Duan Sebastian

OZFORD, Melbourne ESL teacing.

2007-09-04T02:34:00.001-07:00

Well, living back in sunny Melbourne now. Got a call for an ESL teaching job straight off the plane from Korea. Working in La Trobe/Lonsdale streets at OZFORD, clearly a play on words. Here are some of my students on a weekly excursion, this time to Melbourne University. Students are from everywhere, though mainly China, Korea and Thailand. Still trying to settle into a good home here but i have my stuff, bike and car and the job is good :)

tokyo

2007-08-08T23:56:00.001-07:00

2007-07-16T07:33:00.000-07:00

Every year, for 14 days, Boryeong city (Taecheon beach) on the west coast of Korea plays host to The Mud Festival. Here is some of the coloured mud offered on the Sunday. We had mud-brushing, mud-fights, mud slides, the beach and of course thousands of photographers. Here is one guy poising for the paperazzi.

2007-07-08T20:53:00.001-07:00

This was a commission for a friend of mine from Canada, Kayla. It is an abstraction of 5 dancers in the Australian Desert.

2007-07-02T19:37:00.001-07:00

2007-07-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

2007-06-26T21:52:00.001-07:00

My painting was perhaps the only piece not based on flowers. The title "Intercom" somehow became "Dream Intercom" and my name is "Duan sebastan" on the card... I am sure a little liquid paper will sort it out. I was happy to find a frame without the silver-white-and-gold frilly look :)

2007-06-26T21:50:00.001-07:00

Sandy came to Gumi in time for the opening (left); that's Mike from my neighborhood; and Kim Dong Jin who runs our studio in Hyunguk dong, Gumi.

2007-06-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

2007-06-16T03:26:00.001-07:00

2007-06-16T03:23:00.001-07:00

2007-05-24T02:01:00.001-07:00

2007-05-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

2007-05-16T20:12:00.000-07:00

2007-05-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

The long, arduous walk up to Seoul tower is worth it (though the bus is much easier) .The all-round views of Seoul , probably the largest sprawling-city in the world, is worth it!

Exhibition

2007-05-15T21:29:00.000-07:00

My first exhibition overseas opens in Gumi, Korea on June 26th at 10:30am and runs until June 30th. I will be showing an oil painting, INTERCOM, an abstraction from my series of household items in repetition.

2007-05-09T21:35:00.000-07:00

2007-05-04T07:34:00.000-07:00

I was asked to design a tshirt for Children's Day at ChildU. Here is the first sketch and here is the tshirt. Cute, huh? The ChildU party was fun with sausage on a stick and quizzes.

2007-05-03T19:36:00.000-07:00

2007-04-23T21:26:00.001-07:00

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2007-04-17T05:57:00.000-07:00

2007-04-12T16:58:00.001-07:00

2007-04-12T16:57:00.000-07:00

2007-04-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

2007-04-12T07:26:00.000-07:00

2007-04-12T07:25:00.000-07:00

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2007-04-12T07:23:00.000-07:00

2007-04-09T09:26:00.000-07:00

2007-04-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

2007-04-01T18:59:00.000-07:00

2007-04-01T02:29:00.001-07:00

Book vending machines - if only they were in english...

2007-04-01T02:23:00.000-07:00

Seoul... I like the way the lamp seems to reflect the towers in the background.

2007-03-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

2007-03-25T20:43:00.000-07:00

2007-03-25T20:42:00.000-07:00

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2007-03-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

2007-03-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

2007-03-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

2007-03-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

2007-03-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

I like the composition this photo.

2007-03-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

The trees in the art gallery district are quite striking.

2007-03-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

Seoul.

2007-03-18T19:12:00.000-07:00

This was one strange korean restaurant - when we left, i was given a medium-sized, but very cute teddy bear. These dolls on the wall are so cute, though!

2007-03-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

Seoul at night - the great thing about a huge city is the buildings are so large that there is less advertising overall than in the small cities.

2007-03-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

A beautiful shot of the Itaewon market at dusk, in Seoul.

2007-03-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

Mike and I visited some friends in Seoul this weekend. This is the area we stayed in - $40/night for a decent room. Once again. so many cables... but so cool.

2007-03-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

The Rene Magritte exhibition the the Seoul museum of art was uninspiring. Not so the works by Korean artists Chun Kyung-Ja and Kwon Young-Woo! Sooo beautiful...

2007-03-10T21:00:00.000-08:00

2007-03-10T20:59:00.000-08:00

Craig from the UK, Canadian Jason and crew rocked Psycho bar in March.

2007-03-10T20:42:00.000-08:00

Who invited papa smurf to Gumi and why is he green?

2007-03-10T20:24:00.000-08:00

"It's not my fault - I just keep winning..." Mike at Psycho, the OTHER foreigner bar in Gumi.

2007-03-04T07:47:00.000-08:00

iPhoto filters are great - pastel-concentrate Gumi almost looks like an old movie. This is the view from the escalator at the station (or 'yuk' in korean).

2007-03-04T05:24:00.000-08:00

It's nice being able to take my own photos again. I like this shot taken in the early hours at Daegu train station. The flash is annoying and without it there are some nice shots with movement.

2007-03-04T05:21:00.000-08:00

A typical food store in Korea. Chicken on a stick looks unhealthy but tastes great.

2007-03-03T19:45:00.000-08:00

Taxes are low, cigarettes are even cheaper creating Waegook chain smokers. I like this shot of Mike in Daegu at Starbucks.

2007-03-03T19:44:00.000-08:00

5pm Sat in Daegu. School is out!

2007-03-02T06:28:00.000-08:00

2007-03-02T06:26:00.000-08:00

"Coffee and can" - they're everywhere.

2007-03-02T06:24:00.000-08:00

Things move quickly in Korea. Signs take precedence over views where windows are concerned and powerlines are everywhere.

2007-03-02T06:22:00.000-08:00

There are often more than one birthday in a day at ChildU and we all pose for a picture with the cake. These kids are great - Go Nu is so funny. "What would you do if you had a lot of money?" Um, I would buy a new apartment for my mummy and my daddy.

2007-03-02T06:19:00.000-08:00

The mountains around Gumi are gorgeous - this is the view from the elevator opening on the forth floor, where I work. The mist was beautiful today. Click on the image for the full impact.

2007-03-02T06:14:00.000-08:00

I love my new scooter sooooo much. There it is parked outside my school. I am careful to chain it so it isn't stolen too soon. It's a great way to explore Gumi. The helmet is neatly inside the seat, where the petrol cap and oil cap live.

2007-03-02T06:09:00.000-08:00

That's where I live - in the middles building on the third floor. Room 302, if you are in the area. Outside is one of the parks. I usually chain my new scooter to the green fence.

2007-03-02T06:07:00.000-08:00

Gumi (especially Sangmo dong) is a land under construction at all times. I love it here amongst the bulldozers and traffic without indicators or red lights. Go go go.

2007-03-02T06:04:00.000-08:00

This is the first photo I took of Gumi, before my camera battery died. Today I found a Korean cord instead, so I have a camera again! This is the view from my laundry.

2007-02-26T08:10:00.000-08:00

Mike and I chilling in Busan near the central train station. Before the coffee arrives, you are sure to be served hot water in a glass. By the way, if you ever want to remember the number seven in korean: 6,7,8 = [you]k,[chill],[pal]!!!
Well, that's that's how i remember all my Korean. Though there are at least two counting systems here, so eight in the non-monetary sense is actually 8=[Yoda]! Time is a combination of both. To make things even stanger, Yoda's grammar may have been based on Korean... ;) "City go we politely?"

GUMI

2007-02-22T19:46:00.000-08:00

Last night in Sang Mo dong, I went for a walk to a find some coffee. On the way, two 8 year old girls decided i looked like fair game and decided to hold onto me as i walked and not let go. We had a fumbled conversation in Korean, which really meant i said korean words in an Aussie accent and they fell over laughing, careful not to let go of this tall, white HOJU giant. Eventually, I found a place that had a coffee machine and they sat either side of me. As is often the case here, something free is given when you sit down. This time, the children were given two huge buns, cut up into small squares. The owner tried to speak to me in Korean too and we got somewhere - I can even say I like certain things now! wow: let's see it's "Na neun ba-na-na rul jo-a han da!" cool i remembered how to say i like bananas! That's important. Eventually I escaped but it occurred to me once again just how safe and free people feel in this regimental society - children do not tend to roam the streets freely at ANY TIME in Australia... also, nobody thought it strange that they joined a stranger for coffee. I think we could learn a few things from Korea ;)

2007-02-20T08:25:00.000-08:00

I wish this had been me taking this photo and not waegook, Kayla because this view of (presumably Gumi) from the surrounding mountains is gorgeous! I've gotta find that trail!

2007-02-20T08:23:00.000-08:00

These yellow/purple 'floral bouquets' are everywhere in Korea.

2007-02-20T08:20:00.000-08:00

Though I still don't have an Aust-Korea adaptor, I am getting quite good at getting copies of everyone else's photos. This is from Gumi central station - a good shot of the "shin-e" or "시에"(town centre), about a 10 min cab ride from my more southern part of town. These lemon/sky blue/aqua sign-scapes are everywhere in Korea. That's my home, little, under-rated Gumi.

2007-02-20T06:27:00.000-08:00

After the sub-zero days, it was nice to strip down to open jackets and thirts at the beach. That's Greg, Kat, me and Mike.

2007-02-20T06:24:00.000-08:00

Once we made it to Busan, it seemed to fall on me to direct everyone in the rain. After wondering why all the hotels were on the wrong side and wandering around for a while, I soon realised we had jumped off the train one stop too early. We found a good motel eventually though. I really missed Gumi and I am glad to be away from all those crazy, white foreigners! Oh, that's right, I am one of them. Well, good riddance anyway! hehe

2007-02-20T06:23:00.000-08:00

hehe.

it don't get much tackier than this!

2007-02-20T06:21:00.000-08:00

I think Mike scared him off... that was one giant aquarium. The highlight was the "virtual fish show" which we thought would be a room where they throw a bucket of seawater on your head. Actually, it was a ride where you are jolted around and watch images of mechanical dolfins swimming in an abstract reality. THAT was fun!

2007-02-20T06:17:00.000-08:00

That was one giant octopus. I still don't know how those scuba dudes jump in the big tank with sharks. They are PABO (crazy - say this to a korean kid and watch their terror at the implication in translation... then quickly say 'just joking' and play a game!)

2007-02-20T06:14:00.000-08:00

The fish at the aquarium were so cute...

2007-02-19T12:13:00.000-08:00

MEWORLD at Haendae beach.
We must have climbed 10 stories in 3 seconds then back again... oh my god. Mike did it twice. Whatta guy.
Yes, I was terrified.

2007-02-19T11:58:00.000-08:00

Haeundae beach.
Stunning - we will have to return in summer. This is what to expect:
http://www.ybmecc.co.kr/sub/loca/22_181_img.jpg

2007-02-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

We could actually wear tshirts for the first time in Korea on Sunday, lunar NY at Haeundai beach. It reminded me of North Bondi from this view. This is the biggest holidat in Korea and everyone heads south, so it was hard to get a train ticket. The previous night, we fired fireworks into the sky over the water, stayed in a nice motel and met a 20-year-old Russian who taught us that "Niet" means no and "machina" means car.

2007-02-19T11:52:00.000-08:00

Busan aquarium in Haeundai
Greg, Mike, Kat and me.
We caught the train to Busan for the Lunar NY weekend and stayed at Haeundai beach, where foreigners no longer are unusual. The aquarium was huge with over 50,000 types of sea life.

2007-02-11T09:32:00.000-08:00

Those birds really were quite stunning at the bird house in the mountains.

2007-02-11T09:28:00.000-08:00

Dinner with the other ChildU teachers.

2007-02-11T09:27:00.000-08:00

Some more of my students.

2007-02-10T22:46:00.000-08:00

Mike bowling backwards was funny - there is the ball, bottom left... :) It was a good night out in Gumi, "shin-e" (=city center).

2007-02-10T22:36:00.000-08:00

Bowling with the other waegooks was fun. Alcohol and drugs in Korea: you can buy alcohol in any convenience store or shopping center, take it with you bowling... they even have vendors who sell it on trains! However, if you fail a drugs test at a club, you will be deported immediately, which happened to a bunch of foreigners last year, apparently.

2007-02-09T22:18:00.000-08:00

These kids are sure to grow :) They clung to me all day - maybe they were trying to pull me down closer to the earth.

2007-02-09T22:15:00.000-08:00

Here is another shot from the trip to the snow park. Dinner consisted of dry, flat chicken covered in sticky, brown stuff with some old rice. But, hey, we were hungry after the bus trip! These three ask many questions of me in class and keep lists of my answers. So cute.

2007-02-09T22:13:00.000-08:00

Here is a shot of Lee-teacher, Yoon-teacher and Seong-teacher one night at dinner. The term for foreigners is Waegook. I am glad to be the only Waegook at ChildU.

2007-02-08T02:41:00.000-08:00

Here is my office at ChildU. My students are sooo cute! I am really enjoying my job here in Gumi.

2007-02-01T06:13:00.000-08:00

Wow, now I am a legal alien with a Korean bank account!

2007-01-30T06:52:00.000-08:00

It was funny to be able to feed these sheep in the sub-zero Korean mountains.

2007-01-30T06:51:00.000-08:00

Here are the terrible twins, always causing trouble!

2007-01-30T06:48:00.000-08:00

She is a quiet one (there is the bird man in the background running around with seeds). Every so often, this student comes into the teacher's office and asks me something about Australia (Hoju) - tonight: "what is a famous food in Australia". I answered Kangaroo, or in Korean "kan-ga-roo". he he. There are two other students who keep detailed lists of my answers - "what is your favourite food?" etc.

2007-01-30T06:46:00.000-08:00

This is my favourite student. I was told "he may be small but he is smart!" He was unwell that day. In class, he barely can see over the table top but always asks questions in a happy, inquisitive way and nods a lot.