plugging the plug

It seems like to renovate is to rebuild, and believe it is time to completely destroy this old, rotting blog, and build an entirely new one from scratch.

So long, poly graph.

Some time in Taiwan

God it's been ages since I've done anything with this. Here are some photos and a short movie of my all-too short trip to Taiwan. Enjoy!



Click here for the movie. I couldn't resist filming a holographic mural on the wall in the Marine Aquarium near Kenting, which is in the southern tip of Taiwan.

With Brian comes Beer!

Brian is a dear friend, and I hope he doesn't feel that my lack of posting these photos is a slight against him. It's always the good times we remember the most. Enjoy these pics, but please do view the movie before continuing with the photos. The photos are in chronological order.

Click here for the movie of me greeting Brian at the airport.

big mess resolved

Brian's gone. He has posted a short photo essay of his time here in Korea. Check out his post here.

As for the mess from the last post, it has been resolved. The Monday before last I talked to my employer, and spoke candidly about my wish to stay at the school and to not do anything that would jeopardize my chance of getting a second contract. Further, I said that the job I have now is by the best job I've had in Korea and I probably is the best I could find. He said he enjoyed hearing such nice comments and said that he had time over the weekend to think over what was said from the first meeting and confirmed he will provide the medical insurance as well as the second contract.

What a relief! My plans can resume. Later, I'll post my pictures that I took while Brian was here in Korea.

Big mess to bigger one

Yesterday I had an unpleasant conversation with my employer about how the medical insurance I have is supposed to work. To be clear, I do not have medical insurance with an insurance company, rather a written agreement between my employer and myself to have half of my medical bills paid by my employer. I thought I had coverage, and hoped that half my bills would be paid for, but that was not what my employer was willing to do.

The situation was that I was riding a motorcycle without a license and insurance. I got into an accident and needed surgery. The outcome of the accident was that there were two other parties other than myself involved in the accident: the woman who hit me, and the person whose car got scratched because my motorbike hit it as a result of being hit. An agreement was made with the woman that her auto insurance was to cover the damages to her car, but not to cover my medical bills. As for the other person, an agreement was made that if they did not pursue the matter legally, that I would pay them for damages to their car and for some inconvenience. All of the agreements were arranged by my employer while I was in the hospital.

My position is that whatever kind of "medical insurance" I have should be applied to the medical bills despite the illegality of the accident. The contract states nothing about legal matters affecting coverage, in fact, there isn't much in the contract about the medical insurance at all. It states that I have it. Furthermore, as I understand it, by Korean law, I am entitled to medical insurance, but what under what circumstances is unclear and depends on the insurance company's policies. My "insurance company" does not have any policies that I am aware of.

My employer's position is that since the circumstances surrounding the accident were illegal no medical insurance will not be provided. Further, while I was in the hospital, much work had to be done and favors had to be called in to secure agreements from both parties. My employer wanted to treat the situation as a private matter, and not one dealing with the school. He further said that if I pursue the medical insurance claim via the contract that he will be forced to re-evaluate my current and future employment at the school. Given that I was doing something illegal, something he was fully aware of since I got the bike, that it is within his right to terminate my contract.

Now I am in a sticky situation. Will I have a job in the upcoming year at Poly, or will I have to go fishing for another job? I've talked to my good friend Stephen, who is currently working at a university in Seoul, and asked him to put in a good word for me. Wanting to cover all of my bases, I have already started looking at job postings and will start sending in my resume.

On top of all this, Brian will arrive today to spend two weeks with me.