월급날. It's payday!

As a salary man, today might be the best day of the month to me.  

All my hard working get paid on this day.

Then money starts leaking as I have to pay various bills, gas, grocery, insurance, and mortgage, etc.  

Part of money should be set aside for rainy days, to repair/maintain home and auto, and to support parents.

A few bucks go to a charitable organization. 

(How much from my donation actually goes to help needy people???)

Soon all money will disappear into the thin air.

....허무 + 허무.... 

But still, 월급날 is a good day, making us feel comfortable and secure.  

I guess I deserve to enjoy this day of the month.  

A sip of wine with 오징어 안주 and 송창식노래 will do.  =°|°=

alarm 과의 전쟁: can you beat these guys?

It is a battle field in the morning.  Before these inventions, clocks often become a victim of your cranky behavior.  Now do you think you can beat these guys?

1. This one cannot be snoozed, until you hit the bulls eye with the laser gun.  

 

2. This guy runs away from the night table as alarm goes off.  It falls off the table without a dent, and moves around. You have to get up, find and kill it. 

3. This spiky ball has many buttons, but only certain ones are the real snooze buttons. You have to find and push them together.

 4. This is my favorite.  The puzzle pieces on the top are popped out as alarm goes off.  You have to pick these pieces up and put them back in position to continue sleep.  Can you??

=°?°=

Cell Phone Addiction

Are you addicted to the cell phone?  Here is a self-diagnostic kit.


9. phone 보다 accessories 에 돈을 더 쓴다.

8. 오만 가지 app을 다 사용한다.

7. 모든 스케쥴을 phone alarm 에 의존한다.

6. cell phone bill payment 를 위해 밥도 굷는다.

5. full-charged battery 가 하루를 못 간다.

4. You broke it, and it feels like you lost a best friend.

3. 대화의 주제가 주로 cell phone.

2. 잠시라도 없으면 금단의 증상을 보인다.

1.5. 옆 사람 phone ringtone 을 들으면 내 몸이 자동으로 떨린다 (vibration).

1. 화장실에서도 사용한다. (This is just wrong!! You have to use toilet paper. ㅎㅎ)

It is just another 필요악 in the present world. =°/°=

영사관

얼마 전 '순회영사업무'차 Atlanta 영사님과 사무직원 일행이 우리 town을 방문하여 여권, 비자, 증명서 등등의 업무를 처리해 주었다. 뒤푸리로 이곳 한인회 임원들과 저녁 and plus 가 이어졌고.. (정말) 우연히 나도 합석하게 되였다. Atlanta가 조금 떨어져 있는 관계로 그곳 영사관 방문이 쉽지 안으데, 고마운 일이다.

얼마전 국적문제로 영사관 직원의 도움응 받았는데, 참으로 많이 친절해 졌다.  필자가 한국살던 시절엔, taxi 운전사 눈치, 동회직원 눈치, 심지어 구멍가게 아저씨 눈치, 담배가게 아저씨 눈치... 이렇게 눈치밥만 먹고 사라온 지라, '친절한 놈=사기꾼' 등식이 머리에 박혀 있었는데......

미국에 와서 받은 첫 인상이 바로 사람들의 친절함이었다. 예를 들면 먼저 들어가는 사람이 뒷 사람을 위해 열린 문을 잡아주고 있는 다든가, 바로 뒤에 따라 들어오는 분께, "After you!" 하면서 양보한다든가....

반드시 그렇지는 않겠지만 친절함은 생활수준과 어느정도 상관관계가 있는갑다.  마치 배가 부르니 'Well-Being' 에 관심이 쏠리듯이....  한국도 이젠 자기만을 생각하던 수준에서 남을 배려하는 수준으로 upgrade 된 듯~~~   °L°

가을, 마침내 오시나요?

It's been so long, hot and humid summer this year.  Finally temperatures are waning little by little.  Although it is still hot during the day, I feel more comfortable as it is quite less sticky than a few days ago.  In other words, I can sense that fall is finally killing the summer, hm.. hm.. 메뚜기도 한 철...  
In addition to the cool temperatures and shortened day length, there are several other signs of the fall-coming.  Cicadas are less buzzing as their term on Earth is close to the end, while other insects such as crickets and katydids are chirping louder at night.  Unfortunately, mosquitoes seem to be more aggressive and desperate to drink our blood, perhaps because they know that their time will be over shortly.  그렇지만 모기도 한 철 아니겠음메???

Fall semester has begun a few weeks ago.  Our campus is again filled with new students (freshmen and students transferred from other institutes) plus returning students.  They are roaming with new expectations, various types of anxieties/excitement or pride of being independent (?) college men and women (and of course they soon realize that freedom accompanies a great deal of responsibilities.  NO PAIN, NO GAIN.).
One very good benefit about working in the college campus is to see and interact with young and vibrant people all the time.  Somehow such youth energy is transferred to us, which keeps us younger.  Hmm...  Hmm... (So we are like vampires sucking the youngster's energy :-).  Oops. I just divulged our secrets!!!!

It has been quite hectic as I have to prepare lectures & other class materials that should meet students' satisfaction.  Teaching these young men/women are always tough, particularly because they (students) have special senses (?) toward the alien faculties teaching with broken English.  Since many students have no experience of learning from foreigners, their sight-line is not very smooth in the beginning (첫 시간후 수강변경하는 학생도 가끔 있음).  Well, this is certainly understandable.  Such kind of alienated feelings disappear gradually toward the middle of the semester, as we (I and students) are getting to know each other.  Fortunately, time solves lots of problems.....

~°||°~