On the ROK

This is an old pagoda that they finally had to enclose in glass to protect it from the horrible pollution in Seoul.
Photo by ME

In what seems like a sign of the times, the only people who visit this park are old pensioners trying to get out of the house for a few hours. They sit in the pavilion and play cards and Korean chess, sleep, and talk to others. Younger Koreans have absolutely NO concept of history or what the older generation endured to provide them with a terrible fashion sense and bags full of tecnohype gadgets. Not to mention to give them the right to say what they think....which is often vaccuous nonsense.
Photo by ME

Statue of one of the founding fathers.
Photo by ME

Here is a copy of the document that the Korean revolutionaries read to proclaim their grievances against the Japanese.
Photo by ME

Here is the old train station in Seoul. It was a beautiful day but hot as all sin!
Photo by ME

A better photo of a smiling Mrs. Carroll.
Photo by ME

After we finished signing the papers and eating lunch we went to Topgol Park where the Koreans proclaimed their independence from Japan. Here is a smiling new Mrs. Carroll.
Photo by ME

Sorry for these being so late! Here are the few wedding pictures that we got while we were in Seoul. They won't let you take cameras into the Embassy so there are no shots of us signing papers or any such thing. This was taken at the train station as we are about to head back to Busan.
Photo by ME

Married

Well it is done and going well. Jaymi and I are happily married but sooooooo busy. We are still getting the house in order and both of us have been working long hour winter camps. I will try to write more this week. Thanks for all your well wishes and we love you all!

Patrick

Almost Time!!

Only two more days until I am married. Stay tuned and I will post pictures and updates as soon as we tie the knot!

Patrick

Parting Shots

My buddy John Bockskay's parting shots at my University...(edited from later posts)...

S****y,

I am very disppointed that after 2 years - excuse me,
I mean 1 year and 10 months - at Dongseo I have to
leave with such a bitter feeling.

I see my mistakes now; my mistake was trusting
information from ***-*** and you. If it makes you feel
better, you may choose to remember the incident
differently, as you did on the phone today. However, I
very clearly recall the TA asking you if the school
would pay for half of a round trip ticket instead of a
one-way ticket, and you replying yes, the school will
pay half. That was what you said.

This, of course, was immediately after the TA
informed me that the school would buy me a ticket,
which we now know was wrong, and which is the reason I
must now pay 150,000 won to cancel a ticket that I
can't afford without the school's contribution.

Instead of doing the honorable thing and acknowledging
the TA's mistakes and your unwitting corroboration of
her mistake, you turn and point the finger at me,
saying how shocking it is that I wouldn't disregard
the word of 2 people (one of whom is my boss), run
home, check my contract, and discover that you were
both wrong. You are shocked that I wouldn't know that
"4 semesters", in the eyes of the sleazy,
exploitative, penny-pinching accounting office, does
not equal "2 years", and that they would use this
10-month contract issue to cheat another foreign
employee out of some benefits (as they did to Michael
Curtis, and will no doubt do to other foreigners in
the future).

I can tell you that this shocks me too.

It shocks me that even though the school has changed
the 10-month contract, I will be screwed now because I
fall 2 months short of 2 calendar years.

It shocks me that my boss would lie to me and deny
ever confirming the wrong information to me.

It shocks me that not only were (the TA) and you
unwilling to acknowledge your mistakes, but that you
wouldn't even offer me a simple APOLOGY for giving me
such costly and erroneous information. An apology
would have been classy. (Note: the TA did apologize without
prompting shortly after this email was written.
John wrote, and published, his apology to her.)
Instead, I get finger pointing, denials, and lies. And
that, sadly, is how I will remember Dongseo.

I know you are worried that I will run out and leave
my contract unfulfilled. I can assure you I will not
do that. I will honor my contract, even though my
contract was designed to screw me, a foreigner, out of
benefits. I do not intend to go the labor board, or
write a letter to someone higher up, and stir trouble
in any such way. That would be pointless.

Dong-seo fancies itself a top-ten, world-class school.
This is simple propaganda, which nobody except
President Park pretends to believe. It also fancies
itself a "Christian" university, which, in light of
recent events, strikes me as a particularly cruel
irony. But whatever the words Dongseo chooses to
flatter itself, I can tell you that among the
foreigners living and working in Busan, Dongseo's
reputation is quite different.

I used to defend Dongseo against the people who said
it was a dodgy place to work. My opinion, however, has
changed, and I can even say I feel betrayed and
ashamed to have ever defended it. Because of the shady
accounting tricks, the incompetence, the evasion of
responsibilty and the lies I have encountered, I no
longer believe that Dong-seo is an even remotely
respectable institution. As this disgraceful incident
has unfolded, Dongseo has revealed its character to
me, and sadly, it has shown itself to be greedy,
dishonest, and incompetent, and I intend to say as
much to anyone who asks.

Be apprised that my conscience compels me to copy this
letter to the foreign staff, which I have done, so
that they may be warned against similar shaftings (I like how
John coins a new word here) in the future.

Sincerely,

John Bocskay

Now if only the people (3 of them) who are quitting would write exit interviesws and provide them to the Vice President then maybe things would change. Buttt.......probably not. Will Patrick be leaving Dong Seo soon? Wait and find out! Stay tuned dedicated listeners!

And Jaymi where she should be...locked behind strong glass and cleaning. Get to work woman!! Of course, she is gonna kick my butt for saying that. It has been nice knowing you....
Photo by ME

The happy couple in their new (but dirty) home....
Photo by ME

and what would it be without photos of Jaymi in the bathroom....
Photo by ME

and the windows on over to the position from where I shot the kitchen photos
Photo by ME

and from the pole over to the right..
Photo by ME

Just giving you a bit of a panaorama here....
Photo by ME

This is the entry way, the kitchen, the laundry room and the living room....we are a bit shy on cabinet space.
Photo by ME

The cleaning ladies. Jaymi's mom helped us clean the house and made it all spic and span. Rock on Mom!!
Photo by ME

Jaymi and Mom in the new house. Look how shy Jaymi's mom is!!
Photo by ME

Here is Jaymi ordering Dolsot Bi-Bim-Bap at our new house. Bi-bim-bap is gooooddddd rice and veggies and pepper sauce in a hot pot.
Photo by ME

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

I just wanted to wish belated birthday wishes to my friends Karl and Tammy. Sorry I missed your birthdays guys. You both know I am an asshat so you shouldn't be too surprised. Happy Birthday and many more.

-Patrick

In honor of the Tiannamen Anniversary, which few Chinese bothered to honor. This puts me on my yearly anti-Chinese kick. Shame on a nation who does not honor the men and women who choose at live and die as humans rather than work and slave as dogs.
Photo by unknown