Comments Posted By Kevin Kim
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In Korea, there’s a Chinese proverb: “Sae ong ji ma,” which translates as “poor old man’s horse,” a reference to this famous Chinese story about the poor farmer, his son, and their lone horse. Koreans often take the proverb to mean “life is ironic,” but I take it to mean “life turns on a dime, so be prepared”: one minute, it’s good fortune; the next minute, it’s bad fortune. If you’re in a bad way, just wait a bit and your luck will change. And vice versa. Welcome to the roller coaster of existence!
By the way, I second what SojuHoncho says above: “The fella that waded into the muck and mire deserves a medal.”
Poor Buddy needs calm, stability, consistency, and vigilance, pretty much like an infant. His startling display of wildness is, when you think about it, not surprising at all: he’s incapable of understanding his situation and probably still smarting from the memory of whatever abuse he endured under previous owners. Slipping a noose around any animal’s neck, no matter how seemingly docile the animal, is likely to provoke an extreme reaction: the animal only knows it’s being deprived of freedom. As with emotionally scarred people, animals need a lot of time to heal. Healing is possible, though.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 05/July/2018 @ 6:38 pm
Thanks for the words of wisdom
I appreciate the shout-out, John! I don’t know how wise anything I’ve written is, but I do appreciate both your readership and your friendship. You’re a gentleman and a scholar who curates a most excellent blog. I’m learning a lot about the Philippines from your ongoing experiences. Rock on! (Or should that be, “Rock on-on!”?)
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 05/July/2018 @ 9:47 am
Karen looks eerily like a doctoral student that I had been sweet on during grad school.
And congrats on the Marissa thing! Once again, good luck.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 04/July/2018 @ 10:47 pm
Thanks for the information. On the down-side, I really didn’t need to see that guy’s ass.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 03/July/2018 @ 10:11 pm
I didn’t realize the Hash could go straight through private property like that, although I suppose farmland could be considered private property, and I’ve seen your pics of farmland Hashes. So who owns the farms in the PI? The farmers or the government? Or both?
Interesting.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 03/July/2018 @ 3:04 pm
Wait, so… does this mean no more dates with Marissa? Maybe she’s just not ready now. She might be ready later. No?
(I’m not sure how much I should be discussing this on an open forum. She might be reading your blog!)
I’ll continue to keep fingers and tentacles crossed re: the dawg.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 02/July/2018 @ 12:19 pm
Buddy might’ve gotten lost in all that Angel hair. Don’t be surprised if that waitress tosses her hair and he flops out, looking confused.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 01/July/2018 @ 1:13 pm
Ugh. Good luck finding your dog. Make sure the local Koreans don’t catch him first.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 30/June/2018 @ 2:09 pm
Touché.
Good luck at the dance contest!
And it occurs to me that, once Buddy is leash-trained, you’ve got yourself a reliable Hash partner. Can you get him to bark, “On-on! On-on!”?
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 29/June/2018 @ 5:04 pm
At least it’s not raining.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 29/June/2018 @ 4:09 pm
He’s cute! I can definitely see he’s part Dalmatian. Looks a little sad in some photos, but in others, it’s obvious he’s still got his curiosity. Welcome to the family, Buddy! With plenty of care and love, he’ll eventually revert back to his bouncy, happy self. That’s guaranteed.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 28/June/2018 @ 8:06 pm
I like the look of the place. Things are improving by increments. By this time next year, you’ll have long settled into a new routine. Can’t wait to see pics of the dawg!
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 27/June/2018 @ 8:02 pm
Great hike! I guess precipitation is just a fact of life, now, eh? When doesn’t it rain in the Philippines?
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 26/June/2018 @ 10:21 pm
Then I’m honored to be the first.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 25/June/2018 @ 5:16 pm
Suwerte!—as they apparently say in your neck of the woods.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 25/June/2018 @ 1:45 pm
Sorry to hear about the crock pot. This is a device that worked before, right? I wonder if something happened during shipping.
So now, you’ve got a family living below you and a caregiver living above you? Yikes, that’s an introvert’s nightmare. I guess it’s good that you’re not an introvert!
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 24/June/2018 @ 11:43 pm
I vote Food Network, but even that channel is becoming controversial these days. Sheesh.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 24/June/2018 @ 7:03 pm
“…it is shocking just how far the “mainstream” press has gone over the deep end.”
Seen the latest on how TIME Magazine is doubling down on their fake-news Trump-with-crying-child cover? Unbelievable.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 24/June/2018 @ 1:04 am
Woo-hoo!
And with all those Spanish city names, it sounds as if you live in California.
As for mold and your lungs: please think about investing in a couple air purifiers if you think mold might be a continued problem in the new place. Those machines work wonders here in Korea.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 22/June/2018 @ 12:33 am
The Korean monsoon is mostly in July, so we’re all bracing for impact here. I suspect, though, that the Korean monsoon at its worst probably doesn’t compare to what you’re already going through.
Exciting times re: the new house! The place is starting to look more and more like home. I’ll be curious to see how long an LPG tank will last before it needs replacing.
#FuckTermites
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 21/June/2018 @ 12:35 am
Your cash ain’t nothin’ but trash
Well, I think it’s a real privilege that you happened to find yourself in the PI in time to celebrate this tradition’s 25th anniversary. Long may you treasure your 1300 hat, and here’s to many more Hashes!
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 20/June/2018 @ 1:00 am
You’ve probably mentioned it, but I’ve forgotten: how often do these Hashes occur? Weekly? Twice a week? If the 1300-Hash mark means 1300 weeks, then that’s a good 25-year history (exactly 25 years, in fact: 1300/52 = 25).
Anyway, it looks to have been a mighty good walk. I’m enjoying the scenery and learning much through your eyes.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 19/June/2018 @ 12:02 pm
You’re a better man than I am.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 18/June/2018 @ 7:29 pm
So you’ve been shunted to a different house, and you’ll have people living downstairs? I guess that’s okay for you sociable folks, but I’d be like, “Hell, yeah—evict ’em!” I want peace and quiet, not random clattering noises and shouted fights.
Sorry to hear about the rain and the heat, but I guess that’s the price one pays for living in the PI.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 18/June/2018 @ 5:16 pm
The PI: nothing if not hot and wet!
The second house’s architecture looks much like that of the first. Same construction company…? Still envying your kitchen counter space.
When I’m in the right mood, I like the spaciousness of a split-level floor design. The new space does look good. Good luck dealing with termites: if they were there once, they’ll be back. Can you request doors made out of light metal, like aluminum?
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 17/June/2018 @ 4:48 pm
Wow. Transitions within transitions! May the new house be as comfy as the old.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 16/June/2018 @ 11:56 am
I suspect that, once your treadmill is up and running, you’ll have your solution to rainy-day walks. On-on!
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 16/June/2018 @ 12:10 am
“After awhile a trike driver stopped and retrieved the body out of the road. I really respected him for doing that.”
I hope Kitty ended up at a good restaurant. Wouldn’t want all that fresh meat to go to waste!
Switching gears: might this link be of help? And after you read that, maybe take a look at this. The second link contradicts some of what’s said at the first link, and both links contain material that isn’t relevant to your situation. You’ll have to sort the wheat from the chaff, I’m afraid.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 15/June/2018 @ 4:35 pm
Well, congrats on the new purchases (AC & TV), at least. I hope the house itself works out.
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 14/June/2018 @ 7:29 pm
«« Back To Stats Page128/84 is great, even with the new, stricter standards. What’s your resting pulse? Blood sugar’s under 150, I hope…?
Monsoons can be dreary, but depending on your mood, they can also possess their own weird charm, so long as you’re willing to get soaked. Enjoy the H2O!
» Posted By Kevin Kim On 13/June/2018 @ 3:51 pm