Augie Art Tour 1b – Our Savior’s Lutheran – God of Grace and God of Glory
After viewing the mural on the South East side of Our Savior’s Lutheran, waltz to the main entrance. Right in the foyer is a triptych greeting all who enter the complex.
God of Grace and God of Glory
Design and execution by
Bob Aldern and Noreen Groethe
Many triptychs will play with the theme of two similar one different. This begins with the shapes, two smaller panels flank the larger central panel. The right two panels show Christ interacting with people directly, the third shows the people sharing the body and blood of Christ in communion. The left two show Christ and the people in community, the right panel is Christ healing the sick. The central panel is Christ as teacher, the surrounding panels Christ in power. This last one is emphasised with the gold halo with the red cross representing his death and suffering, whereas the the others do not have the red cross, but only pure gold.
Bob Aldern was a professor at Augustana from 1980-1991 and was an artist-in-residence, doing commissions for churches in the area. He died in 2011. His subdued sense of color is made with multiple layers on the wood panel, which must been seen in person to appreciate the rich depth achieved.
Next stop:
Our Savior’s Lutheran – Community Room
—–
God of Grace and God of Glory can be found at:
Our Saviors Lutheran Church
909 W. 33rd Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
Augie Art Tour 1a – Our Savior’s Lutheran – Seven Days of Creation
On the south east corner of the church just south of the south east corner of campus is an eight part mural on the seven days of creation based on the account from Genesis 1:1-2:3.
Seven Days of Creation on the South-East corner of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church
The Seven Days of Creation was created by Eyob Mergia, an Ethiopian immigrant who lived in Sioux Falls for 11 years. I think he’s off to bigger art markets and hopefully better prospects.
In the mural, the six receding panels cover the six days of creation, with the closest two representing the seventh day, the day of rest. Let’s look a little closer!
Day 1 – God Creates Light and Separates Light from Darkness
Genesis 1:1-5 (ESV)
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
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Day 2 – God Separates Waters Above from Waters Below
Genesis 1:6-8
6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
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Day 3 – God Separates Water rom Land and Fills the Earth
Genesis 1:9-13
9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
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Day 4 – God Creates the Sun, Moon, and Stars
Genesis 1:14-19
14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
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Day 5 – God Creates Birds and Creatures of the Sea
Genesis 1:20-23
20 And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” 21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
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Day 6 – God Creates Animals and Human Beings
Genesis 1:24-31
24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Day 7 – God Rests and Creation Sings Praises
Genesis 2:1-3
1Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
Worth noting is Eyob’s use of hands and birds throughout the piece. The hands can be seen as the creative force of God, the birds the spirit of God. On the Seventh Day, the hands and birds can be seen as our creative force and nature’s spirit reflecting and celebrating the creative force and spirit of God.
Next stop:
Our Savior’s Lutheran – God of Grace and God of Glory
—–
Seven Days of Creation can be found at:
Our Saviors Lutheran Church
909 W. 33rd Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
Intermission – A Visit to the Midwest
Back in the Midwest. Minneapolis is a fun place to visit, but I’m not here for Minneapolis. I’ll be spending most of this month in the quiet city of Sioux Falls, the largest city of the Dakotas.
But first, a stop to try on some cowboy hats.
A friend lends me his beast of a pickup, a diesel Dodge, as well as his cowboy hat, boots, and a hunting knife. Now I’ll blend in with the locals!
The temporary transition from Seoul to Sioux Falls will always play on my perceptions. I love both cities, but they are so different. Seoul is a bustling metropolis, Sioux Falls is a quiet city in the awkward transition between small town prairie and modern city. Seoul never sleeps, Sioux Falls can be very sleepy if you don’t actively engage. Seoul has many alleys and secrets to dive down and discover history and culture, both ancient and modern. Sioux Falls is home and where I can engage in the most satisfying intellectual conversations.
So, for my next blogging project, I think I’ll give an art tour of my alma mater. My school has a long rich tradition of fine arts, and I think it’s a good time to share that with the world.
And remember…
Work Relentlessly
A Closer Look at Cheongdo Bullfighting
The Cheongdo trip was fun and all, but perhaps you want to know a little more about the bullfighting itself. Well, I’ll be happy to oblige. And if you weren’t interested…
I drink your sorrow!
Too bad. Moving on!
This Ain’t Your Father’s Toreodoring
Unlike Spanish bullfighting, which had its origins in the Roman arenas of old, this local variation is said to originate from bored farm boys during the lazy days of summer. I can relate. This leads to the bigger differences. The Spanish bullfighting is man versus bull, whereas the Cheongdo bullfighting is bull versus bull. The former often ends in the torture and death of a bull whereas the latter the bulls seldom get seriously injured. The former is presented as a show like the gladiatorial days if old, the latter, much more like a wrestling match. Cheongdo bullfighting really reminds me a bit of ssireum. Even the mascots wear the little ssireum belts.
So cute!
The Stadium
Everything is thrown down at the Cheongdo Bullfighting Stadium (청도 소싸움 경기장), a new complex finished recently to accommodate the annual international bullfighting festival which first started in 1999. The stadium is far enough out of town to promote taxi or bus usage, which will set you back about 6-7,000 won for the former and 1,200 for the later. Plus the wait at the bus terminal.
Fun!
The Name of the Game
I’m fuzzy on the details because I didn’t have a good guide, so here is the cliff notes version. The bulls face off and score points based on the kind of strikes they hit against heir opponent. Though that seems fairly irrelevant seeing as the bull that backs down and runs away loses. Perhaps the points are used for the off chance the bulls fight to a stand still. Come to think of it, I don’t know if there is a match clock or not. Hmmmm.
The Way of the Raging Bull
There are eight kinds of techniques employed by the bulls in the arena:
밀치기 – the Pushing Strike
All the energy of the bull is put into this technique as it first strikes and pushes back its opponent with pure brute strength.
머리치기 – the Head Strike
Not to be confused with FPS head shots, the head strike is when the two bulls hit heads without using their horns. It’s actually one of the most common attacks.
목치기 – the Neck Strike
Striking the neck of the opposing bull requires strong technique and timing. Unless I’m reading that word wrong and it requires and old sword technique. Or an ancient morality technique. Or maybe the technique of the desert island.
옆치기 (배치기) – the Side Strike (the Belly Strike)
The side strike counts as a finishing blow, though granted by the time this strike is made the other bull is already running.
뿔걸이 – Locking Horns
This method of attack starts with hooking the opposing bull’s horns and forcing it’s neck down as in submission. Bow before your superior!
뿔치기 – the Horn Strike
In an attempt to gain control the bull will strike it’s opponent’s horns left and right in an attempt to get better ground.
들치기 – the Upward Strike
The bull will watch for a chance to deliver a powerful upward strike, hitting the opposing bull on the underside of it’s neck. Ouch. It’s the bull version of an uppercut!
연타 – the Barrage
A high level technique consisting of a continuous succession of head strikes which become horn strikes. Attack! Attack until you die!
A Typical Match
Each match will begin something like this. First, the bulls are brought out one at a time with appropriate announcements by the commentator. If you don’t know Korean well, feel free to ignore this, you probably don’t need to know unless you’re doing any official betting anyway.
As the bulls are lead by the noses (literally) by their trainers/owners, you can hear the strong bellows echo through the stadium. The bull’s voice is powerful and moving, even when you’re in the nose bleeds. It’s a bit eerie really. Once the bulls are ready to enter, the gates to the ring are opened and the trainers pull them toward each other in the centre.
As the trainers approach each other, they cross over each other’s ropes and lead the bulls heads to each other. Once the bulls make contact, one end of the ropes are released and the trainers wind up the ropes as the bulls start their struggle. Once the bulls make contact, they stop bellowing and just start pushing.
Different trainers will interact in the ring in their own ways. Sometimes this is just as entertaining as the actual match. Some hang back and let their bull do it’s job. Others verbally goad their bull on. Sometimes they get really close and shout. It’s really funny when both trainers do this, especially since they often bob up and down and then have to dodge out of the way as one bull gains or loses ground. From what I saw, usually the trainers who shout at their bulls lose the most. But that’s just from what I saw.
Close motivation for the lackadaisical bulls…
Final Thoughts and Basic Directions
(As though my directions are that good anyway. Take a left at the bank.)
Unless you are completely opposed to humans using animals for any and all purposes not necessarily in the animal’s best interest, it might be worth checking out at least once. They do have bull fights every weekend, but for the best atmosphere, go during the annual festival.
Hey look! The website!
It’s in Korean though, so you might want to get a Korean friend to help you decipher if you’re not particularly good at it yet. YET. Yeah, I’m looking at you. You know what I mean.
Oh, right, and to get to the Cheongdo Bullfighting Stadium, you can take the slow train to Cheongdo station. From Seoul that’ll take about 4 hours and 23,000ish won one way. If you want to go faster you can shell out some more cash for the KTX and take that to East Daegu Station and transfer to the slow train for a few extra stops. Or just take a taxi. It’s not that far. Or maybe just take a bike path if you have a few extra days.
Oh, and if you’re going to Cheongdo Station, you can take the bus from the bus terminal. It’s just north of the train station. Should cost about 1,200 won. Or take a taxi. That’ll set you back 6-10,000 won.
Or you could read my previous entry on my trip to Cheongdo. It’s more fun than poking out your eyes! I hope.
Bunga!
*Note – All photos are taken by me except for the photos in ‘The Way of the Raging Bull’ section, which are taken from a Cheongdo Bullfighting brochure.
A Day in Cheongdo
April 18, 2013
Mid-April and a few days off work. A day trip is in order. At the suggestion of coworker and fellow blogger Jo-Anna, Chengdo was chosen as the destination. What’s in Cheongdo you might ask?
Giant Bull fights!
Well, heavily photoshopped posters never lie, so Cheongdo ho!
They have a decent information site here: http://english.cheongdo.go.kr/open_content/main_page/
Cheongdo is both the name of the county and the main town in the county. It’s a fairly quiet place, so our itinerary consisted of:
Bullfighting (main purpose)
The Wine Tunnel (another friend told me it was nearby)
Unmunsa (big temple complex – if time allows)
We left Seoul around 7am and arrived four hours later at Cheongdo station. Needless to say we didn’t take the KTX, but I didn’t mind the extra time considering the cost. Once there, if you are in a rush and/or don’t care about costs, there are always taxis waiting outside Cheongdo station. Be warned though, they are more expensive than their Seoul counterparts, though still reasonable.
We decided to take the bus. The bus terminal is a short walk north of the train station. You’ll have to buy tickets first, and while the people there don’t know much if any English, they’ll know you’re probably going to either the bull fights or the wine tunnel.
All aboard!
First stop the bullfighting arena.
Now when I say bull fighting, I’m not talking about the Spainish styled toreador fighting bulls. I find that to be too cruel to be enjoyable. Cheongdo bullfighting is much more bulls butting heads. Kinda like how most Europeans view American football. But instead of running a ball to an end zone, the bulls face off until one backs down or runs away.
Representing the bullfighting event are the two characters Bunga and Ka-oo (Cow).
From what I can gather, Bunga is an onomatopoeic word kinda similar to ‘bonk’.
Ka-oo is.. it’s just cow.
Notice the cute little Ssireum belts around their waists. I hope to do a Ssireum post sometime in the future, but I’ll wait until I go to see such an event.
They even had some BS.
Appropriate. Though apparently the artist has no idea what real cow dung looks like.
I’m still on the fence on how I feel about the whole affair. On the one hand, it’s fairly natural thing for bulls to clash horns. Kinda like watching those nature documentaries about bighorns or deer butting heads and locking horns. On the other hand they’re still forced to fight. Though as it isn’t designed for bloodshed and pain like dog or cock fighting, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to experience it. You can make your own moral judgements.
We happened to be there during the first day of a festival, so not only was there bull fighting, but the general festival festivities. Including…
Singing Girls
Acrobats
Bull Art
Cross-Dressing Stand Up Comedians
and many mini activities.
After having our fill of the festival we went to the adjoining “Bull Fighting Theme Park”, which is not so much a theme park as it is a museum.
The front is basically a very abstracted view of two bulls butting heads. You can even see their eyes.
Afterwards we went a bit further north to the Wine Tunnel. Persimmon Wine that is!
It says ‘since 1904′ though that’s really just the tunnel’s existence, not so much the wine thing. That started in 2006.
Yeah, confused about that too.
The tunnel is nice and cool and pretty humid. The front end of the tunnel is a wine bar, while the deep bowels of the place is where they make the wine. Which, since we were not part of any tour, we could not see. So instead here are some pics of us enjoying the persimmon wine instead!
Oooh, pretty lights!
I’m not particularly fond of persimmons, but the persimmon wine is tasty.
Why, yes, that is their web address: www.gamwine.com - and yes, it’s all in Korean.
After our wine tasting we noticed a sign.
Daejeok temple. Only 100m away? Let’s go!
Daejoek temple (대적사) is a very small complex of about three temple structures, plus what looks like two living quarters. If you go to the Wine Tunnel, might as well visit this “National Treasure No. 836″.
Just lacking a sword of my own.
And if you’re there in the spring, you’ll see this lovely orchard of Royal Azaleas. Actually, neither of us being that big on botany, we didn’t know what they were. But it seemed the bees did. Or… well, I’m sure they knew what they were doing.
To finish our day we went to a small dingy samgyeopsal place and ordered ‘moksal’ – the neck meat. Don’t know if its common in Cheongdo or if its a quirk of this restaurant, but this place included ‘odaeng’ and ‘ddeok’ for grilling along side the moksal, kimchi, mushrooms and of course garlic.
Unfortunately we forgot to include shots of the finished food. Probably because we were a tad in a hurry to get back to the station – we just barely made the last train!
Cheongdo, farewell! Didn’t make it to Unmunsa, but maybe someday.
Oh, and let’s not forget a local Giant Nose Turtle…
Giant Nose Turtle!
This one has a derpy face going on there.
Ginseng Chicken Soup… with Mushrooms!
Mmmm, chicken soup. Good for what ails you. I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather, so I decided to seek out one of my favorite Korean soups. Samgyetang! It’s chicken soup with ginseng! I find a place while walking down an alley off of Insa-dong. Evidently the broth at this place is made with mushrooms and some plant bark used in Chinese medicine. I don’t trust it for healing, but it does add a unique flavor, so I jump on board. Bring on the Samgyetang!
Samgyetang (삼계탕)
Literally Ginseng Chicken Soup
The samgyetang posted above has a thicker brother made from mushrooms. Usually the broth is clear. Many samgyetang places have variations of the dish, adding some extra herb or traditional antidote that is supposed to make your healthier or longer lived. These extras often add bitter flavors to the soup, but I’m all for that!
The biggest difference between the American style chicken soup and the Korean style is the chicken used. While the chicken soup your mom might cook up for you will have pieces of chicken, the Korean style, even home-made, usually has a whole chicken in each bowl! This means you’ll have to contend with bones and bits, though the meat comes off fairly easily, so it’s not difficult to get around. Just a bit more involvement with getting at the meat.
The best part is that the chicken is stuffed with rice, a date or two, and ginseng. The latter is by far my favorite part. The bitter ginseng combined with the slightly salty broth and chicken is just pure delight, wether I’m sick or not!
Of course, as a Korean restaurant there is also a nice spread involved:
Many Samgyetang places, particularly the slightly more expensive, upscale restaurants, serve complimentary shots of “Yaksul” – which for the non-Korean speakers might appear that it is alchohol made from yaks, but that’s because you’re pronouncing it wrong. That’s an ‘a’ as in ‘father’. In general ‘yak’ means medicine, and it’s fairly strong stuff. Tastes really good in conjunction with the soup’s broth.
Of course I’ve gotta finish the bowl. Chicken soup is good for you!
This place gives some complimentary maeshilcha (매실차) – plum tea! A sweet ending to a satisfying meal!
I can’t say this samgyetang is anything extra special compared to other samgyetang, so I won’t overly recommend this place. It’s still nice, just saying that visiting your local samgyetang place would suffice.
But for the curious, this one is called Gyerim Sanghwang Samgyetang. Plug the address below into your map app for directions:
계림상황삼계탕
서울특별시 종로구 인사동 194 홍익빌딩 2층
Good for what ails you!
Happy Eating!
Ioannes and the Case of the Mysterious Tower
After finishing our sundae lunch, we decided to walk to north to Seoul station to procure information on tourist trains. The day was warmer than I anticipated, so I took off my spring jacket and felt the cool breeze and warm sun on my skin. I didn’t mind the heavy traffic. Seoul is Seoul, and Seoul passes you by no matter how fast you go, so take it easy and enjoy the day.
This area of the city is currently being rebuilt, which means the old neighborhoods are being torn down to make way for fancy new apartments and shiny towers. Much of the original character is being lost. But on the up side, many of the building owners buy art. We stumbled upon one such work next to a newly finished building.
I immediately dubbed the sculpture: taltap or the mask tower. The consistency adds an ominous tone, and I know that if I had designed it I probably would have made sure each face was unique. Or at least make each side host a unique mask.
So, lets try to make a few readings for fun! One could be a social commentary on how everyone tries to put on the same mask so as not to appear difference. The social structure is consequently twisted while pretending to be straight.
Another way we could interpret it is the masks represent the thousands of faces we show others. Though the lack of diversity of any kind leads me away from that reading. Perhaps it could represent the hero with a thousand faces, the concept of the monomyth. Again, lack of apparent diversity means its not that strong of a reading.
Or perhaps it’s a five dimensional Janus – not just looking forward and backward in time, but crossways and through time and space, like an unblinking Argus tower.
Or perhaps I’m giving it too much time. It’s a nice day out.
Ma ‘n Pa’s Sundae!
Okay, let’s get something out of the way. Sundae (souns like soon – day) is something any visitor to Korea must try. The most common variety you’ll come across is basically blood sausage noodles packed in a thin casing. But today, no, today we’ll be looking at some ‘real’ sundae. So let’s head south to Namyeong! Which, despite the name… is actually in the north half of Seoul… in the north-east part of the Yongsan district. Hmmm.
Oh right, the restaurant. Today a coworker and I will be visiting Jaeil Oebeoi Sundae (제일 어버이 순대), or roughly translated – The First Ma ‘n Pa’s Sundae!
People are lining up!
The notifications here remind you that they make the sundae fresh everyday. Oh, and you can get sundae take-out only during the weekdays after 2pm. Just in case you were going to pick some up to share with all your friends at work! Which… I wasn’t planning on… Really! I swear!
No seriously, I won’t!
After maybe a five to ten minute wait we get seated. Anticipation! What to order, what to order… I’m thinking something with sundae.
Hmmmm… I’ll have the sundae.
We tried the sundaeguk meal (순대국 정식). Behold!
For the uninitiated Sundae is usually accompanied with meat from the pig’s head and other odds and ends, like the liver. A little to my chagrin, this restaurant did not serve the liver, but it did have the a selection of meat probably sourced from the head or feet. And the sundae. I wish you could hear my Homer drooling sound, but I guess I’ll have to outsource this one to Youtube:
While I like the standard sundae you can find on the street (almost literally), those tend to be a tad firm, almost plastic in texture and not a lot of flavor. Ma ‘n Pa’s Sundae on the other hand is soft and filled with flavours which unfortunately I can’t quite put my finger on. In the good way.
Now since this sundaeguk is itself quite special, I didn’t doctor it the same way I do with other sundaeguks I come across. First off, it already had a fair share of spice inside. Most sundaeguks have fairly clear broth for you to add your own level of spice. You could do that here as well, but not for me. However…
Little Tiny Shrimp!
Little tiny shrimp! This is a very common addition for sundaeguk. Why add salt when you can add salty mini-shrimp!
Of course let’s also give some focus to the dish of sundae and ‘head meat’ on the table.
Take some of that meat, dip it in some sauce, add some kimchi and fresh garlic and you’ve got a tasty mouthful!
The gentleman next to us offered us a shot of soju to go with our meal. I couldn’t turn him down so I munch the morsel and…
One Shot!
Don’t forget to add some rice to your soup! While I hear the yangban (the old literati aristocrats) looked down on the practice, their opinions don’t matter any more.
And soon the food just somehow… disappeared.
Wonder how that happened.
If you feel like visiting Ma ‘n Pa’s Sundae, you can easily find it at this address:
제일어버이순대
서울특별시 용산구 남영동 93-2
You can get there by either Namyeong Station exit 1 (Line 1) or Sookdae Station exit 6 (Line 4).
Not far!
Not far from here either!
Hope you enjoy! I know I did.
“Love Love Love” A Look at Three Songs
Over the last few years I noticed a few of the songs i listen to actually had the same name. Most notably “Love, Love, Love”. I discovered that there are a myriad of songs sharing this title. I won’t be delving into all of those here. Rather, I’ll be focusing just three, two from The K-Pop scene and one more from one of my favorite American bands. Each song has a drastically different tone and outlook on the subject, and deserve a look.
If you decide to join me on this venture, please listen to each song two or three times, both for the feel of the music but also the usage of lyrics and – for the k-pop songs – visuals in conjunction with the music. For the Korean songs, I’ve added English translations I’ve found online for your convenience. I’ll add a few of my feelings after each song if you’d rather just read that first as well.
Love, Love, Love
The Sunset Tree (2005)
The Mountain Goats
King Saul fell on his sword
When it all went wrong
And Joseph’s brother sold him down the river for a song
And Sonny Liston rubbed some tiger balm into his glove
Some things you do for money
And some you do for love love love
Ras Kolnikov felt sick
And he couldn’t say why
When he saw his face reflected
In his victim’s twinkling eye
Some things you’ll do for money
Some you’ll do for fun
But the things you do for love are gonna come back to you One by one
Love love is gonna lead you be the hand
Into a white and soundless place
Now we see things
As in a mirror dimly
Then we shall see each other
Face
To face
And way out in Seattle,
Young Kirk Cobain
Snuck out to the greenhouse
And put a bullet in his brain
Snakes in the grass beneath our feet
Rain in the clouds above
Some moments last forever
But some flair out
With love love love
Probably the most philosophical of the three songs, I find it also the most atmospheric and calm, though that adds to the disturbing factor. The instrumental part of this piece is reminiscent of a rainy day, perhaps one where you would sit with a cup of coffee or hot cocoa listening to the drops on the roof. The kind of day that feels like we can reflect on the beauty and terror of this world. There is no urgency; we can’t change what has already happened, and all we can do now is reflect.
And perhaps that’s how I would sum up my feelings of this song: relflective melancholy.
The melancholy of the song is reinforced by the lyrics, which are sung almost like a lullaby. The juxtaposition of tragic and desperate actions with sayings that are usually used to extol the concept of love is jarring. But dig deeper, these aren’t just non-sequiturs. Feel free to share your thoughts on the relations, I think I’ll let the poetry speak for itself.
O———-O
Love Love Love
Remapping the Human Soul (2007)
Epik High
It’s Midnight, your tired drunk voice
2:00 a.m., the abruptly ended phone call
Nobody knows how I feel
I can’t stop
Love love love
Though it hurts, I keep on repeating
I can’t stop
Love love love
Have you ever been in love before?
Falling at first sight, like in the movies?
Spent the entire night talking on the phone?
Bragged to the entire world?
Waited in the pouring rain?
Run like crazy to the one you love?
Secretly guarded?
Gone crazy?
Pretended not to see when you really did?
I’m sure you have been in love
Spent all your money on your anniversary
Apologized even when you didn’t do anything wrong
Spent entire days writing love letters
Pushed back promises with your family
Prayed to God for that persons health
Ignored your friends
Missed them
Guarded their leaving figure
Can’t stop love
Why? I loved you like crazy
Why? I treated you so well
I gave you everything
You got me going crazy
Why? I loved you with all my life.
I gave you my body and soul
I lost everything for you
How could you?
Nobody knows how I feel
I can’t stop
Love love love
Though it hurts, I keep on repeating
I can’t stop
Love love love
Have you ever had your heart broken?
Had your makeup wash off in the pouring rain?
Cut your long hair?
Started smoking again?
Avoided areas where they might be?
Wrote letters you know you would never send?
Called them while you were drunk?
(Hello?)
Had your lips freeze up
I’m sure you’ve had a broken heart
Hated them as much as you loved them
Ripped up letters you didn’t read
Deleted the phone number you will never forget
Celebrated anniversaries by yourself
Burned all the photographs
Thought every song about heartbreak in the world was yours
Can’t stop love
Why? I loved you like crazy
Why? I treated you so well
I gave you everything
You got me going crazy
Why? I loved you with all my life.
I gave you my body and soul
I lost everything for you
How could you?
Nobody knows my heart
I can’t stop
Love love love
Though it hurts, I keep on repeating
I can’t stop
Love love love
Cry like an idiot
Get drunk again
Hold on to your friend
And curse that person
Time passes
Get drunk again
Grab the phone
Say love!
Nobody knows my heart
I can’t stop
Love love love
Though it hurts, I keep on repeating
I can’t stop
Love love love
Nobody knows my heart
In reality, only you don’t know
Though it hurts, I keep on repeating
As I live my life, I’m sure I’ll see you again
Translation from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/e/epik_high/
While the Mountain Goats had a ruminating effect, Epic High’s song is much more an expression of the craziness of still being in love despite a break up or fight. The catchy hook is both really effective at conveying this madness of late night drunken confusion and making sure the song became popular in Korea. The visuals are straightforward, a person alone in her head going over memories, torn, reconstituted and completely befuddled. I personally like the lack of emotion and blank stare the singer gives – a comatose observation of the memories playing through her head, that only seem to multiply despite attempts to destroy and clear them away. For me the music video really strengthens the song as the lyrics are relatively prosaic while the video is much more… lyrical.
O———-O
Love Love Love
Beautiful Journey (2010)
FT Island
My heart stops. My breath stops. You are leaving me
I only loved you until my heart ached. I was happy
Born as your man, i loved you indefinitely
That’s enough. I’ll try to hold back my tears
Rain soaks my whole body
I struggle to lift my head again and look at the sky
Tain drops getting into my eyes replace the tears
That i’ve been holding back again and again
Thinking of you
I was so happy because i loved you like crazy
I let go of you, who gave me memory of love.
Good bye, my love love love
Fare well, my love love love
Even though my filling up tears soak my whole body,
Now good bye good bye good bye
Please be happy after leaving me
Step by step, you are getting far away from me
I silently pour myself a glass
Struggling to hold it up, i let out a sigh
I take the glass
Together, i swallow the tears that
I’ve been holding back again and again
Thinking of you
I was so happy because i loved you like crazy
I let go of you, who gave me memory of love.
Good bye, my love love love
Fare well, my love love love
Even though my filling up tears soak my whole body,
Now good bye good bye good bye
Please be happy after leaving me
Step by step, you are getting far away from me
I didn’t know love because my heart is cold
But thank you so much. I know now. That love is like this.
My heart stops. My breath stops. You are leaving me.
Good bye, my love love love
Fare well, my love love love
Even though my filling up tears soak my whole body,
Now good bye good bye good bye
Please be happy after leaving me
Step by step, you are getting far away from me
Rain soaks my entire body. I look at the sky.
Even though my filling up tears soak my whole body,
Now good bye good bye good bye
Please be happy after leaving me
Step by step, you are getting far away from me
Translation from: http://southkoreaaddict.blogspot.kr/2011/11/love-love-love-ft-island-lyric.html
If the Mountain Goats’ song is a rainy day contemplation and Epic High’s song is late night self-loathing, then FT Island’s song is a drunken cry against cruel fate. The imagery of destiny is clear in the music video, with both a marionette motif and the ‘red string of fate‘ making an appearance. The song is, what’s the right word? Emo? Probably too much for some, but I know I likes me some emo on occasion. The music complements this by starting off slow, again reminiscent of a light rain, and building up to torrents of sorrow as the song goes on.
And there you have it, three songs I like connected by title. What are you thoughts on these songs? Which ones did you like or not like? I’m curious to know why!
O———–O
Post Script:
I’m not particularly happy with the translations I found, but they will have to suffice. If I ever get around to doing my own translations, I’ll update them here as well as give them their own post. If you see any glaring errors, let me know and I’ll correct them!
Return of ‘In Search of a North Korean Dish’
Whelp, some friends and I decided to return to the North Korean restaurant, hidden behind city hall. We’ll look at four more dishes and maybe have some fun. Welcome back to Ribuk Sonmandu (리북 손만두)!
If you haven’t checked out my first view of this restaurant, have a quick look at ‘In Search for a North Korean Restaurant‘.
This time around our merry band decided to try the titular dish of the restaurant, mandu. Mandu is the Korean word for dumpling, but I’ll use the Korean word to refer to the Korean style. Ribuk’s mandu dishes all use their base dumpling as the focus. So if you just want the mandu, perhaps you’ll like:
Jeopsi Mandu (접시 만두)
Literally ‘a plate of mandu’
Other places would call this king mandu due to the size, but here they only have one size. One dish includes four of these mammoth dumplings, and they are a good start to a meal if you have a bunch of friends, or might suffice as the meal proper if you visit solo. While most mandu is stuffed with either kimchi or meat, this mandu is stuffed with minced tofu and veggies. Yum!
Though this one does look a bit like an ear.
For a main dish we decided against the cold soup and opted for a nice hot broth. So we ordered what looked like what everyone else around us was eating, jeongol.
Jeongol (전골)
Literally ‘Beef Stew’ or ‘Pork Casserole’ – I’m guessing the former.
Sounds a bit like ‘jungle’.
Despite the name, this concoction is chock full of veggies as well as another round of the afore mentioned mandu thrown into the mix. It is flavored by little strips of beef, but it feels like a kickback to a bygone era where meat was scarce and used as much for flavoring as it was for an ingredient. We only discovered the bits of beef half-way through the dish!
“Welcome to the jeongol, we’ve got fun and games!”
They don’t serve this individually, so if you want to try this dish, better bring some friends. The smallest dish of jeongol is the ‘medium’ which is good for three to four people. Possibly two starving stereotypical Americans if you don’t order anything else.
But this feast isn’t finished yet.
I had to try the:
Kimchimariguksu (김치마리국수)
Literally ‘kimchi put in noodles’.
This is virtually the same dish as the kimchimaibap, but with noodles rather than rice. The icy broth is still nice, but I find myself much more a fan of the cold rice than the cold noodles in this case. Either way, it is still a recommended dish.
However, if you like yourself some sundubu (spicy tofu soup), the you really need to try the:
Ddukbaegimandu (뚝배기만두)
Literally ‘earthware pot dumpling’
Initially I thought this was going to be mandu stuffed with radish kimchi because I mistook the 뚝배기 for 깍두기. Somehow. Yeah shoot me. Anyway, once I got the dish I was quickly corrected, and while mildly disappointed by not having mandu stuffed with ggakdugi (does that even exist?) I was pleasantly surprised by having this lovely dish. The name really tells you nothing other than its a hot dish with mandu in it. But this one was basically a spicy tofu/beef soup with two Ribuk mandu in the mix.
A surprise piece of beef is found. There isn’t much in there though; it’s mostly for flavoring.
As mentioned before, Ribuk Sonmandu can be found at:
리북 손만두
서울특별시 중구 무교로 17-13
Take City Hall Station, exit 4, and head behind City Hall. Turn left at that small alley, right at the next road, and another right down the tiny alley. You’ll see a sign. It’s a small twisting alley. Much fun.
Well, I hope you enjoyed taking a look at this delightful restaurant. Hopefully I’ll get a few more posts on exploring Korean culture and food in the upcoming month!
I guess calling it ear mandu sounds a tad odd.
