Back to work

I have a pretty simple job: teach Korean university students a little English. It's not an easy job, but it is short.

After a long summer vacation, I have just finished my first week of teaching the second semester. Today was the toughest. The engineering students, and I had three classes of them today, learn things in a more analytical way than language allows. At least, I sure hope they can learn something! Or that they have some reason for the blank stares they gave me today.

I am aware that the reason could be me. Still, on the first day, they should have some life in them.

Anyway, after work I relaxed with a visit to the local swimming hole. One of the advantages of living in a rural area is that there are a few places where one can really swim. The ocean beaches are out as the lifeguards get frightened when you are more than 5 m from shore. About halfway between my apartment and my university is a small dam and the upstream side is quite deep: 10 feet or so. 10 feet is a big deal on this river; most of it is naught but a foot deep. The deep stretch is long enough to allow a long swim. I went about 100 m upstream then swam back again. I'm blaming the current for being so tired after one lap. My swim-coaches would have laughed at a 200 metre swim. After, to explore, I switched my goggles for mask and snorkel and looked around. Two boys were collecting snails; after looking in their bag I kept going and found a freshwater crab. I think they're pretty rare; certainly it was the first I'd ever seen. It had a good warren of rocks to hide in so I couldn't watch it for too long.

In Yesterday's post, I wrote about learning about Korean politics. I think I've changed my mind. The relocation issue - Making a southern region the political capital- is pretty weird.
In the Korea Herald I learned that the conservative party (GNP) leader

" ... Chairwoman Park Geun-hye apologized again for her party's
approval of the capital relocation bill last year, saying it stemmed
from political calculation. "

Later I see:

" The conservative GNP held the majority when it steered the
bill through. Later, in the April general elections, it lost the majority
to the liberal Uri Party. "

So, when they were in power, relocation seemed a good idea. Now that they aren't, it's a bad idea. Of course they lost the election when they tried to impeach the president so bad decisions seem to chase them around relentlessly.

I am still trying to find a subject to write about. Will this blog be a diary that I, for some strange reason, share with the world? Will I be able to write about politics as if I have a clue? Will this blog simply be a way to create a writing style of my own? I've decided to stop worrying about this and write about whatever I feel like. After ten or so entries I hope I see a common thread and I'll make that my niche. I'll loose an arrow and wherever it lands, I'll make that my target.