The Predator After His Movie Career

Oct 25-31, 2010

After getting a start on our Halloween costumes at Nathans last night, I got up early Monday and hit the gym for the only time of the week. After the gym I went home and got my things together for work and to go back to Nate's after for some costume making. I got to his place by 1030 and we got right to work on our stuff. Nate had done quite a bit of work on his gorilla mask, and turned his attention to making my predator mask while I measured, cut, and glued together some hip and thigh armour and shin armour. Having gotten quite a bit accomplished I left around 1210 to catch the last subway home, and get off my weekly Monday email. I even managed to get in a football game since I wasn't very tired.

Having stayed up late watching the game, I slept in on Tuesday and subsequently didn't make it to the gym. I was up in time to get ready and head straight to work. After work I sped off to Nate's again to get in some work before meeting Blake for a few birthday beers on the day of his actual birth. We got some more helmet finished, and the last of the lower body armour glued up by 1130 and then took off to meet Blake and SaeJin, and Wes at a neighbourhood bar for a few beers. Finishing our beers up by 130, I jumped in a cab and slid home and into bed by 230.

Skipping the gym yet again on Wednesday, I got up around noon and talked with some friends back home before getting ready for work and heading out for the day. Once again, after work I made my way to Nate's, and upon my arrival we realized that we were out of glue. We knew it was getting close the night before but it had totally slipped my mind to grab some during the day. Putting our production to a near standstill, we wrapped what armour was finished in aluminum foil, and cut our some pieces for the shoulder/chest armour before I called it a night and headed out to make the last subway.

Feeling not so bad Thursday morning, I was up with every intention on making it to the gym, when I changed my mind and decided to make a long overdue call home to my dad and see what had been going on since before I went to China. Not having spoken in about 5 weeks we ended up being on the phone for the better part of an hour and a half, putting my trip to the gym on hold yet again, as well as unofficially diagnosing me with walking pneumonia according to the symptoms I told my dad I have been having. It was good to hear what was going on back home though, so it all works out. After getting off the phone I got ready for work and headed out, hoping the day would go by quick so I could get over to Nate's and finish my costume. In my spare time at work I looked up the symptoms of pneumonia, and to my surprise they sounded almost 100% like what I had been having and decided that if they didn't get better in another week then it would time to see a doctor. After work it was off again, with dreams of completion in mind only to be dashed by the fact that I had once again forgotten hot glue sticks. In my defence, Nathan said he would get some since I only needed a touch more glue, and even though he did it wasn't going to be enough to finish both of our costumes. Then out of nowhere Mike my coworker came through with a last minute call to swing by and make a fake hammer using the hot glue. We said it would be cool and had him grab a pack of glue sticks on his way, since everything was closed in Nate's area by 11. Soon enough Mike was there with some beer and glue, and we got to work. Blake even stopped by to see how the projects were progressing. After putting another coat of foil on my armour, Nate finished my helmet and I began wrapping it while he got to work putting fur on his gorilla head with the help of Blake and Mike. In the end I had all my leg armour finished, including elastic straps to secure it, the helmet finished, and the chest/shoulder section 50% finished. It was almost 3am though, so Mike and I took off with Predator pieces in hand so that I could finish it up and work the next day.
Friday, skipping the gym again, I got what material I needed to finish my costume at work and headed out to grab some glue sticks before going to finish my costume at work. Between classes throughout the day I worked on my shoulder armour, and when it was finished, turned my attention to the iconic Predator forearm gauntlet. I had big hopes to make both the gauntlet and the matching digital armband for the otter arm, but ran out of time and had to settle on just the gauntlet; which I might add turned out pretty good. While at work, we were given the news that, contrary to what we thought, we didn't have to be at work Saturday for our Halloween Open House until 1230. This was different from having to be at our last one in the summer at 930am, and as good as the news was, I was a little pissed that they had no intentions on telling us when we actually had to be at the school and Mike and I had planned on being there around 930 again. With the news of a later start I was able to go ahead with my plans of going to Gold Bars Halloween Party, and quickly sent out some texts to see who else was going. I cold have just gone home after work, but after putting so much work into the costume I really wanted to show it off. I left work and went home to put all the pieces together before heading to the subway and for Sincheon. Before now I thought I got stared at bad enough, being a tall white guy with dreads in this country, but being a tall white guy dressed as the Predator took it to another level. On the subway everyone was staring at me, and I'm pretty sure taking pictures of me (the mask made it hard to see), but eventually a group of Korean guys got on and were thrilled with my costume and started talking to me about it and Halloween in general. I slipped my mask off to talk to them and another older gentleman sitting on the subway bench and got some good reviews about my costume and the holiday in general. A few stops later they all got off and I noticed another foreigner staring at me from the other end of the train with a rather concerning look in his face. At first I thought nothing of it but then I over heard one of the Korean guys he was with say something about beating me up. "Jesus, am I going to get beat up on a subway train for enjoying Halloween?", I thought as the guy came over to me. Knowing in a couple stops Nathan was going to join me on the train I didn't worry too much, but got ready for the worst. The foreigner came and asked me why I was wearing a costume, and then checked his watch when I answered "Because it's Halloween.", as if to say "Not for another two days." I explained to him that I knew it wasn't for a couple more days, but that my favourite bar was having their Halloween party and that I was on my way there. Quickly he changed he demeanour, and seemed to enjoy the fact that I was dressed up all of a sudden. I asked him where he was from, and found out he was from France, here on an internship. We made small talk until Nate got on the train and then we got him to take a few pictures of us dressed up on the subway. As he was taking the pictures, I figured out where the initial hostility had come from. His Korean friends, or coworkers, came over to stand with him as we were talking and one of them blatantly told us we were disgraceful and that we shouldn't dress up because Koreans don't recognize Halloween. To that, the French man and his other friend quickly apologized and told him to relax; and Nathan was quick to point out that we aren't Korean and that not everything has to be done the Korean way. In fact I'm pretty sure he told the guy that Koreans need to lighten up and have some fun experiencing different things that way they aren't just a bunch of suit wearing robots all their lives. Reaching the next stop, the guys got off and I got Nate under control so we could continue on to Gold Bar. Once at Gold Bar, we met up with Brady and SoHyun, Alex and Louise, James, and several other new Avalon employees, all of which loved my costume and laughed as soon as they saw me. I preceded to enjoy the night and have a few drinks, but not get too out of control because of my obligation to be at work the next morning. By 3am it was time to call it a night, so I said my good-byes and went to get in a cab bound for Bongcheon. I made it home and into bed by 430, which was later than expected but still within reason.
Having only drank a little at the bar and a lot of water when I got home, I was up Saturday morning by 1030 feeling good to go for the day. I spent some time watching internet videos and eating breakfast before getting all my gear together and heading out to school at 12. Once at school I made a few minor repairs to my costume, including gluing a shoulder pad back on, and re-foiling some spots of my leg armour. All suited up I started helping put out the food for the snack market, and get the toys ready in the prize market before the kids came at 130. As the kids began to roll in we were all required to to line up in the front hall and meet them in our costumes. So we did and all had a good laugh as the kids laughed at our costumes, or stared in awe at the weirdo wrapped in aluminum foil. As the open house went on it was my job to run the prize market, which I did in bounce style, allowing so many kids in at a time and regulating how much time they had in the room so that all the kids could get a chance get prizes without the room being over crowded with kids. I felt it went much smoother this time than last time, and everyone had a chance to get a good look at the prize choices. By 515 the last of the kids were leaving and it was time to clean up. Unfortunately, like in many situations, most of the teachers took off leaving only a few of us to clean up, but it worked out in the end as I got to take home a couple leftover pizzas and some pop. I left the school and got home by 6 where I laid down for a couple hour nap to rest up for another possible night out as the Predator. Waking up around 8pm I started making some calls to see who was doing what for the Saturday night of Halloween, and as it turned out most of my friends cancelled their plans on going to Hongdae like we talked about and were opting for staying in instead. Finally I heard back from Matei and Jen who were planning on going to Hongdae still, and Hayley who was one of the Hongdae plan enthusiasts. To my displeasure, Matei told me he was going "soon", but never ended up getting to Hongdae until 11pm to confirm reservations at a place, meaning by the time he got back to me I could only make it half way there on the subway. I got stuck at Sindorim where the last train stops at 12 on Saturdays and had to take a cab ride through traffic the rest of the way, but I did get to split it with a random Korean I met on the subway which was cool. Finally arriving at Hongdae to meet up with Hayley by 1245, we quickly went to find Jen and Matei at Oi bar, and get the night started. We stayed at Oi until it was clearing out around 4am, and then since Hayley lives in Bundong and always takes the subway home due to the distance, I decided to stick around to keep her company until the subway opened at 530. We took some time walking towards the station, stopping to get some photos with Predator lovers, as well as randoms like on a motorcycle, next to a cop car, and behind the counter of a Family Mart. Eventually we made our way down to the subway and took up some seats while we waited for it to get moving. I was home by 630, and quickly jumped into bed to get some rest before Sunday.
Having another light night of drinking I was able to get up around 1230 and get some breakfast and a shower in before heading out to meet with Blake and SaeJin, and Thomas and Jeanne for an FC Seoul soccer game, and make use of a season ticket Lauren had left with me back in September. I got to the station where we were supposed to meet at 230, but since none of us know the area very well we all ended up at different exits and in the end decided to just meet out front of the entrance to the stadium. We thought we were right on time for the game, which was supposed to start at 3pm, but quickly learned that the game was half way over and when we asked why were told that it had been switched for televising purposes. Disappointed, we sat back and watch the rest of the game that had a final outcome of FC Seoul beating Busan 3-1. After the game we took a walk through World Cup Stadium Park, which I will have to pay another visit to because it's so nice. After that we all went our separate ways on the subway to get home and rest up before the new week started.