A Couple Of Eightballs

Hung out at Owl Farm from October 7-11 celebrating "port season" and fall colors.

Saw friend Kelly Tjaden (left, with Owsley), who was starting a part-time gig at High Camp, a nearby backcountry outpost adjacent to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. As Kelly emerged from yet another wilderness excursion, we couldn't miss the opportunity for a "Dirty Face" pizza at Headwaters Inn near Lake Wenatchee.

The Headwaters Inn, a rustic bar located on a flood plain, is a popular watering hole adjacent to Lake Wenatchee State Park, Nason Creek and the Wenatchee River.

Kelly and I shot a couple of games of "stick" while we waited for our pizza. Though not very practiced, both of us are decent at pool. We each won one game when the other scratched on the final shot on the eightball, so we must not be as good as we think.

On Friday, Kelly went back to High Camp for the night while I cut firewood at Owl Farm. We have what amounts to a two-acre woodland -- in various stages of growth and decay -- that includes a variety of conifers, including douglas fir, lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, western red cedar, western white pine, grand fir (also known as "white fir"), engelmann spruce and western hemlock.

My favorite firewood is lodgepole pine, followed by "doug fir." Both have good BTU values (British Thermal Units, a measurement of energy potential) and lodgepole is exceedingly aromatic.

As you might expect, we have slash piles to burn in the fall, and friends Roger Wallace, Chuck and Jackie Ferguson helped us burn a pile on Saturday while we listened to the UO Ducks play the UCLA Bruins on Saturday, October 10.

Afterward, we went down to our beach at the junction of the Wenatchee and Chiwawa (below) Rivers, followed by a potluck party at Dave Wiley's house across the Wenatchee River from Owl Farm, where we had the opportunity to visit with old friends Roger Ross, John Squadroni and many other local denizens of Plain.

Of course, a fall trip to the Wenatchee Valley is not complete without a stop at Prey's Fruit Barn in Leavenworth for some gravenstein and golden delicious apples on my way back to Oregon.

On Saturday, October 24, Rebecca and I traveled up I-5 to Seattle for the annual Duck-Husky football fracas. We left Eugene at 6:30 a.m. and arrived at the city limits of Seattle at 11 a.m., making pretty good time on an early Saturday morning. However, as soon as we hit Seattle the traffic slowed to a crawl. Good thing we left when we did, because after finding a parking space on the west side of the UW campus and hiking over the hill at Montlake, we arrived at Husky Stadium about two minutes before kick-off.

It was a good day for football, partly cloudy with many bright moments of warm sunshine. Looked to be about 10,000 Duck fans in attendance, a good showing. Trust me, decent weather is typically uncommon for this game in late October. Usually, it's wet and cold, with a stiff wind coming off Lake Washington.

The Huskies took a quick lead with a field goal and led at the end of the first quarter 3-0.

But in the second quarter, a Duck receiver blocked a Husky punt for a UO touchdown, and you could feel the air being sucked out of the stadium.

The collective group of some 57,000 Dawg fans grew quiet, and the rout was on. By halftime, the score was 15-6 with the Ducks on top.

In the third quarter, the Webfoots rattled off 21 straight points and -- for all intents and purposes -- the game was over. Seems like we were high-fiving all around every few minutes in the second half. Final score: Ducks 43, Dawgs 19.

After the game, Rebecca and I had a very pleasant walk through the University of Washington grounds, a beautiful campus with numerous classic buildings, on the way to our parking spot near University Avenue. 'Twas a beautiful fall day in Seattle.

And a great "Rock-tober" in the State of Washington.

Seoul Sensation, 9/12-24, 2009: Denouement

Despite a somewhat rocky start, I had a great experience during my two weeks in Seoul, South Korea.

Initially intimidated by the sheer welter of humanity in Seoul, I vanished into my hotel room, suffering from jet lag for the first 24 hours. Once I recovered and got the hang of the place, I was fine.

Spent four days with my daughter Gina, who is teaching English in Busan, a city located on the opposite side of South Korea. Busan is about 150 miles from Seoul, so Gina took the two-hour ride on the high-speed "bullet train" to Seoul.

Enjoyed dinner with recent UO School of Journalism and Communication graduates Branden Johnson and Bryan Saxton. Both are also teaching English in South Korea.

My lecture on healthcare public relations to a class of about 80 aspiring Korean public relations students at Sogang University went very well. As previously noted in these pages, the students were polite, attentive and inquisitive, with excellent questions.

Many thanks to my friend and colleague Dr. Kyu Ho Youm for helping arrange the opportunity.

Here are a few quick impressions of Korea:

The Korean people -- a delightful and attractive lot -- are wonderful, but the contradictions are readily apparent: traditional yet modern, reserved yet aggressive. Their voices are soft but their horns are loud. They even have a cold soup that's hot (spicy).

Speaking of food, Korean grub is -- by and large -- delicious. I personally don't like kim chee (a Korean favorite), mostly because it's basically cabbage, but many others do. But watch out for "American food" in Korea. It might look American, but it's not even close.

Cab drivers in Seoul vary widely.

Deluxe (black cabs) taxi drivers are slow, scheming, expensive and devious. They take their sweet time to get you where you need to go so they can receive a larger fare.

Economy (grey cabs) taxi drivers are wild and crazy -- moving briskly while weaving through traffic. But they get you where you need to be safely -- with more personality for a lot less won.

The air in Seoul was generally smoggy, at least in September. Compares with L.A. In the spring, the city is clouded with a yellow dust from the deserts of China. Most of the time, you can smell the sewers, much like in downtown Philadelphia.

The numerous unique bridges over the Han River are beautifully designed. Of the Westerners I saw in Korea, most are pukes who won't even look you in the eye. Not sure why.

Koreans are consistent in at least one way. Many carry their umbrellas no matter what the weather -- to protect themselves from the rain or the hot sun.

Namsan Mountain

Namsan (South Mountain), located near my hotel in Myeong-dong, is accessible by many different points of departure in the city of Seoul.

Like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, N' Seoul Tower -- located on the summit of Namsan -- became a symbol of Seoul when it was constructed as a broadcasting transmission tower in 1969.

When it first opened for public access, Namsan became a popular place for locals to hike and relax, with an outstanding 360 degree panorama from the mountain's peak. During the busy season, over 30,000 people visit Namsan.

On weekends, Namsan features a wide array of exhibits, and both performing arts and visual art displays -- like this human figure constructed of chicken wire (right).

The easiest and most scenic route to the base of the tower is by cable car. Daytime views are great when the sky isn't filled with smog or yellow dust, and the evening views are outstanding.

Namsan is one of two of the best places to appreciate the megalopolis of the Greater Seoul Metropolitan Area.

Seodaemun Prison

Within the Seodaemun Independence Park lies a prison constructed to house Korean independence fighters during the Japanese occupation between 1910 and 1945.

Seodaemun Prison, which includes seven separate prison buildings, features nightmarish punishment chambers and claustrophobic cellblocks. To add to the realism of this grotesque site, the prison has life-size Korean and Japanese figures complete with fake blood, ear-piercing screams and ingenious torture techniques.

The park also includes the Independence Movement Gate and Museum, the Martyrs' Tower and the March 1st Independence Movement Tower.

Seodaemun Prison is simultaneously interesting, barbaric, compelling and gruesome: not a pretty sight.

Seoul Grand Park

Opened in 1984, Seoul Grand Park now features one of the world's ten largest zoos. Set among the forested hillsides south of the city, a river runs through the park, and families picnic on its shady banks.

The zoo is home to numerous exotic creatures, including the most popular Asian and African varieties, and has a long list of breeding successes, including tigers and panda bears.

The facility, which compares favorably with large zoos in the United States, features cranes, swans, pelicans and other large birds. Ants and swimming beetles are on display in a "miniature creature" exhibit.

One of the highlights of the zoo is an elaborate "dolphin show" (right). The many facilities here also include a tropical greenhouse for flowers (bottom), a reservoir and walking trails. The indoor botanical garden houses a forest of cacti, numerous orchids and carnivorous pitcher plants.

Visitors who would prefer to ride rather than walk can take a tram that provides a stunning view of Seoul Grand Park.

"Seoul Land" possesses over 40 amusement park rides, and the National Museum of Contemporary Art holds ongoing exhibits. The latest addition to the complex is the National Gwacheon Science Research Center.

With -- really -- too much to see in merely one day, the facility is truly a "grand park."

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Gina (above) arrived at my hotel in Myeong-dong from Busan late on Thursday, September 17. She took an extra day off from her rigorous schedule teaching English to young Korean students, stretching her weekend to three days so that we could do a bit of sightseeing in Seoul together. First stop: Gyeongbokgung Palace.

At one time, the Gyeongbokgung Palace was likely a place of pomp and circumstance.

Today, the uniformly brown buildings with a dirt compound in front may leave visitors with the impression that the site is undergoing restoration work.

The Gyeongbokgung Palace was the country's principal royal residence until the compound was destroyed in 1592 during war with Japan.

However, it was not the Japanese who razed the palace but the citizens of Seoul.

As the Japanese marched across the country, the king and yangban (aristocrats) abandoned the city to save their own hides.

Angered by the desertion, a mob of local residents burned down the palace.

Gyeongbokgung lay in waste for nearly 300 years until it was rebuilt it 1865.

Today, Gyeongbokgung Palace has been restored to its former glory. Adjacent to the palace, the Seoul Museum of History provides visitors with an overview of Seoul's history and traditional culture.

A ceremonial changing of the guard (below) occurs several times a day, so clearly the pomp and circumstance has returned to Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Sogang University

On Wednesday, September 16, I hopped a cab to Sogang University for my lecture on healthcare public relations to a class of about 80 aspiring Korean public relations students.

The opportunity to lecture was facilitated by my colleague Dr. Kyu Ho Youm, a Korean native who is Professor and First Amendment Chair at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication.

Founded in 1960 by the Society of Jesus, the mission of Sogang University is to provide students with an education based in Catholic belief and inspired by the Jesuit educational philosophy in conformity with the Korean educational tradition.

The university, with a 50-acre campus located in east-central Seoul, has an enrollment of over 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students and nearly 1,000 faculty members.

Arrived at Sogang University early and I'm glad I did: it took me a little while to get my bearings. Dr. Hochang Shin, a friend and colleague of Dr. Youm's, was my host.

Meeting with several of Dr. Shin's teaching assistants (from left, Jihana Ko, Min-young Kim and Yeon Ji Noh), we proceeded to a nearby classroom where I delivered my lecture.

Had a delightful time discussing healthcare public relations: his students were attentive and inquisitive, and Dr. Shin was very gracious.

Turns out I didn't need an interpreter; they all understood English fairly well.

After my lecture, I opened the floor to questions and several students responded with great inquiries.

One of my favorites was the student who asked: "will there always be issues for healthcare public relations professionals to deal with?"

I explained to her that -- based on my experience -- yes. To quote Roseanne Roseannadanna on Saturday Night Live, "it's always somethin'."

Whether it's AIDS, West Nile Virus, H1N1 -- the list goes on and on -- there will always be a need for effective healthcare communicators: "job security for public relations professionals," I quipped.

Afterward, Dr. Shin treated me a lunch at a fine Korean restaurant across the street from Sogang University. Then, practically before I knew it, I was back in a taxi on my way to my hotel in Myeong-dong.

As I said before, eveything is very much hurry-hurry in these parts.