From Bluegrass to Hip-Hop: R-16 B-Boy Competition Road Trip

The Harrington's are always up for an adventure and checking out new things, including things which may be unusual to their specific leanings. On July 7th, the couple embarked on such an adventure, singing along to Nickle Creek and Jalan Crossland on the two hour drive to Seoul's Olympic Park where they were set to enjoy an evening fully immersed in the best of hip-hop, b-boy, popping and locking culture.

Aside from bluegrass blaring from the speakers, the days trip was additionally highlighted by driving through Osan, South Korea where none other than Chuck Norris began his martial arts career (Melissa brought in July by working through Chuck Norris' autobiography/biography Against All Odds and was filled with legitimate Chuck Norris trivia on this recent road trip).

A Wicked - Wedding Weekend

The weekend of June 2nd and 3rd saw the Harrington's taking on Broadway shows and Wedding Ceremonies.  Beginning on Saturday morning, the couple headed down to Daejeon Station where they were limited in train ticket options and therefore ended up with standing room only tickets on the two-hour 'slow train' to Seoul. Not too eager to stand for the entire time, the couple found a short set of stairs between the proper train cars and took a seat while the world outside flashed by through the door frame window.

Soon enough, the couple was encompassed by the herd of people that is Seoul Station on a Saturday (perhaps everyday?) and made their way onto the Subway and toward BlueSquare where they would soon take a back-of-the-theater seat to watch the stunning and impressive Broadway Musical Wicked.

Although the couple was as far from the action as possible (other than sitting around at home), the show was absolutely worth the standing-room-only train ticket and left Melissa literally sitting on the edge of her seat for more than half the performance.

B-boy and Ballerina: A Love Story

On Sunday, the 20th of May, on the verge of a horrendous sickness, Melissa accompanied her fine gent of a man and good friends Garrett and Alla to an evening showing of The B-boy who loved a Ballerina. Having previously seen Nanta and recently having seen Jump, the Harrington's were excited to see what else Korea could produce in terms of live shows.

The B-Boy who loved a Ballerina was an impressive display of B-boy moves, popping and locking, fancy footwork and body rocking movements. From the first scene to the last the audience was entertained and amazed at the talent showcased by these dancers, B-boy's and even the Ballerina's.

Considering the Wyoming and Montana origins of three out of four from the Harrington's crew, and their personal distance from all things hip-hop and b-boy, it's an impressive testament to the nature of this show that these four audience members were continually impressed and would willingly attend the show again given the opportunity.

If you're in Korea or if the show comes to a stage near you - it's is highly advisable that you purchase the tickets and get ready for a show that will blow your mind.

JUMP: A Kicking Good Time!

On Friday, May 4th the Harrington's along with good friends Alla, Garrett, Hyunhee and Hakcheol made their way to the arts center of Chungnam University where they sat down to enjoy the non-verbal performance, JUMP.

Initially the group was a bit disappointed to see such a small turn out for this one-weekend Daejeon performance. However, within minutes an 'old man' was wandering the aisles and causing a bit of a stir. As the 'old man' made his way to the stage with cane in hand and a high-pitched 'boop!' to go with every step forward the crowd quickly came to understand that the following hour or so would be nothing short of entertaining.

PSA's and Pictures of Lady: Third Edition

Ladies up to all the same ole tricks. However, these days she's enjoying 'real food' as opposed to packaged dog food and suffering the effects of air pollution. Nonetheless, the Lady is full of joy and cuddles.

In other news...

Korea Hot Springs Festival begins tomorrow May 9th and will continue on through the weekend. The website doesn't provide any English information, but enough clicking and exploring and you're sure to discover the map which will lead you to a relaxing evening in Yuseong-gu and/or simply explain why there's fireworks filling the sky later this week.

If you're not so interested in Korea's festivals, there's a few shows coming through Daejeon you may be interested in checking out.

PSA's and Pictures of Lady: Second Edition

Semi-recently, Lady enjoyed a 10k walk-a-thon after being kicked out of O World's Flower Land. She is constantly receiving the attention of all who are in her presence although she'd just as rather be sniffing trees and scavenging for food bits than have people admire her for her strength and courage at only 3.5 legs.

In other news, there is never a lack of things to do on the Peninsula and with the warmer weather, why not get out of Daejeon and check out some of the upcoming events throughout May and the Summer months?

One of Korea's biggest spring events is going to be the Expo 2012 in Yeosu. If you're interested in going, but don't know if you want to spend cash to get a ticket, check out Korea Tourism Organization's Contest and get a shot at winning FREE Tickets! Or, head to the main website and simply purchase tickets.

Expos are uninteresting, eh? Why not head to Seoul, May 31st - July 31st, and enjoy the Broadway Hit

PSA's and Pictures of Lady: First Edition

Lady is indeed the most precious and adorable 3.5 legged dog living in Daejeon, South Korea, probably the world. She has recently received a haircut and been enjoying morning or afternoon runs with the Mrs. depending on the day.

In other news:

Here is the latest information regarding Cherry Blossoms and when you can expect to see them around South Korea.

If you don't make a habit of checking out Korea's Official Tourism website, you ought too, especially this page of special offers and discounts. If you have friends coming to visit, check out that Transportation deal which could potentially get you 50,000 Won free money. Or, if you're interested in a non-verbal performance, check out the discount on Bi-Bap.

Of Trick Art, Breweries and a Circus

A week ago today, the Harrington's were finishing off a fabulous weekend in Seoul, South Korea. Arriving Friday night, the Harrington's made their way to a friends home to settle in for a delicious dinner of Japanese Curry and a few hours of healthy conversation before settling into one of Korea's most comfortable beds.

Saturday morning came with thunder and lightening and after a shower, the Harrington's stepped out into the 'radioactive' shower that was Seoul on Saturday April 30. Not to be disheartened, the couple made their way to the subway, successfully transferred lines once or twice and found themselves in Hong-dae; a very university oriented area of the city. With rain pouring down the couple made their way between shops and cafes before finding their destination: The Trick Eye Museum. The place where dreams and laughter abound.

Following the joy of Trick Art, the Harrington's made their way to Itaewan - the foreigner neighborhood of Seoul to pick up some English books as a Birthday gift for Melissa and then to meet up with friends Jon and Whitney for a burger and beer at Craft-works Tap House. The beer and burger were phenomenal for these American taste buds that have been yearning for a full-bodied, flavorful beer outside of their own home. Filled with good eats and drinks and a bit drained from the activities of the day, the Harrington's made their way to the subway and back to their friends home for a comfortable nights sleep.

Sunday morning came and the couple enjoyed a leisurely breakfast of breakfast tacos, easy conversation and eventually a stroll to the subway station. With less effort and transfers than the day prior, the Harrington's made their way to the Jamsil Sports Complex and went to looking for the Big Top Center where they would soon enjoy their first Cirque du Soleil Performance.

The show was amazing and left the Harrington's breathless a number of times and had them on the edge of their seats throughout. If you've never been to Cirque du Soleil or watched a performance on tape, it comes highly recommended as the show itself and the level of skill showcased is beyond explanation and is therefore best viewed in person.

 

After a quick pit stop at Cafe Ti-Amo for a waffle and gelato with friends the Harrington's gathered their belongings and began the trek back to their Wookyeong-bil home and sweet Lady Annyeong.