With a maximum of seven months left in Korea, I am starting to seriously plan for post Korea, and do what I need to do to transition.
For starters, I finished my last term paper for school, now I only need my dissertation (only) and I am done. That has to be done no later than Sept. 20th, but I hope to finish it a bit earlier.
I have also prepared my CELTA application and sent it off to ILA in Vietnam (the chain school there that hosts them). It is a more practical, month long, intro training course that I really should have done a few years ago, but better late than never. It finishes on Dec. 11th. I really want it done this year so that 2016 can be dedicated to saving and enjoying myself a bit.
Seven months is going to fly by I am sure. But for now, it is another day at Moonkkang.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Sunday, March 29, 2015
A Day Out at Duryu
Having spent Friday and Saturday writing my last course paper, I needed a break. being that Sunday was 22 degrees and sunny, Yen and I decided to visit Duryu park to see the cherry blossoms and enjoy the weather.
We took to subway to Sondangmot, and from there walked a four hour loop around the park, taking a few pictures along the way. It was very crowded (as Korea can be) but still very enjoyable. The cherry blossoms are early this year, given the unseasonably warm weather, and their blooming means that spring is here. I for one am thrilled.
Anyway, a few pics
We took to subway to Sondangmot, and from there walked a four hour loop around the park, taking a few pictures along the way. It was very crowded (as Korea can be) but still very enjoyable. The cherry blossoms are early this year, given the unseasonably warm weather, and their blooming means that spring is here. I for one am thrilled.
Anyway, a few pics
Woobang tower from Sondangmot
flowers
pavilion on what was a dry lake
cherry blossoms
us
more cherry blossoms
a small temple in the park
We had planned to go to WaBar after for a cocktail and fruit platter, but at 530 they were still closed, so we opted for cooking at home. A great Sunday.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
No More Future Shop
I read today on my CBC app that Future Shop has closed across Canada.
I worked at their North and West Van branches for four years through university, with over three at the North Van location.
The West Van one is being converted in to a Best Buy (the parent company) while the North Van one is just being shut down. I am not totally surprised. That location was never great for an electronics shop.
What has me angry, and I mean angry to the point where I will no longer shop at Best Buy, is the way they handled the closures. Employees turned up Saturday morning to find out that they were out of a job. Best Buy was offering them a chance to apply there, but would not guarantee them a job.
What absolute assholes.
The President of Best Buy issued a statement saying that
"Any decisions that impact our people are never taken lightly; our first priority is to support them through this change. I want to express my appreciation to the employees who are leaving, for their contributions to Best Buy Canada."
Bullshit.
You don't give two shits about your employees. If you did you would have told them about your plans and offered as many of them jobs in the new stores as possible.
Some full time staff were offered buyouts, but being that the majority of workers are part time, that isn't a great deal of help to most.
Personally, my memories of working at Future Shop are overwhelmingly positive. Jim Cook remains one of the best bosses and nicest guys I have ever known, and with a bunch of college kids as staff he managed a task that is akin to herding cats. I actually use some of what I learned from him in the classroom (my own herding of cats) and will take some of his management strategies with me to my post Moonkkang job. My old truck unloading partner Allan and I are still good friends, and we met up just a few weeks ago in Lynn Valley when I was back in B.C. We don't talk as often as we should, but I count him among my lifelong friends. There are several others who I keep in regular touch with over facebook, or at least get to stay up to date with their lives. I even wrote a blog about keeping in touch as early as 2010.
When I was there we knew that Best Buy was our parent company, but we were always kept separate. FS rules and standards which were, given the fact that it was low wage student work, fantastic. Furthermore, the guys selling merchandise made great coin and had a career. You could support a family on what they made. How many retailers still offer that in Canada?
So with that company goes a lot of memories, some good, some not so good, some moderately embarrassing and a few that are great.
The way staff was let go also ensures I am a lifelong shopper at London Drugs, Canadian Tire or Amazon.ca. No way those fucknuts are getting any of my money.
I worked at their North and West Van branches for four years through university, with over three at the North Van location.
The West Van one is being converted in to a Best Buy (the parent company) while the North Van one is just being shut down. I am not totally surprised. That location was never great for an electronics shop.
What has me angry, and I mean angry to the point where I will no longer shop at Best Buy, is the way they handled the closures. Employees turned up Saturday morning to find out that they were out of a job. Best Buy was offering them a chance to apply there, but would not guarantee them a job.
What absolute assholes.
The President of Best Buy issued a statement saying that
"Any decisions that impact our people are never taken lightly; our first priority is to support them through this change. I want to express my appreciation to the employees who are leaving, for their contributions to Best Buy Canada."
Bullshit.
You don't give two shits about your employees. If you did you would have told them about your plans and offered as many of them jobs in the new stores as possible.
Some full time staff were offered buyouts, but being that the majority of workers are part time, that isn't a great deal of help to most.
Personally, my memories of working at Future Shop are overwhelmingly positive. Jim Cook remains one of the best bosses and nicest guys I have ever known, and with a bunch of college kids as staff he managed a task that is akin to herding cats. I actually use some of what I learned from him in the classroom (my own herding of cats) and will take some of his management strategies with me to my post Moonkkang job. My old truck unloading partner Allan and I are still good friends, and we met up just a few weeks ago in Lynn Valley when I was back in B.C. We don't talk as often as we should, but I count him among my lifelong friends. There are several others who I keep in regular touch with over facebook, or at least get to stay up to date with their lives. I even wrote a blog about keeping in touch as early as 2010.
When I was there we knew that Best Buy was our parent company, but we were always kept separate. FS rules and standards which were, given the fact that it was low wage student work, fantastic. Furthermore, the guys selling merchandise made great coin and had a career. You could support a family on what they made. How many retailers still offer that in Canada?
So with that company goes a lot of memories, some good, some not so good, some moderately embarrassing and a few that are great.
The way staff was let go also ensures I am a lifelong shopper at London Drugs, Canadian Tire or Amazon.ca. No way those fucknuts are getting any of my money.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Getting Ready for April
Well the VERY lean month of March is finally coming to an end. I can't say I'll miss it. This month was hit with a few extra expenses just as I sent the bulk of my saving to Birmingham and Air Busan. Yikes.
I sent off to Air Busan, because I am spending three nights in Tokyo in April. I plan to meet people and do a bit of sightseeing. Plus I have never been to the city before, so that'll be fun. I am going with Bobby, who is ending his seven week Korean sendoff there. His adventures, including Australia, Korea and Japan are great in their own right, and I think he should write it all down too (hint hint). It is also a weird trip for me because it is the last trip I have planned without Yen. Actually this trip is a tad selfish on my part (cash and I know she wants to see Japan too), but it is only 3 nights, and I really want to do something like this with Bobby before he takes off, cause who knows when I'll see him again. I am also excited to be staying in a capsule hotel while I am there. Cheap option in Tokyo and I feel like it is something I have to do while I am there, and I think that the next time I will be in Japan that sort of bachelor accommodation will not be an option.
Other than Tokyo the only news is that the weather is finally turning spring after a relatively mild winter. Tomorrow is supposed to hit 22. I can live with that. I've been running regularly now and am already losing some of that weight I gained in 2014. It looks like the Daejeon 5km may not work out, so I am looking for something in Daegu or Busan. My shoulder is also at the point where I am lifting again, though admittedly less than half of what I was doing a while ago. Zeke is on a similar routine of cardio and light weight with more reps that he was telling me about and seems like a solid routine. I plan to do something similar, but with a way stronger focus on cardio to burn fat.
This weekend will mostly be spent finishing my last course paper for Birmingham. It is due on Tuesday but I want to have it off by Monday, so that I can have a week to relax before my dissertation starts. I have mixed feeling about this paper, which given my track record at school might be a good thing. Papers I haven't been happy with have usually received better grades than papers I have been very proud of (my best paper got by far my worst grade, and I'll stand by that forever). So the fact that I have mixed feelings on this one may be a good sign.
I sent off to Air Busan, because I am spending three nights in Tokyo in April. I plan to meet people and do a bit of sightseeing. Plus I have never been to the city before, so that'll be fun. I am going with Bobby, who is ending his seven week Korean sendoff there. His adventures, including Australia, Korea and Japan are great in their own right, and I think he should write it all down too (hint hint). It is also a weird trip for me because it is the last trip I have planned without Yen. Actually this trip is a tad selfish on my part (cash and I know she wants to see Japan too), but it is only 3 nights, and I really want to do something like this with Bobby before he takes off, cause who knows when I'll see him again. I am also excited to be staying in a capsule hotel while I am there. Cheap option in Tokyo and I feel like it is something I have to do while I am there, and I think that the next time I will be in Japan that sort of bachelor accommodation will not be an option.
Other than Tokyo the only news is that the weather is finally turning spring after a relatively mild winter. Tomorrow is supposed to hit 22. I can live with that. I've been running regularly now and am already losing some of that weight I gained in 2014. It looks like the Daejeon 5km may not work out, so I am looking for something in Daegu or Busan. My shoulder is also at the point where I am lifting again, though admittedly less than half of what I was doing a while ago. Zeke is on a similar routine of cardio and light weight with more reps that he was telling me about and seems like a solid routine. I plan to do something similar, but with a way stronger focus on cardio to burn fat.
This weekend will mostly be spent finishing my last course paper for Birmingham. It is due on Tuesday but I want to have it off by Monday, so that I can have a week to relax before my dissertation starts. I have mixed feeling about this paper, which given my track record at school might be a good thing. Papers I haven't been happy with have usually received better grades than papers I have been very proud of (my best paper got by far my worst grade, and I'll stand by that forever). So the fact that I have mixed feelings on this one may be a good sign.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Air Raid
A few days ago, the US/Korean forces stages another of their war games. It had something to do with air defense, and the drills could be heard all over the city. Traffic stopped for about 20 minutes.
Here is some video from my balcony. File this under things I won't miss.
Here is some video from my balcony. File this under things I won't miss.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Warm Days
This unseasonably warm spring weather is just what I needed. High teens and sunny, so naturally I am inside on my computer?
I have just finished skyping with Kurt, who I have known for over five years. We met in Daegu in 2010. He has just moved to North Carolina, and seems to be doing great. It is always fun to talk to someone you haven't talked to in a while, especially when you are both doing well. We also share many opinions on various aspects of life, our time in Korea, our futures etc.
I am also getting ready to submit my final term paper for school. I should do it by next Monday (30th). After that I only have my final, 12,000 word paper left and I am finished school. Yeah, just that..... I want to finish that sooner rather than later, as I do want a couple of months free before I leave Korea. However, I am still not sure when I'll be finished paying for it all.
For now, I'll just enjoy this unseasonably warm March.
I have just finished skyping with Kurt, who I have known for over five years. We met in Daegu in 2010. He has just moved to North Carolina, and seems to be doing great. It is always fun to talk to someone you haven't talked to in a while, especially when you are both doing well. We also share many opinions on various aspects of life, our time in Korea, our futures etc.
I am also getting ready to submit my final term paper for school. I should do it by next Monday (30th). After that I only have my final, 12,000 word paper left and I am finished school. Yeah, just that..... I want to finish that sooner rather than later, as I do want a couple of months free before I leave Korea. However, I am still not sure when I'll be finished paying for it all.
For now, I'll just enjoy this unseasonably warm March.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
No More Shadow
I was saddened, nay devastated, to read yesterday that the Burnaby Mountain Shadow is closing.... to make way for townhouses.
Just when I think I love Vancouver. The Yuppies Strike Back.
The Shadow was a bit of an institution at the base of Burnaby Mountain. It was a hang out for SFU students, including myself. I had at least one birthday party there, and got in to the sort of trouble that only dumb college kids get in to. I actually never liked the ski resort motif it had, but the place, which has been there serving SFU students and seconding as a neighbourhood pub, has been an institution since 1980.
There is a campaign to save it in some form, be it as a pub with soundproofing, a community centre, or a museum. But if it is not a pub I don't really see a point. Also, most of the noise was outside the place, as University kids spilled out at 2am to stumble up the mountain to the University dorms or waited for a cab or a friend to pick them up. I guess I can see why some people would not appreciate the noise, but lets be honest here, if you bought a house next to a pub you don't have much of a right to complain about the noise. Earplugs people.
I missed going the last time I was in Vancouver, as Burnaby is a bit of a mission and I only had two weeks. Now I really wish I had gone. I went back once in 2011, and I guess that'll be the last time. I guess though, that it is a place that lives in my 2006-2008 memories. I guess I am okay with that, though its closing is the end of an era at SFU.
Just when I think I love Vancouver. The Yuppies Strike Back.
The Shadow was a bit of an institution at the base of Burnaby Mountain. It was a hang out for SFU students, including myself. I had at least one birthday party there, and got in to the sort of trouble that only dumb college kids get in to. I actually never liked the ski resort motif it had, but the place, which has been there serving SFU students and seconding as a neighbourhood pub, has been an institution since 1980.
There is a campaign to save it in some form, be it as a pub with soundproofing, a community centre, or a museum. But if it is not a pub I don't really see a point. Also, most of the noise was outside the place, as University kids spilled out at 2am to stumble up the mountain to the University dorms or waited for a cab or a friend to pick them up. I guess I can see why some people would not appreciate the noise, but lets be honest here, if you bought a house next to a pub you don't have much of a right to complain about the noise. Earplugs people.
I missed going the last time I was in Vancouver, as Burnaby is a bit of a mission and I only had two weeks. Now I really wish I had gone. I went back once in 2011, and I guess that'll be the last time. I guess though, that it is a place that lives in my 2006-2008 memories. I guess I am okay with that, though its closing is the end of an era at SFU.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
My Last Winter in Korea is Over?
My last Korean winter seems to by dying a quick death this year (knock on wood). Today is supposed to top out at 21 here in Daegu, and while it feels a whole lot more like 16 that is still wonderful after three months of bitterly cold weather. It is still getting cold at night, so my winter jacket may have a few more weeks of service, but the worst is certainly passed us by.
I read an article on the CBC that claimed that up to a third of people suffer seasonal depression. I don't remember it as much in Vancouver but certainly notice it here.
But with last Saturday spent with Zeke on a patio (admittedly with jackets on) and today warm enough to just have a sweater things are looking up. Only six weeks til May and summer heat.
Gwangju Conference
This weekend Mike and I presented again in Gwangju, for the regional KOTESOL Conference.
I have never actually been to Gwangju before, so it was cool to be in the last of the big eight cities, even if only for a few hours. Part of the reason I have never been was that getting there is a mission. Four hours on a bus from Daegu.
But I got there and we presented to an even bigger audience, which was great. I wasn't able to hang around much, as we were staying with Darren in Daejeon (two hours north) that night, so I arrived at 2, presented at 330, and was on a 530 train. Still, well worth the effort. It was a great crowd and there was certainly more debate than last time. I was also a little off compared to the first one, owing, I am sure, to the long travel day. Glad to have done it though.
In Daejeon we met, had a couple of beers and a huge dinner. I think a day of travel and very little food followed by a massive, greasy meal was not a great idea, but it was still good to get out. Daejeon is always a fun time, and even though I would have loved to explore more of Gwangju, the money and energy just wasn't there. I do plan to see that part of the country on a three day weekend this summer, so I will be back I am sure. It doesn't seem all that much different than any other Korean city to be honest, but any big city is fun for a night.
Anyway, a fun weekend, but it is Monday morning and I am still tired.
I have never actually been to Gwangju before, so it was cool to be in the last of the big eight cities, even if only for a few hours. Part of the reason I have never been was that getting there is a mission. Four hours on a bus from Daegu.
But I got there and we presented to an even bigger audience, which was great. I wasn't able to hang around much, as we were staying with Darren in Daejeon (two hours north) that night, so I arrived at 2, presented at 330, and was on a 530 train. Still, well worth the effort. It was a great crowd and there was certainly more debate than last time. I was also a little off compared to the first one, owing, I am sure, to the long travel day. Glad to have done it though.
In Daejeon we met, had a couple of beers and a huge dinner. I think a day of travel and very little food followed by a massive, greasy meal was not a great idea, but it was still good to get out. Daejeon is always a fun time, and even though I would have loved to explore more of Gwangju, the money and energy just wasn't there. I do plan to see that part of the country on a three day weekend this summer, so I will be back I am sure. It doesn't seem all that much different than any other Korean city to be honest, but any big city is fun for a night.
Anyway, a fun weekend, but it is Monday morning and I am still tired.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Spring. Presentations and Travels
Well it is too soon to say it is warm, but with Sundays high in Daegu forecast to be 20 degrees, it certainly isn't winter anymore (still down to almost freezing overnight). I am excited to put my last Korean winter behind me, for reasons I have talked about endlessly.
This spring starts with my second conference presentation, which I am again doing with Mike. Last time, we did it in Daejeon, which was a huge success. This time it will be in Gwangju, a city that I have never actually visited. Darren is again coming to take some pics and for moral support, which is wonderful. I was hoping to get some time to explore Gwangju, but with a 330 time slot for our presentation, combined with a 3.5 hour bus ride, and finances that are stretched further than they have been at any point since I arrived in Korea, we decided to take Darren up on an offer for a place to stay in Daejeon. That does necessitate another hour and forty five minute train ride after the presentation, but it means I only have a forty five minute commute home on Sunday, and a free lace to stay.
Besides, I haven't had a bad night in Daejeon yet.
Also, Gwangju in itself isn't exactly a tourist city. My understanding is that it has all the tall grey buildings and small bars and restaurants of every other major Korean city. It is what surrounds the city that is worth exploring, and with virtually everything on by Korean bucket list located in and around Gwangju I am sure I'll be back in the summer for a three day weekend.
Otherwise things are about the same. My brother is off to SE Asia for four months, and while I would love to meet up with him I am not sure finances will allow it. I am already in Tokyo next month and Yen and I are in the Philippines for a week in July. Then there is school. Yikes! But he is visiting many places I have been and wish to see again before I return to Canada. I haven't been in Bangkok in over five years. How life flies by.
I am also running 5km now, albeit on a treadmill. Looking for a 5-10k run this summer or fall. Burn off my injury ridden 2014. Arm is even doing well enough to allow lifting, even if it is only with the children's sized weights.
This spring starts with my second conference presentation, which I am again doing with Mike. Last time, we did it in Daejeon, which was a huge success. This time it will be in Gwangju, a city that I have never actually visited. Darren is again coming to take some pics and for moral support, which is wonderful. I was hoping to get some time to explore Gwangju, but with a 330 time slot for our presentation, combined with a 3.5 hour bus ride, and finances that are stretched further than they have been at any point since I arrived in Korea, we decided to take Darren up on an offer for a place to stay in Daejeon. That does necessitate another hour and forty five minute train ride after the presentation, but it means I only have a forty five minute commute home on Sunday, and a free lace to stay.
Besides, I haven't had a bad night in Daejeon yet.
Also, Gwangju in itself isn't exactly a tourist city. My understanding is that it has all the tall grey buildings and small bars and restaurants of every other major Korean city. It is what surrounds the city that is worth exploring, and with virtually everything on by Korean bucket list located in and around Gwangju I am sure I'll be back in the summer for a three day weekend.
Otherwise things are about the same. My brother is off to SE Asia for four months, and while I would love to meet up with him I am not sure finances will allow it. I am already in Tokyo next month and Yen and I are in the Philippines for a week in July. Then there is school. Yikes! But he is visiting many places I have been and wish to see again before I return to Canada. I haven't been in Bangkok in over five years. How life flies by.
I am also running 5km now, albeit on a treadmill. Looking for a 5-10k run this summer or fall. Burn off my injury ridden 2014. Arm is even doing well enough to allow lifting, even if it is only with the children's sized weights.
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