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Random predictions for the future!

I've been having quite a bit of fun researching silly little things lately. Like Real Estate prices in different parts of North America and using ex-shipping containers in housing projects. Also, how wealth is created and destroyed in general. I find it fascinating how many areas there are that once were economically prosperous but now have huge amounts of abandoned housing, such as large parts of Michigan. There are even places in Florida and New York that are incredibly cheap due to the bad influences that abandoned housing tends to create. I wonder how long it will be until all of the urban land... yes, I mean all of it, is used. Urban sprawl can't spread on forever.

I find it fascinating just how valuable land in urban Alberta has become. Most sites I checked state two major factors. Firstly, $70 a barrel Oil, secondly Alberta is the only province without PST. Alberta still has lots of open land, it doesn't make a ton of sense in my mind that Oil extraction should boost housing prices in Fort McMurray as substantially as it has. Also, why are housing prices in Edmonton being strongly affected? Are there really that many people interested in a five hour commute to work?

Anyway, there are two underlying factors that affect the price of houses... and everything else for that matter. The cost of the labour involved and the cost of the materials.

Random predictions for the future!

I've been having quite a bit of fun researching silly little things lately. Like Real Estate prices in different parts of North America and using ex-shipping containers in housing projects. Also, how wealth is created and destroyed in general. I find it fascinating how many areas there are that once were economically prosperous but now have huge amounts of abandoned housing, such as large parts of Michigan. There are even places in Florida and New York that are incredibly cheap due to the bad influences that abandoned housing tends to create. I wonder how long it will be until all of the urban land... yes, I mean all of it, is used. Urban sprawl can't spread on forever.

I find it fascinating just how valuable land in urban Alberta has become. Most sites I checked state two major factors. Firstly, $70 a barrel Oil, secondly Alberta is the only province without PST. Alberta still has lots of open land, it doesn't make a ton of sense in my mind that Oil extraction should boost housing prices in Fort McMurray as substantially as it has. Also, why are housing prices in Edmonton being strongly affected? Are there really that many people interested in a five hour commute to work?

Anyway, there are two underlying factors that affect the price of houses... and everything else for that matter. The cost of the labour involved and the cost of the materials.

It was a sunny day in Suwon today, which is unusual, as usually a blanket of smog covers the sky. Think London fog. As such, I figured I'd take a whole bunch of pictures on my way to work. However, I only ended up taking a few...

Picture #1. This wouldn't be a picture if I had had access to a scanner. I didn't have much luck capturing the true contrast with my camera Perhaps I should have taken the drawings outside in order to capture them in full sunlight. I am proud of this drawing of my hand. It was one of the exercises I did from the book "Drawing on the Right side of the brain". I'd recommend the book. I've been enjoying it immensely.

Picture #2. This started out as a perspective exercise, however I got kind of lazy with it. I added the piano after the fact and it shows. I'm amused that it appears that the piano is falling towards.... nowhere really. Artistic license or something.

I've been considering mentioning that these updates are approximately weekly. That's sort of the intent. I have a list going of things I want to think through anyway, the writing process assists with the thought processing, and you my dear reader, have something to ponder or enjoy depending the piece of writing.

1. Who says you can't teach more than just language in an ESL environment?

One of the students in my adult class has a masters degree in physics. The class discussion started with where one might like to live. He mentioned at a space station and well, one thing led to another and it became very clear that an explanation of the theory of relativity was in order. This individual is usually a little quiet when it comes to more ordinary English language topics, but he did a great job explaining relative theory to the class. :) A great impromptu speech. I love it when I get an opportunity to direct class in such a way that learning beyond mere language practice occurs.

I've been considering mentioning that these updates are approximately weekly. That's sort of the intent. I have a list going of things I want to think through anyway, the writing process assists with the thought processing, and you my dear reader, have something to ponder or enjoy depending the piece of writing.

1. Who says you can't teach more than just language in an ESL environment?

One of the students in my adult class has a masters degree in physics. The class discussion started with where one might like to live. He mentioned at a space station and well, one thing led to another and it became very clear that an explanation of the theory of relativity was in order. This individual is usually a little quiet when it comes to more ordinary English language topics, but he did a great job explaining relative theory to the class. :) A great impromptu speech. I love it when I get an opportunity to direct class in such a way that learning beyond mere language practice occurs.

Korea: Ex-pat's experience a microcosm

I'm fascinated by the tightly knit community that exists within the several thousand foreigners that live here. Microcosms exist all over the world via various social groupings, however, this one is stronger than any other I've experienced.

Pro's:
-barter is alive and well in this system. For example, I'm trading English for Piano and Music Theory for Art.
-it's trivial to converse with new people. A standard where are you from and why are you here is usually enough to get the conversational ball rolling
-people in this microcosm usually have a bit of free time, and are willing to try new things

Con's:
-physical distance between the connexions of the people in this microcosm is large. Transport times are large to get a few together; at least this is the case from my location
-difficult to meet the full-range of folk; tend to just meet the computer-savvy
-a greater challenge to find social groups and organizations that are tailored to oneself

I love the microcosm feeling. It's amazing how in a country where there are over 20 million people living within a two hour radius of me, it feels more like I live in a village. Of course my nearest neighbours out side of the microcosm are very close, my neighbours within my my microcosm are all far away. All the conveniences of a major metropolis with the gossip problems of a village. It's interesting.

Benefits of corruption in the Korean post-secondary education system

Korea: Ex-pat's experience a microcosm

I'm fascinated by the tightly knit community that exists within the several thousand foreigners that live here. Microcosms exist all over the world via various social groupings, however, this one is stronger than any other I've experienced.

Pro's:
-barter is alive and well in this system. For example, I'm trading English for Piano and Music Theory for Art.
-it's trivial to converse with new people. A standard where are you from and why are you here is usually enough to get the conversational ball rolling
-people in this microcosm usually have a bit of free time, and are willing to try new things

Con's:
-physical distance between the connexions of the people in this microcosm is large. Transport times are large to get a few together; at least this is the case from my location
-difficult to meet the full-range of folk; tend to just meet the computer-savvy
-a greater challenge to find social groups and organizations that are tailored to oneself

I love the microcosm feeling. It's amazing how in a country where there are over 20 million people living within a two hour radius of me, it feels more like I live in a village. Of course my nearest neighbours out side of the microcosm are very close, my neighbours within my my microcosm are all far away. All the conveniences of a major metropolis with the gossip problems of a village. It's interesting.

Benefits of corruption in the Korean post-secondary education system

Front Page

The New York Times, The Calgary Herald, The London Post; these don't contain family names. They have a name of a place followed by something that suggests there is going to be writing. If times, herald and post were family names, I'd have called this entry "The Suwon Welz".

Late Breaking News

Quite By accident I just read an interesting discussion with someone I'd never heard of. A discussion the predates the birth of my parents. I was looking for the origin of a quote and this piece popped up. http://www.freeweb.hu/tchl/the_collected_works_of_j.krishnamurti_vol_7/1952-12-24_rajghat_13th_talk_to_boys_and_girls_24th_december_1952.html
I loved reading this because it shows just how timeless writing and speech can be.

City & Community
The magic of volunteering

Front Page

The New York Times, The Calgary Herald, The London Post; these don't contain family names. They have a name of a place followed by something that suggests there is going to be writing. If times, herald and post were family names, I'd have called this entry "The Suwon Welz".

Late Breaking News

Quite By accident I just read an interesting discussion with someone I'd never heard of. A discussion the predates the birth of my parents. I was looking for the origin of a quote and this piece popped up. http://www.freeweb.hu/tchl/the_collected_works_of_j.krishnamurti_vol_7/1952-12-24_rajghat_13th_talk_to_boys_and_girls_24th_december_1952.html
I loved reading this because it shows just how timeless writing and speech can be.

City & Community
The magic of volunteering

Update: March 29th. I forgot to publish this, sorry. You'll be pleased to hear after reading about the cocoa quandry that the cocoa has been restored!

1. All choices have many facets (The different factors involved in choosing to serve cocoa)

As the reward of cocoa has been taken away from both students and faculty alike at my school, I got to thinking about how incredibly complex one can make the choice of whether or not to serve cocoa. I imagine that I am the only faculty member that misses the cocoa being that I don't drink Coffee. I'm not bitter about this. It's arguably good for my health anyway to not be drinking cocoa. This all came about when it was decided that students were too apt to make a mess with the cocoa powder. Due to the actions of a few children who weren't as clean as the others, all are affected. Anyway, I digress.

Pro's:
- Students and I enjoy drinking cocoa. Arguably this improves staff and student retention
- it improves the revenue of the cocoa manufacturer and the paper cup manufacturer
-possibly happier students

Con's:
- allowing students to drink cocoa at school involves using non-recycled paper cups. It needn't be, but such is the case.
- creates additional work in both the cleaning of the cocoa table and cleaning the occasionally spilled cup of cocoa
- fossil fuels are consumed in heating the water for the cocoa (doubly so in summer when the energy released from the heated liquid must be air conditioned)
- increased shopping time for cups and cocoa
- potentially the student body is less able to learn due to the distracting nature of sugar highs
- increased costs