May 2007

Here's my address here at the temple.

Troy Santos
Jeju City
Hwa Buk 1 dong, 4684
KOREA 690-061

Pretty easy huh?

I thought it would be easy to get a voice mail service with my Gizmo Project phone service. Now I'm not so sure. I get tired of all this computer stuff. And I'm not on my own laptop now. I'll look into it again when I get more time. Might have some time on Saturday. Had lots of time last Saturday. But then again it rained all morning and was overcast the rest of the day so I just sat in the office using my laptop to do some personal things.

I have decided I'd rather go to the US at the end of the month.

If I can get anything specific for anyone, please let me know. I'll do my best.

I haven't heard today from either Sunim or Sunmi and have decided to not go before the end of the month. It's 11:15 am here now. Thursday morning.

I expect to spend no more than two weeks in the US when I go. Mostly everything is up in the air right now. Except that I expect to go sometime after the 24th which is the last day of the festival.

I don't expect to change my mind about when I'll go. Even if Sunim were to ask me to go now, I suppose I'd say no. He might have some really compelling reason but I feel it's better to go after the 24th. I don't like rush visits, or rush anything for that matter.

I've checked the ticket prices for other airports. San Jose and Oakland airports. Also had Sunmi check the Korean website she looked at. They were more expensive.

Anyway, leaving later this month means I get more time to see about the cheapest possible ticket. Unless all prices go up!

I am thinking to stop using this blog and see about a different one. I think Google has something. If so, and if I can use their Skype-like service (if I'm even right that they do indeed have one), and if they have a blog thing and if I use it, then I'll have all these communication things with Google. All in one bag. Might be a better idea.

That's enough for now. There are other things I want to put onto the blog but I will do them another time.

Just to say that things are going well here. Really enjoying the little kids. Just adorable. Cute as hell. Lots of fun.

I get into the garden often. Almost every day to water the plants. And almost every day for vegetables. Had some this morning. There's a wild plant that I love to death. I can eat so much of it. I would like to have a name and some nutritional information. I have met only one other person who also knows that it's edible. And good tasting. I ate a bunch of it about 9 or 10 am this morning. Been getting more vegetables lately than I have had in a long time.

Also recently found out that this garden here is hardly organic. I don't know how extensively the synthetic fertilizers are used, but I've seen it more than a few times. I have also seen organic fertilizers used, so that's good. I've seen bottles of herbicide too.

Sunim wants organic but a lady has determined that we'll use the synthetic fertilizers. She doesn't do much in the garden though so I feel that she's got no business saying we shouldn't do organic farming. And that's what Sunim wants. He's the boss here, isn't he? And she doesn't even eat the food here every day. Why in hell should she be able to make the decision to have synthetic fertilizers applied? I'll see what changes I can make. But I know that trying to change certain things can really make for turbulence. I don't want to cause turbulence but I'm not afraid of a little bit either. The lady who does most of the work in the garden, Kong Yang-ju, apparently "doesn't know". Sunmi told me this. I don't know just what this means, but, well, I want to see what I can do to make a few changes. I've got some ideas up my sleeve that I feel could very well make for smooth changes. Or at least, make the changes happen without so much turbulence.

Enough,
Time for lunch.
Troy.

Just got off the phone with Sunmi, who had just gotten off the phone with Sunim. She says that he says that not only are the documents not yet ready, but at least one other thing also is not ready. So, I'm not ready to go just yet. Don't know when. I asked Sunmi if Sunim (do you like the little jiggle with the spelling?) had any idea when I could fly. She said she didn't know.

She said that he said that if it takes too long then I can go to the US after the big ceremony on the 24th. That means that I'd fly sometime after the 24th.

So, nothing is sure just now.

I've been wanting to fly since yesterday. I had a physical exam Monday. I wanted to have that before going to the US. Didn't think to have it done before the US trip for any special reason. I just wanted to have it out of the way. Done. Everything turned out normal. Had a blood check, urine check, a chest x-ray, blood pressure check, and the doctor tapped me on the abdomen in a few places! I'm still a Hepatitis B carrier which is no surprise as I was told years ago when it was first noticed that I'd be a carrier forever.

I do want to have a colon cancer check because I would like to know if the way I've been eating and otherwise living for a few decades now has taken a biting toll on my colon. I don't have any symptoms that I know of though. Just want to be sure one way or the other.

I am about ready to go really. I've got just about everything packed that I want to bring.

I don't want to travel too close to the 22nd because that is the first day of the ceremony. Three days of this ceremony, finishing on the 24th. I'd hate to miss the biggest ceremony of the year by just a few days. And I don't want to have a rush visit in the US. 10 days already is a short time. So, it's better to put it off until later if I can have a more relaxing time.

I think this is low season for plane tickets so I don't want to put this off much longer.

I have a feeling that I won't fly until after the ceremony. I'll write more on this blog as things progress.

Troy.