Amr Diab is my favorite Egyptian singer. I love every song of his that I have heard. He is 44 years old, with at least 22 albums, the first of which was released in 1983.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Friday, September 29, 2006
Cyrine Abd Al-Nour - Law Bass Fi Aini
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Last Sunday... the Shark Dive
Last Sunday started out fairly early... being that we had been up very late the night before. I was up by about 8:30 or so in order to get ready and have some breakfast. Our hostel had a decent breakfast for 7000 won. We had to be at the aquarium by 10:30. We tried to find some underwater cameras before going, but were out of luck. Oh well. Maybe next time. There were 10 people diving Sunday, and we were split into 2 groups. Those in the first group were the ones that had to catch an earlier train. Before being split off, we all had a bit of classroom training to start off the day. There were also many forms to be filled out, so that if the sharks decided they were hungry, we couldn't sue for damages. After the classroom time, those of us in the second group were free to go for a couple of hours. Nialls and I just stuck around the aquarium. The others, an older woman that none of us knew, and a couple that I hadn't really met before, but were friends of the group, went out to do their own things... eat?
The aquarium is quite nice, but it is just a small aquarium. No whales or dolphins or anything like that. Not even a sea lion! Their biggest exhibit is the huge shark tank, with 2 plexi tunnels going along/under it and windows on almost all sides. We watched the first group's pre dive training, done on a little ledge just over one of the tunnels. The training includes breathing, emptying water from the mask, clearing/de-pressurizing the ears, emptying the regulator (mouthpiece), and using the secondary regulator (a second one on the instructor, Michael's tank). While they were doing their training, one of the giant green sea turtles was hanging around, and ended up biting 3 of the guys on the ankle, one of them twice!!! They were laughing... We were laughing so hard. It looked so funny from below. They guys doing the training were supposed to be paying attention to Michael, but were also trying to keep a close eye on the turtle. Michael had to push the turtle away several times before it finally got the hint.
When they finished their turn in the tank, it was our turn. We got our suits on and then all of the gear. It is all SO heavy!!! One would think that the weight belt (~12 kg?) and the tank would keep you weighted to the bottom, but it does not. Even with all of that weight on, it felt like I was going to float away. Anyway, the training went without any problems. The turtle, thankfully, left us alone. After the bit of training it was time to descend into the tank. I had some trouble going down though, as my left ear would not pop, and was getting painful. I had to go back up before even reaching the bottom, to wait until the others were down before trying again. The second time down, it was okay. Michael said that he often has trouble and has to go up and down. It is such a cool feeling to be underwater walking around. It was not scary at all, even with the sharks and giant groupers swimming around us. After some photos (Michael had an underwater camera... and yes it is a very strange photo of me... I look a bit demented), we had a nice tour of the tank. All the while, people on the outside were waving and taking pictures. I think they were more interested in watching us than the fish and sharks that were in the tank. A bunch of waygooks (foreigners) in scuba gear... underwater! What a sight!!!
I wish we could have stayed down there longer. The time went by way too quickly.
Anyway... the sharks...
There are several kinds of sharks in the tank. The first link is pics of the actual ones in the tank. The biggest ones (and the most numerous) are the sand tiger sharks (also known as gray nurse sharks). They are very big and mean looking, but are fairly harmless. They are interesting in that they give birth to 2 babies, from 2 separate uterine chambers. It starts out with several eggs in each chamber, but the first to hatch, or the strongest in each, eats the others [more info]. Then there is the lemon shark [info]. There are 2 VERY COOL looking leopard sharks (also known as zebra sharks). When they are young, they have stripes, so although a leopard cannot change its spots, apparently, a zebra can change it stripes [more info]. There are a few white-tipped reef sharks, as well [info].
The other fish in the tank include 3 HUGE groupers [info]. We were told that the groupers (or one of them) ate several of the smaller sharks that were in the tank. We were told that one of the groupers, which just happens to be the biggest one, is quite stubborn, and if it is in your way, find another way, as it won't move. Apparently, in Australia, a giant grouper was caught, and when it was cut open, they found a human head. The green sea turtles, I've already mentioned. There are two of them in the tank. There are also dart fish, rays (the ones that haven't been eaten by the lemon shark), snappers, and plenty of other fish that I won't mention. There is a school of tuna swimming around, that were meant to be food for the lemon shark (it likes to have live fish to eat, not pre-killed) but are, obviously still there. The lemon shark decided to be picky and only wanted live rays and such, and so kept feasting on the other fish that were meant to be in the tank. As a result, they have a hard time keeping any rays or smaller sharks for people to see.
More photos; some of what is in the shark tank, some of creatures that are in other parts of the aquarium. And more photos of the shark tank fish (some of which I've used as links), and the other people diving that weekend.
The aquarium is quite nice, but it is just a small aquarium. No whales or dolphins or anything like that. Not even a sea lion! Their biggest exhibit is the huge shark tank, with 2 plexi tunnels going along/under it and windows on almost all sides. We watched the first group's pre dive training, done on a little ledge just over one of the tunnels. The training includes breathing, emptying water from the mask, clearing/de-pressurizing the ears, emptying the regulator (mouthpiece), and using the secondary regulator (a second one on the instructor, Michael's tank). While they were doing their training, one of the giant green sea turtles was hanging around, and ended up biting 3 of the guys on the ankle, one of them twice!!! They were laughing... We were laughing so hard. It looked so funny from below. They guys doing the training were supposed to be paying attention to Michael, but were also trying to keep a close eye on the turtle. Michael had to push the turtle away several times before it finally got the hint.
When they finished their turn in the tank, it was our turn. We got our suits on and then all of the gear. It is all SO heavy!!! One would think that the weight belt (~12 kg?) and the tank would keep you weighted to the bottom, but it does not. Even with all of that weight on, it felt like I was going to float away. Anyway, the training went without any problems. The turtle, thankfully, left us alone. After the bit of training it was time to descend into the tank. I had some trouble going down though, as my left ear would not pop, and was getting painful. I had to go back up before even reaching the bottom, to wait until the others were down before trying again. The second time down, it was okay. Michael said that he often has trouble and has to go up and down. It is such a cool feeling to be underwater walking around. It was not scary at all, even with the sharks and giant groupers swimming around us. After some photos (Michael had an underwater camera... and yes it is a very strange photo of me... I look a bit demented), we had a nice tour of the tank. All the while, people on the outside were waving and taking pictures. I think they were more interested in watching us than the fish and sharks that were in the tank. A bunch of waygooks (foreigners) in scuba gear... underwater! What a sight!!!
I wish we could have stayed down there longer. The time went by way too quickly.
Anyway... the sharks...
There are several kinds of sharks in the tank. The first link is pics of the actual ones in the tank. The biggest ones (and the most numerous) are the sand tiger sharks (also known as gray nurse sharks). They are very big and mean looking, but are fairly harmless. They are interesting in that they give birth to 2 babies, from 2 separate uterine chambers. It starts out with several eggs in each chamber, but the first to hatch, or the strongest in each, eats the others [more info]. Then there is the lemon shark [info]. There are 2 VERY COOL looking leopard sharks (also known as zebra sharks). When they are young, they have stripes, so although a leopard cannot change its spots, apparently, a zebra can change it stripes [more info]. There are a few white-tipped reef sharks, as well [info].
The other fish in the tank include 3 HUGE groupers [info]. We were told that the groupers (or one of them) ate several of the smaller sharks that were in the tank. We were told that one of the groupers, which just happens to be the biggest one, is quite stubborn, and if it is in your way, find another way, as it won't move. Apparently, in Australia, a giant grouper was caught, and when it was cut open, they found a human head. The green sea turtles, I've already mentioned. There are two of them in the tank. There are also dart fish, rays (the ones that haven't been eaten by the lemon shark), snappers, and plenty of other fish that I won't mention. There is a school of tuna swimming around, that were meant to be food for the lemon shark (it likes to have live fish to eat, not pre-killed) but are, obviously still there. The lemon shark decided to be picky and only wanted live rays and such, and so kept feasting on the other fish that were meant to be in the tank. As a result, they have a hard time keeping any rays or smaller sharks for people to see.
More photos; some of what is in the shark tank, some of creatures that are in other parts of the aquarium. And more photos of the shark tank fish (some of which I've used as links), and the other people diving that weekend.
Chusok gift giving
Chusok is sort of like Christmas in terms of the gift giving. Every store here now has displays of gift packs and such. Everything from cosmetics and soaps to SPAM and olive oil. Yes, they love SPAM here. I'll try to get a picture of one of the SPAM gift sets.
The kindy school gave each of the teachers a gift set.
In the gift set, there are:
*3 kinds of toothpaste: Original, Green Tea, and Multi-Vitamin.
*4 kinds of soap: Blue Chip anti-bacterial soap, Moisturizing Milk Bar, and Fruit Essence Soap in Peach and Apple.
*2 bottles of shampoo
*1 bottle of rince
*2 boxes of hair treatment samples.
My boss at LCC says she will talk to the boss at Wooil, as the set isn't exactly suitable for me. I don't really need 6 tubes of toothpaste (not to mention the fact that I only use Sensodyne due to having super sensitive gums), 6 bars of soap or more shampoo (I already have more than a year's supply of shampoo from a set that I got when I arrived here). It's a great set if you have a family to share it with. I think most of the gift sets are more for families rather than single people living alone. I'm not sure what I will get instead, or if I will just keep this gift set.
The kindy school gave each of the teachers a gift set.
In the gift set, there are:*3 kinds of toothpaste: Original, Green Tea, and Multi-Vitamin.
*4 kinds of soap: Blue Chip anti-bacterial soap, Moisturizing Milk Bar, and Fruit Essence Soap in Peach and Apple.
*2 bottles of shampoo
*1 bottle of rince
*2 boxes of hair treatment samples.
My boss at LCC says she will talk to the boss at Wooil, as the set isn't exactly suitable for me. I don't really need 6 tubes of toothpaste (not to mention the fact that I only use Sensodyne due to having super sensitive gums), 6 bars of soap or more shampoo (I already have more than a year's supply of shampoo from a set that I got when I arrived here). It's a great set if you have a family to share it with. I think most of the gift sets are more for families rather than single people living alone. I'm not sure what I will get instead, or if I will just keep this gift set.
"teacher, teacher, 'reach for the sky'"
The Min-dal-lei or Dandelion class is one of my Korean 7 year old classes (6 year olds). The teachers of the Dandelion class are more relaxed and easy-going than some of the other teachers. Don't get me wrong... they are great teachers and really care about the students, but they sometimes just let the kids be kids. Some of the other teachers are very controlling, even when I am trying to have to children do activities and such. At times, the Dandelion class children get away with a lot more than those in other classes. As a result, certain activities are more fun, and definitely more active. Some of the songs we sing, such as 'Head and shoulders' and the 'Hokey Pokey' are very different in that class than in others. Another action song, called 'Clap Your Hands' is EXTREMELY different. I only do it for that class as a treat if they are being good, as they absolutely go nuts for it. They call it the 'reach for the sky' song and beg for me to play it every day. The song goes:
The lyrics seem pretty simple. The thing with the Dandelion class, though, is that at one point, while singing the song, one student got the bright idea of standing on his chair to be able to reach higher. They all love that I can touch the ceiling of their classroom, and try to reach as high as they possibly can. Then they all started jumping on their chairs for the end of the song, and then up onto the tables.Clap your hands;
Touch your toes;
Turn around and put your finger on your nose.
Flap your arms;
Jump up high;
Wiggle your fingers and reach for the sky.
So now, they think it is the greatest song ever, because they are allowed to jump up onto the tables for it. The teachers keep a close eye on the students, but let them have their fun.
Today they started jumping on the tables for the 'Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed' song. Every time they jump up onto the tables, I worry that one is actually going to fall off and really bump his head.
Chusok activities...
Yesterday and today at the kindy, the classes are doing Chusok activities and games. Half of the classes had their turn yesterday, the rest of them today. As a result, I only have half classes. Yay!!! Too bad they weren't all in a row. All of the classes that had their turn today were dressed up in their traditional clothes, teachers included. I think almost all Koreans own a Hanbok.
[A little relay race of collecting 'chestnuts' in little baskets.]
[Throwing arrows into a barrel.]
[A traditional Korean see-saw, done standing, rather than sitting. The participants jump to make it move, trying to go as high as possible.]
[A Korean version of the hackey sack... basically a bunch or ribbons or string tied together. For the kids, it is attached to a string.]
[Korean style wrestling.]
There were traditional Korean games and activities set up outside.
[A little relay race of collecting 'chestnuts' in little baskets.]
[Throwing arrows into a barrel.]
[A traditional Korean see-saw, done standing, rather than sitting. The participants jump to make it move, trying to go as high as possible.]
[A Korean version of the hackey sack... basically a bunch or ribbons or string tied together. For the kids, it is attached to a string.]
[Korean style wrestling.]The children also did a couple of little performances.
[Traditional Korean drums.]
[Sangmo- a hat with a twirly thingy attached to the top. The wearer moves his head in a certain way to make the ribbon move around the head and body.]
Professional sangmo performers have very long ribbons on their hats. It is very interesting to watch. Professional performers also do flips and such while twirling the ribbon. The kids had trouble even getting the ribbon to go around, but they had fun, although some of their hats would not stay on top of their heads.
Many of the parents were around to watch the games and performances, and of course, take pictures.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Saturday
I did finally make it to Busan. The train ride went fairly quickly, though I was half asleep for most of it. The KTX is really fast. I think it averaged around 295 for most of the trip.
Once in Busan, I made my way to the hostel to meet my friends. We all then went for some much needed coffee. They hadn't slept much, either, although for different reasons. Most of them had started drinking on the train ride down there and hadn't stopped once they arrived. They were up until the wee hours of the morning, I think. Thank goodness for Starbucks. It was a nice walk to get there. After we had our fix, we headed for the subway.
Only some of the group were diving Saturday, so the rest of us that were there that morning went to see Beomunsa Temple. It was a very nice hike up to the temple, but my body is still feeling it. The temple was very busy due to Chusok coming up in a couple of weeks. There were lanterns hung up everywhere and craft tables for people to make mini lotus flowers and such. There were also displays of Korean art and photography. After wandering around for a while up there, we made our way back down and then went for a visit to sauna.
The sauna we went to claims to be the largest sauna in Asia. I had never really been to a sauna here before. I had only been to a jimjilbang, which is a co-ed sauna, where you are given a tshirt and shorts to wear. The other saunas are segregated. Basically public baths. Yianni was the only guy with us at the time, so he was on his own. The rest of us (only 4 at the time) had a great time jumping from bath to bath. It is like hot tubs all over the place of varying temperature, size, aroma or feature. We tried out the pepper aroma bath (looked kinda like tea, didn't smell like anything, comfortable hot), the jasmine bath (purplish water, no smell, warm but not hot), a salt bath (salty, very hot), a cold water bath next to the salt water bath (kinda icy cold, good for circulation?), a yellow mud bath, a few other baths inside as well as a couple of the open air baths (outside with shades all the way around): we tried the VERY HOT, and comfortable hot pools, but avoided the VERY cold one. We then had a nice scrub down. A body scrub, face massage and hair shampoo was I think 20000 won(? I forget). It was a bit strange at first, since you are completely naked. Not to mention the fact that the little old ladies that are doing the scrubbing were also naked. They are quite rough, too. They give you a good scrubbing to get all of the dead skin off. It rolls off, actually, in what some of my Korean friends refer to as skin noodles.
When we were finished at the sauna, we felt so relaxed. It would be nice to do that before going to bed.
We met up with the rest of the group, those that had gone diving that day and those that had arrived that day or were doing other things for the day. We all went to a nice little dwaeji kalbi (marinated pork) restaurant that overlooked Haeundae beach. Sorry... no pics of the meal.
We finished off our day down on beach doing some good old drinking.
Once in Busan, I made my way to the hostel to meet my friends. We all then went for some much needed coffee. They hadn't slept much, either, although for different reasons. Most of them had started drinking on the train ride down there and hadn't stopped once they arrived. They were up until the wee hours of the morning, I think. Thank goodness for Starbucks. It was a nice walk to get there. After we had our fix, we headed for the subway.
Only some of the group were diving Saturday, so the rest of us that were there that morning went to see Beomunsa Temple. It was a very nice hike up to the temple, but my body is still feeling it. The temple was very busy due to Chusok coming up in a couple of weeks. There were lanterns hung up everywhere and craft tables for people to make mini lotus flowers and such. There were also displays of Korean art and photography. After wandering around for a while up there, we made our way back down and then went for a visit to sauna.
The sauna we went to claims to be the largest sauna in Asia. I had never really been to a sauna here before. I had only been to a jimjilbang, which is a co-ed sauna, where you are given a tshirt and shorts to wear. The other saunas are segregated. Basically public baths. Yianni was the only guy with us at the time, so he was on his own. The rest of us (only 4 at the time) had a great time jumping from bath to bath. It is like hot tubs all over the place of varying temperature, size, aroma or feature. We tried out the pepper aroma bath (looked kinda like tea, didn't smell like anything, comfortable hot), the jasmine bath (purplish water, no smell, warm but not hot), a salt bath (salty, very hot), a cold water bath next to the salt water bath (kinda icy cold, good for circulation?), a yellow mud bath, a few other baths inside as well as a couple of the open air baths (outside with shades all the way around): we tried the VERY HOT, and comfortable hot pools, but avoided the VERY cold one. We then had a nice scrub down. A body scrub, face massage and hair shampoo was I think 20000 won(? I forget). It was a bit strange at first, since you are completely naked. Not to mention the fact that the little old ladies that are doing the scrubbing were also naked. They are quite rough, too. They give you a good scrubbing to get all of the dead skin off. It rolls off, actually, in what some of my Korean friends refer to as skin noodles.
When we were finished at the sauna, we felt so relaxed. It would be nice to do that before going to bed.
We met up with the rest of the group, those that had gone diving that day and those that had arrived that day or were doing other things for the day. We all went to a nice little dwaeji kalbi (marinated pork) restaurant that overlooked Haeundae beach. Sorry... no pics of the meal.
We finished off our day down on beach doing some good old drinking.
an interesting take on things
I found this article, about Muslim reactions to the pope's speech and other things, very interesting.
Ramadan Kareem
For all of my Muslim friends... Happy Ramadan!!
For those of you that aren't, and didn't know, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan started this weekend.
For those of you that aren't, and didn't know, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan started this weekend.
Chusok
Chusok is Korean Thanksgiving. It is the biggest/most important holiday and Korea. It is a 3 day holiday day being the 6th of October this year, the middle of the 3 days. Chusok is a Lunar calendar holiday, so the date changes every year. The school is doing all sorts of activities for the holiday. One day last week, all of the kids were getting dressed up in their Hanboks, and playing traditional drum music for a photo, or such. I'm not sure exactly, but the kids seemed to have fun.
They also made some traditional Chusok deserts: solpyun(?). It is a rice cake dumpling with a sweet filling. They were making it with sweet potato and other things. Sesame seeds are always included. They steam them, often with pine needles for flavoring.
They also made some traditional Chusok deserts: solpyun(?). It is a rice cake dumpling with a sweet filling. They were making it with sweet potato and other things. Sesame seeds are always included. They steam them, often with pine needles for flavoring.
Friday, September 22, 2006
and just when I though my day couldn't get any worse...
I am supposed to be arriving in Busan around now. Obviously, I am not.
I was having such a bad day. It started last night, really, with the ants. Then this morning... more ants. I ended up having to spray my bathroom really well before I left for work. The ants were coming in other cracks in the wall (not the ones that I had sprayed before). Did I mention I HATE ANTS???!!!
I was going to go to Emart to get some hay for Tokki, but I got busy here and didn't leave soon enough. I cleaned out Tokki's cage and got my bag ready to go. On my way to work... my mouth felt kinda strange. My teeth. Well, I somehow chipped my front tooth. Maybe from the plum that I had before I left? The inner corner of my tooth is now very sharp. It doesn't hurt at all, but it is making my whole mouth feel strange. It is not completely obvious, but it is visible. Argh. Just what I needed... a chipped tooth.
After work I took a taxi to Emart to get some hay, and once I was there, realized that it isn't hay that they have, but alfalfa... which is not so good for rabbits as it is too high in calories, and makes them fat. Well, Tokki will have to deal with eating alfalfa until next week when I can order some more online. There are no other places anywhere near here that have any sort of rabbit food.
I was in a huge rush to finish everything so that I could make it to the station on time. My ticket was for the 9pm train from Seoul to Busan. I left early enough so that I would have some time to get something to eat before I had to be on the train. I wandered around the station a bit and the went to catch my train with about 15 minutes to spare. Well.. I knew that my ticket was for Seoul station, but for some reason, I had it stuck in my head that I was leaving from Yongsan Station in Seoul, as, for some reason, I associate that station with the KTX (some KTX trains do leave from Yongsan station... just not the one that I was supposed to be on!!!). So there I was at Yongsan Station trying to catch a train that was going through Seoul Station. ARGH!!! Pure stupidity. The other trains heading for Busan tonight were completely sold out, so I now have a ticket for the 7am train. ARGH. I wasted several hours tonight, only to end up back where I started. And I now have to get up at around 4:30 in order to make the morning train.
AND... the KTX website says that the trains from Seoul to Busan do go through Yongsan station. The people there said it did not. If I find out it did stop in Yongsan, I will be soooooo angry. Not that I can change anything.
My friends were on that train. They got on before Seoul Station, though, as they live north west of Seoul.
My tooth is bothering me!!!
I was having such a bad day. It started last night, really, with the ants. Then this morning... more ants. I ended up having to spray my bathroom really well before I left for work. The ants were coming in other cracks in the wall (not the ones that I had sprayed before). Did I mention I HATE ANTS???!!!
I was going to go to Emart to get some hay for Tokki, but I got busy here and didn't leave soon enough. I cleaned out Tokki's cage and got my bag ready to go. On my way to work... my mouth felt kinda strange. My teeth. Well, I somehow chipped my front tooth. Maybe from the plum that I had before I left? The inner corner of my tooth is now very sharp. It doesn't hurt at all, but it is making my whole mouth feel strange. It is not completely obvious, but it is visible. Argh. Just what I needed... a chipped tooth.
After work I took a taxi to Emart to get some hay, and once I was there, realized that it isn't hay that they have, but alfalfa... which is not so good for rabbits as it is too high in calories, and makes them fat. Well, Tokki will have to deal with eating alfalfa until next week when I can order some more online. There are no other places anywhere near here that have any sort of rabbit food.
I was in a huge rush to finish everything so that I could make it to the station on time. My ticket was for the 9pm train from Seoul to Busan. I left early enough so that I would have some time to get something to eat before I had to be on the train. I wandered around the station a bit and the went to catch my train with about 15 minutes to spare. Well.. I knew that my ticket was for Seoul station, but for some reason, I had it stuck in my head that I was leaving from Yongsan Station in Seoul, as, for some reason, I associate that station with the KTX (some KTX trains do leave from Yongsan station... just not the one that I was supposed to be on!!!). So there I was at Yongsan Station trying to catch a train that was going through Seoul Station. ARGH!!! Pure stupidity. The other trains heading for Busan tonight were completely sold out, so I now have a ticket for the 7am train. ARGH. I wasted several hours tonight, only to end up back where I started. And I now have to get up at around 4:30 in order to make the morning train.
AND... the KTX website says that the trains from Seoul to Busan do go through Yongsan station. The people there said it did not. If I find out it did stop in Yongsan, I will be soooooo angry. Not that I can change anything.
My friends were on that train. They got on before Seoul Station, though, as they live north west of Seoul.
My tooth is bothering me!!!
Thursday, September 21, 2006
MORE ANTS!!!
This is getting rediculous. The ants are everywhere!!! They are becoming a serious problem. I can't seem to get rid of them. A couple of days ago, I saw them coming out of the corner and from the cracks between the tiles in the bathroom. I sprayed into the cracks and around the bathroom. Then yesterday, they were coming out of the cracks and spaces in the walls in the kitchen (opposite side of wall). I sprayed there last night, even behind the edges of the lino and the wallpaper, where they were coming out. Today, there are still ants in the bathroom and kitchen. AND... I was going to give Tokki some more hay in her cage... and noticed tiny little things in the hay in the bag... iI think they are baby ants, as there were some big ants in there, too. ARGH!!! I had a couple more bags of hay in my shoe closet, so I went to get a new one out... there were ants on the outside of the bag and inside. They were all over that part of the closet, too. I put all 3 bags of hay into a big bag and sprayed them all. They are garbage, though, as I can't give them to Tokki now. So now I have to get up early to go to the store to get some more hay for Tokki, as I won't have a chance the next few days. I sprayed the closet, also. There are ants EVERYWHERE!!!
I'll have to bomb my place next week. There are bug bombs that I can get at the pharmacy or the store or where ever. You put them in the middle of your home, or the room, or what ever, light it, and let it smoke the place while you're away for the day. I'll have to put Tokki out in my balcony area for that day, or take her to school with me.
I'll have to talk to my school about the problem. Maybe they will have to do the whole building, since the ants are in the walls. (I am on the 2nd floor of a 3 floor building.)
All I know is the ants have to go!!!!! I am getting the crawlies!!! I keep feeling like bugs are crawling on me.... but they aren't... at least not ever time I feel it. Even now, as I sit here, a little ant started walking up my arm.
They are driving me batty!!!!!!
I'll have to bomb my place next week. There are bug bombs that I can get at the pharmacy or the store or where ever. You put them in the middle of your home, or the room, or what ever, light it, and let it smoke the place while you're away for the day. I'll have to put Tokki out in my balcony area for that day, or take her to school with me.
I'll have to talk to my school about the problem. Maybe they will have to do the whole building, since the ants are in the walls. (I am on the 2nd floor of a 3 floor building.)
All I know is the ants have to go!!!!! I am getting the crawlies!!! I keep feeling like bugs are crawling on me.... but they aren't... at least not ever time I feel it. Even now, as I sit here, a little ant started walking up my arm.
They are driving me batty!!!!!!
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
You know there's a problem when...
Korea’s Suicide Rate Highest in OECD in 2005
The number of suicides rose to an all-time high of 12,000 last year as more people took their own lives amid economic hardship, recording the highest suicide rate among the 30 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
According to the National Statistical Office (NSO) yesterday, suicide was the fourth-largest cause of death in the country for two years in a row...
"The fast pace of social change in the country and stagnant business conditions were main contributors to an increase in suicides last year,’’ an NSO official said.
He said suicides are also on the rise among senior citizens who had not fully prepared for old age and were not properly supported by their children.
What was more alarming is that suicide topped the causes of deaths last year for 20-and 30-somethings who were supposed to actively participate in economic activities.
About 21.8 people in their 30s out of 100,000 decided to take their own lives due mainly to the worsening economic conditions. ... [The Korea Times]
Sunday, September 17, 2006
baseball
Yesterday I had a great day. I met up with 3 of my Korean friends for brunch in Itaewon. I worked with all 3 of them the last time I was in Korea. We went to Suji's. The food there is sooooooooooo good. It isn't cheap, but the servings are well worth it. We shared 3 dishes: blueberry pancakes, Suji's omelet, and eggs Benedict on English muffins. We were all stuffed and didn't even manage to finish it all. Ally then had to run. She had a date. Jay and Clara and I went to do a little shopping in Itaewon, then Clara had to go. She and her husband were going to another province for the rest of the weekend. Jay and I then headed for Yongsan. We were going to go to a movie, but for some strange reason, there were NO English movies playing. The only English movie showing at the theater was after midnight. Strange for a theater in a very foreigner dominated area in the city. Anyway. Instead, we had our palms read and then I had a manicure. Jay wanted to use up the rest of her membership at the little nail shop there, and INSISTED that I get a manicure. How can I argue with that???
When we finished at the mall, we picked up her sister and the three of us went to a baseball game at the Jamsil sports complex. It was the Doosan Bears vs the Kia Tigers.
We cheered for the Tigers, as they are Jay and her sister's hometown team. 
The Tigers won. Yay!!! It was a good game to go see. The away team fans greatly outnumbered the home team fans. Not sure why that is.
When we finished at the mall, we picked up her sister and the three of us went to a baseball game at the Jamsil sports complex. It was the Doosan Bears vs the Kia Tigers.
We cheered for the Tigers, as they are Jay and her sister's hometown team. 
The Tigers won. Yay!!! It was a good game to go see. The away team fans greatly outnumbered the home team fans. Not sure why that is.
College graduates finding jobs in Egypt...
This made me think of Diaa, a woman I met during my trip to Egypt. She was the manager of the Fat Boy restaurant that my friends and I went to a few times for dinner. Diaa was a lawyer, but was working at a fast food restaurant! (More about that meeting in a great day in Egypt)
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Friday, September 15, 2006
a crawly thingy
When I was walking the other day, I spotted this on the sidewalk. At first, from a distance, it looked like a slightly curled leaf. It is some sort of caterpillar, I think. It was about an inch long. The bottom is completely flat, though. The head is on the right, under the edge. I would have picked it up and brought it home to look at it closer, but I was on my way to EMart to get some groceries and had no way to carry it. I didn't see it moving. Even when I flipped it over, it didn't move much. I've really no clue what it is.
my cricket "house"
I mentioned this in my Shanghai Day 5 post. This is the little cricket house that I was talking about. It isn't much of a house, more of a coffin, I think, but the guy at the bug market called it a house. He didn't really speak much English, though. This fits inside the house, to hold the cricket. It is open on both ends and the lid of it comes off, too.
My dinner.
Very often, I just have soup and rice for dinner. The soup is my version of dwaenjang chiggae (bean paste stew/soup), with mushrooms, tofu, summer squash (?? looks kinda like zucchini but shorter and light greenish on the outside, sort of yellow on the inside), and onions. I add a few things to my rice: purple rice, barley and some sort of rice or such germ. I'll have to look it up. Even just a little bit of the purple rice makes it all turn color. It also tastes sooooo good. The other stuff is kim or seaweed that is roasted and brushed with sesame oil and lightly salted. You use it to wrap a bit of rice. I hate seafood, seaweed included, for the most part, but I do like it in this way.
South Korea's territorial disputes
First there is the issue of Dokdo Island, an ongoing dispute between South Korea and Japan. Now there is a disagreement between South Korea and China over Ieo Island.
Trouble in the Sinai :(
This makes me sad: Egypt Raises Security Alert in Sinai
(IsraelNN.com) The alert level in Sinai was raised to its highest point by Egyptian security officials Thursday after explosives were stolen from a warehouse in the northern part of the peninsula.According to ZAKA, Egyptian officials believe the explosives may be used by terrorists to attack Israeli tourists in the area. Thousands of Israelis travel to Red Sea resort towns in Sinai for vacations.I worry about my friends that are working in Sharm.
Korea's obsession with English
English is everywhere in Korea. Almost all signs are in Korean and English. Many shops and companies have English names (although, often with mistakes in spelling). T-shirts and other items of clothing, notebooks, pencils, and other items of stationery, and numerous other items often/usually have some sort of English on them, usually very strange English (more times than not, it doesn't even make sense). Korean children are pushed to learn English from a very young age (as young as 3). In order to get a good job in Korea, it is said that soon, it will be required to be fluent in at least one language other than Korean, preferrably English (Chinese is the other popular choice).
I found an interesting article in the Korea Times to do with the beginnings of Korea's obsession with English: English in Korea
I found an interesting article in the Korea Times to do with the beginnings of Korea's obsession with English: English in Korea
Thursday, September 14, 2006
YAY!!!!! and ARGH!!!!!
YAY!!!!
Today I found out some GREAT news. I get October 4th off. October 3rd is a holiday in Korea. October 5-7 is a holiday in Korea (Chusok - Korean Thanksgiving... yes, it is a 3 day holiday). As it was, I would have worked on the Monday and the Wednesday. I had been trying to get the 4th off as well. My boss said it wasn't possible. But today, I guess things changed and my school will be closed that day. That means I have a 6 day vacation!
ARGH!!!
I am stuck in Korea for my 6 day vacation doing nothing. It is now basically too late to book any trips anywhere. Every single flight out of Korea and back again are fully booked. Almost every single train to anywhere else in Korea is sold out. What a waste of a good holiday. And after this one, I will only have my winter vacation and then one 3 day weekend in late winter/ early spring. If I had known before that I would have the extra long vacation now, I would have already booked a trip somewhere. Back to China (Xian) or to Vietnam maybe. But NO... Things just don't work out that way.
What really sucks is that because the entire country has the vacation (at least the 4 national holiday days), everyone is going places. Chusok is a bad time for being stuck here, as everything is closed.
once again... ARGH!!!!
Sorry... needed to vent.
Today I found out some GREAT news. I get October 4th off. October 3rd is a holiday in Korea. October 5-7 is a holiday in Korea (Chusok - Korean Thanksgiving... yes, it is a 3 day holiday). As it was, I would have worked on the Monday and the Wednesday. I had been trying to get the 4th off as well. My boss said it wasn't possible. But today, I guess things changed and my school will be closed that day. That means I have a 6 day vacation!
ARGH!!!
I am stuck in Korea for my 6 day vacation doing nothing. It is now basically too late to book any trips anywhere. Every single flight out of Korea and back again are fully booked. Almost every single train to anywhere else in Korea is sold out. What a waste of a good holiday. And after this one, I will only have my winter vacation and then one 3 day weekend in late winter/ early spring. If I had known before that I would have the extra long vacation now, I would have already booked a trip somewhere. Back to China (Xian) or to Vietnam maybe. But NO... Things just don't work out that way.
What really sucks is that because the entire country has the vacation (at least the 4 national holiday days), everyone is going places. Chusok is a bad time for being stuck here, as everything is closed.
once again... ARGH!!!!
Sorry... needed to vent.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
One year later...
I just realized that my blog is a year old now. It has been a year since I first went to Egypt! I wish I were there again... NOW.
Shanghai Day 5: July 31, 2006
(written September 9, 2006)
Okay… so it’s a little late.
I ended up sleeping in fairly late again. I guess I was still exhausted from the previous day’s adventures.
I started my day by heading for the Longhua Temple (the oldest and largest monastery in Shanghai) and the Longhua Pagoda (originally built around 977, but reconstructed several times). There were not many people around when I went. Maybe because of the heat, or maybe because it is a bit out of the way. I don’t think it is on the standard tourist agenda. There is a very fancy, fairly new looking shopping complex across from it, but it seemed a bit empty.
Okay… so it’s a little late.
I ended up sleeping in fairly late again. I guess I was still exhausted from the previous day’s adventures.
I started my day by heading for the Longhua Temple (the oldest and largest monastery in Shanghai) and the Longhua Pagoda (originally built around 977, but reconstructed several times). There were not many people around when I went. Maybe because of the heat, or maybe because it is a bit out of the way. I don’t think it is on the standard tourist agenda. There is a very fancy, fairly new looking shopping complex across from it, but it seemed a bit empty.
The Pagoda is really cool, as is the fat laughing Buddha in front of it. The Buddha has little people all over it. Unfortunately, you can’t do anything but look at the pagoda and take pictures. I would have liked to have gone inside. Oh well.
The temple complex is beautiful. I am glad that I decided to go out of the way to see it. It is always nice to go to places that aren’t overrun with tourists, or any people, for that matter. Crowds are annoying when you are trying to take a good picture.
After I spent some time wandering around taking everything in, I headed for the Flower, Bird, Fish and Insect Market. VERY interesting. The first thing I noticed was the strands of little woven basket like balls, containing crickets. Crickets from movies popped into my head: the cricket in Mulan, the cricket in The Last Emperor, etc. A lot of the shops were cricket related. Cricket cages, cricket food dishes and houses, etc. I bought some of the little dishes: some for me, some for gifts. They would be good for something, I suppose; a ring dish, maybe? I also bought a pottery cricket container. A guy said something about it being a cricket house. And showed me how the dishes would sit in it. I kept thinking… that is strange to put it in a solid container with a lid. I didn’t really think about it, though. Once back at the hotel, it came to me, that it is probably a tomb/casket type thing for the crickets after they die. Funny. Some of the dishes they were selling were quite intricately painted, and not so cheap. Others, you could tell were quickly done, and mass-produced. There were crickets being sold all over the market. I have a full set up for a pet cricket. Now all I need is the cricket. I would have bought a cricket there, but I figured they wouldn’t let me on the plane with one so I decided against it.
[One of the tables along the outside of the market. The hanging woven balls contain the crickets. You can see the round pottery cricket "houses" and other cricket accessories on the table.]
There were also lots of stands selling fish and birds. I also saw some selling rabbits and kittens. It made me sooooo sad, though, as they all looked very sick. I am pretty sure that there was even a dead one in one of the cages, with other kittens. They were all flopped down on the floors of the cages, not moving. Most of them, you could only see their chests rise and fall from breathing. It was soooooooooo hot in there. I kept thinking I wish I could buy them all and take them home. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option. The shops also sold cat toys and food. The dogs that were being sold at a few places in the market seemed to be in much better condition. They were in somewhat enclosed rooms, with fans blowing on their cages. They looked relatively healthy.
I then wandered around the corner to an antiques market; basically a long pedestrian street with little stands set up the entire length of it. They sold a wide range of things… jewelry, coins, boxes, knives, pictures, books, etc. I only bought a couple of things: a necklace pendant and a mahogany cricket cage. Not sure what I’ll do with the cage, but it is really cute. A lot of the things being sold were obviously not antiques, but were being sold as such. I guess some people believe what they are told, and will spend the money thinking they are getting the real thing.
I didn’t do much else that day. MONEY!!! I basically ran out of money. I had enough for dinner. I ended up just having the Shanghai Rice at the hotel. Something safe. Something cheap and tasty.
An early night.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
a beach party!!!!
Then end of the month I'll be going to a 24 hour beach party... Very excited.
ANMYEONDO BEACH PARTY
ANMYEONDO BEACH PARTY
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Swimming with sharks!!!
In a couple of weeks (the 24th), I'll be in a tank with a bunch of sharks! Yay!!! I'm very excited. I am going with a group of friends to Busan (south coast of the country) to go shark diving at the Busan Aquarium. Shark Dives Check out the site. There is a link to the aquarium's live cam of the shark tank... which means when I am diving, you would be able to see me. Only, I'm not sure exactly what time that day I'll be in the tank. Early afternoon?
Saturday, September 02, 2006
hedgehog-friendly McDonalds?
McDonald's redesigns McFlurry containers after complaints of hedgehog deaths
I've always read, though, that hedgehogs are extremely lactose intolerant, and can die from having dairy products.The British Hedgehog Preservation Society has campaigned for years against the containers, saying hedgehogs had died while trying to eat leftover ice cream from discarded cups. Campaigners said the opening in the lid was large enough for hedgehogs to stick their heads in, but not to get them out again, and that animals not rescued by passers-by had died of starvation. [Yahoo Canada News]
out the window
This is the fence behind my school.I'm not sure what the vegetable is. It looks very strange, though. It is so long!!! It looks something like a stretched out, flattened cucumber.
Friday, September 01, 2006
the "Hokey Pokey" etc.
Imagine doing the Hokey Pokey at least 10 times a day, and 'Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes' more than that, plus a few other action songs. I'm getting a work out while I work!
I started teaching my classes the Hokey Pokey the other day. They all love it. They can't all sing along with it, yet, but they have all of the actions down. Head and Shoulders is very popular. They all love it... from the Korean 5 year olds to the Korean 7 year olds. It's a good way to fill any extra time I have to fill.
The Summer program ended this past Monday, so the regular schedule returned on Tuesday. No more 2 hour lunch break, and it's back to the 6:00 finishing time.
I teach one book a week, three books in a month (each age group has a different set of 3), meaning I always have a week to fill. Even in one week, a book isn't much, as there isn't much to the books... some pages have a sentence, some nothing but pictures. This week was one of the empty weeks, as I'm not starting the books until next week. Filler time. For the most part, though, the kids don't really care if you do the same songs every day, as long as they are fun songs. It wears a bit on me, though. I'm trying to introduce some more new songs, but I have to sort through the songs I have to find ones that aren't too complicated or too fast. it takes time.
I sometimes have problems with the Korean kindy teachers interrupting what I am doing. They are almost always in the room when I am teaching (there are 2 per class). Most of them speak little or no English. In some of the classes, the teachers do their own thing while I am in there, and only speak up when the students really aren't listening, or if they see a student really misbehaving. In other classes, the teachers follow along with what I am doing. A couple of the teachers that understand some English (at least, the English that I am teaching) interrupt what I am doing a lot of the time to explain things in Korean to the students, which often messes up what I am doing. Instead of the students trying to think of what I am saying and coming up with an answer to my questions, the teacher tells them in Korean what I am saying, or what I am asking. Sometimes, it does help, but more often than not, it is unnecessary. Also, one result is that some of the students in those classes are listening for what the Korean teacher explains, rather than what I am saying, or trying to teach. Some also try to help the students with the answers, but sometimes give the wrong answers. I've brought the interruptions up a few times, but as of yet, still no change.
Other times, when I am doing activity songs where I have the students standing up, I usually do a couple at a time, one after the other. Often times, the Korean teachers are only half paying attention to what I am doing, and so when I finish a song, they tell the students to sit down. I then have to tell them to stand up again, which confuses the students, as they have two teachers telling them to do different things. Today was really bad for that. It happened in about half of my classes.
The teachers in each class have their own way of doing things. Some of them are very strict, some are not. I like to do a lot of the activities the same in each of the classes, but it doesn't always work that way when the teachers deal with things in different ways. The kids just like to be kids, but some of the classes get yelled at if they are jumping around getting excited about games or songs or such, whether I am okay with it or not.
I guess I just have to deal with these things.
I started teaching my classes the Hokey Pokey the other day. They all love it. They can't all sing along with it, yet, but they have all of the actions down. Head and Shoulders is very popular. They all love it... from the Korean 5 year olds to the Korean 7 year olds. It's a good way to fill any extra time I have to fill.
The Summer program ended this past Monday, so the regular schedule returned on Tuesday. No more 2 hour lunch break, and it's back to the 6:00 finishing time.
I teach one book a week, three books in a month (each age group has a different set of 3), meaning I always have a week to fill. Even in one week, a book isn't much, as there isn't much to the books... some pages have a sentence, some nothing but pictures. This week was one of the empty weeks, as I'm not starting the books until next week. Filler time. For the most part, though, the kids don't really care if you do the same songs every day, as long as they are fun songs. It wears a bit on me, though. I'm trying to introduce some more new songs, but I have to sort through the songs I have to find ones that aren't too complicated or too fast. it takes time.
I sometimes have problems with the Korean kindy teachers interrupting what I am doing. They are almost always in the room when I am teaching (there are 2 per class). Most of them speak little or no English. In some of the classes, the teachers do their own thing while I am in there, and only speak up when the students really aren't listening, or if they see a student really misbehaving. In other classes, the teachers follow along with what I am doing. A couple of the teachers that understand some English (at least, the English that I am teaching) interrupt what I am doing a lot of the time to explain things in Korean to the students, which often messes up what I am doing. Instead of the students trying to think of what I am saying and coming up with an answer to my questions, the teacher tells them in Korean what I am saying, or what I am asking. Sometimes, it does help, but more often than not, it is unnecessary. Also, one result is that some of the students in those classes are listening for what the Korean teacher explains, rather than what I am saying, or trying to teach. Some also try to help the students with the answers, but sometimes give the wrong answers. I've brought the interruptions up a few times, but as of yet, still no change.
Other times, when I am doing activity songs where I have the students standing up, I usually do a couple at a time, one after the other. Often times, the Korean teachers are only half paying attention to what I am doing, and so when I finish a song, they tell the students to sit down. I then have to tell them to stand up again, which confuses the students, as they have two teachers telling them to do different things. Today was really bad for that. It happened in about half of my classes.
The teachers in each class have their own way of doing things. Some of them are very strict, some are not. I like to do a lot of the activities the same in each of the classes, but it doesn't always work that way when the teachers deal with things in different ways. The kids just like to be kids, but some of the classes get yelled at if they are jumping around getting excited about games or songs or such, whether I am okay with it or not.
I guess I just have to deal with these things.
Canon by Funtwo
I had a video called "Canon by Funtwo" on YouTube sent to me to check out.
Then I read this:
Then I read this:
Mystery Guitar Virtuoso Unmasked as Korean
A video clip of a young man playing his electric guitar has taken the world by storm. The man performs a fiendishly difficult rock version of Pachelbel's hackneyed “Canon” by Taiwanese guitarist Jerry C in the clip posted on the video sharing website YouTube (youtube.com) last October which has since been viewed 7.7 million times. Now the legend in his own bedroom has been identified as a 22-year-old Korean, Lim Jeong-hyun. ...
[Chosun Ilbo]
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