The big game didn't start until 3:45 am in Korea. There was no way I was going to miss it. After losing to Chelsea in the Champions' League Final the year before, Bayern Munich, and my favourite player, Bastian Schweinsteiger, were looking for redemption. Schweinsteiger had missed the penalty that had given the title to Chelsea.
My day started out around 11:30, sixteen hours before the game would start. I was off to Gwacheon to film the Anyang Crackers, a local baseball team made up of expats from the area.
My friend Iain had invited me out to film some of the action. I knew a few of the players on the team which included Alex Larsson, Gavin Stephenson and Josh Watson. Josh had just recently got married to his Korean girlfriend.
After the baseball I was off to Haebongchong to film scenes from a rehearsal of the Wizard of OZ being put on by Camarata Music Company, a musical theatre company in Seoul, run by Ryan Goessl.
As I sat outside the rehearsal, checking my e-mails on the street using my ipod touch and the free Korean wifi, I bumped into Patrick Foley, whom I had met a few years back while performing Shakespeare. As was his custom in the past, Patrick was not wearing any shoes.
At around 5 pm I stopped into the McDonalds in Iteawon to have lunch. I got the Bulgogi burger set, largie. With the free wifi disappearing I went to a Pc bong, or Internet cafe to check my e-mails and make plans to see an old friend.
At 5:30 I met up with Julie Bol and as we sat and got caught up we bumped into Chris Hamilton, a friend I had met while playing in the CBHK.
The street was beginning to get filled with other foreigners. They were there to check out the HBC street festival, an annual event that attacks hundreds, if not thousand of waegooks from all over the greater Seoul area.
The police can't shut down the street because many of the local residents would not be able to go home as this road is the only way in or out for many of them.
A few hours later they had set up a police tape line to keep the pedestrians from disturbing the traffic. At times it almost seems like they are more worried about protecting the cars than they are the pedestrians.
As part of the festival many of the local bars had several bands and musicians perform. In 2010 I had performed some Shakespeare at the Orange Tree.
Across the street I spotted another friend, Matt, whom I had met the same night as Janice at Happidus in Anyang a few years back. I called him Dave, probably because he looks like my friend Dave from Anyang. Matt was in no hurry to correct me and I didn't discover his true identity until we met up with Tom and Janice, and she started using his real name. (the two had worked together)
I bumped into some of the hockey people, including Theopolis, who once shaved the superman logo into his over abundant supply of chest hair. We talked about the Winnipeg Jets and I told them how much fun it was to go to a game.
This dark haired woman then started waving at me. I felt bad because I had no idea who she was. She came up to me and my embarrassment grew as she called me by my name. I had known her five years ago when we both lived in Guri. Sadly I couldn't remember her name until a few hours later. Sorry Ginger, with the hair you just looked so different.
Captain James Williams of the U.S. army was there. James had directed Bent, the short film I had made while I was in Korea in 2011. If you want to see it go on Vimeo and search for 'James Williams Bent'. One small warning as the film is not safe for work.
James is one of the classiest people I've ever met. When we did the movie he had a huge BBQ at his place and in a few weeks he will be letting me stay at his apartment for 2 weeks. He also agreed to do an interview with me and I am very excited to get on base.
Very soon, James will be filming a movie about HBC. He has promised me a small cameo.
The highlight was running into Lindsey Higgins and her fiance Mich. I had always gotten along well with him and we had a really nice chat about hockey.
During the conversation Lindsey came over and gave me a hug. It was great to see her. Lindsey runs the Seoul Shakespeare Company and because of my poor anger management, things had not ended between us on the best of terms.
It felt like a kind of redemption. All the best to you Lindsey and Mich. Congratulations!!!
cheers
rymr
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