Friday, May 6, 2011
Korea Video Collage
Hey guys!
I was looking through my photos, and noticed I had a lot of cool videos, with out a home. Rather than let them sit on my harddrive, I decided to make a video for you to see. I think its pretty good (although short). You will see ots of things I've done since my arrival in Seoul. Including the international students field day, a professional football match, some walking around Seoul (in the Myongdong market), some of the club fair at Korea University, a shot from the city bus with my korean friend Hyojeong, my birthday party here in Seoul, a shot from my Korean language class, ect!
Enjoy!
-Glenn
Monday, April 25, 2011
Noryangjin Fish Market
Last weekend my friends and I took a thirty minute subway ride to the Noryangjin fish market, the largest fish market in Seoul. The market was in a large warehouse like building. We walked around, and eventually bought a filet of salmon, unsure of what to do with it. The guy asked (in Korean) "for home or restaurant?" We said restaurant (shik-dong) and handed to filet off to another woman. She took us to a back alley outside the market, went into a restaurant and sat down with our food. They brought us sauces and chopsticks, and we ate some very fresh salmon.
The main event in terms of Korean seafood is the moving octopus. We went back to the market to find this. We eventually bought a small octopus (along with a blue crab). We were again lead down an alley to a different restaurant. A few moments after we sat down a small plate with moving octopus tentacles was brought out! We all eventually tried it, I only managed one small tentacle (I don't even like dead seafood). Watch the video to see more! It has to be seen to be fully understood. Enjoy!
-Glenn
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
In the News
The article below was copied from the Global Links Newswire, the company I am studying abroad with. It highlights my groups time at an orphanage in Busan, Korea.
Cultural Differences Fade Fast For Student Volunteers At Korean Orphanage
Submitted by admin on March 30, 2011 – 10:45 amNo Comment
Twenty AsiaLearn students quickly learned during a recent volunteer effort at an orphanage in Korea that fun and games have no cultural boundaries.
Glenn DiNicola from Western State College with one of the children from SunGae Won, an orphanage in Korea.
The North American study abroad participants volunteered their time one day in February to play rock-paper-scissors, red light-green light and other games with 40 children fromSungae Won (성애원), an orphanage in Busan, Korea.The group was joined by 15 Korean university student volunteers through the Federation of Volunteer Efforts.
When the students arrived at the orphanage, the children, ages 4-6, were still in school but soon came joyfully running into the recreational hall. The kids came to a halt, however, when they saw the group of 20 foreign faces. Initially, the children shied away from the strange faces and crept along the walls to the more familiar faces of the Korean university students who volunteer weekly at the orphanage.
It didn’t take long, however, for the rambunctious and curious youngsters to warm up to the AsiaLearn students, grabbing their hands and plopping down in their laps as they looked through books or waited patiently for turns playing games including rock-paper-scissors and red light-green light.
A local volunteer project is one component of the AsiaLearn Bridging Cultures Program, a multi-day, in-country orientation program that blends lecture, adventure, and culture together for an informative and fun introduction to the country in which students will be living and studying abroad.
“Volunteering at the orphanage was actually the best part (of the AsiaLearn Bridging Cultures Program),” said Sarah Thanongsinh, a student at the University of Massachusetts Lowell who is studying at Korea University. “The children were so cute and lots of fun.”
The AsiaLearn students played games with the children for about two hours and all were a bit worn out after trying to keep up with so many children.
Adwoa Hanson-Hall from Boston University playing a game in Korean that is similar to red light-green Light in the United States.
Learning about volunteer opportunities and being exposed to one opportunity within their first few days of arriving in Korea really encouraged the students to locate more long-term volunteer opportunities in Seoul, where they will be studying for the next semester or academic year, said AsiaLearn Manager Kelli Modica.
“We want our students to give a little something back to the community that is kind enough to take them in and teach the students their ways during the students’ time abroad,” Modica said.
Prior to the children’s arrival for playtime with the volunteers, a social worker with the orphanage described the establishment’s background. She also shared some history of Busan, which historically has had large numbers of orphanages in the city because of the Korean War, a time when many families tried to escape the North to save their lives.
Through these journeys and war, many parents were killed, leaving their children orphaned. Some parents also left their children at the orphanages because they thought their children would be better cared for and hopefully escape the pain and suffering of living on the streets.
These days, Korean children become orphans for a variety of reasons, and it is estimated that South Korea currently has 17,000 children in public orphanages throughout the country and untold numbers at private institutions.
At Sungae Won, two of the AsiaLearn students came bearing gifts and handed them out to the kids before the group departed.
Zachary Monreal, a student at Texas Tech University studying abroad at Korea University, had been in Germany before arriving to South Korea and brought a variety of German chocolates, which the kids gobbled up just before dinner.
Holly Meyer, a student at University of Colorado – Colorado Springs studying abroad at Korea University, carried an extra suitcase with her from the United States filled with over 50 Beanie Babies, which the kids grabbed wide-eyed in excitement.
“Volunteering at the orphanage was a great experience,” said Paxia Her, a student at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities who is studying at Korea University.
http://globalinksnewswire.com/3134/cultural-differences-fade-fast-for-student-volunteers-at-korean-orphanage/
-Glenn
Monday, March 14, 2011
Bridging Cultures Video
Here is my final edited video from the bridging cultures program I did when I first arrived in Korea. We went to Busan, in the south and did lots of amazing things. watch the video to find out what!
Busan Directors Cut from Glenn DiNicola on Vimeo.
-Glenn
Busan Directors Cut from Glenn DiNicola on Vimeo.
-Glenn
Exploring Seoul
This weekend was fantastic! On friday I went with my friends to dongdaemun shopping center. We walked down this really long river walkway and found a famous spot where the water and the water fall was all lit up. Very cool.
On Saturday we went to one of the oldest part of Seoul, where the houses are still traditional Korean houses. We walked around and go lost in the streets. We eventually followed our noses to an italian restaurant! I hadn't had pasta or pizza since I'd been here (two of my favorite foods) and we had both there. It was awesome, but kind of funny to eat italian food in a historic district in Seoul. Oh well.
On sunday my best friend and I went to a famous more local market called Nangdaemun market. It is a couple blocks divided into different vendors. Food vendor alley, watch alley, clothes alley, noodle alley. We wondered around and bargained for a few things (Korean jeans, chopsticks and dried mango were my purchases).
Our main interest however was the food. We started off at food vendor alley and had some Kimchi Jiggae, a spicy soup with kimichi, tofu and meat. Then we wondered a bit and found a street cart selling fried doughnut type things. Sweet dough coved in sugar. We each got 4 for 1000won(about 90 cents). Right after we finished those we found the famous noodle alley we had read about. It was a long-ish alley, very narrow with a tarp roof. Along either side were red stools.
We were directed towards two empty ones and sat down. There were two older ladys behind the counter. Zac knew what the noodles were called and said the name and held up 2 fingers. The ladys nodded served us 2 bowls of something different. She gave us the best bibimpap I have ever had! She took all of the fresh ingredients out of big bins right in front of us on the table. It was so good! After we had almost finished our bibimpap she handed us each a bowl of the noodles! She smiled and rubbed her belly, telling us it was good. The noodle s were delicious as well! they were in a kind of soup, and had an odd wavy pattern. We ate as much as we could, for eating so much within an hour. Oh, and the bibimpap and noodles were only 4000won total!
I held up my camera and the lady serving us smiled for me to take her picture.
I really loved that place. Our other friends all want to go back this weekend. I can't wait!
-Glenn
On Saturday we went to one of the oldest part of Seoul, where the houses are still traditional Korean houses. We walked around and go lost in the streets. We eventually followed our noses to an italian restaurant! I hadn't had pasta or pizza since I'd been here (two of my favorite foods) and we had both there. It was awesome, but kind of funny to eat italian food in a historic district in Seoul. Oh well.
On sunday my best friend and I went to a famous more local market called Nangdaemun market. It is a couple blocks divided into different vendors. Food vendor alley, watch alley, clothes alley, noodle alley. We wondered around and bargained for a few things (Korean jeans, chopsticks and dried mango were my purchases).
We were directed towards two empty ones and sat down. There were two older ladys behind the counter. Zac knew what the noodles were called and said the name and held up 2 fingers. The ladys nodded served us 2 bowls of something different. She gave us the best bibimpap I have ever had! She took all of the fresh ingredients out of big bins right in front of us on the table. It was so good! After we had almost finished our bibimpap she handed us each a bowl of the noodles! She smiled and rubbed her belly, telling us it was good. The noodle s were delicious as well! they were in a kind of soup, and had an odd wavy pattern. We ate as much as we could, for eating so much within an hour. Oh, and the bibimpap and noodles were only 4000won total!
I held up my camera and the lady serving us smiled for me to take her picture.
I really loved that place. Our other friends all want to go back this weekend. I can't wait!
-Glenn
Saturday, March 5, 2011
First week of classes
Classes started last Wednesday, which made for an odd three day week. On Wednesday I only had my Korean language class, which consisted of only the placement test. I wrote my name and handed it back, lol.
On thursday I had my two most important classes, PR Campaign and Film Criticism. Both of these are for my major at my home university. the PR classes sounds awesome. Our professor is great, funny, good english and she said she grades pretty easy. I believe her words were along the lines of "I will push you, but in the end you will get a good grade". For the class we will be getting into four person groups and doing work for a client. I envisioned an imaginary client. If it was a real client I assumed it would be a small one. Nope. Real client, its Bayer the German pharmaceutical company (the only other exchange student in my class is a German, I hope she's in my group, lol).
The second class, Film Criticism sounds great as well. The professor is goofy and fun, with good English (not as good as the PR professor). We are going to watch 7 different movies, some american hollywood movies both from now, and the studio era, an italian film, and 2 Korean documentaries, one about North Korean defectors and both documentaries made by Korea University Alumni! Very excited to see those.
After my communications classes, I went back to Korean Language class. We spent the day learning the alphabet. Which entalied us shouting out sounds as the professor held up flash cards of the new symbols. I really like the korean language!
No class on friday, so I had a day off to catch up on sleep. I'll tell you more about this weekend once it's over.
당신은 곧 볼 수 !
-Glenn
On thursday I had my two most important classes, PR Campaign and Film Criticism. Both of these are for my major at my home university. the PR classes sounds awesome. Our professor is great, funny, good english and she said she grades pretty easy. I believe her words were along the lines of "I will push you, but in the end you will get a good grade". For the class we will be getting into four person groups and doing work for a client. I envisioned an imaginary client. If it was a real client I assumed it would be a small one. Nope. Real client, its Bayer the German pharmaceutical company (the only other exchange student in my class is a German, I hope she's in my group, lol).
The second class, Film Criticism sounds great as well. The professor is goofy and fun, with good English (not as good as the PR professor). We are going to watch 7 different movies, some american hollywood movies both from now, and the studio era, an italian film, and 2 Korean documentaries, one about North Korean defectors and both documentaries made by Korea University Alumni! Very excited to see those.
After my communications classes, I went back to Korean Language class. We spent the day learning the alphabet. Which entalied us shouting out sounds as the professor held up flash cards of the new symbols. I really like the korean language!
No class on friday, so I had a day off to catch up on sleep. I'll tell you more about this weekend once it's over.
당신은 곧 볼 수 !
-Glenn
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
New Video
Hey guys, its been awhile, and I've done so much! I don't have much time but here are the basics: I spent a weekend in Busan (southern Korea) and did a lot of amazing things (taekwondo, buddist temple, nightlife, korean cooking, korean theatre, volunteering at an orphanage). I came back and did orientation at my university (Korea University) and now classes start in the morning! wow, that was very few words for a very full and incredible two weeks. I spent some time today to make a short video, more of a teaser really, for the last two weeks, mostly from Busan.
In short I am loving Korea! I feel much more at home here then I did the first week (good sign culture shock is dissipating) I have made some great friends, learned some Korean, and can get along just fine. Now its time for school to start, and a whole new set of problems and things to figure out will arise.
Enjoy the video, and stay posted for more as soon as possible.
(by the way, the audio in this is a buddist monk chanting at one of the temples in Busan)
-Glenn
In short I am loving Korea! I feel much more at home here then I did the first week (good sign culture shock is dissipating) I have made some great friends, learned some Korean, and can get along just fine. Now its time for school to start, and a whole new set of problems and things to figure out will arise.
Enjoy the video, and stay posted for more as soon as possible.
(by the way, the audio in this is a buddist monk chanting at one of the temples in Busan)
-Glenn
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Hey everyone! I made it to Korea! I landed a few days ago. Since then I met up with 3 people from my program and we hung out at a hostel by the airport, we we shopping and eating for a day, and then met up with the full 20 ppl in our group yesterday evening at the airport. We then dropped our stuff off at the university and went to the Seoul youth hostel. That's where I am now, blogging on my iPod in the room I'm sharing with 6 guys. It's 7am, and we're leaving for Nusan in the south at 8. That should be fun. 3 days down there learning about Korea, stuff like cooking lessons, taekwondo, volunteering at an orphanage and going out. I'll blog more when I can, I'm not bringing my computer to Busan, just my iPod. I'm having a great time though! Korea is amazing, I love the food, the people and am starting to appreciate the language (I can say hello, thank you, and 'I'd like to Oder this..."). Keep checking back, I'll post as doom as I can! By the way, it's 3 pm in the us, 7am here
-Glenn
-Glenn
Monday, January 24, 2011
New York City Ballet
Yesterday I saw the NYC Ballet (NYCB) and it was incredible! I have never been so moved by dancing before. Every thing they did was beautiful and graceful. I would call it the definition of beauty. They did three half hour pieces each with an intermission in between. First was La Source, then Concerto DSCH and finally N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz. The lighting designer on the last one was Jennifer Tipton, who I have met (and is from my hometown). She is the premiere dance LD in the country, if not the world! That was incredible lighting.
I can not wait to go back to NYCB as soon as I can. Students tickets are only 15 dollars, and my seat was eighth row, center section, unbelievably good! The theatre its self is gorgeous, with a huge chandelier and five balconies, among other decorations. They run in repertory, so they have lots of new stuff to see. I think I will go later this week if I can.
As a side note, this is also where the film "Black Swan" takes place. NYCB is doing Swan Lake starting right after I leave in February, which is sad. I bet its going to be incredible.
-Glenn
I can not wait to go back to NYCB as soon as I can. Students tickets are only 15 dollars, and my seat was eighth row, center section, unbelievably good! The theatre its self is gorgeous, with a huge chandelier and five balconies, among other decorations. They run in repertory, so they have lots of new stuff to see. I think I will go later this week if I can.
As a side note, this is also where the film "Black Swan" takes place. NYCB is doing Swan Lake starting right after I leave in February, which is sad. I bet its going to be incredible.
-Glenn
"Worst Friends" Screening
Last Thursday I was invited to go to a screening of the film "Worst Friends". It was shot last summer and DP'd by my friend Vince Peone. It was a really great experience. We were in the ball room of a very fancy Manhattan hotel called the Maritime Hotel. There was a literal velvet rope and a bouncer with a list out front. The ballroom had a bar looking over it, and was chinese themed. Paper lanterns and dragon heads.
'Worst Friends' TRAILER from Ralph Arend on Vimeo.
After the screening it was a party! Vince took me around and introduced me to lots of cool people. He introduced me as "a young film maker doing his thing", which I think is my favorite introduction yet. He said he is trying to get me on his set before I leave the city. Can't wait!
It was a fantastic night, if you ever get the chance, I highly recommend see the film!
-Glenn
'Worst Friends' TRAILER from Ralph Arend on Vimeo.
After the screening it was a party! Vince took me around and introduced me to lots of cool people. He introduced me as "a young film maker doing his thing", which I think is my favorite introduction yet. He said he is trying to get me on his set before I leave the city. Can't wait!
It was a fantastic night, if you ever get the chance, I highly recommend see the film!
-Glenn
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Weekend in the City with my best friend
Last weekend my best friend came out to NYC for a few days. We did so much, so I will try to break it down shortly. We started his first day by going from the airport straight to the broadway show "Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark". The tech budget of $65 million was incredible and well worth it! The singing and the story however, still need work. It doesn't open until March, so they do have time.
The next day we started by trying to see a movie, but ended up missing the show time, and going to the Empire State Building instead! We bought our tickets, went through a bunch of lines, and eventually ended up on the 86th floor. the views were great, the wind was cold, but we wanted to go higher. Luckily, for another few bucks you can take an elevator up to the every top at the 102nd floor. That view was incredible! Also, the observation deck was completely enclosed and warm. We spent awhile up there, taking pictures.
While on top we could see the whole area, so we decided to check out the landmarks that we could see. We left and went to Herald Square at 34th street, then toured the famous Macy's store (9 floors! all with wooden escalators). After Macy's we walked down to the Flat Iron building (the very first sky scraper). After that we kept walking down to union square at 14th street. We stopped at a couple cool looking stores, and ended up at our destination restaurant called "Max Brenner: Chocolate by the Bald Man".
This was an amazing restaurant devoted to chocolate. Almost everything had some sort of chocolate in it. I had a White Chocolate Chai Latte, seasoned fries (with chocolate seasoning), and crispy mac and cheese. Anthony had an awesome alcoholic/chocoholic drink, (we shared the fries) and a meaty pizza (not sure about chocolate on that. For dessert we had "Banana Egg Rolls". Which are basically banana, nuts and chocolate sauce inside of a fried egg role shell, served as fondue. They were amazing! As I bit into my second one it sort of popped and shot chocolate sauce all over my arm! Very funny, and yummy to clean up.
After dinner we walked a ways over to Chelsea and waited in line for tickets to an improve show called "Assscat 3000". We froze waiting for the free tickets, when the line started to move we got all the way to the very very front and they ran out. The intern said we could wait for stand-by seats outside, we would probably get them, but it would be another hour. By this point my hands and toes were already numb. We decided to wait. We talked to the NYU theatre students in line with us, and tried to think warm thoughts. An hour later, we all got in to see the show.
It was hilarious! About one and a half hours of improv with a small cast. Some one from the audience would shout something out, one member of the cast went up and told a story from their past relating to what was shouted, and then the rest of the cast made as many funny improv situations out of it as they could.
After the show we journeyed home on the subway and watched Tosh.O online. It was a great day!
The next day we did slightly less, we got up a little late, went and did the NBC studio tour. We got to see a few diffrent sets that NBC currently uses, including "Dr. Oz" "Late Night with Jimmy Falon" and of course "Saturday Night Live". At the end Anthony and I got to act as news anchor (me) and weather man (Anthony) and produce a little news. It was fun.
After the tour we took the subway to the Brooklyn Bridge and walked across both of our favorite landmarks. It was freezing of course, and windy, but I had remembered to bring hand-warmers (the little chemical activated ones) so we stayed warm for awhile. The views were incredible. Eventually we got to the far side and took a wrong turn trying to find the subway. We walked for what seemed like forever, then Finally saw the subway entrance. It was on the other side of the highway... We walked to the end of the sidealk and found a way across. We got into the station (mind you its dark by now) and there is no body there. It was pretty creepy. We could hear the occasional sound or voice in the distance, but I have never been more alone in a subway station before. The first train that came was headed back to Manhattan, instead of into Brooklyn where we needed to go. But we got on it anyway, instead of waiting around. A few subway trips later we were back at home.
The next day we got up at 5:30am to go to the airport. It had snowed and was now freezing rain. We walked around for ten minutes hailing cabs, but no one wanted to go to LaGuardia. Finally a cab picked us up and we got to the airport with plenty of time for breakfast.
On the way back I took the bus and the subway at rush hour. I was on the train that I took every morning all summer at rush hour. The packed subway cars really brought me back, it was fun. Some of that trip is in the video "NYC Empire Spoof" you can find in the videos tab, as well as much more from our weekend.
-Glenn
The next day we started by trying to see a movie, but ended up missing the show time, and going to the Empire State Building instead! We bought our tickets, went through a bunch of lines, and eventually ended up on the 86th floor. the views were great, the wind was cold, but we wanted to go higher. Luckily, for another few bucks you can take an elevator up to the every top at the 102nd floor. That view was incredible! Also, the observation deck was completely enclosed and warm. We spent awhile up there, taking pictures.
While on top we could see the whole area, so we decided to check out the landmarks that we could see. We left and went to Herald Square at 34th street, then toured the famous Macy's store (9 floors! all with wooden escalators). After Macy's we walked down to the Flat Iron building (the very first sky scraper). After that we kept walking down to union square at 14th street. We stopped at a couple cool looking stores, and ended up at our destination restaurant called "Max Brenner: Chocolate by the Bald Man".
This was an amazing restaurant devoted to chocolate. Almost everything had some sort of chocolate in it. I had a White Chocolate Chai Latte, seasoned fries (with chocolate seasoning), and crispy mac and cheese. Anthony had an awesome alcoholic/chocoholic drink, (we shared the fries) and a meaty pizza (not sure about chocolate on that. For dessert we had "Banana Egg Rolls". Which are basically banana, nuts and chocolate sauce inside of a fried egg role shell, served as fondue. They were amazing! As I bit into my second one it sort of popped and shot chocolate sauce all over my arm! Very funny, and yummy to clean up.
After dinner we walked a ways over to Chelsea and waited in line for tickets to an improve show called "Assscat 3000". We froze waiting for the free tickets, when the line started to move we got all the way to the very very front and they ran out. The intern said we could wait for stand-by seats outside, we would probably get them, but it would be another hour. By this point my hands and toes were already numb. We decided to wait. We talked to the NYU theatre students in line with us, and tried to think warm thoughts. An hour later, we all got in to see the show.
It was hilarious! About one and a half hours of improv with a small cast. Some one from the audience would shout something out, one member of the cast went up and told a story from their past relating to what was shouted, and then the rest of the cast made as many funny improv situations out of it as they could.
After the show we journeyed home on the subway and watched Tosh.O online. It was a great day!
The next day we did slightly less, we got up a little late, went and did the NBC studio tour. We got to see a few diffrent sets that NBC currently uses, including "Dr. Oz" "Late Night with Jimmy Falon" and of course "Saturday Night Live". At the end Anthony and I got to act as news anchor (me) and weather man (Anthony) and produce a little news. It was fun.
After the tour we took the subway to the Brooklyn Bridge and walked across both of our favorite landmarks. It was freezing of course, and windy, but I had remembered to bring hand-warmers (the little chemical activated ones) so we stayed warm for awhile. The views were incredible. Eventually we got to the far side and took a wrong turn trying to find the subway. We walked for what seemed like forever, then Finally saw the subway entrance. It was on the other side of the highway... We walked to the end of the sidealk and found a way across. We got into the station (mind you its dark by now) and there is no body there. It was pretty creepy. We could hear the occasional sound or voice in the distance, but I have never been more alone in a subway station before. The first train that came was headed back to Manhattan, instead of into Brooklyn where we needed to go. But we got on it anyway, instead of waiting around. A few subway trips later we were back at home.
The next day we got up at 5:30am to go to the airport. It had snowed and was now freezing rain. We walked around for ten minutes hailing cabs, but no one wanted to go to LaGuardia. Finally a cab picked us up and we got to the airport with plenty of time for breakfast.
On the way back I took the bus and the subway at rush hour. I was on the train that I took every morning all summer at rush hour. The packed subway cars really brought me back, it was fun. Some of that trip is in the video "NYC Empire Spoof" you can find in the videos tab, as well as much more from our weekend.
-Glenn
Videos Incoming
I just added a 'videos' tab to this blog! Under the title you can now click where it says "videos" and you can watch some edited videos I made, as well as some upcoming vlog posts. Also, please follow the videos back to youtube and follow my account @SeouloftheCities. enjoy!
-Glenn
-Glenn
Friday, January 14, 2011
Philosophical Evening at the Brooklyn Museum
Yesterday I decided to go to the Brooklyn Museum, when I went on their website I saw they were doing the first installment of a conversation series. The topic for the night was to be media philosophy and cultural understanding. Two modern and renowned thinkers would have a conversation.
I purchased my cheap ticket online and took the train over early so I could tour the museum. The speakers were Douglas Rushkoff and Steven Berlin Johnson. The topic were the internet, social networking media, TV and how culture interacts with them. Here is a list of notes I took from the conversation and subsequent thoughts I had and conversations with Doug Rushkoff afterwards:
"
Ideas are part of a network building off of each other aka 'Idea sex'
Technology is everything that was invented after you were born
The net was designed for sharing, when used in other ways (.com) it will eventually bite the user in the ass.
'Let them eat blog' -Doug R.
The access to tools does not equal the efficacy to use them in a productive way. (in response to my question about 'The Cult of the amateur')
A new form of political understanding needs to be created to describe the philosophy of sharing ideas on the internet. Communism has been used to describe net sharing, this is not fully accurate and carries a negative connotation. a new describer is needed.
'You are the fragmented generation' - Doug's response to my question about his feelings towards my generation's (and my own) obsession and need for facebook. I said 'I have used facebook for a quarter of my life, Mcluhan says we fragment our souls and give parts to mediums we use.' He said 'you are the fragmented generation, there is no way around that.'
"
It was a wonderful evening of thinking. I think that between this experience and COTH 370 philosophy of communication, I would be happy being a social and media philosopher. Thats now my back up plan incase film doesn't work out for some crazy reason.
-Glenn
I purchased my cheap ticket online and took the train over early so I could tour the museum. The speakers were Douglas Rushkoff and Steven Berlin Johnson. The topic were the internet, social networking media, TV and how culture interacts with them. Here is a list of notes I took from the conversation and subsequent thoughts I had and conversations with Doug Rushkoff afterwards:
"
Ideas are part of a network building off of each other aka 'Idea sex'
Technology is everything that was invented after you were born
The net was designed for sharing, when used in other ways (.com) it will eventually bite the user in the ass.
'Let them eat blog' -Doug R.
The access to tools does not equal the efficacy to use them in a productive way. (in response to my question about 'The Cult of the amateur')
A new form of political understanding needs to be created to describe the philosophy of sharing ideas on the internet. Communism has been used to describe net sharing, this is not fully accurate and carries a negative connotation. a new describer is needed.
'You are the fragmented generation' - Doug's response to my question about his feelings towards my generation's (and my own) obsession and need for facebook. I said 'I have used facebook for a quarter of my life, Mcluhan says we fragment our souls and give parts to mediums we use.' He said 'you are the fragmented generation, there is no way around that.'
"
It was a wonderful evening of thinking. I think that between this experience and COTH 370 philosophy of communication, I would be happy being a social and media philosopher. Thats now my back up plan incase film doesn't work out for some crazy reason.
-Glenn
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Backstage Broadway
I decided to try and see a Broadway show the other night, so I took the train to midtown and got in line at the Wicked lottery line. after an hour of waiting, no luck. I googled shows with student tickets, and found a show called "A Free Man of Color" playing at the Lincoln Center. When I got there, I bought my $20 ticket and found out the show was closing, and I was at the last performance!
I took my seat (front row loge!) and the show began. It was fantastic! A hilarious, quirky and energetic look at the Americas in 1801 at the time of the Louisiana Purchase. The cast was fantastic, and included Joseph Marcell from "The Fresh Prince of Belair" and Mos Def the rapper from "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy". Characters included Thomas Jefferson, Napoleon Bonapart, Merriweather Lewis and Livingston (I presume). As well as a host of other awesome characters.
At intermission I started talking to the woman next to me, and found out she was there to see her friend who was in the cast. After the show we talked some more (traded business cards) and she invited me backstage to meet her friend! We found the stage door and went in. Whoa! The halls were lined with all of the costumes I had just seen on stage, people were running around doing things and laughing and talking. So many other friends and family members were there. Lots of techies in black were moving things around, getting ready to move out. My new friend, Mariangelica, knew what the director looked like and found him. I introduced myself to George C. Wolfe (a famous Broadway director). We found her friends dressing room and started talking to her. Her name was Rosal Colon and she is a really nice young actress (2 years out of school). While we were standing there talking, Mos Def came out of the dressing room right next to us and started talking to his family! He was standing there in his bathrobe, it was so cool! His dad looks exactly like him too. The writer of the show (John Guare) walked by while we were talking, and I told him how much I liked the play. He thanked me and smiled, then ran off the talk to some other people. It was incredible! After about 20 minutes we left (the cast party was for members only) and headed for coffee. I was vibrating I was so excited!
At coffee Mariangelica turned out to be an equity actress who moved from Ecuador and has been working in the city for 10 years. She was really cool and energetic. Her cousin in California is a Cinematography MFA student who she promised to introduce me too. We are going to try and see another show together soon. It was a great night!
-Glenn
At intermission I started talking to the woman next to me, and found out she was there to see her friend who was in the cast. After the show we talked some more (traded business cards) and she invited me backstage to meet her friend! We found the stage door and went in. Whoa! The halls were lined with all of the costumes I had just seen on stage, people were running around doing things and laughing and talking. So many other friends and family members were there. Lots of techies in black were moving things around, getting ready to move out. My new friend, Mariangelica, knew what the director looked like and found him. I introduced myself to George C. Wolfe (a famous Broadway director). We found her friends dressing room and started talking to her. Her name was Rosal Colon and she is a really nice young actress (2 years out of school). While we were standing there talking, Mos Def came out of the dressing room right next to us and started talking to his family! He was standing there in his bathrobe, it was so cool! His dad looks exactly like him too. The writer of the show (John Guare) walked by while we were talking, and I told him how much I liked the play. He thanked me and smiled, then ran off the talk to some other people. It was incredible! After about 20 minutes we left (the cast party was for members only) and headed for coffee. I was vibrating I was so excited!
At coffee Mariangelica turned out to be an equity actress who moved from Ecuador and has been working in the city for 10 years. She was really cool and energetic. Her cousin in California is a Cinematography MFA student who she promised to introduce me too. We are going to try and see another show together soon. It was a great night!
-Glenn
Friday, January 7, 2011
In NYC
I made it to city number one! I arrived in New York City three days ago. My apartment in Brooklyn is fantastic! Its huge, and my roommate is cool. Yesterday I took the subway into midtown Manhattan (20 minutes away) and walked around all day. I started at Grand Central, then Times Square, ate some pizza, walked up 5th avenue to Rockefeller Plaza with the christmas tree and ice skating rink then to the flagship Apple store, strolled the "Children's District" of Central Park, walked back down Broadway to Times Square and tried to get cheap tickets for Wicked (no dice), had some amazing Thai jungle curry, then I took the subway home. It was great! although a tad cold... The hot curry really helped at the end.
Today I am taking it easy, hanging out, maybe a bit of shopping here in Brooklyn. I really want to get into working, but I have to wait for one of my contacts to email me with a shoot for me to work on. I'm not worried about getting on at least one set, but I'm kind of bored waiting, you know? Every morning I wake up and check my email, its a good motivator to get out of bed. I'll post something as soon as I get a call :)
Today I woke up to snow falling, and look at that, its still falling. Looks like about an inch so far (of the predicted 4-7). Hopefully it won't hinder any productions I might work on, but then again coming from Colorado, I know how to deal with snow. Maybe that will make me more hirable? I sure hope so.
Happy belated New Years everyone, make 2011 something worth talking about. I know I will!
-Glenn
(Empire State Building)
(Rockefeller Center)
(Times Square)
Today I am taking it easy, hanging out, maybe a bit of shopping here in Brooklyn. I really want to get into working, but I have to wait for one of my contacts to email me with a shoot for me to work on. I'm not worried about getting on at least one set, but I'm kind of bored waiting, you know? Every morning I wake up and check my email, its a good motivator to get out of bed. I'll post something as soon as I get a call :)
Today I woke up to snow falling, and look at that, its still falling. Looks like about an inch so far (of the predicted 4-7). Hopefully it won't hinder any productions I might work on, but then again coming from Colorado, I know how to deal with snow. Maybe that will make me more hirable? I sure hope so.
Happy belated New Years everyone, make 2011 something worth talking about. I know I will!
-Glenn
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