Kanterbury Kat Tales

Halloween in South Korea

2009-11-08T04:02:00.000-08:00

Fall produce is abundant and for sale on the street.

That's right folks the road is closed to dry the rice crop.
Girls gone wild in Incheon are they coming or going? Mickala, Chris, and Kat.

Another mountaintop experience, TaLK set the night on fire. The fall colors set the day on fire as the talk scholars welcomed mountain air.

Trick or treat with the 5th & 6th grade.

You can see for miles from the mountain top power plant resevoir.

Mountain mist tries to cover miles of mountains.

Fall weather is a warning winter is close. Still no snow here.

2009-10-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

Special thanks to my camera crew for making me look good. Life as a star is exhausting.

The video was compiled to share the TaLK experience. A picture is worth a thousand words and still does not discribe the journey to the mountain top.

Pictures by KM and Gyoung Soo, Michala Keeler, Mr. Guul and the students of Sandong Elementary School.

On top of the world!

2009-09-28T04:22:00.000-07:00

The hills are alive, but it is too dark to see!

Nothing but six feet of concrete separates me from a really big fall, the edge is near.

The dragon in the sky put out the sun before we reached the bottom. (Always carry a flashlight in the mountains.)

Fall is coming to the mountain one tree at a time.

The view takes your breath away, that and it is almost 1000 meters high.

A rough and rocky road, worn by many feet over the years.

From the ground Mt. Geumo beacons those who want to touch the sky.

A wall that was built to keep China out welcomes visitors to climb, it's all uphill from here.
At the top there are several Buddist temples, however God is not contained in a building made by hands.

The words, "you lift me up to stand on mountains", kept me moving to the top. I was not disappointed in the view, although the trip to the bottom in the dark was a walk of faith.

2009-09-23T05:38:00.000-07:00

Martin and Bryan, my host family boys. Baseball is his dream!

My classroom with second grade.

The classroom is a challenge, but well appointed. Teaching is not restricted to the classroom, but goes on in the playground, at lunch and after school under the learning tree.

September in Gumi

2009-09-23T05:25:00.000-07:00

The outdoor classroom. Hurram, a man made mountain.

The climb has just begun from the complex climbing wall to Hurrum to the classrooms in Sandong Elementary School. The campus is truly a garden to grow children in. The gated community I reside in is everything from the western world with the culture of Korea. There is no place like OZ.

The climbing wall. part of the complex community I live in.

On the road again!

2009-08-23T22:07:00.001-07:00

The travel is continuing as we moved from the comfort of Kyhung Hee to the Kolon Hotel resort in Gyeongbuk-do. There is mountain side view and a golf course. We have classes with little time between as we try to recover from the weekend home stay.

My family are hard working professionals during the week and farmers on the weekend. Coming to Korea was meant to help Korean nationals discover their roots, something I do not have, but seeing how the rural farmers still produce on the same level as back home has helped me find my roots. Although we did not grow ginger and pomegranates the methods of hard work and long hours produce the fruit of labors.

Kyung Hee University

2009-08-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

The university is part of the natural landscape as it tries to be part of and not in place of the land. Leaving the gates of the uni places you in a bustling city with subway crossings, so you don't have to play frogger with the traffic. Pedestrians do not have the right of way. . . the joke is walkers are twenty points. I am amazed at how the garden areas completely block out the sounds of the city except for the a/c units which we must have to be comfortable. The air is heavy like Illinois in August and moisture clings to everything. Horton has been staying in the dorm, perhaps tomorrow he will join me in Seoul, elephants don't like to climb mountains everyday.

Life is a training field

2009-08-05T15:24:00.001-07:00

From the fields of the midwest to the mountains of Korea, if it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger. My calfs are in protest to the mountain climb from the dorm to the dinning hall, but I did ask for this training... no whining.

The greatest contrast is
between the urban development and the vast natural state in the same space. The development has let nature be part of the landscape, the buildings and the steps are part of the harmony, but not the melody of life. There are insects but few birds and cats and dogs are not seen living together. In fact no pets on leashes here?

Day Two

2009-08-04T06:06:00.000-07:00

Horton has been well received now that he is out of the case. Today was a formal event so he stayed in the dorm. Tomorrow he may go down town.

The food the music and the action packed expression of Korean art forms is amazing. Lots of fish dishes and always Kimchi. The locals tell me I will become acostom to the taste just eat a small amount each meal and in no time it will be an aquired taste. Time is on my side! Tomorrow classes begin and I really have to prove I can learn enough to teach.

Day Two

2009-08-04T06:04:00.000-07:00

Today the entertainment was most Korean and the food was definately a change from normal.

2009-07-18T20:42:00.000-07:00

When comparing English owned buildings. . .well

the building formerly known as the Sears Tower was impressive, but when you get closer, it doesn't look much like the big willie in London. How can we call it anything but the building formerly known as Sears Tower? (The tower was renamed on Thursday, July 16, The Willis Tower. I just happened to be in Chicago that day, not even a parade!)

Horton hears a who?

2009-07-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

Horton hears Korea and will be proud to work with me to get the children of Gumi TaLKing English at the Sandong Elementary School. Watch this space for pictures of our travels. The family of bunnies under Fred will have to keep Shadow company while we are abroad. Good thing elephants have their own trunks, my luggage will be full of teaching materials and clothes for the six month trip.

Snowball fight in June

2009-06-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

As part of my clinical for Child Development I must interact with all ages of children. At the Limestone Park the 5 thru 12 year olds were amazed that you could have a snowball fight in June when the temperature was over 90 degrees. We really did work up a sweat!

Another adventure is under development!

2009-06-25T21:35:00.000-07:00

The Korean Consulate began the journey. I have been accepted to teach and learn in South Korea for the fall semester.
Departure date is between August 1 and 3 with classes beginning August 4.
My assignment begins September 1 and I will return tentatively January 31 of 2010.
Many things will happen in the next five weeks, laundry, learning survival Korean,
laundry, finishing student teaching in child care, saying goodbye again. I love the airport life!

Book Reviews

2009-05-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

No new reviews, medical information is the only thing I am reading now. Cerebral Hemorrhage and stroke information. We here in the ICU waiting room share what we know and where we have been in terms of what next. There are tests daily and you never know what will be asked. Questions from how are you to what would be best?

Fun and Games at the Whacks Museum

2009-03-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

Scenes from Canterbury Tales in wax.

Fun and Games at the Whacks Museum is a short story compilation of horror .

Yes it is a juvenile book, but with stories from Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock 's Mystery Magazine it can be compared to the stories Chaucer told through the voice of the travelers to Canterbury. Holding your breath while the story comes to a conclusion with ellipses. . . everyone needs a scare to know the difference between real and mental activity.

Keep reading this is week eleven.

The Last Word

2009-03-12T18:52:00.001-07:00

No one who has been to Kensington Palace will ever forget the floral tribute paid to Diana and how it covered the entire entrance. Today the palace is open for tours and the last word about the Princess who lived here has yet to be written. Her fateful words of parting were, "I will not go quietly". She is not gone and she is still spoken of fondly by the world.

Simone Simmons claims to have intimate details of Diana's life and times. In The Last Word, Simmons claims close relationship to the Princess and shares with readers the details and pains. The story can only be corroborated by Diana, so we will have to read with artistic license. For Diana fanatics it is another book to add to the Diana shelf as the story of her life continues to be written.

Ten books read, forty-two to go! What are you reading?

The 360 Degree Leader

2009-03-04T21:22:00.000-08:00

Going round about is a pastime in England, think nothing of going 360 degrees to be where you started. John C. Maxwell has something else in mind in The 360 Degree Leader. Determining where you are is crucial to getting out of the idea you cannot have influence in the middle of an organization. The book encourages readers to overcome challenges and build skills to produce leaders no matter where you stand.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

2009-02-25T20:24:00.001-08:00

Across the English Channel there are small islands that like to be a place all to themselves. The Channel Islands, Guernsey and Jersey, Herm, Sark and Alderney. During the big war the Germans misunderstood that Great Britain would not defend them and so the inhabitants had to fend for themselves.

Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

created a story of the letters of the inhabitants of Guernsey and an author who corresponded after the war. The book reads like you have discovered a box of letters from the past, as the writers share stories and books across the channel.

I loved the book discussions, but somehow I still do not have a hankering for English food, except the crumpets with rhubarb preserves and tea without milk.

This is week eight and there are still so many books to read, carry on!

Twelve Across

2009-02-16T19:53:00.001-08:00

Love comes in many forms, flowers, bears, and cake. Barbara Delinsky uses crossword puzzles to move the improbable plot along in Twelve Across.

Can anyone tell me what twelve across is. . .

A melon is served for pudding. It must be very English, they call all desserts pudding even when it is a cake.

Twelve Across is a short innocent read all neatly drawn to a conclusion, next week something more challenging. Carry on, week seven, what are you reading?

First Break all the Rules

2009-02-09T20:05:00.001-08:00

In England if you can't play by the rules, you could be hung, drawn and quartered.

The book for this week was FIRST, BREAK ALL THE RULES by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman. Yes, it is non-fiction, but being in management means you have to be serious some of the time. Marcus and Curt studied the practices of really great managers and came up with steps to make each employee the best they can be.

"People don't change that much.

Don't waste time trying to put in what was left out.

Try to draw out what was left in.

That is hard enough."

A Version of the Truth by Jennifer Kaufman and Karen Mack

2009-02-03T21:26:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of a moon shadow. It was there honest when I sighted the camera and then poof it was gone.

Cassie has the same problem with the white beaked woodpecker and her mother has seen Bigfoot we just can't prove it. In A Version of the Truth what is in plain sight can sometimes be missing. Connect the dots, what does an almost extinct bird, a wish cracking parrot, a college professor and the University of Michigan have in common; a young widow who stretches the truth to support herself and wonders what will be come of her, since the nuns raised her to believe there is no such thing as a white lie.

Week five, how is your reading challenge going? Cookies on the seventh. Book discussion is meeting February 10th to discuss On Chesil Beach, you still have time to pickup a copy @ the library.

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

2009-01-26T22:15:00.000-08:00

This picture is from the Arabian Gulf, no such water front exists in England during December. Abu Dhabi stays warm year round and bare foot on the beach in December is normal.
On Chesil Beach in England there are many stones. Much like the stones in life that wear you down. Ian McEwan weaves a tale of a couple charting their life course on the beach by what they leave unsaid. Another fairy tale that does not have a happy ending. Week four and only 48 more books to go, how are you reading?

Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult

2009-01-18T22:56:00.000-08:00

Families are always good for a story. Jodi Picoult has chosen to set her new book within family crisis, just like a soap. This time she deals with families in Boston, Chicago, and rural South Carolina. Paige tries to connect the dots of her separated family and discover you cannot go back , but you can go on. Absolution is delivered in the final chapter, a real page turner.
Week three, how are you reading?

The True Story of Hansel and Gretel

2009-01-12T18:50:00.000-08:00

This five foot gingerbread house was located in a hotel in Abu Dhabi and no children were near. There were a great many Christmas and winter displays in the United Arab Emirates, the western influence.

The book this week is "The True Story of Hansel and Gretel" by Louise Murphy. The story is set in a Poland forest during the last year of World War II. The work is fiction, but the author did her home work and all the essential ingredients of the familiar children's tale are included, leaving a trail, the house in the woods, Magda, the oven, the skinny children. The story tells how an entire population went up in smoke. The story engages you to the very last page, eat it up!

Two down fifty to go, keep reading. Next week, Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult.