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January 28 Anyeonghi keseyo, KoreaGoodbye, Korea. Tomorrow is moving day, and my computer will be boxed up and shipped to the U.S. The Internet router goes back to Korea Telecom on Tuesday. This is probably my final blog entry in Korea before we depart for the U.S. on Wednesday. We will head to Hawai'i for two weeks--two years after we last visited on our way here. After Hawai'i, we will be in Seattle for about a week and then in Idaho for another week before heading to Virginia. We will head to Paraguay next July.
The goodbye parties are over, and all that's left to do are check-out meetings and inspections. When I have more time in the U.S., I will post some photos and tell you more about them (at least to the point where I don't embarass someone--some photos are pretty crazy). We had a wonderful tour in Korea. Most people who serve here leave with mixed feelings. Some love it, some hate it, but most enjoy it with caveats. I really enjoyed my time here, so you can put me in the group who loved it. My family enjoyed it with caveats.
In spite of spending a large portion of my life processing visas for 36,530 individuals, I leave Seoul with great memories. I am thankful that I will probably never have to do another visa again (I did more than my fair share), but I will remember the time fondly--even at the visa window. My family and I are looking forward to new challenges during Spanish training in Virginia and in Paraguay, but we leave with two years of great memories from Korea.
And with that...hello, Hawai'i! January 24 Saying goodbye, again and againDear Reader, we will leave Korea in about one week. It's hard to believe that it has been almost two years since we arrived. It seems like only yesterday that we stepped off the plane in Incheon and arrived here by van. Now it's almost over, and I'm growing nostalgic. I will truly miss Korea. I enjoyed Korea, as did my family. We have all had great, good, bad and ugly memories of this place. Most of all, we enjoyed--and were frustrated by--the people. We met so many wonderful people here in Korea. Some are Koreans, others are expatriates. At the same time, some of the most frustrating incidents I've experienced have been dealing with people here. Koreans can be very stubborn or persevering, depending on whether you define their behavior in a negative or positive light. They can be both.
We have had goodbye get togethers virtually every day since Saturday, and we'll continue to have daily events until a day or so before we depart. So far my family and/or I have attended a farewell concert in our honor, a team farewell, an MBA alumni gathering, two dinners with my wife's former coworkers, and a meeting of the "Society of Chili Dogs Lovers," a tri-weekly get together for free chili dogs and beers at a local restaurant. Tomorrow we will attend a hail and farewell for new and departing employees. On Friday afternoon my office will throw me a small party, and in the evening, I will join one final "Soju Club" get together. On Saturday we will have a children's party and an evening of dinner and noraebang (karaoke) with friends. We planned the farewell concert with the Nunchuks held last Saturday, but all other events have been organized by friends and colleagues. It's become a bit comical, because some people have been invited to many of our "goodbye" events. If they can't make it to one, they can always attend the next one. Today two colleagues, partly tongue in cheek, commented that I'm the most feted colleague they've met. I responded that it's probably because I'm the only one leaving Seoul in the next two months, and people are itching to party one month after Christmas. Maybe, maybe not.
Why do I/we have so many going-away events? It could be as my father once told me following an event in which I was the featured guest--"I thought just was another of Mike's productions, but it actually turned out pretty good." Harsh words, but they hold a glimmer of truth. He later apologized for being so brash, but I realize now that he had a point. I can be a showman at times and have to admit that I like being in the middle of the action, even though I don't often stand out in a crowd. I'm more of a cheerleader on the sidelines.
Many of these goodbye events are based on groups that I started or energized during my time in Seoul. Still, the outpouring of goodbye gestures is genuine. For example, the Nunchuks are rushing to make us a concert DVD before we leave on Wednesday. You can't buy that kind of thoughtfulness. A colleague told me today that he would do his best to keep "Soju Club" going after I leave. I hope they do continue. They definitely aren't about me or my family. They're about getting groups of like-minded people together for fun and fellowship. Sometimes it just takes an "A" type cheerleader such as myself to spark interest and make it happen. January 21 Getting ready to moveToday was a long day. My wife's parents returned to China on Thursday after spending a month visiting us in Seoul. Since then, we've been busy tearing the house apart. The boxes have come out, and some items have already been prepared for shipment. It's starting to look like moving time again. Things really geared up today. I spent the morning taking down the Christmas tree and decorations (we kept them up longer than usual to keep the house looking festive during our transition), pulling out the suitcases from the attic, tearing down my son's swing set, and cleaning out the storage shed.
We have to separate everything into three different shipments. One shipment, the largest, is bound for Paraguay. We won't see that one again until next July or August. The second shipment will head for our temporary home in Virginia, where it will be waiting for us next March. The third shipment will head back to permanent storage in the United States. We shipped too many goods to Seoul, and two years later, we figured out what we really didn't need after all, such as the circular saw. We'll also send back some items mistakenly sent to us, including a sofa chair and incomplete pieces of furniture.
We made some progress today, but there is much yet left to do. Our move is a week from tomorrow, so there's still time, however limited, to pack. These kinds of moves are always intense. Life is insanely busy until the day you depart, and then suddenly it's all over.
Blog Note: Hi Quemino, thanks for stopping by for a visit. I didn't realize that "The Host" will be released in the U.S. as an independent film. The movie is the highest-grossing Korean film in history, so it's no surprise that it will make its way to the United States. I have not yet seen the movie but have heard mixed reviews from Koreans who have seen it. While "The Host" is a ground-breaking science fiction film in Korean cinema, its special effects pale in comparison to those featured in the upcoming Hollywood film "Transformers."
January 17 Why are baddies always out to destroy America?No, the meaning of tonight's entry is not what you think. I'm talking about movie villians. Why are they always out to destroy America, particularly New York City? Does Hollywood always seem to be hellbent on wreaking havoc on the United States? Do they have some chip on their proverbial shoulder, or are movie producers too lazy to be a little more creative? Or do they think Americans, their target audience, only want to see movies about America?
I previewed some upcoming action/adventure films set to release this year, many of which will likely become blockbusters. All of them are either sequels or remakes of old movies or television shows. These include "Spider-man 3," "Live Free or Die Hard," "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," "The Transformers," and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." Three of these films target New York City, one Washington, D.C., and the fourth targets the entire country. Aside from "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," which is set in England (not Phoenix, Arizona, although there could be a tie-in somehow), virtually every Hollywood-produced action-adventure film seems to target America for destruction.
C'mon Hollywood. Can't you be more original than that? I mean, why not Mexico City, or Beijing, or Tokyo, or Paris, or Moscow? Or Seoul? Why can't "The Transformers" go after China and take on the People's Liberation Army, or the Silver Surfer after the Venezuelans and Hugo Chavez? Hollywood can film in far-flung places like New Zealand ("Lord of the Rings"), or Vancouver, Canada, or Tunisia ("Star Wars,") but it always seems intent upon replicating America wherever it films. Remember the Jackie Chan movie "Rumble in the Bronx" featuring scenes clearly showing many of Vancouver's landmarks? Wouldn't "Rumble in Vancouver" have been a more appropriate title?
This happens every year. Virtually every comic book movie seems to be set in New York City (except for X-men II, which filmed a few scenes in northern Canada and upstate New York). Science fiction movies tend to focus on destroying locales throughout America ("Independence Day" - Washington, D.C., "Matrix Reloaded," "Terminator" - Los Angeles, "Twister" - the midwest, "The Day After Tomorrow" or "Deep Impact" - the entire country). For once, it would be nice to see Canada or Europe obliterated by aliens or Mother Nature. Now that would be original. It might even earn the film a nod at Cannes or a Genie Award. January 16 Goh stops presidential runFormer Korean presidential hopeful Goh Kun announced today that he would not seek office in December's Korean presidential election. The Korean Presidential election, held once every five years, was expected to be a very competitive race until former Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak took a commanding lead in recent public opinion polls. Mr. Lee, the leading candidate for the conservative Grand National Party (GNP), and his rival, Park Geun-hye, GNP party leader, placed first and second, respectively, in recent opinion polls. Mr. Goh, a former GNP member, left the GNP last year to run as a centrist independent. He was lobbied by members of the ruling Uri Party and the Democratic Party (DP) to serve as the presidential nominee for a unified, yet-to-be-named merged party. However, Mr. Goh resisted attempts to join Uri and/or the DP, and he may have dropped out of the race after he determined that he could not win the presidency as an independent.
Mr. Goh's departure affects the presidential race by strengthening the hand of the GNP. Barring an unexpected popularity surge by another candidate, either Mr. Lee or Ms. Park seem assured to become the next Korean president, replacing outgoing President Roh Moo-hyun. Some speculate that despite Mr. Lee's popularity, the GNP will choose Ms. Park over Ms. Lee as its presidential candidate, because Ms. Park is the party leader and daughter of former Korean President Park Chung-hee, making her a sentimental choice for president within her party. They point out that the GNP lost the presidency in 2002 to the Uri Party because it chose Mr. Lee Hoi-chang as its presidential candidate, even after Mr. Lee lost the presidency to Kim Dae-jung in 1997. This implies that the ruling Uri Party or the DP could capitalize on a Lee-Park schism in the GNP to win the presidency.
The GNP might choose Ms. Park as its presidential nominee over Lee Myung-bak, even though Mr. Lee handily beats Ms. Park in opinion polls. Who the GNP nominates as its standard bearer largely depends on how the GNP decides to choose its presidential candidate--an internal party primary system favors Ms. Park, or an open primary system favors Mr. Lee. Both are strong presidential candidates, and with the third-strongest candidate, Mr. Goh, departing the race, their statuses solidify as presidential front runners. Other potential candidates, including former Unification Minister Chang Dong-young and Mr. Kim Geun-tae of the Uri Party, or former Seoul National University President Chung Un-chan, do not have the stature or momentum going into the presidential election to seriously challenge either Mr. Lee or Ms. Park. It is also unlikely that Mr. Lee would run as an independent or as the presidential nominee of another political party in the event that the GNP chooses Ms. Park as its nominee. Moreover, the GNP has won the last five elections and clearly has the momentum going into this year's presidential race. Unless a dark horse candidate comes up with a wildly popular solution to the Korean public's biggest concerns--housing and jobs--Goh's departure makes it even more evident that either Lee Myung-bak or Park Geun-hye will be Korea's next president. We'll find out in December. January 15 A resolution on its way to resolutionHappy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to all. Perhaps the gift I could have received on this holiday was the opportunity to spend time with my son and read a good book. Dear Reader, don't think for one minute that I'm not busy, because I am very busy with our impending move back to the United States. However, I'm happy to report that I've read more books in 2007 than I did during all of 2006. In 2006, I managed to finish one novel, "Eragon." Today I finished my second book of the year. The first was "America (The Book)," a satirical masterpiece by Comedy Central's Jon Stewart. The second was "Chasing Daylight," a book by Eugene O'Kelly, former Chief Executive Officer of KPMG, the international accounting firm. "Chasing Daylight" is O'Kelly's memoir. He wrote it after he was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and given just three-to-six months to live. The memoir is touching, thoughtful, and a provocative guidebook on dying written to appeal to "Type A," business types. The book carries a strong, yet simple message--slow down and enjoy the Perfect Moments in life. In layman's terms, stop and smell the roses. You don't know what you're missing. I had started reading both books last year, and this year I set out to finish them. Instead of reading a business magazine as I usually do to fill time gaps, I decided to take time out of my busy schedule to read something more meaningful. While the value of "America (The Book)" is debatable--it's valuable to those who are political junkies like me who savor satire--"Chasing Daylight" was definitely a worthwhile read. It was short, as was the time leading up to Mr. O'Kelly's death; short enough to read in one sitting or one plane right. It's the perfect book for the busy business executive who needs to be reminded to take time to enjoy life.
So what will I read now, other than the Bible? (I didn't include Bible reading in my list, because that is an ongoing endeavor that never ends.) Well, I'm planning to tackle "The Honorary Consul," by Graham Greene, a classic suspense novel set in provincial Argentina and Paraguay. It will be a good read. At 281 pages, it should be an easy read to devour on a plane ride--if I make the time and effort to read it. January 14 Featured Blogs: The Nunchuks and Baby SamThis month's featured blogs selection features an outstanding double header.
First up, the Nunchuks. The Nunchuks (http://web.mac.com/tupelocat/iWeb/The%20Nunchuks/Main.html) is an awesome new hip hop honky-tonk death metal music group featuring three of my favorite colleagues, Wayne, David, and Crackleflame! (name changed to protect the innocent, exclamation point included in name). These guys are absolutely HOT, I mean completely en fuego (figuratively speaking). I must say nice things about them, because they will play at our going-away party next Saturday. (Wait, should people really be having a party because we're leaving?) I will play percussion (the egg shaker) and will sing one song the Nunchuks said they would practice for me (thanks guys). It will be the nicest gig anyone has done for us since we conned a good friend of ours into having her band, Folk Voice Band, play beautiful folk music in our backyard (twice). The Nunchuks' music is a bit more honky tonk than hip hop or death metal, but it is fabulous. Their web site is even more impressive. Their death metal mystique belies a group of fine gentlemen with a quirky sense of humor who just like to have fun and act silly in front of an audience. I'm privileged to be counted as one of those dudes who get credit as a guest percussionist and as backup singer on an album jacket. If you like the Nunchuks, be sure to ask them about buying some schwag.
Also featured this month is Crackleflame's son, Baby Sam, who is a maestro in his own right. Baby Sam (http://babysamwebstermain.blogspot.com/) rocks. I keep encouraging his dad, Crackleflame, to sign him up as the Nunchuks' band manager, but he seems to think that Baby Sam may be a bit young to manage such a HOT, edgy band. I'm not sure why. Based on Baby Sam's sensible reaction to a diverse selection of musical tastes, I think he is fully ready to immerse himself in the world of music brought to life by the Nunchuks. As long as his mom and dad makes sure he's fed and diapered, why not? It could be that the Nunchuks can't afford to pay Baby Sam the salary he deserves and would have to seel an awful lot of schwag to meet his contract demands. Baby Sam could walk at any time.
So there you have it. This may be the first time that the Crackleflame connection between Baby Sam and the Nunchuks has been uncovered and surreptiously posted on the Web. You read it here first! January 08 Sometimes it's better not to assumeWe're planning to sell one car before we leave. Some family friends here wanted to buy our car, and we agreed to meet for a test drive this morning. Our friend was sorely disappointed when they found out we were planning to sell our secondary car, not our primary car. I assumed they knew which car I meant when I offered to sell it to them. We plan to sell the second car that we bought after we arrived, and we're planning to ship our primary vehicle. They assumed we were planning to sell our primary vehicle. I'm not sure where the miscommunication occurred. I'm not sure whether they're interested in buying the our second car, now that they have to deal with the letdown of not buying the car they thought they were buying in the first place. I can't blame them for being disappointed. I was as surprised as they were to find out we weren't even talking about the same car when we talked about making the sale! It goes to show you...sometimes it's best not to make assumptions. The old adage is sometimes true--sometimes assume equals ASS+U+ME.
Now we have just three weeks to find a buyer for our car. We have to do something--we can't ship a second car, and the car does not meet U.S. safety standards and can't be shipped back to the states. Fortunately, our friends agreed, if need be, to babysit the car for us until we find a buyer. Or, maybe they're have a chance of heart and buy our second car, which I had assumed they would buy in the first place. Thank goodness we're good friends. At least that's what I'm assuming! January 07 Pondering Both SidesYesterday the weather changed with Mother Nature's volatile mood. Snow fell throughout the country for most of the day. In a rare weather phenomenon, lightning and thunder crackled while snow fell. The weather repeatedly grew bright and sunny, then dim and drury, then warm, cold, and frigid. The snow at times fell soft and friendly, like a snow globe shaken, and at other times it waxed ferociously. The weather dominated the day, leaving one ever mindful of its awesome presence.
The weather reminded me of one of my favorite songs, Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now." I hadn't heard it for years, but I recalled it again yesterday as I pondered the agitated, electrifying day. The weather made such an impression on me that I couldn't resist posting the song's lyrics for you. They really sum up the amazing sensation left behind by such a tempestuous day. Such powerful weather patterns shake one's very being and reminds one of life and all that it has to offer, from good to bad, happy to sad, frustrating to fulfilling.
Blog Notes: Congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks for their spectacular, come-from-behind 21-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. It was a game for the ages, and I'm happy the Seahawks were on the winning end of it. Fans of "America's Team" will have to sit and watch from the sidelines along with all those Pittsburgh Steelers fans. There's always next year. Special Note to Tortmaster: Per your request, I posted the caricature for you on the New Year's entry. The artist turned me into a pretty boy. Don't laugh too hard! I can hear it all the way from Texas. I agree with you on the UT-USC game. January 05 Closer and closer to transitionWe're just 26 days away from leaving Korea. How will we ever finish everything we must do? Now that time is growing ever shorter, I find myself choosing between priorities. I wish I could clone myself and assign myself to do different tasks, like writing this blog. Alas, I cannot. Fortunately, the most pressing logistics involved with our move have already been set in motion--our trip is booked, my follow-on assignment is set, and the biggest move preparations are already planned, including scheduling the movers and vehicle pickup. Over the next 26 days, we need to focus on all the "little" things, like changing addresses, finishing my job evaluation, and organizing paperwork for our trip. If you've ever moved, which I'm sure you have, you'll understand all that is involved with a move. I've never heard anyone who said anything favorable about moving other than that they're glad when it's over.
What is unique about this lifestyle is that moves happen every two, three, or four years. It's an amazing experience immersing yourself in cultures such as Korea and Paraguay. However, moving around the world nine or ten times over a 25- to 30-year period can be a tremendous grind. This is compounded by the fact that some transitions stretch into months, even years, when training and home leave is involved. For example, we will be on leave for one month, and then we will be in Virginia for four months to study Spanish. During this time, our car and most of our worldly possessions will be boxed up and shipped to Paraguay. For three months, we will live out of suitcases in a furnished apartment in Virginia with no vehicle. Life won't feel "normal" again--if you can call this life "normal"--until next August, after we unpack the belongings that will be shipped from Korea in about three weeks. I shouldn't complain, but it is a sacrifice to live such a transitory lifestyle. I wouldn't trade it for a stable life in suburban America, though. I'm right where I need to be. January 03 Am I supposed to be excited?Having attended the University of Washington and being a proud Husky, I've been told I should never root for cross-state rival Washington State University, home of the Cougars. I don't begrudge the Cougars when they win at sports, even when they beat the Huskies. But as a Vandal who attended the University of Idaho, I cannot be so quick to congratulate the cross-state Boise State University Broncos for winning the biggest football game in Idaho State history. BSU beat Oklahoma 43-42 in the Fiesta Bowl in a game touted by many as one of the greatest bowl games in history. BSU, the cinderella team, beat the Sooners on a trick play in overtime.
'Nuff said. I really should be happy, shouldn't I? I didn't see the game, although I did wonder how it stacks up against last year's Texas-USC game (waiting for Tortmaster to chime in). Some of my high school chums attended Boise State. It brings pride and recognition to a state many people confuse with Iowa (except for Iowans themselves and a few Minnesotans). So should I be proud of the Broncos and say congratulations? No, I really can't, and here's why:
Oh, relax Broncos fans! You know I love you anyway. January 02 Lest you think......that all is hunky dory at home from the rosy imagery painted on this blog, I wanted to point out that it's been a trying few days with our son. He hasn't been feeling well and threw up last night and last Saturday. He seems perfectly fine until around midnight, when everything he consumed during the day came back up. Twice. It was absolutely nasty. Then tonight, at a restaurant, I sat him next to me and tried to be a good dad. All of a sudden, for absolutely no reason, he slammed his head into my mouth, cutting my lip and causing the blood to flow. It still hurts like !@#$, and I now have a nice welt on my mouth. I suppose you could say that illness made him act up, but during times like these, having a child is not much fun. I'm sure things will be better in a few days. For those who wish they had families, be mindful of times like these. You have to take the good with the bad. January 01 Celebrating the New YearLast night my wife and I joined another couple for a New Year's celebration at the Seoul Plaza Hotel located across the street from Seoul City Hall. We had a wonderful view of the festivities taking place in front of the city hall. The evening was elegant and fun. We feasted buffet-style and washed it down with wine. We also enjoyed some entertainment. We sat for a caricature artist who sketched comical renderings of our faces. A magician performed some tricks at our table with coins and cards. Although we couldn't figure out how he created these illusions, I joked that it would have been an even bigger feat if he could magically speak English. We also enjoyed a wonderful a capella quintet that sang a variety of songs in English and Korean, including Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman," one of my personal favorites. At midnight, we rang in the new year with party poppers. Mine was a dud, so I just clapped in lieu of setting off a noisemaker.
Our evening at the Seoul Plaza Hotel wound down about 12:30 a.m. We then walked across the street and mingled amidst the throngs of partygoers who celebrated on the city hall plaza. A rowdy group of people, mostly foreigners, gathered around a Korean hip hop-metal banging out unintelligible tunes. A gaggle of Koreans lit fireworks, setting off noisemakers and Roman candles. It was both dangerous and chaotic, so we circled around the plaza to the outdoor ice rink. Dozens of Koreans etched the ice with their skates. I could almost hear the rink crying for a Zamboni machine to clean the ice.
Last night was the best New Year's celebration we've had since 2002, when we ushered in the new year in Cairo, Egypt at the former royal palace watching Egypt's most famous belly dancer perform over dinner. Nights like these are rare. Our New Year's celebrations are most often spent at home watching "New Year's Rockin' Eve" or some other televised extravaganza.
Blog Notes: I guess that people really do read this blog! Tonight we had some friends over for dinner. One friend who often reads World Adventurers noticed in my entry "Five Things You Don't Know about Me" that I like baked goods, particularly snickerdoodles. She showed up tonight with a plate full of snickerdoodles in tow and told me that she baked them because she read that I like snickerdoodles! How about that? Thank you for the snickerdoodles! I will thoroughly enjoy them. In a few days she will probably read this note and laugh at the irony that I'm thanking her on my blog for noticing!
So the Seattle Seahawks are back in the National Football League playoffs. Unfortunately, they had the worst record of all teams in the playoffs, 9-7, and limped into the playoffs this year after a spectacular 13-3 season last year. No one is holding much hope that they will go far in the playoffs. They face the 10-6 Dallas Cowboys in Seattle next weekend. While they beat the Cowboys last year in Seattle, the Cowboys should have won that game. The 'Hawks will have to play their best ball to beat the 'Boys next weekend. The one silver lining this year--the reigning Superbowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers will be sitting home this playoff season. After so many obnoxious Steelers fans argued that the outcome of the last year's Superbowl was fair and decried Seahawks fans as whiners for pointing out questionable officiating calls made during the game, it's nice to see the Seahawks back in the hunt for a Vince Lombardi trophy this season while Steelers fans sit at home and cry. |
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