Week 24 -- David Leaves Daejeon

1. (What I learned about Korea)

I went to a classical guitar concert this week. It had a lot of classical music – Schumann, Schubert, Tchaikovsky – transcribed for the Korean guitar. It was really good, and I learned about how Korean guitars sound.

I had to buy presents and souvenirs, so I spent a good portion of my time exploring the local department stores. I learned what’s in them and how they’re laid out in Korea. Then, when I couldn’t get enough good presents in the stores, I went back to Jungang market and Jungang Underground Arcade, two massive shopping areas. The Underground Arcade is a network of subterranean stores, and the market is an open air collection of hundreds of shops and stalls near the KTX station. By exploring these areas, I was able to get all the gifts I needed, and I learned more about Korean shopping.

I got to try something called mooncake this week. I have no idea if it’s a Korea-wide thing or just a specialty of one shop, but either way, I know I like it. It’s like pound cake, but a little sweeter.

2. (Project status)

I archived and saved everything I need. I also prepared a presentation for Dr. Oh, who arrived on Thursday, to discuss a Hubo manual. I had my computer wiped, returned my KAIST Hubo Lab access card, and packed some things for the next coops that are now stored in the lab.

3. (Photos of the week)

The first photo is of Jungang Underground Arcade. The second photo is from our final barbecue dinner with the guys in the Hubo Lab.

4. (What I learned about myself)

I showed that I can conclude things appropriately this week. We went out to dinner with the guys in the Lab, I got gifts for people and said my goodbyes, and was able to pack appropriately (including discarding things that wouldn’t fit).

5. (New people I met this week)

I didn’t meet anyone new this week; I was too busy saying goodbye to all the people I already knew.

I'm in Incheon now, leaving for America in about 12 hours. This post concludes this blog. Goodbye, everybody!

Week 23 -- Buddhas and ICHIT

1. (What I learned about Korea)

This Saturday I went to several of Daedeok shrines and other historical structures.

One of the more interesting ones I went to was Okryugak. This was an old pavilion built for study. It was constructed over a small stream, and was put next to a temple. It was very serene, and it was nice to take a few moments to rest there after the hiking I'd been doing (I'd walked up Gyejoksan while there, as well as to Yonghwa Temple nearby, and also walked up another mountain to look at the Wusul Fortress monument.) It was good to get a rest.

I also saw Ssangcheongdang. This was a small building within a larger old structure. I was only just able to get into the larger one, as it was getting a bit late, but I'm glad I did. It was fun to look over the old architecture, and to examine the sprawling grounds.

I also had occasion to examine some Korean instruments this week, with Dan. Dan plays several string instruments and was able to go into detail about some of them (including one that was very much like a ukelele). It was a good learning experience.

2. (Project status)

I presented successfully at the ICHIT conference.

I also got video of the HUBO arms dancing, verifying that the RoboNova algorithm is indeed scalable.

3. (Photos of the week)

The first photo is of me at the ICHIT conference:

The second two photos are the two famous Buddha statues that I saw on Saturday. The first is the one at Yonghwa Temple, the second at Birae Temple.

The fourth and fifth photos are for comparison -- the other two famous Buddhas I've seen in Daejeon, both over a month ago. They've both been on the blog before, but I'm including them again for reference. One is the carving at Bomunsan, the other the statue at Bongsosa.

4. (What I learned about myself)

When I was climbing to the Wusul fortress monument, I went off path. It was a slog through a lot of brush and undergrowth, but I was able to get through and get up the mountain. I showed that I can overcome such an obstacle.

5. (New people I met this week)

I met several people at the conference, and we discussed the dancing robot project. It was a good time.

Week 22 -- ICAHRR and HUBO

1. (What I learned about Korea)

I did my first noribang -- Korean kareoke -- while at the conference. It was a lot of fun. I got to experience the fun of noribang, and I learned about how it works.

When a bunch of us went out for lunch at the conference, we had a multi-dish family style meal. While many of the meals here are family-style, most of the ones I've had only feature one dish, which everyone takes from (the hot pot, or sweet and sour chicken, for instance). This was the first in which everyone got something different and the dishes were still split. It was an interesting experience.

At the conference, RoboWorld -- a robotics theme park, to be built in Incheon -- was discussed. I learned a lot about what the Korean government is doing to make Incheon more prominent -- among other things, it made the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) to bring in business. RoboWorld also gives a few hints about Korean culture. It's to be a massive robotics theme park, but also include a commercial area and an R&D sector. Even in amusement parks, industry will still have a dominant role.

2. (Project status)

I successfully presented at the ICAHRR conference, and I wrote up notes on the other presentations. I created slides for the ICHIT conference.

After much persistence, I may finally get on a HUBO platform (the HUBO itself does not seem to be available, but a set of HUBO arms have been hooked up). In preparation for this, I've prepared the beat tracker/dancing algorithm to make the arms move.

3. (Photo of the week)

Us conference people, out at lunch.

4. (What I learned about myself)

I did my first conference presentation this week, and got through it. I learned that I can present my work to scholars in my field.

5. (New people I met this week)

I met several new people at the conference, including Martin Saerbeck, a German researcher (Back left, in the photo).

Week 21 -- David in Incheon

1. (What I learned about Korea)

I dropped by the Hoedeok Hyanggyo this week. This is an old Confucian school that has been turned into a historical monument. It was nice to see, and I learned a little more about the old hyanggyos and how they are laid out.

Due to my ICAHRR conference, I would be spending Sunday and beyond in Incheon. This I decided to take a little time Saturday to see Seoul, since the two cities are relatively close. I took a day tour of the city and saw several old monuments, including Gyeongbok Palace. Walking around the palace was really cool. The tour guide also taught us about Korean history (like the histories of the various kings and dynasties, and the Japanese invasion) and old customs. We also saw the Ginseng Center, where we learned about the development and harvesting of ginseng, and Insadong, where we got to do some traditional shopping. It was a great chance to learn about Seoul.

I saw some marches while in Seoul -- Saturday was Liberation Day, commemorating the freedom of Korea from Japanese invaders. I learned a little about the history of that when I was in Seoul.

I took the KTX to Seoul, and eventually the subway from Seoul to Incheon. I thus learned more about Korean intercity transportation.

2. (Project status)

I completed my ICAHRR slides and rehearsed my ICAHRR presentation this week. I added some things to the motor controller documentation and posted it online. I also finished gesture choreography.

3. (Photos of the week)

Three photos this week. One is of the Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, the second is of Insadong in Seoul, and the third is of the ICAHRR conference.

4. (What I learned about myself)

Getting to Incheon required taking multiple forms of transportation, but I was able to do it, demonstrating my ability to use public transportation even when I don't understand the language.

5. (New people I met this week)

I've met numerous new people at the conference. One such person is Dr. Igor Verner of Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology. We had a good talk at the opening party about robotics and our research.

Week 20 -- samhap and presentations

1. (What I learned about Korea)

Up to now most of the dishes I've tried have been standard Korean fare, or Daejeon specialties. But this week the lab went out to dinner at a place that served samhap, a specialty from another region of Korea, Gwangju. Samhap translates to 'Three combination' and is a combination of kimchi, pork, and skate (a kind of stingray). It has a very unusual taste -- in particular, there was a strong ammonia scent to the dish (this site, while rather harsh towards the dish, explains where that scent comes from). I don't know if I'd get it again, but it was certainly fun to try it once, especially in good company.

We also went out as a group to a cutlet shop where we ground our own sesame seeds. That was also a new experience for me. It was interesting mixing the ingredients myself (with the ground seeds, wasabi, and a barbecue-like sauce) to properly prepare the cutlet.

Finally, Clayton and I went with Sean and Jihwan to pick up a new part for the crane. So I got to see how the inter-city mail works (turns out that, instead of a post office, some packages can just be picked up at bus terminals). Not the same as America, and very interesting.

2. (Project status)

I constructed my presentations for ICAHRR and ICHIT this week. I also added some supplementary data to the HUBO flowcharts and posted them online. I was able to get on the HUBO just long enough to verify the audio.

3. (Photo of the week)

Grinding sesame seeds:

4. (What I learned about myself)

The samhap was at first difficult to eat, but I was able to stick it out and enjoy it. I learned that I can eat foods that at first have an extremely unusual taste or smell.

5. (New people I met this week)

I didn't meet anyone new this week.

6. (Politics)

The two captured journalists were freed from North Korea. This is good news, and it signifies that perhaps N. Korea is more open to negotiating than their saber rattling on July 4 and before indicated. Neither Clayton nor I were really worried about the situation before, but I suppose it is reassuring nevertheless.

Week 19 -- Gestures and shoes

1. (What I learned about Korea)

While at lunch one day this week, I took note of the shoes near the front door. Most of them did not have laces. It seems that in general Korean shoes use straps or buckles, as opposed to laces. This makes sense, as shoes are removed much more often in Korea -- namely, whenever entering a residence (even a dormitory room or hotel room) and also when entering most restaurants.

I tried a new kind of food this week; I went to a kaiten-zushi place. This is a restaurant where a conveyor belt runs through the restaurant, passing every seat, and plates of sushi, sashimi, and other small foods go around on the belt. Diners take whatever plates they want off the belt, and the price is calculated by counting the number of plates at the end of the meal. It was a lot of fun, and the sushi tasted great.

2. (Project status)

I cleared up some issues with ICAHRR and ICHIT, and wrapped up the motor controller documentation. Next week I will write the presentations for the two conferences.

I also crafted some HUBO gestures so that it will be able to dance with a variety of motions, and passed those on to Jungwoo for simulation.

Clayton and I gave Major Korpela a lab tour as well.

3. (Photo of the week)

The sushi belt and Major Christopher Korpela.

4. (What I learned about myself)

The HUBO lab tour went off without a hitch, so I learned that I've become knowledgeable enough about the HUBO lab and all its assorted projects to describe them to others.

5. (New people I met this week)

I met Major Korpela to do the lab tour. He was a very nice person, and very enthusiastic about the research going on in the lab. He seemed eager to do research at Drexel once he fulfilled his current set of military obligations.

Minji and I also exchanged more emails, trading our photos that we took in China.

Week 18 -- David in China

1. (What I learned about China)

China was really awesome!

We stayed mostly in the south eastern region, traveling to Shanghai, Huangshan, Hangzhou, and then Jiaxiang for the eclipse itself. We saw a great many cultural artifacts, markets, and modern attractions. We saw a good cross section of the region.

One of the main attractions of the trip was the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai -- the third largest tower in China. We went all the way up and looked over the city, and it was a great view. The floor was transparent so we could see all the way down too. It was really nice.

We hiked on Huangshen mountain for 3 hours one day. This gave us some great views and also some knowledge of local Chinese legends, like the rock that supposedly granted different wishes depending on how many times one touched it. Getting onto the mountain was also interesting, as it required both a bus and a cable car ride.

We saw numerous Buddhist temples. The largest was in Hangzhou, called the Linying Temple. It was in a very large park, and included some cliff-sized rocks with tunnels and Buddha statues carved into them. The stonework was incredible. Other temple buildings on the complex included a hall with many statues, all bearing a different face, and visitors were supposed to pick out the statue whose face most closely matched theirs. Unfortunately, cameras weren't allowed there, or I'd have taken a picture of the one the group decided looked most like me. It was a beautiful place.

Also in Hangzhou we saw a large lake called the West Lake, and we took a boat around on it. The guide went over a little of the history of the area (such as the mythological reason why the rowers on the local canoes face the opposite way from the passengers), and we had fun sailing around.

Before leaving Hangzhou we got foot massages. These were a lot of fun, and were very relaxing. They were a little painful at times (we all agreed on this afterwards), but overall it was a fun way to spend an evening.

In Jiaxiang, of course, the major event was the eclipse. We met up with another eclipse watching team, and we all set up our telescopes and got our solar glasses. Unfortunately, it was overcast where we were, but we still saw everything go dark when totality happened. It was a very strange feeling, it being night out at 9:35 AM. It really was the highlight of the trip. Plus, as the eclipse moved past totality and began to end, the clouds cleared enough to see the obscured sun through our glasses. It was extraordinary.

2. (Project status)

After returning from China, I prepared the camera-ready version of my ICHIT paper.

3. (Photos of the week)

The first photo is the view from the top of the Oriental Pearl Tower, the second is of the Linying Temple park, and the third is me during the eclipse at 9:35 AM.

4. (What I learned about myself)

I learned that I can handle being in a country where I speak none of the language. The guides helped immensely, of course, but even when we were on our own -- such as in a particular museum complex, where we split up -- I didn't get lost or confused.

5. (New people I met this week)

Another person on the trip with us was Minji Kim, a friend of Dr. Oh's daughter (who was also traveling with us). She was fun to talk to, and Clayton, she, and I struck up a good rapport. We're going to keep in touch to exchange photos and the like.

Week 17 -- PCMs and China preparation

1. (What I learned about Korea)

I didn't have time to sightsee or explore this week because of our trip this weekend. However, I did try a Western-Korean fusion restaurant, and gained some knowledge of what that sort of fusion food tastes like.

I also saw a little of the city at night. Interestingly, the food stalls are still out and doing a brisk business (as opposed to Philadelphia, where the lunch trucks tend to pack up at about dinner time). It was a fun walk.

2. (Project status)

The beat tracker/gesture transmission system is now running on one PCM computer and transmitting to another PCM computer, where the HUBO code is reading the serial data. The next step is to move this over to the computers on the HUBO. Also, I revised the ICHIT paper.

3. (Photo of the week)

Daejeon at night.

4. (What I learned about myself)

This week was condensed due to the trip, but I was still able to get everything done that I wanted to, thus demonstrating my time management abilities.

5. (New people I met this week)

Min-Wu in the lab is the guy in charge of doing things on the HUBO, so I talked to him this week. He's a nice guy, and I had a fun conversation with him. I'll be talking to him a lot in the coming weeks as I get my system up on the HUBO.

6. (Travel)

Tomorrow we leave for China. I'm looking forward to this next adventure!

Week 16 -- Shabu shabu and Gubongsan

1. (What I learned about Korea)

Clayton, Derrick and I went out for shabu shabu this week. Shabu shabu is popular in both Japan and Korea, and we had a very good meal of it here in Daejeon. So I learned what shabu shabu is, and thus I learned a little more about food in Daejeon and Korea.


This week I also went and hiked on Gubongsan mountain. Gubongsan is another of the Eight Scenic Sights of Daejeon. It was unlike the other mountains I've hiked in that it was more of a chain of peaks connected by a series of ridges, as opposed to there being either one peak or multiple peaks separated by valleys. Hiking along the ridges enabled me to see some breathtaking views, and I learned more about the scenery of Daejeon while doing so.


After hiking on Gubongsan, I headed over to the Standing Buddha Statue at Bongsosa temple. This is a famous cultural artifact. Examining it taught me a little more about Buddhist sculpture, especially as this particular statue is supposed to be very representative of Buddha statues.


Finally, after my tourism adventures, I found a restaurant where I could try boar. I again learned more about Korean food, and also that I like the taste of boar.


2. (Project status)


I determined that the HUBO computer should be able to run a version of the beat tracker, and that putting it onboard the HUBO is probably possible. I also wrote most of a serial port addition to the HUBO code that would let it receive information from the beat tracker. I continued working on the documentation of the motor controllers. Finally, I received confirmation that the ICHIT paper was accepted.


3. (Photos)


The first photo is from the top of Gubongsan, and the second is of the Buddha statue.

4. (What I learned about myself)


Despite some setbacks involving the serial port code this week (the original serial port functions I wanted to use were depreciated on my system, necessitating a switch to other ones that were more complex), I was able to push through it, demonstrating that I have perseverance.


5. (New people I met this week)


I was rather busy this week and so was not able to meet anyone new. I did find out when the English village meets, though, and so I should be able to go there one day this next week and strike up conversations.


6. (Politics)


No new news from North Korea that we've heard. Looks like it's quieting down again. The threats are becoming almost commonplace.

Week 15 -- Shrines and Daecheonghosu

1. (What I learned about Korea)

I took the time to go to a couple historic shrines. One was the Jinjam Confucian school. Another was the Suwoongyo Cheondan, a famous shrine for the Suwoongyo religion (a fusion of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Zen). By going through them, I learned how some of the shrines in the area are laid out. I also read the notices about what was taught or focused on at each shrine, and learned some more about the respective religions by doing so.

This weekend I visited Yuseong Market. This market is only open in days of the month ending in 4 or 9, so the 4th this Saturday was an ideal time to go through it. I got some delicious food there (including some duck), and I learned more about how the markets are laid out and what is sold in them. I regrettably did not get to see the livestock, but maybe another trip I will be able to do that.

After the market, I went to Sutonggol, a popular resort area. Sutonggol is known for its waterfall, but it seemed to be pretty dry when I went. Still, the scenery was nice and I got to hike a new mountain, Geumsabong. This was the first 'resort' type area I'd been to, so I learned about how those are laid out and what's in them.

Today I went to Lake Daecheonghosu. It's one of the 8 Scenic Sights of Daejeon (so I only have 2 more to go). The lake itself was spectacular, as were the mountains and parks in the area. I visited the Public Information Center near the dam, and there I learned a little more about how important water conservation is in Korea. The information there said that a water shortfall of over 100 million tons is predicted, and that the country is aggressively researching ways to ameliorate this problem. I hadn't known that water in Korea was so precious, but I do now.

While I was up there, I took the chance to try another of the 6 food specialties of the city, namely maeuntang (spicy catfish soup). I found a restaurant known for the dish in my restaurant guide. The restaurant was a place in the middle of a quiet residential neighborhood bordering the lake. The food was excellent, and the view was great too. I learned more about how fish is cooked and served in Korea. Also, as I took the bus back, I increased my familiarity with the local bus system.

Also while I was by the Lake, I saw a sign indicating the release of the 50,000 Won banknote. This was the first news of it being released that I'd heard, even though it debuted a couple weeks ago. I guess the local ATMs haven't been upgraded to provide it yet. Still, this will make life easier when carrying large sums of money (for paying rent, for instance). The previous largest bill was 10,000 Won, less than $10. Now we will be able to carry money much more compactly.

2. (Project status)

I continued working on documentation this week. Also, Dr. Paul Oh had a conference with Clayton and I over Skype, and he is having me start implementing the dancing robot algorithm on the HUBO over here. So next week I'll be focusing on starting that.

3. (Pictures of the week)

The first two photos are of Suwoongyo Shrine, and the third is of Lake Daecheonghosu.

4. (What I learned about myself)

The restaurant I ate the maeuntang at was probably the most remote place I've been to so far, and I was unfamiliar with the area and the local bus schedule. As a result, getting back seemed challenging. But I was able to communicate with the people at the restaurant well enough to learn when the next bus was coming, and was able to use that information to get on the bus and get to a populated area where I could grab a cab. So I learned that I can navigate even to the furthest, most remote reaches of Daejeon.

5. (New people I met this week)

I didn't meet anyone new this week. Dr. Oh advised that we try to form language partnerships with the locals (teaching them English while learning Korean from there), and I saw a sign for an 'English village' program on campus, so I might try checking that out to see if anyone there wants to partner with me.

6. (Politics)

North Korea has continued to shoot off missiles. To be honest, it's still pretty calm over here -- North Korea has been threatening and posturing for our entire stay here, and nothing's come of it yet. Besides, it's common knowledge that they'd get utterly destroyed if they actually attacked, so it doesn't seem like people are very worried about them bombing us.

Week 14 -- Jangtaesan and Virginia Tech

1. (What I learned about Korea)

On Saturday I went down to Jangtaesan, one of the 8 "scenic sights" of Daejeon. Jangtaesan is a mountain and has a well known forest on it. The forest was filled with people picnicking, relaxing by rivers, and having fun as families. There were also gardens and a small inn area near the top of the mountain, and an observatory where I could look out over the city at the very top. It was a very tranquil place, and now I've seen another Daejeon Sight. Only 3 more to go (Gubongsan mountain, Daecheonghosu Lake, and the Yuseong Spa).

I also used the busses for the first time. A lot of people have electronic travel cards that they just swipe when exiting the bus. I don't have one, so I paid cash, but it was interesting to see the ease with which people paid. I think Septa could take a few tips from them.

Today I journeyed to Ssoonghyeon lecture hall. It was another peaceful place. I got to see the various buildings and I learned some of the history of the shrine. It was only a half hour's walk from my dormitory too. The other Cultural Assets in Yuseong are much further out, so it will be harder to see them, but I'm going to try.

I saw a movie for the first time in Korea -- Transformer 2. They sell squid as a snack in movie theaters in Korea. I stuck with popcorn, having already tried squid, but I was intrigued by the concept nevertheless. The theater experience was fundamentally the same, though.

Finally, for the first time in Korea I went to a McDonalds. I discovered that they sell some different food here, including shrimp burgers. I got one, and it tasted kind of odd, but still pretty good.

2. (Project status)

I got through a lot of the motor controller documentation this week. This is substantially different than the other documentation I did earlier in the spring; this is requiring me to look through the different sets of motor controller schematics to identifying what setting the various pins does. Still, it's going smoothly.

There was a small hiccup early in the week due to computer troubles, but that's mostly fixed now.

3. (Photos of the week)

First photo is from the observatory in Jangtaesan, the second is from Ssoonghyeon.

4. (Things I learned about myself)

I learned that I can bypass computer difficulties and continue working even when technical failures happen.

5. (New people I met this week)

Derrick Lahr from Virginia Tech arrived this week. I'd met him on the PIRE trip in November, but we had a lot more contact this week. He's a very nice guy, and friendly too. He came with Clayton and I to see Transformers.

Week 13 -- Dolsotbap and seafood

1. (What I learned about Korea)

This week I explored some new restaurants and dishes, using my restaurant guide that I obtained from the tourist center.

One dish that I wanted to try in particular was dolsotbap. This is rice mixed with a mixture of nuts and vegetables, and served with many side dishes. I enjoyed the dish a lot when I found a place that offered it as a specialty, and now I know what dolsotbap tasted like. This also means I only have two signature dishes of the city left to try.

I also wanted to go to a buffet, not having been to one since arriving. My guide mention a good seafood buffet in the northwest part of town. I went and I got to try a wide variety of different sushi and sashimi dishes. So I learned a little more about what seafood in Korea tastes like as well.

Finally, I learned about Korean burgers when I went to have one last night. I hadn't actually had a full burger since arriving, and I noticed that the one I ordered was much smaller than ones in America (although still tasty). This experience taught me more about how burgers tend to be larger in American than in some other countries.

2. (Project status)

I returned to the GUI this week, creating a new form that involved some graphical manipulation. I also began examining the motor controller code -- it looks like I'll be doing some more code documentation in the coming weeks.

3. (Picture of the week)

Dolsotbap.

4. (What I learned about myself)

I learned that I can draw/manipulate graphics using code. I hadn't done this before, but was able to do it for the new GUI form I wrote.

5. (New people I met this week)

Clayton and I were alerted to Major Chris Korpela, who is joining Dr. Oh's lab. He may be coming down to the HUBO lab for a tour.

Week 12 -- Donghaksa and Daejeon National Cemetary

1. (What I learned about Korea)

The 'living in Daejeon' guidebook we got in the dorm recommended visiting the Daejeon National Cemetery as a cultural institution. I visited it this Saturday. It was a very educational experience. I saw the monuments for the soldiers who fell fighting in different wars, and I saw different graveyards for soldiers, police officers, and meritorious citizens. I also saw many picnickers, which made me see that the atmosphere was more casual than that of the cemeteries I've seen back in America.

I also went outside of Daejeon to see Gyeryeongsan mountain, which contains Donghaksa and Gapsa temples. I saw both temples and learned more about Buddhist sculpture and artwork. In particular, Donghaksa temple was a large complex with several unconnected buildings, and I got to see how the area was laid out.

While I was on Gyeryeongsan, I had the chance to see Eunsun Falls. The view was great, and now I know another place to go to show a really nice view in case I show more people around the city (like my parents last week).

I tried acorn jelly, one of the six Daejeon specialty dishes. Acorn jelly apparently has a long history in Daejeon, as it was originally produced by farmers who wanted to manufacture a crop during the winter months. So now I know what acorn jelly tastes like.

2. (Project status)

I continued working with microcontrollers. Also, I may start working on the GUI again soon.

3. (Picture of the week)

Altar at Donghaksa temple:

4. (What I learned about myself)

Gyeryeongsan mountain had paths much rockier than the other mountains I've been on so far (Bomunsan, Sikjangsan, and Gyejoksan). It was much more difficult to make my way along the paths. But I managed, and so I learned that I can traverse difficult terrain.

5. (New people I met this week)

I didn't meet anyone new this week.

Week 11 -- Geological Museum and O-World

1. (What I learned about Korea)

I tried some new dishes this week, and I learned a little more about cuisine in Korea. On Thursday, the lab students (me included) went out to a tofu restaurant. I actually haven't eaten much tofu, but I enjoyed the meal, and I learned more about tofu is used in Korean dishes.

On Friday, by contrast, we went out for Chinese. It was very different from Chinese food back in America; lunch was three courses, including a sweet and sour chicken course (each plate shared by four people) between the dumplings and the noodles. It was delicious. I found it interesting how the food was prepared, in contrast to Chinese food in America.

Today I went to Theme Park O-World/Daejeon Zooland with my parents (who were visiting). This theme park is probably the biggest amusement park in Daejeon. So I learned about this theme park. In particular, I saw the zoo portion of it, and I got to see what sort of animals are kept in zoos in the area.

Also today, when I was walking with my parents we explored the underground market by the KTX station. I hadn't been there before, so it was interesting to walk around down there and see what was being sold.

2. (Project status)

I continued studying microcontrollers this week, improving my circuit and learning how to program them. An LED is hooked up to the circuit now, and I can start making programs to output values onto the LED now.

3. (Picture of the week)

The Theme Park O-World entrance.

4. (What I learned about myself)

My parents came to visit this week, and I showed them around the city. I demonstrated to myself that I know Daejeon well enough to show newcomers to the city around the place. I further verified that I know enough about transportation in the city that I can get anywhere I want to go easily, even with people who speak no Korean traveling with me.

5. (New people I met this week)

I'm working a lot with BK, a KAIST student in the HUBO lab, on the microcontroller project, and so I'm getting to know him. He's a nice guy, and very knowledgeable about microcontrollers. His main project is making HUBO run.

Administrative note

To make the blog more useful, I've gone through the old posts and made two main changes:

1. I've added tags to the entries.

2. I've added additional links to external websites.

Week 10 -- Microcontrollers and Busan

1. (What I learned about Korea)

I returned to Bomunsan this week, to see some things I missed last week. One was Gochoksa Temple, the grounds of which are open to the public to walk on. So I learned a bit about how some Buddhist temples are laid out, and I got to see some nice artwork.

While I was on the mountain, I also came across the Buddha carving in the rock wall. I hadn't seen such an old carving before, so I learned about what carvings from that time period looked like. It was well preserved even after so many years.

I visited the Chungnam University History Museum. I saw a lot of ancient pottery and learned a bit about how pottery progressed through the years in Korea.

Today I went to Busan. This entailed taking the KTX (high speed train) line, so I learned more about the line, how to find information regarding schedules and routes, and what the ride itself is like. I found it very relaxing and smooth, and I had the chance to get a lot of reading done.

While in Busan I had the opportunity to learn more about the city. It has the largest port in South Korea, and the 5th largest port on the planet. The harbor was huge. I took an elevator up the tower in Yongdusan Park and got to look over the whole harbor area, and it was the largest I've ever seen. The fish market was also huge; I lost count of all the stalls I saw selling fish.

Incidentally, while I was there I had the opportunity to taste fresh Busan fish. It was quite good, and was probably some of the best sashimi I've ever eaten.

I also got a chance to check out the aquarium, which again is famous throughout Korea. So I learned about some of the fish in the area, and I got to see some very interesting exhibits (such as the tunnel under the largest tank so that fish swim overhead).

And finally, I made sure to check out Haeundae beach. There was a dance competition and a sand sculpture competition going on, so I got to see the artistic stylings of some of the younger residents of Korea.

2. (Project status)

I made functional the new startup GUI, so it theoretically performs all the same necessary functions as the old GUI (we haven't been able to test it on the full HUBO yet, though). After this, though, Dr. Jun Oh changed my project. I'm studying microcontrollers now. It looks fun; I'll be building circuits and programming chips. This will be useful for working on HUBO components later.

Also, it's only a hypothetical for now, but there may be a lab trip to China in July.

3. (Pictures of the week)

The first picture is of the carved Buddha on Bomunsan, and the second is of Haeundae Beach in Busan.

4. (What I learned about myself)

I've never been to Busan before, and didn't know what to see, but I managed to prioritize and saw all of the most famous things in the city (the beach, the aquarium, the fishery). I showed myself that I can manage my time well when it comes to organizing a day. Also, I proved to myself that I can handle long-distance travel with the KTX.

5. (New people I met this week)

I didn't meet anyone new this week.

Week 9 -- Ojeong and Bomunsan

1. (What I learned about Korea)

This week I went to the Ojeong-dong agriculture market and fishery. It was very large and I enjoyed walking around it. I got some food for the room, and I got to see how some of the more traditional markets work in Korea. 

I also went to the Daejeon Prehistoric Museum up in Noeun-dong. There I learned about ancient Korea and what went on back then.

I went over to Hannam University and saw the Central Museum there. They had exhibits of ancient pottery and ceramics, so I learned a little more about what those were like. I also saw an exhibit on the early Korean Christian missions.

I tried the Daejeon specialty dish of samgyetang, which is a chicken that's been stuffed with glutinous rice being cooked in broth and served with ginseng. It was good (although difficult to eat with chopsticks). So I know a little more about the Daejeon specialties now.

Finally, I hiked Bomunsan Mountain this Sunday. That was a very fun time. I saw some of the monuments on the mountain, including the UN monument (dedicated to the UN soldiers who defended the area in the Korean War) and the Bomunsaji ruins (a field and some remains of where a temple used to be). I also hiked up to the top of both peaks, and so I got some very nice views of the city.

2. (Project status)

I've begun working on the back end for the GUI. It's very involved, but I'm making good progress. I also submitted the ICAHRR camera-ready paper.

3. (Photo of the week)

The view from a lookout post on Bomunsan mountain.

4. (What I learned about myself)

I hiked Bomunsan for over six hours, which is the most hiking I've done yet on the trip, so I showed myself that I can handle such a long hike. I also have begun trying the specialty dishes, and I enjoyed samgyetang, so I now know that I like the Daejeon signature foods.

5. (New people I met)

While on Bomunsan I met two English teachers, Theresa and Renee, from Canada. They're both relatively new in Daejeon (two months or less in city for both of them). We discussed the local environment and some good tourist locations. 

Week 8 -- Teacher Day and Uam

1. (What I learned about Korea)

This weekend I visited a few different tourist attractions. The first was Dongsan Pottery Museum, a very small museum in the north-east quarter of the city. It took me a few cabs to find it (it's rather obscure and the first couple drivers couldn't locate it), but it was worth it -- I learned some things about Korean pottery, and I got a couple of free books about the subject as a gift. So that was nice.

After Dongsan I went to Uam Historical Park. It has a lot of old-style buildings, as well as a museum about the founder (Song Si-Yeol, pen name of Uam). It was an extremely peaceful place. It was lightly drizzling and some mist hung over the mountain peaks behind the park (Uam is on a lower slope of Gyejoksan), and it was very relaxing to wander around and look at the structures and the paths. I learned about some traditional Korean structures while I was there.

My third destination was Dongchundang. This is a nature park on a city block that also includes a few historical houses. The houses in front of the wooded area were originally built for Korean scholar, Song Jun-Gil (pen name of Dongchundang), in the Joseon dynasty. They were recreated and kept as a monument to him. 

 On Sunday, I completed the hike that Clayton and I got lost attempting last week, and I made it all the way through the Hwanbon mountain trial. The path terminated in Munji-Dong, Yuseong-Gu, and it was a great walk. I then got to explore Munji-Dong a little. It seemed similar to the Yuseong Market area, at least the part I saw of it.

Lastly, on Friday, it was Teacher Day. This meant that the whole lab went out to dinner with Dr. Jun Oh. It was a very nice meal; we had all-you-can-eat barbecue at a restaurant north of KAIST. The barbecue was followed with a rice or noodle course. It was very good, and reminded me of when I came to Daejeon for URAI and we had a similar meal. All in all, I both learned about the Teacher Day custom, and about Korean barbecue during the meal.

2. (Project status)

Clayton and I are starting to make a new GUI. We're doing it in C# instead of MFC, so Clayton and I wrote a program to get and set the shared memory variables between the C++ and C# systems. I also studied a C# tutorial to learn the language. Also, I sent the first draft of the camera-ready ICAHRR paper to Dr. Kim, and finished the ICHIT paper. 

3. (Pictures of the week)

Two this week. The first is of Uam, the second of Dongchundang.

4. (What I learned about myself)

By completing the hike, I learned that I can indeed get through the Hwanbon mountain trail (and, more generally, on complex mountain paths in general) without getting lost.

Also, I'm beginning to put together lists of where else I want to go during weekends in Korea (on the list so far -- Seoul a few times, Jeju, the DMZ, and Busan). So I'm doing some thinking and prioritizing about what I want to see the most.

5. (New people I met)

Clayton and I went to a CostCo this Sunday, and while we were there we ran into a couple people Clayton had met while seeing the Star Trek movie. Kevin and Caroline were English teachers, and they'd both been in the area for at least 18 months. They gave us some advice on where to go (Caroline in particular recommended Busan as a great place to visit during the summer, for the beaches and the aquarium). We might meet up with them later this week when we see Terminator.

Week 7 -- Homecoming and Ppuri

1. (What I learned about Korea)

Saturday was Homecoming for the lab, so I got to see how Koreans celebrate homecoming. It was different from its American equivalent -- there weren't any sports, first of all. It was a big barbecue, and alumni from the HUBO labs came by to say hello and catch up with the current students. The barbecuing was different from American ones too -- rather than grilling the food and then serving it at a table, or even splitting it up onto plates at the grill, the meat was just placed onto a single tray as soon as it was done cooking and we all took pieces from the tray with chopsticks and ate while standing by the grill. 

Also on Saturday, before homecoming, I saw the Dunsan Prehistoric Site. There were a few recreated twig huts there, and some information on the prehistoric inhabitants of Korea. So I learned a little about that subject.

Finally, today I went to Ppuri park. There were may sculptures there, and walking around them was very relaxing. I learned a bit more about what sort of sculptures can be found in Korea.

2. (Project status)

This week I was documenting the khr3 code. Unlike the HUBO project, there is no main loop; this code runs the GUI and so functions are called depending on what buttons the user presses. So I documented the tutorials we have that are used to turn on the HUBO and make it gesture, and then documented the various buttons on the GUI and explained what everything did.

I also finished the rough draft of my ICHIT submission. 

3. (Picture of the week)

Some sculptures at Ppuri park:

4. (What I learned about myself)

I ran into a setback this week when the ATM at Citi bank (the only one I know of that accepts foreign cards) was broken when I needed money, but I simply reprioritized and shifted my plans to make do until the machine was fixed. I thus learned a little bit about making flexible pans.

Also, Clayton and I went hiking in the hills behind Nuri Hall and became somewhat lost. However, we were able to find our way down the mountain and back onto a road despite losing the trail. And even before that we went a large distance on the trail, and got about 65% of the way to Daedeok. So I learned that my hiking abilities are still pretty good.

5. (New people I met)

One of the alumni I met at the Homecoming barbecue was John, a native of Sweden. He was very friendly and we discussed the HUBO lab and a thing or two to do in Seoul.

I also met JungHo Lee, who wrote a paper that I read and cited for ICHIT. That was neat.

Week 6 -- Yeojin and Hanmin Market

1. (What I learned about Korea)

On Thursday some of the guys in the lab, Clayton, and I went to one of the KAIST string quartets as they performed some Mozart and Haydn. It was good music. After the concert, we went to Mercury to grab dinner, and I learned some more about the HUBO lab students and what they do (they go to a couple concerts a year, for instance).

On Friday, I went to the observatory in the evening. The Daejeon Observatory is conveniently very near KAIST, about twenty minutes on foot to the north of the school. So I looked through the telescopes and explored the facility. I enjoyed it.

On Saturday, I went to Yeojin, the Buddhist gallery. I walked around the sculpture garden and admired the various works of art. The figures were extremely well detailed, and I had a lot of fun walking through the museum. After that, I walked to the Asia Museum, and I learned about Asian art.

And today, I went to Hanmin Market, and so I learned what a traditional market in Korea looks like and what sorts of things they sell there. I got some good fruit, candy, and grilled fish.

2. (Project status)

I finished the flowcharts and documentation for the part of the code labeled 'HUBO,' so next week I'll probably start documenting the other part, labeled 'khr3win' (the GUI for the Hubo).

I also began working on a paper for the ICHIT conference, and want to have the rough draft complete by Friday (the 8th).

3. (Picture of the week).

A statue at Yeojin:

4. (Things I learned about myself)

While traveling around Yeojin and heading to the Asia Museum, I had to walk a fairly long distance. But I made it there alright, and so I learned that I can navigate unfamiliar areas of the city.

5. (New people I met)

I encountered two students from Uzbeckistan whom RJ and Bryan had been friends with. They were very friendly and offered me some advice and tips. We got along well. Its nice to know a couple more people in Nuri Hall.

Week 5 -- Flowcharts and museums

1. (What I learned about Korea)

On Monday I went back to the Immigration Office and picked up my updated Visa and my alien card. So now I know how to do that, and I know what the alien card looks like. It's nice having an ID that's small enough to fit in my wallet again.

This past Saturday I went to the Ungno Lee Museum and the Daejeon Municipal Museum of Art. Both were art museums. The Ungno Lee Museum had more traditional paintings and drawings, while the DMMA had mostly modern art. I enjoyed both of them and learned some things about Korean artwork.

I also saw the Hanbat Arboretum, basically a small garden area. It was relaxing to walk around and explore. I wasn't aware that there were natural areas like that right in the middle of the city (it's right behind the two art museums I went to, themselves only twenty or so minutes from Nuri Hall on foot), so now I know and I can seek out more of them in the future.

Finally, on the same journey, I stumbled upon the Natural Heritage Museum. It's a very small museum that chronicles the animals of Korea. A guide showed me around and I learned about the various rare or endangered species native to Korea. 

I went to see the KAIST orchestra on Friday night. It sounded great. For the first half they did classical music, and for the second they played more popular movie music (like a collection of excerpts from Disney pieces, and a collection of John Williams excerpts, including several Star Wars pieces and the Jaws theme). They had a guy wearing a shark costume come out and run around the front of the audience during the Jaws bit, which was fun to see. The music sounded great as well. And then there was the fun bit at the end, where the conductor let the audience keep time (by clapping) during the last piece, the 1812 Overture. So overall, I learned that the KAIST orchestra is very entertaining.

During the week, the school fair happened, and several of the international student groups put together a food fair, where they set up booths and served traditional foods from their various countries. I had some very good curry from the Indian booth, and something very much like a cheesesteak from the Chile booth. It was great, and I learned that KAIST does events like this, and that it's a good idea to go to them.

2. (Project status)

I completed most of the HUBO project documentation this week, including making the flowcharts and describing all the shared memory variables. All that remains is to tidy up the flowcharts and finish describing the variables whose scope is just the HUBO project. After this, I'll be doing the same thing for the khr3win project. The two work together in order to run the robot.

Also, the ICAHRR paper was accepted! So I'll be working on revising that in the coming weeks, as well as working on a new paper for another conference that will take place in Daejeon this August.

3. (Photo of the week)

One of the exhibits at the Natural Heritage Museum. According to the guide, these tigers are found in North Korea.

4. (What I learned about myself)

I learned that I enjoy the art in the Ungno Lee Museum and the DMMA, and that I like garden areas such as the Hanbat Arboretum.

5. (New people I met)

I didn't meet anyone new this week.

Week 4 -- Gyejoksan and code

Week four ended today. It went pretty well.

1. (What I learned about Korea)

On Sunday I went to the Currency Museum, which is right by KAIST. It had exhibits with the various types of currency Korea had used since before recorded history up to the present. It was very interesting.  There was also a section on medals and other special awards, so I got to see some military medals up close.

I also visited the Biosphere, which is near Expo Park. So I learned a little bit about the local trees, which was interesting.

On Wednesday a student group at KAIST performed some traditional Korean music. It was very good. I found out what sorts of instruments are used for Korean classical music, and I got to listen to some of it in a relaxing setting. The music was very good.

Rather than exploring Lake Daecheonghosu as I'd planned last week, I went to Gyejoksan mountain instead. I hiked high enough to see some beautiful vistas. I managed to get to where they had one of the old fortress walls, where a bunch of people were having fun and talking. It was a rewarding walk. I stumbled on an exercise/play area that I think was Jangdong forest as well. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get to several of the more notable sights (such as Dongchundang), so a return trip just may be in order. 

2. (Project status)

My next goal is to document the HUBO code. This week I went through the HUBO project function-by-function to analyze them all and determine what they did, and now I'm mapping out the relations between functions.

3. (Picture of the week)

View from the top of Gyejoksan:

4. (What I learned about myself)

I learned that I enjoy traditional Korean music. Also, when I had some cab trouble getting back from the mountain, I learned that I can recover from unexpected difficulties like that.

5. (New people I met)

While at a restaurant before going to Gyejoksan, I found myself sitting next to a Mr. Kim. We talked a little, and I mentioned that I was a student from America who was studying at KAIST for the moment. He seemed interested and we talked about that for a little bit. He helped me fill in a couple gaps in the guidebooks KAIST gave us (the exact dates of a couple festivals that were just mentioned as being 'sometime in April.') A very nice guy.

Week 3 -- CAN completion and Mt. Sikjangsan

Another good -- and productive -- week.

1. (What I learned about Korea)

I went up to Mt. Sikjangsan this week, and I saw some very nice trails and did some hiking. I ended up going about 3 km into the woods. It was a lot of fun. I found out later that this was known as one of the 8 most famous attractions in the city. I also found the temple section of the mountains, and I explored Gosansa and Sikjangsan temples. It was a good place to get photographs.

I also went and applied for my alien card (as well as to upgrade my visa to multiple entry, in case I later want to visit another country in East Asia during my stay here). So I learned how to do that and how to get to the Immigration Center.

Finally, as it was my birthday on Wednesday, Sean helped us get a cake, and I learned where to go to get cakes in Daejeon.

2. (Project status)

I extracted the CAN from the rest of the HUBO code early this week, and used the documentation to write a program that would test the CAN bus. Clayton wrote drivers for the CAN code, and when this was done, we sat down and debugged the system. It now works -- we can send and receive from the CAN bus.

3. (Picture of the week)

Sikjangsan temple on Mt. Sikjangsan.

4. (What I learned about myself)

I learned that I can hike through the woods pretty well. I also learned that I really like these '8 Daejeon attractions,' and so I'll try to go visit more of them in the coming weeks (next up, I think, is Lake Daecheonghosu. Expo Park, literally next door to Nuri Hall, is on the list as well, but that one's so close that I want to see some of the further ones first).

5. (New people I met)

I didn't meet any new people this week.

6. (Current events)

North Korea claims to have launched a missile a few days ago. America is denying this claim. It's a little bit strange to think that we're relatively close to a hostile country, but at the same time it doesn't feel like we're in imminent danger or anything. Even setting aside whether the missile got into orbit or not, it just seems hard to imagine an actual attack on the city. Some of it may be due to language disconnect, though -- it's hard for me to tell if average people in the street are nervous about it, since I have trouble understanding them.

Week 2 -- Settled in

Week 2 in Daejeon ends tonight. It was a pretty good week. Things went very well.

1. (What I learned about Korea)

The KAIST auditorium has biweekly concerts, it seems. I went to one this Friday. There was a cellist and a pianist, and they went through some classical pieces. It was really good music and quite enjoyable; they even played an encore at the end, a Chopin prelude, that I know well, and that was a fun surprise.

I also went out for my first Korean barbecue meal since arriving, and was reacquainted with all of the delicious side dishes that come with it. Some of the sides were actually new to me; I hadn't had them when I had barbecue in Korea in November.  One was a hard-boiled egg in soy sauce, another was squid, and a third was a sort of sweet-potato kind of food. It was very fun.

Apparently I was holding my chopsticks incorrectly. I was holding them so that they crossed; the guys in the KAIST lab showed me how to hold them so that they don't cross. This is the more acceptable way to do it. So I guess I'll practice using the new way.

Finally, the KAIST guys and I went to lunch on Friday at a Chinese place. Like the first night we came, we got a big sweet & sour pork platter before the main course of noodles or rice. I suppose it's traditional that Korean Chinese restaurant do this. As I generally enjoy these pork dishes, I think I like this custom.

2. (Project status)

I went through the CAN bus code and made extensive notes on what all the functions do, what variables they manipulate, where information is actually written to the bus, etc. Clayton also asked me to make some flow charts showing the operation of the more important functions.

I also read up some more on RTX.

It looks like in the coming week I'll begin studying how to surgically extract the CAN bus from the rest of the HUBO system. I may also (if things work out) begin working on programming my own version of a CAN bus.

3. (Picture of the week)

At KAIST, a part of the path I take to go from the lab to the piano that I practice on:

4. (What I'm learning about myself)

I spent a lot of time this week traveling without Clayton, and so learned that I'm able to get around Korea fine on my own. Among other things, I ate at several restaurants, hiked some more, and went through Daejeon's downtown area. 

5. (New people I met)

In the dorm I met two students named Baat and Lan. The former was from Pakistan, the latter from Vietnam. I talked to Baat for a while, we discussed the city environment (he was from an urban city near the India/Pakistan border, while I was originally from the Chicago suburbs but moved to Philly) and what we thought of the city. It was a fun time.