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3月29日 To write or not to write?Once again, it's about 11 p.m., and I'm mulling whether to post a blog entry or continue studying Spanish until about midnight or 12:30 p.m., when I usually drag my keister to bed. Lately I've decided to forego blogging in the interest of learning Spanish, an endeavor I am thoroughly enjoying. Tonight I decided to take a break and blog for a change. So what should I write about tonight? What could I write that would be remotely interesting that I haven't written about in the past? Would you care, Dear Reader? Another blogger I knew in Seoul mentioned that she doesn't blog unless she has something noteworthy to share. More recently, I met a colleague here in Virginia who told me that he once had a blog but quit because he didn't have time to maintain it.
Many bloggers face an ongoing dilemma, particularly those who are busy and/or have been writing their blogs for a long time. Blogging requires updates, and good blogging means that you should write something your audience actually wants to read. I've struggled with this dilemma lately, because I've been writing World Adventurers for almost 2.5 years and haven't had much time to blog. I come up with new blog topics almost daily, but I forget to recall them when it comes time to blog. I suppose that lately I've decided not to blog because I did not want to force myself to come up with something less than riveting to share. Tonight I decided to share this dilemma on the off chance that you would curious as to why I haven't written much lately. There are many things I would like to share, deeper thoughts about life, love, happiness, and a bunch of topics related to technology, investing, and travel, among others. Unfortunately, I never have more than about half an hour to spew forth these thoughts on this blog. I thought that four months in the U.S. would give me a reprieve from the treadmill of life, but language study has sopped up most of my downtime. I'll continue to write as much as I can and choose topics that I can turn into condensd soundbites and infomercials. 3月26日 Inside North KoreaMy eyes and ears still perk up whenever I see or hear something about the Koreas. This video clip showing footage of life inside North Korea produced by National Geographic is absolutely heartbreaking. No explanation needed. Watch it for yourself before it's yanked off YouTube for copyright violation or another reason.
Life never seems so bad whenever I watch video footage or see photos from North Korea. 3月22日 Do they ever get out of Davos?On March 1 the World Economic Forum (WEF) based in Davos, Switzerland announced its inaugural survey on worldwide travel and competitiveness. Not surprisingly, European countries dominate the list of twenty most competitive nations when it comes to travel and tourism. I would venture to guess that the Swiss-based WEF was a bit biased when it ranked Switzerland at the top of the list. If you've ever traveled in Switzerland on a limited budget, you'll probably remember a few moments when you told yourself, "Why is it so expensive here?" or wonder why it feels so darn sterile. I'm also surprised that the WEF considers the United States the fifth most competitive nation. Considering the U.S.'s size, diversity, and the fact that it beat out usual suspects Sweden, Holland, France, Germany, Italy, among others, the United States could quite possibly be the world's most competitive nation in terms of travel and tourism if geographic factors are taken into consideration. If you've ever stayed in Europe at a budget motel with chipped marble, aged Renaissance-era, faux-baroque furnishings, and corroded pipes, you'll understand why the average U.S. hotel beats a European hotel any day.
This survey piqued my interest because I wondered where our past destination, Korea, and our future destination, Paraguay, ranked in this survey. They were listed as #42 and #111, respectively. In East Asia, Korea is less competitive than #25 Japan and #30 Taiwan, R.O.C., but it is more competitive than #72 China. The Korea Tourism Organization might agree, because it is constantly wondering how to get more tourists to pay attention to Korea. Surprisingly, China is less competitive than #65 India, which I find hard to believe given India's infrastructure woes and inadequate lodging options.
In South America, Paraguay finished last in terms of competitiveness in travel and tourism. This is not surprising until one considers that Bolivia (#109) and Guyana (#100) finished ahead of Paraguay. Guyana? In addition, the WEF ranked Tajikistan just ahead of Paraguay (#110). When one considers that the U.S. Department of State's hardship differential for Paraguay is 10% and 35% for Tajikistan and that Tajikistan's increased from 25% to 35% in 2006, one must conclude that the WEF's survey results are inconclusive or that they only apply to short-term tour and travel (hardship differential represents the perceived hardship of a locale relative to life in the United States). Fortunately, the WEF had the common sense not to rank Chad (#124) higher than dead last on its list...at least this year.
We will be on tour in Paraguay, albeit for two years. I was disappointed to see it ranked so low. I feel defensive when it comes to Paraguay, and I've never been there. It really can't be that bad, can it? Sometimes--not always--a tourist destination is what you make it. You can have a good trip or a bad trip depending on your own attitude. Sure, Paraguay might not be on the top of my list of must-see tourist havens, but then again, neither are many of the countries listed ahead of Paraguay. Regardless of what the prognosticators in Davos think as they analyze the world from their ivory towers, sipping their glasses of 1993 Bordeaux Château d'Eau Contraire as they listen to the sounds of yodeling emanating from their sauve Alpine valleys, I'm planning to enjoy the country as much as I possibly can.
For more information on the results of this survey, visit:
It sure beats studying an Asian language!One of the derivative consequences of spending seven years studying East Asian languages is that when you study virtually any other foreign language, you find it inherently easier to learn the language. After spending four years studying Chinese and three years studying Korean and using it in Korea, I absolutely love learning Spanish. When I studied Korean and Chinese, I found myself continually procrastinating and finding excuses not to study. My present experience studying Spanish is much different. Perhaps in a couple of months when I take my Spanish language exam my perspective might change, or maybe when I dig further into the language I'll find Spanish progressively frustrating. I doubt it. I get Spanish, and thanks to Korean, I'm thoroughly enjoying language learning for the first time in years. I may still have a ways to go until I am fluent, but at least I "get" Spanish. That's more than I could say for at least a year after I started learning Korean and Chinese.
This is especially true of Korean. Along with Chinese, Arabic, and Japanese, the Korean language is considered one of the four most difficult languages for native English speakers to learn. Korean gets an asterick for being especially difficult to speak. The Korean alphabet (hangeul) is much easier to learn than the other three languages. Korean grammar is more difficult than either Chinese or Arabic (I've heard), and it is on par with Japanese. However, Korean pronunciation is more difficult than Japanese. It's not a tonal language like Chinese, but it has inflections that Japanese does not. I digress. The point is that going from studying one of the most difficult languages, one that can leave a student feeling utterly stupefied, to studying one of the languages considered easiest to learn is cathartic. I get Spanish, and it feels great. It's nice to be able to carry on complex conversations using a steady stream of English cognates rather than struggling to put together simple sentences using words you struggle to recall.
I built a foreign language dictionary database using Microsoft Access to help me learn Korean, and I modified it to learn Spanish. I am surprised at how many words were missing from the database, basic words one needs to know to adequately speak a language. The Spanish dictionary I'm building now is much more comprehensive. When I learned Korean, I felt (rightly) that my vocabulary was inadequate. I'm determined not to make the same mistake in my Spanish studies. Every day I try to learn 40-50 new words. I'm also trying to change bad habits by focusing more on listening and reading comprehension and watching programs, such as the educational telenovela "Destinos."
While I have less than three months to achieve proficiency in Spanish, I'm confident that I can do it. After just 2.5 weeks, my Spanish is much improved. What a difference a language can make. 3月20日 The "Paraguay" DietNow that life is starting to settle down here in Virginia, I've focused more on getting in shape. Once upon a time, I thought rather foolishly that I could go on the "Korean" diet and miraculously lose weight. What's the "Korean"diet? Well, I'm not quite sure--I never figured it out. It's essentially the contention that most Koreans are in decent shape, despite the fact that Korean food--at least what you buy in the restaurant--is rather fattening, and not a few Koreans smoke, drink, and work too much (read: sit most of the day at a desk). I assumed that if I acted Korean, at least in terms of consumption and activity, I too would lose weight. Au contraire (that's French, not Korean). I gained weight. Someone let me know that Korean physiology lends itself to thinness, and I am of stout Anglo-Scandinavian stock that gravitates towards rotundity and portliness.
So the "Korean" diet didn't work. Now that we are headed to Paraguay, I decided to go on the "Paraguay" diet. So, what's that? Well, it doesn't have anything to do with the cuisine. As I understand it, Paraguayan cuisine is rife with red meat (read: beef) and starch (something called "sopa," a potato-ish vegetable). The "Paraguay" diet has more to do with having a significantly heightened level of physical activity. The January edition of the Foreign Service Journal rated Asunción, Paraguay one of the worst Foreign Service posts because it is so "boring." (That is obviously an unscientific observation by someone who either doesn't get out enough or needs to find some new hobbies.) Frankly, boring is fine with me. Boredom is preferrable to bullets, blackouts, blizzards, and excessive beasties found at some posts worldwide. It lets me focus on the "Paraguay" diet; that is, fill the down time with physical activity that necessitates the slendering of my body.
Whereas the "Korean" diet focused on what I eat, the "Paraguay" diet focuses on what I do. I've never found that dieting helps me lose weight, unless I completely cut out eating sugary foods. My body responds much better to physical activity and beating it into submission by working out until I am sore (like today, when I rode my repaired bicycle back and forth from home to work. I've already started the "Paraguay" diet by doing sit ups, cycling, and walking as much as possible. I bought a pedometer to measure my caloric burn rate, but so far, it's been disappointing. It's disheartening killing yourself to burn 300 calories. I'm hoping that by the time I arrive in Paraguay I will be so far along on my regimen that it will be easy to continue; bad streets, cobblestones, tropical weather, and petty theft be damned! 3月17日 A rave for NetflixMy wife and I sat down to watch a video for the first time since I can remember. We watched "The Devil Wears Prada," a cute movie about the cutthroat fashion industry. While the movie was fun, I was more impressed by Netflix.com. I signed us up for Netflix, the online video rental site, because we don't have a motor vehicle here in Virginia and don't have easy pedestrian access to a video store. Plus, I suspect that we won't have access in Paraguay to a good, convenient video store stocked with English-language Hollywood videos, so I thought that Netflix would fit the bill. If you already use Netflix, you know the drill. You make a list of videos you want to see, rank them, and Netflix will ship them to you based on the subscription plan you choose. After you watch one, you mail it back in the free mailer Netflix provides, and Netflix will send you your next video. While the price comes to about $3.00 per DVD, not exactly a bargain, it's worthwhile to subscribe to Netflix when you are living overseas or don't have easy access to a video store. Plus, with 75,000 titles, it's fairly easy to find movies you want to watch. Most video stores carry far fewer titles. Of course, a search for the movie "The Honorary Consul" turned up empty, but I was able to find "Moon over Parador" on Netflix (both movies prominently feature Paraguay).
I remember times when I would walk around the New Release section of a video store and scratch my head looking for something to watch. Friday nights were especially trying. I could always find copies of "Vampire Girls from Mars" and its ilk, but who wants to waste money on leftover videos? I would much rather go online, make a list of videos I want to watch, pick them up in the mail, send them back by mail when they're done, and pay by credit card. So, I'm sold. Netflix should work out just fine. 3月16日 Happy St. Paddy's DayHas it already been five days since my last post? Wow, time flies. Lately the time seems to pass exponentially faster.
Lately, I suppose that's a good thing! On Tuesday I attempted to ride my bicycle to work, and just before I arrived, the bike's back tire blew out when I hit a pothole. Things went downhill from there. I fell ill yesterday after overdoing it with inoculations. I need to be vaccinated for a variety of viral baddies, including typhoid, yellow fever, and rabies. Shots are quite common in this line of work, but these ones hit me particularly hard. I asked the nurse whether I would be adversely affected by taking multiple vaccinations simultaneously, and she said it shouldn't be a problem. Um, maybe not! Then, when she injected me with the first in a series of rabies shots, I overheard her say, "That didn't go in quite right." Um, yeah, that's probably an understatement! I think the needle hit a nerve as it entered my arm, and my arm has been both numb and sore since then. The internal trauma affected the rest of my body, because I felt so badly that I went home early today after moping around the training center for a couple of hours. My good friend Matt, bless his heart, was there to give me a ride home. I didn't expect a few shots to do such bodily damage, but then again, injecting weak viruses and other medicinal concoctions in one's body can't be good in the short term. Except for a couple dinners with friends, we're spending a quiet weekend at home. That's good. I can recuperate and study some Spanish and spend time with my family.
The weather is also atrocious. It poured rain this morning, and tonight it is snowing. Weather tends to affect people's moods, and I'm no exception. Snow may be good on the ski slopes, but it ain't fun when you're stuck at home or commuting. Now that my bicycle is fixed and has two new bulbous tires better equipped for urban street obstacles, I am equipped to ride again. I can't though until the weather and my health improves.
On a happy note, I spent an hour with my Spanish teacher conversing in Spanish and was happy with the results. My Spanish is improving quickly. My experience studying Spanish has been much better than when I studied Korean three years ago.
Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day. A friend of mine sent me this Irish greeting. I'm passing it on to you. Here's to wishing you a happier tomorrow!
3月11日 ¿El Nuevo Chávez?Now that I'm back language training in Washington, D.C., I'm spending a considerable amount of time studying Spanish. In fact, it seems as if lately the only writing I've done has been in Spanish. Although I'm making progress with my language study, I am still at the intermediate level. I have a good grasp of complex Spanish vocabulary, but my grammar is still very poor. Every day I will write a short summary of a news article in Spanish for class, and after I correct it, I'll post it for you to read. If you know Spanish, you will probably dissect it and realize just how poor I am in Spanish. If you don't know Spanish, you may be able to get the gist of the article by noting the over-reliance on English cognates. Either way, I hope you get something out of it. As long as I'm writing these summaries, I might as well post them for you to enjoy or to edit.
This first summary discusses an article I read in The Economist last week. The article talks about Father Lugo, a former Catholic cleric who is a possible presidential contender. Paraguayan presidential elections will be held in 2008. The Economist article I cited is located at http://www.economist.com/world/la/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8670481.
¿El Nuevo Chávez?
Próximo año la gente de Paraguay ha a elegir un nuevo presidente. Padre Lugo, un clérigo católica trabajaron en San Pedro, un área de Paraguay muy pobre, recientemente dejó el clero y entró los políticos a hacerle el nueve presidente de Paraguay. Todavía el no declaró su candidatura oficialmente, pero algunos partidos de la oposición política desean a hacerle su candidato en el próximo elección presidencial. Muchos paraguayos le gustan, así que es posible era el próximo presidente de Paraguay. Porque Padre Lugo admira el presidente de Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, y el Paraguay, algunas piensen que si Padre Lugo era el nueve presidente, el sistema político y económico de Paraguay transformeré mucho. 3月8日 Burn calories, not gasWe arrived in Washington, D.C. without motorized vehicle in tow. The car we shipped to Korea is now on a ship in the Pacific Ocean bound for a U.S. port where it will sit for three months until it heads by ship once again to Paraguay. We explored the option of taking it out of storage to use during our four-month tenure in the United States, but we were told that the cost will only be covered for a single destination. If we wanted to divert the car from its journey to Paraguay, we could do so, but we would have to cover the cost to ship it again from Washington to Paraguay. We didn't even check to see how much that would cost--most likely astronomical.
So now we're hoofing it here in Virginia, so to speak. Although a shuttle runs from our apartment complex directly to work, for the most part we're on our own. Ironically, our former neighbors in Seoul are now living in the same complex, and once again they're graciously offering to let us use their car, just as they did when we first arrived in Korea. I appreciate the gesture but feel a bit awkward following them around the world and using their automobile. Nah, I've adopted a "feet first" philosophy here. When possible, I shall walk. The weather hasn't been so good (it snowed yesterday), so our movements are a bit restricted, but I did manage to find out that our apartment is one hour and 15 minutes from work while dressed in business casual and carrying about 40 pounds.
Without a vehicle we sacrifice some mobility and need to be more flexible and strategic when planning ahead, but we make up for this by burning more calories, burning less gasoline (Conservatives, read "save money," liberals, read "help the environment"), and reducing our automobile budget, particularly maintenance. It's a win-win proposition. We need a car in Paraguay, and we needed a car while living in Seoul, but Washington is a pedestrian-friendly city. Whether it's the Metro, the bus system, or a relatively straightforward grid design, Washington makes it easier to eliminate the need for an automobile. It would be easier if we lived near a Metro station, but our apartment's shuttle system is more than adequate. That's fine--I'd rather walk. 3月7日 Time, strength and moneyIt snowed today in Washington. It was a good day to reflect on something other than my never-ending to-do list, so I pondered three things that people are often preoccupied with, time, money, and strength. When you're young, you have plenty of time and strength but no money. This is my son's case. When you're in your prime years, you tend to have money and strength but no time. That's me. When you're in your twilight years, you have time and hopefully have money, but you often don't have strength. That's my grandmother, whom I visited in Montana a few weeks ago. She is in her mid-90's and wheelchair-bound. It would be nice to have more of all three in order to enjoy life more. Sometimes we trade one or more of these for the other; for example, we sometimes pay someone to do a task for us to buy us some more time. Or we let our strength escape us because we are so focused on making money that we have no time for strength. Or we spend so much time on other pursuits that we end up broke and/or without strength. I think a balance between all three is best.
Blog Notes: I didn't really have time to write this tonight, and it isn't one of my finest entries, but I am determined to make time to blog. If we don't take the time to do what we want to do that will help us enjoy life, what makes life worth living? 3月6日 Greetings from WashingtonWe have arrived in Washington--the other one. I haven't had much time to blog lately because of our transition to the Washington, D.C. We are doing fine. I will write more as soon as I can, but suffice it to say, things are moving very fast right now. We settled into our apartment in Virginia last Saturday, and our air freight shipment from Korea is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Navigating the area without an automobile has been a challenge but is manageable so far. More to follow, but I wanted to let you know that we arrived and are now back in the United States. |
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