I saw a PIFF Film!

Last year, when I enquired about how to buy tickets for PIFF (The Pusan International Film Festival), my co-workers ALL told me, "Tickets for films are sold out weeks in advance," and you can only buy them these ways: 
1. online, on a korean website.
2. at Busan bank (which closes before I get off work) 
3. participating GS25's (Korea's equivalent of a 7/11) 


Needless to say, I never got around to buying tickets last year!  

What they neglected to mention is that 80% of the tickets can be purchased by the above options.  The other 20% of tickets can be purchased at the theater, just like when you go to see a regular movie!  gggrrrr.

So last night, after work, I took a bus over to Nampodong and walked myself up to the ticket booth and asked for 1 ticket for "Illegal," (a French and Russian language film, directed by Olivier Masset-Depasse, which won the SACD Prize at the 2010 Cannes Director’s Fortnight) which was starting in exactly 30 minutes...  and would you know it - there was a ticket available!  

That wasn't so hard now, was it?!

What was even better was, after I bought it, I ran into my friends Jenna and Annie who had purchased tickets to the same film!

I'm happy to say my very first Pusan International Film Festival experience was a success!   Here's the trailer:

Aaron and I are going back tomorrow to see a film!  We're still debating between "Inside America" and "If I want to whistle, I whistle."   

   

PIFF

The Pusan International Film Festival started 2 days ago!!  Truchen and I had planned to meet in Nampodong for dinner that night, and ended up stumbling upon the opening ceremony, which was a concert from some of korea's most beloved performers!

This video is of Kim Tae Oo!  The sound is horrible, but you can still get a good look at what it was like that night, and how close Truchen and I were able to get to the stage, without being completely trampled!!

Me and Truchen, in the taxi, on the way home!  There was no way we were going to be able to get on a bus!  They were packed with fans all trying to get home!

Then, last night, I heard what sounded like gun shots, so I quickly ran over to my window, looked out, and saw a beautiful FIREWORK SHOW out my window, which was coming from Nampodong!   Unfortunately, I didn't catch pictures of the fireworks in time!  Literally, as soon as I got my camera ready and turned it on, the fireworks stopped... So, you'll just have to imagine how beautiful they were (in this red circle that I drew)! 

Tonight, I'm headed to the Film Festival to see a Russian independent film at 5:30pm!   Cheers to the Film Festival!
***

Storytelling Contest!

My school held auditions for the city-wide storytelling contest this afternoon!  I, along with 3 other teachers, sat and listened to (14) 3rd and 4th grade students tell a story from a book that they had memorized!  What's incredible is, most of these students can't speak English, but they can memorize an ENTIRE english story book! 

This is Steven!  He's been one of my favorite students since I arrived in Korea!  When I found out he had entered the contest, I couldn't wait to video tape him!  What a little schmooch huh?!  I've added the words that he's saying, down below the videos, so you can follow along!  But, in my opinion, it's much funnier to try to dicipher what he's saying!

Introducing, STEVEN!

INTRODUCTION in Korean:

It’s bath time Jack, called Dad.

I hate bath, said Jack.

Go and have your bath right now, said mom.

You can’t catch me, Jack replied… and he set off down the garden.

They are coming. I will hide in here, thought Jack.

He’s in the shed, shouted Mr. Crabtree.

Jack slipped nimbly out of the window.

Mind my vegetables shouted, yelled Mr Crabtree and he joined in the chase.



Even worse, Jack couldn't movie on him. (????)
The grown ups had passed.
Still, they can't catch me, he whispered to his new friend, the pig. And he was right!
No one saw him go home, or what he did when the got there.
Hello, said Jack. You can't catch me!
But this time, he was wrong!
THE END!
***

So awesome!

I headed over to the post office yesterday to mail baby Clemence's gift...

...and couldn't help but notice this box of reading glasses that were avaiable for customers who may have left theirs at home!  So sweet!

but what's even better than this box of glasses, was that fact that there was NO wait at the post office, and it ended up only costing me 1220 Korean Won for the envelope and the stamps to maill her gift to America, that's $1.02!  I love the Korean postal service!

***

Worlds Collide!

My sister Amy and Stella (my co-teacher from last year) met up for lunch yesterday in New York!  Amy lives in Brooklyn now and Stella is only about 30 mins away -in New Jersey, so I gave them each others phone numbers and wala, they met for lunch yesterday!!  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous!  Stella got to see my sister, and my sister got to see Stella... and I didn't get to see either of them :(

  

Amy said they went shopping in Soho and Stella went wild in Forever 21!  But really, who wouldn't?!  As they were walking through the city, they came across this awesome graffiti wall, so Amy snapped a pic of Stella!  I was so happy to see this, because I've never seen Stella smile this big for a picture!  It's obvious that she's relaxing a bit outside of Korea, and enjoying herself in the US!  

Then they went to a cafe for coffee and said their goodbyes!  Amy said she's sure they'll hang out again! I couldn't be happier seeing my 2 worlds collide!