Screen Golf

I've never been very interested in golf. I've gone to the driving range, but my performance there has pretty much dissuaded me from ever hitting the links. I slice so far to the right that you could call my golf ball Sarah Palin. So while I'm sure that playing 18 holes is fun for some, I don't really fancy spending an afternoon in the sand trap.

However, I've found a form of golf that works for me. Screen golf is played indoors, in air-conditioned comfort. They provide a full set of clubs, shoes, and complimentary beverages. There is a giant screen that projects a computer generated golf course. You tee off from an AstroTurf platform, and the system tracks your shot and projects the results onto the screen. Here, James demonstrates putting:



I think one of the coolest parts of the system is the tilting plaform; if you put a ball on a hill then the platform tilts to make your shot more difficult. We see this as Jacob attempts to get out of the sand trap:



I'm not sure how accurate this game is in relation to a real game of golf. Regardless, it's safe to say none of us will be taking Tiger's place on the PGA tour. In 9 holes, we managed one par between us, though Jacob was inches away from an eagle. Most of our other rounds maxed out at "double par." I certainly was hurt by the number of times I crushed a 200 yard drive right into the woods. Still, at 12,000 won for 9 holes, it's a great way to kill a couple of hours. If only they supplied a 6-pack in the golf bag . . .

The Best Way to Watch a 4 AM Game

So the Champions League Final was this past Saturday. This was the first time it has been shown on a Saturday instead of its usual Wednesday - a fact that cost me 10,000 won when I bet Nate it was on a Wednesday. Curse you, UEFA!

Regardless, whatever day they picked, it was going to be inconvenient for residents of Korea. European evening kick-offs come on at 3:45 AM here. Obviously it would be difficult to find a bar that was open this late. I could watch the game at home, but my 20" TV was probably manufactured during the reign of Syngman Rhee and isn't really adequate for the second-biggest soccer game of the year. What is a soccer fan to do?

Convenience store!

Yes, the convenience store across from my apartment has an outdoor (but covered) flat-screen TV with an HD satellite feed, and is open 24 hours. Thus my friends and I were able to watch the game until 5:30 in the morning while enjoying the plastic lawn furniture, the mild early morning temperature and the cheap Carlsberg from the store.

From Hero to Zero

Last week Korea celebrated Teacher's Day, another in a long line of Hallmark Holidays. I couldn't complain about this one though, as I reaped obvious benefits. I got some cookies and candy from different students and even a pair of socks. The nicest gift was from a student who brought me flowers. He's usually a pretty dire student, so I was impressed, and I was hoping that this would prefigure a change in his typically lazy attitude.

Seconds later, I caught him cheating egregiously on his homework, having ripped the relevant pages from his book and replaced them with pages torn from another student's book. I mean, if the very nature of torn pages wasn't a big hint, the fact that the handwriting didn't match and the rip was inconsistent with the paper remaining in the book sealed the deal.

It's not exactly fun to bitch out somebody who just brought you flowers.

South Korea vs. Ecuador

So South Korea played Ecuador in a friendly match in Seoul last night. By the time I heard about it, it was already sold out, which was unfortunate because Courtney and I try to watch as many Ecuador games as possible.

I wanted to watch it on TV, but for some reason I don't get KBS, one of the major broadcast stations in the country. But don't you fret: I could still watch Gossip Girl or one of two Steven Seagal movies.

My main man Lee Chung-Yong scored the second goal in a 2-0 win.

Highlights.

Under Siege

As I write this, there are currently TWO Steven Seagal films on Korean TV . . . AT THE SAME TIME.

I just don't know how to choose between Fire Down Below and Exit Wounds.

Putting on the Foil

On Joe's recommendation, I watched the epic film Slap Shot. It was awesome, and it made me realize I totally have a student who looks like the Hanson Brothers. The best part is, it's a girl.

Next time she doesn't do her homework, I'll inform her that she's a "f***ing disgrace!"

Universal Autism

Laura is convinced that one of her students is autistic. After discussing the issue with her, I decided to investigate some of the symptoms of autism, which include:

- Delayed or unusual speech patterns
- Repeating words or phrases verbatim without understanding how to use them
- Difficulty understanding tone of voice and body language as a way of expressing sarcasm, humor, irony, etc.
- Poor handwriting, difficulty with athletic coordination, etc.
- Appearing not to hear you at times
- Engaging in repetitive behaviors and ritualized activities, ranging from lining up items to following a rigid routine
- Becoming disturbed at the slightest change in routines or rituals
- Inability to take another's perspective (to imagine oneself in someone else's shoes)

While Laura has taken a class on teaching special education and I'm sure she's correct, I do think we could diagnose about 95% of Korean English students as autistic.