There are two truths that are undeniable about traveling to the US. One, the only thing that loses weight is your wallet, and, two, your sleep cycle is going to hell. I went to bed at midnight last night after 18-19 hours of traveling only to wake up at 5:00 am this morning. Only it wasn't 5:00. It was 4:00 because I forgot to set my watch to Taiwan time after our layover in Tokyo. It was even worse when Rebecca and I got to California at the beginning of the trip. I think it took almost a week before we started sleeping less than about 14 hours a day.
As far as the diet is concerned, you pretty much know that you are going to put on an extra 10-15 lbs when you are greeted at your mother's house by a 22 lb turkey with all the trimmings and only four people to eat it. There is also the thing about portion size. I am always amazed how much food you get when you go to a restaurant. I wonder if I thought the portions at restaurants were unusually big before I went to Korea or if they felt normal? Now I go home, and I'm thinking, "Holy crap! How the hell am I supposed to eat all that?" I usually manage to find a way to shovel all that food in because you know... you don't want to waste anything...starving children in Africa and all that. Anyway, I got to eat a ton - maybe literally - of great food while I was home, and it was awesome!
To be continued...
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
First World Problems: The No Sound Blues
Sound. Think about it for a minute. Sound. Then...No sound.
Computers are fabulous things. You can do so many things with them, from sending emails to looking for work to doing research. However, computers lose a great deal of their intrinsic entertainment value when the sound quits. Think about how absolutely you take for granted the sound that emanates from your computer every time you use it. Be it a squork or a bleep or the ever-so-comforting-until-it's-gone Windows start-up sound. When it's gone, desolation follows.
If you are like me, you have whittled your entire entertainment world into a storage space the size of a paperback book because it's easier and much cheaper than hauling 50 boxes of books, cds, DVDs, and lps around the world. Your family may be willing to store them in an attic or garage, but may start to look askance when you come to visit every couple of years but never seem to leave with any of the boxes. Then, of course, you start to pray that your chosen sibling or parent has become so entrenched in your storage space that they will never have to actually move your crap for you. Maybe they'll forget about it altogether. Ultimately, you simply have to downsize.
The problem with having all of your entertainment packed into hard drives is that you need a computer to access it. That computer also needs to have sound. Playing a music or movie file on a computer with a malfunctioning sound card is an effort in futility only akin trying to eating a bag of Cheetos without turning yourself and your immediate surroundings day-glo orange.
Needless to say, my inability to fix this problem is working my already frayed nerves. Fortunately, I have my iPod, which is stuffed with enough musical goodness to get me through this oh-so-trying time.
Computers are fabulous things. You can do so many things with them, from sending emails to looking for work to doing research. However, computers lose a great deal of their intrinsic entertainment value when the sound quits. Think about how absolutely you take for granted the sound that emanates from your computer every time you use it. Be it a squork or a bleep or the ever-so-comforting-until-it's-gone Windows start-up sound. When it's gone, desolation follows.
If you are like me, you have whittled your entire entertainment world into a storage space the size of a paperback book because it's easier and much cheaper than hauling 50 boxes of books, cds, DVDs, and lps around the world. Your family may be willing to store them in an attic or garage, but may start to look askance when you come to visit every couple of years but never seem to leave with any of the boxes. Then, of course, you start to pray that your chosen sibling or parent has become so entrenched in your storage space that they will never have to actually move your crap for you. Maybe they'll forget about it altogether. Ultimately, you simply have to downsize.
The problem with having all of your entertainment packed into hard drives is that you need a computer to access it. That computer also needs to have sound. Playing a music or movie file on a computer with a malfunctioning sound card is an effort in futility only akin trying to eating a bag of Cheetos without turning yourself and your immediate surroundings day-glo orange.
Needless to say, my inability to fix this problem is working my already frayed nerves. Fortunately, I have my iPod, which is stuffed with enough musical goodness to get me through this oh-so-trying time.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Captain's Log: Star Date 2014/03/07 - The Island of Formosa
Here I sit, in a strange new land, in a strange new life, on what may become a typical Friday night: the wife and her sisters playing mahjong in the living room, and me sipping on a beer, listening to music and banging away on the keyboard. This blog has been neglected far too long. - Ooops! Forgot the beer! Yikes!
It's an odd thing, starting a new life. Moving away from the familiar into uncharted waters. Why did I stay in Korea so long? The answer is pretty simple. Staying was easier than going. Despite all the crap that I complained about, for most of the time I was there, the options - or lack of options - elsewhere, made Korea the best choice. To a certain extent, it was the only choice. While I'm not uncomfortable with change, I am a man that likes a certain amount of routine. Sometimes my routine led to stagnation. The last four years in Korea are proof of that. Yet when you hit that comfort zone, it can be a hard thing to break out of, and I accept that I'm the only one who can break that cycle. The cycle has been broken, and it is good.
There are things I will miss about Korea. I made some really great friends in the years I was there (you know who you are). There's part of me that will always be waiting for Ian's call on a Saturday afternoon to decide which animal was going to be killed, grilled, and eaten and whether we were going to take the bus or cab it to Gung-dong. I'll miss Mr. Ho saying, " I LOVE / HATE Jaegermeister!" depending on whether he beat me at pool or not. Hell, there's even a part of me that will miss arguing with the KAIST students over their horrid music tastes. Over all, the fourteen years I spent in Korea was a great experience. Sometimes when you're stuck in the middle of it, it doesn't feel that way, but hindsight is always 20/20, and I'll remember my time in Korea fondly.
There will be routine here in Taiwan as well, and I'm liking the way this routine is starting. Waking up in the arms of someone you love deeply is a wonderful thing. It's almost as if Rebecca and I are starting a new relationship in spite of the fact that we've actually known each other for almost ten years and have been married for a year and a half. It makes me realize that I've been alone for a long time. I'm happy.
It's an odd thing, starting a new life. Moving away from the familiar into uncharted waters. Why did I stay in Korea so long? The answer is pretty simple. Staying was easier than going. Despite all the crap that I complained about, for most of the time I was there, the options - or lack of options - elsewhere, made Korea the best choice. To a certain extent, it was the only choice. While I'm not uncomfortable with change, I am a man that likes a certain amount of routine. Sometimes my routine led to stagnation. The last four years in Korea are proof of that. Yet when you hit that comfort zone, it can be a hard thing to break out of, and I accept that I'm the only one who can break that cycle. The cycle has been broken, and it is good.
There are things I will miss about Korea. I made some really great friends in the years I was there (you know who you are). There's part of me that will always be waiting for Ian's call on a Saturday afternoon to decide which animal was going to be killed, grilled, and eaten and whether we were going to take the bus or cab it to Gung-dong. I'll miss Mr. Ho saying, " I LOVE / HATE Jaegermeister!" depending on whether he beat me at pool or not. Hell, there's even a part of me that will miss arguing with the KAIST students over their horrid music tastes. Over all, the fourteen years I spent in Korea was a great experience. Sometimes when you're stuck in the middle of it, it doesn't feel that way, but hindsight is always 20/20, and I'll remember my time in Korea fondly.
There will be routine here in Taiwan as well, and I'm liking the way this routine is starting. Waking up in the arms of someone you love deeply is a wonderful thing. It's almost as if Rebecca and I are starting a new relationship in spite of the fact that we've actually known each other for almost ten years and have been married for a year and a half. It makes me realize that I've been alone for a long time. I'm happy.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
White Noise
The internet is a wonderful thing. However, there is part of me that gets nostalgic for the "quieter" times before the 24 hour news cycle; before the information overload that comes with literally everyone talking, or, as the case may be, screaming at once. A case in point is the demise of the "Letter to the Editor." Well, the letter to the editor hasn't really died, it has been replaced by the online "comments" section. What has truly died is people taking the time to inform themselves on a subject and then organizing their thoughts into a rational statement or argument before committing them to print.
Writing a letter to a newspaper used to be a commitment. It took time. It took thought. You also had to put your name on it. Sure the paper controlled whose letters got posted, and you had better chance of seeing your letter in print if your views coincided with those of the paper's, but the paper's editors would usually publish just enough from the opposing viewpoint to maintain the appearance of objectivity. The best part was that the editor's were allowed, if only because of a limited number of column inches, to weed out the cranks, racists, lunatics and everyday morons who wrote to them and choose from the letters that actually might merit reading. That, unfortunately, is lost to the ages.
These days, every major newspaper has an online version. There is a comments section for every article or story in every section of the paper. While the moderators do weed out the most offensive posts, their standards are at best arbitrary. Free speech may be the backbone of American ideals of democracy and freedom, but it would seems that the thought that is supposed to go along with that right is in perilously short supply. In fact, I would go so far as to say that there are a lot of folks out there who are simply...well...idiots. You get some readers who take the time to digest an article, inform themselves on the subject and write rational, thought out responses to the issue at hand. Unfortunately, you have to wade through 500 posts of the most inane drivel in order to find them. It's mind-numbing.
I stopped watching television news because it has devolved into a cacophony of voices talking over one another without even the pretense of listening to what is being said. I've stopped reading the comments sections of the newspapers for the same reason. It's just white noise.
Writing a letter to a newspaper used to be a commitment. It took time. It took thought. You also had to put your name on it. Sure the paper controlled whose letters got posted, and you had better chance of seeing your letter in print if your views coincided with those of the paper's, but the paper's editors would usually publish just enough from the opposing viewpoint to maintain the appearance of objectivity. The best part was that the editor's were allowed, if only because of a limited number of column inches, to weed out the cranks, racists, lunatics and everyday morons who wrote to them and choose from the letters that actually might merit reading. That, unfortunately, is lost to the ages.
These days, every major newspaper has an online version. There is a comments section for every article or story in every section of the paper. While the moderators do weed out the most offensive posts, their standards are at best arbitrary. Free speech may be the backbone of American ideals of democracy and freedom, but it would seems that the thought that is supposed to go along with that right is in perilously short supply. In fact, I would go so far as to say that there are a lot of folks out there who are simply...well...idiots. You get some readers who take the time to digest an article, inform themselves on the subject and write rational, thought out responses to the issue at hand. Unfortunately, you have to wade through 500 posts of the most inane drivel in order to find them. It's mind-numbing.
I stopped watching television news because it has devolved into a cacophony of voices talking over one another without even the pretense of listening to what is being said. I've stopped reading the comments sections of the newspapers for the same reason. It's just white noise.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Blogger Block
I love to write. I find it to be an often cathartic exercise. It can also be silly, inane, pointless, and, at times, drunken - if only there was an un-send button. However, these days I haven't been writing. I lack inspiration. There are a lot of things to write about. From the ridiculously inept U.S. government to the extremely disappointing Nationals. The problem is that none of the things going on around me seem to spark...well...anything. I am awash in apathy.
Why is this happening? I have a few ideas but no answers. It could be that my life has become too routine. I know I've been in Korea too long and am longing for the day I can get the hell out of here. I don't do anything anymore. I used to be active. Korea used to be fun. Now all I do is go to work, come home, play games or watch TV on the computer, drink too much, and fall asleep. It's not like there is nothing to do. There's disc golf, ultimate, baseball games, and a myriad of simple get-your-ass-out-of-the-house options, yet I can't find the will to do them. Am I depressed? Maybe. Am I bored and unsatisfied with my life? Most certainly.
What can I do? I'm waiting for March to come, so I can move to Taiwan. I'm hoping it will be the change I need to break out of the malaise. It will be an adventure in a number of different ways. I'll actually be living with Rebecca for the FIRST time, which should be interesting at the very least. There are a lot of unknowns that accompany the move as well. Can I find work? Can I find work close to Rebecca, or will I have to live n another city. However, these unknowns are also the things that charge me up. It's the change I need. Korea has been very good to me, but it is way past time to move on to greener pastures. Well...different pastures anyway.
It's a Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World
Why is this happening? I have a few ideas but no answers. It could be that my life has become too routine. I know I've been in Korea too long and am longing for the day I can get the hell out of here. I don't do anything anymore. I used to be active. Korea used to be fun. Now all I do is go to work, come home, play games or watch TV on the computer, drink too much, and fall asleep. It's not like there is nothing to do. There's disc golf, ultimate, baseball games, and a myriad of simple get-your-ass-out-of-the-house options, yet I can't find the will to do them. Am I depressed? Maybe. Am I bored and unsatisfied with my life? Most certainly.
What can I do? I'm waiting for March to come, so I can move to Taiwan. I'm hoping it will be the change I need to break out of the malaise. It will be an adventure in a number of different ways. I'll actually be living with Rebecca for the FIRST time, which should be interesting at the very least. There are a lot of unknowns that accompany the move as well. Can I find work? Can I find work close to Rebecca, or will I have to live n another city. However, these unknowns are also the things that charge me up. It's the change I need. Korea has been very good to me, but it is way past time to move on to greener pastures. Well...different pastures anyway.
It's a Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World
Friday, May 17, 2013
Youth is Wasted on the Young
This is one of those posts that is guaranteed to make my mother and uncle shake their heads and smile that knowing smile of those that have tried to explain that, yes, they have experienced the foibles of youth.
I, alas, am rapidly approaching my 50th birthday and find myself frustrated by the self-centered, lack-of-work-ethic, disrespectful 20-somethings I meet every day in Korea. When I was younger I was, of course, a model of generosity of spirit, steeped in respect for my elders. I never only thought about myself. I was a paragon of selflessness...cough.
I'm absolutely sure that every generation looks at the generation that follows and wonders how the species will survive. Following that tradition, I despair for the world. I mean, what is it with kids these days? They have absolutely NO taste in music; zero sense of basic etiquette, and a fairly stunned expression that screams, "I don't get the Three Stooges!"
The more I meet the youth of today, the more I have to admit that there is part of me that wants to be that cantankerous old guy on his porch waving his cane and yelling at passers-by, "Listen to REAL music you morons!" I would also like to have the kind of house where kids dare each other to go knock on the door, but that's another story.
I, alas, am rapidly approaching my 50th birthday and find myself frustrated by the self-centered, lack-of-work-ethic, disrespectful 20-somethings I meet every day in Korea. When I was younger I was, of course, a model of generosity of spirit, steeped in respect for my elders. I never only thought about myself. I was a paragon of selflessness...cough.
I'm absolutely sure that every generation looks at the generation that follows and wonders how the species will survive. Following that tradition, I despair for the world. I mean, what is it with kids these days? They have absolutely NO taste in music; zero sense of basic etiquette, and a fairly stunned expression that screams, "I don't get the Three Stooges!"
The more I meet the youth of today, the more I have to admit that there is part of me that wants to be that cantankerous old guy on his porch waving his cane and yelling at passers-by, "Listen to REAL music you morons!" I would also like to have the kind of house where kids dare each other to go knock on the door, but that's another story.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Random Notes
Head Lock
Spring, or at least what is passing for spring in Korea these days, is here. The weather has been completely schizophrenic. Cold and wet one day, warm the next, and war AND cold the day after that. All of this has, of course led to either the worst allergy attack I've had in decades or I have a spring cold that has locked up my sinuses tighter than a drum. Considering the fact that when my sinuses lock, my ears plug as well, teaching has become an interesting exercise. "Eh? What's that? Speak up ye mousey little bugger. I can't hear ya!"
Comin' Around at Last?
It would seem that the Nationals might finally be coming out of the swirling miasma that has been the beginning of the 2013 campaign. They took three of four from the Reds and split the series with the Braves. While the offense is still mired in relative mediocrity, the starting rotation seems to be finding its legs. Jordan Zimmermann, who has been absolutely lights out all season has thrown 17 shutout innings in his last two starts. Dan Haren, an off-season acquisition who has struggled mightily, had a brilliant game against the Braves today, and the bullpen seems to be coming around as well. The Nats still need to get the offense in gear, but there are signs of life. April is gone, and May has started out with a Curly W in the books. The boys are off to Pittsburgh to play the surprising Pirates. Hopefully, things will continue to move in the right direction.
South of Heaven: Jeff Hanneman 1964-2013
The metal world lost a giant with the death of Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman. I have been a fan of Slayer since the early '80s. I had the great good fortune to see them several times at the Stone on Broadway in San Francisco from '83-'85. Unfortunately, location and bad timing prevented me from seeing them after that, but the music has remained a part of my playlist ever since. RIP Jeff!
Spring, or at least what is passing for spring in Korea these days, is here. The weather has been completely schizophrenic. Cold and wet one day, warm the next, and war AND cold the day after that. All of this has, of course led to either the worst allergy attack I've had in decades or I have a spring cold that has locked up my sinuses tighter than a drum. Considering the fact that when my sinuses lock, my ears plug as well, teaching has become an interesting exercise. "Eh? What's that? Speak up ye mousey little bugger. I can't hear ya!"
Comin' Around at Last?
It would seem that the Nationals might finally be coming out of the swirling miasma that has been the beginning of the 2013 campaign. They took three of four from the Reds and split the series with the Braves. While the offense is still mired in relative mediocrity, the starting rotation seems to be finding its legs. Jordan Zimmermann, who has been absolutely lights out all season has thrown 17 shutout innings in his last two starts. Dan Haren, an off-season acquisition who has struggled mightily, had a brilliant game against the Braves today, and the bullpen seems to be coming around as well. The Nats still need to get the offense in gear, but there are signs of life. April is gone, and May has started out with a Curly W in the books. The boys are off to Pittsburgh to play the surprising Pirates. Hopefully, things will continue to move in the right direction.
South of Heaven: Jeff Hanneman 1964-2013
The metal world lost a giant with the death of Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman. I have been a fan of Slayer since the early '80s. I had the great good fortune to see them several times at the Stone on Broadway in San Francisco from '83-'85. Unfortunately, location and bad timing prevented me from seeing them after that, but the music has remained a part of my playlist ever since. RIP Jeff!
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