TEACHING IN KOREA: The Different Elements.
An Unofficial Guide Compiled by American Citizen Services, U.S. Embassy, Seoul. Republic of Korea.
its contents were printed May of 1995 and extracts have been included here.
"Over the last few years the U.S. Embassy has received many inquiries about teaching English in Korea. We have prepared this unofficial guidebook to give teachers basic information on the business of teaching English here so that they can be better informed before committing themselves to a particular job.
Unfortunately some American citizens come to Korea under contract, with promises of generous salaries, bonuses and other amenities, only to find themselves in tenuous situations, often lacking funds to return to the U.S. The Embassy, by regulation, cannot enter into any case, conduct an investigation, nor act as a lawyer in legal or contractual mishaps experienced by U.S. citizens. We can neither investigate or certify employers. The Embassy maintains a language institute complaint file and will answer inquiries about whether specific schools have been the subject of complaints. However, it is up to each individual to evaluate potential employers before signing a contract.
We hope this information will prove useful. If you have any problems please contact the American Citizen Services Branch at the U.S. Embassy, 82 Sejong Ro, Chongro Ku. Our telephone number for basic information is 397-4603 or 3974604. Please press 0 at any time during the message to be contacted to an ACS staff member. Our fax number is (02) 725-6843. Our office is open for walk-in service every weekday, except Wednesdays, from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm and 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. The Embassy is closed on official American and Korean holidays.
Many Americans have enjoyed their teaching experience in Korea; others have encountered problems. The key to happy and fruitful employment as a language instructor in Korea is to be employed by a reputable school and to negotiate a well-written contract before leaving the U.S. We advise anyone considering accepting an English teaching job in Korea to carefully review the terms of the contract regarding working and living conditions. It would also be useful to ask for references from persons familiar with the institution, especially American former employees.
The KOTESOL teacher's association is a good source for up-to-date information on teaching in Korea. Information about this group can be found later.
The following information will discuss the types of positions available in Korea, visa matters, contract considerations, sources of information, cultural pitfalls to consider, tips on adapting to Korea, and how the Embassy can help.
Most English teachers work in Language Institutes ("Hakwon" in Korean). There are, however positions available in several types of institutions.
Private Language institutes are found all over Korea. Some institutes are well-known with many branches while others are smaller and short-lived. The ESL market in Korea is extremely competitive and many institutes fail. Most hakwons employ a certain number of American instructors for conversation and occasionally for writing classes. The typical employee can expect to work 20 to 30 hours per week. The majority of classes are conducted early in the morning and in the evening, so many instructors have free time in the afternoon.
[Something the U.S. embassy doesn't clearly state is that this means your first class begins at 6:30 am !!! You finish in the morning around 9:30 or 10 am, then you are expected to return again for a 5:30 pm to 8:30 or 9:30 pm shift. This means that most of the free time you have in the afternoons is spent sleeping. Remember you have to commute at about 6 am and Korean bus drivers are very erratic and usually late at that time of the morning. Therefore depending where your institute is located you might very well be catching taxes most mornings. At other times the bus service is pretty regular although it does cease at about 10 or 11 pm].
Most classes have between 10 and 25 students. Pupils may be grade school or college students, or businessmen who are contemplating overseas assignments. Some of the better institutes will provide housing for instructors. The average salary is currently about 1.5 million won per month. (US $1850).
Most large corporate groups ("Chaebol") have their own in-house programs. The typical instructor can expect to teach more than 30 hours per week, teaching all day from early in the morning to late at night. Most are intensive residential programs where the students study from three to six months. Some employers provide full benefits including housing, but the instructor may be required to either live on campus or commute long distances from Seoul. The average salary is currently between 1.5 to 2 million won per month (US$ 1,850 to US$ 2,500).
Major universities in Seoul, as well as some provincial universities, operate foreign language institutes. Some pupils are university students, but the majority of students are business people. These institutes tend to have the highest hiring standards in Korea; most instructors have MA degrees in TESOL, and years of teaching experience. The pay, status and benefits offered by these institutes are among the best in Korea. As a result there is very low turnover.
Most universities in Korea employ full-time English conversation instructors. University classes tend to be large, with little personal contact with the students. Most instructors teach between ten and fifeteen hours a week. Academic standards in Korean universities tend to be somewhat lax. Leftist, nationalistic and sometimes anti-American attitudes may prevail among students. Most universities in Seoul do not provide housing, and some do not provide the benefits required by law. Monthly salaries currently tend to run about 1 million won (US$1,300) per month, with three to four months of paid vacation per year.
Provincial universities generally provide better housing, working conditions and salaries, and tend to treat foreign instructors as part of the faculty. The better working conditions, however, should be balanced against the cultural isolation a foreigner may encounter living in the Korean countryside.
[*This includes constantly being ambushed by groups of children screaming "Hello" at the tops of their voices. Interesting/amusing at first but can quickly become irritating. Most Koreans can understand a little English but just can't speak it, so your body language will play an important part outside of the "island" of Seoul].
Many government agencies and some private companies operate research institutes. Most of these institutes hire foreigners who have degrees in the humanities, economics or business administration as full-time editors. Editors proofread correspondance and research publications, write speeches, and occasionally teach. Most institutes pay quite well, and some provide housing. Because these institutes tend to to be government run or closely affiliated with powerful corporate groups, their instructors seldom experience problems in obtaining work visas.
Quite a few public relations and advertising companies in Korea hire foreigners to work as copy editors, and occasionally as teachers. These positions are very hard to obtain as they are quite popular with the resident English-teaching community. There are also opportunities to appear on television programs, movies and radio. Most of these positions pay quite well and some provide housing assistance.
Many full-time English teachers teach part-time as well, either at another instutute or with privately-arranged classes. Extra-contractual private instruction is illegal; however many English teachers do take private students. Part-time instruction at a second institute is legal only with permission from the sponsoring institute and Korean immigration authorities. Private students pay more per hour, but some instructors have found it hard to maintain long-term private classes. One should arrange for private lesson fees to be paid prior to each class. The Embassy reminds teachers that they are personally responsible for any violations of Korean teaching and immigration law they might commit.
[*Almost every teacher I have met in Korea has done (from time to time) private lessons. It is easy enough to supplement your income by about US$ 1,000 per month this way. If you arrange to get a months money paid in advance sometimes the student will cancel after two weeks and usually they let you keep the full amount of money they paid you].
EMPLOYMENT VISAS: In order to work legally in Korea, one must first obtain the appropriate visa. The Korean government tightly controls visa issuance for employment, and sometimes teachers have been unable to obtain visas. A person who wishes to work in Korea must obtain the visa outside Korea. One can, however, come to Korea on a tourist visa, obtain sponsorship documents, and apply for the visa in a nearby country. Depending on the job and other factors, it can take between one week and two months to obtain the appropriate visa. A teacher arriving in Korea with a teaching visa must register with Korean Immigration and obtain a residence certificate and re-entry permit within 90 days of entry.
Employers, on behalf of Korean government agencies processing your case, may briefly need your passport for visa or permit purposes. Despite what some employers may tell you, you are not required to hand over your passport to your employer for the duration of your stay. It is your passport; keep it yourself.
Korean Immigration offices require the same documentation that was used to obtain the visa, so one should make plenty of copies. The Embassy has a complete listing of the various visa catergories and fees, as well as contact information for the Korean Immigration offices and for Korean consulates in the United States. Visa catergories and fees may change from time to time, so they should always be confirmed with Immigration or a consulate.
Most English instructors are granted either an E-2 visa (conversation instructor), an E-1 visa (professor at educational institution higher than a Jr. College), or an E-5 visa (professional employment with a public relations firm or corporation). Dependents of diplomats stationed in Seoul can work as English teachers by obtaining a work permit from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This can be handled through the Embassy personnel office. An individual who is married to a Korean citizen can also acquire permanent residency and the right to work under the F-2 category.
The Ministry of Education, which also must approve the visa and residence permit, requires English teachers to register at the U.S. Embassy and to submit Embassy-notarized copies of their resumes with their applications for residence permits. Registration at the embassy can be accomplished quickly. Notarial services cost $10 per document, payable in either dollars or won. The embassy cannot accept personal checks.
CHANGING EMPLOYERS: Korean Immigration must approve changes in Employment. This is accomplished through leaving Korea and entering under a new visa with a new sponsor. Changing one's employer while in Korea is quite difficult and requires written consent of the original sponsor. Questions on this procedure should be directed to the nearest immigration office or Korean consulate.
[*If you resign or are fired, and want to come back to Korea to work (as far as I am aware) it is important that you receive a "release letter" from your contract with the first employer. As far as I am aware another work visa won't be issued unless you provide this letter or wait for your old contract length to expire. It is also important that if you leave Korea and do not want to come back to the same job, hand your "alien registration card" in at the airport as you go].
LEGAL WARNING ! Some American have run into serious legal problems with Korean Immigration because they either work as English teachers while in Korea on tourist visas or they accept part-time employment or private classes without obtaining the proper permission. Violation of Korean immigration laws can result in severe penalties including imprisonment, fines of up to 50,000 won ($60) for each day of overstay, or deportation with a ban on re-entry for up to two years. It is your responsibility to understand local laws and to obey them.
If you violate Korean visa laws, the Embassy cannot assist you other than to provide you with a list of attorneys.
Even though they should, do not expect that most immigration office staff can speak English that well. If it is possible always take a Korean with you just to be sure that they understand what you want, and so you can understand how to do what it is that you want to do].
NATURE OF CONTRACTS IN KOREA: Foreign Instructors in Korea occassionally have contract disputes with their employers. In the Korean context, a contract is simply a working agreement, subject to change depending upon the circumstances. Most Koreans do not view deviations from a contract as a breach of contract, and few Koreans would consider taking an employer to court over a contract disupute.
Instead Koreans tend to view contracts as always being flexible and subject to further negotiation. Culturally, the written contract is not the real contract; the unwritten, oral agreement that one has with one's employer is the real contract. However many employers will view a contract violation by a foreign worker as serious, and will renege on verbal promises if they feel they can. Any contract should be signed with this in mind.
[* A teacher at the institute I worked at coined the phrase "Korean Promise". A verbal promise that is rarely fulfilled or is at some later stage. If a Korean promises extra money to be paid to you for working extra hours or for travelling or whatever, always make sure they write it down. Otherwise they will say they never said it, or their English isn't good enough and that there must have been some cross-cultural inter-language communication problem. My institute employer told me he would pay me double travel money for a company job. However at the end of the month only single travel money was paid. The above was his excuse even though he had lived in Australia for 6 years and studied an MBA and worked whilst he was there!
At other institutes money wasn't paid on time, you can always refuse to teach which usually gets things sorted out. Although make sure you explain the situation to the students other wise it relfects on you and not the institute. Most students will be unhappy if the institute isn't taking care of you, and in my experience the students will support you and the management of language institutes will listen to them since they are paying fee-for-service.
I have never had to use the numbers but they were passed on to me by other teachers that were able to get things sorted out with the help of these people].
BASIC FEATURES OF MOST TEACHING CONTRACTS: Contracts for teaching positions should include provisions for the following: salary, housing, tickets home, working hours, class size, severence pay, taxes, and medical insurance. If these items are not included, one should negotiate until they are. Information on these topics is given below. When in doubt, ask; get it in writing.
SALARY: Most contracts provide for either a set monthly salary, or for a salary based on the number of hours taught. In any event, a guaranteed monthly renumeration should be included in the contract. Payment dates, methods, and currency should be specified in advance.
HOUSING: Few contracts provide for housing in Seoul. This can be a serious problem as housing in Seoul is among the most expensive in the world. Hosuing options include key money (yearly deposit), monthly rent shared housing, dormitories, lodging houses, and inns. If your institute does not provide housing, it should at least be able to help you in finding housing, and in negotiating the appropriate rent and utility payments. Teachers who have been promised housing might want to request photos, floor plans or furniture inventories in advance. Koreans have very different ideas of what "western" and "furnished" housing means. "Furnished" might only mean a linoleum floor and a two-burner stove. "Western" usually means an apartment with an indoor bath. Koreans measure housing space in "pyong". One pyong is approximately 36 square feet. Pyong measurements usually include the front porch, utility room, etc. Monthly rents can run from U.S. $1,500 to U.S. $4,000 for a modest apartment.
KEY MONEY SYSTEM (Chunsee): Key money is a year's rent paid in advance; with no monthly rent payment. At the end of the contract period, the renter receives the money back without interest.
Key money can be risky because property ownership may change in the middle of the contract period, or the owner may simply decide that the foreigner is in no position to fight for the Key money. One can reduce this risk by having the employer agree to pay the Key money. Key money rents run from a minimum of 20 million won (US$ 24,000) for a studio in a less desirable part of town to 500 million won (US$650,000) for a small apartment in one of the richer neighborhoods.
Wolsee is a variation of Chunsee. The renter pays a certain amount per month plus an initial deposit which he receives back when he moves out. The same caveats apply as with Chunsee.
Yonsei, Ewha, Seoul, Hanyang, Konkuk, and Hankook Universities all have dormitory accomodations available. In addition, the Korea Research Foundation runs an International House for foreign students. Sometimes these dormitories can accomodate foreign instructors, but they usually only accomodate their own regular faculty. Shared housing is a popular alternative, but be careful in choosing roommates and spell out financial arrangements in advance.
Lodging houses are popular with young Koreans in college or just starting out in their professional careers. Single rooms run about US$500 per month, and include Korean-style breakfast and dinner, and sometimes include laundry service. The disadvantage is the lack of privacy.
Another option is staying with a local family. Ths can be an excellent opportunity to experience Korean life and culture, but again the lack of privacy can be a disadvantage. Most instructors who live in such homestays eventually move into more private accomodations.
Finally, some people rent rooms in inns on a monthly basis. This is similar to staying in a lodging house, at about the same cost with no food provided, but offers far less security and less privacy as well. Some inns cater to short-term clients and criminals, so staying in an inn may cause some Koreans to treat you with a lack of respect.
TICKETS HOME: Some institutes promise to provide tickets home upon completion of a contract or to reimburse teachers for the trip to Korea. One should be aware that sometimes this commitment is not honored. Consider requesting an open-ended round trip ticket in advance.
WORKING HOURS: Most institutes require foreign instructors to teah five or six hours per day, Monday through Friday, and some also ask instructors to teach Saturday morning as well. Universities will usually require 10 to 15 hours per week plus participation in student activities such as editing school newspapers. Research centers usually require 40 hours per week, with occasional uncompensated overtime. Saturday morning is a normal part of the Korean work week. Teachers may have to teach early morning or late evening classes to acoomodate working students.
CLASS SIZE: This is usually spelled out in the contract. Private institutes usually have classes of between 10 to 20 students, while universities can have as many as 100 students in a class.
SEVERANCE PAY: The embassy receives many enquiries and complaints about severance pay issues. It is a good idea to broach this subject early in your employment, and to be prepared for resistance. By Korean law , discussed below, all full-time employees, Korean or foreign, are entitled to receive severance pay of one month's salary for each year of employment. Employers can not ask you to waive this, nor can they get around it by employing you on an 11 month contract. However Korean courts have ruled that unless an institute instructor actually TEACHES 40 or more hours per week, as spelled out contractually, they are NOT "Full-time" and is NOT eligible for severance pay.
[*I did hear about one case where an instructor claimed that the 30 hours teaching lead to 10 hours of preparation per week and actually got the severance pay. I also saw one teacher employed by the institute I woked at get fired in their 11th month because the institute didn't want to pay the contract completion bonus. I also know that the University I worked at took a large enough some out of the salary of the foreign employers and we were told that they would match it with the same amount and pay that as a completion bonus, even though it was listed in the contract, two Professors never got it.
In cases like this the Labor Board is always a good place to call].
The Ministry of Labor has jurisdiction over severance pay matters. The severance pay division can be reached at (02) 503-9727. The Ministry of Labor's general number is (02) 500-5543/5544. The Ministry of Labor or the Ministry of Education may, at your request, call employers to remind them of their legal obligations. If you have exhausted all other avenues and feel that you need to take legal action, the Embassy can provide you with a list of local attorneys.
As a matter of course, one employer didn't pay any teaching staff for two months. This saw two male members of the teaching staff approach him for a private discussion in his office. The next day the boss was in the hospital as a result of the discussion. It should also be mentioned that a male staff member of an institute I know didn't get paid for 6 weeks and lodged a complaint with the Labor Board. The Labor Board called the employer to remind him that he had to pay his employees. The boss called in the male employee and after their discussion the employee ended up in hospital for a few weeks.
Of course the schools do tend to provide medical coverage but make sure you have a Korean medical card or pamphlet, in this way you show the document along with your registration card and you will pay a cheaper price for mediceine or hospitalization if and when it is necessary].
Article 28: (Retirement Allowance System) 1)An employer shall establish a system by which average wage of not less than thirty days per year for each consecutive year employed shall be paid as retirement allowance to a retired employee. Provided, however, that this shall not apply in cases in where the period of employment is less than one year.
Article 5: (Equal treatment) No employer may include any discrimination in the terms of labor conditions because of nationality, religion or social status.
Article 10: (Scope of Application) stipulates that the act applies to all enterprises except small family businesses, domestic servants, and those exempt by Presidential decree.
KOREAN TAXES: Whilst most foreign employees are required to pay Korean income taxes [at a rate of about 7%], which are generally withheld and paid by the employer, many instructors are unaware that some American citizens teaching in Korea are entitled to an exemption from paying Korean taxes for up to two years because of the U.S.-Korean tax treaty.
ARTICLE 20 of the Korean tax code states: An individual who is a resident of a contracting state, and who at the invitation of any university, college, or other recognized educational institution, visits the other contracting state for a period not exceeding two years or solely for the purpose of teaching, or research or both at such educational institution shall be taxable only in the first mentioned State on his remuneration for such teaching or research.
The tax office maintains a list of institutes that are tax exempt. This provision applies only to teachers employed at universities, research centers, or university-operated institutes. (Teachers at institutes and at private companies usually have to pay taxes). The General Affairs section of the university or research center should be able to apply for the exemption. If the institute wrongly witholds taxes, it is required to pay a refund.
For guidance on these matters contact the Korean tax Office, as they have been helpful in arranging compliance with these provisions. They also publish an English language Income Tax Guide for Foreigners. This guidebook comes out in April of each year, and is available for free from any tax office. The Korean tax year runs from May 31 to the following May 1, with May income estimated. In most instances, one's employer files the appropriate tax forms, but if they do not file, the individual must do so.
If you believe that your employer is not complying with Korean tax laws, your first step should be to discuss the matter with them. If that does not work, you should discuss the matter with the Korean Tax Office, Internationl Taxation Division, (02) 738-2121, or the nearest Korean Tax Office. If the problem is still not solved, you may wish to contact an attorney.
PENSION PROGRAM: At this writing, it appears that foreigners living in Korea will be required to pay into the national pension plan in the near future. The mechanics of withholding have not been worked out as we go to press, but English teachers should not be surprised when this comes to pass. (Remember, all foreign workers in the United States, no matter how transitory their stay, are required to pay Social Security Tax).
U.S. TAXES: Americans residing abroad are not exempt from filing requirements, but are under certain conditions, entitled to exclusions on foreign-earned income. More information on overseas income and filing is available from the IRS publications "Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens Abroad" and "Overseas Filers of Form 1040". These and other Federal tax forms are available at the Embassy.
Each year an IRS representative comes to Korea and is available for indiviual tax consultations. The dates of the visit are announced in the local English newspapers and on AFKN. IRS representatives are available year-round at the IRS regional office in Tokyo. They may be contacted by mail, phone, or fax.
MEDICAL INSURANCE: Foreign instructors are entitled to Korean medical insurance through their employer. This should be clarified at the time of acceptance of employment. Employers often buy the minimum policy required, which provides about 400,000 won (about US$ 500) worth of coverage. Those desiring more coverage should negotiate with their employers or buy their own.
Medical care in Korea is generally good, but, while not as expensive as in the United States, can still be costly. Many practitioners and hospitals will not accept overseas health insurance, and may require payment before treatment. It is therefore very important for individuals to make sure that insurance or funds are available in case medical care is needed. The Embassy maintains a list of English-speaking medical and dental care providers in Korea, as well as a list of insurers willing to write policies for Americans residing in Korea. [This pretty much proves true for other Embassies and citizens as well].
Most English teachers hired from the United States do not get their jobs directly through the insitute where they work. Instead they are recruited by a placement service. These services recruit on campus and in U.S. publications. The Embassy has received complaints about a number of recruiters. Those considering working in Korea may want to check with the Embassy's Citizen Services section to see if a particular recruiting agency has had complaints lodged against it. Prospective teachers should keep all of the advice in this publication in mind when discussing employment terms with a recruiter.
Once you arrive in Korea it is a good idea to subscribe to one of the local English language newspapers, The Korea Herald or the Korea Times. Both are published daily except Mondays, and cost around 7,000 won per month. Both are available in Seoul and at some street stands and bookstores. The Herald can be contacted at (02) 727-0404, Fax (02) 727-0677, and the Times at (02) 724-2828, Fax 723-1623. Overseas subscriptions are available.
KOTESOL is an independent, national affiliate of TESOL, an organization of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. KOTESOL was founded in 1992 as the union of two seperate national organizations. KOTESOL is a not for profit organization established to promote scholarship, disseminate information, and facilitate cross-cultural understanding among English teachers in Korea.
DIFFERANT EXPECTATIONS: Many types of people teach English in Korea. Some are professionally trained with degrees in TESOL; some hold graduate degrees in other disciplines and teach in Korea because they want to experience another culture; some teach English while doing other things, such as research; some teach while looking for other jobs; some are merely passing through.
Teachers have differing expectations. They bring their own unique perspectives to their jobs, as well as their own individual reactions to new circumstances. Some expect to be revered and are shocked when they are not; others expect to make a lot of money but later find they actually earn about what a unionized bus driver in Seoul does; some expect to receive a large Western-style house and are disappointed to find themselves living in a modest room. Having realistic expectations and a flexible attitude prior to starting employment as a teacher in Korea will help prepare you for the inevitable stress and possible disappointment you may encounter.
SHORT-TERM INSTITUTES: The Korean ESL market is extremely competitive. There are over 100,000 insitutions of all types in Korea, most of them small-scale, marginal operations. Due to the competitive nature of the ESL business in Korea, many institutes do not survive long. They open their doors, hire the first foreigner they can find, advertise, teach for a month or so, lose money and close.
FOREIGNERS ARE NOT KOREAN: Korean society in general makes a great distinction between one's inner circle of family, friends and business colleagues, and outsiders. One should always treat one's inner circle with complete respect and courtesy, while one treats strangers with indifference. Korea is not an egalitarian society; one is either of a higher or a lower status than other people. How do foreigners fit into this scheme? The simple answer is - they don't. Foreigners are completely off the scope.
In recent years, less than 10 percent of Koreans traveled abroad, most often on group tours with other Koreans, or on business trips. Thus, Korean society remains very inwardly focused. For most Koreans, foreigners exist only as stereotypes, and are not always liked. Living in Korea as a foreigner requires patience and fortitude. Many foreigners have found Koreans can be quite friendly and warm, but a foreigner will seldom be accepted as part of the inner circle; they will almost always be an outsider looking in.
SOCIAL STATUS OF TEACHERS: Teachers are usually treated with great respect in Korea. However, it is also important to exhibit the kind of personal qualities and behaviour that help maintain that respect. A foreign teacher that does disrespectful things, such as losing his temper with a boss he considers unreasonable , would be held in great disdain by most Koreans, and runs the risk of getting into serious trouble with both his employer and the Korean immigration office. In other words, one should always act in a respectful manner, and with discretion. As a foreigner in Korea you will be highly visable, and you may find living here to be like living in a fish bowl, with everyone around you watching what you do with great interest. Remember that Korean society is more conservative in many ways than American society, and abide by local norms.
PROFESSIONAL BY SOME KOREANS: By and large, Koreans do not think teaching ESL is a professional occupation. In fact, many believe any native speaker will do. This of course is based partially on reality - many ESL instructors in Korea have not had any professional training.
KOREAN BOSSES: Korean society is extremely heirarchical. The boss is the boss; he is never questioned or criticised. The same mistreatment you may feel you have received from him is probably not limited to his foreign employees. He probably reneges on contracts and makes "unreasonable" demands of his Korean employees, too. As a result, one should be careful in how one deals with one's employer. When discussing issues that might become difficult, one should make sure one does not lose one's temper, raise one's voice, or speak in less than respectful language.
LACK OF CLEAR COMMUNICATION: Neither Korean society nor language is very precise. Many things are left unsaid, but still are understood. Of course, foreigners often do not understand. It is important that one understand what is expected and what is required up front, and that any misunderstanding be solved early on. Otherwise problems may develop.
CULTURE SHOCK: When first arriving in a country, one is usually excited and eager for new experiences. After a while, the newness wears off, and homesickness begins. Do not judge yourself too severly at this point. It happens to everyone. "I will never understand this place. I want some real food, some real friends, a real apartment. Why do Koreans do X?"
There is hope and it is usually just a matter of time. As you continue to cope with the realities of living here, you begin to take things for granted that used to annoy you. Life becomes pleasant enough that you no longer care about the inconveniences. You suddenly find that you like KimChi. You realize your students are interesting people to know, that helping them improve their English just adds to that interest; you begin to understand your boss who was such a pain when you came; you make a few good friends who are willing to show you the Korea outside the foreigner's community, you begin to try and learn some Korean and use it. There are many foreigners in Korea who have come to and remain at this point - not so much assimilated, but a part of the country in their own niche here, and who want to spend a long time in Korea.
For many others, however, the feeling eventually comes that it is time to leave. With luck you will realize it before it affects your life too deeply. It is time to leave when you begin to be negative about the country and its people. When you no longer want to go to work; when you dislike your students; when you become irritated with everything and everyone and have angry discussions with others of like mind, it is time to go.
[Ah yes, some cultural aspects I will certainly miss is the pouring of beer into ashtrays to put out still burning cigarettes. So too sitting across from a young female student who would delicately pick up the ashtray and spit into it, or the male student who will collect all the scum from deep back in his throat with a growling noise and then lean back and aim it at the ashtray !!! ;-)].


Tension is mounting ahead of this year's All-Ireland senior hurling final.
This afternoon Limerick will take on Galway in Croke Park for their first final clash since 1980.
Galway are the defending champions, while Limerick have not won since 1973.
The Tribesmen bid to retain their title for the first time since 1988 and they are bolstered by the return of Gearoid McInerney who starts at centre back.
Meanwhile, Limerick are unchanged to the side which saw off Cork in the semi-finals as they aim to lift the Liam McCarthy Cup for the first time in 45 years.
Limerick fans are looking forward to it.
Limerick supporters Naoise Ahern, left, aged 8, and his cousin Seán Ahern, aged 8, from Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick, ahead of today's All-Ireland Final. Pic: Sportsfile.
One said: "You can really start to feel the buzz growing now that it's getting closer.
"I think the Limerick team we have there now can go up against anybody."
Another fan said: "I'm from Ballybrown and it's very exciting at the moment and I remember 1973 when they won. The boys have been fantastic, fair play to them, we're very proud of them."
This supporter was hoping to get a ticket for the match.
He said: "I'm from Patrickswell, the buzz is great, you can't be any more hurling than Patrickswell. I'm praying I'll get a ticket."


text:
Condo Sales Expert Mark Pordes Rewrites Rules Of Marketing In South Florida
For condo sales expert Mark Pordes, the downturn in the high-end market has been a boom to his young company and has led to one of his biggest deals in his 25-year career.
In early June, Pordes pulled off the largest residential sale in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties this year, negotiating the sale of 150 units at the luxury 2700 North Ocean condominium towers on Singer Island in Palm Beach County. The deal is valued at roughly $120 million.
With three multi-million-dollar deals in recent months and more in the works, Pordes is transforming the condominium market by pioneering bulk sales in a way that's a win for investors, developers and lenders.
"A number of condominium projects are at a critical point now," says Pordes, founder and president of Pordes Residential Sales & Marketing in Aventura. "Smart developers understand that they haven't met the threshold to pay off the construction loans that are past due."
In these situations, you need a fresh approach, says Pordes. "We understand how important it is to reposition and sell inventory in today's market place by taking a non-traditional approach."
Pordes has assembled some of the best, seasoned sales professionals in the residential market. They identify opportunities, formulate strategies and tailor a niche marketing plan specific to the project, Pordes says. "Then, we create an exit strategy that ensures the investor, developer or lender that the plan will deliver the best results."
Pordes explains to developers that rather than lose a property to the lender and be obligated for personal guarantees, or to pay down a good portion of debt, Pordes' firm can design and implement a program for a bulk or a strategic coordinated sale using its database of equity investors, funds or capital from wealthy individuals interested in today's condominium opportunities.
"We operate under the radar with developers on a quiet sale," Pordes says. "I privately contact investors so that the property does not suffer from any negative publicity relating to the deal. This helps the property maintain its reputation and integrity, which supports future sales."
The carve-out of units for bulk sales has to be strategic, Pordes says. "This requires the proper balance to avoid competition between the units that are purchased by the investor group and the units that the developer may still has for sale thereafter," he says. "We put together the deal so it works for both sides. That's the only way we will do a deal."
Pordes and his team have tapped their broad network of investors to generate sales at some of the best-known condo projects in South Florida. He started the one-year-old company after working for 10 years as vice president of Residential Sales for Turnberry Ltd, one of South Florida's most prestigious development firms.
He oversaw Turnberry's portfolio in South Florida and the Bahamas including The Residences at Atlantis in Paradise Island, condo hotels Fontainebleau II and Fontainebleau III in Miami Beach, Turnberry Village and Porto Vita in Aventura to mention a few.
Pordes remembers some of the similarities from his past experiences handling distressed projects in down markets such as Oceania Tower V, which was taken over by Turnberry after being stalled for more than three years and the revamp projects such as Ugo Colombo's Santa Maria and Terremark's Fortune House, both on Brickell Avenue.
With his new company, Pordes' focus is to market units for third-party developers, lenders or private equity firms, which today are inheriting many fractured projects.
Pordes is also breaking new ground with an innovate approach to bulk or coordinated sales. In December 2009, he assembled a package sale of 12 units for $7.5 million at Peninsula II in Aventura to a group of Argentinean investors.
"We tapped into our international investor market for this one," Pordes said. "This brought in quick cash for the lender who owns the asset."
At the Fontainebleau condo hotel, Pordes Residential completed a 25-unit bulk sale in August 2009 to a private investor group from New York.
In late May 2010, Pordes' firm brokered the last 25 units at Fontainebleau Sorrento for $7.2 million to his client, BH III the current owner of Terra Beachside 6000 Collins on Miami Beach where he handles the exclusive on-site sales and marketing.
His latest deal at the oceanfront luxury towers on Singer Island took several months to complete.
"We figured out a structure that worked for both the developer, Catalfumo and OZ Holdings, the private equity fund from New York," Pordes says. "It took awhile because the deal kept changing.
"At first, it was going to be a partnership, and then became an outright buyout. To make it work, though, the lender required more time and diligence to get comfortable with the assignment of debt to the new group."
"Our approach is working for developers, investors and lenders," Pordes says. "I expect to complete deals in the pipeline in the upcoming months."
CONTACT Julie Talenfeld or Jennifer Clarin of Boardroom Communication, 954-370-8999 or jtalenfeld@boardroompr.com.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


T he Fish Creek Rod and Gun Club will start Fish Fry Friday on Friday, Jan. 11 from 4:30-7 p.m. The Fish Fry will continue every Friday through April 19. Menu: Fish fry, chicken fry, clam fry, popcorn shrimp fry, Buffalo shrimp, chowder. Price: $10. Extras and beverages are additional. Eat in at the club house, or call ahead for take-out: 518-695-3917. All are welcome, members and non-members. Fish Creek Rod & Gun Club, 121 Route 32, Schuylerville, N.Y.


The pop-up summer installation has been brought together with the support of artists including Luke Egan of Designs in Air, T.A.C.T., and Chris Carlson.
Designs in Air is an international group based in the United Kingdom that's brought creativity to life with these inflatable wildflowers. With work featured in the 2012 Olympics and Cirque du Soleil, Luke Egan is renowned for his installations.
The carpenters and artists at T.A.C.T. —Teaching the Autism Community Trades—hand-built the interactive beehive and pollen. T.A.C.T. is a Denver-based nonprofit that provides trade and technical skills to children, young adults, and families living with Autism Spectrum Disorder. You can see photos of them working in the slideshow above.
Chris Carlson, nationally recognized and Denver-based, has created the 3-D "cyc wall" for you to snap your photo.
Find out about exciting opportunities to bring Colorado's history to life!


text:
Tag: ghosts
Ghost Town by Kevin Chen
On January 12, 2023 January 11, 2023 By CravenWildIn book reviewsLeave a comment
When Keith returns to his dying home town in Taiwan, after being released from prison in Germany, his homecoming coincides with the Ghost Festival, when the gates of Hell are opened (as the book describes it). His return brings a lot of ghosts, from the literal ones of family members who have died, to the …
Continue reading Ghost Town by Kevin Chen
The Residence by Andrew Pyper
On September 1, 2020 August 27, 2020 By CravenWildIn book reviewsLeave a comment
There's a ghost in the White house... Based on historical people and events, this book tells the story of Franklin and Jane Pierce, whose son Bennie died in a train accident just before Franklin took office. There have been various stories of ghost sightings in the White House (the ghost has been called "The Thing") …
Continue reading The Residence by Andrew Pyper
The Book of Hidden Wonders by Polly Crosby
On August 5, 2020 August 5, 2020 By CravenWildIn book reviewsLeave a comment
Romilly grows up with her father, an artist, in a ramshackle house surrounded by a wild garden. She vaguely remembers a life before, when she was 4 and they lived in London with her mother, and also a different time when they lived an itinerant life. But her father won't answer questions about where her …
Continue reading The Book of Hidden Wonders by Polly Crosby
My Favourite Podcasts.
On October 8, 2018 September 26, 2018 By CravenWildIn Uncategorized4 Comments
I used to say that I'm not really a podcast person. I get why a lot of people aren't into them. But I realised that listening to podcasts is a lot like curling up with a cocoa next to the wireless and listening to the Lone Ranger. Some things have a cozy, timeless feel. And …
Continue reading My Favourite Podcasts.
The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
On June 6, 2018 May 30, 2018 By CravenWildIn book reviewsLeave a comment
Elsie is sent away from London to avoid gossip and scandal when her wealthy husband dies just months after their marriage. Grieving and pregnant, she goes to her husbands crumbling family estate, the place where he mysteriously died, and where she must live with only the few servants and his dull cousin for company. But …
Continue reading The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
The Black Parade by Kyoko M
On October 25, 2017 October 19, 2017 By CravenWildIn book reviewsLeave a comment
Jordan is a young woman with a dark past who keeps it together by working as a waitress and drinking to drown out the nightmares. She mostly keeps to herself, to keep her secret safe: she has been tasked with helping one hundred souls cross over to the other side in two years or she …
Continue reading The Black Parade by Kyoko M
The Art Of Legerdemain As Taught By Ghosts by Jim Naremore
On March 11, 2017 March 7, 2017 By CravenWildIn book reviews3 Comments
How beautiful is the cover of this book? I love it. I guess you can't judge a book by it's cover, but in this case, if you love the cover art here, I think you'll probably love the book too! This book was sent to me by the author for an honest review, and honestly... …
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Weird Sister by Kate Pullinger
On January 18, 2017 November 18, 2016 By CravenWildIn book reviewsLeave a comment
I loved this book, and read it almost in one sitting! It's atmospheric, creepy and actually really fun, in a spooky way. It tells the story of a small town called Warboys, nestled in Britain, and the way that the entry of one beautiful woman tears the town apart. That woman is Agnes Samuel. If …
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Skylight Confessions by Alice Hoffman
On December 14, 2016 June 5, 2016 By CravenWildIn book reviewsLeave a comment
A house made of glass, a boy whose father can't love him, a woman who finds love too late. Alice Hoffman writes about love and loss, with a hint of magic, in a way that no one else can. Her books feel like modern fairy tales, and they're always moving and a bit different. Orphaned …
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Lily Dale: The Town That Talks To The Dead by Christine Wicker
On November 19, 2016 November 18, 2016 By CravenWildIn book reviewsLeave a comment
This year, in November, I set myself the task of writing a book. It had been germinating in my mind for a while, and I needed to get it down on paper. The story itself has aspects of Victorian Englands obsession with death and greiving, and the phenomenon of Spiritualism that rose up in that …
Continue reading Lily Dale: The Town That Talks To The Dead by Christine Wicker


AWARDS to preservation groups, societies and individuals to recognise their achievements in specific categories were presented at the annual dinner of the Heritage Railway Association in Birmingham on February 10.
Barrow Hill Roundhouse won the Mortons Media (Heritage Railway) Interpretation Award for the conservation and restoration of what was once a common, but now unique, key part of British Railway heritage, while its project leader Mervyn Allcock won The Railway Magazine award for his vision, drive, determination and passion over a 30-year period, culminating in the realisation of the Barrow Hill Roundhouse.
RM's Chris Milner hands The Railway Magazine Preservationist of the Year award to Mervyn Allcock.
Sister title Rail Express presented its award to the East Lancashire Railway Diesel Group, for its superb restoration of the last surviving complete Class 105 DMU power car and trailer.
The A1 Steam Trust won two awards, one was the Steam Railway Magazine Award, given jointly with DB Cargo for promoting No. 60163 Tornado to new and wider audiences through national media and cinema, inspiring people with the first 100mph steam run in half a century, as well as the Settle and Carlisle 'Plandampf', and the Paddington 2 film.


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Legal experts call for clarity over State compensation
By CAO YIN | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2017-02-17 11:35
Legal experts and lawyers have called for the government to clarify how much damages should be awarded for wrongful detention under the State Compensation Law.
In recent years, a series of problematic cases have been overturned or corrected, featuring litigants who were wrongly detained or convicted and were given the right to apply for State compensation.
The amount of compensation subsequently awarded has varied widely, however.
Last year, for example, Chen Man, who was wrongfully imprisoned for 23 years for homicide and arson, received 1.85 million yuan ($270,000) in compensation for restriction of personal freedom as well as 900,000 yuan for mental anguish.
But when Gao Chao, a native of Yingkou, Liaoning province, applied for about 177,000 yuan in compensation after being wrongly convicted of organizing crime, he only received 10,000 yuan.
Shi Likang, a criminal lawyer at the Beijing-based Jingshi Law Firm, said during a seminar on Thursday that the State Compensation Law was not clear on how much money should be awarded for mental anguish.
"There is a big variation in the amount of compensation awarded among criminal cases," Shi said, adding that this was detrimental to the pursuit of justice.
Zhang Jianwei, a law professor at Tsinghua University, agreed with Shi, saying that the amount of compensation for mental anguish is generally less than 35 percent of the total compensation offered, under a guideline made by the Supreme People's Court, "but this allows for exceptions".
Wang Jingbo, a law professor at China University of Political Science and Law, suggested that the government and lawmakers highlight elements that should be taken into consideration when calculating the amount of compensation to be awarded.
"It is necessary to make the calculations transparent, with the aim of ensuring the compensation is fair," Wang said.
In addition to compensation, Zhu Wei, another legal researcher from the university, called on courts to apologize to defendants or publish new verdicts when they overturn previous ones, so as to prevent wrongful convictions from affecting the futures of those who have been exonerated.
caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn
Supreme court rejects Nian Bin's plea for more compensation
Kia dealers unite to seek compensation for losses
Smog compensation proposed for Shaanxi province's outdoor workers
Nurse receives compensation for wrongful conviction
Injured cyclist wins compensation from car-hailing company
Zhongshan Station receives makeover
Suzhou builds replica of Tower Bridge
Getting haircuts for good luck
Two sessions ready for reporters
Chinese city builds its own 'London Tower Bridge'
Primary school has 28 sets of multiple births
Police vow action to tackle telephone fraud
H7N9 patient leaves hospital in Southwest China
IDs required for long-distance bus trips in China
SPC marriage law interpretation protects spouses from illegal debt
No flying around in Beijing during 'two sessions'
Premier Li calls for efforts to further streamline governmental approvals
Rules for physical disability prevention and rehabilitation
Hot job prospects in 2017
Watchers from home, abroad flock to spot new bird species
Number of SATs held outside US to be cut


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You Take Care of Business. We'll Take Care of You.
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Write ad copy and post to one job board: 1 hour and 30 minutes. On average, 250 resumes are received for each corporate job opening. Many job postings will receive more, especially if you post across multiple job boards.
Recent reports found that recruiters spend only 6 seconds reviewing each resume. That's 25 minutes for the first 250, but if you're more generous, you could spend up to 5 minutes per resume - that's over 20 hours!
It can take up to 2 hours to prescreen eight candidates over the phone.
This includes scheduling interviews and preparing questions for six candidates. Plan on an average time of 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Activities include initial interview, testing, reference checks, final interviews, contacting other applicants, and making the employment offer which can add up to 7.5 hours.
This can range from a minimum of 30 hours to over 100 hours per position.
Express Employment Professionals can do all of these tasks, so you can be more productive and cost effective. Let us send you a qualified worker that fits your job description and company culture.
Sources: GetHired.com, TheLadders, Bliss & Associates, Inc.
Contact your Express representative for more information.


text:
About FASPE
Daily Dispatches
Reporter Portraits
The critical few at "Track 17" and the House of the Wannsee Conference
By Laura Smith
At FASPE, we often discuss how small, committed groups of people can orchestrate events—for good or ill. On Thursday, May 28, the FASPEans saw a positive example of this. While visiting the Deportation Memorial, "Track 17," in Berlin, Thorsten Wagner, the European director of FASPE, told the fellows that lobbying for remembrance "was coming mainly from grassroots, left-of-center groups," rather than majority groups. The resulting memorial commemorates the deportation of Jews from the Grunewalde S-bahn station to various concentration camps. Dates and locations where victims were deported run along the track's edge. As Deutsche Bahn, the present-day incarnation of Deutsche Reichsbahn, writes on its website, "without the railway, and in particular without Deutsche Reichsbahn, the deportation of the European Jews to the extermination camps would not have been possible."
Though Deutsche Bahn today acknowledges the company's role in the deportation of Jews to death camps, it has a murky history regarding the memorial. After the reunification of Germany, the company originally planned to install cleaning facilities for its high-speed trains on "Track 17"—until there was public outcry. Now, the end of the track is broken and overrun by trees. "The trees are here as if to say we don't ever want to see trains here again," said Wagner.
The "Track 17" memorial. Thousands of Jews were deported to ghettos and camps from this station. (Laura Smith/FASPE)
The FASPEans next traveled to the House of the Wannsee Conference, where we learned of a more sinister example of the power of a critical few. At the conference, 15 high-ranking SS and ministry members met on January 20, 1942, to discuss plans for the deportation and murder of Europe's Jews. The conference is a stunning example of the devastating power of individuals to shape the fates of six million people.
Being journalists, we often discuss whether there were opportunities for a group of journalists to resist becoming mouthpieces of Nazi propaganda. Yet by 1943, even anti-Nazi publications such as Frankfurter Zeitung were publishing Nazi rhetoric. In February of that year, Rudolph Kircher, the paper's editor, wrote, "Total war … is indeed the only way that can lead us to this success." After examining articles Kircher wrote in 1934, it seems clear that his later pro-Nazi rhetoric was coerced—or at least not reflective of what he had wrote less than a decade before.
What was Kircher's personal responsibility, and did he have alternatives? Did his newspaper have any kind of marginal, but critical power to challenge the status quo that went unused? When we discussed these questions with Dr. Wolf Kaiser, a historian at the House of the Wannsee Conference museum, he explained that there were essentially four options for journalists: emigrate and write against the regime from abroad, stay in Germany and write explicitly, stay in Germany but write obliquely in the hopes of having your message escape the notice of Nazi censors, or spout Nazi rhetoric and do nothing. Dr. Kaiser explained that the second option—writing critically about the Nazis from within Germany— "was an enormous risk. You would end up in a concentration camp."
The House of the Wannsee Conference, where Nazi leaders agreed on the Final Solution on January 20, 1942. (Laura Smith/FASPE)
Naturally, the lunchtime conversation turned to what we believed we would have done in the German journalists' positions. Considering the danger of directly opposing the Nazis while remaining in Germany, we were in nearly universal agreement that we would emigrate. However one honest FASPEan, Parker Yesko, pointed out that this is easier said than done; she said she could imagine thinking the situation in Germany could not get worse, and that she wouldn't want to leave home. Her dissent recast the group's original assertion as perhaps wishful thinking.
This debate about emigration reminded me of Thomas Chatterton Williams' recent opinion piece, "The Next Great Migration" in The New York Times, urging black Americans to consider leaving the United States. Looking at a current spate of Jewish emigrants fleeing anti-Semitism in France and police killings of black Americans, Chatterton Williams wrote, "Why shouldn't more of us weigh expatriation, even if only temporary, as a viable means of securing those lofty yet elusive ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?"
The parable of the frog in a slowly heating pot comes up often in FASPE conversations. We, like Chatterton Williams, are wondering: When is enough, enough? If faced with a modern ethical dilemma will we see the lines that shine so brightly only in retrospect?
(5/30/2015)
This entry was posted on Thursday, June 4th, 2015 at 8:00 am.	It is filed under Daily Dispatches and tagged with FASPE, FASPE 2015, FASPE Journalism, Track 17, Wannsee Conference. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Clearance Rugs - Tropical Area Rugs. shag area rugs. purple rug. oval rugs.
Published at Tuesday, November 13th 2018, 04:10:08 AM by Quentin Bourque. Area Rugs and Pads. When you walk on your antique rug, it encounters a lot of stress against the hard floor. The back of the rug, or the knots, as well as the foundation, need to be protected as best as possible. There are rug pads with holes in them and solid rug pads. In this case, the solid on is best. Moving a step ahead, a solid pad with some sort of texture on the surface is even better. This texture can safely grab your antique rug and keep it from crawling, hence reducing wear.
Published at Thursday, October 18th 2018, 03:40:47 AM. Pillows and Throws By Marine Jacquier. Making throw pillows is an easy, yet enjoyable procedure, and after you've learned the running stitch and the backstitch, they are a breeze to work out. There are two different ways to do this; with a pillow form and with fiberfill stuffing. Either way is fine, it's just a matter of how you want to do it and how you feel most comfortable. First, to be able to choose what kind you want to make, you will want to know what a pillow form and fiberfill are, and the pros and cons between the two. First off, we have a pillow form. Basically a pillow form is a non decorative, rather ugly pillow that is stuffed inside of your fabric. It helps your pillow keep it's form, plus they're easy to use, especially for a beginner. The cons are that they can be rather expensive if you don't keep an eye out for sales and good deals.
Published at Thursday, October 18th 2018, 03:40:43 AM. Home Accent By Nathalie Bombelles. To enhance modern decoration, choose accents that employ interesting geometrical shapes. Online, you'll find a variety of solutions which are perfectly suited to this type of design. The icy ray floor light includes a range of geometrical shapes within the metal frame at the top of an untarnished silk shade. These items are generally functional and fascinating. You are sure to have a nice area where you and your loved ones can talk if you opt for modern accents like those for lighting.
Published at Thursday, October 18th 2018, 03:40:40 AM. Pillows and Throws By Fabien Dubos. Luxurious premium pillows add unique flavor to bedrooms. They are available in a variety of sizes, colors, and design. They are made of silk goose down and can gift comfort and softness that lasts. These luxury pillows are filled with goose down that has been hand plucked. Those with allergies can still enjoy them with white good down that has been purified to be bacteria free. You can get down filled decorative and throw pillows in a wide variety and prints.
Published at Thursday, October 18th 2018, 03:40:37 AM. Mirror By Nathalie Bombelles. The shape of the mirror and how you hang it will also make an impact on your space. For example, hanging a mirror vertically will add height to a space while hanging a mirror horizontally will fill a wall. Also, adding a round mirror to a boxy room will liven up the space. The round shape adds interest by breaking up all of the straight lines. In addition, mirrors with an arched or richly ornamented top are an elegant way to dress up a space. Traditionally this shape has been used above a mantle. Mirrors are a fabulous tool to add depth and light to a room. This makes them a great idea for smaller spaces. Mirrors will make smaller spaces feel larger by giving the room the appearance of having more depth. Light from windows and light fixtures will reflect in mirrors and bounce back into a room adding more light to the space. A mirror in a room without windows will reflect the lights and make the room appear brighter. Another great idea is to place a mirror behind anything you want to highlight when you are displaying items. Mirrors catch your eye and will therefore show off the things in front of it.
Published at Thursday, October 18th 2018, 03:34:04 AM. Fall Decor By Magali Courbis. It's the little things. Lampshades and picture frame mats are often overlooked when updating for the season, but changing them is an easy and effective way to change a room. Whether it's shades on your overhead lighting fixture or the lampshades in your family room, add a new, colorful shade to create a different feeling in the room. If you picture frame mats are white/cream consider adding a mat with color to add a pop to your pictures. Use the same color on all mats to unify your photos.
Published at Thursday, October 18th 2018, 03:33:50 AM. Home Accent By Magali Courbis. There is also more country designs which are more of a comfortable homey style than a set of particulars. French country or rural country can be varied in styles and yet have that cozy charm. However, one common feature is the multiple paned windows of the length of the walls known as French windows. These can even be used like doors. This style loves the kitchen to be big, spacious and comfortable, with windows for sunlight and thick beams and polished stone or tiled floors. This design often entails large drawing rooms typically with a fire-place.
Published at Thursday, October 18th 2018, 03:33:45 AM. Window Treatment By Robin Rapace. The term has been evolved as a decorative element, but is often used to describe various coverings like sheers, curtains, blinds, cornices, shutters and valances. For both houses and business firms, blinds are commonly used for window treatments. Now wide varieties of blinds are available like the paper blinds, mini blinds, slat blinds and verticals. The blinds made of wood are a special choice for modern homes. The wooden slat blinds and woven wood blinds are perfect for any stylish interiors. In extreme weather conditions, shutters are the most widely opted treatment for ventilation and insulation. These shutters are made of faux wood and keep the unwanted glare away to give maximum comfort.


If you enjoy doing dumb stuff at profession football matches, you'll want to steer clear of Germany because the German Federal Court of Justice has given clubs the ability to sue fans for their wrongdoing during matches. And Bundesliga side Cologne are making use of this newfound ability in an effort to recoup some of the money they had to pay out as a result of an idiot injuring seven people with fireworks during a 2014 match against Paderborn.
The Bundesliga club were fined 50,000 euros by the German football association (DFB) after the incident in 2014.
They were also ordered to invest a further 30,000 euros in measures aimed at preventing violence.
The club expressed their approval of the court decision, saying "the ruling gives us as a club much needed legal certainty regarding the question as to whether we can pass penalties imposed by the DFB on to those who were originally responsible".
According to The Sun, the dummy with the firework originally received an 18-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of about €3,800. So, compared to the club, he got off light. Now they look to balance the scales a bit more by seeking €30,000 in their lawsuit.
I'm curious to see how this will be abused.


Job description: We are currently seeking a Night Host to start with immediate effect for a well-known Hotel and Spa in the Wadebridge area!
Those applying will have previous hospitality experience, within a customer facing capacity.
Immaculate presentation along with an approachable and friendly persona essential.
Primarily shifts would be Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights from 10.30pm – 7.30am (9 hour shifts) flexibility to cover alternative nights/holiday is a must. Due to location, candidates applying must have their own transport.
If you feel you meet the requirements of the role and can commit to all shifts, then apply now.


traffic into and out of remote disaster areas.
matched the shorter attention span of the evolving users.
emergency operators back here anytime, anywhere.
APRS, but this new PACSAT-IS would be just for PACSAT BBS traffic.
Then someone to collect the data and write the WEB Portal.
enough stations, all packets could be collected.
exciting new Amateur Radio capability.
elevation passes.  Even this sparse data is good data.
easy to see the effect of an antenna in very short time.


0%72°52°Cloudy with a high of 66 °F (18.9 °C) and a 80% chance of precipitation. Winds variable at 7 to 13 mph (11.3 to 20.9 kph).Night - Partly cloudy. Winds variable at 5 to 9 mph (8.0 to 14.5 kph). The overnight low will be 49 °F (9.4 °C).
5%67°37°Mostly cloudy today with a high of 67 °F (19.4 °C) and a low of 37 °F (2.8 °C).
Today - Cloudy with a high of 66 °F (18.9 °C) and a 80% chance of precipitation. Winds variable at 7 to 13 mph (11.3 to 20.9 kph).


text:
Hardest-working saint in real estate
With home sales falling, some sellers seek divine intervention
Tradition says burying St. Joseph statues will help sell houses
Sales of statues are brisk
Next Article in Living »
By Jen Haley
(CNN) -- With home sales falling to five-year lows, homeowners desperate to sell their homes are looking for a little divine intervention.
Retailers report statues of St. Joseph are selling briskly.
Dawn Hoernemann of Minneapolis, Minnesota, had her one-bedroom home on the market for four months. Every weekend there was an open house. But there were no offers. That's until she took her mom's advice and buried a statue of St. Joseph upside down in her front yard.
The next week, she had three offers and her home was sold. "I couldn't believe it. I don't know what it is about it. It worked. It's some sort of a miracle," says Hoernemann.
This "miracle" has it roots in Catholicism. According to the tradition, burying St. Joseph began hundreds of years ago in Europe. St. Teresa of Avila, a nun in the 16th century, buried a medal of the saint and prayed to St. Joseph to help secure land for a convent. The ritual is said to have worked, and so the trend of burying St. Joseph has caught on.
Just ask Phil Cates of Modesto, California. His online retail site, StJosephStatue.com, offers the "Underground Real Estate Agent" home-selling kits. For $9.95, the 4-inch statue comes with a burial bag and a burial instruction booklet. There's even an 8-inch version of the statue for larger homes.
Sales have increased 100 percent in the past two years, according to Cates.
Robert Malhame, who runs Malhame & Co -- a Catholic supply company on Long Island, says sales of the St. Joseph Statue spiked last year. And he expects the trend to last. "We're probably going to sell over 100,000 this year," he says. The biggest demand is coming from the Northeast and the Midwest, he says.
Jan Wheelehan, the store manager at a Catholic retail supply store in St. Louis, Missouri, says the statues have been one of the better sellers, with sales increasing 25 percent this year. "People seem more panicked and there is a hurried-ness to their expression when they come in," she says.
St. Joseph is even on the auction block. There are dozens of St. Joseph home-selling kits on Ebay. From glow in the dark St. Joseph statues to mini pocket shrines, St. Joseph has a whole new following.
Burying St. Joseph statues has its own set of rules, too, although they can vary.
Home sellers are instructed to dig a hole near the "For Sale" sign. The hole should be three inches taller than the statue itself. The saint should then be facing the direction of the street. Then prayers to St. Joseph should be said before the saint is covered with dirt.
Once the house is sold, St. Joseph should be dug up and put in a place of honor in the new home.
Some renters have even cashed in on St. Joseph's divine intervention in hopes of getting a break on rent or to have their application accepted. They buried St. Joseph statues in flowerpots. The statue's feet should either be facing the street or in the direction you want to move, according to Cates.
The whole statue-burying process was a bit hard to swallow for Joe Iannacone. His Dallas, Texas, home was on the market earlier this month. Iannacone first heard about the ritual from his godfather.
"I looked on the Web. It was less than $10. So, I said why not?" recalls Iannacone. Six hours later a young woman walked into the house and made a bid. "I'm not very religious," says Iannacone. "But that was pretty amazing. I was shocked."
St. Joseph may have made a believer out of some sellers, but for some real estate agents, selling a home isn't the work of a higher power.
"What a crock!" says Connecticut real estate agent David D'Ausilio. "As a Realtor I think it's ridiculous. The business has always been simple. If a house is properly priced and properly exposed, it'll attract buyers and it will sell -- St. Joseph or no St. Joseph."
Cates says the statue is more than just superstition. "It's the idea of getting beyond yourself. It's about hoping and praying for something that is bigger than you are," he says.
And these days, maybe just a little hope for home sellers isn't such a bad thing. E-mail to a friend
All About Real Estate Sales
Senators 'troubled' after Rice meeting Bergen: Senseless Benghazi obsession


Strawberry U-Pick is now closed for the 2018 season.
Blueberry U-Pick is now closed for the 2018 season.
Raspberry U-Pick is now closed for the 2018 season.
Tomato U-Pick is now closed for the 2018 season.
I was very fortunate to grow up experiencing the wonder of fresh blueberries every summer. My Grandpa Walt saw the opportunity for blueberry growing in Oregon and planted a beautiful 200 acre blueberry farm in the 1980's, which is adjacent to the land that MIG farms.
In 2012 we took over two acres of my grandparents original farm and transitioned it to organic production. The Early Blue variety is one of the first to ripen and thus great for the early blueberry season. The berries have not been sprayed nor treated with any chemical inputs for several years. The plants are mature and very easy to u-pick.
In 2009 we planted 5 acres of our own blueberries- 3 rows of the Reka variety, and the remainder and majority the Duke variety; our 5 acres is certified organic. Chris and I were mentored by the operators of my grandparent's farm, Phil Olson, and we've loved being able to provide organic blueberries to our CSA members and through u-pick. Managing any perennial crop organically is very challenging, mostly due to weed pressure, especially the prevalent blackberries and thistles. In 2013 we decided to cover the blueberry beds with ground cloth to help with weed control. We feel very fortunate to have these 5 acres of organic blueberries as the backbone of our farm and love sharing these tasty and nutritious berries with the community!


text:
by Lee — Thursday, 2/24/11 , 12:25 pm
Remember this incident from last May?
Christine Casey, patient coordinator of North End Club 420, tells the Weekly that the detectives from the West Sound Narcotics Enforcement Team (WestNet) who came to her house in Olalla (west of Vashon Island) handcuffed her 14-year-old son for two hours and put a gun to his head. They also told the kid to say good-bye to his dad, Guy Casey, because the dispensary owner was going to prison.
And as the detectives looked for cash to prove that the dispensary was illegally profiting from pot sales, Casey says, they confiscated $80 that her 9-year-old daughter had received from her family for a straight-A report card. Where did they find it?
In the girl's Mickey Mouse wallet, according to Casey. She also claims that the cops dumped out all her silverware, busted a hole in the wall, and broke appliances. She alleges too that the cops finger-wrote "I sell pot" in the dust covering the family's Hummer, which the cops then seized. (WestNet did not return repeated calls seeking comment.)
At the time, I wrote:
Once again, WestNET is claiming that a "police operative" repeatedly bought marijuana from the Caseys without showing a medical marijuana authorization. The Caseys deny it. If the Caseys are telling the truth, it's just another reason to put pressure on our state's Congressional delegation to eliminate WestNET's federal funding.
Today, the Tacoma News-Tribune reports what nearly everyone in the medical marijuana community has known for quite some time:
Pierce County prosecutors have dismissed numerous drug charges filed last year against two men who run a Tacoma medical-marijuana cooperative.
Guy Lewis Casey and Michael Jonathan Schaef – who operate the Club 420 cooperative on Oregon Avenue – had been scheduled for trial in April.
Deputy prosecutor Jennifer L. Sievers filed paperwork Tuesday dismissing the case, saying that after further investigation she had "doubts as to the veracity" of a confidential informant who fed information to police.
Just as with the Bruce Olson case, the WestNET drug task force used the word of an untrustworthy "informant" in order to justify their invasions on law-abiding members of the medical marijuana community. Again, it's time for our representatives in Congress to ask why this group continues to receive federal funding in order to destroy the homes of innocent people and terrorize their families.
Zotz sez: Teahadists are Koch suckers! spews:
Seems they have a cause of action. Did they get their stuff back?
What do you expect spews:
Thank god we got another pot grower out of business. Now, off to Costco to by a crate of Pinot Gris, few cartoons of Camels and then by the liquor store to get some bourbon. Thank GOD my government is keeping 'drugs' off the street!
And the police wonder why so many don't respect them anymore. What ass hats. It's ONE thing to enforce a law, do a search on a warrant, fine. But don't be DICKS doing it.
Undercover Brother spews:
i guess we are luck that informant wasn't selling information on yellow cake, eh??
rhp6033 spews:
Totally off topic, but cause for celebration:
Boeing just won the contract for the next generation tanker, based on the Boeing 767. About 11,000 aerospace jobs in Washington State have been saved.
http://www.seattlepi.com/local.....ker24.html
(Note: the PI was first to release the news, I haven't even received the official Boeing press release in my in-box yet).
Ekim spews:
the WestNET drug task force used the word of an untrustworthy "informant"
Hey! I'm willing to be an untrustworthy "informant". I have quite a list of people I'm really sure are involved with drugs in a big way. Troll for one. He's got to be on drugs.
Liberal Scientist spews:
when do those jobs move to South Carolina?
Randroid spews:
It's a shame that Mobile and Alabama was banking on government money to create jobs! The Tea Party got their limited government in Alabama today.
http://blog.al.com/live/2011/0.....ct_wi.html
The explanation's simpler than everyone thinks. The EADS plane is a French Airbus. The United States hasn't operated French aircraft since WWI. If Boeing paid bribes, they wasted their money. The French aircraft never had a chance.
Actually, EADS had no intention of *building* the plane here. That's always been the case, they've always planned to build it in France, fly it here, and then finish work on it. And those 4000 jobs locally in Mobile? That became 2500, then 1500, then 500… and that was even before the re-compete.
Did anyone REALLY think Obama was going to let a Red State get that contract?
http://blog.al.com/live/2011/0.....ments.html
Perfect Voter spews:
@7, it was hard to fathom this contract going to France and Alabama, but with this President, stranger things have happened. I was nervous as Hell.
Great news, and if I haven't already told you before, you're always allowed to take threads off-topic.
sarge spews:
@8 & 7: I didn't know Obama was responsible for Acts of Congress. I thought there were three branches of government. Is Obama responsible for Supreme Court decisions as well?
@10. Oh, wait, this was not an act of Congress. My bad!
Politically Incorrect spews:
The real reason that law enforcement does not favor legalization of cannabis is that it reduces the need for law enforcement guys out there persecuting otherwise law-abiding citizens who might choose to indulge in a little recreational use of the hemp plant. We're talkin' jobs here!
Michael spews:
Westnet = thugs with badges.
Port Orchard is a corrupt, back water, slum.
Right Stuff spews:
Great news about the tanker deal……
KC-46A All the Way!!!!
Back to the topic at hand….
Until the law of the land changes, this will continue to happen. Legalize it already.
Proud to be an Ass spews:
Thug Life????? What? This thread isn't about Rush Limbaugh?
Don't Bogart that joint, my friend.
Roger Rabbit spews:
Last summer a narcotics task force sealed off the house next to mine, handcuffed the residents and paraded them out into the street, festooned the property with yellow police tape, and posted half a dozen officers to guard the property during the eight hours it took to get a search warrant to seize the tomato plants up on the roof.
Was that even reported in the news anywhere? Did they get an apology from the police at least?
16, 17: You both overlook the power of modern hi-tech genetic biology. Tomato plants! Now there is a clever ruse.
While I understand the local pride…I have news for all celebrating the tanker deal…the money could have been better spent on long term infrastructure and public investment, and also created good high paying jobs in the process.
Now, back to dope.
Evergreen Libertarian spews:
As someone who wishes to see our troops brought home and the military reduced I'm not jumping for joy. Maybe one tanker is enough.
How many federal dollars does Westnet get for these busts? Anyone know?
@20 It seemed obvious to me at the time that The Great Tomato Bust was fueled by federal narcotics dollars. The cops made a great show of what they were doing — almost as if they were making a Hollywood film. And it had "Your Federal Tax Dollars Hard At Work" written all over it. This happened on a street where we can't get simple traffic enforcement (as in: people doing 50 mph on a residential street posted at 25). But that, of course, would require nonexistent local dollars.
@17 I told them, to hell with an apology, get a lawyer.
MikeBoyScout spews:
Obviously the WestNET drug task force is a costly labor union boondoggle. That's the only possible explanation.
@23 Yeah, that's gotta be it. Get rid of the unions and democracy, and this kinda shit won't happen anymore.
I'm also in favor of reducing our military footprint around the world, and investing money in high-paying jobs locally. But the tanker contract seems to accomplish that purpose: It reduces the need for huge foreign air force bases if we can project force as needed over long distances with aerial refueling capability. And since we WERE going to have a tanker, then it might as well be one which is built by union workers right here in Washington State, instead of buying airplanes primarily made by French and German workers overseas (the "made in Mobile" was always an EADS smoke-screen).
@16,
This might be the link everyone needs to read about it:
http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2.....ot_enf.php
Friday, 2/25/11 at 1:19 pm
It may be profitable to rat on your neighbor's tomato plants. Here a quote from WestNET's home page.
All calls are confidential and may results in rewards up to $5,000.00. This number is 1-800-388-GROW (4769).
They want to specifically want to go after tomato growers because those plants look like cannabis plants. Who knew that tomatoes were dangerous!
slingshot spews:
"she had "doubts as to the veracity" of a confidential informant who fed information to police."
Another curveball, in the dirt-low and outside.
h/t @3
It reduces the need for huge foreign air force bases if we can project force as needed over long distances with aerial refueling capability.
The bases are required for the refueling ops and other logistics. There's a ton of MAC bases (just counting USAF) overseas to support.