Sam Hammington is Korea’s first foreign comedian. He is Australian, but  has lived in Korea since 2002. Recently, Sam’s name has been mentioned a lot among Korean people, and he has become a Korean sensation. What happened to him?  You can find out here.

Click here to read “Australian Comedian, Korean Sensation: A Talk with Sam Hammington (1/2)”

Toonari Post (TP): You have been in Korea for ten years. How have you felt about Korea so far?

Sam Hammington (SH): It’s such a dynamic country. It changes so much. I mean it’s improving. That’s something really exciting. You don’t want to leave, because you don’t know what you’re going to miss out of it. Always something new and something dynamic is happening. Well, like any countries, there is good and bad. Coming from the country that is culturally diverse, it’s great to see the country like Korea where people come together as one, and support the country like World Cup events like that. That’s pretty amazing, but same talking, I think sometimes that can be scary. Particularly being non-Korean.

TP: Any tips for those who want to travel or move to Korea?

SH: What you need to realize, if you want to move to Korea, is you need to have a little bit thick skin. Laws and regulations probably are a little bit different what they are in other countries. The other thing you need to appreciate is Korea is one of the few homogeneous societies in the world. I think that’s something to admire, but it can also be seen as downfall in the way the world became so much smaller these days. Countries are so much closer than they used to be. I think you have to be not too sensitive when coming here. Things are going to be difficult. It’s going to be difficult to communicate with people and it’s going to be difficult to get things to be done. That can be frustrating. But, it’s not fair for you to get frustrated and blame the country or people.

TP: You have achieved lot of amazing things so far. We would love to hear about your future goal.

SH: I just want to continue doing what I do, and just enjoy work. I really like being able to make people laugh and happy and trying to do different things like acting, film, and drama on Television. Also, with my businesses obviously to extend them and develop them, so they can be more successful than they already are. I have an education agency at the moment where students come to us and say, “We want to stay in Australia,” so we can set them up with an agreement with universities, and the internship that we can send students to go abroad. Part of my role is to go around and do guest lectures at universities which is something I really enjoy. I would like to do a lot more of that. Another business is a sweet store. Cupcakes, cakes, and cake decorating. So, hopefully we can sort of branch out, and do more corporate catering. Hoping to also do comedy show next year. It’s kind of adult only. Hopefully that will be successful.

TP: Do you have something to say to your fans and supporters?

SH: My fans, in terms of living their own lives, you need to think outside of box. If you hear something, you don’t necessarily feel it’s true. Look into it, and see what. I guess you have to find your own way of life, and that’s always tough. But, it’s also exciting. Making mistakes is not a bad thing. I guess everything you do is a lesson, a life of lesson. That’s something that the older you get the more you realize. Every day is something new that you learn, there is a mistake that you learn from. Life wasn’t meant to be easy. If it was, it would be boring. You have to live your own life and be yourself. I mean people have so many expectations. Your parents, family and friends, but if it doesn’t feel right, I don’t know if it’s the thing to do. Cause it’s you. You are the person has to live your life.

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“The eyes of the world are on Brazil” is an expression often used to represent the popularity of the country and its appearances in the media, for reasons such as the World Cup 2014 and the Olympic Games of 2016. The country’s image in regards to violence and poverty is still really strong, and the government is trying to prepare for these big upcoming events. Rio de Janeiro is the city where are lot of the events will take place, and what is often emphasized is the contrast between nature and the city. There is another contrast, the one between the upscale neighborhoods and the favelas, or slums of the city.

Because of the favelas’ factors, which involve a highly populated area with the poorest people of the city living on top of the Rio de Janeiro Mountains, for many years it has been the perfect place for drug dealers and criminals to hide themselves. The police has had a lot of trouble trying to get inside, and the government is trying to change this reality through “pacification” actions. Many favelas have already gone through this process and nowadays provide a safer life and better infrastructure. But this is not the case with the Maré Complex, formed by 16 slums and located between the main access routes to the city. More than 130,000 people live there. This makes up to 2.3% of the total population of Rio de Janeiro.

One big problem has to do with children and the youth of the community. They don’t see opportunities outside of the favela and crime is for them a chance to get some money or status inside the community. As the government still hasn’t brought the pacification process to the Maré Complex, one good initiative offering good possibilities for its inhabitants is created by non-governmental organizationsn such as CEASM (Centro de Estudos e Ações Solidárias da Maré, in english: Centre for Studies and Solidarity Actions of Maré). This NGO is focused on contributing to the value of the slums and poor communities as an expression of the plurality of the city, changing ideas and guiding public policy. Since 1998 the NGO offers support courses helping young people get into the public universities. Entrance is based on a highly competitive test that usually favors people who can afford a good basic education.

These days, CEASM offers 14 different projects involving education and cultural emphasis. The population faces low self esteem issues, and many people think that there is no way out of the violence. CEASM wants to change this.

It already offers a library, computer rooms, journalism rooms and classrooms. Everything was built with the support of donations and community help. CEASM has about 100 volunteers, both paid and unpaid. Lourenço Cezar da Silva (pictured above) is the oldest brother of five siblings, and was one of the first students who was able to get into one of the most competitive universities of Brazil: PUC-Rio (Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro).

The economic support is based on donations and funding, but in the past year help has been cut for different reasons. The NGO is facing many problems to keep offering a better chance to the community. The CEASM volunteers usually try to apply to get some help from the government but say that lately many has been direct to culture and not to education.. He started as a student of the support course for university applications and today is proud and eager to help others starting out like he did.

Of course, the eyes of the world cannot easily see everything that happens in the daily life of poor communities in the big city of Rio de Janeiro, but maybe looking inside it will make it possible to change from the outside, instead of trying to hide the problems. CEASM and the Maré Community Complex need help in order to change from inside; it needs eyes to look where it matters. The number of young people who cannot benefit from the services is increasing, and consequently, so is the number of them who engage in crime and violence.

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The United States Women’s Soccer team defeated France by a score of 3-1 in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup to move on to their first final’s appearance since their dominant 1999 victory.

In incredible fashion, which seems to be the way they like to do it, the Americans snatched the game away from France in the last minutes despite being dominated for much of the match.

The U.S. Had previously lost two consecutive semi-final matches in the World Cup, and weren’t going to go down this time without a serious fight.

On the heels of one of the best matches in World Cup history, the United States was forced to put their celebrations aside and prepare for a tough French team that had been playing well to this point in the tournament.

Though they have usually been a second-half team, the U.S.A. struck early in this one, taking a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute. Heather O’Reilly made a quick move down the sideline past the French defense and launched a low cross to the feet of Lauren Cheyney who was able to make a beautiful touch, redirecting the ball to the far side of the net, just past the French goalkeeper.

Pia Sundhage seemed to have her team much more focused at the start of this match, playing with the same intensity that fans saw in the second half and overtime of the incredible quarter-final game against Brazil. Sometimes teams have a bit of a hangover after a match such as that, especially one which lasts a whopping 123 minutes plus penalty kicks. The U.S. looked like they were as fresh as ever, but the tides would soon turn.

The French saw their first realistic opportunity pass byjust after in the 29^th minute when Louisa Necib, the talented French midfielder, saw Hope Solo charge at her inside the box and deflect the shot out of play.

France was knocking on the door with serious momentum in the 32^nd minute when a short free kick ended up hitting the crossbar behind the American goalie. It seemed as though one goal would not be enough to hold down this inspired French team.

Finally in the 37^th minute the U.S. snatched back some momentum when Christie Rampone made a rare long run down the sideline, crossing a high ball toward Wambach on the far post who just missed, heading her own ball off the crossbar. It was only a matter of time til Wambach would get one on target.

All throughout the first half the French squad dictated the style of play and were able to fire countless shots from range against the United States defense, but the shots would need to come from much closer to get past the remarkable Solo.

It was an incredible half to watch from a fan’s standpoint with tons of shots and offensive opportunities. Though France surely outplayed the United States with regards to time of possession and shots on goal, the U.S. came away with the one goal advantage on the scoreboard, and had many scoring threats of their own in his back-and-forth match. This game was far from over.

The second half began with no immediate substitutions from either side and the incredibly play continued right from the whistle.

France immediately came out firing again, sending numbers at the Americans just about every time they touched the ball, but the American back line continued to be strong in front of their star goalie and seemed to sense that it would be on their shoulders to win this game for the United States.

After all of the legitimate chances France had, the 54^th minute brought about a broken play to finally breach the U.S. defense. France’s star left back Sonia Bompastor attempted to cross a curling ball in front of goal causing Hope Solo to pick up the forward trying to get on the end of the cross. Unfortunately for the Americans, the ball sailed over the hopeful forward and trickled into the net for an equalizing goal. No matter how, the score was now level.

Carli Lloyd was subbed out for the first time in this World Cup in the 64^th minute in favor of Megan Rapinoe with hopes of creating a spark for the U.S. attack in addition to getting some fresh legs into the game.

Rapinoe certainly had a positive impact on the squad forcing many balls into the middle and in the 78^th minute earned the U.S a corner with another one of her quick runs.

Abby Wambach came to the rescue once again for the Americans with her incredible strength and leaping ability. On that corner she was able to strike the ball with great pace into the back of the net. 2-1, advantage America.

Wambach had reportedly been bothered by a nagging right achilles injury causing her to miss some practice time throughout this World Cup tournament. Regardless, when she’s on the field, she will always be a key target on the offensive end with her incredible heading abilities. Coming into the game Wambach needed only one goal to tie the United States World Cup record of twelve held by Michelle Akers and with her second incredibly clutch moment of the tournament she had done so.

The French defense was quickly breaking down and speedy forward Alex Morgan was able to take advantage immediately after the Wambach goal. She was able to lift the ball just over the keeper’s fingertips, floating it into the net and putting the game away for the Americans after being dominated for so much of the match. The U.S. Was surely headed to Frankfurt.

As the final whistle blew jubilation came over the players and fans once again as they now knew they would be onto their third World Cup final.

One of the biggest pre-game stories was how U.S. defender Rachel Buehler, was replaced by Becky Sauerbrunn due to Buehler’s suspension thanks to a red card in the second half against Brazil. Buehler had struggled mightily to this point but coach Pia Sundhage was rolling the dice on Sauerbrunn who had been yet to make any touches in this years World Cup.

Sauerbrunn made her coach look so wise with her decision by playing up to her potential and beyond. The young defender showed that she could be the future replacement for captain Christie Rampone when she decides to retire. The question now will be who to start on the back line for the finals match-up.

Speaking of the captain, not nearly enough credit has been given to Christie Rampone throughout these matches. The 36 year old has played multiple spots on the defensive end for the United States and has been a rock along the back line. At her age she is still just as fast as she ever was, and might be playing the best soccer of anybody in the tournament. She will surely be a key component should the team want to come away from the finals victorious.

Hope Solo, who has recently become one of my more popular players in the world shined again in her 100^th international appearance. Remarkably in those 100 games she has had 55 shutouts with only 6 defeats to her name, proving why she is constantly referred to as the best goalkeeper in the world. This performance surely backed up her reputation, keeping countless French chances out of the net en route to another clutch U.S. Victory.

Fight, heart, determination and character. Not enough adjectives can be given to describe this United States team. It has been a fairy tale run to this point, qualifying last even as number one in the world. Notching incredible late victories in the knockout stages, and moving on to yet another World Cup final.

When you think you have the U.S.A. Down and out, they shine the brightest.

Coach Pia Sundhage was asked what made the difference in the match she replied simply with “a big heart.” They will surely come out with that same heart in the finals looking to win their first World Cup in 12 years.

The final battle for the cup will be played in the beautiful Frankfurt stadium on Sunday, July 17^th.

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What if all the pressure was on? What if everything rested on your shoulders? Would you falter?  What if you were in an epic battle for World supremacy? If your country, your home was counting on you to succeed; could you handle that? All by yourself…or should I say; SOLO?

Sorry to disappoint Star Wars fans, but this isn’t the Solo you were expecting. We’re talking about Hope Solo; the starting goal keeper for the women’s US National team.  In USA’s match against Brazil, Solo made a spectacular penalty kick save to give the United States the edge in their comeback thriller making her an instant American hero. As great as that save was, it was merely an exclamation point on the play Solo has displayed through this World Cup. Her leadership skills and spectacular skill set has made her the undisputed top women’s goalie in the world today; so where has she been our whole lives?

Hope Amelia Solo grew up in Richland, Washington.  She grew up in a rough child hood setting where the game of soccer was her only constant. When she was six years old, her parents divorced and she lived solely with her mother. Her father was a Vietnam veteran who was homeless for most of his life but stayed a major influence in Hopes life until his sudden death in 2007. Hope became a soccer star while she was in high school but oddly enough not as a goalie. Solo was a forward for Richland High School scoring 109 career goals and becoming a two time All-American.  Solo received a full scholarship to University of Washington where they decided her athletic, and quick reaction abilities would make her a stand out keeper. They were right.

Solo became the Huskies all time leader in saves and shutouts and was a four-time All Pac-10 selection and a three-time All American. While in her sophomore year of college, Solo became a full time member of the USA national team. After her college career, and being an alternate for the 2004 Olympic team, Solo was drafted to the former WUSA team, the Philadelphia Charge. Following the Charges fallout from the league, Solo went and played with a few clubs overseas in Germany and Sweden while working her way up the American depth chart.

In 2007, Solo’s career looked to take off as she was named to the women’s World Cup squad. She was named the starter over veteran Brianna Scurry and gave up only two goals in four games while posting two consecutive shut outs leading up to a semi final match against Brazil.  Then US coach, Greg Ryan, made a shocking move and benched Solo for Brianna Scurry. Scurry went on to have a dismal performance and the US lost 4-0 to Brazil.

Solo, clearly outraged, publicly criticized Ryan’s coaching move saying “It was the wrong decision, and I think anybody that knows anything about the game knows that. There’s no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves.” Solo was then dismissed from the team before the third place World Cup game and did not participate in the post World Cup tour.

Hope Solo did not let the 2007 World Cup affect her play and kept training harder than ever. In 2009 Solo joined the Women’s Professional soccer league with St. Louis Athletica and became the WPS goalie of the year. She then went on to play for the Atlanta Beat and currently starts for the Orlando MagicJack and is easily the best keeper in the league. The WPS is where Solo competes and improves her skills, but Solo shines when she steps on the field for the red, white, and blue.

Watching Solo on Sunday vs. Brazil was inspiring to say the least. She is not simply a goalie but she is a leader. She steps out onto the field and commands the respect from the other team, while also imposing fear in their eyes. Solo’s outspoken attitude was seen as arrogance in 2007 and is now seen as, for lack of better terms, “swag” in 2011. Solo has became an American hero, sex symbol, and inspiration after one game and one save vs. Brazil, however Solo has been someone to look up to her whole life.

What if you were in a battle for world supremacy? What if you had your countries fate on your shoulders? Would you falter? Well, we know Solo wouldn’t, and now she looks to continue her fight for World supremacy as she takes on France in the semi final match on Wednesday. I wouldn’t expect her to be benched this time. Good luck Hope; America is behind you.

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Who can forget the goal heard around the world that introduced us to the most famous sports bra ever? Brandi Chastain became an instant celebrity and so did her bra when she ripped off her jersey in dramatic fashion after clinching the World cup title in 1999. Chastain’s stripping goal act did not only win the United States the World Cup, but she brought attention to Women’s sports; an improbable task. 40 million Americans tuned in to watch Chastain and the US girls step into world soccer immortality that day; more viewers than the NBA finals. That was twelve years and three world cups ago. Today, the United States is the world’s number one team and has a good shot at winning this year’s World Cup; who knew?

The sixth ever, Women’s World Cup kicked off last week in Germany on June 26^th. An astronomical 18 million viewers in Germany tuned in to watch their beloved German women take on Canada in the Cups opening game. With all the success in host country Germany; maybe there would be improved interest in the United States right? Wrong. The US viewership of the opening game came in at just under one million viewers; pathetic. Women’s soccer has been unable to catch the eyes of American viewers since 1999. Clearly, we need more sports bra cameos.

Where is the allure of the Women’s World Cup? Where’s the American pride? It doesn’t make sense that that 15^th and average at best, men’s squad receives nationwide support. Yet, the US women, the world’s number one team, are treated as if they’re irrelevant. Something’s not right here.

Maybe it’s the slower speed of play from the Men’s game. Or maybe it’s the myth that women soccer players are less aggressive and intense. Either way, the last two World Cups (2003 and 2007) have been rating nightmares causing ESPN to swallow some pride. In search of a change (miracle), ESPN hired popular former US stars, Brandi Chastain, Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and Brianna Scurry to commentate the cup. Every cup game will be aired on ESPN and broadcasted live on ESPN3.com. 2011 is supposed to be the year US women’s soccer relives its glory days of 1999; we’ll see about that.

Why you should watch:

• America.
  • It’s a world-wide phenomenon displaying if our country is better than theirs. If you’re a true American you’ll throw on the red, white and blue, eat some wings, and watch some soccer babes win one for the US of A. Go America

• The United States is the world’s number one team.
  • Listen, we actually have a shot at winning this thing. We’re number one because we’re really good and we have come in at least third the last three world cups. We can do this.

• The girls
  • Guys, in what men’s sport can you commentate on who has the nicer butt? Well in the World Cup you can do that in every single game. Did I mention US goalie, Hope Solo, is single?

• Women’s soccer is on the rise
  • This world cup is going to be extremely competitive. Hosting the tournament is reining back to back World Cup champions, Germany. The US is looking promising to win it all, while England has its deepest squad ever. Don’t look past Brazil, who has the world’s best player in Marta.

• What else is on TV?
  • Nothing interest is going on in sports right now besides the World Cup. The NFL and NBA are in a lockout, baseball is in its boring mid-season stage, and tennis, well who really watches tennis?

Cyril Hou / Shutterstock.com

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