Year Summary-- Best of Music, 2008

January--Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, Somewhere Over the Rainbow
February--Ekolu, Ekolu Music. Warren G., I want it all. America, Ventura Highway
March--Ekolu, Honestly. Puressence, Don't Forget to Remember (and others)
April--Katch-a-fire. Love Letter, Skankin (and others)
May--MIKA, Big Girl, Grace Kelly (and others), Bob Marley, Wait in Vain
June--(Park Pop) Morgan Heritage, Raid Roots Dance. Neil Diamond, Coming to America
July--Cold Play, Viva la Vida. Travis, Re-offender.
August--Tracy Chapman, Fast Car. Jeff Buckley, Hallelujah.
September--님은 먼것에, 늦기전에
October--The Avett Brothers, Paranoia in B Major. Van Morisson, Stranded.
November--Alicia Keys, If I ain't got you. Estelle, American Boy.
December--리자, 인연. Paolo Nutini, New Shoes, Rewind. Marc Cohn, Walking in Memphis

Christmas Project 2008

Seven years ago when a friend and I were proselytizing in the neighborhood just behind Korea's Blue House when bumped into a wiry old guy named Kim Ilyong. We spent about 10 minutes talking with him in the street and later visited him at his house which wasn't far from there. We learned he was an artist. His office was littered with scraps of ink-stained chart paper. The walls were just as cluttered--with his finished products--dozens of carefully drawn emblems, poems, songs, and Korean national declarations no doubt. I never anticipated that I'd ever go back to his place but this Christmas proved the occasion. Mr. Kim spent about 6hrs on a Sunday afternoon etching out these wall scrolls for the family. He let me dab the ink.

More creative work

Dreality

To Dream is above all divine
Reality is too full of
Skunk spray
Weary baggy eyes
Cigarrette smoke
Weary ugly lies

Yet Reality will draw a line
Dreams are but fools of
Pungeance
Marrowed bones
Satience
Wind chime tones

On Rice and Opposition

On Opposition

Like pressure cooked rice
I don’t like the intrusive steam
But if that’s what it takes to be edible
(or to realize some dream)
(or do something incredible)
I’ll suffer it thrice

making time for the finer things

It's been a long time since I've put the pen to the page. So this is long past due. I've been feeling a dearth of creativeness since I changed fields from English lit studies to geopolitics. But there is a lot to say about that conflicting world as well. More to come.


Near and Far

Far from the heart of all I have known
Far from its dry blue skies
Its familiar nights
Its rested mornings

Near to the heart that I have not known
Nor could know
At ease in familiarity
Easy in the rest of home


Tracktion

I ain’t getting no tracktion—
In all my action—
Who’s got the action plan man?
Can you pin the day to a post it?
Check off all ‘to do’s’ and boast it?
Can you both eat your turkey and roast it?
And still find time
To relax and recline?
If you can
That’s a real good plan
Man! Look at that Alpha man!
Tracktion

How’s he getting all that traction?
In every action?
How does he do it?
And he still stays so fluid?
Bouncing off street-side stumbling blocks
Picking up girls like wall street stocks
And shooting nines with campus jocks
And still finds a way
To save the day?
If you can
That’s a real good plan
Stan! The original Daoist Man!
Tracktion

Get yourself some—Tracktion

Putting on winters mufflers

Winter is breathing down our necks here now. The locals say fall in Korea has been getting shorter. That's too bad because it's the best season here. The winds have started to pick up, the sky is clear blue, and the air is fresh and crisp. The local grasshoppers have been sneaking in our bathroom to stay warm at night. It's nice to have that small piece of nature close. With the oncoming cold I've instinctively started growing out my hair. I've got a nicer set of mufflers this year than I've had for years.

New pad in Anam-dong Seoul

Living spaces in Korea are as hilly and small as I remember.