C H Wood

Reply to Sometimes what you think you hear is better in Music JoeUser Forums

It's actually a pretty heartfelt song if you look at the story of the lyrics. If I have learned anything over here it is that Americans more than anyone use words to have multiple meanings. This is my interpretation of this song. Black man in a relationship with a white woman whose mother does not approve. They did not see the color line an issue except when her mom came back to town. The mother does not approve. The women has to break it off but, he doesn't want to let

Our last two days in Vietnam in Travel JoeUser Forums

The Perfume Pagoda Based on the advise of friends who had previously traveled to Vietnam, we signed up for a trip to the Perfume Pagoda. Our adventure began in Hanoi with a ride on a bus. After much shuffling between buses to get everyone to fit. We headed off to a small town that was about an hour outside of Hanoi. On this trip we met more Americans than we had seen in one location outside of going to Osan (th

Being in Vietnam for Lunar New Year in Home & Family JoeUser Forums

The celebration of Tet. The Tet celebration has much of the hustle and bustle like that of Christmas in the states. Overnight, photographic backdrops line the busy streets near temples and Pagodas alike. Two stages for free concerts are set up in the city. The one stage has the Vietnamese equivalent of Brittany Spears and Boy bands while the other stage has circus performers and martial arts demonstrations. The martial arts demonstrations usually involve

Reply to My Favorite Ridiculous Piece Of News Today in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Sometimes we're glad not to understand all of the Korean going on around here. Thanks for the link, though. Looks like a good site for the news in English.

Halong Bay in Travel JoeUser Forums

On the third and the fourth days of our trip we booked an overnight stay to Halong Bay. This was a beautiful trip. The ride through the country side allowed us to enjoy the scenery and watch people perform the laborious task of planting rice and getting water into the fields. The sad thing about the view was the sheer amount of trash in some of the villages. You could have a beautiful house with a yard filled with bags of trash

Reply to Vietnamese Water Puppets in Art JoeUser Forums

Well, I'm sorry you feel that way. Obviously the war had a profound impact on both the US and Vietnam. That was what was interesting as well from the trip. It's been clear some of the ways that the US has viewed and changed by Vietnam, and vice versa. Being raised in the 70's, my generation's impressions of Vietnam was always shapped by the war, including all of the pop culture movies, documentaries, etc that followed.&nbs

Vietnamese Water Puppets in Art JoeUser Forums

The Vietnamese are famous for water puppetry. On Sunday night Chris and I saw the water puppets. The show was interesting to view as they told tales of myths and of daily life with water puppets. The water puppets are carved wooden figures that are on long poles. The poles are attached underneath the puppets so as they appear on the pond they do not appear to be attached to anything. There was an accompanying band of traditional Vietnamese musicians. It was very

A visit to Uncle Ho's country for Tet (Lunar New Year) in Travel JoeUser Forums

Since we had the week off for Seol (The Korean Lunar New Year) we decided to take the opportunity to see another Asian country. We decided to visit Vietnam on a friend's suggestion and see the country that Ho Chi Mihn made famous. We spent seven days wandering around Hanoi, Vietnam and taking a few trips to some other places around Hanio. To make it easier on everyone I am going to break this up into multiple blogs. We knew little of Vietnam before coming.&nbsp

Back from 'Nam... in Travel JoeUser Forums

Just getting back from our week-long vacation in Hanoi, Vietnam. Fun time. I expect Heather will be doing a write up in the next couple days. We took a lot of pictures, we'll be posting a link as well soon. Short summary: Very cool country. Pros: Lots of great sights, great food, great people. Cheap food, hotels, shopping. Cons: Chaos in the driving, living with trash.&nb

Reply to Should CEOs write political blogs in Business JoeUser Forums

JTurnas - being that I have known Brad for eight plus years I can honestly tell you that you are wrong on what you imagine Brad to be. Brad and his wife are generous people who have big hearts and respect the views of others. If you want to have a good debate with Brad you just need to substantiate your facts as to why you believe he's wrong with real evidence. As for Brad having a political opinion as a CEO well that's his right. After all we live in the US which means tha

Reply to Tongue + frozen chain = Big Owie! in Home & Family JoeUser Forums

Ok I have to admit it. I did it too when I was a kid. I did it on a bet with a friend. I remember ripping off the top layers of my tongue and being soar for a few days. Sad to say I was older than your little guy. But I was always a Tomboy anyways. The good news is that mouth injuries heal faster than any other. H

Reply to Not Feeling Like Myself Tonight in Blogging JoeUser Forums

Jill - My niece loves Cosi in Toledo. She says it's the best science museum that's she has ever been to. When she comes up to visit in the summer from Georgia she always tries to ween in a trip there. Her mom who is a teacher says that it is a great museum too. I am sure you will have a great time. Be careful on the roads. After all it is Michigan and weather conditons can always vary.

Holiday Craziness in Home & Family JoeUser Forums

We have been living outside the US for almost six months now and we have fully settled into our lives as expats for the most part. We have grown to except the unusual or the uncommon as part of our every day lives. However, every now and then you have these moments that you just have to laugh about and say yep that's Korea. I was shopping at Homeplus the other day which is one of the big box stores kind of like a four story version of Meijers with a mall attached to it.&nb

Reply to Mysteries of the Orient in Home & Family JoeUser Forums

Why 3 guards at the KFC? That's easy, it's finger lick'n good! Actually, you rarely see a Korean eating chicken with his fingers. I figured it was bad manners or something but as it was explained to me, it's just that they don't want to be bothered to clean up again after they are finished. As for cell phones, I forgot one other detail. They are so

Mysteries of the Orient in Home & Family JoeUser Forums

Here are a collection of the mysteries we still haven't figured out living here in Korea . Feel free to comment and perhaps you can help us understand it. <

Reply to What the Heck we've been doing in Sports & Leisure JoeUser Forums

Volleyball and soccer? How does that work? Can the ball hit the ground? Sounds difficult!! Ok so the way the goofy game works is that the net is the height of a tennis net. No hands are allowed only feet and heads. ANd you still have to try not to let the ball hit the ground. Maybe the next time I see it I will try and take a picture.

Reply to Creative Driving in Misc JoeUser Forums

Yep, you would fit right in here Zargon.

Reply to What the Heck we've been doing in Sports & Leisure JoeUser Forums

Yeah, well that's pretty close to what Chris thought except he thought it looked liked a bear strangling a giraffe. So then it would be the church of the anti giraffe pro bear community.

Doctor's visit in a foreign land in Health & Medicine JoeUser Forums

Inevitably in anyone's life (especially if you have allergies) one gets sick. Unfortunately for me this occurs right around the time our friends were in town. It started with the sore throat and lots of lovely colored phlegm but progressed into an ear infection which made me miserable the entire time our friends were here. After two weeks of putting off going to the doctor due to fear of what a medical experience would be like in a foreign country I bit the bullet and went t

What the Heck we've been doing in Sports & Leisure JoeUser Forums

Hello all - It's been a while since we posted. We have been busy. We were lucky enough to have two friends from the States come and visit within the past two weeks. It's nice to see people from home. Well let's see what's new for the Wood adventures - In mid October, Chris went to Europe on business for ten days. I will let him tell you stories about that. Prior to leaving we received our absentee ballots so we could perform our civi

Reply to Weird Phenomenon with Movies on TV in Movies & TV & Books JoeUser Forums

Tremors..... I have seen the same section of this movie I don't know how many times. But it's not only a US phenomenom because I have done it here in Korea with Tremors. And a couple other movies too.

Reply to Jeju Part II - People of the world unite! in Personal Relationships JoeUser Forums

One thing I've always loved about Korea and disliked about the US is how foreigners are treated when trying to speak the language. ChipJR - I totally agree with you. There are people I know in the states that have no patience for foriegners and the language barrier. But maybe what we ned to take back with us to the states as expats is the ability to understand the language barrier better and explain it to our friends and family.&nbs

Reply to Jeju Part II - People of the world unite! in Personal Relationships JoeUser Forums

From back in the States, it sounds like a utopia there. It's nice but that doesn't mean that it is not without it's problems. But, because we don't speak the language beyond a few words, we are not likely to realize what the case is. It's kind of like looking through the world with rose colored glasses. I have been told by my

Jeju Part II - People of the world unite! in Personal Relationships JoeUser Forums

Have you ever heard of the movie Six Degrees of Separation? The concept is that you are no more than six people from anyone in the world. I am beginning to wonder how true that might be after this past trip to JeJu. There are a few things that occur when you live in a foreign country where people look totally different from you. The first is that because your appearance is so different you become a spot of fascination for the people of that country especially

Reply to Adventures during Chusak - Part I in Travel JoeUser Forums

You're welcome. It's always fun to compare notes with you. I'd share the pictures with you but this batch has friends and their kids so I am not going to post them publicly. These poor kids get enough publicity by being foriegn kids with blond hair in a country where every kid has black hair and brown eyes that is unless the Korean parents dye their kids hair. I literally saw the poor foriegn kids being grabbed by Koreans who meant well but who just wanted to get a picture with t