PHOTOS!!!

City hall and the mountains

We just finished a meeting with Jeonju's vice mayor. It was filled
with protocol, official proclamations, and king words. He was quite
gracious.

We had a light lunch, by recent standards, at Chinese restaurant owned
by a Rotarian whose family emigrated from China before he was born. It
was nice meal and I was able to impress with a couple a phrases of
Chinese. The three phrases of thank you very much and good-bye
exhausted my Chinese vocabulary.

I'm sitting in our mini bus on a gorgeous sunny day driving through
the mountains that border Jeonju. I'm chillin to a nice music mix
from my iPod.

The scenery is breathtaking. We are going for a stroll in the
mountains. I can't wait.

By the way nearly all of my postings have been done with my IPhone in
"airplane" mode. That means only wifi with no telephone network.
Pretty amazing.

Although there is wifi nearly everywhere very few families have it in
the home, that's based off the 5 host families we are staying with.
This observation could quickly change.

PS. I have yet to Hawkeye, Radar, or Klinger. 8th graders ask you
parents, this is before your time.

Drum lessons

We stopped by a traditional Korea music school this morning besides
several performances with various instruments we recieved some music
lessons.

I learned the drums!!! And by learned to play the drums I banged on
drums for about ten minutes.

Wednesday, April 7th

Beautiful day in Jeonju! It's sunny and about 55 degrees.

We visited the Christian Broadcasting Company, radio and TV.

Afterwards, we stopped and took a couple of photos of the soccer
stadium in Jeonju. The stadium hosted several World Cup matches when
Korea and Japan co-hosted the World Cup in 2002.

Sent from my iPhone

Good Times!!!

It was a good day for Johnny!!!

This picture was after the brewery tour of "The Hite" brewery company.

This is me with friends of my host family who came for a visit. We may or may not have had some beers.

For a full description of the day, that doesn't invovle most of it by the way, check the link to my school blog that my students are following.

http://johnstephany.blogspot.com/

I like Hite!!!

The brewery tour was fantastic. I mean what else would you expect me
to say.

Everything was way hi tech. There were videos/propoganda and all kinds
of fun techie stuff.

The best part was the post brewery "tasting". I did my part and I can
honestly say Hite beer is pretty darn good.

Good day of touring and now we head back tp our gist families and
dinner.

Here is a photo of our gang enjoying "The Hite".

Brewery tour of the Hite Brewery

If I don't return to the states in a month you might check here.

www.goodtimetour.co.kr

Morning tour of Chonbuk National University

I had a wondeful home stay with Mr. Kim and Nam last night. Very
gracious hosts.

This morning we had a presentation from the people at Chonbuk National
University (CBNU). After the presentation we toured the CBNU with two
if their student ambassodors.

After that we visited Mr. Choi's (One of Rotary leaders of Jeonju)
home church. They have a simple church that still donates over
$500,000 a month to overseas missions.

The photo is our lunch spread, Korean BBQ.

Non School Update

Ok people. I'm in the the bedroom of my host family's home. I'll be here for about a three days. We've had a great but busy first couple of days.






Today we have,

1. Independantly toured the city of Jeonju post breakfast.
2. Has Korean Stew for lunch

YOU MUST CLICK THIS LINK AND DOWNLOAD THE VIDEO TO WATCH OUR MEAL IN "ACTION"

4. Toured a Catholic Cathedral in the old town.

5. TOured the Hanok Village. This in an older part of town that has traditional Korean Architecture and numerous historical sites.

6. Visited a totally magnifiscent elder activity or "wellness " center.

7. Had the official Rotary welcome banquet.

8. Came "home" to my host family.

Tommorrow we visit the Jeonbuk National University,an ecological preserve, and Hite Brewery.

Johnny is excited!!!!!

Photo Album of the day

2010.4.5 Jeonju

A "lively" lunch

It's been a fabulous day. We saw the Catholic cathedral in Jeonju
which dates over 200 yrs old.

We then toured the old town which has classic Korean architecture.
Very beautiful.

In the afternoon we toured a wonderful senior activity and wellness
facility. The place shamed most places in the US. And it was free to
any resident of the city over 60.

Oh, the photo below? Our lunch was a traditional Korea stew. One of
the more interesting ingrediants was a live octopus that was cut up in
front of us and placed in the dish which was cooked at the table.

The picture does not do the visual justice. The cut off tentacles
squirmmed until the were cooked. It was chewy but delicious!

Later.

Check out our ride!!

Batmobile step aside, here comes the Rotarymobile.

The arrival

We got picked up!!

Arrived safely in Seoul

Well folks i've arrived safely in Korea. The flight not bad at all.
It's 4:40 am on Easter Sunday here. Yes, we are 14 hours ahead. That
means I know who won the Final Four games.

We are getting picked up at @6am then a 3 hr ride south to Jeonju.

Many updates will follow.

MUST GET COFFEE!!!!

Last sunrise in Memphis till May 3rd

It's 10:30 on Friday night and I'm sitting in the international
terminal at Chicago's O'Hare airport. Our flight leaves at 1am. The
flight to Seoul is 14 hours.

I'm nervous and excited. Even though we have a schedule, see the
google calender on the right side of the page, there is still so many
unkown variables.

The most exciting thing about the trip is also the most apprehensive.
We will be staying with Korea familes the entire trip. It's a great
way to learn culture but it still presents many anxieties.

See you later Memphis!!!'

My upcoming trip to Korea

Another country, journey, and learning experience. On April 2, I head off to South Korea for a month.

Several questions probably come to mind.

• Another trip?


• During the school year?


• Do you ever work?


• Why Korea?


• Who did you black mail to get this?


• And my favorite REAL question from one of my students, “Are you in the CIA?”

I am heading to South Korea for a month with the Rotary Club’s Group Study Exchange Program. Here is the basic info on the program from the Rotary web site.

“The Rotary Foundation’s Group Study Exchange (GSE) program is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for businesspeople and professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 who are in the early stages of their careers. The program provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits in paired areas of different countries. For four to six weeks, team members experience the host country's culture and institutions, observe how their vocations are practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.

In a typical four-week tour, applicants participate in five full days of vocational visits, 15 to 20 club presentations, 10 to 15 formal visits and social events, two to three days at the district conference, three to four hours per day of cultural and site tours, and three to four hours per day of free time with host families.

For each team member, the Foundation provides the most economical round-trip airline ticket between the home and host countries. Rotarians in the host area provide for meals, lodging, and group travel within their district.” (Link for more info)

How did I hear about the program? Once you complete one of the teacher/travel programs it’s almost as if you have seen behind the curtain of the Great OZ. A friend who I completed my Fulbright to China with wife thought I would be a good candidate for the program. Yet another friend from one of these travel programs went to India with the program last year. And last but certainly not least, Melanie, my boss at the “H” gave me the OK to apply and totally supported me going once I was accepted. It’s really cool that my boss and school support me with something like this.

While I’m in Korea my students will be engaged in role play from Brown University’s Choices program (Link).

I taught one of their programs about Mexico at St. Albans last summer and found it quite effective. The students will study the history of the Korean Peninsula in general and then specifically the history of North Korea and South Korea relations in regards to the North Korean effort to become fully nuclear. They students will role play the stake holders in the region and what should be done. (Japan, Russia, United States, China, North, and South Korea). They will then write a five paragraph research essay about their personal opinions based on research. In addition I’ll be Skyping with them the entire month.

It’s going to be an adventure. I’ll post my schedule later on and give some more details about the trip. The funny thing besides watching M.A.S.H religiously, I really didn’t know much about Korea until I began my application process. The country is fascinating. Hopefully I, and more importantly my students, learn a lot.

Side note, I told some friends that this trip is actually a very dramatic plan for weight loss, fame, and fortune. Here is the plan as it stands now;

After spending a month in South Korea our group will fly out of Seoul. Since Seoul is near the border I’ll “accidently” wander across into communist North Korea. I’ll be captured immediately. Based on previous precedent I will be sent to a prison camp or kept in isolation. Although harsh, I think that either hard labor or isolation would provide the best scenario for dramatic weight loss. After a month or so, which by then I will be done with school and extremely svelte, I will be negotiated for by one William Jefferson Clinton. He comes and picks me up Pyongyang. Then a slimmed down J. Steph and Bill Clinton could would be two guys with a personal jet on the town, imagine what shenanigans and hijinks ensue. I arrive back in the US to a hero’s welcome. I do all the talk shows. I write a memoir and go on Oprah when she chooses it for her book of the month club. Then I have Craig Brewer make the movie version of my book. I may or may not seek out a few celebrity romances. I may choose to, “Disdain the whole Hollywood scene”. That decision will be up to my publicist, former White House spokesman, Ari Fleischer. Hey, he is helping Tiger Woods.

Sadly, I have given this plan a great deal of thought.

Who wouldn't want to meet this guy?

Former Pres. Clinton has negotiated this deal before

First day of spring on the rooftop

Enjoying some coffee on the roofdeck if my condo. The Mississippi is
fantastic on this first day of spring.

I'm making a list of all the stuff I have to do before taking of for
Korea in TWO WEEKS!!! Yikes.

Breakfast on Beale Street

Back in Memphis.

As a rule I think Beale Street is WAY to commercial but I lobe Miss
Polly's for breakfast.

I'm meeting some folks for a brewer's festival and needed to eat so
here I am.

Spring Break

I love the fact that despite my advancing age I still have spring break. The first weeken was spent moving a friend and then sitting around doing nothing. It was good.

I'm sitting in the Atlanta airport on my way to visit my Granpa Kerr in Hobe Sound, FL. My cousin, on Mom's side, is there also so we all should have a good time.

The only certainties, early bird specials and spring training baseball.

Out.

Sent from my iPhone

Spring Break

Photos of a snowy downtown Memphis

Check out the photos and photo slide show below.

A snowy Trolley line outside my condo.

The Arcade