Most Sundays, this gentleman has his fishing wares spread out by the pedestrian exit of the parking lot near my bedroom window. He has a lot of cool looking stuff. It almost makes me wish I were a fisherman again.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
View from my window
Most Sundays, this gentleman has his fishing wares spread out by the pedestrian exit of the parking lot near my bedroom window. He has a lot of cool looking stuff. It almost makes me wish I were a fisherman again.
Monday, September 25, 2006
A law - really?
Every morning on the way to the subway, I have to cross a really busy road that has a flashing red light at the pedestrian crossing. After two years of near misses and the regular temptation to kick big dents in the doors of shiny black cars with black windows as they speed through the crosswalk without a care, I asked three of my Korean colleagues who drive what a flashing red light meant to them. In Canada, it means STOP and proceed through the crosswalk if there is no one there. Only one of my colleagues said that the Korean law was the same. The other colleagues weren't sure.
This is a country where speeding motorcycles on the sidewalk are the norm, so it should come as no surprise that there are rules that no one follows. I happen to think that if you have traffic laws that are not enforced, the lack of enforcement carries over into other situations.
Last Saturday, I was walking down the road that divides the Yongsan base in half. There are several flashing yellow lights and a set of flashing red lights that NO ONE even pretends to obey. Now to be fair, there seemed to be no reason for this flashing red light (perhaps another issue). However, this has got to have a bad influence on those lights that should be obeyed - like the one up the road where a lot of pedestrians are actually in danger.
This is a country where speeding motorcycles on the sidewalk are the norm, so it should come as no surprise that there are rules that no one follows. I happen to think that if you have traffic laws that are not enforced, the lack of enforcement carries over into other situations.
Last Saturday, I was walking down the road that divides the Yongsan base in half. There are several flashing yellow lights and a set of flashing red lights that NO ONE even pretends to obey. Now to be fair, there seemed to be no reason for this flashing red light (perhaps another issue). However, this has got to have a bad influence on those lights that should be obeyed - like the one up the road where a lot of pedestrians are actually in danger.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Leeum Museum 2
The first time I went to the Leeum Museum, it took a couple of hours to wander through the traditional art museum, which I rather enjoyed. However, I was a little tired by the time I had seen the traditional art collection and didn't get to the modern art museum.
So, I went back to see the contemporary art collection on Thursday. Now, I enjoy some modern art. And, I did enjoy going to the Museum of Contemporary Art, although I'm sure that my artist companion was sometimes put out by my occassional scoffing.
I enjoyed some of the art in the Leeum's Museum 2. I like Park Soo-Keun's work, which I have seen before. You can actually see what he is painting.
I look at Chang Uc-chin's work and think, "A child could do this." "I could do this." I guess I expect an artist to be on a higher level than the average person.
I often end up wandering through galleries full of contemporary and abstract art and sculpture filled with puzzlement and, if I'm feeling generous, sometimes just bemusement. A lot of the art elicits a reaction in me, which may be what the artist wanted, but it is often one of dislike. I end up wondering if they are just poking fun at us or if they are taking advantage of the fact that there isn't anything "to get" and we feel uncultured because we don't understand.
I look at Judd's "sculpture" and I'm not impressed.
Much of the art seems to reek of the artists' egos. It seems pompous or pretentious.
I laughed out loud at this one by Robert Ryman. I think my friend was a little embarassed. I really could do better than this. There are two little stripes on the right and left. The four mounting brackets are actually part of the art. The center is blank.
Joseph Beuys has a piano with one wheel up a little higher than others. What??? I look at it and think, "I hope they didn't pay too much for that."
Nam Jun Paik has a video art exhibit (and quite frankly, I've never liked video "art"). But I look at Paik's "My Faust" and think, "What a pile of crap."
I guess I can accept that fact that perhaps I am part of the great unwashed - one unworthy to gaze upon this art. I really don't get it.
Maybe I should study art more so that I'll know which styles I like and which I don't.
This museum visit was interesting because Jodi had an interesting post about art a few days ago, and someone she met had actually been inspired by Nam Jun Paik. I guess there is enough art out there so that there is something for everyone. Jodi's musings about the character of artists was also interesting. At the Leeum Museum, I got the audio guide and it talked about each work. It was amazing how many of the artists had committed suicide.
So, I went back to see the contemporary art collection on Thursday. Now, I enjoy some modern art. And, I did enjoy going to the Museum of Contemporary Art, although I'm sure that my artist companion was sometimes put out by my occassional scoffing.
I enjoyed some of the art in the Leeum's Museum 2. I like Park Soo-Keun's work, which I have seen before. You can actually see what he is painting.
I look at Chang Uc-chin's work and think, "A child could do this." "I could do this." I guess I expect an artist to be on a higher level than the average person.
I often end up wandering through galleries full of contemporary and abstract art and sculpture filled with puzzlement and, if I'm feeling generous, sometimes just bemusement. A lot of the art elicits a reaction in me, which may be what the artist wanted, but it is often one of dislike. I end up wondering if they are just poking fun at us or if they are taking advantage of the fact that there isn't anything "to get" and we feel uncultured because we don't understand.
I look at Judd's "sculpture" and I'm not impressed.
Much of the art seems to reek of the artists' egos. It seems pompous or pretentious.
I laughed out loud at this one by Robert Ryman. I think my friend was a little embarassed. I really could do better than this. There are two little stripes on the right and left. The four mounting brackets are actually part of the art. The center is blank.
Joseph Beuys has a piano with one wheel up a little higher than others. What??? I look at it and think, "I hope they didn't pay too much for that."
Nam Jun Paik has a video art exhibit (and quite frankly, I've never liked video "art"). But I look at Paik's "My Faust" and think, "What a pile of crap."
I guess I can accept that fact that perhaps I am part of the great unwashed - one unworthy to gaze upon this art. I really don't get it.
Maybe I should study art more so that I'll know which styles I like and which I don't.
This museum visit was interesting because Jodi had an interesting post about art a few days ago, and someone she met had actually been inspired by Nam Jun Paik. I guess there is enough art out there so that there is something for everyone. Jodi's musings about the character of artists was also interesting. At the Leeum Museum, I got the audio guide and it talked about each work. It was amazing how many of the artists had committed suicide.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
D'oh
Imagine my chagrin. A couple of days ago, I was slamming Korea for being pretensious for holding a 'biennale'. On Arirang TV, one of the western commentators also commented on this odd Korean use of an Italian word by people thinking that perhaps it was English. This came to light because of the Gwangju Biennale 2006, and I remember thinking, "Oh, yes. Tell it like it is. This is so pretentious." In all my years, I had never heard this word and I thought that meant it wasn't a real English word.
However, this is from Wikipedia:
However, this is from Wikipedia:
The name Biennale is Italian and means "every other year", describing an event that happens every 2 years. The most important Biennale is an art exhibition that takes place for three months in Venice — the Venice Biennale — but there are numerous others:
- Manifesta, European Biennale of contemporary art in different European cities
- Berlin Biennale, international exposition of contemporary art in Berlin
- Bucharest Biennale, Bucharest
- Münchener Biennale, international festival for new music theatre in Munich
- Internationale Architektur Biennale in Rotterdam
- Biennale of Sydney
- Bienal de São Paulo in Sao Paulo
- Mostra di Architettura di Venezia, International bi-annual Architecture Exhibition in Venice
- Moscow Biennale in Moscow (Russia)
- Liverpool Biennial
- Kwangju Biennale in Kwangju (also spelled Gwangju), South Korea
- Ljubljana Graphic Biennale in Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Singapore Biennale, in Singapore
- Tirana Biennale, in Tirana, Albania
- Istanbul Biennial, in Istanbul, Turkey
- Biennale of Iranian Graphic Designers, in Tehran, Iran
- Biennale of Miniature Art, in Czestochowa, Poland
- Göteborg International Biennial For Contemporary Art Sweden
- Vancouver Sculpture Biennale, in Vancouver (Canada)
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
A course in business
| 2006-2007 (9 Month Academic Year) | |||
|  | Single | Married | Married |
| Tuition | $39,600 | $39,600 | $39,600 |
| University Health | $1,390 | $3,138 | $3,908 |
| Blue Cross | $1,216 | $2,742 | $3,660 |
| Program Support Fee | $3,850 | $3,850 | $3,850 |
| Room & | $12,150 | $14,436 | $18,180 |
| Board, Personal, | $11,634 | $15,114 | $19,292 |
| TOTAL | $69,840 | $78,880 | $88,490 |
Harvard Business School MBA 2-year program - Total cost = US$139,680
Korean business training program - read Japanese manga - Total cost = US$1
Japanese Manga Rule Among Korean Salarymen
SK chairman Chey Tae-won told new staff two years ago, “I think a lot about how to manage my company when I read ‘Shota No Sushi,’” and ordered the SK Research Institute for Supex Management, the SK Group’s think tank, to study the comic.
“An MBA course in the U.S. chose “Kacho shima kosaku” as one of its textbooks to understand what corporate culture is like in Japan,” says a staffer with a big domestic corporation who admits he has stacks of this manga. “Many Korean office workers are reading Japanese manga not just for fun but also to get a variety of expert knowledge.”
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Blogshares
I came across this site by accident and I'm a little hurt - although I don't really know why.
The Fantasy Blog Stock Market
The value of my blog if I sold it is listed below (and I have to wonder why anyone would give me more than a nickel). I do notice that I'm "available to trade" whatever that means. Don't I have to agree to this first?
The Wanderer: $2,656.45
The Ders Blog: $3,377.39
The Partypooper: $3,703.18
Seoul Hero: $11,716.33
About Joel: $2,684.85
The Lost Nomad: $5,297.01
I think that everyone that I have links to is worth more than me. What's going on? Do I just have good taste and only link to worthy blogs or is my blog just kind of crappy?
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Amateur bird watcher
I hestitate to name names, and, if anyone from Birds Korea wants to correct me, please feel free to do so. I've got my "A FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF KOREA" book and I have to say that trying to identify birds in the wild by comparing them to pictures of birds in a book is really, really hard. All of these birds were spotted this morning on my second Sunday stroll along Cheonggyecheon.
I'm thinking Spot-billed Duck. I'm not sure about the two lighter colored ducks but I'm assuming that they are juveniles and may not have their final colors. The reddish colored duck I'm also not sure about. All of the ducks have the same black spot on the tip of their bills, so it may be that they are all Spot-billed Ducks in various seasonal and age-related colors.
Here I'm thinking Great Egret, especially because of the one with the black bill.
How anyone can tell which gull is which is beyond me. I think perhaps Black-tailed Gull because it has a red-tipped bill, but it could be a Mew Gull.
This beauty is a Grey Heron, I think. The body plumage seems right, but I never noticed a crest.
Of course, Cheonggyecheon is not only about birds. This handsome little dog was modelling the latest in black plastic crap bags. I think his master was selling (perhaps giving away) the bags to passing dog owners so that they could clean up after their pets. What a nice idea.
I'm thinking Spot-billed Duck. I'm not sure about the two lighter colored ducks but I'm assuming that they are juveniles and may not have their final colors. The reddish colored duck I'm also not sure about. All of the ducks have the same black spot on the tip of their bills, so it may be that they are all Spot-billed Ducks in various seasonal and age-related colors.
Here I'm thinking Great Egret, especially because of the one with the black bill.
How anyone can tell which gull is which is beyond me. I think perhaps Black-tailed Gull because it has a red-tipped bill, but it could be a Mew Gull.
This beauty is a Grey Heron, I think. The body plumage seems right, but I never noticed a crest.Of course, Cheonggyecheon is not only about birds. This handsome little dog was modelling the latest in black plastic crap bags. I think his master was selling (perhaps giving away) the bags to passing dog owners so that they could clean up after their pets. What a nice idea.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
The Funk Ups
A colleague has invited me to listen to his band quite a few times and I've never mangaged to make it to the bar until last night. I usually go to the gym on Friday nights and I find that, by 10PM, I'm comfortably ensconced on my sofa and beginning to fall asleep. However, he's been slagging me a lot for crashing so early and he's been making me feel a little guilty for not supporting a friend.
Now, most western ex-pat bands in Korea, in my experience, are just a bunch of boozy guys who have a little talent but can't really be bothered to practice much either individually or with the band. They all have full-time days jobs as well, so the music is pretty sloppy especially after they've had a few. The "concerts" tend to be a lot like drop-in jam sessions.
However, The Funk Ups played a really great selection of jazz, funk, and rock. They were actually pretty darn good and tight (well, until that last song when someone's concentration was slipping). The Big Electric Cat, where they played, was comfortable and not too smokey. The club has a pretty good selection of cold beer (although I think that, in the future, I'll first stop at the Three Alleys Pub where they have Erdinger - real beer - on tap).
The Funk Ups have a Cyworld site with information about the band and where they will be playing next, but I can't Google it. I'll check with my friend on Monday and put the link up if anyone is interested in checking them out. They are definitely worth a listen.
UPDATE: The Funk Ups can be found at a MySpace site, not CyWorld. Try this link The Funk Ups.
Now, most western ex-pat bands in Korea, in my experience, are just a bunch of boozy guys who have a little talent but can't really be bothered to practice much either individually or with the band. They all have full-time days jobs as well, so the music is pretty sloppy especially after they've had a few. The "concerts" tend to be a lot like drop-in jam sessions.
However, The Funk Ups played a really great selection of jazz, funk, and rock. They were actually pretty darn good and tight (well, until that last song when someone's concentration was slipping). The Big Electric Cat, where they played, was comfortable and not too smokey. The club has a pretty good selection of cold beer (although I think that, in the future, I'll first stop at the Three Alleys Pub where they have Erdinger - real beer - on tap).
The Funk Ups have a Cyworld site with information about the band and where they will be playing next, but I can't Google it. I'll check with my friend on Monday and put the link up if anyone is interested in checking them out. They are definitely worth a listen.
UPDATE: The Funk Ups can be found at a MySpace site, not CyWorld. Try this link The Funk Ups.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Motorcycles
In Seoul, motorcycles seem to know no law except the laws of physics (i.e. speeding motorcycle meets immovable object). If you live in Seoul, you quickly get used to stepping aside as motorcycles speed down the sidewalks. But, they also race down the streets, swerving between and around vehicles and through red lights with scarcely a glance in any direction. If you've walked anywhere in Seoul, you know that awareness of others who are on an intersecting course is totally lacking.
Riding a motorcycle in Seoul must be a lot like gambling. You just ride through red lights and hope that there is no vehicle that will intercept you. Or, you ride between the curb and other vehicles assuming that no one will turn right or open a door. I guess the motorcycle riders just hope that they don't crap out.
Every day, I walk past an intersection at the back gate of Sogang University. At the corner is a police station. However, every single day, I see buses, delivery vehicles, and motorcycles speed through red lights without looking to see who is coming through on the green light. I'd like to think that this intersection is an anomoly, but I doubt it. It truly is mind boggling. If the buses really care about not having an accident, they honk their horns as they speed through the red light. Generally, no one honks. It's a fairly busy intersection. The fact that I haven't seen any accidents there is probably because Sogang University is a Jesuit school and God is watching over everyone - even the foolish.
This afternoon, I saw a student on a tiny little motorbike, wearing no helmet, speed through the intersection on a red light and swerve around a couple of pedestrians and a bus. I still can't believe he made it safely.
Riding a motorcycle in Seoul must be a lot like gambling. You just ride through red lights and hope that there is no vehicle that will intercept you. Or, you ride between the curb and other vehicles assuming that no one will turn right or open a door. I guess the motorcycle riders just hope that they don't crap out.
Every day, I walk past an intersection at the back gate of Sogang University. At the corner is a police station. However, every single day, I see buses, delivery vehicles, and motorcycles speed through red lights without looking to see who is coming through on the green light. I'd like to think that this intersection is an anomoly, but I doubt it. It truly is mind boggling. If the buses really care about not having an accident, they honk their horns as they speed through the red light. Generally, no one honks. It's a fairly busy intersection. The fact that I haven't seen any accidents there is probably because Sogang University is a Jesuit school and God is watching over everyone - even the foolish.
This afternoon, I saw a student on a tiny little motorbike, wearing no helmet, speed through the intersection on a red light and swerve around a couple of pedestrians and a bus. I still can't believe he made it safely.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Sunday ritual
I've walked along parts of Cheonggyecheon stream perhaps a dozen times, but I haven't been down there since it got hot in the summer. Since the summer days seem to have passed, I decided to go again today. When they opened the stream last October, I went down and thought, "This is nice." However, most of the vegetation had just been planted and I had visions of hordes of people trampling everything and throwing garbage everywhere.
Today, I have to say that the Cheonggyecheon stream restoration is perhaps the nicest thing that has happened to Seoul since I have been living here. It's really nice. The grasses that they planted have grown to waist height and a lot of the small trees are now 2 to 3 meters tall. Everything has filled in nicely. It's quite lush. And, it's remarkably clean. I think that they have a lot of "wardens" who pick up garbage and tell people to be good.
It's not exactly wilderness, but I heard crickets and grasshoppers. I saw ducks, an egret, a heron, some gulls, and a bunch of sparrows (I hesitate to try to identify the birds precisely since someone with Birds Korea might correct me) . I also saw hundreds of dragonflies and a few butterflies, including one fist-sized black swallowtail butterfly. There were lots of small fish (perch-like) and I saw one fish that looked like a trout (speckled greenish body with a red tinge on the tail). I don't know if the stream has been seeded with fish or if they have just naturally found the stream. I suspect that, since the stream that the Cheonggeycheon flows into is a black, foul-smelling mess, the fish didn't come from the downstream area but were released in the Cheonggyecheon by some government agency. There are a couple of small streams that empty into the Cheonggyecheon that I've yet to explore, and it's possible that the fish came from them.
Okay, you're probably thinking, "Why is this video on its side?" The answer would be that I'm inept. I keep forgetting that I have to hold the camera level when taking video and that I can't manipulate it later. However, I thought you could still hear the stream and, if you put your head on your right shoulder, it looks okay.
The water flows quite quickly for the first third of the stream where it is quite narrow; then it doubles in width through the middle and the water slows down; then the final third is quite wide and the water flows gently into a larger stream at the south end. The stream is about 8 kms long but has at least three different types of ecosystems. I like the middle part best (near the old supports left from the elevated highway) because it seems the most overgrown and wild.
I got to the City Hall subway station at 9AM, went to the Starbucks in the building with the Canadian embassy, and was walking along the stream by 9:15. I got to the Hanyang University subway stop at the other end at noon. That's a fairly long walk and I could probably do it in 2 hours if I walked steadily without stopping, but it was just such a nice pleasant walk and there were lots of places that I just stopped and sat that it took about 3 hours.
Along the lower end of the stream, there are a lot more cyclists, runners, rollerbladers, power walkers, and others getting their exercise. There are at least three places for "foot-volleyball" (sorry, I don't know the real name for this). There was also a group of older women having a picnic.
I really enjoy this area. I think I will make it a Sunday ritual although I think I'll start at 8AM from now on. By 10AM, the vehicle pollution is noticeable, so an 8-10AM walk should be exactly what the doctor ordered.
I took a lot of pictures today, but Blogger beta has a glitch that doesn't allow me to upload them to this post today. I'm assuming that this is a temporary thing. I'll post them on my Yahoo Photos site. The link is on the right sidebar - "My Photos" --> "Cheonggyecheon Sept. 2006"
Today, I have to say that the Cheonggyecheon stream restoration is perhaps the nicest thing that has happened to Seoul since I have been living here. It's really nice. The grasses that they planted have grown to waist height and a lot of the small trees are now 2 to 3 meters tall. Everything has filled in nicely. It's quite lush. And, it's remarkably clean. I think that they have a lot of "wardens" who pick up garbage and tell people to be good.
It's not exactly wilderness, but I heard crickets and grasshoppers. I saw ducks, an egret, a heron, some gulls, and a bunch of sparrows (I hesitate to try to identify the birds precisely since someone with Birds Korea might correct me) . I also saw hundreds of dragonflies and a few butterflies, including one fist-sized black swallowtail butterfly. There were lots of small fish (perch-like) and I saw one fish that looked like a trout (speckled greenish body with a red tinge on the tail). I don't know if the stream has been seeded with fish or if they have just naturally found the stream. I suspect that, since the stream that the Cheonggeycheon flows into is a black, foul-smelling mess, the fish didn't come from the downstream area but were released in the Cheonggyecheon by some government agency. There are a couple of small streams that empty into the Cheonggyecheon that I've yet to explore, and it's possible that the fish came from them.
Okay, you're probably thinking, "Why is this video on its side?" The answer would be that I'm inept. I keep forgetting that I have to hold the camera level when taking video and that I can't manipulate it later. However, I thought you could still hear the stream and, if you put your head on your right shoulder, it looks okay.
The water flows quite quickly for the first third of the stream where it is quite narrow; then it doubles in width through the middle and the water slows down; then the final third is quite wide and the water flows gently into a larger stream at the south end. The stream is about 8 kms long but has at least three different types of ecosystems. I like the middle part best (near the old supports left from the elevated highway) because it seems the most overgrown and wild.
I got to the City Hall subway station at 9AM, went to the Starbucks in the building with the Canadian embassy, and was walking along the stream by 9:15. I got to the Hanyang University subway stop at the other end at noon. That's a fairly long walk and I could probably do it in 2 hours if I walked steadily without stopping, but it was just such a nice pleasant walk and there were lots of places that I just stopped and sat that it took about 3 hours.
Along the lower end of the stream, there are a lot more cyclists, runners, rollerbladers, power walkers, and others getting their exercise. There are at least three places for "foot-volleyball" (sorry, I don't know the real name for this). There was also a group of older women having a picnic.
I really enjoy this area. I think I will make it a Sunday ritual although I think I'll start at 8AM from now on. By 10AM, the vehicle pollution is noticeable, so an 8-10AM walk should be exactly what the doctor ordered.
I took a lot of pictures today, but Blogger beta has a glitch that doesn't allow me to upload them to this post today. I'm assuming that this is a temporary thing. I'll post them on my Yahoo Photos site. The link is on the right sidebar - "My Photos" --> "Cheonggyecheon Sept. 2006"
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Anger management
I want to start by saying that I really like my students, and I really enjoy my interactions with my colleagues. I like teaching here. I do now and I always have, but I am growing increasing tired of the anger that I feel every day in Seoul aimed at average strangers. It is increasing apparent that, every time I go somewhere else (Thailand or Canada), I feel a lot more relaxed and calm and, every time I come back here, I feel unhappy. There is rarely a day that goes by while I am in Seoul that I don't think, "You f**king half wit" or "Stupid idiot". I know that this is my problem, but now I have read this article that makes me think that, inspite of all the time I spend in the gym, there may be a real reason why I am sweating like crazy every day after walking up 6 flights of stairs to my office.
This evening, on the way to the gym, I was walking in the middle of the sidewalk. On the right, there was a 2-foot high concrete wall and a group of young Korean men standing on top of it. I knew that they were going to jump down, but they stood there until I got even with them, and then they jumped down and lightly bumped me. To be fair, it wasn't a hard shove. I doubt that they even noticed me before or after, but it bothered me for the next ten minutes - all the way to the gym. Then when I was working out, I was standing about 3 meters from the mirror and the dumbbell rack. There was lots of room in front of me to get the weights. I had done 2 or 3 sets of lat raises and was in the middle of my 4th set when some wanker walked right beside me to pick up a weight. I was in the middle of a set. I had done 5 or 6 reps and was just about to raise the weights again when this idiot walked right beside me, forcing me to stop my set. Not only was this inconsiderate, it is dangerous for him and for me. It also upset my rhythm and I couldn't finish the set. Did he do this on purpose? I doubt it. I suspect that he didn't notice before or after. This is not the first time that someone in Korea has done this in the gym. I've been doing sit-ups and had someone stand right behind me so that I hit him when I came down (he moved all of 1 cm so that I had enough room). Again, I got quite upset and was upset for quite awhile. The anger shouldn't happen, but, if it does, it should be like water off a duck's back. I should just let it go. I can't.
I've said this before, and I guess that I shouldn't belabor it. I really don't understand what people are thinking. I'm tired of it. It makes me a lot more upset than it should. I'm having such a hard time accepting it. I suspect that it causes me all sorts of mental and physical health problems.
This is the one country that I would love to love as much as my own - but I can't. I have left and come back 5 times. I think that, when my contract ends at the end of August next year, I will go. That's the advice I would give to a friend. I should take my own advice.
Anger 'compromises lung function'
Anger can damage lung function, according to research.A US team followed 670 male military veterans and found those with high levels of hostility had poorer lung function than their happier peers.
The scientists also found that the angriest men suffered a more rapid decline in lung capacity.
This evening, on the way to the gym, I was walking in the middle of the sidewalk. On the right, there was a 2-foot high concrete wall and a group of young Korean men standing on top of it. I knew that they were going to jump down, but they stood there until I got even with them, and then they jumped down and lightly bumped me. To be fair, it wasn't a hard shove. I doubt that they even noticed me before or after, but it bothered me for the next ten minutes - all the way to the gym. Then when I was working out, I was standing about 3 meters from the mirror and the dumbbell rack. There was lots of room in front of me to get the weights. I had done 2 or 3 sets of lat raises and was in the middle of my 4th set when some wanker walked right beside me to pick up a weight. I was in the middle of a set. I had done 5 or 6 reps and was just about to raise the weights again when this idiot walked right beside me, forcing me to stop my set. Not only was this inconsiderate, it is dangerous for him and for me. It also upset my rhythm and I couldn't finish the set. Did he do this on purpose? I doubt it. I suspect that he didn't notice before or after. This is not the first time that someone in Korea has done this in the gym. I've been doing sit-ups and had someone stand right behind me so that I hit him when I came down (he moved all of 1 cm so that I had enough room). Again, I got quite upset and was upset for quite awhile. The anger shouldn't happen, but, if it does, it should be like water off a duck's back. I should just let it go. I can't.
I've said this before, and I guess that I shouldn't belabor it. I really don't understand what people are thinking. I'm tired of it. It makes me a lot more upset than it should. I'm having such a hard time accepting it. I suspect that it causes me all sorts of mental and physical health problems.
This is the one country that I would love to love as much as my own - but I can't. I have left and come back 5 times. I think that, when my contract ends at the end of August next year, I will go. That's the advice I would give to a friend. I should take my own advice.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Beer Butt Chicken
I was poking around in my computer and came across these pictures that were taken on my recent fantastic Canadian vacation. One of the reasons that it was such a great vacation was that I met a lot of friends and had a lot of barbecues. This one was called a Beer Butt Chicken barbecue. The idea is to take a half a can of beer, jam a chicken - butt first - on the can, and throw it on the barbecue. It is supposed to make the chicken very tender. I can attest to the fact that it worked. It was great. Of course, the pleasant company and the wonderful view over the town of Kamloops helped, but it was the chicken that really made the evening.
I'm thinking that I might be able to do it in my oven. Of course, it won't have that wonderful barbecue flavor, but it should still be make the chicken tender. I think the biggest problem will be getting the can of beer half full. I mean, really, what happens if you accidentally drink too much and the can is only 1/3 full? You'd have to drain that can and try again. It could take half a dozen tries before you get it right.
Lovely day
I hope that I'm not jinxing us by saying that the summer seems to be history. This week has been really nice weatherwise. Right now it is 21C with 61% humidity, so it is very pleasant. I'm hoping that this weather will continue and slide right into autumn, which is usually my favorite season in Korea.
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Impatience
Many of my friends know that I'm a little impatient. Usually this leads me to upgrade to the beta version of everything. I usually ignore all the warnings about that fact that the beta versions of software may have problems. The very day that I found out about Yahoo Photo's beta version, I switched over. Two days ago, when I realized that Blogger has a beta version, I jumped at that too. I like the way that I can change and add things now - not that I'm actually doing it (although I did add a counter to the bottom of my blog so I can now see how many hits I'm not getting). It's just the possibility that I can change things that I like - well, that, and the fact that it's new and shiny. Perhaps I'm overcompensating for the fact that I don't have a BMW.
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Impatience
Many of my friends know that I'm a little impatient. Usually this leads me to upgrade to the beta version of everything. I usually ignore all the warnings about that fact that the beta versions of software may have problems. The very day that I found out about Yahoo Photo's beta version, I switched over. Two days ago, when I realized that Blogger has a beta version, I jumped at that too. I like the way that I can change and add things now - not that I'm actually doing it (although I did add a counter to the bottom of my blog so I can now see how many hits I'm not getting). It's just the possibility that I can change things that I like - well, that, and the fact that it's new and shiny. Perhaps I'm overcompensating for the fact that I don't have a BMW.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Lately
I just got back from the gym. I have to say that this past week has been tiring. I guess I have been suffering some jet lag (and culture shock). However, I dragged my sorry butt up to the gym because my shoulders and neck have been so tight that they ached and burned. Today should have been a leg day, but I worked my chest and back instead. I feel a lot better now.
In addition to the jet lag, we started classes last Monday. The first week wasn't really hard teaching-wise. Mostly it was a matter of telling the students what the semester would look like and then doing some conversation type activities just to loosen them up. However, dealing with students (especially older students) who wanted into one or both of my elective classes was irritating. I have one class called Intermediate Composition and one class called Advanced Conversation. I want to keep these two classes down to 20 or fewer students partly because they are a lot of work, but also because I don't have to follow the strict grading curve (30% A, 40% B, 30% C or lower) if there are less than 20 students. Even after I explain this, half a dozen students each day, ask me to sign a permission form so they can get in the class.
I also have had numerous students ask to audit the class. Over the years, I have had many students promise to come to class every day and do all of the work even it they are just auditing. However, in 20 years, I have never had an auditing student continue to the end of the class. I certainly understand this. If I had a class that I got no credit for and I suddenly had 2 exams and a couple of essays to do for other classes, I would skip the class I was auditing. Then, once you've skipped a class or two, it just seems easier never going back. I can't be bothered letting them in my classes anymore.
I've also had numerous students whom I have never met before ask me for a special favor, "Could I put them on the top of the waiting list?" I don't even know these students. Why would they think I would do them a special favor? I just want all of these students to leave me alone. We have a course registration procedure. They should follow it. If they can't get into my class, they just can't get into my class. They should do something else.
In addition to the jet lag, we started classes last Monday. The first week wasn't really hard teaching-wise. Mostly it was a matter of telling the students what the semester would look like and then doing some conversation type activities just to loosen them up. However, dealing with students (especially older students) who wanted into one or both of my elective classes was irritating. I have one class called Intermediate Composition and one class called Advanced Conversation. I want to keep these two classes down to 20 or fewer students partly because they are a lot of work, but also because I don't have to follow the strict grading curve (30% A, 40% B, 30% C or lower) if there are less than 20 students. Even after I explain this, half a dozen students each day, ask me to sign a permission form so they can get in the class.
I also have had numerous students ask to audit the class. Over the years, I have had many students promise to come to class every day and do all of the work even it they are just auditing. However, in 20 years, I have never had an auditing student continue to the end of the class. I certainly understand this. If I had a class that I got no credit for and I suddenly had 2 exams and a couple of essays to do for other classes, I would skip the class I was auditing. Then, once you've skipped a class or two, it just seems easier never going back. I can't be bothered letting them in my classes anymore.
I've also had numerous students whom I have never met before ask me for a special favor, "Could I put them on the top of the waiting list?" I don't even know these students. Why would they think I would do them a special favor? I just want all of these students to leave me alone. We have a course registration procedure. They should follow it. If they can't get into my class, they just can't get into my class. They should do something else.
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