So You Want to Start a Website?

As I mentioned in a previous post, I began studying HTML, CSS, and Javascript in order to breathe new life into my blog and differentiate it from the pack. While researching mouse-over image displays like Lightbox and Flash Media Players that will enable me to host my own video I realized that Blogger is too limited a medium for what I want to accomplish with this periodical. It was during this moment of divine revelation that I resolved to build my own website. I already have a Domain name and acquiring web hosting is both easy and cheap. Therefore the only thing left for me to do is design the website from the ground up. Easier said than done.

The first thing I did was to go out and buy Adobe Master Suite for $2,499. Ha! Then I began teaching myself Dreamweaver and Photoshop. These programs are very difficult for an amateur such as myself who has absolutely no background with graphic or website design. Fortunately, thanks to Youtube, there is a tutorial out there for just about any topic you can think of.

I concluded that one of the most important parts of any website is the main banner/logo. It is what any visitor is going to identify with when they first see the site and it's what will remain in their subconscious after they leave. After messing around with Photoshop and Illustrator for four hours I came up with this:


My next step was to build the basic architecture of my site in Dreamweaver. I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing in this department but thanks to some online tutorials on Youtube I managed to get a basic structure down in about five hours. It blows my mind how young some of the people are who are making these technical videos. Here's a basic Dreamweaver walk-through by a thirteen year old kid. Click Here!

That's about it for my weekend. I know it sounds kind of lame and boring but I find it pretty intriguing (enough so that three brand new XBOX games I picked up in Yongson two days ago have remained untouched while I struggle with HTML tags and values). Hopefully this website will be up and running by the end of the week so I can get back to having Deadly Quests. Also, next paycheck I'm planning on getting a good camcorder and working the format of the site over towards video instead of just journal entries. Well that's it. Thanks for reading.

Cool Thing About Korea #26: ATM's make you take your card before it will give you the money so you don't accidentally leave it in the machine.

First Day of Classes for the Fall Semester

Nothing spectacular lately but there aren't many posts this month so I figured I have to put something up. You may notice that the blog looks a little boring today. I'm actually in the process of teaching myself HTML, CSS, and Javascript to hopefully improve the over all look of this little publication and hopefully garner some credibility, but in the mean-time you'll have to excuse the appearance

Yesterday was the first day of classes at Chilbo Middle School. As much fun as my long vacation with Rachael was, I have to admit that it was exciting to get back with the kids. I didn't shave at all in the past month so I decided to give the carpet on my face an elegant trim and wear a beard to school. The kids were fascinated by it. I can't count how many girls called me handsome before running away giggling today. One boy came up to me and said, "You have hair on your face," to which I replied, "Yes where is yours?" His response was hysterical, "Oh, I shave this morning."

So for first graders I'm starting classes with a memory game called "A Ship Comes Loaded" and then we'll be making postcards about the things we did over the summer. For second and third graders I have printed out eight recent articles. They will divide into groups and summarize their article using Who, What, Where, When, and Why before presenting for the class. Thank you Mary Beth for the inspiration.

The current principle at Chilbo Middle School is retiring so yesterday evening the entire faculty went out for dinner. The principle gave me a designer towel as a gift. It's woven with expensive fibers and embroidered with intricate calligraphy that I can not possibly hope to decipher. It's such a nice towel that I'm actually hesitant to use it for anything. Well anyway, my Korean co-workers went balls-to-the-wall as usual. The pork galbi served was some of the best I've had in the country but it wasn't the reason my fellow teachers were there. I tried to limit myself on the Soju and beer because, despite it being an evening for celebration, I actually wanted to get some work done at home. Ultimately, my resistance was in vain. Korean peer-pressure is certainly the worst kind of peer-pressure. Resting on plush floor cushions and surrounded by 40 drunken, middle-age Koreans is a unique experience. The puckered language that fills the air becomes an unimportant drone and I find myself having lengthy conversations that cannot be fully understood, yet a misconstrued meaning manages to be derived by intonation, posture, and the conviction in ones eyes. As a fascinated observer I witnessed a lot of laughter, a little bit of crying, and a few things said that...well perhaps were best left unsaid. Another memorable night out with the crew!

So I got home last night, drank a gallon of water, brewed a pot of coffee, and made the terrible decision to reinstall my operating system. For some reason I always assume that procedure will take about 20 minutes when in reality it sucks up close to four hours. Tomorrow I'll go to a hash in Osan, then maybe explore new things in Seoul. I also want to use my weekend to freshen up this blog, research places to go sailing in Korea, and study more HTML. Well, that does it for now. Anyonghekaseyo.

Cool Thing About Korea #25: I guess it really has nothing to do with Korea but I discovered how to work the laminate machine this week...so I've got that going for me.

Time Flies When You're in Suwon

This morning, after an awesome three-week vacation, I reluctantly watched Rachael board a red coach bus and depart for Incheon International Airport. As I’m writing this she is probably somewhere over the Pacific watching bad movies and spending what’s left of her Won on airplane snacks. I’ll certainly miss her over the next seven months but at least I have a weeks worth of fun things to write about.

The first day back from Boracay I took Rachael to my school for a quick tour and to introduce her to Ms. Huh. Additionally I needed Ms. Huh to help me transfer money back to the states so I can make payments on my massive student loans. Why did I go to college again? Later in the week we met Ms. Huh for dinner at a really awesome vegetarian buffet. It’s strange…I go jogging past that place all the time but have never noticed it. On Tuesday we headed up to Seoul for some sightseeing. The first stop was an awesome aquarium in the basement of an ominous skyscraper known only as Building 63.

Later we explored Gyeongbokgung, the major palace of the Joseon Dynasty. Amongst numerous other atrocities during times of occupation, the Japanese actually destroyed this palace twice, once in 1592 and again in 1915. At present, much of the palace is still being reconstructed. I can understand why some Koreans still view their neighbors to the east with contempt.

After exploring the palace grounds we wandered around Insa-Dong market.

Later in the week we set off to grab some coffee at a unique café known as Dr. Fish, where you can receive a pedicure via little fish eating the dead skin off of your feet. It should be noted that this establishment came recommended by the knowledgeable folks at TheYeogiyo.com.

As soon as our feet were adequately feasted upon it was up to the top of Namsang Tower for a breathtaking view of the city.

Also managed to score another restaurant review at a fashionable little place called Baek Seju Maul while Rachael was in town. Here is a link to the website I’m writing for – NowSeoul.com- (it needs some work) but just for the sake of convenience I’ll post the review here as well.

So it’s Friday night and you’re looking for a trendy eatery in Seoul to fill both you and your date’s stomach before gallivanting around Hongik Dae. Naturally hundreds of restaurants in the greater Seoul area fit these criteria but why search around heedlessly when a hip little pub by the name of Baek SeJu Maul will satisfy your expectations and more without completely emptying your wallet. It’s very easy to get to. All you have to do is walk straight out Exit 3 of Sinchon Station for about three blocks. The red, neon entrance resembling a misshapen letter A will appear diagonally on your right.

The interior is wood paneling and intricate stonework above mellow marble floors. Red accents, sheet metal, and blue glass pillars under a dim, white ambiance make for a modish, relaxing atmosphere.

Our meal started with an ambush of three dishes accompanied by a pitcher of Ulin Saeng Baek Seju, a frozen alcoholic beverage that is peach colored and mixed with up to twelve traditional Chinese medicines, Gin-Sing being the most notable. The Baek Seju was initially very bitter but once your throat opens to the taste it goes down quite enjoyably.

The prettiest of the three dishes was Tang Pyeong Chae, consisting of shredded portions of baby shoots, egg, peppers, Mung-Bean sprouts, mushrooms, beef, dried seaweed, and an unusual green-bean jelly known as Chang Po.As my host mixed the neat, portioned rows, drizzling the concoction with a sesame balsamic, she explained that in centuries past only persons of noble descent were able to enjoy this dish.

My girlfriend’s favorite dish was Hukim Ja Dubu, a mild, wet tofu encrusted with black sesame and resting on a bed of pickled onions. The flavorful cubes of soy were garnished with thinly sliced, white chicken, orange sardine caviar, and sprouts.

The third dish of our first course was Gangjang Yangnyum Dak Tui Kim, moist and tender chicken nuggets, battered in rye and deep-fried before coming to rest on a bed of lettuce. The plate is decorated with sliced red and green peppers before receiving a soy, honey, and oyster dressing. Easily my favorite dish of the evening, I found myself shamelessly plotting against my fellow diners when but one crispy piece remained.

The second course was a fried seafood cake of welsh spring onions, red peppers, squid, prawn, mussels, rye, and ginger called Hae Mul Pa Jeon. It was a crunchy treat served with a gigantic bowl of 100% rice Makali and the pair tied the meal together quite effectively.

The service in Baek Seju Maul was friendly and timely at the start but the cumbersome dishes from the first course remained at the table long after their contents had been consumed and indirectly led to water spilling on my notes when the server sought a resting place for the second course. This is a minor complaint, I know, but as someone who has himself cleared thousands of tables in a high-end restaurant during the notorious college years I feel that efficient table management is basic modus operandi in the service industry and it therefore warrants a brief acknowledgment. But this minor hindrance borders on nit-picking when combined with the collective experience at Baek Seju Maul. The food is astounding and the chic atmosphere is a natural place to cultivate conversation amongst new and old friends alike. So call a date, make some plans, and spend your next weekend out at a sure-fire hit in the heart of Seoul.

The only other highlight of Rachael’s week in Korea that comes to mind is the fact that she smuggled four pounds of fresh Mexican Organic coffee here for me.No more of that cold sugary crap out of a can. Oh, and thanks to Fennario Coffee and Tobacco of West Chester, Pennsylvania for getting me hooked on the stuff. One more thing, I broke down and bought a domain name so is now www.deadlyquests.blogspot.com is just www.deadlyquests.com. Finally some legitimacy.

Cool Thing About Korea #24: School starts tomorrow! Yay!

Boracay, The Philippines: Paradise on Earth

“From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free. Buoyed by water, he can fly in any direction-up, down, sideways-by merely flipping his hand. Under water, man becomes an archangel”

I am unsure whether or not explorer Jacques Cousteau ever visited the Philippines, but I’m confident that he would find his own words to be most fitting in the crystal blue waters of Boracay. Yellow strings of light dance rhythmically on the soft, sandy bottom of transparent shallows that stretch a hundred yards before descending to unspoiled turquoise depths. When the sea is three fathoms deep you can dive head down, slowly exhaling until you touch the tan bottom. Eyes open it is possible to see 30 feet in every direction. Here I glide along the sand like a predator, picking out the treading movement of Rachael, distant through the blue veil. When my quarry is swimming directly over head I kick off the bottom and break to the surface like a torpedo. For hours we dive and play in the swimming pool-like waters, the cool sensation and magic scenery as tantalizing as it is irresistible. Of course there are countless images that can be conjured to praise the illustrious palm trees, gentle bamboo construction, and even the wonderful Filipinos themselves, but let’s not kid ourselves…if you’re in Boracay, it’s because of these perfect blue waters.

I must have taken 100 pictures of the coastline alone. Everyday as the tides shift it becomes a little different than the day before yet remains equally breathtaking. One of the most memorable moments of my life was spent sitting at a little plastic table on the beach, a Long Island the size of a car battery in hand, watching a sunset like no other. Heavy, scattered contingents of billowing clouds retreated over the horizon. Behind them the sky was on fire in every in every shade of yellow, orange, and red as if a massive battle was just coming to a close and the survivors were limping away to lick their wounds.

Speaking of battle, while on the island Rachael and I managed to attend an authentic Filipino Cockfight. For those of you who have never heard of this particular sport it essentially consists of taping razor blades to the feet of roosters and letting them fight to the death. I found it exhilarating. The screams of the crowd, the betting, the determined jabs and thrusts of the roosters. There are those who argue that such a sport is inhumane but consider this; all livestock are eventually led to the slaughter whether they like it or not. At least the fighting cocks, by honorable combat, are given the opportunity to determine their own fate in the arena. I do have to hand it to Rachael for accompanying me to such an event, as blood and gore are not really her forte. Surprisingly she remained complacent the entire time as if she simply switched off her senses. What a trooper!

There are many cool activities to try on Boracay, from sailing and Jet-skis to Kite-surfing and ATV rides. On one particular day Rachael and I joined a small group of foreigners for a day of snorkeling and island hopping. Aside from unparalleled interactions with marine-life we also enjoyed a buffet of native cuisine, laughing at the antics of local children, fabulous picture taking, and an all-day voyage on one of the island’s many slender out-rigger boats (the design of which I am convinced is to enable operation in shallow waters).




Also, though not an officially sponsored event, we did manage to do some amateur spelunking for which I captured some mediocre video.

As I am continually fascinated with machines and gadgets of all varieties it is impossible for me not to comment at least briefly on Boracay’s primary means of conveyance, the trike. Consisting of a large chariot bolted to the side of a small motorcycle, the trike pushes the limits of a 125cc motor by carrying, at times, six adults around the island. On hills that little engine absolutely screams. (Youtube disabled the audio for my Trike video because it uses a song by Deep Purple, but it's just as cool on the Blogger player below).

Our dwellings on the island were superb. We rented a large, bamboo hut at a highly recommended hostel called Frendz for about $20/day. The fenced compound lying under a canopy of palms and wild flora had eight large buildings, a tiny bar, and was only a five-minute walk from either of the two beaches. The Australian owner, Steve, goes out of his way to make sure that you are enjoying yourself. If you ever find yourself in Boracay I insist you try this secluded island retreat. You won’t be disappointed.

There are many other awesome things about Boracay that I would love to ramble on about (namely the restaurant scene and nightlife) but this is a humble blog entry, not Frommer’s Travel Guide. Please enjoy the pictures and videos. This week Rachael and I take on Korea.

Cool Thing About Boracay: This bar we passed that had a pet crab on a leash.

I've Got Two Tickets to Paradise

Absolute, unabated tranquility. A warm breeze lazily pushes its way through the palm tree canopy. Perched on a soft cushioned couch my feet explore the smooth contours of the lacquered bamboo floor. The subtle, humid moisture clinging to my arms and chest is not at all unpleasant. Like the rest of our quaint island bungalow, the veranda is assembled from dark timber, woven bamboo lattice, or thatched palm fronds. A few yards away I can see Steve, the Australian owner of this secluded get-away, sipping a beer at the bar. The compound is situated amongst vibrant tropical flowers and exotic foliage. The man made structures here have little impact on the natural setting, managing to harmoniously coexist. It's funny how only five months ago I was depressed and jobless, when now, exploring beaches most people only see on the Travel Channel with the most beautiful woman in the world, I can't remember ever being happier.

Tuesday night I made my way out to Incheon airport to pick up Rachael. I really didn't know what to expect because I hadn't seen her in over three months. Would she look different? Would we have anything to talk about? As soon as she walked through the gate smiles broke out on both of our faces and we rushed into each others arms. The moment was the the polar opposite of the last time I saw her, a cold rainy farewell outside of the Philadelphia Airport. We ended up having so much to talk about and I recall thinking that being Rachael's boyfriend was like riding a bike. It was a little strange to see each other in the flesh after such a long period. Rachael described it best when she said it was like seeing a 3D representation of a picture you've been staring at for months.

Back at my apartment I made Kimbap while Rachael got a shower because she smelled like a shoe. She went right to sleep because she'd been up for 20 odd hours. The next day we got some coffee and hiked Chilbo Mountain. Upon arriving at the top we saw a Huey helicopter climbing from the valley below. It was hauling a cargo of railroad ties from it's belly to be dropped at the radio station on the summit. The powerful rotor craft was an awesome sight maneuvering less than 50 yards from our vantage point and I cursed myself for not bringing my camera. Later we grabbed a quick lunch with my homie Jared Dubbs because he had yet to meet the hot girlfriend I keep bragging about and because he's leaving Korea for good to pursue other ESL opportunities. Jared, thanks for introducing me around Topdong. I'd be friendless in Korea without you. I wish you the best with your Hong Kong adventures. May our separate paths in life, whatever they may be, cross one day soon.

At 9:30 p.m. Rachael and I were back aboard an Airbus A320 for Manila. Pretty standard 3 hour flight that we passed watching Super Bad. There was a 7 hour layover in Manila. I managed a spotty sleep on the floor of the terminal while Rachael stretched out on a bench. At 7 a.m. we were escorted out to the tarmac to get on board a little turbo-prop island hopper. I was pretty tired of traveling at this point but really had no right to complain. Rachael had been on jets and buses for going on 40 hours. We were originally supposed to land in Caticlan, which is only a 20 minute boat ride from Boracay, but instead we had to land in Kalibo. The reason for this being that a plane had an "unbalanced landing (nice way of saying it crashed)" in Caticlan and the airport was closed. From Kalibo we had a 2 hour ride in a cramped minivan with 12 other vacationers. The van brought us to Caticlan Port Jetty, where we boarded one of many colorful outrigger boats. The boat ride to the island was a bit turmulous and there were points when we wondered whether or not the homemade outrigger would stay in one piece. Upon landing on Boracay we jumped in the back of a little truck and made our way to Station 1. There is a ton of little buildings at the drop off point so instead of wandering around aimlessly I paid a local 300 pesos to carry a bag and take us to Frendz Hostel.

We showered and ate lunch before heading to the western beach. The path through palm covered and vibrant villages broke onto bright, white sand leading down to the water. Many locals lounged worry free on rocky outcrops or at beach side drinking spots. We walked along the shore passing hundreds of the little outriggers, some floating a few yards out in the water, others being constructed on the beach, and still other just rotting wooden hulls left in tropical grasses.

Many times we'd pass a mangy little dog, who having his own stratagem in the works, showed a complete lack of interest in us. A quarter mile past where the outriggers littered the shore we found a gorgeous little cove that lay all but abandoned, save for the odd Filipino sleeping under a tree. We went for an unforgettable swim and took a ton of pictures.Later in the afternoon we explored the eastern beach. It is completely opposite from the western shore in that it boasts wild waves and fierce winds. This is where kite surfers come to fly and do tricks. The sand here is soft and jelly-like as it sinks between your toes and the waves are perfect for a little body surfing.

Eventually we got cleaned up for the night and went to dinner. Almost every bar here has a Buy One Get One happy hour from 4-7 p.m. For two rounds of cocktails and a large pizza we paid about $6 U.S. We had a few more beers with the owner of Frendz and some European tourists before calling it an early night. Plenty of awesome beaches and adventures yet to come but the Internet connection here is shoddy (it's takes about 20 minutes to upload a single picture) and...well...I'm on vacation. So while I'll try my best to update the blog, I may just wait till we get back to Korea to publish a really long entry.

Cool Thing About the Korea #23: It's close geographical proximity to The Philippines