Who's Shooting Who Kid?

Who's Shooting Who Kid?
Originally uploaded by korea-bound.

Photo ad in the window of a store that I like to go to. There's a series of ads like this with different peoples faces.

Through The Artists Window

Went for a really refreshing, invigorating and relaxing walk this morning. I ended up getting around 50 photos of mostly trees, the river with ducks, and squirrels everywhere out along the river. This is a photo of the artist's studio that backs onto the river. This property, this " slice of heaven ", is located in the area that I refer to as the " Clarence Street Ghetto ". It really isn't a ghetto, but at one time it was one of the poorer, rougher areas of downtown. Now it's still kind of mixed area, but I do think it's a neighbourhood on the way up, but when is the question? I digress.

I even like the colour of grey she painted the studio. If you look you can see the back of the easel, and a painting on the facing wall. The building is a fair bit larger than what we see here and half of it looks like there is a comfy couch and other furnishings needed for a place of solitude and inspiration. The surrounding natural environment must play a big part in the creative process I would expect.

If the studio looks good the art must be pretty good too.

Pond

Here is a pond near Campbellville, Ontario. This is a very pretty village made up of cozy country shops selling mostly stuff for inside and outside of your house. It's a down home, artsy-fartsy place where you could probably find classic Canadiana, like Muskoka chairs for example.

More Cool Water

It is cool this morning. There is frost on the ground, the sharpness can be felt in our nostrils, and the sun is rising on a gorgeous fall day. The top and bottom picture are of Puslinch lake, just west of Milton, On., south of the 401. The middle shot is the Grand River in old Galt ... now part of Cambridge, Ontario.

The Niagara Escarpment

Majestic, breathtaking geography anytime of the year but particularly interesting due to the changing colour of nature.

The Morning Commute

Ah, the good old morning commute.I should have gotten a few shots of the expressways, but I didn't.

These three shots show southbound traffic heading downtown near Dupont and Spadina, as well as people waiting for the bus.

And last but not least the good old CN Tower.

Korean Food

Tonights supper, and my new Korean chopsticks and spoon. I rustled up some mandu, bap, kimchi, and ramyeon. I also had some soy and sesame oil and roasted sesame seeds. Now I think I'm going to have to go to bed. Night-night.

Oh Nara Restaurant

Yes Ladies and Gentlemen, Toronto's Koreatown was hopping last night. It is just so cool to be walking down the street and hear Korean only, see Korean signs everywhere and the streets full of, well ... Koreans. Ok ok so maybe some are Korean Canadians.

I ended up at the Oh Nara Restaurant ... my first time since last January when I was there for a lunch. Last night I had 불고기도빔밮 (bulgogi with rice?). Included with that was: tea, seaweed soup, kimchi, odeng, black beans, tofu(?) and a Coors Light all for the princely sum of $10.06. The service was excellent, the food was great and the atmosphere was very friendly.

I was hesitant to go in alone but if you are alone and you want to go to a restaurant, go Korean ... you'll have some new friends within minutes. The table to my right had 6 gentleman who were commemorating the assassination of Park Chung Hee on October 26, 1976. The one gentleman's father had been a Korean Consul-General, and as a result this man had lived in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. He was mildly lamenting that his Korean had suffered due to the fact that so many of his formative years had been spent outside of Korea. He had excellent English though.

The table to my left was occupied by two young ladies, very attractive I couldn't help but notice. They were friendly, and kind enough to help me with my Korean attempts. The dudes on the right were even more helpful, and I ended up chatting with 3 of the 6. It was a very enjoyable experience.

After supper I headed back out onto Bloor St. and grabbed a bag of 6 walnut cakes with red bean paste and ground walnuts. I had a couple with coffee this morning ... tasty, tasty. The more I learn about Korea and Koreans, the more I like the people and what little of the culture I have been able to experience here in Canada.

I also stopped into a bookstore and checked out the ' Learn Korean' stuff but most of it was imported and I thought it a little pricey.

All in all it was a wonderful 4 hour adventure and it sure beat sitting in a hotel in Scarborough for 8 or more hours.

Oh Nara, north side of Bloor a block or two east of Christie subway.

Enjoy.

Busy

Finally made it to the 한국닉붐 yesterday and was able to pick up some mandu, kimchi and roasted sesame seeds. While there I asked the ajumma, with two other ladies looking on, if they knew where I could get a Korean tutor. The long and short of it was that they didn't. What I found interesting was that after I asked her about a tutor, she asked me if I had a Korean wife. I explained that I was unmarried and that the reason I needed to learn Korean was so that I could go to Korea and find a nice Korean lady to be my wife. Lots of laughter, I was the funny man.

Anyway, I still don't have a tutor and I am still unmarried. There is a Korean Club at the university here in town so I may check there.

Unfortunately, throughout my working life formal education has been by and largely non-existent, save for a course in '83 and 92.
Most of the education I recieved was workplace specific. Real Estate license in '87, engineers school '99. However, the local university does have a basic and advanced Korean course that I would like to pursue. Imagine my surprise when I went looking for all my school stuff and it's gone! I just recieved all my high school transcripts yesterday and am waiting on other stuff. They charge money for replacements. Self-study will be what I pursue for the next year or less. You just have to be there in person for the exam. My first course will be 'Education For The Adult Learner' to ease me back into the academic world. I took a similiar course when I started the engineer course in '99 and I did get a lot of good studying - learning strategies out of it.
It may end up that it motivates me to be more serious about my Korean self-study.

Recently, a Chinese/Canadian acquaintance told me there are more Koreans in London than Chinese. Cool. I know a lot of them move here after a year or two in Toronto. TO is too violent for some of them. Toronto's loss London's gain.

촣은하루대세요!

Buddhist Temple

The Name Says It All.

Here is the statue in front of the Buddha Temple in London, Ontario. For those of you who may be in the London area it is on Clarence St. just south of Horton. Originally the building was an elementary school named Govenor Simcoe Public School. Or was it Lord Simcoe? Lord Simcoe was one of the the people who opened up this area a few hundred years ago. My stepfather, who attended this school as a child, is now 80 years old. I think this building was used as a school until the 60's, when suburbs started to be built, and the downtown area became less of a residential area.

The area just south of here is a mixed residential area that I refer to as the 'Clarence Street Ghetto'. There are some nice homes, but by and large, it is mostly a rental area of duplexes and triplexes. In recent years it seems that some people are moving into the area and helping improve the quality of the neighbourhood. There are some nice scenic areas near the river and ideally I would like to buy a property in this area before I leave for Asia.

Which presents me with an important question ... when am I going to Asia? For sure at this point a 4 or 5 week vacation to Korea and Taiwan in 2007. Children are a 25 year long commitment and my youngest is 17. He is adamant he is not going to Asia. I was trying to interest both darlings into Chinese lessons, to no avail. Perhaps a tutor to come to the house and make lessons a condition of residency. Yeah right! As if learning can be forced. Plus there are dental issues that need to be attended to - wisdom teeth for my son and 3 0r 4 tooth structure issues for myself that require attention at $2500 per tooth. If nothing else, when I do go it will be done right. At 50 years of age it is difficult just to pick up and go. In the end that may be the way it occurs but it has to be done right. No point in heading over there and then having to bail a few months after signing a contract. Sometimes that may be inevitable, but it is best to have all the bases covered. Nonetheless it is a challenge and project I enjoy.

An nyong hi gye se yo.

Todays Lesson

오늘운비가옵니다.
Bag 필요엎서요.

Yes, today it is raining. I got that from 김선상님. The phrase about not needing the bag, I got from his wife 히진. Finally he is starting to offer up Hangeul without being asked, which is obviously appreciated. 히진 of course, is as enthusiastic as ever and repeats whatever I say in English into Korean. She assured me that 'bag' is a Korean word. Whenever I go to the store now I take pen and paper with me so that I can remember what is being said and have it in writing correctly. It is counterproductive for me not to write it down when they first teach it to me, all I end up doing is coming home and writing it down all wrong. My school of thought is to learn it right and reinforce that in my mind.

My first Korean friend I met in 1988. His name was 슥영. He told me then that I could and should go to Korea and make alot of money teaching English. I never gave it a thought at the time, but I did wonder about it, although not seriously and not for long. I think it funny now that I would like to go there. 슥영 was a big man. He stood 6'3 and he had very broad shoulders. His English was very limited and my Hangeul was non existent. His family sold their store and we never stayed in touch. He was a nice guy, I wish I still knew him now.

A cold front came in with the rain this evening. It is cool, windy and damp. The weather has been fairly mild and nice the last few days, although not as warm as Seoul. The leaves are starting to turn, this time of the year always makes me think of 'Ramble On' by Led Zeppelin.

Vocabulary

In an effort to improve basic vocab, I have resorted to extreme measures. I have put up little stickers around the house on various objects with the name in Hangeul. It is working as intended and I am starting to learn some household terms.

The oldest kid in particular seemed to find some humour in that, especially while making comments about the house starting to look like a Korean nursery school.

Work is going well and last trip was less than 24 hours. I only had to work 4 hours on Thanksgiving Monday but it was from 1700 to 2100, so I missed Grandma's Thanksgiving dinner with the kids and the rest of them.

Two appointments today and then should go to work around 2 in the morning.

The weather has certainly changed. The jet stream is out off the north-west and the birds are flocking. Here it is 13C/54F and it's 10 in the morning. It was -33C in Iqaluit yesterday, so in that perspective our weather here is still comfortable. I feel fortunate to live on a part of the globe that is not subjected to natural calamities. The loss of life in Kashmir is phenomenal.

In spite of it all, today is a great day. Take care.

조은하루대세요.

Fog

Morning

Sunshine blazing it's way through the morning fog.

Here are some of the other Asian restaurants in the area. There is one Korean market in Windsor so if you want to eat Korean, you have to buy the stuff and fix it yourself. There is also a large Arab community in this city. You can get a good Chicken Shwarma for $2.75.

Flying Tiger Chinese Food

This is Combo H - Lemon Chicken. Was it ever delicious....I had never tried Lemon Chicken before. Even though I cook with lemon quite often, I hadn't tried it with chinese food.

The Flying Tiger is in Windsor, Ontario's Asiatown. Block after block of Asian restaurants and stores between Oullette Ave. and the University of Windsor.

Included in the mix are Chinese, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Indian and Philippine establishments ... but not a single Korean place. Better to have the Korean places in the city where we live.

Included in the meal were Wonton soup, egg roll and pop. All for $7.99. For $2 extra I got the chicken wings. All in all it was a good filling meal. My only complaint is that they don't open until 4 pm.