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08.24.2002 | korea | day 172 | saturday

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On August 16 I penned the following:

Let me take this opportunity to remind the Rupert-ian that it was a humble Provo boy, who only lives to serve others and bring happiness to the world, who was the David to his Backgammon Goliath and that said Provoan is still waiting, patiently, for his Championship t-shirt. :P

Allow me to step out from behind the mask and tip my hat to said Rupert-ian for his retort which also follows. (I include it here as the comments on this blog have a habit of disappearing.) I'm aware that most people won't appreciate the genius buried within the text. That's most peoples' loss.

The revised story of David and Goliath - as disillusionedly referred to by [Shylock], but truthfully penned by an Oremite with four kids:


And behold, David took one stone from his quiver, and placed it into the leather pouch on his sling, and slung the sling with great vigor and haste. And it came to pass that the strap on the sling did break, and the stone thereof did err in its trajectory, and did spin dizzily out of control, making contact with no less than three trees and a seagull, before falling limply on the exposed toe of the sleeping giant, causing a scratch.


And behold, the giant, unaware of his assailant until that point did rub his toe, and did wake up, and did put on a shoe, and his armour, and his helmet and shield and bow, and did face toward David, and did exclaim "Behold, I was not prepared for battle at the onset, now I will give thee a good, fair, fight.


But behold, his words did fall on the ears of nobody, for behold, David, giddy with pleasure, had already departed the area, boasting in his own strength, and proclaiming his victory loudly in the streets. And it came to pass that David did continually rebuff the desires of the giant to have great battle, for claimed he, "Behold I have already won avery battle I have had with thee. What need have I at a rematch, for behold my victories stand at 100%." The claim of 100% he also cried from the rooftops incessantly, until, from sheer tedium, the giant did cease tracking the shepherd boy, and pestering him for battle. For behold, the boy did quickly flee from place to place, making himself extremely elusive, and deceptive.


But, the giant did not lose hope and he did not easily moan his loss. For behold, he did know that in a coming day, he would once again cross paths with the fleeing David, and he knew that when that day happened, he would make swift work of the cowardly David. And in this way, he would put an end to the ceaseless complaints from David that he had not, as of yet, received raiment for the upper torso, proclaiming victory for the toe-stubbing that he did inflict upon Goliath.

Priceless.

08.23.2002 | korea | day 171 | friday

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Writing is addictive. And a curse.

08.22.2002 | korea | day 170 | thursday

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I made a crazy mad dash to Incheon this morning - no small feat - to meet Brian who was on his way home and return a duffel bag of extraneous items he didn't want to tote around the mainland for his last two weeks in the country. Generous guy that I am, I offered to do this to save him the hassle of yet another long train ride. What should have been a mere six hour round trip circuit on trains and subways grew to eight hours by the end because of a missed train in the morning and a wrong subway line taken from Seoul to Suwon instead of Incheon. Subsequently I missed two hours of class in the afternoon but the director was understanding and helpful enough to find a substitute and I returned in the nick of time to teach my remaining two hours.

In Incheon we had time for a Koreanized Chinese meal in Chinatown across the street from the subway station - bokum-bop, mandu, and chow mein. We then wound our way up the steep granite steps on the hillside to two stunning monuments. The first was the Korea USA Centennial Monument dedicated in 1982 to commorate 100 of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries. Six flying steeples, angled inward and encased in steel shingles, sheltered the square, and two enormous, bronze circular abstractions, looped together stood in the center. Built overlooking the Incheon harbor, they seemed a fitting complement to the better known monument ensconced further up the hill, about ten minutes by foot: the statue of General Douglas MacArthur.

After a bit of trouble we found the small park that serves as the grounds for this flattering monument. I failed to notice the dedication date of the site but the grounds were well kept and we encountered a small crowd of local old men under a small pavilion, likely engaged in a game of "badook" as they sought shelter from the steady rain that was pestering us with our one umbrella.

The simple 12 foot granite column upon which the simple bronze statue of MacArthur stood, dressed casually in a windbreaker and hat and sporting binoculars, belies the grand language in the plaque at the base in which is explained the reason for this tribute to America's five star general and Korean War hero. Words like "genius," "inspired," and "eternal gratitude" described the man and the invasion he led at Incheon which led to the eventual liberation of South Korea as well as the way Koreans feel or should feel about the role the United States and other UN forces played in defending their liberties. Phrases like "the malignant scourge of Communism" and "the eventual reunification of Korea" offer commentary on the still existing division and hoped for resolution of atrocities that senselessly divided this small peninsula. Quite an approbation to a leader and his country.

08.21.2002 | korea | day 169 | wednesday

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OK, I've published China Day Three SO GET OFF MY BACK! :P

07.28.2002 | china | day three | sunday

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{This post has been moved to shylockchina. Thanks for your interest.}

http://www.blogrolling.com/


http://blogaboutblogs.blogspot.com/


www.kazaa.com


www.morpheus.com

08.19.2002 | korea | day 167 | monday

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a china/korea gripe

The worst thing about China: all the second-hand smoke I had to inhale! Korea is bad in contrast to the States but something about China makes Korea feel like a ward social. Although almost all men smoke in both countries (I've seen very few women smoke), China just seems worse. After 4 or 5 days in the country I lost the patience I've had over the last five months and became more than a little irrated whenever a cab driver or someone at a nearby table would light up.

I've seen a t-shirt in Seoul that I'm tempted to buy: one man asks another man, "Mind if I smoke?" and the other responds, "Mind if I fart?" I'll admit to having more than my fair share of 'gastrointestinal pressures' but I do what I can to avoid giving offense to others. Is it too much to ask that smokers do the same? I advocate their freedom of choice and I am opposed to the tactics of the anti-smoking zealots in America in spite of my religion but enough is enough.

I feel the need to rant because a day or two ago I was stuck next to a chain smoker in a PC room who felt the need to blare some annoying Korean music on his computer while I had to breath his smoke as I courteously listened to Rush Limbaugh with headphones! It's his right and no one was stopping me from leaving but I still got annoyed. So I unplugged the headphones, allowed Rush to blare from the speakers, and gave the green light to my 'repressed intestinal energy' and within five minutes he left, visibly annoyed. Hooray! Chalk one up to reciprocal rudeness as a solution to societal problems!

08.18.2002 | korea | day 166 | sunday

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When I was teaching my Housewives class on Friday I told them about my weight loss. They asked how much I'd lost. I had to tell them in kilograms and since one kilogram is about 2.2 pounds, I told them I'd lost 4 Kg which is 8.8 pounds (at the time I didn't realize I'd actually lost 10.4 pounds!). They were so impressed - one woman piped up and told me I'd lost a baby! Hilarious! I countered by saying I'd be happy if I could lose 2 or 3 more babies. I have a lot of fun teaching them - once a week for two hours. They show so much concern for my welfare that I often tell them they are my 12 Korean mothers.

The topic of discussion for the day included a page in the textbook about a fortune teller. That led into a class discussion comparing American and Korean supersititions. Here are some of the more memorable ones I can remember:

• it's bad luck for a taxi driver to pick up a woman wearing glasses early in the morning - go figure
  
  
• it's bad luck to a store if the first customer of the day doesn't buy anything - therefore, I was told, many Koreans prefer to shop in the afternoon or evening so they don't feel obliged to buy something
  
  
• it's good luck if it snows on your wedding day - so, many Koreans bring cans of aerosol snow to spray above the bride and groom at weddings
  
  
• if a bride cries at her wedding, her first child will be a boy, if a bride laughs at her wedding, her first child will be a girl
  
  
• the woman who catches the bride's bouquet is predicted to get married herself within six months but if she doesn't, she'll never get married - therefore (I learned at the Korean wedding I attended) the bride usually selects someone to catch her bouquet who is already either engaged or close to becoming engaged
  
  
• it is bad luck to write your name in red ink
  
  
• the number 4 is bad luck since the the Korean words for "death" and "4" sound similar
  
  
• Koreans don't leave their chopsticks sticking up out of the bowl when they're done eating - it represents death.

omegawatches.com

machinima.org

daveseslcafe.com

oup.com/elt

ekno.lonelyplanet.com

onlinecalls.net/econ

newworldtele.com

Korea websites, page 54, Lonely Planet

kexpat, liszt, soc.culture.korean

seoul.classified.co.kr

yonsei.ac.kr - language course

TESLJB-L mailing list, page 71, Lonely Planet

GlobalPOV - privacy company

eeggs.com

dir.yahoo.com/computers_and_internet/software/easter_eggs/.

08.17.2002 | korea | day 165 | saturday

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Today I enthusiastically and egocentrically announce that I have lost 10.4 pounds since arriving in Korea 5 1/2 months ago! Try in vain to imagine how ecstatic I am.

08.16.2002 | korea | day 164 | friday

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A certain BYU graduate living in Orem with four children, endless church callings, more coins than he knows what to do with, an affinity for a vampire named Buffy, a penchant for college football and volleyball, and the past holder of the title: BYU Intramural Backgammon Champion, recently disparaged the "Comments" on my blog. He noticed they all clump together and don't adhere to the entries they're meant to address. I'm working on the problem and should have it fixed soon.

And let me take this opportunity to remind the above mentioned Rupert-ian that it was a humble Provo boy, who only lives to serve others and bring happiness to the world, who was the David to his Backgammon Goliath and that said Provoan is still waiting, patiently, for his Championship t-shirt. :P

08.15.2002 | korea | day 163 | thursday

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Yet another holiday today; what a great country. It's Liberation Day, celebrated on August 15 in "memory of the Japanese acceptance of the Allied terms of surrender in 1945."

08.12.2002 | korea | day 160 | monday

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After ultimately enjoying David Copperfield so much, I've embarked on a Charles Dickens reading spree. Yesterday I finished Oliver Twist and I'm am already 100 pages into Great Expectations. I am enjoying the great variety and depth of characters as well as the treasure trove of memorable quotes. Accordingly, I've established a new blog called Book Report to share these things with any who may also find them interesting.

08.12.2002 | korea | day 160 | monday

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recently sent . . .

Dear Malena 'Mae'

After your countless emails, dozens of letters, untold post cards, too many care packages, costly phone calls, a plethora of telegrams, a dirth* of faxes, daily warm and fuzzy feelings I get that tell me you are thinking of me, more bouquets of flowers than I can shake a stick at, a gaggle of tel-exes, two singing telegrams, and even a smoke signal saying you love me, that least I can do is send you this postcard to say hi.

Your mentor, model, and mime instructor, Richard.

* OK, I later realized I meant to say 'dearth' not 'dirth,' which isn't even a word, but unfortunately it has the exact opposite meaning I intended: a scarce supply; a lack of]

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Lonely Planet: Korea recommended reads

guides




1. Berlitz: Korean for Travelers
   
   
2. In Introductory Course in Korean by Fred Lukoff
   
   
3. Korea's Golden Age by Edward B. Adams
   
   
4. Korean Guide: A Glimpse of Korea's Cultural Legacy by Edward B. Adams
   
   
5. Lonely Planet: Korean Phrasebook

history/politics




1. Korean Old and New: A History from the Korea Institute at Harvard University
   
   
2. Korea: Tradition and Transformation by Andrew C. Nahm
   
   
3. The Comfort Women
   
   
4. True Stories of the Korean Comfort Women by Keith Howard
   
   
5. The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History by Don Oberdorfer
   
   
6. Korea's Place in the Sun: A Modern History by Bruce Cummings
   
   
7. The Abacus and the Sword: the Japanese Penetration of Korea by Peter Duus
   
   
8. The Confucian Transformation of Korea by Martina Deuchler
   
   
9. Confucian Gentlemen and Barbarian Envoys by Martina Deuchler
   
   
10. Korea's Golden Age by Edward B. Adams (recommended read before visiting Gyeongju, Korea's living museum

travel




1. To Dream of Pigs by Clive Leatherdale
   
   
2. Korea and her Neighbors by Isabella Lucy Bird Bishop

business




1. Troubled Tiger: Business Men, bureaucrats, and Generals in South Korea by Mark Clifford
   
   
2. The Chaebol by Steers, Shin, and Ungson
   
   
3. Korean Dynasty: Hyundai and Chung Ju Yung by Donald Kirk

07.27.2002 | china | day two | saturday

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{This post has been moved to shylockchina. Thanks for your interest.}

07.26.2002 | china | day one | friday

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{This post has been moved to shylockchina. Thanks for your interest.}

day 156

Two days back in the country now and the rain has finally paused. The streams and rivers have tripled in size since I left and the rain was still falling in relentless torrents as I returned to Chunchon and Weesing. I was unable to write in my journal each day while in China but I've managed to take notes on everything I did each day. I will fill in the blanks and post my actual journal entries in serial form over the next two weeks. I also have almost 200 great pictures from my trip and will post some of the best on my page at Ofoto.com. You need an invitation to view the pics so contact me if you'd like to see them and haven't rec'd one.

Read What Leftists Hate Most by Chris Weinkopf at FrontPageMagazine.com