Mogdong - First Baseball Game

2008-2011 매길대학교 다녔다. 처음엔 나 실은 매길이란 대학교가 대단한 학굔지 몰랐다. 매길대로 갈 결정한건 한국어 수업이 있기때문 이였으니까. 내 젤 지난 친구가 한국을 많이많이 좋아하는 덕분에 한국을 알게됐다.한국말를 꼭 배우고 한국 문화에대한 것들을 더 많이 알고 싶어져서 매길대를 선택한거다.

테드선배를 처음 만난건 매길대에서 였다. 그때 선배는 대학마지막한년 이였구 난 대학 일학년이였다. 새도시로 이사갔고 대학 다닐 동안 혼자 살게되서 몬트리올에 아는 사람 별로 없었다. 

수업중에 한국어 수업이 젤 좋았다. 한국말을 꼭 배우고 싶었단 이유도 있었지만, 매일수업시작하기전에 선배가Word Of The Day라는 재밌는 발표같은거 했었기때문이였단것도 사실이야. [오늘은 즐겁게 새 단어를 같이 배웁시다] 그런 발표이였다.

선배가 야구를 사랑 하는정도 좋아해서 W.O.T.D.발표 했을때 자주 야구단어를 쓰고 인생에대한 얘기 할때 쓰자고 했다.

우리방에 테드가 2명 있었기 땜에 선배를 [승엽]이라고 부르기 시작했다.


왠지 아시죠? ㅋㅋㅋ


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Last Saturday I got a last minute invitation to a baseball game with Ted, a friend from University who graduated when I started my U2 and that I hadn't seen in ages. Heather and I met up with him on Sunday and we went to Mogdong watch a Nexen Heroes match against a new team (of whom I forgot the name... is that mean?). Heather had watched baseball in Canada, but for me, this was my first actual game. So far I only had seen parts of matches on TV of played at school of with my family in the summer when they came to visit. Since I met Ted, I always thought that if I were ever to watch baseball, I would need to go with him. Baseball is his wife/mother/lover/life. I figured that there were no better occasions to see an interesting match than going with a person who sincerely cares.

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전 야구에대해 아무것도 모르는 이유는 야구가 싫은 거라서가 아니다. 단. 야구를 좋아하는 친구가 없었단뿐.


언젠가 야구 보로가게 되면 선배같이 야구를 사랑 하는 사람이랑 갔으면 좋겠다 싶었다.
몇년이 지났는데 올해 같이 갈 기회 생기고 너무너무 좋았다.


야구는 생각했던거 보다 더 많이 재미있었다.

야구장의 분위기.

팬들이 소리 찌르는 모습.

선수가 뛰어가는 순간 꽉~ 도음이된다면 맘으로라도 같이 뛰고 싶은 느낌.

팬이 부르는 치어노래.



야구 참 좋다.

넥센 좋다.

다시 보로 가고싶다.

Picture of Sindorim station, Seoul, where I met up with Ted before transferring to another line and head to the baseball stadium - are they even called stadiums?

Ted had brought Nexen Jerseys for us to wear and, I dunno for Heather, but I really liked to wear it. It made me feel part of the team and that erased my fears of feeling out of place at a baseball game when I knew nothing much about baseball. 

I never knew baseball was so much fun to watch. There is the game. The stress building up as you hope they hit a nice one. Then there is the never-ending wait. And then, we finally see if they catch the ball in mid-air (bad) or if the players have to run for the next base. 

Then there are the people you watch the game with. Friendly people who are only too happy to have another person join their loving of the sport, and of the team. Good people make anything turn into a fun activity. 

Then there are the cheering songs. Baseball games cannot be boring because you do not simply watch: You are the game. You sing along songs to cheer the players on. You scream your delight when they score, your frustration when they miss. Then you move along with the crowd cheering and you become the match itself. Baseball is great.

Nexen won~~ woot woot. It appeared almost too easy actually. 11:2 I think? I don't know enough about baseball to know if Nexen had an amazing game or if the other team just sucked. But that felt great. Heather and I joined Ted's cheering team and we were a dozen people together cheering loudly. I didn't see any other foreign people there, save Ted, Heather and I. Not really new. I usually hang out with Asian people most of the time, and often forget that I'm the weirdo that does not physically belong there....

You will learn, if you don't know already, that Ted is actually becoming a thing in Korea. The crazy fan who sold his TV to buy a season ticket. Who uses his own money to fly around the world and watch Nexen playing. TV loves him. Please take a minute... or many ... and read his blog. And maybe watch a couple of the videos he shows in?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGFyQvUOYsk

Really nice portrait of him, while I am stuffing my face in popcorn at the end of the match (Heather and I had been hungry since the start of the game, and 2 hours later we finally decided to get popcorn, and realized that the game was actually ending... so we tried to eat the rest really quick... it was bliss. But it looks awful on camera....).

There were a couple of videos I showed up in, but I can't seem to find a way to link them on this site so well wtv. We WERE standing besides a star ;) so cameras caught us in the lot :P

We went with Ted's cheering team to have dinner after the match was over (I was told that when they win, they always go out to eat, and when they lose, they just go hungry... back home). I was really hungry so I was happy to witness a victory on the part of Nexen. The weather was amazing that day, almost too hot at times. Good times.

Since I have a pretty busy schedule, I will not be able to afford going to many matches, but I hope I will get to see Nexen again.