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Category Archives: Friends and family
Blast from the Past–Kevin Lee
You gotta love those 80’s hairstyles, don’t you?
Well, Kevin was quite a bit younger then. And as of today, he’s older still.
I’ll give him this, he wasn’t late for the first birthday party. Came into this world early in the morning (a little after 6 a.m.) on his due date.
I got to be in the delivery room for his arrival and it was probably the coolest thing I’ve ever witnessed.
Of course, he’s made his daddy proud ever since.
Happy Birthday Kevin! I love you.
What’s it all mean Mr. Natural?
I’m always assuming I should be learning and understanding. But I’m pretty dense I suppose and sometimes I just don’t get it.
So, they say that winners never quit and quitters never win. I got that. But then I think, winning isn’t everything. So now what?
But really, if something is bad or causing you pain, uncertainty, or otherwise creating unpleasantness it is pretty much a no-brainer–you simply walk away.
Then again, if that something is none of those things, but rather simply something other than what you desire it to be–is that a valid reason to let it go?
And so I suppose it just comes down to what you value most. Four months or four years, all or nothing or take what you can get?
I think sometimes I get disappointed in others not so much for what they do but from a lack of understanding their motivations. But truth be told, I’m not even sure I understand mine.
Running is an easy option after all.
So, what’s it all mean Mr. Natural?
“Don’t mean shit”.
Blast from the Past–Living in Paradise
Alright then, time for a new feature here at LTG. It just so happens that I had some old prints digitalized this week. (kinda ironic how I bought that film way back when, paid to have it developed, and now I’ve paid again to make them into a usable format.). So, what I’m going to do is pick one everyday and post it. I may or may not add some commentary, we’ll see how it works out.
Let’s get started, shall we?
Ok, this one is circa 1978 or so. That’s me and Bridget, the mother of my children (Renee and Kevin) living the good life after moving to Prescott, Arizona. I have lots of fond memories from those days. Carrying mail by day and softball by night. Clean mountain air in the mile high city, and four seasons just like Korea (albeit milder).
Although Bridget and I ultimately went our seperate ways, the kids were always a common bond. I think it makes for nice symetry that she is now living in South Carolina and enjoying the things she missed through our grandchildren. Although I regret that I’m missing them now…
Looking back I realize I didn’t have a clue. Looking to the future, I realize I still don’t have a clue. But you gotta love it all, don’t you?
Speaking of vocative commas…
I am pleased to report a recent sighting of some extremely Hairy Chasms! That’s right, the Big Hominid himself, Kevin, has started posting again at his old blog BigHominid’s Hairy Chasms. Welcome back! You have been missed!
I guarantee that you will not find e-vocative posts like this one anywhere else on the web. So, go give a shout out to Kevin but mind your P’s and Q’s. Whatever the hell that means…
Condolences to Kevin Kim
Former expat and K-blogger Kevin Kim reports the passing of his mother today. For those who follow the Kevin’s Walk blog, you will have shared the heartbreaking story of his mom’s struggle against brain cancer through Kevin’s daily reports. I respect the courage and strength it must have required to so honestly document the last chapter of his mother’s life.
I doubt that any words exist that can bring comfort in such a time of loss. But I recall something Kevin wrote for Easter in 2005 that I found particularly moving:
Since I and a few people I know are all going through a painful period, each of us for various reasons, I thought it might be good to write about “putting it down.”
In Zen Buddhism, the maxim is “don’t make anything.” Your mind is so often the source of your troubles. You choose to face the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune either negatively or positively. Often, at the beginning of a troublesome period in your life, it is difficult to realize how responsible you are for your own choices. It’s easier to shift blame to your surroundings. But ultimately, the healthiest route out of the forest of troubles is to start by looking in a mirror. Behold what’s actually there; don’t needlessly manufacture problems for yourself and others.
I’m not a scriptural literalist, so I don’t believe Jesus rose from the dead. But the story of the passion and resurrection nevertheless holds power for me, because it’s a story about a man who put everything down, including his own life, for the sake of love. How many of us can claim to be ready and willing to do something like that? Not many, I suspect.
Most of us, like little children, cling desperately to our cherished notions, preconceptions, and delusions, unwilling to countenance truth and change. We face the world with fear, and create clever rationales for our spiritual cowardice. In a crisis period, this instinct intensifies. The ego swells to enormous size– everything is about getting hurt, everything is about me, me, me. The world doesn’t understand my pain, and only I am in pain!
I’ve felt like that before. I’ve looked out at a street full of people and wondered why they didn’t see my agony, which was plain as day to me. The world kept right on turning, resisting my egocentric interpretation of it.
And there’s a lesson in that. Life is change, ceaseless change. All we have is this moment. If we try to keep the past with us, we merely create more suffering for ourselves. If we try to hold on to our anger, or our hurt, or whatever it is we’re feeling, we poison ourselves.
It’s better simply to put it all down.
People need time to do this. It can’t be done immediately. If, for example, you’ve just experienced a family tragedy, you can’t be expected to act like the Taoist writer Chuang-tzu, banging on pots and celebrating your wife’s death. No; most of us need time to mourn, grieve, recover. But after that period, we should be ready and willing to move on with our lives, to follow the constant flow of the river.
You can’t see the new life of Easter if you’re always looking backward. Easter points simultaneously to the present and to the future, to hope and happiness and fulfillment. Think positively. Embrace goodness where you find it. Actively seek the good, don’t wait passively for it.
Kevin, wishing you and your family peace, comfort, understanding and acceptance during this time of loss.
Congratulations are in order
To Matt and Margaret, who became engaged to be married on Christmas morning.
Way to go guys!
Merry Christmas to all!
Season’s greetings from Korea, to my family and “fringe” readers. Wishing everyone, including Catholics, people under the age of 30, Democrats, blacks, muslims and a significant portion of the other minorities including the asian women that do or do not think and act like Michele Malkin) and most especially all you angry scared middle age white men, best wishes for a happy holiday. And if I left anyone out, Merry Christmas to you too!
I had a house full of Koreans over for a Christmas dinner last night. Ribeye steaks have become my traditional feast staple in Korea it seems. I cooked them to near perfection (comparatively speaking, meaning not blackened) and my guests appeared to enjoy them. I was also pleased that my famous Aunt Pat’s recipe fruit salad was a big hit as well.
This evening I will spend some time with my Dolce Vita family and enjoy a turkey dinner and probably some darts as well. Hey, I’m easy to please.
I do especially miss being with my children and grandkids on this special day but distance and time never lessen the love I hold for them in my heart. Thinking of you all!
Snakebit
The Rubbies suffered a disappointing defeat in the second round of the playoffs at the hands of XOX at Friends bar last night.
The fates were against us as we had to play the match with a “ghost”, forfeiting the legs our unavailable fourth player would have played. A match can still be won in that situation if everything goes right. Sadly, my 0-6 performance doomed whatever hope we held for a miracle outcome.
So ends the season. League play won’t resume until sometime in January.
A disappointing finish to a disappointing season for me.
Last day in the colonies
Wrapping things up here in South Carolina. It’s been a nice visit and great to spend time with my kids and family.
As promised, here are some photos.
Son Kevin and daughter Renee…
Kevin’s sweetheart, Lauren.
Dad.
Mom.
Brother Keith. My other brother, Greg, was unable to make it which was disappointing. His sons Joshua and Justin were his proxy.
Kevin’s dog Boss.
Tried to capture the sunrise but did not get a good shot.
View from the porch.
Hangin’ out on the front porch. We spent a lot of time out here, including a pretty wild and extended night of drinking on Saturday. I bailed at midnight, but the youngins kept on till around 2 a.m. (I could hear them from my room).
My sweet granddaughter Gracyn. She’s a bundle of energy and this was one of the rare occasions when she was sitting still.
The newest addition to the family, grandson Alex.
We spent some time out on the lake on a pontoon boat.
Lake Marion.
Kevin initiated the tubing (an event I wisely chose to decline participation.)
Lauren then joined in the fun.
Son-in-law Mark handled the Captain duties…
While Gracyn and Kevin kept an eye on the tubers.
Gracyn joined Lauren on the tube for a spin around the lake.
A bird, a nest, a tree, a lake.
Me and Alex.
Smile and the world smiles with you.
Mom and Dad will be celebrating 60 years of marriage which was the impetus for the family get together.
Cedars in the lake. Prior to damming the Santee-Cooper river to create Lake Marion, this was swampland. Students of the American Revolutionary War will recall that this is the area where the “Swamp Fox” Francis Marion harrassed the Redcoats.
The marina.
Our lodging for the week.
So, the kids and nephews started pulling out Sunday night and Monday morning, leaving just me and Keith and the parents. We figured burgers were a good idea for dinner last night. After putting them on the grill, we discovered we lacked a spatula. So, Keith improvised with a fork and spoon.
Smokin’…
So, we encountered a bit of a problem with the grill. It lost a leg and spilled hot coals on the lawn. It could have been worse as we had just pulled the burgers, dinner was saved (then served). Tonight I’ll be going to Maurice’s for some South Carolina style (meaning mustard based) BBQ.
So, that’s the reunion in pictures. Early in the morning I will begin my long journey home to Korea. See you on the other side of the wide Pacific.
A very special Labor Day
So today I’m celebrating the Labor Day holiday with a quiet day at home and then a doubles dart tourney tonight. But this day is much more special than that. Let me tell you why.
I recall a September 7th way back in 1975. I was playing in a softball game in Orange County, California. Around the 3rd inning or so, Bridget (my former wife) complained about not feeling well. Of course, I was all about the game and I advised her to just relax in the bleachers until the game was finished. At the beginning of the 5th inning, my sister-in-law Kathy who happens to be an RN told me I really needed to take Bridget home so she could lay down. So, in frustration I relented and told the guys I had to leave mid-game. I wasn’t happy about it, I remember that.
Yeah, I know. At 20 I was not the sensitive, caring, emotionally grounded individual that you see today. You see, Bridget was 8 months pregnant at the time. On the drive home she kept moaning about “the pain”. It seemed to come and go every several minutes. She said she might be going into labor. Of course, I knew better than that seeing as how she wasn’t due until October. Being 20 years old and wise to the ways of the world, I confidently told her that she was experiencing what is known as “false labor”. Despite my reassurances, Bridget continued with her moaning. So, just to prove my point and said “fine, let’s go by the hospital they’ll tell you the same thing.”
Which I then proceeded to do. And where two hours later my first born daughter came into this world.
Happy Birthday Renee! I love you.
Dave New’s last hurrah
No, he didn’t die or anything that dramatic, but this chapter of his life in Korea has drawn to a close. As Dave says, his 12+ years here were a nice run.
As is our tradition, we honored Dave with a going away darts tournament. And did not let him win it (I think that would be back luck or something). I can attest to the fact that it was a good time and Dave had many friends and well-wishers present from both his darting and photography worlds.
Dave holding court with some of his buds..
It was good to see Jeese, his wife Kyung Mi and Grant out for the festivaties.
And of course two of my favorite Canucks of the female persuasion, Margaret and Becky. You know, I don’t know if my fat fingers are blocking the flash or what. Anyway, sorry for the poor quality of these shots.
Dave and Alisteir the Scot talking over darts strategy. Hell, I don’t know what the really really discussing, but its a nice lead-in for this “incident” that occurred during the tourney.
So, to begin, Alisteir is currently the top ranked player in SIDL, and deservedly so. But his cricket strategy is considered by most somewhat unorthodox. I mean, obviously it works for him but he catches a fair amount of flack about it. An example was during our first meeting on Saturday.
Here’s the situation: I had foolishly left 20s open by throwing a 2 mark. My partner had closed 19s, so when Alisteir stepped up to the oche they had 20s closed and zero 19s. His first dart was at the 20 for points which is a smart dart. He hit a triple which is all the better. His next dart was another triple 20, which gave them a 120 point lead. Alisteir’s third dart was another triple 20–a ton-80 for points.
Ok, I was somewhat irked, maybe even a bit miffed, and perhaps a little peeved at this turn of events. As much at myself for leaving 20s open to begin with as I was at Alisteir for rubbing my nose in it. Conventional wisdom would be to take one dart for points and then work the open 19. But that’s not the way Alisteir plays, and he made the point afterwards that when he’s on a number, he prefers to stay there.
Well, my partner and I fought back the best we could and closed the gap, but that 180 points proved to be insurmountable. So, we exchanged some words after the match and I made some comments that were clearly out of line, because I took it personal. Alisteir correctly noted that he plays that way against everyone and if anything I should take it as a sign of respect. He pointed out that I’m the only one who’s swept him 3-0 in a league match. He was right of course, and I apologized. I don’t agree with his strategy, but if you fail to close a number, you are responsible for the consequences. Anyway, I don’t usually let emotions flare up like that and I felt bad about it afterwards. I certainly bear no grudge and hope Alisteir does not as well.
Anyway, the night was all about Dave anyway and I did have a good time. Even took a second place in the follow-up tourney (losing out again to Alisteir, but there is no shame in that).
Dave will certainly not be forgotten:
This wall at Dolce Vita is devoted to photographs Dave took of some of Dolce’s regulars. To really appreciate his talent with the camera, go here.
I guess his cake expresses the sentiments we all feel as Dave moves on to new challenges:
Farewell and good luck. Hope our paths cross again someday.
A fond farewell
Last night I hosted a going away party for Craig and Scott, good friends and dart teamates. They are leaving for Canada in a few days and will most definitely be missed.
So we ate a lot of food and drank to excess. I guess we all got a little loud as well, because around midnight a downstairs neighbor politely asked us to shut the hell up. From what I can recall, we had a good time.
The menu included galbi, shrimp, sausage and cheese, garlic bread, chips and dip, cherries, veggies, rice…
…ribeye steaks, corn-on-the-cob, watermelon, pecan pie, puchingae (Korean pizza), homemade potato salad (courtesy of Scott and Illhee) and of course, kimchee.
We drank lots of beer, soju, maechui (Korean plum wine) and some Scotch whiskey. We were all pretty wasted after that all got mixed together in our warm bellys.
I took some more pictures, but apparently had my finger over the lens or something (I can’t imagine why I did that). This one came out given that it was taken relatively early in the night…
That would Scott, Wan Jun, Craig and Alastier (it’s salmon, not pink). Also present during the evening were Jim, Seung Youb, Lonnie, Illhee and Ji Yeon.
Best wishes for success and happiness to Scott and Craig as they return to life in the Great White North.
On the beach in Bali
Friday we left the jungles of central Bali and moved to the coast for some beachside fun.
The last night in Ubud we celebrated Yuli’s birthday at her favorite restuarant, the Dirty Duck.
Where not surpisingly Fried Duck is the specialty. I had seafood.
The obligatory birthday cake ceremony.
Ji Yeon did some souvenir shopping at a beachside stall. That carving appears to be some kind of lewd act…
The entrance to our hotel, the Villa Kind Bintang Resort. Rack rate here is $95, but Yuli’s friend Yoeman got us in for a sweet 50 bucks a night.
The lobby. Open air as is typical of most buildings here. Ah, life on the equator…
The view from my room. You can kinda sorta see the ocean in the distance.
The pool, complete with bar.
Where I enjoyed my share of refreshing Bintang beer.
Yuli enjoying the water. I think she is part fish.
Ji Yeon tried to adopt this little German girl without success…
The Indian Ocean.
The beach in front of our hotel complex.
On the 4th of July we dined beachside…
Ji Yeon, Tom and Yeoman’s son Yoda enjoying the ambiance…
Watching the sunset while waiting for dinner to be served.
We purchased some roasted corn from this vendor as an appetizer. It was sweet and delicious…
Sundown.
Dinner is served. A feast fit for a king…
Dinner for seven came to rupee 700,000. Including several large Bintang beers, a coconut cocktail, and juice drinks. Folks, that is $70. Unbelievable. And everything was delicious.
The island of Bali. We are beaching on that small peninsula at the bottom. Ubud and jungle environs are about 30 KMs north. The volcanos at the top are where we took the road trip.
Sunday was watersports day. I’m a keep my feet on the ground kind of guy, but Yuli enjoyed the parasailing experience.
The banana boat was more my speed.
Woo Hoo!
We survived, wet but happy.
I also had my first jet ski experience, which was really a blast.
Ok, back to my vacation.
A day in the life
Woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head…
Well, actually I didn’t comb my hair. It was Saturday and that’s what ball caps are made for.
Did my weekly grocery shopping at the commissary, got home and put the stuff away, then settled in for a relaxing play of CIV IV.
Loaded the game to my new Sony Notebook. Pretty cool, eh?
After suffering a frustrating defeat, I showered up and headed out to Manila Bar, the venue for my friend Becky’s birthday celebration.
The birthday girl, a nice gal from Canada.
Natalie gave the darts a throw…
While Margaret, another Canuck, stylishly smoked a cigarette.
Becky and her main squeeze Mike, a nice guy from the Philippines.
That’s Teddy, owner of Manila Bar in the middle. I don’t know the name of the cute Korean gal (I should).
A couple of sweet Filipinas, Jovie on the right is Teddy’s wife. The other is Jovie’s sister. But I don’t recall her name either (I should).
Happy partiers!
The Korean on the left used to tend bar at Bless U, but I hadn’t seen her around for the last year or so. Guess what? I don’t remember either of their names.
Anyway, it was a nice time. I always give Becky a half dozen bottles of Blue Cheese dressing as a birthday gift. Apparently she eats it with just about everything. And she is always pleased with her present, which makes it easy for me.
So, it was time to head over to Dolce Vita for the International Dart Tournament. We had a rather disappointing turnout with only six teams participating. I was really sorry that none of the outstanding Filipino players turned out to play for national pride. I think most of them were hanging out in Manila Bar for Becky’s party.
So, with only six teams we played a round robin format with the total number of legs won determining the champion.
Dave and Alisteir represented Great Britain.
Dustin and Jay proudly represented Canada sporting Maple Leaf flights.
Seung Youb and YS played for the Republic of Korea.
We also had three American teams turn out:
Me and Colonel Dan waved Old Glory…
Lonnie and Jim, a couple of fine Americans.
Dave and Rod were the other Team America entrant.
So, there was a lot of darts to be played and we commenced to play them. As it turned out, it took ten legs won to play for the championship. Dan and I struggled all night for consistency, but we had our moments of greatness and won some tough legs. We also let a couple slip away, and that made the difference as our 9 wins was one short of what we needed.
This was perhaps our high water moment, taking a clutch leg from the Canadians. As you can perhaps tell, it was a point war. For some reason, I lost my ability to hit a bullseye and Dustin and Jay took full advantage. We matched their bulls with points on the open 20 in a seesaw battle until we finally got up and closed the bulls for a win. Unfortunately, the Koreans took us down 2-1 ruining our hopes for a money finish.
Turns out the Brits and Yanks (Dave and Rod) both had ten legs won, so it was a playoff for the championship. Kind of a replay of 1776 (without the bloodshed) and the outcome was the same, with the Americans victorious! We couldn’t resist a raucous chant of USA! USA! at the conclusion of the match.
Dolce Vita closed after the match for renovations. So I will have to find a new home for the next few days. I live for Bali in a week though and when I return it should be back to business as usual in the new and improved Dolce Vita.
Finished the night with a dinner of samgyapsal and bulgogi at Don Valley with Dan and his wife.
And yes, by the end of the day I was feeling no pain.
Alexander the Great!
Here’s a picture of my new grandson Alexander. Granddaughter Gracyn is reported thrilled to finally have a baby brother. Ain’t they sweet?
Where’s Jenn?
Well, it’s not like that Looking for Waldo, crap. I reckon she’s still shaking things up in Ulsan. But if you are a regular reader of I Got 2 Shoes, you will have noticed it’s been a long time no post situation over there. Not to worry, I got an email from her today and she’s fine, just working hard these days. That and she finally took her computer to the shop for repairs. So, once she gets that back up and running we will have elimanated a primary excuse of hers for denying us all the pleasure of her with and wisdom. She’s also planning a trip to Seoul soon so perhaps she’ll have some adventures to write about. Bali Bali!
Welcome to Planet Earth!
My grandson Alex was born today. 6lbs, 13oz. 19 3/4 inches “tall”. Mother and child are doing fine I’m told.
Congratulations to daughter Renee and son-in-law Mark!
Happy Mothers Day!
This one’s for you mom. Hope you have a great day.
I’ll call you later today…