And The Beat Goes On!!!!

First of all, I am a little bit of a hockey fan. I do keep up with the latest goings on; somewhat!
I can't believe that Detroit lost in the first round of the playoffs. Well, that is not the first time they have had the best record overall in the league and then choked in the playoffs.

The other surprise is Ottawa. I thought for sure that with their nemesis, Toronto, out of the playoffs, they would go on to win the whole thing. It is not looking too good for them right now, as they are down 3 games to 0 to Buffalo. Let's hope they can come back and win 4 straight, but I don't hold up much hope. When I was back in Toronto in 2004, I tried to buy an Ottawa Senator's hockey shirt, but I couldn't find one that 'didn't choke!' Hahahaha.... maybe the same thing is going to happen this time around.

On another note, this week has been a little busier than usual due to one of our teachers being sick yesterday. Lyndsey had been sick since the weekend and had to drag herself into school as we don't have any spare teachers, which sucks!!! We had the speaking tests on Monday and Tuesday, so the workload was okay. Lyndsey even took 5 stacks of test essays so she could go home rather than stay here. Yesterday though, she couldn't stay, she was so sick. She went home and the rest of the teachers had to pick up her classes. So yesterday, I had to teach 4 straight one hour and 20 minute classes with a 5 minute break between each one. It is literally 5 hours straight of teaching and talking. It is ludicrous really, but what can you do?

I do this every Tuesday and Thursday in a normal week, but yesterday was an added bonus, so 3 days straight.

Scott is going on holiday on Saturday to Thailand and Avalon have not bothered to get a replacement for him, so we have to pick up his classes for the whole week. That means that next week I have 4 straight days of 4 classes and no breaks everyday. The only day that I have a break is Friday.

It sucks really and shows the lack of organization by Avalon. I am not angry, just realistic about how Korean schools work when they have to think 'outside the box!' By the way, they never do and it is internationally known that they are the most reliable workers, but do not get promoted very often when they work abroad due to this fact.

I read a few articles that were actually published in the Korean newspapers about this very fact. Written by Korean writers too!!!! So, needless to say next week will be a pain in the arse and my mouth will be worn out...... yeah right, that is not possible......

Did you hear? Jesus is going to come again someday! I know, it is fantastic news isn't it? I have just picked up a book that I think will definitely prove it and explain things very clearly for those that find it a little confusing; that whole three part thing or whatever it is; father, son and holy spirit? Well, anyway, check it out and let me know what you think about it. Not sure how much it is, but it will be money well spent and a great read!!!!!!

A Little Bored Waiting Around

As I said yesterday, we have speaking tests going on right now. Today's problem is that I came into work at 2.30pm and have no essays to mark or speaking tests until 6.55pm!!!
Oh well, I guess the break is welcome, but as usual I always get bored just sitting around. I like to be a little busy and then the time seems to pass a little quicker.

Further news on Rob, my friend whose dad is critically ill. He asked the university in Ulsan how long he could get off work to go and see his dad. They told him 'one week!' How ridiculous is that?

Anyway, needless to say he is quitting and going back to Canada next Monday. He has now said that he is going to go back to university and do a fourth year to get his honors and then maybe do a masters degree. He had mentioned about going back to school about a year or so ago, so this will work well with his returning to Canada.

He seems to be okay with everything, but how can you really tell? He is going to come down here as he is flying out of Incheon airport in Seoul. The airport is only about a one hour bus ride from Bundang. He thinks he might be coming on Saturday, if not then he will come on Sunday. He will stay at Dave's house and is more than welcome.

He now has to flog or give away his stuff that he has accumulated over the last few years. He doesn't have much really as he was always very particular about buying anything and really wasn't sure if he was going to stay here or not. He has a tv and a fish tank with fish and an old computer plus some plants. Other stuff is minimal so he might just give a bit away.

Sometimes in life 'crap' just happens and other times like what is happening to my friend right now tests us to the best of our abilities and we have to make the best of a bad or terrible situation. I think Rob is doing the right thing and things will turn out no matter what. He will get to spend some time with his dad and brother and ' do the right thing.' I would like to wish for a miracle, but being the realist that I am, I don't generally hold any hope in situations that are medically judged.

Good luck to you Rob, I hope that you have the strength and courage to go through this awful time in your life and see you in Canada when I go there in February to visit my family.

Speaking Tests At School Today And Tomorrow!

Once every 5 weeks or so, Avalon school has a speaking test for all students of all levels. It really is a good idea as we, the teachers, get to see how the students are progressing with their English speaking skills, not to mention to see if they have studied or paid attention in the class. It is a culmination of the month's work and homework and essays.

The students are given two of the units from their reading books that have been previously studied and discussed. We then do a review on the two units and ask questions in class similar to the ones that they will be asked on the speaking test.

If the students pay attention then they are really doing the review about 3 times. If they don't listen and take notes, then they are lost when it comes to the speaking test.
All in all, it is quite enjoyable to be able to ask the students questions and get the feedback we need from the test, i.e. Where we need to improve in our teaching methods and what students need areas of improvement.

The pic at the top of the blog is of the main headquarters in Jongjadong and a few pics of what the school offers in the way of apartments; usually officetel styles now. Jongja only teaches middle-school students as apposed to us here in Sunae who teach elementary school students only. I like the young ones better to tell you the truth. I feel like I can make a difference to them and maybe inspire them to want to learn English in the future and actually get to like it!!!!!!!

The students also have written tests while they are having their speaking tests too. We have to mark some of the essays that are written in the classes as well as do the speaking tests. The workload is not bad at all and the essays are usually between 100-150 words. They are a summation of one of the two units that they were told to study. The Korean teachers do all the written tests and like I said the students are told to study the same two units both for the written and speaking test.

Today went well and most of the students did fine. I hope tomorrow that the students do as well as today. The kids are generally in good spirits during the speaking and written tests, which is nice to see. They seem more 'at ease!'

Where Are The Garbage Cans!!!!!!

In general there are a lack of garbage cans in Korea. I am dead serious. Usually they have them outside of variety stores and other places that you buy 'fast food.' However, they are very difficult to find when you are walking around on the streets or even in the parks. Almost everyone that comes to Korea from the West comments about this peculiar cultural phenomenon.

In Bundang, there are a few more than they had in Ulsan or other smaller cities, but still there is a lack of them everywhere. I walk to the bus stop everyday to get the bus to my school and all the way along the path there are blue garbage bags leaning against trees to put your garbage in! That at least is an improvement, but looks ridiculous. Imagine walking down a block or two and seeing about 20 garbage bags leaning against trees?

It is quite frustrating sometimes to tell you the truth, although it sounds funny when I am writing about it. I have to put a wrapper in my bag or just hold a cup or a can until I get to school or somewhere where there is a garbage can.

Even at most of the bus stops there are no garbage cans. Even with the lack of garbage cans, Korean people really are not litter bugs. They don't throw a lot of trash on the ground. They are very clean and responsible people.

The only garbage that you tend to see is not on the ground, but in buckets and plants holders. Of course all the 'flyers' that are distributed everyday and I mean everyday are all over the place. It is part of the culture here to have flyers from clubs and businesses spread everywhere over the city. They are cleaned up everyday though, only for the same thing to happen the very next day. It gives people jobs though and I think it is cool as long as they clean it up. Hey making a mess is okay as long as you clean it up, right?

I have noticed that since I came up to Bundang there is a lot more dust up here! It must be the 'yellow dust' that I mentioned in my previous blog. There is always dust on the windows and cars no matter how the weather is.

Yesterday was Saturday and it rained all day, which was a welcome relief. We have not had any rain for quite a while. At least 3 weeks, I would say. Everything looks so green now and a lot of the dust got washed away, temporarily!

I am feeling much better now. I have more energy and don't feel as tired, but I am still a little fatigued. I think I had a bad cold and staying away from exercising was a good idea. This week I will get back to exercising and getting more physically fit.

I am going to buy some hair colour now and turn my hair more 'blond' again....... haha! Actually it is to cover the whole bunch of grey that I have on the sides. Isn't it great getting grey hair! I will take a pic and post it on my blog soon.

A Few More Names To Put Faces To!

Here are a few pics of various people that I have may have mentioned on my blog as well as a few other snapshots.

The first one is of infamous Rob who is strangling Jason at Benchwarmers, a foreign owned bar in dowtown Ulsan that is frequented by the local foreign community. The owner is Troy who is from the East Coast of Canada. The other foreign bar in Ulsan is Tombstone, owned by 5 foreigners, which has its own website that I will include at the end of this post.




The next pic is of Jeff, one of the owners of Tombstone with his Korean friend. I don't know the guy's name, but I have met him on several ocassions. It was taken at Dan's wedding of course.




This pic is of Kyoung Hee, my girlfriend and our friend Hae Sook who is going to Ottawa in 2 weeks. She is an awesome girl with a heart of gold and it is always fun when we get to hang out with her. Her boyfriend is Clement who is a dear friend of ours and is now back in Canada and going to start university in September this year. She is going to Canada for 6 months and will study English while she is there. She is currently working as a teacher at G'N'B English school in Ulsan. Hopefully, I will be attending their marriage in the near future. Clement has already asked me to be his best man!



The next pic is just a pic of some Korean food. This is probably the most common style of food in Korea; kind of like a stew. This particular dish does not have a lot of side dishes, which are always complimentary, but if they were there, there would be no room to move as usual. The side dishes are always in the same small white bowls that you can see in the pic. The orange stuff that you can see is Kimchi, which is Korean cabbage and everyone eats it. The other white stuff in the other dish are mushrooms, one of about 20 different types that they offer here. I love mushrooms, by the way!

This pic is; left to right; Dave, Matt Wurderman and Aussie Matt who are friends of ours from the Wonshot Wanderers football team. Matt looks like he always does; blitzed!! Sorry Matt, but if the shoe fits, then wear it.... haha! Aussie Matt is dead fit and runs like the Roadrunner when he is on the field. Matt played in goal and Aussie Matt played up front or in the midfield. This pic was taken at Benchwarmers just as we were leaving on Sunday morning at about 2.30am.

Another pic of Dave and I taken at a small beer place where we watched the second half of the Man U vs Chelsea game, when sadly Wayne Rooney was stretchered off with his broken foot. Chelsea of course clinched the title that day and thumped Man U 3- 0 at the same time!

This pic is of Andy and his wife, Gee Hee I think.... can't remember her Korean name, sorry! Andy is one of the part owners of Tombstone as well. Dave and I recruited Andy here back in 2000. I guess he liked the place!!!! Anyway, he just got married a few months back and the girl beside them is Jeff's wife, Hae Jin...sorry don't know her name either. I am terrible with Korean names!!!! Jeff is also one of the other part owners of Tombstone and he is in the previous pic with the Korean fella that I mentioned.

This pic is of the wedding hall at the Lotte Hotel in Ulsan. The Crystal Ballroom. This is where Dan got married last Sunday, May 30th. 2006. Just a shot of me taking a shot of the groom and bride and family.

This pic is of Kyoung Hee and I outside the wedding hall with the back drop of a tropical garden, which is actually a place where you can eat and sit. It has a very Asian theme to it with a huge tiger and palm trees to make it look authentic.

Here is the webite link to Tombstone Bar in Ulsan. Check it out, it is quite well done.

http://www.tombstonebar.net/

Friend Of Mine Stuart Sent Me This Letter From Bill Shankly

Stuart from Liverpool who I went to Tokyo with last December to see Liverpool in the World Club Championships, sent me this letter of reply that his aunt got back after having sent a letter to Liverpool Football Club. Amazing that Bill Shankly actually signed it himself ! Would that happen in today's society? I think not! A wonderful bit of history to share with all of you anyway.

Well the last 2 days are two days that I would rather forget. I felt like I was hit by a gigantic sucking vaccum that sucked the life right out of me. All I felt like doing was sleeping and my body ached like I had ran a marathon or something. By the way, the term 'marathon' means 26 miles or 42. something kms. I hate the way people are using it today to describe 5km and 10km runs.
" I am running a marathon this morning."
"Really, how long is that going to take you?"
"Oh, about 45 minutes!"
"What? Are you running a marathon?"
"No, I am doing a 10km run."

Then why not just say a 10k run then! Makes them sound special, I suppose. The 'real' marathon runners are somewhat belittled by your 'incorrect' statement about the marathon. Just my pet peeve right now, anyway.

Where was I? Oh, yeh, back to dying on my feet. I slept pretty well from 10.30pm to 12 noon everyday for the last 2 days. Did not exercise at all and just literally 'lounged around.'

I feel a little better now, say 50 percent. Also on top of that, I have started getting pain from my elbow again! I think it is getting better, but it seems to be getting the better or me lately!!!!

Not much else to speak of really other than this Friday is a national holiday; Children's Day! We have the day off work, with pay, which is cool. I am going to just laze around like the rest of this week. Nothing planned for the weekend. Just going to go for walks and eat well and rest well. This weekend will be a weekend at home for the first time since the Avalon camp and last weekend at Dan's wedding.

I have started to post some of the funny photos that I get from family and friends and also what I find on my surfing adventures. I hope you like them.

Look at this virus that the mouse picked up.... haha!!!!!

From A Whisper To A Scream

Mr. and Mrs. Dan Gauthier

The weekend started on Friday night with an air of optimism and excitement. That soon took a turn for the worst at around 11.30pm on Friday night. As we were driving on the highway heading towards Ulsan ,we recieved a phone call from a good friend of ours. He told us that he had just talked to his brother and that his brother informed him that their dad was dying. The doctors have gave their father a maximum of 6 months to live. He has stomach and liver cancer and is in pretty bad shape already. What do you say to your friend? How do you try to make him feel better? All these things went flying through my mind as we were driving along the highway. What am I going to say to him? My mind was in total chaos!

Eventually of course, my emotions settled down and I began to realize that there can be no plan or course of action when your friend needs you. All you can do is listen and let your friend bounce off of you. Our friend did not come out Friday night, but I met up with him on Saturday afternoon.

We talked about his dad a lot and I tried my best to be the best listener and friend that I could be. It was quite emotional and I had to hold back my tears on several occasions.

My friend is just so wound up that he doesn't know what to do. He was asking me about his job and what about the future and other things. I just told him that he had to go back and spend some time with his dad and brother and family.

To make matters worse he also doesn't have a valid passport as he had his stolen when he was in the Phillipines. The Consulate in Pusan is also shut until May 18th so he needs to come down to Seoul to get it. Just another problem that he has to deal with!

He will be fine if he comes down here as he can stay with Dave or I while he is getting things sorted. He seems to be handling things quite well and although it is an enormously difficult time, I know that he has the strength and courage to get throught this.

My friend has to sit down with his boss at the university and see what kind of time he can get off or try and work something out. If worst comes to worst, then he can just quit and find another job if he comes back. My friend even said to me today that he might just stay in Canada and go back to university and do his masters. I told him, why not!!!! Let things be, but do the right thing and go home as soon as you can.

This has really hit home with me, as my Mum and Dad are the same age, actually older than my friend's dad. It just made me think more about what I deem important in my life. I have always cherished my family and friends, but this event has brought home things more strongly than ever. We all get so caught up in life and become so selfish that we really do not give such important things enough of our attention. We need to stop a little and slow down. Family are the crux of our existence and we need to tell them we love them as often as we can, in our own ways. Even emails and phone calls are just as important as sending a birthday card or a gift. There are a hundred ways to show them that we love them, but we need to do it and not keep putting it off.

I have a wonderful relationship with my family, but often feel guilty about being away from them and not being able to drop round for a coffee or a 'chat.' My family understands, but it does not relieve the guilt that I feel sometimes. I think all of us that live away from our families, especially in other countries feel the same way?

Well, that was the start of the weekend, now for the wedding on Sunday afternoon. The wedding started around 11.30am and ended about 1.30pm. It was short and sweet, typically Korean style. It was a great wedding and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was mostly Korean traditional style, but a little Western style mixed in, especially with the personalities involved.

There were photographers everywhere that were both taking pictures and filming the event. There were 2 screens either side of the altar showing different images. One was even showing photos of the bride and groom that had been taken in a studio. It was a beautiful big ballroom and the lighting was very bright.

There was also a big runway covered in white lace complete with an arch at the end of it. It led from the arch right up to the red carpet stairs that led up to the altar. The altar was also decorated in a nice white lace theme and a big huge wedding cake was stood beside it next to where the altar was.


A Buddhist monk married Dan and Minjong and it was a very nice ceremony. Dan's best man, Peter Cory and his wife Mira, helped keep the English speakers up to par with what was going on at certain times during the ceremony. At one point Dan had to wave his arms up and down three times and yell something in Korean that proved his loyalty to his wife. It was really funny to watch and a very unique experience.

The food was very good and there was a wide variety of different foods starting with salad and then sea-food, rice, vegetables, deli-meats and other concoctions that I have no idea what they were! Each table also was supplied with a couple of bottles of soju, beer and pop and of course water.

If you wanted more of anything, all you had to do was ask. It was a very well catered wedding and the serving staff did a great job. They cleaned each plate off your table as soon as you were done. Like I said previously, it was about 2 hours from start to finish, so things moved fast and efficiently.

Pictures were taken with the family of both the bride and groom. Dan's mother and father had arrived in Ulsan a week before the wedding along with his aunt, his mother's sister. Also Dan's daughter Jess was there. Jess actually works in Ulsan as an English teacher and has been in Korea about a year or so now. All of Dan's friends got a picture taken with him and Minjong also.

So, the wedding ended and I met up with my friend again. Kyoung Hee spent about 2 hours in a pc room while we we hung out. Then we met up with about 5 other friends of ours including Tony who finally had time to meet up with us after his morning 10km run. We ate at a bbq pork restaurant and at about 7pm, Dave, Kyoung Hee and I left from Ulsan for the drive back to Bundang.

We arrived back in Bundang at about 12.30. We stopped twice on the way back at the rest-stops. It was quite hazy in Seoul when we arrived; the yellow dust hit again. I watched the Tottenham vs Bolton game and then went to bed about 2.30am.

Woke up this morning feeling like I had been hit by a baseball bat. Spitting some lovely stuff out of my mouth all day and feeling very weak and giddy. I have decided to quit all drinking for the next 2 weeks until the FA Cup final. I am going to take a break from the gym today and hopefully start up again tomorrow.

I had a bit of a setback with my elbow about 2 days after going to the gym. It started locking up on me and really aching, so I decided that I need to take a longer break from weight-lifting again. I am going to go to phsyio tomorrow and go everyday this week.

Bad news about Wayne Rooney. He broke his foot again! Even when he gets over it, it will be too late for him to help England in any of their World Cup games. I think England's chance of wining the World Cup have dropped by about an easy 20 percent. Even Michael Owen will not be fit enough to make a difference to the team. Let's hope some inspiration comes from some other players that get to play up front, like Crouch or Defoe or whomever else Eriksson picks as forwards.

I came home from work on Monday night and literally 'crashed.' Watched about 10 mins of tv and didn't even go near the computer, which is very unusual for me nowadays! I slept, although as usual kept waking up every 2 to 3 hours, until 12.30 Tuesday afternoon. I am on the pc now to finish this post as I don't have any breaks in work today. 4 one hour and 20 minute classes with a 5 minute break in between each one, plus 60 essays to mark starting today. Oh well, it keeps me busy and the time does fly. I am off to work now.

The weather has turned very hot and it is sure going to be a hot summer. I love the summer so I am not complaining. I have a/c in the apartment, so sleeping will be no problem. I need to sweat a few excess pounds off this beluga frame now anyway.

Arrived In Ulsan Late Last Night

I left straight from work and met my girlfriend at Samsung Plaza. I managed to get off work at 8.10pm as I don't have a late class on a Friday. The school allowed me to leave a little early, which worked out great.

Dave, Kyoung Hee and I left from Bundang, a little before 9pm and arrived in Ulsan at just about 12.40am. Kyoung Hee took a taxi to her friends bar and then stayed at her house for the night. Dave and I got a room together for the first night. We then decided to go off to tombstone, which is the foreigner bar in Ulsan that is also owned by foreigners.

The bar was not that busy, but we got to hang out with Jeff and Mark, two of the owners who we have both known since we got here. Mark and Jeff and Andrew just got back from a mini-tour of the States and ended up going to Vegas as Mark is getting married to a Korean girl that he has been dating for about 8 years, finally!!!!!! All 3 of them are Canadian and Andrew was actually recruited by Dave and I to Korea back in 2000!

Needless to say we started to talk and talk and have a few good laughs. Dave then called Gareth, the English fella from Manchester and also a good friend of ours. Gareth is the one that put The Wonshot Wanderers Football team on the map and is currently still running it although at somewhat a diluted level of ability due to all the players that have left or finished their contracts. We got out of the bar at 6.30am!!! It was daylight when we were walking back to the motel. The name of the motel is Motel Sheraton. Do you think they were trying to get people in here by the posh name?

Didn't sleep much last night. Dave kept rolling over towards me. He is a total fidget when he sleeps. The room has internet access for 5 dollars a day and of course that is how I am typing this now. Met up with Rob in the afternoon and Kyoung Hee met up with me at 4pm to come back to the motel and get ready to meet our friend Hae Sook tonight at 8pm.

I have to buy a pair of pants tonight as Kyoung Hee ironed them back in Bundang, but forgot to put them in the suitcase. Oh well! She is buying the pants for me anyway..... haha.

There is a wee map of Moogadong, which is where I used to live last September to January in Ulsan. It is the area around Ulsan University and there are tons of shops and eateries everywhere. That is where Rob works too. He is in his second year as the Continuing English Education Teacher for the department. Teachers are allowed only 3 years maximum to work in that position too.

Off to say goodbye later to John Cattigan and his girlfriend Emily who are leaving Korea for Thailand and then going back to the UK. I am not drinking tonight as the wedding is early tomorrow morning and I am tired of drinking to tell you the truth.

Back Weightlifting Again, Finally!

It has been over 5 months since I had a precious steel bar in my hands and been able to push it up and down, up and down, up and down. Let me tell you, it was an awesome feeling last night to be able to finally bench-press. Although I only did very light weights, it was nice to not have any pain while doing it.

I didn't realize how much I had missed the weight-training. It is such a different feeling from any other type of exercise. I can't wait to get going squatting and doing some 'heavy' exercises. I did quite a bit of chest and shoulder work last night and also stretched my elbow a lot at the same time.

I am happy to report this morning that I have no pain coming from the elbow or the shoulder, just a little bit of an ache from the chest and arms due to the workout. I am so happy!!!!! The arm still needs a bit of physio to get the elbow ligaments a bit looser, but I am going to start physio again next week and go everyday.

My plan is to do weights one day and then cardio the next, for a total of working out 6 days a week. I have already dropped about 2 inches in my waist and about 3 inches in the chest..... believe it or not. All the baby fat is starting to disappear, finally!

Today is a little overcast, but quite warm. I was awoken this morning by my girlfriend to the nice aroma of a ham and cheese sandwich from Issac Toast, which is a really popular snack booth here in Korea. Toast has really taken off here in the last year or so and you can see all varieties of sandwiches and a variety of companies offering them. The companies are usually small and have minimum overhead, but offer a cheap product despite the good quality.

The sandwich that I get has one slice of ham, a slice of cheese, two pieces of bread and egg and corn fried on a grill and then placed in the sandwich also. It is not the healthiest of foods if you ate it all the time, but as a treat once in a while it is great. It is also only about 1.50 for a sandwich.

Keeping my weight off has been a little difficult. I feel like Kermit falling off that building, but I have cut out the pizza and sausages and the other high fat foods. The snacks, especially the Pringles are now down to a treat once in a while.

Eating more vegetables and more Korean meals has helped me get rid of most of the excess weight that was 'floating' around me... haha.

The key to eating healthy is not dieting, but controlling your fat intake and not starving yourself. The question that anyone should ask themselves when they are on a healthy eating regime is, "Can I eat this way for the rest of my life without craving and will I always feel satisfied?" If the answer is no, then it is the wrong eating plan for you.

My blood pressure is back down to normal again and I feel way better about myself and have more energy now. Wait until I get going big-time on the weights again!

Arnold will be asking me how I look so good!!!!!!!!!! NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Going To A Wedding In Ulsan This Weekend

Ulsan, where I lived for about 2 years or so, is located about 4 hours south of Seoul. It is the industrial capital of Korea, hosting the largest dry dock ship fabrication in the world and the world famous Hyundae Motor Company.

My girlfriend was born and raised in Ulsan and that is where we met each other. So, I have fond memories of the place plus have a few friends there. Dave and I went there when we first came to Korea in April 2000. Two of the guys that recruited us, Peter Cory and Dan Gauthier are very special people to us. Peter got married last year or so and has a Korean wife and this weekend on April 30th, Dan is getting married to a Korean girl also, who I have met several times and is a really nice girl.

They happy couple plan on going back to Canada to attend university in Vancouver and study Oriental Medicine. I am not sure of the time frame, but they are thinking in the region of 3 to 5 years of studying. Wow!!!! Dan is a real go-getter and full of energy. Not bad for a guy that is in his 40's like me!!!! I wish them the best of luck in the future and in whatever endeavours they aim to accomplish.

Dan is getting married at the very presitigious and famous Lotte Hotel in Ulsan. It is attached to Lotte Mart, which is a very nice shopping centre at the rear of the hotel. Dan is having over 300 guests and it should be a great wedding.

Dave, Kyoung Hee and I are going to leave at about 9pm on Friday night. That way we will avoid all the crazy traffic. It should take us about 4 hours to get there. I will be leaving straight from work and I will meet Kyoung Hee at Samsung Plaza. We will leave from there with Dave. It is approximately 386kms from Seoul to Ulsan.

Below is a pic of the outside of Samsung Plaza. It has about 4 different entrances... This is just one of them.

It will be nice to see our friends Tony and Rob as well as Gareth from the soccer team and of course all the other acquaintances that we have met over the years. Probably, a lot of them will be at the wedding. Ulsan actually has a large foreign community that hang out together on a regular basis.

The wedding starts at 11am and wraps up at 3pm. That is normal for Korean style weddings; short and sweet. It is great as you are not tied up all day. We will be leaving after the wedding, but not sure what time. Dave will know the best time to leave as far as avoiding the traffic is concerned. He has drove from Bundang to Ulsan on quite a few occasions, eh Dave!!!!!

My girlfriend is looking forward to seeing some of her friends after a 3 month absence. All in all we are all looking forward to going to Ulsan. It should be a good weekend. I will have some good pics hopefully to post on the blog.

We Are In The FA Cup Final!

After having dispatched of Manchester United and Chelsea in the earlier rounds and semi-final, Liverpool have made it to Cup Final Day again on May 13th. We will play West Ham United at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

It was a great achievement beating Chelsea, who are 1 point away from clinching the Premiership title again. That makes it 2 for 2. The first one was the semi's of the Champions League last year and now the semi's of the FA Cup this year.

Morinho the Chelsea manager really had sour grapes after the game. He is such a baby and shows no humility when he loses. He even said that we played defensively and the referee helped us. Cheeky bugger! He shows his 'class' week in and week out.
Oh well, he can now cry in his big towel because he is not winning any other cups other than the Premiership this season.

I hope that Liverpool play well in the final and add another piece of hardware to the already bulging trophy case. Way to go you Reds!!!!!

I am now right in the middle of watching the Arsenal vs Villareal game at 3.43am. I want Villareal to win because just like Morinho for Chelsea, I think that Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, is an arrogant whinger. Him and Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager had a 'baby' feud going on for a couple of seasons too!!!

A few years back for a few seasons in a row, Arsenal were the dirtiest team in the Premiership even when they won it twice! Most yellow cards and reds. They ranked at the bottom of the 'sportsmanship' reviews! How a team's attitude is, reflects the manger's philosophy; good and bad. Arsenal don't deserve to win the Champions League.... so go Villareal.

Great Lines Excusing Drinking!

Sometimes when I reflect back on all the wine I drink I feel shamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the vineyards and all of their hopes and dreams.

If I didn't drink this wine, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered.
Then I say to myself, "It is better that I drink this wine and let their dreams come true, than be selfish and worry about my liver." ~ Jack Handy

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may leave you wondering what the hell happened to your bra and panties !!

"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. " ~Frank Sinatra

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter, faster and better looking than most people.

"When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading." ~ Henny Youngman

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may lead you to think people are laughing WITH you.

"24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not." ~ Stephen Wright

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to think you can sing.

"When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. So, let's all get drunk and go to heaven!" ~ Brian O'Rourke

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause pregnancy.

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." ~ Benjamin Franklin

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol is a major factor in dancing like a retard.

"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza." ~ Dave Barry

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.

To some it's a six-pack, to me it's a Support Group. Salvation in a can! ~ Dave Howell

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.

And saving the best for last, as explained by Cliff Clavin, of Cheers.

One afternoon at Cheers, Cliff Clavin was explaining the Buffalo Theory to his buddy Norm.
Here's how it went:

"Well ya see, Norm, it's like this... A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members.

In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers."

Warning drinking too much can make you think that the bank is giving you money for free- Paul Campbell. April 2006. South Korea!

Back From The Weekend Camp!

This weekend was taken up by the workshop-camp for Avalon, the school that I work at. I had previously mentioned this on the last post, but want to clarify that it was for the teachers and there were no students involved whatsoever. It was a camp to build team-spirit between all the Korean teachers and Foreign teachers.

It was a good time to tell you the truth. We were bussed to a place about 2 hours from Bundang. It was an all inclusive camp with a cafeteria and several activity facilities including soccer fields, obstacle courses and an inline skating pad. Each room had 4 to 5 teachers from different schools so that we could get to know each other. The foreigners were all roomed together and the Koreans were all roomed together.

There was a workshop for the Foreign teachers and the Korean teachers on the Saturday. We were of course seperated; Koreans had their own workshop and we had ours.
We did some fun activites like a spelling bee and had a few prizes to win. We talked about Avalon related perfomance reviews and also had an activity brainstorming exercise for the use in the schools themselves.

On Saturday night there was an outdoor barbecue complete with complimentary beer and soju. There was also a karoake sing-a-long on a stage, in Korean though sadly. We all had a good time and partied until about 2 or 3 am in the morning.

On Sunday there was an obstacle course, which of course I couldn't go in as my elbow is still not strong enough to grab ropes or climb on anything. I went back to my room and had a wee nap while they all sweated and pulled and groped!!!!!

All in all, it was a good time except for the fact that all the activities that we did were explained almost 100 percent in Korean! Don't understand that to tell you the truth; there were tons of Korean teachers there that could have interpreted everything. From the time we got there I think there was maybe 5 percent of English spoken and that is being generous.

The bus drive there took 2 hours, the bus drive back took about almost 4 due to the backup of traffic. We left at 2pm and got back to Bundang at almost 6pm!!!!!

I picked up a bit of an eye infection, one of my eyes is beat red! Rebecca was sick in our school today so we had to pick up her classes as she was feeling nauseous all day. She marked our essays though while we taught her classes..... cool!!!!

Tired now and going to watch Charlie Wonka and then have a nice nights sleep. Putting drops in my eye to reduce the redness. I think it was done by the smoke from the bbq's. I had my face right in some of them while cooking the meat.

I Almost Forgot An Important Anniversary Today!

Here I was typing away on my blog today and I suddenly realized that today was 8 months to the day that I quit smoking. That is right! 8 months and not even a puff.

I am very proud of myself and being the sane middle-aged man that I am, it was an important decision for me to make. I want to live healthily as long as I can and I thought long and hard about what would make me decide to quit before I finally 'got real.'

The original reason was of course my health, but the second reason was that I just wanted to stop an absolute ludicrous habit that made no sense at all.

When you think about the habit logically, it makes no sense at all. Putting smoke and nictotine and tar into your body! To do what? Give you an energy rush! You are much better to have a cup of coffee or take some caffeine pills. You will end up with the same adrenaline rush and the same feeling.

So, there you are. I am not going to preach. I have already posted a blog on smoking and gave some information about how many people smoke here in Korea.

It is 8 months and it has been very easy for me this time. I will never put another cigarette in my mouth as long as I breathe in fresh air on this wonderful planet of ours.

I hope you like the cigarette ad that I got off the internet. I got it off the following website that asked to give some recognition of its site if you reproduced any of its ads.

http://www.notobacco.org/photos/index.htm

Don't Faint Now! I Actually Started Watching Movies Again!

Those who know me, know that I have been on this anti-dvd and movie watching thing for about 10 years now. I guess being married for a long time and watching about a minimum of 5 movies a week, burnt me out. It was also the whole thing of just sitting there and watching a box for 2 or 3 hours, wigged me out... nice word eh?


Well, I guess if I can watch sports for that long, it is kind of a contradiction in terms of what is acceptable for me and not, right? Well, I don't want to be a flake, so I decided to stop my 10 year boycott and start watching a few movies again.


I started last week by buying a dvd player, which by the way cost me 50 bucks.... online shopping in Korea is awesome and they delivered it the next day. All you do is set up an account online and choose a bank, go to the bank and deposit the money and presto, they will deliver your purchase, pronto!!!!

I have watched 5 movies in the last week and a half. The Incredibles, Shrek 2 and last night Bad Company. The 2 Korean movies that I watched were a comedy and a drama. Both were quite good and I want to watch more Korean movies now. I like Korean movies because they don't follow the usual happy ending scenario like in Hollywood. More realistic than most of the Western style movies.

So, there you are. A dog can learn new tricks. You didn't think it was possible, did you?
I also was starting to feel a little 'out of touch' when people were talking about some movies that were funny and quite popular. Like music, I like to stay in touch with the new generation as well as the older generation. I feel that movies and music can go a long way to bridging the 'generation gap.'

Sociology has taught me that you can't really change people's behaviour, but sometimes you can learn to adapt, if it is a good thing to do! So, in a socioligistical sense, I am continuing my social experiment of adaptation........ wow! Sounds like a crock to me.....hehehe.

More Information About The Weekend Retreat

Here are a few pics of the place that I was able to find off the website. The first one is of the actual rooms and entrance. The second one is of the cafeteria, where I am sure we will be frequent visitors. The third one is of one of the outdoor facilities. I guess there is a baseball field, soccer field and many other outdoor areas where you can exercise and do group events.
That is where we will be at 6am on Sunday morning! Holy crapola!!!!!!!!




There is actually a website of the place that we are going to. It actually looks really nice and maybe the semi-final of the FA cup aside, we may have a good time.


I know the website is all in Korean, but if you just watch the short demo video, you will be able to see some of the place and also there are smaller pics on the link too. Just click away and play with the website. It can't hurt you, okay?

Here is the link to the website; happy exploring, hope this gives you some insight to where I am going to spend the weekend.


http://company.mirinaecamp.com/facility/faci_main.asp

Avalon Camp Retreat This Weekend.

Posung County, South Cholla Province
The very famous green tea fields of Daehan Tea Plantation.

Just a cool pic I thought I would post to show you

the step-farming style in Korea.

Avalon, the school that I work at, has a weekend retreat for all the teachers this weekend. We have to go as it is part of the annual team-building spirit! Every foreign teacher will be attending as well as the Korean/English teachers. There are a few exceptions though, some of the teachers get to opt out for 'religious reasons!'

Quite lame if you ask me, but you know God would be proud of them!!!! Some of us are a little peeved at that 'lame hop-out excuse' for some of them.

We get to meet at 8.30am and then drive off to an unknown destination about 2 hours away. Avalon of course pays for everything including food and hopefully booze... if not I will have my big bottle of soju in my bag anyway!

Then to top that early hour, we get woken up on Sunday morning at 6am..... seriously.... for exercises!!!! We should get back about 3 or 4pm Sunday afternoon, hopefully.

Most of the teachers are a little peeved at having their whole weekend compromised, but more so because of the early meeting and wake up times. Usually most of us sleep a little later on the weekend because it's the weekend.

Other than that though, I am looking forward to the camp, really! I have seen a pamplet of the place and it looks quite nice. It looks like a boy scouts camp or something. I just hope they have tv or internet, even basic, so I can find out about the Liverpool vs Chelsea FA Cup semi-final on Saturday night.

There will be a workshop to discuss and exchange ideas about the whole school process and information sessions about the progress of Avalon school from a business point of view. It should be a little informative, but of course boring. I am sure there will be way too much Korean spoken, which is the usual style of having camps here. Don't understand why really as everyone there 'can' speak English, or can they?

Oh well, it is only usually once or twice a year this camp thing, so we have to suck it up and take it on the chin.