Scorpion Tiger Attack

Say No To The Winds.

2007-02-25T13:57:00.000+09:00

Say No To The Winds., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Just saying HI!
All's well in Seoul.
Perhaps I'll be landing on US soil sometime soon.

Premium Weather in Seoul.

2006-06-18T16:33:00.000+09:00

Post Espana Goal., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Been a few days since my return from Los Angeles and Leipzig. Pace was pretty decent for this work related trip. Got to see some decent peoples in LA and enjoyed myself more than I had anticipated. I quite liked having amazing seats for the Ukraine vs. Espana match. However, it was so hot and windless that I simply had to remove myself following the conclusion of the first half and hang in the shade for the rest of the match. One of my colleagues passed out under the brutal Sun. I drank more sugary drinks in 2 hours than in any other period of time in the last 5 years to get my mind off the unbearable heat.

While hanging with Ukranians I learned how to call someone a bitch in Russian... Sooka. I also learned that if you point at someone and refer to them as a Sooka; you will be regarded as being brutally rude.

Slept like a dog on the return trip to Seoul. Boarded the plane, sat down, closed my eyes, opened my eyes and exited plane. That's the ideal way to fly.

Sun is so bright here in Seoul, yet the heat and nice breeze is quite pleasant.

'nuff said.

American Standard.

2006-06-10T01:15:00.000+09:00

American Standard., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

I'm doing the mummy in my hotel room in Hollywood, CA. The mummy emerges when I absorb too much media on my flight over. Korean Air has updated their interiors to include personal screens and I never fail to take full advantage of such luxuries. As a result, I am often doing quadruple features since that is roughly the number of decent films that are offered. This time it was 1. Matchpoint- fantastic film 2. Good Night, and Good- pretty fantastic film 3. Aeon Flux- pure crap 4. The Matador- generally crappy. To top this off, I went to see X3 it was late and I was bored and I had to cancel plans that I had made cuz I felt the mummy approaching. I woke up at 21:30 and realized that I wouldn't be going back to bed for quite some time. Anyway, X3 was slightly lame. I felt like I was given a pre-chewed piece of gum and told to place in mouth to chew. Movies blow these days.

How Nice.

2006-06-08T01:49:00.000+09:00

I got on shit on by a pigeon this evening while chatting on my mobile. Am I lucky?

Predator + Prey.

2006-06-04T04:51:00.001+09:00

Predator + Prey., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Hi.
I've been too busy to keep up with the blogging these days.
When the time is right, I will return to writing about stuff that people hardly care about. In the meantime, enjoy the photo.
Sincerely,
Kim Pierro

Flickr

2006-06-04T04:51:00.000+09:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

En Thaw.

2006-04-10T23:47:00.000+09:00

# Of Seoulites Interested in Wall Climbing., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

In Seoul, there's very little transition from Winter to Spring. You're cold as Antarctica for several months then suddenly BAM! you wake up one morning and it's warm out. At least that's the way I experience it.

I was at a Familymart convenient store before going up to my flat to purchase some sustenance to consume prior to taking my medication. The clerk actually reminded me that they were quite expensive. As if to discourage me from doing business with his place of employment. Curious. I sure do like this humanistic capitalism that's being practiced around these parts. Makes you feel quite human.

I had a dream last night that I was playing tennis and that I was playing quite well. Funny, since I am admittedly the worst tennis practitioner on the face of the Earth. I then had another dream that the consultancy that I was working with was late to their final presentation while a room full of attendees was waiting. Curious.

Walked and walked more this evening. Had a nice burger and some nicer beer with Jnu.

Sleep, about to.

Hi Foreigner! Please Answer Questionaire.

2006-04-06T01:09:00.000+09:00

Hi Foreigner! Please Answer Questionaire., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

What a beautiful day it was.

When the weather is this nice, it's nearly impossible to keep myself from inventing quasi-official reasons to leave the office.

Sweetheart left for Milan this morning. I already miss her gigantic smile.

This evening was spent viewing Syriana by self. Very well executed film. George Clooney looks rather out of shape. Makes me want to get in-shape.

Phone died momentarily today. It felt so nice being relieved of the obligation to answer calls. Problem is when caller knows who you are traveling with and calls traveling partner in order to contact you(me). Very awkward feeling. I found myself feeling as though I was cleaning my teeth with someone elses toothbrush. It began when I first caught myself noticing the smeared facial oil on the keypad and display then I noticed that I had unwanted glimpses of who he/she has been in contact with recently while attempting to quick dial a number. It's truly amazing when you consider the many ways in which you leave "fingerprints" on a such a non-organic object.

Had a semi-work oriented video chat this evening that right out of the gate felt extremely awkward for some reason. The main problem is... I have no idea what to do with my eyes. Where do I stare? At the camera? At the image of my conversation partner whos face is reduced to a small moving image on my screen? Do I switch my eyes back and forth as a form of courtesy as a way to create the illusion of a conversation in the flesh? I should make a better effort at figuring out where the best place to situate the camera is.

Another question: Why do I feel so compelled to place my face so close to the camera? So much of the time when you're engaged in face-to-face conversation you tend to switch from locking eyes for a bit to watching lips move to observing changes in the environment. I see an interesting opportunity for people to really express themselves through personal set-design. Dressing your context, if you will. I know in Korea's CyWorld, people 'dress their context' by purchasing online goods that don't exist in the flesh and creating an environment for their other-selves to act in. Imagine if people (Or maybe there are those who already do this that I'm totally unaware of, in which case, I'm an uninformed idiot) do this with the room in there home where they go online. I'm developing a profound number of ants in my pants just thinking about working on future projects that address this sort of game of chess between the living / breathing and 0-1 manipulation.

Too tired for this.

Bye-Bye.

DIY Everything.

2006-03-30T23:47:00.000+09:00

DIY Everything., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

I had lunch at a Pizza Hut this afternoon with a few pleasant marketing people.

Food was alien to my taste-buds.

I had a cappucino while interviewing a pleasant fellow who, for the past few years, has been employed by the world's largest manufacturer of sneakers. Fingers are pulsating with tolerable pain from writing too hard and too fast. Got more inside information than I ever asked for. Happens when you love your job, I suppose.

I love interviewing people.

I loved two bars very much this evening.

I love it when music selection switches from genre to genre the instant the bartenders heart desires change.

Had to bend my head down many times this evening due to DIY's adamant rejection of architectural standards. Why not make the doorway Hobbit-Size? Who will punish me?

I thought I'd give a 'shout-out' to a really decent female colleague of mine who designed this phone. Big ups to the Worm!
Also, to the human trend radar who momentarily behaved very CIA vs. KGB-like, I salute you.

Shit. I've run out of shit to shoot out the mouth.

Bye now.

Wonder Twin Powers, Activate!

2006-03-06T00:52:00.000+09:00

Wonder Twin Powers, Activate!, originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Spent the afternoon with the Jin + Me folks.
Bought pop a COX phone as a gift.

Stopped by the office to tune-up a document for tomorrows presentation in front of a VP at COX. Entered at 17:30 and exited at 24:10 on a Sunday. Lame man.

March 1st.

2006-03-02T19:33:00.000+09:00

Essentials for Some., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Off from work. Korean Independence Movement birthday. Spent the early part of day watching matinee screening of 'Brokeback Mountain' quite a lovely film. The theater was even better. Cinekore(?) Can't quite remember. Anyway, people sat through until the film stopped rolling which is kind of odd in a country where the usual theater experience is: Lights suddenly pop on the moment the credits begin to roll and the audience rushes towards the exits to be the first in line for the elevator. If and when I return to the West, will I bring this ugly habit that I've picked up with me?

Speaking of the West, I will be back in NYC for work, observation and inspiration in a little bit more than a week.

More Later.

Food Poisoned + Nice Daytrip Out to the Countryside.

2006-02-26T11:01:00.000+09:00

Improve the Trajectory of Your Piss Stream., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Missed work on Friday. My network of organs were attacked by a virus. Probably from the mussels I had at some 'fusion' restaurant in Gangnam the other night. I spent about three-quarters of the night in the head it seemed. Emailed my colleague to inform COX that I would not be there due to my personal disaster. Email, due to the temporary loss of my mobile. That sort of raised some ears around the office since it was a Friday and for someone to simultaneously claim sickness and the loss of a communicator seems slightly suspicious. Like a free 3-day weekend.

Walked a bit through the countryside. Was great. Great place to chit and chat with the Sweetheart. Chit about the future, Chat about the past.

Peace.

Me Eyes Be Failin'.

2006-02-20T20:43:00.000+09:00

This Damn Intersection is My Enemy., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Been typing away for the past 3-4 work days. Reports galore. So... I don't feel like typing anymore this evening. Enjoy the boring photograph.

Big Life Altering Choice.

2006-02-18T01:50:00.000+09:00

Big Life Altering Choice., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Work came to an end and I ran out the door wrapped like an eskimo in animal hairs to prevent the precious heat from escaping my body. The cold winds are simply nasty these days. Em arranged for a few of us to meet in the center of Seoul at a gallery. Some wine was tooken down with some strangers who are known to have contributed a great deal to ROK's contemporary art scene.

Chardonnay ain't on such good terms with my body these days. A sip or two is all it takes for some important tube in my upper chest to constrict and restrict the air from entering my lungs. Yeah, I guess I should worry about this, perhaps, even stop with the alchohol for a while.

Anyway, a few of us continued our EDC (Eat, Drink & Chat) at a wine bar called the Social conveniently located right next door. One of our partners this evening is a foreign news correspondent for the New York Times based in Seoul. She allowed us a peek into her world and it seemed like something I want to know more about. The lady had anecdotes out the ass. Stories of people cutting off their pinky fingers as the ultimate means expressing one's displeasure with the injustices projected towards them. Or, how this once noble gesture has been trivialized to the point where it's a move that some use when receiving a parking ticket from the pigs. Just kidding. One remark that resonated with me was her talking about 'the Angle'. More on this subject later...

...I'm drowsy.

Bleached By the Fluorescents.

2006-02-17T17:06:00.000+09:00

My colleagues and I had a bit of fun this afternoon going over the suggested means of washing your jeans as described in this instruction card that I found in the rear pocket of my new threads. Few laughs.

Down But Not Out.

2006-02-08T23:37:00.000+09:00

Down But Not Out., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Seoulite and I went out for some FDC (Food, Drink & Conversation) this evening. It must have been -40C out this evening. I swear, the blood in my legs began to turn to ice. Movement was difficult and highly limited.

The building I work in has taken measures to increase security ten-fold. Getting to my desk is like attempting to board a flight from Saudi Arabia to JFK. The building seems to be managed by some North Korean security company. I've been told by a young security dork that I need to wear my ID card around my neck and not on my belt. I responded by laughing in his face. My way of saying: "Kiss My Ass." I had to alter my routine of descending to the lower depths of the Joon Ang Ilbo Building for 8 clementines that I bring up to my desk at an hour or so following the conclusion of lunch. Clementines are a lifesaver for someone attempting to discontinue his/her dependency on caffeine. Since these new security measures have been put into place, I've had to sit down on a bench in the communal area of the basement to consume half the clementines before stuffing the rest in my pockets in order to get past the North Korean Gulag officials free of hassle. Coffee is also seen as contraband. As a result of this madness, I've had to leave my dica at home instead of bringing it with me to work where I usually go for a walk and take some photos once I've left the office. I've also began to leave my backpack at home completely... it's not worth the headache. Another step towards a boring existence in Seoul. I've got to do something about this.

Things have picked up a bit since the darkness that was last week. I'm still in a bit of a self-imposed funky state. I feel a bit like this doll in the photo. Things will most likely back to normal (I hope) by next Monday. I need to have some big fun this weekend to get over this nasty hump.

Ooohh... the Ondol (Floor Heating System) feels so nice right now. The Jin should be over soon.

Bye.

Emotional Turbulence.

2006-02-05T22:33:00.000+09:00

Mountain Garbage Collector., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

I had a rough week.
Not enough sleep? Abnormal sleeping patterns? Residual jetlag? A dash of all. Returned to the office last Monday with a major chip on my shoulder. I came to the realization that I will never feel comfortable returning to an office of neatly organized cubicles with the atmosphere of a library in suburban New Jersey. After spending some time over with my co-conspirators in nyc, where the studio is filled with the beautiful buzz of ideas ricocheting off walls, where there are no enclosed office rooms, where a pleasantly annoying white noise from Broadway finds its way up to the 11th floor... I feel like I'm working for an insurance company with design capabilities. I should get to bed earlier and stay away from the caffeine.

Watched 'Cigarettes & Coffee' by Jim Jarmusch with the Sweetheart this weekend. We especially enjoyed the scene where RZA + GZA hang with Bill Murray. RZA goes off about how bad coffee, specifically the caffeine, is for you. How it leads to a state of irritability and increased bowel movement. Definitely recommend this one.

Also recommend this band. A few of my ex-mates doing some groovy shit.

Or how about some free music from me to you.

Have a nice day!

Bak in Soul.

2006-01-31T20:09:00.000+09:00

Can A Band Look Cooler?, originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

I have returned to the place I currently call home.
NYC was quite fun. My duties call for me to return either this weekend or a couple of weeks after.

By the way, I want to learn how to play the saxophone after viewing this picture.

Day was dull. Working behind a desk can be such a drag. Especially the day after a holiday. Mum cooked a mean rice-cake soup for New Years. Normally, you find beef floating around the soup, this time it was luscious oysters. I'm facing quite a bit of resistance at the workplace when requesting equipment that is more appropriate for my tasks. COX appears to be vehemently opposed to purchasing any Mac products for some odd reason. It doesn't matter that most of my output is in the form of a non-Powerpoint presentation. They would rather I take a bit longer while having zero access to the trillions of fonts that are available from the graphic design team. The answer is the typical stonewall: "No Way. Against company policy." Fucking bureaucrats, they can't be reasoned with.

Met briefly with a very nice German couple called Ha*mut & Ol*a last night to say farewell. They will embark on a long journey back to their motherland by way of Chinese freighter off the coast of Western Korea enroute to some Chinese port where they will then board onto a train and travel West while stopping off at Moskova for one night before completing their trip to Germany. Safe travels my friends.

More later...

SOHO View.

2006-01-25T19:46:00.000+09:00

SOHO View., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Very long day today.
Met with co-conspirators... many of them. Had a very worthwhile Workshop / Kick-Off meeting that lasted more than 3 hours. For the first time in my life, I made a presentation on my knees.

NYC seems to be deteriorating. Or, does it feels that way when you've been gone for awhile?

The subway system seems to be in a state of profound dilapidation with the millions of rude scribbled remarks all over every surface, acid tags, scratch-tags... makes me appreciate those who appreciate their surroundings.

Abandoned For the Weekend.

2006-01-23T19:56:00.000+09:00

Abandoned For the Weekend., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

In Brooklyn for the rest of the week. It's so much more pleasant staying over at the Strasser's place in Greenpoint. Hotels just don't do it for me. No matter how much pampering you get, it's still much nicer having people to eat, drink and chat with until whatever hour. Besides one arrogant attempt at altering the identity to a overly designed loft building on Guernsey, this working class predominantly Polish neighborhood hasn't changed a bit.

Spent the day running some errands for those who desire goods from NYC. Visited SOHO to observe shoppers in motion. Apple store is terribly over-occupied. APC was rather crowded as well due to a 50% off sale that was taking place. Witnessed a young actress named Julia Stiles shopping there with her friends. The moment she exited, one of the sales representatives began to vocally player-hate by calling her "What's Her Face" as if he didn't know. Kind of amusing, if you ask me.

Walking down Bedford at a late hour the other night after a night of Pan-Seared Catfish and a pint of Stella at Teddy's when a dirty cluster of former high-school bullies walks down the street directing semi-rude comments and terrible attitude towards fellow pedestrians. The one that really got me boiling was the sarcastic "Greetings Baby!" sent in the direction of my fake-niese Ella(aka Elbow). You know Williamsburg is in steep decline when these sort of uncivilized brutes find it necessary to visit. I also have no doubt that they were involved in even less civilized behavior during their college years hanging out at frat parties drinking from kegs of Rolling Rock and Bud Light. Do you know how I know this? It was quite frigid out and they were walking around with no coats on. Very typical frat-boy behavior. Why bar-hop while worrying about where your coat is?

Anyway, on a more positive note; Korean Air finally decided to install interactive media stations at every seat in their planes from Seoul to JFK. Thank goodness. I watched a very entertaining film called "A History of Violence"... Highly recommended.

Tired. Bye.

Totally Oriental.

2006-01-16T23:13:00.000+09:00

Totally Oriental., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

The Ancient Stone has departed for his homeland LA, CA USA. Over lunch, he tried to convince me that it's an alright city to live in once you get use to the fact that you have to drive approximately 45 minutes to get to any destination. What do I do when I'm done drinking and I need to get home? Do I hop in a car? No fucki*g thanks. I'll most likely be working in LA for a bit this year and I'm worried about this aspect. It doesn't sound too appealing.

Anyway, I've suddenly been attacked from all corners by work, work and more work. It was pretty quiet for a week since returning from holiday in Tokyo. Got out at around 6PM everyday and met up with Stone, the Jin + various assortment of peeps for nice FDC (Food, Drink & Chat).

I leave for NYC next Saturday. One week of vacation + meeting with a company that I've been itching to play with for a while now. Musn't forget to renew my driver's license while there. Can't wait for the inanimate queues. Must hit Habana for a Cuban sandwich. Must visit the Strasser's place in Greenpoint and say "Hello" to the little Elbow.

I'm currently listening to the "Workingman's Dead" by the Grateful Dead. Am I hippy? Or turning into one? Strange.

Eyelids getting heavy. Must prepare for sleep.

Back in Brack in Seoul.

2006-01-11T11:05:00.000+09:00

Back in Seoul and continuing my self-destroying ways.
By day the Ancient Stone grabs the above map and explores the sidestreets and alleyways of Seoul. By night we meet up in Hongdae and drink at some well conceived nightspots. It's amazing to see some of the creative solutions that the conceivers of these places reach with such a limited budget. It makes things less predictable, more personal and extremely enjoyable. If any readers are ever in town, drop a dime and (If I'm in town) I'll do my best to take you through some of these diamonds in the very rough.

Last night, Stone and I stumbled into a place that I've been meaning to visit for quite some time now called "섬" which means "Island" in Koryo-speak. The concept is old meets a little less old while American jazz and Koryo-folk battle it out for speaker time. All patrons plant the buttocks floor the way our ancestors used to drink. Atmosphere is sort of like a log cabin. Two very fuzzy cats wander the place while mingling with patrons. Bathroom was quite clean friendly. I'll be back in a few. Maybe even become regular-ized.

BTW(By the way), above map was drawn up by Sweetheart for the Stone.

My love affair with hand-drawn maps is beginning to really take off. I will collect and collect and then in ten years I will publish a book.

Must get back to work... meeting with marketing fools at 2PM.

Bye,
Kimp

My Tokyo Experience Summed Up In A Letter To Friend. Sorry J&R.

2006-01-09T15:50:00.000+09:00

J&R,

Saw the pictures.
Very envious.
Tokyo was quite nice.
I should request a transfer to Tokyo office sometime in the near future.
Having lived there for several years now, do you ever find the place to be less inspiring than when you first arrived?
Consumer culture there seems to be so far ahead of anywhere else in the world. Amazing.
Next time I visit, I'd like to purchase a bike and take it with me to Seoul. I could have used your advice while there. Muji bike expert refused to allow me to purchase a bike dis-assembled. I tried to explain that I need some flexibility cuz It has to board a plane with me. His only response was NO. Making that sale was not his ultimate objective. Shucks. Similarly, I was examining a second-hand clothing store in Daikanyama and after realizing that I really dug the tunes that were on the stereo, I asked the fashionable employee what cd and he simply stated: "My friend is a DJ." "Well, is there a name?" "No." Incongruous conversation at its best.

Anyway, I foresee another trip to Tokyo soon. Hopefully, you'll be in town so that we can do some substantial EDC(Eating, Drinking and Chatting).

All the best,
Kimp

No Less Cold.

2006-01-07T00:42:00.000+09:00

Jer & I visited a splendid fish restaurant this morning. The freestyle map that was devised for me by Ms. Bae worked to perfection. McDonalds might not provide healthy sustenance to mankind, but it definitely serves as the perfect landmark. Our hungry stomachs gravitated towards a really warm and friendly working-class sushi joint where we feasted on some fab raw fish.

A bit later, we made our way to Harajuku and rendezvoused with Sweetheart + Younghe* at Fresh Burger for a some re-configuring of our plans for the rest of the vacation.

Met with pal K*hei and rest of party to head towards a warm working-class atmosphered fish house in some station for much to drink and a bunch of fish. I had millions of fun.

Tomorrow promises to be more than millions of fun.

More later.

Journeys Beneath Tokyo.

2006-01-06T03:16:00.000+09:00

Man, the Tokyo subway system is a complete drag. I'm not lost, but I'm sure things are not right.

It's colder than cold.
Hotel is located in Asakusa-ish territory. Got lost looking for the hotel last night at around midnight with Jer; one of my travelling partners. Reason? Information was corrupt and map was in Japanese. I have 0 abilitiy in this department. Jer snores violently. Ironic, since he resembles a statue during daylight hours; thus, the nick-name ANCIENT STONE (given to him by Sweetheart). Have been feeding on some unbearably delicious food. It is unbearable to think that I won't be able to dine on J-Food until my next visit, which is currently: I don't know when.
Doma-Doma was fun tonight. Got to witness a young man attempt to snap a wooden chopstick with the muscles in his ass while friends and patrons watched. Strolled around Aoyama and explored the much heralded Prada flagship store. My conclusion? Overstaffed. Commes des Garcons was quite nice. Unfortunately, such clothes are designed for people of a much more advanced tax-bracket. Still, when you see a coat that moves you in such an emotional manner, you simply place all rationality aside and make that knowing mistake. Nah. I'd rather pay back my atrocious school loan.
Tomorrow, I eat raw fish for brunch by the fish market then meet with several pals in Ginza for a day of who knows what. We conclude the evening by meeting K*hei, a former COX member, to partake in some powerful social activities.

Time to go.

Late Prep For A Presentation.

2005-12-23T01:41:00.000+09:00

Late Prep For A Presentation., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

My last day in NYC/NJ.

A pointless trip this was. That is unless we have some fruitful discussion with Carrier A and I go back with armed with influential matters in mind and notepad.

Upon realizing that yesterday would be littered with more delays and postponements; I took off in my goofy Chevrolet convertible towards Astoria, Queens to visit my old flat. On the way the traffic was so incredibly cream cheese-like that I kept falling asleep at the wheel and nearly dying more than enough times to make my momma really worried had she found out. Driving at night while battling the lingering effects of shi-cha (jet-lag) is a very stupid thing to do. If you enjoy living, please avoid this sort of activity at all costs.

I was originally supposed to meet with group of old pals for a night of poker in Manhattan. Due to strike and not knowing exactly what time the meeting would be postponed to the following morning, I mad a calculation and the equation amounted to a flake. Instead, I made the seemingly safer journey to Queens by way of Northern Jersey over the GWB (George Washington Bridge) to the Harlem River Drive then cross over the East River via the Triboro. Mad headache the entire way.

Upon my arrival, Harold and I went to the Cup Cafe where we had some decent dinner at a decent diner. We then headed back to his (our old) flat and hung out with Boney (the Cat) and played some PS2 before I completely bonked out. While in a bonked state, Harold watched a documentary that was being televised on the Public Broadcast System (PBS) about the first generation of Christians.

More later...

Senseless Preparation Style.

2005-12-21T17:09:00.000+09:00

Jarmusch-esque., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

These fools on the US Marketing team are no good.

No talents in the Prepare & Organize department. As a result, I wait and wait for the proper scheduling of a meeting with Carrier A in the middle of Bumble-F*ck, New Jersey with little to do. Some attempts at maintaining a productive level have been:

- Reading New York Times.
- Real-Time status reports back to colleagues in Seoul.
- Wondering how some of these people have maintained their positions at COX.
- Sneaking off to the mall to have some plain conversation with sales representatives of carrier retail locations. General observation of Christmas season shoppers. Purchasing equipment at the Apple Store. Digging the Lego Store.
- Arguing over the phone for much too much time with the shittiest car rental service in the cosmos: AVIS. Any company who states that they feature cars manufactured by GM is foolish to begin with. Their service is absolute crap. Please avoid them if you prefer to avoid dealing with service people who hardly care about what they do in life.

The hotel is better than the last one I stayed at on my last visit. This one is called the Sierra... can't recall the rest. Next time you are in Bridgewater, NJ and you need a place to stay, this should be your best choice.

COX has a small base of operations in this office park(town). The interior and atmosphere of the office remind me a great deal of the office in the Office. (Nice sentence, no?)

I might have a presentation tomorrow. At this point, I'd rather be told that it's all off so that I can check out of the hotel and dash off to nyc. I will be playing poker with some old friends who I haven't seen in over a year. I am no good at poker, they are good... I will lose. They will gain.

Bye.

NYC Bound... Part II

2005-12-17T10:24:00.000+09:00

NYC Bound... Part II, originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Said farewell to my Brit brothers from other mothers last night. We ate alot, drank alot and laughed more than alot.

It was impossibly difficult to catch a cab last night mostly due to the Arctic chill that has been upon us for the last week. It's so annoying to see cabs with only one passenger in the backseat unwilling or unable (due to law or spoiled passenger) to pick up any additional passengers along the way. Imagine a system where cab-drivers know via RFID signal where you're heading and are able to pick you up knowing that you are well within the path of his original occupant. Luckily, I bumped into a few co-workers who were also attempting to hail the services of a driver. After what seemed like an hour of failed attempts, we were finally blessed with one and I was able to enter the warm womb-like space that is my home. I was too intoxicated on brew to know how I allowed myself to curl up into a fetal position on my bed without going under the covers or changing into sleepwear or shutting off the bathroom lights and fan or any other light in the flat for that matter. The worst was forgetting to set the alarm to wake me up at 5AM when my flight is at 11:00 to JFK. Or, how about this? Pack. I was too drunk to pack last night. Also, I got into a verbal rumble with the sweetheart for a big wrong that I admittedly put her through. Sorry Jin... I mean it.

Anyway, I'm in the Korean Airlines lounge for business folk right now and it's nice to see that there are plenty of outlets and plenty of WiFi waves for everybody. I now have incentive to arrive a bit earlier at Incheon since I was bumped up to a more prestigious rank among flying people. It's quite a nice feeling... to be appreciated. More from NYC/J.
I'll tell V*riz*n you all say "HI!"

Minus Owner.

2005-12-15T00:02:00.000+09:00

Minus Owner., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

I guess it's about time I update this blog.

It's as cold as it has ever been in Seoul. I really feel like I need to add an extra layer of thermal underwear in order to defend myself from this relentless onslaught of unpleasantly frigid wind.

Besides the adventurous presentation (more on this later in the post), this week has been pretty slow.

Sweetheart turned almost mid-30's yesterday. We met for some steamed pig-flesh and beer. Prior to our meeting, I payed a visit to Space-9 (the local electronics department store) in search of a dica for the Jin. This is always a wild adventure for me. I have a love/hate relationship with Yongsan / Space-9 / Techno-Mart.

Let me explain. When I visit these places, without saying a word the predatorial salesmen are able to take me for what I am... an outsider. Outsiders are at a great disadvantage in this environment, especially the ones that come from regions where shopping is more regimented and prices are fixed... US comes to mind. Space-9 is the slickest of the three. It's the most recently added and it still has that new car smell to it. The new car smell is a smoke-screen, the salesmen are just as rabid. For instance, I had my mind made up that I would be purchasing a Canon Ixy for the Jin. My first stop was a grubby looking fellow who wanted to unload a whole bunch of meaningless crap on me while bumping the price to 4**. It was during this confrontation that I discovered how powerfully effective technique simply turning one shoulder away from salesman is in conveying a sense of disapproval and subsequent reduction in price. Still, I had a hunch that the given price was too high, so I drifted onwards. It wasn't until I got to my fourth stop that I got a very low figure. During the process I'm thinking this is all such a waste of time. If I was at a department store, I might be able to purchase thing at the average price of my four stops in a fraction of the time. I love how they rarely speak the price to you. They simply punch the numbers into their solar powered calculator and turn it towards you to view for yourself. Also, the memory cards that are aggressively pushed on you are either a local make or of Taiwanese descent. They can get relatively pricey when guaranteed A/S if failure arrives upon card. I found myself spending a majority of my haggling time on the card. In doing so, it became apparent how deeply hooked I was to the American-esque system of marketing and consumer mind-manipulation (jedi mind-tricks). I was craving for some slick advertisement to associate with the packaging and graphics which lay before me. Since there was no association, I was overwhelmed with a sense of distrust and simply dismissed the product. This is where these guys (salesmen) start rolling their eyes and slightly giggling at me, as if to say: "YOU ARE A SUCKER, YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING. YOU'RE WILLING TO PAY 1/3 MORE SIMPLY DUE TO SLICK PACKAGING AND RECOGNIZABLE BRAND..."

Anyway, to make a long story short; shopping in Korea is not unlike shopping for the lowest price online physically. Does that make any sense? Oh who cares? Sweetheart is quite happy. She hasn't had a relevant camera since her first generation Leica digital. Now I get to see things from her POV(Point of View).

The rest of the month will be R&R(Rest and Relaxation). January will be dedicated to a bit of work abroad and a lot of vacationing abroad. Namely, Tokyo and then back to NYC.

Bye now.

Best Party In Seoul.

2005-12-08T23:48:00.000+09:00

Thoroughly Interested Audience., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

I attended an excellent event this evening. My pals and I visited the living space of a man who is believed to be the very last living being to have learned the skills of a professional Gisaeng (Wik It!). He and his cohorts provided an evening of some of the finest performances of hyper traditional entertainment that I've experienced since stepping off of KE 926 from JFK to Incheon. Prior to the performances, we were fed some hardcore home-cooked grub with some good company and pleasant conversation. Following the performance, a large number of us stepped into the photo studio of Vincent: a Korean man with a very Northern European accent. He held a hipster style party there where Jin, Julia and I sipped on Merlot and danced are asses off. What a lovely evening.

Earlier today and for the better part of the week, I've been rendered a mouse-clicking button-pusher. This is something that I would prefer not to do ever again. Problem is, most Korean designers past the age of 35 are simply unable to compose a visually compelling presentation. They can't think beyond Powerpoint with lots and lots of text on each slide and alarming portions of pixelated images. How do you tell someone who's been doing what they do for many years that it's not a good idea to enlarge images of sporty automobiles and Scandinavian furniture that have been clicked and dragged off the internet. You don't. They approach you and ask you to create presentations for them... as a favor. I've felt like a hair-dresser all week.

It is unbearably cold out.

One Year In A Paragraph.

2005-12-02T12:36:00.000+09:00

Some more vocabulary that is vital to me functioning competently in my environment. I can sort of imagine what it feels like to be an albino gorilla. That is my current state... Albino Gorilla. My every move is being observed from afar. "Will he break?" They're taking notes. "When the next one arrives, we'll have a better idea of how to approach this." Until then, let's watch this one squirm and flop like a fish out of water. He'll have to conform to our faulty system and if he doesn't like it... tough. If he attempts to make some noise, we'll throw some pointy obstacles in his path.

One year in a paragraph.

Time Capsule Ajar!

2005-12-02T10:51:00.000+09:00

Vocabulary practice during a time when I was struggling on a massive scale with all the bullshit(sometimes yes, sometimes no) administritive tasks that I have to deal with in order to get what I need. Dr.Hwang, please resume your leadership role in the field of stem-cell research so that one day I can give you a flake of my skin so that I may be replicated. I need one more of me. Command+C -> Command+V. One who will take care of the stuff that I don't want to touch. I need an assistant. Also, it would be nice if this replicant succeeds where I fail; namely, in the area of native communication. It would be nice if this replicant was able to communicate concisely with native bureaucrats in a productive manner without experiencing any emotional flare-ups. Get back to your post Dr.Hwang!

The drawing on the left is what I would call 'Wishful Thinking At the Time.'It was drawn prior to the buildup of "things" in my flat.

Yesterday was my one year anniversary at COX.

Getting all sentimental like a modern R&B ballad.

Mau

2005-12-02T10:43:00.000+09:00

Sat through what should have been an interesting presentation by Mr.Mau. Instead, it turned out to be a bit wishy-washy and as a result, I disengaged. I think many people in the room felt the same.

I will be attending a conference called Design Korea 2005 this afternoon. Many presenters from all over the world will be in attendance. I shall report on the experience shortly.

Homage To The Shining.

2005-11-28T22:18:00.000+09:00

Homage To The Shining., originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

That's the immediate view upon exiting the 1802 Reason (my current home).

Conserves precious energy? Yes.

Makes one feel safe from demons, satan worshippers, kidnappers, zombies, velociraptors, antagonistic aliens, assassins, knife wielding drug addicts or zodiac killers? hell NO.

Oldboy.

2005-11-28T16:41:00.000+09:00

That's me as envisioned by a mischievous intern who thought it would be funny to draw a very un-flattering futuristic version of me.

At one point this afternoon, it was raining so violently that I thought the windows would explode and we'd all be sucked out of the 15th floor onto the cab-saturated streets below.

Received some more acupuncture treatment today. I actually had a pin stuck into my face this session.

Today is a drag. I learned (the hard way) that you can't trust certain members of the marketing team. They are a bunch of rats disguised as humans. Looking to free themselves of responsibility by un-evenly distributing blame upon others. I hope these people unwittingly consume partially rotten food tonight.

Obviously, I'm in a splendid mood today.

Met Up With the Essentials.

2005-11-26T09:08:00.000+09:00

Sake Night at Decibel.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Time spent in old home was a delight.

Saw faces that I haven't seen in over a year. Got to drive around the NYC metropolitan area in a goofy Ford. Ditched the hotel in Jersey for a futon at my old flat in Astoria. Took care of Boney (Cat) while Harry went to visit folks, who recently moved down to Atlanta where cost of living is cheaper than NYC, for Thanksgiving. Spoiled cats are a drag. Boney always whines when your lap is unavailable. Do cats prefer a quiet empty flat to one where TV and a few lights are left on to simulate the presence of humans? Handling dry catfood makes me feel nauseous. Once I unload a serving into the Boney's food bowl, I run to the bathroom to aggressively wash that filthy stench off of my skin. I'm now back in Seoul and I'm still worrying about Boney's emotional state.

I had dinner and drinks at the intersection of 3rd Ave. & 9th Street in the EVil. It's where a brief strip of Japanese related shops, bars, beauty salons, restaurants and Starbucks, Manhattan collide. On the South East corner there is Veselka, where I met Kon*w for some Ukranian dinner. Afterwards, we met up with Z*st, my college roommate for some hot sake at Decibel. I've had many a reckless night at this locale, yet, sentimental flashbacks were absent from the moment of entry to the moment of exit. Possibly due to the perceived change in patrons profile as compared to a few years ago. Seems to be a bit more lacking in the diversity department. Oh well. Conversation was pleasant and sake was not offensive. Shouldn't complain.

Bling at Best Buy.

2005-11-22T21:31:00.000+09:00

Bling at Best Buy.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

What was supposed to be a hectic / busy day turned out to be free.

Once I received word that the meeting I was supposed to attend was cancelled, I quickly hopped into my funny looking Ford and rushed Eastward to Gotham. I had scheduled a meeting with a potential collaborator at his office in SOHO and was worried all day that I would have to cancel that due to the BIG meeting that was supposed to happen in the morning.

I parked my car at some lot on Lafayette around my old office and began searching for a T-Mobile in order to find some ammunition for my GSM phones. You'd think, NYC being the business capital of the US (if not the world), there would be an abundance of resources for visitors to buy some ammo. Not the case. Since I couldn't find my target, I rushed over to the Apple Store in SOHO in order to leech some WiFi signal from them. There's only one TMobile in downtown Manhattan and that's on Broadway and Cortlandt in the Wallstreet district. So I tossed my Powerbook (Lucille) into my backpack and ran towards Broadway to catch a cab. Funny thing is, I'm beginning to think that cab drivers in New York are not that interested in making money the way Korean, Chinese, Russian or Italian cab drivers are. They are overly selective when screening potential customers. It seems as though if you don't fit their expected profile, you are put back out onto the street. I feel for you my brothers.
Seems very unfair to me.

Anyway, I got to TMobile and was overwhelmed by the high levels of US style customer service. You know... X-Treme Apathy-style customer service that is so prevalent in this country. I admit, I've become somewhat spoiled having lived in East Asia for the past year where service is heavenly; but still, this is a bit too much. Don't you think?

I realized that unless I ripped my COX phones out, I would not receive any attention or help (for that matter). Once I did, I noticed many of the eyes of the service people began to gravitate towards my hands. Suckas. They bit on the bait and I simple leaned back and reeled them in. I was now faced with a choice on who I'd like to speak to. I chose the friendliest face and she helped me obtain my two Sim cards. I let her play with the phones for a bit as a token of my appreciation.

K got the cards and I'm heading uptown back to SOHO. Without a communication device, it's quite difficult to plan and run your day in an efficient manner. I was unable to reach Potential Collaborator before our unconfirmed scheduled time so I think they took off without hearing from me cuz T Mobile was so far out of the way. Shit man.

Instead, I called Harry my old flat-mate and headed over the 59th street bridge to Astoria for some dinner and hanging with my old cat Boney.

'Nuff Said.

04:45 Southbound on 3rd Avenue in my rented Ford Compact.

2005-11-22T21:09:00.000+09:00

04:45 Southbound on 3rd Avenue in my rented Ford Compact.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Harry and I went to grab a burger in some Post-Modern diner on the corner of 35th Street and 35th Avenue in Astoria. There we munched on some thick burgers that were a little too rare. Later on we went back to the old flat where I watched some Monday Night Football while he studied stock movement patterns in preparation for the ringing of the bell. At one point, I simply keeled over from not having slept since 17:30 the day before. I woke up at 03:30 grabbed my gear and said goodbye.

Heading back to Somerset, NJ where my hotel is located was somewhat surreal. It's nice sharing the road with a highly homogeneous group of drivers. Workers, busy-bees people about to open their shops. In other words, there's minimal bullshit on the streets. I was able to begin my journey down 3rd Avenue at the perfect moment where the timing of the lights were such that I descended Manhattan in roughly 5-8 minutes. The only red-light that I hit was when I was about to turn onto Canal.

Brilliant.

More Choices, More Confusion.

2005-11-20T15:17:00.000+09:00

More Choices, More Confusion.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

NYC Bound.

Meeting with Service Provider Y in beautiful New Jersey. Then meeting with Collaborator Z in SOHO office. Perhaps some Turkey with cousins in NJ or pals in Chelsea. Either way, this is my first time back to the states since last November. Needless to say, I'm mad happy to be going back to nyc.

More from USA.

Peace.

Off to the N to the Y to the C!

2005-11-18T19:29:00.000+09:00

Matthew Barney at Leeum. Show was called Drawing Restraint which meant that he literally drew on surfaces under somewhat uncomfortable circumstances. Show was ah-ight. Actually... it was a bit better than I just stated. The whale / industry / blubber / vaseline concept was quite effective at raising one of my eyebrows.

Next. Major presentation in front of Service Provider Y. In town being wined and dined by marketing / sales group all the while convincing them that they will be sold the goods that they've been eyeing. My job was the strategy presentation. I think I did a-ight Plus.

Rezfest party tonight somewhere in town. Meeting with bunches and bunches of people. Should be fun.

N-Y-C beginning Sunday ending next Friday. Wish I could stay longer but I can't. Work related. Meeting with Service Provider Z.

Seoul is officially cold.

Woke up with a stiff neck the other day. Still stiff. Have been visiting acupuncturist for the past 2 days. Imagine an acupunture facility without all the overdone mysticism and you have Acupuncture clinic in Korea. No scrolls with deep poetic messages in Chinese caligraphy hanging from the wall. Just a simple clinic with wood floors instead of linoleum tile. Lot less overtly sterilized. You walk in and you smell some Eastern medicine odors floating around while the nurses stroll around in their baby blue outfits smacking the floor with the back of their slippers. I was hooked up to machines that literally suck bad blood from your trouble areas. Sounds fun, no? My back and neck feel considerably lighter. I feel like a great burden has been lifted from my shoulders. Thank you Acupuncture.

Much later...

Report.

2005-11-16T11:07:00.000+09:00

K*vin & M*rk hit the hotel bar for another two hours or so.

During our meeting with the global marketing team, K*vin and I were face to face whispering a few things at each other. At one point, I politely asked him to consume some juice or something because I was no longer able to tolerate the noxious fumes that were being emitted from his mouth. He responded with a hearty laugh. That's K*vin; a good sport.

M*rk seemed fine, although he stated that he felt like horrible shit.

A message I sent to my mates this morning:

***

I feel like I fell out of a plane and survived.

blueballfixed

Kim Pierro

Design Strategist
COX Mobile Advanced Planning & Strategy

T_ 02.555.7638
F_ 02.555.9434
M_ 010.5555.7156
E_ pk000.kim@cox.com

***

Hangovered.

2005-11-16T08:28:00.000+09:00

What do you do when coffee doesn't work, the range of motion of your neck is decreased to about 15%, your face feels droopy, you sort of remember behaving like an answering machine prior to going to bed and every word that's being spoken around you affects you negatively?

I went back to a familiar sake joint last night and had way too many of them little shits. It is probably better if I stick with the soju from this point forward, at least you are aware of the danger that lies ahead when you drink that stuff. Sake is a deception. With each glass, your defenses are being compromised. It tasted sweet and innocent, yet I currently feel like I do after a night of jumping from beer to scotch to beer to wine to soju to vodka in one evening.

My Brit buddies in town drank the same amount. I shall contact them, inquire about their current state and perhaps report about it on this site.

It's been quite cold here in Seoul, the thermal underwear is slowly creeping into my sub-conscience.

Best Regards,
Kim

At Least 9 More Months.

2005-11-09T17:08:00.000+09:00

On my way back from the bureaucratic Shangri-La that is the Seoul Immigration Office, I noticed one of these highly useful mobile phone battery chargers in the subway car that I was riding. Unfortunately, my dica is on loan to my sweetheart until Sunday and my shitty COX phone is not equipped with a camera so I was unable to capture the moment. Instead, I present to you a drawing that I created from my memory of said moment. Hopefully, upon viewing this drawing you will gain a better understanding of this relatively new feature found within the depths of Seoul. I'm not quite sure, but I believe you can deduct the fee from your subway pass. I'll have to look into it some more.

Struggling Mustache.

2005-11-08T00:05:00.000+09:00

Struggling Mustache.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

...and here it is. :(

A Disgraceful Mess or Beautiful Arrangement?

2005-11-08T00:00:00.000+09:00

A Disgraceful Mess or Beautiful Arrangement?
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

My hair has gotten a bit longer than usual and so I began to apply some oily creme into/onto it in order to tame it a bit so that it adheres to the form of my skull on a regular basis. This is a dangerous choice that I have made. If you remember, I've mentioned in the past that my hair can get oily and nasty in a hurry. On any given day, my hair will begin to look like I just woke up by 16:40 and no later than 17:00. Now that I apply this twisted potion into my mop, the signs arrive at 12:30 and no later than 13:00. In addition, I've been attempting to grow a mustache. Don't ask me why. Perhaps I've been a little bored with myself since returning to Seoul. Maybe it's the contagious Milanese self-obsession that's taken a hold of me. Who the hell knows. All I know is I feel bored with myself these days. I need a new hobby.

A Nice Day in Ahnyang.

2005-11-05T23:06:00.000+09:00

Goldface Art Enthusiast.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

I spent my day wandering around a place called Ahnyang this afternoon with a handful of pals. We saw many outdoor installations along a heartless river that made you go hmmmmmm. Met up with a man called Emil who was involved in this event to some capacity. He has something to do with what seems to be an exciting/interesting event that will be held in Singapore next week. The event has something to do with multi-media designers / artists from all over the world exhibiting their work and seminars out the ass. I wish I could go, but I can't. I've been told that Singapore is like the Chicago of Asia; clean, sober and ultimately boring.

Bye.

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes... by Thelonious Monk.

2005-11-05T22:56:00.000+09:00

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes... by Thelonious Monk.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Work ended at 12:30 in the afternoon on Friday for a trip into the countryside with the entire COX / Advanced Design Team. Within the last month, our members have doubled in number and it has been a bit uncomfortable around the office sitting next to new people with names that remain a mystery. We refer to these things as 'Workshops' and usually view them with a large dose of disdain. This one, however, turned out to be quite an entertaining evening of many hours spent taking turns flipping chunks of pig-flesh, downing small glasses of stuff that the rest of humanity would consider good for applying to minor wounds. It turned out to be great fun and I walked away feeling like there's not one person from my group that I'd be able to consider an adversary. Very good peeps all across the board. I might be a straight-up sucker for these things. A powerful slap to the face should suffice.

Two Times in One Week.

2005-10-30T02:33:00.000+09:00

Two Times in One Week.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Attended a party thrown by sweethearts company MassStudies in Itaewon this evening. Interesting party environment. Translucent blackish plastic sheets covered every work station while each monitor displayed the company's accomplishments in form of 3D Renderings. While nearly each desk emitted a pop tune from speakers throughout the evening. I found out that many of the songs originated from my powerbook.

Tomorrow, I attend a friends wedding. I shall report my findings tomorrow.

Bye.

Reluctant, Yet Willing.

2005-10-29T05:35:00.000+09:00

Reluctant, Yet Willing.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

M*tthieu belts out an Elvis classic for the sake of his own skin.

Global workshop completed. Ate quite well... maybe too well. Drank a bit much... maybe too much. Still have some jetlag. Visiting five timezones in 3.5 weeks is highly un-natural. Body still has no sense of where home is. Body won't switch off stand-by, prepare for lift-off, despite minds awareness of trips end.

My Ondol system is alive & kicking. It's so nice to have warm feet in your home. I do not miss the inefficient home heating systems of my former homeland. Noisy radiators and dry wind emitting vents are so uncivilized.

Spent most of the day logging my expenses into the system. Could take another day or so. I'm getting a much better idea of which city I should re-visit for a vacation. Shanghai, Yes. London, No... simply too expensive while receiving very poor services in return. Recipe for no-success.

Beginning tomorrow, I will get back on track. No more indulging in grilled meats + soju. I will call it: 'The Month of Tame and Eventless Lifestyle in Order to Feel Healthy and Joyous Again!'

Wish me luck.

Unsuccessful Rendezvous.

2005-10-24T16:01:00.000+09:00

Unsuccessful Rendezvous.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

18:15. That's the time my colleagues and I were to rendezvous outside of Covent Garden Station. The plan was to grab a quick bite and then hit the cinema for a screening of Jim Jarmusch's latest offering 'Broken Flowers'. I waited to half-past and received a call from one of them informing me that the cab ride from the old hotel to the new one in Paddington took way too long due the nasty traffic in London.

I went at it alone.

My only experience with popcorn in London was a good one. Tastes dry, fluffy and not over-salted like the stuff in the US. I must admit that I was at a loss when confronted with the choice between Sweet or Salty popcorn. Like a coward, I took the safe beaten path, which in my case is Salty, and rushed into the theater.

Movie was quite humorous, at times dull and possibly excessively minimal. Overall, it was a good choice. I've been waiting in-vain for this one to be released in Seoul and I find myself quite lucky to have been in London while it's still being screened.

Earlier in the day, my young colleagues and I visited the Tate Modern and viewed some work by photographer Jeff Wall. I quite liked it.

I leave for Seoul at 21:30 this evening.

See you there.

Bright Cat + Bright Elephant.

2005-10-23T17:50:00.000+09:00

Bright Cat + Bright Elephant.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

My last full day in London.
The plan is to visit the Tate Modern, Paul, Dinner and a movie perhaps.
Spent yesterday afternoon in Covent Garden with a preliminary plan to watch a performance of Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" instead, the group and I went to see Lion King. A complete waste. The logic being: since English is somewhat of a challenge for my colleagues, we should sit through something a bit more visual and certainly more condescending.

Ma*k, my colleague on this trip recommended that I visit Forbidden Planet when visiting Covent Garden. His directions were to make a turn at the Swatch store onto Neal Street. From there I proceed for 10 minutes or so until the end is reached, at that point I cross a street and enter Forbidden Planet and check out their amazing collection of goodies. I purchased 1602 by Neil Gaiman. Should be an entertaining read on the ride back to Seoul.

Never stay at the Thistle Barbican in London. It's crap and like everything in London; overpriced.

I downloaded every available episode of "Lost" from the ITunes store and became hooked like a worm. It's fluffy and good. I highly recommend it.

I'm off!

Me & Bunch at COX London Meeting Room.

2005-10-22T05:33:00.000+09:00

Me & Bunch at SDE Meeting Room.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Hi.
I'm done with my trip.
It was long, grueling, tiresome, taxing and ultimately highly rewarding. I met many nice people along the way. I had many nice experiences along the way. Many presumptions were shattered along the way. I'll be in London for the next 4 days with no work related matters to address. First planned activity is to hit the theatre with a bunch of COX colleagues in town for a performance of Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" starring Brian Denehey. Surprisingly, all have seen some form of this story before. It's funny but most Western Europeans get excited about the Mini Cooper because they dig the retro value while Koreans are hardly aware that this car has existed in another form many years ago.

I mixed white wine with soju this evening; I expect to feel like shit tomorrow morning.

Best Regards.

Narcissistic Blogger.

2005-10-21T03:55:00.000+09:00

Narcissistic Blogger.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

I'm currently sitting hidden behind a very large pillar at an atmosphere-less Milanese PC Bang where screen concealment seems to be a highly regarded issue. There are velvet curtains and to do sneaky / sexy things behind without having to feel awkward. The only sound is the clicking of keys and the occasional Vespa wizzing by the front entrance ajarred.

Milano was nice to me. Our hired-hand was a 40-ish woman named J*nny who is an ex-American who decide that living in Milano would be the best thing for her and her husband. She is profoundly connected and provided my gang and I with some juicy subjects for our X-Interviews. Our X-Interview subjects for this project have been highly-regarded opinion makers who know more about telecommunication devices than the average pedestrian and who would like to push pedestrian into the technocratic Utopia that subject has formulated in his / her head.

This evening was the final evening of user-studies and now I must prepare for my return to London, where a caravan of COX colleagues are preparing for tomorrows workshop. Hopefully, this goes smoothly and we end it with an evening of tasty ale and high spirits. I haven't seen my Seoul colleagues in what feels like a millenium and I would like to give them a hearty embrace when I see them but that would be inappropriate in Korean society. I'll have to settle with a respectable bow.

Un-Disposable Ensemble.

2005-10-13T08:47:00.000+09:00

Un-Disposable Ensemble.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Fun in Moskova was hard to come by.

Except for a visit to very friendly woman's office for expert interview and tour of facilities, the remainder of my stay there was difficult and stressful.

Moskova ain't nice to pedestrians or foreign visitors.

Cabbies in Moskova are overwhelmingly bandit in nature. There navigation skills in their own city are not much better than mine in their city.

Back in London for less than 24 hours. Off to Shanghai for several days plane departs in a few hours. My travel partners have been to Shanghai many times and they promise that our post-work hours will be memorable.

More from China: The 3rd nation to send human beings to space.

A Chump If I Didn't.

2005-10-08T09:32:00.000+09:00

A Chump If I Didn't.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

London's causing me to experience feedback. Lot's of it. There are more people here than I had imagined. More Euro-style thugs causing trouble on the dimly lit streets that lead me back to my hotel during the early morning hours. There are many pent up emotions that I wont pretend to understand bottled up in these frustrated young fellows.

I feel like a poor man when I attempt to purchase things in London. The Korean won is like a few flecks of dust compared to the British Pound.

It seems to me, based on the BBC morning news programs, that the British media is obsessed with how this island nation is viewed by their cross-Atlantic counterparts. Camille & Prince Charles are visiting San Francisco and having lunch with W in DC. How exciting!

Drinks with many of my rivals on neutral territory. Dinner was delicious Lamb.

Had fun YNGHEE.

Jetlag Is Winning.

2005-10-05T12:15:00.000+09:00

It's 4:15 in the morning and I'm up.

I went to bed last night without setting an alarm clock or informing the front desk to wake me up at a specific time even though I have an important meeting this morning.

I feel like I'm doing-it* without any protection.

Feels good, yet dangerous.

More later...

In London.

2005-10-05T06:14:00.000+09:00

The ride over was somewhat uncomfortable. Probably due to the poor air quality or perhaps the little kid playing 1st person shooters on his notebook during takeoff and landing or the old man taking countless flash photos with his newly purchased dica. Or was it the fact that we all had to sit through Fantastic Four which might qualify as the worst reel of celluloid ever to be projected onto a silver screen.

Work begins tomorrow at 11:30 in Clerkenwell. Interviews, more interviews, group interviews, expert interviews all day long.

Parts of London remind me of Queens, NY.

I've got to get some sleep.

Jetlag must be defeated.

Extremely Dense Sprawl.

2005-10-03T21:40:00.000+09:00

Extremely Dense Sprawl.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Hiked to the top of Bukhan San (Mt. Bukhan) today. The Jin, Lady Kim left at around 17:30 yesterday for a night of camping followed by a hike to the highest point the following morning.

There were way too many people attempting to make their way to the top. It made me feel extremely comfortable to think that my safety depended on the competency of others when 'the others' seemed as though they were hardly concerned with their own safety.

Another concern of mine was these stupid boots I was wearing. These pieces of garbage on my feet were practically useless due to their failure to meet the one requirement that is required of a decent pair of hiking boots... grip. The result of this deficiency was a lurking sense of danger and catastrophe throughout the entire climb and descent. I curse you Clarks.

I will have a new pair for the next climb.

Tomorrow I exit Seoul for a 3.5 week work-related journey to London, Moskova, Shanghai & Milano.

I will pack now.

Straight-Up Downin' It! APPROVED.

2005-10-01T14:09:00.000+09:00

Straight-Up Downin' It!
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

That's that bottle of North Korean rasberry wine.... as devoured by YNGHEE.

Exit Pause.

2005-10-01T01:45:00.000+09:00

Exit Pause.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Pretty interesting way to exit Bitforms Gallery; through Mue. I rushed ahead of my party for the evening in order to get a decent shot.

Rain poured and continues to pour without any mercy. Good time to be an umbrella thief. Had an umbrella that's been in my life for the past three years stolen this evening. It is my belief that if you're able to keep an umbrella around for longer than 2 years it automatically qualifies as a sentimental object. I should have known something was up when I found one of the splines(?) broken beyond reasonable repair. Omens, signs... do I believe in them?

Today was a battle which was epic in scale fought for hours and hours between designers and marketing drips. It goes like this... a few of my colleagues in London spent the entire week building a house of cards with a deck given to us by our marketing counterparts. We spent a great deal of mental energy callibrating our schedules, flight/hotel reservations to perfection; right when we thought the house was built, marketing drips approach our highly sensitive structure and give the table a little nudge. There goes all our weeks effort dissipating into the atmosphere. I had some violent images still floating around my head from the Malta trip and I imagined these MDrips included among these scenes of death & mutilation.

After all is said and done, I was able to patch things together to the best of my abilities. Now, it's just a matter of "giving it a go" so to speak. We'll have to see, it should be interesting.

Best Regards,

Kim Pierro

Not Much to Tell About.

2005-09-27T22:51:00.000+09:00

Got quite intoxicated on the usual grilled pig-flesh & soju combination. This time it was called the 50% Combo; half was the potent Cham-Isul the other half was Baek-Seju somewhat femm drink. Either way, I got quite drunk.

I simply spent the entire day planning and preparing for my month long journey through London, Milano, Moskova and Shanghai to do some intensive user research of the local petty-bourgoise. I'm really looking forward to Shanghai, I've heard so much and have been waiting for the day when I can hit that much talked about metropolis.

Much Later...

Straight-Up Downin' It!

2005-09-25T22:59:00.000+09:00

Some North Korean wine was given to us as a gift from some friends of a friend that we bumped into at the O-Daeng Bar. At first I was suspicious of them. I wondered whether they were North Korean spies who snuck into South Korea via midget-sub and whose plan is to disrupt the South Korean liquor industry by flooding the market with cheap and tasty wine that was made from the cheap blood and sweat of our North Korean brethren.

The Feet of My Nice Friends Who Visit From Afar + Mine As Well.

2005-09-25T22:45:00.000+09:00

The Feet of My Nice Friends Who Visit From Afar + Mine As Well.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

The feet of my friends, rivals and party-partners. Jan 22:00 and I spent our ride in the back of a jeep with no backseets destroying each other's knuckles in a very friendly manner. As a result, I was unable to hold my drink without seeming like I had some kind of disorder with my nervous system. I was watching Jan 22:00's hands from a distance hoping that he was in as bad shape as I was. There was no evidence of such a problem on his end. I guess he got the best of me.

Like Watching A UFO Landing.

2005-09-25T22:22:00.000+09:00

Like Watching A UFO Landing.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

I won a bottle of Windsors(?) Whiskey at the party. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring it with me from the Odeng Bar. Oh well, I hope the nice old lady who ran the O-Daeng bar has a good time with it.

Party Winding Down.

2005-09-25T21:44:00.001+09:00

Party Winding Down.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Saturday turned out to be quite a fruitful day.

I got to play co-host to a few guests from out of town who are here for some urgent work related matters. The day began at a bit after noon and ended at a tiny Japanese-style O-Daeng house at roughly 4AM the following morning. YNGHEE, Jan, WooJNG, JJune, Lady Kim, the Jin and Katie... thank you for your company! I had a great time.

The Ho

2005-09-23T23:41:00.000+09:00

The Ho
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Tonights plan was for the HO, JJune, Lady X, Ms. O, and DHan to accompany me to a large batch of grilled pork and various greeny leaves with the obligatory multiple bottles of soju. Twas quite good. While feasting, we watched a local giant defeat a large African-American heroe from the K-1 League. Most members of my party diverted their attention to the hanging tele. This allowed me to attack the sizzling pork unimpeded.

I was DAMN hungry all day. Why? Today was pay a visit to your Immigration Office to renew your receive an extension on your Visa day. I must have spent a good 30 minutes kneading the mind of a single-cell bureaucrat as I used tricks like phony jedi-mind tricks and strategic placements of "I'm not quite sure what that means since Korean is not my first language, sir." Instead of divulging anymore on this embarrasing situation, I shall pull the plug on this matter. Since my visit lasted much longer than I had expected, I was unable to feed myself an adequate amount of food this afternoon.

When I finally returned to COX HQ, I ignited my PC and opened the COX email program and found out that I was late to a meeting over at the COX Main Building which is a 10 minute walk from COX HQ for a meeting between two very large global entities that are nimbly courting one another for some co-branding goodness. It was quite a well done as well as convincing presentation. In fact, I was quite skeptical of this potential partnership prior to the presentation. But once I witnessed some of the things that were proposed and how much they wanted to do something with COX, I said ALRIGHT... LET'S DO THIS; and put all my support behind this impending love affair. As a parting gift, COY handed me a nice gift in the form of a very large time-piece and a future pair of high-tech kicks.

The time-piece was definitely unsuitable for me, so I visited the HO upstairs who happens to be the largest member of COX that I know and handed him the time-piece. He was quite pleased with this gesture. He deserves it. He's given me a great of assistance during my most trying times as an employee of COX.

Tomorrow, I meet some pals who are in town for a bit. In fact, I bumped into one of them in the most peculiar fashion while boarding a descending elevator at COX HQ. We then met up with JJune (one of several mutual friends) for a cup of coffee and extraordinarily extended absence from desk. Thanks YNGHEE for bumping into me in such a memorable fashion!

It also ocurred to me that being a blogger means there are people out there who know more about me than I'm accustomed to. In fact, YNGHEE was pretty sharp with her referrals to the SCORPION TIGER ATTACK. There was an evident lag between her referring comments and my sluggish acknowledgements to such comments.

I learned that I wiil be gone for three weeks in October for a cultural-recon mission that will have me visiting several major cities in Western Europe, Russia and China. Should be interesting.

Alright, I'm semi-intoxicated and I can no-longer write about today's experiences.

Red Eye Review.

2005-09-20T22:54:00.000+09:00

Lucky for me, I woke up late this morning and as a result, I felt like a greaser all day.

Had a really nice conversation in a casual meeting room on the 16th floor of COX Headquarters with pal JJune. He came back from a trip to a major video game fair in Tokyo and all he had to show for it was one of these microscopic so-called Nanos. The view (as always) was spectacular.

2nd very nice conversation began at lunch when Lady JYun and I ended up sitting together in a corner due to the unexpected unavailability of seats at the table that our very large party situated themselves at. This sort of thing is always welcome since it means I get to chew my food a bit before swallowing it rather than breathing it in while trying to keep pace with these perpetually speedy natives. It also allows for better conversation since both of us knew that a deadline was not approaching anytime soon. JYun is in the process of choosing which city in the US to reside in for the next two months. The choice is between San Francisco or NYC for work related reasons. I am pushing for her to choose NYC so that she can work with some people that I know at their office. It also means that I will most likely visit my old hood a few times throughout. The San Fran option might be more comfortable for her since one of her pals is based there and the people that she would be working with are somewhat well known and well regarded for their capabilities. I'm doing my best to whisper the letters N-Y-C in the most subtle ways in order for her to choose my beloved over SF.

3rd very nice conversation was a continuation of the 2nd VNC with Lady JYun over lunch. This time it was at Starbucks (please forgive me) where we spent 20 minutes or so talking about how miserable it is to deal with certain correctable scenarios that look as though a correction will never arrive. Specifically, I'm referring to the landing zone that one arrives at when completing a descent from the top of Bukhan San (Mount Bukhan) where all the nice people that you see on the trails turn into nasty maniacs competing with one another for cabs and buses that will take them further down the mountain where they can either: Consume delicious food and drink unfiltered spirits at on of the many restaurants along the descending road or take the bus/cab/subway train all the way down for another bus/cab/subway train that will take to your home. Such highly contrasting sequence of events occur daily when living in the mess that is Seoul.

4th very nice conversation was with London based designers that I along with a few of my colleagues will be collaborating with in the coming months. Very nice guys. Can't get into that one.

Day ended with a date with my imaginary partner. As I exited COX headquarters, I decided that I need some cheap entertainment prior to changing into pajamas and clocking out. So I had a quick meal, and took the subway over to the Artreon Cinema without any idea of what film I'd be watching. As recommended by Siskel & Ebert's Podcast, I chose 'Red Eye' starring some boring actress that I saw in another piece of Hollywood filth and Cillian Murphy, I can't knock him since he once starred in a zombie film. Anyway, heres my quick review... don't waste your hard earned cash.

Alright. Gots ta go.

Have a nice day.

The Jin + Lady Kim

2005-09-19T21:04:00.000+09:00

The Jin + Lady Kim
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

I had a lovely day hiking through what is considered to be the most beautiful mountain in Seoul: Bukhan San (Mount Bukhan). The experience was much more pleasant than what I had expected. It's no lie, the air is significantly easier to breath than the crap on ground level. My traveling partners made the day oh so lovely. I must do this regularly.

That's a Wrap.

2005-09-15T23:44:00.000+09:00

That's a Wrap.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Back in Seoul.

Back to COX Headquarters tomorrow morning.

Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) this weekend which means a long weekend. Usually means quality time with the folks.

Weather is beautiful in Seoul.

I am so tired.

I shall go to bed now.

I Love Everything About the Dutch 4.0 - The End

2005-09-14T17:51:00.000+09:00

What a way to end my stay in Amsterdam.

I hung out with some ultra-decent fellows from Design Firm X and shot some shit over a nice lunch at a cafe situated along one of the countless canals. I hope to see those fellows again sometime soon. The weather was good as can be. Unfortunately, these are my final hours in one of my favorite cities. My flight is scheduled to depart at 20:30. I've been searching for a Virgin Mega-Store or an HMV in order to get my hands on a UMD movie for the PSP so that I'm not forced to sit through some edited crap that the airline decides is suitable for all passengers. There should be some sort of rental system where you can select a PSP movie / game at one major airport and return it at another. Would be nice.

This is my final visit to this terrible place that I've been frequenting in order to check my email, read the dailies, etc. for an hour each day. On my final visit, I will remember having chosen a decent spot that was sort of secluded but not suspiciously so. When choosing a station at one of these places, it is important that you do not come off as some kiddy-porn addict sitting all the way off in a distant corner. It is better that you find an aisle that is occupied by 1-2 individuals; anymore, and its a crowd. To my dismay, a group of rowdy little Dutch Metal/Hip-Hop worshipping teen dweebs broke every unwritten rule that I spoke of and decided to situate themselves all around me. They bang their favorite neu-metal beats on the communal table and tap the overly-aggressive beats with their feet. How annoying.

The End.

More from Seoul.

I Love Everything About the Dutch 3.0

2005-09-12T19:10:00.000+09:00

Here I am back at the Dutch PCBang that has turned itself into my center of gravity on this trip. The sign says: "Welcome to... easyInternetcafe" Hey easyInternetcafe, why are your vending machines so difficult to operate? There ain't nuthin' easy about this place, man. There are signs warning me of mischievous pick-pocketing activity, room is lit like a mental institution and the place is littered with junk. I digress.

I had planned on taking a day trip out to Utrecht or Rotterdam today, but I decided against this due to the overcast skies warning me of an impending downpour. Instead, I shall visit the Van Gogh museum then hit Jordaan.

Last night, while sleeping, I heard funny things in my room. At first, I thought it was just the soundtrack to my dreams. Now, I think it's a ghost. If it's not a ghost, then someone has been entering my room without stealing anything. Sort of like the premise to that Kim Ki-Duk film '3-Iron' where some guy illegally enters peoples homes while they are off at work and does mundane things like wash the dishes, do the laundry, etc. I'm finding things noticeably out of place and this morning I found the power adapter disconnected from my powerbook. I had no reason to remove this since the book was charged rather recently. Or did someone slip something into my drink last night? Have I 'blacked-out' and am I doing things that I have absolutely no recollection of doing? Didn't Van Gogh amputate his earlobe while in this state? This place is fucking with me.

I finally made a trip to the cinema last night and watched a film called 'the Wedding Crashers'; quite a hilarious movie this was. I needed to laugh and this one delivered the laughs, cheap laughs count as well.

Peace.

I Love Everything About the Dutch 2.0

2005-09-11T01:55:00.000+09:00

I woke up this morning to a heavy rain storm. While dreaming, I began to plan my day and it began to look as though I would hit the cinema down the street in order to catch up on Hollywood bullshit that hasn't made its way to the Korean peninsula. I was hoping that 'Land of the Dead' would be playing here; it isn't. Shit.

At around the time of my awakening (7:30AM) the raindrops gave way to sunshine. My plans were reorganized so that I hit the galleries / museums during the day and perhaps hit the cinema this evening prior to hitting le saq. I rode over to the Stedelijk Museum CS which reminds me of PS1 in LICity. Lunch was had on the 11th floor which offers patron probably the nicest view of greater Amsterdam in town. It was a bit dissappointing viewing the landscape with a thick coat of smog that was reminscent of the one I see from COX window of Seoul. Lunch was a Portabello mushroom sandwich. Very yummy.

Afterwards, I went looking for galleries but couldn't find any due to my state of utter enjoyment from being lost in a cool city. Somewhere between 13:00 & 15:00 I stumbled upon a cozy little English Bookstore run by a very nice middle-age woman. She convinced me to purchase a book about the Dutch fascination with the Tulip. The book is entitled "Tulipomania" and it seems like it will be a good read. Perhaps even spurring a niche interest on the subject by yours truly. The second book that I purchased is a book called "Atomised" by French author Michel Houellebecq. From the review that I read the other day it seems like the story will tickle me much the way Ryu Murakami's stories do. We shall see.

I'll be visiting this strange PC bang daily for the duration of my stay in Amsterdam.

This morning, I forgot to pack my Dica (Korean for Digital Camera, pronounced Dee-Kah) in my bag and as a result I'm using the COX Issued mobile phone as my Dica. The problem is COX phones make a great deal of noise when you press the shutter button in order to combat sneaky perverts, corporate espionage and general mischief. The sound of the shutter is loud and I believe it will get me into at least 2-3 hand-to-hand combat situations within my lifetime. As a result of this, all my photographs are taken outdoors in public spaces where the artificial sound of a camera shutter is muffled by the general white noise of crowded streets. Coward I am yes.

Due to the fact that I am at wits end, I shall say goodbye for today.

Peace.

I Love Everything About the Dutch.

2005-09-10T00:01:00.000+09:00

So my trip from Malta went a little sticky. First off, the planner of the event informed me the night before that my car would arrive at 6:15AM in order to deliver me to Malta International. Unfortunately, my travel clock works in mysterious ways and decided to whisper an alarm signal to me instead of screaming at me. Alarm clocks should never be so reserved. No matter how painful the sound, an alarm should never hold back. So, I woke up at 6AM, in a state emergency. Defcon 5 the Russians launched their first attack! My stuff was still littered in a somewhat organized manner all over my room. I simply grabbed the things that I saw and threw it into my bag and took off for the lobby. My hair looked like someone massaged a tub of lard into my scalp while I was asleep. I did my best to organize it a bit but it still advertised to the passerby that I was in desperate need of a shower. Anwyay, I get to the lobby and an old Maltese man is waiting in front of one of these hideous BMW 5Series monstosities ready to take me away. I said my farewells the night before during a strange dinner at a locale that is credited as being the original set for the movie 'Popeye'. Believe it or not, people in Malta are quite proud of this fact.
I, along with a great many CIS/Baltic region business collaborators were getting drunk on wine and vodka... and enjoying ourselves quite a bit. The great thing about these trips are the meals and boos as well as the new people that you meet who, come to think of it, seem like human pre-paid Sim-Cards. You meet them and feel very happy about their company but feel an undertone of some kind of ending happening sometime in the near future. Too bad.

Amsterdam is like heaven right now. The weather is better than the best weather I can ever imagine experiencing. I rented a bike for the week and I drink Amstel or Heineken like chocolate milk. I've gotten into the routine of purchasing the International Herald Tribune and biking to an outdoor cafe called Cobra, located by the Reijks Museum where I can slowly sip on a pint of Heiny while reading about the Egytian election and the aftermath of Katrina. Am I being too negative by thinking that the world is becoming more and more miserable as we progress through the early years of the 21st Century?

I'm staying at the Hotel Prinsenhof on the top floor where my room is shaped like a chunk of cheese. The room is cozy and the breeze from the window is what one would call advanced pleasantness. Last night, a lonely mosquito visited my room and feasted on my blood. The itch itself was nothing compared to the bites in Korea. I came to the conclusion that mosquitos here might be more civilized and less greedy about the amount of blood that they need. He bit me once and exited. How polite. The Korean bastards bite you, stick around for a bit then bite you some more and then SMS their buddies to join the feast. In the end your body ends up looking like a Cabbage Patch Dolls body due to the numerous swollen regions butting up against one another. It blows.

I'm at an Arab internet cafe right now and they are cooking something special in the back. It smells fucking delicious man. My 2 Euro per/hour are up.

Peace in the Middle East.

Some Thoughts on Malta.

2005-09-06T16:22:00.000+09:00

Now that I've been here for a few days, I'm beginning to form some meaningless opinions about it.

Meaningless Opinion 01 -
Many of women here dress like they are off-duty porn actresses. Could it be that I've been in Korea to long? Korea, with it's women who gently place an open hand over the controversial area of a blouse (where neck meets shirt) before bending down to retrieve a dropped item.

Meaningless Opinion 02 -
Everything is a somewhat dirty beige.

No more meaningless opinions. I need to get out and do some documenting.

At the Gala Party last night, I along with my partners from the Ukraine, Moscova, Lithuania and Kazhakstan had an excellent dinner followed by a great deal of vodka and wine. My preference was to stick with the wine. However, my body seemed to have an allergic reaction to it. Everytime I took a sip, it felt as though my windpipe began to constrict; making it somewhat uncomfortable to breath. The only alternatives were to either stop with the liquor (unacceptable around this evenings company) or swith over to Smirnoff. It was very interesting watching them drink their favorite drink: vodka.

More later...

My God...

2005-09-05T05:59:00.000+09:00

... I find this article ABSOLUTELY fascinating.

Locked in a Conference Room at the Westin in Malta With My Brand-New Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat... How Does it Feel Under Something Like That?

2005-09-05T04:00:00.000+09:00

Dry Heat... easily, more preferable to moist heat.
Although, it's strange. The moment I entered my oversized room at the Westin, my mind had a massive flashback of when I lived in a semi-moist basement when it was correct to call me a boy, not man. You know that none-too subtle mildew stench that you have difficulty hating? As they say, one thing leads to another and I began to recall the countless hours spent practicing 'War-Pigs' by Sabbath in my ripped jeans and Japanese Telecaster knock-off. I miss my old home. It's been tiny apartments ever-since. I digress.

Malta. Don't know what to think of this place other than the hotel staff seems to be quite nice. Taxi-drivers make the ones in Seoul seem like a bunch of pussies by overcompensating for the fact that they are manning a family sedan and perhaps it's the unpleasant realization that their dream of becoming a stock-car racer has fizzled away like a bottle of Pellegrino that's been left uncapped for a few hours. I digress again.

My only notable experience here (so-far) was when I was waiting in line to have my passport stamped at the airport and a trio of middle aged Germans pulled out a rather salty little comment out of their backpacks about how Malta and Morocco were indistinguishable from one another. This prompted the official to bark back that Morocco is NOT even close to being Malta since Malta is Arab-free and Morocco is saturated with them. At this point the Germans began defending one another by repeating in a defensive tone that 'this was a joke.' Nonetheless, airport official was annoyed and I was left there standing like a shocked somewhat perturbed bystander thinking that here I was, tired as fuck, been on a plane for more that 14 hours listening to these bafoons annoying one another. I remember thinking how Koreans back home have this completely misguided stereotype of Europeans being 'refined' and something to admire. I think its a bunch of whack bullshit. Everyone on Air Malta looked like they were from Paramus, New Jersey or Columbus, Ohio.

I'm here for a conference. I'm required to present in front of 100+ members of the former Soviet Union: Baltics / CIS. I have my own personal interpreter who goes by the name Andrey. Quite a nice guy.

Afterwards, my trip continues to the Netherlands where I will spend a week in R&R mode. I shall rent a bike, smoke some ganja, drink yummy beer and accidentally stumble into a brothel in order to fulfill my childhood dream of sleeping with a shriveled European. nah.

Powerbook is telling me that I have 00:10 left before battery calls it quits.

Peace.

I Love Your Show Leonard.

2005-09-02T01:20:00.000+09:00

For some reason, my interest in Podcasting sort of tapered off until last night when I hopped on ITunes and subscribed to many many many. I've been missing WNYC quite a bit since I've gotten here and now this. Finally, I can download Leonard Lopate's and Brian Lehrer's shows. Will definitely improve my walks through inner Seoul.

I'm pretty sure that I will be staying at a small Bed & Breakfast in Amsterdam. There's some kind of Dutch heritage event going on during the weekend so it was tough to get into any of the hotels that I was advised to get into.

I've really got nothing to say.

Peace.

Northern Europe Here I Come.

2005-08-29T20:38:00.000+09:00

The last two weeks were a complete hell for yours truly. I've never worked so many hours without going completely postal. What's worse, my project is put on hold until I come back from my seminar in Malta + Vacation in the Netherlands. I'll be bringing the powerbook with me so many more photos and updates in the coming days.

Bathroom Observation 01 -

Why is it that when I approach a stall and the seat is down I simply back-up and choose another one? Does a shut lid automatically mean that there is some sort of minor disaster underneath the seat? Am I then supposed to believe that the previous occupant possessed a kind enough heart to signal the following occupant of the trouble that lies beneath? It's amazing how a shut lid has such a control over your feelings and emotions. Had I been in a more urgent situation and the other two stalls were occupied, I might have lifted the seat without thinking twice. Fortunately, this was not the case and I shifted over to the safer choice. It's not as if the water pressure is weak in our building or anything. In fact, I believe the strengh of the flush on the 15th floor men's room is rather excessive. One can hear the flushes from afar, perhaps even from the B Conference Room where I have a habit of scheduling our usual brainstorming sessions, due to it's amazing panoramic view of downtown Seoul in all it's smog saturated glory.

Mobile Communication Device Observation 01 -

Many people here use their self-portrait photograph as the background image on main LCD of there hand-pon (Korean attempt at speaking the English words - Hand & Phone as they refer to a mobile-phone). I was somewhat vexed by this when I first came across it. Upon further explanation, it turns out that most people (in my office) believe that the phone, if misplaced, will find its way back to owner in a most convenient and timely manner.

Mobile Communication Device Observation 02 -

Korean's have absolutely no qualms about answering a call during the middle of an important meeting, while standing at the urinal, sitting in the stall, while sitting through a presentation. In fact, I've been in certain situations where meetings would be held on pause for 20 minutes or so due to a colleagues insistance on taking a call. This is all a result of the absolute anti-voice message stance that 99.99% of all Koreans hold. It borders on the absurd. Come to think of it, I've never seen an answering machine at any electronics retail outlet or in any home that I've been in. It must be against the law or something. It really does prevent me from having a smooth time while engaged in a task when the phone on the next desk is ringing and I have to answer it to tell the fool that the person that they seek is away from their desk. This happens all too frequently.

My work-related trip to Malta begins on Saturday and ends on the 7th. Then it's all Netherlands until the 15th. A well deserved vacation is in store.

Bye.

I AM SO damn BUSY.

2005-08-23T22:31:00.000+09:00

I'm extremely busy designing a complicated portable telecommunication device.
There's me and 4 other designers with bloodshot eyes, progressively worsening posture, damp feet, messy hair, droopy faces hard at work while everyone else is home re-charging.

The weather in Seoul is SO beautiful. Summer seems to be officially over. Sweetheart and I were on the bus crossing the river when she mentioned that the air was so devoid of smog that it felt like we've been looking through dirty glasses all Summer. Suddenly the smog just got the hell up and bolted. Where did it go? Anyway, it feels so good to be able to see the mountains crystal clear. They really are magnificent to look at from afar.

I will write more frequently once the coast is clear.

bye bye.

It Was the Salivary Glands.

2005-08-11T23:19:00.001+09:00

Not the Lymph Nodes. Doctor says it's due to my poor sleeping habits. There's a slight chance that the swelling may increase. My colleagues laughed and laughed some more at my swollen face. At the beginning of the day, some would make a glance and ask if I gained some weight. Other's simply pointed out that I look very much like a Lego man. Ji-Young ssi went as far as to root for further swelling after I mentioned that the doctor stated that it's not really dangerous, just a bit uncomfortable to bear. She found the whole thing to be the highlight of her week.

I'm heavily medicated and I find it somewhat difficult to focus my thoughts.

Good Karma

2005-08-11T01:31:00.000+09:00

I spent 10 minutes this evening showing an un-invited spider the door. It was setting up shop behind one of my plants. In the past, I may have conveniently squashed the poor thing. Nowadays, I'll take the more enlightened path and grab a plastic bag and gently guide it out the front door. I really feel like I did a good deed today.

Following a night of spartan-style wining and dining, I woke up this morning with a pair of swollen lymph nodes. My face is shockingly shaped like a pear. I shall visit the COX medical facility tomorrow and have this deformity on my face looked at. In the meantime, I will continue to feel like a cartoon character.

More later...

Afternoon Tea Party

2005-08-07T02:42:00.000+09:00

Afternoon Tea Party
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

English-style Tea Party at pal's house.

Fake People

2005-08-02T23:53:00.000+09:00

Fake People
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

This pic was taken around Ewha Women's University where I was strolling around with sweetheart and sister while killing time prior to the 21:45 screening of 'Sympathy for Lady Vengeance' at the Artreon Theater. We all loved the movie very much. I hope that my counterparts in the West will be able to enjoy this film on their soil sometime in the near future.

There are many changes taking place over at the COX Headquarters. My team steadily grows. My duties expand in scope and increase in number. Very mixed feelings about these changes. We shall see...

Customizing Custom Designs

2005-07-28T00:36:00.000+09:00

Customizing Custom Designs
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

Just hand her your phone and ask for something interesting and you will get something somewhat interesting for a small fee.

Politis is A Shit.

2005-07-27T12:31:00.000+09:00

That's a view of my old flat in Astoria, Queens. It's quite nice. No?

Back in Brack.

2005-07-27T12:13:00.000+09:00

Hello there.

It's been quite a while since my last post... please forgive me. I've been quite hot and busy.

It's amazing how an entire country can take what seems like an arbitrary 2 weeks during the Summer, designate it the hottest two weeks of the Summer and be correct in doing so. It has been incredibly fuckin$ hot since the first day of Chobok. Magical.

Last night, a few of my colleagues and I visited my manager's apartment for some blanche bier from Belgium. It was very tasty and went well with the roasted cuttle fish and watermelon chunks that we were munching on. After a couple of glasses of champagne, we began to play a board game call Acquire. One lesson that I learned was that I need to diversify my portfolio while actively buying and selling shares of other companies. I made the mistake of holding a majority share of Phoenix for the entire game and had no capital flow whatsoever. In the end, I had the least money while holding onto the most expensive and powerful company in the game. Please avoid this self-mutilating strategy when engaging in a game of Acquire.

I was invited to present COXs gameplan to another large group of former subjects of Stalin's grand scheme; this time in Malta. This will take place during the month of Septembre. Excited? Yes.

Sister returns to the land of high-tech weapons of mass destruction this coming Sunday. I feel bad that I wasn't able to spend more time with her while she was here for 2 mos. Am I a bad brother? Yes.

Both my yoga instructors permanently left their posts. It's too bad. I liked both of them very much. So kind and helpful. However, the new ones seem to be just as kind and helpful. Is there such thing as a grumpy / mean yoga instructor? Why am I always the only guy in class?

Back to work.

Korea In A Nutshell.

2005-07-16T17:23:00.000+09:00

Korea In A Nutshell.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

No doubt. This is the most righteous way to re-use discarded materials. Wheel is transformed into sign that directs drivers to a nearby parking lot.

Chobok

2005-07-16T16:57:00.000+09:00

Chobok is the first day of the hottest period of the year. On Chobok, you are supposed to have Samgaetang for lunch. Samgaetang is an extremely hot bowl of a whole young chicken stuffed with sweet rice, ginseng and jujubes. It is very delicious and believed to be an energy boosting elixir of sorts. I believe it completely. Since EVERYONE is supposed to consume this young chicken soup on this day, it was nearly impossible to get into any of the restaurants that specializes in it. As a result, a colleague and I hit the COX cafeteria where they were serving an inferior rendition of young chicken soup.

I met Jun last night for a few drinks at a bar called Chez... can't remember the rest. It was located in Hongdae where all the young party people flock to. The bar was the size of a studio in Manhattan. Very small, stuffy and very cool. Jun pointed out how nothing in the bar was "new". Ashtrays were made by cutting away the bottom portion of a plastic soda bottle and adding a wet napkin to the bottom to prevent any burning. The owner looked like an Oriental version of Patti Smith or Chrissie Hynde(?)... (of Pretenders fame). We drank GinTonics all night and ended up hanging out at a place called Luovo. Very cool scene here. Drinks were delicious as well.

In Iceland the water is SO clean that there was a sign in my hotel bathroom that encouraged me to drink water from the sink. I was reminded of life prior to the bottled water revolution that has taken over much of the world. In the beginning, I thought the water smelled terrible and so I was unable to believe that it was drinkable. Following a visit to one of Iceland's famous geysers my psychological disposition was reversed and I began to perceive the water as Earthy and therefore consumable. I began to drink, drink and drink as much as I could. Also, I'm convinced that taking a shower in Iceland leaves you feeling cleaner than any other place on Earth.

Enough is enough.

More later...

Latvian Paparrazzi aka. Showdown in Reykjavík

2005-07-14T21:34:00.000+09:00

Latvian Paparrazzi
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

This photograph was taken well past midnight. Like dinnertime in Seoul.

She Gots An Itch.

2005-07-14T21:33:00.000+09:00

She Gots An Itch.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

I also had an itch. But had no one to scratch at it for me. That outfit was issued to the everyone aboard.

Pimped to the Max. aka My Icelandic Automobile

2005-07-14T21:31:00.000+09:00

Pimped to the Max. aka My Icelandic Automobile
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

My ride to the glacier. Loud, inefficient and extremely obnoxious.

Back in Black!

2005-07-14T20:34:00.000+09:00

Iceland was surreal.

I've never been defeated so badly by jetlag the way I was utterly hosed this past week. The problem is: midnight in Reykjavík looks like dinnertime in Seoul. I persistently made an ass of myself by waking up too late to take a shower so my hair looked like I have posters of the Sex Pistols hanging all over the walls of my bedroom. Actually, I did idolize them when I was a teenager and I did have several posters of them hanging all over the walls of my bedroom. Anyway, I made some nice new acquaintances from a part of the world that I never thought I'd ever have acquaintances from. We had some amazing adventures during the span of 6 days in so-called Viking land. The fellows from the Baltic region were quite skeptical about the history of this tiny little chip in the Atlantic. I have to admit, I had no time to do any research prior to landing on the chip so I had to go by second-hand knowledge. Lithuanian 01 yelled (rather rudely) "Bullshit!!!" when one of our waiters proclaimed that the Vikings were the greatest sailors the world has ever known. In Lithuanian 01's defense, we were completely retarded on the local poison: Schnapps. "What about the Spaniards?!?! The Brits?!?!" he mumbled. "What about the Chinese?" I answered under my breath. Historians (Discovery Channel *k k k k) have been claiming that the ancient Chinks were the first to reach North American soil, way earlier than Columbus. I digress.

While somewhat semi-retarded on supposedly premium Chardonnay a table full of former subjects of Soviet imperialist ambitions were discussing the current political state of Belarus. One of my COX colleagues, a young / soft-spoken / ultra-articulate / ultra-cool (not in a "I just moved to Williamsburg" kind of way, more like a "I studied English in London, I'm fighting to bring freedom to my dictator-led country, yet I can still smile brightly and exude a great deal of charm doing so." kind of way)/ young woman is based there. She began going on about how all access to Western, specifically American, culture is strictly regulated. Latvian 01 remarked on how the world press has quite a strong opinion about Kim Jong-Il's North Korea, yet Belarus sort of hovers under the radar of the Western press. The oddest thing was that this topic was discussed while everyone at the table had very warm smiles across each of their faces. Odd, Odd, Odd. I just kept my mouth shut and listened. I found the whole thing quite fascinating so I thought I'd just climb up a tree and refrain from disturbing the monkey's in their habitat.

By the way, I went whale-watching for the first time in my life. I almost regurgitated my lunch from the onset of Defcon-5 Sea-sickness. A doggy-bag was gently placed on my lap just in case an incident were to take place. Miraculously, I managed to lower the Defcon status to 3 or so. First, I was advised to stare at the horizon. This worked. Yet, the threat lingered so I decided to close my eyes all together... Defcon 2. Kim, go to sleep. That's what my conscience was whispering to me. So I did. Defcon-1. After what seemed like a few hours, I heard someone scream on the loudspeaker: "12 O'Clock!!!" I sprang out of my seat and ran over to the bow of the ship to stare towards 12 O'Clock as the voice on the tinny loudspeaker commanded. Off in the distance, I saw the tail of a Humpback repeatedly smacking the water. Apparently, it was in the middle of feeding. Fast-forward a bit, I got to see one close-up leaping into the air like some emasculated orca at Seaworld in Orlando, Florida. Pretty cool shit man.

Another exciting activity that we all took part in was snowmobiling on top of a glacier. This turned out to be an incredibly surreal experience. Mostly due to the fact that I was unable to wear my glasses throughout the ride. The helmet was too tight and my glasses wouldn't fit in. I must add that I am what certain members of Korean society refer to as a 'noon-byungshin.' Translation: 'Eye-Retard'. Everything was a complete blur. We rode in a line of 18 rather loud and rather eco-unfriendly snowmobiles. It was quite ironic that the owner of this portion of land mildly complained that due to Global Warming the glacier has been melting rapidly in the last 10 years was offering a service where some of the most un-refined carbon monoxide spewing machines are to be ridden all over pristine glacier. Anyway, due to my inability to focus, I had to follow a small black blur in order to avoid getting lost in the grey misty atmosphere. Add to the mix a lack of goggles and macroscopic dagger-like snowflakes piercing into the surface of my eyeballs. In the end, I escaped without any major incidents and walked away remembering singing to myself while steering through the winding trail: "I don't see anything! Where is everything?"

'nuff for now.

To be continued...

Absent Wong Kar Wai Film.

2005-07-07T01:16:00.000+09:00

My sweetheart and I coordinated a plan to go see the latest Wong-Kar Wai film 'Eros' to near perfection this evening. She called me from a cab that was enroute to the 1802 Reason informing me that it was time to descend to street level in order to hop into that same cab and take it to the high-tech theater 'Artreon' where Eros was supposed to be playing. When we exited the cab we noticed that all the lights were out. F*cking bummer man. Plan B was to head over to 'Twosome Place' to devour some Ice cream. Ice cream was terrible. End of story. Back home we watched a program on television about the history of yoga. We learned that when the Beatles visited India in the 60's, Yoga was in steep decline there. It wasn't until Madonna made it a mainstream phenomenon in the early 90's that people in India began to practice it again.

There was a fellow named Alexei that I met at COX Moscow a few months ago that I bumped into on the streets of Seoul today. Despite being 100% Russian, he dresses in the same clothes that you would see the average Korean salary man in. What's funnier is the adoption of the distinctly Korean barbershop-post-military dicatorship era-hair-do that 95% of middle aged men sport here.

Gotta go.

Peace.

Dae Han Guk Jang.

2005-07-02T21:11:00.000+09:00

The ONLY way to effectively defeat the heat is to hit the cinema.

I met up with the sweetheart this afternoon to sit through 2 hours of 'Sin City' at the Dae Han Guk Jang. Regarded as Seoul's oldest cinema. The place must have been renovated recently cuz there was plenty of high-tech machinery all around. The moment you step inside the place there are digital projections of previews for upcoming films all over the place.

Korean Moto-Cargo Delivery Men.

Korean Moto-Cargo Delivery Men are a fascinating species. They give not one shit about riding a 'cool' bike or wearing cool gear at all. The average age of a Korean Moto-Cargo Delivery Man lies somewhere in the late 30's to mid 40's. Often times one will look upon them with amazement as they overload the cargo rack on the bike with boxes piled to nearly double the height of an average sized male human being. What's also interesting is the protective gear that they cover themselves in. I kid you not they look like black Stormtroopers. You will rarely find a Korean Moto-Cargo Delivery Man with any part of skin on his face exposed. A mask covers the nose / mouth / jaw as a futile means of protection from the excessive carbon monoxide that they are exposed to on a daily basis. The eyes are concealed with highly reflective sunglasses. The skull is hidden under a large, rather anonymity promoting black helmet with translucent wind shield. They ride like men who think laws are for pussies and pedestrians nothing more than an inconvenient obstacle / nemesis. Half of them are usually riding on the sidewalks weaving through the sea of pedestrians. It's a miracle that I haven't witnessed a horrible accident or heard of one yet. Occasionally, I find myself daydreaming about carrying a deadly sword with me to cut one of these bastards down when one of them rides too aggressively on pedestrian territory. It really makes me angry at times. I better de-Bicklify myself now before these nasty thoughts grow worse.

Sin City was A-ight. As far as Frank Miller and hollywood movies goes, his influence on the recent Batman Begins was clearly superior to this rather goofy interpretation of Sin-City.

One film that I can't wait for is the final chapter of Park Chan-Wook's revenge trilogy, entitled:Sympathy For Lady Vengeance. It comes out very soon in ROK. I shall enjoy this one.

CU.

Back in Black.

2005-07-02T00:06:00.000+09:00

The climate is oppressive out. It's so bad that I've been avoiding the blog thing for a bit since all I'd be able to write about is how stupid hot it is out. In fact, that's all I really have to talk about.

Actually, several exciting events took place recently. I took a weekend trip with sweetheart and sister to the Southeast region of the peninsula to visit a very beautiful mountain village. However, I only have grotesque welts on my calves from the lack of any mosquito repellent or screens at the inn that we stayed at to show for it.

I spent the past week drinking quite a bit with a small Japanese fellow who visited the steamin peninsula for a few days to see friends. I drank at several skanky 'American' style bars that I found to be somewhat uninteresting.

On a cooler note, I will be off to ICELAND for 6 days in early July. I will be roaming the glaciers while friends and family are nearly melting on the steaming peninsula.

As I type in this entry, a documentary about the African Diamond industry and how it has led to much death and destruction in the name of wedding rings for wealthy nations.

I watched Batman Begins twice and I really felt that the League of Shadows was a good idea.

I'm no good with this blog crap. Or is it the heat?

Head-Bumper

2005-06-21T22:37:00.000+09:00

Head-Bumper
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

This is to protect the forehead of some drunken fool who tries to exit a foolishly designed bathroom who's doorway was created with hobbits and dwarves in mind.

Ji Young ssi.

2005-06-21T22:31:00.000+09:00

Ji Young ssi.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

This is Ji-Young ssi. She is loud boisterous and ultimately highly entertaining. She also drinks like she's a member of the Rat-Pack. She's also my former classmate and fellow Korean-American. I suspect that the other Asian members of our class think she's more crazy American than psychotic Korean. In the end, she means well so she's all good as far as I'm concerned.

The Infamous Gorilla Restaurant

2005-06-21T22:22:00.000+09:00

The Infamous Gorilla Restaurant
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

20 years later and I will still be raving about this place. I took my classmates there this evening following our final class to celebrate the conclusion of Korean language classes at Yonsei University. It's always packed and bustling with nearly carnivorous men and women from the office towers of inner Seoul. Perhaps I should have my wedding ceremony here. There is no boonigi like it. BTW, the bald fellow in the background just so happens to be my landlord's son. No Joke. His place of work is situated in the same large office tower as COX.

New Peeps & Old.

2005-06-19T03:06:00.000+09:00

I met some new people last night. We converged at a bar in the Hongdae area where patrons sit on comfortable cushions on the floor. We drank Vodka + Grapefruit Juice all night while chit-chatting about nothing. Some members of this party were acting like extras from George Romero's Night of the Living Dead. Very difficult to maintain a conversation with zombies.

Worse Than Just a Knot.

2005-06-19T03:05:00.000+09:00

Worse Than Just a Knot.
Originally uploaded by Kim Pierro.

This is a residential area in Gangnam (South of the River) that I was strolling around in on a sunny Sunday afternoon. In my opinion, they should bury these lines ASAP.