Articles by mgedwards

Of Metro and moving

Sometimes commuting by Metro drives me nuts.  I went to bed really late last night because my son stayed up long after his bedtime.  I also had to leave earlier than usual this morning to commute via the Metro.  It was absolutely freezing this morning (just 14 degrees or so), making the commute an uncomfortable endeavor.  Unfortunately, the cold also affected the trains, and two trains went out of service while I was trying to get to work.  The first one appeared to lose its hydraulics, and the second one’s doors would not close.  I caught the first working train that I could and barely made it to the last shuttle I could take before class started.  Because so many trains were out of service people began to gather and wait idly to catch the next available train.  We packed into the train like sardines.  During it all I saw a humorous sight–I saw an older gentleman calmly reading the comics with a stern, serious look on his face.  He was reading the comics intently as if he were analyzing investments.  Perhaps he was internalizing it all.  At least someone had an opportunity to do something productive during the commute.  I made it to work on time, but I was cold and exhausted.  Needless to say, today was not a good day in class.

The next three weeks will be very hectic for our family.  For the next month or so I may not be able to post updates very frequently, but I will try.  One week from today I will take my final Korean exam (and hopefully pass it).  Two weeks from today we will be in Hawaii visiting my brother, and three weeks from today we will arrive in Korea.  In the meantime I’ve been feverishly trying to wrap up final logistics before the move.  Right now it all seems a bit surreal.  Not much has changed around here in the past month because all the move logistics have so far been intangible.  However, in less than two weeks however the furniture will be returned to the rental company, our belongings will be picked up for shipment to Korea, and our car will be driven off by the shipping company.  We will spend our last few days here with what we’re carrying to Korea and will move temporarily into a furnished apartment.  The move still seems far away to me.  Until I pass Korean (fingers crossed) it will continue to seem far away.

Who's the new Ambassador?

Dr. Condoleezza Rice entered the State Department today for the first time as the new Secretary of State.  She entered in from the main entrance and briefly addressed employees.  Her introduction comes just five days after former Secretary of State Colin Powell departed for the last time.  Let’s hope the transition will be a smooth one for the department.

The story broke in the news earlier this week that the U.S. Ambassador to Korea, Christopher Hill, will be appointed Assistant Secretary for East Asia and Pacific Affairs.  Ambassador Hill has been serving as Ambassador to Korea since August 2004.  We met Ambassador Hill and Mrs. Hill while he was en route to Korea, and we were very impressed by him.  We are sorry to see him go, assuming his appointment will be confirmed by the Senate.  We still don’t know who the new ambassador will be.  I hope this transition is also a smooth one because Seoul has seen two ambassadors, Ambassador Thomas Hubbard and Ambassador Hill in less than a year.  It’s an excellent opportunity for Ambassador Hill, and we wish him well.

Johnny Carson, we'll miss you!

Beloved comedian Johnny Carson passed away yesterday at the age of 79.  He passed away peacefully in his sleep.  Carson hosted NBC‘s "The Tonight Show" from 1962 to 1992.  I remember watching many of his shows as well as video highlights.  He was hilarious!  No matter who came on his show, he was always the star of the show.  He will be greatly missed!  Johnny was a class act.  While I also enjoy David Letterman and Jay Leno, no one could host a show like Johnny did.  It was a sad day when his final show was broadcast back in 1992.  I remember it now.  From what I have read Conan O’Brian will take over "The Tonight Show" from Jay Leno in 2008.  I am not an O’Brian fan.  His humor is much too sardonic for my tastes.  I sometimes enjoy this type of humor, but it can be draining watching an entire show filled with sarcastic humor.  While O’Brian is fine as a late, late night talk show host, he definitely is not Johnny Carson.  Johnny’s humor was sharp and wry, not laced with the kind of malice that often accompanies O’Brian’s schtick.  Johnny, thank you for leaving us so many good memories we can enjoy in reruns and on tape.  With not much to look forward to on late night it’s good to have you to watch.

So the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots will be in this year’s Superbowl contenders.  My all-Penn Superbowl hopes didn’t pan out after all.  That’s OK with me.  This year the NFL may want to consider renaming the Superbowl the Liberty Bowl, Independence Bowl, Revolution Bowl, or some patriotic-themed name.  I’m an AFC fan and had to suffer through 13 straight years of NFC Superbowl victories in the 1980s and 1990s, so I might lean towards rooting for the Pats.  However, the Pats won the Superbowl last year and smell of dynasty, while the Eagles have never won it all and have made just one Superbowl appearance.  Plus, Boston already savored victory with the Red Sox winning the World Series.  My hat probably has to tip towards the Eagles this time.  Still, at least it will probably be a game worth watching this year because it seems to be an even match.

Today I didn’t have to do much to do to prepare for our impending trip to Korea.  Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been running ragged doing a bunch of miscellaneous tasks in anticipation of our relocation.  Most of the logistics have already been set into motion, so now we pretty much just have to wait until packout in a couple of weeks.  I used to be a procrastinator, but no longer.  With all I have to do I no longer have time to put things off until the last minute.  Thankfully, on days such as these I can catch a breather.