Here I am with my Korean dough:
Bo Kwan holding some too:
Now don't go spending that in one place!
Friday, May 9, 2008
Cha Ching, Cha Ching!
My Korean Won arrived today at my bank. Bo Kwan went with me to check it and count it...its all there. I won't say how much I got to take with me to Korea but let me just say that Bo Kwan thinks it is too much and I think it is too little.
Here I am with my Korean dough:
Bo Kwan holding some too:
Now don't go spending that in one place!
Here I am with my Korean dough:
Bo Kwan holding some too:Now don't go spending that in one place!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Packing is a Whore
Yes, that's right packing is a whore. Alright more like a chore. This is a picture of my premature packing stage today. I decided that I would pack all my clothes that I think I need to take with me to see just how much I am really trucking along.
It turns it to be too much, because I need room for all the stuff I am going to take. (Toiletries, folders, books, trinkets, mementos, shoes, external hard drive...you get the picture.) So after a session of going through it all and deciding what not to keep along with a trek to Ross for another suitcase the end results are thus: 
As you can see I have chosen to go with the squarish type luggage. These two vary in size. I kinda wish I had just gotten the smaller one at a bigger size, but after more consolidation I have room in both for more things. Here are some tips on packing:
During this process I created two piles, a giveaway and a store pile.
It turns it to be too much, because I need room for all the stuff I am going to take. (Toiletries, folders, books, trinkets, mementos, shoes, external hard drive...you get the picture.) So after a session of going through it all and deciding what not to keep along with a trek to Ross for another suitcase the end results are thus: 
As you can see I have chosen to go with the squarish type luggage. These two vary in size. I kinda wish I had just gotten the smaller one at a bigger size, but after more consolidation I have room in both for more things. Here are some tips on packing:- Get rid of as much clothing as possible. This one is obvious. For me the thought was that I could find it in Korea and if so I would be able to pick up on the latest fashions. There were a few clothing items I had a hard time saying no to because they have been with me for a while and had memories attached to them. But I said to myself, that this trip is about putting things in the past...and to the donate bin it went.
- Pack and repack that suitcase as much as possible. Curl up thin clothes into a kind of jelly roll fashion, so to squeeze it in there tight. Fold up jeans into square like fashion. I put my socks and undies in the zipper flap attached to the 'door' of the suitcase, so to save room in the box part. Shoes can be placed in a plastic bag and stuffed between clothing.
During this process I created two piles, a giveaway and a store pile.
The Giveaway pile:
The Store pile: 
Some of this stuff will actually make it to my bro's so that he has some things to use.
Well I still have the kitchen to go through and to clean up what is left hanging on the walls in my room.
Tomorrow's list:
Well I still have the kitchen to go through and to clean up what is left hanging on the walls in my room.
Tomorrow's list:
- Pick up Korean Won from Bank.
- Clean up (see above mentioning)
- And whatever else.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Immigration (Everyone should watch this)
Immigration is an issue in America that is a topic so heated it displaces communities and people. But immigration to this country is becoming more and more an issue that is causing hatred in some people. Whether the immigrant is Mexican, Colombian, Chinese or Korean, it seems some Americans (White Americans) are having a difficult time accepting these people.
As I will become an immigrant in Korea, I hope that my stay there will be greeted with a welcoming gesture, unlike the kind you see here in this video:
As I will become an immigrant in Korea, I hope that my stay there will be greeted with a welcoming gesture, unlike the kind you see here in this video:
Asia vs. Asia (Series: Ugly Korean)
How does a Korean compare him or herself to a Japanese or Chinese person? In other words how do Asians compare themselves amongst other Asian populations. I am not talking about Asian Americans and their opinions of themselves versus each other. Rather I am curious whether or not Asians from Asia (Mostly Japan, Korea and China) see each other. This has been a fascination of mine for a long time now. And I hope I don't come off sounding European-centric or discriminatory.
For now I can only answer this question based upon my own opinion, knowledge and with some observations from Bo Kwan.
Perhaps lets talk about geographic size. China is obviously larger than both Korea and Japan. Yet Japan is larger than Korea.
As we all know these three countries have centuries of history behind them. During this time their borders were sometimes closed and open, there has been war and peace, but what I am interested in is how the modern day Chinese, Korean or Japanese views each other.
I think when searching for this answer there will likely be a difference of opinion between the old and the young generations.
For today's tidbit of exploration into this subject matter I am going to give an example of a recent observation I saw by Bo Kwan.
The other day we were lounging in my room and he was searching on YouTube. In the search criteria field he entered Ugly Korean and came up with a number of results.
This video shows that during the 2002 FIFA WorldCup series Korea got away with fouls and wasn't flagged for them. Bo Kwan expressed how they were able to do this because they were playing at home. He also nodded and agreed with the video that indeed Korea played unfairly.
This just goes to show that as I start to explore the opinions Koreans and other peoples of Asia's opinion of each other that neither one country is innocent of possessing good and bad traits.
As Bo Kwan continued his search he found videos of how Chinese soccer players are more brutal than Korean soccer players.
The Chinese players here are playing against Japanese and it seems they seem not to hold back on being brutal. However, I don't have much experience in watching or understanding the game of soccer so I can't really say which country amongst this sport plays more bloodier than the other.
What was interesting was Bo Kwan's reaction and agreement that the Chinese played too rough.
The point of this post is not to delve into Bo Kwan's opinion but see the overall idea of one's perception of other people and cultures.
For now I can only understand this from my placement in America. Living in San Francisco I have become accustomed to hearing many different languages on the bus and around town. But diversity in America is not a new thing and has been around for ages, only depends on where you are in this country.
I am curious to know how Koreans embrace others from different cultural backgrounds. For now I believe that I am sure it is of no real big deal over there. That they coexist in a peaceful and sometimes hostile way. But I can't help but think that underneath the surface that some people may still feel some kind of historical and cultural opinion towards an outsider.
I hope I get the time to not just be an observer of this phenomenon abroad but get the chance to research it and understand it from all sides.
For now I can only answer this question based upon my own opinion, knowledge and with some observations from Bo Kwan.
Perhaps lets talk about geographic size. China is obviously larger than both Korea and Japan. Yet Japan is larger than Korea.
As we all know these three countries have centuries of history behind them. During this time their borders were sometimes closed and open, there has been war and peace, but what I am interested in is how the modern day Chinese, Korean or Japanese views each other.
I think when searching for this answer there will likely be a difference of opinion between the old and the young generations.
For today's tidbit of exploration into this subject matter I am going to give an example of a recent observation I saw by Bo Kwan.
The other day we were lounging in my room and he was searching on YouTube. In the search criteria field he entered Ugly Korean and came up with a number of results.
This video shows that during the 2002 FIFA WorldCup series Korea got away with fouls and wasn't flagged for them. Bo Kwan expressed how they were able to do this because they were playing at home. He also nodded and agreed with the video that indeed Korea played unfairly.
This just goes to show that as I start to explore the opinions Koreans and other peoples of Asia's opinion of each other that neither one country is innocent of possessing good and bad traits.
As Bo Kwan continued his search he found videos of how Chinese soccer players are more brutal than Korean soccer players.
The Chinese players here are playing against Japanese and it seems they seem not to hold back on being brutal. However, I don't have much experience in watching or understanding the game of soccer so I can't really say which country amongst this sport plays more bloodier than the other.
What was interesting was Bo Kwan's reaction and agreement that the Chinese played too rough.
The point of this post is not to delve into Bo Kwan's opinion but see the overall idea of one's perception of other people and cultures.
For now I can only understand this from my placement in America. Living in San Francisco I have become accustomed to hearing many different languages on the bus and around town. But diversity in America is not a new thing and has been around for ages, only depends on where you are in this country.
I am curious to know how Koreans embrace others from different cultural backgrounds. For now I believe that I am sure it is of no real big deal over there. That they coexist in a peaceful and sometimes hostile way. But I can't help but think that underneath the surface that some people may still feel some kind of historical and cultural opinion towards an outsider.
I hope I get the time to not just be an observer of this phenomenon abroad but get the chance to research it and understand it from all sides.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
cut it short
With only 7 days left of work to go, my mind and soul thought that was too long. I checked my budget and made the decision. I will end work this Friday instead of next. Essentially cutting myself off from the money I would have earned next week. But I have learned in life that sometimes you need to make such kind of sacrifices to give yourself what you really want.
It has been an interesting past 9 months at this job. For those unaware I have been working at an Insurance brokerage company downtown. It is a small office with just about 6 other employees. To give you a picture of the environment here is an idea: I am the only young worker there in their 20's, they still use typewriters, the computers all run on old PC's and I am often asked to solve a very simple computer problem.
I have my ups and downs at this place. When I first started the job I didn't imagine that 9 months down the road I would be saying goodbye. Last year when I was looking for a job it took a lot of work and was very difficult. I would apply to about 10-15 job postings a day and get about 3-4 interviews a week. The interviews weren't encouraging either. Often I was seen by more than one interviewer at once. In my darkest hour of this time in my life I went to the mall across the street and sought employment at one of the shops. But instead going through with the interview I went back home in tears. I couldn't believe that after 6 years of college and graduating after beingg sseriously ill that I was going to take a sales job at minimum wage. That same day I posted my resume on Craigslist, and a day latter my current boss emailed me. To sum up I obviously got the job. At that time I thought there was some kind of universal magic going on.
So now when I think about my last day, I feel somewhat regretful. My boss had a lot of faith in me that I would strive to become an insurance agent and help his company out. But my heart and soul have their eyes set on a more adventurous future.
All in all this job allowed me to grow and mature. I learned not to take things personally and that when you work hard the reward is a satisfied feeling.
Well time to say goodbye:
Goodbye....
It has been an interesting past 9 months at this job. For those unaware I have been working at an Insurance brokerage company downtown. It is a small office with just about 6 other employees. To give you a picture of the environment here is an idea: I am the only young worker there in their 20's, they still use typewriters, the computers all run on old PC's and I am often asked to solve a very simple computer problem.
I have my ups and downs at this place. When I first started the job I didn't imagine that 9 months down the road I would be saying goodbye. Last year when I was looking for a job it took a lot of work and was very difficult. I would apply to about 10-15 job postings a day and get about 3-4 interviews a week. The interviews weren't encouraging either. Often I was seen by more than one interviewer at once. In my darkest hour of this time in my life I went to the mall across the street and sought employment at one of the shops. But instead going through with the interview I went back home in tears. I couldn't believe that after 6 years of college and graduating after beingg sseriously ill that I was going to take a sales job at minimum wage. That same day I posted my resume on Craigslist, and a day latter my current boss emailed me. To sum up I obviously got the job. At that time I thought there was some kind of universal magic going on.
So now when I think about my last day, I feel somewhat regretful. My boss had a lot of faith in me that I would strive to become an insurance agent and help his company out. But my heart and soul have their eyes set on a more adventurous future.
All in all this job allowed me to grow and mature. I learned not to take things personally and that when you work hard the reward is a satisfied feeling.
Well time to say goodbye:
Goodbye....
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