Tuesday, 2/17/2009; 10:10 am
So it is finally happening. The arrival to the airport was nearly painless. After getting my bags checked in and saying goodbye to my parents, I went through security check with little fanfare other than the fact that my toothpaste was more than the required 3.4 oz. rule. It is rather surreal that I'm finally at O'Hare Airport within two hours of takeoff. I'll be going non-stop to Narita International Airport in Tokyo, Japan, and arrive there at 4:15 pm Korean Time. This is certainly a flight that I'm hardly ever used to. I am dreading the fact that I'll be on a plane for an entire day, but more the fact that I can never sleep on a plane and the goofy time zone that I must adjust to. I am eager to see the "culture shock" and see the gluttony of foreign signs,and cultural interaction between travellers. The minute that I land in Korea, I'll find myself scurring over through customs, claim my baggages, exchange my money, and head over to an Internet cafe. I am uneasy with the fact that I'm carrying more than I need, but it's a result of my size and the high cost of shipping.
Though I don't plan on reserving a hotel/hostel, I am fairly certain that I will not be able to sleep overnight due to jet lag and over-anxiousness. I am supposed to stop by at EPIK early in the morning, and take a shuttle bus to Dankook University in Chungnam. I am a little emotional in some ways. I never thought it would be difficult to say goodbye to my family, let alone my friends. I received an overwhelming number of support from people, even from those that I've lost contact with. I am incredibly grateful to have lived this kind of life, and be afforded the luxuries and blessings that I've been given. Though my parents may drive me crazy, I know deep down that they have continued to do their best to help me out, and support me despite my pig-headedness. Now, I am less than 20 minutes away from boarding. Before you know it, I'm leaving the home I love, if only just for a little bit.
2/17/2009 12:15 pm
Plane has just taken off. Tears are starting to burn my eyes a bit. Apparently, they mentioned the the flight may arrive early than expected. After all, anytime you can shorten a flight that's about 14 hours long is welcome by me in my book. Last night, as I was saying goodbye to my friends, I happened to hear from my old friend Dave Gavin whom I worked with years ago at the center. He informed that he was also headed to Korea that week. So, I am undeniably happy that I have the opportunity to re-establish our friendship, and have someone to hang out with over there. I can only hope that I will gain some new friends, build my network, earn the respect from my school, my students, and the EPIK program, and my personal independence from this experience. Chances are it's very likely it'll happen. I also hope I won't run into a myriad of problems that other teachers have faced. Other goals that stand out include learning how to cook, travel throughout Korea, and if possible, in parts of Asia, learn the language and culture, and be a good English teacher.
As I'm watching the Chicago skyline disappear from my view, I cannot help but think how long that process had been to teach overseas. I am glad that I have had the courage to pull this off, and hopefully have the opportunity to be a host to my loved ones, and perhaps resurrect my career goals and ambitions that have been, if lack for a better word, knocked into a vegetative state.
2/18/2009; 8:15 am
I've been on the plane for about 5 hours now, and the day has gone by fairly quickly, yet the plane ride is an eternity. Right now, my plane is crossing through Sarah Palin land, and I'm looking at the majestic snow-covered mountains that permeate most of Alaska, specifically in Juneau. I have several more hours till I reach Tokyo. I have yet to fall asleep on the plane, and sadly, I don't think I can make myself sleep if I wanted to. The food is well...your typical airline food. Microwaved chicken with artificial teriyaki sauce and egg noodles to go along with a small oatmeal cookie, bread and butter, and a small salad with sesame vinegar sauce. Right now, I'm hearing Madonna's "Holiday" through United Airlines' "XM radio" channel. Life is good.
2/18; 1pm.
About 10 hours into the flight, I seemingly feel that I just wasted a day, perhaps even two with the time zone change, that should be productive, I feel like I've already been away from Chicago for a year with this flight. However, this flight has been, for the most part, smooth and successful. However, I stopped listening to XM radio because they were playing their songs on repeat. The movies that they were showing, I could not find the channel it was on through my headphones. I am eager to see Narita, and have my true taste of stepping on foreign land (besides Canada). The sad part is, I have a short layover that I may not be able to get a stickin souvenir from there. Plus, I have to fly to Incheon from Tokyo for another 3 hours.
The rest of the day:
My plane finally reached Narita Airport after being delayed for several minutes, and everyone had to go through customs to reach their connecting flight. I must say Japan's airport is beautiful. I barely had any time; in fact, I only had an hour before the next boarding flight. So, I was off and taking rapid pictures. I can only wish I stayed there long enough to try the food, get a souvenir, and soak in the atmosphere for a little bit. Japan, I hardly knew ya, but I hold hopes of being able to make that trip during my stay in Korea.
When I was getting set for the next flight, I ran into a lady that will be teaching in a private language school in Incheon. Her name was Jacqueline, and she came from Gary, Indiana (close to Chicago) and had worked as a travel agent for years. We had talked throughout the entire plane ride about our goals, and hopefully be able to visit each other when time permits. It was 9:15 pm when my flight landed in Incheon. The airport is stunningly beautiful. There were English signs to go along with thei Korean language. I went with Jacqueline to get our luggages, and she had a bit of trouble going down the escalator with her carry-ons. At one point, her stuff dropped, and it caused everyone behind her to push into each other. A little comical to say the least. We took the subway to reach our baggage claim, and I'll tell you this much; their airport subway is amazingly clean and efficient, however, it was packed with so many people that it makes a Chicago CTA rush hour seem like a ghost town. We then parted ways, and we exchanged money at the currency. The Korean Won has recently been going down, so I was able to get a lot of money in return with my USD. However, this will make it tough for me to bring back more money when I come back home, so I'm keeping my fingers cross that the Korean won will not slide any further. I rented a cell phone, and even their cheapest rent-a-phones are actually still advanced than the standard phones in the US. I also came to the conclusion that staying overnight at an airport would be a ridiculous idea, especially when I realized that I started to reek, and that I cannot be in the same clothes that I've been wearing on my flight. I was lucky enough to find a hotel courtesty of the airport information desk. The hotel service picked me up within minutes for FREE, and took me to Incheon Airport Hotel which was about 15 minutes. During that ride, the highways are very similar to Chicago, and very westernized.
The ride was peaceful and surreal. I am actually going to be living in this country. The hotel that I'm staying in is terrific. Heated floors, huge shower room, TV, free coffee, water fountain, internet access, and a good bed to sleep in. However, the toilet is very goofy. I pressed the left button to "Start" after finishing what I needed to do. Next thing you know. The ceiling rained on me, and I was all wet from it. Well I'll leave you guys with a laugh on this one, but I have more to look forward to, and I couldn't be any more excited. Peace out!
Randy
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Half A World Away
In a matter of less than 36 hours, I will soon be moving away from the comfort confines of my own home, friends, family, town, Chicago, my home-state, country, and of course, Western culture. It didn't seem so long ago when I got laid off back in the summer, and was contemplating my next move when I stayed over at my friend's place down in Andersonville. In a matter of months, I had gone through the process of taking my TEFL certification classes, hunting down jobs, talking to various recruiters, mulling through job offers, getting the proper paperwork for my work visa, finishing off my travel checklist (i.e. bank account, shopping, bill payments), and trying to remain patient through my parents' incessant nagging. Now I'm within said hours from my 14-hr flight.
The popular question that I've been getting from many of you is “Are you nervous?” Truthfully, I haven't been feeling nervous at all during this whole time. In fact, I've been, for the most part, fairly subdued. If I wasn't getting the daily reminders from my friends and family, I probably would have made myself believe I wasn't going anywhere. As deeply excited as I am about this extravaganza, I have learned to remain humble, but more importantly, be appreciative about this transition. I have had quite a few things on my mind: 1) I am traveling for the first time by myself overseas, not to mention, working over there for at least a year. 2) I will be working for the first time in months, and will be doing full-time teaching for the first time ever. 3) I am living in a land where everyone kind of, sort of look like me, yet I'll feel somewhat out of place. I have this strange feeling that I'll end up attracting unneeded attention from the Koreans because of my height. For the record, there are hardly any Asians who reach above 6 ft. I'm sure the minute I land at Incheon International Airport, people will probably confuse me for Godzilla. Another downside about my uncommon Asian size is the lack of clothing and shoe size that would fit my need, thus creating more hell and agony by having to add more clothing and extra shoes and socks into my luggage. 4) Everything I'll be experiencing everyday will be new, rewarding, and imperfect.
On arrival, I'll most likely stay overnight at the airport, and await for my shuttle bus to take me to my orientation site. There, I will be training at Dankook University—Cheonan Campus in Chungnam which is approximately an hour south of Seoul for two weeks. "http://www.dankook.ac.kr/html/english/index.html). Originally, the training site was to be held in Seoul, but I was placed in the first orientation group to be trained in Chungnam. Though I would have loved to experience Seoul first-hand, I am actually more excited about being in the Chungnam province since it was an area that I was looking at before I accepted the position in Busan. Also, I am looking at the possibility after my first year to teach in that province.
Note: I will be rather busy for the first few weeks so I may not be able to make phone calls, or respond to email, Facebook, MySpace messages in a timely manner. I recently set up my Skype account. For those who aren't aware of what Skype is. It's an Internet phone/AIM/text service provider. It's free to install. The benefits include free calls between Skype users, low rates when calling a mobile/house number, and even cheaper rates internationally. Check out www.skype.com for further info. I highly recommend using it as I believe this will give me better outlet to reach many of you. You just have to buy yourself a microphone or headset.
On a sad note, I will be disconnecting my phone since it will not work overseas, and even if it does, the rates would be a little costly. I'm full of chagrin over giving up a number I've had for 6 years, but it is what it is. R.I.P. 630-776-0529. I don't have a phone number set up at the moment, but once that happens, I will keep you informed.
Lastly, I am thankful to everyone for taking the time to either attend one of my parties, hang out with me, send me your best wishes through email, Facebook, MySpace, and hear from you over the phone or on IM. It means that much to me and then some. You have made the last month incredibly memorable, and I couldn't have asked for better people to celebrate my upcoming journey with. As I've overstated many a times in previous messages, I am appreciative for the advice, love, and support that you have given me. I hope that I have done what I can to show my appreciation right back to you. I look forward to staying in touch and having the opportunity to share my new journey with all of you.
The popular question that I've been getting from many of you is “Are you nervous?” Truthfully, I haven't been feeling nervous at all during this whole time. In fact, I've been, for the most part, fairly subdued. If I wasn't getting the daily reminders from my friends and family, I probably would have made myself believe I wasn't going anywhere. As deeply excited as I am about this extravaganza, I have learned to remain humble, but more importantly, be appreciative about this transition. I have had quite a few things on my mind: 1) I am traveling for the first time by myself overseas, not to mention, working over there for at least a year. 2) I will be working for the first time in months, and will be doing full-time teaching for the first time ever. 3) I am living in a land where everyone kind of, sort of look like me, yet I'll feel somewhat out of place. I have this strange feeling that I'll end up attracting unneeded attention from the Koreans because of my height. For the record, there are hardly any Asians who reach above 6 ft. I'm sure the minute I land at Incheon International Airport, people will probably confuse me for Godzilla. Another downside about my uncommon Asian size is the lack of clothing and shoe size that would fit my need, thus creating more hell and agony by having to add more clothing and extra shoes and socks into my luggage. 4) Everything I'll be experiencing everyday will be new, rewarding, and imperfect.
On arrival, I'll most likely stay overnight at the airport, and await for my shuttle bus to take me to my orientation site. There, I will be training at Dankook University—Cheonan Campus in Chungnam which is approximately an hour south of Seoul for two weeks. "http://www.dankook.ac.kr/html/english/index.html). Originally, the training site was to be held in Seoul, but I was placed in the first orientation group to be trained in Chungnam. Though I would have loved to experience Seoul first-hand, I am actually more excited about being in the Chungnam province since it was an area that I was looking at before I accepted the position in Busan. Also, I am looking at the possibility after my first year to teach in that province.
Note: I will be rather busy for the first few weeks so I may not be able to make phone calls, or respond to email, Facebook, MySpace messages in a timely manner. I recently set up my Skype account. For those who aren't aware of what Skype is. It's an Internet phone/AIM/text service provider. It's free to install. The benefits include free calls between Skype users, low rates when calling a mobile/house number, and even cheaper rates internationally. Check out www.skype.com for further info. I highly recommend using it as I believe this will give me better outlet to reach many of you. You just have to buy yourself a microphone or headset.
On a sad note, I will be disconnecting my phone since it will not work overseas, and even if it does, the rates would be a little costly. I'm full of chagrin over giving up a number I've had for 6 years, but it is what it is. R.I.P. 630-776-0529. I don't have a phone number set up at the moment, but once that happens, I will keep you informed.
Lastly, I am thankful to everyone for taking the time to either attend one of my parties, hang out with me, send me your best wishes through email, Facebook, MySpace, and hear from you over the phone or on IM. It means that much to me and then some. You have made the last month incredibly memorable, and I couldn't have asked for better people to celebrate my upcoming journey with. As I've overstated many a times in previous messages, I am appreciative for the advice, love, and support that you have given me. I hope that I have done what I can to show my appreciation right back to you. I look forward to staying in touch and having the opportunity to share my new journey with all of you.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Closer and Closer
As the days are starting to count down, I got most of the important paperwork out of the way despite having a nearly fatal mental lapse last week.
I received my visa approval and passport from the Korean Consulate last Monday in downtown Chicago. As I was heading back towards the Metra station, I stopped by at the FedEx/Kinkos on Wacker and Washington to make photo copies of each. As I gathered my important documents into my brown envelope, I made my way towards the train, and quietly assumed that everything had finally been taken care of.
Two days later, I was on the phone with ESL Job Network (the recruiting place that hired me) and asked that I double-checked my visa to see if it allowed me to make multiple entries to and from the country. As I was searching for my passport with my visa, I noticed that it was not in the brown envelope. I looked in my bag, no luck. I searched high and low in my room, and still no luck finding the darn thing. It was then that I came to the realization that I had actually left it in the city.
The next 5 minutes, I can feel the lava boiling through my head, but somehow gathered enough sense to think of where I last placed my passport. Two places: Kinkos or the Metra. I can assure you Metra was not the answer I was hoping for. I called up Kinkos, and to my great relief, they have it in their possession. So this ended my 5 minutes of horror and anguish.
I booked my flight to Incheon International Airport through STA Travel (www.statravel.com). I found their rates to be reasonably fair, and their customer service excellent. Their website also provided discount rates on phone cards, international cell phones, and other travel equipment.
I recently threw a farewell party at North Beach in Downers Grove, IL. Thank you to those that took the time to visit and celebrate with me. It was a wonderful time, and I can assure you my debut live band karaoke performance was one for the ages. This Saturday, I will be throwing another farewell party in the city. Before you know it, I will have a little over a week before my final departure date.
Let the good times roll this week......
I received my visa approval and passport from the Korean Consulate last Monday in downtown Chicago. As I was heading back towards the Metra station, I stopped by at the FedEx/Kinkos on Wacker and Washington to make photo copies of each. As I gathered my important documents into my brown envelope, I made my way towards the train, and quietly assumed that everything had finally been taken care of.
Two days later, I was on the phone with ESL Job Network (the recruiting place that hired me) and asked that I double-checked my visa to see if it allowed me to make multiple entries to and from the country. As I was searching for my passport with my visa, I noticed that it was not in the brown envelope. I looked in my bag, no luck. I searched high and low in my room, and still no luck finding the darn thing. It was then that I came to the realization that I had actually left it in the city.
The next 5 minutes, I can feel the lava boiling through my head, but somehow gathered enough sense to think of where I last placed my passport. Two places: Kinkos or the Metra. I can assure you Metra was not the answer I was hoping for. I called up Kinkos, and to my great relief, they have it in their possession. So this ended my 5 minutes of horror and anguish.
I booked my flight to Incheon International Airport through STA Travel (www.statravel.com). I found their rates to be reasonably fair, and their customer service excellent. Their website also provided discount rates on phone cards, international cell phones, and other travel equipment.
I recently threw a farewell party at North Beach in Downers Grove, IL. Thank you to those that took the time to visit and celebrate with me. It was a wonderful time, and I can assure you my debut live band karaoke performance was one for the ages. This Saturday, I will be throwing another farewell party in the city. Before you know it, I will have a little over a week before my final departure date.
Let the good times roll this week......
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Preparation in the Coming Weeks
As the days are starting to count down to my eventual departure, I am relieved at how much my work is nearly complete after 2 months of recruiters, job offers, and a never-ending amount of paperwork, not to mention my rigorous TEFL certification course I took the month before.
On the day of inauguration, my brother Tony called to inform me that my contract and my documents had arrived from Korea. Beaming with joy, I took the documents over to the Korean Consulate in downtown Chicago at the NBC Tower building to get my visa finalized on Thursday. I'll be picking up my visa either on Monday or Tuesday.
Speaking of inauguration, I was doing my volunteer work at the McCormick Freedom Museum (check out www.freedommuseum.us) that day, and spent the morning watching the inauguration parade & speech in the theater. Next to the Tribune building, there was a large gathering outside in the plaza. I must admit watching the speech did give me the goosebumps, however, as hopeful and excited as I am about the new direction, I am deeply concerned about our government's role in attempting to rescue our nation from the financial hell that has continued to plague us. Like most Americans, I still carry greater doubt about whether our US government is capable of providing relief from the credit market, and bring back the jobs that have been lost. However, I hope that those who showed their enthusiasm during the election and inauguration will keep a closer eye on the Obama administration as well as Congress to keep track of their progress, and have an input in their decision-making.
Rewinding back to my last subject:
My family's reaction to my decision to live in Korea was met with encouragement and support. I couldn't be any more grateful for it, as this will make the next few weeks of preparation be a little less stress-inducing. I have two farewell parties coming up, one this upcoming Friday, and the other on the following weekend. Both of which, I am definitely excited about. However, the last several days, I have finally started to realize the magnitude of my teaching decision. I realized that I'll be leaving behind the great city of Chicago, and even Westmont, but more importantly, my good friends and family. I'll miss my familiar surroundings, the food, Chicago baseball, the upcoming concerts and shows, not to mention Lollapalooza, and a plethora of other activities that I can only enjoy in the US.
However, I kindly remind myself daily of what the last few months were like trying to find a job, and not having any kind of reassurance of what tomorrow would bring. That usually does the trick ;). All I have left is purchasing my one-way ticket, picking up my visa, and getting the necessary items with me during my stay.
As far as location is concerned, I'll presumably be in the Busan area as I'm under the EPIK's Busan Metropolitan Board. Busan is in the Southeast coast of Korea, and many others have compared it to San Francisco, in terms of climate and it's thriving tourism industry and business growth. Busan (pronounced Pusan) is the second largest city in Korea, next to Seoul. It's a city that holds at least 3 million people, but many more in its province. Companies like Hyundai, Daewoo, Samsung are well represented in the city. It also has an American military base there, so the likelihood of having access to English-speaking Koreans and Westerners are favorable compared to other regions besides Seoul. Hopefully after my contract is done, I might be looking into the schools in the Chungnam Province as they are paid well there, and they have built a solid reputation in taking care of its English teachers, as well as their government's role in making Chungnam as a possible future capital of South Korea.
Right now, my concerns are having everything ready before I depart, but more importantly, being prepared to teach and motivate students to learn the English language. I am going to start look into different lesson plans, and other activities that will not only help students, but lessen the migraines of having to teach the irregular verbs, or explaining the use of idioms to students.
Signing off,
Randy
P.S. Is it just me, or is my governor Rod Blagojevich becoming more delusional? After getting caught on tape urging the firing of the Tribune's Editorial Board, the gov'nor is actually begging the board to help aid him in his fight against the corruption charges he is facing. Plus, he is scheduled to be on Good Morning America and The View to continue his fruitless fight against his impeachment. This man seems to know no boundaries, and is clearly beyond impaired to run my homestate. Sadly, I wished Illinois had already knew that about Blago years ago.
On the day of inauguration, my brother Tony called to inform me that my contract and my documents had arrived from Korea. Beaming with joy, I took the documents over to the Korean Consulate in downtown Chicago at the NBC Tower building to get my visa finalized on Thursday. I'll be picking up my visa either on Monday or Tuesday.
Speaking of inauguration, I was doing my volunteer work at the McCormick Freedom Museum (check out www.freedommuseum.us) that day, and spent the morning watching the inauguration parade & speech in the theater. Next to the Tribune building, there was a large gathering outside in the plaza. I must admit watching the speech did give me the goosebumps, however, as hopeful and excited as I am about the new direction, I am deeply concerned about our government's role in attempting to rescue our nation from the financial hell that has continued to plague us. Like most Americans, I still carry greater doubt about whether our US government is capable of providing relief from the credit market, and bring back the jobs that have been lost. However, I hope that those who showed their enthusiasm during the election and inauguration will keep a closer eye on the Obama administration as well as Congress to keep track of their progress, and have an input in their decision-making.
Rewinding back to my last subject:
My family's reaction to my decision to live in Korea was met with encouragement and support. I couldn't be any more grateful for it, as this will make the next few weeks of preparation be a little less stress-inducing. I have two farewell parties coming up, one this upcoming Friday, and the other on the following weekend. Both of which, I am definitely excited about. However, the last several days, I have finally started to realize the magnitude of my teaching decision. I realized that I'll be leaving behind the great city of Chicago, and even Westmont, but more importantly, my good friends and family. I'll miss my familiar surroundings, the food, Chicago baseball, the upcoming concerts and shows, not to mention Lollapalooza, and a plethora of other activities that I can only enjoy in the US.
However, I kindly remind myself daily of what the last few months were like trying to find a job, and not having any kind of reassurance of what tomorrow would bring. That usually does the trick ;). All I have left is purchasing my one-way ticket, picking up my visa, and getting the necessary items with me during my stay.
As far as location is concerned, I'll presumably be in the Busan area as I'm under the EPIK's Busan Metropolitan Board. Busan is in the Southeast coast of Korea, and many others have compared it to San Francisco, in terms of climate and it's thriving tourism industry and business growth. Busan (pronounced Pusan) is the second largest city in Korea, next to Seoul. It's a city that holds at least 3 million people, but many more in its province. Companies like Hyundai, Daewoo, Samsung are well represented in the city. It also has an American military base there, so the likelihood of having access to English-speaking Koreans and Westerners are favorable compared to other regions besides Seoul. Hopefully after my contract is done, I might be looking into the schools in the Chungnam Province as they are paid well there, and they have built a solid reputation in taking care of its English teachers, as well as their government's role in making Chungnam as a possible future capital of South Korea.
Right now, my concerns are having everything ready before I depart, but more importantly, being prepared to teach and motivate students to learn the English language. I am going to start look into different lesson plans, and other activities that will not only help students, but lessen the migraines of having to teach the irregular verbs, or explaining the use of idioms to students.
Signing off,
Randy
P.S. Is it just me, or is my governor Rod Blagojevich becoming more delusional? After getting caught on tape urging the firing of the Tribune's Editorial Board, the gov'nor is actually begging the board to help aid him in his fight against the corruption charges he is facing. Plus, he is scheduled to be on Good Morning America and The View to continue his fruitless fight against his impeachment. This man seems to know no boundaries, and is clearly beyond impaired to run my homestate. Sadly, I wished Illinois had already knew that about Blago years ago.
Monday, January 19, 2009
White Sox signing Colon
After shedding several lbs during the holiday off-season which included dumping Joe Crede, Nick Swisher, Orlando Cabrera, Juan Uribe, Javy Vazquez, and Ken Griffey Jr, the Sox gained a few more back by signing the oft-injured, portulant right-hander Bartolo Colon to a one-year, $1 million dollar deal with incentives to be their fourth or fifth starter behind a rotation which includes Mark Buehrle, John Danks, Gavin Floyd.
Colon, who played for the Sox in 2003, was among one of MLB's finest. He flashed sheer brilliance during his time with the Indians, Expos, and the Angels. He had an explosive fastball and was a dominant workhorse, working 200+ innings during the majority of his career. However, Colon has struggled to stay healthy since winning the Cy Young in 2005, and has lost some velocity on his 97-99 mph fastball.
Colon, as many Sox fans should remember, turned down a three-year, $30 million dollar contract with the White Sox to sign with the Angels. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf has made it no secret over the years of his disdain for offering pitchers long-term contracts. While that philosophy may have dampened hopes of them ever landing a prized ace in the free-agent market, it has saved the Sox from potentially tying themselves up on risky, and expensive contracts.
Classic examples of unsuccessful pitchers with long-term contracts which include Pedro Martinez, Darren Dreifort, Chan Ho Park, and Mike Hampton have continued to give credibility to Reinsdorf's philosophy. While many Chicago sports fans have made it a hobby to second-guess the chairman's decision making, the man is right on the mark. Colon's career after the Sox has proven just that.
Colon's departure eventually led to the trade for Freddy Garcia. As Colon made his early impact with the Angels, he was unable to pitch in the ALCS series against “you know who” in 2005. Since then, his career has failed to resemble his 2005 Cy Young season, and contributed to the Angels' unsuccessful run at capturing their second World Series during his tenure.
Now that Colon has signed with the Sox, I wonder if he is even capable of producing 25-30 starts, and if he can successfully alter his delivery to make up for the partial loss of his arm velocity. However, the investment in Colon is far less risky, and will produce greater competition among other candidates like Clayton Richard, Jeff Marquez, Lance Broadway, and Aaron Poreida.
GM Kenny Williams, as many Sox fans know, has a knack for re-signing his former players again and again (i.e. Carl Everett, the Alomar brothers, Esteban Loaiza, Gio Gonzalez to name a few). Despite the signing of Colon, Williams is sure to hear the second-guessing from fans who were clamoring for former Sox Jon Garland and Freddy Garcia, as well as Ben Sheets, or Randy Wolf, all of whom have seen their value drop enormously due to the current economic climate.
I am excited to see the potential of a career rebirth for the big guy. We have seen Williams greatly maximize his investments in the past on guys like Carlos Quentin, Alexei Ramirez, AJ Pierzynski, Jermaine Dye, Gavin Floyd, and John Danks. Let's hope that Colon will literally and figuratively fit into Kenny's shop for the '09 season.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Welcome Everyone!
After months of procrastinating, I am finally relieved, yet excited to launch the debut of my new blog titled "Randall and Kimball." After leaving the Oasis concert at AllState Arena on a cold, bruising, and unforgiving December night, I took the #81 bus to the Lawrence Red Line stop to sleep overnight at my friend's place in Uptown/Andersonville. It was during that long bus ride from Jefferson Park to Lawrence that I happen to notice the Kimball Brown Line station. When I was taking my TEFL certification class, I would take the brown line up to Montrose; Kimball is the last stop on that line. After boring myself of listening to the audible CTA voice that would say "Next stop at ________ and Lawrence," I figured it would be slightly amusing to have a bus stop named "Randall and Kimball." The name is a satirical take on my birth name, and also pays homage to my favorite CTA line.
After graduating from UIC in May 2007, I soon discovered how much different my expectations would be. I was coming off a successful internship at Comcast SportsNet Chicago, and had ended my last semester at UIC on a very positive note. I soon began to acquire new connections, and started networking throughout the Chicagoland area in hopes of landing a job in media. During that summer, I kept striking out, and worked at a job I wasn't particularly thrilled at. This past summer, I was laid off and went on a full-blown job search that yielded very little returns. It was during that summer that I decided to look into the possibility of teaching overseas.
As the economy sank further and further into the abyss, I realized how much more lucrative the idea of teaching overseas would be. There was nothing for me lose at this point. So, I went ahead and took classes for my TEFL certification in the Fall, and applied for jobs in South Korea. Soon afterwards, I accepted an English-teaching position in Korea through the EPIK (English Program in Korea) Korean Ministry of Education program. Once I receive my work visa, I should be ready to leave towards the end of February, and be placed near the Busan metropolitan area (Southeast Korea) teaching middle to high school students.
I am eagerly excited about the opportunity to live overseas for the first time ever. Granted, it is nerve-wracking; however, I am up for the new, everyday challenges that should soon await me. After spending the last year and a half with so much uncertainty and restlessness, I am anxious to start 2009 in a proactive approach.
With this blog, I greatly look forward to sharing many of my intimate stories throughout my journey with all of you. I am also aiming to use this blog as a resource for those who are interested in teaching and living abroad, and as an outlet to discuss events and issues that impact our society today. Thank you and I look forward to having you as my readers :-)
Sincerely,
Randy Kim
After graduating from UIC in May 2007, I soon discovered how much different my expectations would be. I was coming off a successful internship at Comcast SportsNet Chicago, and had ended my last semester at UIC on a very positive note. I soon began to acquire new connections, and started networking throughout the Chicagoland area in hopes of landing a job in media. During that summer, I kept striking out, and worked at a job I wasn't particularly thrilled at. This past summer, I was laid off and went on a full-blown job search that yielded very little returns. It was during that summer that I decided to look into the possibility of teaching overseas.
As the economy sank further and further into the abyss, I realized how much more lucrative the idea of teaching overseas would be. There was nothing for me lose at this point. So, I went ahead and took classes for my TEFL certification in the Fall, and applied for jobs in South Korea. Soon afterwards, I accepted an English-teaching position in Korea through the EPIK (English Program in Korea) Korean Ministry of Education program. Once I receive my work visa, I should be ready to leave towards the end of February, and be placed near the Busan metropolitan area (Southeast Korea) teaching middle to high school students.
I am eagerly excited about the opportunity to live overseas for the first time ever. Granted, it is nerve-wracking; however, I am up for the new, everyday challenges that should soon await me. After spending the last year and a half with so much uncertainty and restlessness, I am anxious to start 2009 in a proactive approach.
With this blog, I greatly look forward to sharing many of my intimate stories throughout my journey with all of you. I am also aiming to use this blog as a resource for those who are interested in teaching and living abroad, and as an outlet to discuss events and issues that impact our society today. Thank you and I look forward to having you as my readers :-)
Sincerely,
Randy Kim
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