Monday was Independence day here in Korea, which dates back to August 15th 1945 when Japan officially renounced its imperial claims to Korea when it surrendered to the US. For Koreans it's a time to drink and celebrate their independence. For me it was a 3 day weekend :)
It began Friday night down on Sydney st. I went back to my old neighbourhood to grab a pint and some food with Geoff. We hit the big GS mart for a quick beer (I bought an Asahi :P) and then off we went. Marks buddy was in from Sydney and had brought Aussie Bundaberg rum and very top end Nicaraguan cigars which they were very generous in sharing with us. As anyone who knows me knows I do not smoke, nor do I even really want others smoking around me. However, one does not turn down a $20 cigar so I decided to share it with Geoff and passed on any inhaling. Have to admit it was really good and although it won't ever become a habit of mine, I can see why others will spend on high end cigars to smoke them very infrequently.
Saturday I woke up and went out to my new 된전 place for breakfast with Geoff (who had crashed at my place rather than take a $15 cab ride home). I then did a bit of shopping and met up with a friend that night for a movie and some food. It was a quiter day, but it was needed.
Sunday was Samsung Lions baseball. They were playing the KIA Tigers (from Gwangju) so me Geoff and Kurt decided to head out early, get decent seats (for $7) and have a beer. We were roasting a bit but as it's general seating we decided to tough it out to enjoy the great seats. I'm actually okay in the heat, and find myself dying in the winter time but many around me were not doing as well....... they'll be laughing come January. The game itself was a hit and Samsung won 6-2. During the 7th inning the game was starting to drag a bit (it was a 3.5 hour game) so Kurt and I decided to stand up and start chanting for the Lions. We got half our section in to it. Awesome. Afterwards we hit the Sangin strip for dinner and a drink before calling it a night.
Monday was my responsible go shopping and clean day. I also wanted to get in a bit of excercise seeing as I haven't been doing much of late. I had been running after work last April and May in Seongseo but with all that went down and then the trip to Vancouver I effectively stopped. In the end I only managed a long walk, as a real running track is still eluding me. However in this heat and humidity I still worked up a good sweat.
I was also happy that this weekend was light on the wallet, as payday is still three long weeks away :)
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
My first weekend back
Well my first weekend (not including the saturday I flew in on) has come and gone, and it was a blast.
It started with Paul coming up to my new place in Daegu on friday night. I let him in before work and so when I got back he was hungry and ready to go. We headed out to the local makkali jip run by the grumpy old man who serves up the sauce. We go on it a bit and found ourselves in the middle of the spot to be in Sangin. Bobby had come down from Seoul for the weekend so him and Geoff decided to show up and join us. My friend Kurt, who was out with friends walked by, saw us, and came in. Needless to say it was a late night.
Saturday was more or less a write off.
Sunday I got up early and did a big homeplus shop and really organized my apartment. I also managed to see Bobby and Geoff in Sangin for about an hour before Bobby had to go catch his train.
Good weekend.
It started with Paul coming up to my new place in Daegu on friday night. I let him in before work and so when I got back he was hungry and ready to go. We headed out to the local makkali jip run by the grumpy old man who serves up the sauce. We go on it a bit and found ourselves in the middle of the spot to be in Sangin. Bobby had come down from Seoul for the weekend so him and Geoff decided to show up and join us. My friend Kurt, who was out with friends walked by, saw us, and came in. Needless to say it was a late night.
Saturday was more or less a write off.
Sunday I got up early and did a big homeplus shop and really organized my apartment. I also managed to see Bobby and Geoff in Sangin for about an hour before Bobby had to go catch his train.
Good weekend.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
the new job, apartment and suburb
Well I've started my new job this week and so far it's a good school. The classes are well structured (if a bit repetitive), my coworkers seem nice enough and one Aussie in particular seems like a solid guy. It'll keep me busy but not overworked, except for my Thursday which will be LONG. It's also a seven hour day, which is great as I'll again have mornings free but not be off so late that I can't do anything (which was the case in Ulsan).
My new apartment is also fantastic. My old one was a bit of a rat hole but this one, on the fourth floor, has a view of the suburb, lots of natural light, and a proper kitchen area. With a bit of rearranging I've managed to make it feel like a real home and with internet here already I've been able to set up my computer right away.
Finally my new suburb, Sangin-dong, is great. While I really liked Seongseo, it was more of a salaryman neighbourhood in the west and University students in the east. In Sangin you get a good mix of 30 somethings as well as younger people. I know people who live in Sangin that rarely leave and I think I understand why. It also has more of a working class feel, and it has the restaurants and shopping to match. In Seongseo it was bars, meat restaurants or Gimbap. Here I can get my big soup and sides for 4000won.
It's early days yet, but so far so good.
My new apartment is also fantastic. My old one was a bit of a rat hole but this one, on the fourth floor, has a view of the suburb, lots of natural light, and a proper kitchen area. With a bit of rearranging I've managed to make it feel like a real home and with internet here already I've been able to set up my computer right away.
Finally my new suburb, Sangin-dong, is great. While I really liked Seongseo, it was more of a salaryman neighbourhood in the west and University students in the east. In Sangin you get a good mix of 30 somethings as well as younger people. I know people who live in Sangin that rarely leave and I think I understand why. It also has more of a working class feel, and it has the restaurants and shopping to match. In Seongseo it was bars, meat restaurants or Gimbap. Here I can get my big soup and sides for 4000won.
It's early days yet, but so far so good.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Mid-season review
Well I'd usually do this after the All-Star break, but, well, I'm late. I'm not going to do a 30 team review cause I can't be bothered to do them all and, well frankly, I don't know enough about teams like Florida or Kansas City to do it. However, I do wanna discuss a few points on teams I follow or care about.
AMERICAN LEAGUE:
This is the league I really follow, so it'll get the bulk of the attention.
Seattle Mariners:
ah the Mariners. They were looking promising early on but a 17 game losing streak killed those chances. Ichiro Suzuki is looking to have his worst season ever (though I'd point out that in any other player it would be a break out year). He's on pace to hit .270 with 180 hits. It would be the first time in his 11 year career that he wouldn't hit above 200 (he currently holds the record for consecutive 200 hit seasons at 10, the runners up both had 8). Despite these numbers I still think he's the best player in the Major Leagues today, even if he is starting to show his age (he's 36). There's no other player who's produced his numbers over this decade and if he weren't playing in obscurity in Seattle he'd be a household name outside of Japan as well. Seattle also has excellent pitching in Pineda and Hernandez but the team can't generate hits. To be honest I've never heard of most of their lineup. This will be another write off season for the boys.
Texas Rangers:
Seattle's division rival is looking great with Hamilton and Beltran in the 3rd and 4th spots in the lineup. Last years American League Champions are looking good, though I doubt they will repeat last years success. They'll make the playoffs but won't be able to top Boston or New York (they will draw one of them I'm sure). I'll call a division series exit this year.
Boston Red Sox:
Well a team that spent the 20th century in the gutter has really turned it around this century (so far). Two World Series Championships (2004 and 2007) and numerous playoff appearances. Currently they are the best team in the American league and neck and neck with Philly for best overall. The race with the Yankees is intense (as it always is) but I think Boston will come out on top in the AL east (and the Yankees will win the wild card). I say this because both teams have superior hitting and so-so pitching, but Boston plays at Fenway, so giving up 10 runs is no problem when you are guaranteed 12. Boston is also much younger. Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury are both just starting off their career and guys like Marco Scutaro and Adrian Gonzalez are in their prime (Gonzalez has the highest batting average in the Major Leagues at this point). Ortiz is getting on but as the DH he doesn't need to be athletic (or really even able to move much faster than Jabba the Hut when he's at home). Youkilis and Varitek are also getting on in years but they have younger men ready to fill their shoes (Saltalamacchia is one of the best up and coming catchers in the major leagues, and for him to play with Varitek is gold). Boston's pitching is what will do them in. Wakefield is the master of inconsistency and Lester and Lackey have been shakey at best. Beckett is good but he can't do it alone. In fact the only thing keeping Boston on top is that New York's pitching is even worse.
New York Yankees:
Well the Yankees are once again a dominant force in baseball. A combination of great offense and baseball being the only sport without a salary cap continues to make this possible. The Yankees are primed for another playoff run and while I don't think they have what it takes to win it this year I would never count them out completely (as I'm happy to do with Texas). Arguably the best offense in the Major League with Texeira, Rodriguez, Jeter and Swisher to name but a few, the Yankees are favourites to beat any team in the Majors. However, they are an older team. Jeter, who got his 3000th hit this year, is 37. Alex Rodriguez, who is chasing the home run record, is 36. Jorge Posada is 39. It's an older team and when you start to go through the starting lineup you realize that few of them are under 30 and none under 25. Their pitching is also weak. CC Sabathia aside (who I personally think is the best pitcher in the AL) they have no one who can match the NL teams they'd likely meet should they make the World Series. AJ Burnett and Bartolo Colon are 34 and 38 respectively and while many pitchers often reach their prime only in their late 20's and early 30's power pitchers usually slow down in their 30's (Burnett is certainly a power pitcher and Colon is certainly past that age). All this being said, the Yankees have surprised many in the past and they may just have too much power for any pitching rotation out there.
Toronto Blue Jays:
Buck Martinez is a d!ck and contrary to his constant claims to the contrary Toronto are NOT Canada's team, they are NOT going to make the playoffs this year (a .500 record in the AL east?!?! Good luck Buck) and Jose Bautista is NOT the greatest player in the Major Leagues today. That being said, the ease with which most people hate Martinez and thus dismiss the team can overshadow a decent group. Jose Bautista may not be the best player now, but as Cliff Lee said, if he keeps these numbers up for 7-8 years he will be. Travis Snider is a great outfielder and fun to watch. Arencibia is a decent catcher and Escobar and Lind can both produce. Morrow is their only pitcher worth noting but this is a team that would have a chance were they not in a division race with Boston and New York.
Tampa Bay Rays:
Great team playing against better teams. In the same boat as Toronto but are a better team. They'd be leading the AL Central but in the AL east they are destined for a 3rd place finish. 'nuff said.
The Rest:
Well the Cleveland Indians have had a break out year and the addition of Kosuke Fukudome may give them that AL central championship and a playoff apprearance. I like them for a division series appearance. Detroit will give them some trouble but that's about it. If Cleveland misses Detriot is in. However, neither team would even be in contention in most other divisions (note that 4th place AL east Toronto has a BETTER record than Cleveland at the moment). In the west the LA Angels will be the only competition Texas has but those 2002-2003 teams are long gone and I can't see them overcoming the Rangers offensive power. The Oakland Athletics managed to pick up a few solid guys in the offseason (Hideki Matsui being the best example) but they haven't been able to do anything with them. They'll beat Seattle but that's about it.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
I don't follow these teams as closely so I'll say less about them, but with home field advantage in the World Series I think this years champion will be an NL team.
Philadelphia Phillies:
The Phillies are my prediction to win it all. They have great offense in Polance, Utley and Howard (plus a rejuvenated Raul Ibanez) and a starting pitching rotation that includes Cliff Lee, Roy Halliday and Cole Hamels. Currently the top team in the Majors they have some age issues but enough young guys to fill key roles. The 2008 World Series Champions I do think they can do it again this year, especially as if they make it they will have home field advantage, which in baseball (much moreso than other sports) means something. The only factor that goes against the Phillies is that the NL is a weaker league than the AL. So is their record worth as much as Boston's comparable AL record?
San Francisco Giants:
If the Phillies don't make the finals the Giants will. With Barry Zito and Tim Lincecum as your two top starting pitchers and decent offense from Orlando Cabrera, Miguel Tejada (when he's off the DL) and now Carlos Beltran they can give the Phillies a run for their money. I can't see them having any trouble in the NL west but I don't see them getting by the Phillies. They won it all in 2010 but I don't think they have what it takes to repeat, though much like the Yankees I won't predict an exit.
Chicago Cubs
The oldest professional sports team in the world and the 1907 and 1908 World Series Champions will be unlikely to get a third championship this year as they are well below .500 in a tough division. I love the Cubbies and would love to see them win just one more time (though I'm sure some 90 year old Cubs fans are saying the same thing). With Fukudome off to Cleveland all thats left is Aramis Ramirez on offense and Ryan Dempster to pitch (if he ever gets healthy again). Ah well.
The Rest:
As noted above, while I think the best team at this point is in the NL, they are alone (in fact San Francisco might be the only other team from the NL I'd put in the top 10). This means that the Red Sox, Yankees and Rangers records may be better than they look. The New York Mets stink, the LA Dodgers stink, the San Diego Padres stink. The Pittsburgh Pirates may put their first winning record in 20 years together, which I'm thrilled to see, but it won't be enough to give them a real chance. Arizona is playing well but I can't see them catching San Francisco. The Atlanta Braves are playing well and could do a wildcard birth and even an NL Championship birth. They will be the team to upset the Giants/Phillies. The Milwaukee Brewers are having a breakout year but I think they will lose ground to the St. Louis Cardinals in August and September. The Cards are close despite multiple injuries.
So, here are my midseason predictions for the playoffs:
AL:
West - Texas Rangers
Central - Cleveland Indians
East - Boston Red Sox
Wildcard - New York Yankees
NL:
West - San Francisco Giants
Central - St. Louis Cardinals
East - Philadelphia Phillies
Wildcard - Atlanta Braves
AMERICAN LEAGUE:
This is the league I really follow, so it'll get the bulk of the attention.
Seattle Mariners:
ah the Mariners. They were looking promising early on but a 17 game losing streak killed those chances. Ichiro Suzuki is looking to have his worst season ever (though I'd point out that in any other player it would be a break out year). He's on pace to hit .270 with 180 hits. It would be the first time in his 11 year career that he wouldn't hit above 200 (he currently holds the record for consecutive 200 hit seasons at 10, the runners up both had 8). Despite these numbers I still think he's the best player in the Major Leagues today, even if he is starting to show his age (he's 36). There's no other player who's produced his numbers over this decade and if he weren't playing in obscurity in Seattle he'd be a household name outside of Japan as well. Seattle also has excellent pitching in Pineda and Hernandez but the team can't generate hits. To be honest I've never heard of most of their lineup. This will be another write off season for the boys.
Texas Rangers:
Seattle's division rival is looking great with Hamilton and Beltran in the 3rd and 4th spots in the lineup. Last years American League Champions are looking good, though I doubt they will repeat last years success. They'll make the playoffs but won't be able to top Boston or New York (they will draw one of them I'm sure). I'll call a division series exit this year.
Boston Red Sox:
Well a team that spent the 20th century in the gutter has really turned it around this century (so far). Two World Series Championships (2004 and 2007) and numerous playoff appearances. Currently they are the best team in the American league and neck and neck with Philly for best overall. The race with the Yankees is intense (as it always is) but I think Boston will come out on top in the AL east (and the Yankees will win the wild card). I say this because both teams have superior hitting and so-so pitching, but Boston plays at Fenway, so giving up 10 runs is no problem when you are guaranteed 12. Boston is also much younger. Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury are both just starting off their career and guys like Marco Scutaro and Adrian Gonzalez are in their prime (Gonzalez has the highest batting average in the Major Leagues at this point). Ortiz is getting on but as the DH he doesn't need to be athletic (or really even able to move much faster than Jabba the Hut when he's at home). Youkilis and Varitek are also getting on in years but they have younger men ready to fill their shoes (Saltalamacchia is one of the best up and coming catchers in the major leagues, and for him to play with Varitek is gold). Boston's pitching is what will do them in. Wakefield is the master of inconsistency and Lester and Lackey have been shakey at best. Beckett is good but he can't do it alone. In fact the only thing keeping Boston on top is that New York's pitching is even worse.
New York Yankees:
Well the Yankees are once again a dominant force in baseball. A combination of great offense and baseball being the only sport without a salary cap continues to make this possible. The Yankees are primed for another playoff run and while I don't think they have what it takes to win it this year I would never count them out completely (as I'm happy to do with Texas). Arguably the best offense in the Major League with Texeira, Rodriguez, Jeter and Swisher to name but a few, the Yankees are favourites to beat any team in the Majors. However, they are an older team. Jeter, who got his 3000th hit this year, is 37. Alex Rodriguez, who is chasing the home run record, is 36. Jorge Posada is 39. It's an older team and when you start to go through the starting lineup you realize that few of them are under 30 and none under 25. Their pitching is also weak. CC Sabathia aside (who I personally think is the best pitcher in the AL) they have no one who can match the NL teams they'd likely meet should they make the World Series. AJ Burnett and Bartolo Colon are 34 and 38 respectively and while many pitchers often reach their prime only in their late 20's and early 30's power pitchers usually slow down in their 30's (Burnett is certainly a power pitcher and Colon is certainly past that age). All this being said, the Yankees have surprised many in the past and they may just have too much power for any pitching rotation out there.
Toronto Blue Jays:
Buck Martinez is a d!ck and contrary to his constant claims to the contrary Toronto are NOT Canada's team, they are NOT going to make the playoffs this year (a .500 record in the AL east?!?! Good luck Buck) and Jose Bautista is NOT the greatest player in the Major Leagues today. That being said, the ease with which most people hate Martinez and thus dismiss the team can overshadow a decent group. Jose Bautista may not be the best player now, but as Cliff Lee said, if he keeps these numbers up for 7-8 years he will be. Travis Snider is a great outfielder and fun to watch. Arencibia is a decent catcher and Escobar and Lind can both produce. Morrow is their only pitcher worth noting but this is a team that would have a chance were they not in a division race with Boston and New York.
Tampa Bay Rays:
Great team playing against better teams. In the same boat as Toronto but are a better team. They'd be leading the AL Central but in the AL east they are destined for a 3rd place finish. 'nuff said.
The Rest:
Well the Cleveland Indians have had a break out year and the addition of Kosuke Fukudome may give them that AL central championship and a playoff apprearance. I like them for a division series appearance. Detroit will give them some trouble but that's about it. If Cleveland misses Detriot is in. However, neither team would even be in contention in most other divisions (note that 4th place AL east Toronto has a BETTER record than Cleveland at the moment). In the west the LA Angels will be the only competition Texas has but those 2002-2003 teams are long gone and I can't see them overcoming the Rangers offensive power. The Oakland Athletics managed to pick up a few solid guys in the offseason (Hideki Matsui being the best example) but they haven't been able to do anything with them. They'll beat Seattle but that's about it.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
I don't follow these teams as closely so I'll say less about them, but with home field advantage in the World Series I think this years champion will be an NL team.
Philadelphia Phillies:
The Phillies are my prediction to win it all. They have great offense in Polance, Utley and Howard (plus a rejuvenated Raul Ibanez) and a starting pitching rotation that includes Cliff Lee, Roy Halliday and Cole Hamels. Currently the top team in the Majors they have some age issues but enough young guys to fill key roles. The 2008 World Series Champions I do think they can do it again this year, especially as if they make it they will have home field advantage, which in baseball (much moreso than other sports) means something. The only factor that goes against the Phillies is that the NL is a weaker league than the AL. So is their record worth as much as Boston's comparable AL record?
San Francisco Giants:
If the Phillies don't make the finals the Giants will. With Barry Zito and Tim Lincecum as your two top starting pitchers and decent offense from Orlando Cabrera, Miguel Tejada (when he's off the DL) and now Carlos Beltran they can give the Phillies a run for their money. I can't see them having any trouble in the NL west but I don't see them getting by the Phillies. They won it all in 2010 but I don't think they have what it takes to repeat, though much like the Yankees I won't predict an exit.
Chicago Cubs
The oldest professional sports team in the world and the 1907 and 1908 World Series Champions will be unlikely to get a third championship this year as they are well below .500 in a tough division. I love the Cubbies and would love to see them win just one more time (though I'm sure some 90 year old Cubs fans are saying the same thing). With Fukudome off to Cleveland all thats left is Aramis Ramirez on offense and Ryan Dempster to pitch (if he ever gets healthy again). Ah well.
The Rest:
As noted above, while I think the best team at this point is in the NL, they are alone (in fact San Francisco might be the only other team from the NL I'd put in the top 10). This means that the Red Sox, Yankees and Rangers records may be better than they look. The New York Mets stink, the LA Dodgers stink, the San Diego Padres stink. The Pittsburgh Pirates may put their first winning record in 20 years together, which I'm thrilled to see, but it won't be enough to give them a real chance. Arizona is playing well but I can't see them catching San Francisco. The Atlanta Braves are playing well and could do a wildcard birth and even an NL Championship birth. They will be the team to upset the Giants/Phillies. The Milwaukee Brewers are having a breakout year but I think they will lose ground to the St. Louis Cardinals in August and September. The Cards are close despite multiple injuries.
So, here are my midseason predictions for the playoffs:
AL:
West - Texas Rangers
Central - Cleveland Indians
East - Boston Red Sox
Wildcard - New York Yankees
NL:
West - San Francisco Giants
Central - St. Louis Cardinals
East - Philadelphia Phillies
Wildcard - Atlanta Braves
Vancouver riots
I started this a few weeks ago but didn't finish it due to the fact that I was on holidays. Thsi happened about 6 weeks ago.
Well as many of you saw on the news, Vancouver was rocked by riots when our local hockey team lost the Campionship final to Boston. That's right, hockey. While Damascus and Cairo have been shut down due to pro-democracy riots and Islamabad is rocked with anti-US riots Vancouver gets hockey riots. It's sad on so many levels. The idiots burned cars, smashed windows and shut down the city centre for about 3 hours. From the North Shore you could see smoke rising from between the buildings. Fortunately the police were able to shut it down quickly and the people responsible are being charged.
For some background: Vancouver's excuse for a city council decided that, during the Stanley Cup Finals, huge screens would be put up in the downtown core so that tens of thousands of people could come out and watch the games together. Liquor sales were banned, but as with all prohibition, that just meant that is couldn't be controlled, people hid it and even more was consumed. Vancouver were favourites to win but lost in the last game to Boston. So now there were thousands of angry, drunk hockey fans downtown. Now the instigators of this riot were not actually Vancouverites and a few weren't even from the province (a so called professional anarchist group from Oregon, who gained notoriety in the 1999 Seattle riots were a key instigator. Don't get me started on professional anarchists either). However, many drunk idiots decided to join them, looting, smashing and attacking anything they could. It was sad and a little pathetic. However, the police were able to shut it down in around 3 hours and the next day there was a huge cleanup of the city by volunteers. It was great to see so many people helping to undue the actions of a small groupof idiots. However, the stories coming out of the riot are also interesting and worth noting.
Social media: It's amazing to me the way social media has played a part in this. People are being identified through facebook, MSN and MySpace and being reported to the police. This has led to many arrests and the revelation that many of these rioters were not Vancouverites or even Canadian. It's cost these rioters scholarships, jobs and often forced them to leave the city temporarily. As an example a boy from Maple Ridge (a suburb just outside greater Vancouver) who was 17 and on his way to being on the Canadian Olympic polo team was filmed stuffing a rag in to the gas tank of a police car and lighting it on fire. There is also video of him groping a woman (who admittedly was running around topless) before making his escape. He has been identified by name (although he is under 18) through Facebook and is now in custody. He's lost his position on the team, his scholarship and.... well his future. Good job son. After being identified he talked to a lawyer and decided to waive his rights as a minor (irrelevant given that his name was already all over the internet) and come on TV to apologise, claiming these weren't the values he was raised with. Bullsh*t. He rioted and after he got caught and had his name all over the internet decided to apologise. He's sad he was caught. However, one blogger named Captain Canuck published the addresses and phone numbers of the rioters which caused quite a stir, being that some were minors and their families and family businesses were threatened or vandalised as well. This same boy mentioned above had to leave with his family after his fathers office was threatened (he's a doctor with a private practice) and his fathers nursing staff quit fearing for their lives. While I'm thrilled to see this young man ruined his family and certainly his families employees do not deserve this sort of retribution. Its vigilante justice and I wish people would leave them alone.
There have been a few stories like his coming out of the riot, and so far they are receiving very little support. A pchchology professor at SFU tried to bring up the "de-individualising" effects of a mob mentality..... I guess she needed to justify the tenured salary somehow. What that doesn't address is the thousands of people who DIDN'T riot and who tried to get out peacefully. These people rioted over a hockey game, don't make excuses for them.
I'd also like to point out the shameful way in which BC transit decided to shut down as soon as the riot started despite police saying they wanted the buses and subway running and could protect lanes outside the key riot areas (ie - people could walk 10 blocks east and get the subway). This trapped thousands of people downtown and led to more chaos than was needed. People began to follow the police around (and thus the riot) not because they were enjoying it, but because they were only safe with the police. This meant that the police not only had to quell a riot but had to protect thousands of civilians. Those cops all deserve six weeks vacation in Hawaii, and I think BC Transit (who charge the highest fares for bus, subway and ferry use in North America) should pay for it.
Today the city is cleaned up and you'd never know there was a riot. Vancouverites in their thousands turned out to clean up the city, offer support to the police (pre-paid Starbucks cards, cakes etc.) and identify those responsible. It's sad that the thousands of people who did that went under-reported while a few hundred members of the scum of society got so much publicity. Ah well, on to another mass media rant :P
Well as many of you saw on the news, Vancouver was rocked by riots when our local hockey team lost the Campionship final to Boston. That's right, hockey. While Damascus and Cairo have been shut down due to pro-democracy riots and Islamabad is rocked with anti-US riots Vancouver gets hockey riots. It's sad on so many levels. The idiots burned cars, smashed windows and shut down the city centre for about 3 hours. From the North Shore you could see smoke rising from between the buildings. Fortunately the police were able to shut it down quickly and the people responsible are being charged.
For some background: Vancouver's excuse for a city council decided that, during the Stanley Cup Finals, huge screens would be put up in the downtown core so that tens of thousands of people could come out and watch the games together. Liquor sales were banned, but as with all prohibition, that just meant that is couldn't be controlled, people hid it and even more was consumed. Vancouver were favourites to win but lost in the last game to Boston. So now there were thousands of angry, drunk hockey fans downtown. Now the instigators of this riot were not actually Vancouverites and a few weren't even from the province (a so called professional anarchist group from Oregon, who gained notoriety in the 1999 Seattle riots were a key instigator. Don't get me started on professional anarchists either). However, many drunk idiots decided to join them, looting, smashing and attacking anything they could. It was sad and a little pathetic. However, the police were able to shut it down in around 3 hours and the next day there was a huge cleanup of the city by volunteers. It was great to see so many people helping to undue the actions of a small groupof idiots. However, the stories coming out of the riot are also interesting and worth noting.
Social media: It's amazing to me the way social media has played a part in this. People are being identified through facebook, MSN and MySpace and being reported to the police. This has led to many arrests and the revelation that many of these rioters were not Vancouverites or even Canadian. It's cost these rioters scholarships, jobs and often forced them to leave the city temporarily. As an example a boy from Maple Ridge (a suburb just outside greater Vancouver) who was 17 and on his way to being on the Canadian Olympic polo team was filmed stuffing a rag in to the gas tank of a police car and lighting it on fire. There is also video of him groping a woman (who admittedly was running around topless) before making his escape. He has been identified by name (although he is under 18) through Facebook and is now in custody. He's lost his position on the team, his scholarship and.... well his future. Good job son. After being identified he talked to a lawyer and decided to waive his rights as a minor (irrelevant given that his name was already all over the internet) and come on TV to apologise, claiming these weren't the values he was raised with. Bullsh*t. He rioted and after he got caught and had his name all over the internet decided to apologise. He's sad he was caught. However, one blogger named Captain Canuck published the addresses and phone numbers of the rioters which caused quite a stir, being that some were minors and their families and family businesses were threatened or vandalised as well. This same boy mentioned above had to leave with his family after his fathers office was threatened (he's a doctor with a private practice) and his fathers nursing staff quit fearing for their lives. While I'm thrilled to see this young man ruined his family and certainly his families employees do not deserve this sort of retribution. Its vigilante justice and I wish people would leave them alone.
There have been a few stories like his coming out of the riot, and so far they are receiving very little support. A pchchology professor at SFU tried to bring up the "de-individualising" effects of a mob mentality..... I guess she needed to justify the tenured salary somehow. What that doesn't address is the thousands of people who DIDN'T riot and who tried to get out peacefully. These people rioted over a hockey game, don't make excuses for them.
I'd also like to point out the shameful way in which BC transit decided to shut down as soon as the riot started despite police saying they wanted the buses and subway running and could protect lanes outside the key riot areas (ie - people could walk 10 blocks east and get the subway). This trapped thousands of people downtown and led to more chaos than was needed. People began to follow the police around (and thus the riot) not because they were enjoying it, but because they were only safe with the police. This meant that the police not only had to quell a riot but had to protect thousands of civilians. Those cops all deserve six weeks vacation in Hawaii, and I think BC Transit (who charge the highest fares for bus, subway and ferry use in North America) should pay for it.
Today the city is cleaned up and you'd never know there was a riot. Vancouverites in their thousands turned out to clean up the city, offer support to the police (pre-paid Starbucks cards, cakes etc.) and identify those responsible. It's sad that the thousands of people who did that went under-reported while a few hundred members of the scum of society got so much publicity. Ah well, on to another mass media rant :P
Back in Korea
Well after a wonderful trip to Vancouver I am back in the ROK for my last tour of duty. I am settled in my new apartment, which is the best apartment I have had to date. Spacious (relative to Korean bachelor apartment standards) and on the fourth floor it's big enough to host and has plenty of natural light. I don't start work until Thursday so I have a few days of R&R. My jetlag is almost non-existant except that I am waking up at 6 every morning, but I expect that will change once I get my hagwon hours going.
I say this is my last tour because while in Vancouver I met with a former professor who I wish to do an MA with. He said that he liked one of my thesis topics and would agree to do it were I accepted. It is based partially on what I have done here in Korea and with better Korean language skills (and much improved reading and writing of Hanja) I should be able to do it next year. Money is, alas, the only issue.
Other than that just catching up with a few friends (who will all be waking up in 2-3 hours) and buying a few things for the apartment are whats on the agenda. However this morning is a tropical downpour so coffee and a movie may be in order for the moment..... oh and I'm not cold anymore :P
I say this is my last tour because while in Vancouver I met with a former professor who I wish to do an MA with. He said that he liked one of my thesis topics and would agree to do it were I accepted. It is based partially on what I have done here in Korea and with better Korean language skills (and much improved reading and writing of Hanja) I should be able to do it next year. Money is, alas, the only issue.
Other than that just catching up with a few friends (who will all be waking up in 2-3 hours) and buying a few things for the apartment are whats on the agenda. However this morning is a tropical downpour so coffee and a movie may be in order for the moment..... oh and I'm not cold anymore :P
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
update from Vancouver. Visa etc.
Just a quick update on whats up.
First my visa -
well the postal strike has really slowed this whole thing down (well postal lockout, but you know what I mean). I had planned on 5 weeks and it would have worked if it weren't for those pesky postal workers and management. My CRC arrived in the mail three weeks late and so even though I'm supposed to be in Korea today, I'll be in Vancouver at least another week. While I'm happy to have this extra time here the fact is that I need to be making money and my school is waiting for me to arrive (the last teacher has left already). My plan now is to get it next Tuesday or Wed and fly out the next day. However, being that I have extra time I'm hoping to relax and enjoy life here before I'm back to the grind.
In other news, Vancouver had a riot after the hockey team lost. I've managed to see friends, family an old prof and enjoy Canada. I'll do proper blogs on all of it later.
Time to enjoy this Vancouver "summer".
First my visa -
well the postal strike has really slowed this whole thing down (well postal lockout, but you know what I mean). I had planned on 5 weeks and it would have worked if it weren't for those pesky postal workers and management. My CRC arrived in the mail three weeks late and so even though I'm supposed to be in Korea today, I'll be in Vancouver at least another week. While I'm happy to have this extra time here the fact is that I need to be making money and my school is waiting for me to arrive (the last teacher has left already). My plan now is to get it next Tuesday or Wed and fly out the next day. However, being that I have extra time I'm hoping to relax and enjoy life here before I'm back to the grind.
In other news, Vancouver had a riot after the hockey team lost. I've managed to see friends, family an old prof and enjoy Canada. I'll do proper blogs on all of it later.
Time to enjoy this Vancouver "summer".
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