Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Workshop Schedule & Info

Workshop Schedule
6/2 Workshop Intro & Lunch
6/5 10-11 Dr. DiMarco Lecture
- Saga Info - Jeremy
- 11-4p Work in groups
6/6 - 6/8 10-10:30a Briefing
(Previous Exploration Presentation)
- 10:30-noon Work (Design Exploration)
- noon-1:30 Lunch
- 1:30-4p Work
6/9 - Exhibition Deadline
- Jury process
- Exhibition Opening
- Farewell Party/Certificate Reception/Awards

Each CSUN Student is teamed up with a group of students from Hanyang University, these groups decide on one of two projects to work on. The project specifications are based on two Korean design competitions and final projects are entered in the competition they were created for. The competions are: 16th Korea Tourism Poster Contest (www.etourkorea.com) and the Incheon International Design Fair 2006 (www.indef.org). Each team will yield a poster as their final product. Each day Prof. Choi will present the work the groups have done on previous days to all teams and then the teams will be left to work independently. Per Kristy, here is the team update for Tues: Kristy's group went to Suwon (http://media.graniteschools.org/Curriculum/korea/hwaseong.htm), Jairo's group is dealing with the concept of food and spent the day eating, Jeremy's group is almost done w/ the poster, Rochelle's and Margaret's groups went to Seoul and Megan, Carolina, Nar and Satenik's groups stayed in town to work on their projects.
Picts later in the week as I get them...

more picts...










a few more picts...

some picts






some picts...many more picts will be shown when the troops return & we'll keep you posted as to when and where...

Monday, June 05, 2006

The Flight Home & Saturday Remembered


Sunday morning, Dave, Jim and I flew home. Happily, flight 0017 (Korean Air) had personal entertainment systems for each passenger, so we caught up on our movie watching and ate airplane-Korean-food (which is not as good as the real thing). Today, a few more pictures for you and a few Davisms:
Davism #1: "You don't have to be hungry to eat" - something we heard at each street food vendor, and every snack cart. We don't know how Dave maintains his figure, but the rest of us may be slightly plumper after Dave's eating schedule.
Davism #2: "Mind the gap" from his days as an English tour guide (can you imagine him driving a double-decker red bus?).
and a Jimism "I think we would have a better world if all the world leaders would skip." (Does this require any explanation? Except I should mention that after saying it, Jim skipped to demonstrate for us).

While we are at home, the gang back in Korea have already begun the workshop. Friday we met with our groups and had lunch with all the wonderful Korean students. Monday's schedule included a lecture about CSUN by Paula and a brief overview of SAGA (by Jeremy).

So now let's go back in time for some notes on our last full-group adventure on Saturday (6/3/06 - aka DAVE's B'DAY)...
The morning began with a group meeting in the lobby and then we took the shuttle to the metro station to go to Namdaemun marketplace, a large open-air wholesale marketplace covering a few central city blocks in Seoul. (Read more about the marketplace, go to: http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2//4). You can find anything from fresh fish, meats, produce, foods to trinkets and western clothing in the stalls, shops and vendor carts. This is a place to bargain, and as a westerner you will usually be charged more, but if you stay firm and are able to identify what you want and check prices at a few places, you will be able to understand the average price and then just try not to pay more than that. Some items were more pricy than in the states, an example being camera equipment because Korea has an import tax. The best items to buy are those made in Korea as they are the most reasonably priced and why not buy something at the source?

After Namdaemun, we went to lunch at a Chinese restaurant, then the group split up - one group went back to Insadong, one group stayed at Namdaemun, and Dave went back to the hotel. By evening we had all returned to the University and along with Prof. Choi and our Korean friends, went for dinner to a wonderful Korean bbq restuarant where celebrated Dave's b'day with ALOT of food. The evening was completed with drinks, cake and dancing back at the ranch (Jeremy & Jairo's room) and toasting to Dave and the fun we all had on our adventure. It was a lovely, full, day. I'm uploading pictures from Namdaemun market, Dave's b'day party and the subway ride for the day...

Sunday, June 04, 2006

sunday morning news




Good morning. After a late arrival Thursday night, a full day Friday and a Saturday shopping extravaganza & evening partying for Dave's birthday, it is finally Sunday morning in Korea. Today Dave and Jim will be returning to Los Angeles and due to unforeseen circumstances I also be returning. This is my last Korea-based post, but the fabulous Kristy Wong will be keeping me in the loop so I can update daily along w/ images. I will be posting more details on the days past as well as images you have not yet seen before the group returns home, so keep checking the blog for news (& picts). Today is 'laundry day' for our group.

Also I forgot to mention... a quick welcome to Nar and Satenik (who arrived late Friday night). I'll be posting more once I arrive in LA & I have ALOT of images coming. From the Korea-team to home, we miss you and we are still loving the food and the culture and all of our new friends. I would like to thank the Korean students and Professors and people we have met (especially the hotel staff) who have been so generous to us and have truly made this journey a pleasure. I will definitely come back to this wonderful country.

Thursday, June 01, 2006

The magic bus ride in Gyeongju

A quick post to let you know that after a 5 hour train ride we arrived in Gyeongju (both this and the other spelling that I wrote work). It is a historical city also known as a museum without walls. We've been touring around sites today. The town is lovely and we've seen numerous Buddhist sites (the Buddhist influence is strong here in the south). The weather is hotter and tropically wet and everywhere is GREEN!!!!! It is beautiful. As for the images you want to see, it is really quite a task to do even this typing of info & Dave wanted me to post that he's giving me a hard time & will continue to give me a hard time. Hopefully when we get back to our home-base & tomorrow, I'll be able to download some more images & when we get home we're planning for a viewing party, a publication, t-shirts, et al & I'll put up more images and a recap of our travels. We'll be home past midnight tonight & beginning our seminar tomorrow - in Seoul on Saturday...that's all for now.

Everyone sen
ds smiles to our USA gang. & a quick note to Rochelle's boyfriend...she wrote your name (& your brother's and her family's) in a Buddhist temple where they will send you positive vibes and prayers for 100 days - it was lovely & as soon as I can I'll post picts...:) Belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO Lesley Krane! And Dave's B'day is on Saturday - please e-mail him many happy b'day wishes.

Due to computer problems, we just lost a huge update for all of you including notes from Margaret, Megan, Dave, Jim and Kristy...can you hear the silent screams in my head? We're off for another marathon train ride now. Smiles to all.