For my Courlophobic Comrades

As most all of you have realized by now, one of my greater ambitions in life is to become a professional Clown. When I have told people this there are two... no three basic reactions:

1) "Cool!"
2) "What? are you serious?"
3) "I am scared of clowns."

Sometimes there is a mixture of them, but mostly it will be one. It is to those with the last reaction this post is dedicated. (especially to Mad4books daughter)

To me the whole "scared of clowns" and "Coulrophobia" (the official word) thing is weird. I like clowns, and have always liked clowns. I think they are funny and interesting and touching to watch. I think they tell us much about ourselves on a level we shoved in the closet along time ago.

But I know not everyone feels this way. I get told so on a pretty regular basis, by friends, co-workers, and strangers (even when I was in Clown at Art Walk people would come up to me just to tell me!). The problem is that they often still laugh at me anyways when I act the clown. You might say "But Robert, how is that a problem? Isn't that good?" It is, but it is still a problem. Because shows there is a gap between Clowns and the Idea of Clowns.

What is a clown? That is a huge debate. I have six or seven books on clowning and none of them quite agree. My favorite is "Clowning is a credible idiot playing for a audience." Which is John Wright's definition in Why is that So Funny?. That is how I think of clowning.

Unfortunetley as hinted at, the popular idea of clowns is quite different. It has been tied into the trickster archetype which is quite a different kettle of fish, altogether. For starters, the trickster is smarter than his audience. He is a con-man, the opposite of a clown. He will play stupid and be revealed as clever, where as a clown will play smart and be revealed a idiot. There are tricks both ways, but with one the joke is on the audience, and the other the joke is on the performer. The fool and trickster can be thought of two sides of the same coin, but they can never be the same thing.

Even more damning, Clowning has become its symbols rather than the symbols pointing to it. In other words, if you have a big red nose, and a white painted face, you must be a clown. This is as... as... well as foolish, as saying "if you have a white lab coat, and a stethoscope, around your neck, you must be a medical doctor." This is a HUGE problem. Why should be pretty obvious. Once the thing is its symbols, people only pay attention to the symbols and not what they signify. It is probably one the reasons that one of the Ten Commandments bans, graven images. For clowns it means you have to contend with everything people have seen done in a big red nose and white face which is a pretty outrageous and unfair demand. You might say "Why don't you get rid of all that make up and the red nose?" which is where some of the clown world has moved. But, again, the make up and nose is a part of the heritage of the art. It is a symbol of it, and it is practical, since it brings attention to the clowns facial expressions.

Finally we have that ubiquitous authoritative entity known as "The media." The Media, are very a kin to clowns. They are story tellers. Stories are driven by conflict. Clown performances make terrible stories... unless something goes wrong.

"CLOWN BRINGS LAUGHTER AT COMEDY CLOWN SHOW" Boring.
"NO ONE LAUGHS AT COMEDY CLOWN SHOW" Interesting!

So all you hear is the second. Clown characters in movies, TV shows and books are often as not, not clowns, but tricksters or con-men disguised as clowns. But their actions tell all. They are not credible idiots.

Last but not least there is the problem of bad clowns. Not as in evil or un-moral, but as in simply not funny.

Myself included more than I want to admit.

Which brings us back full circle. Never forget that clowns are people. Idiots, dressed up with makeup and unnatural noses yes, but still people. The root cause of fear of clowns is the fact that most people don't actually know any clowns personally. Clowns are something other, not your college buddy, or your co-worker, or sibling or cousin. The ultimate solution is naturally, knowing someone who is a clown. The great thing is, if you are reading this, you do!

One of my favorite things to hear, and I have heard it a couple of times is "Clowns usually freak me out, but not you Robert, I think because I actually know you."

I hope to hear it a lot more in the future.

New Post, New Pastor

So, we have a new pastor at the Church. He has been here for about three weeks I believe and we all really like him. The English teachers and his family (wife, and two sons 18&19) had dinner at a local restaurant and it was delicious. His sons it turns out are getting ready to go to University in the Philippines where the family just moved from, but in the mean time they have been sitting at the house bored out their minds for the last three weeks. Since their English is good, and like playing guitar and Sudden Attack, they are quickly becoming Mike's and mine best friends.

In other news, I have instituted a new curriculum for my seven year olds using Dr Seusses ABCs. It has been a hit so far.

In other other news, I think I seriously want to get into the San Fransisco Clown Conservatory when I get back in the States. I want to clown, and I want to be good at it. I have been practicing mime when I can working through the book on it I brought with me. I also continue to juggle, and walk into obvious pranks by my kids.

We clean out the fridge a couple of nights ago. Yay! for that.

I still haven't up loaded pictures.

I need to I know.

This weekend Mike and I go adventuring to Cheongju, to museums, a fortress and a Zoo.

Last Saturday I went to the National Museum in Seoul. I saw some great art, and some neat history stuff there. Going in, I passed about ten school groups, to said "Hello! How are you, nice to meet you." Standing in line for the tickets, I was asked where I was from, and what I was doing in Seoul. I am sure their English teachers would be proud. Also there is a fantastic park at the national museum. There is even a out door gym complete with bench press weights. I have pictures of all this. I do need to get it them up.

Also I want to plug my brother Mikes blog "Hike With Mike." He is trying to get funds together to come to Japan to volunteer for ARI. A group that teaches sustainable agriculture and urban agriculture to leaders in third world communities.

Okay, you asked for it!

Well, I am still alive and well. I know it doesn't seem like it since I haven't updated here, but the rumors that I was kidnapped by Korean kangaroo pirates and taken to Indonesia in order to teach island giraffs how to tap dance the polka were greatly exagerated.

It is saturday here, and I am in Yesan at a PC bong. I was trying to play "Sudden Attack" but the compter doesnt like me, so I decided not to waste a buck, and type on my blog.

I am in Yesan on a whim. I wasn't planning to go anywhere to day, but as I was walking to the fried chicken place, the bus for Yesan pulled up, to the bus stop I was passing and I got on it. So I came and had lunch at the "Burger" place in town, and then came to the PC bong. I think I will go to the good Icecream/coffee place here, and get a mocha and read here in a little bit.

So what's been up? Alot really. I don't know why I don't post more here. But I think I will stick to just three points:

1) I made a bunch of bean bags out of socks, and some kind of grain, and I have been teaching my students to juggle. I have been doing this between classes, and in fact in classes, but only after the students have gotten some work done. It has helped with my most troublesome class a bit, and is ofcourse alot of fun.

2) James, Beth, Abby, and I went to a english speaking church last sunday. It was the International Lutheran Church, and it felt so good to go to a liturgical service in english again, with traditional hymns and a pipe organ. I almost cried. We had communion! I thanked the Pastor afterwards and he nodded and said pretty much "thats what we are here for." He was from Iowa, and here for two years. The post rotates between three Lutheran sub-denonminations which is neat. It is kind of like Uncle Ray's cruise ship ministry.

3) After church last sunday, I went and got some books from the bookstore in Itaewon, and then went to the goblin market and got a electric guitar for about 45 bucks! It was cheaper than putting in a pickup on my acoustic guitar. It is naturally not the greatest guitar in the world, but then again it is nice and mythic getting a guitar from a Goblin market. It is a well used guitar too. Someone really played it alot, hard. It does work though and that is the important thing. Now I might be able to hear what I am doing in the prasie band.

In other news the Cherry trees are blosoming. I still have a lot of pictures to put up. Maybe tonight.

and now the news... (always a weird word to me "News" - plural "new...")

Er... so I seem to have lost my blogging discipline and have been getting calls of concern.

So lets see...

My desk chair in my bedroom is breaking. I have to balance the seat on the pole. It is pretty amusing right now in a annoying sort of way, but I think I will have to aquire a new one from the school soon before I hurt myself.

I did go back to the juggling shop last Saturday, and I did find the "goblin market." In fact I didn't get really good look at the market because by the time I found it (right where it was supposed to be of course) It was time to go to the juggling club. The cool thing is though I can now pass juggle. That is, stand in front of another person and we both juggle three balls and pass them between us. I also learned a couple of other tricks I need to work on. Particularly juggling behind my back.

What's really funny about the flea market, was that I saw about five Autoharps. I saw the first one and I said "Hey cool, a Autoharp." After the fifth one, and without seeing any banjos I was thinking "What? Of all the instruments, why Autoharp?" I think it is a tootsie roll pop question.

In other random news I have been giving tests to my students with mixed results. The best are my youngest class "backpack starter" class. I am giving a test to my backpack 6 students tomorrow. I am not sure what will happen. I don't expect much but maybe they will surprise me. They sure didn't want to study for it today.

Pictures... I am working on it... thinking about working on it... I am on a new computer whose USB ports claim to be working but aren't. The only way I can get pictures up is to set up my laptop again. I can do it, I just haven't sorry!

I will try to post more here so everyone knows I am alive and well.

Peace!