Routes Finding

Over the window..

2007-12-06T06:06:00.000+09:00

Long Time No See..

At the korea railroad museum, 18 Nov. 2007.

The darker sillhouette and bigger window size would be better, I thought, but I am so exhausted to do something..

The Maze

2007-08-01T08:29:00.000+09:00

Yeah, there's no easier way in life. Should agree. One full year was needed for me to recognize such a simple fact.

I thought once I had been searching for a nice route for the rest of my life, but realized now that I was in a weird maze of which entrances and exits were the same. Those words, nice, easy, attractive, cool, and convenient may not be used for decorating or describing life or something like that.
-
I had Plan A, Plan B and Plan C and I know it's time to wrap up those plans. Don't ask me what's the plan A and B. All of them are turning out to be failed right now. (Actually my heart is slowly and bit by bit breaking.. )

Only the plan C is available at the moment and I'll take it regardless of its bitterness. You know what it is soon. At this point, I should thank to my kids for their exellent withstanding against my rash and stupid test. I'm really sorry. I should also thank to my wife for keeping boring and hard dailiy lives with me without a complain.

However, Don't worry and no need to be disappointed at all.
I'll set up my new plans soon, and try to make it come true without a pause.

My son prersents this pretty coffee bar to his mom, who is a big fan of the popular drama "Coffee Prince".

He names this picture "a city life". I'm confusing with this drawing indeed.

The trip was once....

2007-06-24T10:57:00.000+09:00

Hmm, I had complained about the trip in some of previous postings, and yeah, even though I had enjoyed *A LOT* the sightseeing tours in London and the first visiting Southampton, I had to admit that I couldn't enjoy whole the trip like normal overseas trips I always enjoyed.

Dockland, London

Lots of problems, unsatisfiable work handlings, and inconveniences. Actually I had written a long list of complains and critics, but abandoned it soon. Useless..Vain. In vain, really. The trip was finished, and no need to remind all of the unpleasant memories. Treat me BOTTLES of BEER if want to listen what happened to me. It should cost a little bit..

Hmm, one thing I'd like to comment is both of the long hour flights. I was really hard for the terrible services, and inconvenient for the facilities.. All of Service Is Always Not Available..

However, the UK itself was really cool to tourists like me..

Near Runnymede. UK.

Notting Hill and Winsor Castle

2007-06-21T06:07:00.000+09:00

6. Royal Albert Hall and Memorial.

The Royal Albert Memorial was interesting to me because of its various sculptures carved in its four walls. Sculptures standing for four continents, embossed relieves for fields-agricultures, manufacturing, engineering and so on.. Remember Albert was the husband of the Queen Victoria..

The Royal Albert Hall, London

The Royal Albert Memorial

7. Notting Hill

The official name of this world-famous flea market is the Portobello Market, even though the name Notting Hill is more familiar to me due to the movie with the same title. Very crowded from the morning, and I bought some picture card for my kids.

Near the starting point of the market

The Street Stores

People.. on the market street

Miniatures.

(My son was crazy for this and changed his most favorate place to visit to London)

8. Winsor Castle

The Queen's winter castle was the last place I visited in the UK. The most impressed thing here was the flag of Winston Churchill in one chamber to memorize the brave British generals, because of the embroidery "Korea 1950-1951" on his flag. It probably means they joined in the UN allied forces for Korean War, but looked like saying he was one of conqueror for the country. Actually not comfortable one..

The Castle and the Church

The Long Walk in front of the Castle

A Guard in the Castle

Cafe in the street

The sightseeing was up to here. Then I returned to my home through another boring flight trip.

London Figures I Saw(2)

2007-06-20T05:19:00.001+09:00

3. Palaces and Parks

The St. James park was also very beutiful and nice place. After looking around the Big Ben and the West Minster Chusch, I could arrived at the Buckingham Palace through the park..

The Horse Guards are departing for the changing ceremony.

A View from St. James Park

Another View at the park

Diana Memorial Pathway at the park

Buckingham Palace, The Queen's Place.

4. The British Museum

You know how wonderful its collections are, especiallyfor Egyptian and Greek arts. Only short time(less than three hours..unfortunately) was availabe, so we didn't have enough time to enjoy the FOREIGN arts..

Inside of the entrance, the British Museum

Old Kings ?

The famous Paraoh..

From the Athene Temple

Beautiful Poses

5. Go to LONDON EYE

After dinner, we wandered the street for minutes, and decided to go London Eye to feel the London's night landscape.

TheTrafalgar Square. I was wondering here why we didn't place our holy General Lee into some high place like Nelson in this picture..Yeah. the expensive London-Eye.

Pictures will be continued..

London Figures I Saw(1)

2007-06-19T22:02:00.000+09:00

1. Dockland in the early morning.

Dockland is a new commercial/residential area recently developed in East London. What I heard about it is that it had been sitting deserted for a long time as a thrown-away old port and then a government company has started to develop the area for a modern city, and still being under development. What I saw is the so-called global financial complex, modern buildings and apartments, city airport and exhibition(convention) facilities and the millenium dom(BROKEN!). Of course, relatively cheap area, but clean and nice to live in. Perhapse we need to compare it with lots of city development projects in our country.

Residential Houses, Dockland

The Millenium Dom and Moderen Buildings

Walking along to the bank

Hotels, Conventoin Center, Airport, and so on..

(You can find a flight and the leading lamps of the airpot if you look into the picture)

2. London Bridge's Falling Down, falling down, falling down.

A lot of stories there. Anne of the thousand days. The henry 8th and his women. Anglican Church and the Elizabeth I. Yeah, Tower of London. It's a sort of sightseeing complex. Tower Bridge, London Bridge, the Belfast, and msny of stylish buildings like the city hall.

Tower of London

A Guard helping tourist

Tower Bridge. Fortunately I could see the opening SHOW of the bridge!

The Stylish New Buildings and the Belfast..

The HMS Belpast.

It's hard to upload many pictures still. I'll try it again in tommorow night.

One and half day long London Tour

2007-06-19T06:29:00.000+09:00

A mission-impossible: looking around a super-giant city like London in one and half day. You know, there're lots of historic places, cultural events and beautiful landscpes. Sightseeing for only a part of them could be possible in such a short time, but with an experienced guide, we could optimize our tour choices and routes:
==================================================================
Day1

Tower of London, Tower Bridge & London Bridge/West Minster & Big Ben/Guards Arch, St.James Park & Buckingham Palace/LUNCH/The British Museum/Piccadilly Circus/London Eye/Hotel at Dockland through Waterloo Station thru the undeground(actually train).

Day2

Royal Albert Memorial and Hall/Portobello Road Market(Notting Hill)/Lunch(actually leaving London)/Winsor Castle & Runneymede.
==================================================================

It was a really compact and tight schedule but we could meet all the plan with the guide and the car we rent. All of the places I visited to were nice, and I'll upload pictures soon. Satisfied with the trip. (Actually I had been in London two or three times before, but I couldn't enjoy the big city in the previous visits)

A Visitor at the British Museum

A short trip to Southampton

2007-06-09T12:11:00.000+09:00

A day after the island trip with 4x4 guys, I had a business trip to UK, another island. Instead of sailing on the ferryboat with seagulls and fresh wind, I had to sit down at a small and narrow chair in the darkness more than 10 hours, watching a couple of movies and feeding food-looking things with the name of meals .

I used to enjoy long-distance fligts for overseas travels so far but this time, it was not good actually. I'm not sure I am getting too old to enjoy the long hours flight now, but there were some accidents too. I'll talk about it later..

West/Watts Park, Southampton, UK

I'd spent 3 days at Southampton and had no time to look around the city actually. You know it's a business trip. But fortunately the sun had risen in the very early morning(around 4 am?), and I could take a walk to a few historic places near the hotel I stayed at in the really early morning-before 7 am..

What I'd learned about the city anyway were:

1. Southampton is a really old city, an old port older than 700 years
2. Actually it's a medieval city and I can find several medieval remains like a bargate, wall, and houses.
3. A very clam and pleasant city even though it's a sort of industrial complex-I mean factories like phillips and so.

Bargate, a symbol-like thing for Southampton

Medieval Wall, Southampton, UK

Old houses on the wall, Southampton, UK

Outside of an old building, Southampton, UK

(Merchant house or Martime Museum, I'm not sure)

A modern store through the Barget arch.

The Cenotaph, War Memorial, Southampton, UK.

I got more facts about Southampton after I returned to home.

It was the port(place) that the historic ship Mayflower had departed for her first trip to the new continent-America- with Philgrims. I would have tried to find more remains for Mayflower if I knew it earlier..

4x4: The Second Island Tour (2)

2007-06-08T07:09:00.000+09:00

Children.

Chinldren seem to be crazy for water and clay for their play. In the sense, a beach can be a sort of perfect places for them to enjoy. Yeah, all of them showed their fatigueless performace for almost two days.

It would be unforgettable moments for them at least in a year, before the next island visit.

SW became a fan of Yonsoo. Actually a fan of Kaeun, too. Obviously they cared a lot of her..

Fathers often had their own time apart from their families. Usually in the cases, alcohol was a bait.

Well, SJ looked pretty nervous after a walk. He got that there's no icecream shop there..

The cute girl, an almost-professional model her father said. Actually Hyunseo and her brother Jihoon are really wonderful kids, so mild with good manners.

Hmm, couldn't have a word..

If I'd taken a little bit lower position, I might get rid of or put down the useless two objects in the picture. Lovely sisters. Actually SW asks quite often she want to meet and play with Yonsoo and Kaeun after the trip..

Waiting for the ferryboat to the land in tha late afternoon on Sunday, May 27th. Ready to leave. And dreaming the next island tour as well.

4x4: The Second Island Tour

2007-06-08T05:40:00.000+09:00

This time, Soijakdo( 小伊作島), we tried.

16 people from 4 families joined in as before. The same ferri boat as before. The differences from the previous tour in the last year, are at first everyone is getting old one more year, and at second, we needed to go one more hop from the last year's destination, Seungbongdo . The weather was fine this time, and the island was also wonderful.

A seagull we met on board..

A calm and peaceful beach

Children at the beach 1

Children at the beach 2

Children at the beach 3

Raphael presented Today's Show during a walk.

Came back from a walk

to be continued....

The life should be..

2007-05-20T08:44:00.000+09:00

I believe it should be fun.

Sometimes it can be a ridiculous one.. (Oooops..Why is the picture rotated ?)

Anyway I believe it should be full of dynamic adventures. If not, try to make it so.. why not?

Buddah comes again into the street.. like always..

With His friends..

Praying for the future and asking for the truth..

and longing for the light..

Buddah bless you... bless whole the world..

南無阿彌陀佛

May 19, at the Chogye Temple and at the Lotus Latern Festival, Seoul.

Went to a gallery.

2007-04-24T07:54:00.001+09:00

Perhapse, MCCHAE looked pretty curious about living in the city center, which has some advantages and disadvantages like other places. And I really hope I could live in some place of UPTOWN of the city..

Art CanU Collection
(Phone Art Fair).
24 March 2007 at Insa Art Center.

Our place is really close from one of cultural hearts in Seoul, Insadong, and there are lots of art galleries.

Even though my kids are too young to enjoy some serious art shows, yet there's a funny show like this: paintings( and cartoons ) on the brand-new mobile phones, sponsered by a handset manufaturing company. A sort of contemporary art fair, mixing various handset designs and paintings.

A spring messenger

2007-04-22T07:25:00.000+09:00

PASQUEFLOWER: Taken on 2 April 2007 at my parent's garden.

Supposed to be not so popular as a garden flower, even if the small flower itself is very famous.

Hard to recognize in the field when it is a sprout or a bud if not interested in. Actually I had plucked them often by mistake while cutting lawn grass. Yeah, my parent used to simply laugh to my mistakes, but possibly they might be hurt a little bit. You know, I found these flowers on the flower bed in the side of the house, this time, instead of some place - looked natural- under the pine tree in the grass, which the flowers used to be..

Boiled Pork Belly with Kimchi recipe.

2007-04-05T19:15:00.000+09:00

As I said, it's the recipe for the dish-Boiled Pork Belly

Ingredients

A lump of the belly part of pork.

Actually the belly, the so called Sam-gyup-sal, which means the three-layer-fat(meat) , is the most popluar meat in Korea. Among lots 0f recipes for it, the grilled belly(Sam-gyup-sal gui) with sesami oil is the most common.

Oh, I found an interesting explanation for it in the wikipedia: samgyupsal

But in that night, I decided to make boiled pork, so I'd put the lump into the cold water (roughly 30-40 munites) to get rid of the remnants of the blood. (This can be skipped, because we would have the meat, not the soup, but as you know, the more labors, the better and finer flavor.. )

A bottle of Soju.

Soju is a distilled spirit. I love it very much like most koreans. Of course, nowadays, young people seem to prefer beer than soju, but I think soju to koreans likes beer to german, or wine to french, at least in my generation.(Sorry for this stereotype..)

Anyway one of the typical and popular alcohol beverages in the modern Korea. Actually pretty strong. Easy to be drunken if you lost your pace and control. But quite cheap-its most atrractive virtue, I think

Oh, I also found this work in the wikipedia: soju

Soju adds its flavor to the meat like wine. No problem in using wine, gin, vodka or even cognac instead of this soju if you want.

Assorted vegitables and Doenjang

Onions, Spring onions, Garlics, Gingers, Cinammon, Mushroom, and Bay leaves.

Bay leaves are optional, not conventional one. The other things are general and common for Korean cusine.

Doenjang - Soybean Paste.

Deonjang, a fermented soybean paste. Very important in many of korean foods, but please visit wikipedia for this : doenjang (how wonderful the wiki is !!)

==
Now recipe.

1. Pour Soju and fresh water together into a big pot, and put all the vegitables into the pot with t one or two spoon of doenjang.

2. Put the meat lump into the pot.

Actually I hesitated for a moment, what's the better, the steamed pork, the boiled pork, or the smoked? I chose the boiled one. It would take the shortest time among them.

3. Boil it for roughly 40 munites. (The time is up to you, actually.)

4. Steam it for about 20 munites. Well, if you spent more time when boiling, you can skip this and vice versa.

5. Now slice it as you want.

Like in the previous post, the dish is wonderfully matched with Kimch!

It was past the midnight when I completed. Perhapse, I was out of mind, a little bit..

Boiled Pork Belly with Kimchi

2007-04-04T06:30:00.000+09:00

Well, it's not usual, especially in the weekday's night after work, but I'd done it successfully for about two hours or more. Yup, I made it for kids, though they could have it in the next morning. Agree the heavy pork meat were not excellent for breakfast dish, but anyway delicious..

I'll post my recipe soon..

Ingredients: Pork(Lump of the belly part), Onions, Spring Onions, Garlics, Cinnamon, Bay leaves, Deonjang(Soybean Paste), Soju and fresh water.

A Few Conflicts

2007-03-21T06:19:00.000+09:00

1.

SJ, the little boy, was crying in bed and I was so surprised last night. After I got what made him so sad, I was very sorry and was sad, too, like him.

He has complained for weeks that he didn't want to go to YMCA's Gym class. In fact, my wife and I was very happy that the downtown YMCA Gym was really close to home, and thought any regular exercise would be good for the kid. So we registered him to two hours a day * three days a week afternoon class, and he is learning to swim and inline-skate. (Yeah, he returns to home 1:30 pm from his kindergarten and goes to the Gym 3:00 pm.)

As for inline-skating, he's fine. He's good at it. But for swimming, he has a trouble in breathing now.

I tried to explain that it's only two weeks that he began to learn and only 6 swimming classes so far, so it's natural for him to feel some difficulties to breath like a fish, but he looked so scared to practice it anyway.

I was a little bit shocked that he said he hated three days(M/W/F)of a week due to the swimming class, and hated also the other three days(S/Tu/Th) because he had to worry about the scary swimming class in the next day. Unhappy 6 days a week. No. Actually he also said he hated Saturday because of the three-hours-long english class he began since March. So full of unhapiness.

In the end I'm not sure all of these are for him or for his parents, my wife and me.

(Spring is coming to us, regardless of whatever I'm doing, thinking,...)

2.

Very barely, I could feel a lull and another storm I'll possibly face soon and hardly avoid at work. Well, obviously and seriously I need to think about my job at the current work and my future now. I need to agree everything was changed and to wake up from a long lazy hibernation.

To be dull may be helpful. To be more aggressive may also be helpful. Hmm, making money is really hard.. How wonderful if the life can be initialized and restarted like some setop boxes.

Two more options maybe. Begining my own business again, or going to school to put something new into my brain.

I need to find what I like to do for the next 30 years-the third age- at first. I'm also considering to change the confusing blog title from routes-finding to routes-found. No joke.

(I'm still staying in the winter, but the nature is preparing for the changes in its genetics..)

It's not my interests as well as not connected to my trouble, but Mar 21 is the 113th memorial day of the Donghak revolution(or upheaval) which (might be) was the first human rights declaration against the old hierarchical society in Korea..

The building in the picture is the main church of the chondogyo, a korean religion which is following to the idea of the revolution..

Just make things right.

2007-03-02T22:29:00.000+09:00

I went to Sangju last night, and met my cute boy and girl, and wife in a week. And picked them up this morning from Sangju to our sweet home, and now working at my office alone again..
-
I had terribly busy and die-hard hours without them for a week, but it was quite good that
I could watch all the episodes(22) of Prison Break season 1 and 18 available of season 2. All 40 episodes. I'd never tried to do such ridiculous and stupid things but they were really surprising and fabulous. I couldn't stop watching them easily. And I could feel how people became 廢人(the crippled: actually the word has slightly different meaning-extremely radical maniacs- in korean netizon).
-
Cool, really. I liked the words of S:

We'd got to have a faith...
Just make things right...
Now we go..

Home Alone, Being A Workholic.

2007-02-28T19:42:00.000+09:00

Yeah, truly a sad story.

My kids and wife are visiting to her parents at Sangju city, quite far away from Seoul for days. Yeah, without me, by train(KTX) to Taegu, for congratulating her younger brother's graduation. It was the last Friday and they went to her parents' home altogether for a week stay.

That looked nice.
That would be fine though I would have lonely and scary nights alone, I had thought.
That would be fine though I would have to make my meals by and for myself, I had thought.
In other words, I would have free nights and free weekend. Excited a lot for free hours for myself and for my own fun. Wow.

No, no, however, not happened such things. I was free from my family but instead, stuck to my work. I could be back home past the midnight every night, had to spend whole the weekend writing some dull reports at my office..

Possibly I need to go work on Mar 1st, the national holiday, and the following weekend.
I really hate the current mess.. I hope I could escape from.. soon..

The February Story

2007-02-24T09:58:00.000+09:00

It's really tough. Too many things on few days. Too busy at home as well as at work and it's hard to make some time for posting.

I had a 5 days-long SEOL(New Year's Day) holiday in the last week and it's very good chance to take a rest or a short family trip. But unexpected jobs came to me without a word, and I had to go work three times at weekends and the holidays. Several overnight works and strong stresses made me fully have lost the regular/usual living pattern temporarily.. And I'm trying to recover from the mess as quickly as possible though it's not easy. I have still some job to complete till this week, and have to go work today and tomorrow, but really hope this is the last weekend work..

=====
It's almost one month after we moved to the new house. Except that it's a little bit small, everything is fine. Very convenient and fabulous. Easy to access to anyplace in the city. Lots of restaurants and stores near the house. A market around the house. We all are satisfied with this new shelter except one thing I said.

It's my new view from the living room. The Bukchon and the Bukhan san are over there..

====

I got the free admission tickets for Louvre Museum Exhibition at the national museum from an oil company's promotion. We went there and enjoyed the famous art works. Impressed on the Napoleon portrait and other big paintings.

I was very pleased when I got that SW didn't get sleep as before while watching the paintings, and though not serious for all, SJ looked to be interested in a few works. We may wait for more years for this kind of funs. In fact, my condition on the day was really terrible due to a hangover, I couldn't concentrate on the works, too. Anyway, it's free. (Feb.10. Saturday)
====

SJ and my wife went to a concert.

I was not sure SJ would like Strauss or Ysaye, but Schubert's Fantasia and Tchaikovsky's Valse were included in the program, so I chose the third day's performance on Sunday evening without a hesitation and bought the tickets.

The player was one of the promising young violinists, actually quite famous one. The small size of the concert hall was nice to enjoy solo's plays, I thought.

It would be wonderful if we all went there, but SW and I had to stay at home. SW is too young to go concert and I was very tired and needed to care of her. When I asked about the performance after they're back home, both of them were smile, just smile.. I could guess. (Feb.11. Sunday)
=====

Yes. SJ had completed his second year of the preschool courses. He got a general reward(I think all kids received), and the perfect attendance reward. I couldn't join in the ceremony held in one weekday. (Feb.15. Thursday)

=====

JY's (my wife) birthday after Valentines' day.

Usually we have birthday parties on the days in the lunar calendar, but JY's lunar calendar birthday is the new year's day, and hard to have a party every year. So we had a small party for her on the birthday in the solar calendar.

I couldn't prepare a wonderful gift. Stupid, yeah.. Just a PIG ice cream cake! SJ gave her a blossom of rose. Anyway happy birth day for JY. (Feb.15 Thursday)
=====

The New Year's Day as usual. Nothing special, except I had to go work to check something..

Kids are growing everyday and the so called kids' clothes are getting smaller quickly. SJ's Hanbok(Korean traditional costume) didn't fit already in the end of the last year, so we decided to buy a new one. We went to the store, where my mother usually go for hanbok shopping, and bought one, easily. By the way, the lady (owner) gave another girl's suite for SW as a present ! (My mom is a patron!) We didn't take account of the new clothes for SW, but got one. Thanks.(Feb.16. Friday)

SW took the new one in the picture, but she didn't tried it on the new year's day, because it's a little bit thin for the season and a little bit large for her. She took her old one and we saved the new for the next time.

SJ didn't take his new hanbok, too, because he got another suite(the blue one in the picture) from his cousin. (Feb. 18. Sunday)
===

At the late afternoon of one weekday, we went to a theme park for fun. (Feb.20. Tuesday)

(In the park, he was running from here to there)

(SW was waiting for SJ and her mom who were on the roller-coaster, at a restaurant. Her pose was getting similar with her brother.)

( Going out from the park. Not crowded. )

立春大吉: Onset of Spring and Big Fortune

2007-02-05T21:58:00.000+09:00

We've never attached at home any kind of Charms so far, but we did it yesterday, the onset of Spring, the first seasonal session of 24 divisions a year.

It says Big Fortune at the onset of Spring. I wish it so...
It also says Everything will be fine(or good lucks..). I wish it so, too.

===

We've successfully settled down a cozy house at last, though we have a plan for another move in Aug. or Sept.

No feelings, no thoughts. We don't need such kind of luxury things at the moment.

Fine if it's convinient to get to my office and to SJ's preschool.

One thing I'd like to try if possible is to upgrade my understandings or appreciations for arts in this arts' street. Another thing I hope is to reduce the goods we have for living as much as half..

Mountain Trout Festival

2007-01-21T23:30:00.000+09:00

The temptation was quite strong when I saw fishing pictures at
Raphael's blog. Fishing on ice like Pingu. Actually it was my son's earnest wish for a couple of years, too.

So we decided to go Hwacheon for fishing, and to enjoy Mountain Trouts Festival.

We could arrive at the place at about 9:30 am after two and half hours drive, but there're already lots of people fishing on the river(surprisingly it looked artificially being iced and looked very safe). We found spots and waiting for fish on the crowded river.

(The hole for fishing)

But obviously there're more people than fish. From time to time, some of them yelled cafter catching beautiful trouts, but we gave up our efforts after two or three hours without any fish. Kids were dissappointed. Fortunately, however, there're many other funs like sled, ice tunnels, ice house and so on.

(We needed real fish, but this fish lamp was also nice)

Sledding was another fun we could enjoy for hours. Real pleasures. We spent most of afternoon for this sled-riding on the river, the side of the fishing spot. There were big family-size sleds on which three or four kids could ride at the same time, but we rented three small traditional sleds due to the more than one hour waiting time for the big one. The small sleds were also nice anyway.

(My nephew and younger brother went together. 3 adults and 3 kids. Playing with kids is a hard-labor sometimes)

(My little girl was getting asleep while sled riding..)

We left the place in the late afternoon, and could be back home after 4 hours driving due to the weekend traffic jam.. I think that's a sort of payments or costs for pleasure..

(The crowded river for fising and sledding)

What are the necessaries for 7 months ?

2007-01-18T23:26:00.000+09:00

The next moving date was fixed: Jan 26. But not fixed yet what we are going to bring with us to the new house.

Actually, it is a sort of furnished apartments and we don't need to move kitchen gadgets or a closet. No fridge, no gas-cooker, no washer, and no closets.

We'll bring some clothes, bedclothes, the small stove, the electronic kettle, and some kitchenware like pots, dishes and spoons. The computer and the small audio player will be moved too. Kids books and some toys, too. We may need a small table and chairs.

(SJ's toy house -The Jae-Ne Jib,means His House, would be the largest size toy we have to move )

I'm hesitating to bring the TV set and the DVD player becuase a small desk or draw table might be needed for them, but kids must be demand them.. Don't know..

I'm hesitating for a book-shelf. Actually we used four big book shelves and 3 small ones before, but I'm not sure we still need any of them. I threw away a lot of my books already, and put away a lot of kids books . Perhapse we can give up this item.

I'm hesitating for the sofa, becasue I- I'm sure WE- might be rolling over the living room or the bed room while I'm staying at home. And I don't like to see the rolling kids like potatoes while watching TV. But it's too large to move by myself. It would be better to change my mind. What's the matter if we are rolling over all the places at home for moments..?

I'm a little bit worrying about that I became too familiar to discard something, but not so bad.. Anyway I wish it would be like living in a hotel..

The Lake Park at Ilsan.

2007-01-15T22:31:00.000+09:00

The Lake Park at Ilsan is quite famous but we've never been to there so far. We went to there on the last sunday and spent couple of hours in a small theme park(with baloons and air mats). SJ had enjoyed his first bunge jump-actually a sort of tumbling. The little girl enjoyed the air- mat-playground but cried for my stupid attempt of the tumbling..

We found the next destination and are going to move two weeks later. Again, my wife sought it and had a contract for it. It is a small apartment in Ankookdong-exactly Kyungwundong and very close from the old downtown. Yes, it takes quite long to my office..

The Second Search.

2007-01-11T21:39:00.000+09:00

My wife are looking around two or three places for our temporary residence.

Her necessary condition is that SJ can take his school bus easily as possible. My condition is that I can get to my office by metro or by bus within reasonable time. SJ has also his own idea on this. He said he doesn't like old apartments, and it should have a silver-colored appearance(he means the brandnew buildings wrapped with aluminum panels or glass curtain-walls, i think)

And it would be better if

the directions of this and the next moving are not westward
the cost is not too much
the space is large enough for four family members
the surroundings are nice for daily life: parks, hospitals, shopping malls and pleasant neighbors
and so on..

We are considering a small apartment or studio in one of these areas: Jamwon, Angook, and Hannam dong. Kwanghwamoon was a strong candidate, too, but there's none available at the moment.

Some of the family members and friends are wondering why we do not settle down simply and why we are hopping from this place to the other place far away, and hopping again soon. I fully understand the question and agree the curiosity partly. But hard to explain.

What I can say at this moment is that the journey is still on the planned track so far fortunately.

Winter Wanderers

2007-01-09T19:06:00.000+09:00

New resolutions for a new year? No, no, never to my family, at least, this time. We could manage only daily schedules or, at most, weekly schedules. Any yearly plan may smash and destroy my wife's brain as well as mine.

Two words for my family at the moment are wandering and wondering. Wandering life and wondering future.

-

Bundang is a wonderful place for living, according to my wife, because

most of places are flat and no high hills to climb to go home.
there are a lot of markets and stores, and no need to buy food for a week in discount stores.

In my opinion, it's a nice place too because I could reach to my office from home in 40 minutes by walk, no costs for commuting, and plenty in the morning and in the evening.

As for my kids, they are really pleased with two new family members. Their aunt and uncle are very kind and deliberate.

There's a lot of benefits in living here, but it is just a temporary shelter for January. I think we moved to here only in terms of sleeping, eating, and daily chores. If not, why did we have such a hard saturday in the last weekend.

Due to the sudden attack of the big snow while we were waiting for SJ's one-hour english class and my appointment with the dentist, which were happened far more than 30kms from the current home, we had to wait for more than two hours of snow removal.

Anyway, in the coming weekend, we'll resume to search for another rental house in downtown again.

PS. There're some confusions in the move at the end of the last year. The biggiest one is that the two-day-long plan was changed to a single day one. In the meanwhile, the fridge was delivered to the wrong place. Many of plants and pots were broken/lost due to the careless handling. I was annoyed but no way.

PS2. Thanks to stone for your interest. Actually there's no private place for me at the moment, so it's hard to update the blog..

The beautiful weekend, too.

2006-12-20T09:55:00.000+09:00

I'm very sorry I couldn't use my camera in this beautiful weekend.

On saturday, we went to a short performance-Kkubug Story(hmm, means bowing-story) at Raemian Gallery, Kangnam. It was a musical for kids, which was teaching the manners required for communal life. Yup, dull, ridiculous and uninteresting for me, but kids looked enjoying it. Well, it was free and needed to accept its quality. In addition, we met our neighbor(actually one of SJ's closest friends) there by chance. A funny day.

(Well, I'm not so familiar this new small camera..)

Sunday? Everyone was talking about the snow. Yeah, the snow to me, too. The snow was there. Look at the photos I took at balcony in the morning. I really love this house, this place and the view it gives. I'm a little bit sad when I think I would leave here soon..Took these with the small camera again...

After breakfast, we went to the playground of the near-by element school to make snow men.

Do you know what a hard job it is?

SJ had the chickenpox(SOO-DOO) in the last week(and I was regret that I was laughing at JH's interesting picture..) and cured well, but the weekend activities might be hard to him. He has a severe cold right now..

The Plan A

2006-12-19T19:33:00.000+09:00

My life, nope, exactly, the life of my family, would be very exciting in 2007 by the uncertainty which had resulted from our abrupt, immatured, chaotic, and confusing plan for exiting from the current living place.

I felt it's quite an irresponsible situation for kids, but anyway they are some of the family members and we would share all the inconvenience.

At the moment, what have determined are:

We will leave the house on 29th Dec. No need to stay here any more.
We will visit to my elder sister in Bundang, for a month. Actually we had expected it for two months, but SJ has to go his kidergarten since Feb. 1. So possibly it can be shorten into a month visit. One more option here. My sister and her husband said, two-years-long visit would be also fine. For this, we need to change the SJ education strategy, but it would be the most fascanating and attractive choice, considering my financial status.
We have to find a small studio, or condominium for 5 or 6 months-long-stay if we decided to leave my sister's home in February. One problem is we didn't decide yet how much we will spend for this temporary stay. Actually I surveyed for the residencial service companies like Co-up, Fraiser, and Vabien, but it's too expensive.

Well, now what we have to do right now is packing. Since there are three destinations for packs, we decided to do it by ourselves rather than to use the commercial movement services. The furniture, books, clothes, kitchenware and toys are classified into three: Always-Carrying-On-Boxes, Shifting-For-Two-Months-Boxes, and Long-Term-Storage-Boxes. The first boxese will be moved to Bundang on the 28th of this month. The rests will be to my parent's home in the next day keeping the classifications.

I'm packing them every night, but not sure whether I can join in the moving jobs. My wife said, she could handle it anyway..(fantastic, isn't it?)

One confession. While facing the tough change in my company, I had seriously thought about a short break(actually 8 months-break) and a trip to foreigh countries with whole the family, but finally ended in just a thought. I'm sorry about that still. That would make differences for all.

Wibro Test

2006-12-12T11:39:00.000+09:00

got this wibro terminal inthe last summer .
'I'm writing down this on the bus to go home thru its handset. Hmm, curious enough. The pix I took minutes ago thru the handset.

oh no upload is not available in this pocket-pc ms explorer .

ridiculous...

hmm an accident on the kyounbu highway .

now,20:00 pm...

hmm interesting, isn't it ?

The weekend after a crazy week.

2006-12-11T00:43:00.000+09:00

Well. It would be better to deny all the meetings and banquets in the last week. I think I should do that. Especially considering my health status at the moment.

After late works on monday(actually tuesday morning 5:00 am) , a heavy drinking would not be so good idea, but it's the 4x4 rendezvous wating for months. How I could hesitate for it. We were batting the breeze till the next morning actually. I remembered all the wives of 4x4 guys once said, all the guys in 4x4 talked too much. I thought that's true.

Then, I had to spend the midnight and early morning to meet/drink with my new bosses one day, with my new co-workers on the next day, and with my ole colleagues on the last friday.

Less than 10 hours I could sleep in whole 5 week days of the last week. More alcohols I might drink than the amount of mineral waters and meals for the days. Absolutely crazy I was.

On Saturday, however, I needed to join in a 5-km racing game with my son, which I had promised months earlier. Being tiered? Oh, that's not a matter. It's still hard to him, but looked much better than in the previous one. It was held in Bundang.

Runners preparing for their starts.

On Sunday? Oh, no. I had to visited to the demonstration rooms for the new apartment. And I had to joined in a demonstration of the future-inhabitants for quality-upgrades. (But I could leave the place soon) Really I felt and agreed that the quality in the plan would be trouble later.

The living room samples.

Very busy but fully fuddled in the week. And I don't remember anything in the last week. That makes me sad. I need a break anyway.

December. The Holiday Season

2006-12-03T22:27:00.000+09:00

I love the cold weather of December, which is freezing my brain. Only the instinct - to feel cold or hot, to feel cool or hate- works in such days.

I love all the splendid decorations for Christmas or New Year's Day, too. The colorful blinking lights make me warm and dreaming. While watching the beautiful lights, which makes me a kid, I could stay for hours without doing anything else.

I took this pretty picture (a fancy decoration of one of the major department stores in Seoul) on Sunday night at my car while driving with my son.

PS. I'm not sure what happened here the blogger site. No editor's menu board in Explore 7, and I could upload the picture through Mozilla..

OK. That's fine.

2006-11-30T20:42:00.000+09:00

It's time to think about what I have done or been doing in this year.

(The door is closing. Can you see my cute girl behine the CLOSED door? )

Well, at first, what I did in the last day of November 2006 were:

1. I gave most of my responsibilities to others.
After being taken the interesting job, perhapse I might loose my energy in somewhere. Anyway the rest of my jobs has been ,in a sense, some target of another team(actually for two years). So I gave up them, too. Instead, I could care of one more teammate. What will I do in the next year ? Don't worry, there're lots of works waiting for me, and I still have passions for works no matter what they would be.

2. Things in legal
It's the day I promised for paying all the money for the new house. So I visited to the realter's office with my wife in the afternoon, met the ex-owner of the house, paid for the really-big-bucks, visited to the bank for a new loan assignment, and dropped to the construction company for changing the contract. And then returned to the realter's office for the final deal.

Complex? Yes, they were.
Happy? Happy for the new house ?
No, not I am, not yet, at least. A lot of stresses for all of the above steps. It's hard to talk about everything... It's a really funny convention in this ridiculous country. Ugly.

3. Doctor gave me a bunch of pills.
I forgot the assignment in the late afternoon, but a call from hospital(it's very surprising, isn't it? ). Fortunately since I was at home after the above annoying works, and the hospital was so close from my home, I could meet the doctor in time, and this time he gave me a slip for 3 weeks medicine to cool down my numbers.

What I got finally were some medicine for hypochondria, some nervous sedative for over-sensitive poor spirit, and some drugs for sleepless nights. In fact, I'm not sure these were needed at the moment.

===

Cheers, anyway !! It's DECEMBER, the HOLIDAY season, now !

In a Bloody Week, Disarmament and Settlement

2006-11-29T08:26:00.000+09:00

Last night, the outline was fixed for the next year business.

I could get some poor position in the similar organization, but more than half of the previous works was not my work any more. Two out of five teammates had to find another positions for them.

What I learn from the demolition were:
1. Lack of Confidence was never helpful.
2. Pessimistic view was not helpful, too.
3. Reality was advanced to Hopes usually.
4. Keeping Cool and Reasonable Thinks were musts.
5. Strong Appeals were always needed.

Let's not forget those.

Changing my profile.

2006-11-28T19:19:00.000+09:00

You can read my new thoughts in the upper-left side of the page.

The family is the main root of my life, I feel these days.

Another Deal.

2006-11-28T18:37:00.000+09:00

Well, it's due to my choice: to sell the house and to buy a new one. So the complain was not good in any case, I know. But there're some pressures, too.

Thanks to my wife and thanks to the kind neighbors, I mean, relatives, friends, banks and insurance companies, we could meet the money in short.

But the realter called me this afternoon, and ordered how we have to prepare the money. The problem is the amount of CASH is too much for hand-carries. I understood why cash, but be very unpleasant, rather a little bit upset. The appointment time was also given by the seller, because she is very busy. I'm annoyed at this, because I'm very hard to make time in this week as you know. But no way. I don't like to miss this contrat. Need to agree the priority is still on the selling side. Even though the market situation is shrinking fastly, the financial environment is changing to the anit-market position gradually and the explosive taxes..

It's true I'm starting to worry about the negative perspectives on the real-estate markets.

Ah, one more annoying thing.

I'd read all the postings by the potential inhabitants in the web community of the new apartment I bought after getting the permission to join in(I had to pay for it, terrible..), and found there ARE some big probelms between the construction company and the contractors(inhabitants). Many of the main and important items offered by the company at the installment sales, look not to be kept. There were a lot of rebukes, critics, and even fights and struggles. I'm disturbbed in mind a lot.

The life seems to be, really, not easy..

Among the worst cases.

2006-11-28T18:16:00.000+09:00

Actually, I think no porblem even if I have to move out some field offices. Rather, it can be a toally new, fresh, and interesting opportunity to me. I'm ready to go. If the change would be only mine, I wouldn't care their thoughts or orders.

The worse is, to break off our team, and to crash our teamwork. It looks not able to avoid, though. I didn't notice for this till it was announced.

I'm very sorry about that I couldn't keep the teammates who have to leave me, and go to some positions where they didn't like to go. I feel I'm irresponsible for them. They might be hurt by me, by my incapability, and by my insensitivity. I think I had some mistakes. I should care about all the people in the team, not about a specific person in this chaotic situation. I had lost a fairness among people at a loss. Oh, I'm really sorry about this and should apologize for this to them.

I'm very sorry that the work I have concentrated for two years, has to be handed off to others when its promising outputs look feasible. I feel I have robbed of, but no way to keep it. How humble it is.

From this noisy and ugly fussiness, I did learn about the big organization, how it works and people in powers about which I've never thought in my life so far. A lot of pressures.

I'm dreaming of some.. from now on.. carefully.. As you know, I'm a sort of.. tenacious.. .. Wait , it'll take time.. but I'll .. anyway..

Hey guys, I'm not so easy to meet you in this week, because the business was not done yet. Would you mind if I suggest to postpone our meeting to some day in the next week ?

P.S. I really appreciate for Raphael's offer and his sincereness. Really thanks!

The moving date gap

2006-11-24T18:00:00.000+09:00

Maybe many of you couldn't understand why I had made this kind of deals. The moving date gaps are almost 8 months.

The arpartment I bought will be completed its construction as of Aug. 2007, and I have to move out from the current house before the first week of Jan. 2007. It's because it was the very nice time to sell the existing house and it was a quite good opportunity to buy the new apartment residential contract.

Anyway one more problem I have at the moment, is to hunt another short-time temporary home in some place. My SJ silly suggested to stay at Hilton during that time, but it would cost big bucks as much as I could buy one more small house..

Frankly speaking, one more big problem: I need a temporary short-term loan to pay for the new house legally right now. My wife is covering this at the moment. Thanks to her.. really..

This fall and winter. Really tough season I've never felt..

OK. Let me leave alone for a moment

2006-11-23T15:39:00.000+09:00

I couldn't complete the required jobs after the shopping yet, for example, a loan and a legal regstration. But right now faced another big problem.

Well, I need to agree the labor market has not been secured after the late 90s' economic crisis and its flexitbility is increasing gradually, and now I should know I am faced to the job-lost situation.

Don't touch me, Let me leave just a moment. A light touch would make me crash. Depressed, and almost crying..

Need a break.. Yeah, really tired of the life.. the life is..

The First Hunting

2006-11-21T08:41:00.000+09:00

OK. The first hunting was done.

I had contracted for a cozy apartment currently being built last night.

Thanks for your patient waiting for my decision.

The place I chose is roughly Yongsan and specifially in the Munbaedong, which is a typical old town and is planned to develope in near future.

The left photo shows it. I quote the photo without any permissions but the source is here and click it for more information.

I've never thought or imagined this kind of the results, but the interesting things are:

My wife said the fortuneteller forecasted we could get the target at the last day of the month, and surprisingly yesterday was the last day of September in lunar calendar.

My wife said the fortuneteller said moving to the WEST would be very bad for us, and fortunately it's SSE. In fact, Yonheedong, Daeheungdong, and Ahyundong were very strong candidates, but excluded in the final decision. I might be care about her advice..

My wife said the fortuneteller said the house owners in Chebudong would not sell theirs in neat future. That seems to be true. No good one for a month.

Actually the fact my wife visited to the fortuneteller with my mom and sister was more surprising.

----

While I was searching for a house in one month, I got some idea how people were making money using real-estates, and why the market was so unstable and the price was not stopping to raise. Through visiting to more than 30 real-estates agents/offices and through discussions with them, I got a hint what I had to do. Buying an under-esteemated old townhouse in a new development or remodelling areas in goverment plans. Actually I studied for most of such areas in Seoul.

The result was, however, quite far from the analysis and not matched with my own original plan. Even my wife and I agreed to live for a moment in a terrible conditions if it could compromise for some financial benefits, but the final choice was a brand-new expensive apartment with a big-debt, which was not for my style. (I had to admit that I needed to think about kids. In fact, SJ was so nervous whenever we visited to haunting houses, which I really want to buy. . )

--

Now, I'm facing to new problems:

The new apartment will be available in the August/September in the next year, so we need to find another shelter for 8 months. I think we would stay at my sisters' home for about two months..but no idea after that..

The second problem is the debt. I need to work more for more money. I don't know how..

--

Anyway I'm very happy I could get rid of one headaching serious item from my todo list.

Big IF.

2006-11-15T17:21:00.000+09:00

Well, I'm a little bit nervous, and quite busy to post some article here, these days. Sorry about that.

There was an interestring article on the current real-estate crisis in Korea today at Bloomberg, and I at least agree on its last paragraph talkng about Big IF though the authour, Pesek, has not seemed to have any favor to Korea so far as I know. Anyway I fully understand this uncontrollable crisis would not end in near future and the rich or the richer would not hurt at all. Oh, I didn't mean any of the society wouldn't hurt.

The stupid big shepherd boy was shouting again today, but still the wolf, the revenge of the market, looks much more-far more powerful. Who in the world could manage properly on this (a little ill) mass desire! (But I couldn't imagine too how so many people are affordable for the prices..)

Still searching for a place. The target is extended from an aparment, to an old house, and now a farm or a field. If couldn't get a proper one, I'm willing to leave this country this time.. hehe, and frankly speaking, it's my long-time-forgotten dream.

Searching and searching

2006-11-08T08:44:00.001+09:00

Well. It's the time for the decision-making.

I know it but we are still searching for the better one financially as well as for happy life.

-

Many of friends and colleagues are often asking why I sold the house in this confusing period. As the matter of the fact, the question is reasonable, and makes sense, because the price raise is SO WONDERFUL right now. In October, more than 10-20% of the price was raised in the preferred area.

But in my case, though I love the place, it's not in the so-called preferred area, and it's hard to expect the market performance. Of course, the surroundings are developing and there are a few potential drivers for the price, but I firmly believe it's a good time for the deal. (I'm not sure it's a sort of self-suggestions or an insinuation..)

-

The requirements are so simple. It would be fine if nice to live in, easily accessible to SJ's kindergarten, as well as to my office, and if expected for the near-market-performance.

Hmm. looks not so easy.

Well, the final candidates are some place near the Kyoungbok Palace at Chongro and some place near the Supreme Court at Seocho.

A Crazy Storm

2006-11-03T06:13:00.000+09:00

It's not easy to find a good place and a nice house for my family.

At first, I got a shock for the prices, which is still raising at this moment. Then I bacame at a loss to the fact there're not enough sales-houses in the place I was considering. I'm very sorry about this.

Can you hear the sucking sound from which people are slurping down to other's money? The current unreasonable raise may be the last(or almost last) process of the money transfer. It would make the society ill and worse..

I'm reading John.K.Galbraith's The Affluent Society, the old classic, in these days.

(I don't know if I have anything to burn up..

OMG. It looks like a buring girl..)

Ginko Trees

2006-11-01T06:05:00.000+09:00

There are more ginko tree pictures I took at Chongpyung in the last week.

(Ginko at the road to the riverside)

(Ginko Leaves)

MCCHAE had dropped to me yesterday and had lunch together. He was worring about my mental state which looked so unstable to him, so as to sell some real-eastate in this uncertain period. I could understand his concerns well. Thanks to him anyway.

(Ginko trees at the front yard of the lodge)

The Thursday Night Workshop

2006-10-31T00:19:00.001+09:00

The beautiful season again. The mild sunshine, the fresh breeze, and the splendid colors everywhere.

Everyone wants to see and to enjoy the seasonal changes by oneself. Going out to nearby country side to sing the fall seems to become an annual event. The company I'm working for is not different for this.

(I took this ginko tree picture at the last moment we left there.

I'm not sure why I didn't get rid of the red roof in the left bottom)

We, colleagues at work went together to Chyung-pyong(淸平, Tranquil Plat field), the lake county, on the last thursday night for strengthen team communications and unity. Of course, there were a big soju party and I had a crazy night one more time..

(The camp fire. I's not difficult to imagine alcohols from the picture..)

What I learned(acutally heard) from the talk with people and dialogues with colleagues in the crazy drunken night are:

1. Our dept. is the most unfavorite one in the team. (We have 6 in the team)
- It looks like a jealousy, isn't it ? Obviously.

2. The works/jobs of our dept. are 3D based.
- Well, true. How difficult the jobs are ! A sort of envy.

3. Most of teammates in the dept have difficulties in works as well as in social relationships.
- They are too busy to do everything perfectly.

4. I have served for the team too long.
- Yes, true again...

Hmm. I have not realized so far that I am so confident and optimistic..huh..

===

The weather was really wonderful, and I enjoyed a lot all the fall's things like the deep-blue sky, the fresh air, the beautiful colors. There was a pretty school which was closed now, and it mathced with the season so natural. It would be better to come there with my lovely family..

(The pretty school building)

I need to lighten up everything, need to wind down and need to lay back for moments. Truely for moments.

(I found this ivy at the above school wall. It would be nice if I could cut the right top shadow and some wires..)

The Place

2006-10-27T18:38:00.000+09:00

Seodaemun(means West Great Gate) has not been a preferred place for living as well as for business for long times. It's one of the typical old and not-well-developed areas.

It's quite convenient to get downtown, City Hall, department stores and ole cultural places, I think. The living expenses are relatively cheaper than any other area in Seoul, I think. However, the education environment -one of the most important factors - doesn't meet to the general requirements(can be my prejudice) and there's not enough space for large-scale development. So, in this golden real-estate development era, the area has been just less noticed, even though there are vague signals recently.

I'd moved to this town in the mid 90's and have been living in for more that 10 years in the same area. I bought the house I'm living in almost 5 years ago and really have enjoyed it and its neighbors so far.

I sold it last monday. I hesitated for hours, but sold it anyway. I'm not sure the decision was right one, and not sure my wife agree on me and do not know where to go.

Very confusing days.

The doctor said,

2006-10-25T00:02:00.000+09:00

No more monkeys jumping on the bed! Well, it's a joke.

===

(Thick cloud in this morning.

Somewhere over the cloud may be the sun)

I (and the doctor) had failed to find the reason of my chronic fatigue even though the successive blood checkup, various test and so on. The doctor said, however,

- We didn't have any specific reason for that, and thus no drug/pill at the moment.
- OK. Fine
- Instead, it would be better to change your habits in everyday life.
No smoking, no alcohols, no coffee, no tea, no sugar included drink, no sweet things, no chocolate, no cookie nor cracker, and no milk-base food if possible..
- What ?

I believe I can not go on my life with the above instruction. Alas..

(The fast moving clouds)

SJ's Gym

2006-10-24T22:59:00.000+09:00

Note.
Resume my policy again. Since I failed to use some tags code for importing from some other site, I decided to upload pictures directly.. OTL
-

On the last Saturday afternoon, we got to go SJ's kidergarten, and enjoyed his gym practices.
He joined in the inline skating race and in mass-groupdancing. Fortunately the temperature was fine for staying outside. Actually the weather-changing season and its quite big temp. gap were concerns.

(The cute girl is watching down to the playground at the 4th floors)

Frankly speaking, we were worrying about SJ's performance in the inline skating race, but no need for that. He did great ! His team had 5 members, and he scored well. And his posture or gesture was execellent. (Hmm, I'm his father, and someday later he may read this..hahaha)

(He looked a little bit nervous, didn't he? He's waiting for his turn)

(Ready, boys! Kids held his nose with his hand.

This might be the basic posture, I guess)

(Oh, are you worrying about JS? Fortunately, he didn't slip, and didn't fall down)

Well, it was continued for roughly 4hours, and it's natural for SW to get bored. Yup, she is a still baby.

(SW wanted to go home, but..)

SJ gave two more dancing shows with loop(or hoop?) and he looked very serious in dancing to me. By the way, girls in his class had a mini-ballet show..

(SJ and the blue hoop)

(Their Connections)

Failed attempt

2006-10-24T08:48:00.000+09:00

Basically I'm writing/posting posts in the early morning or late night at home, but thses days, my wife is holding the PC for 24 hours*7days for her some work. SJ and I are strongly complaining for that but no worth.. She has the power..

OK. What I'm trying to do in the previous posting is to import some flash-shockwave screen in to the posting, but I'm not sure I can..

Please visit for a moment.. photo archive..

Ah, in the bottom of the page, you can find some instructions(my attempt actually..) and let me know if you have any idea...
And very appreciated for comments for photos.. glglgl

I'm finding right now, the code works in other blog. What I wanted is here
click this egloo site..

Oh, it would be right I have to admit I'm a computer(HTML) blinded guy!!

TEST

2006-10-22T07:33:00.000+09:00

TEST

Kids ran 5 kilometers in the end.

2006-10-17T06:24:00.000+09:00

I thought it would not be a good idea when Stone asked my family to join in the mini-marathon race which was taken place in his town. 5 kilometers running looked reasonable for adults, but too tough for 6-years-old boy and 3-years-old girl. But though several discussions with my wife, we decided to join in. Of course, it's the 4x4 business.

(The little girl actually was in the baby buggy in most of the race.

I don't know what stone did behind SW)

The first dughter of Stone had won the gold medal in Young Women's Competition, and the first daughter of Raphael had won the bronze. Congraturations! More surprisingly, Stone had scored the fifth in Young Guys' Competition, but Raphael had not won the prizes with much faster record in the OLDER Guys' Competition. Older guys had much faster than youngers ironically. Any three of the prizes were not expected at all, and really Congraturations to them!! SJ got a basket ball for the raffle for participants

I was very satisfied with all in that we could finish all given missions successfully. But I thought SJ needed to be stronger. He complained in the whole race that he had wanted some practices prior to a real race. He said he could have run without difficulties if he had exercised it before. It might be hard. While we ran hand in hand together till reaching to almost the turning point, he could keep him just in complains. As soon as I released his hand and ran a little bit fasterfor a moment, however, he started to cry. I should have held his hand till the end of the race.

After the race, Stone offered nice lunch for all of us at a fish chips restaurant, and beer at his home. A nice day.

Wine Party, this time

2006-10-16T19:58:00.000+09:00

I swear I'm not a party lover or a usual-party-goer.
I swear I'm not spending money for food and drinks a lot.
I swear I'm not so social.

Note. This is another four families's story.

My wife asked one day in the last week if I had time to join in lunch on coming Saturday. Since one of neighbors-quite close-would leave the town in this week, so she had a plan to go out with 3 more families for lunch. That's fine.

(one of the Tomb, Seo-O-Reung, Kyunggi, South Korea)

We enjoyed a nice galbi. Thereafter, all of us went to Seo-O-Reung(서오릉:西五陵, Five Big Tombs in West) park, and I was not sure whose idea it was, but enjoyed the wonderful season anyway, the warm sunlights, the brain-freezing breeze, and the frisky children at the lawn, 9 children. That's still fine, too.

(Kids were climbing up the hill-the tomb. Of course, not allowed..)

SJ asked, then, if he could ride the car with his friends on the way back. 5 little boys and girls include SJ already got on the car without my permission. I was at a loss, in fact. But their parents came and said no problem, see you at the parking lot in town and take care, then disappeared. That's still fine, too. No, I was quite nervous while driving because they were repeating open/close the sun-roof regardless of my warning.

SJ asked, at the parking lot, once again if he could invite HS, his amiable friend, a cute girl, to play with in his room. It's not an expected situation at all, but they were already entering the porch together. It's really a moment, then, for two other boy and girl who were in my car, to get along with SJ and HS. 3 little guests without a plan. That's fine, again. Made sure they would go home soon for their dinner, though it's almost dinner time.

(Kids from families. Where're two guys ??)

My wife received a call in the meanwhile, and her voice was changing. No, not got angry. Rather, a laugh. She explained soon to me:
It's late to prepare for all four families their dinner at home, because all of us were back too late.
Yes, it's true.
All the four families had to go restaurants, respectively, becuase there's no food at home right now.
Yes, it's true, too. But why not Ramyeon or sandwidch ??

All the four families had lunch at restaurant, so it would be not so good idea to go another restaurants, whether we went together or respectively. We?
And the most impotantly, four chilren were playing at our home already.
Yes, so what..
They asked if we support the space for dinner, then they could order some chinese food and we have dinner together...

My wife laughed. They came to home.

Beer ? Well, I had 24 cans of beer, prepared for 4X4 guys days ago.
Wine? Well, I had four delicious Italy and Argentine wines, which were for my pleasure, actually. Spirits ? Well, I had another strong spirits but they didn't like it, I believe.

Wine was chosen this time. All four bottles. (Actually we had beer, too)

(7 Adults and 4 bottle of wine, quite reasonable..)

-
JW and her family will move to other city in this week.

Actually the four families were really close each other for years.
Since all the first kids of families are at the same age, and the second are almost similar, kids have been close each other, and mothers have been close, too.

I know they have shared a lot of things, supporting each other in many family business or in kids' stuff. I know they have been helpful each other, and spent a lot of time together.

I hope JW's family has a good new friend in the new place, and we could keep in touch each other.

The Holiday Report-2006 Chooseok

2006-10-14T06:17:00.000+09:00

The 9-days-long holiday, it's very special, special literally. And it's an extraordinary thing in this almost-workholic country- 9 days freedom from works!

I'd always dreamed that I could have travelled with my family to some near overseas countries, taking rests on the beach, whenever I got such a long holiday. Yeah, as always, it was simply a dream. And just another busy days, the holidays were determined later

2006. Sept. 30. Saturday

As you read "SJ went to his Fall picnic", we went to Pyoungtaek, and enjoyed all-day recreation. One difference from previous ones, was my mother couldn't join in.

2006. Oct.1. Sunday

We visited to my parents, and especially mom in hospital. I took those flower pictures in previous posting "Flowers" at mother's field that day.

2006. Oct.2 Monday

Basically it's not an offical holiday, and SJ went to his kindergarten. I was loafing at home in the morning without any plan, wondering if it's possible to have a party on the next day. If my mom had not been ill, we might have been to Sangju, to meet my wife's parents. I was very sorry about it.

In the afternoon, we decided to invite 4x4 families on the next day. At night, my wife started to prepare meals.. And I happened to know that I missed the appointment with the doctor for the result of my blood checkup. How could I forget it..

2006. Oct.3 Tuesday

It's the national foundation day, called Gae Cheon Jeol-개천절(開天節), means the day of universe (sky) opening/existing.

Furthermore, it's the day that 4x4 guys would be visiting to us. After a little bit busy and fussy morning, we could welcome their arrival in the afternoon.

What I could remember later was when, who came in which order. Vividly remembered. It was quite terrible, howerver, that I couldn't remember when, who left us in which order..

I knew they really loved alcohols, and had big stomachs for alcohol. But, I'd never imagined they could drink so much. 3 big XO cognacs. WHALES. That's all

(Can you see three empty bottles ?)

I don't like to remind the day(I couldn't actually..) and now I'm thinking about alcol-free life.

2006.Oct.4 Wednesday

I really wanted to lie down in the bed all day but it was impossible. I'd got a call and had to visit to Daejon for a funeral service for one of colleagues. In the early morning, I brought SJ to his aunt, and dropped to my office for a moment. After spending more than an hour to take the canceled train tickets, I could get one KTX first class for Daejon and the second calss for returning to Seoul.

I found it was funny that all the materials and magazines in the first class seats said why we need Korea-USA FTAs for our future while those in the second class seats(actually Train Labor Union's newspapers), said how the FTAs would ruin our life in near future. Two opposite thoughts were offered in the same train, but in different seat classes, respectively.

At night, I had another beer-party with my high-school friends. I was fully exhausted. We talked about families, I thought.

2006.Oct.5 Thursday

The Chooseok Holiday was started- a day before Chooseok. It would be another fussy day for visiting parents, buying some gifts for relatives, or preparing foods for Charey(a rite) in general. The case was somewhat different at this time. My mom was in hospital, and my nephew was visiting to their aunt with my son, thus I needed to visit to my elder sister at first. Instead of shopping or meal preparing.

When I met SJ and my nephew there, they strongly wanted to go to Everland, which was quite close from there. Why not. We went to the park altogether though I was worring about my father and not-completed-preparations. Surprisingly there're quite a lot of people there.

(Roller Coast for Kids, Everland. Look at the last two rows..)

We could arrive at the parents' after the sunset. The almost full moon was in the high sky.

(Halloween?)

2006.Oct.6 Friday.

It's Chooseok(추석:秋夕) , literally means the evening of the fall, and exactly August 15th day in lunar calendar. In the day, we usally gathered in some place(the first son's house in general), hold Charey, ancestors-memorial services/rites, and enjoy Songpyon(a small rice cake with boiled chestnut or sesami inside) .

(Ready to go out )

We had to visit three other places(actually my cousin, and nephers' home) for Charey from the early morning, and could return to the parent's home at late afternoon. Without my mom, my wife had served all the guests in the evening as well as in the next day.

(The Chooseok's Full Moon. 2006.Oct.6 around 8pm, North Kyunggi)

One thing curious was people visited to their relatives, without appointments, notice calls or messages for seasonal greetings. Of course without any invitations.

No invitations, no appointments, no promises, no calls and no messages. But we still prepare some seosonal food and drink even though we didn't make sure who would come..

2006.Oct.7 Saturday

It's the little girl's second birthday as well as my younger brothers. We had some cake and tea together in the afternoon. After serving more guests, we dropped to the hospital, and came back to home at night.

(A small cake for the little girl)

2006.Oct.8. Sunday

A break. A break after a long journey..

Flowers

2006-10-02T10:11:00.000+09:00

In a city, and in a busy daily life, it's quite hard to notice the seasonal changes like blooming flowers, riping fruits, changing colors of leaves and deepening the skylight..

I took these pictures on the last Sunday while visiting my parent.

Enjoy your fall. Hmm, Enjoy your autumn.. this is better.. in sound..

I don't know about the size of the photos followed...why they are so big and different from each other..(two photos were clipped..)

Oh, the last moon picture was taken at about 20:20 Oct.1 (KST) , northern kyungggido.

SJ went to his fall picnic

2006-10-01T10:20:00.000+09:00

It was a very clear and pleasant day for a picnic. The temperature was perfect, the sunlight was warm, and the breeze was cool for outdoor fun.

We went SJ's kidergarten's annul fall picnic yesterday. A really nice day for it though I was fully exhausted since I came back home at 4:00 am in the morning. It would've been very happy, taking a rest for a while, but it's my son's picnic day! (Kids may be the kings of the world nowadays... )

One and half hour driving led us to the place, where we had visited three times so far. Lots of national flags and colourful baloons were decorating the place for funny events.

SJ joined in digging up sweet potatoes at first, which he and his friends dibbled in spring. He had experienced for seeding, dibbling, digging, and picking something in his grandma's field, but still he enjoyed the labor a lot.

In the afternoon, games, dancing, and perades were there.
Got tired to follow all their instructions in games and dancing. Anyway, SJ loved to do those and love to see his parents' doing those, too. In more than 4 hours, we ran, jumped, sang, danced and so on.. Totally exhaused again.

I took the last picture at parking lot while preparing to be back home.. My little girl was wandering around my car, gazing me to pack the bags.

The gate to the sea

2006-09-29T00:45:00.000+09:00

It was another terrible day.

Even though I was sitting on the beautiful beach at Haewundae, Busan, watching the horizon far away as well as doves on the sand near, I was finally getting annoyed by a phone call from some of colleagues. It was for arguing for some communication mistakes I took. I'd missed some important procedure without an intention. Yes, it's true that it's my mistake, but I felt the unlimited, infinitive stupidity from... because I believed we shared its context.

Ah, the cloudy and foggy weather without the bright sun made me even sad.

(A gate to the sea)

Once I made a plan to visit to Busan with my family together in this week, my wife refused it due to SJ's picnic schedule on Saturday. Since we have good memories of weekend trips for Busan in the last year and the year before, I thought she would agree but it's determined to be wrong. I needed to consider kids' scheule now when planning something.

On this trip, I also wanted to go around Busan Biennale and George Lucas's STAR WAS exhibition at BEXCO while staying for three days. But I couldn't. I was trying to go there alone, but only about 5 hours were allowed in Busan today, and I had to spend almost of the time for the business.

Really a terrible short trip. The business result was not fine, too. While back to the office by KTX, I had quarrels with several colleagues for another lots of matters. Thus, I had to returned to my office at midnight and am writing this post at this hour.

I was too much annoyed or bothered these days, especially for the human-relationship at work and wondered if it's the time to find another job.

The Late Visit

2006-09-24T19:12:00.000+09:00

OH, My GOD. This has been kept and stored as a draft for 5 days !

This is the last week story(Sept 24).

(6 kids from 3 families, Can you find who're brothers/sisters ? )

HR invited 5 families of college alumi to his house-warm up party at 6:00 pm on the last Friday. But due to the unexpected business trip to Daejon in that afternoon, I could arrive at his home at 9:00 pm. Terribly late and I couldn't take a picture for the luxurious dishes. Of course, I couldn't prepare a nice present, too.

My wife and kids went to there earlier(8:00pm, still late though) and fully fed when I got there.

All 6 kids were running, singing, shouting, and dancing together without a rest. It's really strange kids are getting close very quickly and very easily.

We left past 11:00 pm and got very tired when at home.

The Fall In the Country

2006-09-18T06:13:00.000+09:00

There's a typhoon, and it's very windy and cold.

Since I was told mom had been sick last night, we went to my parents in the early morning. She looked not so fine but was getting better.

We stayed all the day, and enjoyed the fall there, especially its pretty colours.

(Believe they are chrysanthemums)

(Ground Cherry)

(Pumpkins in the Field)

(I found a tyny green frog at the porch)

(Bottle Gourd ?)

( Can you see the chestnuts on the tree? )

PAN Festival

2006-09-17T23:05:00.000+09:00

When we had been to Heyri for the first time last summer, a cultural complex with arts and architects, we felt some sort of inconveniences. There were, of course, very nice modern buildings, fantastic cafes, and interesting bookstores, but they looked so polishing and refined- a little bit unnatural. Perhpase I didn't like the overcasted money here and there.

I've never thought we went there again so quickly. But KKK, visiting us in the last weekend, gave pretty nice concert tickets at Heyri. Cross-over music concerts with BBQ party at night as an event of PAN Festival.

Free admission tickets again!!

A jazz band and a mime. A modernized korean traditional band. And a famous jazz singer.
Nice musics!!

My little girl looked enjoying a lot. She was dancing on the chair all the time while the music went on.

We stayed there till late night even though my condition was terribly bad due to the overdrink of the day before.

(Nah, Youn Sun, A Famous Jazz Singer)

(I've never seen this kind of Moving Bank before)

A Little Bit Easier

2006-09-14T23:39:00.000+09:00

I'm not a politician or a political guy and not interested in politics, but watching West Wing regulary these days. Interesting? I don't know. It was quite good at first, but now a little bit boring. It is because, instead of enjoying it, I'm studying it, I think.

One of friends once recommended it as a good text for the spoken english. According to him, a lot of phrases, implications, metaphors, satires and twists(?) were there, even though I'm not sure they really are. Moreover, conversations(actually quarrels) are too fast for non-native audience like me to be easily understood. So it takes quie long time and effort to watch one episode. Became somewhat a boring job.

By the way, I found a very interesting scene yesterday in episode 1/season 4. . Josh and Tobby met a normal mid-age gentleman at a pub, who was travelling with his daughter to look around the university she would go now. The gentlemen said, he never thought his and his wife's money would be short for supporting their kids. He said, the life should be a little bit easier. Easier to support kids to go university, and easier to enjoy life itself.

I totally agreed it. It was not a complain. It was not a grumble. It was a sort of inconvenience or missing, I felt. And we need to try to make it easier. ..

The last summer was not helpful for making my life a little bit easier. The weather was not helpful at all.

The hammer was broken by the heat, I thought, while I was trying to pull off nails from the wall for repapering. The joint of the tripod was broken by the heat,too, I though, while I was trying to adjust it for making a nice angle for photos at Vivaldi Park.

The season is changing right now anyway. The cool breeze in the morning, and the chilly night air say so.

I'm waiting, no, longing for much more colder days now.. And hope a little bit easier life.

The First Guest in Many Years

2006-09-11T00:32:00.000+09:00

Yes, it's true.
It's true that we couldn't invite any guest to home for many years. No way.

Having two cute but little kids, we had no rooms for any other things except caring about kids so far. Hospitality for kids only. Recent successive parties with 4x4 members, however, gave some hints for how starting social activities with little kids, but we were not sure still it would work well. Anyway we were considering at the moment a mini-party at home in near future.

By the way in one day of the last week, one of my best friends, KKK called me and said suddenly he would like to visit to me on this Sunday. We couldn't meet each other for quite a long time, he would be a father in this Novemeber, and we were discussing about some future business in months, so it would be very nice to meet and talk at this time.

(The Lovely Cookies and Muffins Ms.KKK prepared for us)

So we invited them without a thought. That's fine to me, but to my wife it meant she had to prepare meals and drinks, which she had not tried for many years. As worried, it was determined later as a difficult thing.

At first, we had a mistake in time assumptions and scheduling. They arrived while I was cleaning home and trying to find proper places for laundries. Then, they had to wait almost an hour for lunch. The food was not so bad, but many of them was remained.. (I had to confess: actually my wife had prepared everything alone, and I didn't do anything. If I had helped, it would've been better. And if we finished the preparations in time, I could have got some photos for them. But it looked bad to take photo for late lunch, so I didn't take any.)

Instead, this was the photo on what KKK and his wife gave us as a present. Choco muffins and assorted cookies they made till the late night of the day before. Very delicious and fantastic. Bakery business looked to be possible for them. My two kids ate them greedily, forgetting to express thanks. We enjoyed a lot.

-

After the rain at the day before, the weather was incredibly clear and wonderful. It tempted me to go out with saying:what were you doing here at home in this lovely weather. But we had a guest, and it was not bad at all. We had also a great time with them. But no nice pictures. So, I took the moon pictures again.

This was today's moon, a little bit disappeared at the right top. The time I took this was about one-hour earlier than the photo in yesterday.

-

I don't know why I did this silly job again. Possibly for a fun. The bright moonlights on the living room and the bed room led me to the balcony to watch the big moon when we switched off all the lights to go sleep.

-

Yup. Trimming and resizing was done, too, for this moon picture.

(The Moon's view from the city of Seoul, 2006.9.10. around 11 pm)

A Chill Day.

2006-09-10T00:56:00.000+09:00

The temperature was dropping down pretty much for a couple of days. Looked like the summer went away. The rain in the morning made the temperature get down further, and I'd felt a chill for all the day.
-
Due to the rain, I couldn't keep an appointment with a number of colleagues at work to go to Changkyung Place for taking photos, even though I got a message at 7 am the plan would be kept regardless of the weather condition. Of course, I said yesterday I couldn't be there if rained. Actually it would be impossible to do anything in the rain with my little girl anyway, and I didn't like to go to somewhere only for taking pictures, but they'd suggested to join in their picnic after they knew I 'd bought a sony alpha-100 and for me hard to refuse.. One more good bait. One of their members promised to rent his film-scanner for my test-purpose.
-

( My Son in the youth's pool was trying to do something..)

Instead, in the afternoon, I went to an indoor swimming pool in neighbor with my son after his hate once-a-week english class on every Saturday. ( Ah, before going to swim, I dropped a Sony shop for a moment and got angry for their insincere manners. I'll write about this story later.)

The pool was not crowded at all but it's not so good day for swimming. If I went there alone, it would be nice. But the water was cold, the air in the pool was also cold, and I found it's really a cold day for my kid to swim. I was afraid if my son would catch a cold.

At least it's not in the summer, I thought. It's a little bit early to talk about the fall, because many of trees are still green, and I'd not seen or heard of this year's harvest- for example, rice or apples, yet.

I took this for a fun.

Recently I saw a lot of the moon pictures at a website I've frequently visited to, and thought I'd try to some day. Looked they took the moon's pictures to show/check the performance of lenses, especially telescope ones. I didn't know such specific things but I did it tonight and I'd like to say it's not so an easy job and not so successful at all.

I could get this from a couple of dozens, and trimmed/resized it.

(The moon from the city of Seoul, around the midnight, 2006.09.10)

Hard-Boiled Peaches

2006-09-06T00:05:00.000+09:00

Picking peaches from mom's field was fantastic, but there's some problem. Worms, I'm not sure the species still, but worms had nibbled the fruits too much, and it's hard to eat in normal way, though it smelled wonderful, and it tasted very sweet. Thus we decided to make HARD-BOILED PEACHES!!
-

It's the peaches

After peeling and chopping them in proper size(yup, the korean measure, proper or any size you want), put them into a big pot, pour water till rougly they are sinking, and put sugar as you want.

Boiling the pot

Enjoy them after cooling.

You can make of sherbet, or pudding with them as alternatives, of course.

I read some different recipe in the Interet, in which that's just fine to cook in a double boiler, instead of direct heating. I'll try it later.

Recent Pictures

2006-09-05T22:55:00.000+09:00

Well, I recently took these pictures, and all of them were original without post-adjustments except resizing. Please give me advices..

2006/09/03 Sunday

Frankly speaking, I had surrendered to Everland's marketing trick again. We went to the last summer splash party to get FREE water pistols. Two pictures are During-Water-Pouring and After-the-party, respectively. By the way, can you find my two kids and wife in those two pictures ? Have fun!

2006/09/02 Saturday

Yes, Picasso Exhibition. I'm not sure you can remember my old posting about SEMA, and the second picture is very similar to the photo in that posting.

The last one was taken at the rooftop of S departent store.

A little bit older pictures at 2006/08/05 at Vivaldi Park.

Hmm.. more than 13 pics at one posting. It's my new record, I think.

Have fun with this pictures

Picasso in Seoul

2006-09-04T23:01:00.000+09:00

I was not sure my little kids could think about or feel any of something special from Picasso's works. But we'd got free admission tickets from KIA motors' promotion weeks ago and it's the last weekend of the exhibition-The Great Century Picasso, so we went to SEMA without a hesitation in the last Saturday afternoon.

( Exhibition-The Great Century Picasso - at Seoul Museum of Art)

More than a hundred works there, and my son was impressed on the ceramic plate(dish) with the title of Composition of Sausage and Egg Fries, wondering what would happen if the sausage and egg-fries were spoiled. My little girl, she went asleep in an hour in her baby carriage.

The exhibition was quite crowded, but we could enjoy it enough.

(Took this picture at the lobby of SEMA.
Trimming and color adjustment was done)

Leaving the museum, I took this picture of outside view at the entrance/exit..

伐草 or 禁草: Cutting Weeds Around Graves

2006-08-28T06:08:00.000+09:00

1.
Since a heavy rainshower was expected in the last weekend, I'd thought the planned Beolcho(伐草: to mow grasses/weeds around ancestors' graves) would be delayed. But the expectation was totally wrong and I had to work in the rain. Fortunately the rain was not pouring so much during the work and I think it was far better than to work under the hot sun.

2.
Once the well-cared graves or tombs were the missions of offsprings in Korea. Especially before Chuseok(秋夕, Korean Thanksgiving Day), all the graves should be kept clean and clear for the upcoming memorial services or rites, Charey, 茶禮. Really hard labors were the gardening works for graves in the middle or higher place in hills, I think.

3.
The recently built family graveyard had saved great amounts of workloads. (Refer to the previous posting if interested) Even though I don't have any grave to care about officially, I'd used to join in the hard daily labor two or three times in every hot summer till the last year with the name of the family business. Really strong reason of family businesses in this 21st century! That meant anyway I had to spend two or three weekends and it had been really annoying thing.. Of course some of relatives(old gentlemen) looked to be very happy and be willing to join in..

This year, however, thanks to the graveyard, the number of graves for Beolcho was definitely reduced, definitely. It was possible since we had made a big grave for more than 18 graves' souls. In addition, the graveyard was so new, and not so much to do there. Much more people were gathered for a less job! The work had been finished in the morning, which I'd never imagined before. Such an early mission completion!

(The picture is the one I tried to post in May! One of the stone is for my wife and me...)

4.
I couldn't avoid some extra job for close relatives after lunch. That was fine. Only two I had to work for. That was really fine. While working, we had talked about the reducing number of families, and the increasing age gap between generations.

5.
I was late in that morning, and forgot to bring my camera, so I couldn't take pictures for the above works as well as for another reaping in mommy's field. Grapes and pears were the products of the last week.

( I took this after back to home)

met a friend on a train, by chance

2006-08-24T06:10:00.000+09:00

I was sipping at the platform the hot coffee bought just few minutes ago at Dunkin Donuts while waiting for KTX train for Daejon departing at 8 o'clock in the morning, when I found a man who was looking at me, holding a cup of DD coffee like me.

Hmm, a stange gentleman, I thought taking another sip.

But soon, I felt he was still looking at me as if he had some business on me, and I had to look at him like he did wondering if I had taken any mistakes in the place in that morning.

Oh, man. I see.

I could recognize what the serious eye-sight was, which had been quite familiar in the very old past.. It was Y.

He was one of college alumni who had been quite close each other even though in different majors and was thought to be in NYC right now as a prosperous professor. I didn't know why but we didn't meet or keep in touch each other about more than 10 years so far. The last news about him I heard of was from the newspapers several years ago, appraising his successful carrier in his field. I met him on an early-morning train by chance yesterday. Almost impossible probability!

We studied each other in short after rearranging seats, which were in different compartments, and began to talk about some past memories and about what we were doing at the moment. What I learned was:

Oh, yes, he is still the prosperous professor in the state, researching the light/color-emmitting materials.

The most exciting fact was that it's his sabbatical year and he dropped here before visiting to Singapore for 6 months in Sept.( I really envy his sabbatical!! ) The funniest thing was the fact I talked too much explaining the IT industry trends and market stuffs even though it was he that gave always lessons/classes/speeches to public as a professor. Any of explanation, prospects of something should be his role, I thought. But it was because of his simple question :

You wanna listen to Chemistry things ?

It tooks only 50 minutes to Daejon and it's too short to talk about everything in the past 10 years or more, but anyway I was really happy to meet him and to chat with. Since his destination was similar to me, we got off together and said goodbye after exchanging e-mail addresses and phone numbers.

Last episode. I felt he was almost a foreigner now in that he was keeping the city map in his bag, and throwing away his Dunkin paper cup into a trash can without thinkning about its refund ( as much as 50 won) if returned to any Dunkin's store instead of the trash can.

(Actually no related with the story.

Took this Mondrian-style cow in the last year at a hotel in Schipol/Amsterdam)

Another Banquet

2006-08-21T06:01:00.000+09:00

I'm afraid guys who're reading my blog would think that I have always parties or short trips in weekends and I am a sort of lavish or prodigal... which is really not true..

Anyway on Sunday, Clockwiz invited all 4X4 members, and we all had a lot of delicious, luxurious dishes. My kids really loved Galbi-Jim(Boiled Ribs with sweet soy source) and Jabchae. Fantastic meals. Thanks to Ms. Clockwiz.. And I saw his cute fish and aquarium, and surprising woodworks.

(The Dishes Clockwiz's wife prepared for us)

It was 11 pm when we were back home , and I couldn't sleep well. I seemed to eat and drink too much, maybe. Lots of fun and full of delicious foods, the weekend was..

Scandinabian food ?

2006-08-20T09:53:00.000+09:00

M, one of my high school friends had his daughter's first birthday party at Scamdinabian Club, Euljiro, Seoul. Since my only memory for the north's food was the reindeer steak, I was wondering what kind of foods would be serving there..

(The restaurant's signboard)

As expected, a lot of fish and sea food. Salmon salad, herring salad, somked salmon and eel , and pen shell alaking. Actually a lot of herring based dishes..

Liver paste was also special with red beets. Smoked bacon and ducks were nice, too.

I enjoyed a lot the food with old friends..

till night..(of course, other pubs, 4 rounds)

(My dish..)

Independence day - City Hall's Decoration

2006-08-18T22:47:00.000+09:00

Someone had decorated Seoul City Hall building for celebrating Independence Day with koren traditional lamps-called it ChongsaChorong, while we were decorating our home..

(I took this at the front end of the Plaza, Aug 15)

(My wife took this in the front seat of the moving car)

Yes, the changes are these.

2006-08-18T06:26:00.000+09:00

Basically, we are very satisfied with the results. Especially considering the costs for it.

My kids chose wallpapers with CARs' characters. How fast the market works ! We can find a lot of its characters' goods like toys and wallpapers already.

(My kids room before and after. He need to reduce his belongings..)

Big green flowers pattern for kitchen walls. It's quite modern and graceful, but we hesitated, worring about its tone and color if it would be too dark.

(The kitchen wall changes from ivory to green flowers patterns)

Another Holiday with works

2006-08-17T18:59:00.000+09:00

I saw this morning zinco leaves which was beginning to change its leave's color to a little bit orange(not to yellow yet) at last at Namsan sowol-gil(road) while drivining to work after another 5-days holiday. Oh, the fall would be coming soon, exclaimed joyfully.

Since we had spent nice days in a nice resort in the previous holidays(it's just in the last weekend ! see the previous two posts: (1) and ( 2)), on this time, I'd like to do something that had been delayed so long by the lack of the time. Could you guess what it was?

Yes, repapering. My son had been longing for decorating his room with fashionable and new-style wallpapers quite a long time and I promised we would do it in his summer vacation. 5-days-holiday was quite a long one and I could make time for doing it. Moreover, we didn't have enough money to plan another trip. Yes, so repapering.

From previous surveys at shops in town, we'd learned it would be really expensive if inviting a couple of experts and repapering whole the house. No need to spend so much! So, made mind to minimize the work only to the boy's room, and two walls of the kitchen, and decided to do it by ourselves.

Guessed it would be hard and it's really so. For the repapering itself, only 12 hours by clumsy and unskilled guys were enough, but we had to spend in real 4 days for shopping, preparing, repapering, and cleaning- the whole things. There's some mistakes like pattern mismatch, but no problems. Rather, very satisfied with the works.

(Bangsan Market, Prints and Papers market)

One episode. We went to Bangsan market to choose wall papers, where we could buy every papers and interior stuffs in the world. After shopping with time-cosuming negotiations, we had naengmyun(Korean Cold Noodel) for dinner at the near-by famous restaurant(like MCCHAE and Clockwiz a couple of weeks ago), but we found later the little girl had some terrible alergy for it and has suffered still, in almost a week. Doctor said the buckwheat might be the reason and it would last more than a week.

Another episode. Fitting and pasting papers(silky papers) were not easy job and at least two adults should co-work for them. My mom and nephew came to us for taking care of the little girl during the work in the evening and thanks to them we could do it whole night. We went to Everland with them in the next morning and enjoyed the park's Summer Splash party. Really cool and funny. We all were totally wet.

Going to the cinema for the first time.

2006-08-09T12:21:00.000+09:00

It was our first trial of going to the movie altogether, and we did it.
-

So far the kids are too little to go the public cinema, we couldn't go to a movie.

But SJ wanted to watch pixar's new animation CAR with dubbed in Korean, like one of his friend did with her father.

Well, I was on a vacation, the temperature was too high to stay at home, and thus, we went to CGV cinema in the worldcup stadium. Even though we had already watched its english version with korean subtitles several times on my desk top at home..

The attempt was successful and right now I make sure we can go to the cinema altogether from now on..

(They were concentrating on the ADs before the movie began)

======

By the way, I found one funny picture from the SONY Korea Homepage.

My wife and the little girl who were about to buy SONY A-100 at SONY Myoungdong shop, are explained as a sort of frantic fans of their new product..

OMG.

click here and check the report no.397 for the article..

Escape from the hot.

2006-08-08T05:30:00.000+09:00

I'd ran away from the hot to Hongcheon, Kangwon Province for three days. Yup, it's summer vacation I was longing for. The place was cool, at least cooler than in Seoul, and we could forget the blazing hot and the sticky sweats for a while in the forest and the water.

(Vivald Park, HongCheon, Kangwon)

(A trail in the resort)

(On the swan boat in the lake at the late afternoon.

I lost the skyblue..)

The resort, actually we had visitied last summer, has opened a new big water park this year, and we could enjoy another fun this time. All the facilities were new and exellent. We had spent more than 10 hours with various swimmig pools, spa and sauna till exhausted.

I was satisfied as well as tired with the long-hour fun, thinking about the expensive admission fee we'd paid for the artificial waves, the artificial beach and the artificial rivers. It's funny that the real one doesn't require for expensive money or long waiting in a line for entrance..

(Ocean World, indoor pools.

I lost half of the reduced size while spraying black on the faces)

(Ocean World, at the outdoor pools and spa)

One special thing was that we invited the parents-in-law to this trip, and they seemed to enjoy the trip well fortunately.

The last two photos show the difference of my family in a year.

(2005 Summer)

(2006 Summer)

My new photo archive

2006-08-02T00:09:00.000+09:00

I'm thinking about a photo archives for weeks and right now I have my account on IGLOO.

I'm not sure how long I'll keep this IGLOOS site, because I'm comparing the site with Yahoo and the IGLOO is operated by SK.. Anyway at a first glance, it looked very simple and convenient.

For the test purpose, I made two photo albums from the posting This week's harvest(2006/07/28).

You can see them here
"the second harvest".
"the rest of the day, another fun".

The Burning Hot

2006-08-01T11:34:00.000+09:00

The rain was stopped. The terribly heavy torrential rains had stopped really.
Two Typhoons had passed by through the peninsular with hurts.
Usually more typhoons in the late August may visit to us, but no signs yet.
Yes. The Monsoon was over. This unusual 40-day-long rainy season was at last over.
-
NOW, THE HOT's TIME. Its turn after a long wait.. Tropical nights everyday..
-
My brother and brother-in-law suggested to join in their short weekend trip to the beach on somewhere in the west coast in the last week. At that time, their schedule was not fixed, their destination was not fixed, nobody couldn't make sure about the weather, and I felt tired too much those days, and then I had to make some execuses. I heard later they had set their destination to some place near YeongjongDo.
-
Instead, we went a walk to Worldcup Park on Sunday afternoon. Well, stopping at there after shopping at Carrefour truely. I suggested to ride inline-skating to my son and he refused in a word. Too hot. Actually he needed to practice it harder I thought, but yes, it's too hot.
-
Right now, I'm longing for my summer vacation, and trip to Kangwon province in this weekend..

(Sangam Worldcup Stadium with Thick Clouds)

(The Worldcup Park-Peace's Park Entrance)

(A Small Lake in the Park)

(The Chang Seung- The Traditional Wooden Gaurdian for Village)

(Yes, it's too hot)

(Looked really tired of the heat..)

This week's harvest

2006-07-28T01:05:00.000+09:00

I went to see my mother as I heard my father had departed for his trip with some of his friends to China in the early morning on Saturday. It would be a 10-days trip.

I was very sorry and got nervous a little bit on this. Because he went alone again without mom though it seemed to be difficult to meet the schedule for both of parents and my nephew at the same time. And because nobody talked to me about his trip schedule or itinerary before. If I had not called them, I would have not known about his trip at all. How bad.
-

Thanks to it anyway, we visited to mom and had a good time. The hot summer made the field richier. It's really lovely place. Yeah, really lovely if ...

The Summer Scene 1 : Bellflowers and a bee

The Summer Scene 2: Hang-a-ri(the traditional jars) at the Backyard.
Home-made soybean pastes, soy sources, hot-pepper pastes and various sources are kept for ripening.

-

My son got sweat. It might be a hard day for him to pick up vegitables and fruits. It would not be a fun perhapse. Bending, squating, and digging under the HOT sun were not easy for adults. I hoped he might or could guess now what the harvest was and how hard it was. In books, especially in Richard Scarry's book, this growing something stuff were looked not so hard, and focused on products/outputs. Thought needed to be serious on foods.

( My mom and my son in the small field )

(Radish ? Turnip ? I'm not sure..)

( A small hand picking up a small pear- it's too small yet )

He also helped his uncle-my younger borther- cut grasses, which I usually tried to avoid as possible. It's too hard...

(The grasses after cutting, they should be moved to the field..)

(My kids, wandering in the yard)

Finally the harvest of the day. Hot green peppers, eggplants, carrots and turnips. Also tomatoes and small pears. Fresh, delicious, organic foods.

( We brought them to home )

(Really Fresh Tomatoes)

[Notes]
I wrote this on some day of the last week but couldn't post so far due to the picture uploading problem.. of course not enough time to do this job, too.

Visiting to Friends

2006-07-25T16:50:00.000+09:00

The 4 x 4 members had met at MCCHAE's home on last Saturday afternoon. The official reason for the meeting(actually a party) was looking around MCCHAE's DIY work for his balcony. He had made planking frames on the tile floor and attached woods on it. Well done. It looked great. We all together had been jumping on the floor for the test purpose, but no problems. Great. His story is here.

After snacks, we went a walk together and went for dinner. The dinner was "boiled ducks" and "spicy buckwheat noodles". Thanks to MCCHAE.

(Was there any music? Looked like a scene from the pied piper of Hamelin)

(Stone and his wife)

(Where were they going to ?)

(At the playgrounds nearby)

(The night watch, after dinner)

Bluenun, BalDuzzi, Elsa and Hoegaarden

2006-07-22T09:27:00.003+09:00

My ultimate dream, the alcohol-free life, seems not easy to achieve. I'm almost about to give up the stupid goal. In the last weekend MCCHAE's party, I found I was waiting/longing for beer glass.

My wine and beer list (at home) for this week:

Blue Nun Rheinhessen, 2005/Germany, about 9 USD.

Elsa Bianchi carbernet sauvignon, 2004/Argentian, about 15 USD.

Balduzzi carbernet sauvignon, 2001/Chile, about 13 USD.

Hoegaarden witbier, Belgium, 330*4 bottles about 10 USD

(Hmm, I took this picture days ago, and not satisfied with the color and light)

BlueNun is cheap and economical. Sweet and a little bit sour. Very good for cooking due to its sweet taste. I was using it for shrimp pasta, and it was delicious.

I've never tried Argentina wine before, but it was a very reasonable choice considering its taste and its price. Very standard and nice, I think. Not over, not less in its taste and fragrance. But Elsa is really famous for its malbec with vanilla fragrance.

As for Balduzzi, I've not tried yet, so I'll comment on it in the next week.

Hmm, Hoegaarden. I didn't remember why I had bought this semi premium-level beer(almost 2.6-2.7 USD per bottle) when I unpacked after shopping alone. But its unique taste(from additional yeast??) was quite nice and its semitransparent color was fashionable in the bright light.

(I tried several times for this picture last night)

P.S.

I'll be criticized for this alcoholic-like posting by the guys who wants my old collections, maybe..

P.S

This posting is revised on Jul 25 morning.

Seoul Auto Salon 2006

2006-07-17T20:00:00.000+09:00

Hesitating for a moment to go SAS 2006 due to the rain, I found no reasons not to go -

(1) My kid loves to go to see CARs
(2) I have a new camera
(3) It's a national holiday and we have a time to go.

Finally, we were on the show in the afternoon.

And saw a lot of luxury cars, tune-up cars, accessaries, a/v systems, people and girls.

(The appearance was Kyron, but.. )

(Racing Cars)

( Mercedez SLR McLaren...)

(A Beautiful A/V system on BMW)

(A wheel..on Equus. Can you see me ?)

(And more luxuries..)

Oh, rains..

2006-07-17T18:08:00.000+09:00

The rain was a nightmare and a ruin. Parts of the city was under the water and the government announced the national disaster warning. How small the human beings are in front of the Nature's force.

(Rainy scenes at home yesterday. Can you see the rainfalls ? )
-

(The Han river and its bank todaty after the rain stopped. The bank went under the water. My wife took these two pictures on the Han river at the car while driving)

Buying A100

2006-07-16T08:28:00.000+09:00

At last I got the SONY A100 camera with helps of wife and friends.

1. My wife went to SONY shop, had been waiting for three hours in line, with the little girl, and bought it. Thanks to her, I got additional gifts like a stylish bag, a high-quality shoulder strip, and free-AS extension. It was amazing that she helped so much in that she had not agreed to buy a new camera so far. I was really surprised at her full support. Anyway we became one of the first users for SONY DSRL, which is not delivered to users yet.

2. MCChae gave me a good advice for choosing a camera, sending me the 60-page document about Kodak and Canon products, which he had got from CHLEE before. It was helpful, and made me hesitate to choose SONY and even consider KODAK ! I think I bought a SONY product rather than a camera.

3. One guy at work, recommended EOS 5 very strongly. His idea was that the mid/low-range body was just a temporary, and would make me continously think about a better one. But it's too expensive as you know.

-

Due to the incessant heavy rains, no opportunity to test it outside. But the first glance from indoor test shots was that the shutter speed and feelings was not familiar to me and the flash operation was so and so. I'm not an expert for this, so please visit to DPreview for the preview. As I know, there's no general user reports yet.

PS 1.

I couldn't resist the temptaion for this, just surrendered to the god-of-merchant, who set fires on me, and hope now the god-of-bankuptcy to pass by without a care for me.

PS2.

The above pics were taken by the old SONY compact camera. They would be the last using the old one.

Heavy Rains

2006-07-15T09:25:00.000+09:00

The typhoon Ewinia had gone through the middle area of the peninsular without serious damages last week fortunately, but the succesive torrential rains had left hurts in Seoul and its suburbs in north.

Pouring down-more than 400 mm rains a day- had stopped many of the city functions, especially in transports. The traffic was really worse on Wednesday night by the additional impact by tens of thousands's demonstration for anti-FTA talks with the USA at Kwanghwamun.

I had thought the monsoon rains would be over by the typhoon, but it was wrong. In my town, a part of stony embankment at Eujuro sidewalk was collapsed and has been left like the pictures for three days.

The forecasting says another big rain in this weekend...

A Little Car Mania

2006-07-11T06:09:00.000+09:00

This is a story about a little boy who wants to be a car designer in the future. (Some efforts actually for this. Once he wanted to be a taxi driver who drives an austrailian Holden's sedan Statesmen as you know.)

(At Yongin Speedway. We watched the motor race for the first time-Last Spring)
-

He draws cars a lot. Various cars from old-time sedans to brandnew SUVs. Perfect views from front, rear and sides. Interiors with cool front dash panels, or well-defined engine room arrangements. Sometimes I'm surprised at his complex drawings on mechanics, but it's not common. Tyres and wheel styles are rather often seen. That's fine anyway though I hope him to draw trees, flowers, mountains, or any other parts of the nature. Perhapse we should have brought him more often to somewhere full of the nature.

He talks about cars a lot. Usually used to read books like Busy Town(Richard Scarry's) or tell elephants' stories when he goes to bed before. These days, however, he picks up two or three brand-new car brochures, talking about what the new features are or what kind of instruments are upgraded. Well, knowledges on new or detail technologies are fine but I don't like he is reading the commercial copies car companies suggest- cheap expressions. Anyway reading such ridiculous things, he goes to sleep happily with imaginations of fully equipped cars.

He is interested in cars a lot. He is surfing on the Internet, gathering information about Motor Shows (like Geneva, Detroit, Frankfurt, and Tokyo including Seoul of course) and suggests trips for joining the show. Actually we had joined in Seoul Motor Show last year, and he was really loving the crowded and tired place. Anyway it can be a good motive for me to push him to learn English even though he hates to go to the canadian language institute on every saturday and I don't know if we can go to some motor shows overseas in real.

One more thing I'm worrying about is his paranoid-like serious interests on cars. I feel a little bit unbalanced. Can you imagine a 5-years-old-boy(6 years old in Korean) who is intersted in how to change cooling waters, batteries and engine oils? Suspecting how much he can understand it, I feel I need to control him for the Internet access.

It's natural for him to go dealer shops in neighbor whenever a new car is appeared. He gets in the cars in display, examines for its design and changes if upgraded, gets new brochures, and sometimes test-drives with me.

GM daewoo's brandnew SUV Winstorm(Chevrolet Captiva in the US) was the case on the last Saturday. Most recent test driving was the luxury SUV-Rexton2 and my own car is also SUV, so I thought it's a good opportunity to learn the so called GM technologies because they are advertising it is the first car made by the company after Daewoo was sold to GM.

30 minutes was enough for identifying it. Its cost-performance ratio looked impressive, especially for the fuel consumption: 11-12km per litter. But that's all, I thought. The power train, acceleration and gear shifts were so and so: no problems for downtown driving but not sure for off-road driving or high-speed highway driving. Expected more comforts and less noises.

My son was frantic, however, especially for its style. Yes, I agree his taste is quite different from mine. I like leather seats, black leather seats but he prefers to woven fabrics-grey or beige. He says always the bright beige interior is the most refined color matched with pearl whites, light blue or pleasant wine colors. In additon, he doesn't like the feeling of cold/cool which the leathers cast at first.

It has a big LCD monitor for 3D navigation and separate audio consoles in the center fascia. It looked better than mine at least. He liked it very much. His continuously muttering with the salesWOman during the driving, I stayed in calm and quiet without a complain for the car. He looked very pleased and happy.

By the way, it's when we found there was no brochure available at the moment after enjoying the test-driving, that he looked panic. (He's just a little boy !) He failed to add a brochure to his collection, but he said fine, and agreed to get the brochure in the next visit. It was determined to be a problem later. He had been complainiong continuously at home, for not visiting another dealer shop for the brochures. Finally I got annoyed and scolded him in not keeping his words for a day. Regret no need to scold him. Didn't go to other shops on the day.

In the next weekend, I'm thinking about goint to Seoul Auto Salon(expensive tuning cars show) with the little boy.

Routes Finding Reorganization

2006-07-10T18:54:00.000+09:00

Notice.

This blog doesn't support a structured form for classified posts, and I had complains for this. So I made this catagorized structure by myself.

In the SIDE-BAR section, you can find RF CATAGORIES and its 4 sections
- 破片/DEBRIS OF LIFE : Stories on daily life and chores
- KIDS TOGETHER : On my kids
- FUTURES ? : Tech or something like that (Though I'm not ready)
- 理性隔離/ LACKS : For my poor soul

You can go to the contents for each section by click the title.

Four previous postings will be used as contents.

Thanks.

FUTURES

2006-07-10T13:45:00.000+09:00

Last Update: 2006/07/10

No Posts Yet

Routes Finding HOME

理性隔離 : LACKS

2006-07-10T13:40:00.000+09:00

Last Update: 2006/08/24

7 Posts So Far

The Independence Day: City Hall's Decoration(2006/08/18)

Buying A100 (2006/07/16)

Helplessness (2006/06/28)

A Crazy Friday Night(2006/06/12)

My Fat Burn Project - A Progress Report(2006/05/23)

IBR Memoirs (2006/05/03)

Burn, Burn, Burn! Oh! My Poor Fat!(2006/04/21)

Routes Finding HOME

KIDS TOGETHER

2006-07-10T13:02:00.000+09:00

Last Update: 2006/08/24

Another Banquet(2006/08/21)

Scandinabian Food ?(2006/08/20)

Going To The Cinema For The First Time(2006/08/09)

Escape from the Hot(2006/08/08)

The Burning Hot(2006/08/01)

This week's harvest (2006/07/28)

Visiting to Friends (2006/07/25)

Seoul Auto Salon 2006 (2006/07/17)

A Little Car Mania(2006/07/11)

The Last World Cup Fan Fest at Kwanghwamun (2006/06/28)

Reaping from the Field (2006/06/22)

The Last Week of May 2006 (2006/06/05)

A Serene Island Was There (2006/05/30)

Summer was already there (2006/05/22)

A lot of Thanks in May (2006/05/20)

Busy Holidays (2006/05/06)

The First Struggle with My Cute Baby - Episode (1)(2006/03/22)

The First Struggle with My Cute Baby (2006/03/17)

Routes Finding HOME

破片/ DEBRIS OF LIFE

2006-07-10T12:50:00.000+09:00

Last Update: 2006/08/28

20 Posts So Far

Cutting Weeds Around Graves(2006/08/28)

Met A Friend On A Train, By Chance (2006/08/24)

Yes, The Changes Are These(2006/08/18)

Another Holiday with Works (2006/08/17)

My New Photo Archive(2006/08/02)

Bluenun, Balduzzi, Elsa and Hoegaarden (2006/07/22)

Oh, rains (2006/07/17)

Heavy Rains(2006/07/15)

HY New Resolutions (2006/07/07)

2006 2HY Resolutions (2006/07/03)

Reds Go Together (2006/06/19)

Where can I keep these big bottles?(2006/06/15)

Well done, Guys (2006/06/14)

New Face(Still under Constgructions)(2006/06/08)

Suzumiya Haruhi? (2006/06/07)

Refreshments (2006/05/15)

Back Pain(2006/05/11)

Fully Delighted(2006/05/01)

Spring(2006/04/26)

Wish Lists and Shopping Lists(2006/03/08)

Routes Finding HOME

HY New Resolution (2)

2006-07-07T19:46:00.000+09:00

(2) Dreaming of Alcohol-Free spirits and body

Last two heavy-drinkings in the previous week gave me serious damages. Very unpleasant memories and physical after-effects. Hate to remind of it. Though they were some sort of necessaries for business purpose, I don't think I need to be drunken so much like a whale.. Really I was failed to control myself completely. So, I had made my mind to quit alcohols on this Monday, but failed on Wednseday again..Execuse with the so called business again. Shameful..

Well, I'm dreaming of the perfect trinity for my spirit and body these days.

At first, regular exercises. Not perfect but think I am on the accepatable track.
And then, no-smoking. Well done so far.
Finally, alcohol-free sobriety. Tryng.. Not easy with many reasons and not sure but will not give up..Need to control mind and psychic energy, too ..

And one practical problem for this is.. how to consume all of these..

(I really love cognac and grappa... so far.. Wine? why not..)

2006 2HY resolution (1)

2006-07-03T13:53:00.000+09:00

I was sick for almost a month. Sick in mind as well. And found no one would dare to cure or take care of. Thoroughly matters of myself. Well, having passed the first half of this year, I realized I need to resume myself. Silly enough but I've made a new resolution for the rest of this year anyway.

(The polar bear might be very fierce, tough, and even dangerous. But my wife, kids and any other people in the zoo were shouting how cute and lovely it was. - Hmm, I was SEVERAL TIMES more..-

Yeah, its mild/gentle-looking face and warm-looking fur were enough to hug and kiss it. Disguise. Nobody might think the cute bear wanted or intended to be what it looked to people though, but I need this sort of ...

My wife took this picture from Everland, two weeks ago)

(1) No-Smoking

BEFORE:
20 years ? 21 years ?
Well, for such a long time, the cigarette and its sweet magic smokes had been my closest friend and comforts. My lungs? Oh, it matters, but hard to see them after opening my chest by myself. In addition, the so-called organics, no way to stop them get older anyway.

TWO WEEKS AGO:
I couldn't forgive my terrible mistake still. How could I think I was able to handle the steering wheel, the mobile phone and the cigarettes at the same time while driving? As a result, the hot ashes dropped on to my pants, made irrevocable big holes in the relatively new pants. Alas, I had to buy some new *nice* pants, which I had been trying to avoid for months!
No hesitation to quit this squandering habit.

NOW:
Fine. A half month has passed without cigarettes. No more money for everyday packs. No bad smells when hugging with kids. No cigarette powders in pockets. No time consuming for smoking and looking for smoking rooms. Lots of good things.

Continued..

The Last World Cup Fan Fest at Kwanghwamun

2006-06-28T23:04:00.000+09:00

In the night of the last world cup match with Swiss- actually on June 23 - I couldn't stay at home because of the fever I had felt at KwangHwaMun while I was dropped at for a moment to take the bus going to home. As a result, I came to the Fan Fest area with my son at almost midnight.

One thing funny was that the only red shirt we had was a traditional Swiss-made as you can see from the picture. Fortuantely nobody cared about it! Can you see the beautiful edelweiss flower prints ?

The match was held too late(actually too early at 3:30 am), we couldn't keep the seats at the place whole night, but it was a funny experiences. The seven-eleven(or family mart, I'm not sure) in the left corner of the above picture was reported to sell mineral waters more than 60Million KRW(60 K USD, roughly) at that night.

Helplessness.

2006-06-28T16:36:00.000+09:00

I don't think everyone should know Logic, or logics for his job. I don't think everyone should be able to distinguish causes and effects from some complex works to simplify his job. And I am not an expert or specialist for Logic at all.

But I really don't want to spend my time for fixing none-of-my-business-works from wrong treatments... don't want to get involved in the fruitless jobs..

In many cases especially for these days, I'm confused at the logic, the tools, the methods and the way of what my colleagues was doing for their job. I know they're also experts in their field, but feel the serious mismatch with my thoughts. Need to take some courses or read books on conflict managements..

Days ago to one of my friends, I complained my current intangible situation at work and at home, hoped to die. He said simply, it would be my only and first success in my life if I had got to die without further problems.

Need a rest, really..

Reaping from the field

2006-06-22T16:35:00.000+09:00

From time to time, I'm quite surprised at how much my parents made a special effort for years for their garden while walking around it. In fact, they had planted there various trees, vegitables and flowers for more than a decade and the long time is making it beautiful and enrich.

(My son seeking for strawberries)

In their garden(rather a farm, I think) on last sunday, we picked up wild strawberries, cherries, and japanese apricots. A little bit late season for strawberries, but quite well-riped strawberries were over there. The cherry trees and the linden trees-actually we called it a linden tree, but the dictionary says it's a cherry eleaegnus exactly, gave us a lots of red sweet and sour fruits, which my son and nephew really liked and had through the evening.

(A strawberry in the field and cherries on the tree)

(Strawberries were not enough for all of us,

but we could enjoy cherries a lot. The round ones were from the cherry tree, but the long ones were from the cherry eleaegnus)

Picking up the japanese apricots from the highly upward branches was tough. Talking about apricot liquors and nectars, my mom and I had picked and gathered apricots till the late afternoon, but still many of them were on the branches.. I'll ask for some of it for liquor after she finish to reap..

(The japanese apricots.

Its origin is from china but I'm not sure why it is called japanese apricot)

PS. On the way back to home, my wife commented to my silly question that we visited to my parents too often, and she said almost twice a month. Later I counted how many times we visited them and found 8 times during the past 6 months..

Reds Go Together

2006-06-19T13:48:00.000+09:00

-
Happy with France Draw.

Two matches(vs. Togo and vs. France) were too dramatic to keep seats quietly, and most of koreans were crazy for our national team's efforts and achievements. During the matches, the fans were hard to breathe to wait for goals and shouted we did it, we did it with strong emotions after goals we were loinging for so much.

By the way, there're also some concerns among people about the qualities- ruling force and the defense system our team had showed in the games, but the result - a win and a tie- was more important, I believe, the top in Group G. Hope another fantastic result with Swiss.

-

(The 2006 slogan of the red devil: the national soccer team supporter)

Since we went up to semi-finals, the great fuss was going on almost a month in 2002 worldcup and it was a really vital and fabulaous memory. We couldn't do anything else except watching the games, talking about the games, and drinking while chatting about the plays at that time. It was great.

All the places over the country are the red waves again, and many fans are enjoying games together at street cheering parties, remembering the past 2002 worldcup, for midnight or early morning games.

Click the below arrow, you can listen to 2006 official cheering song of the red devil.

Where can I keep these big bottles ?

2006-06-15T09:50:00.001+09:00

-
I'd expected the size of a small general medicin bottle or a midium powdered milk can at last when I opened the pack, which might contained two bottles of the pure protein I'd ordered four days ago. Surpringly however, two really big plastic bottles were there, in which I might be able to put rices as much as my family could eat for more than a month. Even my little girl seems to be able to get in..

I knew each had protein powders of 2.27 kg, and planned to consume them for two months but never thought they would be so large. Actually the large size and the amount of them were not the matter, but my concern was where I could put and keep for so long period. In fact, alcohols in one of the kitchen units and beer cans in the fridge were already enough to make complains..

-- WHY I BOUGHT THIS THEN

Not losing the useful flesh with burning fat at the same time was the reason I bought these protein powders, even though I am usually against this kind of unnatural and artificial method. Clockwiz' recommendations and his recommend store's website were another temptations. It's really really very cheap - less than half of the usual prices.
As a result, I surrendered to the temptation with a greedy desire for the slim body. (You know, it's SUMMER!!)

-- FIRST THOUGHT AFTER I GOT THAT PACKAGE

Really true that the Internet makes the world smaller.
I could buy the powder(made in the USA) from the website, operated in the states but by koreans, at lower price. In addition, I paid only about 10$ for the delivery from the states to my home- cheaper than the cost Amazon offers. Four days for the delivery was quite short and quick- similar with the domestic deal cases(2-5 days)

- THE THOUGHT WAS CHANGED IN THE NEXT DAY

But problems- the price. Every site has a different prices. Usually when I want to buy something on-line, I spend a couple of hours to examine prices and free gifts.

In this case, I'd heard from clockwiz that the site had really low and reasonable price. I believed that simly and then just bought it. For a day after I received it, I was really happy and satisfied with the price because I checked its price was roughly half of the general internet shopping mall or open market.

But in the next day, one of colleagues recommended another site he used to go when I told my lucky shopping story, so I checked the site.

Oh, no. It offers a 35% cheaper price and even no delivery cost!! In the site, I could have bought one more bottle with the money I'd spent.

Now it's a firm thought : It's too hard to buy something in the Internet..

Well done, Guys.

2006-06-14T00:30:00.000+09:00

-

Recent qualification matches were quite unstable, so some of us were not sure victories in this world cup. But they did it tonight, showed it tonight and restored to us the firm belief that we can do it again!

Maintenant a France! Nous venons !
(he, I'm not sure this french :) )

(The wrapping ad from one department store)

-------

(Player scluptuers at the Kwang Hwa Moon street. The guy at the center, Lee C.S presented the first goal.)

A Crazy Friday Night

2006-06-12T14:34:00.000+09:00

I was hungry all the day, the last Friday. In the morning, I'd had to skip all food and drink for the physical checkup. (But I drunk relatively too much the unknown white fluid and bubbling powder for my stomach photo during the checkup..)In the afternoon, I didn't have enough time for lunch, and I had to make-do a small sandwitch on the street while going back to the office.
That was fine, because I had an appointment with three guys- clockwiz, stone, and mcchae- at night and thought there might be a FEAST of meat and various alcohols...

Unluckily, however, I was late for one and half hour, and they had already enough food and beer without me and wanted to go the 2nd round at another bar when I arrived there! No! I ordered some beer and another sidedish and put them into my stomach as fast as I could. Three pints of beer and some meat before I got down into their chat.

And then we went to another places to drink more, and more. To sum up, we went to three rounds of beer bars and cafe. A lot of beer and strong whiskey. I was drunken too much, very much.

I didn't remember all of what we had talked about, but reviews for the trip to Seungbongdo, the naming of the meeting - 4 by 4, current interests, and the so called leadership, friendship, and volunteership. At that discussion or dispute, I thought about a book recently read, which was very boring and long, King Arthur's Round Table(by David Perkins). It's subtitle was maybe how collaborative conversations creat smart organizations even though I didn't mention it at that time..

Anyway the meeting was quite unusual. Too much chats. Too much drinks. And I lost the following weekend as a result.

New Face (Still Under Constructions)

2006-06-08T19:19:00.000+09:00

Right. My expectation was perfectly correct.

One of two would be an answer.
- This site is not a user-freindly. Or
- I'm too stupid to understand HTML codes.

I'll try to go on modifications of this page bit by bit, instead of
showing a new face at once..

Huh.. too lazy ?

Suzumiya Haruhi ?

2006-06-07T18:45:00.000+09:00

The storyboard is attractive. An alien, a girl from the future, and a super power. Interesting enough. So far 9 episodes were appeared and it seems to be quite popular in animation communities.

But thought it's not usual for me to watch some tv series or soap operas: giggling/snievelling and waiting, giggling/snivelling and waiting again, and so on. Quite stupid! Beside, it is the stories about childish high school boys and girls. Don't misundertand please, this is a complain to me, not to the above animation.

One of my colleagues had quitted the company recently, and he recommended this series- The melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi- at dinner after he had handed in his resignation. It was a surprising, but could be expected. I envied his situation to leave a job so easily.

The Last Week of May 2006

2006-06-05T22:17:00.000+09:00

(1) The Saddiest Thing in the last week

My little daughter had cut her index finger by my disposable razor blade. My wife called me from the emergency center, and told me it had taken more than an hour to stop bleeding. I was really startled when she told the doctor had recomended to burn out the wound with an electric tool, but luckly the bleeding had stopped before doing it. No functional problems but a deep scar would be expected. I shoud have brought back the razor immediately to the gym, which I had brought home for the last weekend trip. I'm really sorry. - Last Tuesday Afternoon.

(2) The Happiest Thing in the week

I got a hand-made paper camcorder from my son as a birthday gift. He had made it with his mother, which had the lens, the view finder, as well as the LCD monitor like my old camcorder. A really nice job. (Maybe it was a sort of pressures from my wife.. no HC3 yet..) Apart from the daughter's accident, the birthday itself was not enjoyable at all. I had not counted my age any more. - The same day with the above.

(3) A Serious(?) or Heavy thing..

I don't know exact words for the feeling when I saw my future resting place and tombstone. I visited the recently built family graveyard with my wife and son. Since the traditional korean tombs was occupying the space too much, the family graveyard could be an alternative and our family had decided to build it in the meeting a few years ago, and it was completed in May, but I missed the opening rite due to the back pain. My wife said it's too narrow to sleep together and we might quarrel everyday for the space after death. My son was murmuring something but he was too young to understand the death. As for me, I was worrying about the cremation.. - Wednesday Afternoon

(4) Other Things

The local elections on Wednesday. Basically I was not interested in the politics and the voting, but I'd a day off for it, so I had done it. I saw a full-bloom-rose while going to vote. A rose.. -Wednesday Morning

The soccer season came back even though we lost the match with Ghana last night. Most of streets in Seoul was already decorated with the red flag and ADs for victories. Sleepless nights would be.. - Friday Afternoon

* I failed to upload more photos again...

A Serene Island Was There

2006-05-30T14:33:00.000+09:00

( The E-IL-E beach, Seunbobgdo, Last sunday morning)

Everything in my eyes was immaculate and tranquil. With the beautiful scenery, I felt I'd been purified like all other creatures. The bad weather of the previous day rather deserved to be encouraged and I shouldn't have been frighten with that obviously on the day before, because the wind and rain were the main contributors for this beautiful calm.

Two days in a remote island were quite different from each other.

On the first day, the last Saturday, all four families of 16 people(8 adults and 8 children) arrived at the island, Seungbongdo, through heavy rains by taking a ferryboat for one and half hour. I'd been concerning about any emergency or dangerous happenings on the sea while sailing, but nothing was happened. And I'd been also concerning about KMA's useless forecasting: heavy rainshowers and thunderstorms over the peninsular in whole weekend. It was determined as really useless one later. How timid I was...

( From the stern on the ferryboat. Saturday morning)

Regardless of my concerns, howerver, everyone looked enjoying the island a lot. Childrens had never cared about the bad weather. They played together like old friends, making sand castles, looking for shells and baby crabs, yelling and running in rains on the beach. Adults were not diffrent. Taking pictures, talking with others, watching the grey sea, and so on. After a short trip to another beach in the other side in the afternoon, two more brave families explored more places in heavy rains with REAL thunderstorms, while the rest went back and took a rest. I was half drunken when the brave guys told they'd never seen the lightening flash on the sea before, and it might be really spectacle I thought....

(Another beach, Seungbongdo, Saturday afternoon)

The next day-the last Sunday- was marvelous. The rain and wind might have swept all dusts from the sky, the trees, the beach and even me. The landscapes were dramatically changed and we could even see the land we had departed and other islands nearby.

(My little daughter watching the sea, Sunday morning)

Everyone enjoyed the beach again under the bright sun. My kids were crazy for the sand on the beach. With the two bravemen, I looked around the island, but no lightening on the day... A calm and peaceful morning.

(Lifes on rocks, Sunday morning)

(A peaceful beach with a chair. I was wondering who brought it. Sunday morning)

After lunch, we acrossed the island to the dock and took the ferryboat again. This time, I could enjoy the seagulls and the placid sea very much.

Note.
Seungbongdo, the Flying Phoenix Island, a famous and well-known fishing spot, is a small island, 42 km south-west from Inchon, in the West Sea.

Acks.
I'd like to thank clockwiz and mcchae for their efforts in organizing/preparing/cooking/ arranging everything. It was a really wonderful trip. will never forget. Also thanks to stone for his considerations for me...

PS. TENSE is really difficult !! I don't remember a little bit..