Not much to report today. Went to school, went to work. At school, learned how to write up advertisements in the paper (there is a shorthand ending used only for memos and short notes like ads - talk about complicated). At work, edited/rewrote a speech that the former president of the Korea Foundation is going to give in Hawaii at a ceramics exhibition that is part of celebrating 100 years of Korean immigration to the States.

I wish I were going to Hawaii. I have a hankering to see the ocean.

For those interested, there was an article about the centennial on the front page of the Washington Post last week (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47604-2003Jan12.html); the Smithsonian is holding an exhibit somewhere. Shout-out to my pal Soo in DC for forwarding the piece.

Am slowly going through a book of Chinese characters, learning one by one. Beautiful, the characters, and fun to learn, but going quite slowly. At present rate, should reach the high school graduate level of comprehension (about 1,800 characters) in, say, 2020.

Oh yeah! For anyone who's planning to visit during my spring break, please let me know. Several have expressed interest, and I'd like to know whose plans are firming up. If you wanted to make it in the spring and find that you can't, that's cool -- come visit in the summer!

(By the way, my breaks from school are not the only times you are welcome here -- they are just the periods during which I have the most free time. If you're an independent kind of traveler anyway, and don't mind going around town by yourself during the day, you're welcome to come on over any time.)