Something About Nothing

2011 KOTESOL NatCon

2011-05-14T04:40:00.002+09:00

Something About Years

2008-02-24T22:23:00.002+09:00

On February 25th, 2003, I arrived at Incheon International Airport in South Korea. A day earlier I had told my parents that I would "only be staying for one, maybe two years." Well, Monday marks my 5 year mark. It truly doesn't seem like it's been that long. What have I done in that 5 year period?

February 2003-May 2004

Taught at Kid's Herald School in Noeun Dong, Daejeon
Spent Chusack in Japan with Jesse and Liz
Spent the Chinese New Year in The Philippines
Went home to Canada for a few weeks.

June 2004-July 2007

Taught at Little English School in Nonsan
Spent Chusack 2004 in China
Spent the 2005 Chinese New Year in Singapore
Went home to Canada for a couple of weeks in the summer of 2005
Spent Chusack 2005 in Hong Kong
Went to Vietnam and Cambodia for week in the summer of 2006
Spent Chusack 2006 (plus an extra week) in Canada

August 2007

Worked at a summer camp in Ilsan

September 2007 -

Began teaching at Woosong University in Daejeon

Now the big question: How much longer will I stay? The answer: At least another 2 years. I'll be doing my master's degree in TESOL while I teach at Woosong. The coursework starts next week and the entire degree will take 4 semesters to complete.

Other than that, there's nothing much else new going on. I'm hoping to go to Thailand for a couple of weeks this summer and will definitely be going home for Christmas again this year.

Something About Being Home for Christmas

2007-11-07T13:33:00.001+09:00

Well, for the first time since 2002, I'll be home for Christmas! I land in Toronto on Saturday, December 15 at 3:30 p.m. and go back to Korea on January 5 at 9:00 a.m. . I can't wait to get home!

Something About Korean Speech Contests

2007-10-21T07:50:00.001+09:00

I participated in a Korean speech contest on Saturday. I knew my lines but stumbled on the stage. I got fourth place but I don't think I deserved. Oh, well. It just gives me more motivation to study harder.

Something About News Tidbits

2007-10-12T12:27:00.000+09:00

Alright, I know it's been a while since my last post, but I've finally found a couple of things to post about.

As most of my Canadian counterparts know, the Ontario Liberals just swept another provincial election. My political passion rests in the federal kind. I personally don't care about provincial politics. One thing that did catch my attention, and obviously a lot of peoples, was John Tory's proposal of provincially funded "faith-based" schools. It does make me scratch my head as to why those of the Catholic faith are able to enjoy government funded schools while all others are left in the cold. After graduating from a Christian elementary school as well as university you would think I would be all for the idea. The fact is that I don't support the idea of government funded faith-based schools. We all know that a government involved with funding faith-based schools will want to be involved in more ways than just financial support. I think the government should steer well clear of these schools. When the government is involved the schools will not be able to run it's programs they way they wish to.

Another thing that caught my attention was that of our precious penny. A new poll shows that 64 per cent of us wouldn't dig into the couch to salvage a coin that had fallen from our pockets. The federal government is trying decide whether they should ditch the penny or not. Well, they are very dirty and it costs almost 1 cent to produce each one. They way I see it, we should keep the penny not because of it's physical value but more for it's psychological value. Would you rather buy something for 99 cents or $1? That measly penny changes your perception of the products value. We can see the same result in things that cost $1.99 as apposed to $2, $1.49 as apposed to $1.50, etc. There will be a lot of price tags thrown in the garbage if the penny is taken out of circulation.

Another thing to consider about the penny is the matter of our sales tax. With the current sales tax in Ontario standing at %14 (GST+PST) surely we need at least a few of those pennies in our pockets. If you buy something for $1, the total will come to $1.14. If the penny is non-existent, how you pay/receive change for this purchase? The only way around it is if you do what the Koreans do and include the sales tax with each product. The price on the sticker is the price you pay the cashier. Simple as that.

Something About Summer Camp

2007-08-17T21:46:00.000+09:00

I realize I haven't blogged for quite some time now. Maybe that's because I've been so busy I keep forgetting what day it is. For the past 4 weeks I've been teaching at Junior Elite English Camp in Ilsan, just north of Seoul. It has been a very hectic schedule: Monday-Saturday from 9:30-4:30. I usually get to the university at 8:45 and leave by 6:00. That's not including the stuff I'm doing for the camp once I get home. I am so freaking exhausted! I've posted some pics here and here. Despite the busyness I've been having a great time and have met some really cool people.

In other news, my passport has yet to arrive. If you've been following my blogs you'll know that I had to renew it a while ago. The new passport arrived at my old school in Nonsan but I have still to receive it in Ilsan. This is a very stressful situation given that I have non-refundable plane ticket to Fukuoka Japan on Tuesday so I can get my new work visa. If I don't get my passport on Monday I'll be out the $400 price of the ticket and will be in a real bind. I have orientation at Woosong on Thursday and Friday. I'll keep you updated on the situation.

Something About The Busiest Day of My Life

2007-07-20T12:58:00.000+09:00

Thursday, July 19, 2007 will forever be in my memory as the busiest day of my life. My day started at 4:00 a.m. when my alarm went off. My train to Daejeon was at 5:40 a.m. and I had to do a final clean-through of my apartment and finish packing.

After arriving in Daejeon at 6:20 a.m. I then took a taxi to my new apartment at Woosong. I dropped off my suitcases, let Venus out of her carrying case and then took a taxi to Daejeon Station.

At 8:00 a.m. I took the train to Seoul. My passport expires in December and I need to renew it before my VISA run in August. July 19th the last possible day I could renew it (I'll be teaching Monday-Saturday at the summer camp). As I was riding on the KTX (bullet train) I could hear some crackling on the roof. I realized it was raining but the train was going so fast I couldn't see it on the windows. When I arrived in Seoul it was absolutely pouring in rain. I took a subway to City Hall Station and set out on my trek to The Canadian Embassy. I have to say I had never been to the embassy and the only directions I had were from what I had printed from the Internet. I had to have my picture taken before I renewed my passport. Even with an umbrella I was absolutely soaked by the time I got to the photo shop. My passport picture has me in a drenched shirt with a 60's greaser hairdo.

I found the embassy alright and I thought the day would start getting better. It didn't. I had come to the embassy prepared with all the official forms I needed to fill out, including my two references. When I handed in my documents I was then asked for an additional 2 more references. What the heck? I was hot, tired, starving and drenched. This was not a good situation. After frantically calling every foreigner I know in Korea and getting no answers I made the call home to Canada with my cell phone. I'm not looking forward to this months bill. Thankfully my dad was able to find 2 references for me and I handed in the documents.

At 11:00 a.m. I made my way to Namdi moon Police Station. For my new job at Woosong they want me to have a criminal record check from Canada. I had to get my fingerprints done at the police station and will now mail the form to The RCMP offices in Ottawa. At 12:00 p.m. I took the KTX back to Daejeon.

By the time I got back to Daejeon the rain had reached the city. It was now raining more than ever. I took the subway to Home Ever and bought some things for my new apartment (plates, mugs, glasses, etc.). I took a taxi back to my apartment and unpacked. I was drenched for the second time that day. After unpacking I had to go to Woosong and hand in some final documents. I made my way back to my apartment and slept for a couple of hours. After waking up I organized my apartment and again went to sleep at around 10:00 p.m. What a day!

But wait! It's not over! At around 3:00 a.m. Friday morning I had the scariest experience of my life. I was sleeping faced towards the kitchen when all of a sudden I heard a huge bang followed by some crashing. Anyone who has been to a scary movie with me can attest to the fact that I scream like a little girl when I'm startled. I must have woken up the entire apartment building with 2 quick screams. As I opened my eyes I could see a bright light coming from the kitchen. I jumped out of bed and ran for the door. I seriously thought my apartment was on fire. As I came to my senses I realized that my kitchen cupboard had fallen right off the wall. What the heck? 1 new plate and 2 new bowls were now smashed all over the floor mixed in with spilled cat food. My ceramic tea pot also smashed. It's not a big deal, but I have never been so frightened in my life. I think the rest of the teachers must have thought I was having night tremors or something.

My alarm went off at 7:00 a.m. on Friday morning and I made my way once again to Daejeon Station. I start my summer camp on Saturday and the director wanted me in Seoul Friday morning. All I want to do right now is sleep!!!

Something About More Changes

2007-06-27T21:24:00.000+09:00

Wow, what a busy day. I found out this morning that my plan to start early at Woosong was a no-go. I'll be starting August 23. The contract at my present school finishes on July 18. As you can see, that leaves more than a month free. At 7:3o this morning I emailed a university about working at a summer camp and they emailed me back at 7:45. I had a phone interview at 8:00 a.m. and was offered the job this evening. So, here is what is going to happen:

July 14: Move my things from Nonsan to Daejeon. I am able to move into my Woosong apartment early.
July 18: Say good-byes to my kiddies in Nonsan.
July 19-20: Go on a visa run to Japan for my C4 work visa.
July 21: Start my 4 week summer camp at Hankuk Aviation University in Ilsan
August 20: Finish my 4 week summer camp at Hankuk Aviation University in Ilsan
August 21-22: Yet another visa run to Japan, this time for my Woosong visa
August 23: Start my orientation at Woosong.

As you can see, I've got myself booked solid until September. Presently I'm spending most of my days cleaning and packing. There is one slight problem: I can't bring Venus with me to Ilsan. I'll be staying in an upscale residence/hotel and I can't have pets. If anyone is able to cat-sit for me I would appreciate it.

Something About Changes

2007-06-21T09:30:00.000+09:00

After spending 3 years at the same school in Korea, I've decided to make a move to greener pastures. The decision was made late last year, but it has taken until now for my plans to become definite. I've been offered a teaching position at Woosong University in Daejeon and I'm going to accept it. I should start in early or late August. That said, I am going to miss Nonsan. Yeah, I complained that it was a small city with barely any foreigners, but it's been my way of life for 3 years now. I'm going to miss having a car to get around with every day. I can always buy a car when I'm in Daejoen, but I'm not sure if I want to risk driving there or not. I'll have to make a short trip to Japan sometime in the near future to get a new work visa. I think I might stay for an extra couple of days just to relax and take it easy. That said, I'm not going to make it home this summer. I am going to try very hard to make it home for Christmas, something I haven't been able to do for 4 years now.

Something About Being Disapointed

2007-06-07T11:31:00.000+09:00

I'm really disappointed. After a decade of liberal rule in which democracy was replaced by old cronies insisting that MP's vote along party lines, I honestly thought things had changed. Well, Stephen Harper, this is strike 1. Why on earth would you fire an MP for voting with his conscience? Not only is this undemocratic, it is complete reversal from what your Minister of Foreign Affairs stated just last month:

We will not throw a member out of caucus for voting his conscience. There will be no firings on budget votes as we saw with the Liberal government.

If you want to win the next federal election you must differentiate yourself from the Liberal party. Pulling stunts like this will make it very difficult for voters to trust future promises.

Something About Going North

2007-05-20T21:30:00.000+09:00

After 4 years of waiting to going to The Korean Demilitarized Zone I finally made the trip. I went with my Korean language class on Saturday, May 20th.

We left Daejeon at 8:00 a.m. and made our way 2.5 hours north to Paju City. Grace, the director of the hangul school, has a friend that lives there. We had a barbecue in her front yard before making our way to the DMZ. The friends have a beautiful house with lots of property.

Before entering the area consisting of The DMZ we had to pass through a heavily guarded check point.

Our first stop was to The Third Tunnel. This is the third tunnel discovered by South Korean soldiers that was dug by The North Koreans. It was discovered on October 17th, 1978 near Panmunjom, 44 kilometers north Seoul. Approximately 30,000 North Korean armed troops could have passed through the tunnel in one hour had the south not discovered it. Visitors have the opportunity to walk down into the tunnel. The tunnel itself is 2m in height and width. At the end of the journey I was covered in sweat and immediately purchased 2 water bottles at the tourist shop.
Our next stop was the Dora Observatory. It is here that you can take a first-hand look into North Korea.

Our last stop was Dorasan Station. This is the last station before North Korea. The next stop is Gaeseong, North Korea. Gaeseong is where the South Korean companies own factories which are manned by North Korean workers. Right now there has only been one trip north by train (May 17th, 2007). You could theoretically take a train from South Korea all the way to Europe. I think it will take many more years before that will happen.

Something About Oringinality

2007-05-15T12:00:00.000+09:00

Check out these news stories over the past few months:

Anna Nicole Smith's son dies from a drug overdose
Anna Nicole Smith dies from a drug overdose, starting a custody battle for her daughter
John Mark Karr confesses to killing Jon Benet Ramsey
Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian Spy, is poisoned to death
After 4 years of captivity, Shawn Hornbeck is found soon after his kidnapper abducted a second boy

These are just a few stories that were "ripped from the headlines" and used as plots on NBC's Law and Order and it's 2 spinoffs. While I don't mind a few of "headline" episodes, I really think NBC went overboard this season. What makes Law and Order so great is the suspense and usual twist at the end. When the writers uses headlines there is no suspense: we already now what happens! NBC has renewed the flagship Law and Order as well as Law and Order: Special Victim's Unit for the 2007/08 season. Criminal Intent was also renewed but will be shown on NBC's sister channel "The USA Network." The ratings for all three shows were considerably lower than previous years. It's all about originality, people! These writers are being paid millions of dollars and they are stealing their plots from news stories. I really hope the writing is better next season. Long live Jack McCoy!

Something About Pandora

2007-05-03T07:12:00.000+09:00

I received a most unfortunate email this morning from the folks at PANDORA. Apparently they have been given the red light to continue streaming music to countries outside of The U.S. . That sucks! The cease and desist will come down on May 3rd. Here is an excerpt from the email:

Delivery of Pandora is based on proper licensing from the people who created the music - we have always believed in honoring the guidelines as determined by legislators and regulators, artists and songwriters, and the labels and publishers they work with. In the U.S. there is a federal statute that provides this license for all the music streamed on Pandora. Unfortunately, there is no equivalent license outside the U.S. and there is no global licensing organization to enable us to legitimately offer Pandora around the world. Other than in the U.K., we have not yet been able to make significant progress in our efforts to obtain a sufficient number of international licenses at terms that would enable us to run a viable business. The volume of listening on Pandora makes it a very expensive service to run. Streaming costs are very high, and since our inception, we have been making publishing and performance royalty payments for every song we play.

Until now, we have not been able to tell where a listener is based, relying only on zip code information provided upon registration. We are now able to recognize a listener's country of origin based on the IP address from which they are accessing the service. Consequently, on May 3rd, we will begin blocking access to Pandora to listeners from your country. We are very sad to have to do this, but there is no other alternative.

While I don't listen to Pandora every day, I am going to miss this service.

Something About Great Finds

2007-04-29T20:59:00.000+09:00

Man did I luck in on a great deal this weekend. Check this out: I bought a New Kids on The Block, Duran Duran and Chicago DVD for a total of W10,000 ($12 CD). What an awesome find!

Something About My Secret Powers

2007-04-24T11:08:00.000+09:00

Actually it's only one power. I've discovered a strange tendency over the past few weeks: Every time I listen to a Jays game on the Internet, they win, while each time I don't listen the game, they lose. As you can imagine, I haven't listened to a Jays game in a about a week. I was able to cath Monday's game and lo and behold, they won! What, oh what, am I supposed to do? I can't possibly listen to every single Jays game this season. Remember, I'm 13 hours ahead of Toronto time. Half of the time the game has started before I'm even out of bed. I'll do my best, folks. Nobody said having special powers was ever easy.

Something About Doolittle

2007-04-19T13:39:00.001+09:00

My new pick for this season's American Idol is Melinda Doolittle. Anyone that can make country music audible is OK in my books.

Something About Availability

2007-04-18T08:53:00.000+09:00

One of the topics my students always ask me about is gun violence in the United States. They can't seem to comprehend how someone can even gain access to a gun. In South Korea it is illegal to own a gun. The only guns that shoot actual bullets are used by soldiers, and the police issued guns only fire rubber bullets. The result? There is essentially no gun violence in South Korea. Even the Korean gangs use knives instead of guns. The only time I read about gun violence in Korea is when it involves a soldier. When news first broke about the Virginia Tech shooting, reports only listed the shooter as an "Asian man." What a shock to learn that this "Asian man" was actually a Korean national studying in the United States. Not only was this young man given the opportunity to study English in a foreign country, he was also exposed to the gun culture of The US. He would never have been able to do what he did in his home country. The American public is scratching their heads wondering just how something like this could happen. It's simple math: angry and depressed man (or woman) + availability of a gun = possible death. Take the guns off the streets and this horrific event would have never happened.

Something About Econimic Imposiblilities

2007-04-17T14:32:00.000+09:00

In a rush to nab new cell phone clients, South Korean telecom carriers are offering drastically reduced rates on "hand phones" in an attempt to steal customers from other telecom companies. For example, my Korean teacher bought a brand new hand phone, regularly priced at over W300,000 ($300 USD), for an amazing W10,000 ($10 USD). The only thing she had to do was sign up with a different telecom carrier from her own and sign a 2 year contract. The phones are getting cheaper. One hand phone carrier is offering their phones for W1 (.o01 USD). That's where things get interesting. Not only is this ridiculously cheap for a hand phone, the Korean Won's lowest denomination is a W1o coin. How can anyone possibly pay for this phone if there is no such thing as a W1 coin? I'd really like to know how someone could possibly pay for this very inexpensive hand phone.

Something About Marriages Gone Wrong

2007-04-16T11:45:00.000+09:00

Now that Prince William and Kate Middleton have called off their relationship, there has been a lot of speculation as to it's demise. Many people believe it was the Queen's warnings that she didn't want Willie to make the same mistake his father made and marry the wrong woman. Now, what is a bigger tragedy: Prince Charles marrying the wrong woman, or Princess Diana marrying the wrong man? Prince Charles married the wrong woman and it brought embarrassment to the Royal Family. Diana married the wrong man and she ended up dead. Which is worse? The driver of Diana's car was drunk, but had it not been for her high profile marriage and subsequent divorce, she would have never been put into the situation she was in. I think Ms. Middleton should count her blessings that her life of paparazzi and big-eared in-laws has been averted.

Something About The Hilarious House of Frightenstein

2007-04-12T23:03:00.000+09:00

I came a cool website tonight. On it you can watch two complete episodes of The Hilarious House of Frightenstein as well as listen to some very strange Canadian dialogue from the album "Canada Observed." It's worth visiting for those over the age of 30. Anyone else might find it lame.

Something About Pink Snow

2007-04-11T09:12:00.000+09:00

All around Korea the cherry blossom trees are in full bloom. Last Saturday I went to a festival at Chungnam University and took some pictures. Check out the last picture! I was the only native English speaker around and I can assure you the English only rule was being broken left and right. In other news, I had a dream last night that I went into premature labor. I have got to get Venus to stop sleeping on top of me at night!

Something About Jesus and The Easter Bunny

2007-04-10T18:25:00.001+09:00

Something About YouTube

2007-04-06T09:37:00.001+09:00

See, this is why I like YouTube. Even when a commercial is banned from TV it can still stay alive on the Internet.

Something About An Easter Wish

2007-04-04T10:43:00.000+09:00

Dear Easter Bunny,

I don't know if you come to Korea or not, but if you do, I'd like a Maple Leafs playoff position. Please deliver this before Easter. Thanks!

Mike

Something About Educating My Mind

2007-04-03T08:22:00.000+09:00

I'm a person of habit, so on Monday morning I followed my usual routine of eating my breakfast while watching CNN International. The problem was that CNN had been replaced by The Discovery Chanel. I clicked up and down the stations trying to find my beloved news with no success. I guess my habit will be broken.

Something About Mittens!

2007-04-02T09:35:00.000+09:00

Wow, I was really mistyping yesterday! I should have said mittens, not kittens. Venus had mittens she was playing with. Sorry for any confusion! This next story is true:

I was in Homever on Sunday and I had to pee. I walked into the washroom and gave a strange look to a women who was in there with her son. I thought the "stage fright" would keep me from doing my business. I did kind of wonder why there was only one urinal in the place. As I was leaving a group of girls were laughing at me outside the door. It was then that I realized that I was in the wrong washroom! I was so embarrassed! This next washroom story is also true:

There's a women from Nonsan who is a janitor at Seodaejeon Station. We're usually on the same train Saturday nights, and she talks to me in Korean. She's kind of annoying, but I can handle it. On Sunday I was using the washroom (number 1) at Seodaejeon Station when I heard her voice. I turned my head a round (good thing it wasn't my entire body, or I'd have peed all over her) and there she was! She was cleaning the washroom when she saw me standing there. I'm alright with multi tasking, but I must say it was bit difficult to pee blindly into a urinal and talk to a women janitor, all the while trying figure out just what the heck she was saying. What a strange day!

Somehting About Kittens!

2007-04-01T12:01:00.000+09:00

Venus has been acting a bit strange lately, even for her. She has been putting on some weight, but I had assumed it was because I've been feeding her more wet food. She is such a small cat! I went to Pusan on Saturday and, when I got home, there was a mess in my bedroom! Instead of one high pitched "meow", there were now 4! What the heck? Venus was spayed last year and I never let her out of the apartment. How on earth did she have kittens?????? 2 of them are orange, so I'm assuming the tom cat I usually see near the apartment's garbage area has something to do with it. Anyways, if anyone wants an illegitimate kitten just give me a shout.

Something About The Beast

2007-03-25T19:38:00.000+09:00

Check out the seat number I was issued when I bought my train ticket to Daejeon this morning ( I was on my way to church). Isn't that funny? What's even more ironic is that while in seat "6-66" I read my recently purchased The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. Funny suff.

Something About the Coolest Thing I've Seen in a Long Time

2007-03-24T05:36:00.000+09:00

Wow, what a long title! I couldn't sleep Friday night and, while searching the web, came across this awesome media player. You can see it at the right currently playing BBC Headlines. The player is offered by Google and has the ability to play dozens on television stations. Some are live and some are updated regularly. Awesome! That's a great bonus when the only live TV you have access to is CNN International and a few English speaking Korean channels. You can find the player at this website. While there you can easily pick which station you want to watch. The player is an embedded Windows Media Player, so you need it installed onto your computer to watch.

Something About The Christian Right

2007-03-23T08:37:00.000+09:00

My buddy Troy passed this link along to me this morning. It's a video of Tony Campolo being interviewed on CBC's The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos. Tony talks about "Red Letter Christians" as well as what happens when politics and religion collide. Great interview.

Something About Joe Comuzzi

2007-03-22T18:19:00.000+09:00

Joe Comuzzi, a 73 year old MP for Thunder Bay, has been dropped by the Liberals for his plan to support the recent Conservative budget. Comuzzi is a key person behind a cancer research center being built in Thunder Bay, and the Conservative budget earmarked money to help with it's development. The center will bring an estimated 300 new jobs to Thunder Bay. Comuzzi plans to do what every MP should be expected to do: represent his constituents. He knows the research center is good for Thunder Bay and to vote against a budget that would provide needed money for the project would be just plain silly. But Liberal MP's are expected to vote along party lines, and Stephane Dion was not pleased to hear Comuzzi's planed vote. Instead of being admired for putting his constituents first, Comuzzi has been dropped by the Liberals and will sit as an independent. What use is a MP if he is just a puppet for his leader? Stephane Dion doesn't know what's good for Thunder Bay, it's the MP's job to know what's best. If the MP isn't permitted to campaign for the good of his or her area, what good are they? Comuzzi doesn't plan to run for re-election come the next election. The residents of Thunder Bay should send a message to Ottawa and elect a Conservative MP in the next election.

Something About Security Risks

2007-03-22T09:51:00.000+09:00

A week ago something called W32.Spybot.Worm crept it's ugly self onto my computer. The main job of this worm is to disable Windows Security Updater. Every so often I would get an alert from my Norton Internet Security firewall that the Windows Security Updater had been disabled. Norton makes it easy to quickly enable the updater but fails to completely remove the actual culprit. Every virus scan I ran with Norton detected the worm put could only "partially" remove it. Things got really interesting on Tuesday.

I found a virus protection program called Kerpersky that has had some success in removing the worm. I downloaded the trial version but, upon installation, was told I could not run 2 virus scanners at the same time. I had to remove Norton to fully install Kerpersky. I decided to give it a shot. I removed (I assumed, anyways) Norton from my computer and moved to install Kerpersky. I have an extended download with my Norton subscription, which means I can reinstall the program 3 times in one year. With every attempt I kept being told that Norton was still on my computer. Huh? The virus scanner and firewall had been removed, but for some reason my computer was still showing some instances of Norton on my computer. I gave up on my Kerpersky idea and decided to just reinstall Norton. The problem was that I had to completely remove Norton from my computer before I could reinstall it. This proved to be easier said than done. I spent at a minimum 8 hours trying to fully remove Norton from my computer to no avail. Every time I failed to remove it I was given a link to a removal tool on the Symantec website. This removal tool failed every time. Keep in mind I now had no working virus protection on my computer. Through my web searches I came to learn that completely removing Norton from your computer is a problem shared by many people. I read countless tricks and suggestions, but nothing worked for me. I finally came upon a removal tool located on the Symantec website. You can find it here. It worked on my first attempt, and I was finally able to completely remove and then reinstall Norton onto my computer. It sounds logical that I would find the tool on the Symantec website, but it was very difficult to find. I found it through one of my Google searches.

I do feel much better that my virus protection and firewall are back up and working, but I'm still to resolve the worm that started this whole situation. It seems strange because the worm has been around for a couple of years now. Surely someone out there knows how to get rid of it! If anyone has any experience successfully removing W32.Spybot.Worm, please, let me know!

UPDATE!!!!!
I ran Panda, an online virus scan, and it seems to have removed my worm. You can find the link here. You have to be using Internet Explorer to run the scan. I ran the scan on March 22nd and as of today (March 25) I have yet to have seen a repeat of the worms activities. I think it might actually be gone this time!

Something About Future Presidents

2007-03-19T21:34:00.001+09:00

Something About Your Opinion

2007-03-15T11:17:00.000+09:00

If you pay attention to things you'll have noticed I've been slowly adding new gadgets to my blog's side bar. My question is: Does it look too "busy"? Is it too overwhelming? Give me your thoughts.

Something About Curiousity

2007-03-14T11:17:00.000+09:00

Curious about the Canadian census results for your town? Click here for a detailed province by province break-down.

Something About Pretty Boys

2007-03-11T21:25:00.000+09:00

I admit I've never watched American Idol until this season, but isn't this a music completion? Have I been wrong with my assumptions? For the past 2 weeks, Sanjaya Malakar has garnered enough votes to put him into the top 12. The judges don't think he should be there, and by the stunned looks he gave when hearing the past 2 results, neither does he. I swear, Paula Abdul looked like she was about to quit after hearing this past weeks results. What's going on, folks? Sundance goes home and Sanjaya stays put? The guy has great hair, but he can't sing better than Sundance Head! Is this a weight conspiracy? You be the judge: Watch the two performances and tell me who is better.

Something About Sundance

2007-03-11T21:24:00.001+09:00

Something About Sanjaya

2007-03-11T21:23:00.001+09:00

Something About WKRP

2007-03-07T10:22:00.000+09:00

This is the best news I've heard in a very long time. WKRP in Cincinnati is coming to DVD! I have been waiting so long for this! Yeah, the plots were silly, but they were still hilarious. Season 1 hits stores on April 24 across North America and will sell for $54.98 CD ($39.98 US). The three disc set includes all 22 episodes from the series' first season, as well as never-before-seen, behind-the-scenes featurettes and audio commentaries with creator Hugh Wilson and cast members Loni Anderson, Tim Reid and Frank Bonne. Is it too early to send a letter to Santa Clause?

Something About My Brow

2007-03-06T17:51:00.000+09:00

I never use pliers on my eybrows, but I do use my razor on my uni-brow. If I don't I'll look just like Bert.

Something About a Bad Taste in Your Mouth

2007-03-03T09:30:00.001+09:00

This is an actual product being sold across North America. I first read about it in The International Herald Tribune and had to see it for myself. This new toothbrush, which plays a 2 minute song while you brush, features such artists as The Beach Boys, Aly and AJ, The Black Eyed Peas, Destiny's Child, Hilary Duff, Jamiroquai, Jessy McCartney, Kiss, Kelly Clarkson, Queen, Smash Mouth, The Village People, and the theme song from Rocky. Notice the irony of brushing to such bands as Kiss and Smash Mouth. Each brush plays only one song and lasts for up to 6 months. Think about that. Lets say you brush the recommended 3 times a day for a 6 month period. Given the average month as 30 days, that's 540 plays for one song. Imagine listening to "YMCA" 3 times a day for 6 months! I think this will actually hurt the artists involved, for users will be so sick of the song they will never want to listen to it ever again. Besides the point, the brush isn't being sold by a toothbrush company, but rather a toy company (Hasbro). Weren't we always told as kids NOT to put toys in our mouths? I really hope Apple has enough sense to not even consider an i-brush.

Something About Ziggy

2007-02-28T17:56:00.000+09:00

You hit it right on the nose, Ziggy!

Somethig About Highlights

2007-02-26T11:04:00.000+09:00

My last words to my mother on February 24th, 2003 were "Don't worry, I'm only going for a year." That was at Pearson International Airport just before my flight to Vancouver and eventually, Seoul. Well, one year turned into two, two into three, which brings us to my four year anniversary since arriving in Korea (while I left Canada on the 24th, I didn't actually arrive in Korea until the 25th). Here are some highlights of the past 4 years:

Year One

Trip to Kyung-ju
Trip to Japan
Trip to The Philippines
Given the finger by a grade one student
Trip home to Canada

Year Two

Trip to Beijing
Trip to Singapore
International Christmas at Daegu University
Recieving my precious baby Venus for Christmas
Trip home to Canada

Year Three

Trip to Hong Kong
Trip home to Canada
BLEC Reunion (in Canada)
Buying a video ipod

Year Four

Trip to Vietnam and Cambodia
Trip home to Canada
Buying a new laptop
Winning 3rd prize at a Korean speech contest

So this brings me to year 5. So far my only plans include making the move to a university. Beyond that, God only knows. I do plan to actually be home for Christmas, but that's still up in the air.

Something About Boats

2007-02-23T22:44:00.000+09:00

Maybe I'm missing something here, but as far as I know there are only 3 boats on TV's "Lost." The fist boat we saw was the fishing boat used in the last episode of season 1 when "the others" stop Jack and his crew from escaping. The second boat is Desmond's sailboat, while the third is the smaller boat we saw Sawyer and Kate use in the last episode. The boat seen in these stills from the latest episode resembles the fishing boat used in Season 1. The problem with that theory is that Michael and Walt used that boat to leave the island at the end of Season 2. If this is that same fishing boat, it must mean that Michael and Walt have successfully reached their destination. Maybe now we'll actually be able to see an appearance by Michael and Walt in Season 3? I would love to know where they ended up.

Something About Festivals

2007-02-21T22:40:00.000+09:00

The following are the videos I took at the 2007 Korean Lunar New Year Festival in Daejeon. The quality isn't the best as I was shooting with my 3.2 digital camera. There was also a red light on the stage which explains the red hue. My favorite video is the one below this post, and the other's follow in the same fashion. I wanted to take more video but I was working with a 256k memory card. Enjoy.

Traditional Korean Music

2007-02-21T22:37:00.001+09:00

Traditional Korean Dance

2007-02-21T22:34:00.001+09:00

Tae Kwon Do Demonstration

2007-02-21T22:33:00.001+09:00

Tae Kwon Do Demonstration, Part 2

2007-02-21T22:32:00.001+09:00

Korean Tradional Small Drum Dance

2007-02-21T22:31:00.001+09:00

Korean Tradional Small Drum Dance, Part 2

2007-02-21T22:30:00.001+09:00

Something About Motherly Love

2007-02-20T10:21:00.000+09:00

Charlie, a 6-day-old Rottweiler puppy, has been adopted by a short haired cat named Satin. Charlie's mother gave birth to a stillborn pupy as well and has refused to nurse the poor pup. Just look at that picture! Have you ever seen anything so cute? I hope Venus would do the same thing if given the chance. Too bad her mean father stopped her from ever having kittens. Read the entire story here.

Something About Crazy Toilets

2007-02-20T07:57:00.000+09:00

This past weekend was The Lunar New Year in Korea. I think most people consider it The Chinese New Year. On Monday I attended a Korean cultural festival in Daejeon. After watching various presentations on the different elements of Korean culture, my bladder told my feet to make haste for the washroom. There were many people in line to use the facilities, and when my turn came it was a toilet, not a urinal, that was open. I walked into the stall and saw the craziest, space aged toilet I've ever seen. This was my first experience with a bidet. Different colored buttons were everywhere. After doing my "business" I pressed what I thought was the "flush" button. What followed next was probably the most embarrassing experience I've had in a very long time. Immediately after pressing the button a steady stream of water arched towards me. I immediately pushed myself against the wall of the stall to avoid this unexpected spray. Okay, I pressed the wrong button. Out of a possible dozen buttons to press, it didn't surprise me that I chose the wrong one. The problem was that this stream of water passing in front of me wouldn't stop. I was literally trapped between the stream and the wall. Because it was a "number one" I didn't bother locking the door behind me. As water continued to pour onto the floor, the curiosity of others prompted them to see just what the heck was going on. After a good two minutes it finally dawned on me to close the toilet lid, thus ending my embarrassing experience. For the rest of the day the Indians who had watched my comical episode would come up to me and say "You funny man! You very funny man!" Other than that, the day went pretty well. I took some videos with my digital camera but I've been having difficulty with YouTube today. I'll post them when I can.

Something About Chris Sligh

2007-02-19T02:49:00.001+09:00

Here's my pick for this season's next Aerican Idol. The guy rocks.

Something About Attention Seekers

2007-02-18T07:26:00.001+09:00

This is hopefully rock bottom for Britney Spears. After checking into rehab for 24 hours she then shaved her head and was tattooed. She claims she wants to be left alone and wishes people would stop bothering her. The truth is that with every stunt she pulls she is smiling for the camera. She smiled for the camera during her "commando" days and, as you can see in this video, is smiling yet again. Man, this girl loves attention! I've never liked her, and I hope maybe now people will see what a whack job the girl really is.

Something About Crosswalks

2007-02-11T20:51:00.000+09:00

Lawmakers in New York City are thinking about passing a "no i-pod when crossing the street law." Apparently they haven't thought of the "no giant plastic potato heads when crossing the street law." Which one poses a bigger risk to peoples safety?

Something About Teenaged Soldiers

2007-02-06T18:23:00.000+09:00

The UN is currently holding a conference in France to to develop strategies to prevent the recruitment of child and teen aged soldiers. This practice, according to the conference, happens in Asian and Latin American countries as well as Haiti, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Liberia. On the same news day, The UK admitted it had sent up to 15 underage soldiers to Iraq in the past 2 months, violating a U.N. protocol on children's rights. It's funny how the UN was ready to blast these under-developed countries for this practice while it turns out a developed country like the UK is doing the same thing. If 2007 doesn't bring an end to the war in Iraq, I wouldn't be surprised if the U.S. lowered it's recruitment age.

Something About Going Back

2007-01-30T18:38:00.001+09:00

If the Liberals win the next election I may rethink moving back to Canada anytime soon.

Something About Alderan

2007-01-30T08:36:00.000+09:00

In the latest episode of "The Simpsons" they close with the statement "This episode is dedicated to all who died in the "Star Wars" films." The writers then continue by listing such deaths:

Darth Vader
Darth Maul
Greedo
Uncle Owen
Storm Trooper #5
Jango Fett
General Grievous
Storm Trooper #22
Obi Wan Kenobi
Whoever Jimmy Smits Played
Hutt, Jabba The
Sy Snoodles
Everyone on Both Death Stars when they blew up

Okay, obviously this is a comedy and the list only details important roles. But why list both Death Stars but NOT mention the civilian deaths on Princess Leah's home planet Alderan? The Empire blew up Alderan before both Death Stars were destroyed. Alderan matters, people! Never forget Alderan!

Something About A Win-Win Situation

2007-01-26T09:05:00.000+09:00

The United States has said that it will donate $720 million to help Lebanon rebuild it's war torn country. In the same breath, the U.S. also encouraged American companies to help with that rebuilding. Let's get this straight: The U.S. makes money selling weapons to Israel who in turn wage a war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. They then indirectly pay American companies to rebuild Lebanon. Sounds strange to me. As you can tell from many of my posts, a lot of things seem strange to me. Could be I'm just strange.

Something About Swine

2007-01-24T08:12:00.000+09:00

It's a tragedy about what happened in British Columbia, but I couldn't help but laugh at pig farmer Robert Picton's response to the murder charges against him: "Pure hogwash!" I couldn't find any written news that reported this response but I swear that's what CNN International reported him as saying. Am I a sicko for finding that funny?

Something About Troop Surge

2007-01-11T09:09:00.000+09:00

How many troops will be involved with Bush's troop surge to Iraq?

Something About The Raman King

2007-01-08T10:01:00.000+09:00

Momofuku Ando, the founder of the instant noodle, died yesterday at the age of 96. People in North America will no doubt recognize the noodles by the brand name "Mr. Noodles." In Korea these "Raman" noodles are hugely popular with children and adults. They are available in bags or bowls, and can be eaten right inside the local 7 Eleven. You can even buy small erasers that look like the noodle cups. Personally, I can't stand the stuff. I was low on cash while I was doing my B.ed and I could only afford a box of 24 Mr. Noodles at the local Super Center. After you eat instant noodles for 3 weeks straight I swear you will never eat them again. Even the smell makes me a bit sick. I walked into a class a few weeks ago and there were noodle cups on the desks. Aparently the students had arranged a "raman party." I ate a few mouth fulls but had to throw the rest out after class.

Something About Canadian Identity

2007-01-07T15:44:00.000+09:00

I just finished reading a Canadian Press article about the current weather situation in Canada. Apparently some people are worried that the warm weather the country is experiencing will have an effect on our national identity. That's a valid point. When I tell people I'm from Canada, the cold winters topic usually comes up. What got me in this article was a comment from a Montreal man interviewed by CP:

“A lot of Canadians and Quebecers go down to Florida in winter and that doesn’t put the national identity in peril,” says Veillette on a break from a bike ride in the city’s Mount Royal Park.

While people do ask me about Canadian winters, it's not usually their first question. Ranking as the first or sometimes second question is "So, do you speak French?" Pretty much every Korean I've spoken to knows that Canada has two national languages. It's part of our identity. What does put our "national identity in peril"? How about Canadians referring to Canada and Quebec as being two separate places. Couldn't Veillette just have said "A lot of Canadians go down to Florida..."? As countries such as Korea struggle with their national identity, I should hope that Canadians realize theirs.

Something About Snow

2007-01-06T13:47:00.001+09:00

While the weather in Toronto in unseasonably warm for January, the weather in Korea is pretty typical for this time of year. I'm sitting inside my apartment as a small blizzard takes place outside my window. I hope Venus appreciates the advantage she enjoys by staying inside.

Something About The Apprentice

2007-01-05T20:58:00.000+09:00

Okay, I know I'm a bit late getting on the band wagon, but I've just recently started watching The Apprentice. I never thought the show would appeal to me. Boy was I wrong! I watched Season 4 last Summer and have just finished watching Season 1. Viewers of the first season will no doubt remember Omarosa Manigault. Man, was she a bee with an itch! Her resemblance to Condoleeza Rice is uncanny. I never liked Condolezza to begin with, but now that she reminds of Omarosa my distaste for her is even greater.

Something About Celebratory Fire

2006-12-30T23:21:00.000+09:00

How do you tell the difference between violent gunfire and that of the celebratory kind? As I was watching CNN report about the death of Saddam Hussein there were bursts of gunfire heard in the back ground. The reporter told Anderson Cooper that it was celebratory gunfire. Even Cooper was a bit skeptical. With almost 3,000 US deaths and the civilian toll in the hundreds of thousands, I would think most Iraqis wouldn't know the difference between good and bad gunfire. With either one most people would be heading for cover.

Something About The Holidays

2006-12-28T12:00:00.000+09:00

In case I haven't sent you an e-card by now, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

2006-12-21T14:34:00.000+09:00

Something About Angry Toys

Maybe the reason most Koreans don't celebrate Christmas is because of their freaky Christmas toys. I bought this toy at Lotteria the other day.

2006-12-14T11:24:00.000+09:00

Something About Peter Boyle

Of all family sitcoms I think "Everybody Loves Raymond" has got to be the funniest by far. The creators of the show hit the mark from casting to writing. Even the sets were great. I was really sad to hear that Peter Boyle (Frank) died the other day at age 71. What a tragedy.

2006-12-12T11:20:00.000+09:00

Something About Santa

I was originally looking for a "Chipmunks'" Christmas video but found this instead. I was not disappointed.

Something About Assumed Birthdays

2006-12-01T09:49:00.000+09:00

While I'm not certain about the exact date Venus came into this world I'm pretty sure it was around the first of December. I've appointed December 1st as her birthday. I can't believe she's already 2 years old! She's still very tiny. I haven't told her that 20 minutes away from the apartment the Korean government is killing tens of thousands of chickens, dogs and cats in an attempt to curb bird flu.

Something About Potatoes

2006-11-24T08:37:00.000+09:00

It's not hard to hide that I'm a bit of a couch potato. I really don't know why moving pictures on a screen bring me so much joy. Being in Korea hasn't really had an effect on my viewing habits. I'm able to watch all of my regular television shows with the exception of three. My inability to watch said shows has nothing to do with me being in Korea, because new episodes aren't being aired in North America.

Here's my question: Where is "King of Queens", "According to Jim", and "Scrubs"? There have been no new episodes so far this season and, as far as I know, not one of these shows has been canceled. Any of you potatoes know anything about the situation?

Something About Zune

2006-11-17T17:53:00.000+09:00

I'm not one to post about technology, but I can't help but comment on a review of Microsoft's Zune that I read this morning. The Zune (code named "ipod killer") is apparently not compatible with Windows Media Player or Windows Vista. Why would Microsoft make a product that wasn't compatible with its other software? Given the number of people who will upgrade to Vista in the new year, why would anyone bother buying a mp3 player that wouldn't be compatible with the new OS? Seems strange to me.

Something About November 10th

2006-11-12T00:53:00.000+09:00

The following are some key historical events that have happened on November 10th:

1836 Louis Napoleon banished to America

1963 Gordie Howe takes over NHL career goal lead at 545

1969 "Sesame Street" premieres on PBS TV

1989 Germans begin punching holes in the Berlin Wall

In a much smaller event, a screaming woman in Woodstock, New Brunswick Canada gave birth to a screaming baby boy. 32 years later he is still screaming and is still a baby boy (at heart and in mind). Yes, it was my birthday on Friday. My celebrations started Thursday night when my adult class took me out for dinner. On my birthday a few of my classes had cake and presents waiting for me. That night I went out to Pizza Hut with my high school class. I tried to explain to Venus that is was my birthday but she was more interested in her tuna. Finally on Saturday I went to TGI Friday's with some friends. After 3 long days I am exhausted and will probably do nothing on Sunday.

Something About Descrimination

2006-11-05T08:27:00.000+09:00

As I was reading the Joong Ang Daily on Saturday I came across an add for a dance club in Hongdae, Seoul. I'm not into dance clubs, but was curious about what was on offer in Korea. The club, called NB, describes itself before giving the price. Here's where it gets interesting:

"Foreign men must pay 20,000 won; everyone else pays 10,000 won."

Huh? Foreign men must pay an extra 10,000 won because they're, well, foreign? Talk about your discriminatory practices. Imagine for a minute a club in New York City with a price at $20 for Korean men and $10 for everyone else. It would never fly.

After all this Hines Ward brew-ha-ha I thought that Korea was finally turning it's back on it's habit of discrimination. I guess it will take longer than most people think.

Something About Browsers

2006-11-03T09:17:00.000+09:00

It's been over a year since I dumped Internet Explorer in favor of Mozzila Firefox. Firefox is more reliable and actually allows faster browsing than Internet Explorer. Hmm, maybe I should say "was" more reliable. I downloaded the new Firefox 2.0 last Tuesday with the expectation that an upgraded browser would translate into a better one. While there is some improvement, the program has crashed on average 4 times every day since I downloaded it. Crashing problems were the same reason I dumped Internet Explorer to begin with. The only good thing about it is that after every crash you do have the option to "restore your session." In other words, Firefox can automatically load the pages you were viewing before the crash. Still, the frequent crashes are unacceptable. What's even stranger is that Mozzila doesn't seem to think there is a problem. They admit there have been "some" reports of crashes but claim they are isolated incidents. Some reports? I would like to know exactlly how many people have experienced the same problem with the new version of Firefox.

Something About Reese in Pieces

2006-10-31T09:31:00.000+09:00

It confuses me why people make such a big deal about celebrity wedding's these days. Helicopters hovering over-head, photographer's camped out in bushes; it seems like an obsession. All this attention, for what? Most of the marriages end in divorce a short time later. I was honestly shocked to read that Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe have decided to separate. I really thought that theirs would be the anomaly in Hollywood marriages. Heck, I just watched Reese on Oprah the other day saying how much she loved being married and having a family. So, who do you think Reese will end up with next? I think her and Matthew Mcconaughey would be a good match.

Something About being M.I.A.

2006-10-29T00:42:00.000+09:00

Okay, so I have a cold. As I was on the train to Daejeon this morning I happened to sneeze. This is not an uncommon experience, however I seemed to loose the gum I was previously chewing. I was very embarrassed and pretended nothing had happened. I casually looked around but couldn't see it anywhere. Oh, well. It will be a nice treat for some kid on the train.

Something About Going to the Dogs

2006-10-26T12:05:00.000+09:00

Okay, by now everyone has heard about the alleged "dog" comment Peter Mckay directed toward Belinda Stronach's empty chair in the House of Commons. What bothers me is that this incident is still at the top of the news a week after it happend. Should Peter have made the comment? Of course not. But I would think there are more important issues to be discussed than this spat between two ex-lovers. Health care, education, the environment, troops in Afganistan: all of these should take precident. Canada would become a laughing stock if this spat actualy brings down the minority government.

Something About Tests

2006-10-19T09:23:00.000+09:00

As promised, North Korea conducted it's first nuclear weapon test last week. Now reports are coming in that more tests are sure to follow. While the world seems to be ticked off at this impoverished country and it's pudgy leader, consider the following:

Between 1945 and 1992, The United States conducted over 1,000 nuclear tests. It currently has 6,390 readily available nuclear warheads with a stockpile of 10,640.
Since 1964, China has conducted 46 nuclear tests. It currently has 400 nuclear weapons.
While it's not know how many tests Russia has conducted, it currently has 3,242 readily available nuclear weapons with a stockpile of 16,000.
Between 1960 and and 1996, France conducted 200 nuclear tests. It currently has 350 nuclear weapons.
Between 1952 and 1991, Britain conducted 42 tests. It currently has 200 nuclear weapons
India posseses 110 nuclear weapons.
Pakistan has 110 nuclear weapons
It is believed Israel has over 200 nuclear weapons.
North Korea has conducted one nuclear test and is believed to possess 15 nuclear weapons.

As you can see, there are a lot of nuclear weapons in our world today. It seems to me that all of these weapons were developed out of fear. As one country developed nuclear weapons, other countries felt the need to follow suit. It would then make sense that if everyone agreed to somehow dispose of these weapons, nobody would feel the need to possess them. If The United States didn't have any nuclear weapons, what reason would North Korea have for possessing them?

I also find it strange that, with all of these nuclear powers, The United States is so against North Korea's possession of them. Look at the numbers! They pose the least threat of them all. The United States is also strongly against Iran having nuclear weapons. That country has no nuclear weapons! It really doesn't make sense to me. There has only been one country in history to ever use a nuclear weapon (2 to be exact) in a war time assault. Just ask Japan who that country was.

Not only that, but while The United States is condemning North Korea for having nuclear weapons, they themselves are trying to develop even more sophisticated nukes. According to former President Bill Clinton, "the administration has asked for funds to research the development of two new nuclear weapons: one, a nuclear bunker buster, even though we have a conventional bunker buster that's quite powerful, and two, a so-called tactical battlefield nuclear weapon, which, the administration admits, had it been deployed -- they say it's small -- but, had it been deployed in the Iraq conflict, would have taken out 25 percent of Baghdad." That's nuts. Why is Bush so hell bent on stopping other people from possessing nuclear weapons except for himself? It's like he thinks the world can't see this double standard. If The U.S. scrapped it's nuclear weapons program I guarantee that we would have a safer world.

Something About Being a Buddha

2006-10-15T16:30:00.000+09:00

On my train ride to Church this morning a mother and her children walked up beside me and stared. I gave a polite nod hello and kept reading my book. Soon after the two children came unescorted and stared at me again. I nodded again, and kept reading my book. About 5 minutes the two returned yet again, this time bearing food. They placed an orange and cookie on my lap and ran away. While sometimes I feel like a zoo animal, at other times I feel like some kind of Buddhist statue.

Something About the Homeland

2006-10-10T09:44:00.000+09:00

My trip home to Canada started with a delayed flight to Toronto and ended with yet another to Seoul. I landed in Chicago and called home to tell everyone that I had made it okay. I hung up the phone and noticed everyone staring at a white wall. As I got closer I realized it wasn't a wall, it was a window. Tornadoes had struck Chicago and the rain was so heavy it looked like snow. I knew I had a 4 hour stop over in Chicago but,because of the tornadoes, it was now an 8 hour stop over. My eyes were so tired they were stinging. I finally landed in Toronto at 3:30 Saturday morning.

People are asking what I did while I was home, and I don't really have much to tell. Saturday was spent doing some shopping and Sunday we had a family get together at grannies. On Monday I did yet more shopping and took in The Jay's last home game of the season at the Roger's Center. On Tuesday I went up to Lakefield with my folks. Wednesday I renewed my driver's license and health card and, you guessed it, more shopping. On Thursday there was yet more shopping and I headed back to Richmond Hill on Friday. On Saturday there was more shopping followed on Sunday by an early Thanksgiving Dinner. On Monday I went up to Newmarket to meet Troy, Amanada and Micah for lunch. On Tuesday I did some last minute shopping and on Wednesday had dinner at Doug and Carol's followed by the season premier of "Lost."

My flight back on Thursday started off a bit rocky. I asked the woman at the AA counter where my luggage would end up. It would make sense that they would be checked to Seoul, but the airline companies don't always make sense. She told me my bags would be checked to Seoul but I would have to collect them in Tokyo and re-check them. I asked again in Chicago and the AA people told me I wouldn't have to collect them in Tokyo; they would go straight to Seoul. I asked on the plane to Tokyo and they said again they should go straight to Seoul. When I tried to go through security in Tokyo I was asked for my bags. They told me I would have to collect my bags in Tokyo and re-check them. When I went to the baggage area the women told me that my bags had been checked to Seoul. When I tried to get my boarding pass for the flight to Seoul I was asked yet again for my bags. I told the woman they were being checked to Seoul, but she didn't seem to believe me. Needless to say, yes, my bags were checked to Seoul. What I would like to know is why so many official AA workers would misread a luggage claim ticket? It was funny for a bit but very frustrating in the end.

As we approached Tokyo-Narita Airport the pilot said we would be experiencing some turbulence for a while. I have never experienced so much of it in my life. As many of you know I hate roller coasters. The descent into Tokyo-Narita was a roller coaster ride from hell. I put my head between my knees and couldn't stop "yelping." It was a kind of girlish scream. People on both sides of me were patting my back. A couple of seats over some guy started barfing. Then someone a few rows back decided to follow the trend. I wasn't queasy but my heart was racing a mile a minute. I was scared half to death. After we landed there was an announcement in Japanese that made those able to understand gasp. Apparently the pilot didn't feel safe landing in Tokyo-Narita and instead opted for a closer airport. A few minutes later it was revealed that we had in fact landed at Tokyo Narita. We were then informed we had just landed in a typhoon. I knew right away that there would be problems. My flight to Seoul was less than 2 hours away and I knew there would be delays. When I got to the boarding area I found that the flight had been delayed for an unspecified amount of time. The plane had to come from Korea and at that point there were no planes landing at the airport. The flight ended up being delayed for 5 hours. This delay had some serious implications for me in Korea. I had a train ticket that left Yongsan Station at 6:10 Saturday morning. I had originally planed on taking the airport bus to the train station and sleeping for a few hours in the station. The problem was that when the plane landed the buses had stopped running. To further complicate things, the busses wouldn't start again until 6:30 a.m. . As I stepped into Incheon Airport (Seoul) I was handed a sheet of paper. It said that Japan Airlines had charted 20 busses to take people into Seoul. Woo hoo! Had I not been able to catch the 6:10 train I may have been stranded in Seoul for a while. It was the Korean Thanksgiving weekend (Chusock) and all the trains were booked solid.

As I arrived at Yongsan station at 2:30 a.m. my heart dropped a bit: the place was closed! Not only that, there were a bunch of homeless people scattered around the main doors. Luckily the doors were open at 3:00 a.m. and I was able to go inside.

And there you have it. After this last visit home, I think this will be my last year in Korea. My "one year" stay will soon be entering it's fifth year and I think I'm finally finished. Yet again, I could change my mind. Who knows?

Something About the Letter "T"

2006-10-09T07:10:00.000+09:00

My flight to and from Toronto can be summed up with the letter "T"

T is for Toronto, the place that I love to go.

T is for tornadoes, that stopped me in Chicago.

T is for the typhoon, that hit Japan 'round noon.

T is for turbulence, that put me off balance.

T is for tomorrow, when more info will follow.

Something About Comin' Home

2006-09-19T11:15:00.000+09:00

In case you haven't heard, I'll be home in Canada from September 22nd to October 6th. While I'm excited about going back to Canada, the trip home is going to be a bit crazy.

My train leaves Ganggyeong at 7:31 Friday morning and will arrive in Seoul at 10:00. I then take a one hour bus ride to the airport, which leaves me with 2 and a half hours to check my bags, go through immigration and grab some lunch. My flight from Seoul to Tokyo will take 2 hours, after which I have a 2 hour stop over before my flight to Chicago. My flight to Chicago takes about 12 and a half hours, after which I have a 4 hour stop over before I leave for Toronto. My flight to Toronto is an hour and a half. That puts me in Toronto at 10:35 p.m. Friday night. To better put this into perspective, let's keep the times as they are in Korea: I leave Ganggyeong at 7:31 a.m. Friday morning (Korean time) and arrive in Toronto at 11:30 a.m. Saturday morning (Korean time). That's 28 hours of travel!

Despite the chaotic travel schedule I can't wait to get home, even if it is only for 2 weeks. Woo hoo!

Something About Shoes

2006-09-08T14:50:00.000+09:00

This Summer I wore my sandals every day with the exception of my trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. Today was the first day I wore my leather shoes in over 3 months. Sure enough, I ended up injuring someone with them. As I was leaving the bank this morning I pushed on the door to open it. After finding that I had to pull instead, I took a step back to open the door. That step landed on some poor old lady who was still wearing sandals. She let out a hoot and I apologized in English. Maybe I'll wear my sandals for a few more weeks.

Something About Cambodia

2006-08-28T12:43:00.000+09:00

I've finished editing my pictures from Cambodia and put them on my site this morning: http://www.mikepeacock.com/cambodia/ . I regret not spending more time not only in Angkor but Cambodia as a whole. Some of the pictures didn't turn out right because of the sun. In other news, I'll be in Canada from September 22nd to October 6th. Finally, this is the 200th post on my blog. Have a good week!

Something More About Vietnam

2006-08-23T13:01:00.000+09:00

I finally have my pictures from Vietnam on my web page. Unfortunately I'm still working on my Cambodia pictures. You can find my Vietnam pictures here:

http://www.mikepeacock.com/vietnam/

Something About Vietnam

2006-08-15T23:09:00.000+09:00

I arrived home from Vietnam at 7:00 Monday morning. I had a really good time, but I don't have the time to talk about it just yet. After arriving at my apartment at 12:45 p.m. I had enough time to take a shower, get dressed and do a little unpacking before going into school at 1:40. Needless to say, I'm exhausted. I'll try and write more by the end of the week. I'll also try and get my pictures up as soon as possible.

Something About Wishes

2006-08-01T06:07:00.000+09:00

Be careful what you wish for. After 4 straight weeks of non-stop rain and flooding, the hot season has finally come to Korea. While it was only last week that I was wishing for the rain to stop, now after one day I'm wishing the hot season would end. It seems as if I don't like the rainy or hot season in Korea. While today's temperature is forecast to be sunny with a high of 29 C, the humidity will push that to about 35 C. I woke up at 3:00 this morning covered in sweat and have been unable to get back to sleep (it is now 6:11 a.m.). The one good thing is that my bath towel was actually dry when I woke up. During the rainy season I had to put up with damp towels pretty much every morning. On the up side, I'm traveling to Vietnam and Cambodia next week. While the trip will give me some relief from the Korean heat, I will be thrown into the Vietnamese rainy season. I can't win!

Something About Celebrities

2006-07-28T09:07:00.000+09:00

MyHeritage.com, a website that allows people to find out more about their genealogy, has started a service that allows users to find their "inner celebrity." Just upload a picture of yourself and the website will scan your facial features to find your best celebrity match. When I uploaded my photo I was given a 61% similarity to Mark Ruffalo, 58% to James Marsters, and a 51% likening to Johnny Depp. While I agree slightly with Ruffalo, I really can't see the latter.

Something About Political Cartoons

2006-07-19T09:34:00.000+09:00

Here's my take on a political cartoon:

Something About Open Mic

2006-07-17T22:39:00.000+09:00

At the recent G8 meeting U. S. President George Bush didn't realize his dinner conversation was being picked up by a nearby mic. Besides cursing Hezbollah with an explicit (what do you neo-cons think about that?) to best bud Tony Blaire, he was also heard saying the following to Vladimir Putin and an unidentified world leader (Stephen Harper?):

"You eight hours? Me too. Russia's a big country and you're a big country. Takes him eight hours to fly home. Not Coke, diet Coke. ... Russia's big and so is China. Yo Blair, what're you doing? Are you leaving," Bush said.

Seriously, the guy sounds like he's in elementary school: "Russia's big and so is China." What a great observation, W! And what better way to address another world leader than with a "Yo." I'm surprised he didn't add "How's it hanging?" Honestly, how does anyone take this guy seriously?

Something About Webisodes

2006-07-16T10:41:00.000+09:00

NBC's sitcom "The Office" is showing webisodes on its website this summer. The webisodes revolve around the accountants trying to trace $3,000 that has gone missing from the books. While the content isn't the funniest, it's still nice to see fresh material between seasons. New webisodes are broadcast every Thursday at http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/video/ . You can view past webisodes as well. For some reason I can't view the video with Firefox; it seems to only work with Internet Explorer.

Something About Belittling

2006-07-12T18:51:00.000+09:00

The White house has belittled former President Bill Clinton for the ways he sought to deal with North Korea. White House Spokesman Tony Snow told reporters that "officials in Clinton's administration went to the North with offers of light-water nuclear reactors, a basketball signed by Michael Jordan as well as many other gifts for their agreement not to develop nuclear weapons." Snow says that this approach failed and that "we've learned from that mistake.

Funny, I don't remember hearing much about North Korea while Clinton was president. Sure they test fired their missile over southern Japan, but besides that they kept out of the spot light. Check out this blurb from BBC that shows what happened in 2000:

2000 - Summit in Pyongyang between Kim Jong-il and South Korean President Kim Dae-jung. North stops propaganda broadcasts against the South.
Senior journalists from South Korea visit the North to open up communication.
Reopening of border liaison offices at the truce village of Panmunjom, in the no-man's-land between the heavily fortified borders of the two countries.
South Korea gives amnesty to more than 3,500 prisoners.
One hundred North Koreans meet their relatives in the South in a highly-charged, emotional reunion.

It seems to me that everything went to pot when Bush cancelled the light-water nuclear reactor project soon after he took the presidents office. Gee, an impoverished country that suffers from constant blackouts sure could use those reactors. It wasn't until after Bush scrapped that promise that the North took down the UN security cameras and began bragging about their nuclear arsenal.

I admit that the offer of a signed Michael Jordan basketball seems a bit odd, but look at who your talking about. North Korean defectors tell stories of Il's passion for Hollywood movies (he owns over 1,000 titles) and his love of food (he flew in a renowned Italian chef just to make him a pizza). This guy is a bit off his rocker. You can't deal with someone like this the way you would deal with the average person. Personally I think Bill Clinton did a great job of dealing with North Korea.

Something About Attention

2006-07-05T08:49:00.000+09:00

So North Korea finally launched their missiles. It's about time. 2 weeks ago this was the biggest news story but as of late there has been less and less information. The North simply wants the world's attention on nothing more than itself. All attention was on Iran when the North's expected missile launch became known. For a few days all eyes were on North Korea. Then Israel decided to steal the spotlight. I knew as soon as the news started to sway from North Korea they would feel the need to act; now they have what they wanted. Sort of. What they really want is one-on-one talks with the United States. Isn't it funny how The U.S. suggested direct talks with Iran over their nuclear development but have refused the same direct talks with North Korea?

While Japan is steaming about the missile launch, South Korea is steaming for another reason. All western news sources are referring to the water between Korea and Japan as "The Sea of Japan." According to the South Koreans, this body of water is called "The East Sea." Between 8:00 and 9:00 this morning I heard CNN refer to the water as "The Sea of Japan" a total of 18 times. This is sure to piss off the South Koreans.

Something About The Man of Steel

2006-07-02T13:56:00.000+09:00

When I was in grade 2 my favorite movie was Superman. I remember receiving a Superman poster from Ponderosa and hanging it on my bedroom wall. I was sad to hear about the death of Christopher Reeves but was intrigued when I heard Warner Brothers was making a new Superman movie. I remember they had originally cast Nicholas Cage for the role of this new movie. Thank goodness they scrapped that idea. Really, how stupid would that be?

As it turns out the new movie is amazing. The writing, the acting, the music; everything was great. I was glad to see the tone of this new movie was an "action-comedy" like the originals. While Clark was his bumbling self, I think they could have made Lois a bit more ditzy like Margo Kidder used to portray. Despite the praise I've given there are two points that didn't impress me.

The first was when it emerged that Lois' son is actually Superman's. Superman and Lois? I know they kissed a few times, but Superman always erased her memory afterwards. But in this movie she seems to admit the fact her son was actually conceived with Superman. This didn't play well with me. If Superman took off his costume to be "intimate" with Lois, how on earth could she still not realize that Clark was Superman? Do those glasses make that much of a difference to his appearance? I thought this side plot was a bit dumb.

I also thought the beating Luther's goons gave Superman was a bit harsh. Kicking, punching, and holding his head under water? This is way too violent for what is considered to be a family movie. That said, the showing I watched was interspersed with annoying kids running around the theater.

Something About Screech

2006-06-21T07:54:00.000+09:00

Screech needs our help. Dustin Diamond, who played Screech on "Saved by the Bell," is selling autographed "D-shirts" so the bank doesn't foreclose on his house. He's selling the shirts autographed for $20 or un-autographed for $15. You can also pay $1000 to buy a "brick" on his online house (no one has bought one yet). He hopes to raise $250,000. Diamond claims he was paid $2 million for 10 seasons of the show, with his parents receiving 75% of that total. According to these numbers Screech was paid $50,000 per season. Wow, that leaves his parents with $150,000 per season. Can anyone say "Gary Coleman?" I wonder if NBC let him keep his wardrobe. Sell the parachute pants, Screech! You can buy the shirts at www.getdshirts.com .

Something About Birds

2006-06-16T09:51:00.000+09:00

I can usually hear birds outside my window (including a coo-coo) but this morning the noise was louder than usual. I don't know what I heard first; the bird's cry or Venus' heart pounding. The bird stayed on my balcony for about 5 minutes. I tried to move Venus closer to it for a better picture but the bird suddenly flew away.

Something About Excitement

2006-06-13T18:07:00.000+09:00

I was awoken at about 12:30 Tuesday morning to my neighbors shouting and screaming. What was going on? I figured it had to have something to do with the World Cup but I knew Korea wasn't playing that night. I later found out that Australia had beaten Japan, and the Koreans were ecstatic. It doesn't really matter how far Korea advances as long as they do better than the Japanese. It is nice to see the country get so excited, but I'm certain my sleep will have to suffer. Korea plays their first game tonight at 10:00 p.m. . That shouldn't be too bad for me. What I'm worried about is the following two games that will be both played at 4:00 a.m. on June 19th and 24th. It won't just be the "hooting and hollering." Every brand from Coke to Kellogg's has been giving away free noise makers for the past month now. I would estimate that 1/3 of all my students came to school today wearing red t-shirts while a smaller number had their faces painted. Like I said, it is good to see so much excitement. All I have to do now is find a good pair of ear plugs.