Movie Time

I saw Thor in 3-D Friday night. Amazing. A colleague had 20% off tickets that were expiring that day so a friend and I went. Tickets ran about $11 dollars. Popcorn and two drinks were $7.50. Not bad for a Friday night show. When you buy tickets you choose where you want to sit. I thought it was interesting that the row letters were English which made it easy for me to find my seat. I worry about those kind of things. The previews were all in Korean and were mostly ads. Then the movie began in English.

Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert!
Thor is one of the worst movies I have ever seen! I know. What was I expecting? The answer was, "Not much." Yet, still, I was disappointed. Even the 3D effects were few and far between. At least this time the scientists were not the bad guys. That really is the only positive thing I can say about the movie. The moment I saw Anthony Hopkins in Viking battle garb I thought the movie was going to be really bad. My next thought was more of a plea. "Please don't show Anthony Hopkins in Viking battle gear again." Request denied. Ugh.

Fortunately for Natalie Portman, she had a career before this movie because she is awful. Hey, there is a huge atmospheric disturbance in the middle of the desert. Let's drive top speed directly into it...from the passenger side. You see, the driver thought driving into a sand storm was a bad idea. Too bad the driver never thought to take her foot off the accelerator while fighting the passenger for control of the steering wheel.

After collecting data from the disturbance which resulted in them hitting Thor, the astrophysicist (Natalie Portman) comments on how the edge of the vortex looks like some curve described by Einstein. This leads to the following dialog:

"What kind of curve is that?", asks the female assistant who was driving the van described above.

"I thought you were a science major", says the male scientist.

"Political science."

To which Natalie Portman immediately interjects, "She was the only applicant."

That is good stuff. Later when the government seizes all of her equipment, the three 'scientists' go to the library where one of them finds a book that explains Thor and the vortex and travel between different realms.

"Where did you find that?"

"The children's section."

I give up. An astrophysicist loses all her equipment and data but fortunately finds all her answers in a children's book at the library. I simply give up.At least when my experiments are not going well you will know where to find me.

Later, Thor was able to retrieve her notebook with a picture of nine planets she has drawn.

"At least now I wont have to start from scratch." (Yes, her scientific career resides in that ten page notebook - blogger's edit).

"You must never give up your search," encourages Thor. "Your ancestors called it magic. You call it science. In my realm it is both. Here let me show you." Thor then proceeds to draw a line around the planets in Natalie Portman's notebook. She is absolutely enthralled.

"Oh, tell me more," she says in her most seductive tone.


IT'S A LINE! Ah yes, trans-dimensional travel to other worlds can be explained by drawing a line. It's so simple. How could I have missed it?

Thor is truly one of the worst movies I have ever seen. As such, I was thoroughly entertained. I was also happy the movies here are in English with Korean subtitles (many anyway)  which has an interesting consequence. Sometimes, the subtitles are displayed before the entire line is delivered. That results in the audience laughing before the joke is actually told. Once again the English speaker is slow on the up take. That's okay. I'm really pleased to be able to see movies at the theater ...in 3-D!

I'm a Winner, Baby!

Today at lunch they were handing out scratch off tickets. Everybody got one. The woman across from me scratched hers and saw a bunch of characters which apparently read, "Better luck next time." Since I cannot read Korean, I was prepared to simply claim victory and kid anyone who challenged my win as not really understanding Korean. As I was yelling, "I'm a winner!", it turns out I really was. Instead of characters, there was the English name of the food company 'Woorey' or something like that. I asked what I had won. It took several moments before my colleagues finally said, "a gift." Well, despite my recent success with chopsticks, I really needed a fork today. So, I went downstairs to get a fork and my 'gift'.

I show the guy handing out tickets my winner. He smiles and points me to the winner's area where they have me print my name, write what department I'm in, and then sign my name. It was very official. 'Name', 'department', and 'sign' were all the English they knew, so a lady pointed to a cup. I point back saying, "You choose." She then pours hot water in one and hands me my gift of ...hot tea. Whoo hoo! I ... hate tea. Well, not really. I just hate it as a gift. I had to sign for hot tea? At least it was Liptons.

It's Raining Again

The weather in Seoul is much like the Pacific-Northwest in the U.S. except Seoul has some sunny days. When it does rain here, it is very misty and light. I do not normally carry an umbrella preferring a hooded jacket. You might think that was a fashion-conscious decision, but the truth is that I can never find my umbrella.

Not carrying an umbrella in the rain simply amazes Koreans. The disbelieving looks on their faces when I tell them I don't have an umbrella are almost as impressive as the looks I get when I tell them I don't need an umbrella.

"I have a hood. See?"

"Okay, you can share my umbrella."

"No, it's ok. I will just wear my hood."

"Oooohh," which is actually Korean for 'I don't think he understood my English' because they then walk close enough to cover me with their umbrella. Once, I was walking alone to the lab when a stranger who spoke no English felt the need to share his umbrella with me. I tried to pantomime, "Thank you, but no". I can tell he thought I did not understand him. Who in their right mind would refuse sharing an umbrella? He repeats his offer gesturing more dramatically that he is willing to share his umbrella. Of course, I gesture more emphatically that I do not need to share an umbrella. I don't think speaking Korean would have helped this situation. Some behavior they just don't get, but playing charades in the rain was kind of fun.

This interpretive dance experience did convince me of one thing. I should get an umbrella. The question is where. When I first visited here, I was struck by the insane number of shops here in Seoul. And they sell everything.

An alleyway near Insadong full of shops and eateries.

If you walk far enough you will find a shop selling what you need. I do not know how these stores stay open, but sure enough I stumbled upon a jacket and umbrella shop near Korean University which is about a fifteen minute walk from my place. There were scads of umbrellas including one with Michael Jackson's 'This is It' emblem. I almost bought that as a gift since he too was a Hoosier, but I just couldn't do it. I found one I liked and asked how much. The lady told me 4,000 won which is roughly four dollars. I then grab another umbrella for Larry and tell her I'll take two. I give her 10,000 won. She bows and closes the door. One is 4,000 but two are 10,000? I really have to work on my negotiating skills.

Work, Work, Work.

The Cohen half of the Baker/Cohen labs arrived yesterday. It is good to see a familiar face. We have agreed upon the lab renovations, equipment is arriving, and positions are being filled. Since it looks like it's time to get down to business, I thought I would post a few pictures of where I work, the KIST campus.

The reflecting pond last week when the cherry blossoms arrived

Across from the cafeteria is a large reflecting pond surrounded by trees. Behind the trees in the picture is a large field where families will picnic and children will play soccer.

Soccer field with truncated midfield

This soccer field is impressive. I think the width is regulation while the midfield has been reduced. I have seen a couple of 9-on-9 games with a referee keeping the scientists under control. In the distance you can see the building my lab is in. Just left of this picture are bleacher seats set into the side of a hill.

Lighted clay tennis courts

Next to the soccer field are three clay tennis courts. These are extremely popular. It is rare to not see anyone on them. The building to the left is the gym. The gym has a tennis coach that you can hire for lessons. Sadly, I don't think he speaks English.

The gym which has exercise machines on the second floor.

I was going to take a quick picture of the inside of the gym, but I did not have inside shoes to wear. I am still getting used to the idea of outdoor shoes. The people I work with tell me this is a very nice facility. Guess I need to buy some inside shoes.

The driving range

Koreans are golf fanatics. Next to the gym opposite the tennis courts is the driving range. Golf clubs and balls are provided.

When you visit you had better lace 'em up. This is my house!

At the top of the hill across from the gym is a full length, international basketball court. It has a matted surface allowing precision cuts on my dribble-drive penetration. I will have to get my dad here to show the Koreans how post up basketball is really played. Next to the basketball court are some people paying foot volleyball. I've only seen it played once. It has a very low net, and you cannot use you hands unless you are serving. The serve is a drop kick. The ball can bounce once and that's it. Headers appear to be legal.

The view from my balcony

Finally, there was a request to see a picture from my balcony. Directly below my balcony is a parking lot. I will show that photo at a later date. Across the street is a play ground for the kids that live at KIST. That is a nicer picture.

That is most (if not all) of the highlights of where I work. I hope this will encourage you to come to Korea. Seoul is a beautiful place to visit. It seems like a good place to live as well.

And so it Begins

A momentous day for the Baker lab. My first piece of equipment arrived!. The euphoria quickly died. Page one of the instruction manual:

'To set up the patch clamp amplifier requires 5 steps:
Step 1 is described on page 6
Step 2 is described on page 9
Step 3 is described on page 14
Step 4 is described on page 12
Step 5 is described on page 10'

What? Oh boy. So do I skip to page 14 after page 9? Step 5 is titled "Verifying and Testing". I can see why that section is written before the "Installing the Calibration files" which is step 3. I can do this. Oh, how I miss my friends at Yale. I blame the Germans. You know who you are, and you know you are guilty. The amplifier was made in Germany. So, I know it is good. And I'm pretty sure it is over my head, but no time like the present to learn.

The lab is nearly renovated. The walls are up. The heating units are being installed. It looks good. I am just worried that the space for people has been under-estimated.

Space for desks which will face the window. Might be a little cozy

Entrance to the lab where a meeting table will be

On paper it appeared as though the layout was perfect for a meeting table. Again, it is going to be a little cozy with six chairs around a two meter table. If the plan holds, we will have 22 chairs which will double the amount of chairs other labs with similar space will have. I would prefer 13 chairs so there is actually space for people. But whatever. This is a minor problem for the Baker/Cohen labs. Nothing can stop us now! Except for maybe page one of the instruction manual.

I Didn't Mean it Literally!

I have always been uneasy getting my hair cut. Having to wear glasses requires a certain amount of faith in the person cutting my hair. Now, not only can I not see what they are doing, but I cannot even tell them how I want my hair cut.

With the failure in Itaewan, I decided to stay close to home. Once you start looking for barber shop signs, you begin to see them everywhere. Several places near my home cut hair, so I had my secretary write in Korean how I wanted my hair cut. A quick aside about hair style in Korea. This is metrosexual central. I think guys wear more product in their hair than the women. And big hair is the style here. A mop with a part and just out of the eyes seems to be the Korean style. Nearby is a place that sells wigs (I think). I took a picture because the head with a sketchy beard just cracks me up. Anyway, my big hair days have long past. I want my hair short.

A wig place near. Once you see this place, it automatically becomes a landmark.

Well, it turns out the wig place is also a barber shop! Now I have to get my hair cut there. I walk in and show the guy my sheet of Korean instructions. The first question was how much is the cut. He answers,"Shampoo? Cut? Shampoo and cut? 9,000 won" That was about all the English he could speak. A cut and shampoo cost me $30 in the US but here it's under $10. I tell him I would like the shampoo and a cut. I also show him my ID which has a picture of how I would like hair cut. It's clear he thinks I'm trying to introduce myself, so I give up.

He has me sit in the barber chair, gets an old time shaving brush, applies a touch of shampoo, and gently taps my head with the brush. Not exactly what I would call a shampoo, but this is not the first time the translation is a little off. Then he takes a water bottle and wets my hair. This is followed by the sound of razor shears. It was at this moment I realized the instructions I have given might not really convey what I wanted. I like my ears cut out which to me means the ears are showing. But, literally, it means something slightly different. Now, I'm not completely blind without my glasses, so I was able to see (and feel) him take the shears and cut out my ears. A huge swathe of hair goes tumbling as the hair above my ears is significantly reduced. Dang it. I had also emphasized my hair being short. After finishing the sides he begins to frantically cut the top using a comb in one hand to pull up the hair and scissors in the other cutting at a phenomenal rate. I was reminded of Edward Scissor-Hands. That is not an exaggeration. He moved fast.

He cuts my hair for a full 45 minutes, so there is not much hair left. He then pulls out a straight-edge razor and shaves my scalp above my ears. Then he shaves my ears. At least this guy is thorough. He brushes me off and then says,"Shampoo". Here you wash your hair after the cut. I like that better. Get rid of all the cut hair. After the shampoo, he blow dries my hair. He then takes a bottle and shows it to me. "Scent." It was aftershave. He puts that in my hair. "Lotion." He puts that in my hair. Another bottle and another. I couldn't really make out what he said they were, but they all went in. I now have more product in my hair than I have had in all my days combined. It did smell good.

So, with the exception of the gap between my ears and my hair, not too bad. An hour entertainment for nine bucks. I just need to remember that translations are usually taken quite literally.

Day 14 - Black Day

The lunch line was packed today. "People have to eat their black noodles." I'm finding it takes several sentences for me to figure out what is going on. "There is Valentine's Day, White Day, and Black Day". For a while that was all the explanation I was given. "There are a lot of single people at KIST". Imagine that. A lot of single people at a science institute. Shocking! Even in Korea where video game competitors are TV stars, scientists still struggle.

So, what exactly is Black Day? Turns out that on Valentine's day, women give men chocolate. I like the Korean version of Valentine's day, and I don't even like chocolate that much. March 14th is White Day where the men give women candies. I knew it was too good to be true. April 14th, Black Day, is for single people. "So single people celebrate today?", I asked. "Well, they eat. They eat black noodles." Doesn't seem fair to me. Fortunately, pork was in the 'dating' line.

Day 13 - What's the Matter, Officer? Dunkin Donuts Closed?

I have yet to have had a run in with the police (13 days and counting). But I have witnessed a few things that are peculiar. The other day when the light changed for pedestrians to cross the street, a police car pulled up with the flashers going... and stopped at the light. I hadn't crossed yet thinking the police car was going to run the red. Everyone else seems to run red lights. But, no, the policeman just stopped and waited for the light to turn green. The very next day, I heard someone yelling through a loud speaker. It was a policeman telling the car ahead to pull over... without his lights flashing. I have since seen several police cars. Sometimes their lights are flashing, sometimes not. I asked my colleagues about this, and they said that in Korea people don't pull over to get out of the way of emergency vehicles. The reason is because pop-stars will bribe emergency vehicle drivers to get them to their destination quickly. "They have very tight schedules." This happens frequently enough to poison drivers against emergency vehicles?

I have trouble believing that explanation. I mean if no one gets out of the way, is it really worth the bribe? I think Korean drivers pretty much do what they want. My first visit to Korea was for ten days. In that time I saw 4 cars run red lights. Once, I was in the car! "There are no police around", was the comment I heard just before entering the intersection. I have seen this behavior often. Cars will be stopped at a red. There will be no one around and the car will just proceed. I always wanted to do that. Here, it is the norm.

I do not have a car so I cannot really explain what it is like to drive in Seoul. It is not for the weak of heart though. The major thorough fare near my apartment has stop lights at some of the streets that are not four way lights. Let me repeat. They are not four way lights. Only the main street has a red light. The side streets sometimes have flashing yellows or nothing at all. I guess you go when you can. I don't think I will be driving soon.

Catastrophe!

Dunkin Donuts has closed! I am without words.

Day 11 - It's Baseball Season

The other weekend I was watching TV. I got so tired that I napped for four hours. You might think that jet lag had finally caught up with me. Actually, I was watching baseball. It's one of the few Korean programs I can follow, but it still puts me to sleep no matter where I am.

Koreans love their baseball. It is the first week of the season. Perhaps I am a U.S. baseball snob, but I have trouble understanding the fans. The fan-base appears to be equal number of men to women; though it does seem to be a young person's sport. And they are all crazy. They cheer for foul balls. They are nuts. The Koreans cheer for balls ground behind the plate. They actually have cheerleaders that lead cheers from on top of the dugout. They constantly bang those rally sticks. Still, I need to go to a game. The energy at Korean games is very high. I love going to a baseball game even if watching it on TV is immensely boring. 

So now I have to pick a team to follow. Understand that I am a New York Mets fan. I have become accustomed to failure. Monumental failure. The Mets by any other name would still suck (Even Shakespeare thought the Mets sucked). The last two years, the Mets have sent me an email apologizing for the season. For someone who loves to complain, the Mets make me very happy. They give me plenty to complain about. I need that same therapy here. I was hoping to just pick a local team, but I haven't figured that out yet. The teams are owned by companies, so instead of the Seoul Giants you have the Samsung Lions and the Kia Tigers. I'm having a really hard time rooting for a company, but that is no worse than having rooted for my Madoff's boys.

Day 10 - Teaching an Old Dog

While I love my new apartment, it does present me with some peculiar challenges. The heat is in the floor. Hot water is circulated through the floor. From my understanding, heating the floor has always been the way here. Perhaps this is why they sit on the floor at restaurants and why beds are so low to the ground. You want to be where the heat is. I really like this especially on cold days. Putting your feet on a warm floor in the morning is priceless. But it is posing a problem. I have yet to figure out what is the right temperature. It is not too hard to figure out Celsius. The hard part is knowing how hot the water should be in the pipes to make things comfortable in the apartment. As the weather outside warms, things get a little toasty inside.

Eventually, I will have to figure out how to heat the water without heating the apartment. Yesterday, there was a blackout for maintenance purposes. Just as I got in the shower, the electricity went out. I thought this was perfect timing because I was about to go explore some more of Seoul. Ten seconds later there was no more hot water. I do not understand how that happened. Water doesn't instantaneously return to room temperature. Besides, I would have been happy with room temperature. This water was ice cold!

Another problem I'm having relates to the Asian culture of not wearing shoes in the house. In the guidelines given to me by the housing manager, shoes are strictly forbidden. When I first visited the Institute, I was not aware of this rule as the housing manager was letting me into the efficiency I would be staying in. Whoa! His reaction to my not taking off my shoes was intense. "Shoes! Shoes! Shoes! Dr. Bradley! Shoes!". Oops, my bad. Anyway, breaking that rule could get you kicked out of the apartment. Ok, so it is not that hard to get in the habit of taking off your shoes (I am now shopping for slip on shoes by the way). The problem comes from the shower. Both bathrooms have a shower head and a drain in the floor. The entire bathroom is a shower. I like this. I hate shower curtains. But a result of no shower curtain is that the floor is wet. I am somewhat embarrassed to admit to the number of times I have had to change my socks because I forget this. My morning routine is so set that I actually have to put my hairbrush, toothbrush and deodorant in the other bathroom. I have tried to remember to put my socks on last, but I often forget. Those that know me are about to say, "Duh!", but I am truly a creature of habit.

Day 9 - Itaewon

I need a haircut. This is no small matter. If I get a poor cut, I might not be able to blend. There are several places near me. The Institute even has a barber shop below the cafeteria for 5,000 won which is roughly $5. My colleagues recommended against getting my haircut at the Institute claiming it was very traditional. Not sure what that means, but I'm guessing you get what you pay for.

I was about to get a cut at a place that charges 30,000 won. At least I think that is the price of a cut. Then, someone suggested going to Itaewon. Itaewon is near a U.S. military base. As a result most of the vendors there speak a fair amount of English. That seemed like a good idea except that I don't really like Itaewon. I have not explored that much of Soeul, but Itaewon is definitely the seediest place I have visited. Still, getting my haircut by someone who understands English seemed like a good idea.

The Itaewon market was fairly busy Saturday morning as I began my search for the universal barber shop sign. As I explore the market, I saw several bars. One of them was advertising an unbelievable happy hour. Drinks are free! Thursdays 3-7 p.m. free drinks for men and women. That doesn't seem right. It was at this moment that I spotted an Asian in his mid 20's being escorted out of a bar called Russian (at least that was the sign hanging outside). It was clear he has had too much to drink, and the elderly lady helping him was losing her patience. I move on.

There was one barber shop. A cut is 5,000 won. I just can't do it. I try a side street when the drunk Asian emerged from a parking lot. He was alone and having trouble walking. Indeed, he couldn't navigate the curb and falls face first onto the street right in front of me. He was not getting up. He was moaning so at least he was still somewhat conscious, but I have no idea what to do. There are four of us near him. Three Africans and me. I don't think any of us speak Korean. More people pass by looking at him. Finally, a Korean notices him and started to help. I really don't like Itaewon. And I really don't like feeling helpless. I felt helpless today. Have to do something about that.

Day 8 - Korean Bureaucracy

I had been warned before arriving in Korea that the bureaucracies there rivaled those of the U.S. I have been very fortunate to only have limited experience dealing with bureaucracies, so I don't really know how bad Korean bureaucracies are. I will give you a few examples and you can decide.

When I registered as an alien, the application was one page that required my signature twice (side note - Korean names are very short so the space allotted for a signature is extremely small). As I sat down across from the administrator I noticed several ink stamps on her desk. The administrator asked my interpreter some questions and then stamped my application. More questions, another stamp. Seven different stamps! I know they were different because she would have to switch the stamp when she realized it was the wrong one. She never picked up the right stamp on the first time. The odds were significantly against it. Seven different stamps for a one page application? That's impressive.

Another example comes from filling out the paper work for my new job. In order to get my ID I had to fill out a questionnaire. It was all in Korean so again I had to rely on my interpreter. "Name, Age, Address, Phone, Blood-type...", Wait, did I just get asked about my blood type? Can I read the job description again? I wasn't certain, so we left that blank. "Father's name, Father's occupation...". Really? Continuing, "Mother's name, Mother's occupation, Siblings, Siblings' occupation, Name of someone you know in Korea". You might think at some point I would stand up for my rights and question the need to know these things. I did not. I was too amazed at the questions I was being asked. The Korean government knows all about my family now. Sorry, guys. Then we got to the really hard questions. "What are you good at? What are your hobbies?" What? I was reminded of the Steve Martin movie, A Man with Two Brains. In that movie Steve Martin is somewhere in Europe when he gets pulled over for drunk driving. The policeman asks him to walk a straight line, then juggle, then juggle on one leg, then walk on his hands to which he replies, "Dang! your tests are hard!" What am I good at? A tough one.

Wikipedia states that the purpose of a bureaucracy is to successfully implement the actions of an organization of any size. I guess that is essentially true. Too bad the path towards that implementation is all over the place.

Day 8 - Success!... Short Lived

Victory and Defeat! My route to work is uphill both ways. I know, I sound like my grandparents describing their trek to school in 14 feet of snow. But it is true. There is a significant hill between my apartment and my lab. On Monday it was more of a mountain. However, I can walk around it if I go off campus. This adds about twenty minutes to my trip because there just happens to be a Dunkin Donuts there. At my previous job, there was a Dunkin Donuts at the entrance to my parking garage. I think I lasted a day before I caved and became a Dunkin Donuts addict. So much of an addict that when my sister visited me in CT, she actually got tired of Dunkin Donuts (Is that really possible? Or, was she just messing with me?). Anyway, I think it is clear what path I take to work which leads me to my first success speaking Korean.

It has been extremely difficult to get milk in my coffee. It is just not done here. The concept is as foreign as putting peanut butter in your wine. Whenever I ask for milk they either say no or change my order to a cafe au lait. So, I tried my Korean. Ooyou is the Korean word for milk. Chogeum is 'a little'. To make it polite you add a 'yo' to the end of a command or a one word sentence making it 'chogeum-yo'. 'No' is the same way. Ani means no, but you would never just say 'ani'. It is always 'ani-yo'. A few days ago as the lady was making my coffee, I said, "Ooyou, chogeum-yo." She looked at me in a confused face and said, "milk?". Success! I nodded my head and repeated, "Chogeum-yo." Then she asked me, "hot water?" Now, every type of coffee Dunkin Donuts offers you can get hot or cold; so I thought she was asking if I still wanted my coffee hot. I nodded my head. I started getting money out of my wallet and was too slow to prevent her from adding hot water to the milk. It sort of steamed the milk a little but the coffee was so close to what I wanted. It tasted so good. The next day she asked me, "Same?" I had been in Korea for less than a week and was already a Dunkin Donuts' regular with my own special drink!

(A side note - When I was young, my father would try to fix the car on his own. He would get it working and decide to tweak it just a little more. This would invariably screw things up.) So, I guess it was genetics when I replied, "Ani-yo", thinking that I could make nearly perfect actually perfect. This time I added, "not hot." The result was basically warm milk with a shot of coffee. One step forward, one step back. False confidence is a killer.

Day 7 - My Place

I am enamored with my apartment. It's spacious, airy, and for the moment somewhat uncluttered. My favorite part is the balcony which has large, sliding glass windows so it can be an open patio or an enclosed sun room. 47 boxes are slowly crossing the ocean making the uncluttered description truly temporary. So I have taken some before photos to share the potential of my Korean pad.

Flowers from my girlfriend welcoming me to Korea. In future posts I may make some of you vomit going on about how amazing she is. Honestly, though, she is one of the most thoughtful individuals I have ever met. Thank you again. This meant a lot to me.

My favorite piece of furniture (until my reclining sofa arrives). This closet spans an entire wall of the master bedroom.

See how awesome it is? There are three panels. The center and left-hand side are the same.

The right hand side has a mirror that opens to reveal more shelves that currently contain my skivvies (this is a Hoosier blog).

The guest bedroom. It has a small, walk-in closet.

The kitchen. You may notice there is no oven. Man, do I miss that. The small stove has two gas burners. Once I translate the Korean, I may actually use them.

The entertainment room. This room is an extension of the kitchen. Imagine a reclining sofa in place of the fold out chair. And the balcony/drying room. There is no dryer here. A clothes rack on the balcony is the popular method in this apartment building.

When my furniture arrives I think this will be a nice place to visit.

Day 6 - Be Careful of the Radiation?

Today I was warned to be careful. Apparently, the rain in the forecast is a harbinger of doom. The radioactivity from Japan is coming. When I arrived at the airport in Seoul, I heard an English announcement directing passengers from Japan to go through radiation monitors. Nice. Now there is radiation in Korea? I thought the winds were carrying the radiation towards the US. Well, if it is coming, I'm not sure how to avoid it. An umbrella doesn't really sound like an anti-radiation device. Hope my cable is set up by then.

Speaking of cable, the rates here are unbelievable. The second highest tier of channel options costs a whopping 12,000 won a month. That is roughly $12 a month. They didn't price the highest level thinking I wouldn't want to pay that much. I'd pay $12 a month just to get ESPN which is offered by the way.

Finally, I would like to shout out to the Butler Bulldogs. The 13 hour time difference makes watching prime time events very feasible. Too bad the second half was so awful. I've coached plenty a game where there has been a lid on the basket. That is always painful to watch. Well done Butler. And well done UConn. That was an amazing run.

Day 5 - Lost in Translation

Lost in translation. I sometimes wonder if I should trust the English translation. For example, the restroom at work has a very interesting sign posted above the urinal. There is a green caricature of what I would guess to be a microbe with a medical cross on it's head followed by several Korean characters. In English below it reads, "Attention to safety benefits everyone." What? I hate signs above urinals. They demand your attention. Every time I am in there, I can't help but wonder what is so dangerous. That invariably causes me to laugh which is why I now only use the restroom when no one else is in there. Being thought of as the crazy foreigner is one thing. Giving them real reason to think I'm crazy, like laughing randomly at the urinal, is quite another. I can only guess that the sign is our equivalent to 'Employees must wash their hands before returning to work.' I like their sign better.

Day 4 - A Small World

The world is much smaller than I thought, and I am worried about how the U.S. is portrayed here. I was in a music store the other day (not on purpose). They were playing 'Mickey, you're so fine you blow my mind! Hey! Mickey'. In the subway, some one was jamming on a pan flute. When I saw him, I couldn't help but laugh. He was the Korean version of Zamfir (Perhaps it is my bias, but people look ridiculous playing the pan flute no matter how good they are. I mean even if it was a Rembrandt. A Velvet Elvis would still be a Velvet Elvis). When I returned to my temporary office, someone actually used the quote, "Impossible is Nothing!". It took me some time to remember where I had heard that phrase. Yes, Aleksey Vayner was quoted in Korea! Google that name if you don't know the story. I can't do it justice here. Let's just say that 'Hey, Mickey!', Zamfir, and Aleksey Vayner are not the cultural references I would want people to associate the U.S. with. I'm hoping with time that list will get better.

The Aleksey Vayner quote has taught me something, though. I was beginning to fall into the trap of thinking that English speakers understood English. That is not necessarily true. For instance, if you don't know the context, you might take a joke seriously and quote Aleksey Vayner. Then again, Aleksey Vayner probably takes himself very seriously so who am I to judge. And that is my point. Words don't always convey the same meanings. The makeup section in the stores here are called 'Skinfood'. A much more descriptive term if you think about it. So I have to remind myself that the way I use English is sometimes different than the way it is used in Korea. Perhaps that will enable me to one day believe that the impossible is indeed nothing, because it sure seems rather daunting right now.

Day 3 - Similarities

I am beginning to notice some similarities in Korean and American culture. I live in housing provided by the Institute where I work. A very nice, three-bedroom apartment that is currently lacking furniture save for two chairs, a TV, and a bed. The Institute is basically a gated community with the fencing resembling that found at U.S. prisons. I was beginning to think they might have as low opinion of scientists has the U.S. does. Fortunately, behind the complex is a playground that I can see from my kitchen window (I live on the fourth floor). I guess they are not completely afraid of us. Yesterday, as I was leaving to buy some dishes, I saw a four-year old boy taking a leak into the sewage drain. The look on his mother's face was classic. Busted! I guess kids having fun wait until the last possible moment no matter what country they are in. Reminds me of my youth when I used to... but I digress.

A sad thing happened to me yesterday. I went to register as a legal alien. That went fine. Our Center has the best support staff one could hope for. I would like to think I could have done that by myself. I'm glad I didn't have to find out. Then we went to a phone company that sells internet service. I have internet in my apartment that is not very good. There is a fix. This phone company sells a service that will boost the connection for a monthly fee. Fine. I need to Skype. The phone company told us they don't do business with foreigners. Yes, I am beginning to notice several similarities between these two cultures. Not all of them are good.

Day 2 - A Hoosier in Korea

A Hoosier in Korea. Never in my life did I ever expect to be living in Seoul, Korea. In my younger days I dreamed of living in the big city, enjoying the night life of Indianapolis. That's right! Indianapolis seemed so alive to me. I grew up in Greenwood, IN and went to Center Grove High School. Those were good times, but by the time I had graduated from Indiana University I really wanted to leave the state. Don't get me wrong. I love Indiana. I was just ready to see what else life had to offer. After a stint in Columbus, Ohio and an even longer stint in New Haven, Connecticut, I find myself in Seoul, Korea starting my own research lab.

Day 2 - So far so good. I wonder how long I can remain illiterate in this country. I'm pretty sure I could get by without learning Korean, but that seems like a wasted opportunity. Of course, I have started reading a few intro to Korean books which suggest that attempting to learn the language may be a bigger waste of time. We will see.  Right now, the two or three phrases I try bring huge smiles from the people I work with. I'm not sure if they are happy I'm trying or if what I am saying sounds ridiculous. Regardless, people are smiling so it is worth pursuing.

Being fresh off the boat, I am struck at how much English that is used here. Over half the ads use an English word or phrase. This offers great hints as to what you are buying...most of the time. Sometimes, however, the English doesn't really help. For instance, my toothpaste reads "anti-calculus". I'm not sure if that is good or bad. The worst example comes from an imported Japanese drink called "Sweat". I think it is an electrolyte drink to recover after exercising. But as much as I want to say I have tried Sweat, I just can't bring myself to drink it.