Working it...

Two bits of good news on the work front..

First, I will have a class at the beginning of the summer session. So that should add about 1k won to the kitty for the trips to the US and Philippines.

Second, the BKF informs me we will have major translation/editing job later in the summer. That should land a few more ducats on me as well.

If I can pick up some scrap-work in the interim, that would also be grand. Tomorrow I will find out if I have actually been having my overtime money deposited in my bank. I don't think I've seen it, but today I will get my ending balance and tomorrow will tell that particular tale.

Arbeit macht frei!

It looks like I might get some editing work from Ewha University. The last job I did for them was apparently good by their standards, and they sent me an email back asking if I would be willing to do more work.

Of course, I said yes. ;;-)

Book Reviewer....

Looks like I just got some page space in 10 Magazine as their hip new book reviewer. Three reviews a month, one of a translation, one of a book on Korea, and one of a best seller.

K3wL!

BPU2 ranked among top 18 Unis in Physics

Go beloved employer!

here

Unfortunately, as in most Korean (English) papers, there is no link to the actual study data

As I’ve just woken up from my Thanksgiving Drunkenness, I’m thinking of brilliant moments from Thanksgivings past.

One of these brilliant moments was crabbing. (This is partly spurred by an email from my sister, which came, Blackberry style, from another crabbing extravanza).

But, sister aside?

Crabbing is for men.

Manly men. Men who swear (Mainly when they bang their heads against something on the boat, lose their buoys, tangle the prop with rope, or turn 200 yards of other rope into a Gordian knot).

It is also an outstanding opportunity to roll out onto the sea and commune with nature at its saltiest.

It’s not so good for a photographer, as most of those opportunities come while the little crab boat is hammering through swells and salt-laden seawater is threatening the integrity of your lovely lens.

By “lovely” I mean to say “expensive.”

Still, on a good day, even a wussy photographer can enjoy it. There’s a certain rhythm to whacking in and out of the waves and even if the boat seems in constant danger of sinking (only to me, I should add) the high tech equipment onboard seems quite cool.

It never starts that simply.

I drove up to the coast early with the OAF to follow. I got to the hotel, skidded over to the trailer park (and I mean that in the best possible way) touched in with the fambly, and headed back to the hotel by the sea (and the totally obnoxious lighthouse horn).

I wandered about a bit and wondered about a bit. Then walked out the hotel door.

Lo and behold, apparitionally, there was the OAF. We walked into the hotel and I showed her the arched room, the fireplace, the view. She wandered around for awhile and I asked her if she wanted me to light the fire? She glared back at me. I asked about three more questions to which she was unresponsive or snarly. I asked about her mood.

She looked at me like I was insane.

I asked again, “why are you so crabby?” (heh! Get it? “Crabby!!!!)

She thought and said, “oh, because my car died at the gas station down the hill.”

This was at least 10 minutes AFTER she had arrived and in the interim she had forgotten that her car was dead, and not just dead, but actually pulled up next to a gas pump. She was still cranky, but the fact that her car was dead and gonna be towed had completely slipped her mind.

It must be nice to live in the moment.

Fortunately, she had stopped at the first gas-station in town, which was only 150 yards from the hotel. This was extremely fortunate, as the BAG had stopped about 10 miles out of town and the car had restarted there.

Turns out it was just a loose connection to the battery post. Good news for the OAF, bad news for the car which she was soon to total in an accident that is an entirely different story.

The next day it was off to the crabbing and the RV park (I swear, someday I will be able to say things like that without the loathsome hipster disdain that creeps, unbidden, into my voice. I suck).

Totally fucking awesome. The crabs came in (we had a vast haul on the last day) and the chefs did the other thanksgiving foods to perfection. We may have been in a trailer park with a big neon palm tree, but it was the best trailer park, ever, with a big neon palm tree. And, really, it was kind of my goodbye party to/for the US.

I doubt any Thanksgiving will ever rival getting lost with the BKF and JAE in the rainstorm in Death Valley, but this one gave a pretty good run for it.

I should just mention that in many of my photos HYS looks a great deal like another of my favorite acronymicons, HST.

Random Reflections on the New Job

1) It’s a good thing because it will change things. Like every monkey (think Community College Trustees) I like shiny rocks. I also have the habit of banging them about and dragging them through various mucks. They don’t stay very shiny, very long. BPU2 will be, at least, a shiny new rock.

And I have my new look all picked out!

2) If the translation institute at BPU2 can use me, then I’m in hog-heaven, because this is, of course, the path I’d like to follow for the next few years. The novel I just finished editing featured a heroine who lived in a little cottage on the beach – man would that be a cool thing. The US economy just needs to tank, and I need to get into the editing thing here in the land of the sparkling dawn. Then it is conceivable that in a few years I could do it from the States, with the BKF as translator, and whatever else I could dig up.

3) Seoul – I’m actually ambivalent about this. One of the things I really like about South-Central is that it is not crowded. This has several advantages. It is quieter for one thing and, as my friends know, I am an epic noise-sissy. Long walks are quite possible – no bumping into people and very little looking out for homicidal scooterists. And, let’s face it, I’m a misogynist and Seoul is crammed, nearly overflowing, with nasty people. They’re everywhere! On the positive side, much more culture.. MUUUUUUUUCH more culture. Also, closer to KLTI and the other important players in translation. And this contract will allow me to get an apartment, which could be a very nice thing, if the right one is available (I should say that the lovely Millie – my Korean tutor – has already found two realtors she thinks will work well with waeguk, but won’t necessarily try to place me in Itaewon with all the other waegukdul. So there’s that.)

4) Visitors. HAH! RIGHT!In the highly imaginary event that anyone I know comes to visit me, Seoul is where I want to be to host them. It is not only the heart of Korea, but it is convenient, by train or plane, to everywhere. The tourist ‘thrills’ of South-Central can be achieved in about 1.5 days, and every one of them is solidly second-rate.

5) Sports – Seoul has several basketball teams, at least two (?) baseball teams, a soccer team, volleyball (so that’s a point against), and even something called the KNFL which, after watching for 15 minutes on cable, I would never EVER attend.

6) Money – with only 9 hours of scheduled courses, a bit of overtime and editing should mean that I make at least a bit more money. This is always good (Capitalism 101).

7) White Peoplesess…. – I’m gonna have fewer of them in my daily grind. BPU has White Peoples stuffed everywhere. You can’t open a cupboard or desk-drawer without at least three of them (from at least two different countries) tumbling out and beginning to tell you tales of that “time I was really, really wasted!” They get underfoot, clog toilets (they flush toilet paper, you see), smoke marijuana, and complain about how Koreans drive. This will not be true at BPU2 where, it is my understanding, I will be the only foreigner in the department. I suppose this is a good and bad thing.. I’ll miss my homies, but I should get closer friendships wit Koreans, which is a good thing in terms of language acquisition, cultural knowledge, and drinking soju.

All in all, I must echo the words of the great philosopher Walsh and summarize that “I can’t complain, but sometimes I still do.”

BPU2 and Me..

Are now official.

So it's off to Seoul!


Below is a picture of the lovely quad. I will work somewhere off there to the left. In the background, on the ridge of the hill, you can see Seoul Tower.

I HATE DECISIONS (And JAE’s buddy didn’t make it any easier)

The interview with the Buddhist Potential University (BPU2) went very well. I seemed to sync well with the interviewer (less well with the Department Chair, I thought) and it was just interesting enough to make me have to decide what I want to do. Only 9 hours of required teaching, I’d get to make my own content, opportunity to work with their new translation center on editing translations, a beautiful campus, the promise of MUCH more collegiality between me and the Korean instructors and a much more professional education approach. Additionally, I’d have some say over when my hours were and there would (probably, Ms. Kim was very vague about this) be more vacation. Oh.. and no camps.. so that would be good.

Also, as the students are in the English Lit and English Translation programs, I would certainly have more dedicated students than at BPU1.

The downside is I’d have to come up with my classes in a hurry (though they have an auditory one that I could just roll out of the one I’m currently doing for the “Nearly a Bizznezz Skool””. And then the big one – housing is NOT provided and I’d have to find my own housing (with the likelihood of having to put down key money). The pay is 3million, so they have the money in the paycheck.. and if the OAF were to get the editing job in Seoul we could live together.

Still, that housing thing is a biatch….

And, for a sweaty waeguk, there is also the rather substantial walk up the hill to the college. I can just imagine what a sweaty mess it will make me, come summer. On the plus side, you make that walk and you’re a short walk from Namsan Park and up to Namsan Tower – which is pretty cool… I are being conflicted…..

BKF – ask your lovely bride (and the mother of the Great Reunifier) if she remembers a Kim, Soonyoung? About 2001, rented a room next to Jae’s in the house in Monterey….

One chorus of “It’s a Small World After All!”

As I said, the Dept Chair came in and seemed less interested in hiring me than the interviewer was. He hrummphed and gave me a little speech about how the position didn’t even exist yet, so he may be preparing me for the big letdown.

Oh well, that would answer the question then, wouldn’t it? ;-)

Buddhist College Redux

So, they've contacted me again, and apparently they are revisiting the job - that is, re-opening it. They'd like to interview me.

Hmmmmmm.....

hard to say they seem very organized.... I guess I need to see if I can get slid to the Nearly a Bizness Skool over here. If not I should be gone...

Today I will Save the World!

It goes to the top of my list, because I just got a link to structured procrastination, which suggests that if I try to save the world I actually will get around to..

1) Writing that Conference paper
2) Updating my CV
3) Blogging some pics of Seoul.

Tip of the hat to: MAF

Work unclenches...

I was gonna post about how happy I was to be sitting in a bar at 11:30 or so with only one major fucking event left this semester... I swear, I can do the marketing and PIO shit, but I hate event planning...

anwyay.. watching the news I saw something of interest to Swamp Valley College, wrote up a couple of pages for the Limpest President Ever and came to the bar to post it (No intarwebs at home). And there I was enjoying a beer, despite the Karaoke...

Then an asian guy in blue shorts and an Hawaian shirt stood up and started singing "The Sound of Music" in a voice that would make (FFFFVVVVCCCKK! Can't remember her name. Old White Lady Singer the Gays Love Who Was On Shows that Featured Shit Like Ventriloquism) shake in fear....

There can be no peace....

Anyway... Work should become less 23/6 (cause I'm too lazy a fvck to go ALL the way) in the weeks to come...

bonus...

Become a buddhist or chop down trees?

Really, I must be insane and need a nice rest (somehow land-buddhism or repetitive destruction of inanimate objects seem like rest to me)...

This was the longest 4-day work week ever, but replete with garlands and accomplishments. Board loves me, we made some public events work (that really should have failed), some brilliant PR just about to hit, numbers look good. Now everyone is safely tucked in to the 4-day weekend that the killer contract gives us.

And I'm on my work email hitting refresh like a rat hooked on crack-cocaine in a behavioral study -- and a rat that doesn't realize the bad news. Experiment over little rat. Detox your bad-self because with the results about to be published the man in the white coat isn't the pusherman anymore...

But I needs me the crazy thrill of the next email with an insane demand from an administrator; or cancellation from some required vendor; or a new program that needs a prospectus by 30 minutes before the email demanding it was sent; or.. . more stress, STRESS, STRESS!

Seriously, can you get addicted to that shit?

Good news is that a delicious sushi dinner helped me figure out the final structure for my thesis.. I think all the little bits I've been having difficulty reconciling can now be dovetailed.

So that's good..

4 days of writing now.

WTF .. bonus work report

BAG wants daily reports now.... so here is some of dat..

The day started outstandingly as it was only on the way to get coffee and some foot that I realized I had left my wallet at home. So I had two dollars and some change. Aaah.. I could afford the “Sausage and Biscuit,” the sausage of which immediately began to work on my esophagus. Got to work and off to a meeting where I (accurately) commented that a competitor’s publication had several major problems, including a Black kid they had made look like an ape. This caused a little stir because the guy who chose the photo wasn’t in the room and I had mentioned the "ape" thing…. One of my favorite admins politely warned me never to say this around Blacks for historical reasons. I would have said, "don’t use pictures like that," but that’s just me. ;-) I don’t want to see any human looking like a fucking ape unless they are on the cover of “Neanderthal Man Magazine.” Then again that magazine went extinct eons ago.

Anyway, I had no money for food the rest of the day so I scavenged any old crud I could find by peoples’ desks, in shared areas, or in remaining but moldy xmas gifts. This means that while I was hungry all day, I also probably consumed 8,000 calories of stale cookies and candies that might once have been jellied.

Just another day at the office

It Ain't the Kill, It's the Thrill of the Chase.....

Ho-hum….

Did I mention that the book of short stories I got is remaindered from the U.S. Army recreational center in Granite City Illinois? This means that every time I open it I am immediately surrounded by a cloud of 40 year old cigarette smoke. I mean the smell is obnoxious – and I’m not one of those pantywaists who want to ban smoking in bars or in public (I think it should be mandatory in birth-wards and rest homes – let’s get to the farking Darwinism!).

Anyway, I ground out some more tonight… I’m up to 11,516 words completed.. which leaves 3,484 measly little words to go.. This also means my daily word count only needs to be 268, which is getting to be quite reasonable and if I pound a couple thousand words out over the weekend I will be able to leave my computer at home when I go a-visiting in two weekends (or, conversely, bring it and really pound this thing into the ground).

I have also entered into a little reading/support group with some of my compatriots. In this group I learned we actually have six months after the end of the course to turn the thing in. I should be done well in time and suspect I’ll be of more use to the rest of the group than they to me – only because I’ll ready to edit their work with mine already in the bag. Well, advisor and Division Chair willing.

Anyway, it’s cold here and I am tired.. Had a lovely day at work – I caused the CEO to erupt violently at one of the VPs and anytime a slug gets hollered at it’s a darned good thing! Our numbers are still way up, and it’s at least partly due to my work, so it looks like this gig will continue to bankroll me until I leave for Korea, whenever that might be.

The distant echo - of faraway voices boarding faraway trains...

I suppose it is wrong to drink beer before noon.

Which is why I went for schnapps laced coffee, laudanum and whisky.

Aaaah... a day working at home from the phone. Many lies over that evil device and more coverage of Swamp Valley College's coach of some importance. It's amazing to me how, when you don't care about your job, you can identify some little things to do that will make your work seem important. And the peoples will believe you are doing something.

Funny...

Getting close to writing my thesis and all the books I have ordered from various backlot bookstores are coming in. I seem to have an author that no one ever noticed and if North Korea would be accommodating enough to nuke Japan (well, in about 3 months) I'd have a book proposal.

Sadly, I have never been lucky enough to pick who should be militarily obliterated (the only part of being a Republican that I think I might miss) and so I will struggle on at work.

Alas, I shall never have groupies. ;-(