Birthday Cake

Alex had his first birthday cake on Saturday; of course, it was Ohio State:
The store where we bought the cake also gave a "smash" cake to those celebrating their 1st birthday.

It took him a little while to get the idea of using his hands, but he finally did.

He really liked eating his cake.

Thanks for all of the great gifts! Alex will enjoy using/playing with them.

Happy Birthday Alex!!!

This past year has really flown by; today, Alex turns 1. He is really starting to get around on his own (to places he probably shouldn't be).
When we found out we were having another baby, I really wanted a girl. Briana was pretty easy to take care of when she was young, and I was used to taking care of a girl. I thought raising a boy would be much harder. I have to admit now that I was wrong wishing for a girl; I couldn't be more happy with our "little man". There is just something really special about Alex; I can't put my finger on it, but I just know great things are in store for him in his future. The first word that comes out of everyone's mouth when they see him is "handsome." He has been going to physical therapy for the last couple of months because he is a little delayed in sitting up and crawling (not a real surprise since he was born a month early). He has been working extremely hard in PT and we can see the improvement in his strength. We can tell he is trying to do what the therapist wants and we are so proud of him. I'm sure it's not going to be long before he is walking everywhere. This next year is going to be so much fun seeing him grown and learn new things. We love our little man!

I'm home

I arrived back in Columbus around 9:30 on Saturday morning. We went straight to Ohio State to see the Buckeyes take on Troy. An old friend and colleague (and former player I coached), Maurea Crain, now coaches at Troy and got us some very good tickets. The Buckeyes prevailed 28-10, so coming home early was worth it. We got to catch up with Maurea after the game and he was his usual, happy self (even with the loss).
I wasn't able to include pictures on my blogs from Friday (since I was in airports and hadn't downloaded the pictures yet). I had 2 presentations on Friday at the Korean Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance conference and the Korean Society for Sport Management. Both went well.Here I am with one of the organizers (on my right) and an owner of one of the professional baseball teams in Korea.Me with the other presenter (Dr. Paul Batista from Texas A&M). The guy in the white shirt was pretty much my "gopher" for the trip. He took me to the airport later that day.Me presenting in front of a packed crowd.

There is a chance I will be going back to Korea in December. I really had a great time and am hopefully of getting to go back in the future.

Friday night in LA

At least LAX. It's pretty amazing that I also spent Friday night in Seoul. I landed back in the U.S. around 3:30 LA time and don't leave until 11:30, so I have plenty of time to kill. Right now I am watching Baylor beat UConn, 14-7 in the 2nd quarter. I also have some school work to do. I hope to sleep on the red eye to Cincinnati. This is my 1st post from my cell phone, so I'm not sure how it is going to look online.

10 minutes 'til boarding

I will be boarding a plane for the U.S. in 10 minutes (LAX first, then Cincinnati, and finally Columbus). It was a fantastic day. I had 2 presentations and both went well. I was really treated like royalty while I was here. I received several nice gifts today and 3, crisp $100 bills! I can't post pictures now, but I believe I have several from my presentations (one of my hosts said he took some). As soon as I land in Columbus, I will be headed to Ohio Stadium to watch the Buckeyes take on Troy (and a former colleague and great guy, Coach Maurea Crain). I plan to summarize my trip when I get home, but unfortunately I start back to work full-time Monday morning and I have a lot to do before classes start on Wednesday. I'm sure the time zone changes back and forth and my lack of great sleep in Korea are going to catch up with me soon, but I had an incredible time this week in Korea!

Korea - Day 4

Thursday, I had another great host (he did his Ph.D. at the University of New Mexico). He brought along his younger brother, a sports writer. I learned more about the Korean culture from those 2 than I had in the previous 3 days. For example:

• The host said when he was in high school, he attended from 8 am until 11 pm. Students take 8 classes and after that, they are expected to stay and learn/study some more. There are no summer breaks and although there are no classes on weekends, they still have to go to school to study.
• Every male has a 2 year military obligation they must complete after high school. They can defer immediate enrollment (typically for college), but must complete it by the time they are 30. The only exception is if they have a handicap, in which case they only have to serve a year.
• There are no guns in Korea (except for the military/police), so crime is very low. I think I only saw a policemen once.
• There is a strong emphasis on technology from the government. The host said the internet is incredibly fast. He said he could download a complete movie in about 5 minutes (he knew from his time in New Mexico, this would take several hours in the U.S.). There are no copyright laws in Korea, so people can download all the movies they want from sites that are illegal in the U.S. Also, all software is "free" in Korea.
  
• There are over 12 million people in Seoul. Most live in apartments. They must buy them as there is really no renting. There are also no mortgages, so people have to pay cash. The only other method is to put down about half of the cost of the apartment. The owner collects the interest and gives you your money back after you leave (typically around 2 years).
• There is little drug use and when caught here, it is a serious crime.

The conference I am attending is actually put on by a couple of different groups. There was some serious miscommunication on our schedule for the day. After breakfast, we went to a Korean market (think flea market). About 20 minutes after we arrived, our host received a phone call saying we (myself and the professor from A&M) were the only invited speakers not at a lunch. Our host (and I) thought we had the day free. Well, we had to rush back, get dressed and attend the lunch. After that we were able to go back to the market. This time, we took the subway. The host mentioned that Seoul had one of the best subway systems in the world, and I was impressed with it. On one of the transfer lines, the subway had a wall to separate the track from the people (doors opened when the train arrived). The host said this was to prevent people from jumping onto the track and committing suicide (the suicide rate in Korea, especially among women, is very high; he said it averages around 45 per day). He said that if you ever hear of an announcement saying there are "technical difficulties" it is because someone jumped onto the track. Here is what the market looks like:
Even though I have not seen any overweight Koreans, check out this sign:
My host said there was a place that sells cheap prescription glasses (he said he bought 10 pair for just over $200). I went and looked at prescription sunglasses. I found a pair I liked and the salesman got my prescription by using my current glasses; he said they would be $70. My host told him I would pay half that; we settled on $50. He then said it would take 2 hours, but my host told him that was too long, so he said come back in an hour. We did and they were ready (can you imagine getting a pair of prescription sunglasses in the U.S. for $50 in an hour?). I got Briana a few items then we headed back to the subway. When we were close to the hotel, we heard an announcement on the subway. Guess what it was? The subway was having "technical difficulties". We waited about 5 minutes, then took a cab ride the rest of the way. We saw what the difficulties were. There was a group on a bridge (that our subway went over) that was protesting and threatening to jump. I'm not sure what the outcome was, but I bet the police won (either the protesters jumped or they were put in jail). There was a night reception then I talked to a former classmate at Ohio State (Harry Kwon) for a couple of hours in the hotel restaurant. Harry is Korean and just got a job back in Seoul.

A couple more thoughts/observations:

• While there was a lot of merchandise for sale on the streets, there are a few huge, multi-story buildings with an unbelievable amount of vendors. You wouldn't believe how crowded it was. The aisles were barely wide enough for 2 people. I asked my host's brother is the vendors were independent. He said yes, and the operation was run by the mafia (I don't think he was kidding).
• I saw an amazing tae kwon do demonstration at the conference. Guys were breaking boards held around 10 feet in the air.

This has been a tremendous learning experience for me. I am so glad I was selected and had this opportunity. This will be my last blog from Korea as I am scheduled to leave tonight. I will definitely not forget my time in Korea.

Korea - Day 3

My host today didn't speak English as well as the previous two hosts (his doctorate was from Korea), but again, he was very nice and helpful. A professor from Texas A&M (and a graduate of Baylor Law School) that I have known for a while arrived this morning, so I spent plenty of time talking to him. After breakfast, we went to the Korean Folk Village. The village gave good examples of how Koreans lived throughout history. There were many performances, including a Korean "drum line", acrobatics using a teeter-totter, and a tight-rope performer.



After touring the village, the host took us to lunch (at the Outback!). They served an extremely strong lemonade (I believe they used carbonated water). We were scheduled to present at Dankook University at 2, but were running a little late. On our trip to the University, I realized this was a much larger event than I anticipated; there were placards on the highways directing people to the event! I have been an invited speaker at the University of Louisville and the University of Miami, so I expected a similar situation (although the Miami students were still bitter about losing to Ohio State in the National Championship game a couple of years before I spoke there). I couldn't have been more wrong. The seminar was sponsored by an initiative from the Korean government, called BK 21. The host said this stood for Brain Korea in the 21st century. Basically, they were trying to improve programs to make Koreans more competitive globally by focusing on specific areas; at Dankook, the area was sport marketing. There were a couple of hundred people in the audience, including some dignitaries from the University. The seminar lasted until around 6; unfortunately, I was the last speaker so I had to wait quite a while. We ended with panel discussion with questions from the audience. I actually had a few questions, including one from the dean of the graduate school at Dankook. The event was videotaped and there was a photographer taking hundreds of pictures (my host said he would get copies and send them to me.
After the seminar, we left to have a traditional Korean meal. In the parking lot, my host handing me 5 new $100 (U.S.) bills for presenting. I was amazed at the meal. I was not hungry because of the large meal for lunch, but the people just kept bringing out more food. I tried a few things and would have probably eaten more if I hadn't have been so full.

More thoughts/observations:

• I talked to my host on the way back to the hotel about the GPS systems in Korea. There are cameras on the highways and those speeding will be photographed. The GPS alerts you as to where the cameras are! The system also tells you which lane you should be in at all times (for upcoming turns).
• I could never drive in Korea. I told you how erratic the driving is, but yesterday took it to another level. I realized that staying in your lanes is not very important to Koreans. Drivers weave in and out and often times take up 2 lanes (even on the highways). At many intersections, 3 lanes can turn left; however, there is no way there is room for this many cars to turn (and there are not really lane guides for them to turn).
  
• Parking is at a premium in business districts. We drove around quite a bit to find parking for lunch, going through many alleys. The alleys are so narrow (and people walk on them) that our drive "bumped" a few individuals. I was shocked that these people didn't do anything.
• The reverence for elders is unbelievable. Basically, the younger faculty members were servants to the older ones. They waited until the elders were seated, took their coats, and served their drinks. They treated guests the same way.
  

Korea - Day 2

It's just after 5 am on Wednesday in Seoul and once again, I didn't sleep a lot last night (probably 4-5 hours, but I did get a nap yesterday afternoon. I'm really not tired, but I haven't slept normal hours since leaving Columbus. It will probably catch up with me by the end of the week.

Yesterday, I had a different host (a graduate of Florida State) who was very nice (just like the one who picked me up from the airport), but didn't speak English as well as my 1st host (so the conversations were not as good). We took a tour of the Korean National Museum; the facility was amazing and the country has a very unique history. I didn't know much about Korea, but the most interesting thing I found was the country had only been independent from Japan after World War II (in 1945). Korea was attacked by communist North Korea a few years later, starting the Korean War. After the museum, we went to a market area. I wasn't surprised to see McDonald's, Burger King, Starbucks, and KFC, but was to see Outback Steakhouse and Cold Stone Creamery. Every block had several clothing stores and I was approached by at least 5 people asking if I wanted a custom suit made. There were also several stores selling NFL jerseys (counterfeit ones I'm sure). There were some deals on some items, but I didn't buy anything. We then went to the Seoul Olympic Museum (in the same complex as my hotel), but it was closed. Hopefully, I will get to visit tomorrow. This is me in front with one of the Olympic mascots in front of the museum.
Some thoughts/observations on my trip so far:

• I am absolutely shocked I have not seen a wreck. Drivers here are very aggressive (an understatement) and the traffic laws are very different from the U.S. For example, on all major roads, there is a U-turn lane. Cars make U-turns just about anywhere, including roads that have 5 lanes going each way. You hear a lot of horns walking down the street. Also, cars seem to pull over to the side of the road quite often, including highways; I don't think I have seen a no parking sign. Of course, this often times causes a lane to close and backs up traffic.
• Speaking of driving, both of my hosts had the most incredible GPS devices I have ever seen. The screens were probably around 8-10 inches diagonally and the displays were very elaborate (they even showed traffic lights and one of them sounded a warning when the driver was over that speed limit in the current area; it adjusted itself based on the road). Most unique to me was the GPS could also display TV and movies. I was amazed that this was possible, and even the hosts admitted it was very dangerous.
• There are no drive-throughs in Seoul; there is just no room. However, the McDonalds close to my hotel delivers (I haven't ordered there yet)!
• Korean Sprite is so much better than what we have in the U.S. It is a whole lot sweeter and I have ordered it at every opportunity. My guess is they use a different type of sugar (or put more into the drink).
• I am a giant in Korea. On my plane and walking around in Seoul, I am probably a head taller than 90-95% of the people here (maybe that's why all of the tailors were asking me if I needed a custom suit). The one exception to this was a professional volleyball team is staying at my hotel. I saw a couple of Koreans that were about my height and one that was a few inches taller. Also, I don't think I have seen an overweight Korean; everyone is about the same size.
• I have a lot of channels on the TV, but most are in Korean (I even saw an episode of Spongebob Squarepants that was dubbed in Korean). There are a few channels in English (Korea is fairly close to Australia and there is an Australian channel), including the Disney Channel. All shows I have seen are in English, with Korean subtitles.

I'm actually going to have to work today. I speak at Dankook University this afternoon at 3. However, it is going to take us about 2 hours to get there, so it is going to be a pretty full day. I will try to report on my presentation tomorrow.

My first international blog entry

I am typing this blog from my hotel room in Seoul, Korea (at 4:30 am). Earlier this year, I was invited to be a guest speaker at the Korean Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance annual conference and I left Columbus yesterday morning. Besides Canada and the Bahamas, I had never been to a foreign country, so I was pretty excited. I dreaded the 14 hour flight from Chicago, but it really wasn't bad. Korean Airlines is by far the best I have ever flown. The plane was huge, with 9 seats in each row, and probably 50 rows of seats. My seat was one of the middle three; luckily I had an aisle seat and there was no one seated next to me. When you get to your seat, there is a bottled water, a blanket and a pillow. Before the flight took off, the attendants brought by a package with slippers and a toothbrush. Every passenger in the economy section had their own monitor like this:The screen is showing one of the menu options that allows you to track the path of the flight. I assumed we would just fly over the Pacific Ocean, but we actually flew due North through Canada and the Northwest Territories, then headed west. We flew over Russia and China before arriving in Seoul. The flight track also told you how far we were (in miles and hours/minutes). You could also listen to CDs (the system had an extensive collection) and play games (I played some blackjack and golf). Best of all was the movie collection. There were 33 recent releases available. I watched 21 and Forgetting Sarah Marshall on the way here. On the way back, I plan on watching Speed Racer and Iron Man. There are also several TV shows to choose from (I watched an episode of Two and a Half Men).

When I picked up my bags in Seoul, there was a huge yellow lock on one of them. One of the security workers removed the lock and asked me if I had a knife in the bag. I had purchased a letter opener for the president of the organization that is paying all of my expenses and I showed it to him. He examined it for what seemed like a long time, then let me go. I was a little nervous being 6,000 miles from home and being detained by security in Korea, but everything was fine.

My host picking me up got his Ph.D. from Texas A&M (I had met him a few years ago), so we had plenty to talk about on our hour and a half journey to the hotel. My first impression was it is a very populated area. In the downtown area, most building are skyscrapers, with a majority being apartments. My host told me the economy is really bad here and some of the 3 bedroom apartments are sold for over $1 million (U.S. currency).

Tuesday, I will be touring in Seoul. Wednesday, I give a lecture at Dankook University (they asked me to come a day early and speak to their students). Thursday is another day of touring and I believe the opening of the conference. Friday, I give a speech in the morning, then another one in the afternoon. I leave here Friday night and get back (hopefully) to Columbus Saturday morning, in time to see the Buckeyes play Troy at noon. I will try to blog some more (with pictures, if possible) while I'm here.

800

Today, Ohio State became only the 5th school ever to win 800 football games. However, it wasn't as easy as was expected. The team actually trailed going into the 4th quarter, but ended up winning 26-14. I believe the team could have been looking towards next week's game against #1 USC (and even Coach Tressel said the same). The team was flat most of the game. I was never really worried about losing the game, but I definitely wished they had played better.

We had an alumni event before the game, and Briana got to meet the most famous Buckeye player in history, Archie Griffin (the only 2-time Heisman trophy winner). I am going to enlarge this picture and try to get Archie to sign it for her (just like Coach Tressel did this week). I have a former student who works for Archie, so hopefully she can get it signed for me.
Briana got to play in the kid's area before the game:
It is amazing how much support the band receives. Everyone stands will they perform Script Ohio (sorry for the bad angle):
Hopefully, the team will be prepared for next week's game in California. Archie did tell us that Beanie Wells will be ready for that game (a huge relief since he didn't play today). I do think you will see a much more focused Buckeye team against the Trojans. I hope they play well since I'm leaving the next morning for Korea (I really don't want to get on a 14 hour flight in a bad mood).

A Tour of the Woody Hayes Facility

One of my graduate advisees (Marcus Freeman) is a star player on the Ohio State football team. When I met with him earlier this summer, I mentioned that I had not been inside the renovated football facility (named after the famous OSU ex-coach Woody Hayes). Today, Marcus gave me (and a colleague) a great tour of the complex. It is an unbelievable facility! It includes many historical artifacts and is a true shrine to the Buckeye football program. About half-way through the tour, Marcus said, "Oh yeah, Coach Tress wanted us to stop by." I was absolutely shocked! We went to Coach Tressel's office and he immediately stopped what he was doing (unbelievable since I know he was preparing for Saturday's game against Ohio University). He remembered me from the book signing in July and began talking about a variety of subjects. We talked to him at least 10 minutes in his very spacious office. I had brought this picture from the book signing, just in case we met him:If you can't read his autograph, here it is enlarged:We are definitely going to hang this prominently her room. He is as nice and genuine a man as you'll ever meet. After leaving his office, we finished the tour. The locker room and weight room were 1st class (we actually ran into 2 other star players - James Laurinatis and Brian Robiskie and ex-Buckeye coach Earl Bruce). The player lounge had pool tables, XBox 360s and a Playstation 3, along with a room with computers. It also had a bar, with Gatorade dispensers behind it.

In the entrance there is an atrium with several trophies. Below is the "Ring of Champions"; it lists Ohio State's 7 national championships.
This is me with Troy Smith's Heisman trophy. There are actually 7 of them placed in a semi-circle display (Notre Dame is the only other school with 7 Heisman winners).

Touring the facility and spending time with Coach Tressel got me even more fired up for Saturday's game. I can't wait to see the Buckeyes win their 800th game.

It's Here!

College football is back! The Buckeyes had an easy win over Youngstown State on Saturday. The only negative was the injury to the Heisman Trophy favorite (according to most experts), Beanie Wells. More information on his injury should be out later today. The team probably doesn't need him this week, but will next week against USC. We have an alumni event this Saturday and will be at the game that day against Ohio U. With a win, Ohio State will become only the 5th team in the history of college football with 800 wins (and we'll be there to witness it!). In my 10 years as a Buckeye fan, the team has:

• 1 national championship (2002)
  
• finished 2nd in the nation twice (1998 & 2006) and 4th twice (2003 & 2007)
• been to 9 bowl games, including 6 BCS games
• beaten the "M" school 7 times

It's been a great 10 years and I'm looking forward to many more great seasons. The team is ranked 2nd or 3rd in the nation (depending on which poll you use) and is picked to be the 1st team in Big 10 history to win 3 consecutive outright conference championships. It's great to be a Buckeye fan!