My friend Roselyn, who lives in Hollywood, didn't want to watch this film. So, I told her I'd watch it for her. I understand that it's a constant worry for those living in California. Everyone's dreading the 'big one' to happen, and as Paul Giamatti bluntly says it in this film, "it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when."
San Andreas is a earthquake disaster film named after the San Andreas fault that runs through California. If I remember right, Lex Luthor, in the Christopher Reeve's Superman movie, planned to chop off California into the ocean starting from the San Andreas Fault. Of course, Lex didn't succeed; Superman was there to save the day. And California.
In this film, Dwayne Johnson, with his big muscles, was like Superman without the red, white and blue costume. But still he could fly; both a helicopter and a twin-engine plane, that is.
As this was all about earthquakes, scenes of collapsing buildings and other structures were necessary, so unlike Man of Steel and Avengers: Age of Ultron, where the directors didn't know that too much destruction scenes could be boringly irritating. Here, in San Andreas, the special effects of falling buildings in San Francisco and Los Angeles were topnotch. I almost felt sorry seeing the Transamerica Pyramid building fall, as I was just there a few years ago taking its picture from the street level. Now, it's ruined. :-)
Aside from Dwayne Johnson, familiar faces were in the movie trying to survive the 9.1 earthquake. Carla Gugino from Night In A Museum plays Johnson's estranged wife, while their daughter, Alexandra Daddario was their gorgeous, smart daughter. After all, Daddario was Athena's daughter in Percy Jackson, Lightning Thief.
Ioan Gruffud here speaks American English. In his TV series Forever, he has that British accent although he was supposed to have lived in New York for a century. And if you watch The Good Wife, you'd recognize Kalinda here as a news reporter without her gothic make-up. By the way, Kylie Minogue is in this movie, too. She was at a top-floor restaurant when an earthquake struck, and she fell off the building. Presumably, she wasn't able to order her lunch.
Although I know it's quite scary for Californians to watch San Andreas, as my friend Roselyn says "it's close to home"; I think they can pick up a few pointers on what to do in case there's an actual earthquake.
And if only for the very good computer-generated imagery, the movie delivers the scenes I expected, and the destruction of San Francisco and Los Angeles reminded me of The Day After Tomorrow and 2012.
You can still catch San Andreas and its aftershocks at the cinemas. :-)
Thanks to Marvin Gaye for giving me an idea for the title for this blog. In case you haven't heard his classic song about the environment, click this link for his video. Marvin's lines:
"Oh, mercy, mercy me...Things ain't what they used to be, no no...Where did all the blue skies go...Poison in the wind that blows from the north and south and east..."
While Marvin Gaye lamented about the state of the environment through his song, we, here in Seoul, were also lamenting when the government bungled early on its handling of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or (MERS) outbreak. But now, when it's claiming that they have accounted for all those infected and quarantined those exposed, I am heaving a sigh of relief.
Understandably, most international tourists who were booked to fly to Korea have cancelled their trips. But I'm thinking, there's a bright side to this MERS crisis. How? Well, let me enumerate on that later.
But in the meantime, since MERS is still the main topic these days, I'm sharing my own precautions:
1. BE UPDATED EVERYDAY.
Read the news online for the latest updates about the outbreak. Be aware of any new advisory as to the places to avoid, or what to do in case you think you are infected.
2. AVOID THE LISTED THE LISTED HOSPITALS AND CLINICS.
The government has listed 24 hospitals and clinics in Seoul and neighboring areas, where the victims contacted the MERS virus. If I have to visit one, I'd go to the one not in the list.
3. STAY SANITIZED AND CLEAN.
As I don't carry a hand sanitizer, I wash my hands as often as I can; be it at home, in the office, or in other places. The hand rails I grasp on the bus and in the subway, the door knobs I turn, and the buttons I press at the ATM machines all carry microbes. And for those who visit the supermarkets regularly, those pushcart handles are definitely not squeaky-clean, too.
(M-net countdown: I counted only 2 out
of 30 passengers on my bus wore masks)
In the elevator, I use my knuckles to push the button for my desired level. I actually use my knuckles for the ATM machines. No need to use those fingertips which you may inadvertently use to rub an eye. And for those who have a habit of biting their nails, you may want to look for another thing to bite.
Most cafes and restaurants also provide liquid hand sanitizers at the entrance; use it.
4. CLEAN YOUR SMARTPHONES AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN.
There was a study that smartphone screens are actually dirty and populated with microbes. Inside the restroom, I wipe my smartphone screen with a wet paper towel, after which I blow-dry the screen and the phone case under the automatic hand blower.
What's the point of having your hands cleaned when that thing you always carry is not?
5. STAY AWAY FROM SNEEZING AND COUGHING PEOPLE.
I know it's always disgusting when the person next to you sneezes or coughs without covering his or her mouth. I notice that some Korean women try to cover their mouths when they laugh, but don't when they sneeze. And these days, people are on the look out for anyone coughing or sneezing in public.
If they're not expelling the MERS virus, they could be expelling something else.
6. STAY HEALTHY
I read on the news that one MERS victim recovered. His immune system must have been strong enough to withstand the viral onslaught. Remember, there's no vaccine for this one. So, stay healthy and eat healthy.
7. WEAR A MASK.
I only wear a mask when there's a yellow dust advisory. During this MERS crisis, I don't wear one as I don't need to.
But if you're traveling to Seoul, wearing a mask may give you some psychological security, knowing that you think you won't be breathing in the virus. The recommended mask is actually the N95 mask, which is more expensive. The regular ones just won't do.
I think wearing a mask during yellow dust days and during the flu season in winter is more helpful than wearing mask these hot summer days. In the bus and subway, I noticed only very few people actually wearing masks.
Now, that I have shared my precautions against the MERS virus, here are the reasons why I think it's actually the best time to come to Korea:
(Myeongdong is bereft of Chinese tourists)
REASON: It's summer sale in Seoul!
Yes, you'll be missing out on the Seoul summer sale if you don't fly over.
REASON: More haggling and more freebies!
Since the Chinese tourists, which represented the biggest tour group and shoppers, are not coming to Korea due to the scare, most vendors have to go all-out in order to make up for the loss. Vendors in Dongdaemun and Namdaemun probably would give in to your haggling just to make a sale. And perhaps, those cosmetic shops would give you more freebies, too.
(The intersection near Lotte Department Store downtown
is usually heavy with traffic on weekends,
but very roomy last weekend)
REASON: No more long lines; no more crowded spots!
I guess you won't need an hour to wait for a ride on the Namsan cable car, or for a table at a Korean restaurant popular to tourists.
REASON: Airfare and hotel rates may be discounted!
Yup, you bet! Since occupancy rates at hotels and B&Bs are falling down, they could be slashing rates right now to entice guests from other countries. You might want to check out the airfare prices to Seoul, too!
(The Pinoy market in Hyewha-dong last
Sunday was almost empty)
Perhaps, the only downside to your trip to Korea is the cancellation or postponement of certain summer events. Last Sunday, the planned Seoul bike parade was cancelled, and the Korean bboy championships in Uijeongbu City was cancelled as well.
So, to my friends who have been asking me whether it's safe to fly over to Seoul, I say, if you just follow my precautions, now's the best time!☝
Just because there's a MERS outbreak in Korea and it's the weekend don't mean that everyone stays indoors or relax somewhere.
I stumbled into a photo shoot at the Understage music venue in Itaewon, where three guys were busy working on a warm Sunday afternoon in Seoul.
The male model, the photographer and his assistant were busy lining up shots against the huge, interesting wall decorated with a black-and-white blown up photograph of some hippie party in the 1960s.
Thanks to these three hardworking guys, we have our photo and our fashion model of the day.
June 6 is Memorial Day in Korea, a day when everyone remembers the men and women in military service who died during the Korean war and other battles.
But last night, people in Seoul saw three powerful light beams coming from the Dongjak District. These lights came from the Seoul National Cemetery, where brave soldiers, heroes and martyrs are buried. I was there last year and I was impressed with the serenity of the place.
I saw the lights from my Yongsan District side of the Han River. The three beams, lighted up in commemoration of Memorial Day, represent patriotism, the veterans, and the reunification of the Korean peninsula.
When I saw the lights from the banks of the river, it reminded me of Batman's bat-signal. I thought since they were three, it was Wolverine's. Kidding aside, the three steady lights piercing through the misty Friday night sky in Seoul was a rare sight, considering you'd usually see dancing beams from powerful searchlights every now and then around the city.
And tonight, if you're in Seoul, you may be able to see those three beams again. Just direct your sights towards the Dongjak District. And if you see those lights, let's not forget what they represent.
Happy Memorial Day!
(Search lights at the Seoul National Cemetery huddled together in three groups that point to three different directions, providing powerful beams seen from anywhere in Seoul. Photo credit: Korea Clickers)
I wonder why I don't see a lot of cyclists pedaling around Seoul during weekdays.
It's only during the weekend when I see trails of cyclists along the streets of Seoul or along the Han River's biking paths. I think, for most Seoulites, cycling is just for exercising, and not exactly a mode of transportation.
I can understand; it's scary riding a bike in the streets of Seoul when some Korean drivers don't have any desire to obey traffic rules or respect pedestrian lanes. There was an accident a few years ago, when professional cyclists, who were training for a competition, were run over at the expressway by a cargo truck driver because he wasn't paying attention to the road. He was watching a Korean drama on his smart phone! Some of those cyclists were killed on the spot!
(Bikers on their way to Banpo Park)
But this Sunday, September 20, cyclists won't be worrying about getting run over by a car or a bus. They will have the streets all to themselves.
From Gwanghwamun Square to the Namdaemun monument, down to Seoul Station up to Samgakji Station, and through Hanggang-daero up to Hanggang Bridge in the Yongsan District, the streets will be closed from 8AM up to 9AM.
And turning right upon reaching the Hanggang Bridge, the bikers will pass through the biking path along the Han River all the way up to the World Cup Stadium in the Mapo District.
The organizers are calling this a 'biking parade', much like a fun run for cyclists. This is to raise awareness on the use of bicycles to conserve energy and perhaps, encourage everyone to frequently use this transportation for health purposes as well.
This won't be like a Tour de France, where everyone races against each other. This is to gather the community together on motor-less wheels and have fun cycling around Seoul in the name of environmental conservation and health promotion.
(One of a few guys I saw in Seoul riding a bike presumably going home)
Although registration is over, you may still want more information from their official website below, but it's in Korean. Who knows? You may still be able to join the parade as long as you're free on Sunday morning and have a bike to ride.
http://hiseoulbike.com/
Yes, it's supposed to be sung like Frank Sinatra's Strangers In The Night. And it would have sounded this way:
"Strangers in the night, exchanging lances, wondering in the night, what were the chances, we'd be sharing fish before the night was through...."
I wasn't exactly sure if these were the lyrics the ajussis were singing when I spotted them along the Han River with their fishing rods and drinks.
When I strolled along the Han River during the day, I would spot one or two anglers sitting and waiting for a fish to take their bait. It seems a very relaxing hobby for these men to have fishing as a pastime amidst the hectic and stressful life in Seoul.
I have passed this way countless times, but tonight, as I was walking by their spot, I was impressed with their gear considering it was very dark with hardly no light post next to it.
But they were well prepared. They had flashlights, bottles of beer, and their fishing rods that had a battery-operated green light at the tip! When a fish took the bait, their rod would shake and so would the green light! A green light shaking in the dark would surely get a fisherman's attention!
I wonder what kind of fresh water fish they could get out of the Han River. But I was thinking, it's not about the quantity of fish they were after, it's the quality of time relaxing by the river, chatting with friends over beer, and enjoying a cool evening on this side of Seoul.
I wonder if I'd also catch a fish if I join them. :-)
(The Banpo Fountain Bridge is a few minutes' walk
from where the guys were fishing)
"I hear the secrets that you keep when you're talking in your sleep..."
That line from an old punk song, Talking In Your Sleep by The Romantics played in my head as I walked past this guy sleeping on a ledge in the Hannam-dong sidewalk. I heard a faint murmur from him as I went past him.
I tried to guess whether (a) he was talking about how many soju bottles he guzzled down last night, (b) he was cursing his drinking buddies for leaving him to sleep alone in the sidewalk, and (c) he was just blurting his wish out loud that he wanted another round of drinks when he finally wakes up.
Well, secrets do come out when we talk in our sleep, but I guess, it's a no secret in Korea to find a drunk guy sleeping on the sidewalk, in the subway, or even on a bus stop. I remember, a couple of years back, when my friend Maria first came to Seoul, she was welcomed by a drunk ajussi sleeping on an Itaewon bus stop. Fortunately, the ajussi wasn't talking in his sleep; he was just sleeping like a baby.
So, like this guy, do you also talk in your sleep?
