Uncle Sejong*
And we’re back to our regular blogging schedule! Sigh…I really am hopeless. Well, I gave it a shot, it didn’t work, so let’s just move on. Hopefully I’ll be on more after the semester is over.
Anyways, the past weekend I went to my cousin's farewell concert. He's the lead singer of a fledgling heavy metal band called Nevada 51. They've enjoyed a good amount notoriety for the past 3 or 4 years, including overseas tours to Japan and Malaysia, but never really made it big. Well, it all came to an end on Friday night in an underground bar deep in the heart of my own university's stomping grounds.
It was a suffocating venue, jammed with about 100 of their adoring fans, which was strange, considering I've seen them play for bigger audiences on bigger outdoor stages. Regardless, they played their hearts out and laughed and cried as they had to say goodbye to quite a fun and exciting chapter in their lives. My cousin really got choked up and couldn't face the fans as he cried. ::sniff::
So why did it have to end? Well, at the ripe age of 24, he can no longer delay the inevitable. He has to go to serve the Republic of Korea in a way that doesn't involve crunching power chords or shrieking microphones. Yup, he has to go to the army. Wonderful obligatory military service. It's not so much "We Want YOU!" as it is "You WILL come!" It even extends to adopted Koreans as well as those born overseas. In fact, just last month another case of a Korean-American getting drafted was published in a Seattle newspaper. The adoptee apparently didn't renounce his Korean citizenship, ergo Korean law still applied to him and bound him to military duty. This has happened to many a young ethnic Korean male, and is, in my opinion, quite an idiotic law. But that's a topic for another time. And don't worry, I've made sure that I am not able to be drafted.
Anyways, my scrawny 130 lb. (est.) cuz is now headed for Iraq. Haha, just kidding. I doubt he'll be sent on active military duty. Hopefully, he'll be assigned a civic post, which consists of patrolling the streets around the army base, standing outside the base all day waiting for rioters, and of course, playing soccer. Or he might be placed in an American unit, which consists of wasting ammunition on stationary targets, getting American beer for cheap, and teaching them how to swear in Korean. In any case, I know he'd rather be jumping on stage, screaming his guts out, and generally having a wildly good time.
I really hope his fans write him.
I have some digicam movies, but first I have to edit them, then find somewhere to host them. So for the time being, these HORRIBLE pics will have to do.
* Sejong is actually the most respected King in Korean history. His reign was peaceful and progressive, advancing learning, acknowledging the common people, and establishing the Korean writing system.
Anyways, the past weekend I went to my cousin's farewell concert. He's the lead singer of a fledgling heavy metal band called Nevada 51. They've enjoyed a good amount notoriety for the past 3 or 4 years, including overseas tours to Japan and Malaysia, but never really made it big. Well, it all came to an end on Friday night in an underground bar deep in the heart of my own university's stomping grounds.
It was a suffocating venue, jammed with about 100 of their adoring fans, which was strange, considering I've seen them play for bigger audiences on bigger outdoor stages. Regardless, they played their hearts out and laughed and cried as they had to say goodbye to quite a fun and exciting chapter in their lives. My cousin really got choked up and couldn't face the fans as he cried. ::sniff::
So why did it have to end? Well, at the ripe age of 24, he can no longer delay the inevitable. He has to go to serve the Republic of Korea in a way that doesn't involve crunching power chords or shrieking microphones. Yup, he has to go to the army. Wonderful obligatory military service. It's not so much "We Want YOU!" as it is "You WILL come!" It even extends to adopted Koreans as well as those born overseas. In fact, just last month another case of a Korean-American getting drafted was published in a Seattle newspaper. The adoptee apparently didn't renounce his Korean citizenship, ergo Korean law still applied to him and bound him to military duty. This has happened to many a young ethnic Korean male, and is, in my opinion, quite an idiotic law. But that's a topic for another time. And don't worry, I've made sure that I am not able to be drafted.
Anyways, my scrawny 130 lb. (est.) cuz is now headed for Iraq. Haha, just kidding. I doubt he'll be sent on active military duty. Hopefully, he'll be assigned a civic post, which consists of patrolling the streets around the army base, standing outside the base all day waiting for rioters, and of course, playing soccer. Or he might be placed in an American unit, which consists of wasting ammunition on stationary targets, getting American beer for cheap, and teaching them how to swear in Korean. In any case, I know he'd rather be jumping on stage, screaming his guts out, and generally having a wildly good time.
I really hope his fans write him.
I have some digicam movies, but first I have to edit them, then find somewhere to host them. So for the time being, these HORRIBLE pics will have to do.
* Sejong is actually the most respected King in Korean history. His reign was peaceful and progressive, advancing learning, acknowledging the common people, and establishing the Korean writing system.
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