Adventures in Astronauts...

I was watching TV last night, 60 MInutes to be exact, and the topic of space exploration and missions to Mars and new Lunar Landings were discussed. Two things surprised me. First, no-one has set foot on the moon in my lifetime. The last manned mission to the moon was back in '72. I think I has just assumed that when the astronauts were tinkering with space stations, they'd make a little stop on the moon, while they were in the neighbourhood. I don't know where I got that idea from. However, what really surprised me, (and it shouldn't have - it seems so obvious), is that there is more computer technology in my cellphone then there was on any of the Apollo missions to the Moon. I use my phone to do everything from look up words in the Korean-English dictionary, to checking the subway map to see how long it takes to get from one station to another, to taking pictures of things that amuse me. (You'll notice I rarely use it as a phone.) It was like a little lightening bolt in my brain when I realized that I had grown up considering space exploration to be the epitome of technological marvels...and that somewhere in the past 30 years, technology far surpassed the days of Apollo missions. How did Buzz and Neil manage a whole moon-walking mission without a little MP3 player and a pocket-sized access to Google?

Adventures in Fools of April...

While I don't usually do much for April Fool's Day myself, I read this morning of possibly one of the most successful and well executed pranks of all time. I'm just glad I'm not the guy that got pranked.

You can read the article here: http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=955#more-955

Adventures in Mirth...

What a day this is turning out to be. I woke up chuckling from an odd dream I had, and soon sat down with coffee and toast in hand to peruse my morning websites. I spent a few minutes on Damn Interesting which my friend Jen introduced me to. I came across an article entitled "Humoring the Gelotologists" by Alan Bellows. I spent the next 10 minutes reading all about theories of why we laugh, and the healthy benefits of laughter. By the end of the article, I was sure I had laughed enough to add a few days to my life expectancy. I wasn't finished yet. At the bottom of the article were links to various funny sites. That's when I found it. It was a little creepy, a whole lot bizarre, and frighteningly contagious. Since laughter is so good for you, and I want all my readers to be happy and healthy, I'm sharing this for your own good. Be sure to turn your speakers on, and enjoy.

Adventures in Listening to My Conscience...

Early this morning, I rolled over and squinted at the sun in my eyes.

"C'mon, get up! If you say you're going to get up, you have to get up. You can't just decide not to, like a rabbit with chickenpox!" my conscience demanded.

I squinted at my conscience. "What??!!?"

I had promised no one, not even myself, that I would get up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday. I didn't like the tone my conscience was taking with me, and I realized that my conscience is not at it's best early in the morning. My slowly waking brain toyed with the possibilities..."Hmmm, so if someone wanted to convince me to rob a bank, they might have a better chance at 7am, since my conscience is still groggy and inarticulate..."

My conscience, embarrassed at the stupidity of the 'rabbit with chickenpox' bit, replied petulantly, "Well then, it's a good thing banks aren't open at 7am, isn't it. Humph! Now get up!"

I rolled over and went back to sleep for a little while.

Adventures in Cambodia
Part IV: The Government Comes to Call

A few days after we got back from Cambodia, there was a knock on my door around 7 pm. It was the security guy from downstairs, announcing that a representative of the Health Department would be coming by to see me. "When?" I asked.

"Today" he replied. I looked at my watch. I looked at him with my eyebrows raised. He added, "In about 1 hour, I think." About 10 minutes later, he returned to say that the official would come the next morning instead.

When we were on the plane, shortly before landing in Seoul, we had been asked to fill out custom's declaration and health cards. Since I didn't want to risk a hefty fine, or 5 years in prison, (as the card said I would if I lied), I dutifully checked the boxes that said I had had vomiting and diarrhea in the past 10 days. Annelie also checked one of the boxes because she has also had traveler's diarrhea. [This is more than you wanted to know about our trip, isn't it?] When we got the the airport, the heath official asked me about it and I told him it was just food poisoning, and we went on our merry way.

That's how, 3 days later, I found myself in my bathroom with a sterile swab in my hand, being asked to prove to the waiting government official that I didn't have cholera. How embarrassing.

Adventures in Cambodia
Part III: Phnom Penh

After a bit of a rough start in Phnom Penh, things quickly improved after a good night's sleep and a packet of re-hydration salts. I wasn't confident enough the next morning to join the pre-TESOL conference education tour though, and sent Jen in my stead. Tracy had returned to Korea the night before, so I slept most of the morning. By the time Jen and Annelie returned from the tour, I was feeling healthy and hungry.

On Saturday, while Jen was attending the first day of the conference, Annelie and I went to check out the Central Market. Built in the mid 1930's, it's a big yellow art-deco building housing an abundance of clothes, flowers, silver, electronics, etc. It was also HOT inside, so we didn't stay long. Instead, we spent the afternoon reading by the pool until Jen got back and the three of us went in search of yet another gem of a restaurant.

On Sunday, all three of us headed to the National Institute of Education for the last day of the CamTESOL conference. I hadn't realized that Sunday was only a 1/2 day, so I only had a chance to attend two sessions. The first one wasn't helpful for me at all, which is unfortunate, since "Cartoons in the Classroom" had seemed promising. However, the presentation contained mostly things I'd already tried and hadn't had much success with. I had been hoping for some new suggestions. The next session was much better though, and gave some good, solid, practical tips for teaching conversation in a large class. Some of the suggestions were techniques I already use, but there were also some ideas I'm going to try this semester.

After the conference, we discovered a nearby Indian restaurant that served quite possibly the 2nd best Indian meal I can remember. (The best was in Singapore). I was SO happy to be on vacation in a tropical country and have a healthy enough stomach that I could even enjoy some Paneer Korma and Aloo Pulao.

With the conference behind us, the next day was spent on the "must see" of all tourists to the capital. Often, as we were riding our bikes through the countryside, I couldn't help but imagine the country at war 30 years ago. Even so, books I've read and movies I've watched didn't prepare me for our tour of the Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. When we arrived, we were taken through the area by a guide, but then, difficult as it was, we chose to go through again quietly on our own. [I've been sitting here staring at my screen now for a few minutes, unsure of how to continue.] The atrocities of the PolPot regime have always sickened me, but until that moment, it had always been somewhat remote. Now, I could picture the faces of people I'd met in Cambodia, and the horror of those years suddenly became much more real. It was a rough day, to say the least.

The next two days were basically spent finishing up our trip. We went the the National Museum, which, like most Asian museums I've been to, was more a cause of frustration than pleasure for me. You all know I adore museums; I can gaze at the artifacts and envision their parts in history before they were encased in glass. I can imagine what they were like before, and how they were a part of someone's life. I have trouble doing that in Asian museums. In part, the objects are really foreign to me, and I have trouble putting them in context. This hurdle could be overcome with adequate signs and descriptions. However, museums in this part of the world seem to think that "This xxx is 12cm long and weighs 28grams. It was made during the reign of King xxx." Fill in the xxx's with a word you don't know, and the name of a King you've never heard of. That's about as helpful as it gets. By the time we left the museum and went to the Royal Palace, I was making up my own stories about what things were. I'm sure that the Ho Preah Khan or Samritvimean ( an ornate building on the palace grounds) has a noble purpose, but it will forever be etched in my mind as the "Building to store the royal lime-paste pot collection", because that's what happens when you leave me to my own devices. If I could go back in time and re-do my conversation with my high school guidance counsellor, I think I'd tell him I want to be a Curator-at-Large for Asian museums.

Oopsy-daisy. I seem to have taken a left turn at the corner of Irrelevant Lane and Rambling Road and wound up in the middle of Digression Gorge. My apologies.

Hm, it seems like I'm almost done anyway. We spent a bit more time at the markets, and the grocery store (I love visiting grocery stores in foreign countries!) and beside the pool. Before we knew it, we were zipping up our suitcases, Annelie and I were bidding adieu to Jen and boarding a plane bound for Korea.

Do not despair, dear readers. The adventure isn't quite over yet. There's a post-script yet to come. Stay tuned for Part IV: A Government Official Comes to Call.

Adventures in Cambodia
Part II: Shihanoukville

[I forgot to mention that after our 3 days of cycling in Siem Reap, we spent an extra day there relaxing, and visited a silk farm which was very interesting and informative. It's part of an initiative to preserve Khmer artistic traditions, provide skills training and fair working conditions in rural areas. I have some photos of the whole process, so if you're interested in 'em, let me know.]

Early Saturday morning, we boarded a bus for a loooong day, but between dozing and being mesmerized by the scenery passing outside the window, it wasn't so bad. We finally arrived in Shihanoukville around 6:30pm and headed to our arranged accommodation, which we thought was 2 bungalows. Instead, we wound up with 1 hotel room. The next day, we did a little searching and found a lovely place right on the beach that had a 4-bed room, so we could all stay together. That afternoon, we went for a walk to explore our environs, and came across Scuba Nation. The next thing I know, I'm in a swimming pool wearing a tank on my back and flippers on my feet...and enjoying myself! I signed up with Jen and Annelie to go on a full-day scuba adventure on Tuesday.

Before going scuba diving though, we had also arranged to go snorkeling for $10 through our hotel. The BBQ fish-on-the-beach lunch that was provided made the trip worthwhile. The rest was, ah, let's just say it was memorable. We started the day wading out into the surf to climb aboard the swaying boat. We puttered our way out to sea, and the captain pulled up near an island and just stopped the boat. We selected our masks and snorkels from a bag of badly battered gear, and, along with the rest of the passengers, just jumped off the boat and started looking under the water trying to see some aquatic life. In about 2 minutes time, I realized that the current seemed awfully strong. I had my face underwater, and was swimming forward...but according to the rock below me, I was actually moving backwards. I looked up and realized that the boat was now very far away. I gave up looking for sea life, and started swimming back towards the boat. Annelie, Jen and Tracy were nearby, and we all noticed our dilemma around the same time. We all started swimming for all we were worth. Annelie and I, both hampered by our life jackets, were getting nowhere. Tracy (a very strong swimmer, by the way), was hampered by her broken mask and snorkel and wasn't faring much better. Jen, swimming flat out for maybe 20+ minutes finally made it back to the boat, and got him to come and pick us up. In the meantime, the three of us huddled together, had given up trying to swim, and were bobbing along towards Vietnam. The boat finally came to fetch us, and we spent the next 2 hours lying in a hammock on a beach while lunch was prepared and eaten. (That, I think, was the best part of the day.)

What a difference a day makes. The next day we left our snorkel experience behind us and headed out to sea again. This time, we were on much larger boat, and went much farther afield. (asea?) We went on two dives (with lunch in between) and I absolutely loved every minute of it. (Except when I thought that maybe we had lost Annelie, but we didn't. Not really.) According to more experienced divers, visibility wasn't that great, since it was a windy day, and the bottom was getting churned up. However, since I was just so excited to be breathing underwater, I didn't mind. While I saw some pretty blue fish, and some brown ones, and some coral, I mostly just tried to make sure I could still see my diving instructor. He was awfully patient and handsome, so I wasn't all that interested in the fish anyway. (Just kidding, the fish were nice too.) Anyway, you can see from the picture that I had a great time. I couldn't wipe that grin off my face for the rest of the day. I finally found a watersport that I can do without getting a sunburn or sunstroke, and allows me to hang-out on a boat for hours getting to and from the dive site! It's ideal.

The next day, we just kicked around on the beach and did a little exploring. We also got to know Ha and Han better. They were two women who worked on the beach during the day offering massages, threading, manicures, pedicures, etc. We had met them a few days earlier, and when business was slow, they would come and talk with us for a while. We chatted with them and saw pictures of their kids and shared some laughs. For the most part, the Cambodians and the tourists move in very different, very separate spheres. It was nice to spend some time interacting with some Cambodian women about my age.

The following day, our bus left Shihanoukville around 2pm. Around 1:30, my stomach started feeling a little queasy. Just a little. Around 1:59 it was definitely getting worse. 10 minutes after the bus pulled away from the station, the chicken sandwich I'd had that morning struck back with a vengeance. I'll spare you the details of the next 4 hours, but I will let you know that (a) I'm glad we spent the extra $2 for a bus with a bathroom on it, (b) I sincerely apologize to the other 39 passengers on board, and (c) it's a good thing the hostess on the bus came armed with a full can of air freshener.

That was the condition I was in upon our arrival in Phnom Penh and was led, carried, steered, and ushered to the hotel by my helpful and sympathetic friends.

Adventures in Cambodia
Part I: Siem Reap

Our time in Siem Reap was in itself almost two vacations in one. On one hand, we spent our evenings enjoying the lush gardens at our hotel, open-air restaurants (with delicious food and even delicious-er ambiance), and trolling through the various markets. (This is the view from our hotel window. Try and imagine the sound of a little fountain, and a cool breeze along with it.) On the other hand, we spent our days cycling and cycling and cycling, until POOF an ancient temple would emerge from the jungle and need to be explored.

Our first day, the cycling was almost luxurious. We started off early in the morning (with our cycling guide) along broad, flat, tree lined avenues. I settled into my saddle, ready for a long ride when we came to a T-junction, and huge stone walls and faces (and small, very lively monkeys) emerged from behind the trees. That day, I never did feel like we cycled very far. We did tour through Ta Prohm (aka the Tomb Raider Temple) with the huge tree roots enveloping the massive stones, Angkor Thom (with the big stone 4-sided face), and finally, Angkor Wat itself. Our temple guide was very knowledgeable, although we had some trouble tuning our ears to his accent, and deciphering a litany of unfamiliar Hindu, Buddhist, and Khmer names. Eventually, I gave up trying to remember if such-and-such a temple was built by King Jayavarman VII, and dedicated to Vishnu, or if it was built by King Suryavarman II and dedicated to Shiva, or if it was actually dedicated to Buddha, but later had all the Buddha's chiseled off by a Hindu preferring king. Instead, I turned my attention to the exquisite details of the carving, and the realization that I was actually standing in the jungle temples of Cambodia.

Our second day of cycling took us far from the cool, breezy boulevards of the previous day, and out along the tourist forsaken backroads of Cambodia. It will remain in my memory as one of the most unique bike rides of my life. We cycled for hours along long, flat, dusty, grimy, gritty, hot, unpaved roads. I loved every minute of it. Cars were few and far between, but wooden houses built high on stilts were not. Shade was sparse, but the landscape was stunning. Not a tourist (or tourist shop) was to be seen, but children all along the route would come running out from under their houses to smile shyly, say hello, or even high-five us as we rode past. I was sure that by the end of 20 minutes cycling in that heat and beating sun I would be curled up in the ditch suffering from heat stroke - but after 1 or 2 or even 3 hours ( I didn't wear my watch, so I really don't know how long it took us to cycle 30 or 40km) I still felt great, and never once muttered nasty things under my breath about Annelie making me cycle all over Cambodia in the blazing sun. That day, at the end of our journey, we visited Bantay Srei, which displays the most detailed and intricate carvings of all the Angkor temples. That night, I spent hours scrubbing red dusty sunscreen paste out of every wrinkle in my skin, and grinning all the while.

On our third, and final, day of cycling, we set out down Siem Reap's main thoroughfare. As we kicked off from the curb, our guide said "Stay to the right, keep moving, don't panic. Let's go." Right. Somehow, Jen managed to get a picture of Annelie and I pedaling along surrounded by motorbikes, tuk-tuks, cars and buses. I'm so glad I could only see the traffic infront of, and directly beside me. Once we pool all our pictures, I'll post that one here for you to see. (Mom, maybe you'd better not look.) Honestly, I don't even remember what temple we saw that day - I think it was Bakong. Later that afternoon, our temple visits complete, we stowed our bikes in the support van and headed for the floating village. We sailed past houses, schools, churches, gas stations, libraries, and even a regulation sized basketball court all bobbing along in the river.

Also while in Siem Reap, I discovered the joys of pepper. I had read that Cambodia was famous for it's Kampot pepper, but I thought to myself, "Right. Pepper. Black stuff, you sprinkle it on eggs, hangs out next to the salt, makes you sneeze. How exciting can that be?" Well, the first time I bit into a cluster of little green balls tightly crowded onto a thin stem, I was impressed. I've never had 'fresh' pepper before, and it was delicious. For the rest of the trip, I appreciated the black peppery taste in so many of the dishes I enjoyed in Cambodia. My sad little shaker of dull, generic, has-lived-a-long-shelf life pepper in my kitchen cupboard will never measure up.

That's it for Siem Reap. In Part II: Shihanoukville, we'll head to the beach.

Adventures in Angkor...

I'm off to Cambodia in the morning, so I won't be posting for a while. It will be kind of like how I haven't been posting even when I've been here, except that I'll be not posting from a different place.

Adventures in an Underwater Discovery...

Friday was the last day of the 2008 Daegu University Children's Winter English Camp. On the last day, we always do a presentation involving singing and dancing and props and pomp. Although I had five students this year, one of them left for a family trip to Japan on the day of the presentation, so I only had 4 little munchkins all alone on the big stage. They look so tiny.

Our presentation was the song Underwater Discovery, and the kids did a great job. Over the course of the program, we made snorkels, and waves and underwater life forms. The only problem came with the line "Riding on a sea horse, that would be so cool." Unfortunately, their pronunciation, despite my greatest professional efforts, continued to come out missing the 's' in horse. Yes, go ahead, say it out loud without the 's' in horse. I'm not going to type it for you. This is a family page.

Adventures in Amazing Races...

It's no secret that if I had my pick of reality shows to compete in, I'd choose to be on the Amazing Race. Sitting around on a beach bickering and eating snails on Survivor doesn't appeal to me. Sitting around in a house bickering and - well, just bickering really, on Big Brother doesn't appeal to me. Since I can't sing, dance or look at a camera without making a goofy-face, Canadian Idol, Dancing with the Stars and America's Next Top Model are out. I have no desire to be fired (or hired) by Donald Trump, and Fear Factor is simply out of the question. Jetting off around the globe, participating in frustrating, but culturally symbolic challenges while not being responsible for actively choosing to get rid of other people sounds like something I'd enjoy more.

Recently (well, I saw the episodes recently. I have no idea when they actually originally aired.), on The Amazing Race:Asia, the teams spent 2 episodes in South Korea. It was great to be able to recognize the places, and empathize with the teams as they tried to find their way around Busan by taxi. I laughed so hard when the team from the Philippines complained that Korean drivers stayed in their lanes and obeyed traffic signals. If they were in Manila, they would be able to weave through the traffic. Next time I'm driving, and sputtering at the traffic, I'll have to remind myself that it's all a matter of perspective. "It could be worse. I could be in Manila." I'll tell myself.

Adventures in Rising and Shining...

I remember one winter, my family was catching an early (early!) morning flight from Ottawa to Regina. My Dad came in to wake me up with the chipper rhyme "Wakey, wakey, rise and shine. Tomorrow we get up at half-past-nine." For some reason, that's never found it's way to my memory bank's exit door. I was thinking of that rhyme yesterday as I contemplated the state of limbo I find myself in this month. Technically, I'm working this month. However, I don't start work until 1:30pm, which means I have the option of sleeping in every morning, as though I'm on vacation. Once I get to work, it's so much fun, and goes by so quickly, I feel happy and relaxed and ...well, like I'm on vacation!

Torn three ways between the option to sleep in, the desire to sleep in, and the desire to get up and start my day, I occasionally find myself waking up bright and early, then snurling (snuggling + curling) up in my warm blankets in that dozy state between awake and fending off angry forensic scientists with radioactive cheeseburgers. (Don't ask.) Yesterday, whilst in that dozy state, I was convinced that wake-up times should come with a letter grade. Clear as a bell, I was sure that waking up at 8:30 was a B-. As I tried to figure out the rest of the scoring system, I must have drifted back into a bit of a snooze because the characters from 'Bones' were trying to get me to throw my shoes over a brick wall. By the time I woke up again, my wake-up grade had slipped from a B- to a C+.

Perhaps I should just get up the first time I wake up, and avoid the snurling, dozing, and the subsequent mental oddities.

Adventures in Hillary Hair Hilarity...

Things have been a bit slow lately. My days have been a routine of "Wake up, eat breakfast, go to the gym, shower, eat lunch, sing and dance and play and colour, come home, eat dinner." After dinner, I've been amusing myself with a new application on Facebook called HairMixer. You can see from the photo above what I would look like if I had Hillary Clinton hair. (The Angelina Jolie hair was a disaster.) Looking like me, looking at Hillary looking like me got me thinking about lunch. (It was dinner time. Anything would have made me think about lunch.) I started to think about what former 1st Lady of the US I would like to have lunch with, if given the chance. It was a toss up between Hillary Clinton, Martha Washington or Eleanor Roosevelt. (I had thought about Jackie O, but I think I'd be to intimidated to enjoy my meal.) Who would you choose?

Logdriver's Waltz

I used to love this video when I was a kid. I woke up this morning with the tune in my head, and thought I'd see if I could find it. I did.

Ontari-ari-ari-o

A little bit of nostalgia to ring in the new year. Enjoy.

Adventures in Opinion Polls...

Here is the choice I was faced with 20 minutes ago: brave the cold and head for the gym, or sip my coffee rreeeaaallllyyyy slowly to give myself a chance to faff at the computer for a few more minutes. As you can see by the new Opinion Poll I've added to the sidebar, I'm still sipping. Every time I update my blog, I'll try and think of a relevant question to go along with it, giving you, my dear reader(s) a chance to put in your two cents worth.

Hmm, since all I've done since my last post was a crossword puzzle and a good night's sleep, I've run out of things to say and must face up to the fact that I will have to face the cold.

Happy voting!!

Adventures in 2007 Winding Down...

Happy New Year! Now that the festivities have fested, the celebrations have celebrated, and the brouhaha has brouhad, it's time to sit down and fill y'all in on my holidays.

First, I've had a few spare minutes of reading, and have realized that I shouldn't have treated the "Price of Honour" book so blithely in my last post. The book is actually deeply disturbing on a number of levels. I think it's well worth the read though.

Next, let's see...ah, yes. Christmas! Despite the increasing number of lights, tinsel and carols to be seen and heard here in Korea, Christmas still sneaked up with no snow and very little warning. Christmases for me in Korea have really been as good as a 2nd place Christmas can be. This year was no different. Christmas Eve is always the hardest time for me when I'm not home for the holidays, but good friends and good food at Tracy's house made it comfortable and cheery. Christmas Day brought 8 friends into my tiny apartment for a buffet brunch and gift exchange. After the gift exchange, everyone left to prepare for dinner. Devon managed to get his hands on not one, but TWO turkeys. (A rarity in Korea, indeed!) Everyone pitched in and supplemented the turkeys with favourite tastes from home...but since 'home' was represented this year by at least 6 different countries, the flavours of home were wonderfully varied! Dinner lasted about 6 hours from start to finish (what better way to forget you're not at home than to prolong the time you spend with friends). After dinner, in the quiet of the night, I got to speak with my parents, and wish my sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew Merry Christmas via webcam. I love watching them on Christmas morning, and am thankful that my sister lets me.

Boxing Day was quiet and restful...as were the next several days. I don't start work again until Monday afternoon, so I'm still on holiday.

Yesterday was a really great day, even though the primary goal was left unmet. Annelie needed to go to the Japanese Consulate in Pusan (about an hour away by train), so we planned to go to Pusan, drop off her application, troll around the city for the day, check in to a Yogwan for the night, pick up her visa the next day, and head for home. However, we didn't double check that the embassy would be open. It wasn't. We stood outside in the cold for a few minutes, staring blankly at our tourist map that didn't tell us where we were. Eventually we headed back to the train station to get our bearings, and headed for Kebabistan- a Turkish restaurant in Pusan. It was delightful: excellent hummus, falafel, and lamb-thingies. After lunch, we made our way to the OKOutdoor.com store. They carry my favourite brands at hugely discounted prices. I got a pair of bike shorts and a long-sleeve travel top in preparation for our trip to Cambodia. Both items were over 50% off the regular retail price. WooHoo! With good food and good deals, the day was a nice change from my sofa, even though Annelie didn't get her visa.

I think that's about all. I'm hoping everyone has a wonderful 2008!

Adventures in Abayas...

I can tell it's the end of the semester, and I'm feeling a little more time to relax after (most of) my paperwork is done. I polished off a new book First they killed my father in less than a day. The biography of a woman who was 5 years old when Pol Pot evicted the citizens of Phnom Penh was heart-wrenching, but worthwhile reading before my trip to Cambodia.

Now, I've moved on to Price of Honour. While it's not a book I would normally pick up, it seemed to fit at this time. A few weeks ago, my cousin's husband posted a link on his facebook page to a National Post series. Maybe some of you have read it. It was a series by Danielle Crittenden, who decided to dress in conservative Islamic dress for a week. I found the articles interesting, since I've also wondered what it would be like to spend my days wearing an abaya. (After reading the articles, I think I'll stick with hoopskirts and bonnets if I have to choose.) Anyway, after reading a western woman's perspective on being veiled, I thought it would be balancing and prudent to get an insider's perspective. So far, although we haven't actually gotten to the veils yet, since I'm only in the first chapter, I feel I've learned a thing or two.

Adventures in New News...

1) Re: Adventures in Theories that Should Be Explored. December 11, 2007

Glasses don't make you dumber. The crossword puzzle was easy to finish. I was just having a plain ol' idiot moment (hour) when I couldn't find the right files.

2) Re: Adventures in the Curve Balls of Life. December 14, 2007

All seems to be well for the moment. The university has assured us that our contracts will be renewed for March, but it's unlikely any new contracts will be offered in the future. Still, a year to prepare is better than 2 months! Whew.

3) MY FRIEND LIAM GOT MARRIED TODAY!!! He and his bride both looked fantastic and radiant. It was the first church wedding I've been to in Korea, and was a really great bilingual service.

4) I think I'm coming down with my annual 'End of Semester and Merry Christmas' cold, so I'm going to make myself a cup of tea and head to bed.

Adventures in the Curve Balls of Life...

I love/d my job. I really do/did. I like/d my students, my schedule, my apartment, the campus, and the people I work with. As far as quality of life goes, my job here is pretty fantastic. That's why it came as such a shock this afternoon to find out that I won't have a job here much longer. For some reason, the powers-that-be at the university decided that the students here no longer need English Conversation classes...and canceled our entire curriculum. If the University doesn't need English conversation classes, it certainly doesn't need English conversation teachers! Anybody wish to gainfully employ a travel-hungry Canadian, and her petulant cat?

I'll let you know how things develop. I might be back in Canada-land sooner than anyone expected!

Adventures in Theories That Should Be Explored...

Hypothesis: Glasses make you look smarter, but act dumber, so your 'smart/dumb' ratio remains the same.

Anecdotal Evidence: Subject A is usually reasonably well organized when it comes to work-related matters, and meticulous in her record keeping. Subject A bought new glasses at noon today. At approximately 7:13pm, Subject A put on the new glasses to finish the days allotment of paperwork. Subject A was perplexed to find that none of the changes she had made earlier in the afternoon had been saved. Subject A assumed that she (while wearing the glasses) had forgotten to save the changes - which would be very unusual. Subject A then spent an hour re-doing the changes, saving frequently with fervent vigour. Upon completion of the days allotment of paperwork, Subject A discovered that she was working with the backup file on her PC, not the working file (where she really had saved all the earlier changes) on her flashdrive.

Conclusion: Glasses, because they suddenly make things easier to read, make your brain lazy. Your brain thinks "Hey, this is easy! Wow, I bet every thing's easy now! I'm going to take a little vacation! Those glasses are great - they can do everything!"

Applications: Subject A is going to pour herself another cup of tea, and get as far away from the computer as she can.

Further Research possibilities: Subject A is going to wear the glasses while doing her daily crossword puzzle. If she can't think of the answer to 64-down in a reasonable amount of time, the hypothesis will be supported.

Adventures in Aging...

I knew the day was coming. I've been waiting for it since grade one. Finally, after squinting my way through 300 exams, I decided it was time to get myself a pair of spectacles before I have to fill in my rosters for 300 students. I posted this picture, with a little bit of glare off the lenses, just to prove there are lenses in there. (Unlike the glasses I convinced mom to let me wear to school in grade one.)

I also got myself some new pens to fill in the rosters with. (I think the fact that the idea of new pens and fresh paper exhilarate me either means I'm a teacher at heart, or I have some issues I need to work through.)

Adventures in Comparatives and Superlatives...

I love teaching Chapter 10. It's the last chapter in the book, and signifies we're on the home stretch towards the end of the semester, but that's not why I love it. I love watching my students react as I use my Canadian growing-up place, and Seoul to illustrate comparative sentence structures. First, I show them the picture of Seoul. Then , I show them the picture of Brockville. After a few rounds of examples like "Brockville is cleaner than Seoul." "Seoul is more interesting than Brockville." Eventually some bright young thing hits on "Seoul is more crowded than Brockville." This is my cue to introduce a few interesting demographics. It goes something like this:

"Which is more crowded: Seoul or Brockville?" I ask, just to be sure.
"Seoul," reply my students, thinking that perhaps, since it's the last chapter, they can get away without a complete sentence.
"Seoooooul..... iiiissssss..." I prompt, flapping my arms like a duck in my best please complete the sentence mime.
"Seoul is more crowded than Brockville," comes the grudging reply, putting me and my gesticulating appendages out of our misery.
"Hmmm, " say I, in a thoughtful way. "Which is more crowded: China or Korea?"
"CHINA!" Shout my students, with confidence.
"Really? Are you sure?" I ask doubtfully.
I flash my nifty demographic chart up on the screen, and wait for the squinty-eyed looks of confusion to appear. [please note: the squinty-eyed reference is to paint a mental picture of my students squinting at the screen to make sure they're seeing the numbers correctly, and has absolutely nothing to do with Asian facial features.] If they have learned nothing else all semester, my students did learn that Korea is more crowded than China. They're shocked.

Here's the scoop:
Korea has 485 people / km2
China has 135 people / km2
Canada has 3 people / km2

I show them the pictures of Seoul and Brockville again. I show them that there are no people in the picture in Brockville. I remind them that the picture was taken right smack in the middle of downtown Brockville. They laugh. Then I give them some homework and send them on their way.

Adventures in a Country Grinding to a Halt...

I don't have a class at 9 o'clock Thursday mornings, but if I had have had, I wouldn't have had one this week. (Did you follow that?) All 9 o'clock classes, in Universities nation-wide were canceled on Thursday. The school day didn't begin until 10 o'clock. Flights were grounded until after 10 o'clock. Rush-hour was re-scheduled until 10 o'clock. Employees were told not to report for work until 10 o'clock. The stock market didn't open until 10 o'clock. Babies weren't allowed to cry until 10 o'clock. The sun was told to shine at half-strength until 10 o'clock. Ok, the bit about the babies and the sun isn't true, but the rest is. What could cause an entire nation to grind to a halt and postpone their routines? An eerie hush fell over the country as thousands of high school seniors made their way across cities, streets made silent to accommodate them. Nothing must interfere with the students as they arrived for their College Scholastic Ability Test. That's right - 12 years of education, and their entire academic future rests on one. single. test. How would that feel? Your grandmother has been going to church, or chanting in front of Buddha for weeks, praying for you to do well on this test. Your mother has given you a pre-test gift: a roll of toilet paper (so you'll be able to easily reel off your knowledge). The entire country has made way for you so you can easily catch a bus or subway. Drivers have been told not to honk outside the venue. Flights have been grounded so the noise doesn't disturb you. The invigilators have been warned not to wear high heels or perfume so as not to distract you. No pressure though. Just do your best.

My students also had a test on Thursday, but it was just a little quiz. I think I may have embarrassed myself though. One of my students arrived without a pencil (sadly, not an unusual event), and without thinking, I handed him the one in my hand. Now, the one I had in my hand is an excellent pen for a teacher to carry. It's a pencil, blue pen and red pen all in one. However, I realized too late that it's also a promotional pen for Viagra. (A friend's friend's husband is a pharmaceutical rep.) And yes, it was written in both Korean and English.

Adventures in Autumn...

One thing I enjoy about Korea is that Autumn here looks like Autumn in Canada. The sky is blue and clear, the leaves all turn yellow and red and .... well, different shades of yellow and red, really. This autumn has been no exception. The weather is wonderfully crisp and clear and lovely. At present, I have a head cold, which makes enjoying it difficult; nonetheless, I am enjoying this season immensely.

Last weekend was spent in Seoul at the KOTESOL (Korea TESOL) conference. Overall, the weekend was fantastic (when has a delicious plate of PadThai amongst friends ever failed to make a weekend great?) but the conference itself was mildly disappointing. I feel as though I almost got some useful things out of it...but not quite. To be fair, it must be difficult for a presenter to find a topic that's as relevant for teachers who have been here 18 months as it is for teachers who have been here 10 years. A difficult task, to be sure.

Anyway, the NyQuil's kicking in, so I should get myself into bed while my eyes are still open. G'night.

Adventures with Jolly Roger...

I'm always interested in how random things can often be repeated within a 24 hour period. For example, this afternoon I spent WAY too much time perusing the FOUND website. (For those of you not familiar with FOUND, it's a website where people send in random notes, pictures, scraps of paper they find lying around.) In one found photo, there was a scull and crossbones visible in the background. Someone had made a comment about the photo, and mentioned Jolly Roger. I had no idea who Jolly Roger was, and continued reading the comments until I found that Jolly Roger is actually a name for the pirate flag. "Hmm, that's interesting." I thought to myself.

I tore myself away from reading on-line snippets of discarded trash, and went to watch Jeopardy. Lo and Behold, if "What is Jolly Roger" wasn't a correct response! Sadly, my excitement at the juxtaposition of these two separate pirate flag events chased away the answer. I was left muttering at the TV "What is .... uhhhh .... Happy Bob? ... Smiling Dan? ... " Luckily, the actual contestant did know the answer.

In addition, and because I'm a dork, I found some interesting sites dealing with the etymology of the term Jolly Roger, the history of pirate flags in general, and the men (and women) who sailed under them.

Ar-r-r-r and avast!

Adventures in A Night at the Movies...

I know I should be writing about what a lovely Galbi dinner I had this evening with my friends, and how my office is STILL clean after an entire 2 weeks of frequent usage, and how my bedbugs seem to have been contained in that one blanket - not the whole bed, thankfully!

However, I'm feeling the need to tell you all about the movie I watched last night. At the outset, Nicolas Cage was an advocate for the falsely imprisoned. Shortly after he managed to get justice for an innocent inmate, he himself was convicted of a crime he didn't commit, and was sentenced to 4 years in a very nasty prison. He was desperate to get his name cleared, and to get out of jail before his pregnant wife had their baby. After what seemed like spending ages in prison, he declared "I REALLY need a hamburger." A sympathetic companion helped engineer an escape - just long enough for Nicolas to get his hamburger and return to prison - before anyone knew he was gone. Unfortunately, just as he was returning to the prison after eating his hamburger, a riot broke out. The prison was locked down, and there was no way he could sneak back in. Now a fugitive, he pulled a blanket over his head, put an oxygen mask over his face, and blended in with the residents of a local senior's home.

The blockbuster hits projected on the back of my eyelids as I sleep some nights amaze me.

Adventures in Bed Bugs...

I was a little chilly last night, so I pulled my duvet up from the foot of the bed. I woke up this morning with 7 bites on my left hand, 2 bites on my right hand, 3 bites on my leg, a bite on my stomach, and a bite on my back. GROSS!!! At present, I'm covered with a bright yellow bug-bite concoction I picked up in Thailand. I smell terrible, but I'm not itching. Of course, I hauled the duvet off the bed and changed my sheets - but now what do I do? Does anyone know if you can dryclean a down comforter? Will that get rid of the bugs? Eeeewwww, it's now nearly bedtime, and I'm almost tempted to sleep on the sofa!! Any advice would be greatly appreciated, but y'all can keep your "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite" comments to yourselves. Eww. Eww. Eww.

Adventures in Concept Cars...

Perhaps this has been all over the news in North America, but I just saw it for the 1st time tonight. It's Nissan's concept car: Pivo. The cab swivels, and each tire has its own motor: no axles! The driver never has to back into a parking space. Just spin the cab and wheels around, and go in forwards, or sideways - whichever direction is preferred. I thought it looked pretty nifty. The fact that it looks like a cartoon bubble makes it a little difficult to take seriously. You could easily make the mistake of thinking it's made by Mattel, not Nissan. I don't know how it would handle on a highway, but as a city car, it would certainly have it's benefits. (I'm envisioning the parking garage at Costco on a Saturday afternoon.) Those of you at home with sprawling parking lots are probably thinking "What's the big deal?" Those of you here, picturing crowded, screechy parking garages are thinking "Oooh, I could swivel my way into that tiny spot in the corner!" Really, think of all the great things that swivel: office chairs, giant binoculars at scenic tourist spots, Elvis' hips. I've digressed. If you want to check out some Pivo videos, you can find them on both YouTube or Yahoo videos.

Adventures in Learning New Things...

Today, I learned a few new things. I learned that the by-line on my blog has been misspelled for years. Woolly does not have an 'e' in it. I also learned that I used their instead of they're in yesterday's post, even though I truly do know the difference. After ruminating on these two things, I subsequently learned that either my readers don't notice things like that, or that they're too polite to say anything. Am I really the only person I know who occasionally feels the need to fire off an e-mail gently saying "Ahem, I'm sorry to say you've misrepresented either the lexical or grammatical norms of the English language." ?

I also learned (thanks to Melanie's blogging savvy) how to add a "What I'm Reading" section on the sidebar. If you glance to your left, you'll see it. I called it "Next to my sofa", since that's where most of my reading material ends up. (Except the Reader's Digest, but I refuse to add a sidebar detailing what's in my bathroom.)

Oh, and while I'm thanking Melanie, I should also thank her for the Apple Crisp recipe she posted. Annelie and I made it tonight, and it was delicious.

Now, I'm off to watch the end of the Rugby match. (Maybe eventually I'll learn what the rules governing that sport are.)

Adventures in smells that made me happy today...

My morning coffee aroma wafting through the apartment.

The first few drops of a rain shower. (Mind you, I had to cycle home from the nether-regions of campus as the rain continued to fall.)

Freshly mowed grass in the early evening.

It's been a slow day, but it smelled nice.

Adventures in Sleeping in on a Lovely National Holiday and Enjoying an Aromatic Cup of Coffee in Peace on My Quiet Balcony...

At least that's what this post would have been titled if the constructions workers hadn't decided to test out their shiny new jackhammer 20 feet away from my window at 6:30 this morning. It's now 8:47 and their still at it. I'm reluctant to take my coffee out to the balcony for fear of being caught making snarly faces at their noisy machinery.

Adventures in Upgrades...

You'll all be pleased to know that after my camping dream, I didn't have any further dreams about hunting for a house or home. (I did have a dream about a delicious cheese sauce though.) Enough about dreams, I can now draw your attention back to Wednesday, June 6th. As you may recall, (yes, if your world doesn't revolve around my every post, you may take a moment to scroll down and refresh your memory. I'll wait. ... ... ...) I left you, my dear reader, in the dark as to Episode 2. I've taken the liberty of condensing it, otherwise I'd be here for ages typing, and you'd be all wrinkly and aged and your muscles would have atrophied by the time you finished reading it.

Episode 2:

My computer was coughing, grinding, choking and freezing. In attempting to fix it, I managed to have 3 Windows XP operating systems running - well, installed. None of them were actually running. I took the computer to the shop and asked them to wipe the sucker clean and re-install ONE operating system. The man in the shop said, "No problem, it'll be $20 and you can pick it up in an hour." An hour later, I went back and was told "You need a new blah-blah-blah technical thingy and it'll be $70 and ready tomorrow."

Later, I returned to the shop, paid my $70, picked up my computer and a box with a video card neatly wrapped up in it, and came home. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out where/how to put the video card it. I couldn't believe they'd sold me a part that wouldn't fit. A few days later, when I had the chance, I took the whole mess back to the shop (wearing my angry face) and plopped the thing back on the counter. It turns out that the video card that was so neatly wrapped was my old one. He plugged the computer in, and showed me that the new one worked fine. Egads! Embarrassed, I returned home.

A few days later, when I was once again able to wrestle with the bucket of bolts, I plugged in all the wires, cables and other accoutrements and VOILA! There was nothing. Nothing at all. The computer was whirring and grinding, but my monitor couldn't detect a signal. I took the computer down to Annelie's house, thinking perhaps my monitor (my lovely, relatively new, flat monitor) was the culprit. Alas, it didn't work on Annelie's computer either. In a huff, I was about to go storming back to the computer shop. Luckily, I remembered my embarrassment from the last time I wore my angry face, and eventually (Not soon. Eventually.) came to discover that I had plugged the cable into the wrong spot. oops.

I was all ready to sit down and tell you that Episode 2 had been resolved satisfactorily. I turned my computer on. My monitor, now properly connected, displayed the lovely start-up screen..but that's all the computer would do! Every time I tried to open a program, it would freeze.

(Insert 3 more months of more futile efforts to fix computer here...)

Eventually, I gave up, went to the electronics market, and bought the sleek little CPU humming merrily beside me as I type.

There, now having made it to the end of the abridged version of Episode 2, you might still be well advised to go apply some Oil of Olay, and do a few deep-knee bends.

Adventures in Downgrades...

Just an addendum to last night's post. First, was a night of house-hunting in dreamland. Next, there was a search for an apartment in dreamland. Last night found me dreaming I was sleeping in a tent eating M&Ms. Will tonight be a cardboard box, or a tree limb?

Adventures in Absolutely Nothing...

After much anticipation, the 5-day Chuseok holiday is upon us. Instead of battling the teeming masses of humanity descending on every flight, train, bus and highway, I've chosen to stay home, relax and get caught up on my "I'll do that later" list. I have spent the last 2 days fluttering between the sofa (watching movies, Murder She Wrote, and an unending stream of CSI episodes on a 48+ hour CSI Marathon on one of the Korean channels), cleaning my balcony (Good heavens, how long has that plant been dead?, Eww, what kind of bug is that and how long has it been dead? What on earth is in that box, and why have I been keeping it?), reading and playing Scrabulous. As a result, there hasn't been much Bloogabler material. (Ha, I meant to write Bloggable, but Bloogabler is such a bubbly tasting word, I left it in for you to enjoy too.)

As is often the case when my days are routine, my nights are not. Two night ago I dreamed I was house-hunting. I found a delightful place with a pink kitchen, a rooftop garden with a view of the bay, and the option to either descend into the basement via the stairs, or the carpeted slide. Last night, I dreamed I was looking for an apartment. After finding a suitable place, I went to the grocery store. My purchases came to $19.06, so I paid $20 and waited for my $3.25 in change. The clerk refused to give me my change. It wasn't the $3.25 that she disputed (somehow, both of us and the cash register agreed that that was the correct amount). No, her rationale was "If I give everyone change, I won't have any money left in my till." I was furious. I was entitled to $3.25 change, and she couldn't just keep it! I wrestled her out of the way, grabbed a $3 bill and a quarter from the cash register, and was on my way.

I woke up with a strong determination to send my sub-conscious back to Math class.

Adventures in Rhythm ...

Some of you may be a bit bemused by the title of this post. Everyone know I have no rhythm. However, one of the things I really enjoy about the job I have is that every semester, the rhythm of my life changes. Every semester, I get a new schedule, and the first week or two are quite hectic: finding classrooms hidden in different buildings around campus, meeting new students, finding times to fit in things like lunch and the gym. In the midst of this semi-annual upheaval, patterns start to develop, and the rhythm of each week starts to take on a distinct beat. As I'm focusing on getting stuff done, and remembering where I'm supposed to be at what time, I start to notice certain things just seem to be happening at certain times. This autumn, I have discovered a new rhythm that I really enjoy. After I get home from my last class each day, I put the kettle on. While the water is boiling, I change into my comfy house-clothes and prepare my teapot. As the tea is steeping, I either water the plants or hang up a load of laundry. As I sip my cup of tea, I take out my school folder, and finish any residual bits of paperwork I've left floating about all day in "I'll Do It Later Land". Then I finish my tea as I shut down my work-brain and rev up my groovin' and chillin' brain. Last week, as I was discovering this new ritual which had found its way into my days, I thought to myself "What a lovely way to remember to water the plants!"

An aside: Yesterday was the first day in over a week that we saw the sun. It's been pouring rain everyday since the semester started at the end of August. That's quite something, considering July is the rainy season.

Things I Never Thought...

Yes, I know I've been quite un-post-ish for the past . I've been enjoying a fantastic trip home, but thought I'd better sit down and share with you some precious moments from my conversations with my niece and nephew. Over the past week, I've said some things I never thought I'd say. I'm particularly amazed that each utterance was actually context appropriate.

1. "Logan, watch where you're pointing that unicorn." This was spoken only seconds before the inflatable unicorn Logan won at the fair found its way into the unsuspecting crotch of a man walking by.

2. "Kaitlyn, I'm having trouble throwing a cotton-ball at the dolphin with a unicorn in my hand." What, you can't figure out the context of this one? We were playing cotton-ball baseball using the inflatable fair prizes as bats, of course.

3. (My personal favourite.) "Logan, please don't lick my cheese bag." That one's pretty straight forward, and means exactly what it says.

Adventures in Murphy and His Dumb Law...

Most of the time, my experiences with the service industry in Korea have been quite pleasant. These past couple of weeks though have sent my angry "Grrrrrr-o-Meter" soaring.

Episode 1:
I went downtown to Cell-Phone Alley with my friend HeeJin to get a new cell phone. It's a whole street lined with shops that sell cells. They all look pretty much the same, and sell exactly the same phones. The first shop we entered showed me a model with the features I wanted (English menu, Korean-English dictionary) and told me it would cost $192. The second shop we entered flatly said they wouldn't sell a phone to a foreigner. The third shop said they could terminate my contract with my current company (even though the phone was in a Korean friend's name), sign me up with a new company, and give me a new (very sweet) phone for free!

Competition between the 3 major cell phone companies is so stiff, that they're giving new phones away for free if people change carriers. Needless to say, I switched carriers, got a snazzy new phone...and discovered the next day that it didn't have a dictionary. Since that was the only feature I'd actually asked for, HeeJin called the shop to report the problem. We were told to bring it back sometime that week and exchange it, so we made the 1.5 hour trip (one-way) on Wednesday night, only to have the guy tell us the promotion was over for the month, and he couldn't do anything about it until June. Luckily, June started on Friday. We made the trip again on Saturday, only to discover that in order to get another phone, I'd have to switch carriers again...to a company that won't let a foreigner have a phone in their own name.

To make a loooooong, frustrating story short, I now have another new phone, with the company I started with, and still not in my name.

Whew, that story took longer than I thought. Episode 2 will have to wait. (Episode 2 is also not resolved yet, so I might wait until the story has an ending.)

Adventures in two completely unrelated things...

The Daegu University Student Spring Festival just wrapped up last night. On the main stage during the evening was what Tracy assured me was a 'spinning' demonstration. Since the only spinning I know involves a wooden wheel and sheep shavings, what was happening on the stage looked more like synchronized stationary bike pedaling. I can't believe people do that for fun/exercise/entertainment. Since I'm not a big fan of stationary bikes to begin with, I can't imagine combining such an activity with my complete lack of rhythm and coordination. Dancing and cycling...the worst of both worlds!!

The other thought I had was while I watched (Yes, I'm sorry to say I did watch) the season finale of The Bachelor. I was thinking, "If the Bachelor was filmed in Utah, would he really have to choose between the final two contestants?" Couldn't he just marry 'em both? Something the network might want to think about. (Or something Fox could pick up. Or is it already on Fox? I have no idea.)

It's a lovely day today, and a holiday to boot, so I'm going to pull myself away from the computer and finish my coffee on the balcony.

Adventures in Odds'n'Ends...

I guess it's high time for an update. I have a few things to share today.

1. Happy 40th Anniversary to my Mom and Dad.

2. Remember that brave plant that had the fortitude to bloom in my house? I'm afraid I repaid its bravery today by sucking up one of its robust leaves in my vacuum. I think I scared it.

3. We went for lunch at the Mexican restaurant yesterday. The food was good, and it was really nice to have some good ol' Canadian poutine with it. The unfortunate part is that we all shared and tasted each others orders, and I don't think the combination of Mole Enchiladas, Burritos, Poutine and brownies sat well afterwards. Even so, it's worth a repeat.

4. We're planning a 1980s birthday bash for Saturday. Does anyone remember what we ate at 80s parties? I can just remember hot dogs and chips from our birthday parties. Are there any grown-ups out there who ate grown-up 80s food at grown-up 80s parties?

5. Eli's little kitty, who was on deaths door this time last week, has made an amazing recovery. Catticus was down the hall sniffing enthusiastically at Eli's door and can't wait for Clio to get her shots so she can come over and play.

6. I've decided that numbered or bulleted lists, while easy to write and read, are the stylistic equivalent to being served a Twinkie for dessert at a 5-star restaurant. It's just not classy, and more than a little disappointing. I apologize. However, on the bright side, numbered lists don't taste like socks, or make you fat. I suppose that's some consolation.

That's all. I'm off to finish cleaning, and see if I can't find some legwarmers or stirrup pants.

Adventures in yet more Texas-caused headshaking...

Whilst driving to the vet tonight, my friends and I were discussing carbon offsetting as a way to reduce our carbon footprints. (For more information on carbon offsetting, check out Carbon Footprint here. I was amazed that my flight home this summer was going to produce about 2,000 kg of CO2!) During the conversation, one of my friends mentioned that some seminaries in the US now have coined the phrase "Creation protection" instead of just "Environmental Protection" like everyone else is using. I wondered why they were distancing themselves like that. Is it because some Christian groups have got it into their heads that only hippies and granolies protect the environment? Perhaps not, perhaps I'm being overly sensitive.

When I got home, I decided to google "Creation Protection". The first thing I came across was a seminar being held at a church in Texas. I realize I know nothing about this church, it's mission or it's beliefs, so the following criticism may be made in haste. Even so, one of the seminar topics started that sad ol' resigned headshaking:

The Great Moral Issues of Our Times
Should global warming be a moral issue for Christians? This discussion takes up the debate as to whether or not the focus of Christians should be solely on a core set of predefined moral issues or whether Christians should look issues such as poverty, hunger and environmental protection as moral issues as well.

Ignoring the utterly ridiculous bit about focusing "solely on a core set of predefined moral issues", I wondered how far off base is a church that actually has to ask if issues such as poverty, hunger and environmental protection should be moral issues. I am just hoping and praying that the person leading the seminar either asked it as a rhetorical question, or else stated unequivocally in the seminar that yes, indeed, poverty and hunger should be priorities for the church.

This post sounds much more vitriolic than I'd intended. In some ways, I'm grateful that at least the issues are being discussed. In other ways, I'm sad that there's an underlying assumption that if poverty, hunger and environmental protection really aren't moral issues, then the church doesn't have a responsibility to act on them.

As you can tell, I'm getting disheartened. For all my church-going readers, can you help balance my perspective by telling me things that your congregations are doing to alleviate poverty and hunger in your area? For all my non-church going readers, are you involved in any projects to help do the same?

Thanks.

Adventures in bloomers...

For those of you familiar with my horribly un-green thumb, you'll be pleased to know that a green leafy plant I bought now has TWO pretty white flowers on it. It's the first time I've bought a plant without flowers that has actually grown some. Very good sign.

In other news, I just finished reading John Stackhouse's book Timbit Nation: A Hitchhikers view of Canada. (John Stackhouse from the Globe and Mail, not from Regent College). It provided an interesting appraisal of Canadians and their country. I've met many people who have much in common with the nice (and some not-so-nice) folks who gave him a lift. It also made me a little nostalgic for the Canada of my youth...and oddly enough, the Canada of my parents' and grandparents' youth. Is it possible to be nostalgic for something you haven't experienced? [ I suppose if Soul Asylum can be homesick for a home they've never had, I can be nostalgic for a past I've never had]. I've just put it down, and am sleepy, so I don't actually have much else to say about it. As with most books, it usually takes me a day or two to process, then I likely won't bother writing about it again. (Unless it's for a course, and I have a paper due.)

I've now plucked "The Queen of the South" off the communal shelf, but I know nothing about it. I guess I'll find out tomorrow if it's worth going beyond the first chapter.

Adventures in Surprising Combinations...

Before I actually get to the purpose of this post, I thought it would be nice to tell you all how lovely it was to fall asleep last night. My bedroom window was open, so I could hear rain pounding against my balcony windows, in a soothing swoosh,swoosh, drip, splat sort of way. My room was full of the sweet aroma of my blooming Jasmine plant, and crisp fabric-softener softened pillow cases. It was just one of those super-pleasant, spring is coming kind of sleeps. Ahhhh.

This morning, when I woke up and checked my e-mail, I discovered an advertisement forwarded by one of the other teachers. To might delight, a Mexican restaurant has opened in Gyeongsan (very close to my home!) and as I perused the menu, I was astonished to find poutine on the menu of a Mexican restaurant. Apparently, one of the co-owners is Canadian, and couldn't resist adding it to the menu. I hope to go try it out sometime this week. I'll let you know how it is!

Adventures in Revolutions...

Back at the beginning of February, I mentioned I was reading The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. If you have ever been frustrated, put off, or disenchanted with the Christian Church in North America, it's well worth the read. I should have been finished it long ago, but I put it down for a while to stew. I picked it up again last weekend, and was struck by this quote from Kaj Munk, a Danish pastor killed by the Gestapo in 1944:

"... remember the signs of the Christian Church have been the Lion, the Lamb, the Dove, and the Fish ... but never the chameleon."

I fear that in an attempt to seem more appealing, the church in North America has become a chameleon. Some are changing to seem trendy and hip, others to become more like the glossy mega-churches who place a higher value on a new sound system than they do on feeding the poor, or fighting for justice in their own neighbourhoods. Just a thought.

Adventures in Wishing I was Surprised...

I read the following headline this morning, and while I shook my head, I must confess that considering the state the article hails from, I wasn't surprised.

"Texas bill makes it easier for the blind to hunt with guns"

Adventures in a Blooming Campus...

Last year at this time (well, technically this time last year was two weeks later than it is this year), there was only one nice day to get some shots of cherry blossoms on campus, and my camera battery let me down. This time, I'm happy to say, I spent yesterday walking around campus snapping away. Well, I guess that really, a digital camera doesn't snap; but to say that I spent yesterday wzzhring away just doesn't have the same appeal.

I thought y'all might like to take a peek at what I see on my way to work every day. Loverly, ain't it?

Adventures in Misadventure...

Last weekend was indeed a comedy of errors.

The Expectation:
A few friends and I would take a mini-road trip to Andong (about an hour and a half away). There, we would have dinner at a delicious galbi restaurant. We would stay at the Windmill hotel, take long relaxing baths in the whirlpool tubs, and go hiking around the adjacent lake. The next day, we would find a museum or folk village to explore for an hour or so before heading home.

Rise and Shine:
On the day of departure, I got up around 7 o'clock. It was still as dark as night outside. By 9 o'clock, the rain, thunder and lightening had begun. Eventually, the storm abated, and 3 of us loaded ourselves into the car. As soon as we got off campus, it started to hail. Undaunted, we began our trip as all good road trips should begin: with breakfast at McDonald's. I have never in my life had such slow service. We were the only 3 customers in the joint, yet I'm convinced a carton of expired yogurt could have moved faster than the waif behind the counter.

Andong! :
After a rocky start, but a good Egg McMuffin, and a little more hail, we made it to Andong. We drove straight to the hotel to unpack and settle in, only to discover that the hotel has gone out of business. Gone. Kaput. Abandoned. Stalwart travelers that we were, we made our way to the galbi restaurant to recoup and refuel. When we got there, we were the only customers around. The woman who owns the place remembered us from last time, and invited us to stay at her place next time we're in town. She was so happy to see us, she actually sat down next to me and not only cooked our food for us, but FED IT TO US too! It was more than a little odd.

The Mountain Cabin:
Will full bellies, we set out to remedy our accommodation difficulties. We found an ad for a mountain cabin that looked nice. (Hiking was still on our agenda, now that the rain had cleared.) We called, asked for rates, asked if they had a bathtub, and asked if they had room for the night. Receiving an acceptable answer to all of the above, we set of down the highway. Then up a hill...around a bend...through a village...up, up, up into the mountain and deep deep deep into the woods. We found the cabin, grabbed our bags and headed for the front desk; the empty front desk. We called the number again, and were informed that there was a special event on at the cabin this weekend, and they were all booked up. Right. Thanks. So we drove back out of the woods, back down the mountain, back through the village, back around the bend, back down the hill and onto the highway.

The Seaside Hotel:
Eventually, after driving back to Andong, through Andong and out of Andong again, we wound up in YoungDuk. We found a seaside hotel that looked promising. We went to the front desk and asked our standard round of questions: rates, bathtub, room for the night. We were good to go. We hauled our stuff up into the room, flopped on the beds, looked gloomily at the tubless shower, and had a cup of tea. By this point, the day was nearly spent, and we were looking forward to a nice walk on the beach, in lieu of a hike through the woods, the next morning.

The Next Morning:
Rising early-ish, we threw open the curtains to enjoy our ocean view. All we could see was noxious yellow sand. (For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while, you'll know all about this seasonal phenomenon. If you're not familiar with it, check out my post from April 18th of last year.) The sand levels were rated 'hazardous', and residents were warned to stay indoors with all doors and windows closed. We closed the window, watched a movie on TV in our hotel room, checked out and drove straight home.

The Icing on the Cake:
I sat down on Monday to chronicle this fun, entertaining, but disaster of a trip in my blog. Three sentences from the end, my computer froze and I lost the whole thing.