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.