Back in Seoul ^^

Hi everyone... okay so everyone kinda makes it sound like more people actualy read the blog. "hi" to all 3 of you that periodically check to read my rambling. I got back from the U.S. of A last week. I enjoyed my trip. My business trip went good... well, yeah it went good, but I was still a little disappointed with the presentation I gave. Not so much with my part, because I did fine, more so with the fact that I want to believe I work for a global company and I ended up giving the presentation in Korean and English because 31 out of the 32 people attending the meeting were Korean. I mean come on, these are all of the head planning/finance people for the North America and we have only one Mexican and the rest are Korean in some way or another. Just makes me kinda sad, because these are the decision makers and all most all of them are Korean. (I love Korea, but there is no reason for everyone of those people to be Korean.) Moving right on, I enjoyed spending time with my parents ^^ and didn't really like the two days I spent at the dentist... teeth still hurt. Highlight of the trip, other than seeing my family, was Batman: Dark Knight. It was great, better than I expected and I'm looking forward to seeing it again when it comes out here in Korea. I had taco bell at least twice, drank mountain dew code red and root beer and had cheap bacon cheese burgers. Good times. I wish that Jinhee and Ha-nee would have been able to come, I'm glad they were both healthy and happy when I got home. Some time we will make it back to America, and maybe it won't even be weird. (I felt kinda dumb asking my brother to get us tickets in advance for Batman only to have him ask why... and I had to think about why... the best I could come up with was in Seoul I need to get tickets a week in advance if I want to see a movie on opening day (probably similar in big cities like NY or something but not so in our neck of woods in Washington)). Looks like the entire family will be back sometime in December ^^ since I didn't really get visit many of my friends maybe people will be back in town for Christmas!

Oh and this is a picture I took during the recent riots here in Seoul, protesting the importing of US beef. This was displayed in local mart next to my house, I was going to go share my thoughts with the mart owner but Jinhee thought it would be better if I just didn't shop there (I don't shop there anyhow). It says "Our store opposes the importing of MAD COW beef" with a boat full of 'mad cow' rolling in from the USA. I guess that technically I agree... with part of the logic... you know the part about not wanting mad cow beef, i just disagree with the part about it comming from the USA... Korea has a very high mob mentality and no amount of reasoning will break through... on the bright side mad cow free US beef started to sell again here a few weeks ago ^^

Back to the motherland ^^

I have a business trip comming up this month. I go on a few business trips every year. It's actually one of the best parts of my job. I don't like that I am away from family but before I started working with my company I had been to exactly two countries... Korea and home in the USA. Since then I have now been to Japan, Netherlands (twice), France, UAE (Dubai), England, India, Indonesia, Thailand (twice), and China... I think thats all the ones i've been too now. Anyhow, business trips can be fun but they are also usually tireing. This time around I have to give a presentation in our New Jersey office. I've been once before and really enjoyed looking around New York. All that aside the best part of a trip to the states is it means that Chris gets to visit his family. The company pays for a trip for me and my family to the states once a year. Last year Jinhee was pregnant with Hanee and we didn't get to go. So Chris hasn't been back to the states in over a year now. Its funny the things I look forward too about being home. Sad but true a must do for Chris when he gets home is to go to the bell... taco bell... I know, I know 'taco bell' you say. Well, you try living in Korea with no mexican (or American mexican, fastfood mexican) food and see if you don't mind a quick run to the border. Other things I'm looking forward to include: seeing the new batman movie with my older brother, getting some pants that fit me, baby clothes for the baby, hmmm... and I guess spending time with my Mom and Dad (just kidding, I always look forward to the that). I'll be in New York/New Jersey on the 13~15 and in Buckley from the 16~19. I'm not sure how to put this, but its always a little strange for me to be back in the states. I love Korea, and I guess alot of the times I just pass over the fact that 98% of the people are Korean, and I'm not. When I get back to the states I always kinda wonder where I fit in. I'm not really current on whats going on in peoples lives, I'm not up to date on fashion or music... or movies for that matter. And then there is the fact that I think alot of small things in Korean... I'll maybe save that for another post. But anyways, I just usually feel a bit out of place.

Where should we put the penguin?

I love my wife, she is doing a great job at being a new mommy. Saying education is 'really' important in Korea just doesn't do just to the topic. So my wife has already started with educational stuff for baby. Jinhee majored in TESOL and worked as a teacher here, teaching kids. I know she does a great job at it. She asked me if I would help her make some stuff for the baby. I said 'sure' and proceeded to not help her until she was about halfway done. She asked me again and so I sat down to see the progress. (What you see on your right is the finished project) She had a house and the sun and was adding the bird. I thought the picture looked good and said I’d add the bug and the plants. While I was making the bug (its supposed to be a lady bug... but I’m not really sure what it ended up as) Jinhee asked me "can we add a penguin?", with out a second thought I said "no" we don't need a penguin for this picture. My wife, shot back with, "what if the baby wanted to add a penguin, would you tell her no?" See the thing is I didn't really think about it, I just said "no". So told Jinhee that I guess it really didn't matter if we added a penguin, just as long as I got to make. You see that penguin sitting on the ray of sun light. Yeah he represents our willingness to think out side of the box and be creative. Because when you take a step back and look at the picture, who says you can't have a penguin sitting on the sun. And so there he is.

Um... I ordered a pizza and a salad

I have some interesting pictures that have been hanging around on my phone for about a year now. I finally got around to moving them over to my computer. Some of them are funny, I'll try to post them over the next week or sooo.
This pic is of a pizza that looks like some one dumped a salad on top of it. I like salad, and I like pizza, just not so much like this. Because I'm American alot of people assume that I don't like Korean food, before they get to know me (ends up I really like some Korean food, and don't like some of the other stuff.) We were having a little birthday party at work for another employee, and since I had only moved groups (to accounting) not to long ago my co-workers wanted to make sure there was something for me to eat. They ordered this pizza... I'm not sure how to describe how I feel about the pizza, I'm glad they thought about me, and it is the thought that counts after all... but come on. This pizza just does not look very tasty ㅠㅠ;; and pizza is supposed to be good. Its funny because I don't really like Korean pizza in general ( alllll sorts of strange toppings like corn, potatoes, salad, any number of uncooked vegetables) on the other hand pizza hot, dominos, and papa johns are all decent although way way over priced.

I don't think I ate very much of the pizza but still kinda funny to think about it.

The office ^^

This is where I work. I've always wanted to get a good picture of it, but for some reason the camera on my cell phone never comes out that good. So while I was at the park with my family I turned around and took this. (Thanks Dad for getting me a nicer camera). This is the LG twin towers... maybe its "these" are the twin towers... hmmm Chris has never been too good at that grammar. They represent the two founders of LG. I work in the right side about 4 floors from the top. I really wish my office was more like the TV show the office. But for some reason that’s just not how it works in Korea (oh we spend lots of time doing worthless stuff, but it just doesn't seem as funny ^^). The other day I was at work on Saturday morning, (I know, who goes to work on Saturday) and I was the only one in the office. Two older guys that looked like construction workers came by and asked me if they could look out the window. I told them 'sure' and showed them our windows. They said fine and went on their way. I didn't think much about it until about half and hour later I hear a bunch of noise outside the window. Now you know thats no big deal but when your on the 32nd floor you kinda have to wonder what’s going on so high up. Ends of the two gentlemen from before used a ladder to come down to our floor and spent the next 30 minutes putting new covers on the drain out side. I'm slightly scared of heights so it would take a medium sized pile of cash to get me out on the small ledge. Anyhow the two where out on the 32nd floor, ledge no safety harness, nothing, doing some minor construction work. Crazy. Kinda funny, but still crazy.

My 1004

Sleeping like a baby. Just thought I would throw up a pic of my little angel. She sleeps just like mom, with her feet un-covered. Can't tell you how much I love to sit and look at her. I don't wanna brag or anything but whenever I see her I always think "I'm not sure how I made such a perfect little baby but, wow, she is just the most beautiful little girl"... I really really love my Ha-nee Gwen. Oh yeah and Korean kids are cute in general but my half Korean is the cutest keke.

Time for a good reboot -

Initially I made this blog so I could post pictures for my mom to see back home. For the most part thats all that it really ever was, but then http://www.facebook.com/ came along and now most the photo sharing happens there. So what do I do with the blog now? I know that I like to read blogs... I think most people like to read blogs, but I have never been a big fan of writing. In fact I'm pretty sure I don't like writing. I think I don't like writing because i've never felt like I was any good at it. (Still don't think i'm very good at it). "Whats the point?" you ask, good question I was just about to get to that. So instead of worrying about my poor writing skillz, I figure I'll just write like I talk (or used to talk... you know when I spoke English... well, I guess i could write in Korean... who knows maybe I will.) and that should be good enough for me.

As for the direction to take the blog, its still up in the air. I'll just see how it goes for now.