Partial solar eclipse

This week and next week are my busiest two weeks since I've been at Woosong. Twenty hours, but as they're all new classes there is a fair bit of preparation too. Still, after that I'm off to Ireland for two weeks.

The pic of the week shows the partial solar eclipse we had last week. It was the longest eclipse there will be this century, but we weren't on the path of totality. That ran to the south, and went over Shanghai in China.

Solar Eclipse
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The solar eclipse had a path of totality through India, Bhutan and China. It continued to Iwo Jima in Japan and on into the pacific. It was the longest eclipse of the 21st century, and the sun was blocked for about six minutes.

Here in Daejeon we only had 80% of the eclipse, which was less than Dublin in the 1999 eclipse (that was something like 94%). I was looking at it by reflecting it through my binoculars and looking at it on a white sheet, because I didn't have proper glasses. I took this picture without looking, and it didn't work at all. What you see there is some sort of reflection. The sun is extending its glow in the top right. I don't know how the reflection got there, and it's tiny in the original photo, but it's got the exact shape of the moon blocking out 80% of the sun. Although it looks dark this is because it was so bright I had to reduce the light right down, making it look like night. It was actually a beautiful sunny day with blue skies. Unlike in Shanghai where thousands tried to see it, but were blocked by clouds.

Scooter
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Just before I went to Taipei I bought myself a scooter. It's just a small basic scooter, second hand, and it cost just €160. I don't know myself with it now. Because I'm living a little further away, and my classes are geographically widely distributed, it's a great time-saver. With the scooter I'm 10 minutes from my furthest class.

Top five Dublin pubs
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A friend and his girlfriend are heading to Ireland on vacation, because her sister lives in Navan. He wanted to know the best pubs in Dublin to go to, and I had to think. I much prefer the old style pubs, and each time I go home I find there are fewer. But I settled on my top five, and have recommended them to him. They are

5. Bowe's, Fleet Street
4. The Long Hall, South Great George's Street
3. Kehoe's, South Anne Street
2. The Palace, Fleet Street
1. Mulligan's, Poolbeg Street

So now I'll have to try them out again myself when I go home.
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Anyway, that's it for this week. I'm in again in the morning.

In Ireland I'm going to be mostly down in Ennis, so I'll be up in Dublin for a few days around the weekend of 13th August, so I'll probably just park myself in a bar for the night and let you all know where to find me if you want to! Details to follow.

So until next week,

Annyeong-hi kaseyo.

Éamon

Today's headling in Seoul Shinmun: President Lee names new chief prosecutor

Taiwan

I'm back after my week in Taiwan. It was a great break. I really liked the country and the people, and would highly recommend it.

The pic of the week shows Sun Moon lake at dawn. This was taken from the balcony of my hotel room. It was absolutely breathtaking.

Taiwan
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I didn't know that much about Taiwan before I went. I had taken a flight with China Airlines one time, and had been surprised that the airline flew to a all main countries in the world, with the exception of China!

So I looked up a little on the history. It's an island in the Pacific, is less than half the size of Ireland, but with a population of 23m. Originally settled by Pacific islanders, it has been part of China for most of its history, but with some settlement by the Portuguese and Dutch. In the early part of the 20th century it was controlled by the Japanese, but reverted to being a Chinese province at the end of WWII.

After the war, back on mainland China there was a civil war between the Communists, let by Mao Zedong (Mao Tse Tung), and the Nationalists, led by Chiang Kai Shek. Following the Communists' victory, Chiang Kai Shek and the Nationalist leadership fled to Taiwan. They regarded themselves as the legitimate government of the Republic of China. Mao led the People's Republic of China on the mainland (a little like the Republic of Ireland, and the People's Republic of Cork). In the Cold War world of the time, Taiwan as the Republic of China was recognised as the real China. It wasn't until the thawing of relations with Communist China in the early 70s that the PRC was recognised as the real China, and China's permanent seat on the UN Security Council was given to Beijing.

Taipei
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Taipei is the capital city. It's a large Asian city, with some older districts in the west, where I stayed. And a modern, high-rise area in the east. I went to the viewing observatory of the largest building, Taipei 101, and it was only when I was in it that I realised that it was the tallest building in the world.

The people are exceptionally friendly, most speak very good English (with the notable exception of taxi drivers!), and they go out of their way to help you in shops and on the metro. There's a lovely gay area which was quite near my hotel, with a big open-air courtyard with a large selection of bars and restaurants. It was very cool and relaxed.

Sun Moon Lake
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I had wanted to spend a little time in Taipei, but then to have a relaxing few days on the beach. When I looked at tourist brochures I changed my mind and went to Sun Moon Lake, the largest lake on the island (but not very big even by Irish standards). It's in the mountains in the centre of the country, and I arrived after a difficult trek around the Taipei working out how to get there.

Sun Moon Lake is beautiful, and my hotel was right on the water. It was peaceful and relaxed. There are a lot of hiking trails, and there's a lovely walkway (very like the boardwalk in Dublin) around a good portion of the lake, which was lit up in changing colours at night.

The main tourist activity is boat trips on the lake, but I was more interested in visiting the Buddhist temples and pagodas I could see on the other side of the lake, so for €1.70 I got a day ticket on the local bus and did a full tour. I loved it.

Sun Moon lake is where Chiang Kai Shek took his holidays, and there are memorials to him everywhere.

Back to Daejeon
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I arrived back to Korea on Saturday, and stayed for the night in Seoul, returning to Daejeon late on Sunday. I've had an easy week at work, just working 12 hours, with 8 of those being easy conversation classes. I have the same schedule this week.

It's been very rainy this week. July is traditionally rainy season, but it didn't really happen last year. I see what it's like this year, with the worst rain I've seen since I've been in Korea. Today there are torrential showers and thunderstorms.
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Well, that's it for this week. I'm off to visit friends for dinner.

Until next week,

Annyeong-hi kaseyo

Éamon

Today's headline in Donga llbo: N. Korea suspected to have orchestrated cyber attacks against South