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.

Adventures in Modern Dentistry...

It was time. I hadn't been to the dentist in a while (since I lived in Daejeon, and had a wisdom tooth removed), and figured it was time for a check-up. One of my co-workers recommended a place downtown. So, on a lovely Thursday afternoon, I headed off to see the dentist. I had memories of my dentist in Canada, with Escher's* prints on the ceiling for a little visual stimulation during your visit. The one at the top of this post is the one I remember most. My dentist today was a little more hi-tech. Mounted on the front of each chair assembly, there was a flatscreen TV with satellite. I was even given control of the remote! However, I only caught about 3 minutes of TV before a green cloth with a hole cut out for my mouth was placed over my face. Another nice thing about this particular dentist was the anaesthetic rinse I got to swoosh and gargle with first, so the cleaning wouldn't be so uncomfortable. It was awesome. My tongue was all numb.

After all was said and done, the dentist said I had nice, strong, healthy teeth. Hooray!! I don't have to go back for another 6 months! However, he has a fascinating book called, if I remember correctly, The Illustrated History of Dentistry. I only got to the 1st page (the downside of extreeeeeeeemly minimal wait times in Korean medical clinics), so I actually wouldn't mind popping in again just to sit in the waiting area and thumb through the book. There was a full-color photo of ancient Incan teeth with turquoise inlays - way cooler than body piercing. Speaking of which, I got a new belly-ring today. I'm off to boil it and try it on.

(ooooh, just noticed my paragraph structure above. I'd flunk any student in my writing class that started a paragraph talking about teeth, spent most of the paragraph discussing a book, and then closing the whole thing off with a belly button. Terrible form.)

* I couldn't remember Escher's name, so I just googled "famous drawings", and found the right site on my 2nd try. Amazing thing, this internet.

Adventures in Stellar Test Questions...

I came across this article on Yahoo! News. I laughed all the way through. I never had to take a driving test in China, but I remember what the traffic was like there. After reading this question from the traffic theory test, I think I know why:

"If a motor vehicle is passing through an intersection without a traffic light or traffic sign, should it give right of way to vehicles that have a green light?"

There are some other fascinating questions on the test. It's worth a peek at if you get a chance.

Adventures in Irony...

Tonight, we're going to watch a 2-hour episode of The Biggest Loser; we're going to order-in some fried chicken and a pizza to tide us over.

I just don't understand how my brain works. I can play with the cat during Survivor, I can paint my nails during CSI, I can knit during Law & Order...but I can't watch The Biggest Loser without snacks. I just. don't. get it.

Adventures in a Tad Too Much Twang...

I had oringinally planned to title the post "Adventures in Mean God...", however, being a huge fan of alliteration, and not such a big fan of promoting dubious theology, I opted for the twang thang.

Since I have yet to remember to take my own tunes down to the car, I find myself listening to AFN (American Forces Network) Radio when I'm on the road. Most of the time, they play a reasonably good mix of tunes. Sunday afternoons however, are devoted to the Country Music Countdown. This afternoon, my ear being unaccustomed to the twangs, warbles and contractions present in country songs, I misheard the lyrics of a certain ditty. I heard "There's nothin' in this world that can't be done by a Mean God... / He rules the world with His staff and rod. Mean God." I was not impressed. By mid-song though, I had discovered that Mean God, was actually Me'n'God. So the lyrics should read "There's nothin' in this world that can't be done by me and God." Even though my brain finally figured out the Me'n'God bit, my ear still refused to hear the difference. I continued to hear Mean God. I was happier when the song ended and moved on to something like: "That was Mama, in Ti-a-juaaaaaaana. She won't admit she smoked mar-i-juaaaaaaaana. That was Maaaaama, 'fore she was a MaMaaaaaaa." I'm pretty sure I didn't mis-hear those lyrics.

Mind you, for all that, I was actually happiest when I pulled into my parking spot and turned the radio off! Now though, the joy at shutting the radio off has turned into a bit of concern that I can't turn my brain off. Both song are still synapsing in my brain, and I find myself oscilating between "Meeeeeeeeen God" and "Marijuaaaaaaaana in Tiajuaaaaaaaaana." I'm going to see if I can find some Simon and Garfunkle to put an end to all this twangy mayhem.

Adventures in Turned Tables...

When I was growing up in Ontario, every year around this time, I would hear a conversation between my Dad and his mom. The conversation would always go something like this:

Dad (in Ontario): We got another (1/6/8) feet of snow last night.
Grandma (in Victoria): Three new (tulips/daffodils/crocuses) are up in the garden this morning.

And so, with my Grandma and her garden in mind, I have the following to say to all of you digging out from last week's storm: The cherry blossoms on campus are starting to bloom.

Adventures in a Fine Looking Family...





As requested, I've uploaded the pictures I took of the picture frames I made a while back. The top one is from the January picture in the calendar my local bank gave me for Christmas. The cut-out piece was big enough to use as a frame for a smaller picture, and I wound up with three pictures framed in the same, as you can see in the 2nd picture. The third one(s) are all cut from Our Canada magazine. I was lucky to find 2 identical pictures that were the right size to use for Kaitlyn and Logan's photos. I've started clipping and saving any interesting pictures from newspapers or magazines to use in future frames. Super cheap, and not-so-bad-lookin'!

Adventures in Swoosh, Swoosh, Swooshing...
Happy Lunar New Year, everyone! The Year of the Pig got off to a great start at YeongPyong Ski Resort. Infact, we've decided that a Lunar New Year ski trip has now become an annual tradition. Saturday, Sunday and Monday were spent merrily on the slopes. Saturday began bright an early, leaving home at 4:10 a.m. in order to catch the 5:00 a.m. bus to the resort. 4 1/2 hours later, we arrived and got settled into our accomodation, got our equipment rented, our passes attached to our jackets, and our instructor secured.

The past two times I've gone skiing in Korea, I haven't bothered with an instructor, but the two people I was with wanted one, and I figured it had been so long since I'd had a lesson, I might learn something. (The fact that the instructor, John, was super-cute might have had a little something to do with that!) The lesson was 2 1/2 hours long, and by the end of it, we were all pretty confident of our skills on the beginner slopes. We continued skiing until the last possible moment our afternoon passes would allow, then trekked back to our room. After hot cups of tea or cocoa were consumed, and hot showers had by all, we slept soundly. The fantastic thing about Korean style rooms after a long day of skiing, is that you sleep on a thick pad right on the heated floor. It's like having a nice warm heating-pad directly applied to all your aching muscles.

I won't go into great detail about the rest of the trip (up the lift, down the hill, up the lift, down the hill, etc.) I'll just summarize like this: My favourite hill was 1400 meters high, with a run of 5.8km. It took me about 25 mintues to get to the bottom (I took my time), and the view was incredible. During the entire weekend, I only fell once, and that was just a little topple-over during my lesson. John was trying to teach me to swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, with my skis parallel, instead of the basic A-shaped snowplow. My swoosh, swoosh is going to take a little more practice! By the end of the weekend, my cheeks were (and still are) wind-burnt into a stunning shade of pink, my muscles feel a bit sore, but good, and my lungs are so full of mountain-fresh air, they think they've been in Canada.

If the rest of the Year of the Pig continues as well as it began, it's going to be a very good year!

Adventures in Cultural Differences...

I'm getting ready to go skiing for 3 days. Three of us will be leaving here at 4:10 tomorrow morning. ugh.

I was making sure I had everything prepared for the trip, and was going over some of the safety rules for the resort. I smiled when I came across the following notice:

Please use formal speak to other skiers. Often, it is hard to know the age and gender of fellow skiers due to shades, masks, and hats. Please use formal speak when addressing other skiers, just to be safe.

In Korea, 'formal speak' is used to talk to people higher than you on Confucious' Hierarchy of social importance. It requires different endings on the verbs to convey respect. While this is just an everyday thing I've gotten used to, it still came as a surprise to see it on the rules and regulations for a ski resort. Since I've picked up most of my Korean bit-by-bit, some of it I've learned with the respectful verb endings and some of it I've learned with just the regular, run-of-the-mill polite endings. I tend to bounce back and forth between them during any given exchange. That seems to be okay, because I'm a foreigner, and don't really fit anywhere on the hierarchy. Now, having read that notice, I'll be listening tomorrow to hear just how many folks on the slopes actaully heed the advice.

Adventures in Heartbreaking Economic Chasms...

Two tidbits of information I picked up recently.

1) From the Entertainment section of the news:

" Some of the world's wealthiest food lovers have flown in[to Thailand] for ... dinner, which carries a price tag of US$25,000 a head." (Read the article here.)

2) From some other reading I've been doing:

"Every day, almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes--one child every five seconds." (Read more here.)

I'm not going to rant about how the money from that single meal could have taken all 16,000 children for a meal at the Outback Steakhouse. ( I realize this is not a rational solution, I'm just making a point.) While the injustice of it all really angered me, it also made me think "Hold on, Janice. You can't just blast the uberwealthy, and let yourself off the hook." And so, the quest continues: to find a way to live life, concious of the needs of others.

I think Gandhi put it succinctly when he said, "There is enough for everyone's need but not enough for everyone's greed." The task at hand then, is to distinguish between the two. It's easy to say "I don't need $200,000 worth of wine at a single meal." It's not so easy to say "I don't need more than one coat. I don't need quite so many pairs of shoes." See, right there, I can't even bring myself to say I only need one pair of shoes. And so, the quest continues...

Adventures in Being Crafty...

My sister recently sent me some family photos, and ever since, I've been looking for frames. The problem I've been facing is choosing between expensive frames, ugly frames, or expensive AND ugly frames. Today, in an act of desperation, I grabbed some pictures from old calendars and magazines, chopped holes in 'em, and used them to frame the photos. Amazingly, they actually turned out nicely! I even branched out from the pictures Jen sent. For example, I found a picture of Butchart Gardens in Victoria. Since my Grandma really enjoyed that garden, I cut out the "This is Butchart Gardens" caption, and replaced it with a photo I had of Grandma. I'm really quite pleased with the result. Tomorrow I'll go to the campus stationary store and pick up some heavier poster-board for backing, and maybe some clear plastic sheeting to protect the surfaces.

I also cleared out both of my sock drawers this afternoon and spent an hour on-line trying to figure out other uses for the holey, pilly, or ill-fitting rejects. I think I might try weaving them into potholders and/or baskets. I'll let you know how that turns out.