Hi-Tech!?
Korea (and Koreans) do some things right, but there are other things that are done that don't make sense. For example, I just finished watching the televised launch of the country's first rocket into space . So far, it appears to be successful. Goheung, the launch site, is not all that far from Yeosu, and I was told that you'd actually be able to see the lift-off from some vantage points close to Yeosu. Koreans will be justifiably proud of the launch if it proves successful, and Korean TV stations will be showing the event over and over and over and over for the next several years, or at least until they launch the next one. (They do this with the few sporting events that they've had some success at, such as the Olympics, Soccer World Cup, World Baseball Classic and others.)
Now, on the flip side of this hi-tech coin is another event which is happening tomorrow in the dorm rooms. The students don't start moving in again for the new semester until this coming weekend, so the place is basically empty except for us few English teachers. Therefore, the powers-that-be in the university maintenance department decided tomorrow would be a good time to do some fumigating of the apartments. The email I received from my boss said that they would be coming around between 2 and 4 p.m. to spray against - - - get this - - - the Swine Flu Virus. Sorry, guys, that's just plain ignorant, as far as I know. There's no defense against any flu virus that involves spraying. If that were the case, entire cities would have been fumigated by now, right? I imagine that they're really spraying for mosquitoes.
Anyway, we've been told to cover all our dishes or put them away and to stay out of the room. I asked about our bedding and clothes. We're supposed to put all our clothes in the closet and cover our beds. Hmmmm, cover them with what? Like, I'm supposed to dig up some tarp all of a sudden? Sheesh. I'll put all the bedding in the closet also, but what about the mattress? Guess I'll just have to take my chances. Gotta put my onions, potatoes and whatnot into the fridge, maybe store the toaster and coffee maker somewhere safe, put my laptop computer in it's carry bag, etc. I'll try to get some photos of this weirdness.
Speaking of photos, I haven't posted any lately, but below are a few for your perusal. We had a going-away dinner for one of the teachers whose contract finished recently and who decided to return to his homeland, Canada. We went to the Moriri steakhouse in Yeosu to chow down. Now, Yeosu steakhouses aren't all that bad, but they're nothing like Montana eateries like Guy's Lolo Creek Steakhouse in Lolo, just outside of Missoula, or the great Shamrock Bar and Cafe in Wibaux (HUGE, juicy steak, baked potato with butter and sour cream and buttered corn on the cob, with an unbelievable amount of true, down home, Montana cowboy ambiance).
The first photo shows, from left to right, Mr. Seo (pronounced somewhere between "saw" and "suh"), the computer wizard at the Language Center, Jay, one of the office staff, and Raymond, our departing teacher.
Raymond's Dinner Party
Here, Raymond is digging into a plate of bbq ribs. Raymond's a great guy and we all wish him the best of luck in Canada, where he intends to continue teaching.
Raymond and Ribs
This is what I ate. I'm not a fan of Korean steaks--I much prefer Montana Brand Steaks!--so I had a sampler platter that included a couple of deep-fried prawns, which are resting atop a fish cutlet that you can't see, a bbq beef-and-veggie kebab, and, buried under the green veggies and gravy, some kind of flattened beef, like pounded round steak or something. I didn't eat too much of the beef, but everything else was quite tasty.
Sampler Platter
Enjoy.
Yanks now lead by 7 1/2 games over you know who. More later. 
P.S. I just heard on CNN News that the South Korean satellite has reached a "less than perfect" orbit. No word on whether that means success or failure. Stay tuned.
randersn on 08.25.09 @ 07:05 PM Yeosu [link]
Saturday, July 25th
Nostradamus
Loyal Reader OGM left a comment a few posts ago asking what my forecast might be for the rest of the baseball season in the American League East. Well, as I see it, it's going to be a 3-way dogfight (minus Michael Vick) between New York, Boston and Tampa. The AL Wild Card spot will definitely go to the team finishing 2nd behind the Yanks.
Actually, I have some big worries about the New York Nine. They've been playing exceptional ball since A-Rod returned from hip surgery, going something like 44 or 45 wins against only 22 losses, the best record in baseball, by far, in that time span. However, down the line, like in September, during the heat of the pennant chase, problems loom with the starting pitching.
For one, it looks like Chien-ming Wang's season might be over. Second, despite his stellar pitching of late, Joba Chamberlain's starts might be curtailed because of a possible leash put on the amount of innings the team wants him to pitch, thus limiting his playing time. Next, Andy Pettitte's durability, at age 37, is questionable. Finally, A.J. Burnett has a history of injury problems. Overall, the starting pitching seems to be in doubt. That really worries me as the season winds its way thru the dog days of summer. (The glass is half empty.)
On a brighter note, the bullpen has been spectacular, led by the super-human presence of Mariano Rivera and augmented by great performances by the likes of Phil Hughes, Phil Coke, Alfredo Aceves, et. al. (The glass is half full.)
Hopefully, all will be ok. I think in the long run, if the pitching holds up, this very well could be one of the great Yankee teams, harking back to the glorious champions of the late 90s and satisfying all of their fans worldwide by returning to and winning the '09 World Series. The chemistry is there and the late inning heroics are a thing of joy. The one dark cloud is the starting pitching . . . and, oh yeah, one other thing . . . they're only 0-8 against the Red Sox this season. That either means they're due or the Sox have their number. (Half full or half empty?) Whaddya think, OGM? More later.
randersn on 07.25.09 @ 08:36 PM Yeosu [link]
). 
I watched a couple of newer horror movies--one was 
I asked for more hours, and, thus, more pay, and I got 'em. I teach Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8-10 a.m., 11-2 on M, W, and F, and 6-8 every evening. Add to that the time that I need for lesson preparation and what not and it works out to about 40-45 hours per week. In addition, 3 Korean teachers, 2 other foreign teachers and I have been collaborating on a new textbook that will be used in the second half of the semester in a special English-for-Tourism class; thankfully, that effort has been completed. Hopefully, I'll have some more time to go out and take some photos, now that we're approaching autumn, arguably the prettiest season in Korea. Stay tuned for some, I hope, nice photos on the blog. More later.
