Archive for June, 2010
I’m on my way home. Or, what used to be my home. The longer you are away from what it used to be, the more indefineable ‘home’ becomes. Sitting in the Gwangju bus terminal on the way to that place, I can’t help but reflect on how unceremonious an exit nearly two years has yielded. To my left, another [ READ MORE ]
As things currently stand, our local baseball club, the KIA Tigers, have been brought to their knees by a nine game losing run. Last season’s champions sit a lowly sixth on the Korean Baseball Organisation ladder, with 40 losses from their 74 games (a 0.459 average). The top 5 qualify for the KBO Series (4th [ READ MORE ]
The Korean World Cup campaign ended too quickly. They were the better team in their final game, dominating pressure and ball possession, but they didn’t have the finish to put Uruguay away. Too bad, it was fun while it lasted. Now a red shirt is just a red shirt and the Dae Han Min Guk (Republic [ READ MORE ]
The World Cup Stadia, remnants of 2002 when South Korea hosted the World Cup with Japan, showed each Korean game to wide audiences — even for the one 3am start against Nigeria. The atmosphere was electric, but, perhaps strangely, it fell short of the experience watching the game in a tightly packed bar. Still, it was worth [ READ MORE ]
As I sit down to write this article, I can’t help thinking of the splendid BBC commentary after Alessandro Del Piero’s sublime finish confirmed Germany’s exit from the World Cup in 2006; and, more specifically, how the words used could easily describe South Korea right now. “Germany’s world is at an end, their World Cup, all [ READ MORE ]
The Korean War began 60 years ago to the day yesterday and has never formally ended. The legacy of these two divided family members has painful foundations, but living in the South, one couldn’t feel less connected to this tension. This is true from both a foreign and Korean perspective. The North, despite the DMZ being [ READ MORE ]
With 26 goals in 65 appearances, Diego Forlan is the reason why some people, including my brother, are sticking a cheeky wager on Uruguay to win the 2010 World Cup. The Atletico Madrid forward has already grabbed a couple of goals in the tournament, and a strong Uruguayan challenge will cement Forlan’s place as one [ READ MORE ]
Built in 2001 at a cost of 60 billion Korean won, the Munhak Stadium is one of the most impressive sporting arenas in South Korea. The stadium is home to the SK Wyverns baseball club in Incheon, just west of Seoul. It stands next to the equally beautiful Munhak Soccer Stadium, where Park Ji-Sung exploded [ READ MORE ]
I thought it was only in Legally Blonde, that dreadful movie starring Reese Witherspoon, that dogs dressed in clothes appropriate for a child or adult. I have seen small dogs in ridiculous rain coats or knitted sweaters during the winter months at home, but these tend to isolated incidents at best, and are normally a [ READ MORE ]
A 2-2 South Korean draw with Nigeria coupled with an Argentinian win over Greece put South Korea through to the next round of the World Cup early this morning. Contrary to my assumption, many people were apparently up for the 3am start watching the game. I’m also told the World Cup stadium was open to watch [ READ MORE ]