Ugh....aarrgggh
Yeah its that time of year again....usually I would get a really bad sore throat...now...
Body aches, chills, fever, intestinal cramping. Yuck. I was out all day yesterday. Only after yogita came back with meds from the doctor could I get back on my feet.
So we will have the next 4 days off...boy..we need it. Also we will get another 4 day break later this month...need that one too.
Ugh...feeling hungry which is a good sign...means I am back on my feet. I will another dose of the meds that the doctor gave me.
In Korea prescription meds are not giving in the brown bottles like in the states. They are placed in plastic bags (1 bag=1dose). So if you get 6 little bags (loosely connected to each other). That means you have 3 days of medication.
Oh well..my last class was held early..so um...thats cool...i will leave after dinner today.
take care all..
Please take care during this holiday! This is one of the most dangerous times of the year....in Korea...i am sure there will be many check points tonight.
tata
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
.....$36 a barrel of oil!!!
I am so..shocked. We could be seeing USA like prices here...the lowest price in town now is 1259 per liter. This massive drop means that we will be in 1190 territory very soon. Even with OPEC cutting oil output. It is very interesting..even with prices this low...people here are not very excited about hitting the road. The reason? They are worried about the future. Demand will keep falling here. Here a friend of ours is moving into one of the new upscale apartments in Gunsan. I personally think that at this time...it is very dangerous to do so. His job is in a very vunverable sector. If the US military decides to reduce American forces here more...there will be even more job losses here in Gunsan, other cities, like Daecheon, Seoul, Osan, and several others.
Wow...I think we will take a long drive if there is a massive drop in gasoline prices by this time next week.
tata!
Wow...I think we will take a long drive if there is a massive drop in gasoline prices by this time next week.
tata!
Crazy Week !!!!!!
This week was crazy.....its was confusing...frustrating...and loads of fun....
Yesterday we were shopping ...we had burgers and were chatting with our friend......Lol...it was quite funny...we were talking about family and how you always have those people in family that you basically put up with because of the simple fact that they are family but you wouldn't even want to get to know them to them if they were not family.
There's an old proverb that says you can't choose your family. You take what the fates hand you. And like them or not, love them or not, understand them or not, you cope.
LOL.....true and not so true in some cases..... we make the best of what we have...for this upcoming year i am going to try to live by that philosophy!!!!!
well, its just some thing i was thinking about
we are preparing for our institute's christmas party these days...i like it....kids can be hilarious!!!!
I was having my kindergartners write their letters to santa yesterday and the kids were worried if santa would get their letters in time and one little girl who was asking santa for new clothes for christmas was not so sure if santa will pick the right color for her....LOL
I was dying laughing yesterday...time to go now...have a good Friday!!!!!
Yesterday we were shopping ...we had burgers and were chatting with our friend......Lol...it was quite funny...we were talking about family and how you always have those people in family that you basically put up with because of the simple fact that they are family but you wouldn't even want to get to know them to them if they were not family.
There's an old proverb that says you can't choose your family. You take what the fates hand you. And like them or not, love them or not, understand them or not, you cope.
LOL.....true and not so true in some cases..... we make the best of what we have...for this upcoming year i am going to try to live by that philosophy!!!!!
well, its just some thing i was thinking about
we are preparing for our institute's christmas party these days...i like it....kids can be hilarious!!!!
I was having my kindergartners write their letters to santa yesterday and the kids were worried if santa would get their letters in time and one little girl who was asking santa for new clothes for christmas was not so sure if santa will pick the right color for her....LOL
I was dying laughing yesterday...time to go now...have a good Friday!!!!!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Ahh I can smell friday!!!
It is a nice day today...very sunny, clear skies..cold but not too cold.
Yogita's cough is getting better. George did well in his studies...way to go George!!! I will put a picture up...perhaps I will embed a cute cartoon...I know he likes tom and jerry.
Abu I will resend the videos...but only 1 at a time...that should work.
The next 2 weeks will be nice...4 and 3 day weeks respectively.
You know these days people are spending less and less on outdoor recreational activities. People are driving less, cutting back at malls. However, I have found out where they are all going. They are going online. There are a slew of new MMO's that adults...yes even adults are getting into. They range from bright colorfuland very cute, to dark and dangerous. Here is the real kicker...many are play for free!
Now Yogita and I have beta tested many of these games. We have found that they are indeed free to play. Now the game company makes money when people buy in game special items. So for lets say 4 dollars a month you can greatly improve your online character. That is a lot less than the 15 bucks we pay for lineage. But think about it: Thats 4-10 dollars (if you want to have an extra edge), nothing at all, or 15 dollars (lineage, lineage2, WoW and many others...even starwars, and lord of the ring!) FOR A MONTH OF ACCESS. That means instead of going to the movies and driving there...paying for food, and then more for say arcades or something else. People have turned to thier pc's. Many married couples with kids play lineage 1, and 2. WoW is also very popular among adults. We are making up (and when I say we I mean adults) a larger and larger market share when it comes to the MMO market.
Look at EVEonline...do a search on it. You will find that this game can be played in a very casual way. As adults we have jobs, kids, houses and cars to maintain, not to meantion duties as a christian. So when it comes to entertainment..there just might be so much time. However, I think this is a cheap way for couples (not for kiddies in my opinion), to spend alot of time together. I mean...that free time we may find ourselves with. For Yogita and I it is only about...1-1.5hrs a day. Sometimes even less. We are more and more busy, and with me in another city...there goes about 1hr of driving a day! Actually it goes up to 2 if you factor in driving the other teachers. WOW. So it is so much more comfortable to curl up and watch a movie (cable), or log in to lineage..together..playing MMO's alone makes me feel...lonely.
However, with Yogita...it becomes a fun filled adventure.
MMO's can be dangerous. Lets face it...it can get addicting. In Korea a couple (married) left their baby to die...why? They were addicted to playing WoW. In another incident a young man (in Korea) simply slumped over the keyboard, in a pc room. He had played for days straight....his heart..just stopped! It is terrible, and is an eye opener. Just because something seems fun does not mean it is not dangerous.
So I say...why not reconnect with your spouse...carefully select a MMO that you both like...and..play!
tata!
Yogita's cough is getting better. George did well in his studies...way to go George!!! I will put a picture up...perhaps I will embed a cute cartoon...I know he likes tom and jerry.
Abu I will resend the videos...but only 1 at a time...that should work.
The next 2 weeks will be nice...4 and 3 day weeks respectively.
You know these days people are spending less and less on outdoor recreational activities. People are driving less, cutting back at malls. However, I have found out where they are all going. They are going online. There are a slew of new MMO's that adults...yes even adults are getting into. They range from bright colorfuland very cute, to dark and dangerous. Here is the real kicker...many are play for free!
Now Yogita and I have beta tested many of these games. We have found that they are indeed free to play. Now the game company makes money when people buy in game special items. So for lets say 4 dollars a month you can greatly improve your online character. That is a lot less than the 15 bucks we pay for lineage. But think about it: Thats 4-10 dollars (if you want to have an extra edge), nothing at all, or 15 dollars (lineage, lineage2, WoW and many others...even starwars, and lord of the ring!) FOR A MONTH OF ACCESS. That means instead of going to the movies and driving there...paying for food, and then more for say arcades or something else. People have turned to thier pc's. Many married couples with kids play lineage 1, and 2. WoW is also very popular among adults. We are making up (and when I say we I mean adults) a larger and larger market share when it comes to the MMO market.
Look at EVEonline...do a search on it. You will find that this game can be played in a very casual way. As adults we have jobs, kids, houses and cars to maintain, not to meantion duties as a christian. So when it comes to entertainment..there just might be so much time. However, I think this is a cheap way for couples (not for kiddies in my opinion), to spend alot of time together. I mean...that free time we may find ourselves with. For Yogita and I it is only about...1-1.5hrs a day. Sometimes even less. We are more and more busy, and with me in another city...there goes about 1hr of driving a day! Actually it goes up to 2 if you factor in driving the other teachers. WOW. So it is so much more comfortable to curl up and watch a movie (cable), or log in to lineage..together..playing MMO's alone makes me feel...lonely.
However, with Yogita...it becomes a fun filled adventure.
MMO's can be dangerous. Lets face it...it can get addicting. In Korea a couple (married) left their baby to die...why? They were addicted to playing WoW. In another incident a young man (in Korea) simply slumped over the keyboard, in a pc room. He had played for days straight....his heart..just stopped! It is terrible, and is an eye opener. Just because something seems fun does not mean it is not dangerous.
So I say...why not reconnect with your spouse...carefully select a MMO that you both like...and..play!
tata!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Hump Day!
This is really going to become a 5 post week. It is a bit warm today, Yogita was feeling a bit low...(cold). I am happy that it is the middle of the week...next week will be a 3 or 4 day week for me, while for Yogita a 3 day week. The following week will be a 3 day week as well. So that is very cool. Also the third week of jan. will be a very short week. So that is nice too! I am not sure what we will do for that time.
There are many possiblilies. Students are completing their exams now. So that means I might be heading home very early today. I feel sorry for many of students.
For those who do not do well (high schoolers in their 3rd year). It can have the potential to ruin their lives. It means that they would have access to only lower level jobs, with little to know upwards mobility. That is if they can not get into a good school.
It is so stressful for them, usually around this time of year you get an increase in teen suicides.
On a lighter note I think that we will go and see a movie at the Movie theater in Gunsan. It has been a long time since we saw a movie in a theater...a loong time!
Ok I have to get ready for class...signing out...bored in seo-chon...
tata
There are many possiblilies. Students are completing their exams now. So that means I might be heading home very early today. I feel sorry for many of students.
For those who do not do well (high schoolers in their 3rd year). It can have the potential to ruin their lives. It means that they would have access to only lower level jobs, with little to know upwards mobility. That is if they can not get into a good school.
It is so stressful for them, usually around this time of year you get an increase in teen suicides.
On a lighter note I think that we will go and see a movie at the Movie theater in Gunsan. It has been a long time since we saw a movie in a theater...a loong time!
Ok I have to get ready for class...signing out...bored in seo-chon...
tata
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Might be a 5 post week!
It is kind of slow here...middle school test are going on at the other middle school in Seochon. So this means there is a high likely hood of me not having my last class.
Seo-chon is very different than Gunsan. Here...it is the countryside. There are no movie theaters, shopping malls, nor are there any crowded districts. Actually it can get very crowded on the weekends...but that is because the center of town doesn't have a good parking system. So loads of cars slowly move through the streets. Seo-chon is the life line to outlying counties in this area. So those people living out there make trips into town during the weekend. Gunsan has that and more. In the city itself you have an industrial district, and new major shopping areas. There is a large movie theater. There used to be 2 movie theaters...but one folded. (the theaters were right next to each other!!)
There is major development that is almost complete, with many new high rise apartments coming in. To the people moving into those over priced apartments....tisk tisk you have been warned. Korea's housing market could nose dive at any time. One student (adult) told me that prices have just recently started to slide. Yet here in Gunsan people are moving in. Here in Seo-chon one of my students families are moving into that area. She was so proud telling me about her new apartment. Her father teaches at a school in Gunsan. So it makes sense to move to Gunsan, but to raid your nest egg for that kind of move makes little sense to me. If I were he I would move into Na-un-dong (the current "hotspot" to live in")
Next year in march people are very worried about the employment situation of many companies. Even now many large companies are cutting back work hours, and shutting down production lines. Americans are buying less of their cars. This means that the subsidiary companies are also cutting back in line with the Big 5 here in Korea (hyundai, Kia, GMDaewoo, Samsung, and Sanyoung). These companies CANNOT be supported by the domestic market...it is just too small. Instead they must rely on larger markets...America being the largest.
All in all the picture looks bleak. However, I think that all this boils down to trust. Or rather the lack of it. People no longer trust the financial institutions. Banks are so trusting either. They are leaning on the "mountains" as described in the book of Revelation. We know "mountains" in this since relates to the governments. Governments worldwide are trying to push the public to trust in financial institutions. The key word on how they are doing this is.."bail out". Prior to the last few months, the words bail out drew images of people going to jail, and trying to "post bail", after finally getting "bailed out by someone.
Now the words bail out make me think of these HUGE banks running to the government for help, and wall street needing the government to buy poorly performing stocks.
We are all in for something that will bring about change. Something that will herald in a new era. There is hope just on the horizon...maybe much closer than that!
tata!
Seo-chon is very different than Gunsan. Here...it is the countryside. There are no movie theaters, shopping malls, nor are there any crowded districts. Actually it can get very crowded on the weekends...but that is because the center of town doesn't have a good parking system. So loads of cars slowly move through the streets. Seo-chon is the life line to outlying counties in this area. So those people living out there make trips into town during the weekend. Gunsan has that and more. In the city itself you have an industrial district, and new major shopping areas. There is a large movie theater. There used to be 2 movie theaters...but one folded. (the theaters were right next to each other!!)
There is major development that is almost complete, with many new high rise apartments coming in. To the people moving into those over priced apartments....tisk tisk you have been warned. Korea's housing market could nose dive at any time. One student (adult) told me that prices have just recently started to slide. Yet here in Gunsan people are moving in. Here in Seo-chon one of my students families are moving into that area. She was so proud telling me about her new apartment. Her father teaches at a school in Gunsan. So it makes sense to move to Gunsan, but to raid your nest egg for that kind of move makes little sense to me. If I were he I would move into Na-un-dong (the current "hotspot" to live in")
Next year in march people are very worried about the employment situation of many companies. Even now many large companies are cutting back work hours, and shutting down production lines. Americans are buying less of their cars. This means that the subsidiary companies are also cutting back in line with the Big 5 here in Korea (hyundai, Kia, GMDaewoo, Samsung, and Sanyoung). These companies CANNOT be supported by the domestic market...it is just too small. Instead they must rely on larger markets...America being the largest.
All in all the picture looks bleak. However, I think that all this boils down to trust. Or rather the lack of it. People no longer trust the financial institutions. Banks are so trusting either. They are leaning on the "mountains" as described in the book of Revelation. We know "mountains" in this since relates to the governments. Governments worldwide are trying to push the public to trust in financial institutions. The key word on how they are doing this is.."bail out". Prior to the last few months, the words bail out drew images of people going to jail, and trying to "post bail", after finally getting "bailed out by someone.
Now the words bail out make me think of these HUGE banks running to the government for help, and wall street needing the government to buy poorly performing stocks.
We are all in for something that will bring about change. Something that will herald in a new era. There is hope just on the horizon...maybe much closer than that!
tata!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Monday madness!
Well this day started out...waaaaay too long. There were some miscommunication and I had to arrive late for my class here. Ugh, but all is well, everyone here understood the problem.
Still it started off very long indeed. Yogita is getting better, and we decided to take a drive. We talked about all kinds of things. We went to Songtan and bought some items at the dollar store...well it also said Chon-won (1000 won) store in Korean. However, once inside ...it was very far from being a 1000 won store...guess the prices were pegged to the dollar. Still we found some useful items.
A friend here (new teacher) asked me if there was anything I might need from the States. Well, I got to thinking...what would I need? I love raisin bran but a nice trip to dae-chon will see us well stocked for about 2-3 months. Deodorant can also be gotten here. American...what things American would I need... Then it hit me! (insert light bulb here abu!)
Caffeine pills. Now these things are not for the faint of heart. However, imagine that you have a work day that regularly exceeds 10hrs. Sometimes 11, then you can see the need for a quick boost of caffeine power minus all the digesting you need to do with say green tea, or worse acid inducing coffee. So we both need that quick boost at least once in the day (last for about 4-5hrs). I bought like 2 bottles from Fred Meyers. Omorro warned me telling me that they left him feeling anxious, and on edge. But for me...they are great. Now I am not saying that I am on them 24/7 but a quick pick me up every now and then is very helpful.
That being said...I am going to take one now...loong day...bad thing for a Monday.
Oh and I and Yogita recently went shopping, and got some clothes for her. I will post some pics of her here..maybe later, or tomorrow.
We need more pictures here to be posted...so I will make sure on our next outing to bring our digital camera...OOPS! DSLR Camera...(that was for you Abu!!!)
Ok Omorro I know you must have been back or are getting back to Alaska now..I hope you had a great time!
tata
Still it started off very long indeed. Yogita is getting better, and we decided to take a drive. We talked about all kinds of things. We went to Songtan and bought some items at the dollar store...well it also said Chon-won (1000 won) store in Korean. However, once inside ...it was very far from being a 1000 won store...guess the prices were pegged to the dollar. Still we found some useful items.
A friend here (new teacher) asked me if there was anything I might need from the States. Well, I got to thinking...what would I need? I love raisin bran but a nice trip to dae-chon will see us well stocked for about 2-3 months. Deodorant can also be gotten here. American...what things American would I need... Then it hit me! (insert light bulb here abu!)
Caffeine pills. Now these things are not for the faint of heart. However, imagine that you have a work day that regularly exceeds 10hrs. Sometimes 11, then you can see the need for a quick boost of caffeine power minus all the digesting you need to do with say green tea, or worse acid inducing coffee. So we both need that quick boost at least once in the day (last for about 4-5hrs). I bought like 2 bottles from Fred Meyers. Omorro warned me telling me that they left him feeling anxious, and on edge. But for me...they are great. Now I am not saying that I am on them 24/7 but a quick pick me up every now and then is very helpful.
That being said...I am going to take one now...loong day...bad thing for a Monday.
Oh and I and Yogita recently went shopping, and got some clothes for her. I will post some pics of her here..maybe later, or tomorrow.
We need more pictures here to be posted...so I will make sure on our next outing to bring our digital camera...OOPS! DSLR Camera...(that was for you Abu!!!)
Ok Omorro I know you must have been back or are getting back to Alaska now..I hope you had a great time!
tata
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Monday, December 08, 2008
Tech upgrades!!!
Yeah..it is time for upgrades...something that I have been thinking about for a long time. I basically want to put together a system with dual monitors...strong enough to handle all of today's games..and a few of tomorrows...uh..wait.. (*Jemal ponders that last statement..takes a sip of green tea....)
Uh...no it should be upgradeable...so then IF I want to try some of tomorrows games.
More importantly I want to be able to truly multitask, and be able to run ALOT of web cams. So I would be able to run 2 web cams from 1 PC. This would be chatting would...truly awesome. Web cams are so cheap these days...17inch LCD's are dirt cheap, ram and HDD are cheap. So waiting is really helping...because multi core cpus are what we need...no more 3.2ghz single cores....yuck! I want dual cores, or Quad core systems. There should be no lag, or sluggishness when switching between screens, or if I am working on screen I can run a program on the other...seamlessly.
I know it can be done...this computer...which is no wonder machine has a humble 1.66ghz turion x2 (AMD's dual core) Its cache is only 512k, with 2gigs of ddr2 ram. This system can handle web chatting (with video of course), and 2 games running at the same time (Eve, and lineage). I did this several times for testing pourposes...basically...it worked....smoothly. Well not 100%, there was some slight lag, and with out a second monitor....well...I was stuck alt/tabbing my way around...not fun.
ok it is a monday here...but we might get a long vacation during christmas, and new years...so..I am happy about that..no monday sickness for me!!
Tata!
Uh...no it should be upgradeable...so then IF I want to try some of tomorrows games.
More importantly I want to be able to truly multitask, and be able to run ALOT of web cams. So I would be able to run 2 web cams from 1 PC. This would be chatting would...truly awesome. Web cams are so cheap these days...17inch LCD's are dirt cheap, ram and HDD are cheap. So waiting is really helping...because multi core cpus are what we need...no more 3.2ghz single cores....yuck! I want dual cores, or Quad core systems. There should be no lag, or sluggishness when switching between screens, or if I am working on screen I can run a program on the other...seamlessly.
I know it can be done...this computer...which is no wonder machine has a humble 1.66ghz turion x2 (AMD's dual core) Its cache is only 512k, with 2gigs of ddr2 ram. This system can handle web chatting (with video of course), and 2 games running at the same time (Eve, and lineage). I did this several times for testing pourposes...basically...it worked....smoothly. Well not 100%, there was some slight lag, and with out a second monitor....well...I was stuck alt/tabbing my way around...not fun.
ok it is a monday here...but we might get a long vacation during christmas, and new years...so..I am happy about that..no monday sickness for me!!
Tata!
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Oils slides again!
Yeah this is awesome...I cant wait till it gets back to 7.6+ liters per 10,000 won.
Now with gasoline at 1329...i would get a wopping 7.5 liters...when and if it drops into the 1200 won range....long road trips are coming back! Now it is just too expensive, right now prices are more reasonable. However, it would suck if prices nose dived even further....after pouring 100,000 won into fuel. So i am waiting...actually we should wait anyway. I have to rotate the tires, and change the oil. I will have the brakes looked at too. So...rushing to go on road trip with out doing those things...could be dangerous, or make a problem that I do not know about even worse.
The funny thing is LPG fuel is not dropping at all. It has stayed around the same since the huge increase in automotive fuels in May-june. Actually it has only fallen about 30 won on average. It is at 1060 per liter. It seems cheap but with the poor fuel economy it gives....
ok just wanted to say that.....WOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200.....yeah it is on my mind!
tata
Now with gasoline at 1329...i would get a wopping 7.5 liters...when and if it drops into the 1200 won range....long road trips are coming back! Now it is just too expensive, right now prices are more reasonable. However, it would suck if prices nose dived even further....after pouring 100,000 won into fuel. So i am waiting...actually we should wait anyway. I have to rotate the tires, and change the oil. I will have the brakes looked at too. So...rushing to go on road trip with out doing those things...could be dangerous, or make a problem that I do not know about even worse.
The funny thing is LPG fuel is not dropping at all. It has stayed around the same since the huge increase in automotive fuels in May-june. Actually it has only fallen about 30 won on average. It is at 1060 per liter. It seems cheap but with the poor fuel economy it gives....
ok just wanted to say that.....WOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200.....yeah it is on my mind!
tata
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Mumbai Madness!!! (do not look at this if kids are around!!!!!!!!)
I know all of you stateside are aware of what is going on in Mumbai. I think it should be noted that had Yogita and I stayed there....we could have been targets! It is so erie to see places where we were with bodies everywhere! Even at this moment there is still fighting going on. I feel that we are very fortunate that we did not stay there. It is one thing to say we have issues. Everyone has problems. It puts things into perspective....those people were innocent. Having a coffee, ....and then...being gunned down in an instant. We were in those areas passing through. Soo scary.
Ok just something I was thinking about. I mean...just take a look at these pictures they are typical busy train stations in Mumbai.
I have just learned that the number has gone up from 125 to 160.....this is terrible.
Ok just something I was thinking about. I mean...just take a look at these pictures they are typical busy train stations in Mumbai.
I have just learned that the number has gone up from 125 to 160.....this is terrible.
Friday, November 28, 2008
The randomness that is Korea
Wow...this day has been going pretty well so far. I just got back from helping an elderly woman pull her cart up a hill. It was nothing for me, but she thanked me so warmly. I mean...she looked at me...a foreigner, and with out hesitation asked for my help. When I arrived here earlier, I was stopped by a man. He told me I love USA, Canada, India, and named a few other random countries, ending with person. Smiled shook my hand then walked away. This is why I love smaller towns. People are more simple, I am not saying it is all a bag of roses. To think that would be naive. However, as it has been with all of our experiences here...the good FAR out weigh the bad. If I have 1 negative experience...I can count dozens of good experiences to it.
Well...it is Friday which means dinner is on me. It was so nice the why I ordered the food...LOL Yogita...please help me learn how to speak Korean. (actually she already is!).
Ok well...I gotta go!
Tata!
Well...it is Friday which means dinner is on me. It was so nice the why I ordered the food...LOL Yogita...please help me learn how to speak Korean. (actually she already is!).
Ok well...I gotta go!
Tata!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Today in Gunsan...uh...Seochon.....
Well it is nice to be back to driving again. I missed the freedom. I mean to go where ever u want,...well not where ever. Prices in korea have come down in both prices of second hand cars. Also the price of gasoline has dropped from 2000 won a liter to just 1405. And that is not the cheapest station in town. Likely we are in the 1390's now. SO NICE! When I started driving prices were in the 1200 range. If it heads there....we will be taking our 1000 km+ trips again. So we are waiting oil was over priced to begin with anyway.
So that is something I am looking forward to! I will be heading home at 8pm this week. A bit earlier because there is a big test for elementary students. I am happy about this because I have been taking the early morning classes. I could use a little rest.
I drive alot these days...so drops in gasoline are always on my mind. The car we have this time is the Kia Enterprise. It is totally different than the Arcadia. Basically when it was new it was about 50,000 dollars., while the Arcadia was 42,000 dollars. I can see the difference. This car is loaded with so many options that it took yogita and I 3 days to find them all!
Ok i gotta go now, I will post some pictures of the car when we head out for our first road trip.
tata!!
Jemal
So that is something I am looking forward to! I will be heading home at 8pm this week. A bit earlier because there is a big test for elementary students. I am happy about this because I have been taking the early morning classes. I could use a little rest.
I drive alot these days...so drops in gasoline are always on my mind. The car we have this time is the Kia Enterprise. It is totally different than the Arcadia. Basically when it was new it was about 50,000 dollars., while the Arcadia was 42,000 dollars. I can see the difference. This car is loaded with so many options that it took yogita and I 3 days to find them all!
Ok i gotta go now, I will post some pictures of the car when we head out for our first road trip.
tata!!
Jemal
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Almost back on track...
This week is winding down...and I must say it is good to be back on a regular work schedule. Friday is tomorrow and there is that feeling of excitement of what it will bring. This weekend we will be busy chatting, doing some more chores at home. We are looking into getting another car, and we feel we have found what we are looking for.
It is larger than the Arcadia...less about at 175 hp, but it has loads more options. It has many of the same options of the Arcadia (Acura Legend). It has the benifit of being produced in Korea and still being widely used. That means getting spare parts will be easier. This does not mean that our love for the Arcadia has died. It is just not as good a choice for us right now. We are aiming to buy that car perhaps at the end of the next year or a little later.
We also plan to have 2 internet connections to feed our addiction to high speed internet. I love downloading a 2gig file on this crappy work connection....in 1.5hrs!! That means at home I would have gotten it in perhaps 30 minutes or less!
We will have the second system up and ready by next week. We cant wait but we are patient as there are so many other things to set up. Yogita changed her name..something she has wanted to do for a long time. It is Yogita Jemal Hogan. I am very happy, and feel deeply moved that she would change her name like that. I will be doing the same when I remake my passport next year. I mean...why not? She means that much to me, as she has already shown. It might be a bit complicated...but that is ok. So soon I will be Jemal Yogita Hogan. I like it...it has a nice ring, but the meaning to the name is very deep for me. The name Yogita means one with ability. Yogita shows this everyday. She is able to pick up new skills so quickly. Her ability with languages is nothing short of amazing.
Many times I have come home only to be told of a network error, that was troubleshooted by Yogita. She is my genious. In the field service, she is able to use her langauge ability alot. I mean even though the householder might be using Tagalu, or some other language..if Yogita has heard the sounds, nuances of the langauge...her ability kicks in. She is then able to communicate with them. I have seen this happen many times.
In short...she is amazing!!! We both recover very fast after getting sick or injured..but nothing compares to Yogita. I mean..she gave birth...had major surgery and was up and going at 110% after 3 days. That means intense healing for one day, then gradual increases to her energey level over the next 2. Oh and the doctor's would look at the wound....it looked like it had healed 2 weeks ago rather than 2 days. There is a secret to our recurative powers....that is...us! In India I fell very very sick. I was going into shock...it was not going well for me. But while in the hospital, Yogita's prayers to Jehovah, and her love helped me alot. I was up and about after 12 hours. I went from having diarrhea, fever, dehyradation. To about 60% after such a short time. Of course after that I rested ALOT for the next 2 weeks. Basically I was not only of the woods....but just needed my electrolyes to back to normal levels.
Ok...I will have to head to class...I am very thankful to the woman I call my wife. With out her I would be a aircraft carrier with no planes, a car with an empty tank...bascially just a shell of a man. She makes me Jemal Yogita Hogan.
tata!!
It is larger than the Arcadia...less about at 175 hp, but it has loads more options. It has many of the same options of the Arcadia (Acura Legend). It has the benifit of being produced in Korea and still being widely used. That means getting spare parts will be easier. This does not mean that our love for the Arcadia has died. It is just not as good a choice for us right now. We are aiming to buy that car perhaps at the end of the next year or a little later.
We also plan to have 2 internet connections to feed our addiction to high speed internet. I love downloading a 2gig file on this crappy work connection....in 1.5hrs!! That means at home I would have gotten it in perhaps 30 minutes or less!
We will have the second system up and ready by next week. We cant wait but we are patient as there are so many other things to set up. Yogita changed her name..something she has wanted to do for a long time. It is Yogita Jemal Hogan. I am very happy, and feel deeply moved that she would change her name like that. I will be doing the same when I remake my passport next year. I mean...why not? She means that much to me, as she has already shown. It might be a bit complicated...but that is ok. So soon I will be Jemal Yogita Hogan. I like it...it has a nice ring, but the meaning to the name is very deep for me. The name Yogita means one with ability. Yogita shows this everyday. She is able to pick up new skills so quickly. Her ability with languages is nothing short of amazing.
Many times I have come home only to be told of a network error, that was troubleshooted by Yogita. She is my genious. In the field service, she is able to use her langauge ability alot. I mean even though the householder might be using Tagalu, or some other language..if Yogita has heard the sounds, nuances of the langauge...her ability kicks in. She is then able to communicate with them. I have seen this happen many times.
In short...she is amazing!!! We both recover very fast after getting sick or injured..but nothing compares to Yogita. I mean..she gave birth...had major surgery and was up and going at 110% after 3 days. That means intense healing for one day, then gradual increases to her energey level over the next 2. Oh and the doctor's would look at the wound....it looked like it had healed 2 weeks ago rather than 2 days. There is a secret to our recurative powers....that is...us! In India I fell very very sick. I was going into shock...it was not going well for me. But while in the hospital, Yogita's prayers to Jehovah, and her love helped me alot. I was up and about after 12 hours. I went from having diarrhea, fever, dehyradation. To about 60% after such a short time. Of course after that I rested ALOT for the next 2 weeks. Basically I was not only of the woods....but just needed my electrolyes to back to normal levels.
Ok...I will have to head to class...I am very thankful to the woman I call my wife. With out her I would be a aircraft carrier with no planes, a car with an empty tank...bascially just a shell of a man. She makes me Jemal Yogita Hogan.
tata!!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Wow....
Well we have been back for just under a week, and it feels like we returned home.
We have lots of things today. Buying a car, setting up our Internet connection, the way we want. Basically just getting settled in. I think I have broken a number of personal records this year....
The longest flight....about 16-17hours in the air from Mumbai to New Wark. It was...VERY HARD. It was made easier due to the fact that there were power plugs located just under the seats. I was able to use my Legnote.....it is a HUGE laptop..so I kinda call it a legnote. It was ok..I was able to read comics, and play a pc game that I brought along.
However, I was so tired that I slept for a few hours, and spent the rest watching movies. I don't know about other people but..I LOVE THE FOOD ON AIRPLANES. Well not in India...it was ok. Poor Yogita was having some airsickness so she could not eat on her flight over to Korea. I wish I was sitting next to her on that flight...yummy! Actually the portions seem just about right...so I would not have been able to finish her food anyway. Now I am getting hungry....should stop talking about food.
Well I am in Seochon now...the students here are sweet, and I am getting along very nicely with them.
I often see teachers (usually foreign) have a hard time with elementary aged students. Often times the major issue is the teacher not reaching out to the little people. The teachers often over re-act, shouting...basically loosing control.
This often scares Korean students.
Well it is so nice to first meet a group of students, and see them change right in front of your eyes, in a matter of ten to fifteen minutes. I should note though that I have seen Korean teachers too loose their cool, it is never a pretty site. I think becoming a father has helped me to better understand younger students. Well enough rambling! I named this post "Wow" for a reason. Prior to this post, there was 365 post...a year of postings over a 4 or 5 year period!
I must admit I made some serious mistakes on our blog, and could have damaged relationships within the family. I think all involved know what I am talking about. I mentioned some events that happened in the past, that had no business ending up in a public forum. I sent emails to those parties involved and that should have ended it...it would have remained a private matter that could have been dealt with in a proper way.
So I apologize for publicizing those events. I will be deleting those posts in due time. I hope this small step can help start to heal wounds in those who are not, and were never involved in the original events in the first place.
So once again I am very very sorry. Please forgive me!
Take care!
P.S Pictures will be coming soon, and even better imbedded videos!!
We have lots of things today. Buying a car, setting up our Internet connection, the way we want. Basically just getting settled in. I think I have broken a number of personal records this year....
The longest flight....about 16-17hours in the air from Mumbai to New Wark. It was...VERY HARD. It was made easier due to the fact that there were power plugs located just under the seats. I was able to use my Legnote.....it is a HUGE laptop..so I kinda call it a legnote. It was ok..I was able to read comics, and play a pc game that I brought along.
However, I was so tired that I slept for a few hours, and spent the rest watching movies. I don't know about other people but..I LOVE THE FOOD ON AIRPLANES. Well not in India...it was ok. Poor Yogita was having some airsickness so she could not eat on her flight over to Korea. I wish I was sitting next to her on that flight...yummy! Actually the portions seem just about right...so I would not have been able to finish her food anyway. Now I am getting hungry....should stop talking about food.
Well I am in Seochon now...the students here are sweet, and I am getting along very nicely with them.
I often see teachers (usually foreign) have a hard time with elementary aged students. Often times the major issue is the teacher not reaching out to the little people. The teachers often over re-act, shouting...basically loosing control.
This often scares Korean students.
Well it is so nice to first meet a group of students, and see them change right in front of your eyes, in a matter of ten to fifteen minutes. I should note though that I have seen Korean teachers too loose their cool, it is never a pretty site. I think becoming a father has helped me to better understand younger students. Well enough rambling! I named this post "Wow" for a reason. Prior to this post, there was 365 post...a year of postings over a 4 or 5 year period!
I must admit I made some serious mistakes on our blog, and could have damaged relationships within the family. I think all involved know what I am talking about. I mentioned some events that happened in the past, that had no business ending up in a public forum. I sent emails to those parties involved and that should have ended it...it would have remained a private matter that could have been dealt with in a proper way.
So I apologize for publicizing those events. I will be deleting those posts in due time. I hope this small step can help start to heal wounds in those who are not, and were never involved in the original events in the first place.
So once again I am very very sorry. Please forgive me!
Take care!
P.S Pictures will be coming soon, and even better imbedded videos!!
Friday, October 17, 2008
updates!
to begin with jemal has send the paperwork on its way to Korea. it should arrive there next week and then sometime during the following week we should receive our visa confirmation.
On another note, i was reading a watchtower article about marriage today and it talked about how wholesome communication between spouses is very important in a healthy marriage. I know for my part i have alot of shortcomings in this area
Someone said,
"Communication. It's the first thing we really learn in life. Funny thing is, once we grow up, learn our words and really start talking, the harder it becomes to know what to say, or how to ask for what we really need".
i can honestly say i know how that feels. I am good at expressing myself when i am writing but i really suck when i have to say aloud how i feel....funny isn't it.
i thought it will be a good reminder for all of us to remember that we all need to talk to people who truly care about us and just tell them how we feel.
Marcel Proust once said,
"We are healed of a suffering only by expressing it to the full".
and remember,
"Let your utterance be always with graciousness, seasoned with salt." (Colossians 4:6)
After all this being said however we need to remember the most important aspect of communication is listening to the other person...really listening to them(i suck in this area as well).
well this post was more of my insight than anything else...guess now i am blabbing on...
OK take care and bye for now.
On another note, i was reading a watchtower article about marriage today and it talked about how wholesome communication between spouses is very important in a healthy marriage. I know for my part i have alot of shortcomings in this area
Someone said,
"Communication. It's the first thing we really learn in life. Funny thing is, once we grow up, learn our words and really start talking, the harder it becomes to know what to say, or how to ask for what we really need".
i can honestly say i know how that feels. I am good at expressing myself when i am writing but i really suck when i have to say aloud how i feel....funny isn't it.
i thought it will be a good reminder for all of us to remember that we all need to talk to people who truly care about us and just tell them how we feel.
Marcel Proust once said,
"We are healed of a suffering only by expressing it to the full".
and remember,
"Let your utterance be always with graciousness, seasoned with salt." (Colossians 4:6)
After all this being said however we need to remember the most important aspect of communication is listening to the other person...really listening to them(i suck in this area as well).
well this post was more of my insight than anything else...guess now i am blabbing on...
OK take care and bye for now.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Inside a Kinko's!
Well...Omorro is having an important meeting and I have just been able to complete my first stage of the E-2 visa paperwork. This area sucks...there are no malls nearby...not even an arcade. Also...internet connection rates are crazy expensive here in the states....it is .20 cents a minute....so let me see....for 10 minutes that works out to be 2 bucks!!!! YEAOUCH!!!!!!
In Korea...900 won in some places, and that is for an hour. Some really nice places in Seoul can run you about 2,000 won an hour...but it will be really really nice....it depends if your a gamer though. In Korea pc rooms also offer services like printing, faxing, scanning and all that.
You can order food, soft drinks, and even bring in your own food. It is a favorite past time for Yogita and I sometimes. There is a major draw back and that is the smoke... It is against the law but still people smoke in pc rooms in Korea. When I say smoke...I mean chain smoking. These young men (and many middle aged men), use pc rooms as a sort of after having drinks place to hang out, or a afterwork playzone. I still remember my first experience with a pc room. I am sitting down in front of the computer feeling quite excited. I am about to play starcraft which I have just bought for my compaq presario 1900 xl 500....LOL I even remember that. So I am sitting there loading the game. After playing for several minutes and getting beaten terribly, this middle aged Korean man jumps up from behind me (I did not notice him there before). He yanks the keyboard from my hands.
At this point I am wondering...why is he so angry...what did I do? He then goes on to pantomine playing the game while shouting at me in Korean and English that he would me win games. So together we play. Of course it is more me watching him play....LOL. He is trying to explain what he is doing, but I am totally lost. Now in retrospect I know what he was telling me. Well this went on for FIVE HOURS. I just could not work up the nerve to tell him "Goodbye I have to go now!". Well actually he decided it was dinner time, and told me he would buy me dinner. Um...uh well (perhaps this is a facet of Korean culture and I could insult him by saying "no"). So I accept, he is SOOO happy. We first grab some dinner, it was something spicey nak-shi-bok-um-bab basically octopus fried fried rice in a very spicy (I should say sweet and spicy sauce). Well after that he asks me..."you like beer!" Uh yeah sure I dont want to do at this point...I am wondering when this night will end. Well we go to a nice little bar and have a couple of drinks...just beer. Then he tells me about his family his 2 girls, and wife (hates his wife). Then at this point he motions to a man and woman sitting at the bar (we were seated behind them). The man the leans over (he is a young man a few years older than I at the time...maybe 24), he tells me in a embarrassed sort of shy way "He is wondering if you like men!". HUH WHAT THE !$%@#!^?!
At this point I freak out, I jump up and tell him NO NO WAY MAN!!! He then tells me "Man is good!, you should try, man is good, you should try!". This was my exit people, I dropped cash for the drinks, and hightailed it out of there.
So you see that was my first experience at a pc room. Here is another story, I have just bought a bottle of vodka, and a burger meal from a resturant nearby. The burger was to kill time, the vodka because I am very curious about it. It is vanilla flavored....so um...I hope it works out. We will just have to see. Ok Right now it has been 18 minutes...so I owe about $3.60 oh our poor Indian bank account is being stripped of cash...the Dollar Rupee extange is not good ATM. Ok I hope Omorro is here now....i am going on 4 bucks!!! OH MY GOODNESS THIS IS SCARY. I might just drink the vodka now and to hell with society and rules....then the cops would come take me to jail (it is warm there, did I meantion it is snowing and very cold outside?).
Ugh...lets see..I could read the news...I always do that...Dad and I would watch the news in India...I miss that Dad. YIKES......$4.20!!!!! ABU SELL YOUR CELL PHONE! Wait...we can sell Kevin to the chinese...they like cheap raw monkey meat! Wait...nah it would stink to high heaven. Better to just dump his ass off a cliff and be done with him. But...we are done with him thats right...because he is like..in India and he sucks ass. yeah thats right I said ASS WOOOOHOOOOO he is a jackASS. whew...lets see $4.60!!!!! Ugh I dont know what I am going to do now.
Jemal looks to the left and right. Then...does nothing because his fingers are too busy typing! Why? Cause this is a good way to kill time!
Actually I feel pretty good! I sent the papers so that is finished...now we should just get ready for what ever comes next!! Ok time to call Omorro...please be ready now!
tata!
In Korea...900 won in some places, and that is for an hour. Some really nice places in Seoul can run you about 2,000 won an hour...but it will be really really nice....it depends if your a gamer though. In Korea pc rooms also offer services like printing, faxing, scanning and all that.
You can order food, soft drinks, and even bring in your own food. It is a favorite past time for Yogita and I sometimes. There is a major draw back and that is the smoke... It is against the law but still people smoke in pc rooms in Korea. When I say smoke...I mean chain smoking. These young men (and many middle aged men), use pc rooms as a sort of after having drinks place to hang out, or a afterwork playzone. I still remember my first experience with a pc room. I am sitting down in front of the computer feeling quite excited. I am about to play starcraft which I have just bought for my compaq presario 1900 xl 500....LOL I even remember that. So I am sitting there loading the game. After playing for several minutes and getting beaten terribly, this middle aged Korean man jumps up from behind me (I did not notice him there before). He yanks the keyboard from my hands.
At this point I am wondering...why is he so angry...what did I do? He then goes on to pantomine playing the game while shouting at me in Korean and English that he would me win games. So together we play. Of course it is more me watching him play....LOL. He is trying to explain what he is doing, but I am totally lost. Now in retrospect I know what he was telling me. Well this went on for FIVE HOURS. I just could not work up the nerve to tell him "Goodbye I have to go now!". Well actually he decided it was dinner time, and told me he would buy me dinner. Um...uh well (perhaps this is a facet of Korean culture and I could insult him by saying "no"). So I accept, he is SOOO happy. We first grab some dinner, it was something spicey nak-shi-bok-um-bab basically octopus fried fried rice in a very spicy (I should say sweet and spicy sauce). Well after that he asks me..."you like beer!" Uh yeah sure I dont want to do at this point...I am wondering when this night will end. Well we go to a nice little bar and have a couple of drinks...just beer. Then he tells me about his family his 2 girls, and wife (hates his wife). Then at this point he motions to a man and woman sitting at the bar (we were seated behind them). The man the leans over (he is a young man a few years older than I at the time...maybe 24), he tells me in a embarrassed sort of shy way "He is wondering if you like men!". HUH WHAT THE !$%@#!^?!
At this point I freak out, I jump up and tell him NO NO WAY MAN!!! He then tells me "Man is good!, you should try, man is good, you should try!". This was my exit people, I dropped cash for the drinks, and hightailed it out of there.
So you see that was my first experience at a pc room. Here is another story, I have just bought a bottle of vodka, and a burger meal from a resturant nearby. The burger was to kill time, the vodka because I am very curious about it. It is vanilla flavored....so um...I hope it works out. We will just have to see. Ok Right now it has been 18 minutes...so I owe about $3.60 oh our poor Indian bank account is being stripped of cash...the Dollar Rupee extange is not good ATM. Ok I hope Omorro is here now....i am going on 4 bucks!!! OH MY GOODNESS THIS IS SCARY. I might just drink the vodka now and to hell with society and rules....then the cops would come take me to jail (it is warm there, did I meantion it is snowing and very cold outside?).
Ugh...lets see..I could read the news...I always do that...Dad and I would watch the news in India...I miss that Dad. YIKES......$4.20!!!!! ABU SELL YOUR CELL PHONE! Wait...we can sell Kevin to the chinese...they like cheap raw monkey meat! Wait...nah it would stink to high heaven. Better to just dump his ass off a cliff and be done with him. But...we are done with him thats right...because he is like..in India and he sucks ass. yeah thats right I said ASS WOOOOHOOOOO he is a jackASS. whew...lets see $4.60!!!!! Ugh I dont know what I am going to do now.
Jemal looks to the left and right. Then...does nothing because his fingers are too busy typing! Why? Cause this is a good way to kill time!
Actually I feel pretty good! I sent the papers so that is finished...now we should just get ready for what ever comes next!! Ok time to call Omorro...please be ready now!
tata!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
My Turn To Update!!!!
Well, to begin with like Jemal has already mentioned he is in Alaska taking care of some paperwork while i am in India waiting for the paperwork to be completed so that we can both head to South Korea again.
Its our anniversary tomorrow(13th oct.) wow we have been together for a long time....8 years and there are many more years to go...since Jemal is in Alaska and i am here we have decided to celebrate it in Korea...we still have to decided how though.
I will be writing another post soon...gotta go now...time for Lin.
Its our anniversary tomorrow(13th oct.) wow we have been together for a long time....8 years and there are many more years to go...since Jemal is in Alaska and i am here we have decided to celebrate it in Korea...we still have to decided how though.
I will be writing another post soon...gotta go now...time for Lin.
Alaska, and some future plans for this blog!
Well I am still here....waiting on papers to send to South Korea...it looks like they should be arriving early next week..then I will over night it to Korea. It is nice being in Alaska because I think it will be possible to overnight documents from here.
It has been lonely for me here but with all these papers to arrange it helps me to keep very busy. I will post some really old pics from when I was teaching in the Countryside, at that time I was alone too...it was difficult to teach and smile to students then. My hair grew so long that it formed dreadlocks.
It was, and is very beautiful there I would like to return, and this time spend a night in the area and take a look around. Perhaps we can do that next year in the Winter or early spring. I will take a video and post it on utube then embed it in our blog.
Also next time we are with the friends in field service we will take videos then too...some of the places we go to to look for foriegners is so beautiful and scenic. The English ministry is aimed at locating foriegners in South Korea. Very exciting....it is like being on a treasure hunt! So I want everyone to be able to see more of that!
Ok here are those old pics!!
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Some recent pictures!
Ok the Mega mac and big mac where taken in Japan. And let me tell you this...of the 9 times I have been to Nippon....they do fast food right!!! Korea tends to Koreanize, and I have yet to see what India does....Mumbai....perhaps I will get a chance then. Another thing to note about India and fast food.....no beef offends Hindus, no pork offends Muslims, but chicken is ok.
It is a good thing that I love chichen, and fish burgers. I do miss that massive Mega Mac.....ofcourse when I ate it I counldnt eat anything for hours afterwards.
You can see George playing with his cousin! Boy is he cute!
In Japan Yogita and I saw a parking garage.....it was like ...expensive I forgot how much. I do miss the orderliness that you can find in abundance in Japan, and....and in Korea you get a really strange hybrid of what Japan has (Koreans hate the Japanese ALOT, but copy them in so many ways!!!!!). India....chaos rules the day on roadways....it is an orderly chaos when you have stayed here long enough, but...it is chaotic just the same. Omorro, if you drive here the way you would in the States.....your car would get damaged. If you drive like you would in the States in Korea....you could save your life.....I speak from experience. Most fatalities that I have heard that are traffic related seem to mostly larger vechicles hitting peds, or rickshaws (might as well be the same as a ped).
Ok we have more work today, all in all, I love this crazy place!!!!!!! I'm actually 90% over the culture shock now......
tata....oh and Sun and Rira...your phones SUCK!!!!!!!!
Jeyo
We got new cell phones!!!
Ok first I am typing this from our phone now. Today we bought the lg ks20. This phone is basically a pda phone with loads of features. Typing with the touchpad is very easy because full words will pop up as you type making it very easy to type large words. Soon we will be heading to Mumbai and I think this phone is perfect . It can allow us to stay connected wherever we are. This phone even haa gps we just need to download the maps. Oh one more thing banking in India sucks!!!
ok bye for now!
ok bye for now!
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Indian sweets! Silver anyone?
You know where ever I have gone I always hear people make general statements about places they have never seen, or they only experience a tiny fraction of the place.
In Korea the latter is what you will find when you talk to most Koreans about places they visit. It goes something like this...Korean wishes to travel...gets a large group of his/her friends, or just signs up for a tour. They travel to...lets say Germany. Very few in the group can speak any passable English, or German but that is ok..the Guide can translate.
They look around do the usual tourist things...taking pics and what not. But...it stops there. Usually Koreans prefer Korean food abroad, it is rare to find Koreans who are very adventurous...a former teacher Sue comes to mind. She is a bit encentric, warm hearted, but....the most adventurous of all of our Korean staff. She and others like her are rare.
Going back to our tour group. They may try German food....but likely since it differs from Korean food...they will give it a thumbs down. Then run to a Korean resturant. This has caused a real market for opening Korean resturants in foriegn countries.
I want to introduce you to Indian Sweets! In this small way we can educate ourselves so as not to think: India=curry.
One common factor..Abu, or Tatul please correct me here, is that most Indian sweets are made from milk. Cooked for varying lengths of time. Actually I ask Yogita to fill in more here, or Abu.
One thing I notice is that some sweets are actually covered in silver! Very thin sheets of silver.
I have some pics.....now if you notice the orange sweet is made from flour, butter, lentils and sugar..it is the cheapest sweet in this shop. The black balls with silver on them....aahhh my favorite....well..one of my favorites...gulab jammun. This is made from milk....made into a dough, and put in a sweet and tasty sugar syrup.....it tastes sort of like...donughts.
Not all sweets are made from milk, or has milk as the main ingrediant, the silver covered bars are actually made from cashews that have been made into a paste. It tastes like a light peanut butter.
Well I hope yogita can jump in and clarify more.....i will post more pics of the sweets later today.
ok tata
Jeyo
Another Day......in Mother India
It has been really cool yesterday and today as well. I can say i'm not likeing it....yesterday we got a very good nights sleep.
Today I am going to talk about a pet project that I have been undertaking for quite a few months.
Thats is emulation! Basically you go on the net and download a program that mimicks a game console system. Then download the rom files (the actual games) and it is just like having a game console on your pc! Another thing is that most 2003-and on pc's have more than enough power to handle the emulation!
As I am typing this I have a super nintendo Omorro and Mike remember Madden? I have 800 games for it as well.....
I also have a dreamcast console i only have 1 game for that.....marvel vs capcom 2....sweet game!
I also have an arcade emulator know as mame32 and hundreds of games for it...however a number of them are actually broken...and dont work.
I also have a n64 with 50 or more games on it....I love it!!!
Oh well...actually I started on this post yesterday but the power went....however blogger auto saves...so...i can finish it now!
Tata
Jeyo
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
India!
Thats right we have relocated to India, we will be here for some time.
Leaving Korea took alot of time, and even getting properly settled will take about 2-3 weeks more.
India is hot...but it is very similar to Philly's humid summer. Actually now that we are in the Monsoon season
it is much cooler.....with....ALOT of rain. Once again similar to South Korea in Gunsan. However, other parts of India see a ALOT more rain than we do.
We are going to heading to Mumbai in about 3-4 weeks....ugh many delays due to banking things.
One thing I can really say that I have noticed here is a lax almost lazy attidude that people take when it comes to paper work. I mean government employees! The typical day for them is like this....they generally start at 10-10:30am and finish around 3pm. We saw it today as we were getting work done at the bank. They ran out of new account application forms on the second floor (first floor in India...brings back memories of England....Ground floor would be the first floor).
So the officer handling our case does this: First thoughly checks his desk, then walks around aimlessly then tells us "Please come back tomorrow". LOL I mean dude go downstairs and get some fresh copies. I will search online and see if I can download the form from the banks website.
Oh another thing....money talks in India. Offer 20 more rupees for this or that...people will go out thier way to help you. This goes for many different things.
Food: awesome!!! I love mutton....once again brings memories of England, when I would eat mutton in the mess hall of Hulme Hall. There are too many things to list when it comes to food...lets just say....stop thinking Indian food is all about curry. It is much more than that. Just like Korean food is not all about kimchi, or American food is not only fastfood...LOL trying to convince my business students otherwise was so difficult.
Lucknow is a dirty city. No shortcuts there....plain and simple...dirty. People throw garbage anywhere they want, whenever, whatever. Cow shit is well...common place. Remember Hindus worship the cow so....they roam the streets in these small herds. My greatest fear is having thier tail with cow shit smack against my face, as the cows and bulls swish thier tails back and forth swatting flies.
I am not saying I do not like it...I love it here. The people are very polite and friendly. Life is so simple here. People just take it slow, and easy. I feel that in some ways Korea does not feel like a real country...or that it is a member of a global society.
Koreans are daft when it comes to world events that are outside of Korea. I have lived in the States...heck I am American, and I realize there is a level of ignorance there. Korea....is off the charts!!!! People have no clue whats so ever. I mean well educated people. I would ask my students about world events, current events......90% of the time you get vague reponses, or they say "I dont care about that" or "That will have no impact on my life here". The question rising oil prices. Of course it was all bullshit. They would tell me in class...oh my goodness I can even take a vacation now. It has to hit them in the face for them to realize there is something going on. In India...it is quite different. Of the people that I have met, they ask intellegent questions, make statements which shows that they are not living in lu lu la la land (thanks Mrs. Kim I love that expression)
Anyways I am rambling..I will post only 1 picture..of Jeyo...LOL he is cute...you will love this pic!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Memories Remain....
MEMORIES
Today brought me back the memories..
Of the time we were together..
Does time has feathers??
It flies away so soon...
Wasn't it yesterday when we were partying under the moon...?
Alas, its all over .. or is it still the hang over??
Looking at the pictures brought me a smile...
So i decided to open the file....
And post some beautiful smiles......
Sunday, May 04, 2008
some more pics....
Some more pics of George going to school.His school building St.Fidelis College from front,inside and side view.George is having a lot of fun studying..Hope he continues to have fun..
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Wow...what a start!!!
You know Abu I think back on when i first met you in person....and...wow.....I have seen so much in you.
These days we are facing a hard choice leave south Korea where we have built roots, and go to another place....of course Asia is now my home. This entire region is our playground. We can go where ever we please here. With people like Dad, and Mom on our team...where can we go wrong? We have a great example of 2 people showing lamb like qualities who have stuck it out for so many years. No broken marriages...which make you doubt what you really knew growing up. No separations which can leave an empty feeling, as if two people got together for WRONG reasons. It is so depressing. Omorro filled me in on some situations going on in the States....so disappointing. I look at our son....yeah OUR son, many married couples make the mistake of saying MY son, or MY daughter...foolish thing to say Rira you are included in this. Marriage is a joining together of two people to become one. I mean...come on...there will be hard times....it should be expected. I was surprised at the treatment that I received from people I used to call mom and dad. They turned on my other half making her feel......inferior as if she did not belong.
Now one could say that well...your just listening to what she told you...no not true...I heard this from the horses mouth so to speak...foolish...that person thought I would not act(I brought us back to Korea). Oh well. Look at George..you can see how happy he is. I am so glad that I did not settle in Alaska. I am thankful that certain people showed their true colors.
With out that...I would never have known. So to those people...thanks. You know who you are.
Abu I thank you, and yes I trust you. Don't worry kid, you have it under control. We will be leaving Korea, we are seriously considering our next step. Directly to India, or going to another country in Asia for about a year or so...then going to India. Dad I agree I think your idea is better, as it is where my heart lies as well.
Omorro....I am telling you twin...you and Wendy ought to come out here...there is allot to see. With your love of music.....who knows what ideas you might pick up! You have to get those files to me...I did not forget.
George went to school today first day in school....I feel proud of him. Yogita Mom and Dad feel the same way along with close family in India (hello ABu, and Pinki!!!!). George is happy for a reason. George still remembers you Omorro...LOL you ought to chat with him!!
Well thursday approaches..abu thanks for the pics...we loved them....please post more.
Jeyo....tata!!
These days we are facing a hard choice leave south Korea where we have built roots, and go to another place....of course Asia is now my home. This entire region is our playground. We can go where ever we please here. With people like Dad, and Mom on our team...where can we go wrong? We have a great example of 2 people showing lamb like qualities who have stuck it out for so many years. No broken marriages...which make you doubt what you really knew growing up. No separations which can leave an empty feeling, as if two people got together for WRONG reasons. It is so depressing. Omorro filled me in on some situations going on in the States....so disappointing. I look at our son....yeah OUR son, many married couples make the mistake of saying MY son, or MY daughter...foolish thing to say Rira you are included in this. Marriage is a joining together of two people to become one. I mean...come on...there will be hard times....it should be expected. I was surprised at the treatment that I received from people I used to call mom and dad. They turned on my other half making her feel......inferior as if she did not belong.
Now one could say that well...your just listening to what she told you...no not true...I heard this from the horses mouth so to speak...foolish...that person thought I would not act(I brought us back to Korea). Oh well. Look at George..you can see how happy he is. I am so glad that I did not settle in Alaska. I am thankful that certain people showed their true colors.
With out that...I would never have known. So to those people...thanks. You know who you are.
Abu I thank you, and yes I trust you. Don't worry kid, you have it under control. We will be leaving Korea, we are seriously considering our next step. Directly to India, or going to another country in Asia for about a year or so...then going to India. Dad I agree I think your idea is better, as it is where my heart lies as well.
Omorro....I am telling you twin...you and Wendy ought to come out here...there is allot to see. With your love of music.....who knows what ideas you might pick up! You have to get those files to me...I did not forget.
George went to school today first day in school....I feel proud of him. Yogita Mom and Dad feel the same way along with close family in India (hello ABu, and Pinki!!!!). George is happy for a reason. George still remembers you Omorro...LOL you ought to chat with him!!
Well thursday approaches..abu thanks for the pics...we loved them....please post more.
Jeyo....tata!!
George Took A Big Step Today...
Today was George's first day at school.we all were very excited.Honestly I had butterflies in my stomach.LoL. The day started with a lot of activities.George was so excited to wear his new uniform and go to school.His nana was more excited than him to take him to the school.I was very nervous as if george is the only kid in the school.As a teacher i would always see parents being so worried when they came to drop their kids and would always think whats the big deal,but today i saw it from the other side of the table..I was the puzzled anxious parent making sure my kid is safe....guess thats the way it is.George's school started at 7:30am and was till 10:30am, mann those 3 hours were full of anxiety for me and seemed very long waiting for George to return home.I was thinking he would come home crying but...lol he came home smiling full of stories about his new friends his teacher and what not.When i asked him ''George how was your day?'' he said''GOING TO SCHOOL IS SO MUCH FUN''....
Then I thought to myself some times its good to let your kids go in order to let them grow,They have to live and fight small lilltle fights for themselves.
It was so good to see him smiling being carefree and playing.
I made him do his home work just few mins ago made him cry a bit.But as they say''Discipline is necessary as a surgeons knife'' so George the journey for you has juss begun it wont be easy but i will try and make it a lilltle better for you..by giving you the necessary doze of discipline you need.Jiju i recall you saying to me''I trust you kid''
will try my best to keep ur faith in me...
OK guys posting some pictures too of George getting ready for school..N JOY..
Adios....
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
George:welcome To India..
Here are some pictures of George at the airport with his mom before leaving for india .With his nana(grandpa)at the railway station and in the train .George was very excited to
reach Lucknow meet his nana nani.He is having loads of fun here in Lucknow and adjusting very well,He is a very well behaved kid.A kid you would love to be around with....thanks to his mom and dad....Jiju and yogita...good job guys...hey jeyo are you ready for the training LOL.Trust me boy good for u..
Thursday, April 24, 2008
OUR LAST WEEK TOGETHER IN WONDERFUL KOREA..
As all good things come to an end,and this trip to Korea is no exception.I and George will be leaving for India this saturday.I have lot of mixed feelings right now..sad for leaving yogita,jiju and cutie pie jeyo but happy for George taking a big step and getting ready to go to school.We all are excited.Through this post I wanna thank jiju for making my stay comfortable and wonderful and yes letting me take over his blog.LOL.
So here are some pics of our best moments in OH SO WONDERFUL KOREA..Kham-sa-ham-ne-da(Thank you in Korean).
SARANG HEYO(love you ) all. Adios!!!!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Long wait is over.....Here are some new pics.!!!
korea is looking more beautiful these days with signs of early spring.Nice sunny days beautiful cherry blossoms and tulips growing on the road side.So take a sneak peek and enjoy....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)