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THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2011
A Special Presentation...
After our second show in Yongsan AB in Seoul, South Korea, we were presented with a special gift from the Base Commander. One of the biggest honors that can be given for going out of your way to help a fellow officer or person is to be 'Coined'. So far we have been presented with four of this Commander or Base coins while on tour.
Last night, we were presented with another one, but in a very special way. The Commander, who I later found out helped in the early stages of developing this tour, came on stage after the show and asked the characters to join him. He than presented Lonnie, Tom, Rebecca, Elmo, Cookie, Rosita, Grover, Honker and Katie a special base coin. It was set in a blue velvet box.
Check it out below!!! I was truly an honor and I am very humbled from receiving it!
Thank you Yongsan!!!
Last night, we were presented with another one, but in a very special way. The Commander, who I later found out helped in the early stages of developing this tour, came on stage after the show and asked the characters to join him. He than presented Lonnie, Tom, Rebecca, Elmo, Cookie, Rosita, Grover, Honker and Katie a special base coin. It was set in a blue velvet box.
Check it out below!!! I was truly an honor and I am very humbled from receiving it!
Thank you Yongsan!!!
The Front of the Coin.
 On the Front Top Half is engraved:
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 On the Front Bottom Half is engraved:
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The Back of the Coin.
TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2011
A Day At the Top of Seoul...
"N Seoul Tower", a center of Seoul, a symbol of Seoul, and the highest place where you can see all the most beautiful scenery of Seoul.
Rebecca, Robby and I enjoyed a few hours in the what is known as "The place where your special stories breathe; The place where new stories begin every season..."
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"The Shocking Floor"
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"The Shocking Elevator"
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Pull Ups with Rebecca. She is really REALLY strong.
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They always say training with a friend can be helpful. I now see why.
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MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2011
"Morning Calm" article...
While performing on Camp Casey, we came across an article about our stop at Camp Army Garrison Humphreys. Check it out below. If you want the full paper, you can visit them at www.scribd.com/imcomkorea
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 2011
SOUL OF SEOUL: FC Seoul vs. Incheon at the Seoul World Cup Stadium
So who knew that my first time seeing a really International Futball Game (ie American Soccer) would be in Seoul, South Korea. So through the ongoing rain that came down that night, the game was a lot of fun. The stadium is amazing. Truly a great place to enjoy futball/soccer.
Either way the game was fun, we got to celebrate Dani's birthday and a friend of mine from college came to with us. So enjoy our pictures from that day.
Oh and by the way, the game was tied (1-1).
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2011
The 5th Annual Deagu International Musical Festival...
Lonnie and I got to enjoy a new 'musical' retelling of TURANDOT. This new production is based on Puccini's opera by the same title. What a night!! The leads were incredible, the music captivating and overall production worth the 30,000won each for orchestra seats (about $28). This was just as good as a regular Broadway production. The only thing was the production came from Japan and the theatre used Korean subtitles. So I did not understand any of the words, but was still able to totally get the show.
Here are some pictures from our time at the opera house itself. Absolutely beautiful!
Here are some pictures from our time at the opera house itself. Absolutely beautiful!
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THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011
The Korean DeMilitarized Zone (DMZ)...
The USO took a day to visit the DMZ zone. This zone was created to seperate the North Korea from South Korea.
We took a 3 hour tour that took us to the Dorasan Station (one of the most unused Train Stations in the world...very empty), The Dora Observatory (where you will find a Photo Line. This keeps you from taking pictures inside the actual DMZ), The 3rd Tunnel (created by the North Koreans) and Tongilchon (a Unification Village actually inside the DMZ).
It was another day in the history of our world. As sad as the reason for this zone is, it is still important to always remember what happened in hopes it will not be repeated.
We took a 3 hour tour that took us to the Dorasan Station (one of the most unused Train Stations in the world...very empty), The Dora Observatory (where you will find a Photo Line. This keeps you from taking pictures inside the actual DMZ), The 3rd Tunnel (created by the North Koreans) and Tongilchon (a Unification Village actually inside the DMZ).
It was another day in the history of our world. As sad as the reason for this zone is, it is still important to always remember what happened in hopes it will not be repeated.
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There are two ways into the tunnel. The first (which is above) is the walk down/up. Though we did not walk down, many of us choose to walk back up (IT WAS HARD!!). The second (as you can see us below preparing to do) is to ride a (very slow) monorail down.
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2011
On the Steps of the Palace...
Our first historic stop in South Korea is the Gyeongbokgung Palace, found in the heart of Seoul.
Built in 1395, Gyeongbokgung Palace is also commonly referred to as the “Northern Palace” because it is the furthest north when compared to the neighboring palaces of Changdeokgung (Eastern Palace) and Gyeongheegung (Western Palace). Gyeongbokgung Palace is arguably the most beautiful and remains the grandest of all five palaces.
While there we also had the joy of watching the Changing of the Guards.
The palace was beautiful and the history interesting. I also found the customs in the country very different from those of the East.
Built in 1395, Gyeongbokgung Palace is also commonly referred to as the “Northern Palace” because it is the furthest north when compared to the neighboring palaces of Changdeokgung (Eastern Palace) and Gyeongheegung (Western Palace). Gyeongbokgung Palace is arguably the most beautiful and remains the grandest of all five palaces.
While there we also had the joy of watching the Changing of the Guards.
The palace was beautiful and the history interesting. I also found the customs in the country very different from those of the East.
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TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2011
Crossing the language barrier...
Tonight I experienced a true moment where two cultures succeed in communicating.
Hilary, Seth and I needed to get some food. We decided to try and go somewhere outside the walls (and floors) of the hotel. First of all, it was about 9pm so not much was opened, but luckily there happened to be a 24hr bus terminal right next to our hotel. There were many mini food restaurant like places to enjoy your meal. What made them even more awesome was the use of PICTURES. Pictures are a great thing when traveling internationally and you do not know the language. Granted that also means you may not know what you are necessarily ordering. So we ended up picking a place that looked very promising in their pictures.
The lady that came to our table realized right away we did not speak Korean just from our faces when she greeted us by handing over the menu (which was also totally in...you guessed it...Korean). So it looked like we might have chosen wrong. Than I remembered that the restaurant had pictures everywhere and ended up ordering using the magic tools of pointing and nodding "Yes". Thankfully she got it, placed our order and brought our food.
My meal was awesome. Very simple and good. What did I have? I have no idea!!! Seriously. It was chopped onions, garlic, meat/beef in a dark gravy. You than poured this mixture over noodles and enjoyed! The best part of our adventure came when it was time to pay.
Now mind you, we have no clue what our meal for three would cost. We just ordered using pictures without prices on them. When we approached the register, our lady came up and looked at us before turning to her fellow co-worker to say something. From body language and tone, we realized she did not know how to tell us how much we owed her. I looked at Hilary and Seth with a look of worry. At that moment, the lady had a "Light Bulb" go off (in her head of course). She popped her register and pulled out the correct tender using the money in her drawer!!! How awesome is that!!! We totally laughed and smiled at how great that was. Our meal cost us 13,000 won (or around $13 - very cheap for three people). We took out our money, paid her with a smile and walked out.
I could not believe how great that moment was. This lady used a very inventive way to cross the language barrier and communicate with us. Anyone could have gotten completely discouraged from the moment we came in. Yet she did not. She thought through it and figured out what she needed to do to tell us the information we needed. It was truly a great end to a fun adventure in finding food!!!
International travel is so cool!!!!
Hilary, Seth and I needed to get some food. We decided to try and go somewhere outside the walls (and floors) of the hotel. First of all, it was about 9pm so not much was opened, but luckily there happened to be a 24hr bus terminal right next to our hotel. There were many mini food restaurant like places to enjoy your meal. What made them even more awesome was the use of PICTURES. Pictures are a great thing when traveling internationally and you do not know the language. Granted that also means you may not know what you are necessarily ordering. So we ended up picking a place that looked very promising in their pictures.
The lady that came to our table realized right away we did not speak Korean just from our faces when she greeted us by handing over the menu (which was also totally in...you guessed it...Korean). So it looked like we might have chosen wrong. Than I remembered that the restaurant had pictures everywhere and ended up ordering using the magic tools of pointing and nodding "Yes". Thankfully she got it, placed our order and brought our food.
My meal was awesome. Very simple and good. What did I have? I have no idea!!! Seriously. It was chopped onions, garlic, meat/beef in a dark gravy. You than poured this mixture over noodles and enjoyed! The best part of our adventure came when it was time to pay.
Now mind you, we have no clue what our meal for three would cost. We just ordered using pictures without prices on them. When we approached the register, our lady came up and looked at us before turning to her fellow co-worker to say something. From body language and tone, we realized she did not know how to tell us how much we owed her. I looked at Hilary and Seth with a look of worry. At that moment, the lady had a "Light Bulb" go off (in her head of course). She popped her register and pulled out the correct tender using the money in her drawer!!! How awesome is that!!! We totally laughed and smiled at how great that was. Our meal cost us 13,000 won (or around $13 - very cheap for three people). We took out our money, paid her with a smile and walked out.
I could not believe how great that moment was. This lady used a very inventive way to cross the language barrier and communicate with us. Anyone could have gotten completely discouraged from the moment we came in. Yet she did not. She thought through it and figured out what she needed to do to tell us the information we needed. It was truly a great end to a fun adventure in finding food!!!
International travel is so cool!!!!
MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2011
Around Seoul...
Enjoy these pics from around Seoul.
It is truly a beautiful city and everything is in another language. What more can you ask for?
Ciao.
It is truly a beautiful city and everything is in another language. What more can you ask for?
Ciao.
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SUNDAY, JUNE 12, 2011
Sesame Street/USO have landed in Seoul...
I just wanted to let everyone know that the crew has landed safely in South Korea. We are all a little tired and will be spending the rest of today recouping from a very early travel day. I am so excited to hit the ground running with some exploring and performances.
Pics will go up soon. There will be many cause I just can't seem to keep my camera down. One this is certain, there are no beaches, palm trees, sand or mountains to capture. So the pics are going to look very different!
Ciao for now!!!
Pics will go up soon. There will be many cause I just can't seem to keep my camera down. One this is certain, there are no beaches, palm trees, sand or mountains to capture. So the pics are going to look very different!
Ciao for now!!!
SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011
It is time to leave the United States...officially!
The Sesame Street/USO Experience for Military Families will officially be international in less than 12 hours. It is 10pm on Saturday, June 11th. I am sitting in my room at the Outrigger Guam Resort watching the clock slowly make its way to 1am when it will be time to roll my luggage down to the our bus. Once on board, the crew will be heading to the airport to journey across more water only to arrive in Seoul, South Korea.
Our time in the States has been amazing. The memories we have made thus far are irreplaceable and impossible to put into words. Who would have thought that almost two months ago, we were opening in Fort Wainwright, Alaska?! Now we get to take this amazing show and talented crew to our families who truly picked up their lives and moved. Moved to foreign lands where many of them do not know the language or culture. It is beyond words. I cannot wait to meet our countless Troops who risk their lives for our country.
So next time you hear from me, I will be in South Korea.
Bon Voyage, Guam!
Hello, World!!!
Our time in the States has been amazing. The memories we have made thus far are irreplaceable and impossible to put into words. Who would have thought that almost two months ago, we were opening in Fort Wainwright, Alaska?! Now we get to take this amazing show and talented crew to our families who truly picked up their lives and moved. Moved to foreign lands where many of them do not know the language or culture. It is beyond words. I cannot wait to meet our countless Troops who risk their lives for our country.
So next time you hear from me, I will be in South Korea.
Bon Voyage, Guam!
Hello, World!!!
TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2011
On*Patrol Magazine...
Working for the USO is continuing to be more than I ever expected. From the thousands of families who have allowed us to enter their lives and the hundreds of military personnel that have volunteered to help set up and break down our show. I cannot even truly put into words what this experience means to me as a person and performer.
One of the amazing things that happened this week, was seeing our show on the cover of ON*PATROL Magazine. This publication is distributed by the USO and is filled with countless stories of our Military and their lives. It was awesome to see Katie front and center being introduced to our Troops and their families. I know that for the thousands of families who we have not visited yet, they will be excited after reading about the show now!
Click on the cover and see what makes this publication so important for the USO, the Troops and Americans all around the world. And if you can, please support the USO because without your support and donations, the USO can't bring shows like THE SESAME STREET/USO EXPERIENCE FOR MILITARY FAMILIES to the people that matter most: Our Military Families.
I love you all and enjoy the read.
PS. There is another article that appeared in this magazine that truly brought tears to my eyes because of the honesty and sacrifice made by the spouses and kids of our Troops. It is entiteld "A Letter to my Daughter Michaela". Full of inspiration and love. Truly a strong and powerful Mother!!
One of the amazing things that happened this week, was seeing our show on the cover of ON*PATROL Magazine. This publication is distributed by the USO and is filled with countless stories of our Military and their lives. It was awesome to see Katie front and center being introduced to our Troops and their families. I know that for the thousands of families who we have not visited yet, they will be excited after reading about the show now!
Click on the cover and see what makes this publication so important for the USO, the Troops and Americans all around the world. And if you can, please support the USO because without your support and donations, the USO can't bring shows like THE SESAME STREET/USO EXPERIENCE FOR MILITARY FAMILIES to the people that matter most: Our Military Families.
I love you all and enjoy the read.
PS. There is another article that appeared in this magazine that truly brought tears to my eyes because of the honesty and sacrifice made by the spouses and kids of our Troops. It is entiteld "A Letter to my Daughter Michaela". Full of inspiration and love. Truly a strong and powerful Mother!!
SATURDAY, June 4, 2011
Arrival on another Tropical Island...
I just wanted to let everyone know we have arrived safely in Guam. It is dusk right now so you cannot see much of what is outside our hotel windows. We are staying at a beautiful place called the Outrigger Guam Resort, which is right on Tumon Bay. The room is amazing! The few is one of the Phillipine Sea. I cannot wait to show tomorrow when the sun is out. Humidity is definitely present here so it is going to be nice for the shows. I cannot wait.
Well that is all for now. I will post as soon as I have pics to post.
As they say here in Guam: Hafa Adai!!! (Welcome!!!)
Well that is all for now. I will post as soon as I have pics to post.
As they say here in Guam: Hafa Adai!!! (Welcome!!!)
FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2011
Leavin' on a Jet Plane...
We are leaving Hawai'i today. Next blog post will be from the beautiful island of Guam in the middle of the Phillipine Sea!
See you guys there.
Maholo and Aloha!!!
See you guys there.
Maholo and Aloha!!!
CELL PHONE ALERT!!! PLEASE READ!!! CELL PHONE ALERT!!! PLEASE READ!!!
As of Friday, June 3, 2011, I will NOT be using my cell phone. The number will still work and you are welcome to call it to leave a message, but I will not be checking it regularly. Also, I will not be receiving/sending text messages. My cell phone will be turned back on for daily use upon my return to the States on November 6, 2011.
If you wish to contact me during my time abroad, you can do so via this website, my personal email, facebook or Skype.
Thanks a lot for your understanding and I look forward to hearing from you through any other means than my cell phone!!!
Sincerely,
Joey
THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011
Final Night in Hawai'i...
Well, our time in Hawai'i is over...almost over. Tomorrow, Friday, June 3rd at 3:30p, we fly out of Honolulu on a 6hr flight to Guam. We will arrive about 6pm Saturday, June 4th. Yes. You read that right. We lose an entire day in a 6hr flight. Why? We cross the international date line. We will no longer be behind the 49 other states but ahead of them. Below I give you a time zone map to help figure out what the time difference is. Click on it to get a larger view of the map.
See you in Guam!!!
See you in Guam!!!
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DISCLAIMER:
Photos are collected from my personal camera, fellow tour mates' cameras, the USO website, Fred Greaves (USO photographer) and throughout the internet.
Video are taken from my personal camera, fellow tour mate's cameras, the USO YouTube account and throughout the internet.
If you see anything you wish for me to take off my site, please contact me using the Contact Tab.
Thank you!
Photos are collected from my personal camera, fellow tour mates' cameras, the USO website, Fred Greaves (USO photographer) and throughout the internet.
Video are taken from my personal camera, fellow tour mate's cameras, the USO YouTube account and throughout the internet.
If you see anything you wish for me to take off my site, please contact me using the Contact Tab.
Thank you!