SZCZROB

Spoiler Alert!!

2009-07-06T21:48:00.004-05:00

It has been a busy week or so here. Big medical week with trips to the doctors. My visit went well, everything seems to be on track. Healing progressing...maybe get the pins out before Sandblast. Though the most I will be doing will be working the lunch counter....probably. My latest x-ray is at the end of the post if anyone needed a little warning.

Got some nice downtown time, caught a nice view of the city with some dinos.

Last weekend was some prime summer grilling on Sat, along with regular fantastic market service. We were introduced to a new set of friends. Set rum, brown sugar, and some chunk pineapple in a bowl. Let set while you enjoy the sunshine and conversation...but later in the day these are tasty morsels.

Sunday was more grilling with some elk sausage and lamb patties. Oh and some other nice salads from the WF deli. Lesson of the afternoon was that cold bottles are good for teething...though not good for a drool-free mommy-drink. So even though the picture might be slighty incriminating, there was nothing of that going on and Kaya is not headed down a wayward path.

For the Holiday weekend we dared to brave the hordes and went north. It wound up being a nice relaxing weekend with family, friends, a movie, and even a little Antique Roadshow (which gave me excellent motivation to keep plowing through the name book). We hit the Minneapolis farmers market on Sat. This market (the Lyndale variety) isn't a green market or anything even though there is plenty of local produce and goods. So if you want to shop local you have to do a little more homework, but you can find anything you could imagine there...and a few things you wouldn't.

There was a great band there to provide some background tunes while sampling the food stalls. The cinnamon rolls were as big as your head and very good. The other hits were the characters at Mrs. Kelly's Teas and Smokehouse Snacks - oh and their goods are top notch. Some really good teas. There were a bunch of honey stands with local honey...yum. This market runs 7 days a week and serves the general public as well as local grocery stores, something that the public doesn't have access to everywhere. Great place to visit.

Now for the spoiler - stop reading if you don't want it. The other doc visit was the baby doctor. Ultrasound was all good and it is a boy. Which actually makes the name discussion harder. We each have shorter lists that are more divided...though after peaking it looks like there are 2 on both of our lists, so there might be an easy Plan B. There are also other decisions that need to be made...but we can worry about that stuff a little later.

2009-06-29T12:41:00.002-05:00

In a story in the Wall Street Journal (not sure if everyone will have access to the full article) Valero Energy Corp, one of the top crude processers in the US, installed 33 wind turbines at a TX refinery. Not because they wanted some good PR or to highlight one of their businesses, but because they think it makes economic sense. They looked at their options for increasing their power supply and chose something that worked for their location and situation.

This is a big story from many aspects, but I think it really highlights where I think our long term energy outlook is headed. Joining different technologies to form a diverse portfolio that makes sense based on location (TX is in prime real estate for wind generation), site considerations (refineries quite often have available space and are in locations removed from astetic or wildlife issues), and end user. The industry as a whole has spent much of the last decade going after easy fixes like using waste heat to produce electricity, so as those opportunities begin to run out they will be looking for other options. This is an excellent opportunity for diversification such as this one. Perhaps some coastal refineries can offset some of their energy demand with tidal turbines and some in sunny locations can use solar panels. I think is all just more reason to continue to develop all options in energy production because they can all be useful.

It will be interesting to see if Valero will get what they were hoping for out of this project. It will also be interesting to see how some of the other factors play out - for example this represents a rather large unit on the grid. How has the local utility had to adjust their production capacity, is there back up generation (for calm or maintenance days), who is responsible for that backup capacity, does this effect the other consumers on the local grid?

(Photo is of a Chinese refinery)

It is summer in Chicago!

2009-06-28T11:24:00.003-05:00

The hair is cut. The sun is out. I am jealous of all the 2-wheelers plying the streets of Chicago (and there seem to be a lot out there this year). A nice fundraiser on Friday night with great old friends and a strawberry gallette in the sun (with some other assorted treats from the Green City Market. Throw in a couple of BBQs and what a great summer weekend in Chi-town.

No Pictures...unless you want them

2009-06-23T20:19:00.003-05:00

Surgery was done Monday and my follow up was today. I have some pictures of the scene, but they might not make everyone happy so I won't post them, but if anyone is interested I will share.

I am glad that anesthesiaworks well on me. I got a little relaxer and a nerve block of the right arm. They started the relaxer before they wheeled me into the operating room. I remember the room and them laying me all the way down. The next part cracked me up. The nice little Indian woman that was knocking me out raised my right arm - I am not convinced that they were just having a little fun with me - and said something about wanting to check to see how I was progressing. She then dropped my hand on my face. My broken hand on my face. I remember it happening and thinking that I should have stopped it from hitting my face. She started going on about how she put her hand over my face to protect me...but I distinctly remember something bouncing off my forehead. Well, as well as I can remember through the haze. And that nerve block thing is pretty crazy. Not only is there a hefty slab of dead weight hanging off your body, but when you touch it it doesn't feel like it belongs to you. But man...once that wore off I really wished it was back.

The follow up visit was not exactly fun. The procedure was pretty much a huge success. The bone pieces came back together the way the doctor hoped when they manipulated my thumb and they were in the right places to be held together with long pins. The doc inserted 3 pins, my thumb looks like busy kabob. But everything is in order and there should be minimal long term effect on the joint. Trip home for treatment was definetly a good decision. Part of the pins are external so I have to take care of them like you would a piercing (H202 and q-tips) and they should come out in 3-4 weeks. It was pretty tender and creepy learning to do it the first time, but I am sure that I will get used to it pretty quickly. Apparently, I looked pretty bad while this was being done because all the nurses and therapists kept asking if I was feeling ok or if I needed some soda or to lie down or something like that. They thought I was going to pass out or something and were worried since they were all pretty small. Something about the long fall. It was probably more due to the steady low dose of pain, recently upped medication dose, and lack of sleep from the previous night.

On to more fun topics...next week I have my next follow up visit and Beth has "the" ultrasound. Will we pick names? Will we find out? Will some of us find out? Stay tuned...

Baby Physics

2009-06-19T08:29:00.002-05:00

In an effort to take my mind off of the hand stuff for a little while (we are back in Chicago and the 'big' appointment is at 1pm today)...time for some baby talk. (and a relaxing picture)

Beth and I have been having the discussion about finding out the LIKELY gender of the child before absolute determination when it pops out. She wants to know and I have been arguing the counter. So far my reasons have been falling on deaf ears. We don't have a nursery to prep. I was hoping to get most of our baby clothes second hand so there isn't much control there anyways - besides orange looks great on boys and girls. It isn't like we are going to treat it differently, though there might be a little more mental prep needed for a girl...you know because they are more difficult in those years between talking and...maybe 25ish?

Of course Beth has some silly arguments. Apparently she is going to be busy enough that day to be worrying about which kind comes out. And it would make what is turning out to be a somewhat difficult naming process approximately half as difficult. And we can't even compromise on finding out unless by some miracle we select names before the ultrasound. Not because she can't keep a secret but because all of a sudden I would get to name one gender whatever I want while the other remains a debate.

The way that I see it, the determination has already been made. (Hopefully) in the begining one path was chosen - boy or girl. After the first ultrasound there appears to be no bonus baby...so no split decision on that account. The view in the next ultrasound won't be 100% accurate so even if we find out what is "probable" we still won't know for sure until the baby makes its first appearance anyways. The result already exists but our realities will be changed by the observation of said result. (Beth thinks it will be a boy and I a girl - maybe we just like to disagree?)

I like to think of it as a fun quantum physics experiment relating how reality is effected by observation - like Schroedinger's Cat. For a slighty interactive explanation go here. My quickie version is as follows: In 1 box add 1 cat, 1 really big hammer connected to Gieger counter, and one atom of radioactive material with half live of your experimental time (so that there is a 50/50 shot that the atom will degrade in the time of the experiment. If the atom degrades the Gieger counter will detect this, triggering the hammer and flattening the cat.

At the end of the experiment the cat is either flat or not...but you do not know until the box is open. Both possiblities exist with equal probability, but only one is true (the paradox). As the observer you can see both possibilities and may form one or both realities in your head - you reality will shift once the box is open...but there was only one real condition the whole time. There are probabilities...the probability of the cat being alive is 100% when placed in the box. The probability of a live cat drops with time, reaching 50/50 at the half life and continueing to drop...but never reaching 0% (or 100%) until the box is opened.

I see another example in Texas Hold'em. They post the percentages for each player holding the winning hand. If it is head to head...the winner is already determined as the cards are already in order and just waiting to be dealt. But no one knows the outcome until to last card is revealed. There could be player with a hand that only one specific card can beat. He starts planning how he is going to spend the millions...but he can't until that last card is flipped. Do you want to look right away or cut to commercial to build some drama?

Higher...authority?

2009-06-17T22:25:00.002-05:00

Just something I have noticed with the events of the last couple of days. Those outside of life changing events (myself previously included) sometimes think it is easy to look at options objectively and make rational decisions. But it is really easy to get lost in the moment, not ask too many questions. Defer to a higher level of expertise or authority.

Right after this thumb thing happened I think that if someone told me that they could fix it like new and everything would be grand, I would have done whatever they said and just accepteed it. Followed advice blindly, 'trusting' that they knew best, and everything was going to work out in the end...because that is how things are supposed to go. Nevermind that the truth probably lies somewhere closer to complicated procedures, rehab, and a thumb that will probably never be the same. Everyone is supposed get a happy ending overcoming all odds.

It is so easy to give faith to that higher authority or expertise...so much simpler...so much less thinking about undesirable consequences. Just believe that everything will be ok with nothing but happy thoughts. I don't know if it was the couple days I was given to stew or if it was the surgeon greeting me with "I have no good news for you" but I broke out of it. I started researching doctors and hospitals (thanks to great people I met on the ultimate field and great support through our work medical service)...doing the work that makes good luck (hopefully). I will still trust experts, but I think that I am more critically listening to them now. Again maybe just because it started with bad news...I could be in a totally different mindset had they said only good happy things.

Just some thoughts on examined faith and unexamined faith from a new found perspective.

Too much fun....

2009-06-14T21:16:00.002-05:00

I have been gone a while, but for good reason. We were able to take a trip to Kaifeng, an ancient capitol city, and then return for a weekend in Shanghai - at which point all the fun came to a crunching halt. So I have lots of thoughts, stories and pictures to post - but they will be hampered a little by the fact that I am typing with one hand now (please excuse typos and abreviations that I may use now). I will start at the end as that is the most time sensitive news. And for anyone sensitive - be warned of the last pic posted. It really is my thumb, though I didn't get a picture of it before they casted it

I was invited to play with a team in the Shanghai Ultimate Tournament this last weekend - for interestingly enoughh the Pirates. Apparently, a quite common team name. I was suposed to play 7 games over 2 days. Due to scheduling snafus I arrived for game point of Game #3 and played in the blowout (us on the bad end) that was Game #4. Though we did get to watch a sweet game between the Phillipino team and ShanghaiA. For those that know him...imagine playing against 7 Floyd's with better throws. Next day was similar - captain told us we were first game of the day requiring an early wake up. (Dinner that night was great though, finally got some good food in Shanghai.) We get there and we are not playing the first game. So we get to do some drills instead.

We finally get to start playing...at which point the captain looks at me and says - "You handle right?" News Flash...if I am going to be any kind of ringer you don't want me to handle. So after almost a half of slipped throws and me dropping throws at my chest, we are trying to prevent them from taking it to half when I get thrown a wobbly no-spin throw to the center of the zone defense. I lay out to try to save it...and here are a couple of lessons for the kiddies out there - don't layout with retards on the field with no regard for your body and always go palm up. The middle-middle behind me dives on top of me landing on my arm. He drives my arm into the ground as he slides over it. My middle thumb knuckle sticks in the ground. I didn't hear the 'crack' that everyone talks about...but I did know that something was wrong. I look at my thumb...that isn't right...was there always that bend there? I tried to move my thumb, it moved but I could feel the loose bones sliding against each other. Why doesn't this hurt?

I announce that it is broken and that I am leaving. It seemed that whatever I wanted to say it just came out "It's broken...It's broken...I am sorry you don't understand - it is broken". Go to the medical tent and tell them that I need ice and a hospital. In the wonderful Chinese aversion to ice, I get a bag with about 8 cubes in it. Seriously? They want to see it. No, it is broken take me away. It doesn't support its own weight...there really isn't any doubt here. We then get into the van with the driver that doesn't know where the clinic is. We finally get there and the service was quite good. Though when the doctor comes in and says that there are 3 or 4 pieces the thought of a simple, break, cast and recovery are out. We have an appointment on Wed (we don't really know anything until then) to meet with the surgeon and surgery on Friday. Good thing that it happened in Shanghai.

For now Beth is my right-hand. The first time that my right hand has been better than my left. It is like having my own hot, sassy nurse. It is great that we are together...though for the next few weeks neither of us can really lift much of anything and have to get around with some rather large bags. Amazing what 2 hands are useful for. Socks are what got me this morning.

Chinese Experience Level +1 and some belated comments

2009-06-06T12:20:00.003-05:00

My apologizes and warning to those reading during or near meal time...but I am sure there are some of you that would appreciate the sharing.

For further advancement of my cultural skill and experience combined with a perfect storm of work schedule, entraping logistics, and faith in the fortitude of my recent diet I finally used squatty-potty. Those porcelain holes in the ground. It may not sound like that great of an acheivement, but you need pretty good aim. For the benefit of all, no pictures are included in this post. This was a basic acheivement with further advancement possible with use while in a moving railcar and the most advanced level (only to be attempted during great emergency) of the communal room with no dividers. I am continuously amazed how aged people and anyone with moderate flexibility manages in this arrangement.

There has been much discussion over the recent Tiananmen anniversary. I would have to say that most of my experiences have matched with what is being reported in the western press. Articles are firewalled here (you can only get to them if you have a setup to get a western IP address) and anything with the word blog in it is hard to get to. This goes for other things like any flu related story also, but this anniversary subject is also taboo to talk about. Some of the people in the 20-30 age group that we come into contact with know of the event. That it happened, but none of the details like why or who or how it was concluded. It is not spoken about in public or in groups. The explanation (that would sound strange to anyone accustomed to freedom of speech) is simply that it isn't allowed. No questions or irony, just accepted as it isn't allowed. There has been much progress in China since 1989 and many freedoms are now enjoyed here. But there are also many of the old ways that are still in place and don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. The most common observation I have heard about this is that as long as things are going well here and the advances and wealth are shared among the people no one is willing to push the envelope. In the short term it serves the people well, but my question would be...if people are only allowed enough to keep them from asking questions - is that measured progress or just a different form of control? Is a revolution still needed?

It also seems that many of the "complaints" about the current crop of 17-25 yr olds in the US (helicopter parents, entitlement, political/social apathy) are very similar here. Plenty of the people in this age bracket are willing to be steered by the government and the party as long as they are allowed a comfortable life. They have just enough to lose to outweigh any benefit of asking questions. Not that they aren't working hard, but would you rock the boat if you are getting what you consider to be a fair share? These are sweeping generalizations, but I think valid questions for discussion. What kind of new leaders will step forward? When? I have been a member of a few organizations that have faced this question on a much smaller scale and have handled it with varying degrees of success. This is an issue that is vital to an organization (or country) maintaining a level of success.

This post has gotten a little longer than I imagined. I'll wrap it up. This is an issue that I have been thinking of recently with all of the changes coming. I don't think of myself as a leader, but have tried to find good causes and be a supporting player (nothing on such a grand scale as the events above) to the leaders. How does that change with a lifestyle that is more visitor and less citizen? While new experiences are helpful down the road, moving from a doer to an observer can be a challenging one. Eventually we will settle again and I would like to resume a lot of the work I was helping with, but what will I have time and resources for? Only time will tell.

Untitled...work in progress

2009-06-02T17:12:00.003-05:00

We are in Jinling, China. Sort of a homecoming for me as this was my first real assignment and I spent 3 months here a year ago almost to the day. I have been able to visit with most of my favorite vendors - the mango stand, one of the noodle guys, and the ice cream stand. A couple of noodle shops and the chicken man to get to. Good simple, fresh food made by experts.

A couple of the new albums I got are by Lady Sovereign and Neko Case. Lady Sovereign took a little break for some soul searching between her first (Public Warning) and second (Jigsaw) releases. I am reminded a little of Lily Allen, she has changed her all around style while keeping a flavor of the previous. While Lily managed to take her lyrical stylings to a deeper level, Lady Sovereign's lyrics when from daily social observations to describptions of daily actions. One of my favorite songs describes how much you like her songs and you can't resist moving from the bar to the dance floor. The songs have more variety and I like the beats and the sounds, but I think the writing on the first album set a high bar that wasn't quite acheived. Overall a fun album.

I have loosely followed Neko Case for a while, even though this is the first album of her's I have purchased (Middle Cyclone). She is a member of the New Pornographers. I am a luke warm fan of them - they are good to listen to but never motivated me to purchase their work. But I eventually noticed that most of the songs that I really like that they do feature her vocals. Her work in the New Pornographers has more pep than her solo work, but this is a beautiful album. She has a beautiful voice that is wonderfully showcased. I don't listen any of these songs unless I have my good headphones in. The songs make me feel like I should be sitting on a sunny porch somewhere on a Saturday morning, sipping some tea, and reading or writing or sketching...something suitable for a relaxing Saturday morning.

Now some kid talk. This is one of those life changing moments right? But we knew that going in. I would like to think that we thought this through, did our homework. Maybe a little too much if anyone thought we should have started earlier. We had an idea of what we were going to do, how we were going to handle situations...of course all of these thought experiments were conducted in a vacuum. Or at least close enough that you could assume a vacuum. You hear the stories from friends, neighbors, articles...but ever notice that knowing what is coming doesn't always help? That phrase - "You can never be prepared" keeps looming. You know the stages that everyone goes through and think - Well, now that I know what everyone goes through I can just skip to the end. Cut right through the agonizing and second guessing, make the best decision, and boom - done.

But wait...this is a pretty serious decision. I moved on kind of quickly didn't I? Doesn't something of this importance deserve a little more a little more thought and research? Oh look, there we are right in the middle of the steps that we were going to be skipping. And by the way this happens for any decision - the big ones all the way down to stupid stuff like which fruit to buy. Watermelon is good for you...but it is also susceptible to contaminated water sources...which bottled water is best to buy or should we treat tap water...is the air better inside the hotel or out...

Part of this is our own fault with me taking the new job we gave up a lot of control that we had kind of assumed we were going to have. Instead of buying all of our produce from the local organic farmer from Central IL....we get stuff from the random stall at the market where we can barely order let alone inquire where the vegetables came from and how it was grown. We can't read labels. There are no agencies that conduct any studies that provide any kind of help applicable to our current lifestyle. But at this point it doesn't matter how much research is done or thought goes into it - The kid isn't going to wait. Most of these decisions are easy for us, yeah we can get a little sick but we are fully developed. There won't be any growth stunted or other serious issues. But now, here we go making decisions for someone that will bear the consequences but has no say in the matter.

It isn't surprising that we find the name choosing process a little more enjoyable - worse case scenario all the kids will tease the CTBNL (Critter To Be Named Later). Boys names have been the challenge so far. We don't like a lot - and most of the ones we like are already in circulation by people that we know or cousins or something to that effect. Last night Beth brought up Rayden which we both thought could go on the potential list. Can you eliminate a name just because it was a character in a video game? If it was in Mortal Kombat?

A couple of days in Shanghai

2009-05-29T21:41:00.002-05:00

We arrived in Shanghai without much of a plan since I was supposed to be working. Our first thought was to check out the World Financial Center with the world's highest observation deck. The tickets to the top are a little pricey at 150RMb (less for the lower floors of observation), but they do make a show of it. There is a little intro screening and the building has mascots that look like flying bulbs. There is the elevator waiting room with a giant LCD display on the ceiling with the height in meters of the elevator, among other details. The top observation deck is an impressive view with floor to ceiling windows and peep holes through the floor. Viewing the surrounding architecture from above is pretty nice - as is watching the window washers at work. A warning though - make sure you visit on a clear day and beware of the time of day of your visit. Just about everything is a shiny surface, so unless you are there near mid-day or in the evening everything is a wash in glare. It is a little difficult to see and decent pictures are nothing more than a pipe dream.

We walked from the WFC to the Bund. Unfortunately for us Shanghai is at a heightened level of construction (slightly amazing considering its normal state of construction) as they gear up for the 2010 World Expo. We had our first "in case you forgot you were in China" moment. We are walking along a busy street near the Bund, the sidewalk has been reduced to about 1/10 its normal size. Ped walkways over the road have been closed - seemingly for future construction and repairs - forcing people to walk in the streets. We come up to a vested gentleman that is saying that we can no longer walk on the remaining sliver of sidewalk. Instead we must cross a busy lane of traffic, past a traffic barrier, and continue our travels on a another busy lane of car and bus traffic that barely has room for one person to fit between the wall and the edge of the speeding taxis. Then to rejoin the sidewalk (after recrossing traffic) 30 yards down. Meanwhile the sidewalk in between remains vacant due to the efficiency of the vested man. Beautiful.

This is the weekend of the Dragon Boat Festival in the region. At time for Dragon Boat Races and special rice triangle steamed in leaves. We tried to find some of the races in Shanghai, we were directed to Yuyuan Gardens by the hotel staff. While this was a great scene of vendors, ancient architecture, and other sights there were no races to be seen. After wandering through and checking out the crowds and the wares we decided to check out some more of the surrounding neighborhoods. We wandered and the streets got smaller and smaller. We started passing families doing their daily chores and the looks changed from "more tourists, let's try to sell them something" to "yeah, what are those people doing here". We were reminded of how much more of people's daily life here is conducted in public, in the open since a lot more of the space and basic equipment is shared. The feeling is much more communal, familes gathering in the street and conversing while children play.

Eventually, we emerged back into the noise and bustle that is Shanghai but it was a nice little respite in the middle. The food here has been different - more oily and greasy. A little more bland. But we continue the search for the good stuff. Right now the highlight is the architecture. Some amazing buildings, and unlike some cities there is space to see most of them separately as there are rather large green spaces integrated into the layout of the city. And there are not many medium sized towers here to fill in the skyline. Each one still makes a pretty individual statement.

Another exended abeence...

2009-05-25T08:38:00.003-05:00

What a week. I don't really have a good excuse for not posting...but I have been making some time to catch up on a little Chicago exploring.

As it turns out this is our last week in Chicago for a while - this morning we are boarding a plane to Shanghai. Our first visit to that city, so we are a little excited. To add to the mystery level over the weekend the project that I am going over for has been delayed at least a week. So I will be doing some serious reading in case I get switched to another type of project...but there will be some time for exploring Shanghai.

Wednesday was a busy day. Supposed to meet a friend for lunch downtown, but plans changed and I was able to explore a little art project that I had been trying to find for a while now. On the northside of the tracks along Hubbard west of Jefferson there is an series of paintings. Some are endangered animals as the gallery is in name dedicated to to endangered species, but as you get farther west the images get a bit more random. Some interesting images and colors, mostly just a forgotten art on the near west side and following the series shows some interesting views of the city that you wouldn't get otherwise.

That night we caught a Sox game - first and likely last of the season for me. Fortunately, it was the victory before the Twins embarrassed them. It was a great night for a ballgame. Through some familial connections (not mine) we got to get down by the visitor's dugout and watch a couple of innings from field level. It is nice down there, definitely a different perspective. I wouldn't like to sit there all the time, partially because if you don't watch the ball at every moment you might leave the park on a stretcher. It was also dog night at the park...but apparently most Sox fans have small horses instead of dogs and thought it would be cool to bring them instead. The down side (aside from the extra clean up crews required) was that there were no fireworks for the Grand Slam that sealed the deal or the victory at the end. But still a great night.

Saturday I got my last fix of Ultimate with Goaltimate. Which is probably the closest thing that you can get to hockey with a frisbee. It is a little nuts. It was a gorgeous afternoon and great to be outside. (The picture is from our room at the Hotel Dana - great place if you get the chance) So the big news that I have been delaying for dramatic effect...there is a bun in the oven. We will be +1. I will soon have 2 dependents according to the IRS. Also another reason for lack of posts, hard not to mention all the new activities and visits related to the new addition. And brings up some issues and thoughts that I don't think this is the optimal forum to be working through. But there is the bug news. Life will continue to get crazier and more fun. It is kind of fun trying to go into a stroller store and trying to convince the staff that since we will be going through so many airports that it really is worth it to be as concerned about smooth transitions and shaving weight as a triathlete. No one believes us when we tell them what we do.

Cheat Fest 2009

2009-05-06T21:41:00.003-05:00

This weekend I got to head to West Virginia for the annual Cheat Festival. The Cheat River is a little canyon winding through the mountains in some coal country. This river has always been a treasure in the area but had taken some hard hits from mining in the area. The river was lifeless, but has been resurrected. Now the river is a center for tourists activities such as rafting, kayaking, and fishing. To celebrate and continue to raise awareness there is a festival the first weekend of May.

It rained pretty much all weekend, which could be a bummer for most things but not for a paddling weekend. Water levels were great all weekend. The Lower Yough was running much higher than we had done it before making for some great play. After the first day we had pie at Glisan's - another hidden gem of the area. Beautiful pie and cinnamon rolls...and they have some food also.

The second day was for the Cheat. Kind of a marathon day, the run is almost 10 miles and since the shuttle takes over an hour we took our time getting down. The water was pretty high and it made for some big water. Definitely a lot better than the last time we did this river. The Cheat at 5' is good times. The shuttle road is a beast so we crammed as many boats as possible onto the road-worthy cars. We only got 7 boats on the volvo. Saturday night is the festival. Art vendors, some boat vendors, and a great collection of bluegrass bands. We had a great evening for it - no rain and warm. Just relaxing in the summer-like weather.

The next day was a challenge in that we did the same run that took 6 hrs in 1:40. And then had to drive the 12hrs home. It was a great weekend and as it is almost official that we are going to China - I am going to need to make that weekend of safe, touchable water and fresh air last the entire summer. At least I can take the tunes with me.

2009-04-30T11:19:00.002-05:00

I have been extremely slacking on the posting front. I return to the States and now don't have anything to write about apparently. We have been pretty busy visiting friends and old haunts. But there will be some big news very soon I can promise you that. This weekend I am headed to West Virginia for some kayaking. I haven't been in a boat in over a year and they are getting a lot of rain so there might be some epic waters. What a great combination. Should be a great time though. And I bought the new Lady Sovereign and Neko Case albums for the car.

I will leave you with one thought though. What pickup game is friendlier? Ultimate, built upon the concept of Spirit of the Game or the World's Game of soccer? My impressions may have been tainted since most of my soccer pick up games are pretty low on the skill level (I mean I have actually play with most of the guys there). But Ultimate seems to be a little more clique-ey while soccer seems to be a little warmer. Ultimate seems a little more competitive while the soccer groups almost play so they can go out drinking with people. Again maybe the skill level of the people that I am playing with. Or maybe most of the people that are playing Ultimate are Western from high-end schools while the soccer players are from warm, friendly cultures. Maybe I am way off, just a though that I had.

Anyways...more to come.

Back Home...for now

2009-04-09T08:38:00.003-05:00

It has been a long time between posts. I made it back to Chicago. My winter/spring is complete - Chicago saved 2 snows for me. As our plane was coming in the pilot noted that the city was frosted with a fresh dusting. Which to everyone that has spent the winter here must have been horrible - but was beautiful from where I was sitting. Then we even go an April bonus snow. Just enough to say it snowed.

In other good news I got my bike back and I am riding again, in the nice crisp spring air that is in abundance now. Looks like we are going to be around for a while, but you never know.

So the last week or so has been pretty hectic running around trying to catch up on errands and appointments for the last 6 months. I left my helmet somewhere - so I got a new lid. I think it looks pretty good with hair...not sure how it is going to be when it is chopped. Oh well, at least I am using it. Hopefully, we will be around for the start of the market season (the full market, not the pre-season stuff that is going on now) and get to return to some of our favorite haunts in the next few weeks.

Though it is a little weird to be back - I have to figure out the appropriate personal space thing again and some other things. But it should be fine in a few days.

Last Day in Ulsan

2009-03-27T18:18:00.002-06:00

My assignment is over in Ulsan, so the company wants to send me back to Chicago as soon as possible. While not a bad thing I was able to squeeze out a couple of fun things in before the fabled plane ride home.

Mr. Lee was kind enough to offer me a chance to play with the production group's soccer team. They picked me up at the hotel and we drove to a turf field in a western section of the city. Ulsan does not have a lot of grass but they do have a lot of artifical turf fields for sport. These are the good ones, with the shredded rubber bit and long "grass". Yes they might not be real, but having seen what real grass looks like after a short time of use in an urban environment these things a are gift from the gods. And they have enough people that I was able to play in my first full field game of soccer in a very long time...so nice to play on a field I was built to play on instead of the super small fast twitch games that normally exist on a small footprint.
Other things that I am gratefull for - that I played a little soccer growing up so that I have a basic (quite basic) skill set of a sport that is played everywhere else in the world, allowing me to join in and not make a complete fool of myself...further aided by point #2. That America's reputation for soccer is so bad that most people think it is impressive that you know what the sport is. I mean we don't even call it by the real name. In every language in the world it is football...except America. But this allows me with a basic level of talent to be rather impressive. Simple stuff like being in the right place on defense gets some acknowledgement.

So it was, I got to play with Team Olefin. A great game that found on the receiving end of a pass so fantastic that all I had to do was stand there and let it bounce of me to score the Golden Goal and allowing us to proceed to dinner.

I was pretty honored because they had a high union official there for dinner.

In Korea many places are union...and if you think US unions are bad look out. They just passed legislation that increase the number of employees per union boss on the company payroll from like 6 to 10 or something like that. So there is a guy being paid by the company to sit there and make sure that there are 6 (now 10) guys being treated well. And he takes them out to dinner and stuff too. Very back room stuff. But the guy took me out for the night so who am I to complain?

Dinner was at a raw fish place. This is Korean raw fish not sushi or sashimi. Walking around Korea you will see restaraunts with fish tanks outside. These tanks can hold eels, crabs, or regular looking fish. A lot will have a flat fish - it lays flat on the bottom with the eyes on the top side. The fish is sliced and diced to order - does get much fresher than that. None of the big fish typical to Japanese style. And these fish are all local caught or raised in the seas near Ulsan. This cuisine is a little more popular in oceanside towns. There is also a sea creature, that when sitting in the tank looks like a spiky heart. There are 2 valves on the top, it is about the size of a fist. They slice it and there is a lot of cartilidge in it. Quite crunchy. And like most things in Korea...good for stanima. There was also a smallish grilled fish - like the sixe of a good lake fish. That was great, salty and crusty on the outside and tender on the inside.

Being this was my first real dining experience with a large group of traditional Koreas (not on company best-behavior) I was able to expereince a few new Korea customs. There was the two handed serving and accepting of drinks from senior people that I knew of and that you can not pour your own drink. But a new one on me was the glass sharing. Instead of toasting someone you hand them your emty glass and then pour them a drink. They drink it and then they can return the favor. I liked it, of course me being the guest I was on the receiving end quite a bit. Korean men also like to hug, put their arms around your shoulder, and at points hold hands. Everyone in the group was rather generous, open, and friendly. Which made Mr. Lee's night rather busy. He was the best Enlgish speaker in the group and the most familiar with me since we had been working together for almost 2 months now. One of the gentlemen would come up to me, grasp my hand and hold onto it. Begin talking to Mr. Lee who would then translate the greeting, how welcome I was to the dinner and game, and that they wanted to be good friends. Mr. Lee, also the most traveled in the group and aware of my possible American delicate sensibilities would inevitably follow up with "...and he is not gay". So for most of the group the interaction went something like...This is Mr. So-and-so, he works as an operator, he wants to welcome you to Korea, and say thank you for playing football with us....and he is not gay. I didn't tell him that I lived with 50 guys in college and my male-male personal space requirements have been reduced to well below the national norm.

As no Korean dinner is complete without a little karoke...that was what we did next. I would say that the bad was not as bad as I was expected and it was a good time. A great night, I hope to return. A little note for the last 2 photos, everyone was of course impressed with my ability at being tall. Many pictures were taken at the room divider since my hair touched it. And those Koreans must have hollow bones or something because I hoisted up those two guys and I have had more trouble with bags of mulch than lifting them. They called me the human crane for the rest of the night.

Springtime in Korea

2009-03-24T20:24:00.003-06:00

It struck me this weekend that spring has arrived in Korea. Not knowing if this was going to be as fleeting as the Chicago spring I thought that I should take advantage of it, so I headed into Busan for another weekend of hiking. I knew I had made the right decision when I was standing at my first crosswalk, look over, and spot my first Korean mullet. What a great day this was going to be.

I returned to Kumchong Fortress (there are many spelling I have found - this is my latest version) with my sights set once again on the Bomosa Temple. I took a side trip to one of the minor peaks in this ridge. Let me just sum up my Korea hiking experiences - I have yet to reach the top of a Korean mountain and not be offered squid and Korean alcohol at least once. And these gratious people will not take no for an answer.

In addition to the caloric fortifications I received, there was also a grand view of the ridgeline, the valley, and surrounding Busan. This was much different than our last visit. The top was peaceful, minus the gaggle of middle-aged women and their daughters giggling and taking pictures as they slid down the steep slopes. I was impressed that there was not a single pair of high heels in the group. But then it was peaceful. The sun was warm, the breeze had that spring chill to it - like the winter could not quite let go yet. The early blooming flowers were starting to show. And unlike last time the sounds of the many Korean families enjoying the park were percolating up to the mountain top.

But onward - I could not stop for lunch until I had reached my destination. I bring this up because I think I have reached a new culinary McGyver level. Struggling for pack lunch ideas and low supplies I glanced around the breakfast buffet. I had a loaf of bread in the room, good start. Cheese - that travels well and was packaged. Fruit was out, everything was pre-cut...but there were packets of jam. Cheese and jam are a pretty good combo, cheese and fruit platers are great this will just be on bread. Now if only I had something salty and/or crunchy. There is was staring me in the face - seaweed. It is everywhere, when in Rome...

The temple was great as expected, I watched a lot more foot-volleyball, and the rest of the day went well. But I will leave you with this last picture of probably the most disturbing belly dancer in Korean that I found while walking through the kiddie carnival area. This is is a place for kids! The damage it could induce.

Lily Allen: It's Not Me, It's You

2009-03-22T02:25:00.003-06:00

I just got Lily Allen's newest album "It's Not Me, It's You". I really liked the way she turned a lyric in "Alright, Still" and was hoping she hadn't lost the magic.

She has not only changed her look since the last album but also a little of her sound. What used to be a reggae-pop back beat has become a synth-pop backbeat. Her skill with a phrase is still there, though her outlook on life seems to have shifted.

"Alright, Still" seemed to be about the daily challenges and observations of a fun loving young twenty-something. How to deal with your silly younger brother, staring down rival females at the club, and having a generally rosey life. Now she seems to have had the proverbial "30th birthday". She woke up one morning realized that her boyfriend (or past 3) were not life-partner quality, she was tired of the bar scene, is struggling a little with finding what to make of herself, and is disallusioned with the current rate of return on hard work. She still works with a happy beat but a more hard-hitting range of topics this time around. I really like this album, but find myself thinking a lot more than expected.

Really?

2009-03-21T21:59:00.000-06:00

What did the rice ever do to you?

Korean Good Idea:Bad Idea

2009-03-19T06:28:00.004-06:00

This post is overdue, I got busy and I was hoping to get better pictures to illustrate some of these points...but that didn't happen. This isn't to say Korea isn't a great place full of friendly people and marvelous sights. But these are some observations that I have made, mostly silly.

Good idea: Dining Out. In many Korean eateries there is a button on your table. Push this button and your server is paged and runs right over (provided there aren't multiple buttons at the same time). This avoids all that awkward time you spend trying to decipher the menu while your server stares at you and the time waiting after you figure out what to order. No people stopping by asking how everything is once you stuff your face with your first bite. Need more water? Push the button. Added bonus: no tipping.

BAD idea: Korean men's fashion. I know, everyone that comes here always comments on the Korean women's fashion and how silly it is. The high heels, tights, and short shorts or skirts. What was the problem again? Anyways the real issue here is the men's fashion. Hair styles can be iffy, shoes are a another issue, an affection for feminine jackets. But to top it off is the Man-Bag. This isn't just some fashionable accessory used to carry some stuff, this is what your mother or grandmother used to carry in the 80's. Kleenex, candies, snacks, change of clothes, extra shoes, small pets, kitchen sink..yup it can all fit in there. Mary Poppins would be proud.

They get a point for carrying it with the hand and not the elbow. But hopefully you can make out the second picture - they lose a point for carrying bags bigger than their girlfriends.

GOOD idea: In the convenience and grocery stores there are these things we will call seaweed sandwiches. A triangle of rice with a dollop of tuna or kimchi or marinated beef or some other tasty bit all wrapped in a sheet of seaweed. These sell for the same price anywhere - even airport stores, how crazy is that? They travel well due to an ingenious package. See if the seaweed was in contact with the rice and topping the moisture would breakdown the seaweed like the homework you left in your pants pocket before throwing it in the washing machine. But the seaweed is packed in a protected sheath. Pull the string at one corner and opposing side is bisected, gently pull the remaining corners, and you are left with a freshly wrapped snack with crispy seaweed. A couple of these and you are set for around a buck.

BAD idea: Koreans + Elevators. This was the impetus for this post. I don't have the actual dates, I am not going to do the research, but I am pretty sure that Korea has had elevators for quite some time. Maybe more than 30 years? And Koreans are smart people. But for some reason they have not figured out how to make them work efficiently. Let me share a typical occurrence in the hotel that I am staying at...name withheld for someone's protection. I walk into the elevator bay and there are a few people standing there. No one has pushed a button to go up or down...the elevators have not been called. I weave my way in and push the up button. The elevator dings and everyone rushes to the door and stands almost touching their nose to the door. 2 points here. 1: no one has checked to see if this elevator is going in the direction that they want to go. 2: Everyone on the inside is doing the exact same thing so when these doors open there are 2 Koreans standing nose to nose - neither willing to give even though somehow the people on need to get off before the others can get on.

I have also seen the opposite where people will be standing in the bay and up and down elevators will arrive but never get on. Doors open...doors close....no movement. Not sure what they were waiting for in the elevator bay. If it wasn't an elevator they were waiting for...what else comes?

I mention the fact that they do not check to see if the elevator is going their direction even though there are the normal flashing lights to indicate direction of travel because I have actually had this impact my travel. Normal day. I walk into the bay there are a few Koreans standing there, no buttons pushed. I push my up. Elevator comes - all the lined up Koreans get on. 3 up floors are pushed and 1 down is pushed. Since the guy wanting to go down hit his button first we all went down. Then had to stop twice before getting back to ground floor and eventually to our desired floors. Brilliant.

GOOD idea: My hotel has this little bean bag-like pillow that is just wonderful. It is filled with little plastic capsules. You can form it into a supportive shape and it will stay there. Not sure the best way to describe it, but it is a beautiful pillow.

See mostly good. Hopefully more observations to follow.

Solo weekend

2009-03-17T06:46:00.002-06:00

This weekend I was on my one since Beth got to go home, probably until this assignment is over. Friday I watched some rugby with guy that play on Sundays. One of them was given a stack of tickets to a filming of the Korean version of the boxing reality TV series The Contender on Saturday night. Since I didn't have any other plans and I have never seen a boxing competition I figured I had nothing to lose.

But before that on Saturday I was going to explore one of the temples in Ulsan. I missed my bus stop, so got off on the next one. Which turned out to be pretty far away but there was a hiking trail entrance there.

There is a large mountain that runs along the Taewha river that runs through Ulsan and this section has some nice trails running along the ridgeline. It is a little steep getting up, but once on top it gives a grand view of the river and city. I was surprised to peek over one rise and discover a huge cemetary. I explored a little of one end of it, but never got to the other side. The graves are all at grade level, covered with a cap of turf, and laid out in a very organized pattern. Each one has a marker column and some have little personal items. Usually little kimchi pots though I did see a bowling ball.

The boxing event was held at Ulsan University. I stopped in the neighborhood for a sausage before - interestingly served with shredded cabbage on a bun with a trio of sauces: a mayo, a mustard, and a pepper sauce. Surpising but tasty.

The free ticket was not necessary, I wandered into the gym without anyone even noticing I was there (kind of surprising in itself here). There was a large ring set up with the commentators doing there pre-event tapings. As they got started the gym filled in a little, but it was mostly empty. It was mostly interesting in a 'I haven't done this before' way. Not too much into the sport.

The night was telecast on Korean tv twice on Sunday though. I watched a little of it. It looked very different on the tv. The previous night I had wondered how a couple of the bouts were decided...but it was pretty clear I was sitting at a funny angle. If I had moved my seat a little I could have made it onto Korean tv. Missed that opportunity. Maybe next time.

Noodles!

2009-03-09T01:18:00.004-06:00

This was a really laid back weekend. No travels, no visiting, very little work. It actually was a little unnerving at times. Just lounging around with no pressing deadlines hanging around the corner. Plus the fact that it looks like we have the next few weeks solidified here - no pressure to get that last bit of Korea before we leave.

We did to check out a market area near the Taewha Hotel (almost down to the river). This was my first time through one of the neighborhood markets on a weekend during the day - there was a lot more action going on. Including one section that was like a Noodle Row.

I hadn't seen anything like this since China. A row of small nook eateries with their noodle expert making noodles on a table outside. These were much more specialized. It looked like there was a menu of 3 items on the wall...but everyone in the place was eating the exact same thing. Well some ordered the large. The noodles are rolled in large sheets on the table outside and hand cut then thrown into the boiling water (on a serious looking burner/superheater thing). The noodles are brought inside to have a dash of broth tossed in to keep them from sticking. Then comes a spoon each of green leafy veg, seaweed, chili powder, sesame seeds, chopped cucumber, and the finished with a squirt of oil and a healthy scoop of broth. While the broth was kind of filler, the noodles were some of the best we have had.

It was good enough that we went back on Sunday before the rugby game for lunch again. This time on the walk there we ran into a group young Korean girls. A few bold ones practiced their English with a little of the how are you, where are you from standards. One asked if Beth and I were married, the answer to which got a rousing response. And one of the smarter ones told Beth she was lucky since I was so handsome. After we had some distance between them and us Beth wondered aloud if they knew what that word meant. I don't know what she was trying to get at there. They followed us for a bit. We got a very small glimpse of what it would be like to be a Korean pop star, loud but fun.

Some sea food at the market - most of it still kicking. Below is a picture of some fish drying on a street near our hotel with a cat sneaking a snack. As I was taking the picture he gave that look of "wha? What are you looking at?"

Ulsan Hat Tourney

2009-03-03T21:19:00.006-06:00

My first Ultimate tournament in Korea was quite convenient. The Ulsan Hat Turf and Surf is held, predictably, in Ulsan. So with this tourney coming to me I was afraid that I was going to miss out on the cool road trip adventures. No fear the adventure was also coming to me! Beth H. was among the many that were coming from Seoul for the weekend, she was supposed fly in Sat morning but as happens here the flight was changed. So instead of arriving after the games she decided to take a bus. After some late night travel arrangements and last minute texts she had a plan. 1230AM bus arriving in Ulsan at 5AM. Fortunately, our hotel is next to the bus station so she rang us and she crashed on our floor for a couple of hours. The best part was that she showed up with our new friend Jon (pictured below with Beth)- he was also traveling from Seoul for the weekend and just happened to be on the same bus.

After a fantastically early breakfast, we headed to Ulsan University for Day 1. This tournament is more like a disc-related pentathalon than an Ultimate tournament. Day 1 started with 5v5 on field turf fields at the Uni. Really nice fields the only complaint I had was that since they are so popular our fields were quite tight and hence all my passes went out the back of the endzone - towards the end of the day I started landing them in. Jon was also kind enough to bestow on me a new call-name. Gigantor. And my apologies to those involved in the discussion - this is the correct spelling. During the first running of "The Play" of the day (you know Step 1. Tall Guy...Step 2. Endzone...Step 3. Score) he yells this so loud that the both fields hear and it sticks for the weekend.

Part 2 of Day 1 was Double Disc which I have never played before, but is a good time. Especially if you only had a few people. We did pretty good on that and got second. The interesting part was by this point most people (including the ref) were getting pretty drunk. At one point the action on the court was secondary to the wrestling match that was going on the sideline.

Part 3 of Day 1 was the PARTY! The organizers had found a great German Brewhouse that would host 30 or so rowdy disc enthusiasts. There were some people that didn't make it - some had other plans and a few could not be roused from their post-field nap.

Besides the decent food, good beer, and interesting atmosphere the scoring opportunities included the 3-pint challenge (one frisbee full of beer, 2 straws, and a stopwatch - the fastest pair wins) and flippy cup. Our pair pulled in a respectable 2nd with 41 sec - we had a shot at winning if my partner drank the whole time. Would have made college buddies proud. Though everyone was destroyed by some guys from Sri Lanka that were hanging out with us - 30 secs.

Day 2 is Beach Ultimate. Another day of great weather and what looks like a beautiful beach. Ilsan beach isn't bad, but it comes with its own set of warnings. We spent a lot of time outs digging out boulders from just below the surface and hauling them off the field. There was also the occasional metal spikey thing. Great though because it is a change from Day 1, at least my feet and legs appreciated the change. Overall a great weekend.

Side story - my running shoes are about to disintigrate (part of the reason I was glad for a beach day). I spent the week before looking for something to replace them. They have really cool shoes here - North Face, Nike, Puma, Adidas - it is all good. And all sized for Korea. The biggest size they have here is the equivalent to US11. It isn't even close - I walk into a store and the clerks take one look at my feet and just laugh. They don't know any English, but they get the message across.

Another side note - I found out about a new info source in Korea. Call 1330 and press 2 for English. These people are like 411 and can get you information on travel options and other goodies.

Oil! - Upton Sinclair

2009-02-24T21:29:00.003-06:00

The basis for the movie "There Will Be Blood". The movie was a good adaptation though it is obvious that any mainstream movie would have to radically alter the story. All that remains of the book are the characters and setting. The book, as with most of Sinclair's writings, is more about the struggle of/for humanity in the industrialized world as seen through the eyes of the main character Bunny. The movie to me was more about an interpersonal struggle and the book looks at a more global struggle with religious commentary kept to a minimum.

I found the tone of this book to be very similar to the Jungle, with the twisting and turning arguments of both sides being presented as personal experiences of player that come into Bunny's life. There are the good guys and the bad guys, which Sinclair differentiates pretty clearly. The good guys are idealistic, passionate, uncomprimising, and intelligent those these are likely fatal flaws and in the end they are either literally or figuratively ground into little bits by the capitalist structure. The bad guys have sensible arguments (like the Devil would have), look out for #1, and are successful. They usualy have 1 of 2 sets of flaws - 1) unforgivable - morally corrupt, selfish, and willing to profit from others labor 2) forgivable - a blindness to the effects of their actions on others or an unwillingness to sacrifice for a stranger's benefit. Bunny floats through most of the story intending to do the right thing trying to see the issue for everyone's point of view in an effort to find a solution that will solves everyone's concerns. While in this unsure state he is taking the path of least resistence throughout - willing to listen but very non-confrontational. At one point he says that he often burns for the cause of the last person that he has talked to. He understands there are no simple solutions and is trying to balance the priorities of himself, his family, his friends (from both sides), along with what is best for people as a whole. In the end after much mental anguish, the loss of most of his close personal ties (and the source of much of his conflicting priorities), and an eye-opening experience or two - he does pick a path and dedicate himself.

Some might see this as a weakness or waffling and to a large extent I argee. But part of this I sympathize with. I see myself in the same situation on many issues. Sometimes it is hard for me to get passionate on an issue because I try to see other perspectives, who gets to determine what is right and wrong in a society that is supposed to value the freedom of choice? There are the easy things that most people agree on, but what about those gray areas where immediate effects are not measurable? It is hard to attack a position is you can see the kernel of truth in it.

I think that this can be seen as a strength with one caveat. There is a point where thought and reflection must stop and action must begin. This point is highly variable. It changes from situation to situation and often within a situation. But if most of the time you can see that point and act on it then you will be doing better than most. You will never see it correctly all of the time, unless you are looking at it the past. In the words of Jack Sparrow - If you were looking for the perfect moment...that was it.

Overall, Oil! lacked the blockbuster punch of the Chicago meat packing industry, but I think that this storyline examined that same argument in a much less depressing setting which I appreciated. It still examines the struggles of greed v humanity, self-interest v self-sacrifice, individual v family v society, capitalists v socialists v communists, and can a person determine their own fate? Many of these topics are timeless and many are quite timely given the current economic happenings. The plight of the little guy trying to get by in the face of large corporations with their political influences. I don't like a lot of Sinclair's character development, but I think that everyone should read one of his books, but unless you are really interested in the subject I don't know if you need to read more than one.

Mad Men

2009-02-23T19:10:00.003-06:00

Is there anyone reading that has watched this series (I know I am pretty far behind) about the advertising industry in NYC in 1960? It highlights different people in their chase of the "American Dream" from different starting points using different strategies and finding different levels of success (as measured by social measurements) and happiness (measured internally). Though in reality I am not sure there is a happy person in this series, not a main character anyways.

By putting the stereotypes and non-PCness they seem to be asking - Have we gotten better or just different?

To me it seems that the resounding answer is - Maybe. Secretaries sleeping with their boss is no longer listed as a job responsibility/fringe benefit. It is no longer acceptable to pull certain pranks such as hiring a "Chinaman" and his goat to hang out in your colleague's office for the day. But money still buys friends and power. There are still "boy's clubs" even if some women are allowed in. There are still prejudices, though they may have changed focus and are more subtle. People still work and claw for material success only to find when they arrive that it wasn't what they wanted. Adults still can act like scared children.

I ask because I am considering getting the second season. I like the artwork and the style intrigues me. If the social portrait is accurate (not having a resource from that time and place), it is an interesting historical perspective. Though it may just be there for some shock value. The struggle for happiness while acquiring the socially required checklist of possessions is an interesting investigation. But the storyline don't seem to get that deep into the question or really go anywhere. After the first season it only feels like half that development-wise. It hasn't been enough to carry the series, unless the 2nd season gets moving. Just wondering it was worth the time and money.

Jeongwol Daeboreum - Great Full Moon

2009-02-21T21:26:00.002-06:00

The next great holiday in Korea after the Lunar New Year is the First Full Moon of the New Year (Jeongwol Daeboreum). There are many great traditions and festivites that are associated with this holiday.

In Ulsan most of these festivities take place along the river in front of the Teahwa Hotel. There were fireworks, food vendors, drum perfomances, and a giant bonfire. It looked like people would throw wishes into the fire along some of the signs associated with the festival. People gathered around the fire and as the moon rose above the horizon gave a great cheer.

There are many rituals that are practiced to promote good luck, good harvests, and good health for the coming year. People climb mountains to see the first full moon of the new year first. Crack nuts or seeds with their teeth to keep their teeth healthy for the year. Some people cross large bridges on foot in a custom called daribabki to strenghten thier legs and keep them healthy for the year. A funny one is when greeting a friend for the first time of the new year saying - "Nae deowi sara" meaning "buy my heat". The one to say this first will suffer less in the hot Korean summer. The traditional meal is ogokbap a five grain mixture of rice, black beans, millet, red beans, and kidney beans.

Enough of the safe activities, let the real fun begin. Jwilbulnori is a ritual practiced the night before Jeongwol Daeboreum where grass on rice fields is burnt in preparation for planting. And children wave around holey cans filled with burning charcoal. This is supposed to keep the worms out. At our local festival the kids are given sparklers and told to wave them around. Cute - though look out because they weild their hot metal sticks without regard to by standers and have been know to chase siblings with the hot metal pokers. For those a little older hand held rockets can be purchased - 5000KW for 2 with about 10 shots in each. Not a bad deal to shoot your eye out.

The Korea movie that Beth was watching and making up dialogue for is over - time to grab some lunch.