tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-132828752024-03-07T14:46:16.701+09:00scrapsCharles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.comBlogger1237125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-62729961238578012232018-08-28T08:04:00.001+09:002018-08-28T08:04:20.391+09:00Dear Spokane, never change<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThLz8vihLYeuIlRhyWtkjJ0bGi-N5jxIkT_Jl2yn1jAlU0qBedF7P4pfPt4TiwAQ8f_AYPDDZteK0QgLCJt6ByJzp5XYN2idGgE1nHOe1ZH8miZx1bWrxP_OpENZLuwAvOpUv/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-27+at+3.59.40+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="704" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThLz8vihLYeuIlRhyWtkjJ0bGi-N5jxIkT_Jl2yn1jAlU0qBedF7P4pfPt4TiwAQ8f_AYPDDZteK0QgLCJt6ByJzp5XYN2idGgE1nHOe1ZH8miZx1bWrxP_OpENZLuwAvOpUv/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-08-27+at+3.59.40+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Pretty sure these are unrelated, but pretty sure do not want.^^Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-53547111874006399422017-12-17T08:29:00.000+09:002017-12-17T08:32:20.510+09:00The HIzzy....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Ok....Here's the new hizzy, as you might walk through it.</div>
It's 1325 square feet, two stories, 3+ bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and probably not enough storage space.^^ (You may click on photos to embiggen).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JFKyPpRLL2qwyVJx1KeECB_p0kvp8nbAOdJy0Xd47dG2WY8fpWInuBbvkqVhNKoh63B6MFLN4uRto42ON-53iLA7DxJIIt2JqDqiThN3GeZtE8XHHHfH4O_umS1SV3yvfqIJ/s1600/houseandalien1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JFKyPpRLL2qwyVJx1KeECB_p0kvp8nbAOdJy0Xd47dG2WY8fpWInuBbvkqVhNKoh63B6MFLN4uRto42ON-53iLA7DxJIIt2JqDqiThN3GeZtE8XHHHfH4O_umS1SV3yvfqIJ/s400/houseandalien1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
First, one must pass the troll at the gate.^^<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1zMrvWJRtlidDVmuOshxHyuUGIzRNNYxiuHtn5Z2q4gH70PEGpqrugajYWb1bSXO6bVlK94ogXB1zswTxoF_sA5tdclRwR-t0mfmwB71U5XhmX29pyRo5inFBAVt4E1jFlng/s1600/living2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1zMrvWJRtlidDVmuOshxHyuUGIzRNNYxiuHtn5Z2q4gH70PEGpqrugajYWb1bSXO6bVlK94ogXB1zswTxoF_sA5tdclRwR-t0mfmwB71U5XhmX29pyRo5inFBAVt4E1jFlng/s400/living2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This is the view from the entryway to the living room - it's bigger than it looks here.^^</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcnL2377skaQcwso-bjIr0Z7QASkv73aCYSoWLoKAZHXx0ymALZr8IKFAg-G4sNisJEeRgKoZRaZ5uhNpFW4cQq24oZLHT6fEwi22J3-tfDPMHHj4usPJVgSmFYu9F4q8Qvgk/s1600/diningfromliving3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="609" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcnL2377skaQcwso-bjIr0Z7QASkv73aCYSoWLoKAZHXx0ymALZr8IKFAg-G4sNisJEeRgKoZRaZ5uhNpFW4cQq24oZLHT6fEwi22J3-tfDPMHHj4usPJVgSmFYu9F4q8Qvgk/s400/diningfromliving3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here, looking from the living room into the dining room. I'm sure that all of percipient readers have already picked up the nice touches like the leaded glass window in the living room and the cool lighting fixtures throughout. That door you see is to the one room on bottom floor, the smallest one, which will be my office/R&R Dungeon.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKtAvQGp4qXhujH8XS_Z7VUYFDL4RTNcXjZdie98spQJszg7SVPh0PgV0v3Nt1slsYZ8GGt6I3uNRMvR3EP96tPFhP-IaRmsi_TPMQ6qk4m6eAqBrataZ3fjIf0iXHLzTAL5t/s1600/diningtobathkitdung4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKtAvQGp4qXhujH8XS_Z7VUYFDL4RTNcXjZdie98spQJszg7SVPh0PgV0v3Nt1slsYZ8GGt6I3uNRMvR3EP96tPFhP-IaRmsi_TPMQ6qk4m6eAqBrataZ3fjIf0iXHLzTAL5t/s400/diningtobathkitdung4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Stepping further into the dining room, the R&R dungeon to the right, kitchen entry and stairway straight ahead, and bottom story bathroom to the left.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87okstmEdt1EJT1hv_ziAZAg614GqtXN7ADTw3Ba_0QHtmL6pF9l_w7LlKmcUf83zh9czxhdqcz-CT8j2b1mPpN3ZeaEsKbOesHQxDxXIsD36K7wYzccqLgXE7cKOYeKAzXte/s1600/diningtolivingbathkit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87okstmEdt1EJT1hv_ziAZAg614GqtXN7ADTw3Ba_0QHtmL6pF9l_w7LlKmcUf83zh9czxhdqcz-CT8j2b1mPpN3ZeaEsKbOesHQxDxXIsD36K7wYzccqLgXE7cKOYeKAzXte/s400/diningtolivingbathkit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Turning around to look back into the living room.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftuBnSVuD2BdqDPK7BnfvxWhm3K6TNmYRDSpHf_3z19bwLzSuD2SkF_nfNT5gJKRCn1LYv37GV9MHcX8KgfpGd1mZ75-Ul8XKgW5n76Rjo5_pJWG0OOwyn0S4VKxsqSOg26bz/s1600/downbath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftuBnSVuD2BdqDPK7BnfvxWhm3K6TNmYRDSpHf_3z19bwLzSuD2SkF_nfNT5gJKRCn1LYv37GV9MHcX8KgfpGd1mZ75-Ul8XKgW5n76Rjo5_pJWG0OOwyn0S4VKxsqSOg26bz/s400/downbath.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The downstairs bathroom (shower only)</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPS81pT3cUBNpQFvLM_DP5bJFS5181kL2cAM_8E0DTd0YzusmHl4ohkOIVn8ih7CO9rUFyQy3eyN3_-nXw0EdAMCUGKhK7LnS1ETYHhoWXpx1SVu5HCTceTBj4gWkhwR3NpY6L/s1600/dungeon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPS81pT3cUBNpQFvLM_DP5bJFS5181kL2cAM_8E0DTd0YzusmHl4ohkOIVn8ih7CO9rUFyQy3eyN3_-nXw0EdAMCUGKhK7LnS1ETYHhoWXpx1SVu5HCTceTBj4gWkhwR3NpY6L/s400/dungeon.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
Interior of the R&R Dungeon. Again, bigger than the lens makes it look.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioe7JzkjoemGDPt1TZHtCKte3VV5QVCtOA-38Z9v8W95Qox3PwX1SW4GA1RZzhV0LKMXuf8IwimRf33EX0yjiL2o-EZz8xvTg92njuLvkeAL9skY6Vc_8PokMNfQ2qI1k4YazT/s1600/kit1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioe7JzkjoemGDPt1TZHtCKte3VV5QVCtOA-38Z9v8W95Qox3PwX1SW4GA1RZzhV0LKMXuf8IwimRf33EX0yjiL2o-EZz8xvTg92njuLvkeAL9skY6Vc_8PokMNfQ2qI1k4YazT/s400/kit1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
One side of kitchen.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyF9eKYM7xMGqTuKbBCTkbJ32mLkYzC3Qp4cLQNyft26q_ayxUi5-RMYZeCIwHnSIk2WUJE27FbO4-cMZ7Wd6cf6cdXhmFkOW253t_fkO_fJfhXp0qaxsfivUTxvVUIzjk6Bi/s1600/kit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyF9eKYM7xMGqTuKbBCTkbJ32mLkYzC3Qp4cLQNyft26q_ayxUi5-RMYZeCIwHnSIk2WUJE27FbO4-cMZ7Wd6cf6cdXhmFkOW253t_fkO_fJfhXp0qaxsfivUTxvVUIzjk6Bi/s400/kit2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Other side</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLj8KuWC-hRSnb8NVg5jjMtdORzJTi7veXLDosFWzfL3dP8NR3hqkD2h1K4FOPz4ok-gBX9dVz-xsOuLW5s6wmR-KCvi0uDQUKd2TDtH_CghfoUuFlrbWbIpHz0xkMWocOX555/s1600/stairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLj8KuWC-hRSnb8NVg5jjMtdORzJTi7veXLDosFWzfL3dP8NR3hqkD2h1K4FOPz4ok-gBX9dVz-xsOuLW5s6wmR-KCvi0uDQUKd2TDtH_CghfoUuFlrbWbIpHz0xkMWocOX555/s400/stairs.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Dickensesque stairway.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMnBYWnht7QLb7imQOWU5ixTPG4VdWSkGw2K2nm9BDPXtX8H5gHqOrnxh39QKnLCR4NSQ8s_WUUHXFHthjNmQOJCabGwxuEqdSh9kCmvMRkKAQ3hwLcywcd2rIiuPZRnG6NnX/s1600/hobbit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMnBYWnht7QLb7imQOWU5ixTPG4VdWSkGw2K2nm9BDPXtX8H5gHqOrnxh39QKnLCR4NSQ8s_WUUHXFHthjNmQOJCabGwxuEqdSh9kCmvMRkKAQ3hwLcywcd2rIiuPZRnG6NnX/s400/hobbit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Little hobbit room at top of stairs.. like, 8x7, or something.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvg54zrpi5UZePd6i2IpiJ6MJF8yyk6idyziHsysKGTAoPzH6T0meFXXvaMjR8PAu4B6hH7TLowbYUEpljVKfu3t1Qjcoc-QHCHDsnU1lqDAWLbbuUSImrmvR2lW4gyDrrKQM/s1600/Yvoffice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvg54zrpi5UZePd6i2IpiJ6MJF8yyk6idyziHsysKGTAoPzH6T0meFXXvaMjR8PAu4B6hH7TLowbYUEpljVKfu3t1Qjcoc-QHCHDsnU1lqDAWLbbuUSImrmvR2lW4gyDrrKQM/s400/Yvoffice.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Yvonnes spacious office (with big closet to the left, off camera)</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyq4Afnw7cYJj50TVpjgG9lzNLr5sZjgFtDzISA5aft5Eft4C2d9w03V0AXICnSZkkg2aOCWqlsEyP6qXBwkHHEbpY-_GNGAD967O76sUHGkEcK-h68XoM1wLNIuEmF93bVKJ_/s1600/master.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyq4Afnw7cYJj50TVpjgG9lzNLr5sZjgFtDzISA5aft5Eft4C2d9w03V0AXICnSZkkg2aOCWqlsEyP6qXBwkHHEbpY-_GNGAD967O76sUHGkEcK-h68XoM1wLNIuEmF93bVKJ_/s400/master.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Master Bedroom ... the thing looming on the right is a giant walk-in closet. There's a bit more space beyond it and to the right.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWv_W9ZyVbVNRW_0juNu53GjagAStJrlkGBd7nHx6zTXFpa1bLbeHTdFRTTKNtJmdqEvXg2zAn5HjJDLZgdwhJ0MRgYfGsRignPJh88YmKRjA5rht9P0_Zl3TQOamBu5wBjak/s1600/upperbath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWv_W9ZyVbVNRW_0juNu53GjagAStJrlkGBd7nHx6zTXFpa1bLbeHTdFRTTKNtJmdqEvXg2zAn5HjJDLZgdwhJ0MRgYfGsRignPJh88YmKRjA5rht9P0_Zl3TQOamBu5wBjak/s400/upperbath.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The upstairs bathroom (tub)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZI7gXzk-Lny4uDn0MeZ3IrshmiFPnaM-AG9Dxkgh94B6uOgOX0KJCWP4KnBxHY9Kjir16zFJjTUrT4M-MWyqmk8kTq3mOui7sOKd2LptZLLL1KrEjTmQZ509xl8poBo7uuhyphenhyphen/s1600/Backyard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZI7gXzk-Lny4uDn0MeZ3IrshmiFPnaM-AG9Dxkgh94B6uOgOX0KJCWP4KnBxHY9Kjir16zFJjTUrT4M-MWyqmk8kTq3mOui7sOKd2LptZLLL1KrEjTmQZ509xl8poBo7uuhyphenhyphen/s400/Backyard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The deck and backyard, which are utterly indistinguishable as they are coated in snow.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Now, none of you have to visit (as if anyone but Ed and Jae would!).^^</div>
<br />
<br />Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-17409777799504283682016-11-26T04:47:00.002+09:002016-11-26T04:47:38.487+09:00Thanksgiving at the new PadWell,<br />
<br />
Here we are in lovely Spokane and Yvonne, or course, made me go out and buy a 13lb turkey despite the mathematical, physical, and theoretical realities that we could never get near finishing it. Also bought an entire pie for both of us, FOUR boxes of stuffing, and wanted to buy extra biscuits... Anyway, when it was ready it became clear our kitchen did not have enough serving plates, but it looked something like this:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhEZFotmfR98wq7mpCkhLY1BIovr4OJ7W0sRQFkASIxyC5t7ucOoqGchMwMjCcG2ehoN0Yo1dLIlA3DEP2RHlOg0C8s1L-drT4Fpnnm3Q40x1SMHIk21AflIJib3To2xHV7FZ/s1600/IMG_6645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhEZFotmfR98wq7mpCkhLY1BIovr4OJ7W0sRQFkASIxyC5t7ucOoqGchMwMjCcG2ehoN0Yo1dLIlA3DEP2RHlOg0C8s1L-drT4Fpnnm3Q40x1SMHIk21AflIJib3To2xHV7FZ/s400/IMG_6645.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
You will also notice our lovely table and chairs, purchased right off the truck as they were delivered to the thrift store...<br />
<br />
Also, as I look at this picture it occurs to me that we never made the biscuits.<br />
<br />
Dessert was what you would expect. We had one pie and this is what it looked like after our pieces were cut out:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAaRTrDEucppT95uX1T_2_DjCAtmf7aKAmUQ07riDf7Cj87j997JbwX9_QpOZxek_Fy9E5L7p2aOKQu3eP_7DSyRng_N48MPBOO5oAitrptGMt8IwLqdZnrnKd6TW29Xwi9Hc/s1600/IMG_6648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAaRTrDEucppT95uX1T_2_DjCAtmf7aKAmUQ07riDf7Cj87j997JbwX9_QpOZxek_Fy9E5L7p2aOKQu3eP_7DSyRng_N48MPBOO5oAitrptGMt8IwLqdZnrnKd6TW29Xwi9Hc/s400/IMG_6648.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And in case anyone had questions about how that worked out in practice? The piece in the front is Yvonne's and the one in back is mine.^^</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8Dq5N6XEFOSGXrK1cNi6OlnPO1MJNkxDPxi0ILL4BLL1fKpSIdjV26adokXr3tmwESETJrO3fMH9IEyUtjPaut3oUqxCUzfnalPhZIYDOvWkaiUnN9WZ4-DmEduQ3ob4zcy0/s1600/IMG_6650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8Dq5N6XEFOSGXrK1cNi6OlnPO1MJNkxDPxi0ILL4BLL1fKpSIdjV26adokXr3tmwESETJrO3fMH9IEyUtjPaut3oUqxCUzfnalPhZIYDOvWkaiUnN9WZ4-DmEduQ3ob4zcy0/s400/IMG_6650.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
And, of course, breakfast today was a cup of coffee, a slice of pie, and a long walk in the semi-rain to try to work some of it off.<br />
<br />Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-80590887414389533772016-11-19T12:37:00.002+09:002016-11-19T12:37:25.384+09:00Winzz...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4WZ_CYdFcht2zi39t6D8bfQkFnbh1YN1A9KESY8S0rGxdZfpHAJ-U1dOjnJkgSbbF4KrdZS_h7FSoQkfgbxMqGWUnhWyjJVVGIv5YLQU2CihtioX-1KUV2dnetOO66L8TMmC4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-11-18+at+7.35.17+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4WZ_CYdFcht2zi39t6D8bfQkFnbh1YN1A9KESY8S0rGxdZfpHAJ-U1dOjnJkgSbbF4KrdZS_h7FSoQkfgbxMqGWUnhWyjJVVGIv5YLQU2CihtioX-1KUV2dnetOO66L8TMmC4/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-11-18+at+7.35.17+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-36792649785638312732016-11-14T02:45:00.002+09:002016-11-14T02:47:05.737+09:00Some people pretty damned EMO about Trump's win..The guy is subhuman, but the combined amount of tear-hearing/garment rending mixed with liberal condescension ("<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px;">I will always be in a state of triage, a state of "wokeness" that many of you are just encountering and it hurts doesn't it?" - Damn, aren't you a special little flower?) in this is mind-boggling (names redacted to protect the guilty).</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH69h49SEkpn0LThri_V-I1La10MjXVH4Mgo_P_v6IRoKGR8z3gQm-rCwQlxpjQ7GtK1i74ruR-SdG5-aNdk4BslC9mmIyh7rdwzkZmCfpyP4OTBaEnLJ6OC4dNleiwYBlEk9C/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-11-13+at+9.42.11+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH69h49SEkpn0LThri_V-I1La10MjXVH4Mgo_P_v6IRoKGR8z3gQm-rCwQlxpjQ7GtK1i74ruR-SdG5-aNdk4BslC9mmIyh7rdwzkZmCfpyP4OTBaEnLJ6OC4dNleiwYBlEk9C/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-11-13+at+9.42.11+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Why in the name of God, did I ever live in Berkeley?^^</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px;"><br /></span>Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-88016235409416611232016-10-25T10:22:00.001+09:002016-10-25T10:22:36.763+09:00The Well Spokane Life..So we now have our lovely home in a kind of transitional neighborhood in West Central Spokane.<br /><br />The house is like this:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_9SFLxQrgr6DYM-jqbT2ata9bSloSolxRRDq2unLvbxlNvWO0VIwKoUQdDPSiTV3G__9KAoY1EWPGRhKPiPdqbIIxL223U78vF_R3Kks1q3xrFKltawYtpLSLXkXsAPXwcRn/s1600/house.jpg"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_9SFLxQrgr6DYM-jqbT2ata9bSloSolxRRDq2unLvbxlNvWO0VIwKoUQdDPSiTV3G__9KAoY1EWPGRhKPiPdqbIIxL223U78vF_R3Kks1q3xrFKltawYtpLSLXkXsAPXwcRn/s400/house.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
And it looks even more white pickety fence when Yvonne takes ownership...<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJTkDzJLEXWSz2dG6R87kfHjqWqi4CztH9BC8m4LAxW7K8X3yepfr8PXRk7M4C1rt3gH2hT1cQz1UwXPnwp4fQcQBcWk4NtFIMqzKdTXOvUbQCjotg9drxwYp94XsCiGO7Z5A/s1600/pickets.jpg"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJTkDzJLEXWSz2dG6R87kfHjqWqi4CztH9BC8m4LAxW7K8X3yepfr8PXRk7M4C1rt3gH2hT1cQz1UwXPnwp4fQcQBcWk4NtFIMqzKdTXOvUbQCjotg9drxwYp94XsCiGO7Z5A/s400/pickets.jpg" width="266" /></a><br />
<br />
The entryhall is adequate sized (with a bizarre light fixture)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqys_nTAKNKyRI6ml_FU87lG14U1wFVsfveKRKlcXdZFpAnKkq5kAUH8gfZlX7COEfJ3PLE15xHbqCWzZcjxXenr_CXVExo5M1fAMnsvUd8hyuPnv9S6D-uVfcwHpszfvvRJX/s1600/entry.jpg"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqys_nTAKNKyRI6ml_FU87lG14U1wFVsfveKRKlcXdZFpAnKkq5kAUH8gfZlX7COEfJ3PLE15xHbqCWzZcjxXenr_CXVExo5M1fAMnsvUd8hyuPnv9S6D-uVfcwHpszfvvRJX/s400/entry.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
(That's the front door on the left and the door to Yvonne's office on the right).<br />
<br />
As you can see it has a pretty large living room.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02fabfrG0cdnXcGEWv1F7aH6A9HDT-4Id8TVPFIONydet3gsm2udHXkPx-OjOQwPVutNoxhohLrrLQJq_naAUlPvOOPABgADGhD1UAMwKkUWgbdhsx1JAWaphgHOvUftkjrRq/s1600/living.jpg"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02fabfrG0cdnXcGEWv1F7aH6A9HDT-4Id8TVPFIONydet3gsm2udHXkPx-OjOQwPVutNoxhohLrrLQJq_naAUlPvOOPABgADGhD1UAMwKkUWgbdhsx1JAWaphgHOvUftkjrRq/s400/living.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
Yvonne's office is medium-sized<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDunvJsKshQDp6hpJiIx8UVmh5iOHsIE4zTd7eJsaaYp1-3g5Vky6Uqe7Yt-_OEXpXRonNUR0bH-xX4ZhByRhyphenhyphenjgd00d1bcPz9SC-mHxHeidMjZXGR8FAVAwmtWPiBhUNwnCu/s1600/Yvonne.jpg"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDunvJsKshQDp6hpJiIx8UVmh5iOHsIE4zTd7eJsaaYp1-3g5Vky6Uqe7Yt-_OEXpXRonNUR0bH-xX4ZhByRhyphenhyphenjgd00d1bcPz9SC-mHxHeidMjZXGR8FAVAwmtWPiBhUNwnCu/s400/Yvonne.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
(What you can't see their is a bizarre "Winchester Mystery House Door to Nowhere" on the right.<br /><br />And the bedroom is pretty small<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMMbkxYZbKxZHjzfCaeM-E8PegS2W0SGcASa19hG1ZuKt6XZNpChZB9XTMOWpEHd845Pyky2WLH0O52W9ph76Z3CvQzWZNEjUUbTC2S3QYaQ0h9IVMhGBxRfCMTNtVMx-s-BZ/s1600/bedroom.jpg"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMMbkxYZbKxZHjzfCaeM-E8PegS2W0SGcASa19hG1ZuKt6XZNpChZB9XTMOWpEHd845Pyky2WLH0O52W9ph76Z3CvQzWZNEjUUbTC2S3QYaQ0h9IVMhGBxRfCMTNtVMx-s-BZ/s400/bedroom.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
Kitchen is pretty nice<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW17ctyHkI5thz66PM4BSH3K6o3VsgAmSBkdKqdalN-dHjqugvSw0qjnsbN09kPCesvZ0YKo76OH0mJs9_CTNhlz4lSE9MPJ-MomjTRWRgmyPHFI-BuF2c1TLn91xeyYrGuHLd/s1600/Kitchen.jpg"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW17ctyHkI5thz66PM4BSH3K6o3VsgAmSBkdKqdalN-dHjqugvSw0qjnsbN09kPCesvZ0YKo76OH0mJs9_CTNhlz4lSE9MPJ-MomjTRWRgmyPHFI-BuF2c1TLn91xeyYrGuHLd/s400/Kitchen.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
Bizarrely, that door to the right goes to the bedroom.. the layout is kind of weird (the bathroom is off the utility room between the kitchen and garage, which is also kind of weird).^^<br />
<br />
Yvonne uses the kitchen (well, the microwave)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7U0OqOOfVIuMuL9zgiV0ns6euqLkYRRleUA2lgmFF0ZkP9YrJns8o0HTV1RvfPiubx0sBLX7IzJ_lrJ_avaXIh4_-TcYQVcl3U8_gzFLzdsWEvL2tOweXeyAHpr7juBi7cOA/s1600/cookery.jpg"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7U0OqOOfVIuMuL9zgiV0ns6euqLkYRRleUA2lgmFF0ZkP9YrJns8o0HTV1RvfPiubx0sBLX7IzJ_lrJ_avaXIh4_-TcYQVcl3U8_gzFLzdsWEvL2tOweXeyAHpr7juBi7cOA/s400/cookery.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
And there is a garage suitable for bleaching bones.^^<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYq_PP6iJ3KjcZVFBKX1jay2il0AygMAU8BbMsz3kLBKHifcja077l3VuLm9lIKgLEaFtRoFpx1VRejsiwD2e3f1Vv0p6f2qbhZxz2gRVZuyNE2FLVieF8OcWtZBahPtbT6WZ/s1600/Garage.jpg"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYq_PP6iJ3KjcZVFBKX1jay2il0AygMAU8BbMsz3kLBKHifcja077l3VuLm9lIKgLEaFtRoFpx1VRejsiwD2e3f1Vv0p6f2qbhZxz2gRVZuyNE2FLVieF8OcWtZBahPtbT6WZ/s400/Garage.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
The previous tenants left us a lovely Halloween gift, Billy the Magnetic Bat<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23OWP_lj09tm7AVm9dsQJiUP595sXFWzWPSyQQFoH6v98dcailjatHM1mZUHGvKZBSfphGHZhbuDLpJCLUbndgZzIhk9brokwFnxqhaC94S4RlOXP-ndMCuLf5vB-O1XkUU0t/s1600/BillyBat.jpg"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23OWP_lj09tm7AVm9dsQJiUP595sXFWzWPSyQQFoH6v98dcailjatHM1mZUHGvKZBSfphGHZhbuDLpJCLUbndgZzIhk9brokwFnxqhaC94S4RlOXP-ndMCuLf5vB-O1XkUU0t/s400/BillyBat.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
As well as a shelf full of underwear(!)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_eV6TwBMkkuUU5SDG-qabdqH5oz618uJmKlmfdahQ2-FEl8OepLC2JQbb64u7NbzrJSryL8vYXKVMRMxrYKl5wTieZyqOOW4jN9aUGL9hRL7YoimBZWTiT38j8gUga4_6uCQ0/s1600/Undies.jpg"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_eV6TwBMkkuUU5SDG-qabdqH5oz618uJmKlmfdahQ2-FEl8OepLC2JQbb64u7NbzrJSryL8vYXKVMRMxrYKl5wTieZyqOOW4jN9aUGL9hRL7YoimBZWTiT38j8gUga4_6uCQ0/s400/Undies.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
Including the "Snoopy as Guns' n' Roses" pair...<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCUpHG80-1Q2RvbmcIzkErcs4u9NvixbYYRhdVvrqQJ-nNrKhEugLXaHBNVjTvg9UjHJ-rYDryR4udHUDJpiiEF7AK2vFSMvlyF_LzlEIBK-5_Pa3rVjcMN3nQe8HgFgmkMb1/s1600/Snooped.jpg"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCUpHG80-1Q2RvbmcIzkErcs4u9NvixbYYRhdVvrqQJ-nNrKhEugLXaHBNVjTvg9UjHJ-rYDryR4udHUDJpiiEF7AK2vFSMvlyF_LzlEIBK-5_Pa3rVjcMN3nQe8HgFgmkMb1/s400/Snooped.jpg" width="350" /></a><br />
<br />
(I wear them under EVERYTHING!).<br />
<br />
It's within walking distance of downtown, a block off the river, and directly on a bus line...<br />
<br />
We're reasonably content with it.^^<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-39918214052238688412015-11-23T13:09:00.000+09:002015-11-23T13:09:16.781+09:00Another Job App in...<br />
A not extremely well-paid job in Western Nebraska, but I'd happily take it.. multi-campus district, near a bunch of nature.. would certainly be the anti-Seoul<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wncc.edu/" target="_blank">At this place:</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZH1YQzooyOcRxYu5gLSPBwt12H6hw2cZWPxOOpvlJ0ovwGMfUi_MmPUqX_L11yS8EMrw19_AItoOKsTlF8wopBz4leZzkhScMeYsdlPD8OKpkQQs_xmMVlUku8dJTIH_eHuJ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-11-23+at+1.06.42+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZH1YQzooyOcRxYu5gLSPBwt12H6hw2cZWPxOOpvlJ0ovwGMfUi_MmPUqX_L11yS8EMrw19_AItoOKsTlF8wopBz4leZzkhScMeYsdlPD8OKpkQQs_xmMVlUku8dJTIH_eHuJ/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-11-23+at+1.06.42+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Checked out the school and neighborhood demos and it seems like an alright place.<br />
<br />The usual problem of me being here and they being there are likely to arise, but we are getting closer to vacation.. so...^^<br />
<br />
Anyway... good to get back into the practice of all the steps to the hiring process in the US. Quite different than here.Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-68116733982046148142015-11-22T06:38:00.002+09:002015-11-22T09:36:28.844+09:00Feeling MovedSo...<br />
<br />
When we last left our hero, he had overcome an ajussissy's stupidity and actually got moved into his rather grimy place. Now it's time to take a look. It's cheapish and scheduled to be demolished in the name of urban renewal. Walk about a kilometer away and you can see it already happening on the edges:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghtLnAWpQo0WxGDtxwA9nnoUAhRfBfGXHb3Xf5fypihEgil5Z972cQk92s60MeknUt17hXfPL-Ht6yFwQ2XfnIl98S01-PVg1emqAE8kGrSiNmtvOLDCkBSpoHHYQfxmTyHoZ/s1600/renewal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghtLnAWpQo0WxGDtxwA9nnoUAhRfBfGXHb3Xf5fypihEgil5Z972cQk92s60MeknUt17hXfPL-Ht6yFwQ2XfnIl98S01-PVg1emqAE8kGrSiNmtvOLDCkBSpoHHYQfxmTyHoZ/s320/renewal.jpg" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Houses and businesses already sacrificed on the altar of progress.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
But this also give the neighborhood a certain cool griminess that I like. Here is a completely random abandoned storefront worrying about forest fires:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2K_JMBagS7MNdig5v0WrTkaFcUu3h31rJeNjFEwn8FSYE8x1Zpe0Mo9jt0yyXhzx9ZL2lH_weNGzpBoLTq_nqhka8fPI_UFJ27lEsNy85wWZ3N9zQ2T5nds6MzvdKgT3kf7c/s1600/badass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2K_JMBagS7MNdig5v0WrTkaFcUu3h31rJeNjFEwn8FSYE8x1Zpe0Mo9jt0yyXhzx9ZL2lH_weNGzpBoLTq_nqhka8fPI_UFJ27lEsNy85wWZ3N9zQ2T5nds6MzvdKgT3kf7c/s320/badass.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Right in the middle of no hills whatsoever</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And a studio that is never open, but is always cool.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fwBUwM1Y7qnjOHHmhzZaQmj_mXIGRw6Rm6FsINswh0lz6UOE0LbxGv5A2IdzquuFH-oY4Jz4T3DdGotsb7CONziE5KprSrGkmvuTckJfnhiM9aOlIe3Fgc40DlQVs8yVT67x/s1600/IMG_5946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fwBUwM1Y7qnjOHHmhzZaQmj_mXIGRw6Rm6FsINswh0lz6UOE0LbxGv5A2IdzquuFH-oY4Jz4T3DdGotsb7CONziE5KprSrGkmvuTckJfnhiM9aOlIe3Fgc40DlQVs8yVT67x/s320/IMG_5946.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tattoos? Book Covers? Paintings? I duuno, I just want one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The rest of the neighborhood is typical "old" Korea with a bunch of shiny new stores selling crap from Samsung on the two big roads that cross and then funky little restaurants, veggie (야채) stores and various little knick-knacks that I can't believe anyone would purchase. The funkiness is partly dented by the fact that, because it is a marginal neighborhood, it is also a kind of artist area, and there is even a two hour walk through the hood that shows off the various murals and art installations people have created. There's a map and a dotted yellow-brick road.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDlSiTpFL-a92HKu9BHYAxMbWUAlnafKUKt72oC1JbOH2YsrljSePw4_fOot-EXWXhLD-vGBqGs5qKCbXdVj8DDbNGN3Q3HPtskzzY4eDGFEyIhPROu_QA4GKq56pa3NhRXyj/s1600/yellowbrickroad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDlSiTpFL-a92HKu9BHYAxMbWUAlnafKUKt72oC1JbOH2YsrljSePw4_fOot-EXWXhLD-vGBqGs5qKCbXdVj8DDbNGN3Q3HPtskzzY4eDGFEyIhPROu_QA4GKq56pa3NhRXyj/s320/yellowbrickroad.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"follow, follow, follow, follow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
But that picture should also give you an idea of the narrowness (if not the windiness) of the hood. And then, there's the fact that to even get to the place from the closest station on line 6 you must ascend Grim Mt. Doom.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAEooCv0u5-MRB_RZkuhmPmWPECSGCTZrLppZHZ10VN2P2q0LCYMSIHuzE5n2fiRpJDTzoKWbv6w8DYNfa9O_lv0yOVGVgxWy4hO3cwF6Zm4pihX2rYtMThmBg1TPLAarA7Cg/s1600/stepsofhell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAEooCv0u5-MRB_RZkuhmPmWPECSGCTZrLppZHZ10VN2P2q0LCYMSIHuzE5n2fiRpJDTzoKWbv6w8DYNfa9O_lv0yOVGVgxWy4hO3cwF6Zm4pihX2rYtMThmBg1TPLAarA7Cg/s320/stepsofhell.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And he's climbing a stairway towards infarction.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Then, finally, you get to the house and enter a small, always unlocked door which reveals an alley always ratpacked with junk - 김장 day was particularly dire as it was a veritable cave of cabbage and many other vegetables I could not begin to name:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgted53Bu5rkVEMId-Fsnni5OiRAGdccQ2Ppc8qB_hBXNChYd77KMOPBqv8Y1A7iAbwPy5P15o7Y-VPPjfuB1s8iz35YOwVkRT0xx6mnlwddNerjIrWeN3dyoDT4U8jwTd9ETb1/s1600/walkway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgted53Bu5rkVEMId-Fsnni5OiRAGdccQ2Ppc8qB_hBXNChYd77KMOPBqv8Y1A7iAbwPy5P15o7Y-VPPjfuB1s8iz35YOwVkRT0xx6mnlwddNerjIrWeN3dyoDT4U8jwTd9ETb1/s320/walkway.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Door inside door is to landlady's mad pad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
On the right, which you can't see from the picture above, are some six-foot ranger (ask Jennifer) stairs<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegPBWJfzZoY66HXGoW2E6KE1ToRHMC24665ir3LTl4dJqxTWWaIOB5Fog9sqEYU8B-J0FGaIvrdrgv_7s4VZ57RltCZ06S9Y0WiB9P9scMhP3P_wBgt0ffa51pZzNQaCmgQbu/s1600/stairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegPBWJfzZoY66HXGoW2E6KE1ToRHMC24665ir3LTl4dJqxTWWaIOB5Fog9sqEYU8B-J0FGaIvrdrgv_7s4VZ57RltCZ06S9Y0WiB9P9scMhP3P_wBgt0ffa51pZzNQaCmgQbu/s320/stairs.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's a double-back at the top of this that leads to my front door.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The next photo is the actual front door... please note utter pinkess of windows</div>
<div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvInPCD_7UUobboIINSDGs4-Yd3Ap46bkYvH-tSB3r_-zBOvAIMNZir9RbthdGO5YTLiUyVtOqqAJR4Ll_O7TWtiCJKxpCS2G5I6utemUm9IOOaycTMHtSJ2IB6nsUfKRPA9k/s1600/frontdoor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvInPCD_7UUobboIINSDGs4-Yd3Ap46bkYvH-tSB3r_-zBOvAIMNZir9RbthdGO5YTLiUyVtOqqAJR4Ll_O7TWtiCJKxpCS2G5I6utemUm9IOOaycTMHtSJ2IB6nsUfKRPA9k/s320/frontdoor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's all pink on the inside</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And then to the inside, where the greatest feature of all is the bathroom. The space between the toilet and the overhead stairs is so small that the toilet cover will stand up, but the toilet seat will not. The old tenant acknowledged this cheerily and added, "so I just piss in the kitchen sink."</div>
<br />
LOL.. not only too much information, but immediately changed how I thought that kitchen sink smelled.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Out came the bleach!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitAkajIJmAk1YiUPjhN3uL8cd0JpEsA5EZtuPPsufJWUbSwFYBWUSxDUOlD8WYkRXZTgvQEAgYQYZWulteI37WJvmue_ECLWTYY0RIyS5LTPH-2IH0ejhlw79EmTdh0P2NKZWy/s1600/BATHROOM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitAkajIJmAk1YiUPjhN3uL8cd0JpEsA5EZtuPPsufJWUbSwFYBWUSxDUOlD8WYkRXZTgvQEAgYQYZWulteI37WJvmue_ECLWTYY0RIyS5LTPH-2IH0ejhlw79EmTdh0P2NKZWy/s320/BATHROOM.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes. those are stairs to the rooftop behind the toilet, which make it impossible to keep the seat up. That metal you see on the lower left is the shower (You have to close the bathroom door and slide shut a curtain to keep from drowning the kitchen, and, yes, for some reason there is pink styrofoam on the bathroom seat. Don't think of it as "weird", rather think of it as a motif.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The toilet had been "modded"<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9iSmvSqmmhhzRtJ0NbKnUqUCkcDlnBP0LyGpYyccovy8N6Y7Wn1DQPozweuFk617gAkT7c-12sMyDUYyGYXmbRkNJh1RS0jWtFUyvyd_OUfTPOYGW6bg8M7JXWSphAwXvD2L/s1600/TOILET.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9iSmvSqmmhhzRtJ0NbKnUqUCkcDlnBP0LyGpYyccovy8N6Y7Wn1DQPozweuFk617gAkT7c-12sMyDUYyGYXmbRkNJh1RS0jWtFUyvyd_OUfTPOYGW6bg8M7JXWSphAwXvD2L/s320/TOILET.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's that pink styrofoam again</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And you have the convenience of being able to both shower and do laundry from the convenience of the toilet itself.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gG9neVYsQnTpqcMGajbUmhbmjM1cgwdz1Ngk5mPfCQtDFuciP9TAXkbc5KkH89tiVrhMWWmGBGcew9N90AXD-nf4V0Fr0CvVlAXimCydvMI7vPLB33SYwfk0oQJ4xM9wSyWv/s1600/IMG_5925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gG9neVYsQnTpqcMGajbUmhbmjM1cgwdz1Ngk5mPfCQtDFuciP9TAXkbc5KkH89tiVrhMWWmGBGcew9N90AXD-nf4V0Fr0CvVlAXimCydvMI7vPLB33SYwfk0oQJ4xM9wSyWv/s320/IMG_5925.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The careful eye will see the edge of the toilet seat down there in the lower right-hand corner.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
But someone had the sense of humor to put this on the bathroom door<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyl3hL7ucXj-4gmdpZQf4c-VMeHKJhGM7rguTvHj1HB-3D5SxrzaDxizp5gnRqtWRV1YnP9PDCMb8B8hrTb993jU1Clv_n_BKqph9TjQNUi5hVxwFMz0ymVsqXIVFJnUKj2265/s1600/bathroomdoor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyl3hL7ucXj-4gmdpZQf4c-VMeHKJhGM7rguTvHj1HB-3D5SxrzaDxizp5gnRqtWRV1YnP9PDCMb8B8hrTb993jU1Clv_n_BKqph9TjQNUi5hVxwFMz0ymVsqXIVFJnUKj2265/s320/bathroomdoor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The inside is cold... as you can see from the following pics, some previous tenant had invested in some pink styrofoam and tried to close off as many places as they could:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPgdA2bLZfxIdOnANA2pag7Uh3nkiah9yINZpdh_q6p_jtzo1Zj_ZEQtqCqmwbDxqq8ny4oJ6i61vZy6Nc5m_UuJYsG6mtXsPVKLek_GonY993m-fyDa_T59WfwUdVI00EQeLs/s1600/insulation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPgdA2bLZfxIdOnANA2pag7Uh3nkiah9yINZpdh_q6p_jtzo1Zj_ZEQtqCqmwbDxqq8ny4oJ6i61vZy6Nc5m_UuJYsG6mtXsPVKLek_GonY993m-fyDa_T59WfwUdVI00EQeLs/s320/insulation.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78YYdibsLr0fZGwrH09-RSLzAohgSqkVs5xDwPskP_fNnCe61KGWvIcv-hu5ZQEWimaU9kvQ1w-gpA8CWp7n4KL0M0TcqQBZzcWwWl6vqQTkZhgEwonkXZhppsVJ9duMK3vcV/s1600/insulation2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78YYdibsLr0fZGwrH09-RSLzAohgSqkVs5xDwPskP_fNnCe61KGWvIcv-hu5ZQEWimaU9kvQ1w-gpA8CWp7n4KL0M0TcqQBZzcWwWl6vqQTkZhgEwonkXZhppsVJ9duMK3vcV/s320/insulation2.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Yep, all that pink is styrofoam.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Part of the problem is the boiler is apparently assembled from parts salvaged from the Civil War - both the on in the Korea and the one a century earlier in the US:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadMm1e7bRkaMb1Q6J5GFEEkBxpsdvK0REHsx-OZd8BmgTc-Z1K7ZqNg3ZGFLNYj0nxV1E07ROTf5-binXJwxVquUjAISR1ucAv9eUNq6t68F-Iz-FFBMFAYxYnvZlow8UFRQP/s1600/boiler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadMm1e7bRkaMb1Q6J5GFEEkBxpsdvK0REHsx-OZd8BmgTc-Z1K7ZqNg3ZGFLNYj0nxV1E07ROTf5-binXJwxVquUjAISR1ucAv9eUNq6t68F-Iz-FFBMFAYxYnvZlow8UFRQP/s320/boiler.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I continue the efforts to insulate the place - fortunately this is the kind of neighborhood where people just toss shit out on the street, and I am the kind of scavenging rat which will pick up anything useful. Inside is actually nice and spacious"</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBmTxUZQkmc8A0MoAVh_Yp5uH3N7Q9qUlfdmSj9VKkW3L-rGlGLr8npqvZCLco7Xo03dYcJ3imy1xAHMWITs20Yah0q0LEhqztTlQ_euMZQqV93c0R8EWf7VJbfeMi1Xwf_HP/s1600/kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBmTxUZQkmc8A0MoAVh_Yp5uH3N7Q9qUlfdmSj9VKkW3L-rGlGLr8npqvZCLco7Xo03dYcJ3imy1xAHMWITs20Yah0q0LEhqztTlQ_euMZQqV93c0R8EWf7VJbfeMi1Xwf_HP/s320/kitchen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small, but more than adequate </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKao53by6zBF3w-ObrUzHThb1diTbeOqufPaoDkT4QPeIqw76HuHiwa4AECFePJNdWtWVxA4EFAeIMWwUz6W_3U6N6wRqXleTdinSKGhWsMlZMqdJ2mZnpvJQ_VH9ZO8bJjmN/s1600/DESK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKao53by6zBF3w-ObrUzHThb1diTbeOqufPaoDkT4QPeIqw76HuHiwa4AECFePJNdWtWVxA4EFAeIMWwUz6W_3U6N6wRqXleTdinSKGhWsMlZMqdJ2mZnpvJQ_VH9ZO8bJjmN/s320/DESK.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">where the genius will be done</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe8x9fjkq0DYwsVmXvgk1TQb_Fj72yEuY2fkgjRtIqyG7dYV9M-q53fXWiKhk8o2dxrdXOMueJVODtekQk9uSFnhVUfsnjzXfQpQYsK6SrVlCfhP0z5PGxR__M6n5rLwDgKh2h/s1600/mosquitonet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe8x9fjkq0DYwsVmXvgk1TQb_Fj72yEuY2fkgjRtIqyG7dYV9M-q53fXWiKhk8o2dxrdXOMueJVODtekQk9uSFnhVUfsnjzXfQpQYsK6SrVlCfhP0z5PGxR__M6n5rLwDgKh2h/s320/mosquitonet.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">carefullly mosquito-netted bed, as they do manage to creep in</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The hood, being a mix of family, art, and wreckage, is great... outside my kitchen window there's a pavilion where grandparents hang out to chat during the day (the inevitable bottle of makkeolli and anju always present). There's a school a bit up the hill, so there's about an hour each day that the kids wander home, playing and joking with each other. At about seven the sounds of ajjumah making dinner start banging around the neightborhood and then, with the exception of a sometimes whiney dog, all goes pretty quiet. It has a very "neighborhood" feel like Gyeongnidan (the old hood) did before the Kyuppies descended, so I'm rather happy with that.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I suckle away at a 40 oz bottle of soju, contemplate which of my kitchen knives is sharpest, and cruise the Internet for pictures of a dubious nature. So, all things told, pretty good.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
When it gets below freezing I'm a bit worried about the hilliness of the area, as my fat ass and gravity seem to have come to an agreement to meet as often as possible and devil the hindquarters (so to speak), which are usually my elbows or the back of my head. We'll see how that works out.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I describe the place as adequate, but the kind of place I would NEVER move into if I were single, because the minute a woman saw it she'd run screaming, probably for the police. Til March, it should work. If June becomes necessary, it will work. After that its lack or Air Conditioning must make it some version of hell on earth, but on a hill.</div>
<br />
Homey won't play that.^^<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Any questions, class?^^</div>
<br /></div>
Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-20221052862455539122015-11-21T18:03:00.001+09:002015-11-22T06:04:16.043+09:00A Moving Experience; Part I<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
So,<br />
<br />
With Yvonne gone... betraying me and leaving me here alone in Korea, all of a sudden I was left with a three bedroom apartment and a gigantic rent. The first month she was gone I spent cleaning the aparment up and tossing out things I no longer needed as well as walking (by backpack) the things I did need (the microwave was an adventure in itself). Finally, I was in a spot where I could give notice to the Ajjumah, so after finding a small rooftop (sort of) in Mapo-gu I did. That weekend the landlady came up into the apartment and pointed out what she wanted to keep, that we had added to the furniture that was already there. This included two desks, a really nice bookcase, kitchen table, four chairs, and some kind of thingie that keeps kitchen stuff. We agreed that the nasty old mattress and the broken bureau should go.<br />
<br />
I could have stayed until the 9th, but my new lease began on the 1st, and I wanted to give the landlady time to re-do the floor and wallpaper (a pretty normal procedure because it means you don't need to fix any real underlying problems like mold, or problems with the floor). So I told the old lady I'd try to finish moving on my three-day weekend. On Monday, the third, the dickhead son shows up without warning and decides all the furniture has to go (completely reversing all the planning I had made with his mother the weekend before), and that it has to go right then (even though I'm not technically supposed to move out for a week) - typical Korean "fuck planning! WE DO NOW!").<br />
<br />
This meant that I'd have to move all the shit downstairs. This I did alone - the prissy little dickhead of a son beamed, gave me two gloves saying "Korea working glove, best!" a process that exhausted his English. Then the lazy POS just watched me. Then it was off to the district office to fill out the recycling center to fill out the paperwork. In the car he attempted, in is broken English, to figure out someone as apparently out of shape as I am could so easily manhandle the furniture. I didn't mention that gravity had been my strong assistant and since I didn't care a shit if the stuff got dinged up it wasn't so much a "moving" as a semi-controlled fallling.<br />
<br />
All this unplanned bullshit took the afternoon that I was supposed to be moving away to the new place, and cost a few paltry bucks in recycling (in this way, Korea is awesome. For less than 40 bucks they hauled it all away). Worse than the waste of this entire day was the additional "oh yeah, fuck you foreigner and your stupid foreign plans") way, that I had to be there in the morning to pull the recycling into the street - when I was supposed to be in a meeting with two Korean professors.<br />
<br />
Complete freaking lack of planning by a complete moron.<br />
<br />
At the same time, on the other side of town, the guy in my new place is freaking out, because he needs me to inspect the place for cleanliness and get the key, or he can't get his deposit back - and he needs it to apply immediately to his next house. The landlady for the new place is in Busan, so she can't check it out, and consequently I have to make it over there to get the next step done.<br />
<br />
Finally, as night falls, all the bullshit with mama's boy ends and I cab over to the new place and take the keys, and call the landlady and tell her the place is fine. In fact, the place is filthy.. the dude has no idea what cleaning is. Here are are a few representative before and after photos (Click to Embiggen)..<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzhTiZKFHc8dqZfBbt_jPDitK3V8-9xRr-T_6jN1N56LDSCtLB09v-VwBXoNOLpwYACRhBlUovj7EOQcXGlrJ6_9Dln8ClQqEm6hJtQKkSr3h9Y6dXUEdMwPMPD64E8kRKD7k/s1600/abovesinkmoldbefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzhTiZKFHc8dqZfBbt_jPDitK3V8-9xRr-T_6jN1N56LDSCtLB09v-VwBXoNOLpwYACRhBlUovj7EOQcXGlrJ6_9Dln8ClQqEm6hJtQKkSr3h9Y6dXUEdMwPMPD64E8kRKD7k/s320/abovesinkmoldbefore.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above the sink (before) covered with mold</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbaGp7uz7CZKyvStpJhqMSoxaaYxCChf4-a0-uIBylUeNHLu8sJ_d35u7xO7iLzbn-4r79XschyjxXxAMtuPKy8AaPVGkQcrqeQzb99bQFvlLpHWwp5C3ErLMum4QRrrBy_VRO/s1600/abovesinkmoldafter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbaGp7uz7CZKyvStpJhqMSoxaaYxCChf4-a0-uIBylUeNHLu8sJ_d35u7xO7iLzbn-4r79XschyjxXxAMtuPKy8AaPVGkQcrqeQzb99bQFvlLpHWwp5C3ErLMum4QRrrBy_VRO/s320/abovesinkmoldafter.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
After, the miracle of soap having been applied </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aiFiW0vIjCyIpwTnt241Cd9iUQWgPJBsxwKj21aBakkfUbq7oGyHKfI_k3zmxdnZ2d7MFv4DrubIC3yhnukl96tuP5ej1GyW-tA6mq6su9mC18QVgc4R6kbgC5ngx_NgJTzo/s1600/behindstove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aiFiW0vIjCyIpwTnt241Cd9iUQWgPJBsxwKj21aBakkfUbq7oGyHKfI_k3zmxdnZ2d7MFv4DrubIC3yhnukl96tuP5ej1GyW-tA6mq6su9mC18QVgc4R6kbgC5ngx_NgJTzo/s320/behindstove.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behind Stove</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PQqyAIoAQw1vcU_HePr3HsfQxaqoaUgdcCqpPkLVjvtwHRn-QyyURtTIiRstmeov4oNXunJF4GZLqDzTvj4i3fulHPE0U7DGoGpsbagOqtg4hDoeXiTcxD0YAhY7O2riSFX5/s1600/backstovebefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PQqyAIoAQw1vcU_HePr3HsfQxaqoaUgdcCqpPkLVjvtwHRn-QyyURtTIiRstmeov4oNXunJF4GZLqDzTvj4i3fulHPE0U7DGoGpsbagOqtg4hDoeXiTcxD0YAhY7O2riSFX5/s320/backstovebefore.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Under Stove</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ySFRX1yg7WsS8X_lznh-2KXwhUDQf9Tjw6ANI4-bAubsD05AG9NH43krpSvPmO3v1EjRU7D6KGrrg42l9UlYe-gsWwOAw6hJ3lrEAMsT5q-MfW82OK4rwlmkOiG1OLWB9HTG/s1600/backstoveafter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ySFRX1yg7WsS8X_lznh-2KXwhUDQf9Tjw6ANI4-bAubsD05AG9NH43krpSvPmO3v1EjRU7D6KGrrg42l9UlYe-gsWwOAw6hJ3lrEAMsT5q-MfW82OK4rwlmkOiG1OLWB9HTG/s320/backstoveafter.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Miracle Of Soap<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8PbRnAUNwfbOX0RtnVOmxxeLJb1ISnijLjuVinmgOw-sjOqLstam1yzWGAUJPXtnAg3m9dspVnCnpf_1KAuV2SDDidf7HfbOfHZLN418qvakS9KhzXW1XGQejuA4mIT2s0f6/s1600/floor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8PbRnAUNwfbOX0RtnVOmxxeLJb1ISnijLjuVinmgOw-sjOqLstam1yzWGAUJPXtnAg3m9dspVnCnpf_1KAuV2SDDidf7HfbOfHZLN418qvakS9KhzXW1XGQejuA4mIT2s0f6/s320/floor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Random Smudges on Floor Previous Tenant could not see.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWL9t1uiU4EhLk2TndVLwowsrlA3gAaI2uVYtUX8dcbe0T2JeAZcgSnwLtZC6zgGihDww6qYoZ_m8o4peuI-XExtW3kVR5XZg4VU2Vg61xz0pjh-CwywYzDqCBB_9zm8_RV1J/s1600/insidedoorafter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWL9t1uiU4EhLk2TndVLwowsrlA3gAaI2uVYtUX8dcbe0T2JeAZcgSnwLtZC6zgGihDww6qYoZ_m8o4peuI-XExtW3kVR5XZg4VU2Vg61xz0pjh-CwywYzDqCBB_9zm8_RV1J/s320/insidedoorafter.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Swipe... still need to work the baseboards and to the right.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
So there was that, and the process of cleaning continues as I move things around and get the big stuff done. The place is quite cold, as you will shortly see, so I've been concentrating more on getting the place to stay warm, than to be completely clean.<br />
<br />
TOMORROW - INSIDE THE THING.....<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody></tbody></table>
</blockquote>
Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-4915308273426196222015-11-11T18:20:00.002+09:002015-11-11T21:02:48.268+09:00Sweet Potato Pie in the Sky!M9636y first or second (in chronological order) favorite student 서유미 came to the literary event and brought me a gift of sweet potatoes.<br />
<br />
Which, being out of town, I could not get to until tonight. However... grabbed me some of them taters:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlXXiieeacPNhBv-cYYlNDmlwDXdf41mG_PxW3t0ZqkOkF6DjYsPPW0ybXOxnAIB0K1gJVFN9DNS0VE68eg22kQLyha-_IRVDPg1A7ZPpiM1YSdovnyWz1j2FEAJFHjxOFdAs/s1600/IMG_6012.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlXXiieeacPNhBv-cYYlNDmlwDXdf41mG_PxW3t0ZqkOkF6DjYsPPW0ybXOxnAIB0K1gJVFN9DNS0VE68eg22kQLyha-_IRVDPg1A7ZPpiM1YSdovnyWz1j2FEAJFHjxOFdAs/s320/IMG_6012.tiff" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Chopped them hard and gave them a bit of a baking/boiling.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
In a pan did onions, mushrooms, <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw582ugFe6v2W0ZJ1qdN1keaQNz7wnH39P8E6wgDSOV5PZ2DhRhu47XT3Dz-3t8qd552XFQxl3_Ly1UqvxDeWXv0d8aUPxtxZygn-WNEbaTmdIiq50PXcO1hd7ZRF6XU1-rzDh/s1600/IMG_6013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw582ugFe6v2W0ZJ1qdN1keaQNz7wnH39P8E6wgDSOV5PZ2DhRhu47XT3Dz-3t8qd552XFQxl3_Ly1UqvxDeWXv0d8aUPxtxZygn-WNEbaTmdIiq50PXcO1hd7ZRF6XU1-rzDh/s320/IMG_6013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
and some super common Korean vegetable I cannot name.. but it looks like this:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUyz6llv-3ir2EhngobGSaW5ey0vsgIVxnFDOKJ3_shVNwlvtomYi5xBGMLlcFttRVdX4xRs65yJct4EPUn4b5QbGcsBRFMKRyBFy3yWmQkqOyEB7VQTWThnQoMgMAJp_dHX3l/s1600/IMG_6014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUyz6llv-3ir2EhngobGSaW5ey0vsgIVxnFDOKJ3_shVNwlvtomYi5xBGMLlcFttRVdX4xRs65yJct4EPUn4b5QbGcsBRFMKRyBFy3yWmQkqOyEB7VQTWThnQoMgMAJp_dHX3l/s320/IMG_6014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And when that was all cooked..<br />
<br />
Mmmmmmmmmm...<br />
<br />
Korean food... don't live with out it.<br />
<br />
Thanks SYM!Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-51492711305260949242015-08-09T21:00:00.003+09:002015-08-09T21:00:41.333+09:00aaah... so after Yvonne left for the Empire in Decline I drank until the weekend and then through it. The place was pretty boring without her and alcohol does consume time, if even at the cost of a few brain cells and more notches back out the belt.<br />
<br />
That became pretty damned boring and mornings horrible. So Monday I began going back into work (even though there still wasn't hot water to shower and the electricity was only on in half of the apartment - thank god the half of the electricity with the AC). Work provided me with good entertainment as I had to work on a paper co-written with two other professors about the difficulty of translating allusions from a minor culture to a major one. This took all the way til the last day, the Friday, and the time working on things was good. Still, boring at home, as the weekend reminded me, and I was still trying to get the smell out of the refrigerator from the rotted food (dating back to when we returned from China to find 0 electricity, a nightmare I have skipped right over). I was mopey even though I was busy.<br />
<br />
Last week we began another paper, so again there was stuff to do, and when the weather was good I walked in and out of work to try to keep the Vitamin D and endorphins and what not swirling. This was all good til Friday when I got utterly drenched in a sonagi of epic proportions. It blew in, blew up, blew away, and left me a rag. I had all my electronics double wrapped so they were safe, but the clothes weren't. LOL.. I ran from bus stop to bus stop catching them when I could and scurrying to the next stop when I had to. Inconvenient, but rain in 30 degrees is actually refreshing, and it was my pride hurt more than anything else.<br />
<br />
It all cleared up so Saturday I could go shopping & take a nice long walk prefaced by a bibimbap breakfast. These were involved, as I walked the Itaewon/Gyeongnidan loop to the cheapest store around and then lay down for 20 minutes that turned into a 2-hour, drooling, snoring sleep. Woke up logy, but had an academic event to go to. Skidded down the hill and had a piece of pizza for dinner (first piece of remotely unhealthy food this week) and got to the place with 10 minutes to spare. Kept circling where it should be according to the map(s) and only kept ending staring at the Finance Center. IM'd the organizer, and I was in the wrong part of town. By now the event was 30 minutes over, and my nap-head had cleared, so I didn't want to go a lecture on the Joseon Dynasty and its architecture. IM'd my regrets and headed for the 405 before remembering in the other direction, the 402 would drop me off just above my house, without need to walk uphill or take the maul bus. Start toward Deoksu Palace, beyond which lay the bus stop.. and thought I heard a burst of electric guitar and bass.<br />
<br />
It quickly went away. But when I passed Seoul City Hall/Library I saw a massive setup for a drum show. Not much going on, but I thought I'd wait, the night was nice and people were being cool. Then, early, a high-school rock-band jumped on-stage and began playing an odd bit of the old rock n roll. And I mean *really* old rock n' roll... like this (Note particularly, the old dude at the end who was drumming along - he was mad into it and went spectacular when the drums went solo):<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T0vwV8yPTyQ" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
I even stayed as they played "Hold the Line (Love isn't Always on Time). You don't really realize how many "L's" are in that song until you hear a Korean try to sing it.<br />
<br />
Quite a few, actually<br />
<br />
Still, they were quite palette cleansing as was the next chant/drum bit... but when the drum circle came out I began to have Grateful Dead flashbacks and had to get the hell out of there. The 402 bus came just 2 minutes after I hit the bus stop, and I flew home. Began work on my video for the LTI Korea contest. Super Productive day.<br />
<br />
Today downloaded an album that only had one seeder (so I feared disconnecting as the dude hadn't been online for days. Once that concluded went out for coffee and writing, and walked down to the Hangul museum to give it a full look. Pretty nice and I'll be talking about in on www.ktlit.com tomorrow, for anyone interested. Content and lots of glitz for the kiddies. Also went over to the bookstore of the national museum, bo make sure something I'm already certain of, that they wouldn't have any fiction for sale for foreign visitors (something I did see in China, and that caused me to buy a book of Chinese fiction - haven't started reading it or anything^^ but I do have it and will someday read it). Of course, even though the Hangul Museum had an entire floor dedicated to the writing process and a cafeteria/book/Made in China store? No books.<br />
<br />
Again the god of city busses was with me, whisked home, light cleaning, and sorting the photos from the last few days. Turned the fridge back on, and now it smells of bleach not rot (I suppose I'll have to swish that out next week or so), but for the moment can hold vegetables again, which is "A Good Thing I Suppose!"<br />
<br />
I think I'm getting into the swing of this bachelor thing. Next big trauma... move to smaller place. At least it can be put off til after Yvonne swings through again and when she leaves I have to repeat the cycle described above.^^Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-50261761504774486432015-04-30T11:59:00.001+09:002015-04-30T11:59:17.029+09:00The Park outside my front-door is prettier than yours^^Walking over Namsan to work today and the Ajjeoshi have been busy planting (All photos can be embiggened by clicking)...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Flowers that would never naturally sit next to each other</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxozatUpyG8oYrufTyrdz9faRJb4fMDTSIlDKP1HPr1RdlR3mUw1hp-M43EVbrKkpMPPVGScDTEUN_zblFR8Yy-i8ShYPvAum1GttUtB1HyAId4CTOLl4BbwgYdp7pdq-WA5-W/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxozatUpyG8oYrufTyrdz9faRJb4fMDTSIlDKP1HPr1RdlR3mUw1hp-M43EVbrKkpMPPVGScDTEUN_zblFR8Yy-i8ShYPvAum1GttUtB1HyAId4CTOLl4BbwgYdp7pdq-WA5-W/s1600/1.jpg" height="143" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The Korean "Azalea"</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5uFyu88hS-nrh5F6h5YOoEoUXdIRJwXMs9n7AU2WkVmuZmclMgDn-seWodgaVT7ZMjubQAgpughg47eQt2aW6SOqHRwYI_zN5f27jZkjQJ5dHKTx1fZCIFgOlORh8gwcgL9Km/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5uFyu88hS-nrh5F6h5YOoEoUXdIRJwXMs9n7AU2WkVmuZmclMgDn-seWodgaVT7ZMjubQAgpughg47eQt2aW6SOqHRwYI_zN5f27jZkjQJ5dHKTx1fZCIFgOlORh8gwcgL9Km/s1600/2.jpg" height="150" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Tulips (They are original to Korea, doncha know?^^)</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7915wKfgRBO4qGMNPrV3CWsPbsJbZcVDKtYhC3XLDbLNJ-LJ0Fxn8-avlRJ4UPQU5-BA4hRvMxb1c7tLNHXHDquGqFzzb0S0oKAYdVZSCTrGodg1wNYNetYj4do61oKL3lxY/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7915wKfgRBO4qGMNPrV3CWsPbsJbZcVDKtYhC3XLDbLNJ-LJ0Fxn8-avlRJ4UPQU5-BA4hRvMxb1c7tLNHXHDquGqFzzb0S0oKAYdVZSCTrGodg1wNYNetYj4do61oKL3lxY/s1600/3.jpg" height="320" width="244" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The occasional potted plant^^</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5PfPbV3DlOeiNakera1ThXf5eb3SLSYWcP0-oQMihIgKZShuYZLtmeFGq8rJL12qdQS_xjGCgo5CMrWJ55-W9C0Hy7dGeESpSTzfXNSyMEPpDHGby69CAgU5Pu81X3LcTeHV6/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5PfPbV3DlOeiNakera1ThXf5eb3SLSYWcP0-oQMihIgKZShuYZLtmeFGq8rJL12qdQS_xjGCgo5CMrWJ55-W9C0Hy7dGeESpSTzfXNSyMEPpDHGby69CAgU5Pu81X3LcTeHV6/s1600/4.jpg" height="218" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
More flowers..</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRshHIPHdGlDhnMTUw2lx30WoMF-q06iH8KCUtfXVPQQRsddnYa8e578z7VgNQh5A1GdWtmBD46bThptnxtksPgy5xYFdVPmjIr4f7F-Mwzx6eJ4pHcjTlAtnftcUlCcZs6TUj/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRshHIPHdGlDhnMTUw2lx30WoMF-q06iH8KCUtfXVPQQRsddnYa8e578z7VgNQh5A1GdWtmBD46bThptnxtksPgy5xYFdVPmjIr4f7F-Mwzx6eJ4pHcjTlAtnftcUlCcZs6TUj/s1600/5.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And a shot of Seoul Tower I should have taken when the trees were covered with blossoms (and with a phone better than an iPhone 4^^)</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRc-DQWi0gVget_1CerHJKx-6hRpP_aYzuGpG9pHdwqNxvJEQIdY6YEAsjeXckJE9MW9xQ-QXecyB5U6SKiPBolnUbKPOzkegrQBU6gTVRjUF8OflJv32Q3HOETVZtrREucNn3/s1600/noe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRc-DQWi0gVget_1CerHJKx-6hRpP_aYzuGpG9pHdwqNxvJEQIdY6YEAsjeXckJE9MW9xQ-QXecyB5U6SKiPBolnUbKPOzkegrQBU6gTVRjUF8OflJv32Q3HOETVZtrREucNn3/s1600/noe.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
All this splendid beauty will last about one more week, until the jangma comes. Alas.</div>
<br />Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-773263515860813062015-04-24T17:07:00.000+09:002015-04-24T17:07:41.005+09:00Another Day in Pure Land BuddhismWandering around the campus today trying to find the hunger striker rumored to be in the monument to Buddha. Couldn't find him, but with Buddha's birthday coming up I was able to snap a photo of the three elephants in the quad with lanterns rampant.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBqMLyxvwNsOb4Pb-ZnEz9x_4GPs_2HU3DvsJBW0JoMr5WtojR2sE-ag1ox_ebByPDYVhZyrNZr5x31opNSpH-qADdM-wvVwoqd0QS3xqLHKTKxjpzyuA2sFQEz6gtV1scfSD/s1600/Elephanterns1web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBqMLyxvwNsOb4Pb-ZnEz9x_4GPs_2HU3DvsJBW0JoMr5WtojR2sE-ag1ox_ebByPDYVhZyrNZr5x31opNSpH-qADdM-wvVwoqd0QS3xqLHKTKxjpzyuA2sFQEz6gtV1scfSD/s1600/Elephanterns1web.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Also.. did find a different protester, a student who has built a small encampment on the top of one of the lights on our outdoor basketball court. Like the phantom hunger-striker, the student is protesting against the totally botched presidential succession process (in, what, month 3?) here at Buddhist U. He promises not to come down until the problem is solved.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWxPtmC0ai1160dCo32OoORHhk00vI4_KcncjJGFldo3SIPce5lSyGMi9ye08stPaJAVHjCkYEMDtFdLrD57mz_xosAwVQTBkc7NEsCvdzGQeo1KiKCk2NXuokcgsZPNMUN2Sk/s1600/Protesterweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWxPtmC0ai1160dCo32OoORHhk00vI4_KcncjJGFldo3SIPce5lSyGMi9ye08stPaJAVHjCkYEMDtFdLrD57mz_xosAwVQTBkc7NEsCvdzGQeo1KiKCk2NXuokcgsZPNMUN2Sk/s1600/Protesterweb.jpg" height="320" width="160" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
The sign on the left says to rebuild democracy (or democratically) and the sign on the right says not (or do not), but as the sign is twisting in the wind, I can't see what is not to be done.<br />
<br />
Fun campus.^^Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-10681629847763777292015-03-20T00:23:00.002+09:002015-03-20T00:23:53.060+09:00Flashback Friday<div class="MsoNormal">
The trip of 1000 miles begins in the martini monkey bar, at
least at San Jose International airport. And I didn’t take my anti-psychotic
drugs so my stomach should be in a fine acid-fueled frenzy by the time I hit
Houston, much less land 4 hours later in Harlingen (completely non)
International airport. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I went and found my gate.. passed the security check without
a hitch.. and discovered that there was no bar once you passed security. So I
had to pass back out of the secured area in search of a drink. No doubt this will
ensure that I will have to undergo a complete cavity search on the way back in.
While I will enjoy this to the fullest, I think it is also proof that the
terrorists have already won.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The martini monkey (monkey martini?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m too lazy to stagger outside and check)
bar features an odd combination of reggae tunes and truly bizarre retro covers
of classic rock – think The Doors covered by a cocktail lounge band and you’re
getting close. “Come on baby light my fire” just doesn’t sound as convincing
coming out over the desultory tinkling of a melody-murderess playing a thin
piano.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or perhaps I have expectations that can’t be met. And maybe
that is what this particular trip is about. Escape from work as it just seems
completely wrong to give a flying fuck if the incompetent can teach the
ineducable the idiotic. Why should I care if more morons flock to De Anza to
sooth their fever dreams of success through education? It’s all the same
system, and I suppose it keeps a few people out of jail.. god knows it is much
cheaper than our jail system.. anyway, this kind of existential navel-gazing
can, I know, be destroyed by alcohol, so I think I will have me another beer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gack! Now we have a reggae-based cover of a classic tune. I
can recognize the tune but can’t even begin to name it. Sounds like a drum-beat
ripped from “Little Drummer Boy”..<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aah.. “All I need is the air that I breathe.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A terrible enough song when it was performed
the first time (I have a hard time giving it the credit that saying it was
“written” would confer).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To add to the unreality, there’s a tv in the corner with the
sound turned off and a dyslexic in charge of the captioning…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they just referred to someone’s bout with
cancer as “a testicular Kansaser.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Glad
now that I’m not traveling to Kansas.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And a news flash from the war on people.. Minnesota reports
that corporate profits have hit an all-time high while corporate tax receipts
are declining. Bush’s work is done, I suppose… Minnesotans in positions of
authority are “confused” by this news, since to understand it would be to admit
that they have sold their constituents down the dirty river with a combination
of tax-cuts, relaxations of protective regulations, and the slow gutting of
unions…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, that’s merely a diversion from the “what the heck am
I doing?” question. Closely related to the “what’s wrong with drinking and
reading your life away?” question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
the “why work?” question which flows naturally from the previous two questions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then… then.. while in the bathroom I hear the
redoubtable bass line to “Watching the Detectives” and it’s also coated in a
nasty piano and string treatments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
world has ended.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And even almost 3 hours of napping on the flight to Houston
could not bring it back. This may be because I woke up in the land of the
processed hair and twang. Maybe, maybe not. It could just be me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sit here in the margarita bar at Chili’s
trying not to drink another damned beer, but probably certain to do it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And now the flight to Harlingen. Did get to observe a bunch
of angry people, pissed off about previous flights and taking it out on current
airline employees, or heating up on big old plates of nachos and bitching about
their close personal friends and relatives…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ya gotta love people, as some 1970s song once posited. Or
negatived.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>580</o:Words>
<o:Characters>3311</o:Characters>
<o:Company>Dongguk University</o:Company>
<o:Lines>27</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>7</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>3884</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>14.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Times;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can’t be certain.<o:p></o:p></div>
Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-4893289777394782382015-03-13T18:15:00.002+09:002015-03-13T18:15:21.428+09:00Why I love Korea #3027Because someone invented soju-based toothpaste!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnV5PyjtS4-cKZTXw_NwnmIak6HBgD1MAKR__GVAjwsfrwo2YhZ7X29HKkZi-69zMVr9vseeHvAmyFRrndszsN698fsz9MVpFqHQVpbXQAqS-AinxEMlYNLKMw3nfYRp3Dxtmd/s1600/sojupaste.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnV5PyjtS4-cKZTXw_NwnmIak6HBgD1MAKR__GVAjwsfrwo2YhZ7X29HKkZi-69zMVr9vseeHvAmyFRrndszsN698fsz9MVpFqHQVpbXQAqS-AinxEMlYNLKMw3nfYRp3Dxtmd/s1600/sojupaste.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
OK.. not really.. but sure looks like it.^^</div>
<br />Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-54109669241875177102015-03-08T13:16:00.003+09:002015-03-08T13:16:50.585+09:00Strangely? I will likely not be surprised.Random click-baiting for an article<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Y5Vx7DI_jMshQpn-wFd7fVD1PsB0WAZ7pZz3-eEnDuvazHb9QGmD3xMUQzdc9oN-QBvANAeRnNxYK6sambqxTcJbQRWhFje75idFpPVDnAqLeQGmRUejpwJK57TvDeJpndUT/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-08+at+1.14.30+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Y5Vx7DI_jMshQpn-wFd7fVD1PsB0WAZ7pZz3-eEnDuvazHb9QGmD3xMUQzdc9oN-QBvANAeRnNxYK6sambqxTcJbQRWhFje75idFpPVDnAqLeQGmRUejpwJK57TvDeJpndUT/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-08+at+1.14.30+PM.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
LOL.. why in the name of Gawd would Adolph Hitler's past surprise me? Did he work for a Jewish charity? I thought pretty much everything was known?</div>
<br />Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-30068577980608616792015-02-22T09:29:00.002+09:002015-02-22T09:29:50.530+09:00Day Five - Not very exciting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebzCuxKEzhDtuEgi2XCU9YmEePOoUbyGnkVCiFkoAl_BszJX9KRhm05XsOB75PQFZShR_RalvkmoptRZS2Qw5pHn8G84F_dAt1HJalGzVx4pvIKWs9sJKgH1ENyV3TL_KMpCd/s1600/GirlsDancing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebzCuxKEzhDtuEgi2XCU9YmEePOoUbyGnkVCiFkoAl_BszJX9KRhm05XsOB75PQFZShR_RalvkmoptRZS2Qw5pHn8G84F_dAt1HJalGzVx4pvIKWs9sJKgH1ENyV3TL_KMpCd/s1600/GirlsDancing.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
Shopping, massage, and the trance-dance/fire show. <br />
<br />
The first two just as you'd think they would be, and then during lunch the power went out in Ubud. Inconvenient timing as I hadn't been to the bank, but up at the top of town there was a bank that was running on generator and somehow also had a satellite connection, so the ATM's could work - other places had generators, but were apparently reliant on local Internet relaying that was also down.<br />
<br />
With money in hand, we watched the show, which was interesting, though not what we expected from a "fire dance", with a lot more narrative and chanting about the course of true love and the devil's interference with it. Again, cool dancing. Then a short but awesome segment of some dude in bare-feet kicking burning <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfVJJu4Lh3GWNV0b6teqBpmUBDiEv0XQwRBbF4zcgGUexFDZbFf6UOKC4NZ29SR0BAcmtA4AQMRfE5ue6HC7febW8FPSxuQ-VqSA7n4bpUiMZP2FMJVpJLbnH-PvP1PCMcKLH/s1600/stompin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfVJJu4Lh3GWNV0b6teqBpmUBDiEv0XQwRBbF4zcgGUexFDZbFf6UOKC4NZ29SR0BAcmtA4AQMRfE5ue6HC7febW8FPSxuQ-VqSA7n4bpUiMZP2FMJVpJLbnH-PvP1PCMcKLH/s1600/stompin.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
coconut shells around and stomping on their embers.<br />
<br />
Power finally came on, so a quick dinner, and then back to the hotel.<br />
<br />
See.. not very exciting<br />
<br />
I bet you wish you had that 3 minutes back.^^ <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMEQisti_d7PiXuLXeNkp5RPxNdurJKnFyOUf32YJ5KmbveLbtMmZ2075vTVHzrCPsPaHBAkeCVSpBv3onvOZg4CnZStIT5TdsdumY6-P4yXIaaH7ocRmp8xpZwt8h3FTRymF/s1600/torchdinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMEQisti_d7PiXuLXeNkp5RPxNdurJKnFyOUf32YJ5KmbveLbtMmZ2075vTVHzrCPsPaHBAkeCVSpBv3onvOZg4CnZStIT5TdsdumY6-P4yXIaaH7ocRmp8xpZwt8h3FTRymF/s1600/torchdinner.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner by Torchlight</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
.Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-51035595503439592082015-02-21T23:23:00.001+09:002015-02-21T23:23:11.830+09:00Tour-ette's Syndrome "Bali-Bali is NOT "bbali-bbali"!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhkt6qstV9LVaLVSaPAMQ9pmPuFwJyTQjU-IzaCVj-sFXfdAZMUBz7A0dyndpVqfSpkd1JuBt0AZkS31c6Mjkwc4bOo-xwAOBdsCZnMgc0Pd-0uFV3Q1rw_zaQXLqED_qGIaN/s1600/heartshapedbox.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhkt6qstV9LVaLVSaPAMQ9pmPuFwJyTQjU-IzaCVj-sFXfdAZMUBz7A0dyndpVqfSpkd1JuBt0AZkS31c6Mjkwc4bOo-xwAOBdsCZnMgc0Pd-0uFV3Q1rw_zaQXLqED_qGIaN/s1600/heartshapedbox.png" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
Day 4 of full tourism was spent on a, tour, because if you don't put the 'tour' in 'tourism,' what do you have?<br />
<br />
We got up for a pre-tour breakfast and the lovely fellows who run the hotel had made us something special to mark our anniversary, Balinesian pancakes, mangos, strawberries, and a scoop of ice-cream, all formed into the shape of a heart. Yvonne was entirely swoony about the breakfast, though not so much that she didn't despatch it with great vengeance and furious anger.<br />
<br />
Then, into the shuttle bus (this time it was only the two of us), and off to a painting cooperative, wood-carving place, and silversmith. Here we bought a few things (no doubt earning our driver a bit of a kickback), and then piled back into the van to head to the Museum of Natural History (I think?) in Denpasar. On the way, it began to rain furiously, at points flooding the road. Snug in the van, we just enjoyed how it changed the scenery.<br />
<br />
The Museum was pretty ordinary, and for the first time here we were kind of hounded by an artist/tout who wanted to sell us an Indonesian calendar for 20 dollars. What he thought I'd do with an Indonesian calendar was unclear, though he vigorously lobbied for it.<br />
<br />
Then, the traffic jam from Hell and the decision to cut out the visit to "white sandy beach" in order to make sunset in a temple on the ocean, and then dinner on the beach. Even cutting the one destination, were were at least 2 hours in a traffic jam, part of which was caused by a police action that inexplicably stopped traffic on one of the main arteries downtown.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3M8scDLClSH947whHlxcFNkfk9gdgYMs6wLg9WXworjtUuyRzsn2o69rUO-6CMNwVraC6-schzJiOMidsWBSXw53ZoLSV0X1cvOTSl_XAeroS2Zze_swEgcmGt7DILyUUxwN/s1600/heavenhill.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3M8scDLClSH947whHlxcFNkfk9gdgYMs6wLg9WXworjtUuyRzsn2o69rUO-6CMNwVraC6-schzJiOMidsWBSXw53ZoLSV0X1cvOTSl_XAeroS2Zze_swEgcmGt7DILyUUxwN/s1600/heavenhill.png" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
The temple was cool, if overrun by Chinese tourists, who make Korean queuing and walking behaviors seem highly civilized, and one stupid young woman even got into a threat/fight with one of the local monkeys, which the monkey won in resounding fashion, screeching and baring his teeth, which caused the girl to almost fall over in her retreat from the concrete path to the dirt.<br />
<br />
We waited for a sunset that was pretty obscured by clouds, and then high-tailed it out ahead of the people watching the fire-dance (we have tickets to a local version for tonight) and off to the beach, which was quite nice. The tables were on the sand, there was traditional Indonesian mask-dancing, one of which was really awesome. It features super-scary music with a gamelan, drums, and some other instruments I couldn't name. There was a 5-6 note central riff that almost sounded like the tune to a children's sing along, but it was surrounded by menacing (think Sympathy for the Devil) drumming, and slightly off tone music surrounding it. The dancer was also wearing some amazing vibrating extend-fingernails, and the whole thing was quite chilling, though for all I know to Indonesians it was the innocent story of young love.<br />
<br />
Tragically, no photos of that until I return to the homeland.. I took them with the iPhone, and can't find a decent software to get them on Yvonne's computer (and dare not call down roaming charges). Instead, below, find pictures of three more monkeys.<br />
<br />
It was a seafood restaurant, so Yvonne ordered steak and beef sate.^^<br />
<br />
Back to the hood for one drink, exchange of gifts (all carved wood, since it was our wood anniversary) and then sleep, as we were both still pretty burnt from the previous day.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsSv79hworPVHD4D21EVOk4JDF8RF-n0dmHoE2CKeDRr5zawT4fcsT72YgYWrouO4OabPoyuWPOsr0gw8aW_zGNslIq3RKKdfwPKjO1loNXBhJ1cBX0ySrjo3V4UbgY2_E-v_/s1600/minkey.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsSv79hworPVHD4D21EVOk4JDF8RF-n0dmHoE2CKeDRr5zawT4fcsT72YgYWrouO4OabPoyuWPOsr0gw8aW_zGNslIq3RKKdfwPKjO1loNXBhJ1cBX0ySrjo3V4UbgY2_E-v_/s1600/minkey.png" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIpALVRGJy-6eGIr6jhilyvkBjEwTLWr8jKCum6FgRTRCNaO9m9RuO4rHvLPpm69vUp7X0B_41JGgyA9AkXdzZ1NRZJcC48tddn81MT02LlCxdzHUKb-n_Us0hrPEhymIQzix/s1600/twominkeys.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIpALVRGJy-6eGIr6jhilyvkBjEwTLWr8jKCum6FgRTRCNaO9m9RuO4rHvLPpm69vUp7X0B_41JGgyA9AkXdzZ1NRZJcC48tddn81MT02LlCxdzHUKb-n_Us0hrPEhymIQzix/s1600/twominkeys.png" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-30479985386367922082015-02-20T23:36:00.001+09:002015-02-21T09:35:10.844+09:00Lord of the Rings (of sweat)Thursday was to be our toughest day in Bali. Together, we would climb grim Mount <strike>Doom </strike>Batur, and the day before my wedding anniversary I would toss the hideous gold ring I had been carrying for nearly 5 years into the oblivion of the pit. I would be free from the tyranny of the elder magicians (In this case John Fike) of our world!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5h3tIxwtU9gsOhO8BcGjiktWPRLArs6aX2Cu8uV1J5GoAI7o5Fkb7JLQE9AioAPYjPLfofaIZtWqP7bHI4vicokpTFu7aohyphenhyphenu98tZWRjEAojSCLWDM7tJJVReebNtfmkB8ad/s1600/shed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5h3tIxwtU9gsOhO8BcGjiktWPRLArs6aX2Cu8uV1J5GoAI7o5Fkb7JLQE9AioAPYjPLfofaIZtWqP7bHI4vicokpTFu7aohyphenhyphenu98tZWRjEAojSCLWDM7tJJVReebNtfmkB8ad/s1600/shed.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yvonne in the coffee shack</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span id="goog_1129514779"></span><span id="goog_1129514780"></span>Because we wanted to take the 'Sunrise Tour' we had to get up at 1:40 AM and catch a small vehicle to to the eco-park which contains the volcano. On the way, we met our party, 4 savage warriors from the East (Ok, Chinese Singaporeans) and one pipe-smoking Hobbit (a Canadian, but I think I'm being accurate with the first description. We had to rather pile in to the van, since originally there had only been two Chinese Singaporeans expected but they had, as they do, multiplied over the night. As we got in to the van the driver whispered to us, conspiratorially, "don't talk price, they paid more," a notion I'm sure he passed along to the other two groups as well.<br />
<br />
The trip up was dark and on a road that was largely unpopulated except for an amazing number of unconcerned dogs, who lollygagged, slept, fought, and ambled, always in the dead center of the road. At about 3 we stopped off for a quick breakfast of coffee and Balinesian pancakes. For some reason we were the first tour group to the spot, but also the last to leave. This gave us, I suppose, a chance to get to know each other.<br />
<br />
Then it was up and over, to the base of the volcano, and for some a trip to one of the most odoriferous toilets in South East Asia. Nicely done, Bali!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKO9xRf1rkS756EGzPe4lFnouJmQOHPh4GNe26L6rbloUqnQs4orf0hxpLTYp2pULKSkRY-chaE2NUHr5B9II5CpGe6auSfylsaffw3yIwON0ngj1kcuHpnuaPkjn4RMtCM8y/s1600/above.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKO9xRf1rkS756EGzPe4lFnouJmQOHPh4GNe26L6rbloUqnQs4orf0hxpLTYp2pULKSkRY-chaE2NUHr5B9II5CpGe6auSfylsaffw3yIwON0ngj1kcuHpnuaPkjn4RMtCM8y/s1600/above.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun breaks free</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then, mustering and a handing out of flashlights, one of which Yvonne touched, so it instantly went dead. She got to walk about half the way up the volcano without a light. I tried to walk behind her and illuminate for both of us, which kind of worked. The walk started out flattish, but quickly picked up angle as it went and the oldest of our group, a Chinese grandfather, quit early on when he spotted a bench near the side of the trail. His wife, who was probably a few years younger than he was, was surprisingly spry, and clambered up the trail like a spider, particularly rocking out on the way down. By the end of the trip up, on of our guides was practically carrying Yvonne, whose legs wore out and whose height was a problem on some of the bigger steps/steeper pitches. The volcanic rock was sharp, so you had to be careful using it for handholds, and by the time we got down we saw a lot of people with bloody finger and knuckles, among which Yvonne was one. <br />
<br />
Still, the view of the top (at a hair under 6,000 feet) was pretty spectacular (and I'm glad I brought as sweatshirt as I was soaked in sweat and it was pretty windy). You can look out for about 270 degrees with the top of the volcano behind you, and as you are above the clouds, you get to watch the sun ascend from them. You are also looking down to the lake, which is an amazing view even before the sun rises as it reflects the lights on the shore all the way up to the top of them mountain. Many of the tours prepare a small breakfast for their customers, and enterprising children are at the peak selling Cokes to weary trekkers - in fact, two of the guides were quite young, one probably barely 12 years old. Once the breakfasts start being prepared our old friends the monkeys show up, and they are well behaved to humans, but fight with each other and are quite intimidated by the free-range dogs that also live on peak and beg for scraps. They are <br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
also fearless, quite content to take food directly out of your hands.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSDck4HekH82-7a2xre3j3Y7JC7F-a9ofPVGexOdhpqXk4z6dgG9BAklebBuQymyI3ASxPnZOfNOZbeXd2o8_hIPoUP8dRWxcVOJBpKISXUfkTb1qgDvWitlgHcV35mTPwmEE/s1600/shed1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSDck4HekH82-7a2xre3j3Y7JC7F-a9ofPVGexOdhpqXk4z6dgG9BAklebBuQymyI3ASxPnZOfNOZbeXd2o8_hIPoUP8dRWxcVOJBpKISXUfkTb1qgDvWitlgHcV35mTPwmEE/s1600/shed1.png" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indonesian rural</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The trip down was quicker, though no less fraught, and again the tour guide was aces helping Yvonne - actually holding her hand most of the way down. The middle of the walk out is through various fields of crops, insolent chickens, random dogs, and trees. Then a long, flat walk out to the parking lot, and a trip back leapfrogging scores of sand-trucks which are attending to the massive construction (alas) taking place in the area.<br />
<br />
When all is said and done, you are back at your hotel by about 10 in the morning, feeling you have accomplished about two days of things, so we spent the rest of the day wandering about town, coffee, lunch, beer, and a relatively early sleep after splitting up to shop for anniversary gifts.<br />
<br />
The volcano trek was certainly worth every Rupiah we paid, though I think it is one of those, "They told me it was fun, but I think I'd only do it once" events.^^<br />
<br />
Having survived that trial by fire? Tomorrow is my 5-year wedding anniversary... Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-62955607716486618232015-02-18T09:34:00.004+09:002015-02-18T09:34:26.397+09:00A flea-bit peanut monkey, and other thrills of the road..Tuesday began with a breakfast on our lovely veranda. Then it was off to explore greater upper UBUD. This<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYydPdfivgfeeao386kzriqGeL-fX-bHjC0h8J_jbmC_OigpmNsT4Kk2IEvpEf9AlbCwIGDsZE50E_xCZbW2iaOjq7NavURcdtVCEo1pDSLxka_fEuUQ116u0FDu3u6aVanHpI/s1600/IMG_5552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYydPdfivgfeeao386kzriqGeL-fX-bHjC0h8J_jbmC_OigpmNsT4Kk2IEvpEf9AlbCwIGDsZE50E_xCZbW2iaOjq7NavURcdtVCEo1pDSLxka_fEuUQ116u0FDu3u6aVanHpI/s1600/IMG_5552.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"They killed Kenny! Bastards!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
actually took a lot longer than we expected, partly because there are quite a few stores, and also because Yvonne insisted in going in each one, inflaming the hopes of shopkeepers by having them pull down clothes until the pile or rejected clothes towered above her, and then smiling, thanking the shopkeeper, and saying "today we're just window shopping" (pointing at me, in an attempt to include me in her behavior) and sailing out the door like the Duchess of Windsor into a high tea.<br />
<br />
We succeeded in getting all the way up the street and then back down to the Monkey Forest. There was a very small used bookstore, and because the hotel has no TV, and the weather report called for rain, we each bought a big book. Eventually, we also did buy some clothes, Yvonne getting a pair of traditional-ish pants and a shirt, and me a batik shirt. We also had coffee and drinks along the way, and for lunch suckling pig and Chicken-rice. The previous night Yvonne had ordered Crispy Duck, which turned out to be crisped in some horrible fish-oil, but the lunch was quite good and the restaurant overlooked a rice field ringed by scenic farm buildings/wreckage<br />
<br />
Then, as it was the absolute middle of the day, we headed to the hotel for an hour or two, to cool off.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhui8tiTQyczg7Tps1JQZwrH2Vo-Oc0IbH8eQ6GdBSj-uPhTdVnLouY_jFUQeu1Unj3n011PLuR9D-FQ9oQibsXSgc3wMBmVd7Oib0_YfrA10tSgGUgWhLtxr0c1qcrP0aOSZCR/s1600/IMG_5539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhui8tiTQyczg7Tps1JQZwrH2Vo-Oc0IbH8eQ6GdBSj-uPhTdVnLouY_jFUQeu1Unj3n011PLuR9D-FQ9oQibsXSgc3wMBmVd7Oib0_YfrA10tSgGUgWhLtxr0c1qcrP0aOSZCR/s1600/IMG_5539.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
At about 2:30 off to the Monkey Temple, where Yvonne must have taken the opportunity to smear banana creme in her drawers, because she became the immediate interest of every monkey in the place. This meant being mugged for a banana just as she bought it from the vendor and jumped on and stolen from by a monkey in the temple area. But this was merely a case of saving the best for last, as when we were about 2/3 of the way through the place, and unfortunately I was a bit ahead, so could not photograph it. Yvonne stopped and got jumped and pickpocketed by a monkey who she let unzip her purse and steal all her Indonesian Rupiah! Fortunately, the monkey quickly determined it was not edible and dropped it on the ground. But, that action had alerted all the other monkeys to the possibility that there was something good going on, and as Yvonne scurried around trying to pick up the loose bills, she found herself in the middle of a bunch of monkeys hurrying towards her to get in on the alleged bonanza. After scooping up all the money she could see, Yvonne scurried off to catch up with me and wonder why I didn't stay to take pictures of her attempted donation.<br />
<br />
We left and Yvonne, over a calming gelato, counted her money, which seemed to all be back in her purse.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYCW6RftXL6ovvd23Cj23nbTMdhBzCLrYk4FFc-YAk39iNKTdakzr4eKp2UQ7IHNpc_KsU5Lz73hZreWREEk3S1NMwIhd7Wfg-sfN0gSpQ39zOr2obNhQzTNJV3HcgLeFuG-D/s1600/IMG_5574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYCW6RftXL6ovvd23Cj23nbTMdhBzCLrYk4FFc-YAk39iNKTdakzr4eKp2UQ7IHNpc_KsU5Lz73hZreWREEk3S1NMwIhd7Wfg-sfN0gSpQ39zOr2obNhQzTNJV3HcgLeFuG-D/s1600/IMG_5574.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One kind of cock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then it was off to another cafe which overlooked yet another rice-field which was alternately filled with cavorting chickens and dogs, although
the dogs never went after the chickens as we (well, I) hoped. On the way out the help came hollering down the stairs waving my hat, which I had tried to leave behind. We immediately headed off in the wrong direction, which I quickly realized when I spotted an enormous liquor store that I had never seen before. I fought back the urge to spend a lot of money there^^ and we walked back to the cafe across from our hotel. There, I realized I didn't have my reading glasses. A short moment of panic, and then I asked Yvonne to order mea daquiri because, well, why not? and ran back to the first cafe to see if I had left my glasses there. No luck, and on the way back I stopped in a drug-store where they did not have reading glasses, and could not produce the name of a single store that they thought might have reading glasses. Ooops.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_yIDcQvR0U5jzzWohELkgFB4-uUKM_-9LnOLG31n7CMxDqB7vURq_z-HKWSadu7kHuu-oEi19uKbyQtuAnNgIZcgVXMNw3kUyu8dSlk_aivjGVRxhAryYyOqwM14DqLW8ECs/s1600/IMG_5572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_yIDcQvR0U5jzzWohELkgFB4-uUKM_-9LnOLG31n7CMxDqB7vURq_z-HKWSadu7kHuu-oEi19uKbyQtuAnNgIZcgVXMNw3kUyu8dSlk_aivjGVRxhAryYyOqwM14DqLW8ECs/s1600/IMG_5572.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another kind</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Got back to the cafe where Yvonne was sitting, received a daquiri that tasted exactly like the margarita I had got the night before, and noticed that my glasses were sitting on the table. Yvonne shrugged, "They were in my purse." And watched with interest as I drank my margarita. It was happy hour, so I finished it and ordered again, this time making sure the waiter knew I wanted a daquiri, and, when my margarita came, I drank it anyway. Then, off to an overpriced dinner of Nasi Goreng and the Indonesian version of beef-stew, and back to the hotel, as usual.Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-66798551514900127742015-02-17T22:28:00.002+09:002015-02-17T22:29:49.798+09:00The Journey of 1000 miles begins withYvonne messing shit up (though it used to be a hangover)<br />
<br />
This time, off to Bali and Yvonne insisting we get on the 7:20 bus from the Hyatt, and so waking up at 5:30 to ensure we do, and making damn sure to wake me up as well even though I had showered and packed the evening before.<br />
<br />
But Yvonne wanted to make SURE we were prepared, and despite the fact I had been up slightly past midnight finishing some editing jobs, there I was awake.<br />
<br />
And walking towards the bus stop.<br />
<br />
When my lovely middle-aged bride yelled, "Oh I forgot my (pharmaceutical name redacted, but necessary for a 5th year wedding anniversary) and ran back to the house. Then, came trundling back up the hill about 100 yards behind me until the time I got to the front of the Hyatt and could see the bus at the stoplight, waiting to make the turn, and then the final turn, into the Hyatt... from 100 yards behind me, Yvonne managed to turn her arrival into 5 minutes later (i.e. 5 minutes after the bus had left), shrugged and said, "Oh well, we'll catch the 7:45."<br />
<br />
I refrained from killing her, as I was too tired.<br />
<br />
Incheon Airport being what it is, we sped through everything, and it did not end up leaving us in Korea, but it was a inkling of what was to come.<br />
<br />
The flight was not noteworthy, except an Asian Airline did not crash, and we picked up a cab and headed out to Ubud, which had been recommended to us, which turned out to be an epic journey through Denpassar and some version of 1.5 lane motorbike and lorry Hell, and to the hotel.<br />
<br />
Where they asked us, "did you see your driver?"<br />
<br />
Us: "Driver?"<br />
<br />
Them: "Driver."<br />
<br />
Us: "What Driver?"<br />
<br />
Them: "Your Driver!"<br />
<br />
Us: "Eh?"<br />
<br />
Them: "The Driver you requested"<br />
<br />
(Note: Driver is capitalized because it seemed such an important word)<br />
<br />
Turns out that our initial request for airport service (in the little box in Agoda) had been covered, but no one had got back to us. So, in the scrum of 50 drivers with little signs at the airport, there had actually been one for us.<br />
<br />
Oh well... we paid a fortune (only in Indonesia terms) for a cab.<br />
<br />
Then, it was out to get a bite to eat, and to wait for what the morrow would bring.<br />
<br />
NEXT: Yvonne is mugged (twice!) by monkeys, and in one case is actually pickpocketed. Then there's the reading glasses thing.. heck, there may even be photos..Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-45423369411936223072014-02-25T20:56:00.001+09:002014-02-25T20:56:21.211+09:00More good, more fun<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 14.35200023651123px;">After my last semi-whine I must note.. I went to my super-local for some crackers and beer, and the halabogee was hanging with another dude drinking some beer and eating something scabrous from a tin.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 14.35200023651123px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 14.35200023651123px;">I aplogized to the storekeep that my backpack was full (except I couldn't remember the word for "full") and asked if the guys were chinan chingu?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 14.35200023651123px;">They were... the other dude IMMEDIATELY poured me a glass of beer, handed me some horrible sea-thing on a toothpick and started chat</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 14.35200023651123px;">ting as best we could....<br /><br />I had to leave before I was forced to eat all the sea-things and drink all the beer.<br /><br />Whatever the opposite of the "microagression" is? This was that thing.<br /><br />Live in Korea as a friendly person?<br /><br />Watch TFO as it will come back to you in waves...^^</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 14.35200023651123px;"><br /></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 14.35200023651123px;">With luck, in a few days I'll post some stuff from the kTO tour Yvonne and I were comped...</span>Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-75156818131899864802013-12-28T21:39:00.000+09:002013-12-28T21:39:16.323+09:00Hobbitual Expansion..<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px; line-height: 15.454545021057129px;">I always get a certain frisson (I have no idea what it means?) when I search for something and can't find it on facebook. Here for the world... "Hobbitual Expansion" as a term that refers to a director blowing so much air into a plot, novel, or story, that it expands beyond its capacity to hold meaning..</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3u6usdFscdKJ-pO-y7znyTHhPVuOB80T6l9-2PIaUHrMngLzwEZNXyxi2JUbkR3m7NORqpyiItikeR_5LC3BdQpr-1K3JGUTyeypD0C9iKzepoxZETJYps9sdlm1xXTyMPAqD/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-12-28+at+9.36.35+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3u6usdFscdKJ-pO-y7znyTHhPVuOB80T6l9-2PIaUHrMngLzwEZNXyxi2JUbkR3m7NORqpyiItikeR_5LC3BdQpr-1K3JGUTyeypD0C9iKzepoxZETJYps9sdlm1xXTyMPAqD/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-12-28+at+9.36.35+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-24053147733131925362013-12-06T22:14:00.001+09:002013-12-06T22:14:14.253+09:00I crap ornaments and piss tinselOh yeah... Xmas is coming to the land of tomorrow, and with December reached I simply can't be cranky about how many lights are up, and how ubiquitous the xmas songs are...<br /><br />I believe, tomorrow night, I will go out and take pictures of the neonstrous awesomeness of this city as Santa Day gets closer.^^Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13282875.post-9841563760245304562013-08-14T21:08:00.004+09:002013-08-14T21:30:10.510+09:00I have a pain in my Sydney...<b><u>Monday July 29<sup>th</sup>,
from KL to Melbourne Int. (Some evil portents are seen!)</u></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="verse" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Template>Normal.dotm</o:Template>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>23</o:Words>
<o:Characters>135</o:Characters>
<o:Company>Dongguk University</o:Company>
<o:Lines>1</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>1</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>165</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>12.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
You ask how far the farthest star is<br />
To go by bus or to go by car?<br />
Is the way too far? you couldn't say<br />
You won't get there anyway<br />
He says it takes a private plane</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tuesday was a travel day.. just off to the airport by
shuttle-car and a nearly 8 hour flight to Melbourne, where we were waiting to
travel to Sydney, because a professor at Dongguk was supposed to be in Sydney.
We had jiggered our schedule so that even though we landed in Melbourne we
would immediately go to Sydney. That professor then bailed on Australia,
leaving us with slightly odd travel plans.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Melbourne, because we arrived at 11:30 pm, we’d taken a
hotel that was close to the airport.
At the airport, my bank card was declined by the ATM. I was a bit
concerned, because sometimes Korean bank/credit cards don’t travel as well as
they should. When I asked a man at an exchange kiosk, however, he laughed and
said, “Oh, don’t worry, it’s just that VISA isn’t working on our machines.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, like, half the credit cards in the world, and the only
ones I have? Yep!<br />
<br />
Then I went to the bathroom and saw what I took to be a poor marketing approach:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuV9IOw47Ph-1QDNbshx05SQ-g0tIH7GFzQnvISgbBdg9SD3Zhnw9yMk0VpUq_WOxeVXcbBzsXorKR55ia-1x1wkpduAH0ceHOwk_0USuo5Af_9ZqaBO_ZU7YhNTTPyGX987YN/s1600/OZZZZZZminimum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuV9IOw47Ph-1QDNbshx05SQ-g0tIH7GFzQnvISgbBdg9SD3Zhnw9yMk0VpUq_WOxeVXcbBzsXorKR55ia-1x1wkpduAH0ceHOwk_0USuo5Af_9ZqaBO_ZU7YhNTTPyGX987YN/s640/OZZZZZZminimum.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Er... really? "Minimum Size?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We got to the hotel just as the restaurant closed,
discovered no mini-bar, water, or food of any kind, and headed down to the
reception to discuss options. I said I wanted to exchange some money and find a
store, and the nice woman there said there was a 7-11 about 15 minutes down the
road.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We walked down there, Yvonne gibbering all the way about how
dark it was, and when we finally found it, to my dismay they did not sell beer
(this was my first introduction to the BS, “London circa 1970” alcohol rules in
Australia). Fortunately, however,
my VISA card did work here, so we had some scratch.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A quick walk back and we micro-waved the entirely artificial
potato and mash concoction that Yvonne had purchased, and while she took a
shower I tried the Internet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Which, was pay by the minute, and also had to be set up by
the women at the desk, and since they were already asleep (probably had a
champagne room set up for personal use after work!) it couldn’t be done.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Still, there was one epic feature to the Internet plan that
made me think that the <b>Australian Internet Scheme</b> was not a plan so cunning that
it would make a weasel stand up and salute (oh, c’mon, if you don’t recognize
that reference… uh.. likely you have a life?).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You could buy 15 minutes for $2AUD or and hour for $10AUD. I
was tired, out of sorts, and sober, but even I could do the math on that one. I
wanted to march down to the front-desk, plop down my ten and when they started
to ring it up, say… oh…. Wait.. and pull out the $2 coin and say.. nah.. 15
minutes… And then do that until the first hour was over.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Alas, my plan for a ridiculous and petty revenge could not
be put into effect as the staff were in the Champagne Room.<br />
<br />
I went to sleep hissing, and planning to take revenge on Australia as a whole.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>Tuesday July 30 Travel
to Geelong</u><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
In the morning it was back to the airport to catch a bus to
something like a City Center and then a train to Geelong.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This took longer than expected.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then, there was one of those moments that makes no sense
to me. Yvonne and I got our train tickets, and they were for the un-reserved
first two cars of the train. We sat opposite each other in a four-seat cluster
of two facing benches. The train continued to fill up, and never quite did,
with a sprinkling of seats throughout the car. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just as the train was about to pull out of the station, our train car titled downwards behind me, and a fellow who might have been <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aczPDGC3f8U" target="_blank">Mr. Creosote</a>, lumbered in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, it’s a reasonable assumption that as jelly-filled fat
fuck (a phrase for which I will always be grateful to my Brother-in-Law for
bringing to my attention^^) myself, I might at any time be the chubbiest fellow in any particular
overseas train car, and it’s possible that this was the case here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Which is why it is bizarre, completely beyond bizarre
actually, that Rotundo The Wonder Beast immediately slumped down beside me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By which I actually mean, <i>half on me</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The dude had enough spare ham on his thigh to feed an entire
Saudi Arabian (non-Muslim, I guess) village. And that massive ham was now spread across the lower half of my body.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I looked across the aisle to Yvonne who was trying, about
50% successfully, to stifle an enormous grin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My guess is that Elephant Man chose the seat he did because it was
closest to the entrance, and trust me that’s a lesson learned.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His Expansiveness also talked continuously on his cellphone (example
witticism - “that dude is a douchebag!”) and had managed to lose his ticket in the 30 meters
from the station to the train. I presume he lost the ticket into some fold of his own flesh, from which he would later pick it, rancid and moldy, and then surreptitiously eat it. Or, since the dude was big enough to have gravity along the lines of a Black Hole, the poor flighty ticket had been sucked into his gravitational field, and instantly destroyed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That was all good, because it gave him an excuse to get up,
pat himself in a process that disconnected his shirt from its tuck-in and
revealed his underwear, and then WWF fashion, drop 300 pounds of right leg onto
me again.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Geelong was nice enough. Pretty in that clapboard (that
might not be the word I’m looking for…. Gingerbread? Artificial?) way that much
of Australia is, and we wandered about it, mainly trying to adapt to Australian
accents. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We quickly hit the three bookstores on the map and then,
while I shopped for drugs and alcohol, Yvonne went back to the best one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then, rain threatening, we headed back to the hotel.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we had to wake early, rocket-scientist, international
planner, and my wife, Yvonne? She
came up with a plan… We would go to bed at 9 and this would give us a restful
6.5 hours of sleep.<br />
<br />
Which never works with me. If I go to sleep that early I always wake up in the
middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Combine that with the “night before Xmas” feeling of being
about to go to a new place and I slept about 15 minutes
all that night.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>Wednesday July 31 –
to Sydney</u><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Sittin' in the mornin' sun<br />
I'll be sittin' when the evenin' come<br />
Watching the ships roll in<br />
And then I watch 'em roll away again, yeah</blockquote>
<br />
On Tuesday we woke early (like 3:30 AM) and got a ride to
the airport from a particularly garrulous lorry-driver who really, REALLY liked
sports. The transport company insisted on picking us up at 4:00 for a 6:10
flight. When we got there we were the only non-employees in the airport, and
the flight had already been delayed. So.. a lot of waiting.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then a quick flight (slowed slightly by a delay through
which we circled over Canberra, so now I’m going to claim I’ve ‘visited’ the
place) to Sydney and an equally quick ride (The multipass deal in Sydney is
just brilliant) on the public transport to Double Bay, at which we arrived
about 5 hours before our scheduled check-in with our airbnb host. So, we hung
around on the beach, dodged some rain, and eventually settled in at a coffee
shop for a slow cup of coffee. At the coffee shop I was introduced to an evil
truth about Sydney – it is VERY wireless unfriendly. I could see the router of
the coffee shop, but when Yvonne went to ask for a password, the man mumbled
something from between his beak of a nose and landslide of a chin (a very
Australian look) about “downloads” and claimed there was no Internet
available. Oh well. Many places don’t have wireless at all,
and those that do are tightly locked down and you stand a reasonable chance of
being denied access if you have the temerity to ask. Nonetheless, it was
remarkable to see that someone, some dastardly bastard, had created a network
with the exact same name as the coffee shop! Will the temerity of these internet imposters never cease?<br />
<br />
Then it was back to the beach to watch the ferries to roll in and out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After stalling til about noon, Yvonne was getting
super-antsy, so we picked up the keys (among three other sets under the gnomes
in front of the building!) and dropped off our luggage, quickly went shopping
for some food, and then headed downtown to check out a bookstore. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This short trip revealed to me that Sydney is a REALLY
beautiful town, and I can only blame my mother for not having taken me there as
a youth, so I would have known.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4g10A5ZssJYeLdDDmZEDhf4tOK1GKDbvHrodbeJ9c2DIOW8yFqujQxpWKOyizkU2q0k5KaYi0WrQfMRPI0iknlxGO1eIAbFonnw9DJyTZRJzlZ3XIfWtnHDTstydpY0bTxvrS/s1600/HydePark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4g10A5ZssJYeLdDDmZEDhf4tOK1GKDbvHrodbeJ9c2DIOW8yFqujQxpWKOyizkU2q0k5KaYi0WrQfMRPI0iknlxGO1eIAbFonnw9DJyTZRJzlZ3XIfWtnHDTstydpY0bTxvrS/s640/HydePark.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lots of brick buildings and intricate ironworks, in some
ways it reminds me of New Orleans, and every so often a lovely park, or a
stunning view of the harbor. We
ended up in Hyde Park, watching old men (including a really irascible and mouthy
old asian dude) playing chess on one of those on-ground, laid-out chessboards.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJu98-kbDio-vsqXlg_LmM50tOSkhmq7BePI0pBjvNSANjdOpyIhTA-X1tmsV-9YpK6kU7RMjzPLwXgQzXAE8b3K3tnY8ePn5bFAkvkRj16VXcqFxEPIiV1PC0uICELcO4yPl/s1600/chess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJu98-kbDio-vsqXlg_LmM50tOSkhmq7BePI0pBjvNSANjdOpyIhTA-X1tmsV-9YpK6kU7RMjzPLwXgQzXAE8b3K3tnY8ePn5bFAkvkRj16VXcqFxEPIiV1PC0uICELcO4yPl/s640/chess.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a bus trip back, we finally met our host, and whiled
away the evening over a bottle of red wine and a series of his amusingly
escalating (in proportion to wine consumed) jibes at Australians and their
culture.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At just about midnight, exhausted from lack of sleep, we
turned in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>Thursday Aug 1</u><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
It’s just another story of love
that’s turned into a tragedy<br />
What am I supposed to do, you want a toast from the man who’s lost<br />
The man who was double-crossed?<br />
From cover to cover?<br />
Baby, you and me were just book lovers.</blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As always, the first full day is bookstores. We spent
considerable time on busses and found about three of them, all pretty cool. On
the way back, and partly because I needed to find a bathroom (really,
bookstores WITHOUT bathrooms? Sydney, what are you thinking?) we headed into
Sydney University and found a young lad playing simultaneous chess with about
10 challengers.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeS8iFW4xZxnK9XTHrczuHHZOLAYfsl5i53fAURyoupj5bbD-pR2m5Nt27dvISvU731Bh1KaStmmtLu6VjPoBH_ktntuQBzWaMllw2OGO3mHcMkOUuNuhiBfIpyRTEOtmDmGtB/s1600/MoreChess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeS8iFW4xZxnK9XTHrczuHHZOLAYfsl5i53fAURyoupj5bbD-pR2m5Nt27dvISvU731Bh1KaStmmtLu6VjPoBH_ktntuQBzWaMllw2OGO3mHcMkOUuNuhiBfIpyRTEOtmDmGtB/s640/MoreChess.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They Seem to Like their Chess, some, in Sydney</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I headed off to find the bathroom, slowly listening to
Yvonne’s voice dissapear into the background, muttering things to onlookers
like “That’s a Yahtzee! That’s gotta be a Yahtzee” and “well, he certainly
trumped the wicket on that play. Fair dinkum down the old dijideroo on that
one, I do say!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I fear her efforts to fit in did not work out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then, off to two more bookstores and the shocking
realization that Sydney is not a first-world city – it does not have nearly
comprehensive nor in any way speedy, Internet. It’s an AOL world here, and it’s
one of the things I really disliked about an otherwise beautiful city.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then it was out to the Circular Quay for a trip to Double
Bay. Returning home our landlord(?) warned us that he would be in late the
following evening, as his company was having a <span lang="KO" style="font-family: 바탕; mso-bidi-font-family: 바탕; mso-fareast-language: KO;">휘식</span><span style="font-family: 바탕; mso-bidi-font-family: 바탕; mso-fareast-language: KO;"> (work
drink-along) to reward salesmen for good performance. The original bar tab was set at $400 comprehensively, but as
a performance bonus some good salesmen (electricity contracts) would get an
extra $40 bar tab each. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 바탕; mso-bidi-font-family: 바탕; mso-fareast-language: KO;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 바탕; mso-bidi-font-family: 바탕; mso-fareast-language: KO;">Our host warned us not to expect him in early.</span><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Friday Aug 2</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Template>Normal.dotm</o:Template>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>33</o:Words>
<o:Characters>193</o:Characters>
<o:Company>Dongguk University</o:Company>
<o:Lines>1</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>1</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>237</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>12.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
There was no one all around<br />
There was no one there but me<br />
I was staring out a window<br />
I was standing by the sea<br />
The waves kept on repeating<br />
Each one crashing to the shore<br />
And my footprints nowhere leading<br />
As they disappeared once more</blockquote>
<br />
We managed to get up before 11 – I’m not sure what kind of
laziness assails us on vacation, but it is a profound one. We hung out for a
while then headed out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was one more bookstore to hit, and it was about three
blocks from Bondi Beach, which is also the start of a brief (3 KM) beach walk,
so we grabbed a bus there. After a water and coffee (I’m sure it’s obvious
which of us had which), we went to the bookstore and then down to the beach. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a California guy I’m pretty proud of our beaches, but
Australian beaches crush US beaches into the sand (pretty appropriate, I
think).<br />
<br />
We sat on the beach for an hour or two and then headed out on the
coastal walk there. It is very short, just over three kilometers, but manages
to include three beaches, two of which have “seafront” swimming pools, both of
which were being pummelled by the surf. <br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the second one Yvonne (<i>pace</i> Jennifer!) made the mistake
of turning her back to the sea, and while I was filming excellent shots of the
waves pounding the beach?<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Q_plLkE5TUQ?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Yvonne was busy getting drenched:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV59HRKdexxwTCXGikIT5Elr2isdUmrB_2IkN26QTVUWrP55uC4ycBl_dhQfs5805XQ4YD8aDXIiXI3UdX4M7P3peQO-BY8qmDcX6lXuziy-VBx1VgojsuwV10ZkM0g8Xwi-qo/s1600/YvonneDrenched.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV59HRKdexxwTCXGikIT5Elr2isdUmrB_2IkN26QTVUWrP55uC4ycBl_dhQfs5805XQ4YD8aDXIiXI3UdX4M7P3peQO-BY8qmDcX6lXuziy-VBx1VgojsuwV10ZkM0g8Xwi-qo/s640/YvonneDrenched.jpg" width="312" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After getting drenched, while taking this picture of me -<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbID5-KNixlxGE7HacQ1mmtpsTTNtc02GWAPvX4Qy6kqhAKT1oLsCG0LQi_Po5Qtn4Pd7UfOZ4SfaBUi2-RXPRAgZe0rswHG7bhHV-kTlNa4NpWoMN6NDQy658g5KQNPdE1OUn/s1600/MeinPit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbID5-KNixlxGE7HacQ1mmtpsTTNtc02GWAPvX4Qy6kqhAKT1oLsCG0LQi_Po5Qtn4Pd7UfOZ4SfaBUi2-RXPRAgZe0rswHG7bhHV-kTlNa4NpWoMN6NDQy658g5KQNPdE1OUn/s320/MeinPit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
she
decided to get filthy, and so she stepped into a mud-pit that grabbed her left
leg just about to the knee. So then it was off to the beach, where she removed
her sock and shoe, rolled up her pants, and tried to clean the sock and shoe.
Which wouldn’t work, because she stood facing the sea bending over to dunk her
dirty clothes, but as soon as a wave came in, she quickly ran away from it. After this happened a few
times I became cross, and when the next wave came I pushed her into the sea. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Awesome!
Everything clean.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A buss ride brought us to Harbour, where we walked around
amongst other tourists, by the Maritime Museum, a boat show, and several other
things that didn’t interest me in the least, and then we finally found the
ferry stop. So we took the ferry to Circular, then another to Double Bay. This
was the only time we actually crossed under the bridge (and by the alarmingly lunatic
gate to Luna park) on our way past the Opera House, and it was grand.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We went home, certain that we would go to sleep and hear our
host crash in, knocking various things to the ground as he entered.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Instead the innkeeper came in at about 10:45, retreated to his room where he apparently undressed to
his shorts and t-shirt and then opened the door and asked how he looked.<br />
<br />
I said, "ok," and ran for the safety of our bedroom.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
About 5 minutes later, as we lay in bed, we heard him rush
to the bathroom and be briefly but noisily sick.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We laughed in a sympathetic way (well, maybe not Yvonne?)
and went to bed our badselves…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>Saturday Aug 3</u><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Hey Mr. Bartender, won’t you give some wine?<br />
I gotta get outta town meet my lady on time.<br />
Put 5 gallons in my petrol tank<br />
You know we just about made it but my breath sure stank.</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Internet in the pad is broken, which has required me to
entertain myself in unusual ways. So it is that at 7:30 in the evening I am
sitting on the back lawn of the lodging, with the sea, less than twenty metres
away, pounding at the sand in its ongoing battle to reduce it. Every now and then
a ferry boat comes in, or a a pleasure boat docks for the evening. But,
primarily, it is me and the sound of tide thumping against the land.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh, well, that and a couple of beers and the noble sounds of
Mott the Hoople thrashing from the iPhone (all you youngsters should look that
stuff up).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today, we awoke reasonably early and attendant to the fact
that our host was likely living in world of regret, we trod lightly and exited
early. We made some breakfast, packed some lunch, and headed to the ferry to
catch a boat to Circular Quay.
Then we spent about 4 hours walking from hither to thither, and yon
beyond. This included the Sydney Opera House, which is as cool as pictures
suggest.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1Bh6W7olXPJS1-Az5K2rYeAtk08T4fqYZmTajAa3nsvPbyttBjInHNqMhfIaGmXUV0R9JqOwj_fPrEYDr17OTYhlpB99pHEELT0_1QEKYrJyKbSaReJx3WSXzvDE1aTt-mvw/s1600/ClicheHouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1Bh6W7olXPJS1-Az5K2rYeAtk08T4fqYZmTajAa3nsvPbyttBjInHNqMhfIaGmXUV0R9JqOwj_fPrEYDr17OTYhlpB99pHEELT0_1QEKYrJyKbSaReJx3WSXzvDE1aTt-mvw/s640/ClicheHouse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Next death march was through the adjacent Botanical Gardens (with a
stop at the Governor’s House), which were absolutely brilliant. While I
continue to have some kind of reaction to the looks of the Australian people,
the city of Sydney is nothing other than drop-dead gorgeous. Next it was out to MacQuarrie’s
Bench - or some equally
unbelievable name which describes a brilliant folly of empire – a governor
wasting money on a road and a bench carved into rock on the beach. And why? So his wife could go out there
conveniently and have a place to sit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Empires are AWESOME!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And as I type those words it all makes sense – he wanted the
ball-and-chain out of the house and had the particular means to accomplish it,
even if it meant wasting municipal funds. The guy built a road and stone chair
with British Imperail money, just to get his wife out of the damned house.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now THAT allows a British fellow a means by which to
maintain his stiff upper lip!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then a walk back to the NSW Art Museum which is free and
pretty vast. The museum has its share of modern ‘art’ nonsense. I don’t think I
will ever be impressed by a ‘painting’ that is 9 square meters of a single
color on rough canvas, even if the notes are relentlessly inventive in
imploring us to see its “roughness, varied strokes, and alterations in depth.” Honestly, that sounds like the
description of a gay porno, and ever since the Internet has become ubiquitous,
I won’t pay for that, either.<br />
<br />
Tuckered, we headed back to Hyde Park and watched a bit more chess on the “walk-on”
chess board. On the way there a friendly guy in a park saw me looking for my
map and asked where we were going. He agreed with our assessment that it was on
the other side of the church we were looking at, but added that if we walked to
the stairs of the nearby carpark we could go to its lowest level and take an
automated walkway to Hyde Park. He was correct, it was excellent, and the moron
that I am, I filmed most of it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then it was back to Double Bay, a short trip to the store,
one pint at the pub, and a return to home to eat some pizza and be very quiet
as our landlord (judging by what was in the sink) had risen only to make some
pasta, and was back asleep in his room.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then, out to this backyard. A bit brisk, but in clear
Australian air, and drop-dead scenic.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And, beer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And Mott the Hoople.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Sunday August 4th</u><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I come from London town<br />
I'm just an ordinary guy<br />
Fridays I go painting in the Louvre<br />
I'm bound to be proposing on a Saturday night<br />
There he goes again<br />
I'll be lazing on a Sunday lazing on a Sunday<br />
Lazing on a Sunday afternoon</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A cup of coffee and a quick bite at a local café – not the
one that denied us internet access on our first day, but one that, true to
Sydney’s lame form, simply did not have internet access at all.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then, Yvonne style, it was off to look for even more bookstores
and we kind of lucked out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Ampersand café lied to me that it shut its internet down
on weekends, but I tried the password and it worked. Duplicitous Aussie
weasels! At the same time, the attached bookstore was awesome - several floors with overstuffed
chairs and couches to sit on, food could be served in the bookstore, and a wide
range of books though, predictably for this trip, nothing that served me.
Across the street and down was the BerkouW bookstore, which was also pretty
cool, and we wasted a few more minutes there, before walking downtown to the
Australian Naitonal Museum, which had some cool things in it, the coolest of
which were unrelated to the main goals of the museum. The first was a wildlife
photography contest winners exhibition. There were many pictures of cute, cute
animals, several instances of nature red in tooth and claw, and every one with
some little bromide about the responsibility mankind has to nature. I was so
overwhelmed by this message, that when we finally did leave the museum I went
up to the first obese pigeon I could find and tried to punt the bugger into
next week. The other exhibit
was a Charles Addams exhibit. I’m guessing this means he was born in Australia,
but couldn’t be bothered to look beyond the cartoons themselves, some of which
were as funny as I remembered, and the remainder had to do with the Adams
Family, which I suspect was his largest paycheck.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we returned home our publican had returned to the land
of the living and we had an excellent conversation while he was cooking his
curry (for the second night straight we were on take-and-bake pizza as we had
brought two home the previous night, suspecting our landlord would be in no
condition to cook, not that he would still be locked in his bedroom).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><b>Monday August 5<sup>th</sup></b>
</u><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
We grabbed a ferry to the Circular Quay and headed to the
Museum of Sydney. This was kind of cool, with a history of the city, some
decent stuff on the Aboriginal experience (a phrase that pretty much means “Aboriginal
genocide”), and an exhaustive exploration of the development of the Sydney
Opera House.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then a short walk to the Sydney Barracks, which we toured
the outside of before Yvonne decided to go inside. At $10 it didn’t really
interest me as much as a glass of wine at the adjoining café, so Yvonne went in
and I sat down for a glass of wine. Which, I was quickly informed I couldn’t
have unless I ordered something to eat (Did I mention that, for a nation of laddish
drunks, Australia has some very bizarre licensing codes?). I had coffee
instead. Then, as the sun dropped behind the buildings of Sydney, I waited in
the courtyard for Yvonne. Because I was not inside the museum, Yvonne found it
very interesting and consequently refused to leave. I sat in the sandy, now
dark, courtyard contemplating the rise and fall of empires, the inexorable
passage of glaciers, and the eventual heat-death of the universe.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mJP0abdbKCiwIVzWF7SfDnNRXSsFglQ7YkUKmXA_mMhzPMjjFgpIVzK6yAI5ExHYllvqv9HTOZ7lmficAmFsRRy3YaS8B-AjqBIh5xnHPb_AwVAnHgIJlKvZh5SPhaT88WSa/s1600/Barracked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mJP0abdbKCiwIVzWF7SfDnNRXSsFglQ7YkUKmXA_mMhzPMjjFgpIVzK6yAI5ExHYllvqv9HTOZ7lmficAmFsRRy3YaS8B-AjqBIh5xnHPb_AwVAnHgIJlKvZh5SPhaT88WSa/s640/Barracked.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is where All Time Ends...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Inside, Yvonne minutely examined various scraps of cloth,
and shards of broken pottery indistinguishable from the contents of the rubbish
bin behind our rental.<br />
<br />
Galaxies exploded into life, then imploded and disappeared. Life forms evolved, took their days in
the sun then faded into oblivion.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some time later, Yvonne emerged from the barracks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then, because Yvonne wanted to see more of the bay, it was
off to the Circular Quay to catch the big ferry to Manly. Manly is one of those
pre-fab surfer towns (some old and cool architecture notwithstanding) which
attempts to hover precariously between tattooed cool and naked merchandising,
with the latter having the upper hand. The beaches were vastly inferior to those
of Bondi, Coogee, etc, as they weren’t very dramatic. The main entertainments
of the town came from the fact that everything was the “Manly this” and “Manly
that” which sometimes made for amusing place names, such as the “Manly
Olympian” and “Manly public Toilets.”
This is a joke I’m sure the residents of Manly found amusing for the
first 13 minutes of their "Manly" (LOL! It NEVER gets old!) lives, and then found tedious beyond
belief.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yvonne insisted on staying until darkness fell, and when we
got on the back of the ferry, which unaccountably turned out to be the front of
the ferry (it doesn’t turn around.. apparently having five gears in reverse as
well as forward). Consequently we were whipped by the frigid gales which blew
over the harbor, or at least until we were nearly crushed by the horde of
alarmed photographers who had rushed to the ‘front’ of the ferry, only to
discover that it was now the back of the thing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That realisation occasioned a mad rush to where we sat at
the end (front? Back?) of the front/back of the ferry, and I was quite
surprised we didn’t have a Marx Brothers moment where the entire ship listed
towards the bow, prior to all of us being dumped into the water and drowning.
As we approached the middle of the harbour, the photographers began snapping
away in earnest, nearly a third of them with their flash-units fully engaged,
despite the fact that the nearest object they could be photographing, unless it
was my charming and photogenic bald spot, was 500 meters away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once home, I defrosted in a bath of beer, applied
internally, and we went to sleep relatively early for the trip to Alice Springs.<br />
<br />
<b>POSTSCRIPT...</b><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<!--EndFragment--></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We have plenty of extra photos of all this. But most of you refuse to come over to our house.<br /><br />We'll have the slide-projector cued up, just in case.<br /><br />But we're prepared to never have to use it.</div>
Charles Montgomeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17489538189139910055noreply@blogger.com0