Quick Run to Busan

Here's a screen shot of my Mac after installing the new software.

After watching the Palin-Biden debate on CNN, I took off for Busan to get some software for the Mac at the Apple retailer there.  They didn't have the software that I had seen advertised on the Apple Korea website, but the saleslady told me they had "pah-wah-lehr-suh deh-suh-kuh-toe-puh".  The really funny thing is, she only had to say it once more for me to understand what she had said. (You know you've been in Korea too long when...) It's two words totally in English, so give it your best shot! I got this software, and my intention is, if it performs as predicted and desired on my Mac Mini, I will get a Macbook so I can have a portable computer to take places with me... well, that was redundant-- I teach English? har har.  Well, the software actually works!  I honestly didn't expect it to, but there it is.  I can run a copy of my Windows Vista on my Mac and interchange between the two operating systems seamlessly.  I was so happy, that I even made a new entry in my iWeb journal until I remembered that iWeb will not upload my entries for some reason, and nobody can tell me why.  It keeps asking me to sign in to my Mac account, but I am signed in. iWeb doesn't recognize it, though.  The Mac technical guys are stumped, too.  It looks like I'll be staying on here at Google's Blogger, but I like Google a lot, so this is OK by me.

Dies Horribilis

If you want to know where to do it, just read the sign.

Today I had a brilliant idea.  They say you can put Windows on a Mac if you use the Boot Camp program that comes with Mac.  Well, sure enough, Boot Camp partitioned the drive, and Windows had 32 gig all to itself.  It started out fine as I began installation, but then Windows asked where I wanted to install it.  I chose the 32 gig partition that was set aside by Boot Camp, and Windows said, "I can't go there!  It isn't NTFS formatted!"  So installing Windows on my Mac came to a screeching halt until I could figure out how to make the partition NTFS formatted so Windows would load on it.  Couldn't find out, because I couldn't get the other side of the drive, the Mac partition, to start up again so I could get online!  What a nightmare.  So I let it all sit idle while I went to Busan to see if I could find a good laptop computer as a back-up so this will never happen again. My students send their homework through the internet, so I need a working computer.  Couldn't find any of the laptops CNET recommended, but I'm thinking the Samsungs probably aren't too horrible... pricey, though.  Didn't buy one, because Joel sent me a text message on how to get the Mac up again:  hold the "c" key during start-up.  Easy peasy.  But I still have the apparently unusable Boot Camp partition on my Mac drive to deal with.  Online I've found that if I shell out money for a program, I can get the partition to accept Windows.  Isn't that always the case with Macs?  You have to pay for this, then for that, then something else before you have everything you need to use the damn thing.

Anyway, had lunch with Rob at McD's at the Mega Mart in Dongnae in Busan, then went to his place to try to find the control panel on his computer.  His wife insists the computer use the Korean version of Windows, and it was impossible to find the control panel.  I told him just to install the XP I had given him and let her gripe, because she can read English IF she needs to.  All she does is go to Korean websites, and you don't need a Korean version of the OS for that.  Men, on the other hand, need to work with the computer and do stuff on it, important stuff. ㅋㅋ 

My cell phone somehow got crushed while in my front pants pocket.  The screen is broken.  I can use the phone, but the screen is unusable, which basically means I can't see to read texts, to dial, or any of the other uses of the cell phone screen.  Ugh.  This phone has been cursed from day one.  I doubt they'll fix this bit for free, however, since it must be my fault, though I can't think of anything I did that would cause the screen to break.

Busan

At Nopodong station in the suburbs of Busan, the cops were just standing at the top of the stairs and (randomly?) asking men for their IDs and writing information in little notebooks. There's a wanted poster for some guy posted all over the country in transportation centers... wonder if they're looking for him this way.
So I took this little trip to Busan. The trains between here and Busan didn't have a good schedule, so I opted for the express bus service. It only took 50 minutes to get to Nopodong subway station in Busan! Didn't realize the outskirts of Busan were so close! Might go down there more often now. Rob had to finish administering a test, then we got together for dinner at Outback, but not the Outback where we were. Apparently the local expat community has declared it a "bad" Outback. I get all confused when I go to Busan, so don't know where we ended up exactly, though the food was good... pricey, but good. I tried a bottle of Victoria Bitter which is a really nice-tasting beer. It won't replace my devotion to wheat beers, and it is no threat to Hoegaarden for my affections, but it is nice all the same.
I stayed overnight at Rob's place with his wife and son, then after a delicious breakfast at McDonalds down the street, we went to Hanaro Department Store, which is run by Nonghyup, a farmer's cooperative company. I needed a watch to wear while on my motorcycle, and after hemming and hawing over some $380 watches that could do everything but sing Dixie, I settled on a Von Dutch for $58. It has a large face, and when I'm driving, that's what I need. I'll post a photo of the new watch on my livevideo site.