight.

Clearly, I've got a trustworthy face in Korea, but in L.A. I take airport shuttles to cheat companies out of a $16.00 shuttle ride.

It's just another funny driver moment.

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Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Modern "Ping Pong" Diplomacy?


Well, it's come and gone. The New York Philharmonic has been in North Korea for one day and they performed tonight in Pyongyang.

According to reports, the melody that got the most applause was, not surprising, the Korean folk song called Arirang.

Hangul

아리랑, 아리랑, 아라리요...
아리랑 고개로 넘어간다.
나를 버리고 가시는 님은
십리도 못가서 발병난다.

Romanization

Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo...
Arirang gogaero neomeoganda.
Nareul beorigo gasineun nimeun
Simnido motgaseo balbyeongnanda.

English
(check the comments below for a correction of this translation. Thanks 제니퍼)

Walking over the peak at Arirang
you left me behind.
You will be tired before you reach one mile.

Walking over the peak at Arirang
the sorrows in my heart
are as many as the stars in the sky.

Here is a midi file of the Arirang song.

Here is a link to I don't know how many Arirang .mp3 files. Pick a version and learn the song.

Mike's explanation of the song is a very good and nicely succinct one (there are also some great links on his page):
Arirang is a very old, traditional song from Korea. The people of Korea hold this song close to their sense of national pride and even would like it to be the national anthem of Korea once the reunification of the country has occurred. There are many variations of the song but the one that is here is simply known as Arirang. The Translation of the name is the English equivalent to "la-la-la." This might seem strange to some, but this melancholy piece is well suited to it. The rough translation of the text of the song talks about a scorned lover. This lover is not ready to let go and tells of the heart ache that is felt. This song truly speaks tales just through its simple melody line.

This could be used to learn about another culture. It also gives students a chance to use another language in an authentic context.

The song is also pentatonic. Students could examine the five intervals and explore another tonal system.
For what it's worth, there will be a multi-country rally, the Gumball 3000, attended by the rich and famous which will head many destinations including Pyongyang this summer.

So it seems North Korea is trying to open up, at least to tourists with money.

We'll see how far this goes into other areas. Currently, North Korea and the US is in a game of chicken as to who will blink first regarding the Yongbyon nuclear plant issue.

Maybe it's the start of some modern "ping pong" diplomacy. Considering that ping pong diplomacy led to a thawing of relations between China and the US, maybe there is hope for orchestras and auto rallies consisting of the very rich rolling through Pyongyang.

Considering the dearth of diplomacy with North Korea during the Bush era, I'll take it.

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Podcast with the Metropoltician: Korean Wave Ebbing

A bird's eye view of Hallyu-wood (thank God that lame-brained plan was scrapped).

I'm finally recovering from the worst jet lag ever.

I think it has a lot to do with the crazy travel schedule I had.

Basically, I went from Seoul, to L.A., to Miami, to the Bahamas, to NYC, back to L.A. and then up to San Francisco in three weeks. I adjusted to the time zone in California just fine and spent most of my time there, but, for some reason, adjusting back has been just brutal. I think this is the first day where I've not napped.

However, beyond that I've not gotten much done.

In the useless cycle of web surfing that I was doing I did notice that I'm on another podcast over at the Metropolitician's blog and I didn't link it here.

Here it is. This one is about the Korean Wave and how it's ebbing.

There are many reasons for it and I lack the skill to be meaningful, understandable, or well-spoken on the issue right now.

All I want to do is nap, but I think the jet lagged excuse can only last for a week or so, so I've got to just get over it.

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Monday, February 25, 2008

The Korea Herald: Regina Walton's Expat Interviews - Duerden delivers goods for KOTRA


Regina Walton's Expat Interviews - Duerden delivers goods for KOTRA

Anyone who lives in South Korea knows that this country is seriously trying to attract foreign investment. And with foreign investment come the foreigners who live in Korea to do business and invest in the economy here.

For Korea, that means making the country an attractive place for foreigners and their families to live. The Korea Trade-Investment Agency has a website called Invest Korea Online and it also publishes the Invest Korea Journal.

The man behind this is Charles A. Duerden, the public relations director for KOTRA. Like the foreigners Korea wants to attract, Charles is someone who is not only living and working in South Korea but is also raising a young family here.

Duerden is Canadian and has lived in here since 1996. "I was curious to see this phenomenon called Korea, which seemed to be at the center of a new emerging world in Northeast Asia," said Duerden.

"I was very excited about seeing Asia -- I had a close friend at a newspaper in Montreal who was in love with the idea of teaching English in Korea ... and he became a senior professor at Seoul National University."

He started as an English teacher in Busan. But before Duerden came to Korea, he was working at a newspaper in Montreal. He chose to stay with his job in Montreal while his friends went forward with their Asia plans. At the time, Duerden's daughter from a previous marriage was a fashion model and she regularly got assignments in Japan. He saw teaching in Asia as a way to learn about the culture his daughter frequently worked in.

Due to restructuring at the newspaper he worked for, he chose to take action in late 1996. He moved to Busan to teach English in December 1996. In January 1997, his wife, Elizabeth, who is French, joined him. Initially, he saw coming to Korea as a "working holiday" and had plans to teach in Korea for only one year.

Duerden said he was initially most impressed by the level of development. "The intensity of life and development in June 1997 struck me. I felt enormously privileged to be there to see this," he said.

"Busan is very heavily built up; ships laden with containers left Busan every hour to all parts of the world."

It was because of his wife that he first heard about the position at KOTRA. The investment promotion agency was seeking someone with a background in editing and corporate experience -- in addition to working at a newspaper, Duerden also had done stints with Pfizer and the Canadian Broadcasting Company.

He admits that he was not completely sure what the position would entail, but he took a chance and applied for the job. His application was successful, and he started at KOTRA in July 1997.

"Basically, I help raise the profile of Korea for investors overseas and within Korea among the business community," said Duerden on his position. "But my primary job is managing editor of Invest Korea Journal. I do a lot of interviewing, writing and editing myself, but I do have a lot of excellent assistants.

"I'm quite involved with advertising also. We had a campaign last year on CNN in October: Eye on Korea. We were with two other advertisers that were invited to participate. We had been talking to CNN about it for two years and it finally came to pass last year," he said.

During the time he and his wife have lived in Korea, they have had three sons. All three of their sons are being raised in Seoul. Duerden feels he is extremely lucky to have had the chance to raise his sons here.

"We're very pleased with the level of education we've been able to give them with the help of my company. Number two, would be the safe environment here.

"Three, they get to see and appreciate Asian culture, which I'm sure will always be a part of them. And four, I feel fortunate in general to live and work among so many people that are of such a high professional caliber -- both Koreans and foreigners -- and I'm glad my children are able to grow up and have these people as neighbors."

He realizes that there are not many opportunities for foreign education in Seoul. He went on record to say that Korea is at a critical time, where it must invest in developing education choices for the children of foreign residents in order to successfully compete with other Asian hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong.

"If you talk to any expat anywhere, they will mention the education challenge. I think (a main challenge expats face is) they arrive here, marry here, have children, then are faced with a major challenge because of the expense of education. Such is the demand for foreign education; it comes at quite a price tag."

He emphasized the need for the central government to foster competitive and affordable education for foreign residents. "One of the suggestions I've made from time to time is in order to foster the hub strategy, to be able to provide foreign education that is not priced out of the market, would help a lot," said Duerden.

He believes that Koreans go the extra distance to make living here and raising his children here a positive experience. His neighbors have seen his children "grow up before their eyes," he says. His family has even been featured on MBC's "Oh, Happy Day," a morning television show about foreign children learning about Korean culture.

"It was a marvelous experience. (The children) went to the Korea House once, put on hanbok; another time they learned how to make kites. The sight of my son in a pink and emerald green hanbok, well, some moments are perfect -- and the rest of the crew felt the same because all the cameras were turned on him."

He admits that it is expensive to raise children in Seoul because it is one of the most expensive cities in the world. However, their situation balances out when he sees how his kids are developing.

"It's been the best 10 or 11 years of my life, and I wouldn't change a single minute."

See Invest Korea Journal's website at www.ikjournal.com.

An Adobe Acrobat version of the page:

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Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Another Fire?

I made it back to Seoul last night and had every intention of diving back into my blog. I guess I have as this is my second post of the day, but damn, news is slow around here.

The only thing somewhat interesting is news of another fire. And, that's really not all that interesting, but for the fact that Namdaemun Gate was burnt down while I was gone. This one was only the 5th floor of a government office building somewhere in the Jong-no region of Seoul. It's really not worth quoting, so I'll just link it: Fire at Gov’t Complex Put Out.

Okay, fire in Seoul last night around the same time I was adjusting to being back in my apartment (and realizing that I'd managed to loose my wallet during my trip...ooops.)

Sorry, there isn't much else going on, or, more accurately, there isn't much else going on that interests me right now.

Maybe something interesting will happen to me today as I wander out for food (I've got a block of cheese and that's about it in my fridge right now.)

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The Korea Herald: Regina Walton's Expat Interviews - Live comedy brings laughs to Seoulites

My second Expat Interview makes it to print. Check it out:

Live Comedy Brings Laughs to Seoulites

It's always amazing to find that people you know have interests similar to your own. It creates a strong bond and also sometimes sets the stage for collaboration -- as Kirstie Bromenshenk found out firsthand.

From Billings, Montana, Bromenshenk has lived in Korea for 10 years. She chose Korea as her new home for the thrill and excitement of living abroad, and like many of us, for the chance to travel.

Before moving to Korea she earned a master's degree in English literature and literary theory and taught literature, research writing, and composition courses at Montana State University-Billings. With her theater background, Bromenshenk was involved in directing and producing plays in Montana.

She has now found her way back to the theater and entertainment here in Seoul working as a voice actor. However, what's most exciting is her theater production work.

BH Productions is a not-for-profit theater company. Bromenshenk explained that she's been with BH Productions virtually from the beginning. In 2003, Bernard Hughes, who co-manages BH Productions with her, "had begun work on 'Cathleen ni Houlihan,' and I came on board halfway through that production," she said. From that first production of "Cathleen ni Houlihan," Bromenshenk and Hughes have produced many shows for the Seoul community.

Like Bromenshenk, Hughes has a theater background. Hughes is a professional actor who has been in productions in London's famous West End theater district.

Bromenshenk explained that when she discovered that she had found a kindred spirit, collaborating was a natural progression. The theater company provides a creative outlet for people interested in drama, and it also provides entertainment for people starved for English-language entertainment. In that way, it fills a need for culture in the expatriate and English-speaking community here in Seoul.

There just aren't many fun, casual and affordable English-language entertainment options in Seoul. BH Productions, however, has filled that void over the last five years.

BH Productions' newest project is the Spotlight Comedy Club. This club brings professional standup comics to perform in Seoul. According to Bromenshenk, there is no professional English-language standup comedy in Seoul.

The most recent show on Feb. 17 featured standup comics Erica Skeete and Jimmie Roulette from the United States and a local standup comedian. Bromenshenk said the show was moved to the Kabinett wine bar in Itaewon because it has a larger capacity and they had been turning people away at the door. "We changed because the last one was a bit too small and the Kabinett wine bar can fit in 120 people."

"I think there isn't any professionalized (English) comedy and people miss that part in their lives, whether they're Australian, Canadian, British, or anything else. We all love live comedy and we all miss it," she added.

Bromenshenk said that the show was a success, and that it was another sellout audience. "The comedians are all excellent."

In addition to their comedy shows, the company has produced and performed 10 plays. Their productions have been plays from around the world ranging from work by Irish playwright William Bulter Yeats to French playwright Yasmina Reza.

In April 2006, the company went to Singapore to perform "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett. In December 2006, they went to Beijing, China, to perform "Hope Persistent Hope," which was a concept performance of various works also by Samuel Beckett.

For more information, e-mail thebhpcompany@yahoo.com

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Monday, February 11, 2008

I Go On Vacation and Kaesong Starts Tours!!!?


A friend of mine recently uploaded some pictures of her and some friends in Kaesong. Now I know that Kaesong is the North Korean city where they have the big product production complex and I know a few people connected with the government and/or business who have had the chance to tour Kaesong.

However, wow, normal ESL teachers roaming through Kaesong, snapping pics and uploading them to Facebook? Now that's cool.

As I'm still on vacation, I don't know much about the details. However, here is an interesting New York Times article talking about it. Now it's time for me to grab some breakfast.

I just hope they'll continue to run until I get back.


Eager South Koreans Tour a Semi-Open City in the North

KAESONG, North Korea — Under the gaze of a bronze statue of Kim Il-sung standing atop a hill, a convoy of 11 buses packed with South Koreans wound its way through this quiet city center in North Korea, which was opened up to daily tours early in December and is now suddenly host to hundreds of mostly South Korean tourists seven days a week.

Bus No. 1 came to a halt at a street corner, temporarily blocking two middle-aged North Korean women from crossing the street and producing a telling moment in the short history of tourism in the North. Finding themselves only feet away from North Koreans — real, live North Koreans who were neither guides nor minders — the South Korean tourists stared at the two women outside, some even pressing their noses against the bus windows.

The two women, wearing gray overcoats and the kind of high-heeled boots that seemed to be in fashion here, smiled in embarrassment. Then they waved at the South Korean tourists, who waved back just as the bus started moving.

And so went a recent visit to Kaesong, the product of a rare period of relative openness in the North, which strictly controls even the glimpses it provides of itself to the outside. Waved to, most women waved back. Men nodded. Schoolchildren, who could be seen going about unaccompanied by adults, did not fail to return a wave.

Although the North missed its year-end deadline to declare all of its nuclear activities and disable its main nuclear site, it seems to be on track to do so eventually. Its improving relations with the United States were punctuated recently by the announcement that the New York Philharmonic would play in Pyongyang, the capital, in February, at North Korea’s invitation.

Entry by foreigners to Pyongyang tends to be strictly controlled. But the tours to Kaesong, like those to the Mount Kumgang area in North Korea’s southeastern section, are open to all foreigners, including journalists, as long as they pay the fee of about $180 for a one-day trip.

The Mount Kumgang area has received outsiders for almost a decade now, but it remains a Potemkin-like resort fenced off from surrounding villages. By contrast, Kaesong is a real city, one that, judging from the hand-painted wooden traffic signs and total absence of cars on its often unpaved streets, the authorities have not tried to transform into a Pyongyang-like showcase.

An ancient capital that eventually fell to the North during the Korean War, Kaesong lies just north of the demilitarized zone dividing the Korean Peninsula and is a two-hour drive from Seoul. It is considered richer than other parts of the North because thousands of its residents work in a South Korean-run special industrial zone just outside the city.

The tours here start in Seoul around 6 a.m. and are run by Hyundai Asan, the South Korean company that developed the industrial zone and is planning to start regular tours to Mount Paektu, along the North’s border with China, and possibly to Pyongyang next spring.

One morning last week, most of the tourists were elderly South Koreans, though they included the young as well as non-Koreans.

Once inside North Korea, South Korean guides reminded the tourists that taking photographs from inside the bus, or of anything but approved tourist spots, was forbidden. The convoy went up the highway alongside the expanding special industrial zone and past hills denuded of trees.

“Let’s get rid of U.S. imperialism!” read a red-and-white banner on the side of a building next to the highway.

The first stop was Pakyon Falls. South Korean tourists posed for photos in front of the 121-foot waterfall, many of them trying to get the falls as well as a North Korean guide holding a big white bullhorn in the same picture. “Take a picture with the waterfall,” the guide told one man who had mustered up the courage to ask her directly to pose for him.

At a stall selling drinks, though, a saleswoman dressed in a Christmassy pink fur-collared costume welcomed photographs and said flirtatiously that she should be paid a modeling fee.

“Ginseng tea? Coffee?” she offered.

One of the many North Korean guides traveling inside the buses came over. Smiling broadly, the guide, who was in his 40s, said he had been dispatched from Pyongyang to help out with Kaesong’s opening.

“It would be good to normalize relations with the United States,” he said, expressing an opinion repeated by two other guides. “We could focus our resources on developing our economy. From the U.S. perspective, it would no longer be threatened by our nuclear arms.”

“Our relations began improving after our nuclear tests last year,” he added, dragging on a cigarette. “The U.S. is basically afraid of nuclear proliferation, and we showed them who we are.”

Another guide, in his 30s, said normalization would allow North Korea to shift its resources from defense so that it could become an “economic power.”

Compared with guides at Mount Kumgang or the Kaesong industrial complex a couple of years ago, some of the guides here, who wore elegant long overcoats and scarves, were indistinguishable from their South Korean counterparts.

“I also sell fresh mountain water,” the woman at the stall said in a sing-song voice. “I even sell hangover pills.”

One bus was filled with South Koreans who had grown up in Kaesong and were returning for the first time in six decades. Everything had changed, they said, except the very same tourist spots they were visiting.

On the steps leading to Sungyang, a Confucian lecture hall, another North Korean guide with a white bullhorn was dramatically interrupted by an old man who jabbed a large finger in the air and yelled out: “Why isn’t there a nameplate on the entrance? Every Korean house should have a nameplate.”

Flustered, the guide remained speechless as the South Koreans streamed past her into the hall. Inside, though, she said, “The Japanese imperialists took the nameplate and burned it during the occupation.”

Later, the man with the large finger, Lee Hee-tae, 80, who had lived here until the Korean War, said he was dissatisfied with the answer. “I don’t think the Japanese took it,” he said, “because I saw it after the end of the Japanese occupation.”

Overhearing his comments, a young North Korean guide asked, “Is there anything wrong?”

After listening to Mr. Lee’s explanation, the guide said simply, “I can’t believe you remember what happened 60 years ago.”

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Awwww, man...Nadaemun Gate Torched!


Update - February 12, 2008 @ 2:23pm PST

According to the New York Times, a 69 year old man has turned himself in and confessed to the crime.
____________________________

I'm still out of South Korea on vacation. However, I got an email from a friend of mine that Namdaemun gate caught on fire and was destroyed.

How sad. Honestly, I live near the gate and always loved being on the 402 or 0014 bus as they'd do the roundabout and head up the road to Namsan Park.

It's sad to see such an old landmark destroyed.



Before and what I'll see when I get back :(

Here is a link with video from CNN International:

Seoul's historic gate destroyed

Here is the AFP article covering this story:

Historic SKorean landmark collapses after blaze

SEOUL (AFP) — An iconic wooden building dating back some 600 years and designated as South Korea's foremost national treasure collapsed early Monday after a fierce fire.

Police said they are investigating whether arson sparked the blaze at the Namdaemun gate in the heart of Seoul, one of the few historic structures to have survived the 20th century Japanese occupation and Korean War.

Koreans inspecting the sooty and charred debris expressed grief at the loss of the building.

"It is heartbreaking," said Kim Duk-Il, 40, a visitor from the southern city of Daegu, wiping away tears.

"The gate had endured 600 years," Kim told AFP. "It remained OK even during the Korean War. I still cannot believe this. Our pride has fallen down."

The ornate two-storey building atop the stone gate, the city's oldest wooden structure, caught fire Sunday evening. Eighty firefighters battling the blaze believed it was under control late Sunday but it flared up again.

Yonhap news agency said a taxi driver who reported the fire told investigators he saw a man in his 50s climb the stairs to the gate shortly before the blaze started.

A police forensic team was Monday sifting through debris at the site, which was surrounded by scaffolding and a screen.

"Police have not drawn a conclusion yet -- whether there was a short-circuit, arson or an accidental fire," Kim Yong-Su, captain of the Namdaemun police station, told reporters.

"Police are still investigating this with all possibilities in mind."

He said three witnesses reported a suspected arsonist but they were giving "confusing" testimony on which he refused to elaborate.

The gate, a major tourist attraction, was originally constructed in 1398. It was rebuilt in 1447 and has since been frequently renovated.

Some pillars dated back to the original structure, a rarity in Seoul. Japanese colonialists razed several historic buildings during their harsh 1910-45 rule and much of the city was destroyed during the 1950-53 Korean War.

"It's devastating: the pride of the nation has collapsed. It's so bad this kind of thing happened on the first weekday of the Lunar New Year," Kim Cheol-su, 55, told Yonhap.

The agency quoted firefighters as saying the Cultural Heritage Administration had asked them to tackle the blaze cautiously, meaning they could not quickly break into the area where the blaze started.

The landmark, which is surrounded by modern office buildings, is officially named Sungnyemun or "Gate of exalted ceremonies." It was the southern gate in the walls that surrounded Seoul during the Chosun Dynasty of 1392-1910.

It is adjacent to Namdaemun market, a centuries-old market popular with locals and tourists alike.

The Cultural Heritage Administration, which supervises the gate, said it expects a long and costly restoration.

"Experts estimate that it will take two to three years to rebuild its architecture and cost some 20 billion won (21 million dollars)," Shim Dong-Jun of the historic architecture division told AFP.

Mournful residents snapped photos of the charred ruin.

"It's like losing a family member," said Kim Jae-Bun, who has run a drug store nearby for some 30 years. "I never imagined it would burn down so helplessly."

The blaze comes less than three years after fire destroyed one of the country's oldest Buddhist temples, Naksan Temple, along with its bronze bell.

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Tuesday, February 5, 2008

New York, NY: Jazz in the City


I'm absolutely exhausted from the Mayercraft. I arrived at LaGuardia airport just before 5pm. And surprise, surprise. I ended up sitting next to a couple from Korea who are vacation here. Of course, they nearly fell over to hear me ask them if they were Korean in Korean, but it ended up being a fun conversation. Having packed way too much, as usual, I wasn't going to lug my two suitcases via NYC mass transit. Instead, I Super Shuttled it (yes, I made that a verb...deal with it.)

Lucky me as I had the privilege to meet and speak to Mizan Nunes while we were en route to our destinations. My intention was to head to S-Mac for dinner, but I got there to see them moving furniture around rather than serving food. Awwwww, bummer. Instead, I got New York pizza by the slice and that was just dreamy.

Eventually, I made my way over to the Zinc Bar because I'm so partied out from the Mayercraft that doing anything but sipping a cocktail and listening to music is simply beyond me. I walked in in the middle of Deb Silver's set and ordered a cocktail. Her voice is simply melodic and her style is classy. I realized that, yes, I was indeed back in New York. Now I realize I'm no music expert, but I know what I like and I liked her. I liked what I heard so much that I bought her CDs and I can't wait to get them on my iPod.

Her vocals were accompained by Ron Affif who jammed later with his trio and other amazing musicians. It was great talking to him because he's traveled to Korea to perform. However, when it got to the point that one would do a lengthy jazz solo while I was struggling to keep my eyes open. I realized it is indeed time for me to turn in and get some sleep.

With that said, that's exactly what I'll do. Over and out.

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Monday, February 4, 2008

Back in Miami

I'm just checking in real quick.

The Mayercraft docked in Miami today and now I'm here in Miami International Airport waiting for my flight to New York City.

The cruise was amazing! I'll upload pictures later. My 80s prom outfit was a hoot!

As I've said before, John Mayer is a good soul and an awesome musician. Now I can add amazing party host to that list!

I want to thank him and all involved for throwing a mad fun music party. I'm now a Martin Sexton fan for sure. I saw him play two shows on the cruise and during John's show he came out during the encore. I'm just glad I can say that I was one of just a few who got to experience the first Mayercraft cruise.

Yes, the man himself has set the buzz going that there will be others and, hell yes, I'll be coming back.

The folks over at TryJM have been linking the blogs that have come up on it, so check it out there. By the time I get around to updating this and my other post it will be a couple of weeks behind the curve.

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Saturday, February 2, 2008

ExpatJane's Report from the Mayercraft Carrier!!!

Hey everyone. I'm being an expat in a different country!!!

I'm checking in from Freeport, Bahamas where the Mayercraft Carrier cruise ship has docked for the day.

To my friends who've asked, yes, I've seen John Mayer. Yes, I've been in the same room with and in close proximity to him. Beyond that, I'm keeping it zipped and I'll report back when all is said and done.

There is a big 80s party tonight on the ship. Yes, THAT's been the inspiration for all the 80s videos.

My outfit: Pretty in Pink, overkill ;-)

Let's just say I'm having a great time and didn't get to bed until 7:30am this morning. Yes, there is a reason there is no picture with this post.

A bientôt my readers.

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