Space Filler

I know you haven't heard from me lately. OK, for a long time. Here's a few bits of what I've been up to.

I recently read "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger. I was at the school library, saw it, and realized that I knew the title without having read it. That just seemed wrong, so I picked it up (along with H.P. and the Order of the Phoenix, which I was originally looking for). It's an interesting read, despite the lack of actual story to drive it. It was written in 1951, and feels quite old to me. The style, especially the way they swear, feels very quaint. Makes me wonder if the modern books I enjoy now will look the same way in 55 years.

New topic.

I started classes last Thursday. I'm teaching six classes, with a total of 270 students. For those of you who read faster than you do math, that's 45 students per class, average. Of course, some of those classes are pushing 50. And I teach them conversation. Right. Classes at Kyungsung University are grouped by major, and I'm teaching Law majors, Political Science majors, Social Welfare majors, and Public Administration majors. I'm considering making that last group turn in all their assignments in triplicate, attached to the proper forms which they can find in the back of a filing cabinet in the basement of the Music Ed. building. Seems appropriate, to get them on the right footing for their future jobs.

I've already discovered which class will be the biggest pain in the (ahem) neck. During their first hour with me, most students will sit quietly, most of them with that deer-in-the-headlights look on their faces. But one class constantly talked to each other, in spite of my repeated demands for silence while I am talking. At the end of their first class, I warned them that if I am not happy with the class as a whole, their grades as a whole will be low. I did it to the English majors, and I'm not a afraid to do it to them. Would you care to guess which major provided this pleasure for me? Answer at the bottom of this entry.

New Topic

Maxine is doing well. No health problems. Can't say the same for Horyon. Saturday she caught a cold. Stayed home from church Sunday, went to the clinic yesterday, and is much better today. I think Maxine valiantly fought the cold off yesterday. She slept most of the day, and didn't eat much, but today she was back in top form. Hooray for breast feeding!

My parents brought a new toy for her. We call it the Crazy Duck. I'm sure that if you examine the picture closely, you will see why.
Yes. This duck has petals. And you can't see it, but C.D.'s head flips up to reveal a mirror inside where it's gizzard should be. And the bottom of C.D.'s feet are two different colors. Orange and purple. I can't remember which one is which, and I'm afraid to go look. This is one seriously crazy duck, my friends. Nonetheless, Maxine still enjoys sniffing Crazy Duck's butt.

While my folks were here, we went to the studio to get some photos taken.
I like this picture. As my Mom pointed out, it is somewhat indicative of reality. We all focus exclusively on Maxine as we gather around her, and she stares off blankly at something else. (Once again suggesting that she may be part cat.) As nice as this picture is, it is somehow more revealing to see what the studio staff were doing while taking the picture:
All kinds of noise, waving stuff around, trying to get Maxine to look at them. So Maxine wasn't really staring at nothing in particular. They couldn't get her to smile, but they were so cute. And so I decided not to Photoshop their studio name out of the picture that we scanned.

I saved the most depressing news for last. Maxine has a boyfriend.
The good news is that she met him at Church, so I know he's a good boy. Still, we don't allow them to be together alone, and won't until they are 23. Maybe 24. I still hold the hope that they will break up before it gets serious. After all, Maxine is a whole two weeks older than Corn (his nickname, short for Corinth, we think.) That kind of age gap, together with the thing about girls maturing faster than boys, dooms the whole relationship. I think this father will be able to sleep well tonight.

New Topic

For those of you who know my Uncle Bob, be sure to thank him. He sent me an email today reminding me that all three of my fans are anxiously awaiting a new installment of Roblog. Thanks Uncle Bob!

A: It was the Public Administration majors. The Social Welfare majors seemed to be lower level, but they were nicer. The Law Majors were the sharpest, but they haven't grown their shark teeth yet. And the Political Science majors are pretty much like the ones I remember from my university days. 'Nuff said.

Recovering from the Visit

Holy cow, almost two weeks since I posted.

I gotta tell you, I loved having Mom and Dad (Grandma and Grandpa Sack) here. Not only for the free child care, and Dad's willingness to do the dishes, but for their company. Hard to say goodbye.

Really hard. We picked them up at their hotel at about 5:50 a.m. on the day they left. Miserable early. I find it's getting harder for me to say goodbye each time I do it. I'm tired of goodbyes.

I consoled myself by getting a few donuts at the airport Dunkin' Donuts. We came home all together, then Horyon's parents took Horyon to school and Maxine to their home, leaving me alone for the first time in too long. I ate the donuts, then crashed for the next four hours.

That afternoon I went into my office and started packing. The next day I finished. All of my books, all the stuff on my desk, all the stuff on my table went into boxes. And the next time I go up to my office, it will be in a different building. I suspect I will have trouble finding it.

Of course, Horyon's been back at work since before Mom and Dad left, so I've been watching Maxine lots. I've enjoyed it, but it doesn't lend itself easily to blogging. My first reaction to spare computer time is email. I probably should rearrange my priorities.

I have time now because we took Maxine to the hospital for an immunization shot after Horyon finished at work. She fussed around a bit, then went to sleep. Sorry, I meant to say they fussed around a bit then went to sleep. Immunizations do that to Maxine. Horyon is fighting off a cold and her dentist, so she needs the rest too. I'm tired myself, but someone has to stay awake to make sure that the blogging gets done.

I had some time yesterday. Around 12:00 p.m., Horyon's father picked up Maxine. I ate some lunch, then went for a bike ride. It was my first since December, maybe November. My usual warm-up hill, Dalmaji, kicked my ass. I couldn't make the full course, and as I limp/rolled down loser street, it mocked me: "Next time bring an iron lung, and perhaps a spare heart, you cardio-vascular non-entity!" Hills can be so cruel.

Next time I ride, I'll take my camera. That way, when I stop every five minutes to pant, I can comfort myself by taking pictures to post here, on Roblog. And if I remember to take my tripod, you will get to see me in those wicked-sexy bicycle pants. Oh yeah, you all are in for a treat.

Peace,

Rob

So quickly...

It's kind of astonishing how quickly Maxine is growing. Not that she looks that much bigger to me, but people who see her every week, like our church friends, notice. What I notice is how her skill set is growing.

She has always had the instinct to grab anything put in her hand, but during the first week that my Mom and Dad were here, she advanced to actually reaching for things to grab a hold of.

In this picture, she and I are having a laugh conversation. I laugh, she laughs. It sounds like talking, except the words are all "Ha ha." Perhaps I am biased, but Maxine is just completely adorable. I hope it's this easy to talk to her when she hits 13.



Mom and Dad are having a good time. Earlier this week Horyon's parents took them out sight-seeing and shopping, with Youngwhan as the official photographer. Here they are at the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) Building. They are bundled up because it's right on the sea, and it was a pretty cold day. Still, they had a good time.






They even drove up into the mountains high enough to enjoy (?) the snow. Dad was wearing TEVA sandals, so I think he enjoyed the snow more than anyone else. (Chaeryon asked for this picture. Hi Chaeryon!)

Their last stop was a large farmers' market. When they came back to our apartment, all five of them were carrying bags of food. Five kinds of mushrooms, a huge box of apples (if any of you need apples, I'm willing to try emailing them), some oranges, even a few mangos. (You cannot hold the wind, but you can hold a mango.) We've been eating well, though we are fortunate that it is cold enough to store fruits in our kitchen verandah, because both of our refrigerators are pretty much full.

Do you remember Sookmo? Her family took us out to a duck restaurant.

They cook the duck by, I believe, smoking it first, then slicing it, piling it in pumpkins, then cooking it more. Looked a bit nasty at first, but tasted wonderful. As you can see, Horyon sat in the corner feeding Maxine for part of the time. One more example of how being a Mommy sets you apart.

Of course, you will notice that I am sitting front and center, diligently feeding myself. Being a father means that if I'm with Horyon my eating time is decreased, but when with family she gets passed around. Score!

And now, everyone else is in the living room trying to distract Maxine from being fussy. Sounds like they're doing a good job. Sometimes I just need to be off by myself, writing for my adoring fans.

All three of them.

Peace,

Rob

Winter Wonderland

A few weeks ago I posted a few pictures of the view out of our apartment. They might be good for comparison to what we woke up to today:

Quite beautiful. Fortunately, it doesn't seem to be sticking to the streets. However, Horyon is dead set against taking Maxine out, and we had planned to go shopping with Mom and Dad. Instead, I think that Horyon will go with them, and I'll stay home and keep Maxine company.

I'll probably carry her around in the carrier Mom and Dad brought here for us. When I first loaded her up, Maxine wasn't too thrilled with it.

But when I put my coat on, and stood in front of the mirror, she went nuts. She loves it now.

For any of you who are interested, it's a BabyBjorn Baby Carrier. I bought it for about $80 on Amazon.com. I would put a link here, but I'm carrying Maxine now, and want to finish this so I can walk around with her a bit.

Horyon has gone shopping with Mom and Dad, so it's just the two of us. We're watching UHF.

Big Fun!

Peace,

Rob

Arrival

Mom and Dad got here safely, about 2 hours ago.

They were tired, and happy to get to their hotel room. By now I hope that they are sleeping soundly.

I drove to the airport with Horyon and Maxine in the car, following Horyon's father driving with her mother and brother. It was a nice little mini-adventure.

Their hotel room is small, but servicable. And the bathroom doesn't smell moldy, a sign of excellence in a $35 per night hotel, don't you think?

It's now after 11 p.m., and Horyon is trying to calm Maxine by carrying her around the house in her traditional baby back carrying cloth thingy, which I'm sure they have a word for in Korean.

They have a different word for everything.

Anyway, just letting you know.

Peace,

Rob

Busy Weekend

My parents will be here on Wednesday, two days from now [tomorrow actually, as I have taken a long time to put this post together]. Are we ready? Well, we've reserved a hotel room for them so they don't have to sleep on the street, so I guess the answer is yes, we're ready.

This weekend was a bit crazy. Actually, Saturday was OK. We took Maxine for a walk to buy groceries for Sunday. Sunday was the first day of the Lunar (also known as the Chinese) New Year (in Korean, Solnar). You've probably seen the shots on TV with the dragon costume worn by 10 people, dancing around festively, and all the fireworks, and the streets crowded with thousands of people dancing around like some kind of fully-clothed Mardi Gras. Well, that's China. Here it's just an opportunity to hang out with family you only see once a year and bow to the ones who are older.

(Actually, this is not a picture taken during the Solnal holiday, but it captures the feeling nicely.)

The whole thing is pretty cool if you're a kid, because when you bow to your elders they give you sage advice (e.g. "be healthy", "study hard", "your baby sure is cute" (I know that's not advice, but I'm pretty sure I heard it.)) and MONEY!!! For the younger kids, around $10 per relative. And when you're in the bottom bracket, you can really rake it in. Apparently it continues right up until you get married, which is when I joined the game, of course. My in-laws were kind enough to actually give me money when I bowed the first few years, but this year they stopped. Completely understandable, given the situation.

Horyon and I still have to give money to the younger relatives, though. About $100 worth this year, between four cousins and her brother. (Sorry, Chaeryon, but having you stay in America saves me about $30 every Solnal! It's the ONLY time I don't miss you!)

(We were given Maxine's bowing money, for safe keeping. And doesn't she look nice in her best outfit?)

On the other hand, there's food. Good food. Mandu (like Chinese dumplings) soup is a favorite, and for the past few years, my Sookmo has been making the soup and letting us help make the mandu.

(Again, not the Solnal food. These pics are actually from a memorial service a couple of weeks previously, but many of the dishes are the same during Solnal. Just different food.)

Oh, Sookmo. Yeah. "Sookmo" is a Korean relative word. You see, English doesn't really have that many words for different relatives. "Aunt", for example, can mean your father's sister, or his brother's wife, or your mother's sister or her brother's wife. In Korean, there are different words for all of those, along with some distinctions based on age. So "sookmo" means my wife's father's younger brother's wife.

It may mean other things, too, but that's what they came up with when I asked what to call her. And I needed something to call her, because she's a wonderful woman, who has been unfailingly kind to me, despite knowing less English than I know Korean.

So my Sookmo brings the dough and filling for the dumplings, and we (usually myself, Sookmo, her husband and her kids) spend an hour or so folding spoonfuls of stuff into little circles of dough. It's very satisfying, and not just because later we eat them. It makes us a more substantial part of the festivities. And I believe it will instill in her son, Tae-ho, some inkling of a sense that the men should also produce, rather than just consume, at these little get-togethers.

Whew. Sorry about getting all soap-boxy there.

So we made mandu, and then I took the kids, Tae-ho and his sister Jung-won, outside. They had brought kites, and so we walked to the beach and flew kites for an hour or so, just like at the end of Mary Poppins. Except that the wind was a bit gusty, and we spent a lot of time yelling "NO NO NO DON'T FALL YOU STUPID KITE!!!"

Then I bought ice cream for the kids. When we got home, Sookmo said (in Korean) "Why are you eating ice cream! It's cold outside!" I, striving to fill the role of the cool older cousin, apologized, deflecting all wrath and making Sookmo laugh with my Korean and excuse that were both quite lame. Me (in Korean): "I said eat ice cream, they said it looks delicious!"

There's no way for me to judge, but Horyon says that I am very cute when I speak Korean. But not as cute as this!
(Maxine enjoys sitting on my belly. It's soft, and gives her a good vantage point to talk to me.)

It was Sunday yesterday, so we also went to church. And we were packing Maxine with us the whole time. I think that for her it was a very tiring day. By the time we got home she cried a lot before going to sleep, and today she took some extra long naps. But she is such an agreeable baby. It doesn't seem to bother her to be passed around like some kind of live, 3D photo album of herself. She takes a firm grip on any finger offered to her. She doesn't smile much for strangers, but she doesn't cry much either. She took a real liking to Tae-ho. His level of humor seemed to work very well for her--some peekaboo with a wide variety of silly noises.

This year I did something for Solnar that I should have done a long time ago: I made food for everyone. I made spaghetti and meat sauce with garlic bread, and it went over quite well. I was almost disappointed when Sookmo took home the leftovers, but it's such a compliment that I couldn't feel bad. I've decided that I should make food for any of these occasions on which it would be appropriate. After all, my conversational skills simply don't work in Korean, so I have very little else to offer. I felt much more like a part of the family this way.

I would like to close with a cute Maxine shot. She likes to be held up with her feet touching the ground, the bed, my lap, whatever. She has no interest at all in being on her own belly, though she likes mine well enough. When I hold her up, she often seems to dance, which is fun for both of us.

Happy New Year!

Canadians!

So we're driving around the other day, and I have to wait extra long at a crosswalk for a couple of people who started walking at the end of their green light and were still in the street long after my light had turned green. I say to Horyon, "I hate having to wait for people like that. D'oh! They're foreigners! How embarassing! Now I know how you feel."

Horyon came back very quickly: "Don't feel bad. They were probably Canadians."

That one's for you, Earl!

Peace,

Rob