New Products

Not much exciting these days. As the last week of August arrives, I had been told by my Korean friends that the weather would finally cool off. However, we were greeted with news last week that the heat will continue for another two weeks. I have made a small collection of "new products" to post over the past week or so, and Mother Stumbler has been bugging me for a new post, so here goes.

The first new product idea is based on an advertisement I saw recently near our apartment. When I first saw this photo, I thought she was using a telephone handset to scratch her nose. Then I realized it was some kind of nose cleaner, treatment device? Anyway, this got my creative juices flowing, and I came up with the cool idea of a combination telephone handset / ear cleaner. Imagine, hanging up after each phone call with freshly clean ears!

Would YOU Put This Machine in YOUR Nose? 

The next new product slipped through my spam filters this week, and was so funny I have saved the email and the website link. This company sells the FLY-JUMPER product, which allows you to take steps 2 to 3 meters long and also jump 1 to 2 meters high! Besides simply being an amazing product, I was drawn to their statements about beign the only licensed company in China to make these jumping boots. With all you hear and read about product copying in China, it was interesting to read this statement from a Chinese company: "other enterprises are illegal to produce Flyjumper". Be sure to check out the photos on their website, and pay close attention to the marketing claims. I particularly liked "The girl who likes beautiful to own it, not only have pretty body, but also have the fiction of reduce weight", and was amazed to learn by using this product I can have "Benefit to your intelligence, Eliminate hemorrhoids ". And so on....

The Fly Jumper 

Finally, we have the dry ice beer pitcher, a new product which I personally observed and tested this week. It arrived at the table looking like something from a science fiction movie. At first I thought the dry ice was actually in the beer, but after studying the thing for awhile, I believe the side of the pitcher is hollow, and is filled with dry ice and some water before being served to the table. Note the exhaust vent on the top. For those with high speed internet connections, I have posted a short movie of the dry ice beer pitcher (it is much more exciting than the photo).

Dry Ice Beer Pitcher 

Well, that's all. I'm off to the Patent Office to apply for my phone/ear cleaner patent, before someone reads this blog and beats me to the application desk.

Odd Things

It is difficult to remember my camera is with me always, and therefore I often miss good photo opportunities here in Korea. I tried to catch some things these past couple of weeks to be seen below. First of all, the heat is truly oppressive. Even though the humidity is comparable to Huntsville, and the temperature in Seoul has been cooler than Huntsville, for some reason it seems significantly hotter here in Seoul. This is something I cannot explain. The only explanation that makes some possible sense is something John's wife suggested the other night when I tried to call him at home - in Huntsville I almost never walk any significant distance, because we use our cars to go everywhere. Whereas in Seoul I'll take short walks to get to a restaurant, grocery store, or the train station. Unless someone has a complex meterological explanation comparing a city of concrete and high-rises to a sprawling city build on farmland and pastures, I'll have to go along with her explanation for now.

Speaking of the heat, I'll take the shade from a tree wherever I can find it. Specifically, see the unexpected source of shade this week as I was crossing the street.

I'll Take Any Shade I Can Get 

Also, this week we drove across Seoul for a meeting one afternoon, and near our destination we got a little bit lost and ended up in a cemetary instead of the modern research campus we were trying to find. But while we were lost, we stumbled on this building named after SY:

SY Was Happy to see This Photo 

I hope this isn't a repeat photo - not being an experienced blogger, I don't know exactly how to search through all my past photos without actually looking at each post. Anyway, John and I always got a chuckle from this sign whenever we walked by the CGV. This week I was nearby at a bookstore, and decided to snap this photo. I think the intention here is not that you can't bring these kinds of foods into the theatre, but that they don't want you to bring YOUR OWN foods in - they want you to buy the food from their snack bar (however, I don't remember ever seeing squid for sale at the theatres here). Let me add, contrary to what this sign may say, that they don't seem to enforce this rule very well. The few times I have been to the movies here in Korea, I have seen ladies pull all sorts of snacks from their purses to eat. Even one time I was unwittingly party to this flagrant rule breaking as SY pulled a bag of oranges from her purse and gave one to me and her (now ex-) boyfriend. Anyway, as a public service to those not familiar with the international symbol for squid, I present the CGV sign:

Don't Bring Your Squid into the CGV 

This week at our officetel was much needed window cleaning. They made an announcement (of course in Korean) that essentially said "don't be surprised to look out your window and see someone's face". CH provided me the translation, but to my surprise I actually understood about 20% of it myself. Here is a shot of the brave window washers:

Spider Men 

We had a meeting with HJ, the lady who does some freelance design work for us on occassion. She is the one who recommended the digital camera I now use. One feature that she demonstrated to me before I bought mine was to make a photo that was black and white except for a particular color you chose ahead of time. Since I bought my camera, I have been eagerly awaiting the next chance to meet her so she could teach me to do that (since I am an engineer, I never read the instruction manual). So finally this week she taught me to do it. Here is a photo based on the color of the Soju bottle:

Digital Camera Experiment 

And finally I have photographed the deck of Korean style playing cards called HWA-TOO, used to play a favorite Korean card game called "GO-STOP". One of my friends tried to show me "how easy it is" by arranging the cards in their proper order. I'm guessing this would be similar to arranging a normal deck of cards by number and suit. Try as I may, I can't quite get my arms around these cards and the game. I found a link last year to a website that explains the game for those interested. A quick summary: the odd cards at the top of the photo are the "jokers". The columns are like numbers 1 through 12, which are identified as the months January through December, and they also have a flower or plant name as well. Sprinkled thoughout the months unevenly are 5 each BRIGHT cards (having a chinese character in a red circle), 9 each ANIMAL cards (not all of which have animals on them, but don't let that bug you!), 10 each RIBBON cards (consisting of 3 red poetry ribbons, 3 blue poetry ribbons, and 4 plain red ribbons), and finally 24 each JUNK cards. Got it? Okay, let's play. [Credit to Mr. Sloper's website for the above explanations]

It's EASY I'm Told - Yeah, Right 

Anyone who wants some of these cards, let me know. They only cost $2, and are much sturdier and American playing cards. I think even if you don't know the rules, just arranging them and putting them in a picture frame would be pretty.

Back to Korea

I arrived successfully Friday night back to Korea. Pretty much an uneventful trip. Usually I gripe about the quality of American airlines compared to Asian ones, but on this flight our crew was excellent. I was so impressed with their service that I wrote a letter to Delta. In contrast, usually I am so underwhelmed with the crew service that I want to write a complaint. Here some boring photos of the flight.
No photos landing in Seoul, it was so overcast and misty that the view was obscured.

SY didn't buy me any bacon or ham for breakfast food this time, but instead I have something she called "steaks". Reportedly these will be better for my health. They are like small hamburger steaks I think, with vegetables and spices mixed in. I had some with breakfast Saturday, good but different. Basically I have slept a lot and worked on some documents for work all weekend. This morning I woke up at 3am (after 12 hours sleeping) and prepared some pork bulgogi and broccoli that SY also bought. I was instructed to eat all the meats within 2 days or freeze the remainder that I can't eat. Well, finally I think today I will be adjusted to Seoul time.

This is NOT the kind of JET Airplane Most People Think Of... 

Up Up Up and Away (near the Atlanta Hartsfield Airfield) 

Just Over Halfway to Tokyo 

Touchdown Tokyo - How Would You Like to be the Narita Gardener? 

View from the Airport Lounge Window in Tokyo 

Mexico Mission

This week has been unusually quiet around the Stumbling household. YS#1 has a job as a summer camp counselor these days, and is only home on the weekends. But this week YS#2 and YS#3 went on a church mission trip to Mexico. They will be building a small house for the very poor citizens of a town near the Texas border. The church did this a few years back, when YS#1 got to go along. So on Sunday afternoon, we took the kids to catch the bus for Texas. It was a very long ride, over 18 hours, and they had to sleep on the bus.

Group Photo 

The Bus Arrives 

Loading the Bus (is YS#2 actually helping?) 

Mrs Stumbler and YS#3 - Saying Goodbye? Arguing? Playing Charades??? 

YS#3 Finds Her Seat on the Bus 

YS#2 and His Friend K say Goodbye to the Stumbler 

City Meet

Last weekend was the final swim meet of the season, called City Meet. It was a very hot day, near 100 degrees (that's about 38C for my Korean friends). We have not been involved in the swimming team for a few years, since the older Young Stumblers' outgrew their interest in swimming. But this summer YS#4 was old enough and skilled enough to join the swim team, so here we are. Here are some photos.

The Meet was held at the Natatorium 

YS#4 Preparing for the Mixed Relay Race 

Waiting Areas for Each Team (it was HOT) 

YS#4 Preparing to Start 

YS#4 Freestyle (and falling behind) 

Mrs Stumbler's Feet