A Serene Island Was There

( 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..

My Fat Burn Project - A Progress Report

"Are you happy?" -my wife

"I know you are one of poisonous species"- one of my colleagues.
"Wow, I would begin exercises, too" - another colleague.

(note. I directly translated to poisonous species from dok-jong in korean, and its actual meaning is 'too firm' with slightly negative nuances and it can be also translated to spiteful or malicious..I think )

Most of responses from colleagues or friends when I told I had reduced about 8 kilograms through jogging and training without a diet were half praises(or compliments) and half envies. Even my wife asked me if it could be a pursuit. I said yes, absolutely, and it was really good for appearance, health as well as self-confidence. I advised her to start any kind of exercises soon, but it seems to be hard for her at the moment ..

During the past three months and till today, 40 minutes jogging and 10 to 15 minutes weight training have been the main program. Sometimes, 50 miniutes walking has been done together. The most important thing was to do it more than 4 times a week, and I've tried to keep it.

Right now, I think it's time to change the program a little bit to accelate the fat-losing speed and make a well-balanced body. Getting rid of the ugly beer gut, reducing the waist size, and hardening mustles will be the primary targets in the next stage. The program will be :

50 mins jogging/10 mins weight training on the first and the third day,
30 mins jogging /30 mins weight training on the second and the fourth day,
at least four days exercises a week as well,

but this time, with a diet - less eating at dinner and skipping beers at nights.

(My weight change status and target till the end of August)

Summer was already there.

Spring is always too short. While I feel the spring was beginning, the summer comes silently to somewhere and waits for its time quietly, hiding its burning power .

(Thick ginko leaves, at Chongdong street, Saturday morning. )


The last Sunday was the day I could feel how powerful the coming summer would be. On such a sunny and hot day, we went to Everland, one of the largest theme parks or amusement parks in this country. Quite crowded and we had to be in line at least 10 or 15 minutes to take attractions. Kids are so young, and the attractions we could take were limited but luckily less-crowded. We spent most of time at the Aesop's Village, where kids liked very much and consited of Aesop's Fables like the Fox and the Crane Restaurant, the Hare and the Tortoise Mini-Rollercoaster, the Lion and the Mouse Resque(Popping Ships), and so on.


(Aesop's Fables Area, Everland. I took this picture from the top of the Ferris Wheel. The next one is the map for the area.)

As for my litle girl, she had been to this kind of parks before several times but for the first time, looked enjoy ridings. Fabulous, but we all were exausted after wandering more than 4 hours. It would be better to go to the water park near.

(The last job of the day: Bubble bath)

PS1. My mom and nephew joined in. But we were very surprised when mom had lost her balance and tumbled over with my daughter by accident on the clear and flat pavement before taking on my car at home. She got only some bruise on her knee. At the park, I felt she's got old, became an old women to be cared of.

PS2. Whenever I go to Everland, I'm impressed at their insights and foresights. Yongin City-now it is almost within the Seoul metropolitan area- had not been a closed spot from Seoul when it opened 30 years ago.

PS3. One of reasons to go there was a promotion by credit card companies- 50% discount for daily-pass tickets and gifts. After I got a tiger doll and a tiger pencil case, I recognized I had conformed myself to their marketing plays... the bitters...

A lot of Thanks in May

In May, everything changes to green. Fresh green leaves all around. The green bush with colourful wild flowers on the street. Enclosed with this full green world, people seem to get warmer and more generous in May.

(A lovely trail from home to Ansan peak, 10 mins away from home)

May 5th is the Children's day. Every child is regarded as a king at home at least in the day. A special event ? Sure, if not, they would have complained they could not enjoy the Children's day without an exciting event till the next year. Gifts? Absolutely, it's a nice chance to get what they really want to have in a year. The nuclear family system makes everyday a children's day, I mean childrens are the center of the families these days(in most case, not in all families), but on the day, we need to care kids more.

My wife and I prepared some books for the elder son, and a riding toy for the little daughter. My son wished Thomas Train set at first, but it seemed obvious that he would play with it in less than a month, so we tried to persuade him not to want it at all. As a result, Bob the Builder story books, Magic School Bus books and Toad Parr's picture books were the present and luckly he liked them very much. For my daughter is too young to understand what a gift or present is , so nothing we prepared, but my wife gave her a little riding toy days later. I believe, however, it might not be important what the presents were. I didn't remember at all what I had on every Children's day when I was a child. A memory of a pleasure would be fine and enough.

May 8th is the Parents' day. The case is the opposite. All the parents are regarded as the most honorable existences in the world and all offsprings pay attention to them with gratitute for their parents' impayable efforts.(in normal case, but not exactly in all/most families in this abrupt world..) An Event? Usually visiting and calling. A gift ? A carnation bouquet is a must.

(Four Paper Canations my son made for his grand-parents and parents)

We visited my parents the day before and had dinner with them without a gift, and they might have been disappointed anyway. My wife and I called to my wife's parents. Just a call. In fact, we had discussed about the gifts for parents, but not concluded unfortunately. Really sorry about that. In that we couldn't prepare some gifts in time as well as in that we couln't make them happy for just a day in a year. Thinking about parents, is always depressed me: I'm not a good son, and not a good son-in-law. The worse is I'm not trying to be a good..

May 15th is the Teacher's day. One more thanks in May. Events? Yes. Students are preparing a surpring party at their class. Graduates are preparng or being invited to the home-coming day party. Gifts? Usually Carnation bouquets, but not serious presents.

In this year, most schools were temporarily closing to avoid the gifts(for being free from bribes by the government guideline). Thus, my kids didn't go to kindergarten due to the funny and ridiculous guideline. As for me, I should have joined in the home-coming party, but missed due to the backache.

To thank or to appreciate is one of the most wonderful things the human beings are able to do anyway...

Refreshment

Perhapse I must have been fully exhausted with daily chores these days. Bad conditions and the back pain in the last week were evidences. So I made my mind to take a rest at home whole the weekend, instead of showing up in parties-actually two quite important.

Hot baths, the low-frequency vibrator(massager), and short walks were quite helpful. An hour walking in this early morning was also a good refreshment for my mind and body. How nice the fresh air and the cool breeze in May !

But still not fully recovered yet, and felt even hangover in the morning.
A hangover, not by alcohol, but by milk! I drunk two cups of milk at night, and two more cups of milk in the morning before it went spoiled.

How stupid I am !

(I took those pictures after sunset on Sunday while my son playing with sand at the play yard at town)

Back Pain

Quite serious and painful. I went to the hospital two times in this week.

Holidays being continued in the last week, I've skipped the regular exercise. So, I don't think it came from any hurts by over-training.

Where did it come from then ?

Some stress from work. Obviously tensions.
I'd not slept well and been tired for a couple of days. Not enough rests.
Bad postures from working on the chair all day long. Possibly my balance can be collapsed.

I'm not sure why but hope getting well soon. I'm going to go hot bath anyway ...

(pic. Ansan at the backyard)

Busy holidays

I'm used to dreaming a holiday in a nice beach with the hot sun, funny books, and sweet drinks or in some exotic scenery with unfamiliar cultures. In the Wikipedia, people are talking about holidays like :

The word holiday has related but different meanings in English-speaking countries. Based on the words holy and day, holidays oiginally represented special religious days. The workd has evolved in general usage to mean any specail day. In most of the English-speaking world, a holiday is also a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation.

I agree the real holiday means to be away from the usual dailiy life and works. At least , a holiday should be for a fun. But in reality, it's quite different. Doing some chores at home or playing with kids, which should have been a part of the usual daily life, is often a holiday mission. It's hard and sad, but it doesn't mean I complain, because I know I must be missing these days in the not-so-far future.

Anyway in the last weekend, my wife and I were very busy because of the Children's day, the Buddiest holiday, and the coming Parent's day. The followings are what we did in this May holidays.

My son was kindly invited to Children's opera at Seongnam in the Friday afternoon, and so we visited to Bundang and stayed at my sister's home while the kid went to Art Center with his cousin and uncle. In the evening of the day, we took a walk in the Bundang Central Park with her family. No pictures for the Seongnam Art Center and the Bundang Central Park unfortunately, but I felt living near the big park was very nice even if there was no beautiful park views at home.


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Returning to home, we dropped in the Jogyesa Temple, the main temple of the Jogye Order, Insadong, Seoul. It was not planned but we celebrated Buddha's birthday, watching the beautiful lotus lanterns covering the night sky full.

My son joined in the baby Buddha washing rite for a moment.

( Lotus Lanterns at the

Jogeysa Temple)

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In the next day, we visited to my parent and spent a half day wth them. They really love the kids.

The kids enjoyed the visit with eating, playing, and painting with their grandparent and cousin.

So the visit was nice even though we couldn't prepare the Parent's day gifts, which we couldn't decide yet.

Frankly speaking, I spent more than two hours for washing and waxing my car, which had been so dirty and soiled by Yellow sand and rains for a month.

( It's Spring there and the clean windows after car washing)


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In the last day, yesterday, my wife and son went to children's musical. The musicians of Bremen at Chongdong theatre, in downtown of Seoul. He was so much excited to the show and looked very pleased. It must be easy to understand and funny.

(Oneof the show posters.)

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In the meanwhile, I was wandering round the chongdong street with the toddler, my cute daughter, where I had a lot of memories for my young days. Thereafter, we all went to Seoul Museum of Art, SEMA. In the past, the building had been used for Supreme Court but rigth now, a small but nice art musium through remodeling.

There's no new exhibitions, and the hall 1,2 and 3 were closed for the next show, but we enjoyed the late Paik N.J's video work and Cheon Kyung Ja collection.

(The SEMA Building and the view from its cafeteria on the 3rd floor.)

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Buying Jinseng-Chicken soup for dinner was the last job in the long holidays.

P.S. Editing is too hard and uploading pictures are too difficult and slow here. It tooks a lot for this posting. I'm hesitating for not-uploading pictures anymore..

IBR Memoirs

Last Saturday afternoon, I was listening Bruckner’s Symphony No.7 loudly in the maximum volume while driving to Suwon, the city of Fortress, south of Seoul. It was the old famous performance by Celibidache and Munchenphil, which I had liked so much once and picked up by chance from the CD shelf in the morning. Full of scales and power! The bright noon sunlight and the strong but chilly wind from open windows with this gloomy music made me a little bit down in minutes though this composure could not be proper one for an exciting wedding ceremony.

H, the bridegroom of the ceremony, was a quite closed ex-colleague in IBR, the Internet datacenter company, for which I’d worked for almost three years: from its near beginning to its very closing. Young ambitious guys had founded the company to build a high-performance mission-critical datacenter, that was quite a new concept at that time and responses from the initial market was not so bad. But the game was not easier than expected and failed to keep its business any more. It was in 2002 and IBR had stopped its three-year operation. The business was failed in a word.

The fact the business was failed was tedious in that I failed to meet my personal goals and in that fellows joined in the company had to have confusions in their life including me. But there were lessons, too, as in all the-so-called failures. Experiences on people, businesses, relationships and money flows were tremendous and became the not-vanished virtual assets which would be kept hopefully through the whole life. Those experiences gave me a view and basis for judgements, and helped to increase the intuition, the perceptions and the most importantly patience. A three-year investment in one's own golden age and these valuable virtues! Not a bad deal.

Some guys I met in the ceremony had their own successful business in the similar field or in a totally new field. Engineering guys were stilling working in the engineering field. I was sad, however, when I was told few had troubles and difficulties in their new business unfortunately. I believe time would solve the matters and they’ll be better in the near future.

The bridegroom H, the best guy of the day, looked so happy and cool and his wife was beautiful. I wish him congratulations and a happy-long-life. (But I'm not sure he has a plan for his new-house warm-up party :P )

Bruckner with the strong sunlight and the cold wind was still melancholic on my way back.

Fully delighted

Stone gave a wonderful house warm-up party today. Three families were invited and enjoyed great delicacies and his lovely new house. Thanks to stone and his wife.

I haven't enjoyed a party like this for a long time: all kinds of delicious plates. The simple and convenient life style makes people lessen efforts and offer simply a fair dinner at a nice restaurant in the case.

I couldn't stop to have those food and drinks for more than four hours anyway. Delighted chats with congenial guys was another pleasure tonight. of course, tough my wife complained about too much talks (without a care about my little girl).

My son took pictures of wall prints, which he liked very much in stone's new house, being badgering for a new wallpaper for his room.