Mudfest 2009

A festival that is fearlessly devoted to one thing...well maybe two things...getting dirty and getting absolutely, unequivocally, shnithoused. I started my Saturday with a round of golf and the weather was beautiful. We had plans to load up the cooler around one and hit the road. As we set out and the weather turned for the worst we again learned some valuable lessons that will definitely set us up for later success.

1. The road network in Korea, after the highways, is utterly chaotic. Roads numbers merge and branch which leads to a couple of very confused captains. That brings us to my next point:

2. Never try to navigate with only a map printed on a party brochure...we were so lost it hurt. Luckily, we found a map in the car (we say found because when we buy our cars here from people who's tours are over they leave a lot of "stuff" in the car, some useful, some not.

3. Bus lanes on the highway are for buses. We actually got pulled over by the Korean National Police.

4. When stopped by the Korean National Police (see above) always try to play dumb. "Ohhhhhhhh that's the bus lane" worked this time, though may never work again.

4.1. When stopping in a no stopping zone and approached by a cop asking for ID try to change the subject to ask for directions to your hotel.

5. Bring a cooler full of Sam Adams to a festival in Korea where everybody is drinking the piss that is Cass, OB, and Hite, and you will be a hero...everytime...period. We just look at it as international relations.

6. My buddy had a teal green poncho in the trunk of his car...he did not know it was there (see #2) but it was clutch when the sky opened up.

7. Sometimes, when your car is a beater, you have to consider that a window going down doesn't always equate to a window going up.

8. If I dare you to do anything at 1am don't do it...especially if you don't know me from Adam. I DO NOT have your best intentions at heart. It's a mean streak I have..."It is what it is"

9. Korea is great, but its not home...not even close.

Golf!

Another great day on the course...an 8 shot improvement from last week. Like I said, its not every day you can golf with guns and missiles as a backdrop. Tee Box on #4 with Korean Vulcan anti-aircraft guns guarding the sky.




#8 green...you can see the Patriot Missiles of Delta Battery to the immediate right of the flag...That is my tee shot on the green...straight M.O.N.E.Y!

An Awesome 4th of July!

Hello Pyeongtaek City!

America & Wet Shorts

The fireworks are "that way".

Just wanted to thank my friends and colleagues who joined me on my roof in the Jung Woon Villas to celebrate our Independence Day. The thing about Americans is we know how to celebrate the days that matter the most even though we are more than 5,000 miles from American soil. It was a great night filled with libations and great friends.

Happy Birthday America!

Living outside of the United States makes you appreciate how lucky you are to live in a country such as ours. One cannot chose what country they are born into, but once born they can choose what country to live in. For many people over the last 233 years our country has been one of hope. A country where you are limited only by your own imagination. I have been in the army for six years and have spent 3 of those years outside of the country on the 4th of July. But being resourceful young 'Mericans we always manage to celebrate wherever we are. Tonight will be filled by the scent of the grill, ice cold beer, American flags, and fireworks...why, because that's how we roll. I have 81 Soldiers in my battery. Those 81 Americans, average age 22, will be spending their 4th 7,000 miles from their homes and loved ones. For many this is their first time out of the country. Some, a year ago, had just graduated from high school. When you look at a flag today think of them, raise your glass for them, and know that because of kids like them, we all have a free and secure country to call our home.

I miss you all... happy Independance Day from freedom's frontier.

I'm Back!

Sorry its been so long...but your friend is back. Kinda figured if I was going to have a weblog I might as well update it! I've been here 75 days now which means I am under 300 days until I take the big silver jet outta here. It is definitely hard being away from my girls but I have been trying to keep busy. Actually getting some use out of my golf clubs-I think I have a new Sunday routine. I starts with NOT drinking on Saturday night. Had a couple of hard party nights...didn't realize that I am not 21 anymore. A night at the bar has me out of commission the next day. Aging is sad. Sundays find me on the course and my game is steadily improving. Golfing here can be interesting. Concentration broken by fighter jets taking off, Patriot missile launchers and South Korean air defense guns serving as a beautiful but realistic backdrop. Koreans LOVE to golf. They are all tricked out in the latest gear, collars popped (which I didn't think you could do before midnight), and they are actually pretty good. Me, that's another story.

Went to the ball a few weekends ago. I was, all and all, a fun night. With liberal libations and great tacos on the streets of Seoul afterwards (fancy dinners never have enough food).



Looking forward to the 4th of July... sometimes living outside the USA makes you realize how much you take being an American for granted.
Nothing beats BBQ, Fireworks, and ice cold American beer!

Keep rockin'...keep machen!

Fathers Day # 2

Melissa worked very hard to create this...and it has become, easily, the most meaningful gift I have ever received from her.

Happy Father's Day 2009 from Melissa Petrini on Vimeo.

Hangul, Two Value Meals, and Aloe Healing from the Inside Out

Good day my friends! Sorry it has been a while since my last dispatch. As I sure you all know from 24/7 news coverage things it this part of the world have been absolutely chill.

This is a drink (and I mean nonalcoholic) that the locals love. I don't know what is in it as I can't read Hangul but I know one thing, it has bits of floating aloe in it. I'm not going to lie, it's pretty good!

About a week ago I went to the airport in Seoul to welcome the last group of Soldiers from the states. To satisfy our hunger we hit the airport McDonald's. I know, it sounds so cliche, Americans in a foreign land eating at McDonald's (I wont mention that we ate that the airport Bennigan's the week before but that was chosen because it was the only restaurant in the airport that served beer!) We were in a hurry and needed something quick. I held up two fingers in my vain attempt to order a "number 2". I found out later from a Korean-American Lieutenant that the two fingers sealed my fate. I had just ordered TWO meals! Of course I didn't want to look like I didn't know the culture so I decided to look like a total fat ass with two Big Mac meals. Lesson learned (and I didn't eat both meals).

I blogged earlier about having to do laundry on my own for the first time in a while and was pretty proud at my ability to launder. Well, I must have been a little too cocky. Karma is a biznitch, a biznitch who was presented me with a washer/dryer combo that has a dial completely in Hangul (Korean that is). So here I am just guessing, with clothes that seem to be getting clean, when my realtor provided my with a translation of the settings, crisis averted. Though foreign washing machines take literally 3.5 hours to get a load done. Remember those days Mel?

Have the Army Birthday Ball to attend in Seoul this weekend...wish I had a date...and by date I mean Melissa!

Peace Out!