Well, I’m a day away from a week of in-services, curriculum planning, and other academic-related stuff. We begin August 22, and I cannot be more excited.

By the way, as school nears, my goal is to write at least once a week, usually on the weekend.

With all respect due him, I am going to steal an idea that Thomas Sowell has. Thomas Sowell is an economist, a historian, a columnist, and possibly one of the brightest minds operating today. When he cannot fill a column with the necessary words, he writes a column called “Random Thoughts on the Passing Scene.”

· Let me preface the first point with, “Until you visit Korea, you will not understand.” Korea has a distinct smell. Now, I can’t describe it, but I just thought I’d tell you.

Dear Mr. Zanger,

I know what you mean.

Sincerely,
Bob Zigler
President
I Can’t Describe the Taste of this Meat so I’ll Say it Tastes Like Chicken Club of America

· This week, I went to the bank to open a Korean checking account. Now, before you call me a linguistic genius, I went with a Korean-speaking person who actually set it up for me. I went solely because I needed to sign papers and look confused. However, I may want to go to the bank more often after going the first time, because at the bank is a scale that reads your height, weight, and gives you your BMI; a blood-pressure measurer; and a small convenience store. So, in fifteen minutes, you can get money, make sure you are physically fit (though the doctor is not included in the fun and games at the bank), and buy dinner. I love Korea.

· Driving in Korea is fun. Red lights are optional, but Koreans are very picky about turning left. They only turn left with the arrow. They will never turn left on an ordinary green light. There are few police officers trying to catch you speeding; instead, there are cameras that photograph you if you are speeding. Now, before you cry, “Big Brother is Watching You,” these cameras are few and far between. The primary way they make you go the speed limit is to place speed bumps everywhere. These aren’t the cute mini-bumps in parking lots; these are the send-you-into-orbit-so-fast-you-can’t-even-say-goodbye speed bumps.

· I went to the immigration office this week to become a legal alien. No story here, just passing on the info.

· The churches in Korea have neon crosses that glow at night. They are there to make them more identifiable. When I drove down the first night from the airport, we passed through Seoul. Seoul was a sea of neon crosses. However, none of that compares to La Sagrada Familia, the enormous church that is still being built in Barcelona. It is said to have a light on it that is visible in the Mediterranean.

· My high school principal said, as we were sitting on the beach staring out into the West Sea, “Korea is one of the few places where I could climb a mountain in the morning and be on the beach by the evening.”

· Yes, I was at the beach in Korea.

· And yes, it was awesome.

· See you next week.

· Be safe.