Shooting in Bagdad

In the past week or two I have been in contact with Jim Saunders, the editor of Jeju Life. Having discussed with him about my background in documentary media, he was very interested in having me work with him on some projects for Jeju Life. For those of you who have yet to check out the link on my blog, Jeju Life is an online magazine (last printed issue was this December) that covers a variety of topics and subjects here on Jeju island. The staff is made up of mostly native English speakers and teachers from around the globe.

This weekend was our first attempt at producing a short video for the website, and I was very excited about the opportunity. Our first project was to focus on Brian Miller's gallery at the Bagdad cafe. Brian is a photographer who has been living in Jeju for 3 years and is also the deputy editor at Jeju Life.

I first met with Brian early Saturday morning, as we were taking the bus together to Jeju city. I noticed it was snowing outside, so I decided to test out my new winter coat, and I'm glad I did.



We grabbed the 9:55 bus to Jeju city and were quite surprised at the current weather conditions, as it seemed to be getting worse outside by the minute. Apparently, from what Brian told me, there was quite a few accidents last night from the snow. Many cars ran off the road, some of them running into palm trees, and even one car he mentioned had flipped over. It didn't seem that far-fetched after taking a look out our window...



Despite the current weather, we arrived in Jeju city pretty much on time. Brian phoned Jim ahead of time so that we could meet up in Dunkin' Donuts for some coffee, which I thought was a splendid idea. It was another friendly reminder of home and I enjoyed the fantastic selection of donuts available...I went with the traditional strawberry jelly filled donut.



After some introductions and spending a few minutes exchanging stories, we decided it was time to head out to the Bagdad Cafe, before the lunchtime rush began. Only a few blocks away, the Bagdad cafe is a cozy little spot with a delightful atmosphere. I took out my HD camera and started shooting out front of the cafe. Jim and I discussed what kind of shots would work best in the cafe, given the lighting conditions and our audio limitations.



For our first video project, I think everything went smoothly, and we will find out in the next week or so how everything turned out when I finish editing the video. Jim treated me to lunch and I went with the tandoori chicken with a side of samosas. I didn't expect a whole chicken to be served, but what was even more surprising was that I was able to finish it all.

Jim offered to show me around the city, so when we finished our meals, we left for the market. We decided to grab a cab, as it was quite cold outside and Brian was lacking in the winter clothing department.

The market is an outdoor roofed shopping district where many people come for fresh produce and cheap articles/clothing. I was told that people get really upset and even confront you if you are taking pictures, so I tried to keep my video to a minimum.



There are many surprising fruits and meats there, each more stranger than the last. What I assumed was a lemon, is actually an orange. They are also grown here on Jeju and taste somewhat like grapefruit, from what I've heard...good with sugar, or in jams.

Walking through the meat/fish section of the market, I was amazed at the variety of things available...however I didn't see any dog, but I think that dog meat is more of a summer treat. Most of the sellers are older women, whose husbands are probably the fishermen that supply the fish for their trade. It is a way of life here, but you have to wonder, with all the competition and various suppliers, if its even worth their time.



Our next stop around the city was to checkout the underground shopping district, which is also used to connect pedestrians to the opposite sides of the busiest intersection in the city.



We cruised around the stores for a while, but the prices here weren't nearly as cheap as the market. More similar to any shopping center or mall, they had fashions for almost everyone. With not much else to do on the agenda, due in part to the cold weather, Brian decided to head home and get some rest. Both Brian and myself were suffering from a cold, so keeping indoors was probably a good idea.

Jim and I decided to seek out the nearest PC bang, which is a PC "room". Very popular throughout Korea, PC bangs are a kind of computer cafe for gamers. The first one we went to was one of Jim's preferred spots, but because it was the weekend and rather cold outside, it was filled to occupancy.



Not to worry, we only walked about another block before seeing a sign for another. As you walk in, you're presented with a card with an access number. After you choose a computer and a seat to your liking, which isn't hard since they are all the same, you simply turn on your computer and enter in the access number to begin.



We tried several different games, but were unable to get any multiplayer (two or more people playing the same game) working on them. Finally we found one that worked, and it was an oldie and a classic for me; Diablo II. I think I must have put more than a few months of my life into this game in my time, and it was just as good as I remembered. Jim had never played it before, so I gave him a few pointers and we started hacking our way through pixelated demons.

After spending a good hour and a half questing our way through dungeons, we were both feeling a bit groggy and decided some fresh air would do us good. We walked a bit further and headed towards the city harbor. Jim pointed out some areas of interest to me, as we stood in front of the splashing waves.



Nearby we grabbed some coffee at another Dunkin' Donuts, and I was introduced to the Happy Point card. At various outlets, you can present your card and collect points to buy things with them. The points are equivalent to won, so with 4000 points you can buy probably a coffee and a donut. I earned about 140 points from my purchase, which isn't all that bad. Anything free in my opinion is awesome. We chatted for a bit and then Jim and I grabbed a cab to the bus terminal.

Jim was kind enough to point out the bus that would take me pretty much to my doorstep. So I quickly purchased a ticket and got on. The trip home was a lot longer than the trip to the city, as the full effects of the weather had finally taken their toll on the roads. It was a slow and steady ride, with plenty of stops and car accidents along the way...I got home eventually, and went to bed almost immediately.