Saturday, March 31, 2007

Finally Online At Home..........Yahoo!!!!!!


A pic of Leeuwarden Station in Frieslaand, Holland. Dave's sister picked us up there. It is about a 20 minute drive from her house in Kolomerschmaak.
After a week of going back and forth to the pc room, I am online at home. I am very happy to be able to blog again and feel 'human' again.


I will start to post some more pictures of the trip and also of where I live. I am very happy to be living in Itaewon and am looking forward to the new challenges good and bad that are in the future.
A picture of the statue of John Lennon at John Lennon International Airport.


Thursday, March 29, 2007

I Thought It Was The Main Character From The Show......Oops!

Read the article below and see that it is not the main star with the tattoos all over him from the show, "Prison Break." It is the dumb white kid that showed up in jail and ended up being shot by the crazy detective that is chasing the fugitives.

My mistake was that I told a few people that I thought it was the main character.......should check before opening up the big mouth.......hehe.

http://baltimore.metromix.com/tv/natent-tv-garrisonmanslaughtercharges-s,0,1841327.story?coll=natent-tv-ent-headlines

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

For People Who Think It Is Okay For Their Kids To Be Overweight!

I read this article today and every single parent that has young children, should do the same.



It is amazing in today's technologically advanced society, we are in denial about our children and the health effects that food is having on them.


On another front, I finally got my suitcase after a big mess up by the wonderful cargo company in Manchester. They transferred the information from one waybill onto another and forgot to copy the contact numbers that I left for them.


Because of this, the case went to Gimpo airport after it arrived in Incheon. Dave and I went there today and after an hour of back and forth in the cargo area at Incheon (nobody knew their arse from a hole in the ground there either,) we were told that the cases had been sent to Gimpo Airport, which is in another part of Seoul, about 30 mins away.


After having left about 10.30am, we arrived in Bundang at about 4.50pm!!!! I was not pleased, that is for sure. I will be sending an email explaining what happened and telling Emirates that they are responsible for their sub-carriers, no matter what happens.


Enough complaining anyway. I am very happy to be back here. I joined the gym/public bath yesterday and had a workout. I was a little stiff today, but it feels good.


I organized some more of my room and I am buying a monitor from Derrick, the fella that built my computer, tonight in Bundang. Then I am meeting a few friends of mine at Dublin's as it is a going-away party for one of them, Sharon.


I will be staying at Sara's and Caitroina's tonight, as they offered and then up in the morning and off back to Itaewon for a 2pm interview for my new job. Actually, they want my degree and transcripts, so they can apply for an E2 visa for me. So I will be off to Japan again for a day or so, in the next few weeks.


Cheerio for now....................

Monday, March 26, 2007

Moved Into My New Place........Loads Of Sorting.

Dave kindly took me to Bundang and picked up all my stored stuff from my old building. Jeremy that I used to work with, was storing most of it and Rebecca stored a couple of bags also.



We left the motel this morning about 9.15am and then headed to Migum, in Bundang. We got there about 10am and filled Dave's car with all my stuff.



We got to my place a little after 11.30pm and I started to unpack all of my stuff. In between doing that, I cleaned my room a bit and did a big clean-up of the bathroom. I 'ajaxed' the toilet, sink and floor and put all my shaving accesories away in the cupboard.




I partially hooked up my computer, but I don't have a monitor right now and have to buy one. I want to get one of the flat, small ones, not the big bulky one.



I spent about 2 hours puttering around and putting the suitcases away. The place will suit me fine and has everything that I will need. There is a water machine and the place has air-conditioning, which is a must in the summer.



As I said before, Kate is hardly there during the week. She comes on a Wednesday night and then is gone until Friday night.



My room is an absolute mess, but with a little bit of time, it will get there. I have things sorted somewhat. I have a big bookshelf-cupboard that will help me sort some of my stuff.



Dave and I still have to go and pick up our suitcases from Incheon at the Emirates cargo department. I am going to check online now, where it is and how to get there and also to track the shipment.



I went to the sauna again. I have found a sauna/fitness club that is really nice and is in the basement of The Hamilton Hotel. It will do me fine and I will have no towels or sweats to wash. They supply the top and the shorts and the towels are always supplied by the public baths. I think I will join up at the end of this week.



Like I said before, the area is awesome where I am living and there is stuff everywhere to see and do. I am walking lots of different ways when I leave the house to get myself accustomed to the different streets and ways to get to and from home.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Step One Accomplished: Found A Place To Live.

It didn't take long for me to find a place. I will be living with a woman who is around 45ish and we will be sharing a house right in Itaewon.

A pic of Warrington Pub again. There is another one further down the page.




Westminster Abbey in all of its glory. What a fantastic building it is!




Pic of China Town in London. A nice area and loads of character.




Below: We had a saying as I was growing up. " You are standing there like one of Lewis's." That refers to the statue that is so infamously known outside the department store. In other words, you are doing nothing like that statue.





Below is a pic of a pub right down on Lime Street in Liverpool.






Itaewon is a fantastic location and is stuck right in where all the action is. There are pubs and clubs and even a 24 hour sauna with a gym as well as hotels, motels and shops and cafes. It really is a buzzing place with loads to do all of the time......exactly my kind of place.


Pic of left to right; Auntie May, Jamie, Auntie Betty and myself.




I think this is one of Westminster Abbey. Not really sure though. It was around that area, anyway.





Michael and Janet Laski and their youngest son. The eldest son is in Afghanistan as a British Marine.






The woman's name is Kate and she hails from Victoria, British Columbia. She is not at the house much as she works and has another place provided by the job that she has. She likes the place so much though, she doesn't want to relinquish it.


Pic of the next generation of McCarthys and Neerys and Laskis...........can't remember half their names. The big lad, Michael goes to S.F.X. the school that I went to in Woolton.




Pic of the last night that we spent in Liverpool on Lark's Lane. Quite a posh place and a few really, really nice places to eat and hangout. We ended up going upstairs and doing the quiz night. We had a good laugh and won 5 pound and a bottle of wine in the draw at the end.




Kate, my roomate, told me she is mostly home on the weekend and maybe once during the week. That suits me great and we discussed ground rules and such. We seemed to get along quite well and to tell you the truth, I am just thrilled to have a place and to start moving my stuff in there.
A fitting pic of our David who is a seargeant in the Liverpool Police Force. He is on the left, his brother, our Jonathan, is on the right.


I will move my stuff initially in there tomorrow and I have to get the rest of the stuff from Bundang at Jeremy's house and Rebecca's. I am going to ask Dave if he can help me move it from there to here.
Where I live in Itaewon is really, really steep. There is a great view of the Seoul Tower and I will post some pics as soon as I can.
A pic of our Peter and his wife, Jackie. I hadn't seen Peter since I emigrated to Canada in 1978. That is just crazy!!!!!!!! I saw him twice in the same week in Liverpool.
He picked me up and took me to his house and I met his sisters;our Lorraine, Michelle and their kids, as well as my Auntie Margaret. Lisa, the youngest sister lives in Sheffield and I didn't have a chance to see her......too bad, maybe next time.
Peter gave me a shirt worn by one of my heroes; Jimmy Case.......thanks cuz.



There is a hook-up for the internet, so I will be able to surf at home, which is also great. There is a water machine also, which is always an added benefit.
A pic of the train that we took to London for our day trip. I am one of those, you know!!!!


I am going to try and post some pics of my trip over the 7 weeks and add little bits to explain where and what they were. Some of them however are quite self-explanatory.

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Back In Korea And Loving It

Well, I arrived back in Korea two days ago and I must say, I love this place!

It feels like I was never gone and although I am living out of motel rooms for now, I love it.




The highlight of my return was yesterday when I made it back into the sauna......it was so nice and I felt so clean and healthy after I was finished.




Dave and I stayed one night in Bundang then one night in Moran and today we are heading to Itaewon. We met up last night with Sara from Manchester and Irish Catroina.......sorry don't have any pics and won't have any until I get settled and can download some onto my own computer.







I have been looking for a place to stay and have one good lead already. I have to talk to the woman today to see what is going on with it. I also have been applying after jobs. There are literally hundreds of them and I really am in no hurry to jump into one unless it is suited for me. I will interview them, not the other way around.




I will blog some more about my trip as the weeks go by. For now, I have to be patient and wait until I get all my stuff in my new place and I have no idea when that will be. It is fun though looking and kind of like a new adventure. I have enough money to keep me going for a little while, but won't worry about it for now.


We are going to watch the England vs Israel game tonight at Hollywood's. They are showing it live at about 2.40am. Quite a change from the shutdown times that I experienced both in Canada and England.

Monday, March 19, 2007

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Its Been A While And I Have Done So Much.

The most difficult thing to get used to while being overseas has been the access to the computer or the lack of.

From left to right, David, my cousin, Carmel, his girl, pregnant Sarah, our Jonathan's girl.








I have been so busy and I also feel a little arkward about asking to use the computer...... don't know why really, but it is just my conscience while staying with someone else. Pic is of Uncle Dom and Auntie Ann in the kitchen.





I don't know where to start. I guess I could start with the flight leaving Canada. I had to pay 300 dollars excess and Dave had to pay 200. You are only allowed to have 20kgs total on the flight, which I think is absolutely ridiculous. Anyway, I paid the money and thought that would be the end of it. Sunday meeting of my Mum's side of the family.

Left to right, Janet, cousing Michael's wife, Jackie, cousin Peter's wife and my Auntie Betty, my Mum's second oldest sister.





We got another shock last Friday when we went to Manchester to pay for our tickets to go back to Korea. We are flying with Emirates and their baggage allowance is only 28kgs. They give more than the other airlines, but that means we will have to send any excess by cargo as the rate for each kilogram over your limit is 40 pound sterling.

Left to right, back of Uncle Colin's head, Auntie Winnie's husband, Auntie May and her son David, side view of David's younger daughter and his older daughter Ellie last.


Left to right, Auntie May, Mum's oldest sister, Jamie, my sister's son who travelled with us to Liverpool, Auntie Betty and yours truly.





It is only 4 pound to send it by cargo. We are allowed 7kgs on our carry-on also, so we will try and get as close to the limit that we are allowed. So be wary if you are travelling to England or flying out of here, as the allowance means that you have to travel light.

Auntie Winnie, Mum's youngest sister and to her right Auntie Winnie's son, Colin, my first cousin. It is his child that Winnie is holding. Winnie has 5 of them now. Each year, one grandchild.







Arrived in Manchester on March 3rd at 10am and the luggage door to the plane was frozen shut. We had to wait for an hour and a half to get our luggage. We finally got it and our Jonathan met us with his girlfriend Sarah and the 5 of us plus luggage headed to Liverpool. It was quite a feat getting 5 full cases and our carry-ons and ourselves in the little diddy car. Dave and I had to hold full-size cases on our laps.... funny story and a funny trip back. Wheels digging into our legs and couldn't see over top of the cases. We got here anyway. That is the main thing.

Pic from left to right, Auntie Winnie, Lynn cousin David McCarthy's wife, Leslie, cousin Gary's wife, Jackie cousin Peter's wife and Auntie Betty.





We got back in time to watch the Man U vs Liverpool game on the tele. Shit ending as Man U scored in the last minute of time after we battered them the whole game.

All the next generation of kids. Can't remember all their names. The tall one on the top of the bench goes to St. Francis Xavier's College, where I went. He is our Peter's lad.





Later on that afternoon, we went into town and had a few bevies as such..... the story of our trip really......drink, eat, drink, eat, drink, eat............................. Not complaining, although I have gained 28 pounds since I left Korea......Really, I am being serious!

In London, left to right, Dave, Carmel, our Jamie, cousin David and cousin Jonathan.





I am including different pics of different places and a little note to where we were. We have done so much. One of the highlights has been the Liverpool vs Barcelona game that we watched in town at a bar called The Walkabout. The atmosphere was brilliant and we were biting our nails at the end of the game after Barcelona scored on only one of 2 chances the whole game. They were shite!!!!!!

A picture of my cousin Jonathan. Uncle Dom and Auntie Ann are Jonathan and David's parents. Uncle Dom is my Dad's youngest brother and we are staying with him and Auntie Ann. Jamie stayed next door at David's house while he was here.





Don't feel like typing too much more now, so that will have to do for now. I am on a laptop, which is really frustrating as you need little diddy fingers.......... I had an external keyboard even when I had my laptop.





At least I have posted something now. The rest will follow. We leave for Amsterdam tomorrow from Liverpool at 6.15am. We will be back in Liverpool in 6 days for one night and then the following day head to Korea.

Friday, March 02, 2007

Almost Time To Fly The Coop!


The time to depart from Canada is slowly approaching. I said goodbye physically to Mum and Dad and my son Tyler yesterday evening as well as Katie who has gone to Hamilton until tomorrow evening. Jackie and Nuri will have their goodbyes at the airport tomorrow evening. They are running Jamie and I there tomorrow.





We all went to The Mongolian Grill for dinner courtesy of Mum and Dad and then Tyler and I watched the Leafs lose again, to Buffalo, 6-1!!!!!!!





We had a good talk about life and about his future and it went very well. We just hung out. It has been a very good vacation for me and I am the happiest about rekindling a relationship with him after all the years of grief.





He is a nice boy and very well rounded. He seems to have his head on straight and I am thankful to him mother that she has raised him well without me for all those years.




He is not sure what he wants to do when he goes back to school, but he is sure that he wants to go back to school. He is working to save some money for school, but I made sure that he knows I will help him anyway financially and emotionally, no matter what he decides to do.




I arrived at my sister's yesterday afternoon. Jackie picked me up at Pickering station and then we picked up Nuri from his work. We then headed home and just hung out at the house for the rest of the night. Nuri, Jamie and Dad in the pic below.




Jamie had to work and Katie came home from school about 9.30pm. Jackie and Nuri went to bed about 11pm and my nephew, niece and I stayed up talking for about an hour.





They are both very well grounded and both know somewhat what they want to do. Katie thinks she is going to do an English major starting in year 2 and Jamie wants to do architectural engineering either at Carleton or Waterloo University, but for sure he will be living out of town when he attends university.




I woke up this morning about 10am, didn't sleep too well though. Jamie got up when I came downstairs to use the computer. I slept in his bed and he slept on the couch in the basement, rather nice of him, don't you think?




We went to the bank and I deposited my travellers cheques and Jamie cashed some money in the mall for English pounds. The rate is about 1 pound for 2 dollars and 35 cents.




I bought a few more things that I needed, like after-shave lotion and razors. I also bought a nice pair of thumb-rings, one of which I gave to Jamie. He chose the one he wanted of course while we were looking at them.




I also bought another big suitcase as I needed to as the one was way overloaded. I can now split all the clothes into two suitcases and the one carry-on can be used for the presents that we are taking to England for some of the family and Jamie can use it as one of his two suitcases. You are only allowed two pieces of baggage with each combined to weigh 40kgs.




Jamie and I went for breakfast/lunch at the Golden Griddle. The service was absolute shite and I ended up not giving the waitress a tip. We waited for top-ups of coffee and she gave me the wrong toast and the eggs were well cooked, which I did not ask for. At one point, Jamie asked for more water for his tea, which she never brought and ended up forgetting.




While we were in the mall, the weather ended up turning into a full blown snowstorm. It was so bad that we had to call a taxi as the suitcase that I bought would have gotten soaked and the walk home had to include getting some bread for my sister from Loblaws where Jamie works, by the way.




Got home in a cab and then repacked and unpacked some of the other things that I bought today. I also bought an MP3 disc player as I needed one as my old cd player does not play mp3 files. It is a portable disc player, by the way.




Both suitcases are evenly weighted now, which I am g lad of. There is room to spare and now neither are too heavy.




My sister made dinner, which was great and the weather has stopped being so cold and shitty now.




Jamie is packing his suitcase for tomorrow and I just came back from going with Nuri to fuel up the van for tomorrow.




We fly out at 8pm and we will probably get to the airport at about 6pm. I have to phone tomorrow to make sure the flight is on schedule and other than that, tomorrow I am totally chilling out and doing absolutelty nothing.




I talked to Gus from Ireland today. He called me and we settled for us going there on the Friday night after Jamie leaves, which will be March 9th. He is dead busy and sounds like he needs a little time away from the grind of life. Dave and I shall certainly do that for him.




It has been a great trip and I have accomplished more than what I wanted. My Mum and Dad have been great and so has my sister and her husband as well as most of my friends. A big smile goes out to Wayne and Ulises and Sean and Bob. Pic below is of Dad and Geoff, a mate of my Dad's.






The new adventure begins tomorrow night and I am not sure how much I will be able to blog due to computer restraints in England, but I am sure that I can find a pc somewhere to use for an hour or so even if I have to pay for it.