On Vacation

I am currently in the U.S. on vacation between jobs in South Korea. I'm visiting my family and, other that some bureaucratic hassles with getting a new working visa for Korea, am enjoying myself. Had fennel and kalamata olives on my salad yesterday, with a side of extra sharp, aged cheddar cheese. Hard to do that in most of Asia.

Around the beginning of May I will begin teaching English again, but this time at a private academy (hagwon) in Seoul. I'm looking forward to it!:)

Dude, I forgot how to park my car!

As I will be leaving Korea soon, if only temporarily, I decided to take and post these pics. Normally I would just sigh in disgust and walk right past. After all, this is the standard parking practice in Korea. I have seen three parking tickets issued in the 3+ years I have been here. The people don't seem to care and the government sure as hell doesn't care, despite the millions of dollars they could gain in ticket fees. Rebranding Korea, take a look.

Interesting Ride--Well, the Middle Part, Anyway.

I was riding a highway bus today, and we were cruising along at a good clip, when I--sitting at the very back of the bus in the raised 'clear view' seats--happened to glance at the front of the bus, out the windshield--just in time to see a tire on the big dirt-hauling truck (also moving at a good clip) directly in front of us blow. Did I actually see the tire blow? No. I heard it. An explosive sound, so loud outside that it was clearly audible inside the bus. What I did see was an immediate large, gray-black cloud engulfing the space between the truck (where it had once been visible) and the bus, where, for a second, I sat thinking, "We're gonna wreck on the truck. Shit."

We did roll over the blown tire treads and roll through the cloud of smoke and debris, but fortunately the driver of the truck had his (I have never seen a female construction truck driver in Korea) wits about him, and maneuvered the truck to the side of the road as we cruised past.

I was glad then that I do choose to wear my seatbelt on highway bus rides (the city buses having no seatbelts).

10 minutes later I was asking myself, "Are we there yet?"

Signs of Spring

Some of the trees near the oceanside path where I walk in the morning are blossoming--Yeah!